The Prophetic Biography (the Sirah)
Question 137: How can I really know that Mohammad was a true messenger of God?
Answer 137: We have to point out that:
A. The belief that
Mohamed (pbuh) is a messenger of God is a sub-issue that is based on the belief
in God. It is illogical to give a single proof that Mohammad (pbuh) is a
true messenger of God to an atheist.
B. Looking back into
the history of mankind, we realize that God sent a messenger and/ or prophet to
each nation to teach them His book(s) and wisdom, and to show them the right
path they should follow to enjoy a comfortable and peaceful life, so that they
would form a virtuous society and apply His system on earth. No society
would ever enjoy righteousness unless its members follow the commands of their
Creator, because He knows best what is good for them in this life and the
hereafter, since, originally, He ordains what is good for them. But if
ordaining is left to people, the society will not be safe. Man-made
systems have never been complete, because the human mind cannot comprehend what
is good for them in this life and the hereafter.
However, in order to Answer the original Question we can say:
1. I refer the reader to the argument above in which I gave
evidence that the Holy Qur’an is the word of God. To prove that the Holy
Qur’an is the word of God is at the same time to prove that Mohammad (pbuh) is
His prophet and messenger, because it is universally agreed that the Holy Qur’an
was revealed to Mohammad (pbuh).
2. Mohammad (pbuh) claimed that he is a messenger of God
fourteen centuries ago; since then, God has not sent any other messenger to
contradict this claim. On the contrary, we have seen that God supported
Mohammad (pbuh) by giving him many miracles to corroborate his claim of being a
true messenger of God.
3. Prophethood is claimed either by an absolutely truthful
person, or by a complete liar, and only the ignorant won’t be able to
distinguish between the two. There are many ways to distinguish between a
liar and a truthful person in matters that are even less important that the
claim of prophethood, so it should be easier to distinguish between the two in
such matters.
No liar has ever claimed prophethood without
being exposed by aspects of ignorance, lying and profligacy, and without
showing signs of being obsessed by demons. A true messenger/prophet has
to tell about things, give commands and do things that show either his lying or
truthfulness. Those who knew the messenger and his truthful nature, knew
for sure that he was not lying in his claim of prophethood. A
knowledgeable person can tell when a man is satisfied, and when he is in the
state of, love, hatred, happiness, sadness, and other states of mind that show
on the face of a person. God says
“Had We
so willed, we could have shown them up to thee, and thou shouldst have known
them by their marks: but surely thou wilt know them by the tone of their
speech! And God knows all that ye do (Holy Qur’an: 37: 40).”
Uthman ibn Affan (the third caliph) said: “No one has ever
intended something secretly without getting exposed by God by showing signs of
his secrets on his face and making the person say accidentally what he is
hiding”. If this is true of normal daily matters, it is even more so when
a crucial issue like prophethood is involved.
Khadijah (the prophet’s first wife) knew his truthfulness and
honesty. Therefore, when the messenger (pbuh) told her, having received
the first revelation, that he was afraid, she said to him:” Nay. God will
never let ye down. For you keep good relations with your kith and kin,
tell the truth, look after the sick, receive your guests hospitably, give to
the poor, and help people in their daily affairs”. She praised his high
values and character, and, surely, God never lets down people with these
qualities and values. Khadija soon accompanied the messenger to Warqa’
ibn Nawfal (one of her relatives who was well known Christian priest and among
the first to write the Bible in Arabic) and asked him: “Hear thee, uncle, what
(Mohammad) says.” Having heard Muhammad, Waraqa’ said “This is the kind
of revelation (Angel) that used to come to Moses.”
Negus, who was Emperor of Ethiopia during the messenger’s time,
said about him: “His preaching and that of Moses come from the same source”.
Hercules, the Roman emperor, having received a letter from
Mohammad (pbuh) inviting him to Islam, summoned all Arabs who were in Al-Sham
(greater Syria) at the time, including Abu Sufian who was there on
business. Hercules asked about the qualities and status of Mohammad
(pbuh), and he realized from Abu Sufian’s Answers that he (Mohammad) carried all the signs and qualities of all
the true messengers mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, and which Hercules
knew only too well. It was documented that Hercules would have become a
Muslim had he not feared the wrath of his people, and the loss of reign.
The following conversation took place between Hercules (H) and Abu Sufian (AS).
H: ”Has
anyone claimed (prophethood) before him?”
AS:
”No”.
H:
“Does he have a good lineage among the Arabs?”
AS:
“Yes he has”.
H: “Has
he ever been accused of lying before he claimed prophethood?”
AS:
“Not really, we have never known him to be a liar”.
H: “Was
he followed by the weak people or the rich and powerful ones?”
AS:
“The weak ones”.
H: “Was
anyone of his ancestors a king?”
AS:
“No”.
H: “Are
his followers on the increase or decrease?”
AS:
“They are on the increase”
H: “Has
any of his followers apostatized?”
AS:
“No”
H:
“Does he betray?”
AS:
“No”
H:
“Have you fought him?”
AS:
“Yes”
H: “How
is your war with him progressing?”
AS:
“Sometimes we win sometimes, somettimes he does.”
H:
“What does he ask you to do?”
AS: “To
worship one God only and associate Him with nothing; to abandon the commands of
our ancestors, perform prayer, be truthful, chaste, and to have good relations
with our kith and kin”
H: “I asked you about his ancestry, you said
he had good lineage, and messengers are usually chosen from good
ancestry. I asked you if anyone of you claimed to be a prophet before
him, you said no, and I say had someone before him claimed to be a prophet I
would have said that he was just emulating other people. I asked if any
of his ancestors was king, you said no, and I say that had any of his ancestors
been king I would have accused him of seeking his ancestor’s reign. I
asked if you ever accused of being a liar before he claimed prophethood, and
you said no. I say that he wouldn’t have left lying to people to lying to
God. I asked if his followers were the weak or noble people, and you said
that they were the weak, and those are the followers of messengers. I
asked if his followers were increasing or decreasing, you said they were
increasing, and this is the way of faith until it is complete. I asked if
any of his followers apostatized, and you said no, and that is how faith is
when it touches the heart. I asked if he betrays, and you said no, and
messengers never betray. I asked what he orders you to do, and you said
to worship God and associate no one with Him, and forbids you from worshipping
idles, and orders you to pray and be truthful and chaste. If all what you
say is true, he will conquer my own kingdom. I knew he was forthcoming,
but I did not expect him to be one of you (an Arab). If I knew I could
reach him, I would have made an effort to meet him, and if I were with him I
would wash his feet.”
4. The holy Qur’an that was revealed by God to Mohammad (pbuh)
foretold many future events that happened later on in the same way the Qur’an
said they would. These events include:
a. God
says in the Holy Qur’an: “Truly did God fulfill the vision for His messenger:
Ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if God wills, with minds secure, heads
shaved, hair cut, and without fear. For He knew what ye Knew not, and He
granted, besides this, a speedy victory” (Holy Qur’an: 48: 27).. And
this is what exactly happened, the prophet’s companions entered the Holy Mosque
with their heads shaved or their hair cut, feeling secure.
b. God
says in the Holy Qur’an: “God has promised, to those among you who believe and
work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land,
inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will
establish in authority their religion –the one which He has chosen for them;
and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived ),
to one of security and peace: ‘they will worship Me (alone) and not associate
aught with Me.’ If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and
wicked” (Holy Qur’an: 24: 55).And, truly, God fulfilled His promise in a
short time, for within thirty years of the caliphate era, Muslims reached the
borders of China in the East, and the Atlantic Ocean in the
West.
c. God
says in the Holy Qur’an: “When comes the Help of God, and Victory * And thou
dost see the people enter God’s Religion in crowds” (Holy Qur’an: 110:
1-2). Later on, Mecca was conquered, and people entered the
religion of God in crowds.
d. God
says in the Holy Qur’an: “Say to those who reject Faith: ‘Soon will ye be
vanquished’.” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 12). And this is exactly what
happened later on, and the non-believers became vanquished.
5. The messenger (pbuh) foretold many events
before they actually happened. Some of these events include:
a. When he described the immigration
to Medina to his companions, and it happened as he described.
b. He predicted that Muslims would
conquer Mecca, Jerusalem, Yemen, Al-Sham (greater Syria)
and Iraq.
c. He prophesied that security would prevail
in the Arabian Peninsula so much so that a woman would be able to travel from
Hira to Mecca fearing nothing but God.
d. Once he told his companions that Ali would
conquer the town of Kheibar the next day, and he did.
e. He predicted that Muslims would distribute
the treasures of the Persian and Roman Emperors.
f. He said that Persian women would serve in
the homes of Muslims, and this happened during the life of his companions.
g. He foretold that the era of the companions
would last for one hundred years, and the last companion died in the year 110
H.
h. He predicted that sedition amongst Muslims
would not appear as long as Omar, the second caliph was alive.
i. He
said that Uthman, the third caliph, would be killed while reading the Holy
Qur’an.
And there are plenty of other similar events.
6. In order for people to believe messengers in their
claims to be true messengers of God, and in order to strengthen their
positions, God aided them with miracles. Some miracles are physical such
as the camel of Saleh, Moses’ club, and the miracles given to Jesus such as
curing the blind and the leprous and bringing the dead back to life, etc.
Miracles could also be abstract and mind challenging such as the Holy Qur’an.
Since Mohammad (pbuh) is the last prophet and messenger, God blessed him with
many physical, abstract and mind challenging miracles. Some of these are:
splitting the moon, the flow of water from between his fingers, increasing the
quantity of food and drink, talking to animals, foretelling future events that
happened later, being greeted and obeyed by trees and stones, curing the sick,
and many other miracles. We recommend the reader here to refer to the
book of the Prophet’s Miracles, which is written by Al-Hafiz
Abi Al-Fida Ishmael ibn Katheer. However, Mohammad’s greatest everlasting
miracle is the Holy Qur’an, which is miraculous in many ways: the choice of its
vocabulary, its rhetorical structure that challenged humans and Jin to bring
forward a similar one and they failed, then the Holy Qur’an challenged them to
bring forward ten suras like the ones it contains and they failed, and they
even failed to meet its challenge to bring forward one sura. Such a
challenge would only emanate from a Source that is sure that the Holy Qur’an
cannot be imitated by humans. Had it been produced by a human being, such
a challenge would not have been posed. The Holy Qur’an is also miraculous
because it is so precise in relating the history of ancient nations and their
stories with their prophets. It also foretold future events that actually
happened later on in the way the Holy Qur’an said they would. These are
all miracles, especially since Mohammad (pbuh) was illiterate, and did not
study history. The fact that these historical and future events were told
by an illiterate man can only serve to give evidence that he was a true
messenger of God. The just and comprehensive laws and regulations
stipulated in Holy Qur’an provide a further proof that it is miraculous.
Thus, the Holy Qur’an is miraculous in its entirety: its choice of vocabulary,
telling of events, and its verdicts. It is a physical and mind
challenging evidence on the true prophethood and message of Mohammad (pbuh).
Question 138: Islamists are nowadays accused of being terrorists and
fundamentalists because they often resort to violence, which they call
jihad. Is this religiously justifiable?
Answer 138: In order to Answer this Question, we have to take some
matters inot consideration:
1. We have to keep in
mind that the media steers the public to the direction that its owners
desire. Today, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the only
remaining enemy of the West is Islam, because it is the only religion that the
West could not, and will not be able to, distort its teachings, suppress its
voice, and stop its spread throughout the world. People of knowledge
should not become victims of the media that tries to make the general public
think that Muslims are terrorists and fundamentalists who exploit the name of
jihad in their terrorism and fundamentalism.
2. We need to ask: Who
does describe Islamists as terrorists? The enemies of Islam who live
inside and outside Islamic countries, and who are afraid of Islam, are the ones
who invented this label to Muslims with the aim of degrading Islam and Muslims,
alienating people from it, and to put Muslims in the position of the accused in
the eyes of international community that is dominated by the USA. In
his book The Arab World Today Murd Burger says:
The
fear of the Arabs and our interest in the Arab nation does not stem from the
existence of oil in huge quantities in their area, but because of Islam!
Islam has to be fought to prevent the unification of the Arabs, because this
unification could strengthen them. The strength of the Arabs has always
coincided with the strength and spread of Islam”[1].
Dan Quail, the former American vice president said: “The only
remaining enemy of the West is Islam”[2].
Quail classified Islam in the same category as Communism and Nazism, and the
Western media coined a new word to describe Islam “fundamentalism.” The
Times magazine once published on its cover a picture that combines a
mosque minaret with a machine gun under the headline: “Islamic Danger.”
Our natural response to such a description cannot be taken seriously because it
comes from an enemy, and enemies have never been fair. Moreover, those
who follow the biased Western media that invented these descriptions of Muslims,
and those who follow the writings and declarations of Western thinkers and
politicians realize that using these descriptions of Muslims when Muslims
defend their religion, usurped Holy places, occupied lands, stolen rights and
their dignity. This was the case when Afghanis and their Muslim bretherns
fought the occupying forces of Communism, which violated international law by
occupying other people’s land and killing the people of this land. The
West, represented in its media and politics, did not describe then such actions
as terrorism or violence, but when the Afghani people rose to defend
themselves, their land and religion, their enemies condemned that and described
them as terrorists and fundamentalists, and the lying Jewish media promoted
these accusations that spread very quickly throughout the international
community. This is quite natural given the fact that almost the whole
world listens to the West and its media, thinkers, and politicians. They
want Muslims to surrender to their enemy, give up their religion and abandon
their rights without any resistance; when they do so they resist they will be
called terrorists, and what was said about the Afghani people is being said now
about the Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. The struggle
of the Palestinians is being called terrorism and violence, because they are
defending themselves, their Holy places and their land.
On the other hand, what the Jews did in Qubayyah, Deir Yaseen,
Sabra and Shatilla, Qana, and other ugly massacres that were carried out
against the Palestinian people were not in the eyes of the West and its media
terrorism nor violence, but self defense.
The most obvious example in our modern day are the fabrications
surrounding the Bosnian war that was witnessed by the whole world, and the
international tribunal in The Hague prosecuted its war
criminals. We pose the Question: has the West found one Muslim war criminal? Weren’t all the
criminals either from the Serbs or the Croats? So who should be called
terrorists: Muslims or the others?
The same can be said about what is happening to Muslims
in Germany, where extremists are killing Muslims and burning their houses,
and in France, where Muslim women have been prevented from wearing the
Islamic veil. So who should be called terrorists, those who simply want
to practice their religion, or those who massacre innocents, burn houses, and
deprive others from their basic personal freedom and religious rights?
Many events like these are taking place all over the world, where Muslims are
being persecuted and deprived from their personal human rights that should be
respected by all international laws, yet the international media promotes the
idea of Muslims being terrorists and extremists!
This is the twisted logic and reckless judgment of the
international community today, a community that turns away from the message of
God, suffers from ignorance, and does not follow the right path of God.
God says in the Holy Qur’an:
“But
whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down,
and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment” (Holy Qur’an: 20:
121).
Muslims are, now more than ever, required to be strong in order
to raise the Islamic nation above, and feared by all other nations, so that no
side will ever think of hurting Muslims or attacking their beliefs, God says:
“Against
them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of
war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of God, and your
enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know” (Holy Qur’an: 8: 60).
Concerning this Qur’anic verse Sayyed Qutb says gives the
following commentary:
Islam
has to have the sort of power that enables it to advance throughout the world
to free Man, and the first domain where this power should be used is the domain
of Da’wa (preaching Islam): to make sure that those who chose
to be Muslims are free to do so, and are not afraid of getting persecuted for
becoming Muslims. Secondly, this power should be used to intimidate the
enemies of Islam, so that they do not contemplate attacking the Muslim nation
that is protected by this power.”[3]
Thus, Muslims are requested to frighten the enemies of God and
His messenger who defend His religion, because such enemies should live in
humiliation and disgrace, for this is the way of God with His creatures, and
not the laws of Darwen who says:
It is
natural disposition that only those who prove to be fit should survive, and
those who perish do so because they are too weak that they deserve to perish,
and those who survive deserve to survive.[4]
What “natural disposition” is he talking about? This is
certainly not the way God has meant humans to be.
However, when Muslims deal with each others they are requested
to show humbleness, sympathy and and provide each other with valuable
advice. This is how our forefathers were “…Lowly with the Believers,
mighty against the Rejecters…”(Holy Qur’an: 5: 54).
The West, which promotes the image of Muslims as terrorists,
aims at keeping Muslims busy defending themselves to exhaust their resources
while they try to clear themselves of the accusations that have been wrongly
thrown at them, and thus they do not find the time to unveil the bad face of
the Western culture which talks carries the banners of Human Rights and other
colorful slogans, while dominating other peoples’ fortunes, and to keep silent
while massacres take place here and there to achieve their goals.
As for the second part of the Question:(Do they accuse all
Islamists of being terrorists?), we can say that it is noted that enemies of
Islam target their accusations mainly on ardent and committed Muslims, who seek
the application of the Islamic Law, refuse to make alliances with anyone but
God and His messenger and call for the unity of Muslims, of being terrorists
because they do not yield to the wishes and commands of enemies of Islam, and
decline to facilitate the theft of the fortunes of the Islamic nation by these
enemies. But so-called Muslims who ally themselves with the West and its
civilization, and accept to be lead by the West in obvious contradiction with
Islamic teaching, are called “moderates” by the West.
However, there are some individuals who commit acts of
aggression against innocent civilians in different parts of the world in the
name of jihad, and some of these acts are attributed to Islam although they are
committed by non-Islamic organizations. To this we say: jihad has its
rules and means, and killing innocent civilians is not part of it.
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) forbid the killing of women, children and
covenanters. He says:”He who kills a covenanter will not (even) smell
paradise, (although) it can be smelled from a forty year walking distance”[5].
There are many proofs and a lot of evidence in the Holy Qur’an and the
tradition of the Prophet that prohibit killing innocent civilians and
destroying towns. If someone goes against these teachings of Islam, blame
should no be put on Islam, but on the person himself.
Question 139: Why did prophet Muhammad marry several women and limited the
marriage of Muslim men to only four women?
Answer 139: This Question has some confusion appearing in “limited the
marriage of Muslim men to only four women.” Every Muslim knows that
Muhammad (pbuh) is a messenger whose basic task is to convey what has been
revealed to him from God. He can not limit out of his own will and does
not make something legal to himself. God the Almighty allowed Muslims to
marry more than one woman, He says:
“but if
you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one
or (the slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you
from doing injustice” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 3).
Concerning the prophet (pbuh), God the Almighty said:
“O
Prophet (Muhammad (pbuh)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to
whom you have paid their mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at
the time of marriage), and those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses – whom
God has given to you, and the daughters of your khal (maternal uncles) and the
daughters of your khalah (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you,
and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet
wishes to marry her – a privilege for you only, not for (the rest of) the
believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their
wives and those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, in order that there
should be no difficulty on you. And God is Ever oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. You (O Mhammad can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them
(your wives), and you may receive whom you will. And whomsoever you desire of those
whom you have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive
her again); that is better that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may
all be pleased with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts. And
God is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing. It is not lawful for you (to marry
other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their
beauty attracts you, except those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses. And
God is Ever a Watcher over all things”(Holy Qur’an: 4: 3).
Examine the above holy verses which show that God the Almighty
who allowed the prophet to marry the wives whom he had granted bridal-money,
and God took the responsibility to explain that in order to silence all who
talk about the messenger of God (pbuh), as if God the Almighty said, “We made
you marry those women, and that is the original thing, i.e. God sent him to his
creatures and he was being taken care of by God the Almighty as he was in his
care in all of his matters, including marriage.
We also see that in those holy verses, God the Almighty
prevented him from marrying any more women after those whom he married by
saying to him “It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this” i.e.
those are your wives only, so you cannot marry other ones. So lawfulness
and unlawfulness, permission and prevention are God’s concern, not the
messenger’s.
Polygamy was a common practice in the human and Arab environment
before Islam; it was familiar to previous prophet and their followers. The
prophet (pbuh) said that one of the prophets of the Jews, married one hundred
wives, and Solomon (pbuh) married more than that.
As to why the prophet married several women and limited Muslims
to four, that was one of the specialties, i.e. it is not lawful for any other
Muslim to imitate him in this. He has other specialties, like continuing
to fast after sunset; when his companions continued their fast after sunset, he
prohibited them by saying: “I am not like you, God provides me with food and
drink;” and like the unlawfulness of his wives’ marriage after death, as they
are the mothers of believers; and like the unlawfulness to marry more than his
nine wives or divorce one of them.[6]
Pondering into his biography, we find that the prophet (pbuh)
did not marry more than one until he emigrated to Medina, and that was
after exceeding fifty three of his age, an age when, usually, no one marries
for purely sexual purposes or desires. All the ladies whom he married
in Medina were widows, except Aishahh; as was mentioned earlier, the
prophet married these ladies for legislative and reformative purposes, including:[7]
1. Spread of education: It
suffices to know that half the society were women, and they needed culture and
education exactly as men did and that are, two or three could not perform their
role in transmission, education and guidance. Therefore, a group of women
were indispensable to educate the other women of the society, especially in
matters relating to women, as they feel shy to ask men about it. For
example, it is cited in Bukhari and Muslim that
Aysha reported that one Ansari woman asked the prophet about the
after-menstruation-bath. The prophet told her what to do by saying:
"Purify yourself with a piece of cloth scented with musk." The
woman asked, "How shall I purify myself with it." The prophet
felt shy to clarify it any further; at which appropriate time, I (Aysha) pulled
the woman aside and told her: "Use the cloth to rub the place soiled with
blood."[8]
The prophet’s various houses were centres for teaching women
their religious rules, and especially to enlighten men about matters relating to
women. Verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed in support of this by
addressing the mothers of believers (the prophet’s wives):
“And
remember (O you the members of the Prophets family, the Graces of Your Lord),
that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of God and al-Hikmah (i.e.
Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to God and glorify His
Praises for this Qur’an and the sunnah). Verily, God is Ever Most Courteous,
Well-Acquainted with all things” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 34).
2. Completing the Legislation: The
prophet (pbuh) married several women for legislative purposes, like abolishing
the adoption custom[9],
and contributing to the subject of relating the prophetic traditions, which are
the second source of legislation after the Holy Qur’an. The prophet’s
wives contributed to the narration and conveyance of every tradition they heard
from him and every act of the messenger they saw. In this way, a big
number of prophetic traditions reached the Muslim community through his
wives. Narrators of the traditions mentioned that the number of hadith the
prophet’s wives related were more than three thousands.
3. Achievement of solidarity: The
prophet (pbuh) married women who had nobody to look after them, especially
after they had lost husbands. He married them out of mercy, like the
Makhzomite lady Hind Ummu Salamah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan and other ladies whose
biographies had been mentioned in the biographies of the prophet (pbuh), which
show us that his mercy (pbuh) upon women like these, his care for orphans,
sponsorship of widows and consoling those inflicted with calamities.
4. Exemplification: The messenger of
God (pbuh) is the good example and high ideal of good treatment of his wives
and achievement of justice among them and respect of their opinions, helping
them in their household works, and loyalty to those who died from them.
Anyone who looks for a good example and a high idea in dealing with wives, he
needs to learn about the guidance of the prophet (pbuh) in the books of his
biography, which embodied and portrayed to us his life with his wives, as if we
were living with him (pbuh) and in his homes.
Question 140: There is a contradiction between the Qur’an and the
events in the prophetic traditions. God promised Muhammad and his
companions victory, but they were defeated in Uhud, for example. How do you
explain this?
Answer 140: The first side of this Question involves the
victory, which God promised His messenger and believers and means the outcome
of the struggle between them and their enemies. God the Almighty crowned
the jihad of His prophet, and the companions who supported him, with decisive
victory. All Arab tribes pledged their obedience to the prophet and
became subjects to the state of Islam—something that appeared clearly in the
Delegations Year (the tenth year after hijra) as delegations came one after
another to Medina from the various Arab tribes and pledged their obedience to
the messenger of God for Islam. All these tribes ultimately became
subject to Islam and recognized the state of Islam. The messenger of God
with his own eye witnessed this victory during his lifetime. Also The
prophet foretold great victories to his companions, victories which were
achieved after his death. Only a few years passed after his death when
Muslims conquered the two greatest empires of the day, the Persian and Roman
empires; and subjected their territories and most of their peoples to the
Islamic rule. Thus, God’s promise of victory to his believing servants
was achieved.
On the way to reach final victory the prophet (pbuh) and his
companions were exposed to various kinds of pain, wounds, losses in property
and souls, but that is God’s law. God says:
“Or think you that you will
enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away
before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so
shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said,
“When (will come) the Help of God?” Yes! Certainly, the Help of God is near!”’
(Holy Qur’an: 2: 214).
This is the nature of conflict between truth and its supporters
on the one hand and falsity and its party.
The way of calling to God is a thorny one paved with obstacles,
hardships, wounds and pains, which are like lessons to the believing league
which may have its violations, or they are like examinations to test the
believers and purify the Muslim row from the greedy, the vindictive and
opportunistic. That is what happened in Uhud Battle when Muslims learned
a real and practical lesson as a punishment for violating the order of their
prophet and leader (pbuh). After the notorious victory the Muslims had
achieved in Badr Battle (the first battle in Islam), some Muslims thought they
would never lose a battle whatsoever, so long as they were Muslims and others
infidels. In the Battle of Uhud the Muslims were shocked by what had
befallen to them. God says:
“(What
is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote
(your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: “From where does this come to
us?” Say (to them), “It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds.” (Holy
Qur’an: 3: 165).
The other side of the Question is
that the Muslims not only were defeated in Uhud Battle, but many were killed
and injured. Militarily speaking, the Muslims achieved victory in spite
of the great losses they had in the battle. Victory can be explained in
this way: first, the Muslims were victorious in the beginning; they chased the
polytheists out of their camp and surrounded their women and property, and
dropped their banner in the field of war, but when, after the end of battle,
the Muslim hurlers violated the prophet’s order and abandoned their strategic
positions and hurried down to take their shares, Khalid Bin al-Waleed (a
polytheist then) returned to the battlefield again, ambushed the Muslim army,
and caused them a great deal of loss. Yet those polytheists were unable
to destroy the Islamic movement, neither physically nor morally. Later,
the Muslims were able under the leadership of the messenger of God (pbuh) to
overcome this crisis and gained the upper hand in the battle; soon the enemies
ran away. Had the polytheists been triumphant, the euphoria of victory
would have urged them to stay in the battlefield in order to conquer the Muslim
army, or at least its leading figures, about whom Abu Sufyan asked at the end
of the battle; they are the Messenger of God (pbuh) Abu Bakr and Umar Bin
al-Khattab. The polytheists would have attacked Medina in which
there were only women, old people and supporters of the polytheists of
hypocrites and Jews. It would have been an opportunity for them, but Abu
Sufyan, the leader of the polytheists, realized that what happened in the
second round of the battle was not because of the bravery and courage of his
soldiers; he knew them in the first round of the battle when they ran away
before the Muslims, and that was only because of the mistake of the
Muslims. That is how it happened as a matter of fate destined by God for
some reasons He wanted. The Muslims under the leadership of the prophet
(pbuh) the following morning chased the polytheists to Hamrah al-Asad.
When the polytheists learned about this, they continued their way hurriedly
towards Makkah for fear of the Muslims, whose spirits were high and whose will
was strong. Here I ask: “Does a defeated army chase its enemy, and does a
victorious army flee? This cannot happen from a military point of view
and cannot be accepted by wise people.
The third aspect of the truth of the victory of the Muslims in
Uhud Battle can be recognized when we know the fact that every single nation
must make some mistakes, and those mistakes are natural in the lives of
nations, but nations have different attitudes towards their mistakes in their
lives. Some nations make mistakes, and then more mistakes but they do not
learn a lesson from them (not to make the same mistakes later on). Such
nations are ones whose insight has been blinded, so they stumble on their way
of construction and their pursuit for reaching their aim was impossible; and
some nations make mistakes but they learn lessons from them, so their mistakes
decrease in their lives, and goodness and building excel evil and
destruction. So their conditions improved and their building
developed. Such nations have insight and achieve victory. That is
what happened to Muslims in Uhud Battle. The companions made use of this
newly learned lesson and learned a great deal from their mistakes. We
know that from what happened the following morning, when the prophet declared
jihad among his companions who were injured the day before in Uhud battle, all
of them attended in spite of their wounds and pains, although some of them were
not able to walk except between two men to lean on. The benefit of the
Muslims from their mistakes is itself considered a great victory. If the
Muslims make use of their mistakes and learn lesson, as their ancestors did,
their situation will change considerably. God the Almighty, after this
battle, addressed Muslims to show them that what happened was a natural law,
the law of God, that you will defeat or be defeated, and that the natural
result will be in your favor, but after jihad, infliction and putting you to
test. The triumph of the polytheists over the Muslims in the second round
of the battle is not an established law, but a transitory event behind which
there is a lot of heavenly wisdom and lessons. God said:
“Many similar ways (and mishaps of life) were
faced by nations (believers and disbelievers) that have passed away before you
(as you have faced in the battle of Uhud), so travel through the earth, and see
what was the end of those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of God, and disobeyed
Him and His Messenger. This (the Qur’an) is a plain statement for mankind, a
guidance and instruction to those who are al-muttaqun (the pious). So do not
become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior(in
victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. If a wound (and killing) has
touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. Ad
so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that God may
test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And God
likes not the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers). And that God may test (or
purity) the believers (from sins) and destroy the disbelievers. Do you think
that y will enter Paradise before God tests those of you who fought (in His
Cause) and (also) tests those who are as-sabirun (the patient)” (Holy Qur’an:
3: 137-142).
Question 141: Are Muslims required to follow the example of the
prophet (pbuh) according to what came in his biography?
Answer 141: The prophetic biography as a whole is a true method of
life pure of any stains and blemishes. It suffices that it is a true
picture of the life of a man chosen by God as a mercy for mankind.
Therefore, every Muslim who hopes for escape for himself and success in this
life and in the hereafter is required to study and contemplate the biography of
the prophet (pbuh) to benefit from his worship, to call to Islam, jihad and all
of his life. His life (pbuh) is all lessons and wisdom, those who follow
it succeed and escape and those abandon it lose and perish.
Dr. Rajih Abdulkareem al-Karm says:
Understanding
the biography of the Messenger (pbuh) is, in fact, part and parcel of
understanding Islam, for its is a practical and lively witness showing the
fruit of faith and absolute belief in his religion embodied by the Messenger of
God (pbuh) as a practical and high ideal.[10]
He adds:
Studying
the Messenger’s biography plays an important role in the interpretation of the
Holy Qur’an, which is the trusted record of actions and events of the biography
and the invasions, events and causes of revelation and method of calling to
God, bases of legislation and direction, which the Messenger of God pointed out
and implemented practically. So, the prophet’s biography is an
explanation of the Holy Qur’an and an interpretation of it. Studying it is
a study of the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an. As such, understanding Islam
is connected with the understanding of the Holy Prophetic biography.[11]
Furthermore, studying the prophetic biography is a legal
necessity to imitate the prophet (pbuh) about whom God said: “Indeed in the
Messenger of God (Muhammad (pbuh) you have a good example” (Holy Qur’an: 33:
21). Studying the prophetic biography carefully and sincerely helps the
sincere Muslims to imitate the prophet (pbuh). I conclude that the major
part of his biography (pbuh) especially the one related to his life after the
mission until his death (pbuh) includes a great deal of divine rules relating
to peace, war, settlement and travel; to health, illness, worship, dealings and
other things we are required to follow and worship God by doing so. On
the other hand, the other side of his biography (pbuh), especially those
relating to that period before the mission, does not show divine rules and
Muslims do not have to follow them. They are personal or general matters
Muslims can read for the sake of knowledge and not worship. For example,
his biography shows that as a baby, he was breastfed in the desert of Bani
Sa`d. In his youth he worked sometimes as a shepherd, sometimes in
trading, and so on. No Muslim is required to follow this side of his life
(pbuh), but may be some lessons could be deduced and more feedback acquired
about the true personality of the prophet. God says, “Or is it that they
did not recognize their Messenger (Muhammad) so hey deny him?” (Holy Qur’an:
23: 69).
Question 142: Muslims say that Muhammad had performed
miracles. How can one differentiate between these miracles and
magic?
Answer 142: A miracle is originally a supernatural event that goes
against the natural law. People witness it and God allows it to happen at
the hands of his prophets, while “magic” is an event whose cause is unseen and
imagined to be something different. It uses the method of camouflage and
misleading, and it is all seen as true and accurate.
The most famous kind of magic of is the one based on the use of
earthly spirits like jinn, where magicians usually get assistance.
Magicians also rely on a devil or a goblin to achieve something he wants;
hence, magic is associated with blasphemy. God said,
“They
followed what the shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the
lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the shayatin
(devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down
at Babylon to the two angels. Harut and Marut, but neither of these
two (angels taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are only
for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)’.” (Holy Qur’an:
1:102).
Al-Nisai mentioned that Abu Hurayrah related that the prophet
(pbuh) said:
“Any
one who knots a knot then blows in it, he has performed magic and anyone who
performs magic has associated another deity with God, and anyone who hangs am
amulet, he is given to it.”[12]
There is also the magic of deceiving and misleading the eyes, as
God said about the Pharaoh’s sorcerers:
“they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into
them, and they displayed a great magic” (Holy Qur’an: 7:116), i.e. they
camouflaged what they did until people thought that the ropes and sticks were
moving. God said, “And their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as
though they moved fast” (Holy Qur’an: 20: 66).
Hence we can know some differences between a miracle and magic,
like a miracle is a support from God to his prophet or messenger to prove his
prophecy and message, so what he performs is miraculous, and the Holy Qur’an
mentioned many of them, while magic is a support of the devil to his
followers. A good servant of God, a messenger or a prophet performs a
miracle, and a good servant cannot be a magician because magic is
blasphemy. God may allow a good servant to perform miraculous things, a
servant who is not a prophet or a messenger, and that is a blessing while magic
comes from someone who denied God, associated someone with Him, and followed
the Devil. Therefore, if you see something miraculous performed by
someone, we should examine his state. If he is a servant of God, does
what God orders and abstains from what God prohibits, pure in appearance and
heart away from every kind of evil action, then learn that it is a miracle that
he is performing, and if he is an evil lecherous malignant person who commits
sins and disobeys God, then he is a sorcerer.
A miracle changes the reality of things and makes it a real
fact, and that is the secret of the embracement of Islam of Pharaoh’s sorcerers
when Moses threw his stick which tuned into a snake that swallowed the sticks
and ropes of the magicians, which we see to have been transformed under the effect
of sorcery into snakes, except the magicians who were not charmed themselves.
They saw Moses’ stick, which was transformed into a snake eating their sticks
and ropes. God said:
“And
the sorcerers fell down prostrate. Saying: “We believe in the Lord of the
alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists), the Lord of Moses and Aaron” (Holy
Qur’an: 26: 46-47).
Magic does not change the reality of things, but a sorcerer
affects the senses of people so that they feel that the things before them have
taken new forms and shapes, while the things themselves continue to be the
same, without changing their reality, as the sorcerers of Pharaoh did, they
bewitched the eyes of people when people were made to imagine that the sticks
and ropes became snakes in the arena, and in fact, they remained the same,
unchanging ropes and sticks.
A miracle is performed to achieve a noble intention like healing
the blind and the leprous, healing patients, supporting messengers, and
strengthening the believers, etc. It always achieves something good,
whereas magic is used for evil purposes, like separation between husband and
wife, inflicting people with disease and illness and maybe death.
Miracles and magic are, then, essentially two things different
in essence and purpose and those who perform them are dissimilar except in some
apparent effects, but it is easy for every understanding person to
differentiate between them. In addition, any act if it is magic and not a
heavenly miracle; it means that it is a human act that can be performed by
magicians on earth, whereas God makes a miracle. Therefore, it can be
achieved in the same manner by any human being.
Question 143: God says about Muhammad: “God will protect you from mankind”
(The Holy Qur’an: 5: 67). How was he bewitched, poisoned and, more than once,
wounded?
Answer 143: The verse mentioned in this Question is part of the fifth verse
of Chapter (sura) 67 (Holy Qur’an: 5: 67) from al-Maida. God said:
“O
Messenger (Muhammad (pbuh)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to
you from your Lord, And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.
God will protect you from mankind. Verily, God guides not the people who
disbelieve.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 67).
In this holy verse, there is an order from God the Almighty to
his Messenger to pursue his call to Islam and inform others of what he has been
informed regardless of the enemies, their intrigues and conspiracies against
him (pbuh). Before the revelation of this verse, while calling to God,
the prophet felt afraid about himself that he might be killed or assassinated,
and God the Almighty knew what went on in the heart of his chosen prophet, and
knew that the enemies intended to kill His Messenger. He, therefore,
revealed this verse to him to appease him and tell him that he is in His
protection, care and maintenance, and anyone who is under God’s care and
protection, what could the weak enemies do to him? Imam Ahmad related
that Aishah related: “The Messenger of God stayed up late at night while I was
beside him. She said, she addressed the prophet saying ‘What is wrong,
Messenger of God?’ He Answered: ‘I wish one righteous companion of mine would guard me
tonight.’ She said, ‘While I was listening to him, I heard a weapon
cluttering.’ He said, “Who is there?” He [the one outside] said, ‘I am
Sa`d ibn Malik.’ He said, ‘What brought you here at this moment?’ Sa’d
said, ‘I’ve come to guard you.’ She said, ‘Then I heard the Messenger of
God soundly asleep.”[13]
Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned that Aishah said: “The prophet used to be guarded until
the verse “And God will protect you from people” was revealed. She said,
“The prophet watched out of the dome and said, “O, people! You
could leave, God has protected us.”[14]
What is meant by the Arabic word (‘Isma) in the prophetic tradition is God the
Almighty will protect His messenger (pbuh) from killing. The prophet
(pbuh) was exposed, especially after hijra to Medina, to many
assassination attempts by the Jews, the hypocrites, the pagans and others.
Except for the protection of God, the prophet would have been killed from the
very early days of his public call to Islam. Anyone interested in
learning about those attempts, he could refer to the book entitled And
God will Protect You from People by Ahmad aj-Jadi` in which he
described the attempts of assassination of the prophet (pbuh) starting with
that big attempt by Quraish, so God saved him from them, and allowed him to
emigrate to Medina. As to verbal and practical harm less than killing,
the Messenger of God (pbuh) was exposed to many incidents, especially in
Makkah, and this is the situation of callers to God everywhere all the time and
that is God’s law of testing and trying, as He said:
“Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before
you (O Muhammad (pbuh), but with patience they bore the denial, and they were
hurt; till Our help reached them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of
God. Surly there has reached you the information (news) about the
Messengers (before you)” (Holy Qur’an: 6: 34).
And the prophet himself said, “The most inflicted amongst you
are the messengers, then those who are similar to them, and then those are
similar to them” and God’s protection of his Messenger from killing was
particular to him (pbuh) unlike other callers and conveyers, as he is the one
conveying the message of God. Therefore, he was protected from killing
until he conveys God’s message in the manner that God wanted.
Question 144: There is a controversy and ambiguity around the marriages of the
prophet to Zainab Bint Jahsh. Could you clarify this ambiguity and
explain the circumstances of this marriage clearly?
Answer 144: Zainab Bint Jahsh is the prophet’s cousin on his father’s
side. Her mother is Umaymah Bint Abdulmuttalib and she is the sister of
Abdullah Bin Jahsh who was martyred in Uhud Battle. The Messenger of God
married her after she was divorced by his slave Zayd ibn Haritha without a
human contract, because it was God the Almighty who married her off to him, in
order to cancel the custom of adoption and the custom of prohibiting marriage
to the wife of adopted sons, which was common then amongst Arabs. God the
Almighty revealed some verses to be recited from the Holy Qur’an to show
that. He says:
“And (remember) when you said to him (Zayd bin
Harithah the freed-slave of the Prophet) on whom God has bestowed Grace (by
guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad (pbuh) too) have done favor (by
manumitting him): “Keep your wife to yourself, and fear God.” But you did hide
in yourself (i.e. what God has already made known to you that he will give her
to you in marriage) that which God will make manifest, you did fear the people
(i.e., their saying that Muhammad (pbuh) married the divorced wife of his
manumitted slave) whereas God had a better right that you should fear Him. So
when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her
to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the
believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when
the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them). And
God’s Command must be fulfilled” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 37).
God also says,
“But
you did hide in yourself (i.e. what God had already made known to you that He
will give her to you in marriage) that which God will make manifest, you did
fear the people” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 37)
The minds of people started wondering as to what the prophet
concealed from them and forgot about God’s words which is understood to mean
that God the Almighty revealed in His words what the Messenger had
concealed. The verse is clear that God the Almighty revealed in it that
Zainab being a wife of Muhammad, not anything else. The right thing to do
was to contemplate the Holy Qur’an and not give a free rein to their
imagination and to say about the prophet (pbuh) what should not be said. Let’s
explain the story of this blessed marriage:
Zayd ibn Harithah is an Arab from the tribe of Bani Kalb.
One tribe attacked his and took him captive as this usually happened before
Islam and sold him. Hakeem ibn Hizam bought him to his aunt Khadeejah and
she, in turn, offered him to her husband, the prophet. His folks had been
looking for him to restore him; they learned about his whereabouts, in
Makkah. They came to the prophet (pbuh) and asked him and begged him to
give them their son back. They were the caretakers of the Holy Mosque and
deserve this good deed. The prophet, in turn, made them another offer,
i.e. to come to Zayd and make him choose between his father and folks or
staying with Muhammad. He chose Muhammad after seeing his sublime
manners, good treatment and nice dealing. His folks said to him, “Do you
prefer slavery to freedom?”
The prophet (pbuh) announced in Quraish Club the adoption of
Zaid and that he could inherit him. Zayd was called afterwards Zayd ibn
Muhammad, then God revealed Islam and Zayd was the first slave to embrace
Islam. When he grew under the care of the prophet (pbuh), the prophet
wanted to reward him back, he married him to his cousin on his father’s side,
Zainab, to confirm his freedom and adoption of him, and to raise his social
status.
The prophet proposed to Zainabl for Zayd. She declined as
she was Quraishi from a noble family and she found Zayd below her social
status. So God the Almighty revealed: “It is not for a believer, man or
woman, when God and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have
any option in their decision” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 36). So Zaynab
said, “O, messenger of God, I have accepted what you have accepted for
me.” Zayd married her and lived with her for around a year.
This has been related by as-Sadi. He said, “We learned
that this verse was revealed for Zainab Bint Jahsh, whose mother is Umayyma
Bint Abdulmuttalib, the aunt of the prophet (pbuh) who wanted to marry her to
Zayd Bin Haritha – his slave – so she was reluctant to do so. Then she
accepted what the prophet did and he married her to him, then God informed His
prophet (pbuh) that she is one of his wives. The prophet was shy to
inform her of her divorce, and people knew that Zainab and Zayd were
married. The prophet (pbuh) told him to keep his wife and to fear God and
was afraid that people would blame him and say that he married his
daughter-in-law as he had already adopted Zayd as his son. What the
prophet (pbuh) concealed was not love to Zaynab, as some liars claimed, as had
it been love to Zainab, God the Almighty would have showed that in the Holy
Qur’an, and the prophet would not have done that as he was infallible, and as
he was described by God in this way “And Verily, for you (O Muhammad are on an
exalted (standard of) character” (Holy Qur’an: 68: 4). What he really
feared was that people would say and the hypocrites and Jews would say: “How
could he prohibit marrying the daughter-in-law and he himself marry the wife of
his (adopted) son? The marital life did not last between Zayd and Zaynab, so
she was divorced.
Anas said, “When Zainab finished her confinement after divorce,
the Messenger of God (pbuh) said to Zayd, ‘Propose to her for me.’ He said, ‘I
set out and said to her “O, Zainab, I have a good news for you. The
prophet wants to propose to you.’ She said, ‘I’m not doing anything
unless I am ordered by my Lord God. She went then to her prayer room and
the verse was revealed to the prophet (pbuh) and he went in to see her without
permission’.”[15]
Ibn Hajar said:
That
was the greatest event to happen then, and that her previous husband would be
an in-between in order that nobody would think that it was done by force
without his satisfaction, and it tests whether he has feelings towards her:
“Did anything remain there?[16]
And God the Almighty says:
“So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from
her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future)
there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the
wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e.
they have divorced them)” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 37).
So, prophet (pbuh) married her to nullify two pre-Islamic
customs which were common then; the custom of not marrying the wife of the
adopted son, and the habit of superiority and pride of belonging to a noble
family, as a nobility would not conventionally marry someone humble, and to
confirm the basis of preference, God says: “Verily, the most honorable of you
with God is that (believer) who has at-taqwa [i.e. he is one of the muttaqun
(the pious)]” (Holy Qur’an: 49: 13).
[10] See Dr. Rajih Abdulkareem
al-Karmi’s book, A Shining Beam
from the Prophetic Biography During the Makkan Period.
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