- Islamic Biography / Prophetic Biography
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- Understanding prophetic biography
Dear brother, today we shall start with a new lesson of the Prophetic biography, I will resume a topic that I started with almost two weeks ago; which is:
The approach the Prophet (pbuh) adapted to build the first Islamic community in Madina ; as a matter of fact we are badly in need of following the Gracious Prophet (pbuh) in the construction of Muslims society.
Brotherhood as a foundation of Muslim community
The most important basis in this community is brotherhood, because Allah says:
“The believers are nothing else than brother (in Islamic religion).”
You are not a believer unless you belong to the group of believers.
“ The Muslim is the brother of other Muslims.”
A Muslim in any time or place is the brother of other Muslims.
Dear brother, the religion in general and Islam in particular is an essential need for all mankind as they need the air [that we breathe]. Water, a piece of land or a store can be monopolized, but air can not be monopolized by anyone or people or sect or a region or a country or a doctrine, [and so does religion]
Anyone assumes that s/he is solely right, and everyone else is wrong with out a proof or investigation is deluded.
Therefore the Prophet (pbuh) started to build the Islamic community through brotherhood, so if you do not feel the sense of brotherhood to your fellow believer and that he is one of the closest and most beloved to you, and you do not have that sense of belonging to believers, then your faith is incomplete.
However when we see that believers are accusing, disparaging, insulting and sometimes fighting each other, that is a mark of disgrace.
“The believers are nothing else than brother.”
The brotherhood between Muhajireen and Ansar:
Muhajireen: Are the ones (of whom Quraish unrightfully took all their belongings) who emigrated before with and after the Prophet (pbuh) to Al-Madina Al-Munawwara [the enlightened city].
Al-Ansar: Are the first Muslims of people of Medina ones who supported the emigrants with food, shelter and money when they came to Medina.
The Prophet (pbuh) fraternized between the emigrants and the helpers in the house of Anas bin Malek, they were ninety men (half of the them Ansaris (helpers) and the other half is Muhajereen (emigrants) to console and even inherit each other after death; even though they were not related, until the incursion of Bader [is a well where Muslims and the disbeliever of Quraish first fought against each other. The disbelievers outnumbered Muslims massively, nevertheless; they had a sweeping victory over them by the will of God exalted He is] in Ramadan of the second year of immigration, but when Allah exalted He is said:
“And blood relations among each other have closer personal ties in the decree of Allah (regarding inheritance).”
When Islam first started, families used to have believing and non believing sons, and due to the Wisdom of Allah the inheritance was between believing brother, but after a period of time heritage was brought back among those who are related ( the relatives) of instead of the tie of brotherhood in Islam.
Brotherhood was in the month of Ramadan, five month after the Hijra (emigration).
Implementing brotherhood as a principle on Muslim society today:
Aren't we in dire need of brotherhood? You are not alone in life, [as they say] all for one, one for all. Life with a believing brotherhood would not be cruel, but it will become a happy one; when no one is dearer to a believer than the brother for sake of Allah, for they help each other, check on, assist each other in times of adversities.
The first image of brotherhood in our present time:
If everyone of us takes one as his brother, and shakes his hand saying:
I am called so and so and you are my brother for the sake of Allah, and this is my phone number and my address, I ask you to call me if you need anything, you will find me at your disposal, and I promise that if I need anything, I will not hesitate to ask for your help.
This is a very good thing if two men become brother, three would be much better, or five. What will happen then, dear brother?
[For instance] a brother becomes pleased to attend a lesson in the mosque, then he commits a sin that makes him ashamed of himself before The Lord so he would not come again, and no one misses him to see why he did not come.
Week after another the man will not show up anymore, but if someone called him to see if everything is okay, then this would please him and he will return back to attend lessons in the mosque.
If two become brother and pledged to advice each other, to check on each other, it will be even better if they become three or four, what if you become five brother? Life would be almost like paradise.
The second image of brotherhood in our present time:
The second project: if there were five brother in the same neighborhood, or in the same craft, or they had something in common, or they were relatives; sometimes kinship could gather people, the same thing for accommodation or craft or colleagueship or friendship or neighbors.
Is there anything that prevents us to gather every week or two or three for an hour to have conversation? One of us might have heard a preachment that touched him, and he mentions it to his brother, or someone has attended a speech that moved him and talked about its content to his brother, or read a paper from the Book of Allah (Qur'an) to study it.
Abu Huraira and Abu Sa'eed witnessed that the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Every group of people gather [in a place] to remember Allah the Great and Almighty, will be surrounded by angles and shall be bestowed with mercy and tranquility, and Allah will remember them to whom with Him.”
“Every group of people conclude their gathering without remembering Allah in it, will be as they were sitting around carrion of a donkey, and [such gathering] will cause them regret.”
Talking about life is quite wearing, while talking about Allah is quite pleasing.
Therefore, brother, if we want to put theory into practice then everyone must get him a brother for the sake of the Lord [not for the sake of any worldly interest].
It is important to exchange phones numbers, addresses and to know a little about the brother [that you intend to have] such as work, and it would be better if he is close to you in terms of work, residence and kinship; such act is a practice of the brotherhood of the Prophet (pbuh); bear in mind that all for one and one for all, and that you are not alone in this world.
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“The Muslim is a brother of the Muslim, he must not oppress him or disappoint him or betray him.”
“All the Muslim is prohibited to other Muslims (i.e. he is not allowed attack him in) ; his honor, his money (or property) and his blood.”
Some of goals of brotherhood
1- Disappearing of feeling of homesickness:
It had been mentioned in some books of the [prophetic] biography that the goal of brotherhood is to kill the feeling of homesickness. Believe it or not, dear brother, we feel homesickness [amongst us] now.
“The religion (i.e. Islam) started as a strange (religion) and it will become strange again [for corruption and injustice shall prevail]. Blessed be the strangers who reform what people have corrupted of my Sunna after me (i.e. my death). [Sunna is everything that the Prophet (pbuh) had said or done or approved on to be followed]
If you do not feel (inside) strangeness then there is something wrong with your faith strangeness in this context means that the current of lust and disobedience is drifting you to go with the flow, so if you go against it, you shall feel like a total stranger]
It has been said: "At the end of time Muslims (i.e. every real Muslim) becomes stranger, the one who adheres to her/his religion ('s teachings) is like a person holding embers in hand, yet the reword of one of them is as seventy (men),they asked: From us or from them? They said: No, from you (i.e. like your righteousness and pious deeds) [it was the time when Islamic nation was strong]. For you may find who support you in your good deeds, but they don't find (any kind of support )[referring to our present time]".
2- Strengthening believers with each other:
One of the goals of brotherhood is to make believers support each other, but when Allah enhanced Islam, families were reunited, homesickness was gone, heritage became null [among Companions], and everyone returned to her/his own kith and kin.
In hard times, in times of enticement, in times when streets are full of half naked women, in times of space channels and internet [when they show pornography]; in these times no one you can trust or like his company as the brother for the sake of Allah.
It has been mentioned in the Qudsi Hadith:
“Those who love each other, communicate with each other, advise each other, exchange visits and who sacrifice for each other for my sake are entitled of my love, and they are on illuminated dais that they are envied for by Prophets, righteous and martyrs.”
3-Al-Ansar needed to apprehend Islamic knowledge
The Prophet (pbuh) taught us if you love someone for the sake of Allah then let him know that, and you should say to him: I love you for the sake of Allah, in return he should say: May Allah love you as you love me.
Love is one of the psychological pillars of life, mankind have a mind to perceive with, a heart to love with and a body to move with; when you love a brother for the sake of Allah he will be your supporter, companion, and adviser and affectionate.
The goals of brotherhood are more profound and comprehensive than merely inheritance for the following reasons:
The need of the helpers to acquire the knowledge of Islam; you may be fraternized with a brother who recently became committed to mosques, and you have been coming to them for long years [during which] you received an abundant knowledge.
When you give your beginner brother from what you have learnt, [for example], teaching him Quran and the Prophetic biography, having a dialogue with him about fiqh [it is a sort of Islamic knowledge that teaches us how all kind of worship should be performed like praying, fasting, paying Zakat (alms) etc…, and it has other sections which teach us how to deal with people in terms of rights and obligation] and illustrated the nicest of what you heard, this is one of brotherhood's goal.
Allah says:
“Say (to them O Muhammad (pbuh): I exhort you to one (thing) only: that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect (within yourselves the life of the Prophet (pbuh)) there is no madness in your companion (Muhammad). He is only a Warner to you in face of a severe torment.”
When you sit with your brother, let your talk be about this religion, about this Noble Prophet, or about the greatness of Islam.
4- The Good Example:
Another thing; religion is passed on to sh3er by being a good example; it is a fact with a proof. In fact, Islam does not go on unless there is an example, it does not grow in books but it does when your eye sees it embodied in a Muslim.
Therefore the universe is a silent Quran and Quran is a speaking universe and the Prophet (pbuh) is a walking Quran (i.e. He followed all what it is mentioned in the Quran); we are in desperate need of a Muslim who you should see his trustworthiness, his honesty, his chastity, his compassion, his fairness and who can dispense with anybody except Allah.
[Once again] it’s the need to acquire the knowledge of religion and passing on (teachings of) religion to sh3er through being a good example.
Makkeh time is gone, and all the Quran that was brought down during which, and the striving for the sake of the [Islamic] call, and patience for all the harm, the migration and the companionship and the Prophetic education [all the aforementioned] can not be passed on- when migration took place- to Al-Ansar [people of Al-Madineh- the Helpers] but through their brother Muhajereen [who migrated from Mekkeh to Al-Madineh].
It is impossible that Prophet (pbuh) could pass on, whether to individuals or groups, all the knowledge that they [Muhajereen] had witnessed.
Once a man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and spoke in his presence something but he did something wrong (he spoke ungrammatically), the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Your brother has done something wrong so correct (teach) him". The Prophet (pbuh) had taught his companions for long years, but now he came to Al-Medina where the AL-Ansar who despite their love to the Prophet (pbuh) but they know very little (about Islam).
By means of brotherhood, he (pbuh) made the ones who preceded to acquire the knowledge, that they have learnt from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), to give it their brother, Al-Ansar.
However it is necessary to distribute Al-Muhajereen on Al-Ansars' clans to live with them every detail in their life, so that they could make the good example and the unity of Prophetic education among all, this can not be achieved unless they live with each other which helps to overcome difficulties caused by problems of accommodation, work and friendship.
Through brotherhood emigrants had become brother of helpers of whom were not to be parted by customs and social traditions or studies etc…… [referring to our present time]
As the Prophet (pbuh) fraternized between emigrants and his new Companions (the Helpers), powerful and rich brother must be fraternized with the weak and poor ones.
New feature of brotherhood that can be applied nowadays:
There is a new kind: An opulent man could be fraternized with a student who is seeking knowledge by supporting him. I suggest that those who have financial leverage to employ students for half time with half wage, this will solve a problem.
A student may need a limited income to support himself with; this will help focus on his studies. This student will grow to become a Da'iya (the caller for Islam), and everything that he does will be accounted for the one who sponsored him.
Now we will tackle a new topic, the rich being fraternized with the poor, the powerful with the weak and the one who mastered a [certain] craft who become fraternized with someone who does not.
By Allah, I know someone who has a sweet shop, one day a non Muslim man from a remote northeastern province. came and asked him:
Can you teach me how to make sweets?
The man said: Sure, he let him in to the factory and made the recipe before him, then he wrote it for the man and asked him: Show me how you can do it.
He swore that it has been thirty years since then, and every worker comes from a far place holding a precious present telling him: by virtue of your support.
What prevents you if you are a craftsman from fraternity (or brotherhood) with someone who does not know your craft ?.
The west has taught us to be greedy and niggardliness:
Dear brother, the West has taught us greediness and to withhold information in a way that if [a technician] wanted to dismantle an engine he tells his worker to go out in order not to learn so that he can compete his master.
There is nothing wrong to instruct the worker, who does his work with out being paid, in order to master the craft.
“And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.”
A disbeliever is a niggard who hides his information; on the other hand, brotherhood takes another dimension, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the craftsmen [and the workers].
If a foreign student, who came from a far country to study, had a brother who lives in it, he will be of great help to him for he knows how things are done in this country.
Therefore, brotherhood is more helpful when it comes to dissimilarities in characters.
Fanaticism, tribalism and sectarianism do not exist in Islam:
Dear brother; Islam intrinsically is not established on fanaticism (or extremism),tribalism nor racism, listen carefully: there is no word or any kind of addition to the word "Muslim", or else such thing would lead to fanaticism.
“He is not one of us (i.e. not a Muslim) who calls for extremism, and he is not one of us who he fights for extremism, and he is not one us who he died on extremism.”
When we were Muslims united all around the globe we were one nation, but when we said: We are Arabs, the Turks said: We are Turks and the Kurds said: We are Kurds and we demand self government, the state of Islam changed (to the worse).
Islam is an international (or general ) religion, all who believe in what we believe and implement what we do, is considered one of us has the rights that we have and is committed to the duties that we are committed to.
You may be astonished if I tell you that names of great scholars who are not Arabs, Imam Bukhahri [his book Sahih Al-Bukhari is considered one of the major references for Muslims after Qur'an and the Prophetic biography] he is not an Arab.
Salah Ad-Din(Saladdin) Al-Ayyoobi [he is the leader who librated Jerusalem against the vicious crusades] is not an Arab, aren’t we proud of him?
The right thing is that Islam must be international; there is nothing wrong to be an Arab or to belong to this nation, but without racism or to disparage sh3er or someone disparages you.
Therefore,a foundation should be put for a new society far from influences and inherited concepts of ignorance, such new society shall be a good example to be followed by Muslims throughout the ages.
Examples of sincere brotherhood amongst the companions:
1-Between Bilal Al-Habashi and Abu Baker As-Seddiq:
The following are unbelievable examples, but they are true:
Bilal Al-Habashi is from a low class in the ignorant society [prior to Islam], he is not a Quraishi (from the tribe of Quraish) and is not an Arab,. He is a black slave owned by a master who tortured him for he believed in Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Baker came to buy him with the price his master asked for.
The master of Bilal said: By God I would sell him to you for one dirham if you wanted.
Abu Baker said: By God I would pay one hundred thousand dirhams for him if you asked.
Abu Baker took Bilal with him and put his arm under his armpit as gesture to his master that he has become his brother in Islam.
Omar bin Al-Khattab, the giant of Islam, used to go to receive Bilal when he came to Medina; this is (the real) Islam, and whenever the gracious Companions mentioneded Abu Baker, they used to say: He is our master who emancipated our master (Bilal).
“No preference is given to an Arab rather than non Arab, nor a white [man] rather than a black one unless based on piety.”
“The most honorable of you with Allah is who is the most pious.”
Preponderance in Islam is for faith and good deed:
Such society shall improve. Allah, The Great and Almighty, did not consider preponderance [as a criterion] among His creation unless for two values, the value of knowledge and the value of work. In regard to the value of knowledge Allah said:
“Say: Are those who know equal to those who know not?”
“Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with what you do..”
In regards to work, Allah says:
“For all there will be degrees (of ranks) according to what they did.”
This nation will not stand on feet unless they take into consideration these two preponderances, because there is a value to money, a value to family name, a value to lineage, a value to beauty, a value to inelegance and a value to origin. These values are absolutely not accounted in terms of faith as the value of knowledge and work.
5- Accomplishing integration, solidarity and social collaboration:
The fifth goal of brotherhood is to achieve integration, solidarity and social collaboration in all situations and all fields. We perform all sorts of Islamic ordinances such as praying, fasting, alms and pilgrimage; but what makes the goal of brotherhood in its whole form, when the prayer is in its united performance. The king and the guard pray next to each other in the mosque.
During pilgrimage the king and guard circumambulate the Kaaba [it is one of pilgrimage rituals], and both do Al-Sa'ei [it is another rituals of pilgrimage where pilgrims walk between two hills called Al-Safa & Al-Marwa to commemorate when the wife of our Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was looking for water between these two hills].
In pilgrimage there is no difference between a prince and a guard, nor between the strong and the weak or between the rich and the poor.
Hence worships are all practiced by everyone without exception; there is no allocated path to do Sa'ei for VIP or diplomats, nor is there especial place to do circumambulation for dignitaries; the rituals of pilgrimage, umra, fasting and praying are the same for everybody.
Thus believers are of help and support of one another, who else do Al-Muhajereen have but Al-Ansar to share their lives, food, pain, joy and defending their home with?
One the other hand who else do Al-Ansar have but Al-Muhajereen to pass on the teachings of religion and Quran?
Can you see the integral interest? The wonderful thing about integration is that each side completes the other with what it lacks.
For instance, an old man owns some money but he is not good at investment, and a young agronomist who is educated and has a lot of potential but has no fund. If these two set up a business by equal shares, the first will fund the project and the second will use his administration skills.
Brotherhood has a profound meaning; even commercial companies could be from of brotherhood.
Dear brother, brotherhood’s ultimate goal are is integration amongst Al-Ansar & Al-Muhajereen; the images of brotherhood illustrate the elevation that both had reached.
Images of sincere brotherhood amongst the companions:
2-between Sa'ed Bin Al-Rabie’ and Abur-Rahman Bin ‘Awf:
The purified human soul has a tendency towards sincere love, sacrifice and altruism, with greater reason, Islam had glorified the standing of the ones who love each other for the sake of God (Allah)?
Based on that religious feeling one of Al-Ansar, called Saad bin Al-Rabi', offered his brother Abdul -Rahman bin Aouf-now we have one of Al-Ansar Saad bin AL-Rabi' & one of Al-Muhajereen Abdul Rahman bin Aouf- saying: I am the most affluent man of Al-Ansar, and I have two groves and two houses and I have two shops, so I am going to share half of them with you.
Abdul-Rahman bin Aouf said (by God I will never forgot his words): May Allah bless your money and your family; tell me where the market is.
The Companions of whom the Prophet (pbuh) raised are amazing, Al-Ansar are magnanimous and Al-Muhajereen are continent.
Now if a very rich man is able to treat a poor person in a hospital, he must not hesitate for it’s the poor' right.
He (Abdul-Rahman) was directed to the market of Bani Qainuqa' clan [a Jewish clan], he came back with some cheese and fat, he kept on going to the market, then one day he came bearing the traces of yellow scent (called in Arabic sufra ), the Prophet (pbuh) asked him: what's the matter (or what is this (scent)?
He said: O Messenger of Allah, I got married.
He entered the market to buy and sell which made him money then he got married.
Dear brother, every person asks [people] for money, shall be destined by God in poverty.
“Whoever grovels to a rich man, he shall lose two thirds of his religion.”
The thing that draws the attention is that the one from Al-Ansar was so generous but the one from Muhajereen was continent.
He offered him a house, a shop and a grove but he did not accept to take anything. He said to him: May Allah bless your money, tell me where the market is, he worked as a trader and won cheese and fat; he continued trading until he got married. When the Prophet (pbuh) saw traces of a yellow fragrant he asked him:
What is the matter?
He said: I got married O Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: how much Mahr (dowry) did you give her?
He said: I gave her a date- stone of gold.
The Prophet (pbuh): Make a feast even with a sheep.
Therefore, it is of sunnah [an act that the Prophet (pbuh) recommended to be done or did it himself] to have a feast in weddings.
3- Al-Ansar shared [their] palm trees with Al-Muhajereen:
Al-Ansar are another example of brotherhood; they told the Prophet (pbuh) to divide the palm trees of Al-Madineh with their brother Al-Muhajereen, but they said: You keep your palm trees and we work on them and we take share of the dates.
Have you seen such continence?
This is called speculation, it is the best kind of company in Islam; the Prophet (pbuh) was the first speculator in Islam, he ran the business and Mrs. Khadijeh funded it, his trustworthiness and continence may had been the reason behind their marriage.
Al-Ansar accepted the offer; Hamza bin Abd Al-Muttaleb [theProphet's (pbuh) uncle] and Zaid bin Haretha were brother, and to him Hamza made his will on the day Uhod battle when he went to fight.
Abu Bakr As-Seddeeq stayed at Kharija bin Zaid in Al-Madina, and he married his daughter Habiba ; he (Abu Baker remained in the clan of Hareth bin Al-KHazraj until the death of the Prophet (pbuh), they were still brother.
I hope that these facts could be translated into your behavior, i.e. brotherhood, we have learned something new; anyone has the fund but is not good at investing, let him become a brother of someone who is an expert at it but does not have money, the rich becomes a brother of the poor, the one who mastered a craft becomes a brother of an unskilled one; thus the life of Muslims becomes integrated.
The thankfulness and the gratitude of Al-Muhajereen to Al-Ansar:
Al-Muhajereen said to the Prophet (pbuh): O Messenger of Allah, we have never seen people as yours [Al-Ansar], we came to them [empty handed] and they comforted us with the little they had, yet they were more openhanded than someone who had a lot, they sufficed us the rations and shared us their professions, to the extent that we feared that they would take all of the reword [from Allah].
The Prophet (pbuh) said: Praising and praying for them is a kind of repayment.
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Whoever does you a favor, so reword him and if you could not then pray for him till you know that you repaid him.”
If someone had done you a favor then the perfect thing to do is to do him something in return, he offered you a present then you should give him a present as a token of gratitude; but if he is rich and you are poor and he has been very kind and generous to you, but you have nothing to repay him, say to him: May God recompense you with better one.
Allah's compliment on Al-Muhajereen & Al-Ansar and its firm ties:
Allah praised Al-Muhajereen & Al-Ansar for these good bonds between them, and he showed the precedence and the standing of some of them over the other, He says:
“And (it is also for) those who, before them, had homes (in AL-Madina) and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banu An-Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his won covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.”
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Al-Ansar: None but the believer loves them, none but the hypocrite hates them. He who loved them Allah will love him and he who hates them Allah will hate him.”
