- Islamic Biography / Prophetic Biography
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- Understanding prophetic biography
Dear brother, with a new lesson from the lessons of jurisprudence Biography of the Prophet. We already reached the topic of migration last time where the concept of migration was discussed:
Immigration is a movement, quitting what Allah prohibited us, and immigration exists between every two cities semi Makkah and Madinah.
From Ma’qil Bin Yasar: Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
''Worship in turmoil is like immigration to me''
And the long talk was about Allah’s saying:
''Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), “In what (condition) were you? They reply: ‘We were weak and oppressed on the earth.” They (angels) say: “Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell_ What an evil destination! ''
Now to the details:
Choosing Yathrib as a place of immigration:
In the second lesson about immigration choosing Yathrib a place for immigration was not only a need of the mission’s circumstances, but it was a revelation/inspiration from Allah the Great and Almighty.
The comment:
Every event that took place in the era of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was meant for its own sake by the divine providence because the purified prophetic sunna is the prophet’s sayings, deeds, and approval. Some scholars say that his deeds are much more guiding for knowing Allah and understanding His words, why? Because speech can be interpreted in different ways, but action is restrictive. So all his deeds were legislation. Only to the prophet alone we refer to his words, actions, silence and qualities as legislation.''And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). And fear Allah; verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.''
''He who obeys the Messenger (Mohammad PBUH), has indeed obeyed Allah, ''
Because Allah’s order is clearly evident, with definitive evidence that we must obey the Messenger of Allah, in his statements and actions, and approvals, accordingly his actions should be immune from error because he is a legislator.
The Prophet's (PBUH) vision of Yathrib in this sleep:
Therefore, we must take the Biography of the Prophet as events Almighty God wanted for a very serious lesson, to make the Prophet (PBUH) take a whole stand with them, then this situation is considered a legislation. Allah Almighty is the one who chose Yathrib. It was stated by Aisha (May Allah be Pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:''I was shown/inspired about your place of Immigration, A land of palm between two lavas, and these are the volcanic and stony areas''.
''I was inspired''
And the vision of prophets is true; the vision of prophets is order.
''He said: O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allah). So look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded''
Visions of prophets are orders, and Allah Almighty is the one who chose Yathrib as a place for Migration. So it was mentioned in some of the references by the Prophet PBUH that when he immigrated from Mecca, he said:
“Oh God! You brought me out from the country I love most please house me in the country You love the most”
Therefore it was Madinah, so those who visit Mecca and Madinah say that the general atmosphere in Mecca is an atmosphere of reverence, while the general atmosphere in Medina is an atmosphere of beauty. The spirituality of the Prophet dominates this prophetic city. Well then:
''I was shown /inspired about your place of Immigration, A land of palm between two lavas, and these are the volcanic and stony areas''
In another Hadith:
“In my dream, I saw myself emigrating from Mecca to a land with palm trees, it crossed my mind that it was Yamama, or Hajar, while the city was Yathrib”.
Some Of the causes of migration:
The causes of migration are well known, where infestations and persecution were the causes of the migration of Prophet’s companions (PBUH) by order of Allah to the city chosen by Him. The fact is that the primary function of Madinah was to secure safe shelter for the mission. That is why you should leave any place that hinders you from worshipping Allah, because the reason of your existence is worshipping Allah, and if the prophet (PBUH) said:
''There is no migration after the conquest''
This means that the door of immigration between Mecca and Medina was closed after the conquest, but the truth is that the door of migration is wide open between any two cities similar to Mecca and Madinah.
I mentioned in an earlier lesson that if man was weak by suppression from worshipping Allah, then he should emigrate, and if he weakens by dominance to worship Allah, he should emigrate too, but if he weakens in front of the forces of evil or desires, then the reason for immigration would be to provide a safe place for the mission, and worship Allah the Almighty. The reason for migration is tyranny against the believers and the prophet’s companions in Mecca.
Before the migration, the believers used to flee with his religion to Allah the Almighty. By the way, travel is permitted for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is the ‘jihad’ for the sake of Allah the Almighty. After the ‘jihad’ comes fleeing with religion, then the missionary work, then seeking livelihoods. These are the legitimate reasons for migration that this great religion states.
But now there is tourism, travel for committing atrocities and doing the forbidden and sins. The travel that raises man to the highest of heights is that aimed at fleeing with one’s religion, seeking knowledge, seeking livelihood. Nowadays people travel to flee away from Allah, to commit sins and atrocities.
Dear brother, things are for their purposes, assessing things for their purposes. Any travel aimed at detachment from Allah’s way does not please Allah. In some countries where some of their citizens plot with some of the rules of this religion, like the hijab, for instance, you see a strange scene at airports, the woman who was wearing a hijab a while ago, is no longer wearing it after entering the plane, and appeared at her best looks. Some observers commented on this unacceptable phenomenon that the religion embraced in a place and released in another place is a geographical religion.
Believers used to flee with their religion to Allah the Almighty because Quraysh used to tyrannize those who followed the prophet (PBUH). There is a question worth standing at and answering quietly.
What is the wisdom of the Prophet's weakness?
What is the wisdom of the Prophet’s weakness? The evidence to that when the prophet (PBUH) could not rescue Ammar Bin Yaser from torture when he passed by him and saw him being tortured, all he said was:
“Patience Yaser Family, you are promised with paradise”
Why was the prophet weak? Or what is the wisdom of the prophet’s weakness?
“I do not possess from Allah neither harm nor benefit to you”
But:
''Say (O Muhammad (PBUH): “I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself,''
Why is that? Because if he was strong and powerful like the powerful people of this time, and came with this message, millions would believe in him, not out of conviction, belief, or worship, but out of fear. This belief is worthless to Allah the Almighty, that is why the wisdom of Allah the Most Graceful was to make the master of creation weak, owns nothing that harms or benefits himself or them, in order to make belief in the prophet of Allah (PBUH) real. But a while later Allah the Great granted him with power.
Conditions of the believer in God:
By the way, each believer has three conditions with Allah, and this goes for every believer:
• The first condition: the condition of discipline, if there are violations.
• The second condition: the condition of affliction while he is straight.
• The third condition: the condition of honoring.
You are amongst the discipline, affliction, and honoring. These three conditions may be intertwined or distinct. A stage of discipline, a stage of affliction and a stage of honoring. In one day, Maybe you receive a treatment from Allah based on discipline, another one based on affliction, and a third one based on honoring.
''Do people think that they will be left alone because they say we believe, “and will not be tested.''
Do you think that man can say: I am a believer without being examined? Allah the Great and Almighty said:
''For sure We are ever putting (men) to the test.''
Allah the Almighty is capable of giving every person his size, or restoring his natural size, Say whatever you want, but Allah brings to this person conditions that reveal the truth wisely, so nothing is hidden from Allah the Almighty.
''Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal''
He knew what was, what is being, and what will be, and knew what did not be if it is how it will be.
Believers before migration were of two kinds; those who are infatuated with Allah, who fled with their religion to Allah fearing being seduced, and those who were being tortured by their hands, those fleeing to other countries, so they were either tortured, infatuated, running, oppressed and fleeing with his religion.
''Allah’s goods is precious/expensive, Allah’s goods is paradise, Allah’s goods is paradise''
Why were Muslims ordered to keep patient and not fight?
A paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth does not come with two bows and two liras, it needs great effort. Those who seek paradise without work, their demand is misdeed. Scholar of the world Abdullah bin Abbas says: the polytheists of Mecca used to hurt the companions of the prophet (PBUH) and he would say:“Be patient, for I was not ordered to fight”
There is divine guidance that is in fact a legislation that is Allah the Almighty does not accept what is called in the contemporary expression a civil war.
''Have you not seen those who were told to hold back their hands (from fighting) and perform As-Salat''?
This verse in Mecca, there might be a believer and a polytheist in one house living under the same roof. If fighting had been permitted in Mecca, it would have been a civil war, it would have burnt the green and the dry, Allah the Almighty said:
''Say: “ He has power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another ''
Yet the third is the most difficult aspect in the worldly life.
Another thing, the mission does not grow except with peace. When the honorable companions moved to Madinah where there is peace and quiet/tranquility, their abilities grew and their activities increased, they approached Allah. This is the way of man. I confirm this meaning to you once again: that when Allah the Almighty said:
''Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad PBUH) a manifest victory.''
When was this conquest? It was in Al_Hudaybiyah reconciliation. The reason for this reconciliation was peace, security and stability. That is what Muslims are missing today. They neglected and failed earlier, and did not prepare themselves for their enemies, so their enemies used various ways to frighten them and threaten them and pressure them, Allah the Almighty said:
'' And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy''
Therefore when you prepare yourself, you achieve a target that is not reached without it. You terrorize your enemies. How many powerful countries have strong weapons they do not need to use, but weapons cast terror in the enemies’ hearts. And what is going on these days from profanation to the holy Qur’an, and defilement to the dignity of the prophet (PBUH) is because of the Muslims’ weakness, that is indisputable. That is why the strong believer is better and more lovable to Allah than the weak one, the prophet (PBUH) says:
''Be patient, for I was not ordered to fight''
When the prophet (PBUH) immigrated to Madinah, and Muslims were stable, with entity; leadership and followers, then Allah the Almighty’s saying was revealed /descended from heaven:
''Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is able to give them (believers) victory)''
The first men and women who migrated:
Those were the first verses of fighting, now to the first immigrants. Mus’ab Bin Umair and Abdullah Bin Maktoom were the first to immigrate to Madinah. They used to read the Qur’an to people as was mentioned in the reference of the prophetic biography. Whereas other narrations mention that the first immigrants were Abu Salama Bin Abdul Asad, and that was when Quraish tortured him after coming back from his migration to Al_Habasha, so he went to Yathrib one year before the homage of Aqaba. The two narratives can be combined that this companion Abu Salama arrived Madinah, not as an immigrant, but fleeing with his religion and that was before the homage. As if that who mentioned Mus’ab Bin Umair to be the first immigrant meant that noble man, because he immigrated according to the prophet’s order after the first homage and the second one. The events of the prophet’s biography and the other resources showed ways of Quraish to hinder the Muslims migration to Yathrib and cause trouble in the faces of immigrants, like terrorism, restraining the wives and children, stealing money, or deception to send back those who already immigrated. Because if those Muslims did not immigrate, they would be under their domination and control, if they immigrated, they would escape their grip and control. That was why Quraish prohibited migration, either by stealing money, restraining wives, threat or menace.
But the companions were willing to sacrifice all their belongings for their survival. Um Salama has a strange story that is mentioned in the companions’ biography, and how she was with her first husband,, and how Quraish took her and her child away from her husband, and how the journey of torture lasted about a year before she got the chance to get her son back and follow her husband who had already immigrated and they took her while she was with him, prevented her from migration and took her son as a hostage. A year passed by before she was able to reach Madinah, or get her son back. The truth is that Um Salama’s story has some amazing details, as the prophet (PBUH) said:
''The best of you in the pre- Islamic time are the best in the Islamic time on condition they apprehend''
Uthman Bin Talha was not a Muslim yet. He sympathized with her, a woman whose husband was in Madinah and was captured in Mecca. She was a believer whereas her people were not. Therefore he took her with her child for two weeks from Meacca to Madinah each on a camel; he never looked at her that was before he entered Islam. If he wanted to comfort her, he used to make her camel kneel down, and keep a distance, and then when he wanted to proceed his travel, he would awaken the camel, call her to ride it, and turn his face the other way, and then go with the camel. He was a polytheist before he entered Islam that was why when the prophet (PBUH) used to say when he saw someone entering Islam, so and so:
'' You entered Islam on whatever goodness you had''
And the prophet (PBUH) used to say:
''The best of you in pre- Islam are the best of you in Islam if they understand''
Commenting on this fact: that Allah the Almighty takes care of the righteous ones, any good person, even if he did not know Allah the Almighty will be taken care of and led to faith by Allah the Almighty.
Suhayb Al-Rumi was prevented to immigrate by the leaders of Quraish pretext that he had come to Mecca Poor, so they said to him: your money increased amongst us, and you reached this level, and you want to leave now, we made you, you came poor and became rich, we won’t let you. So Suhayb offered to give them all his money in exchange for releasing him, then they agreed. When the prophet (PBUH) heard, he said:
(Suhayb has won, Suhayb has won, Suhayb has won)
If you pay all your money, and you are able to believe and survive, then you are the first winner, from here it was said: It is impossible thousands of times to obey Him and lose, and it is impossible thousands of times to disobey Him and win.
Omar bin El_ Khatab, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates the news of his immigration, where he agreed with Ayyash bin Abe Rabi’a, Hisham bin Al- ‘Aas Assahmi to meet in a place far from Mecca, and how Hisham bin Al-‘Aas was locked away from them, and how he was seduced. Then he talked about the news of their arrival to the city and staying at Bani Omar Bin Awf’s, and how Abu Jahl and his brother Al_Harith went to Ayyash Bin Abe Rabee’a and persuaded him of the importance of going back to Mecca to be faithful to his mother’s oath who swore not to let any comb touch her hair until she sees him, and how Omar warned him from the two of them, saying: “Ayyash, “ I swear to Allah that what these people want is to infatuate you from your religion, beware of them”.
Well then, a Muslim’s money was taken all, another’s wife and child were kept as hostages, the third was prevented to immigrate by force, and tied some of the way, and was taken to Mecca, and got seduced. Omar says: “We used to say: Allah will never accept a solution, nor justice nor repentance from those who had been infatuated, people who knew Allah, then returned to polytheism, after an ordeal. When prophet Mohammad (PBUH) came, Allah the Almighty revealed these verses about them:
''Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.(53), and turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped, (54) And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord ( i. e this Qur'an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not(55).''
Brother, troubles that the messenger’s companions endured are too much to imagine until religion reached us, and was served to us on a gold platter. What is recommended from the faithful these days? They are requested to maintain their religion, perform their worship, and do good things. Whereas the honored companions were infatuated, some of them were killed, and imprisoned, their money was taken, and their wives restrained. They were heroes really, even the prophet’s friends were selected, and he (PBUH) used to say:
“Allah chose me and chose friends for me''
The first immigrants from man and women:
It is the greatest blessing and honoring by Allah the Almighty that you are surrounded by people of your kind, you appreciate them and they appreciate you, you love them and they love you, you help them and they help you.
“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)”
That means you cannot be good believers unless you are with believers, with honest and truthful people. Avoiding the polytheists and disbelievers is crucial, but getting away from the righteous and piety ones is a big mistake.
''And keep yourself (O Muhammad PBUH) patiently with those who call on their Lord ( i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.''
"Being together is mercy and being seperated is torture"
Allah is with the group and Allah’s hand is with the group.
From Ibn Omar that the prophet (PBUH) said:
''Allah does not group my people on misdeed, Allah’s hand is with the group, and whoever deviates will be deviated to hell''
''Whoever wants the affluence of paradise must stick to the group, Satan is with the one, and he is further from the two"
From Mu’ath Bin Jabal from the messenger of Allah (PBUH):
''Satan is man’s wolf as the sheep’s wolf, he takes the distant sheep, beware of the isolated areas, and stick to the group and the public''
Dear Brother, Quraish conspired on the prophet’s life (PBUH) after they knew about what happened between the Prophet (PBUH) and the “Ansar’ in the second Aqaba, and they saw Muslims emigrating to Yathrib in groups and individually, and the Zahri has kept the history of this, he said:
After Hajj, the prophet (PBUH) stayed the rest of the month “thil Hijjah, Muharram, Safar’, and then the polytheists agreed to kill him. The news spread that the prophet (PBUH) left Mecca on Monday entered Madinah on Monday too. More details about the conspiracy of Quraysh to kill the prophet are discussed in the next lesson if Allah wills.
