- Islamic Biography / Prophetic Biography
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- Understanding prophetic biography
Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, the Truthful and the Faithful. O Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us, You are the All- Knower, the Wise. O Allah our Lord, teach us what is useful for us, let us make use of what You have taught us and advance us in knowledge. O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us keep away from them.
O Allah our Lord, make us amongst those who listen to the Word and follow the best meaning of It, and admit us, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous servants. O Allah, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion unto the lights of erudition and knowledge, and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.
Introduction:
Dear noble brothers, this is the second lecture of the series "Understanding the Prophetic Biography." The Prophetic biography is an important entrance to the Islamic knowledge. This relatively short introduction is a different one, because it uses a new approach to show the importance of this topic (the Prophetic biography) for the first time in the history of Da'wah.
I talked previously about the good conducts of the Prophet PBUH in more than 30 lectures, I also talked about the biography of the noble companions in more than 50 lectures, I talked about the reverent followers in more than 50 lectures, I talked about the family members, the wives (the mothers of believers) and the daughters of the Prophet PBUH and I talked about the four notable scholars. Yet I did not talk about the Prophetic biography in serial lectures. It is important to bring into view this valuable biography which we are ordered to follow.
Muslims in this era are in dire need to establish Islam:
Dear noble brothers, we all assume that the mission of the Prophet PBUH is to convey Allah's Message only, while according to the opinion of some scholars, his mission is not only to convey Allah's Message verbally, but also to show it in his actions. He PBUH conveyed the Message through his sayings and he PBUH set an example through his actions.
As I see it, the second part of his mission is way more important, serious and effective than the verbal conveying. Any eloquent person whose memory is sound and strong can convey words; however, living up to his words, such as being honest since he preaches honesty to others, being trustworthy since he preaches trustworthiness to others and being chaste since he preaches chastity to other is the thing that will save us from the plotting of our enemies.
We have reached the summit of spreading information, ideology, words, books and lectures about Islam, but what we need the most is to show Islam in our behavior, to apply its principles, to be honest, to be trustworthy and to be chaste. We as Muslims are accused by the west of being terrorists, assassins, underdeveloped and ignorant, because they judge Islam through Muslims not by going back to its references to learn about it.
I can say that the strongest Islamic message we send out to the world is the silent one which is manifested in our behavior by being honest, trustworthy, chaste, just and modest. In fact, we are in dire need of a true Muslim in action. In other words, we need a chaste, honest and trustworthy Muslim, for it is the only way for Islam to spread. One Muslim in action, whose connection with Allah is strong and whose behavior reflects true Islam, can affect a thousand people, whereas the words of a thousand Muslims might not affect even one person. It has been rightly said, "The one of them back then equaled a thousand, while a thousand of us nowadays are nothing but like a sigh."
While our Master Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, was fighting in a decisive and fierce battle, he needed urgent reinforcement, so he asked the Khalifah Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, to send him 50.000 soldiers more, as he only had 30.000 ones, while his enemy's army were about 300.000 soldiers. However, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, sent to him only one companion; Al-Qa'qa' Ibn Amr At-Tamimi, may Allah be pleased with him. When Khalid saw him alone, he asked him, "Where are the soldiers I asked for?" Al-Qa'qa' answered, "There is only me." Khalid exclaimed, "Only you?!" Then Al-Qa'qa' gave him a letter from As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, in which he wrote, "O Khalid, I sent you only Al-Qa'qa', and know that, by Allah, an army among which there is Al-Q'aqa' will never be defeated."
We need a Muslim who equals a thousand Muslims, and this can happen when his behavior manifests the teachings of Islam, only then people will embrace Islam in crowds. On the other hand, talking about the teachings of Islam and behaving differently will make people abandon Islam in crowds. In my view, the prophet's mission in conveying Allah's Message in his actions is more influential than his words. Hence, the first fact is: We need a Muslim in action. We need a Muslim female who is committed to the Method of Allah the Almighty. We need Islam in action. We need to apply this religion.
What purpose does the Prophetic biography serve?
1- The Prophetic biography helps man understand Quran:
Dear brothers, the sayings of the Prophet PBUH are outstanding:
(Abu Hurairah narrated the Prophet PBUH said, "…and I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning.")
We have learnt in collage that the most eloquent words at all are the words of the Noble Quran, then comes the words of the Master of Messengers of Allah (i.e. the Prophet PBUH), and then comes the words of eloquent men like Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb, may Allah be pleased with him. One of his saying is, "By Allah digging two wells by two needles, sweeping Al-Hijaz land on a windy day by two feathers, moving the water of two big seas with two sifts and washing two black slaves till they turn white is much easier than asking a mean person for money to pay my debt".
The highest words are the Words of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, (the Noble Quran). In the second place are the words of our Prophet Muhammad PBUH. In fact, words are subject of interpretation, but how? If someone, for example, says, "There are men of Allah, if they determine Allah will decree", one might say, "This statement reflects Shirk", and I will excuse him, because he assumes that the statement indicates the independent will of these men from the Will of Allah, which reflects Shirk. However, another man may interpret it differently; he might say, "There are men of Allah, if they supplicate, Allah will respond to their supplication", and this interpretation reflects faith. As you see, it is the same statement, but it is interpreted differently.
Here is another example. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And by Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul, etc.), and Him Who perfected him in proportion* Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him;﴿
If this Ayah is misinterpreted, one will think that Allah created the tendency to erring within Nafs, which is wrong, for this Ayah means that Allah the Almighty molded man's Fitrah transcendently in a way that it can auto-detect errors, and this right interpretation is way different from the first one which assumes that Allah created the tendency to erring in man, and He will hold him accountable for it and will throw him into Hell-Fire for eternity thereof.
The auto-detection of errors is called nowadays "Melancholy", and it is self-punishment whenever man errs. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."﴿
This Ayah might be misinterpreted that never did Allah send a Messenger or a Prophet before the Prophet PBUH, but; when he did recite the revelation or narrated or spoke, Shaitan (Satan) threw in it. Is it acceptable that Shaitan has the ability to reach the Prophet PBUH and throws in the revelation? Absolutely he does not have that ability. The right interpretation for this Ayah is that if the Prophet PBUH hoped that all people were guided to Allah, Shaitan hoped that they were all misguided. Thus, this Ayah bears many interpretations. Accordingly, the words of the Prophet PBUH are texts that might be misinterpreted as well.
(Bakr bin Abdullah Al-Muzani narrated that: Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah proposed to a woman, so the Prophet PBUH said: "Look at her, for indeed that is more likely to make things better between the two of you.")
Some people, who claim to know the interpretation of the Hadith, deduced that the proposer is allowed to look at the woman naked. This interpretation is not true at all and no father on earth would accept that his daughter is exposed like this to the proposer. Again, these texts are subject of misinterpretation, while actions will never be misinterpreted.
So if we ask someone about his opinion of Hijab, we will go deep in debates, discussions, evidences, proofs and the like (if he is against Hijab), but what is the thing that ends all these discussions? It is the way his wife is dressed, so if she has Hijab on, then this is his true opinion about Hijab. Thus, actions are not subject of misinterpretation.
As for the prophetic Sunnah, it is but a practical application of the Noble Quran. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)﴿
The Prophet's behavior is an explicit manifestation of his comprehension of the Noble Quran more than his words, because his words are subject of misinterpretation, while his actions have only one interpretation. Pay attention to the following Ayah concerning Da'wah to Allah:
﴾ And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."﴿
The Da'iyah (Islamic missioner) to Allah according to the Ayah is the best man on earth:
﴾ Invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."﴿
In a conference in Egypt, I said, "Calling to Allah can be the most sacred act at all if one sacrifices in its cause the soul and the most valuable, but it can be the most trivial one when man makes a living out of it." Imam Ash-Shafi'i said, "I swear by Allah that earning my living by dancing is more preferable than earning it by religion (missionary)". So it may be the best and holiest deed that can be close to the rank of the Prophet's deeds, or it may be the worst, most insignificant and worthless deed.
I repeat, the prophetic Sunnah is the practical comprehension of the Noble Quran. Actually, the universe is a silent Quran, the Quran is a speaking universe and the Prophet PBUH is a walking Quran (due to his exalted character). We (Muslims) are in dire need nowadays of a Muslim in action. The following Hadith is narrated in al-Bukhari. The Prophet PBUH said:
(The first one who opens the gate of Paradise is me, but there will be a woman who struggles with me to enter Paradise before me. Then I said, "O Jibril, who is she?" He said, "She is a woman whose husband died and left children behind, so she refused to remarry because of her children (she prefers to raise up her children to getting married).")
This woman who raised her children will struggle with the Prophet PBUH to enter Paradise before him. Thus, the good deeds of man and his uprightness elevate him to a very high rank, whereas his words do not count in terms of actions. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And the righteous deeds exalt it ﴿
Allah the Almighty also says:
﴾ Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you) We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) of your own,﴿
"Of your own" means the Prophet PBUH is a human being, because he has all the characteristics of human beings, and so he is the Master of mankind. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you) We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know.﴿
What is the Prophet's mission?
1- To recite Allah's Ayat in the Quran:
The mission of the Prophet PBUH is:
﴾Reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an)﴿
One might ask, "What is the meaning of 'Our Verses'? I answer him, they are Allah's Signs in the universe; lest someone assumes that they are the Quranic Ayaat. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾Reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an)﴿
If you want to know Allah, you should reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾And sanctifying you,﴿
﴾ Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds)* And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds).﴿
Success, triumph, prosperity, brilliance, reason and intelligence are reached by purifying your soul, why is that? It is because Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail* Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)].﴿
What is the clean heart? This Ayah is the most serious Ayah in the Noble Quran:
﴾ The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail﴿
Thus, even if someone owns 93 billion Dollars, they will not help him on the Day of resurrection. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail﴿
It has been said that the clean heart is the one that does not long for a desire that does not please Allah the Almighty. Others said, "The clean heart is the one that worships Allah Alone and abides by Allah's religion." This is what many Muslim women who live in the west do when they go to western courts aiming at getting half the wealth of their husbands' upon getting a divorce. They are not satisfied with the Shari'ah ruling on divorce (which is her dowry only). Thus, the woman who does so does not have a clean heart.
The clean heart is also defined as the one that does not accept any piece of information that contradicts the revelation. Accordingly, if you read that there is a medication which helps you live longer has been manufactured and you believe it, you will be far from having a clean heart, because it contradicts the revelation, considering the following Ayah:
﴾ When their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).﴿
2- The gist of the Prophet's message:
Dear noble brothers, the gist of the Prophet's Message is to reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth. The longest distance within the solar system is 13 light hours, whereas the shortest is one light second, and it is the distance between the earth and the moon. The sun, on the other hand, is 8 light minutes away from the earth. As for the closest blazing star to earth outside the solar system, it is a star that is 4 light years away from earth.
In order to know how many years it would take us if we try- hypothetically- to travel to this star by a car at the speed of 100km/h), we multiply three hundred thousand kilometers per second (the speed of light) by 60 to convert the number into minutes, then by 60 to convert the number into hours, then by twenty-four to convert it into days, then by 365 to convert it into years, then by 4, because the nearest blazing star to us is 4 light years away.
If supposedly, there is a paved road between the earth and this blazing star, and I want to travel by a car at the speed of 100 Kilometers per hour, I have to divide that number by 100 km in order to know how many hours it would take, then if you divide it by 24, you will know how many days, and if you divide it by 365, you will know how many years, and the final number of years will be 4.320.0000 years which equals 4 light years. How many years I will take if I want to travel to the Polaris which is 4000 light years away from the earth? How many years I will spend if I want to travel to the Andromeda Galaxy which is 2 million light years away from the earth? How many years I will spend if I want to travel to a galaxy that is 20 billion light years away from the earth? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ So I swear by Mawaqi (setting or the mansions, etc.) of the stars (they traverse)* And verily, that is indeed a great oath, if you but know.﴿
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. ﴿
Only those who have knowledge are the ones who fear Allah the Almighty. Thus, if you are after the worldly life, you should seek Islamic knowledge, and if you are after the Hereafter, you should seek Islamic knowledge, and if you are after both, you also should seek Islamic knowledge. It was said, "Knowledge will not give you part of it unless you are entirely devoted to seeking it. However, if you are not totally devoted, it will give you nothing." A scholar said, "Man is knowledgeable as long as he seeks knowledge, but when he assumes that he becomes knowledgeable, he is an ignorant person." I like it when some scholars consider themselves knowledge seekers out of modesty.
Dear noble brothers, the mission of the Prophet PBUH is to recite to us the Verses of our Lord. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾And by the sun and its brightness* And by the moon as it follows it (the sun);﴿
﴾By the dawn* By the ten nights (i.e. the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah)* And by the even and the odd (of all the creations of Allah).﴿
﴾When the sun Kuwwirat (wound round and lost its light and is overthrown)* And when the stars shall fall;﴿
﴾What are they asking (one another)?* About the great news, (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, the Qur'an, which Prophet Muhammad PBUH brought and the Day of Resurrection, etc.),﴿
﴾Reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence),﴿
"The Book" refers to the Noble Quran, whereas "Hikmah" refers to the Prophetic Sunnah. Therefore, there is reflection (on the creation of the heavens and the earth), connection (with Allah), knowledge of the Noble Quran and comprehension of the Prophetic Sunnah, which is the practical application of the Noble Quran. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence),﴿
The rest of the Ayah goes as follows:
﴾ And teaching you that which you used not to know.﴿
An illustrative example:
Dear noble brothers, allow me to give you this example. If a kid said to his uncle, who is visiting him, I have a great amount of money, what is the amount of money the uncle will predict? His guess will be not more than 100 Liras if the kid's daily allowance is 10 or 25 liras. However, if an official figure in the pentagon said, "We allocated a colossal amount of money to Iraq war", so what is your guess of that amount? I think your guess will be 200 billion Dollars. Accordingly, the word great is based on the person who uses it and on his status. How about being said by the King of all kings (i.e. Allah)?
﴾ And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH).﴿
Knowing Allah is the utmost bestowal ever. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH).﴿
The gist of the Prophet's Message to mankind is to reflect on the creation of the havens and the earth, to establish a connection with Allah and to purify our souls.
Mathematic equation:
The following Ayah is like a mathematic equation. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently.﴿
The left-hand side of the equation is that "because of the mercy casted into your heart, you dealt with them gently", the right-hand side of the equation is that "they loved and surrounded you, and they sacrificed their souls and money for your sake." Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you;﴿
If the left-hand side of the equation is that "had you been sever and harsh-hearted", the right-hand side of the equation will be, "they would have broken away from about you". Hence, strengthening ties, mercy and leniency will lead to bringing people around you, whereas breaking ties, harshness and roughness will lead to dispersal.
Do you want people to surround you with love? If you are a father and you came home, do your children celebrate your coming? Some fathers are like that, but there are fathers whose children are happy when they leave their homes. What kind of fathers are you? If you are merciful and lenient, your children will surround you with love.
An old man got sick once, so his sons brought a doctor who assured them that it is not serious, so they were so upset by the news. They wished that it was a serious disease that would cause his death. This but reflects what kind of fathers he was. Do your children surround you with love when you come home, or do they go to their rooms? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you) We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'an) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know.﴿
How do we love the Prophet PBUH?
Dear noble brothers, does love happen against your will? Can you love someone if I ask you to do so? Love is an unwilling action:
(It is reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah said: None of you is a believer till I am dearer to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind.)
This Hadith confirms that we should love the Prophet PBUH, but since love is an unwilling action, what should we do? Some scholars said, "When you read the Prophetic biography, you will know how down to earth the Prophet PBUH was, and thus you will love him PBUH."
(Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: On the day of Badr, we were three men with one camel. Abu Lubabah and Ali Ibn Abu Talib were the two who rode with the Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. It was time for the Messenger of Allah to walk, but they said, "We will walk and let you ride." The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said: "You are not stronger than me and I am not in less need of rewards than you.")
The superior chief of the army of Islam, the Master of Prophets and Messengers and the leader of this Ummah made himself PBUH equal to a fighter of the lowest military rank. The Prophet PBUH mounted the camel, and when it was his turn to walk, his companions begged him to stay on the camel, but he said:
(You are not stronger than me and I am not in less need of rewards than you.)
Dear noble brothers, a Bedouin once stormed in the assembly of the Prophet PBUH and said, "Who among you is Muhammad?" The Prophet PBUH said, "I am Muhammad." This means that the Prophet PBUH had never had special chair to sit on to distinguish him from the others, so do you not love his modesty PBUH?
(It was narrated that Ibn Mas'ud said: "A man came to the Prophet (PBUH), so he spoke to him, and he started to tremble with awe. He said to him: "Take it easy. I am not a king; I am just a man whose mother ate dried meat.")
(Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khidri: While we were with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) who was distributing (i.e. some property), there came Dhul Khuwaisira, a man from the tribe of Bani Tamim and said, "O Allah's Messenger (PBUH)! Do Justice." The Prophet said, "Woe to you! Who could do justice if I did not? I would be a desperate loser if I did not do justice.")
This Bedouin said harshly, "Do justice O Muhammad", and if he had said it to a tyrant, the latter would have killed him. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.﴿
Hence, in order to love the Prophet PBUH, you should read his biography. Unfortunately, the youth nowadays look up to football player, actors and actresses, whereas the heart of the true believer is filled with the love of the Prophet PBUH. Therefore, since you are commanded to love the Prophet PBUH, and since the Prophet PBUH should be more beloved to you than yourself, your wealth, your children and the entire world, you should read his biography PBUH.
Before the death of the prophet PBUH, he climbed the Minbar (pulpit) and said:
(Whoever I had whipped his back here is my back, let him retaliate. Whoever I had taken some money from him here is my money, let him take from it! Whoever I had cursed his honor, here is my honor let him curse it! Let him not fear enmity, for it is not part of my character and nature)
Will you not melt out of love towards this Noble Prophet PBUH? When you study the Prophet's biography and read about his modesty, honesty and trustworthiness, only then you will love him. Indeed, the Prophetic biography is the key to his love PBUH. Keep in mind that loving the Prophet PBUH is Fard Ayn (a duty which is imposed on the whole community of believers) on every Muslim, and in his love lies our salvation.
Each one of us has a personality he wishes to be, a personality he hates to be, a real personality, and a personality he loves to be which reflects his orientation. In fact, if you belong to the people of this present life, you will love the people of the same interests, if you belong to the people of wealth, you will love the rich, if you belong to those who are shifted to self-indulgence, you will love cheap lusts, if you belong to the rulers, you will love high positions and if you belong to believers you will love the Prophet PBUH and will follow his steps.
Tell me who you love and I will tell you what you are made of. It was said, "There is love for the sake of Allah, and it is but Tawheed, and there is love besides Allah and it is but Shirk." The true love is to love Allah, and its first branch is to love the Prophet PBUH, its second branch is to love all the companions of the Prophet PBUH without exceptions and its third branch is to love their followers, to love believers, to love obeying Allah, to love Allah's Houses (Masjids), to love the Noble Quran and to love every deed that leads you to Allah, this is the love for the sake of Allah. Unlike this love, the love besides Allah is to love someone for the sake of your own interests, and so loving that person will drive you away from Allah. Moreover, and this kind of love is Shirk.
I repeat, tell me who you love and I will tell you what you are made of. Then tell me, is your love for the sake of Allah or for the sake of something or someone else?
Glad tiding for Muslims:
Dear noble brothers, there are two glad tidings for Muslims. The first one is mentioned in the following Ayah:
﴾ And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, ﴿
One might be bewildered by this Ayah. The first part of it is crystal clear, indicating that when the Prophet was alive, Muslims were never been punished, but how will Muslims be protected from Allah's Punishment after the death of the Prophet PBUH? Scholars of interpretation commented on the following Ayah:
﴾ Nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
They said, "Muslims will not be punished as long as the Prophet's Sunnah is applied to their life, houses, women's Islamic dressing code, earning, spending, celebrations, grieves, settling, travels, times of peace, times of war, times of prosperity and times of hardship." Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
Muslims will be protected from the Divine Punishment provided they apply the Prophetic Sunnah and seek Allah's Forgiveness; otherwise they will be in danger of being punished.
2- The knowledge seeker will find the transcendent life he longs for:
Dear brothers, this lecture is an introduction to understanding the Prophetic Sunnah. The romantic idealism is inapplicable, given some Greek philosophers wrote about utopia which had never existed. On the other hand, there is the ugly unbearable reality which annoys you upon reading about it in a novel of a contemporary novelist, but why is it annoying? It is because you read about man's regression, despicability, hypocrisy, harshness and deviation.
Dear brothers, assemblies are scented due to the remembrance of pious people, whereas they are disturbed by the remembrance of mean deviated hypocrites who take what does not belong to them. In fact, 15 minutes of talking about a despicable person are enough to put you in hardship and depression. On the other hand, listening to a story of the notable companions (males or females), the pious followers or the modest scholars gives you a refreshing feeling and an expansion of the soul so to speak. Hence, the greatness of the Prophetic biography lies in its genuine nature. Moreover, it is ideal as it sets a good practical example to all Muslims to follow, and this exactly what Muslims need today. People nowadays reject the ugly reality and mock the romantic idealism. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. ﴿
3- The Muslim will become aware of Islam principles and rulings:
Dear noble brothers, literature consists of many arts such as poetry, prose, drama, composition, autobiography and so many other arts. However, all literati have agreed that prose is the closest art to man's soul.
Take for example your son whom you take with you to Friday prayer, he will listen for an hour to the Khutbah which analyzes, demonstrates and brings about proves from the Quran and Sunnah, and it may include a 3 minute story. If you ask your son later, "What do you remember of the Khutbah?" He will only remember the story, because it is the closest to the soul; its heroes are human beings, and it has exposition, rising and falling actions, plot, climax, and resolution. Thus, the soul rejoices the art of the story in literature. Unfortunately, stories of our era incite people's mundane desires and empower their materialistic side and the instincts. Such kind of stories is capable of destroying an entire society.
If you read a story and it inspires your soul and elevates your thoughts to a higher rank, then you should know that you are reading a transcendental art. I advise our brothers to make the stories of the Prophet's companions available in the hands of their children, but make sure that you put the stories which are written in a clear beautiful literary style, because the beauty of it will be just like the beauty of the sweet water in a very beautiful crystal glass. If the content is beautiful, the story will be the easiest path to call people to Allah.
In the Arabic language we teach our students the language, its grammar, declension, dictation, eloquence and prosody. All these things are boring to learn theoretically, so teachers develop ways based on stories in order to make these learning materials more interesting. If the story is enjoyable, then we can learn anything through it.
When we study the Prophetic biography, it teaches us Shari'ah rulings, the Prophetic good conducts, the heroic stances of the Prophet PBUH and the way how decisions should be made. Thus the story is the top teaching tool.
Personally, I suggest that the Prophetic biography becomes a subject in school curriculum, because one can learn about the entire Islam through studying the Prophetic biography. Not to mention, it is the key to love the Prophet PBUH. Moreover, the Prophetic biography is the practical example to every believer who seeks the truth. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad PBUH) of the news of the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your heart thereby.﴿
Since the stories of the Prophets are mentioned in the Quran in order to make the heart of the Prophet PBUH firm and strong, we should with greater reason benefit from the Prophetic biography.
The Prophet PBUH is a law-giver:
Dear brothers, all you of you know that Allah the Almighty commands us to obey Him and to obey the Prophet PBUH specifically, but what does that mean? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. ﴿
No human being should be obeyed at the expense of obeying Allah. Thus, obeying rulers is an obligation as long as their orders abide by the Prophetic Sunnah. Allah the Almighty does not say "Obey Allah and the Messenger", but rather He says, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger." Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH),﴿
This explicitly indicates that the Prophet PBUH is a law-giver, and thus Shari'ah rulings are derived from two sources: The Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, which means that the words of the Prophet PBUH are but legislation.
﴾ Nor does he speak of (his own) desire* It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.﴿
When you read an authenticated Prophetic Hadith, you should know that it is an inspiration from Allah, and here is the proof: Our Master Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said, "In three situations I consider myself a real man…" Before I carry on, what does the word "man" refer to when it is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah?
﴾ Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah ﴿
"Men" here means heros. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah﴿
Our Master Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said, "In three situations I consider myself a real man, and in the otherwise I am just one of the common. I never prayed while I am preoccupied with something till I finish my prayer, I never hear something from the Prophet PBUH, but I knew for sure that it is the truth that is revealed to Him from Allah the Almighty, and I never attend a funeral and talk about anything else than it till it is over." Hence, when an authenticated Hadith reaches you, you should believe that it is the truth from Allah the Almighty, and that the Prophet PBUH never spoke of his own desire but his Hadith is an inspiration that is inspired.
There should be in every house a source to learn the Prophetic biography whether it is a book or a tape, and in such source you will read the following Hadith:
(Do not turn your houses into graves.)
Thus, every house should have a small bookcase wherein there are books like the Quran, interpretation of the Quran, the Prophetic Hadith, the interpretation of the Prophetic Hadith and the Prophetic biography.
The historical importance of the Prophetic biography:
Dear brothers, there is one last thing left to discuss. The Prophetic biography is part of the Islamic history, so if you read the Prophetic biography, you read history. The following incident is part of the Prophetic biography which brings to light the hardship the companions suffer from and which is similar to what we suffer from nowadays.
I prepared myself and left south for Madinah. I reached the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) with no guarantee of protection. I knew that he had said, "I hope Allah will put the hand of 'Adi in my hand."
I entered the Masjid and gave him my greetings. He said, "Who is this man?"
I said, '''Adi ibn Hatim at-Ta'i."
He stood up, held my hand, and took me home with him. On our way, an old frail woman with a little boy stopped him with a complaint. He spoke with her for some time, until her problem was solved. I then thought to myself, "By Allah, this is no king."
Then we went to his home. There he took a leather pillow stuffed with dry grass, gave it to me, and said, "Sit on this!" I was ashamed and said, "No, you sit on it." He said, "No, you." I obeyed and sat on it while Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sat on the ground since there was no other pillow in his home. I told myself, "By God, this is not the way a king behaves!" The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) turned to me and said, "You are not a very good Christian are you?" said very humbly, "Why do you say that?" "Weren't you taking a quarter of the belongings of the people for yourself, although that is forbidden in your religion?" I said, "Yes," and then I knew that he was a prophet sent by Allah, for how else could he know that I did such a thing? Then he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Maybe, 'Adi, what you see of the poverty of the Muslims is keeping you from entering Islam.
The Islamic states suffer poverty today while the west is rich beyond normal. Is it acceptable that a painting is sold in the west for 50 million Dollars? They spend one million Dollars like we spend 100 Liras. All their affluence came from buying the raw materials cheaply from poor countries by paying mere green papers (Dollars) which they print (without being backed by gold). Accordingly, you will find the most powerful country in the world (i.e. The United States) is immensely in debt.
(By Allah, soon so much money will flow in that there will not be any to take it. Or maybe, 'Adi, what is keeping you is the small number of Muslims and the great number of their enemies…)
Allah is The Disposer of all affairs. Sometimes you see that the disbeliever is very powerful, and so he does as he wishes, he kills, he bombs cities and he destroys houses. Furthermore, the media supports him, the world allies with him and all the financial means are in his hand, while Muslims are weak.
("Or maybe, 'Adi, what is keeping you is the small number of Muslims and the great number of their enemies. By Allah, soon you will hear that a woman can come from a village in Iraq to visit the Ka'bah on her own and no one will bother her. Or maybe you see power and authority with the great emperors. By Allah, soon you will hear that Muslims have conquered Iraq with its castles and that the treasures of Kisra son of Hormuz belong to them.")
The whole world launches a war against Islam nowadays.
"By Allah, soon you will hear that a woman can come from a village in Iraq to visit the Ka'bah on her own and no one will bother her."
Adi ibn Hatim at-Ta'i lived a long time after that and he used to say, "Two of the Prophet's predictions have come true, and the third yet remains. By Allah, I swear it too will come true. I have seen women coming from Iraq to Makkah on camels, on their own, unafraid to make the Hajj, fearing nothing but Allah, and I was among the first troops that attacked Kisra and opened the treasures of his castles. I swear by Allah, the third is coming!"
Muslim in our era is still in good spiritual shape:
Dear noble brothers, what I fear the most is that we get defeated from within and become depressed. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.﴿
The hardship we suffer indicates that we are included in the intensive Care of Allah, because there is still goodness in us. It is like two patients, one is afflicted with stomach spreading cancer and the other has inflammation in his stomach. The doctor allows the first one (with the hopeless case) to eat whatever he wishes, but he puts the second patient on strict diet, because there is hope to treat his disease. Similarly, Muslims suffer now, because there is still hope for their coming back to Allah due to the goodness that is left in them.
(Allah has ordered Dunia (earthy life), "Give adversity, distress and hardship and let calamities befall my Awliyah (pious), so that they yearn to meet Me.)
(By My Greatness and Exaltedness, I will not take my believing servant's soul (embracing him in my mercy), before afflicting him against every sin he committed in his life, either by illness in his body, shortage in his sustenance, or adversity in his wealth and kids, till I cover all his sins, and if there is any sin left, I will afflict him with agony before death, till he meets me as pure as he was on the day he was born.)
Dear noble brothers, I will continue discussing these lectures, and we will deduce the wisdom behind every stance taken by the Prophet PBUH, hoping that it will provide us with the needed vision to solve our problems.
