Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)

Dr. Gasser Hathout, April 1, 2007

Name the year when Prophet (PBUH) was born?

A: The Year of Elephant

Which year was Prophet (PBUH) born?

A: 570 AD

What was the Prophet's (PBUH) three part response when his Companions asked, "What
was your origin?"
A: Prayer of my father Ibrahim (PBUH), tidings of Isa (PBUH) gave of me and the dream
of my mother that had reached the castles of Basra.

What did Prophet Ibrahim's (PBUH) prayer consist of with respect to his progeny while
building Kaaba with his son Prophet Ismail (PBUH)?
A: "O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our off spring an apostle from among
themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation
as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty,
truly wise!" (Quran 2: 129). After four thousand years, God granted Prophet Ibrahim's
prayer and raised our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from amongst them, as an answer to
his prayer. The same thing has been quoted in the Quran as follows: "It is He Who has
sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His
Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, although they had
been, before, in manifest error;" Quran (62:2)

With whom did Prophet (PBUH) spend his first 3 years?

A: Halima, a wet nurse.

What incident made Haleema to return Prophet (PBUH) to his mother Amina?
A: A strange incident took place in the prophet's childhood. Once both Muhammad and
his foster brother were playing in the yard with the goats when the Angel Jibrael
appeared to them. The Angel came split open Muhammad's chest, took out his heart,
removed a blood clot and washed it in Zamzam. The angel then returned the heart to
Muhammad's body before going away. The angel said this was the part of shaytan in you.
His foster brother ran to Halima and said that Muhammad has been murdered. She rushed
out and found Muhammad standing with a pale white face. She checked over his body
and found that he was fine. Very shortly she returned him to Amina, his mother.

Who took care of Prophet (PBUH) when his mother died?

A: Prophet's Grandfather Abd Al-Muttalib.

What was the special privilege that Prophet's grandfather gave Muhammad
(PBUH) during his childhood, which even his own sons did not have?
A: The young Muhammad (PBUH) accompanied his grandfather Abd Al-Muttalib to
Kaaba and sat on the cushion to join the Council of elders.
When Prophet (PBUH) was eight years old, his grandfather died. Who took care
of Prophet (PBUH) at that time?
A: His uncle Abu Talib.

Abu Talib was not the oldest of his brothers, not the richest of his
brothers, yet he ended up taking care of Prophet (PBUH). Why?
A: Even before Prophet's grandfather Abd Al-Muttalib passed away, his grandfather
trusted Abu Talib the most and asked him to take care of the young Muhammad (PBUH).

Did Prophet (PBUH) fell in love with someone during his youth i.e. before
his Prophethood?
A: Yes. Umm Hani, the daughter of Abu Talib. Prophet (PBUH) developed love with
Umm Hani when he was living with his uncle's family but the marriage did not
consummate because Abu Talib disapproved it.

While Khadija (Ra) rejected many of the suitors who approached her for marriage, how
did Prophet (PBUH) propose Khadija to marry her?
A: Khadija was the one who proposed Prophet (PBUH) to marry her because of his
trustworthiness.

How many children did Prophet (PBUH) have?

A: 7 children (The first six were from Khadija (ra) - Two sons: Al qasim and Abdullah,
Four daughters: Zaynab, Ruqayah, Fatimah and Om Kolthoom; seventh one was Ibrahim
from Maryam (Ra))

Fill in the blanks. The Prophet said, "The eyes weep, heart grieves of parting of you
_______, but we don't say anything except that pleases Allah."
A: Ibrahim. Muhammad (PBUH) took the child Ibrahim and laid him in his own lap with
shaking hand and said this with his broken heart. Seeing Muhammad's sorrow, his
Companions reminded him of his commandment against indulging in self-pity after a
death. Muhammad is reported as having answered: "I have not commanded against
sadness, but against raising one's voice in lamentation. What you see in me is the effect of
the love and compassion in my heart for my lost one. Remember that whoever feels no
compassion toward others will not receive any compassion."

How many of his children died during the lifetime of Prophet (PBUH)?
A: Six (only Fatima (Ra) outlived him)

What did Khadija (Ra) gave Prophet (PBUH) as a wedding present?

A: Zaid ibn Harith, a servant boy of her.

What became of Zaid Ibn Harith eventually?

A: Zaid ibn Harith became Prophet's (PBUH) adopted son. The father of Zaid belonging
to one of the influential tribes learnt later that Zaid is living in Mecca as a slave and
approached Prophet (PBUH) to sell Zaid back to them. Prophet (PBUH) responded that
they can have Zaid for free, if Zaid is willing. But Zaid who was living as a slave said to
his father that after being lived with Prophet (PBUH) he can't imagine having any man
above him
and denied to join his father. His father told him that he had to live like a slave if he
chose to live with Prophet (PBUH) otherwise he could be the chief of his tribe or
something of that sort. Still Zaid refused. Immediately after hearing this Prophet (PBUH)
set Zaid free and took him to the center of the city and declared that Zaid is his adopted
son. Zaid then became Zaid ibn Muhammad. Later Quranic verse was revealed to retain
the
biological name of the adopted children (Quran 33:4-5) and hence his name was changed
back to Zaid ibn Harith.

What was Prophet's (PBUH) response when Quraysh complained to his uncle Abu Talib
to stop his preaching?
A: Prophet said, "If they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left
hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep preaching until
Allah makes Islam prevail or I die."

When Prophet (PBUH) refused to stop preaching, what did his uncle Abu Lahab
convince his sons to do?
A: To divorce Prophet's daughters. Depending on the source one believes, either
Prophet's daughters betrothal to Abu Lahab's sons did not consummate or their marriage
to Abu Lahab's sons resulted in divorce. Allah knows the best.

What is the arabic name of the Pact of Chivalry that Prophet (PBUH) entered
into before his Prophethood?
A: Hilf-ul-fadhul. A businessman from abroad came to Mecca to do business but the
Quraysh did injustice to him in the business. The businessman who was an outsider did
not have anyone to support him and out of his conscience asked Quraysh if there is
anyone among them who can question the injustice done to him. This greatly
embarrassed Quraysh and they entered into this Pact of Chivalry, "that henceforth they
would stand together as one man on the side of the oppressed against the oppressor until
justice was done, whether the oppressed were a man of the Quraysh or one who had come
from abroad." At a very young age, Muhammad enthusiastically joined this pact of
chivalry for the establishment of justice and the protection of the weak and
the oppressed made by certain chiefs of the Quraysh. In later years, at Madinah,
Muhammad used to say: "I was present in the house of Abd Allah ibn Jud'an at so
excellent a pact that I would not exchange my part in it for a
herd of red camels, and if now in Islam, I were summoned to a similar pact, I would
gladly respond." Prophet said, "The best of you in Jahiliyah (period of ignorance) is the
best of you in Islam." (Muslim)

When Prophet (PBUH) began approaching 40 years of his age, some strange things
started happening to him before this Prophethood. Name one of them.
A: He started having vivid dreams come true, he had craving to do meditation.
Where did Prophet (PBUH) use to go for meditation?
A: Cave of Hira

What is the first verse to be revealed?

A: Iqra (Surah 96: 1-5)

How did Prophet (PBUH) react after the first revelation?

A: He was frightened.

What was Khadijah's (Ra) response with respect to the Prophet's character after
the first revelation?
A: Khadijah said to Prophet, "Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your
relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the
weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of
those who are in distress". In other words, he was the best of them in jahiliya (period of
ignorance).

To whom did Khadijah take Prophet (PBUH) after the first revelation?
A: To her relative Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a Christian.

What did Waraqah tell about Muhammad (PBUH) and the revelation?
A: Normally during the Quiz sessions, when the question is asked who was the first to
accept Islam, the answer is either Abu bakr (Ra) from male elders or Ali (Ra) from
youngsters or Khadijah (Ra) from female elders and I
disagree with that because Waraqah said, "This is the same being (angel Jibrael) who
brought the revelations of Allah to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the
time when your people would turn you out." Allah's
Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said,
"Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated
with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the
day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." (Not long after this
incident, Muhammad was commanded in a subsequent revelation from Allah, through the
angel Jibrael, to call people to worship Allah only, and it was at this point that Khadijah
did not hesitate in expressing in public what she had now known for certain in secret for
some time: " I bear witness that there is no god except Allah," she said, "and I bear
witness
that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.")

Translate the (arabic) Quranic verse in English. "Innaka la tahdee man ahbabta
walakinna Allaha yahdee man yashao wahuwa aAAlamu bialmuhtadeena"
A: "Verily, you will not guide everyone whom you love, but Allah guides whom He
wills and He knows best those who Will guided" (Qur'an 28:56). When Abu Talib
was in his death bed, Prophet (PBUH) was holding Abu Talib's hand and requested him
to say shahada (accept Islam) but his uncle Abu Talib died as
an unbeliever. Prophet (PBUH) was sad and Allah revealed this verse to console him.
Excerpts from the Jeopardy game show on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) conducted by
Dr. Gasser Hathout at the Islamic Center of Southern California, Los Angeles during the
Milad-Al-Nabi Celebration on April 1, 2007.