U

+"U @B"G"<IU G"B1"GU >P"BGU 55U B"HU >$U H59.U

HJO .#H
U 
## 
2
5  Q#
5
 G( < U




*";"B5U "I.AM"II"U B"6I.;*U I?U .("C";IU B#HU <!U

H.JOI.?;HU P#BTU #$&?BIU ,HU ##<U : #U I?U "<GMB"U J,IU
J+"U 9I"B.5U @B"G"<I" U .=U I+"U G"B."HU .GU NJ,#;I.U < U
9?HIU ?$UI+#UJ#B9HUB#U@C#H#<I# U .=UJ,".BU>B.*1<5U B1U
GB.@JU5?;*UQ.I,UI+"UIB;G5.J"CI.?;U; UI+#UIB;H5I.?<U
?$U I,#.BU :#<.;*HU +.HU 7G?U @@5."GU I>U GM@@71I.?;GU
Q,.+U +P"U J>U "U :":>B.H" U .;U I+#/BU B.U P#BG0?=U
-#U.:U,#B#U.HU I?U+#6@UJ,#UB# "BUB" UI,"U>B.*1<5U I"RJU
< UO< "DGI= U.IHU:#;.;*U+U5#HH><U.HU%?55?Q# UTU
#S#B/H#HU?P#B2<*UAO"GI.><GU>OIUI,"U8"GH?<U
<"U HIC.4.<*U $#JOC#U .<U I+#U H#C.#HU.HU I-"U ?6>OE&M5U
FIQ?B4U MG" U .=U 0IU J,IU "BI/;5TU @@"5HU K>U ,/6 B#<U
+.HU 3GU "CJ.<5TU >M; U I?U JICJU I-#U T>O;*U B" "CG
U
LI#<I2>=U GI.9O5I"U I-":U :MG"U J,"9U HU Q#66U HU
# OI#UI+#:U
-"UG"C."GU.9GUI>U AM.<IUI-#U HIN #<LUQ.I-UI+#U
I#,1<*HU?$UH5:U.<U#P#CTUH@#IU"5."'HU@BI1"GU; U
9>B5U >; OJU+"U H"B1"HU Q.I,U .IHU M;1AM#U %#IOC"GU
#BI.<5TU )65HU U *@U .;U I+.GU C"U Q+.-U +GU 6>;*U ##<U
@EJ.55TU<"*5"I" U

'%&* ! *"*)**

 *#*$*

%)**
% 5+*/&5
-."'"(3)#0 54$),01"!5
Islamic Studies
Grade 11
Given the dire need for Islamic studies material in
schools incorporating the subject in English,
Darussalam has endeavoured to publish an Islamic
Studies series covering all the grades, from grade
one through grade twelve.

Author
MOLVI ABDUL AZIZ
MA. English Literature

Revised and Edited

by Larbi Benrezzok

DARUSSALAM
GLOBAL LEADER IN ISLAMIC BOOKS
 No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any

information storage and reh·ieval system, without the permission of the publisher.

© Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2010

King Fahd National library Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moulavi, Abdul aziz
Islamic studies- grade 11 / Abdul Aziz Moulavi I Larbi Benrezzok- Riyadh 2010
254p : 28cm ISBN : 978-603-500-063-5
-
1 Islamic education 2- Islam studies
1· Larbi Benrezzok (editor) II-T itle
210.7 de 1431/9263
L.D. No. 1431/6847 ISBN: 978-603-500-063-5

Supervised by:
Abdul Malik Mujahid

HEAD OFFICE
P.O. Box: 22743, Riyadh 11416 K.S.A.Tel: 0096-1-4033962/4043432 Fax: 4021659
Website: www.darussalamksa.com Email: darussalam@awalnet.net.sa
K.S.A. Darussalam Showrooms: AUSTRALIA
Riyadh • Darussalam, 153, Haldan St, Lakemba (Sydney)
O laya branch: Tel 00966-1-4614483 Fax: 4644945 NSW 2195, Australia
Malaz branch: Tel 00966-1-4735220 Fax: 4735221 Tel: 0061-2-974 07188 Fax: 0061-2-974 07199
Mobile: 0061-41458 0813 Res: 0061-2-9758 019 0
Suwailam branch: Tel & Fax-1-2860422 Email: abumuaaz@hotamail.com

• Jeddah CANADA
Tel: 00966-2-6879254 Fax: 6336270 • lslmic Books S ervice

Madinah 2200 South Sheridan way Mississauga,

•
Ontario Canada LSK 2C8
Tel: 001-9 05-4 03-84 06 Ext. 218 Fax: 905-84 09
Tel: 00966-503417155 Fax: 04-8151121
• AI-Khobar
HONG KONG
Tel: 00966-3-8692900 Fax: 8691551
• Peacetech
• Khamis Mushayt
A2, 4/F Tsim Sha Mansion
Tel & Fax: 00966-072207055 83-87 Nathan Road Tsimbatsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong
•
Yanbu AI-Bahr Tel: 0500887341 Fax: 04 -3 908027 Tel: 00852 2369 2722 Fax: 00852-23692944
• AI-Buraida Tel: 0503417156 Fax: 063696124 Mobile: 00852 97123624
MALAYSIA
• Darussalam International Publication Ltd.
U.A.E
No.109A, Jalan SS 21/1A, Damansara Utama,
• Darussalam, Sharjah U.A.E 47400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel: 00971-6-5632623 Fax: 5632624 Tel: 00603 7710 9750 Fax: 7710 0749
Sharjah@dar-us-salam.com. E-mail: darussalm@streamyx.com
PAKISTAN FRANCE
• Darussalam, 36 B Lower Mall, Lahore • Editions & L ibrairie Essalam
Tel: 0092-42-724 0024 Fax: 7354072 135, Bd de Menilmontant- 75011 Paris
• Rahman Market, Ghazni Street,Urdu Bazar Lahore Tel: 0033-01- 43 38 19 56/44 83
Tel: 0092-42-7120054 Fax: 7320703 Fax: 0033- 01- 43 57 44 31
• Karachi, Tel: 0092-21-4393936 Fax: 4393937 E-mail: essalam@essalam com.

• Islam abad , Tel: 0092-51-25 00237Fax: 5 122 8151 3 SINGAPORE

U.S.A • Muslim Converts Association of Singapore
• Darussalam, Houston 32 Onan Road The Galaxy
P.O Box: 79194 Tx 77279 Singapore· 424484
Tel: 001-713-722 0419 Fax: 001-713-722 0431 Tel: 0065-44 0 6924, 348 8344 Fax: 44 0 6724
E-mail: houston @dar-us-salam.com SRI LANKA
• Darussalam, New York 486AtlanticAve, Brooklyn • Darul Kitab 6, Nimal Road, Colombo-4
New York-11217, Tel: 001-718-625 5925 T el: 0094 115 358712 Fax: 115-358713
Fax: 718-625 1511
INDIA
E-mail: darussalamny@hotmail.com
• Islamic Books International
U.K
54, Tandel Street (North)
• Darussalam International Publications Ltd.
Dongri, Mumbai 4 000 09,
Leyton Business Centre
Tel: 009 1-22 -23 73 418 0, Fax: 0091-22-2373 0689
Unit-17, Etloe Road, Ley1on, London, E10 7BT
E-mail: s al es @ir f. n e t
Tel: 0044 20 8539 4885 Fax:0044 20 8539 4889
Webst
i e: www.darussalam.com SOUTH AFRICA
Email: info@darussalam.com
• Islamic oa·wah Movement (IDM)
• Darussalam International Publications Limited
48009 Qualbert 4078 Durban,South Africa
Regents Park Mosque,146 Park Road
London NW8 7RG Tel: 0044- 207 725 2246 Tel: 0027-31-304-6883 Fax: 0027-31-305-1292
Fax: 0044 20 8539 4889 E-mail: i dm@ion.co.za
 All p ra i se bel o n g s to Allah; we praise H i m a n d seek H is h e l p
a n d forg iveness. We seek refuge i n A l l a h from t h e evil with i n u s
a n d from o u r s i nful d eeds. W h o m ever Al l a h g u i d es, there is n o n e
t o m i s g u i d e h i m; a n d w h o m ever H e leads astray, n o n e c a n g u i d e
h i m . W e b e a r witness that there is n o g o d worthy o f wors h i p
except Al l a h, a n d w e b e a r witness that M u h a m m a d is H is serva nt
a n d M essen ge r. We p ray to A l l a h the A l m ig hty to b estow H is
peace a n d bless i n g s u po n P ro p h et M u h a m mad, u p o n h i s g oo d
and p u re fa m i ly, a s wel l a s u p o n a l l the n o b l e com pa n io n s a n d
those w h o fol l ow them i n rig hteou s n ess u ntil the Day of
J u d g em ent.
Given the d i re n ee d for I s l a m ic stu d ies m ateri a l in schools
i n corporati n g the s u bject in E n g l ish, Daruss a l a m has
e n d ea vo u red to publish an I s l a m ic Stud ies series cove ri n g a l l the
g rades, from g ra d e one t h ro ug h g ra d e twelve.
The p resent series covers a l l a reas of Isla m ic studies:
tafseer, fladeeth, tawfleed, flqh, seera h, a n d g e ne ra l eti q uette
relati n g to d ifferent a reas a n d situatio n s. D u e to t h e i m porta n ce
of authe ntic I s l a m ic knowledge, every effort h a s been m a d e to
e n s u re that the material p resented in t h e series is a ut h e ntic. Al so,
given the i m po rtan ce of Ara bi c I s l a m ic term s, m ost of the terms
a re p resented in their origi n a l Ara bic scri pt, a l o n g with the
tra n s l iterati o n a n d the tra n s lati o n of their m ea n i ngs. Th i s a l so
a pplies to s u p p l icati o n s w h i c h h ave to b e m e m o rised in their
Ara b i c version. The aim here i s to help the stu d e nt rea d the
o ri g i n a l text a n d understa n d its m ea n i n g . Each lesson is fol l owed
by exercises cove ri n g q ue stions a bo ut the lesson.
One striki n g featu re in the series is the col o u rf u l a rtwork
u sed i n it t h at certa i n ly a ppea l s to c h i l d re n . This is certa i n ly bou n d
t o attract t h e you n g readers' attention, sti m u l ate t h e m, a m use
t h e m a s wel l a s educate them, even though this feature i s n ot
stressed i n books for t h e u pper g rades.
The series a i m s to a cq u a i nt the stud e n t with t h e teach i ng s of
I s l a m i n every aspect: beliefs, p ra ctices a n d m o ra l cond uct. The
series, with its u n iq u e featu res, certa i n ly fills a g a p in t h i s a rea
w h i c h h a s l o n g been p a rtia l ly n e g l ected.
The p resent b reathtaki n g work was i n itiated by a n expert
i n the fiel d of ed ucatio n, M a u lvi Abd u l Aziz, MA. E n g l i s h l iteratu re,
w h o h a s h el d d iffe rent posts i n t h e fiel d i nc l ud i n g t h at of S e n ior
Ad m i n istrative Office r in t h e Department of P rivate Education,
M i n istry of Ed u cation, D u ba i, UAE, from 1982 to 2002.
The cu rrent p roject a ls o owes its existence i n its p resent
for m to some people w h o made i nformative s u g gestio n s,
p a rticula rly La rbi Ben rezzouk, Col lege of La n g uages a nd
Tra nslation, I m a m M u h a m ma d i b n S a u d Un iversity, Riya d h , w h o
u ndertook the pa i n staki n g task o f c hecki n g t h e a uthenticity of
the material p resented i n the series, p ro ofread i n g the text as wel l
a s a d d i n g refere n ces t o certa i n q uotatio n s from the Qu r'a n a n d
t h e hadeet h . Special t h a nks a ls o g o to M r. Saj i d C h a u d h a ry for
p roofrea d i n g i n t h i s a d d ition a n d to M r. Z u lfiq a r M a h m ood w h o
conscientiously a pp l ied h i s expertise i n t h e fiel d o f g ra p h ic design
to p roduce the series in a s u perb s h a pe.
We p ray to Al m i g hty A l l a h to rewa rd o u r e n d eavo u rs a n d
t o m ake t h e present series a bu nd a ntly benefici a l t o stud ents i n a l l
sta g es o f ed ucati o n a s wel l a s t o a ny o n e w h o read s them.

Abdul Malik Mujahid

Muharram, 1432 AH.
Dece m ber 2010.
1.1 . Definition of the Qur'an 02
1 .2. The Qur'an Is the H ighest Form of Revelation 03
1.3. The Qur'an is Protected from Corruption 03
1.4. The Names of the Qur'an OS
1.5. The Qur'an: the Final Revelation OS
1.6. Beginning of the Revelation OS
1.7. The Second Revelation OS
1.8. The Last Revelation 06
1.9. Reasons Why the Qur'an Was Revealed in Stages 07
1.1 0. How Was the Qur'an Collected? 07
1.1 1 . Divisions of the Gracious Qur'an 08
1 .1 2. Makkan and Madinan Soorahs 09
1 .1 3. Coherence in the Qur'an: Nadhm 10
1 .1 4. What is the Qur'an about? 10
1.1 5. Scientific Miracles in the Qur'an 12

Section 1
Attributes of Allah 17
2.1. Aayat-ui-Kursee 17
2.2. A Clear Concept of the Creator 20
2.3. Allah's Signs Which the Eyes Cannot Miss Seeing 21
2.4. To Him Belongs Whatever is in the Heavens and Whatever is
in the Earth: Soorat Ash-Shooraa, 4-S 24
2.5. The One, the Everlasting Refuge 26

Section 2
Allah's Relationship with the Created Worlds 28
2.6. Soorat AI-Faatiflah 28

Section 3
Allah's Messengers 34
2.7. Soorat AI-An'aam (The Cattle): 7S-79 34
2.8. Rem inding ' Eesaa �� of the Favours That Al lah Bestowed
on Him (Soorat AI-Maa'idah, S:110) 37
2.9. Abundance (Soorat AI-Kawthar- Soorah 108) 39
3.1 . The Prophet's Birth: The Year of the Elephant 44
3.2. The Prophet's Lineage and Ancestry 45
3.3. The Short-Lived' Abdullaah 46
3.4. Childhood 46
3.5. Aaminah and 'Abdui-Munalib Pass away 48
3.6. Muhammad's Early Occupation 49
3.7. Bab_eerah the Monk 50
3.8. The Sacrilegious (Fijaar) War 51
3.9. Hilf a/-Fufi.ool: All iance of the Virtuous 51
3.1 0. Divine Protection 52
3.1 1 . The Prophet's Marriage to Khadijah � 52
3.1 2. The Rebuilding of the Ka'bah 53
3.1 3. Meditation in the Cave of Hi raa' (Mount Hiraa') 55
3.1 4. Prophethood: The First Revelation 57
3.1 5. The Pause of Revelation- Fatrat ai-Wafliy 58
3 . 1 6. Revelation Resume 58
3.1 7. The Cal l to Islam in Makkah- the Secret Stage 59
3.1 8. The Early Muslims 59
3 . 1 9. The Call to Islam in Makkah- the Public Stage 60
3.20. Essentials of the Prophet's Early Call of His People 61
3.21 . The Quraysh Reject the Messenger� and His Message 62
3.22. The Quraysh Take Action 63
3.23. The Quraysh Approach Abu Iaalib 63
3.24. The Muslims' Emigration (Hijrah) to Eth iopia 64
3.25. Why Abyssinia? 65
3.26. The Boycott 66
3.27. The Year of Grief 67
3.28. The Journey to at-Taa'if 67
3.29. The N ight Journey and the Ascension to Heaven
(The lsraa' and the Mi'raaj) 69
3.30. Madinah Residents Embrace Islam 70
3.3 1 . Several Emigrations 70
3.32. The Long-awaited Hijrah Takes Place 71
3.33. The Hijrah 71
3.34. The Su raaqah Incident 73
3.35. The House of Abu Ayyoob ai-An�aaree 75
3.36. The Constitution of Madeenah: Safleefat ai-Madeenah 77
3.37. The Command of Prayer and Adhaan 77
3.38. The Hypocrites: Munaafiqoon 78
3.39. The Change of the Qib/ah: The Direction of Prayer 78
3.40. War and Peace 79
3.41 . Campaigns and Expeditions 80
3.42. The Issue of Succession to the Prophet� 86
3.43. Remembering the Prophet�: The Most Beautiful Model 87
3.44. His Character was the Qur'aan Itself 89
4.1 The Terms Sunnah and fi.adeeth 93
4.2 The Importance of the Sunnah 93
4.3 The Importance of the Sunnah in the Qur'an 94
4.4 The Prophet's Pronouncem ent regarding the Importance
of the Sunnah 95
4.5 Narration of fi.adeeth During the Prophet's Lifetime 96
4.6 Writing of H.adeeth During the lifetime of the Prophet* 96
4.7 Letters Sent by the Prophet� 98
4.8 Collection of H.adeeth Continued After the Death of the
Prophet* 98
4.9 Travels For the Purpose of Seeking H.adeeth 99
4.1 0 The Major Collections of fi.adeeth 100
4.1 1 Rules of Criticism of fi.adeeth 102
4.1 2 Method of Counting Different Narrations 103
4.1 3 The /snaad- Chain ofTransm itters 103
4.1 4 Different Categories or Classes of fi.adeeth 104
4.1 5 fi.adeeth Qudsee (Sacred fi.adeeth) 105
4.1 6 Obl igation to Follow the Sunnah 106

5.1. Abu 'Abdul laah Muhammad i bn lsmaa'eel ai-AI-Bukhaaree 109

5.2. Abul-.t!usayn Muslim ibn al-.t!ajjaaj an-Naysaabooree
(l maam Musli m ) 110
5.3. Abu Daawood Sulaymaan i bn ai-Ash'ath as-Sijistaanee 112
5.4. Abu ' Eesaa Muhammad ibn 'Eesaa at- Tirmidhee 113
5.5. Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb ibn 'Ali an-Nasa'ee 114
5.6. Abu 'Abdullaah Muhammad ibn Yazeed Ibn Maajah
ar-Rab'ee 115
 5.7. Hadeeth for Special Study 117
I. Religion is Sincerity 117
II. The Sign ofTrue and Complete Faith 120
Ill. Th ree Traits of Bel ievers 121
IV. The I mportance of the Obligatory Acts 124
v. Concept of Charity in Islam 125
VI. One's Duty to Try and Stop Other People from Doing
Wrong 128
VII. The Question ofJihaad 131
VIII. Martyrdom and its Various Kinds 134
IX. On Earning a Livelihood by Lawful Means 136
X. The Virtue of Hel ping Widows and the Poor 139
XI. The Virtue of Treating Orphans Kindly 141
XII. The Ease of Islam 142
XIII. Remaining associated to the Qur'an 144
XIV. Mercy and Generosity in Buying and Sell ing 146
XV. A Muslim Is Required to be Merciful To all people 148
XVI. The Mutual Mercy And Support ofThe Relatives 149
XVII. H.ayaa' Generates Goodness 151
XVIII. The Result of Faith and the Prohibition of Pride 152
XIX. The Life of the World 154
XX. The Necessity of Sincerity in Performing Deeds 157

6.1. Islam 161

6.2. The Word Muslim 162
6.3. What is Required of Someone Who Wishes to Embrace
Islam? 163
6.4. Islam as ad-Deen 163
6.5. The Five Pillars of Islam 164
6.6. The First Pil lar: Ash-Shahaadataan 165
6.7. The Second Pillar: Establishing the Prayers (�alaah) 166
6.8. The Third Pil lar: Giving Zakaat 168
6.9. The Fourth Pillar: The Pilgrimage to the House- The fi.ajj 170
6.10. The Fifth Pillar: Fasting in RamarJ.aan 171
6.11. Eemaan ( Faith) 173
a. Belief in Allah 174
b. Bel ief in Allah's Angels 175
c. Bel ief in Al lah's Books 178
d. Belief in Allah's Messengers 179
e. Belief in the LastDay 180
f. Bel ief in theDivineDecree (ai-Qadar):
The Good of it and the Bad of it 182

7.1 The Wives of the Prophet�: 'Mothers of the Believers' 185

7.2 Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid � 187
7.3 Sawdah bint Zam'ah � 188
7.4 'Aa'ishah bint Abu Bakr � 189
7.5 H_afsah bint 'Umar � 191
7.6 Zaynab bint Khuzaymah � 192
7.7 Umm Salamah- Hind bint Abu Umayyah al-
Makhzoomiyyah � 194
7.8 Zaynab bint Jahsh � 195
7.9 Juwwayriyah bint ai-H_aarith � 197
7.1 0 Umm Habeebah Ramlah, the daughter of Abu
Sufyaan � 198
7.1 1 �afiyyah bintH_uyayy � 199
7.1 2 Maymoonah bint ai-H_aarith � 201
7.1 3 Maariyah the Copt � 202
7.1 4 The Teachings of the Qur'an Concerning the Prophet's
Wives 202
7.1 5 TheDescendants of the Prophet � 204
7.16 Zaynab � Daughter o f the Prophet� 204
'
7.1 7 Ruqayyah �,Daughter of the Prophet� 205
7.1 8 Umm Kulthoom �,Daughter of the Prophet� 205
7.19 Faatimah,Daughter o f t h e Prophet� 205
7.20 AI-H_asan ibn 'Al i ibn Abee Iaalib � 206
7.2 1 AI-H_usayn ibn 'A li ibn Abee Iaalib � 207
7.22 The Leading Companions of the Prophet� 209
7.23 Abu Bakr a�-�iddeeq � 210
7.24 'Umar ibn ai-Khanaab � 211
7.25 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan � 213
7.26 'Ali ibn A bee Iaa lib 4> 214
7.27 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf 4> 215
7.28 Abu 'Ubaydah i bn ai-Jarraah 4> 217
7.29 Ialhah ibn 'Ubaydul laah 4> 217
7.30 Az-Zubayr ibn ai-'Awwaam 4> 218
7.3 1 Sa'd i bn A bee Waqqaa� 4> 219
7.32 Sa'eed ibn Zayd � 220
7.33 The Prophet's Scribes 221

8.1 The Significance of the Muslim Ummah 224

8.2 The Teachings of Islam Concerning Personal Modesty 227
8.3 Respect for Others: Adab 229
8.4 A Word a bout International Law 230
8.5 Islam and Human Rights 230
8.6 Women and their Rights- in Islam 231
8.7 Relations with People of the Book 234
8.8 Principles of Finance in Islam 236

9.1 The Meaning of Sharee'ah 241

9.2 The Qur'an: The first Basic Source of the Sharee'ah 243
9.3 Tafseer 245
9.4 The Eng lish Language and Tafseer 246
9.5 Translations of the Meanings of the Qur'an into English 247
9.6 The Sunnah of the Prophet� 248
9.7 The Other Secondary Sources of the Sharee'ah 249
9.8 Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) 250
 1 .1 . Defin ition of the Qur. 'an
The Qur'a n is the Ara bic Speech of Allah
which He revea led to Prophet M uhammad �
47:2) through Angel Jibreel �� i n its precise
mea n i n g and exact wording. It is the litera l,
u ncreated Word of Allah. The word 'Qu r'a n' is
freq uently mentioned i n the G l orious Book
itself (See for insta nce 2:1 85, 1 0:37, 1 0:61 a n d
1 7:1 06).
The Qu r'a n clearly states to whom, when, i n
what lang uage, how and why i t was revea led:
It was revea led i n the month of RamaQ.aan
(2: 1 85) on the N ig ht of Power or Decree 'Laylat­
ui-Qadr' (97: 1 ): 'We revealed it on a blessed
Night: (44:3)
It was revea led i n the Ara bic l a ng uage:
'Surely, We have made it in the Arabic language
so that you may be able to understand it:
(43:3).
It was revea led i n portions, each of which
was written and com mitted to memory as soon
as it was revea led, and its revelation was spread
over twenty-th ree yea rs of the Prophet's life,
d u ri ng which time he was occupied solely with
the spread of its message:
"It is a Qur'an which We have divided [into
parts from time to time] so that you may
recite it to the people at intervals; and We
have revealed it by stages." ( 1 7 : 1 06)
 1 .2 . The Qur'a n is the Highest Form of Revelation
Although the G racious Q u r'an was revealed
piecemeat the entire revelation is one whole.
It is the Word of Allah revea led thro u g h the
Holy Spi rit, that is, Angel Ji b reel �1. Revel ation
ta kes place in th ree forms: 'It is not fitting for
any human being that Allah should speak to
him except by revelation, from behind a veil
or by sending a messenger that reveals -by
His permission -whatever Allah wills: (42:5 1 )
1 .3 . The Qu r'a n is Protected by Alla h from Corru ption
Previous revelations had been corru pted
intentionally, but the Qu r'a n's fi nal message to
man is exactly the sa me in its present form as
it was revea l ed to Prophet M uha mmad � more
than 1 400 yea rs ago.
Islam teaches us that Allah created the
entire u n iverse, the a ngels, the jinn a n d
t h e n m a n kind i n t h e persons of
Ada m a n d his wife. The history
of h u m a n ity began with
the disobedience of the
first couple and their
expulsion from Pa radise,
but Allah did n ot
abandon them; rather,
He prom ised to g u ide
them by sending them prophets.
Ada m �� was the first Prop het. Some of
the prophets brought people Sacred Books
from Allah: the best known were the Tora h (at­
Tawraat), which was g iven to Prophet M oosaa
�\; the Psalms (az-Zaboor), which was given
to Prophet Daawood �\; a n d the Gospel (a/­
lnjeel) which was g iven to Prophet � Eesaa �1.
Many additions and deletions had crept i nto
these books, but the Qu r'a n has remained
The first of these modes is ca l l ed waby, which
is used here in its l itera l sense of a/-ishaarah as­
saree' ah, that is to say, a q u ick suggestio n into
the m i n d of man.
The Q u r'an is uniq ue. It is i n i mita ble and is
protected by Allah from all forms of corruption.
The word Qur'a n is a verba l noun which means
'the read ing' or 'recitation:
i ntact beca use Allah the Almig hty has ta ken it
u pon H i mself to protect it, as the Qu r'a n says,
'We have sent down the Reminder, and We
will guard it [from corruption]:(Soorat af-Hijr,
1 5:9)
Harun Yahya writes,
Th e Divine Scriptures that were
revea led befo re Islam lost their
orig inal forms over ti me; they
a re either i ncom plete or
not fu l ly accu rate. I n
the case of the Qu r'an,
h owever, Allah placed
the revelations into
our Prophet's memory.
I n addition, after he
received each revelation, the Prophet � told his
n u merous compa n ions to write them down,
thereby ensuring the Qu r'a n's preservation i n
its orig inal textual form. Ca liph Abu Bakr (632-
634) had the Qu r'a n com pi led into a single
copy, a n d Ca l i p h � uthmaan (644-656) had
copies of it sent to im porta nt Islamic cities.
The fol lowi n g verses explain h ow o u r Prophet
� tried to rem ember the revelations, and how
Allah hel ped him do so:
 Do not move your tongue trying to hasten it. Its collection and
recitation are Our affair. So when We recite it, follow its recitation. Then
its explanation is Our concern. (Soorat ai-Qiyaamah, 75:1 6-19)
As the verses mainta in, our Prophet;i remem bered the Qu r'a n in a unique
way, for Allah i m pla nted its verses i n his m i nd. As his Companions wrote
it a l l down while he was sti l l a l ive, i n com pl ia n ce with H is prom ise, each
of its letters has remai n ed u na ltered since the beg i n n i ng of its revelation
over 1 ,400 yea rs ago. Therefore, Alla h's revelation has su rvived i ntact to o u r
day.
The Qu r'a n's lack of any i nternal contrad iction and d iscrepa n cy a lso
shows that it is from Allah and is i m m u ne to change. The Qu r'a n is i nternally
consistent a n d in fu l l agreement with historical developments a n d scientific
d iscoveries. This attribute is so certa i n and explicit that our Lord stated:
Will they not ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah,
they would have found many inconsistencies in it. (Soorat an-Nisaa', 4:
82)1

1 Harun Yahya, Allah Promised to Protect the Qur'an, available at: http:/ I
www.nnseek.comjejaus.religion.islamjallah_promised_to_protect_the_
qur_an_24845933t.html

All the teachings contai ned i n the former
scriptures that were mea nt to be of lasting va lue
and im porta n ce a re incl uded in the Q u r'a n . The
Qur'a n g ives some specific accou nts of what
the pre-Qu r'a n i c scriptures contai ned. The
basic message of a l l the prophets of A l lah, a n d
hence a l l scriptures they b roug ht, was o n e and
the sa me message from Allah to people:
Indeed, We have sent forth among
every community a messenger with the
commandment "Worship Allah Alone and
shun all false deities and objects of worship!"
( 1 6:36)
Th us, the Qu r'a n n ot only preserves the
essential teachings of the previous revelations
but a lso sets out once and for all the eternal
truth i n its enti rety. Indeed, it is a book that
contains the essence of the revelations made
to the prophets, p reserving them so perfectly
that the reader has no need to have recou rse to
other sacred scriptures, which have u ndergone
all forms of corru ption.
Al l the essentia l poi nts, i n every respect, a re
given to us i n the Qu r'a n.The MusHms, therefore,
rega rd the Qu r'a n as the Most Sacred object
on earth - Al lah's Su preme Gift to ma nkind. It
is a n object of veneration a nd the fou ndation
of human u nderstanding of the u n iverse a n d
ma n's place i n it:
If all men and jinn were to collaborate, they
could not produce its like. ( 1 7:88)
The Prophet � was authorized to chal lenge
his critics and opponents to prod uce something
comparable ( 1 0:38). The challenge was ta ken
u p by more than one styl ist in Ara bic l iterature
- with a predicta ble resu lt. The style of the
Qu r'a n is Alla h's style - this is basica lly what
forms the m i raculous character of the Qu r'a n .
 1 .4. The Names of the Q ur'an
1 .5. The Qur'an:
Almig hty Allah refers to the Q u r'a n by a n u m ber
the Final Revelation
of n a mes. These i n cl ude "the Qu r'a n" ( 1 7:88), the Book
Prophet M uham mad :i was
"a/-Kitaab" (2:2), the Criterion "ai-Furqaan" (25 : 1 ), the
the Last M essenger from Allah
Rem i nder "ad-Ohikr" ( 1 5:9) and the Revelatio n sent
to manki nd; he brought the
down "at- Tanzeel" (26: 1 92).
fi n a l revelation - the Qu r'a n­
Other references to the Qu r'a n a re by such terms
from Allah to man. Therefore,
as an-Noor (the Lig ht), Hudaa (G uidance), Rab_mah
the Qu r'a n is the last of the
(Mercy), Majeed (Glorious), Mubaarak (Blessed) and
Holy Scriptu res.
Nadheer (Wa rner), among other names.

1 .6. The Beg i n n i n g of Read! And your Lord is the Most Gracious
Revelation One; He Who has taught by the pen; He has
taught man that which he knew not. (96: 1 -5)
The revelation of the Qu r'a n began in Laylat­
The remainder pa rt of this soorah, which
ui-Qadr (th e N ig ht of Power) of RamaQ_aan (the
consists of 1 9 verses, was revealed on some
twenty-seventh night or one of the odd nights
other occasion.
of its third part) after Prophet M uha m mad ii
had passed the fortieth yea r of his l ife, d u ring
1 .7. The Second Revelation
h is secl usion in the cave of H i raa: on a mou ntain
near Ma kka h, i n the yea r 6 1 0 CE.
The second portion of the G lorious Qu r'a n
The fi rst revelation he received constitutes
revealed to Prophet Muha m mad ii was the
the fi rst five verses of Soorat a/-'Aiaq (the
beg i n n i ng of Soorat AI-Muddath-thir (74: 1 -5).
Clinging Clot):
The rest of the soorah was revealed later. This
Read in the Name of your Lord, who
soorah consists of 56 verses.
created; created man from a clinging clot.
 1 .8. The Last Revelation

Many M uslim Scholars a re ag reed that the last revelation

was verse 281 of Soorat ai-Baqarah:
And fear the day when you shall be brought to Allah. Then
each soul shall be paid in full what it has earned and none
shall be dealt with unjustly.
The Prophet ;i passed away nine nig hts after the last
revelation. Some schola rs, h owever, hold that the fol lowi ng
verse was the last verse to be revea led.
This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed
My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as
your religion. (Soorat a/-Maa'idah, 5 :3)
Th is opi n ion, h owever, is n ot sou n d accord ing to many
scholars who a rg u e that this verse was actua l ly revealed d u ri ng
the Fa rewel l Pi lg rimage.

Defi ne the word 'Qur'a n:

What a re the d ifferent na mes of the Q u r'a n ?
Ca n you explain h ow the Qu r'an is i n i m ita ble?
What a re the three forms of revelation? H ow ca n the Qu r'a n be the hig hest
form of revelation?
The Qu r'a n is the essence of a l l former revelations. Discuss.
How a n d why has the Qu r'a n remai ned unchanged?
How ca n you p rove that the Qu r'a n is the fi nal revelation of Allah?
How did the revelation of the Qu r'a n beg in? What do you know a bout the
fi n a l and last revelations?

What do you think is mea nt by "Fa rewe l l Pilgrimage"?

 1 .9. Reasons why the Qu r'a n
was Revea led i n Stages
• The Gracious Qu r'a n was sent down i n stages
over a period of 23 yea rs, a n d not as a com plete
book in one single act of revelation. There a re
severa l reasons for this, a n d the fol lowi n g a re
the most sign ifica nt:
• To strengthen the h eart of Alla h's Messenger
� from time to time and whenever the need for
g u idance a rose.
• Out of consideration for the Messenger of
Allah � si n ce revelation was a very d ifficult
'
experience for h i m .
• To g rad u a l ly i m plement t h e com mands of
Allah.
• To make u ndersta ndi n g, tra nslation i nto
action a n d memorization of the revelation
easier for the believers.
• It is esta bl ished that the Qu r'an had been
memorized in its entirety by the compa n ions of
the Prophet � d u ring his l ifetime. This tradition
conti n ued after the Prophet's death and later
among a l l generations of M uslims that have
fol l owed, u ntil today.
1 . 1 0 How was the Q u r'a n
Col lected?
AlthoughtheQur'a n was revealed i n portions,
it did n ot remain long o n that fragmenta ry
cond ition. As its very name suggests, it was a
book from the fi rst; it cou l d not be complete
u ntil its last verse was revealed; it was never
without some form of a rra n gement. I n fact,
every single verse, part of a verse or soorah that
was revea led had its own defi n ite pl ace in the
G racious Book. The a rra ngement of the Qu r'a n
was thus a pa rt of d ivine scheme. It has been
esta bl ished that the Qu r'a n had been written
down i n its enti rety in the l ifeti me of the
Prophet � but had not been brought together
i n one single place. However, the orderi ng of
the Qu r'a n and the a rra ngement of the various
soorahs was fixed by the Prophet� hi mself and
safeg u a rded through ora l tra nsmission.
Whenever a soorah or verses of a soorah
were revea led to the Prophet � he wou l d ca l l
'
one o f his scri bes1 a n d say t o him, 'Write such-
1 A scribe i s a person who made copies o f written docu­
ments before printing was invented.
a n d-such a verse i n the soorah w h e re s u c h ­
a n d- s u c h verses occu r.' (Abu Daawood)
I n fa ct, if we keep in m i n d the u se that
was made of t h e Q u r'a n, we ca n n ot fo r a n
i nsta n t e nterta i n the i d ea that t h e G l o r i o u s
Q u r'an exi sted w i t h o u t a rra n g e m e n t o f its
verses a n d soorahs in the l ifet i m e of t h e
Pro p h et �. I t w a s n ot o n l y rec ited i n t h e
d a i l y p rayers but a l so c o m m itted to mem ory
and reg u l a rly recited to keep it fresh i n the
m i n d . The refo re, if the a rra n g e m e n t of the
verses and soorahs had n ot existed, it wo u l d
have been i m poss i b le t o recite it i n t h e d a i ly
p raye rs, con g regati o n a l o r otherwi se, or to
com mit it to memory. I f the p rayer leader
(imaam) h a p pe n s to m a ke the s l i g htest
c h a n g e in the p l a ce of a verse d u ri n g t h e
co n g regati o n a l p raye r, h e w i l l i m med iate l y
b e corrected by t h ose beh i n d h i m !
The G l orious Q u r'a n t h u s exi sted i n a
co m p l ete a n d o rd ered fo rm i n t h e m em o ries
of t h e compa n i o n s of t h e P ro p h et � d u ri n g
h i s l ifeti m e, but n o co m p l ete written copy of
it exi sted at the ti me, n o r co u l d s u c h a copy
be m a d e w h i l e t h e Pro p h et� was sti l l a l ive
1 .1 1 Divisions of the G lorious Qu r'an
The Qu r'a n is d ivided i nto 1 1 4 soorahs. The
term soorah (pl. suwar, generally written as
soorahs here) l itera l ly mea ns an enclosure or
fenci ng, such as the wa l l s a round a city. It is
a lso used to denote a n elevated plain. When
applied to the Qu r'an, it sig n ifies a specific
gro u p of verses, a rra nged i n a specific man ner.
I n tec h n ical l a n g uage, soorah is the cha pter­
wise d ivision of the Qur'a n i c text - a chapter or
part set apart from the preced ing a n d fol lowing
text.
a n d sti l l rece1v1n g reve lations. H oweve r,
the entire Q u r'a n was safely p rese rved i n
t h e m e m ories o f h i s co m pa n i o n s w h o we re
ca l l ed Qurraa; or reciters.
It so h a p p e ned, h oweve r, that m a ny of the
reciters fel l in the fa m o u s Battl e ofYa m a a m a h
d u ri n g i n t h e ca l i p h ate of A b u B a k r a�­
S.i d d eeq �� a n d it was t h e n t h at � u m a r i b n
A I-Kh atta a b � poi nted o u t to A b u Bakr the
n ecess ity of c o m p i l i n g a sta n d a rd written
copy so that no port i o n of the Q u r'an wo u l d
b e l ost eve n i f a l l t h e rec iters d i e d . This copy
was c o m p i led fro m the m a n u scri pts written
u n d e r the d i rection of t h e P ro p h et � h i m se lf,
a n d t h e a rra n g ement fo l l owed was that of
the o ra l recitat i o n as fo l l owed in the t i m e of
the Messe n g e r of A l l a h �. Th u s a sta n d a rd
written copy was p repa red a n d entrusted to
t h e ca re of Hafsa h �2;,, wife of the Prophet�
a n d d a u g hter of ' U m a r i b n a i -Kh atta a b. Late r
o n , ' U t h m a a n i b n ' Affa a n , the fo u rt h rightly­
g u i ded ca l i p h o rd e red copies to be m a d e
fro m t h i s sta n d a rd co py. These c o p i e s were
t h e n sent to d i ffe rent p a rts of t h e Is l a m i c
state.
The Qu r'a n consists of 1 1 4 soorahs of
unequal length, the shortest consisti ng of
three a n d the longest of 286 verses, or aayaat.
The Arabic word aayah (pl. aayaat) mea n s
s i g n . It is t h e shortest division of t h e Qu r'a n i c
text, that i s t o say a p h rase or sentence. The
Revel ation is Guidance from Allah to mankind.
It is, therefore, n ot at a l l s u rprising to discover
that its sma l l divisions a re cal led Signs (Signs of
G u idance). The expression verse is n ot accu rate
since the Qu r'a n is not poetry.

their names, which serve as a sort of heading.
Other D ivisions of the Qur'a n ic Text
The Qu r'an is d ivided i nto 30 portions of
approximately eq ual length for easy recitation
d u ring the thirty days of a month. Each of these
portions is cal led a juz' (pl. ajzaa'). Juz' l iterally
means 'pa rt' or 'portion'. Some copies of the
Qu r'a n have the soorahs d ivided i nto ruku '
(sections or para g ra phs). The ruku' is usually
accompan ied by three n u m bers. The top
n u m ber denotes the n u m ber of the ruku' with
respect to that particular soorah, the middle
n u m ber ind icates the n u m ber of verses i n that
ruku' and the bottom n u m ber ind icates the
n u m ber of the ruku ' with respect to the juz ' i n
1 . 1 2. Ma kkan and
Mad i n a n Soorahs
An im porta nt d ivision of the
G racious Q u r'an relates to the
Ma kka n and Mad i n a n soorahs. After
having received the first revelation,
the Prophet � spent thirteen yea rs
i n Ma kka h and then was forced to
emigrate to Madeenah, where he
spent the last ten yea rs of his l ife.
Hence, the soorahs of the Qu r'an
have a lso been classified, according
to their origin, i nto Ma kka n and
Madinan soorahs.
Bot t e arra n gement o t e soora s an
the order of the aayaat with i n each soorah
were determi ned by the Prophet � u nder the
g u ida nce of Angel Ji breel (Gabriel) �1.
which it occurs.
Copies ofthe Qu r'an p rinted in Ara b cou ntries
in particular have eachjuz' s u bd ivided i nto fou r
aflzaab (si n g u l a r, flizb) i n d icated by the word
flizb, pri nted in Ara bic. Each flizb is subd ivided
i nto fou r q ua rters ca l led rub ' .
The Q u r'a n i c text i s also d ivided i nto seven
pa rts of a pproxi mately equal lengths, each of
which is cal led manzil, so that if a person wishes
to complete the recitatio n of the Qu r'a n i n one
week, he may do so by reciting one manzil a
day.
A soorah is said to be of Makka n
origin when its beg i n n i ng was
revealed in the Ma kka n period even
if it contains verses from Madeena h.
Li kewise, a soorah is said to be of
Mad i n a n ori g i n when its beg i n n i ng
was revealed i n the Mad i n a n phase
even if it has verses from the Makka n
period i n its text.
Out of the tota l of 1 1 4 soorahs
into which the G l orious Q u r'a n is
divided, 85 soorahs a re, according
to schola rs, of Ma kka n origin. The
Mad i n a n soorahs a re longer than
the ma kkan ones and, therefore,
com prise a m u ch larger pa rt of the
Qu r'a n .
 1 .1 3. Coherence i n the
Qur'a n : Nadhm

Coherence (nadhm) denotes clear

logical con nection of ideas, arg u ments
and sentences, among other things, so
that together they make a whole. Every
soorah in the Q u r'an is a perfect u n it with
a centra l theme a round which it revolves.
The centra l theme is the u n ifying 'th read'
in the soorah.
It is true that every soorah is a u n it, but
there a lso exists a logical l i n k between a l l
the soorahs as they fol l ow one a nother.
Between different soorahs there is a lso a
logical u n ity a n d coherence.
With the exception of a few, a l l soorahs
a re fou n d in the Qur'an i n pa i rs that
complement each other.
The concept of the pa i ri ng of the 1 .1 4. What is the Qu r'an a bout?
soorahs is original to Amin Ahsan lslahi
( 1 904- 1 997). Accord ing to lslahi, the The Qu r'a n is the word of Allah a n d a book of
Qur'a nic soorahs i n their a rran gement g u ida nce. A q uestion may a rise here: G u ida nce to
a re, as a rule, paired. That is, just as, o n one what? The answer is sim ply g u ida n ce to Allah, to His
level, each soorah is an i nteg rated whole Most Bea utifu l Na mes and Lofty Attributes, His Wi l l
and it is disti n ct from all the others, so o n a n d the way i n which o n e may cond uct oneself to
another level, a l l soorahs exist i n t h e form atta in His Good Pleasure.
of pairs, each of which is com posed of The entire Qu r'a n, so to say, is the expositio n of
two closely matched soorahs and distinct the Names and Attributes of Allah the Almig hty. I n
from other pairs. For a detai led a n d other word s, g u iding the creation to understanding
i nteresti n g discussion o f t h i s a pproach Alla h's Oneness (tawb_eed) is the overriding objective
which is based a n d evolved a round the of the Qu r'a n . Th us, one of the major objectives
concept of order and coherence in the of the Qu r'a n is to teach the creation a bout Allah.
contents of the Qu r'an, you may refer to The Qur'anic teachings about Alla h's Na mes and
Coherence in the Qur'an by M ustansir M i r, Attributes a re extremely essentia l for the strength
America n Trust Publ ications, I ndianapolis, and health of one's fa ith.
USA, and a l so to Pondering over the Qur'an If one has knowl edge and correct u nderstanding
by M u h a mmad Sa leem Kaya n i, a i-Kita b of Alla h's Na mes a n d Attrib utes, then one wou l d
Publ ications, London, U K. never t u r n t o a nyone else or d i rect a n y form of
worship to anyone other than to A l l a h . I t is
wo rth mentioning here that all that is i n the
Sunnah of the Prophet � is a I so the exposition of
the Qu r'a n. This g u ida nce to Allah, knowledge
of His Na mes of Attributes and His Wi l l and
g u ida n ce to right conduct, ca n n ot be obtained
by any means other than the Qu r'a n a n d its
com plementa ry, the Sunnah: the sayi ngs and
the excell ent practices of the Messenger of
Allah �.
Th � Qu r'a n g u ides to the stra ight path that
leads·to Alla h's pleasure a n d Pa radise. It g ives
)
truth-seekers the proper concept of the truth as
wel l as the will power a nd the mora l cou rage to
produce a l iving model of that concept i n rea l
l ife. I t h e l p s t h e m overcome
the obstacles they might
encou nter from within or
without. Thus the Qu r'a n
is a book that is squarely
ai med at man. I ndeed, it
is 'g uida n ce for m a n ki nd'
(2: 1 85), as Almig hty Allah
says a bout it.
It is in fact g u ida nce for
a l l the needs a n d benefits
of the l ife of this world and
that of the hereafter. I t is
fi rst and foremost a Book of
G u idance.
Allah a l so descri bes the Qu r'a n as light 'noor'
(42:52). Lig ht shows us the path in front of u s.
I n fact, it is through light that we ca n avoid
the ha rmfu l things in our way and fol low the
safe path. However, this light is different from
the l ig ht one senses in the physical world. It
is a spi ritua l l i g ht whereby we recog n ize and
u ndersta nd what is of rea l benefit to us i n this
world and i n the world to come. This l ig ht leads
to the Straight Path and to Alla h's G race and
Mercy. Nevertheless, this l i g ht is only beneficial
for those who fol low it.
The Qu r'a n spea ks a bout the past, the
present and the futu re. It also spea ks a bout
the u nseen. The verses of the Qu r'a n may be
classified into three categories:
those related to the stories of the prophets
and earlier com m u n ities, those related to
com mands and prohi bition s, and those related
to Allah and His Beautifu l Na mes a n d Lofty
Attributes.
The Qu r'a n is Alla h's speech. It is d i rectly
related to His noble attri butes of g reatness,
mercy, fo rg iveness and knowledge. When we
l ive our life accord i n g to the teachings of the
Qur'an, we actua l ly l ive it
i n a way that is pleasing to
Allah - our Creator. Life i n
the shade of the Qu r'an is,
i n rea lity, a life that bri ngs
one closer to Alm ig hty
Allah. Thus, there can be
no doubt then that one of
the major objectives of the
Qu r'a n is to teac h people
a bout Al l a h - thei r Creator.
The Qu r'an g u ides us in
every as pect of o u r l ives.
It is u ndoubted ly one of
the g reatest blessi ngs that Allah has g iven us.
Among the most sign ificant aspects to which
the Qu r'a n g u ides mankind is good character
and proper conduct. Spea king a bout the
pu rpose for which he has been sent, Alla h's
Messenger� once said, 'I have o n ly been sent
to perfect good mora ls: (ai-Haa kim, g raded
sab_eeb_ by Sheikh ai-Aibaa nee)
When 'Aai'shah � was asked a bo ut the
character of the Messenger of Allah � she
'
repl ied, 'His character was the Qu r'a n : (Muslim)
 Th u s, the Q u r'an is n ot s i m ply a book that
ma kes peo p l e g row m o ra l ly a n d s p i ritual l y.
I t i s not j u st a bout i m part i n g human
k n owl edge o f w h at i s rig ht a n d co rrect. I t
a l so i n sti l s i n peo ple's h ea rts a n d m i n d s
t h e fee l i n g o f h eedfu l n ess, fea r, l ove a n d
accou nta b i l ity t o Al l a h t h a t w i l l m a ke t h e m
do w h at i s p roper a n d co rrect. The Q u r'a n,
t h erefo re, vividly d escribes w h at wi l l h a ppen
o n t h e Day of J u d g m ent to both those who
a re rig hteo u s and h eedfu l of A l l a h and those
who a re evi l .
Th u s, o n ce w e rea l ize t h i s Q u r'a n i c
o bjective a n d s i n cerely strive h a rd to a c h i eve
it t h ro u g h rea d i n g a n d stu d y i n g t h e Q u r'a n,
A l l a h wi l l certa i n l y g ra nt u s knowl edge a n d
fi l l o u r hea rts with heedfu l n ess (taqwaa) . I n
t h i s way, w e w i l l beco me u sefu l i n o u r society
as we l l as in t h e wo rld at l a rg e. O u r cond uct
and acti o n s w i l l c h a n g e fo r the bette r, a n d
we wi l l ca l l people to t h e way of A l l a h - t h e
way of peace i n t h e wo rld.
1 . 1 5. Scientific M i racles i n
Ce rta i n ly, o n e of t h e o bjectives of t h e
Q u r'an is to s h ow t h e believers h ow to p rotect the Qur'a n
t h e m se lves fro m a l l the fo rces of evi l that a re
t ryi n g to d i sta n ce them fro m t h e i r C reator. I n fact, the Qu r'a n is n ot a book of science
A l l a h cautions t h e m c o n cern i n g t h e i r own or tech nology. It is a book of g uidance which
l ower self (an-nafs, or s o u l ) - an e n emy principa l ly aims at g u i d i n g people to the
concern i n g w h i c h m ost people wo u l d n ot true God - Allah, helps them establish
be awa re were n ot fo r t h e reve lation of A l l a h rig hteousness a n d create a virtuous society.
a n d H i s g u i d a n ce i n t h i s reg a rd. Perh a ps t h e The Qu r'a n is the Word of Allah. Its match less
clearest exa m p l e o f t h i s c l a s s o f tea c h i n g s i n style a n d profound wisdom constitute some of
t h e Q u r'a n dea l s w i t h t h e devil, o r S ata n . Th e its defi n ite proofs. Furthermore, its m i raculous
Q u r'an vividly descri bes t h e ways a n d mea n s attributes fu rther p rove that it is a revelation
o f t h e devi l . O n e s u c h way i s h i s a p peari n g from Allah. One of these attri butes is the fact
a s a s i n ce re a dvisor a n d we l l -w i s h e r, as was that a n u m ber of scientific facts that have been
the case in w h i c h he a p p roached Ada m a n d discovered in recent yea rs with the help of
Eve a lt h o u g h A l l a h h a d warned t h e m a bo u t modern tech nology were stated in the Qu r'a n
h i m, as H e wa rns t h e believers a bout i n t h e over 1 400 yea rs ago. These facts could not
G ra c i o u s Q u r'a n . ( 7 : 20-22) have been known at the time of the Qu r'an's
revelation . Th is concl usively provides further evidence that the Qu r'a n is
the Word of Allah and categorica l ly poi nts to Isla m's genuineness. In fact,
many Western scientists have embraced Islam o nce they fo und out a bout
some of these scientific facts i n the Q u r'a n .

T h e Prophet � was n ot fa m i l iar with s u c h scientific facts w h i c h were

d iscovered only in recent decades. I n fact, he was ill iterate, which proves
beyond doubt that only God m ust have revea led them to h i m . These
scientific miracles relate to a n u mber of matters i ncluding the fol lowi ng:

• Embryology and human creation

• Sensation of pain in the skin
• Recent scientific discoveries concern ing the i ntesti nes
• The sig n ifica n ce of the sense of hea ri n g as compared with that of sight
• The origin of creation
• The m i raculous nature of fi ngerpri nts
• The m i raculous h ea l i n g honey p rovides
• The detri menta l effects of carrion, blood a n d pork
• Health benefits of a b l ution, prayer a n d fastin g
• The Q u r'a n, a hea l i n g a n d mercy

Dr. Sharif Kaf a i-Ghaza l discusses these and many other scientific m i racles
i n his b ri l l iantly written book Medical Miracles of the Qur'an, which has been
publ ished by the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U K.
The Qu r'a n was revea led in stages. What, do you
th i n k, is Allah's wisdom i n revea l i n g it i n this way?
The Qu r'a n had some form of a rra ngement i n the
l ifetime of the Prophet ii. Explain.
Why did � u ma r � feel the need to compile a
sta ndard written copy?
There is no Engl ish equ iva lent for the terms 'Sunnah'
a n d 'aayah: Discuss.
Discuss, prefera bly with the help of a diagram,
the va riou s d ivisions i n the Q u r'a n . Also n ote the
wisdom beh i n d these d ivisions.
Explain the term 'nadhm:
Discuss i n detai l the pu rpose of the Qu r'a n .
M ention someth ing a bout Alla h's wisdom i n
i ncluding med ical a n d other scientific m i racles
in the Qu r'a n although it is pri m a rily a book of
g u ida nce.
 For Further Rea d i n g
1. A h mad Von Denffer, ' Uloom ai-Qur'aan, Islamic
Fou ndation, Leicester, U K, 2009.
2. Abu �Am mar Yasir Qad h i, An in troduction to the Sciences
of the Qur'an, AI H idaaya h Publ i shers & Distributors, U K,
1 999.
3. �Abd u r-Rahman I. Doi, � Ulum ai-Qur'an - The Sciences of
the Qur'an: A Study in Method and Approach . Erasmia: AI­
Madinah Pu blishers, South Africa, 2000.
4. Mahmood i bn Ahmad i bn .S.aa l i h ad-Dusa ree, The
Magnificence of the Qur'an, Darussalam Publishers and
Distri butors, Riyadh, Saudi Ara bia, 2006.
5. M. M. a l-A 'zmi, The History of the Qur'anic Text from
Revelation to Compilation, U K Islamic Academy: Leicester,
U K, 2003.
6. M uham mad Ali AI bar, Human Development as Revealed in
the Qur'an and Hadeeth, Saudi Publishing & Distri buting
House, Saudi Ara bia, 2002.
7. M u sta n.s_i r M i r, Coherence in the Qur'an, America n Trust
Publications, Plai nfield, I ndiana, 1 987.
8. M . A. Draz, Introduction to the Qur'an, I . B. Ta u ris &

Company Lim ited, London, 200 1 .

9. M . A. Draz, The Qur'an: An Eternal Challenge, Isla m ic
Foundation, Leicester, U K, 2007.
1 0. Khu rram M u rad, Way to the Qur'an, the Islamic
Fou ndation, Leicester, U K, 1 992.
11. Sayyid Abu i-Hasa n Ali Nadwi, Studying the Glorious
Qur'an, Principles and Methodology, Islamic Academy, U K,
2003.
1 2. Jamaalud-Deen Zarabozo, How to Approach and
Understand the Qur'an, Al-Basheer Publ ications and
Tra ns lations, Denver, U SA, 1 999.
 Attributes of Allah

2 . 1 . Aayat-ul Kursee (Soorat ai-Baqarah,

2:255)

Tra n slation o f the Mea n i ng s o f t h i s Verse

Allah, there is no god except H i m, the Ever-Living, the Ever-Lasting
Sustainer. Neither slum ber, nor sleep overta kes H i m . To Him belongs
whatever is i n the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Who is he that ca n
i ntercede with H i m except with H i s permission? He knows what happens
to them (i.e. creatu res) [i n this world] and what will happen to them [i n
the hereafter]; a n d they will n ever encompass a nyth i n g of His knowl edge
except that which He wil ls. His Th rone extends over the h eavens and the
earth, and He feels no fatig u e i n g u a rd i n g and p reserving them. And He
is the Most H ig h, the Most G reat.

1 We have named this unit Readings from the Glorious Qur ' an because we
believe it woul d not be appropriate to call it ' Se l ections from the Glorious
Q ur ' a n ' , as the expression ' selections' gives the impression that what has not
been chosen is in some way or the other not adequate, whi l e the Qur ' an is
wholly beautiful, complete and sublime.
 Explanatory Notes

This verse is known as the Th rone Verse, a n d there a re a n u m ber of ab_aadeeth (sing. b_adeeth)
which prove that it is the m ost excel lent verse i n the Q u r'a n. U bayy ibn Ka � b � na rrated that the
Prophet ;i asked him a bo ut the g reatest aayah i n the Book of Allah and h e repl ied, 'Al l a h and H i s
Messenger know best: W h e n t h e Prophet � repeated t h e q uestio n severa l ti mes, U bayy � said, 'It i s
Aayat-ui-Kursee:The Prophet ;i exclaimed, 'Congratulations! You possess true knowledge. B y H i m i n
whose Hand m y sou l is, t h i s verse h a s a ton g u e a n d two l i ps with which i t pra ises t h e Ki n g (i.e. Allah)
at the foot of the Throne: (Ahmad: q u oted i n Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Engl ish Tran slation, vol. 2, p. 2 1 )
,_

The Word AI-Qayyoom The Phrase

Sinatun wa Laa
AI-Qayyoom is a n intensive form wh ich mea n s the One
Who exists by H i mself and supports, sustains a n d provides
Nawm
mea n s of subsistence for a l l His creations. AI-Hayy or the
Sinatun mea ns a doze
Ever- Livi ng' is one of the Most Bea utiful Na mes of Allah.
or n a p, while nawm mea n s
Allah, the Ever-Livi ng, is the source of a l l l ife. His Life is not
sleep. The n egation o f these
derived from a nywhere el se, while everyone el se's l ife is
two negates both the i n itial
from Him and is dependent upon Him. It is He Who made
and fu l l-fl edged state of
others l ive, and they are a l ive only as long as He wants them
sl eep. This means that Allah
to l ive. Allah was and wi l l always be living. H is Life, H is being
is a bsol utely free of a ny
ai-Hayy, is of very different High Order - n ot com parable
trace or effect of negligence
with the l ife of His creatu res. What is true of a/-Hayy is true
or h eedlessness.
of other similar Bea utifu l Na mes of A l l a h .
 The General Structure of his or her duty, and thereby deserves H is
p u n ish ment, no i ntercession ca n help that
Aayah 2: 255 person.
He knows everyth ing, and no one else
It i s n ot difficult to see h ow va riou s
knows anything without His giving h i m the
themes a re organ ized within t h i s aayah.
knowledge of it.
He ru les the whole u n iverse, and
The fi rst sentence states the basic
everything is u nder His control at a l l ti mes.
theme, which is elaborated in the fol lowi ng
It is He Who ta kes consta nt care of the
statements. Allah, the O n ly God, is the
whole u n iverse and this is not a b u rden
sou rce of all l ife. It is He Who controls the
upon Him at a l l .
whole u n iverse - everything depends upon
To H i m belongs a l l supremacy a n d a l l
Him and every event fol lows from Him.
majesty.
He is n ot u n m i ndfu l of His creation, even
for a single moment. He never sleeps or
I n the end, we q uote a fladeeth a bout the
s l u m bers.
Prophet's i ntercession. Alla h's M essenger
He is the Master of a l l beings. Each and
:i is reported as havi n g said, '[on the Day
everyone belong to Him.
of Judgment] I will sta nd u nder the Throne
In rea l ity, no one wou ld even dare to
and fa l l i n prostration, and Allah will a l low
speak as an i ntercessor for a nyone on the
me to rema i n i n that position as m u ch as
Day of J udg ment u n less He H i mself perm its
He wi l ls. I wi l l thereafter be told, "Raise you r
it. He knows everything; therefore, He does
head, spea k a n d you w i l l b e heard, i nterced e
not need any recommendation of any sort,
and you r intercession will be accepted:"The
wh ich is usua l ly req u i red i n human affa i rs.
Prophet � then said, 'He will a l low me a
He alone is the Ruler. Everything else is
proportion whom I will enter i nto Pa rad ise:
responsible to Him. If a ny person fa ils to do
(M uslim)

What is the wisdom of using the term 'readings' as compared to 'selections'

as a title to this chapter?
What do the attributes a/-Hayy and a/-Qayyoom mean?
What is the mea n i n g of the term Aayat-ui-Kursee? Mention the excel lence of
the aayah accord i n g to a fladeeth?
 2.2. A Clea r Concept of the Creator: Soorat ai­
An� aam, 6:1 0 1 - 1 03

Translation of the Mea n i ngs of these Verses

1 0 1 . [He is] the Orig inator of the heavens and the ea rth. H ow could He
have a son when He does n ot have a female com pa n ion? Rather, He created
everything and has fu l l knowledge of a l l things.
1 02. Such is Allah, You r Lord; there is no god other than Him, the Creator
of everything. So wors h i p H i m a lone, and he is Disposer of a l l things.
1 03 . No vision can g rasp Him, but H is g rasp is over a l l vision. He is a bove
a l l com prehension, yet is acquai nted with a l l thi ngs.

the earth. In fact, the One who orig i n ates the

Explan atory Notes
Verse 1 0 1
The word Badee' , as applied to Almig hty
Allah, means the one who prod uces someth i n g
without a n earlier exa mple; hence, t h e word
bid'ah wh ich means a new practice that is
introd uced in rel igion.
He is the Orig i n ator of the heavens and
whole u n iverse out of n othing is in no n eed
of a son. Offspring a re needed by morta l s.
They a re needed by the wea k who want h e l p.
M oreover, a nyon e who desires offspring m u st
have a mate o r a female consort from his
own species. How, then, ca n Allah have a son
when He has n ever had a mate, and when He
is One a n d u n iq u e a n d n othing a n d no one is
com pa rable to H i m? H ow ca n a ny offspri n g be
born without a mate?
 Verse 1 02
Allah is the Creator of a l l

Allah i s the Creator of everythi ng. A s H e i s the

Creator of a l l, He a lso provides s ustenance to What does the term Badee� and Lateef
a l l using resou rces i n which He has no pa rtners. mean?
Whatever a l l creatu res eat a n d whatever they Why is it i nsa ne to say or assu me that
enjoy i n this l ife is part of what is the sole Allah has a son?
p roperty of Allah. He is the Lord of the u n iverse.
He controls everything. His is the authority to
which everything submits, a n d He operates the
system by which He ta kes care of His creation.
So He is the only one who deserves to be
worshi pped i n the fu l l sense of the word, wh ich
denotes tota l obed ience and submission.
He controls not only h u m a n beings but a lso
everything else, si nce He is the sole Creator of
everything.

Verse 1 03

Visions can not sight H i m i n this world. I n

the hereafte r, the true be lievers will see H i m,
but they w i l l n ot be a ble to en co m pass H i m 2.3. Allah's Signs wh ich the
fu l ly. A l l a h has spoken o f H i s vision being
Eyes Can not M iss Seeing:
g ra nted to the bel ievers in severa l other pa rts
of the Q u r'a n . ( Fo r i n sta nce, 75 :22-3; 83 : 1 5 ) Soorat Fussilat, 4 1 : 37-39
Alla h's Messenger � once said, 'Indeed, A l l a h
does n o t sleep a n d i t does n ot befit His Majesty
that He should sleep. He lowers the sca le and
rai ses it. The deeds of the day a re ascended
to H i m before the nig ht, and the deeds of the
n i g ht before the day. His Veil is Lig ht, and if He
removes it the Light of His Face will burn every
created thing that His Sight reaches: (Muslim)
The term Lateef denotes somet h i n g that Tra n slation of the Mea n i ng s of these Verses
is extremely subtle in q u a l ity a nd, therefore, 37. And of His signs are the night and the day
i nta n g i b l e a n d u nfathoma ble. It impl ies that and the s u n a n d the moon. Do n ot prostrate
H e is u n i q u e and a bsol ute. you rselves to the sun or to the moon, but
prostrate you rselves to Allah who created them
if it is Him whom you wors h i p.
38. But if they a re too proud, then those who
a re near you r Lord glorify H i m n i g ht and day,
and they never feel tired.
39. And of His signs is that you see the land sti l l
and l ifeless. Then, w h e n We send down u po n
i t water, i t sti rs a n d swells with life. I ndeed, t h e
O n e w h o gives i t l ife c a n most surely g ive life to
the dead. I ndeed, He is Powerfu l over a l l things.
Explanatory Notes
so that by the va riations i n their movements
people may know the stages of night and
day, of weeks, months, yea rs and time periods
related to acts of wors h i p.
It is u nfortu nate that as one of the most
promi nent a n d powerfu l objects i n the physical
world, the sun has attracted the attention
and obta ined the homage of many races a n d
nations w h o have person ified and worshi pped
it as a god.
The Gracious Qur'a n categ orica l ly rejects
th is. Allah is the sole cause a n d sou rce of
a l l that exists a n d whatever exists is but a
won d rous sign of His creative power. Hence, it
is blasphemy to ascri be rea l power to a nyth ing
created, whether it is a concrete phenomenon
or a n a bstract force of natu re, or even an idea .

. , ,, i"�..�' · : !!':.'� � �·.p·�·�,{.l ''' "''• ,.

I , ..,
1'. '\ 'o\
W "'
' A ' t � ' #
' ¥
• 'I<
k
k- ;.:: ""
*"

* *' * * •

Verse 3 7
It is not Permissi ble to
Here Allah rem i nds H i s creation of H i s power Prostrate before Anyone
and states that He is the One who has n o eq ual except Allah
and that He is able to do all thi ngs. 'And of His
signs a re the n i g ht and the day and the s u n 'Do n ot prostrate you rselves to t h e s u n or to
and t h e moon:This mea n s He created t h e night the moon:
with its da rkness and the day with its l ig ht, a n d This view makes it clea r that prostration
they a lternate without stopping. He created or sujdood is the rig ht of the Creator of the
the s u n with its bright light a n d the m oon with u n iverse. I t is strictly forbidden (b.araam) to
its reflected l ig ht. He allotted them their stages prostrate before the s u n, the moon or any
and gave them separate orbits in the h eavens other person or thi ng, for that matter.
 Prostration of worship for a ny other than
Allah has never been lawfu l for any com m u n ity
i n a ny law of any prophet.
It is interesti n g to note that the prayer
ti mes i n Islam have a l l been sepa rated from
the hours when the s u n was or is wors h i p ped.
The Fojr prayer is offered before sunrise, Ohuhr
only after it has beg u n to decl i ne, 'Asr when it
beg ins to lose its shi ne, Moghrib when it has set,
a n d '/shoo' o n ly when its light has completely
vanished.
Verse 38
'But if they are too proud' means to worship
Allah Alone, and if they i nsist on associating
others with Him in wors h i p, then there a re
a ngels who a re with you r Lord. They consta ntly
g l orify H i m night and day and a re never tired.
Sujood at-Tilaawah
There a re fou rteen (or fifteen) ooyoot i n
the Qu r'a n which req u i re us t o perform a
p rostration when we read or hea r these verses.
I n them it is mentioned that Alla h's serva nts
and creation bow before their Lo rd. Aoyoh 38
is one of them.
Verse 39
The verse now moves o n to portray other
scenes of creation and l iving creatu res on earth
a n d in the world of pla nts. The state of bei ng sti l l
a n d l ifeless, which is expressed in the Ara bic text
with the word khooshroton is a state between
l ife and death. Th is is how the earth is when it
is starved of water, the basic i n g redient for l ife
and the l iving. Th us, when ra i n water is poured
over it, 'it sti rs a n d swel ls'. This is a rema rkable
movement which the Qu r'a n recorded many
centu ries before h u m a n science.
When the soil is very d ry and then ra i n fa lls
over it, it makes a movement l i ke shaking
or sti rring. It is then fu l l of l ife, bringing forth
blooming vegetation that rad iates pleasure. I s
there a nyth ing more pleasing t o t h e eye tha n
seei ng life i n bloom i n a n a rea that has long
remai n ed barren? Here, the Qu r'a n cites these
as one of Alla h's n u merous signs. The Qu r'a n
reminds us: 'Indeed, the One who g ives it l ife
can m ost surely give l ife to the dead. I ndeed,
He is Powerful over a l l things:
Although the a l l usion to the revivi ng earth
often occurs in the Qu r'a n as a para ble of
ma n's u lti mate resu rrection after death, in the
present context, it i m pl ies a ca l l to the bel iever
never to a bandon the hope that 'those who
deny the truth' may one day g rasp the truth of
the Qu r'anic message.
What does Allah expect from u s
instead o f worsh ipping the s u n and
why?
How does prayer timing aid us i n
avoiding s u n wors h i p?
Defi ne the Arabic word khoashi' atan.
How will you relate it to the earth?
What does Allah wa nt us to know from
the pa rable of revivi ng the earth?
 2 .4. To H i m Belongs
Whatever is i n the Earth: Soorat
Tra nslation of the Mea n i ngs of these Verses
4. � H i m belongs whatever is i n the heavens a nd whatever
he ea rth, and He is the M ost High, the Most G reat.
Explanatory Notes
Verse 4
'To H i m belongs whatever is i n the heavens
and whatever is i n the ea rth' mea n s everything
is subject to His dominion and control. He is
the M ost High, the Most G reat. Some people,
deceived by the fact that they fi nd things i n
thei r hands s u bjected to them, benefiting from
them, and which they can use as they wish, a re
led to believe that they own those thi ngs. Of
cou rse, they do n ot. Allah is the rea l Owner. It is
He who creates and destroys, who g ives l ife a n d
cau ses death. He h a s t h e power t o let people
own whatever He wills or ta ke away from their
possession whatever He wis hes i n o rder to
place them in the ha nds of whomever He wil ls.
True owners h i p remains His at a l l times, and He
dispenses with evertything in a man ner that
su its His G rand Plan.
5. The heavens a l most brea k
from a bove them, and the angels
glorify the praises of their Lord
and ask forgiveness for a l l who
a re on ea rth. U n q uestionably, it
is Allah who is the Forgiving, the
Mercifu l .
Verse 5
'From a bove them' mea ns owi n g to the
g reatness and majesty of the Lord of the
worlds. Accord ing to a nother opi n ion, it may
refer to the ea rth, mea n i n g the heavens a bove
the strata of the ea rth a n d a l l its i n ha bita nts. It
should be borne i n mind that accordi ng to the
Qu r'a n, the h eavens and the ea rth, that is, the
physical u n iverse in its enti rety, a re not o n ly
conscious of their Creator but also u nfa i l i ng ly
fu nction i n accordance with His Wi l l .
This verse reflects the tota l subm ission o f the
natu ra l order to a l m i g hty Allah. I t may a l so refer
to the massive physical presence of the a n gels
t h roug hout the u n iverse. Alla h's Messenger �
is reported as having said, ' I ndeed, I see what
you do not see, and I hea r what you do not
hea r. The heavens g roa n - and rig htfu l ly so!
There is n o space i n the heavens the measure
of a ha nd-span or the measure of fou r fi ngers,
but that there is a n angel there, placing his
.
forehead i n it prostrati ng to Allah. By Allah! If
you knew what I know, you wou ld laugh l ittle
a n d you wou l d weep much, a n d you wou l d not
enjoy you r wives i n bed, and you would come
out beseeching Allah: (at-Ti rmid hee, fladeeth
no. 23 1 2, and it is classified as flasan)
The scope of the sou rces of knowledge,
hidden and apparent, such as the ea rs, the
eyes, the intel lect, among other tools, g iven by
Allah to u s, extends as fa r as the seen world. The
u nseen world is beyond its capacity or domain.
In fact the idea that Allah might have a 'son'
The way to acq u i re authentic a n d dependable
- either in the rea l o r in the metap horica l sense
knowledge a bout the u nseen is to get it from
of this term - wou l d presu p pose a deg ree of
what the prophets and the messengers of Allah
in nate l i keness between 'the father' and 'the
i nform us on the basis of what Al l a h causes
son': but Allah is i n every respect u n iq ue, so that
them to see, hea r a n d observe.
'there is n othing l i ke H i m (Soorat ash-Shooraa,
Accord ing to another opinion, the heavens
42: 1 1 ) and 'there is none com pa ra ble to Him'.
might nearly be rent asunder beca use of
(Soorat al-lkh/aa�, 1 1 2: 4)
ascribing a son to Allah, Most High. The
The idea of God havi ng a son goes agai nst
fol lowi n g verse supports this:
The heavens a re a l most a bout t o be re nt a s u n d er, the teachings of Islam a n d is descri bed i n the
a n d the ea rth cloven a n d the mou nta i n s to Qu r'a n as blasphemous, a n d it is for this reason
col l a pse, razed, that they attri bute to the A l l ­
that the Qu r'a n criticises the C h ristia ns for
Mercifu l a son! (Soorat Maryam, 1 9:90-9 1 )
erroneously bel ievi n g that � Eesaa :%!§\ is the son
of God.
Com menting o n these verse, Sayyid Quib
writes,
The very s o u n d of these verses a n d t h e i r rhyt h m
a d d t o the a i r o f a n g e r at t h i s fa lse c l a i m . I n fact, t h e
w h o l e u n i verse rejects t h i s c l a i m most veh e m e ntly.
It s h u d de rs a n d q u ivers with a b h o rrence as it hears
t h i s fa l sehood a g a i nst God A l m i g hty. It is a reaction
s i m i l a r to that of a person who feels that h is very Expla i n the verse 'To Him belongs
i nteg rity is attacked, o r that the h o n esty of someone whatever is in the heavens a n d
h e loves is assa i l ed. In t h e i r beat, the word s here s h ow
whatever is i n t h e earth:
the move ment of a violent attack.
Everyth i n g that is settled a n d sta b l e is t h u s s h a ken. 'The heavens a l m ost break from
The whole u n i verse is in a n g e r at t h i s fa lse a l l egation a bove them'. What does th is verse
a g a i nst G od, the Creato r. The statement is shocking to
refer to?
everyt h i n g i n n atu re: (Sayyid Q u!b, In the Shade of the
Qur'an, vol. 1 1 , p. 3 76, Eng. Tr. � Ad i i _S_a l ahi)
 2.5. The One, the Everlasting Refuge:
Soorat Al-lkhlaa� 1 1 2: 1 -4

Tra nslation of the Mea n ings of this Soorah

I n the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Mercifu l
1 . Say: He is Allah, the One,
2 . Allah, the Everlasti ng Refuge.
3. He does not beget, Nor is He begotten,
4. And there is none com pa rable to Him.

Explanatory Notes Hadeeth on the Vi rtues of

"-----

Allah Most H i g h is the sole s u bject of this
soorah. Some scholars have pointed out that
this is the only soorah in the Qu r'a n in which
two attri butes of Allah - ai-Ab_ad and a�-S.amad
have come together and cou l d b_e the reason,
accord i n g to ai-Qur1ubee, why it has been said
to be eq ual to one-th i rd of the Qu r'a n .
this Soorah
�Ai'shah • said, 'The Prophet :1 appoi nted a
man as the comma nder of a m i l ita ry ca mpaign
a n d h e used to lead his compa n ions i n prayer
a n d recite a soorah of the Qu r'a n a n d wou l d
t h e n fol low i t u p with 'Say: He i s A l l a h , t h e
One: that is Soorat a/-/kh/aa�. When they
returned from the ca m paign, they asked h i m
 why he had done so a nd h e repl ied, "Beca use
[Soorat a/-/kh/aai] provides a descri ption of ar­
Raflmah, a n d I love to recite it:' The Prophet ;I
said, "I nform him that Allah the M ost H i g h l oves
h i m :" (a i-Bu khaaree)
Alla h's Messenger � also sa id, 'By H i m i n
whose Hand m y sou l is, it i s tru ly eq u iva lent to
one third of the Qu r'a n : (a i-Bukhaaree)

The Word al-A had

The word ai-Aflad, which is d ifferent from the word

Waaflid, has added the sign ificatio n of a bsol ute a n d
. conti nuous u n ity a n d t h e a bsence o f equals.

The Term as_-Samad

Accord ing to some schola rs, the word a�­

S.amad is a pplied to one who has no stomach a n d
therefore does n ot eat or d ri n k; in other words,
he is not dependent o n anyth ing. Yet, some other
scholars explain the term as mea n i n g one whose
attri butes have reached the hig hest point of their
development, so that they ca n n ot be bettered.
' Eterna l - One without a beg i n n i ng and without a n
e n d ' i s a nother i nterpretation provided b y t h e pious
predecessors (salaf).
Litera l ly, a�-S.amad wou ld a lso im ply one who
sta nds i n need of n o one, while everyone sta nds
i n n eed of h i m; i n other words, one before whom
people put forwa rd their needs.

What is the subject of Soorat a/-/kh/aa�?

Why is it considered as one third of the Qur'a n ?
Defi n e t h e terms a/-Aflad a n d a�-S.amad.
 Allah's Relationship with the
Created Worlds: Man-All a h
Relationship as �Abd-Rabb
Relation

.
•

2.6. Soorat AI-Faatihah

�Ji py, 0 �� �� �- �:.:::-JI 0 �� .:J8i �i �;_

;_;_ � 0
� �JI 1� 0 {i ·�il 1�1 (�\ 0 � ���; � ��10 ���
:�WI 0 �T�li 1; :.t:� y./ai.�J\ ;;1�·};_
v- 1

Tra nslation o f the Mea n i ng s of this Soorah

1 . I n the Name of Alla h, the Most G racious, the Most Mercifu l

2. All pra ise is for Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
3. The Most G racious, the Ever-Mercifu l,
4. Master of the Day of J udgment.
5 . You Alone we wors h i p a nd You Alone we ask for help.
6. G u ide us to the Straight Path,
7. The Path of th ose whom You have bestowed favou rs, not of those
who have ea rned [Your] anger, nor of those who have gone astray.
 Explanatory Notes
AI-Faatib.ah has seven verses (aayaat
or signs). But which is the first verse of a/­
Faatib. a h? Every soorah of the Qu r'an, with
the exception of Soorat at-Tawbah, the ninth
soorah, sta rts with the basmalah namely,
bismillaahir-Rab.maanir-Rab.eem. Sti ll, this
aayah is not treated as part of the fol lowi ng
soorah, with the exception of the first
soorah of the Qu r'an, where the basmalah
is treated by some scholars as bei ng part
of it. All ag ree that this soorah has seven
aayaat (plural of aayaht but according to
those who do n ot rega rd the basmalah as
part of this soorah the first aayah of this
soorah is what is n u m bered 2 in the a bove,
and then in order to complete the n u mber
of the aayaat as seven, the seventh aayah
is broken into aayah 6 and aayah 7. (See
if you can fi nd any such difference in the
n u m beri ng of aayaat in different copies of
the Noble Qu r'an)
There is, however, a nother place where
the basma/ah is accord i ng to everyone, part
of a Qu r'anic soorah, that is Soorah n u mber
27, or Soorat an-Naml, where it is part of
Aayah 30.
We would a lso d raw our students'
attention to 1 6:98, according to which
seeki ng Alla h's refuge from Sata n is requ i red
before we read or recite the Qu r'an. That is
why whenever a Muslim wa nts to recite the
Qu r'a n, he must first say: Noodhu bil/aahi
minash-Shaytaan-ir-Rajeem (I seek refuge
with Allah from Satan, the one who has
been deprived of Alla h's mercy), then say the
basmalah if what he recites is the beginning
of a soorah, otherwise seeki ng Allah's refuge
from Satan would be sufficient.
The Word ar-Rahmaan
The expression Bismi/1/aahir-Rab.m aanir-Rab.eem
is com posed of fou r Ara bic words, the fi rst two of
which mea n ' I n the Name of Allah: the other two
words add two of Alla h's attributes derived from
the same root 'rab.ima', which sign ifies g race and
mercy. Wh ile the second of these two attrib utes, ar­
Rab.eem, is com monly used as a su perlative fo rm of
gra nting mercy, the first ar-Rab.maan is used only
to refer to Allah. I n fact it was never used i n Arabic
before Islam.
The structure of the word ar-Rab.m aan suggests
emphasis u pon the aspect of i nten sity. Th us the
Good Name 'ar-Rab.maan' sig n ifies His over-flowi ng
love a nd mercy for all of His creatu res, even if
someone turns away from Him than klessly. He does
n ot i m med iately withdraw His mercy from such a
person . H e g ives sustenance to the bel ievers as wel l
as t o d isbel ievers. H i s s u n shi nes for a l l of them. H i s
ra i n fa lls benefits everyone.
Commenti n g on these words, 'Ad i l Salahi writes,
'The term ar-Rab.maan bears con notations of
power, might and dominion alongside those of
grace and mercy. Therefore, a n accu rate transl ation
of the term should bring out these additional
con n otations . . . Therefore, we can say that ar­
Rab.maan con n otes 'the exercise of mercy o n the
basis offree choice by one who is able to i nfl ict severe
p u n ish ment without fea r of any conseq uence: '
H e a lso says,
" By contrast ar-Rab.eem stresses the availabil ity
of Alla h's Mercy in a l l situations a n d to a l l creatu res.
People only n eed to a ppeal for it a n d it is certa in to be
g ra nted. Indeed, it is given at a l l times without such
a ppea ls . . . After a long reflectio n and consideration
of a l l these as pects, I have now settled on a new
form of tra nslating these two attri butes of God: I n
the Name of G od (AI Iaht the Lord of Grace, the Ever
Mercifu l." (Sayyid Qu1b, In the Shade of the Qur'an,
vol. 1 4, Eng. Tr. � Ad i l S.a lahi)
 The Word Hamd
The Arabic word b_amd signifies a serva nt's
praise for Allah by way of tha n ks. I n fact, the
Ara bic word b_amd mea n s both 'praise' and
'than ks'. Hence, it wou ld be a pt to say: All
praises a n d tha n ks a re for Allah:
The Word Rabb: Man-Allah
Relati onsh ip
Rabb has often been translated as Lord. It i s
a good tra nslation i n s o fa r as it combi nes 'love
and concern' with 'a uthority: Some tra ns lators
have u sed 'Susta i ner: 'Cherisher' or similar
words for Rabb. They try to be true to the root
mea n i ng. Of cou rse, our Rabb is One who ta kes
ca re of o u r nourish ment a n d development. I t
shou ld, h owever, b e borne i n mind that Rabb
is a Q u r'a nic term, and as such it has a u n iq uely
com prehensive mea n i ng. Therefore, it is not
possible to fi nd an eq uiva lent in lang uages
other than Ara bic.
AI-�Aalameen: What a re the
Worlds?
The word a/-�aalameen is the k i n d of p l u ra l,
which is u sed fo r beings l i ke men, j i n n a n d
a n gels. So i n tha n king the Rabb o f a l l t h e
wo rlds, w e a re tha n ki n g the Rabb o f a l l h u m a n
beings, or eve n the Rabb o f a l l pe rso n s, t h a t is
to say, of all h u mans, j i n n a n d a ngels. When
you look i nto the past of h u m a n ity as we l l
as its poss i b l e futu re, t h ere a re m a ny such
h u m a n worl ds, a n d Allah is the Rabb of a l l
such h u ma n worlds. Accord i n g to some
scholars af-t aalameen refers to eve ryt h i n g
i n exi stence besides A l l a h . A l l p ra ises a n d
tha n ks a re d u e t o A l l a h , t o whom be longs t h e
creation i n its e nti rety, the h eave n s a n d t h e
earth a n d whatever is i n t h e m , a n d whatever
is between them - that wh ich is known a n d
u n known.
Master of the Day of
J u dg ment: The Word ad-Deen
The word ad-deen as used in the Qu r'an has
severa l mea n i n gs. It is u sed i n the sense of:
• Religion a n d d ivine law (3:83)
• The law of the land ( 1 2:76)
• O bedience ( 1 6:52; 61 :9)
• Recompense or reward (5 1 :5-6)
The term ad-deen in the sense of reward
and p u n ishment causes both its positive a n d
negative aspects - (a) a reward for g ood, a n d
(b) a pun ish ment for evi l a n d wrongdoing.
 The message conta i ned i n these words:
maaliki yawm-id-deen is clea r - a day of
reckoning is inevita ble: it will defi n itely come to
pass. A day when a l l h u m a n beings will return
to their Forg ivi ng, Mercifu l a n d Just Lord to
receive their share of His reward or punis h ment.
Those who followed the d ivine law wi l l be
rewarded, but those who refu sed to submit to
H i m a n d did not seek His fo rg iveness will be
p u n ished. On that day a l l powers wi l l belong to
Allah a l one; no one that day will cha l l enge His
will or authority.
�lbaadah is what a �Abd Does
for H is Rabb
The expression 'ibaadah (worship) denotes
the su bmissiveness a nd h u m i l ity that a person
ought to show towa rds h i s Creator. A sense of
obed ience is a lso i m p l ied in the word 'ibaadah.
Worship and Aski ng for
H is Help: Its Mea n i ng and
Sign ifican ce
Suppl ication (du�aa') is a pa rt of wors hip, or
'ibaadah. The fact that we a re the serva nts of
Allah impl ies that we must worship Him a lone,
fol l ow H i s commands and pray or suppl icate to
Him a l one.

The Arabic word 'ibaadah is often translated

G u ide us to the Stra ight Path
as wors h i p. �lbaadah is what a �abd does for
Guiding is more tha n s howi ng. Thus we a re
h i s Rabb. Allah-man relation is u n i q u e. It is
n ot asking for l ig ht on ly; we a re also asking
altogether d ifferent from any man-man or
for strength. Life is a conti n uous jou rney. We
ma n-th i n g relation. We ca l l it the Rabb-�Abd
need Alla h's g u idance a l l the time. Every day
relation . Man is �abd or serva nt of Allah, and
we face a new situation in l ife. Life is a jou rney
Allah is Rabb or the Lord of man. But there
towa rds Allah, which we have to travel stage
a re �ibaad (plura l of �abd) of Allah other than
by stage. We actua l ly need lig ht, strength and
human beings. Angels and jinn a re a l so �ibaad
su pport from Him i n every step we ta ke o n this
or serva nts of Allah. Th us a l l people a re �ibaad
journey. By making du�aa' (suppl ication) for
or serva nts of Allah. "We a re serva nts of Allah
g u idance, we a re, i n fact, asking Him to be with
a n d Allah Alone" is the most basic principle of
us throug hout the jou rney of our l ife.
Islam.
 A�-Siraat ai-Mustaqeem - the wa rni ngs. Therefore, w e express our separation
from them. Of cou rse, the rea l punishment will
Straight Path fol low i n the hereafter. But some people were
p u n i shed by Allah in this very life. The Qu r'a n
Th is refers to the Straight Path Allah has
again and again tel ls us the stories of such
shown to human beings through His prophets
people so that we lea rn lessons from them. See
and messengers to achieve
for exa m ple 7:59- 1 67; 1 0:7 1 -92; 1 1 :25-1 02.
success i n this world
Wh ile m a king du ' aa' that we do not
and eternal bl iss
have the same fate, it is a lso req u i red
in the hereafter.
that we try to u ndersta nd why these
This path is
peo ple deserved Alla h's wrath a n d
the shortest
t h e n seriously try n ot t o fol low i n
path a n d the
their footsteps.
easiest to
Th ree g roups of people a re
fol l ow.
mentioned i n this verse: ( 1 )
Those blessed by Allah, (2) Those
Verse 7 who i ncu rred H is wrath, and (3)
Those who strayed from the rig ht
G u ide us to
path. Reference is to g roups and n ot
the path of those
to i ndividual person s who had divine
upon whom You have
blessings, divine wrath or who were
bestowed favou rs: these
m isg u ided. We, with a l l the rig hteous people
are the people who wa l ked on the Straight
of the past and present, dissociate ou rselves
path, worshipping Allah alone, seeki ng His
from the g ro u p of wrongdoers. The Qu r'a n
help i n every step. Allah g u ided them at every
d iscusses the rise a n d fa l l of some civi l izations
stage of their jou rney a n d hel ped them to
a n d explains how victory and s u pport of
acq u i re a better u n dersta nding of rel igion a n d
Allah came to the fol l owers of the
in l iving a pious l ife; in t h e hereafter, too, they
prophets, and how the
wi l l receive Alla h's special mercies. It is
u nj ust were u ltimately
im portant to n ote that by making
pun ished.
this supplication, we express our
It is i m porta nt
belonging to the circle of all
note that
the fa ithfu l serva nts of Allah.
before the
But here we a l so observe that
punishment of
some mem bers of the h u m a n
Allah comes,
fa m i ly went off t h e rig ht path.
A l la h wa rns
They ba rred themselves from
and rem inds
the special mercy of Allah since
H i s serva nts fi rst.
they did not mend their ways
I n fact, Allah gives
in spite of H i s clear g u ida nce a n d
the u njust people a
fixed period of time to mend their ways. The
wrath of Allah does not descend before its
appoi nted ti me.
Therefore, if some people were not pun ished
in this l ife, it is not a sign of their bei ng correct.
Some people may act as rebels and sti l l prosper
in this l ife beca use the time of their being
pun ished has not yet come. (l rfaan Ahmad
Khan, Reflections on the Qur'an, the Islamic
Fou ndation)
It should be borne in m i nd that this soorah
is in the form of a su ppl ication . Its style is not
didactic. It does not teach us h ow to supplicate.
Rather, the su ppl ication itself is made to flow off
our tongue as a spontaneous hymn springing
from the very core of our bei ng. The wo rds of
the hym n a re revea led by Allah, the Creator of
human bei ngs. So there can h a rdly be a more
a uthentic expression of h u ma n natu re. Soorat
a/-Faatib_ah is the g reatest soorah of the Q u r'a n.
There is n o other soorah l i ke it in the rest of
the G racious Book or in the previous revea led
scriptures. I t is a light that was g ra nted to Alla h's
Messenger � which He had not g ra nted to a ny
'
prophet or messenger before h i m . It holds a
centra l position i n daily prayers, and hence the
daily l ife of a M uslim.

Explain the two attributes of ar-Rab_maan a n d ar­

Rab_eem. H ow a re thes� two related?
How does the term rabb sign ify Allah-man
relationship?
Explain the term ad-deen as used in the Qur'a n .
What is t h e 'Straight Path'? What is t h e sig nifica nce
of the word 'g uide' in Verse 6?
Th is soorah is in the form of a suppl ication. Discuss.
 Allah's Messengers

2.7. Soorat AI-An � aam, (The Cattle): 75-79

Tra nslation of the Mea n i n g of this Verse:

75. Th us did We show l braa heem the kingdom of the heavens a n d the earth that he be one of those
who have fa ith with certa inty.
76. So when the night spread over him, he saw a sta r. He said, 'Th is is my Lord !' But when it set, he
said, 'l do n ot l i ke those wh ich set:
77. Then when he saw the moon rising up, he said, 'Th is is my Lord!' But when it set, he said, ' U n less
my Lord g u ides me, I shall surely be among the misguided people:
78. When he saw the sun rising u p, he said, 'Th is is my Lord! Th is is g reater tha n both of them: But
when it set, he sa id, 'O my people! I am free from all that you join as partners i n worship with Allah.
79. 1 have indeed tu rned my face with p u re a n d complete devotion to Him Who brought the heavens
a n d the earth i nto being, and I a m n ot of the idolaters:
 Prophet l b raa heem �� Debates with H is
People

It is sig n ificant t o note here that Prophet l braa heem �� was debati n g
with his people, explaining t o them the error o f their ways in wors h i pping
idols and images.
Allah showed l braaheem �� the proofs of H is Oneness over H is
kingdom and His creation, wh ich clearly i n d icate that there is no god
except Allah. l b raaheem �� explai ned to his people the error a n d
uselessness o f wors h i pping t h e va rious planets, wh ich they said were the
Moon, Mercu ry, Venus, the Sun, Mars, J u piter, and Saturn. The brig htest
of these objects a n d the most honoured to them was the S u n, the Moon
and then Ven us.
l braa heem �� fi rst proved that Ven u s (the word used in the text is
kawkab) is not worthy of being worshi p ped. It is subject to a term and
cou rse a ppoi nted that it does not resist. It does not swerve right or left.
Ven u s does n ot have any say i n its affa i rs. It is only a heavenly object that
Allah created and made bright out of His wisdom. Ven u s rises from the
east and sets in the west where it d isa ppears from sig ht. The rotation is
repeated the next n ig ht, and so forth. Such a n object is not worthy of
bei ng worsh ipped.
l b raaheem �� then went on to mention the Moon in the same man ner
i n which he mentioned Ven us, and then the S u n . When he proved that
these three objects were n ot worthy of worship he declared: '0 my
people! I am free from a l l that you join as partners in worship with Allah:
These aayaat i n d icate that l b raaheem �� was debati ng with his people
a bout the shirk or polytheism they practised.
The word yaqeen used in the text denotes that state of certitude of the
hea rt, which is experienced when a l l dou bts have been removed with the
help of evidence.
The Qu r'a n uses the word kawkab, wh ich l itera l ly mea n s a nyth ing that
shi nes brilliantly. It is applicable to both sta rs and planets.
It is n ot necessa ry that the sighting of the sta r and the moon should
have happened on the sa me nig ht, with the s u n sig hted o n the fol lowi ng
morn ing. The episode cou l d have wel l ru n through severa l nig hts. It is
i m porta nt to note the word s: 'I am free from a l l that you join as pa rtners
i n worship with Allah' demonstrates that l b raaheem �� n ever com m itted
that sin.
Differences of opinion seem to have su rfaced among Muslim scholars
as to the natu re of the episode e n u merated here, whether it was loud
th i n king on the part of l braa heem �\, tryi ng to fig u re out who his Lord
was, or was it an inductive method devised to convi nce the idolaters
of thei r fol ly. Th e majority of Qu r'a n exegetes (mufassiroon) a rg u e that
Prophet l b raaheem's statements should be seen as prem ises (statements
or ideas that form the basis for a reasonable line of a rgument) of his
a rg u m ents against idolaters, rather than as stages i n h is enlig hten ment.
It was, in rea l ity, a novel method in a rg u mentation and not a menta l
exercise to d iscover the truth.
Hence, according to lmaam a r-Raazee, the words, 'Th is is my Lord' were
sati rica l. When he uttered these words, he mea nt to say: 'So, this according
to your opinion is my lord. Let us see if it proves to be so: Prophet l braa heem
�� had to ta ke this i n d i rect route beca use his people were in no mood to
l i sten to any d i rect criticism. It should be remem bered that the prophets
and messengers of Allah have never even thought of worshipping fa lse
gods at any time in their l ives. In fact, Prophet l braaheem's reasoning was
d ivinely inspired.

The Word Haneef

The word used in the text is b_aneef. The word b_aneef, in its original
sense, means 'tu rn ing away from sin'. It im pl ies turn i n g away from idol­
wors h i p and being a worshi pper of the One true God - Allah.

What a re the virtues of Soorat ai-An �aam?

'I am free from a l l that you join as pa rtners
in wors h i p with A l l a h : Comment o n h ow
l braaheem �� tried to convince his people to
worship Allah Alone.
 2.8. Rem i n d ing � Eesaa ��
of the Favou rs
Bestowed on H i m (Soorat a/-
Maa'idah, 5:1 1 0)
\ \ · ,;_.jU\
0 � � )lllh 0l�, ).,_ju":(::' .:_,:� 1
......- .J. _,, ..,.
Tra nslation of the Mea n i n g of this Verse
'When A l l a h will say:
M a rya m ! Remember My favou r to you a n d to
you r mother: h ow I a ided you with the Holy
Spi rit so that you could spea k to peo ple in
you r cradle and i n matu rity; h ow I ta u g ht you
the Book a n d wisdom, the Tawraah a n d the
lnjee/; h ow, by My leave, yo u formed out of clay
a bird-like fi g u re, and breathed i nto it a nd, by
My leave, it beca me a living bird; how, by My
leave, you hea led those born blind a n d the
lepers, a n d by My leave, you restored the dead
that Allah to l ife; h ow I prevented the C h i l d ren of lsraa'eel
from harming yo u when you came to them
with clear proofs and those who d isbelieved
among them, sa id: This is n othing but sorcery:"
(5 : 1 1 0)
Oneness of Al lah: Tawheed
Oneness of Allah was the bel ief preached
by ' Eesaa �� and by every former prophet of
Allah. This verse aims to esta blish the truth
a bout the Oneness of Allah and servitude to
-:: _,. / � 0 .-'- / -:: ..
H i m, as these a re conceived in Islam.
This view presents this truth in a vivid scene
ta ken from the Day of J udg ment in the same
"0 ' Eesaa, son of way as the Qu r'a n presents va rious scenes of
that Great Day. I n a l l such presentations, the
picture is portrayed in such an inspi ring and
effective way that we a l most see it before our
very eyes. We a re moved by each such scene
as though it were ta king place here and now.
We see what is ta king place, hear what is bei n g
said and feel every reaction and response. So,
what does this scene present?
 The scene is ta ken fro m the Day of J udg ment.
Here we will have a fu l l accou nt of the va rious
aspects of g race bestowed by Allah on Prophet
� Eesaa �� and h i s mother Marya m �. To sta rt
with, he was su pported by the Holy Spi rit i n
h i s i nfa ncy. Then, h e ta l ked to people long
before childre n n orma l ly sta rt to ta l k, freeing
h is mother of all suspicion ra ised a round her
on accou nt of his m i raculous birth that had n o
para l lel i n history. He a l so ta l ked t o them in the
crad le and later as a g rown man who was again
supported by J i b reel �1.
He was also g iven knowl edge of the Book.
Allah i m pa rted to h i m wisdom in order to deal
with d ifferent situations i n the best way. Allah
a lso ta u g ht h i m the Tawraah (Tora h), which had
been given to the Childre n of lsraa'eel, and the
lnjeel (Gospel) wh ich Allah gave h i m to confirm
the Tawraah.
Moreover, Allah supported Prophet � Eesaa
(Jesus) �� with severa l m i racles that no
human being cou l d accomplish without Alla h's
support. Thus, he cou ld fashion a bird shape
of clay a n d breathe into it, and all at once it
beca me a l iving bird. How did it happen ? We do
not know, beca use we do not know h ow Allah
creates l ife. Prophet � Eesaa �� cu red people
born blind, by Alla h's leave, when medici n e
Enumerate the favou rs that Allah g ra nted
� Eesaa �1.
What is the sign ifica n ce of the use of the term
'Kahl?
sti l l does n o t know h ow t o give eyesight to
such people. Almighty Allah, who gives human
bei ng s thei r facu lty of seei ng, is a ble to open
a blind person's eye to see the lig ht. Prophet
� Eesaa �� a lso cured the lepers without using
medicine. Medication is merely a tool, and
Allah is able to cure without a ny tool. Again,
� Eesaa �� was a ble to restore l ife to the dead,
by Alla h's leave. The One who gives l ife is wel l
able to restore i t a t a n y ti me.
Allah fu rther reminds Prophet � Eesaa �� of
His favou rs when He extended H i s protection
to him agai n st the children of lsraa'eel who,
when he prod uced a l l these m i racles, denied
him, claiming that they were plain sorcery.
Allah protected him a n d they were unable to
kill or crucify h i m as they were keen to do. Allah
� sim ply p rotected h i m a n d el evated h i m to
H i mself. (In the Shade of the Qur'an, Vol. IV, pp
288-290; English Tra nslation by Ad i l Salahi and
Ash u r Sham is)
The use of the word kah/ i n this verse
is sign ifica nt. It is used for a person of age
between thi rty-fo u r a n d fifty-one, but Prophet
' Eesaa WI was ra ised u p to the heaven when
he was only thi rty-th ree. This clearly ind icates
that he will come back towa rds the end of this
world, l ive i n it and atta in that age.
 2.9. Abundan ce (Soorat AI-Kawthar, Soorah 1 08)
���� �� �
.,.. _ - - - -

Tra nslation of the Mea n i n g of this Soorah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Mercifu l

1 . I ndeed, We have given you abundance,
2. So pray to you r Lord and sacrifice [to H i m a l one] .
3. A s t o t h e one w h o hates you; he is utterly c u t off.

Soorat ai-�Asr (1 03) and Soorat an-Naas ( 1 1 0).

Soorat ai-Kawthar is the shortest soorah of The th ree verses of this soorah are addressed,
the Qu r'a n, n ot only i n terms of the n u m ber of in the first place, to the Messenger of Allah �'
verses but a l so in word cou nt, for it consists of and through h i m to every bel ievi n g man and
o n ly thirteen words. It shares d istinction with woman.
--- ------

The soorah ta kes its title from the word a/­
Kawthar, which occurs in the first verse. The
word a/-Kawthar is an i ntense form of the noun
kathrah, which i n its turn denotes abunda n ce,
m u ltitude or copiousness. I n the above
context, which is the sole insta nce of its u se in
the Qur'a n, a/-Kawthar sign ifies, according to
severa l sound ab_aadeeth, a river in Pa rad ise.
Alla h's Messenger � said, 'Verily, it is a
river that my Lord, the Mig hty and Majestic,
has provided fo r me, and it has a bu ndant
goodness. It is a pond where my com m u n ity
will be broug ht to on the Day of J udgement.
Its conta iners a re as nu merous as the sta rs
in the sky. When a serva nt of Therefore, Turn i n Prayer to You r Lord
Allah from among them will
a n d Sacrifice
be prevented from it, I will say,
"0 Lord! He is indeed from my
The expression of gratitude for such bou nteous favou r
Ummah (followers) :' Then He (i.e.
should b e tremendous. The Prophet � should devote h i m self
Allah) will say, "Verily, you do not
hea rt and soul to worshipping and serving his Lord. We
know a bout [the i n n ovations]
have said a bove that this soorah addresses itself, i n the first
he i ntrod uced [in religion] after
place, to the Messenger of Allah � a n d through h i m to every
you :" (Muslim)
bel ievi ng m a n and woman. Of a l l modes of worship, the prayer
Alla h's Messenger � a l so said,
is the most outstanding. Li kewise, among fi nancial modes of
'A/-Kawthar is a river i n Pa radise
worship, sacrificing a n imals sta nds out a bove others, for it
with ba n ks of gold and it runs over
sign ifies one's willing ness to sacrifice o ne's own self. Animal
pea rls. Its water is wh iter than
sacrifice was instituted i n order to replace self-sacrifice. The
milk and sweeter tha n honey:
point comes out sharply in the story of Prophet l braaheem &il§l.
(Ahmad and at-Ti rmid hee)

As to One who Hates You, He is Utterly Cut off

Litera l ly the word shaani' means one who hates, hati ng, or a hater and a n
enemy. I t sig n ifies hatred, which i s attended by ang er. 'As to one who hates you,
he is utterly cut off from a l l goodness' means: 0 Prophet, i ndeed whoever hates
you and hates the g u ida nce, truth, clea r proof a n d man ifest l i g ht with which
you have been sent is utterly cut off from all good ness. The word abtar is u sed
to describe one who leaves no male offspri ng behind him and so is forgotten
after he is dead. A ta i l less a n imal is a l so ca l l ed abtar. Some u n bel ievers used
to ta u nt the Prophet � with that word when his sons died in infa ncy, im plying
that his death wou ld be the end of his mission. Allah � denounced them by
assuring the Prophet � that it is his enem ies who would be cut off.
I b n Taym iyya h once mentioned that in every age, Allah M ost H i g h will
destroy the Proph et's enem ies a n d those who hate h i m i n such a way that
history will leave no trace of them.
In this verse, Allah th rows back the ta u nt of those who hated and revi led the
Prophet �. I ndeed, the prom ise of Allah has come true, for the infl uence and
legacy of the Prophet's enem ies was short-l ived, while h i s im pact o n h u m a n
history and h u ma n l ife has g rown a n d deepened. Today we witness the truth
of d ivi n e pronou ncement as clearly as no one among those addressed by the
Gracious Qu r'a n for the fi rst time ever did or imag ined.
 Who does the soorah address?
Describe the pond of ai-Kawthar.
How does the word abtar a ptly describe the enem ies of
the Prophet �?

1. Tafseer Ibn Katheer Eng l ish Tra nslation, 1 0 Volumes;

Darussa lam, Riya d h, 2000.
2. Mufti M uha mmad Shafi, Ma'riful Qur'an, (Engl ish), 8
Vol u m es, Darui-U i oom, Karachi, 1 995.
3. Sayyid Abul A'a l a Mawd udi, Towards Understanding the
Qur'an, the Islamic Fou ndation, U K, 1 998.
4. Sayyid Qu1b, In the Shade of the Qur'an, (Engl ish), the
Islamic Foundation, U K, 2003.
5. Syed I q ba l Zaheer, Tafseer lshraq ai-Ma'anee, (English),
lq ra Welfare Trust, Ba ngalore, I ndia, 1 992.
6. Sayyid Abul Hasa n Ali Nadwi, Guidance from the Holy
Qur'an, the Islamic Fou ndation, 2005.
7. M uha m mad Taq i-ud-Deen a i-Hilali and M uha mmad
M uhsi n Kha n, The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an,
Darussalam, Riyadh.
8. 'Abd u l la h Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, English Translation
ofthe Meanings and Commen tary, King Fa hd Holy Qur'a n
Pri nting Com plex, Madeenah, Saudi Arabia.
9. M uha m mad M a rmad u ke Pickthall, The Glorious Qur'an.
1 0. Ahmad Za ki Ham mad, The Gracious Qur'an: A Modern­
Phrased Interpretation in English, Lucent I nterpretations,
LLC, U SA, 2007.
11. Hanna E. Kassis, A Concordance of the Qur'an, U n iversity
of Cal ifornia Press, 1 983.
3.1 . The Prophet's Birth : The Year of the Elephant 44
3.2. The Prophet's Lineage and Ancestry 45
3.3. The Short-Lived 'Abdullaah 46
3.4. Childhood 46
3.5. Aaminah and ' Abdui-Muna lib Pass away 48
3 .6. M uhammad's Early Occupation 49
3.7. Baheerah the Monk 50
3.8. The Sacrileg ious (Fijaar) War 51
3.9. Hilf ai-Fud.ool: All iance of the Virtuous 51
3.1 0. Divine Protection 52
3.1 1 . The Prophet's Marriage to Khadijah � 52
3.1 2. The Rebui lding of the Ka' bah 53
3. 1 3. Meditation in the Cave of .tiiraa' (Mount .tiiraa') 55
3.1 4. Prophethood: The First Revelation 57
3.1 5. The Pause o f Revelation- Fatrat ai-Waftiy 58
3.1 6. Revelation Resume 58
3.1 7. The Call to Islam in Makkah - the Secret Stage 59
3.1 8. The Early Muslims 59
3.1 9. The Call to Islam in Makkah - the Public Stage 60
3.20. Essentials of the Prophet's Early Cal l of His People 61
3.2 1 . The Quraysh Reject the Messenger� and His Message 62
3.22. The Quraysh Take Action 63
3.23. The Quraysh Approach Abu Iaalib 63
3.24. The Muslims' Emigration (Hijrah) to Ethiopia 64
3.25. Why Abyssinia? 65
3.26. The Boycott 66
3.27. The Year of Grief 67
3.28. The Journey to at-Taa'if 67
3.29. The N ight Journey and the Ascension to Heaven (The lsraa' and
the Mi'raaj) 69
3.30. Madinah Residents Embrace Islam 70
3.3 1 . Several Emigrations 70
3.32. The Long-awaited Hijrah Ta kes Place 71
3.33. The Hijrah 71
3.34. The Suraaqah Incident 73
3.35. The House of Abu Ayyoob ai- An�aaree 75
3.36. The Constitution of Madeena h: Safteefat ai-Madeenah 77
3.37. The Command of Prayer and Adhaan 77
3.38. The Hypocrites: Munaafiqoon 78
3.39. The Change of the Qiblah: TheDirection of Prayer 78
3.40. War and Peace 79
3.41 . Campaigns and Expeditions 80
3.42. The Issue of Succession to the Prophet� 86
3.43. Remembering the Prophet�: The Most Beautiful Model 87
3.44. His Character was the Qur'aan Itself 89
 3.1 . The Prophet's Birth: 'The Yea r of the Elephant'
The Messenger of Allah � was born i n
Makka h o n M onday morni ng, t h e 1 2th of
Rabee' ai-Awwal, in the Yea r of the Elepha nt, 5 7 1
CE, some fifty-five days after t h e u nsuccessfu l
exped ition of Abra h a h agai nst Makka h .
Yemen a t that t i m e was u nder t h e rule of
Eth iopia, a nd Abrahah was its g overnor. He
bu ilt a g rand cathed ra l i n .S.a n �aa: hoping to
make it ta ke the place of Ma kkah as the great
place of pilgrimage for a l l Ara bia. A man from
Ki naanah, a large tri be of western Saudi Arabia
i n H ijaz, u n derstood Abra h a h's motive, so h e
went t o .S.a n �aa' with t h e deli berate i ntention of
defiling the ch u rch, which he did one n ig ht and
retu rned safely to his people.
When Abra h a h h ea rd of this, he swore that
he would raze the Ka � ba h to the g round in
revenge. Havi ng made his preparations, h e
set off for Makka h with a large army o f sixty
thousa nd wa rriors, in the front of wh ich he
placed a colossal elepha nt. His a rmy i n cl uded
between n i n e to thirteen elepha nts. When
Abra h a h reached ai-M uhassir Va l ley, between
M uzda l ifa h and M i na, the elephant knelt down
to the g rou nd. Abra ha's soldiers did everything
they possi bly cou l d to bring it to his feet, but
it stu bbornly refused to move. Whenever they
d i rected it towa rds the north, south or east, the
elephant wou l d move q u ickly, but whenever
they d i rected it towards Ma kkah it wou ld kneel
down. This was the clearest of forewa rni ngs for
the a rmy not to move one step forwa rd, but
Abra h a h was blinded by his am bition for the
sanctuary he had built and his determi natio n
t o destroy the Ka � ba h . Had he a n d his a rmy
tu rned back, they would perhaps have esca ped
the great d isaster. But it was too late.
Suddenly the western s ky grew da rk, a n d
a stra nge sound was h ea rd i n t h e dista nce.
Its vol u m e g rad ually i ncreased. A g reat wave
of da rkness a rrived upon the a rmy from the
direction of the sea, and the air a bove them
was fu l l of birds wh ich were very m uch l i ke
sparrows and swa l l ows. Each bird had three
pebbles the size of d ried peas, one in its beak
and each one of the other two between the
claws of each foot.
They swooped to a n d fro over the a rmy,
pelti ng them as they did so. The pebbles were
hard a n d they la nded with such ra pid ity that
they even pierced coats of mail. Every stone
fou n d its ma rk. Every pebble ki l led its man.
As soon as a soldier was hit, his flesh bega n
to rot. A large n u mber o f Abra h a h's sold iers
were kil led in this way. Many others, Abra h a h
incl uded, d ied soon after t h e i r return t o .S.a n �aa:
 The Ara bs attached great i m porta nce to this
event. They dated thei r ca lendar from it sayi ng,
'Th is occu rred in the Yea r of the Elephant: 'so­
and-so was born in the Yea r of the Elephant' or
'this happened so many yea rs after the Yea r of
the Elephant'.
According to many schola rs, this event took
place in the yea r 5 7 1 of the C h ristian Calendar.
Accord ing to others, however, it occu rred i n
t h e yea r 570 C E . There is a difference o f opin ion
among schola rs concern i n g the exact date
of the b i rth of the Prophet :l\. Some scholars
mainta i n that h e was born on the gth Rabee' ai­
Awwal i n the Yea r of the Elephant.

3.2. The Prophet's Lineage

and Ancestry
AI-

The Proph et's father was

�Abd u l la a h, and his mother was
Aa minah, daug hter of Wa h b ibn
�Abd Manaaf. �Abdu i-M utta l i b
was his g ra ndfather, and Abu
Iaa l i b was one of his u ncles.
The prophet � was born
among the best of tri bes on
earth a n d was of the best of
l i n eages. His a n cestry ca n
be traced back to Prophet
l braaheem �\. As soon as
A I - Mu!!a l i b
h e was born, his mother
sent word to his g ra ndfather,
�Abdu i-M utta lib, i nforming
h i m of the birth of a boy and
asking h i m to come to see him.
�Abdui-M utta l i b came, took
h i m i n his a rms and ca rried h i m
t o t h e Ka � bah, where he voiced, i n
a passionate man ner, a n elaborate
i nvocation of tha n ks and g ratitude
to Allah for this g ift. Then he brought
h i m back to his m other a n d na med h i m
M uhammad. The Ara bs were n ot fa m i l i a r
with t h i s name a n d were rather su rprised b y it.
 3.3. The Short-Lived �Abd u l laah
We possess only sca nt information a bout �Abd u l laah, t h e father of the Prophet �. He was the
favou rite of his father, the celebrated �Abdu i-M utta l i b. He was ma rried to Aa m i nah, the daug hter of
Wa h b, who was a noble lady from Banu Zuhra h of the Qu raysh. The ma rriage was extremely short­
l ived. �Abd u l la a h set out on a trad ing exped ition to Syria, leavi ng Aa minah expecti n g his child. He
never retu rned. �Abd u l la a h d ied i n Madeena h on h is return trip from Syria. When news of his death
reached Makkah, Ba n u Haashim, and es pecia l ly Aa minah, was grief-stricken. Alla h's Messenger �
was not yet born. �Abd u l la a h had no children except the future Prophet, nor had Aa m i n a h a ny other
child. �Abd u l laah was bu ried i n Madeenah. He was twenty-five when he d ied. Allah's Messenger ;!i
was born shortly after the death of his father.

3.4. Child hood

Th e first woman who suckled h i m after his develop in inactive societies.

mother was Th uwayba h, the freed female Some of the tribes had a h i g h reputatio n
slave of Abu La hab, with her son, Masru h . Abu for n u rsing and rea ri n g children. Amongst
La h a b was one of the Prophet's u ncles. The these were the Ba n u sa�d ibn Bakr, an outlying
rea l name of this u ncle was �Abd ai-Uzzaa. He branch of Hawaazin, whose territory lay to
was popu larly nicknamed Abu La h a b, litera l ly the southeast of Makka h . The Prophet ti was
'father of the flame' on accou nt of his bea uty entrusted to Ha leema h, the daughter of Abu
which was most n ota bly expressed in h i s Dh u'ayb. She was from Ba n u Sa�d ibn Bakr.
g lowing face. It was t h e genera l custom of Her h u sband was ai-Haarith i b n �Abd
the Ara bs l iving i n towns to send ai-� Uzzaa, cal led Abu Kabshah,
their children, soon after thei r from the same tribe.
birth, away to Bedou i n Traditions describe
wet n u rses s o that they h ow Haleemah a n d
might grow u p i n the a l l h e r h ousehold
free and healthy were favou red
surroundings of by successive
the desert. Thereby strokes of
they wou ld good fortune
develop a strong while the child
body a n d acq u i re M uha mmad �
the p u re speech lived u nder her
and man ners of the ca re. It is narrated
Bedoui ns. They were that Ha leema h
noted both for pu rity of descri bed i n after-yea rs
thei r lang uage and for being that she, along with her
free from those vices which usua l ly h usband a n d a recently born

•
son of their own whom she was n u rsi ng, set
out from her vil lage i n the com pany of some
women from Ba n u sa�d ibn Bakr in q u est of
n u rsel ings to suckle. She said,
It was a year of d roug ht. We h a d n ot h i ng left. I set forth
on a grey fem a l e don key of m i n e a n d we had with u s a n old
s h e-ca mel which cou l d not yield one drop of m i l k. We were
kept awake a l l n ight by o u r son who would keep cryi n g a l l
By the time he was two-years old, Ha leema h
took h i m again to his mother although she
was eager that he should stay with her for the
blessings he had broug ht her and her fa mily.
The Prophet's mother gave h i m once more into
her keeping and Haleema h brought h i m again
to her home. The Prophet � stayed with them
u ntil he was fou r or five yea rs old.

n ig ht beca use o f h u nger, for I h a d not enough i n m y breast
to feed h i m. At length, we reached Makkah a n d set a bout
looking for n u rse l in g s . A a m i n a h offered her son first to one
and then to a n other, u ntil she had tried them all and they
had all refused.
That was beca use we h o ped for some favours from the
While the Prophet � was stayi ng in
Haleema h's house, a very stra nge i ncident
took place. An angel came, split open his chest
and removed a blood clot from his heart a n d
th rew i t away. Then he clea nsed his heart a n d

boy's father. "An orp h a n !" we said, "What will his mother
replaced it. Muslim h a s recorded t h i s incident i n
and grandfather be able to g i ve u s ? " We had fixed our eyes h i s S.ab.eeb. o n t h e a uthority of Anas i bn Maa l i k
on the reward that we woul d get from the child's father. � wh o said, 'Wh i le the Prophet � was playi n g

I "I
Every n u rse who h a d come with me got a ba by, and
with some boys, Jibreel ;%§1 came t o h i m, took
when we were about to depa rt, said to my h u sband,
him, laid h i m to the ground and split open
hate to return in the company of my friends without having

ta ken a b a by to suckle. I shall g o to that orphan a n d take his chest. J i breel extracted his hea rt, removed
h i m :' So I went and took h i m for n o reason except that I from it a black clot a n d said, "Th is is the portion ·

could fi n d n o n e but h i m . of Sata n i n you :' He then was hed the heart with

I put h i m in my bosom than my breasts

I carried h i m back to where o u r mo u nts were stationed,
Zamza m water in a basin made of g old, joi ned
a n d no sooner had
the hea rt together a nd returned it to its pl ace.
overflowed with m i l k for h i m . He d ra n k h is fi l l , and his foster­

brother a lso d ra n k h i s fi l l . Then they both slept, although

my baby had not been a b l e to sleep the previ o u s n i g ht at
a l l. My husband went to that old sh e-camel of o u rs and
h e fou n d her udders fu l l . H e m i l ked her and d ra n k of her
milk. I a l s o d ra n k with him u ntil we could d r i n k n o more.
O u r h u n g e r was satisfied. We enjoyed a sound sleep d u r i n g
The children ra n up to their m other and sa id,
"Muha m mad has been m u rdered:'They h u rried
to h i m to fi nd h i m standing a lone, pale and
shaken: Anas � added, 'I have seen the stitch
ma rks on his chest:

the n i g ht, a n d i n the morni n g m y h u s b a n d said t o m e , "By

This i n cident certa i n ly deserves more than a
passing thought or mention. What happened
I
A l l a h , J:::ia l eem a h, you have taken a blessed ch i l d:'

Then we set out. carried h i m a n d rode my d o n key on that day was one of the signs of Prophethood.
which outstripped the whole troops of fel l ow-travel lers
It was a clea r proof that Allah had chosen

It
so much so that n o n e of their d o n keys was a b l e to keep
M uha m mad � for a very i m porta nt message.
pace with h e r. We reached our dwel l i ng s in B a n u Sa'd.

was a barren place. But when we bro u g ht Muha m m a d �

Pu rification from Satan's i nfl uence was in fact
to l ive with us, the barren land soon sprouted l u s h grass. preparation for protecting the Prophet �
My flock wou l d come fu l l y satisfied at every eve n i n g fu l l of from evi l of every sort. Although idol-worship
m i l k. We conti n u ed to enjoy this i ncrease a n d bou nty from
and evi l deeds were p ractised on a large sca le
A l l a h . The baby was growi n g wel l . None of the other boys
a mong the Qu raysh, the Prophet � n ever ever
I weaned h i m .
cou l d match h i m fo r g rowth u nti l the b a by's two years had

passed, a n d
bowed down to an idol, nor com m itted a sin.
The remova l of the blood-clot from his heart

•
certa i n ly purified h i m from every i m matu rity
and recklessness of youth. The i ncident also
shows us the deg ree to which Allah p rotected
the Prophet � and prevented Sata n from
havi n g a ny i nfl uence over h i m whatsoever.
-
- _.
- -
3.5. Aa m i n a h a n d � A b d u i­
Mutta l i b Pass away
After this incident, Haleemah was so worried
a bout the boy that she took h i m o nce more to
Ma kka h and returned h i m to his mother. He was
six yea rs old then. The boy l ived happily with
his mother in Ma kkah for some time, winning
the affection of his gra n dfather a n d his u ncles
and a u nts, and his many cousins with whom he
played.
The reu nion of orphan M uhammad � with
his rea l mother was desti ned to be short-lived
indeed. When he was six yea rs old, his mother
decided to ta ke him on a visit to his maternal
u ncles in Madeenah. She was i n her early
twe nties then. She set out to cover a jou rney of
a bout 500 ki lometres with her orph a n boy and
her female serva nt Umm Ayman. She spent a
month there and then decided to g o back to
Makkah. However, not long after they had set
out on their return journey, Aa m i n a h fel l i l l.
After some days, she d ied at Abwaa: on the
road between Makka h and Madeena h, and she
was bu ried there.
U m m Ayman brought the boy
back to Ma kka h and she did a l l she
possi bly could to comfort him now
that he had lost both h i s father a n d
mother. His g randfather 'Abd u i­
M utta lib took com plete charge of
h i m . It soon beca me clea r that his
specia l fond ness for �Abd u l laah had
been transferred to �Abd u l l aa h's
son.
�Abd u i-M utta l i b was the
foremost chief of Ma kka h and the
u ndisputed leader of Ba n u Haash i m .
He was t h e most ha ndsome among
the Q u raysh men. He was very ta l l,
kind-hearted, generous, kind a n d enjoyed
g reat cha racter. He was held in h i g h esteem,
a n d no ru ler had ever met h i m but would show
h i m respect a n d hold h i m i n awe. He had been
the leader of the Quraysh u ntil his death.
�Abd u i-M utta l i b was very fond of his
g randson, a n d thei r i nti mate rel ationship
g rew even stronger as time passed. Every day,
he wou l d spread a couch i n the shade of the
Ka'bah, and out of respect for thei r father none
of h i s sons wou l d venture to sit on it, but h e
would seat h i mself beside t h e Prophet � on
the couch a n d stroke his back. Al most everyday
they would be seen together. But, alas, h i m too
M uha m ma d � was destined to lose very soon .
W h e n M uha m mad � w a s eight yea rs, two
m onths and ten days old, his g randfather
passed away i n Makkah. Umm Ayman reported
that she had seen the youthful M uha mmad �
weeping as h e q u ickened his steps to fol l ow
the coffi n of his g u a rdian a n d protector. The
princely patriarch died at the age of eig hty­
two, acco rd i n g to the most rel ia ble sou rces.
Some schola rs put his age at over a h u n d red
yea rs when he d ied. When he was dyi ng,
�Abdu i-M utta l i b e ntrusted his g randson to
Abu Iaa l i b, who was a fu l l brother of you n g
M uhammad's father.
Abu Iaa l i b conti n ued the love a n d the
kind ness that his nephew had received from
the old man. Henceforth he was as one of his
own sons, a n d his wife Faa1i mah did a l l she
possibly could to take the place of his mother.
After many yea rs, A l la h's M essenger � used
to say of her that she would have let her own
children go h u ngry rather than him. Like his
father, Abu Iaa l i b was dign ified, honoured
a n d greatly respected by his people.
What i m porta nce did the Makka ns
attach to the i ncident of the
Elephant?
Mention the Prophet's parents.
Who na med h i m M uha mmad?
Why, you th i n k, the Ara bs were
su rprised by this name?
Why d id Ha leema h fi n a l ly ta ke
i n ba by M uha mmad :i? What
blessings did she enjoy?
H ow can you say that the Prophet's
chest was l itera l ly opened? What
was the wisdom behind this?
3.6. M u h a m mad's Early
Occu pation
M uha mmad � did what he cou l d i n his
ea rly youth to earn h is l ivel ihood. In fact, he
tended sheep and goats for a wage and would
thus spend day after day a lone i n the hills
above Ma kka h or o n the slopes of the va l leys
beyond.
When M uha mmad � was sti l l you ng, Abu
Iaa l i b was going through a fi na ncial crisis. He
had many mouths to feed, a n d his busi ness
was not going so wel l . To help his u ncle get
through these hard times, M uha m mad �
worked as a shepherd. I n a n a uthentic b_adeeth,
he is reported to have said, 'Every p rophet
tended s heep: His Compa nions asked h i m,
'And did you?' He repl ied, 'Yes, I tended them
for the Makkans in return for qaraaree1: Ibn
Hajar mentions that schola rs hold two opinions
concern ing the mea n i n g of the Arabic word
qaraaree1. The fi rst opinion states that a qeeraat
(singular of qaraaree1) is a part of a dinar
or dirham, a nd the second one states that
qaraaree1 is the name of a place in Ma kka h.
Working as a shep herd afforded the Prophet
�thechance to work i n peace a n d q u iet, to enjoy
the bea uty of the desert and to contemplate
the wonders and g randeur of Alla h's creation.
I ndeed, Allah wou l d have provided the Prophet
ii with wea lth a nd comfort so that h e would not
have to work as a shepherd, but this practice
was a divine train ing for h i m so that it wou l d
b e m u c h easier for him to dea l with people a n d
tolerate their harm. I ndeed, a shepherd needs
a g reat dea l of patience a nd forbea rance to
look after his flock. Th is practice proved usefu l
to the prophets. A shep herd picks up and
develops many wonderfu l q ua l ities: the very
qualities that the Prophet ii needed to lead his
com m u n ity to the truth. Some of these q u a l ities
include patience, h u m bleness, bravery, mercy
and compassion, and a bove a l l the love of
ea rning one's l iving thro u g h hard work.
By doing so his fol l owers were a lso ta u g ht a
very good lesson, namely, the most honoura ble
way to live is to eat from what one earns
by engaging i n lawfu l work. A person who
invites others to Islam m ust especially avoid
ta ki ng from what is in thei r ha nds. He should
be independent of a l l h u ma n bei ngs. A self­
sufficient man is dignified i n the sight of others.
Whatever good he does, he does it for Allah.
The Prophet ii once said, "Never has a ny one
eaten a better food tha n what he has eaten out
of the labour of his own hands; and David, the
Prophet of Allah, u sed to eat out of the labour
of his own hands. (AI-Bu khaaree, b.adeeth no.
2072) Moreover, this b.adeeth is suggestive
of the adoption of a lawfu l occu pation, no
matter h ow people may look askance at it. That
was the reason why the prophets took such
occu pations.
When one is self-sufficient, depending upon
no one but Allah, one gains the freedom of
being a ble to speak the truth. Beca use they a re
dependent u pon the generosity of others, many
people bow their heads low before evi ldoers.
They remain si lent a bout their wrongdoing for
fea r of losing their jobs and their l ivel i hood.
3.7. Ba heeraa the Monk
When M uha m ma d � was twelve yea rs old,
he accompa n ied his u ncle, Abu Iaa l i b, on a
trade jou rney to Syria. When they reached
B u�raa, a n a ncient city i n southern Syria that
was under the Roman ru le, there was a monk
na med Baheeraa, who came o ut of h is cell to
meet them. Although he had not met them
before, he read i ly recog nized the Prophet �
a nd said while taking his ha nd, 'Th is is the
master of all m a n kind. Allah will send him with
a message which wi l l be a mercy to a l l beings:
Abu Iaa l i b asked him, 'How do you know that?'
Baheeraa replied, 'When you a ppeared from
the d i rection of �Aqabah, every single rock and
tree fel l down i n prostration, which they never
do except for a prophet. I ca n a lso recogn ize
h i m by the a pple-l i ke 'Seal of Prophethood '
below his shoulder bones: He a lso asked Abu
Iaa l i b to send the boy back to Ma kka h and
not to ta ke h i m to Syria as there was a serious
danger to his life from the Romans and the
Jews. Abu Iaa l i b obeyed and sent him back to 3.9. Hilf ai-Fudool: Al liance
Ma kka h with some of his serva nts.
of the Virtuous
The trip to Syria was no doubt a major event
A s a you n g m a n, t h e Prophet � took part i n
in the l ife of the Prophet :;i. For the first ti me, he
t h e formation of t h e 'Allia nce of t h e Vi rtuous'
saw the bustl ing commercial centres of other
i n Makka h . He once said, 'I was present i n the
la nds. The trip brought him i nto contact with
h ouse of �Abd u l la a h i bn J ud �aan at so excel lent
a society which d iffered considera bly from the
a pact that I wou l d not exchange my part i n it
one in which he had g rown u p.
for a herd of red camels, a n d if now, i n Islam,
I were s u m moned to it I wou l d gladly respond:
The expression fudool comes from the word
fad/, which means nobi l ity, superiority and
vi rtue. Hence, it was a n a pp ropriate n a me for
the a l l i a nce. The owner of red camels d u ring
those tim es wou l d today be equ ivalent to a
m i l l ionaire.1
I n fact, Hilf ai-Fudoo/ was a kind of league
agai nst i nj u stice. Mem bers of the a l l ia n ce
were req u i red to come to the a i d of those who
3 .8. The Sacri leg ious (Fijaar)
needed an extra helping hand, such as the
War
oppressed victims of i nj ustice, widows, slaves,
orpha ns, the travellers, the poor and the elderly.
A war that raged between Ki naanah a nd
The objective of this a l l ia nce was to protect the
Q u raysh on one side and Qays �Aylaan, an
defenceless and ensure the safety of stra ngers
im porta nt clan of the Hawaazin, on a nother
i n Makka h . The league ca me a bout beca u se a
was ca l led the Fijaar or the Sacrilegious Wa r
stranger from Yemen sold goods in Ma kka h to
beca use both sides violated the sanctity at the
a n infl uentia l mem ber of a powerfu l local clan
Holy Hou se. The confl ict d ragged on for three
who su bsequently refused either to pay the
or fou r yea rs. Alla h's Messenger :1 took pa rt i n
p rice or to retu rn the goods, as a resu lt of which
o n e of these battles. His efforts were, however,
the wronged seller stood u p in the vicin ity of
confined to helping by gathering enemy arrows
the Ka � ba h and i m plored aid for h i m self as a
that had missed their mark and handing them
stranger i n the city. Several mem bers of the
over to his u ncles so that they cou l d shoot
Quraysh a ristocracy ra l l ied to his assistance
them back. At that time, the Prophet :1 was
and sec u red the return of his goods. Meeting
a bout twenty yea rs old.
i n the house of �Abd u llaah ibn Jud �aan, they
The Ara bic word fijaar means wicked ness.
pledged henceforth to com bat oppressive acts
This wa r was given such a name beca u se the
a nd u phold justice. The Prophet �' then in his
sanctity of Ma kka h was being violated, and the
early twenties, was p resent at this gatheri ng.
Ara bs considered a ny violation of Ma kka h to be
a wicked cri me. The Prophet :1 lea rnt a bout wa r 1 - Al i Moha m m ad as-Sa l l aa be e, The Noble Life o f the Prophet

�. Daru s s a l a m, R i yad h, Saudi Arabia, 2005, Vol. 1, p. 103.

and ch iva l ry d u ring these tribal encou nters.

61
 3.1 . Divine Protection
Alla h's Messenger � was protected by Allah. He
d istanced himself from the indecencies and bad
habits of the Jaahiliyyah, the pre-Islamic period
of social and moral decl ine. The term Jaahiliyyah
is commonly translated as the 'Age of Ignorance':
ignora nce, that is, of the word of Allah.
Allah's Messenger � felt a deep sense of
revu lsion at the worship of idols. Once he was
req uested to act in the name of the idols ai-Laat
and a i-� Uzzaa, but he repl ied with the sta rtling
a nswer, 'Do not ever ask me anything for the sake
of these idols. I have never hated a nything more:
The Prophet � never lied or deceived a nyone;
he was sincere and truthful. He outshone everyone
in truthfulness, trustworthiness, bravery and
modesty. He respected fa mily ties. He shared the
burden of others. He honoured his g uests, a lways
provided his own food and was content with simple
meals. What set him apart from his fel l ow Makkans
was his a bsol ute truthfu l ness, trustworthi ness,
integrity, sense of justice and com passion for the
poor, the oppressed and the downtrodden, as
wel l as his tota l refusal to worship a ny idol or do
a nyth i ng immoral. He had gai ned experience in
trad ing th rough his travels with the trade ca rava ns
to greater Syria becau se of his h onesty, hard work
and the busi ness acumen he showed in trading;
he was soon being sou g ht after to ta ke charge
of other people's merchandise, that is to say, for
those who cou ld not travel themselves so that
they would trade on their beha lf.
Soon he was popula rly acclaimed for these
qual ities. A�-S_aadiq (the truthfu l) a nd ai-Ameen
(the trustworthy) were the titles on everybody's l i ps
for M uha mmad � which itself mea ns 'the p raised
'
one. ' Always faithfu l and truthfu l, people used to
deposit their va luables with him for safekeeping.
3.1 1 . The Prophet's
Marriage to Khadeejah �
Khadeejah belo nged to the fa mous
Quraysh tribe. She was the daug hter
of Kh uwaylid ibn Asad. She was from
the noblest of fa m i l ies and the richest
of their women. She was i ntel ligent,
resou rcefu l, d iscreet, affectionate and
of noble cha racter. She cond u cted
trade with the help of active pa rtners
who g ot a share i n profits. When
she lea rnt of M uhammad's honesty,
trustworthiness and high moral
qualities, she sent him a message
expressing her desire to ta ke her
goods fo r her to Syria. She prom ised
she wou l d give h i m share of the profits
that was greater than what she wou l d
normally give others. He agreed t o the
terms and travel led in the company of
Maysa ra h, a serva nt she had provided
to be his travel compa n ion.
The Prophet � succeeded i n his
trade mission very wel l . The profits
were u n usua l ly high. His mild man ners
and agreea ble tem perament won h i m
t h e hearts of m e n he employed i n
t h e cou rse of his jou rney. Th roughout
the trip, Maysarah witnessed the
wonderfu l character, nobility a nd
truthfu l ness of the Prophet �.
 I n addition to that, Khadeejah experienced d ied d u ring the Prophet's l ifetime. Faa1i mah
plentifu l blessi ngs in her wealth. Based u pon t;t);; d ied six months after his own death. All his
these reasons, she had a h ea rt to h eart daug hters witnessed Islam, em braced it and
d iscussion with her friend Nafeesa h, the emigrated to Madeenah. Of the daug hters who
daug hter of M u nya h, tel l i ng her a bout the ma rried, only Faa1i mah had descenda nts. She
positive feelings she was having a bout the was the mother of a i-Hasa n and ai-Husayn. Her
Prophet �. Nafeesa h went to the Prophet � and husband �Ali was a cousin of the Prophet � and
proposed to him on behalf of Khadeejah. The the fou rth rig htly-gu ided ca liph.
Prophet � was so pleased with the proposal
that he went to his u ncles to seek their advice.
They a l l agreed to h i s marriage to her.
Khadeeja h � was at that ti me a widow, at
the rather adva n ced age of forty. Very wea lthy
and with a strong and i ndependent will, she
had repeatedly declined m a rriage offers made
by some of the most promi nent men of the
Qu raysh, after the death of her second h usband.
She had p reviously been ma rried to �Ateeq ibn
�Aa'idh a i-Ma khzu mee. She bore him a female
c h i ld. After him she was ma rried to Abu Haalah
at-Tameemee. She bore h i m a boy. Abu Haalah
d ied before the advent of Islam.
M uha m mad � ma rried her at the age of
twenty-five yea rs, i n the prime of his youth.
The marriage proved to be one of affection and
happiness. She was the first woman that the
Messenger of Allah � ma rried, and he did not
ma rry a ny other woman u nti l she d ied. Thei r
marriage was wondrously blessed. She bore
h i m six c h i l d ren, two sons and four daug hters.
Their eldest child was a son na med a i-Qaasim,
and the Prophet � came to be known as Abui­
Qaasim, the father of a i-Qaasim. B ut the boy
d ied i n i nfa ncy. The next child was a daug hter
whom they na med Zayna b, and she was
followed by three other daug hters Ruqayya h,
Umm Ku lthoom and Faa1i mah; and fi n a l ly
another short-lived son, 'Abd u l laah who was
also cal led a1-Ia a h i r and a1-Iayyi b.
All their daug hters except Faa1i mah �

•
 The Cave of !!iraa'

�¢1¢' ¢ �¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢�.-t � ..r

¢ ¢�¢¢�
� 3.1 3. Meditation i n the Cave of H i raa' R
� {Mount H i raa') ft�
�
a
B
As the Prophet � approached the age of forty, he came
� !\\­
to spend more and more of his time i n retreat. He wou ld
-ij- with d rew i nto seclusion in the Cave of H i raa: towa rds the top .J;f
fi
, -�
��• of Mount H i raa: some two mi les northeast of Ma kka h towa rds "!t

� a
a
the back of the mountain. He appl ied h i mself there to a rdent

I
f,j
ft
devotions, i .e. wors h i p. He spent his time i n long vig i ls, prayers
and contemplation-someti mes for severa l days at a ti me. This
mou ntain is cal led Jabal an-Noor (Mount of Lig ht) beca u se
!l
H
f,j
�
there the first verses of the Qu r'a n were revea led.
��
a
At Mount H i raa: h e wou ld rema i n plu nged in deep thought

�
and reflection. I n his sol ita ry retreat, the Prophet � would be

:21\i­'
q u ite alone most of the time. He wou ld ta ke with h i m p rovisions
f,j
-ij-
!4
and devote a certa i n n u m ber of nig hts to the wors h i p of Allah.
li
-if
I
Then he would return to Khadeeja h � a nd on his return ta ke
'
]j more provisions and g o again to the mountain. Du ring these H
3 a-f.}.
times it often ha ppened that after he had left the town and was

�
a pproach i n g the mount he would hear clea rly the words, 'Peace
f,j be on you: a nd he wou ld turn a nd look for the spea ker, but no H
li
,
��•
•i,l
�
one was i n sig ht, and it was as if the words had come from a "!:it

�
f,j
stone or a rock. Alla h's Messenger � is reported to have said, ' I
know the roc k in Ma kka h that u sed to g reet me. I know it very -Jl
�� wel l: (Musl i m, hadeeth no. 2277)
��
•
� �
i[
-e The first kind of revelation to which the Messenger of Allah

:fl �
� was i n itiated was the true d reams d u ring sleep, and he never
l,!
�
saw a d ream but it came l i ke the b rea king of light and dawn.
g
Y,
�
e
(a i-Bukhaaree) Th is lasted for six m onths. The first of these
�
1t
e1,
Prophetic d reams occu rred in the month of Rabee� a!-Awwa/,

tl
j s
when the Prophet � had j ust completed his fortieth yea r.
The Prophet � once said that the true good d ream is one
£! of the forty-six pa rts of Prophethood. We know that the tota l
iif
�:J!
period of revelation was twenty-three years, of which the first six
months formed of true d rea ms. It is i m porta nt, however, to n ote �t[
�
�
here that n o verse of the Qu r'a n was revealed to h i m i n his sleep.
i\f
J
The entire Qu r'a n was revealed to h i m while he was awa ke.

���¢� �'¢.'¢.- �¢��¢� �'¢.¢'¢.� -

Who was U m m Ayman? What role did she play after the
death of Aa minah?
How can you say that �Abd u i-M utta l i b was very fond of
h i s grandson?
What was the Prophet's ea rly occu pation ? How did it aid
i n honing the skills n eeded for Prophethood?
Why, do you th i n k, should a M uslim be self-sufficient?
Why do you th i n k the Prophet � was very pl eased with
his i nvolvement in the formation of the Hilfa/-FuQ.oo/?
What prom pted Khadeeja h � to propose marriage to
the Prophet �? How was this marriage blessed?

During one Ramadhaan, in his third yea r
of sol itude i n t h e cave of H i raa: t h e Prophet
� was alone i n the cave of H i raa' on the night
destined for the beg i n n i n g of his p rophetic
mission. He was precisely forty l u n a r yea rs,
six months a n d twelve days old; that is to say,
thirty-nine Gregorian years, three months and
twenty days.2• It was the twenty-fi rst n i g ht of
Ramadhaan, Monday, Aug u st 1 0, i n the yea r
6 1 0 of t h e Ch ristia n Ca lendar.
The Prophet � was alone a n d fu l ly awa ke
2- For m o re deta i l s, see Safi - u r- R a� m a n a i - Mu barakpu ri,
Sealed Nectar, Da russalam, R i yadh, Saudi Arabia 2002, pp.
86 - 7.
in the cave when Angel Jibreel �� appea red
and said to him, 'Read!' The Prophet � replied,
'I ca n n ot read: Th e Prophet � h i mself later
na rrated what happened n ext:
'Then the angel took me and pressed me
u ntil all strength went o ut of me, then he
released me a n d said, "Read!" I said, " I ca n n ot
read:'Then he took hold of me and pressed me
again u ntil all strength went out of me; then he
released me and said, "Read!" I repl ied, "I ca n not
read:' Then he took me a n d pressed me a third
time; then he released me a n d said,
Read i n the Name o f you r Lord Who h a s created!
H e has created man from a c l i n g i n g clot.
Read, for yo u r Lord is the Most G racious,
Who h a s ta u g ht by the pen,
Ta u g h t man what he k n ew not.' (Surat ai-'Aiaq, 96:1 -5)
Trembling with fea r, the Messenger of
Allah � retu rned to Khadeeja h � and said,
'Wra p me u p! Wra p me up!' She wra pped him
u p u nti l he felt secu re again. Then he told her
a bout what had happened a n d said, ' I ndeed,
I fea r for myself!' Khadeeja h � said, 'By Allah!
Allah will never h u m i liate you! You fu lfi l the
d uties of kinsh i p, support the wea k, help the
poor, honour g u ests and help those in genuine
d istress:
Then she set out with h i m to her parenta l
cousin Wa raqah ibn Nawfa l who had embraced
Ch ristia n ity before Islam a n d used to write the
Bible in Hebrew. He was a lso old and blind.
Khadeejah � said to him, 'My cousin, l isten to
your nephew: Wa raqah tu rned to M uha mmad
� and said, 'What d id you see, my nephew?'
M uha m mad � told h i m what he had seen.
Wa raqah then said to h i m, 'That was the Angel
of Revelation whom Allah sent down upon
Moosaa. If only I were you nger and wou l d be
The a ble to l ive u p to the time when you r people
will d rive you o ut: M uha m mad � asked, 'Wi l l
they rea l ly expel me?"Yes: he repl ied, 'a nyone
who ever brought something similar to what
you have bro u g ht was treated with hostility.
If I should live ti l l then, I wou ld certa i n ly give
you support and assista nce: Wa raqah passed
away soon afterwards befo re the Prophet �
bega n to preach Islam pu bl icly and before the
persecution by the Qu raysh started, and the
revelations paused for a whi le. (ai-Bukhaaree)
I t was an Ara b custom, which is a lso preva lent
these days, to address a n old and respected
man as u ncle, hence Khadeejah's words 'yo u r
nephew: Wa raqa h believed that M uhammad
� was the fi nal Messenger sent to manki nd.
He is cou nted among those who embraced
Islam. The Prophet � later stated that Wa raqah
was one of the dwellers of Pa rad ise. He once
said, 'Do not spea k i l l of Wa raqah, for I indeed
saw that he had a garden or two gardens i n
Pa radise: (ai-Haakim)
•itt 3.1 5. The Pa use of ��
Revelations - Fatrat a/-Wahiy
Between the first revelation
mentioned i n the a bove tradition a nd
the next a period ela psed d u ring which
the Prophet � received no revelation,
which was a time of deepest d istress
for the h i m . There is no u n a n i m ity
regarding the d u ration of the pause of
the revelations or the i nterm ission. It is,
however, reasonable to mainta i n that
it was in fact short, lasting only a few
days. To say that it lasted a bout two
and half or th ree yea rs is not correct.
• Revelations Resume
I n fact, the pa use of revelations
for a few days was to rel ieve the
Prophet � of the i ntensity of the
awe h e had experienced in the Cave
of H i raa' and to increase his longing
for revelations. And after the pause,
the revelation came to h i m again. I t
is recorded i n Saheeh ai-Bukhaaree
that the Messenger of Allah � was
heard tal king a bo ut the brea k of
revelation as fol l ows:
'While I was walki ng, I heard a
voice coming from the sky. I looked
up and saw the same a ngel who
had visited me at the Cave of H i raa:
sitti ng on a throne between the sky
and the ea rth. He fi l led me with awe
and I retu rned home and said, 'Wra p
me up! Wra p me u p!' Then Allah the
Most H i g h revealed the fol lowing
verses:
0 you wra pped in a ma ntle!
Arise and del iver you r wa rning.
Magn ify you r Lord.
Pu rify you r clothes,
And keep away from idolatry.
(Soorat ai-Muddath-thir, 74: 1 -5)
After this the revelation sta rted
com ing frequently a nd reg u l a rly. '
Th us, forthe first time, t h e Prophet
� was commanded to preach Islam.
The a bove-q u oted verses were the
first verses to be revealed after the
pause of revelations.

3.1 7. The Ca l l to Islam i n
Makka h - the Secret Stage
When Alla h's Messenger � received
h is Lord 's command to 'rise a nd warn: he
indeed rose and wa rned his people and
ca rried doing so u ntil he met his Lord,
some twenty-th ree yea rs later. He spent
these twenty-three years vigorously and
relentlessly striving to abide by the noble
and weig hty order to 'rise and warn: He
compl ied with his Lord's command with
u n ique vigour, energy and dedication. His
efforts i n this respect fa ll i nto two major
stages: a secret stage and a public stage.
The secret stage was approximately for
the first th ree yea rs of his mission. The
second stage l asted u ntil he fi n a l ly left
Makka h on his fa mous hijrah (emigration)
to Madeenah and the rest of his l ife.
The private stage was ma rked by
secrecy i n conveyi ng the message. It was
d isti ngu ished by g reat care and ca ution
i n carefu l ly i nviti ng certain i nd ividuals to
Islam.
3. 1 8. The Ea rly Muslims
At fi rst, a s we have poi nted out a bove,
M uha m mad � preached Islam secretly among close
relatives, friends a nd acquainta nces. The first to
accept Islam was, as is u n iversa l ly acknowledged,
his wife Khadeejah. �Ali ibn Abee Iaa l i b, who was a
ten-year-old cousin of the Prophet � and a member
of the household and later son-in-law, was the next
convert. The Prophet � undertook to su pport 'Ali
beca u se of the limited resou rces of Abu Iaa l i b and
the large size of his fa m i ly. Next was the Prophet's
freed man and adopted son Zayd i bn Haarith a h . Next
to accept Islam was Abu Bakr who was the Prophet's
close friend and confidant for many yea rs.
Regard i n g th e conversion ofAbu Ba kr, M uha m mad
� sa id,
"I never i nvited a nyone to Islam who did not
display some hesitation i n embracing it except Abu
Bakr. He alone did not delay when I invited him to
Islam, nor did h e hesitate."
Abu Ba kr was the first convert outside the
im mediate household of Muha m mad �. He was
two years you nger than the Prophet � who was
forty years old. Abu Ba kr � was thus the first male
adult to accept Islam. Being a successfu l merchant,
he possessed considera ble wea lth. He was very
II
 popu lar i n Ma kkah owi ng to his fi ne and easy
man ners. He was the first of the prominent
personal ities of Ma kkah to accept Islam. He was
the first free-born man who open ly declared
himself a Muslim. People reg ula rly tu rned to
him for advice beca use of his knowled ge and
experience. Th rough his personal efforts, q u ite a
good n u m ber of people embraced Islam. These
include � uthmaan ibn �Affaan, az-Zu bayr ibn ai­
�Awwaam, �Abd ur-Rahmaan ibn �Awf, sa�d ibn
Abee Waq qaas and Ia lha h ibn � u bayd u l laah.
Among the early Muslims were a l so Bilaal
ibn Ra baah the Ethiopian, Abu ' U baydah i bn
a i-Ja rraah, Abu Salamah i bn 'Abdu i-Asad,
3.1 9. The Cal l to Islam i n Ma kka h - the Public Stage
Du ring the three yea rs of the private stage,
many people accepted Islam i n Makka h .
Groups o f men a n d women entered Islam. Soon
the mention of Islam was on everyone's lips in
Makka h . Then Allah comma nded
Messenger :i to proclaim publ icly
what had come to him from his
Lord: 'And wa rn you r nearest
relatives: (26: 2 1 4)
This verse was revea led
rou g h ly three yea rs after
the fi rst revelation at H i raa:
AI-Bukhaaree record s that
when the verse, 'And warn
you r nea rest rel atives,' was
revea led to the Prophet �, he
ascended the h i l l of a�-.S.afaa, nea r
the Ka � ba h, a n d proclai med i n a
voice: '0 Ba n u Fihr, 0 Ba n u �Adiy; ca lling the
clans of the Qu raysh, till they had all gathered.
Among those present was Abu La hab, a n
u ncle of the Prophet �. The Prophet � then
addressed them, 'Tell me, if I were to inform
II
ai-Arqam ibn Abee ai-Arqa m, � uthmaan ibn
Madh �oon, a n d his two brothers Qudaamah
and �Abd u l laah. � u bayd a h ibn a i-Haa rith,
Faa1i mah bint ai-Khattaa b, sister of � u ma r, the
second rightly-g uided ca l i ph, sa �eed i bn Zayd,
h usband of Faa1i mah bint ai-Khattaa b and
severa l others who accepted Islam.
Among the first Musli ms, the Q u raysh were
a clear majority. The thought that the early
converts consisted primari ly of slaves, socia l
outcasts a n d d owntrodden persons i s both
wrong and biased. The vast majority of those
ea rly M uslims were, in fact, Qu raysh free-born
men and were not slaves at all.
you that some cava l ry i n the va lley were a bout
to attack you, wou l d you bel ieve me?'
They rep l ied, 'Yes, we have never experienc­
ed a ny l ie from you : He then said, 'I am a wa rner
to you before a severe pu n ish ment:
Abu La h a b shouted ang rily,
'Peris h you for the rest of the
day. I s it for this that you
have gathered us?'
The Prophet �
was dismayed by the
response. The response
of the Qu raysh was not
wa rm. It was hostile in
the case of Abu La hab. But
Allah comforted the Prophet
�. Abu La h a b was condemned
together with his wife i n strong terms.
Soorat ai-Masad was revea led to the Prophet �.
Th u s the first person to th reaten the Prophet �
a n d attempt to shout h i m down was his own
u n cle, Abu La hab.
The a bove-mentioned trad ition from a l-
Bu khaaree ma rks the beg i n n i n g of the public called the Quraysh to acknowledge and worship
stage i n which Alla h's Messenger ·� openly no god a pa rt from Allah, the only True God.

3.20. Essentials of the Prophet's Early Ca l l of H is People

I n t h e first insta nce, Alla h's Messenger � and beneath it, in the seas, the s kies and every
i nvited the Quraysh idolaters of Ma kkah to other part of the u n iverse. His knowledge and
decla re the testimony of faith: Laa ilaaha mercy encom pass everyone and everything.
il/al/aah, Mub_ammadun He forgives sins, rel ieves stress,
Rasulul/aah (There removes woes a nd
god but Allah, a nd g u ides those who have
M uhammad is the gone astray. He feeds
Messenger of Allah) - the h u n g ry, clothes the
the fa mous Muslim call naked and hea l s the
to pure monotheism sick. He is One a nd
(tawb_eed). Alone and has no
The statement partners. Allah is you r
Laa ilaaha illallaah only Lord and Master.
consists of two Su rrender you r bei ngs
p h rases: one is a and you r l ives tota lly to
negation, the other is H i m Alone. Worship
a n affirmation. Laa ilaaha and serve no one but
(there is no god) wi pes Him. There is no god but
out the existence of every Allah and M uha m mad is the
fa lse god a nd condemns fa l se Messenger of Allah.
worship. The word i/aah could refe r The roots from which the word Islam comes
to any matter, person, idea or notion which is means both 'su bmission: 'peace' a nd 'security:
u ndeservedly ta ken or adopted as an object of The term Islam thus sign ifies the religion i n
wors h i p or adoration, irrespective of whether it which peace, secu rity a n d subm ission a re
is done out of excessive love or excessive fea r, attai ned through total subm ission to the will
while the words illal/aah affi rm the existence of of Allah. Everything in the heavens and on
the One, True God - Allah. earth belongs to Him. No man has a right to be
Allah is there. H e is the only True God. He is master of a nother man or to spread corru ption
the Creator and the Provider. H e is you r Lord and on earth.
Master. Life and death a re under His command. Alla h's Messenger � told the Q u raysh idol­
He alone should be fea red. From Him alone we wors h i p pers: An everlasti ng l ife awaits you
should ask everything. He a lone is worthy of beyon d where you will meet Allah and you r life
worship. His order and His decree a re fu lfi l led i n will be j ustified. You must prepa re you rselves
t h e heavens, in the fa rthest reaches o f the earth for that.

•
 What role did true d reams play i n M uha m mad's Prophethood?
Was any part of the Qu r'a n revea led i n his sleep?
How was Khadeejah • a pillar of su pport to the Prophet �
after he experienced h is first revelation?
What is fatrat a/-wab_iy? H ow long did it last? What was the
wisdom beh in d it?
What was the characteristic of the secret stage to the Ca l l of
Islam? Mention five of the earliest M uslims?
What was the initial basic message that the Prophet � i nvited
the people to?

3.21 . The Qu raysh Reject the Messenger of Allah � and His M essage
This simple message s hook the very The time of the pilgrimage would soon be
fou ndations of the Ma kka n society. I n real ity, upon them. Ara bs would come to Makka h
the Q u raysh l ived under the yoke of fa lse gods. from a l l over Arabia. The Qu raysh h a d a h i g h
Idols lorded over them. Man-made gods of reputation for hospita l ity. Now t h e pilgrims
their own desires lorded over them. When the would hear thei r gods rejected by the Prophet
Q u raysh saw that the Prophet's ca l l was � and his fol lowers. They would be
d i rected agai nst thei r gods, u rged to forsa ke the religion
their princi ples and their of their forefathers
long-sta nding fa lse· and to embrace
practices, they Islam. They
were g reatly were terrified.
a l a r m e d . They wou l d
P o l yt h e i s m lose their
(the fa lse belief a u t h o r i ty.
that there is more Therefore, when
than one god) was the message of Islam
deeply ingra i ned i n their m i nds, threatened their authority i n
hea rts a nd sou l s. Si nce they did not ka h, they made u p their minds to
bel ieve in a ny divinely revealed rel igion, their use a l l their energies and resou rces in an effort
hearts had hardened. They had become a to protect the a uthority and wea lth to which
materia listic peop le. They ca red only for their they had grown accustomed. It was very hard
worldly welfare. The situation was extremely for them to give u p their a ncesterors' way of l ife.
grave, they thought . They fea red that Islam wou ld bring a n end to

•
their economic wel l-being and wou l d end their
free way of life and their su perior socia l status.
Alla h's Messenger :i ta u g ht that Allah is One.
The Ma kka n s had many gods a nd g oddesses.
Their fathers and g randfathers had worshipped
these gods for generations. The Ma kkans
d rew economic benefits from their rel igious
beliefs, which they fea red they might lose by
becom ing Musli ms. Makka h was the centre of
their religion. The Q u raysh were i n charge of
the Holy Ka � bah. The Ka ' ba h had three h u n d red
and sixty idols. People ca me from a l l over
Ara bia to wors h i p these idols in the Ka � bah.
The Prophet's :i message th reatened them all.
It chal lenged them. It exposed them. Therefore,
his im med iate enem ies in Ma kkah rose agai nst
the Proph et � and his ca ll. They began to ca l l
h i m a poet, a soothsayer, and a man possessed.
Many sim ply h ea rd the Qu r'a n and embraced
Islam. Some saw the Prophet ·� and were
i m med iately ca ptivated by the l ig ht of mercy,
generosity, a nd h u ma n ity that was visible i n his
man ners a nd mora l s, i n his works and words.
Islam began to spread, and the op position
conti nued to harden and i ntensify, g rowi ng a l l
t h e more fu rious a nd violent.
3.22. The Qu raysh Take Action
Those who embraced Islam and joi ned the
Prophet � were a l so tortu red i n countless ways,
just as was the Prophet :i himself: They were
mocked, a bused, tortu red, flogged, im prisoned
and boycotted. The Quraysh tu rned to chea p
mea ns i n a desperate attem pt t o turn t h e tide
of the Proph et's ca ll.
Some were subjected to m uch more i n h u ma n
tortures. They were made t o l ie on burning coa l
fires u ntil the melting body fat exti ngu is hed
them. Some were d ragged over burn i ng sand
and rocks. Yet such was the strength of their
fa ith that none of them a ba ndoned it i n the
face of such trials and tribu lations.
3.23. The Quraysh Approach
Abu Taa l i b
M uha m mad � conti n ued h is m ission.
He proclaimed the truth loud ly. Abu Iaa l i b
conti nued to care for h i m a n d defend him.
Eventual ly, a delegation of the chiefs of the
Quraysh visited Abu Iaa l i b i n a desperate effort
to persuade h i m to forsa ke his nephew. They
said, 'Abu Iaa l i b! You r nephew has insu lted our
gods. He has criticized o u r religion, ridicu led
our customs and degraded our forefathers.
Either leave h i m to us or there will be a bitter
split between you and us:
They visited Abu Iaa l i b three times. Once
Abu Iaa l i b said to the Prophet � 'Nephew, you r
'
people have come t o me with th reats. Spare
me and you rself. Do not b u rden me more than
I cou ld bear:
Alla h's Messenger � saw that Abu Iaa l i b was
very u pset by what had happened. He found it
hard to ca rry on defending h i m . He said, 'If they
were to p lace the sun in my rig ht hand and the
moon i n my left, I would sti l l not leave it unti l
Allah ma kes me victorious or I perish doing it:
Another report states that the Prophet
� looked u p i nto the sky and asked the
polytheists, "Ca n you see the sun ?"They replied
in the affi rmative. Then he said, 'I am no more
capa ble of givi ng u p this m ission than you a re
capa ble of stea ling a flame from the sun:3 Then
Abu Iaa l i b told the Prophet �, 'Nephew, go
a nd say whatever you l i ke. By Allah, I will never
su rrender you to a nyone:
3 - M a hd i R i z q u l l a h A� m ad, A Biography of the Prophet �.
Da russ a l a m, R i yadh, Saud i Arabia, 2005, Vol. 1, p. 172 .
•
 The Quraysh i ntensified their
efforts to rep ress the spread of Islam
and to oppress the new Muslim
converts. The noble a n d mercifu l
Prophet � was m oved when he saw
the trials and tri bu lations to which his
followers were subjected. However, as
the persecution g rew u n beara ble, the
Prophet � said to his Companions,
'If you go to Abyssinia (modern
Eth iopia), you will fi nd there a king
in whose cou ntry n o one is wronged:
The Prophet � h i m self and a few of
his Compa nions were comparatively
safe due to the protection afforded to
P
AI- Ula
them by Abu Iaa l i b, but the same did
.
Khaibar
not a pply to the rest of his fol l owers.
So, it ca me a bout in the month of

Yan u
.
• AI-Madinah Rajab, in the fifth yea r of the Prophet's
mission, that a bout a dozen Muslim
men a n d fou r women secretly left
Ma kkah for Eth iopia, where they
received a friendly reception by
Turabah
• Asha mah Neg u s, who had obviously
• At-Ta'if

M i g ration to Abyssinia stron g tenden cies towa rds the

When the Prophet (�) saw that his Companions
were constantly persecuted, and that he cannot
doctri ne of p u re Tawb..eed (On eness of
protect them, he said to them: "If you leave for the
land of Abyssinia, there is a king who oppresses Allah) preached by the Prophet �.
no one, and it is a land of truth, stay there until
'Y.
AI Qunfudah • � Allah finds you a relief from this misery," and this These emigra nts incl uded a
was the first migration in Islam.

daug hter of the Prophet :i, Ruqayya h

• Abha $, who was accom pan ied by her
• Najran husband � uthmaan ibn �Affaan. With
�\) • Jizan respect to these few emigra nts, Alla h's
Farasan Shabwah
Ma'rib •
Messenger � said, 'They a re the first
.
Sana'
people to emigrate in the cause of
Kamaran o

Allah, after l braaheem �� a n d Lu1 �1:

The first migration, or hijrah, made
•
Shaqra
a profound i m pression on the m i nds
of the idol-worshipping Qu raysh, for
Gulf of Aden
they rea l ized that the Muslims were
prepared to sacrifice everythi ng, even
home and country, for the sa ke of their faith.
Soon afterwards, the emigra nts lea rnt of mass
conversion of the people of M a kka h to Islam,
and some of them made their way back home
to Ma kka h. But this tu rned out to be o n ly a
ru mour.
The Prophet :1 ordered his fol l owers again to
migrate to Eth iopia. I n this second migration,
eig hty-th ree men and eig hteen women
pa rtici pated, for the Muslim com m u n ity had
obviously g rown after ' U ma r's accepta nce
of Islam. Soon afterwards, the Qurays h sent
a deputation to Eth iopia, hoping that the
emigra nts be forced to return to Ma kkah. But
the Neg us was by this time fu l ly convi n ced of
the divine orig i n of the Prophet's teachings, and
he fi rm ly refused to su rrender the emigra nts.
It is im porta nt to n ote that the migration to
Ethiopia was not a single event, for it took place
in two successive stages. And this was the first
m igration of Islam.
3.25. Why Abyssi n ia?
There a re a n u m ber of reasons why the
Prophet � chose Abyssinia over other l a nds.
Fi rstly, the N egus, the king of Eth iopia, was a just
ki ng, a fact that the Prophet � himself poi nted
out when he said that in the Abyssinian king's
cou ntry n o one was wronged. Th is p roved to
be true, for the Negus protected the Muslims
and refu sed to hand them over to the Quraysh.
Second ly, Abyssinia at that time was a land of
prosperity. It was a trade centre to which the
Quraysh travel led. Thi rdly, and perha ps most
im porta ntly, the Q u raysh had no a uthority
whatsoever in Abyssi nia. The Prophet's
Compa n ions could n ot m igrate to any other
place with i n the Ara bian Pen i nsu la, si nce for
the most pa rt, and on most occasions, the
Ara b tri bes within Ara bia obeyed the Q u raysh.
Fou rth ly, the Prophet tj knew a bout l ife in
Abyssi n ia and loved it. His n u rsemaid Umm
Ayma n, who was Abyssi nian herself, spent a
lot of ti me with h i m d u ring his child hood, a n d
it is not u n l i kely that she h a d spoken t o h i m
a bo ut her homela nd, its traditions a n d ru lers.
Final ly, and perhaps most sign ifica ntly, the
main pu rpose of the migration was to spread
Islam outside of Ma kka h, a n d not sim ply flee
from persecution.
As In his book In the Shade of the Qur'an,
Sayyid Qutb writes,
The Messenger of A l l a h � wa s searc h i n g for a stronghold
outside of M a kkah, a stronghold that could protect the
beli efs of I s l a m a n d g u a rantee the freedom to open ly
practise I s l a m . I n my estimation, t h i s was the foremost
reason that p ro m pted the m i g ration . The view that the
Proph et's Compa n i o n s m i g rated only to save them selves i s
n o t s u pported b y strong evi de nce. Had they m i g rated only
to save themselves from torture and temptation to leave
the fo ld of I s l a m , those M u s l i m s who were the weakest
in status, strength and protection would have m i g rated
a s wel l . But the fact is that sl aves a n d wea k M u s l i ms, who
bore the major brunt of persecution and tortu re, did not
m i g rate. O n ly men who had strong tribal ties - ties that
protected them from torture and temptation - m i g rated
to Abys s i n i a (Eth iopia) . In fact, the majority of t h ose who
m i g rated were members of the Q u raysh .4
The fact that the Negus a n d other
Abyss i n i a n people embra ced Islam s u pports
the view that spreading I s l a m in Eth iopia was
one of the reasons be h i nd migration to that
land. This is n ot the pl ace to ela borate on this
point here, but it is recomm ended to read Ali
Moha m mad as-Sa llaa bee's The Noble Life of
the Prophet :1.
4- Quoted by A l i Moham m ad a s - Sa l l a abee, The Noble Life of
the Prophet �. Da russ a l a m, R i yadh, Sa udi Ara b i a, 2005, Vol.
pp. 487-488.

2.26. The Boycott
The fa i l u re of the Makka n delegation to
obta i n the expu lsion of Muslims from Eth iopia
provoked hostile reaction i n Makka h where the
persecution of Muslims was fu rther i ntensified.
When the Qu raysh saw that the Prophet's
Com pa n ions sought refuge i n a cou ntry where
they had found secu rity a n d stability, that the
Neg u s had underta ken to protect them, that
the fea rsome � u ma r ibn ai-Khattaab � had
accepted Islam a n d that Islam conti n ued to
spread among the tri bes of Ara bia, the Q u raysh
decided on a tota l boycott of the Prophet �
and his fa m i ly.
They wrote a docu ment i n which they made
it binding upon themselves that they would
n ot ma rry with them, nor give their daug hters
in ma rriage to them; neither wou ld they sel l
them a nythi ng, nor buy a nyth ing from them;
nor wou l d a l low any kind of provision to reach
them, n ot to show mercy to them; not to m ix
with them; not to sit with them; not to spea k
to them; n ot to e nter their houses u ntil they
•
ha nded Alla h's Messenger � over to them. They
vowed to observe the terms of the document
and vowed to observe its terms. They then
hung the docu ment inside the Ka � bah, in order
to i m p ress it even more upon themselves.
The boycott was fu l ly enforced agai nst the
Prophet � his fol l owers, a n d their protectors,
'
Muslims and idolaters a l i ke. The boycott took
place i n the beg i n n i ng of the seventh yea r of
the Prophet's mission. The isolation a n d boycott
lasted for a bout three years.
The na rrow pass, S h i � b of Abu Iaa l i b, to
which they had been confi ned, was a rugged
little va l ley enclosed by h i l l s on a l l sides a n d
cou l d b e entered from Ma kka h b y a narrow
way through the mou ntai ns. I n this d ry va l l ey,
Alla h's Messenger �� his fo l lowers and the
clans of Ba n u Haashim and Ba n u a i-M utta l i b
were obliged to retire with l im ited su pplies
of food and necessities. Soon the su pplies of
food and basic necessities began to run short.
The Qu raysh prevented them fro m going to
the ma rket-place. Whenever any merchand ise
arrived in Ma kka h from a b road, the Quraysh
wou l d p u rchase a l l of it, rega rdless of whether
they needed it or not. Their sole i ntent was to
infl ict as m uch harm as possible on the Ba n u
Haashim clans a n d conseq uently lay their
hands o n the Prophet ;;i.
The hardship and s uffering beca me their
lot. As days and months of their confi nement
dragged a long, the wa i l i n g of h u n g ry children
and women in the va lley could be hea rd in
Makka h . The siege a n d embargo beca me
too d ifficult to bear. They were forced, out of
h u n ger, to eat the leaves of trees. M a ny idolaters
were moved to pity a n d sympathy. Others
were impressed by the courage, devotion a n d
dedication of t h e Muslims t o their ca use. Th e
Prophet � conti n ued to go to the Ka � bah a n d
to pray open ly. He used every opportun ity
to preach to outsiders who visited Ma kka h
for trade or on pilgrimage d u ring the sacred
months. I n the third yea r of the boycott and
the siege, many Q u raysh leaders bega n to feel
g u i lty a bout isolati n g their kinsmen to perish
i n the va lley. U lti mately, the u njust boycott was
l ifted and the M uslims were a l l owed to return
to their homes.
The boycott is a usefu l rem inder of the
hardships and sufferi ngs which the early
M uslims had to bear in the ca use of their faith.
It a lso shows that the boycott was a wea pon to
which enem ies of Islam have a lways resorted i n
their futile effort to put a n end t o Islam.
3.27. The Year of G rief
Hardly had the Messenger of Al l a h ii settled
in Ma kka h after the end of the boycott when
two events took place that were particularly
h a rd for h i m to bear. Fi rst, Abu Iaalib, his u n cle
and protector, passed away. It was the tenth
yea r of the Prophet's mission. Abu Iaa l i b,
however, n ever beca me a M uslim. He died as
a n idolater.
A few days after Abu Iaa l i b's death,
Khadeejah $, the Prophet's beloved wife who
had always hel ped a n d con soled h i m in times of
hardship a n d distress, also d ied. She was a bout
sixty-five yea rs old and he was nearly fifty. They
had l ived together in profound harmony, and
she had been not only h is wife, but a lso h i s
i ntimate compa nion, h i s wise cou nsel lor and
the mother to h i s whole h ousehold, which
i ncl uded �Ali and Zayd ibn Haa rithah. Her
death left the Messenger of Allah ii witho ut
that affectionate support which had for so
long hel ped to sustain him i n the face of trial
and persecution. He was deeply g rieved and
was a l m ost overwhel med by sorrow. The yea r
i n which Abu Iaa l i b a n d Khadeejah $ d ied
beca me known as the Yea r of Grief (�Aam a/­
Huzn), because of the tremendous loss to the
a l ready affected Prophet �.
3.28. The Journey to at-Taa'if
To preach in Makka h n ow seemed hopeless,
and to p rovoke the Quraysh was n ot the best
wisdom. The Prophet � therefore, decided to
'
ca rry h is messag e to the people of the nea rby
green and bea utifu l town of a1-Ia'if. I n the
month of Shawwaal, towa rds the end of May or
the beg i n n i ng of J u ne 6 1 9 CE, in the tenth yea r
of Prophethood, the Prophet ii set out o n foot
towa rds a1-Iaa'if, a bout sixty to seventy mi les
from Makka h, accom pa n ied by his trusted
adopted son Zayd ibn Haarithah, to invite
people to Islam. Once there, he went stra ight to
a leading fam i ly in the city. But their response
to his ca l l was very d isappointing.
The tri bal leaders rid icu led him and rejected
his ca l l . They instigated thei r slaves a n d street
u rchins to fol l ow h i m and shout a buse at him.
They kept pelti ng h i m with ston es u ntil his
feet sta rted bleed ing. Zayd, who tried his best
to shield him, received a pai nful wou n d in the
head. The insolent mob conti n ued to chase the
Prophet � a n d his Com pa n ion two or three
mi les across the sandy plains u nti l they were
d riven to the outskirts of the city, where the
 Ma kkah. The Ma kka ns had lea rnt of
The Historical way between
M akkah and at-Taa ' if the Prophet's disa ppointment at a1-
which the Prophet (:i) followed
Iaa'if and were prepa ring a degrad ing
reception for h i m, but Alla h's help
a rrived. A good-hea rted chief, a i ­
M ufim i bn �Ad iyy, took h i m u nder
his protection and brought him to his
home. Thus did Alla h's Messenger::i re­
, - ...... - - -.J. ...
'Ain Zabidah
enter Ma kka h, guarded by a polytheist,
scoffed at by his fel l ow citizens.
•· - -
At-Ta'iL , '
-
•• A1-Iaa'if episode was the hardest
' -t

moment in the Prophet's l ife.

Prophet :i and Zayd took shelter i n a vineya rd.

When the vineya rd's owners saw the Prophet
:i bleedi ng, they were obviously moved. They
sent their Ch ristian slave, �Addaas with a cluster
of fresh g ra pes placed on a platter.
Before the Prophet � sta rted eati ng he said, What was the m a i n reason for the
'In the Name of Allah: �Addaas looked eagerly Q u raysh to reject Islam?
into his face, then he said, 'These a re not the How did the Qu raysh aim at putting
words that the people of this cou ntry norma l ly a n end to the Prophet's Mission by:
say: Alla h's Messenger :i said, 'Where a re you a. torturing the reverts
from, and what is you r rel ig ion?"! am a Ch ristia n
b. approaching thei r leader Abu
from Nineveh; �Addaas replied. The Prophet
Iaa l i b
:i then said, 'That means from the city of the
What do you know a bout the
righteous man Yoonus the son of Matta a: U pon
sayi ng this, �Addaas bent over him and kissed migration to Abyssi nia? Why did the

his head, his ha nds and feet. Later on, when the Prophet ::i choose this land alone?
Prophet :i felt somewhat refreshed, he set out What were the terms of the boycott,
towa rds Makka h. and where did the Muslims l ive
Late that night he reached the va l l ey of d u ring it? Did the Qu raysh manage
Nakhlah, ha lfway halt between a1-Iaa'if and to curb the prophetic m ission?
Makka h . While he was standing in prayer there,
What is the Yea r of the G rief? Why
a group of seven jinn who passed by l istened
was it ca l led as such?
spel l bo u nd to his recitation. As soon as he
Why did the Prophet :i g o to a1-
completed the recitation, they embraced Islam
and returned to their com m u n ity, u rging them Iaa'if? Was h e successfu l i n ach ieving
to favou rably respond to the Prophet's ca l l to his goa ls?
Islam. U ltimately, the Prophet :i retu rned to
 Mediterranean
Sea

Daumatil Jandal
• • Sakakah

E
"'
0
An Nafud Great Desert 0
0
....
•
Hail 0
0
co

0
(Yathrib) 0
CD
• AI-Madinah

0
0
oq-

0
0
N

.,

3.29. The N ig ht Jou rney a n d 0

0
N

t h e Ascension to Heaven (the

Sana'

lsraa' and the Mrraaj) •

The N i g ht Jou rney

It is in this period that the Prophet's N ig ht
Jou rney to Jerusa lem (lsraa') and his ascension From AI-Masjid AI-Haraam
(in Makkah)
from there to heaven (Mrraaj) took place. One To AI-Masjid AI-Aqsaa
(in Jerusalem) -
n i g ht the Prophet � was awakened from sleep
and ta ken, in the company of Angel Jibreel &;§I,

first to Jerusalem. There he was met by a l l the
prophets, who gathered together behind him
as he prayed in the centre of the site of the
Sa nctua ry, the spot where the Dome of the
Rock sta nds today. From the rock, l ed by Angel
Jibreel &;§I, he ascended through the seven
heavens and beyond. Th u s he saw what Allah
made h i m see, the h eavenly worlds which no
human eye ca n see. During the journey, the
five daily prayers were made obligatory for his
followers. This event is referred to i n Ara bic as ai­
Mi�raaj (ascension i nto heaven) i n the b_adeeth
a n d the Prophet's biography (seerah). It is a lso
briefly referred to in the Qu r'a n (Soorat al­
lsraa', 1 7: 1 and Soorat an-Najm, 53: 1 3- 1 8). Both
the N i g ht Jou rney (lsraa') and the Ascension
(Mi�raaj) were bod ily occu rrences.
When M uha m m ad :i spoke to the people he
met in the mosque of h is jou rney to Jerusalem,
his enem ies were im med iately victorious. They
now felt that they had a sure ca use for mockery.
Every child of the Quraysh knew that it wou l d
norm a l ly ta ke a rider a bout a month t o g o
from Ma kkah t o Syria a n d a month t o return.
M uha m mad :i, they mista ken ly thoug ht,
clai med to have gone there in one single nig ht.
A g ro u p of men went to Abu Ba kr and asked
him, 'What do you think of you r friend now? He
has told us that he went to Jerusalem last night
and prayed there and then retu rned to Makka h :
A b u Bakr confidently repl ied, 'lf h e says so, then
it is true. There is n oth ing s u rpri nsing about
that. In fact, he tel ls me a bout the revelations
that he receives d u ring any hour of the day or
n ig ht, and I know him to be speaking the truth:
It was for this reason that the Prophet :i gave
him the nickname Oi-S.iddeeq, which means
'the truthfu l:
 3.30. Madeenah Residents
Embrace Islam 3 .3 1 . Severa l Migrations
Soon after the Prophet's return from a!­
Iaa'if and the Night Journey, at the time of
the pilgri mage, six men from Madeena h
embraced Islam. Madeena h, then known
as Yathrib, was a small oasis about 400
kilometres to the north of Ma kka h. It is now
known as Madeenat-un-Nabiy (the City of
the Prophet), a/-Madeenah ai-Munawwarah
Makka h was no longer a safe place for M uslims to
(the Radiant City), or simply Madeenah,
l ive in. Therefore, Alla h's Messenger � encou raged
for short. These six converts delivered the
h i s fol l owers to migrate to Madeena h. Quietly they
message of Isla m to as many as they could,
sta rted to move out. The M uslims of Q u raysh began
and at the time of the fol lowing pilgrimage
to migrate i n considera ble n u m bers. I n a few months,
i n the yea r 62 1 CE, twelve persons came.
more than a hundred fa m i lies had left thei r h omes and
They pledged to the Prophet � that they
m i g rated to Madeenah. It was not long before most
would not associate a nyone i n worship with
of h is Companions had mig rated with the exception
Allah, not to steal, not to com m it a d u ltery,
of Abu Bakr and �Ali.
not to ki l l their children, not to utter slander
The Q u raysh did all that they possibly could to
a nd not to disobey him. This time the
stop the migrations. They were awa re of the power
Prophet � sent M u��ab ibn � u mayr with
of the Prophet's message. They sensed the danger
them to teach them the Qu r'an and Islam
that Musli ms' presence i n Madeena h posed to their
and to spread the message of Islam.
northern trade carava n routes. They saw no other way
More a nd more people in Madeenah -
to stop a l l this but to ki l l the Messenger of Allah ;I.
men, women and tri bal chiefs - accepted
The Quraysh nota bles consu lted one a nother on what
Islam over the course of a yea r. At the time
cou rse of action to take regarding M uhammad �.
of the fol lowi ng pilgrimage seventy-th ree
They fi nally ag reed that each clan wou l d provide
men and two women came. They met
one strong a nd wel l con nected young man, g ive
the Prophet � at a i-�Aq a bah, a place in
them a sword each, and together they wou ld attack
the va l ley of M i na, not far from Makkah .
the Prophet �� each stri king a blow the moment he
They pledged t o protect t h e Prophet :1 a s
would leave his house. That way, they thoug ht, the
they wou ld protect their own women a nd
responsi b i l ity for his m u rder wou l d be d ivided among
children. They invited him and all Muslims
the tri bes, and his blood would thus be on a l l the
in Ma kka h to Madeenah. When asked what
clans' ha nds. Conseq uently, the Prophet's clan wou l d
would be theirs if they fu lfi l led their pledge,
have to accept blood money instead of revenge. The
the Prophet � replied, 'Pa radise: Thus the
Q u raysh held this council on Thu rsday morning, S.afar
beginn ing was made, and the fou ndations
26, in the fou rteenth yea r of the Prophet's mission
of Islamic society and civil ization were set.
(Septem ber 1 2, 622 CE).
 3.32. The Long-awa ited awa re of h is i ntention to emigrate and were
bent on killing h i m .
Hijrah Ta kes Place Then t h e Prophet � began to recite Surat
Yaa Seen. When he came to the words "And We
However, Allah had a l ready i nformed
have put a barrier before them and a barrier
the Proph et :i, through Angel Jibreel WI of
beh ind them; and We have vei led them so
Qu raysh's wicked p lot. The long-awaited hour
that they ca n not see (36:9)': h e ca me out of his
of underta king the hijrah had come. Having
house, and Allah took away the conspi rators'
lea rned of the plot and g u ided to leave Ma kka h
sight so that they could not see h i m, and so
for Madeenah, Alla h's Messenger � went at
he passed through their m idst a nd went on
m idday to Abu Ba kr's h ouse to fi nal ize the
h is way. When it was dawn, �Ali rose and went
emigration. Abu Bakr was overjoyed at having
to the door of the house, sti l l wra pped in the
been chosen for the honour and blessing of
Prophet's g reen cloa k. When the plotters saw
being the Prophet's compa n ion on h i s blessed
who it was, they rea lized that they had been
and epoch-ma king jou rney.
somehow outwitted.
On that fatefu l n ig ht, as da rkness fel l, the
youths chosen by the Q u raysh leaders to
m u rder the Prophet :i su rrou nded h i s house.
They had decided to pou nce on him as soon as
he ca me out of his house for the dawn prayer.
Meanwhi le, the Messenger of Allah :i handed
over a l l the money a nd belongings left by the
M a kka ns with h i m for safekeeping to �Ali �- The
Prophet � asked him to stay beh i nd in Ma kka h
s o that he wou l d g ive a l l goods deposited
in their house for safekeeping back to their
owners. The Prophet :i had always been known
to be trustworthy (ai-Ameen), and there were
so many Q u raysh polytheists who would trust
h i m with their p roperty as they wou l d trust no
one else.
The Prophet � a lso informed �Al i � of what
3.33. The Hijrah
Ji b reel WI had told h i m about the plot Qu raysh
had hatched agai nst him. The Prophet � took
Alla h's Messenger � thus left his house
u p a g reen mantle i n which he used to sleep
d u ri ng the night on S.afar 27, i n the fou rteenth
and gave it to �Ali, saying, 'Sleep on my bed in
yea r of his m ission, corresponding to the 1 2
it and no h a rm will come to you from them: �Al i
or 1 3 September, 622 CE. He retu rned to Abu
I

i bn Abee Iaa l i b l ay down on the Prophet's bed

Bakr, and losing no ti me they went o ut. As
and covered h i mself with the l atter's cloak i n
they had plan ned, they made for a cave at
order t o deceive the Qurays h who had become
Mount Thawr, a l ittle to the south on the way

•
 The H ijrah
T h e route taken b y the Messenger (�) from
Makkah to AI-Madinah
He left the Cave of Thawr o n Monday 1 Rabee'
ai-Awwal and entered AI-Madeenah o n F riday
1 2 Rabee' ai-Awwal ( 1 6 J u l y 622 CE)
- The route followed by the P rophet (:I)
- The caravan route at that time
to Yemen. They knew that as soon as the Prophet's
a bsence was d iscovered sea rch bands wou l d be sent
out to cover a l l the northern outskirts of the city of
Ma kka h . When they had gone a l ittle way beyond
the preci ncts of Ma kka h, the Prophet � stopped his
camel. He looked back and said, 'Of all Alla h's ea rth,
you a re the dearest place to me and the dearest to
Allah. Had my people not d riven me out of you, I
would not have left you :
When the Qu raysh rea l ized that t h e Prophet
� had evaded them, they beca me fu rious. They
offered a reward of a h u n d red she-camels to a nyone
who could fi nd him and bring h i m back to Makka h .
Horsemen were a l ready fol lowi ng each and every
route from Makka h to Madeenah. Both the Prophet
� and Abu Ba kr � stayed i n the Cave of Mount
Thawr for three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Qu raysh continued their sea rch to get hold of
them. Both ai-Bukhaaree and M uslim mention that
the Qu raysh pu rsuers actu a l ly came to the cave.
Abu Bakr � worried so m uch a bout the safety of the
Prophet � that he shook with fea r, but the Prophet
� rea ssured him, 'What do you thi n k of two men
whose third is Allah H i mself, Abu Ba kr?' The Q u r'an
itself refers to this exchange between the Prophet �
a nd Abu Bakr �. When the pu rsuers were sta nding
above the cave, Abu Ba kr � sa id, 'lf one of them were
to look beneath his feet, he wou l d see us, Prophet of
Allah: The Prophet � confidently answered, 'Do not
g rieve, for Allah is with us: (9:40)
An expert and tru stworthy man by the name of
' Abd u l l a a h i bn U rayq it who had not yet embraced
Islam had been h i red by Abu Ba kr as a g u ide. He
reached the cave after three n i g hts accord i ng to the
plan. He brought with him Abu Ba kr's two camels.
The camels were very wel l looked after by Abu
Bakr. Alla h's Messenger � insisted on paying the
cost of his camel, thus ind icati ng the i m porta nce
and desirability of each M u s l i m paying, as fa r as
possible, the expenses of his own m i g ration. It was
the Prophet's hijrah, his cutting off
of a l l ties of home and homeland
for the sa ke of Allah. The act of
emigration, therefore, must entirely
be his own; not shared by a nyone
else - in a ny respect. The mount on
which the act was accompl ished
m ust therefore be his own. The
camels name was ai-Qa�waa: a nd
she remai ned his favou rite camel.
After three days i n the cave, when
Alla h's Messenger ti; a nd Abu Bakr
were ready to be on the road again,
Abu Ba kr's daug hter Asmaa' came
along with a large bag of provisions
for the jou rney. She wa nted to
fasten it to one of the camels, but
she cou l d not fi nd a string to tie it
with. As she had forgotten to bring
a rope, she took off her wa istband
and tore it i nto two lengths, using
one to tie the bag sec u rely to her
father's saddle, and the other to tie
their water skin. For this reason, this
noble and brave young woma n who
was later ma rried to the celebrated
Companion of the Prophet �, az­
Zu bayr ibn a i-�Awwaam ti;, ea rned
the title 'Dhaat an-Nitaaqayn' (the
one with the two wa istbands). A
nitaaq was a wa istband of cloth
worn by women in the olden days.
The Prophet �, Abu Bakr, a nd
�Aamir ibn Fu hayra h, Abu Ba kr's
freed man depa rted, and thei r g u ide
�Abdu l laah ibn U rayq it led them
through the seldom used routes
a long the coasta l way. This i ncident
took place on 1 Rabee� ai-Awwal, 1
AH (September 1 6, 622 CE).
3.34. The S u raqa h I ncident
The award of one hundred camels, for each of them,
which the Quraysh had a n nou nced to a nyone who wo uld
capture the Prophet � and Abu Bakr, was so tem pti ng that
young men were i n pursuit on every possible trial. Alla h's
Messenger � a nd Abu Bakr thus bega n their long and
u nsafe jou rney to Yathrib (the old name of Madeena h).
They avoided the usual route as m uch as possible. Th eir
expert g u ide was rema rka bly usefu l i n this regard. They had
to ride fast for a l most all the n i g ht a nd most of the day. The
Q u raysh were sti l l sea rching for them.
Suraaqah ibn Maa l i k a i-Mudlijee was a Bedouin of the
Ki naanah tribe of Ba n u M u d l ij. He was a wa rrior and poet
who mostly l ived in his tri bal village near Ma kka h . Havi ng
lea rnt of the wherea bouts of the Prophet � from a traveller,
S u raaqah sto le out of Ma kka h in p u rsuit of the Prophet
� with the i ntention of capturing the Prophet :!t and Abu
Ba kr h i mself so that he wou ld not be obl iged to d ivide the
reward with anyone else. When Suraaqah was i n sight of
the Prophet :!t, his mare fel l twice, but he
conti nued the chase. As he d rew
sti l l closer, his mare fel l so
bad ly that its forelegs
s a n k u p to the
k n e e s into the
g ro u n d, and he was
th rown off. He then
u rged the animal by
shouts, and it p u l led u p,
d ragging out itsforelegs with
d ifficulty. When it could sta nd again, there a rose
from the h oles which its forelegs had made d ust i nto the
sky, l i ke smoke. S u raaqah was very frig htened. It beca me
clea r to h i m that the Prophet :!t a nd his pa rty were protected
from h i m by divine force.
He ca l led out loudly and na med hi mself, vowing that he
intended no harm. Suraaqah remou nted his mare and rode
towa rds them. When he saw h ow he had been with held
from harming them, it came to his mind that the Prophet's
•
 cause wou ld defi n itely tri u m p h . He said to the
Prophet � that the Quraysh leaders had put a
price o n his head and i nformed h i m oftheir plans
regard i n g him. He offered them provisions and
utensils, but they accepted noth ing from him.
The Prophet � sim ply req uested h i m to keep
their whereabouts secret. S u raaqah asked him
to write a warra nt of security, and the Prophet
tJj ordered tAa m i r i b n Fu hayra h to do so. He
wrote it o n a piece of ta n ned leather. Then the
Prophet � went his way. S u raaqah embraced
Islam after the Con q uest of Makka h a n d died
in 24 AH.
1lllu
,
Grad u a l ly the l a ndsca pe began to cha nge as
Yathrib d rew closer. At length, it a ppeared on
the horizon. But it was not u ntil noontime that
the Prophet � reached the southern end of the
city, a s u b u rb cal led Q u baa'. He set o ut o n 1 st of
Rabee' ai-Awwa/, 1 AH a n d reached Yathrib on
1 2th of the same month (September 24, 622 CE.)
Severa l days previously news from Makka h
of the Prophet's a bsence a n d the reward for h i m
had reached the oasis. The people of Qu baa'
were expecti ng h i m dai ly. The time of h is
a rriva l was now overdu e. Every morn i ng, after
the dawn prayer, people wou ld go out to l ook
for h im. Crowds of chiefta ins, men, women and
children, had been gatheri n g on the outski rts
:�
of the city ever si nce news of his setti ng out
from Makka h had reached them. They wou l d
go o u t beyond t h e fields and pa l m g roves a n d
wou l d stop and wait u ntil t h e s u n beca me
intense, then they wou l d return to their homes.
They had gone out one morn ing but
returned by the time the Prophet � and his
fel low travellers had beg u n their descent down
the rocky slope. A Jew who ha ppened to be on
the roof of his h ouse at that time ca u g ht sight
of them. Rea lizing who they were, he ca l led
out at the top of h is voice that M uha m mad
� a nd his compa n ions had appeared. The ca l l
was i m med iately ta ken u p. Men, women a n d
children h u rried from thei r houses. B ut they
had n ot far to go. Alla h's Messenger � a n d
his fel l ow trave l l i n g com pa n ions had by n ow
reached the outlyi ng pa l m grove. It was the
noon of g reat delight o n a l l sides. The Prophet
� stopped i n the suburb of Q u baa� two m i les
south of Yath ri b. He spent four days there a n d
built Qu baa' Mosq ue w h i c h exists t o t h i s day.
The Qu r'a n hig h ly commends that Mosq ue
beca u se it was built on the fou ndation of piety
from the first day. (9:1 08)
On Friday morni ng, he set off again. At noon,
he stop ped among the Ba n u Saa l i m ibn tAwf,
where he offered the Jumutah prayer. This was
the first Friday prayer that he offered in the city
that from now on was to be h is home. After the
prayer, he mou nted ai-Qaswaa� a n d the others
a lso mou nted their camels and set off for the
city. U pon his a rriva l Yathrib was renamed
Madeenat-un-Nabiy (The City of the Prophet �)
- Madeenah, for s hort.
 What is meant by the words lsraa' and Mi�raaj? What specia l incidents did the Prophet :i
experience d u ring the N i g ht Jou rney?
How did Madeena h become an ideal place for the M usli ms' emigration?
Give two reasons why the Prophet :i asked �Ali � to stay beh i nd.
Why and for how long did the Prophet :i stay in the cave at Mount Thawr?
Who were �Abd u l la a h and Asmaa'? What roles did they p lay in the Prophet's hijrah?
How did S u raaqah rea l ize that it was divine i ntervention that prevented h i m from
reaching the Prophet :i?
Write a b rief paragra p h on the Prophet's stopover at Q u baa'.

3 .3 5 . The House of Abu Ayyoob a i-An�aaree

In Madeenah, The Prophet � was g reeted
wa rmly by its people. They a l l asked him to
stay with them. They gra bbed the ha lter of his
she-ca mel he was riding but he said, 'Let her
go her own way, for she is u nder the com mand
of Allah: This happened severa l times. Many
eager i nvitations were offered. Eventual ly, the
Prophet's she-ca mel ha lted i n the middle of a
l a rge and open plot of land and knelt down.
The nearest house to where she knelt down
was that of Abu Ayyoob a i-An.s_aa ree, who
immediately stepped forwa rd and i nvited
Alla h's Messenger :i, pointing to h i s two-storey
hou se, only a few metres away. The Prophet
� accepted the i nvitation a nd got off his s he­
camel.
Abu Ayyoob lost no time in movi ng their
luggage i nto his house. In this way, the problem

•
•
 of the Prophet's stay in Madeenah was settled
without creating a ny feelings of favour or
d isfavou r among the various clans of Madeenah,
to whom playi ng host to the Messenger of Allah
� was a high honour. The Prophet � then asked
a bout who owned the large and open plot of
la nd, and he was i nformed that it belonged to
orphan boys. So he asked them if they would
sell him the courtyard and told him to name
their price. They said, 'No, we give it to you,
Messenger of Allah: The Prophet � wou ld not,
however, ta ke it as a gift. He insisted on payi ng
the price and the deal was concluded. With i n
a few days, t h e build i ng o f t h e Mosq ue (Masjid
an-Nabawee) was wel l underway.
The Prophet � h i mself took an active pa rt
in the construction of the mosq ue. The house
of Abu Ayyoob ai-An�aaree was, natu ra l ly,
the centre of a l l the attention and emotions
which the Prophet's presence attracted, and
it remained so for the fu l l seven months of his
stay.
Abu Ayyoob � and his wife were g reatly
delig hted with thei r g uests. Only two i ncidents
ma rred the happiness of the hosts. The first was
when an earthen pot of water broke and a great
deal of water spilt onto the floor. Afra id that
it might d rip down to the fl oor below, where
Alla h's Messenger � was stayi ng, Abu Ayyoob
used the whole of his bed sheet i n a n attempt
to soa k u p the water. Then he went down to
the Prophet ;i and req uested yet again that he
move to the u pper fl oor. Seeing his a nxiety, the
Prophet � agreed.
The second i ncident took pl ace when the
Prophet :i once retu rned the food Abu Ayyoob
had prepa red for him untouched. Deeply
u pset, Abu Ayyoob rushed u pset and asked
the Prophet �, 'Messenger of Allah, did you not
l i ke the food tonig ht?' The Prophet � replied,
•
• •
'No, Abu Ayyoob! But I found in it a strong
smell of garlic a nd on ions. You may eat it, if
you wish. I spea k to one, to whom you do not
spea k; referring to Angel J i b reel. The hijrah of
the Prophet � a nd his com panions heralded
an entirely new e ra in the history not only of
Islam but also that of the world. Tha n ks to the
support offered by the An�aar (l itera l ly Hel pers
- the Madinan Musli ms), the Prophet � was
able to rea lize the aim for which he had up till
then been striving: the esta blish ment of a n
Islamic society, the first of its kind i n the world.
With the hijrah, suddenly it beca me clea r
that Islam aimed a t m uch more than a mere
mora l reorientation of man. With the m ig ration
of the Prophet � and his Compa nions to
Madeenah, it beca me clear that Islam aspired,
among other thin gs, to the esta bl ish ment of
a self-contained com m u n ity, which cut across
the conventional divisions of tribe a nd race.
The fi re of persecution, endured for more than
a decade, had pu rified and steeled the mi nds
of the M usli ms. It had hel ped them rea l ize that
tri bal kinship ties were of no i m portance as
compared with hig her loya lty towa rds a n idea.
The new conception of a brotherhood of m en,
un ited not by bonds of blood-relationship but
by the awa reness of common outlook on l ife
and common objectives, fou nd its expression
in the principle of the Ummah.
Ummah - an organ ization open to everyone
- of whatever race or colour one may be!
The emigration of the Prophet � a nd his
Compa nions to Madeenah beca me the l iving
symbol of this development. Yea rs later,
� u ma r ibn a i-Khattaab, the second of the fou r
Rig htly-gu ided Ca l i phs, wo uld recog nize the
sign ifica nce of the hijrah and declare 622 to be
the first yea r of the new Islamic era. The first
thing Alla h's Messenger :i did after settling
down i n Madeenah was to tie the Emig rants (ai­
Muhaajiroon) and thei r hosts ca l l ed the Hel pers
(ai-An�aar) into one brotherhood.
Sti l l today, this brotherhood remains the
hallmark of the believers. One person from the
Emigra nts was made the brother of one from
amongst the Hel pers. The Hel pers offered to
share eq ually a l l that they possessed with the
Emigra nts. Th us the M uslims were forged i nto a
close-knit com m u n ity of fa ith and brotherhood.
At the same time, steps were ta ken and the
needed institutions built to integ rate the entire
social l ife a round the centre and hea rt of the
worship of One God - Allah. For th is pu rpose, five
daily prayers in congregation were esta blished.
The Constitution
of Madeenah: Saheefat ai-
Madeenah
Next, the Prophet � d rew up a docu ment
which deta iled the relations primari ly between
the Muhaajiroon (the Emigra nts) and the An saar
and the Jews of Madeenah. This document
is known in Ara bic as 5_afleefat a/-Madeenah
(litera l ly 'The Docu ment of Madeena h, or as is
more commonly tra nslated i nto Eng l is h as 'The
Constitution of Madeenah). The document has
been p reserved i n a n early biography of the
Prophet � com posed by I bn lshaaq (d. 767),
which is available to us now in the edition
prepa red by Ibn H ishaam (d. 833). Dr. Zaka ria
Bashier d iscu sses this in g reat deta i l in his
brilliant work entitled Sunshine at Madeenah
publis hed by the Islamic Fou ndation, U K. An
English version of the Sab_eefah appea rs i n this
book on pages 1 04-8.
The Prophet � g u a ra nteed for the Jews their
religion and their property and conferred on
them specific rig hts and d uties. The historic
sign ifica n ce of this constitution is considerable,
for it gives us a very clea r idea a bout the nature
of society and of i nterfaith relations thought
u p i n this early period.
•
 The Prophet � disliked the way the
Jews a nd Christians used horns a nd
bel ls to a n nou nce their ca l l s to prayer.
Then Allah honoured the bel ievers
with the adhaan (ca l l to prayer). One
of the Prophet's Compa n ions saw the
method in a d rea m. His name was
�Abd u l laah i bn Zayd. The Prophet
:1 accepted �Abd u l laa h's d ream as
a uthentic. Thereafter, the adhaan, as it
is known today, was cal led out loudly
by Bilaal i bn Ra baah as seen in the
drea m by �Abd u l laah ibn Zayd. Bilaal
was chosen beca use of the wonderfu l
q ua l ities of his voice.
3 .38. The Hypocrites:
Munaafiqoon (si ng.
Munaafiq)
Islam bega n to spread ra pidly
throughout Madeenah, and some of
the learned ra bbis a lso embraced it.
These ra bbis incl u ded �Abd u l laah ibn
Salaam whose accepta nce of Islam
annoyed other Jews. They envied Islam
and were, at the sa me time, frig htened
of it. A g roup of hypocrites, therefore,
emerged. Their leader was �Abd ullaah
ibn U bayy ibn Salool, whose control
and a uthority were not q uestioned
before the advent of Islam. But his
people were now ra pidly embracing
Islam. He and others l i ke him who
were g reedy for power and a uthority
beca me open enemies of Islam,
wh ile others beca me hypocrites. The
hypocrites represented the 'i nternal'
unseen enemy.
•
•
I I
I I I I I I
! f.•!
1 1 1 1 1 11!
, ,i m
I I'
l l l l lllj
•
I I I Irf I
3.39. The Change of the Qiblah:
The Di rection of Prayer
U ntil the time he was i n Ma kka h, the Prophet � a n d his
Com panions used to offer the prayer in a man ner that
he would be facing both the Ka � ba h a nd Jerusa lem. The
Prop het � prayed, as a ru le, before the southern wa l l of
the Ka � bah, towards the north, so as to face the Ka � ba h
a nd Jerusa lem. This was, however, not prom pted by any
specific revelation. After his migration to Madeena h,
this was no longer possi ble on account of a change i n
d i rections t o face t h e Ka � ba h as before i n prayer. Th is
separation from the Ka � ba h was natu ra l ly very pai nfu l
for h i m, and he anxiou sly wa ited for g u idance i n this
rega rd.
For some eig hteen months, after his a rriva l at
Madeenah, the Prophet � a nd the M uslims tu rned their
face i n prayer towa rds Jerusalem (Bayt-ui-Maqdis), j ust
as the Jews used to do. About eig hteen months after
his a rriva l at Madeenah, he received a revelation (Surat
ai-Baqarah, 2: 1 42-1 50) which definitely establis hed the
Ka � ba h as the qiblah of the fol l owers of the Qu r'an. This
a ba ndonment of Jerusa lem obviously d ispleased the
Jews of Madeena h.
The wisdom of maintaining Jerusalem as the qib/ah in
this i nteri m period and then changing it to the Ka � ba h
as described by the Qu r'a n was to test t h e believers i n
order to d isti ngu ish the true among them from
the fa lse. Th is was necessa ry to sort the raw and
wea ker elements that had joined the Musl ims'
ra n ks from a mong the People of the Book. It was
expected that after going through this test, they
would wholehearted ly embrace Islam or would
clearly be separated from sincere Musl ims. The
change in qib/ah was indeed a hard test. With
the annou ncement of the qib/ah, the Prophet
� and the Muslims rejoiced g reatly a nd felt
relieved and honoured. But the Jews were
a n noyed with the Prophet � and the Musli ms.
Th is h istoric episode sig nal led the formation
of a Muslim com m u n ity, charged with the
mission of Alla h's g u ida nce and fol lowing the
most ancient message of Prophet lbraa heem
�1, turning towa rds the most a ncient House
of Allah, built by him. The Jews q uestioned the
ca uses and grounds of the sudden change and
expressed their d isapprova l of it.
How was the issue of the Prophet's stay in
Madeenah solved with d ivine wisdom?
How did the Prophet's hijrah to Madeenah
sow the seeds of Islamic brotherhood and
Muslim u n ity? Can we sti l l achieve this
un ity, and how?
Why was the Constitution of Madeenah
d rawn up?
What role did �a/aat play in the l ife of the
M uslims i n Madeenah?
Who were the munaafiqoon?
Why was the change i n qib/ah a n acid
test to d isti n g u ish between the M uslims
and non-M uslims a nd non-Musli ms/
hypocrites?
3 .40. War and Peace
As has a l ready been mentioned, after the
Prophet � a rrived i n Madeenah, he formed an
a l l ia nce with the Jews. N ext, he a pp roached
a l l the nea rby tri bes and tried to pers uade
them to make a n a l l ia nce or at least enter
i nto a no-wa r pact. Many tri bes d id . Th us the
sma l l g roup forced to leave Makka h assu med
strateg ic im po rta nce. But the Ma kka ns who
had earlier plotted to kill the Prophet � were
now determi ned to wi pe out this budding
com m u n ity of Islam.
I n the roughly thirteen yea rs of the Prophet's
Makkan phase, resista nce to the Ma kka n
establis h ment and defence agai nst Ma kka n
persecution was cond u cted through peacefu l
means: through the peacefu l spread of the
messag e of Islam, freeing of slaves a nd other
acts of cha rity, and migration at first to Eth iopia
for some and then to Madeenah. But the
situation changed d ramatica l ly after m i g ration
to Madeenah.
The Prophet � had a l ready received a
revelation (Soorat al-
tl_ajj, 22:39-40)
p e r m i tt i n g
the M uslims
to resort
to a rmed
com bat, for
the Muslims
had been
w r o n g e d
and u njustly
persecuted by the
Quraysh fo r over thi rteen years. At the end of
the period, they were forced to migrate and
leave their ho mes, fa milies, wea lth, lands a nd

• •
•
 property and their means of l iveli hood. It is very seemingly with the intention of attacking the
im porta nt to note that the Quraysh pagans g reat Ma kka n ca rava n led by Abu Sufyaan, now
persecuted the M uslims merely beca u se they on its way home from Syria. A h eavily a rmed
said that 'Al l a h Alone is our Lo rd: The verse Ma kkan force marched towa rds Madeena h, on
q uoted a bove ca l l s the effo rt to fig ht agai nst the pretext of protecti ng their trade ca rava n.
religious oppression. Th e Prophet � despite his com m u n ity's small
'
n u m ber and lack of arms, decided to face their
3 .4 1 . Ca mpaigns and threat bold ly. On 1 7th RamaQ_aan, at Badr, the
Exped itions two forces met and fou g ht a battle i n which
3 1 3 bel ievers defeated the 1 000-strong wel l ­
The Prophet � now began sending out eq ui pped Ma kkan a rmy.
military exped itions agai nst his enem ies. Seventy of the Ma kka n chiefs who had been
Severa l such expeditions were sent before most active and violent in persecuti ng the
the Battle of Bad r, which took place on 1 7 th Muslims were ki l led. Many others were ta ken
RamaQaan, 2 AH (634 CE). prisoner and were later released for ransom.
A close look at the Proph et's exped itions For the first time, prisoners of wa r were treated
befo re Bad r shows that the rea l object was h u manely and kind ly. They were fed and housed
not to obtain booty. These exped itions were in the same way as their captors ate and l ived.
merely meant to compel the Makka n Quraysh In the third yea r after the hijrah, a 3000-strong
to give open battle. The Prophet � understood Ma kka h force again marched on Madeenah
that the position of the M uslim com m u n ity at both to avenge the defeat at Bad r and to make
Madeena h cou l d never become secu re u n l ess another attempt to wipe out the Muslims. 700 of
the Q u rays h were made to rea l ize, by means of them were chai n-mai led and 200 mou nted. The
a crushing defeat, that a n enti rely new period Muslims num bered only 700. The two arm ies
had beg u n in the history of their cou ntry. met just outside Madeenah nea r Mount Uhud.
G reat Badr
Expedition
Majma' AJ-Asyal
(The Day of Criterion, the day
when the two forces met)
17 Ramadan 2 A.H.
13 March 624 A.D.

"Verily, Allah loves those who fight

B'1r Rumah •
in His Cause In rows (ranks) as if
they were a solid structure.·
(Qur'A n 61:4)

�
·And AllAh has already made you

�
victorious at Badr, when you were
Banu Abdul Ash-hal
a weak little force. So fear AllAh and Zawara'
much that you may be grateful." AJ-Madinah e
(Qur'fm 3:123) Waa; oanar

:�]
Ratj

'\
Banu Zafar

����
Abwa
Al-Khazrai
Banu
Expedition of U h ud Salamah eanu AI
t h !rom
1"\ar\
e Bad' As-Sunh

�o-\ �-�\)'{1�'3"
1 5 Shawwal 3 A. H.
"And Alltlh did indeed fulfil His Promise to you

cg�.
when you were killing them (your enemy) with
IYathrib)
His Permission: until (the moment)you lostyour

,.-1
Polytheists Fighting According to the Method of courage and feU to disputing about the order,
Attack and Retreat Rabighr;
T;;:
ho-;:;;
: Sit::-:
o o1 and disobeyed after He showed you (of the Prophet's Mosque Banu An-Najjar

'
ll;ll Badr booty) which you love.· (Qur'An 3:152)
� -- -- -- -- -- -- ------ -- -- ---- -- -- ------------

At the beginning of RamaQ_aan 2 AH, the At first the M uslims were gaining g round i n
Prophet � set out from Madeen a h at the t h i s battle, b u t the tide tu rned agai nst them
head of some 3 1 3 Com panions, for the first when a large contingent of Muslims a rchers,
time assisted by wa rriors from the An�aar, sensi ng victory at hand, deserted their posts i n

. '
 the hope of bei n g a ble to col lect thei r booty. by that time had been exiled to Khayba r
The Ma kka n cava l ry l ed by the brave Khaalid from Madeenah by the Prophet � for the
ibn ai-Wa leed, who later rose to fa me as a fol lowi n g reasons: ( 1 ) for non-payment of their
sta lwa rt wa rrior i n the Muslim a rm ies, saw his contri bution to the blood money they owed to
chance a n d swooped down o n the Muslim the tribe of Ba n u �Aamir o n acco u nt of tri ba l
fla n k a n d rea r. In the resu lting fig ht, some a l l ia nces; and (2) the Qu r'a n i c revelation to
seventy M usli ms, including the Prophet's u ncle the Prophet � wa rning h i m agai nst Ba n u an­
Ha mza h, were ma rtyred. The Prophet � h i mself Na.Qeer Jews' plot to kill him. Another Jewish
was wou nded. The remaining Muslim fo rces at tri be, the Ba n u Qayn uqaa� had previously been
the last m i n ute ra l l ied, causing the Ma kka n s to expel led from Madeena h after some of its men
q u it fig hting instead of pursuing their earlier put to death a Muslim man, who in defending
pa rtial victory. the honour of a Muslim woman, had kil led a
As for the polytheists, twenty two of Jewish man who had dishonoured her.
them were killed. They fai led to pu rsue thei r At the beg i n n i ng of the Battle of the Trench,
advantage and clinch the victory. the Ba n u an-Na.Qeer shamelessly came out
agai nst the Muslims and succeeded
The Confederates T h e Trench
Dimensions i n a rousing the Ba n u G ha1afa a n tribe
Length : 5544 m
Average width : 4.62 m
Average Depth : 3.234 m to joi n the Ma kka n confederacy by
::�� �,; �� �� ������
� d
k � �h ,
made a high barrier from
promising to offer them h a lf the date
Ban u Asad thedirection ofAl-Madinah.
Ban u M urrah

, '\ � ha rvest of Khaybar, o n the a ntici pation

that they would rega i n their former
The Trench
l a nds if the Muslims were defeated. A
Banu Abdui-Ash-hal
and Za'wara
third Jewish tri be, the Ba n u Q u rayd ha h,
An-Nubait

openly pretended n eutra l ity while

W
Banu Zafar
The Expedition of the
Confede rates As-S u n h hatching a secret conspiracy with
Shawwal 5 A-H. The Prophet's Mosque
Banu AI-Harith from AI-Khazraj
the Quraysh and the Ba n u G ha1afaan
"And when the eyes grew wild and the
hearts reached to the throats."
(Qur'iln 33:10) Baqi
agai nst the Musli ms. These actions of
Banu An-Najar

the Jewis h tribes were i n utter violation

The next major battle known as a/-Khandaq of the terms of the Constitution of Madeena h .
(the Battle of the Trench) took place i n the The Battle of t h e Trench gai ned its name
month of Shawwaal, in the yea r 5 AH (627 CE). from the trench (khandaq) that was d u g a round
The Ma kka ns now plan ned to make a fi nal the city of Madeenah, a strategy attri buted
attack on Madeenah to settle the matter once to the Compa nion Salmaan ai-Faa risee, who
a n d for a l l . The Ma kka n s' resolve to brea k the knew it as defensive plan from his native I ran.
back of the M uslims had harden ed, and a h uge The pagan Ma kkans tried va inly to cross the
a rmy of a bout 1 0,000 sold iers was a massed trench for severa l days, but they fi nally gave
against them. u p. The siege lasted for over 25 days. I nternal
The Jewis h tribe of Ban u a n-Na.Qeer played d ifferences, lack of suppl ies, the deep trench,
a considera bly evi l role in the formation of the cold weather and the high winds forced
the Ma kkan confederacy. The Ba n u an-Na.Qeer the Ma kkan a rmy to withd raw. Th is was the
turning point i n the history of confl ict with the
Ma kka n s. Madeenah was never to be attacked
again.
The Prophet :! now m oved swiftly agai nstthe
treac herous Ba n u Qurayd h a h and dema nded
their u ncond itional su rrender. He realised the
threat they posed and decided that their fate
should be judged by a member of one of their
a l l ied tri bes, to which plan the Jews agreed; and
all present, accepted to a bide by the decision.
Sa t d ibn M u taadh was selected as the judge
from the Aws tri be, which was a l l ied with the
Ba n u Qu rayd h a h . Satd decided that a l l the men
of Banu Qurayd h a h should be put to death, their
women and children made ca ptive and their
property divided. The Prophet ':! said to h i m,
'Yo u have judged with the j udgement of Allah
from a bove the seven heavens: It is significa nt
to rea lize, h owever, that these Jewish tri bes
were punished on accou nt of their pa rticular
acts of treachery, which th reatened the safety
of the M uslim Com m u n ity, and certa i n ly not on
account of their being Jews.
From the beg inn ing the Jews were given
fu l l rig hts of citizenship. Yet they comm itted
acts of treason and deception. Su bseq uent
generations of Jews, however, were never held
res ponsible for the evi l deeds of the Jews of
Madeenah. On the contra ry, Muslims a lways
treated them justly and kind ly.
I n the sixth yea r after the hijrah (628 CE),
the Prophet :1 decided to set out with about
1 400 or 1 500 of his Com pa n ions to perform
the lesser pilgrimage ( ' Umrah) at Makka h . They
were unarmed, but the Q u raysh chiefs, agai nst
all establ ished a nd sta ndard traditions, refu sed
them admission. The Prophet :1 lea rnt of this
and encam ped at a place cal led a i-Hudaybiya h
just outside the sanctuary at Ma kka h. The
Makka n s sent em issa ries to the Prophet
:j, informing h i m that they wou l d not be
perm itted to enter Ma kka h that yea r to perform
the lesser pilgri mage. Negotiations took place
between the two sides. Fi nally a treaty known
in Ara bic as S.ufh ai-Hudaybiyah was ag reed
u pon by the two sides which promised the
ending of hosti l ities for ten yea rs. Some of the
conditions of the treaty of ai-Hudaybiya h were
u nfavou rable to the Muslim side, such as the
one which req u i red that if a n individ ual from
the Q u raysh were to come over to the Muslims
without perm ission from his g u a rdian, he was
to be sent back to h is people. On the other
ha nd, a Muslim defector to the Q u raysh wou l d
not b e returned. The Prophet :1 later m a d e a n
exception for t h e Qu rays h women, w h o u pon
accepti ng Islam, migrated to join the M uslims
i n Madeenah. He refused to send them back.
He rea l ized the u n usually del icate situation i n
w h i c h they wou l d fi nd themselves i f they were
sent back to their Ma kkan relatives. Mo reover,
a revelation ca me down to forbid the return
of a ny believing women to the d isbel ievers
(Soorat a/-Mumtab_inah, 60: 1 0).
;- p
J
·'·-�""" � ""'IL.:>"�.H.- 1
l
:,t
�_>l.Jl�..o;; l �;-f
· �� h
....,..- ,,- Jiy,fo �l��l�-i }
�.L.L ·u=�) -��)k �l -�,
�����ol �l�-f
.��� ��.�,
"""'"' � .
� :_
Acco rding to the terms of the treaty,
permission was given to the Muslims to
perform the lesser pilgrimage the fol lowi ng
yea r. While the negotiations were i n prog ress,
M uslims swore a pledge to the Prophet �
'
which is known as Bay�at ar-RiQ_waan (the
Pledge of G ood Pleasure) . It is a lso referred to
as the Pledge of the Tree, (Bay� at ash-Shajarah)
on accou nt of having sat u nder a tree while
making the pledge. Then the Prophet �
bro ke ca m p a nd retu rned to Madeenah.
On his jou rney back, Allah revea led to the
Prophet�thatthetruce ofai-Hudaybiya h
was not a setbac k but rather a victory
(Soorat a/-Fatb_, 48: 1 -3). AI-H udaybiya h
treaty gave the idol worshippers and
bel ievers a n opportun ity to mix. The idol
worshi ppers soon ca me to a ppreciate
the good q u a l ities of the Musli ms. Many
of them embraced Islam d u ring this
period. The pledge appears prom inently
in accou nts of the l ife of the Prophet �
and his Companions. It was a test of fa ith
for the M uslims in those sorely stressfu l
circumsta nces. The h i g h esti mation of those
who swore the pledge under the tree reflects
in a b.adeeth in which the Prophet � is reported
as havi ng said, 'No one of those who pledged
thei r a l l egiance u nder the tree will enter the
Fire: (Muslim and Abu Daawood)
Althoug h the terms of the truce a p pea red
h i g h ly u nfavourable, even insu lting, for the
M u s l i ms, they made enormous gains by virtue
of the treaty. Those who were expelled out of
Ma kka h and attac ked seve ra l times were now
recogn ized as a n equal fo rce, to be treated
res pectfu l ly and ta ken seriously. The result
was that many Ma kkans and Ara b tri bes
either accepted Islam or made peace with the
Prophet �.
As soon as ai-Hudaybiya h truce was
signed, the Prophet � sent letters to va rious
neighbouring Ara b and non-Ara bs ru lers a nd
kings including C hosroes of I ra n a nd Heraclius,
the em peror of the Byza ntine Empire, i nviting
them to Islam. He ass u red them that he was not
i nterested i n their kingdoms or wea lth . They
could keep these for themselves only if they
worshi p ped Allah a lone, the o n ly true God.
Within two years, however, in the yea r 8
AH (630 CE), the Ma kkans broke the treaty. It
was now time to deal with their never-ending
hostil ity. The Prophet � reacted fi rm ly to this
turn of events. He mobilized a n army of a bout
1 0,000 men and set out for Ma kka h. The Qu raysh
had by now become q u ite demora l ized; they
were aware that they had broken the terms of
the treaty. They no longer wished to put up a
resistance. The Prophet � ca ptu red the city
and declared a genera l am nesty for all those
inside Ma kka h who wou ld su rrender without
resista nce. The Prophet � forgave all those
who had been his bitterest enemies a l l his life,
persecuted him and planned to kil l him, d riven
him and his Com panions out of Makka h and
had marched th rice to Madeenah to destroy
the Musli ms. This signal event is referred to as
a/-Fatb_, l iterally'the Opening: or the'Open ing of
Ma kka h:

The Ka ' ba h was cleansed of the 360 idols
which had been housed within it. An icon of
the Vi rg i n Mary with the Ch rist child in her
a rms and a painting of the patria rch Abra h a m
(l braaheem) were a lso destroyed. Ta king h i s
c u e from t h e wo rds spoken b y Prophet Joseph
(Yoosuf) to his errant brothers, the Prophet �
told those who had earlier shown mercil ess
hosti l ity towa rds him or his fa mily
and towa rds Islam i n genera l,
'There shall be no reproach this
day. May Allah forg ive you, fo r
He is the Most Mercifu l of the
me rcifu l : (Soorat Yoosuf, 1 2:92)
H i nd, the wife of Abu Sufyaan,
who had caused the death of
Ha mza h, the Prophet's u ncle, at
the Battle of Bad r, was forgiven.
Habbaa r ibn a i-Aswad, whose
chase of the Prophet's daug hter Zaynab
while attem pti ng to migrate from Ma kka h
to Madeena h had cau sed her to have a
miscarriage, was a lso pa rdoned.
The neig h bouring Roman Empire now made
ready to attac k and wipe out the M u slims in
Madeena h. However, when the Prophet �
ma rched to Ta book on the northern border,
his determi nation, cou rage a nd timely action
made the enemy lose hea rt and withdraw. Th e
Ta book Exped ition took place i n the yea r 9 AH.
After the Prophet � had subd ued Ma kka h,
retu rned victorious from Ta book, and the
Thaqeef tribe of a1-Iaa'if embraced Muslim,
Ara b delegations sta rted pouri ng i nto
Madeenah from a l l directions to profess their
accepta nce of Islam, or at least to express their
acknowledgement of the Prophet's pol itical
authority. The yea r 9 AH (630-63 1 CE), therefore,
came to be known as the Yea r of Deputations.
The tota l n u m ber of delegations mentioned by
scholars was more than seventy.5
There was a lso a delegation of sixty men
from the Ch ristians of Najraan which the
Proph et � kindly received. He concluded with
its mem bers a pact according to which Muslims
wou l d grant fu l l protection to their churches
and possessions i n return for the payment of
protection taxes.
In the yea r 1 0 AH (632 CE), the Prophet
� set out to perform the pilgrimage (Hajj)
in Makkah. This was the only pilgrimage he
ever performed. I n the plain of �Arafaat, he
gave a sermon of supreme bea uty and lasti ng
va lue, which is m uch cited by the Prophet's
biogra phers. Shortly after retu rning from the
pilg rimage, the Prophet � contracted an i l l ness
from which he did not recover. His prophetic
5- -
Safi - u r- R a-
h m a n a i - Mu b a rakpu ri, The Sealed Nectar,
Da r u s s a l a m, R i yadh, Saud i Arabia 2002.
m ission had ach ieved success a n d was nearing
its end. During the last few days of his i l l n ess, he
a ppoi nted Abu Bakr to lead the con g regational
p rayers. His sickness lasted ten days.
On Monday, 1 21h Rabee� ai-Awwa/, in the yea r
1 1 AH (Monday, J u ne 8, 632 CE), the Prophet �
b reathed his last i n his home in Madeenah. He
was sixty-th ree yea rs a nd fou r days old when
h e died. The Com pa n ions n ow disagreed as
to where he should be b u ried. Abu Ba kr �
reca lled having hea rd him say, 'No prophet dies
but is bu ried where he has d ied: So the g rave
was dug in the floor of �Aa'sha h's a pa rtment
near the couch where he was lyi ng. Then a l l the
people of Madeen a h visited him and prayed
over h i m . He was laid in his g rave by �Ali and
others who had prepared h i m for burial. Later,
Abu Ba kr and � u m a r too were bu ried in the
same a pa rtment. With the passing away of the
'Seal of the Prophets' (Soorat ai-Ab_zaab, 33:40),
the age of prophets and revelation came to a
close.

H ow did the pol itical strategy of the Muslims d iffer in Madeenah, as com pa red to that
in Ma kkah?
What was the pu rpose of the exped itions prior to the Battle of Badr?
How, i n you r opin ion, should prisoners of wa r be treated?
What was the reason behind the M uslims' nea r-defeat at Uhud?
How can you say that the action meted out to the Jewish tribes was a pt?
What is a�-�ulb_? Why was it d rawn u p? How did it p rove to be a blessing in disgu ise?
What is al-fatb_? In what way was it a b loodless conquest?
What is the Yea r of Deputations?
B riefly write on the 'Fa rewe l l Pilgri mage:

•
 '
3 .42. The Issue of Succession to the Prophet �
When the ea rthly l ife of the Prophet � had come to a n end, news
of his death fel l o n the Compa n ions l i ke a flash of lightning. They
were stu nned beca use of thei r i ntense love for him. Every one of
them thought that the Prophet � was more gracious a n d considerate
to h i m than to any other Companion. Some of them could h a rdly �

'
bel ieve the n ews of his death. t U ma r i b n ai-Khattaab � reb u ked the
man who told him a bout the Prophet's death. He went to the m osque
a nd wa rned the aud ience that he wou l d cut off the hands and legs of
those who clai med that the Prophet � was dead.
When t U m a r � was spea king thus, Abu Bakr � a rrived from as­
S u n� where he l ived. The news had q u ickly spread over the whole
oasis. Without pa using to spea k to anyone, he went stra i g ht to his
daug hter's apartment and d rew back from the Prophet's face the
ma ntle with wh ich he had been covered. He kissed h i m between his
' eyes and said, 'Dearer than my father and mother, you have tasted

death which Allah had decreed for you. No death shall ever come to
you after this death:
As for the Ca l i phate of Abu Ba kr a�-.S.iddeeq, he came a bout .
through the u na n i mous agreement of the Helpers (An�aar) and the
Emigrants (Muhaajiroon). In the h a l l of Ba n u Saa tidah, Muslims paid
homage to Abu Bakr � as the successor of the Messenger of Allah �.
They were determi ned that the Prophet � would leave the world with
r.
the Muslims u n ited a n d u nder a strong leader who cou l d ta ke charge
of their affa i rs.
Then Abu Bakr gave tha n ks to Allah a n d addressed the people,
sayi ng, 'I have been given the a uthority over you, and I a m not the
best of you. If I perform my d uty wel l, help me; and if I should deviate,
correct me. You m ust be God-fea ring. Piety is the most i ntel l igent
practice and immora l ity is the most fool ish. The wea k among you will
be strong i n my sight u ntil I secure his rig hts, if Allah wil ls. The strong '
' among you will be wea k in my sight u ntil I wrest the right from h i m,
if Allah Wil ls. Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger �. If
I disobey Allah and his Messenger � you owe me no d isobedience: �
'
Abu Bakr's inaug u ra l address as the first ca l i ph ra n ks as one of the
most im porta nt speeches in the records of Islamic h istory.
 3.43. Rememberi ng the Prophet �:
The Most Beautiful Model
One must always remember that Prophet M uha m mad ;i never
clai med to possess any superhuman q u a lities: 'I am o n ly a man l i ke you.
It has been revea led to me that you r God is One God: (Soorat as-Sajdah,
41 :6)
When the Ma kka ns chal lenged h i m to provide proof fo r his
prophethood by performing miracles he said that the only m i racle
he had was that he had received the d ivine revelation i n clear Ara bic
lang uage, which was proclaimed through h i m, i n the form of the Noble
Qu r'a n:
Say, " I f a l l the people a n d a l l t h e jinn were t o come together to prod uce the l i ke o f this
Q u r'an, they would not produce its l i ke even if they back u p one a n other with help a n d
su pport:' (Soorat a/-/sraa', 1 7:88)

No matter how eloq uent the Ara bs were and h ow perfect their h ig h ly
refi ned traditional poetry was, they could not prod uce something similar
i n form and content to the G l orious Qu r'a n. The Qu r'a n chal lenged them
to prod uce ten soorahs but they cou l d not:
Do they say, ' H e h a s fa bricated it?' Say, 'Bring then ten soorahs l i ke it, and ca l l all those
whom you can besides A l l a h, if you a re truthfu l .' (Soorat Hud, 1 1 : 1 3)

The Qu r'a n a lso chal lenged them to prod uce one single soorah, but
they again fa i led:
And i f you a re i n s o m e doubt, concern i n g w h a t W e sent down u pon O u r servant, then
bring one chapter l i ke it, a n d ca l l u pon all your hel pers beside Allah, if you a re truthfu l .
(Soorat AI-Baqarah, 1 :23)

The Prophet � knew that he was only a h u man being, and was
repeated ly remi nded in the Qu r'a n that he was only a man whose only
privi lege was that he was g ra nted revelation. As the Qu r'a n cautions
him,
Say, 'I do not say to you that Alla h's treasures a re with me, nor that I know the u n seen,
nor do I say to you that I a m an a n gel. I only fo l l ow what has been revealed to me:
(Soorat ai-An 'aam, 6:50)

He was also reminded that only Allah the Almighty is a ble to g u ide
mankind:
I n deed, you ca n not g u i d e a l l those whom you love [to I s l a m ] . Rather i t is A l l a h alone
who g u i des whomever H e w i l l s so: (Soorat a/-Qa5_a� 28:56)
 Thus he was ca l l ed to preach the message
of u ncompromising monotheism (Tawbeed),
of a bsol ute su rrender to One God who alone is
the Creator, the Sustai ner and the J udge.
When the Ma kkans ridicu led h i m, asking
persistently when the Hour of J udgement
wou ld come, he had to repeat again that he too
was not i nformed a bout its time, and that he
was only a clear wa rner: (Soorat a/-�Ankaboot,
29:50); awa kening the h ea rt of those who are i n
fea r of t h i s 'Hour' (See, for instance, Soorat Iaa
Haa, 20: 1 5; Soorat an-Naazi�aat, 79:42, among
other verses of the Qur'a n).
Yet there a re severa l verses i n the Qu r'a n
that poi nt to the Prophet's exceptional role.
The Prophet � was sent as a mercy to a l l the
creatu res: rab_matul-lil-�aalameen (Soorat
a/-Anbiyyaa', 2 1 : 1 07); Allah and H is angels
invoke peace and blessings u pon him: (Soorat
a/-Ab_zaab, 3 3 :56) 'He is most surely of a n
outsta n d i ng cha racter: (Soorat a/-Qalam, 68:4)
In severa l places one fi nds the divine command
'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger' or similar
com ma nds. Such Qur'a nic g uida nce formed
the basis of a veneration of the Prophet �. Even
now Muslims will never mention a nything
bel onging to or relati ng to the Prophet �
without uttering the formula �allal/aahu �alayhi
wasal/am (Upon him be Allah's peace and
blessings of Allah).
The obedience d ue to the Prophet � plays
a centra l role i n the development of Islamic
piety. I n Soorat Aal �lmraan, 3:3 1 we read, 'Say,
"If you love God, then fol low me. Allah will love
you and forg ive you you r sins111•
I n the twofold profession of fa ith 'Loa ilaaha
i/1-A//aah, Mub.ammadur-Rasoolul/aah' (There
is no god worthy of worship except Allah,
and M uha m mad is the M essenger of Alla h),
the second half defines Islam as a d isti nctive
religion. The Prophet � is singled out by Allah
the Al m ig hty. He is truly the chosen one, al­
mustafaa, and for this reason his Sunnah, his
way of l ife, emerges as the uniq uely valid rule
of cond uct for the Musl ims. If you wish Allah
to love you, you must love H is Messenger �
by fol lowing his Sunnah, for the Prophet �
is, indeed, as the Qu r'a n declares, "uswatun
b.asanatun" (an excellent model) (Soorat a/­
Ab_zaab, 33:21 ) . The Prophet's Sunnah consists of
h i s statements, actions, tacit approva l, physica l
appea ra nce, i n ner q u a l ities and biog ra phy;
a nd beca use of the great sign ificance of the
Prophet's bea utifu l exa m ple, the science of
b_adeeth came to occupy a centra l place i n
I s l a m i c stud ies.
For Musli ms, the Prop het � is the moral
exemplar of piety and eth ical conduct for a l l
ti me and t h e best of m a n kind. His Sunnah
represents the rea l ization of the Qu r'a n ic ideals
and commands a nd it is second o n ly to the
Q u r'an. When �Aa'ishah �� the Prophet's wife,
was asked a bout h is character, she repl ied
sim ply that his character was the Qu r'an itself,
that is, he translated the Qu r'a n's commands
i nto rea lity.
Va rious ab.aadeeth from standard
compi lations deta il the Prophet's daily conduct
i n the domestic field, in the mosque, in a l l
worldly matters, among other things. The love
n u rsed by Muslims for the Prophet � remains
undeniable and visible to this day and wi l l
remain s o forever. S u c h devotion t o t h e Prophet
� has inspired a schola rly genre i n Islamic
lands known as shamaa'il, or cha racteristics
of the Prophet � which deta il, for i nsta nce,
'
the Prophet's i nwa rd a nd outward bea uty
and nobility of cha racter. One such work is ai­
QaaQ.ee � lyaaQ.'s As-Shifaa, which was translated
into English by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley
under the title Muflammad, Messenger of Allah.
Every student of Islam m ust read it. The book
praises in detail the Prophet's specific attributes,
such as his fortitude in the face of tria ls and
tribulations, the gentleness of his tem perament,
his h u m i l ity, aversion to showiness and his
physical ha ndsomeness, which are to be used
as role models by a l l generations of believers. At
this poi nt, we wish to present o n ly some aspects
of these q u a l ities that people nowadays badly
sta nd in need of emu lation.
As we have observed a bove, �Aa'ishah �
'
the Mother of the Bel ievers, described the
Prophet � in this way in an a uthentic fladeeth,
'His mora l was the Qu r'a n itself: (M uslim) The
Qur'a n itself says a bo ut h i m , 'And in deed, you
a re most s u rely o n a n outsta n d i ng standard of
cha racter: (Soorat ai-Qalam, 68:4)
The Prophet � was sent as a mercy to a l l
mankind. He was sent solely for t h e pu rpose
of perfecti ng good mora ls. The mora l q ual ities
mentioned in the Qur'a n a n d the i nj u n ctions
revea led by Allah, were a l l harmon ized in h is
person. He l ived u p to a l l the principles he
brought and to which he ca lled, i n private as
wel l as in publ ic. Throug hout h u m a n h istory,
great men have a lways sought to keep their
private l ives and personal behaviou r secret.
Th is is n ot the case with Prophet M uham mad�,
as is evident from the detailed record of the
Sunnah.
He was the very pattern of excel lence and
the nobl est exem plar. H i s own people u sed to
ca l l h i m the "the truthfu l and trustworthy" even
before he received revelation s from his Lord.
When Heracl ius asked Abu Sufyaan, 'Have you
ever accused h i m of lyin g before the Qu r'a n was
revea led to h i m ?' Abu Sufyaa n repl ied, 'Never:
He n ever dra n k wine, nor worship ped idols,
nor sought am usement in a n i m proper man ner.
He was affectio nate to the poor a n d tender­
hearted to the wea k. He wou ld n ever deny
anything h e was asked for. He gave assista nce
and support to the oppressed and never took
revenge for h i mself u n l ess one of Alla h's l aws
was violated.
He devoted himself completely to the
wors h i p of A l l a h . He fasted so m uch that it
sometimes seemed that he never went a day
without fasti ng. He wou l d a lso spend long
stretches of the n ig ht i n optional prayers u ntil
h is feet wou l d swel l. When � Aa'ishah � once
asked him why h e wou ld spend so m uch time
i n prayer when Allah had forgiven him all h i s
past and future sins, he rep l ied, 'Should I not be
a g ratefu l serva nt?'
He s h u n n ed all forms of showi ness
and a ppeara n ces of pride that commonly
cha racterize holders of high offices a n d heads
of states. �Aa'ishah � once sa id, 'The fam i ly
• •
 of M uha m mad � never had their fi l l of barley
bread for two consecutive days u ntil he died:
(ai-B u khaaree and Muslim)
The mattress o n which the Prophet � sl ept
was made of leather stuffed with palm tree
fi bre. According to a i-Bukhaaree a n d M uslim,
the Prophet � d ied i n such a condition that
his a rmour was pledged to a Jew for some
food which he bought for his fa mi ly. He always
practised what he preached and never bro ke
a n agreement with a ny of his enem ies or acted
treachero usly even if he fea red treachery from
them. He did n ot engage i n fa lsehood i n order
to gain victory in any of h i s battles.
The Prophet ·� comma nded his fo l l owers
to show kind ness not o n ly to h u mans but
a lso to a n i mals and i nsects. Abu H u rayrah �
narrated that the Prophet � said, "A traveller
who was thirsty saw a wel l o n the way. He got
i nside the wel l a n d when he came o ut he saw
a dog l icking mud beca use of thirst. The man
thought to hi mself that the dog should be as
thirsty as he was, and so he g ot i nto the wel l
again, fi l led h i s leather sock with water and
carried it out holding it with his teeth . And thus
he q uenched the dog's thi rst. Allah was pleased
with this act of kindness a n d pa rdoned his sins:'
The Com pa nions asked, "Messenger of Allah,
is there a lso a reward i n the matter of beasts
and wild a n i m a ls?" The Proph et repl ied, "There
is recompense in rega rd to every creatu re that
has a living hea rt:'
He prohibited a l l types of abuse a n d
tormenti ng a person u nder sentence o f death.
However, i n spite of his extreme tenderness, he
com manded severe retri bution for cri m i n a l s
and offenders.
He had enormous charm and a g reat sense
of h u mo u r. He used to joke on occasion though
he uttered noth i n g except the truth. He u sed to
I I
exchange good-natured fu n i n order to am u se
and delight them. l n fact, he wou ld bend down
so that his g randsons, ai-Hasan and a i-Husayn
cou l d ride on his back.
He was very brave. More than once fea rless
men fled away, h i m alone, wh i le he stood with
fu l l compos u re facing the enemy without
tu rning his back. �Ali ibn Abee Iaalib � who
'
was known for his va lour, once said that when
fig hting beca me i ntense on the battlefield, the
Prophet � wou l d be seen i n positions nea rest
to the enemy. (Musl im)
He was a lways at great pains to look and act
h u m a n . He ate a n d worked, slept a n d entered
i nto conjugal relationships. He was i nvolved i n
trade, war, affairs of the state and t h e wide ra nge
of matters that su ited his sublime and noble
natu re. As S.afi-ur-Rahman ai-Mubara kpuri has
put it:
I l l -m a n ners a n d i n decency a re two q u a l ities completely
a l i en to h i m . He was decent and did not call anybody
n a m es. He was not the sort of person who cursed or
made noise in the streets. He did not exch a n g e offe nces
with others. He pus hed back a n offe n ce or an error by
forg iveness and overloo k i n g . Nobody was a l l owed to
wa l k behind him (i.e. as a bodyguard) . He did not feel
h i m self superior to others not even to h i s s l aves (men
o r women) as far a s food or clothes were concerned. (p.
32 1 )
When h e entered his hou se, h e behaved l i ke
any other man and wou l d help his wives. He
carried o ut household chores. He never stood
up or sat down without the name of Allah
bei ng on his l i ps. He gave all those who sat
with h i m such attention that they believed that
he paid more attention to them than to anyon e
else. When someone asked for help, he wou l d
either give h i m what he needed or spea k kindly
to h i m . He wou l d n ever name a person whom
he had hea rd i l l-news a bout which he hated.
I n stead he wou l d say, 'Why do certa i n people
do such-and-such a thing?'
 The Prophet :I lived for twenty-th ree years
after the beginning of his m ission. Th is period
of his l ife was the busiest and most fru itfu l. He
fu lfil led his mission of ca l l ing mankind to the
wors h i p oftheOneTrue God-AIIa h.Throug hout How did the Muslims react towa rds
this period, he strove hard agai nst a rrogance,
the death of the Prophet ;:i?
evil and u n belief. He taught and educated those
who fol lowed him. He succeeded in establ ishing H ow was Abu Bakr � the best
Islam i n the world, made it reign supreme and ca nd idate as a successor to the
built, on its basis, a state which was fou nded
Prophet ;:i?
on the principles of the worship of Allah and
brotherhood among the faithfu l. Write a pa ra g raph on the status of
He often advised his Companions to treat the Prophet :I and the lofty position
their wives ki nd ly. He wou l d say, 'The best
that h e enjoys with the Muslim s.
among you are those who a re the best to their
wives, and I a m the best amongst you to my Expla i n �Aa'ishah's statement, 'His
wives: (at-Ti rm idhee) He was once seen placing character was the Qu r'a n itself
his knees on the g ro u nd for his wife _$afiyya h
� to help her step on and mount a camel: (ai­
Bukhaaree)
In a word, his character was the Qu r'a n itself.

1 • .$afi-u r- Rahma n a i-Muba ra kp u ri, The Sealed Nectar, Darussa lam, Riya d h, Saudi Ara bia
2002.
2. Mahdi Rizq u llah Ahmad, A Biography of the Prophet ;:i, Da russa lam, Riyadh, Saudi
Ara bia, 2005.
3. Ali Moham mad as-Sa l laa bee, The Noble Life of the Prophet ;:i, Darussa lam, Riyadh,
Saudi Ara bia, 2005.
4. Akram Dhiyaa' al-� u m a ree, Madinan Society at the Time of the Prophet ;:i, Tra nslated
by Huda Khattab, I nternational I n stitute of Islamic Thoug ht, Herndon, U SA, 1 99 1 .
5. Za ka ria Bashier, War and Peace, In the Life of the Prophet Mub.ammad ;:i, The Isla m i c
Fou ndation, U K, 2006.
6. Musta n�i r M i r, Coherence in the Qur'an, America n Trust Publications, Plainfield,
I ndia na, 1 987.

•
 4.2. The I m portance of the Sunnah
4.1 . The Terms
Sunnah and Hadeeth Any student of the G lorious Qu r'a n will see that the
Qu r'a n deals with the broad pri nciples, com ma nds, or
Sunnah or b.adeeth is essentials of religion-going i nto deta i l i n very ra re
u ndoubted ly the secon d sou rce cases. The deta i ls a re provided by the Messenger of
from wh ich the teachings of Islam Allah � h i mself, either by showing through his practice
a re d rawn. Li ngu istica l ly, Sunnah how a com mand must be ca rried out, or by giving a n
mea n s 'a way, ru le, manner of expla nation i n words.
action or mode of l ife: whereas, Now consider this: the most i m porta nt religious
the word b_adeeth signifies institutions or p i l l a rs of Islam, for i n sta nce, a re the prayer
i nformation, utterance, or (�alaah) and the pu rifying d ues (zakaat). Yet when the
a n nouncement, a thing or matter com mands relati ng to �a faahand zakaat were delivered,
that it ta l ked of told or narrated. both in Ma kkan a n d Madeenan revelations, no details
Hence, the Qu r'a n is a lso spoken were suppl ied. Wa aqeemu�-�alaata 'a nd d u ly establish
of as b_adeeth. ( 1 8:6; 3 9:23) the prayer' (2:43) is the Q u r'a nic i njunction, a nd it was
Tech n ical ly, a fladeeth is the Prophet � h i mself who, by his own actions, gave
basica lly a ny report of the the deta ils of its performance. I n rea l ity, the revelations
Messenger of Allah's sayi ngs, ca me down to the Prophet :i and Angel J i breel ��
actions, tacit a pp rova l, manners, suppl ied him with the Sunnah, which explains it. A man
physica l traits, or biog ra ph ical once cla imed that there is no need for the Sunnah and
facts. Thu s, Sunnah indicates that the Qu r'an is sufficient, but h e was told, 'You a re a
the doings a n d the b_adeeth the stu pid man. Do you fi nd i n the Book of Allah that the
sayi ngs of the Prophet �. But in Dhuhr prayer consists of fou r rak�ats and recitation is
fact both cover the same g ro u nd not a loud in it? Does the Q u r'a n specify the n u m ber of
a nd a re a ppl icable to his actions, prayers and the n u m ber of rak�ats i n each one of them?
p ractices a nd sayi ngs. Does it specify the amount of zakaat to be paid? Do you
There a re three kinds of find this explai ned in the Qu r'an?'
Sunnah. It may be a qawliyyah, Li kewise, the verse: wa aatuz-zakaata 'a nd g ive the
a n uttera nce of the Prophet �, Zakaat' (2:43) is again a com mand frequently repeated
which has a bea ring on religious in the G lorious Qu r'a n, yet it was the Messenger of Allah
matters; a fNiyyah, an action or a � who gave the ru les a n d reg u l ations for its payment
practice of his; or a taqreeriyyah, and col lection. Another exa m ple of this nature is zakaat­
his tacit a pprova l of the actions of ul-fitr, the zakaat that is paid at the end of the month of
his com pa n ions. RamaQ.aan.

'
 AI-Bu khaaree a n d Muslim record on the
authority �Abd u l laah I bn � u mar � that
Alla h's Messenger ::i made it obligatory for
the Muslims to pay zakaa-tul fitr at the end
of RamaQ_aan. Based on this na rration and
other similar reports, there is consensus that
zakaat-ul-fitr is obligatory (waajib). There is
absol utely no reference to zakaat-ul-fitr in
the Q u r'a n, but there is sti l l consensus that
it is obligatory.
These a re but three exa mpl es, but since
Islam covers the entire sphere of h u ma n
activity, for h u n d reds of poi nts h a d t o be
explai ned by the Messenger of Allah �
through h is exa m ple i n words and deeds.
The man, therefore, who claims to be a
Muslim or embraces Islam, sta nds in need
of both the Noble Qu r'a n a n d the Sunnah
of the Prophet �. No one ca n cla i m to be
able to understa nd the Q u r'a n and know
a l l its ruli ngs without the assista n ce of the
Sunnah.
The Sunnah cla rifies what is u ndefi n ed
i n the Qu r'a n, such as the relig ious
obligations which a re u n specified i n the
Qur'a n . It provides the deta i ls and ti mes
and shows when the genera l is mea nt
to be genera l in the Qu r'an, a n d when
Allah mea ns a pa rticular category by a
genera l expression. Th e Sunnah adds, by
divine inspiration, rulings to obl igations
confirmed by the text of the Qur'a n, which
a re a conseq uence of them or con nected
to them. It provides ru l i ngs which a re n ot
i n the Qu r'an a n d a re not additions to it. It
should be remem bered that the cla rity of
the Qu r'a n is genera l a n d u n iversa l. The
Sunnah fleshes out the deta i l s and adds
more i nformation to the general ity of the
Qu r'a n .
4.3. The I m porta nce of the
Sunnah i n the Qur'a n
There a re m a ny verses i n the G lorious Qur'a n
that point to the i m porta nce of the Sunnah. I n
real ity, m a ny verses give a clear i n dication that
it is obl igatory for a person who believes i n Allah
to fol low the Sunnah. Muslim scholars state that
the position of the Sunnah has been confi rmed i n
over forty places i n the Qur'an. The fol lowi ng a re
but a few just a few of these verses:
'0 you who bel ieve, obey Allah and obey the
Messenger: (Soorat an-Nisaa', 4:59)
'Say [0 Muha m mad, to them]: If you truly love A l l a h,
then follow me a n d Allah wil l love you a n d forgive
you r si ns; for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful:
(Soorat Aaf-t /mraan, 3:3 1 )
'Whoever obeys the Messenger has thus obeyed
Al la h, but as to whoever turns away, We have not sent
you [0 M uha m m ad], to watch over [their evil deeds) :
(Soorat an-Nisaa', 4:80)
'And obey Allah a nd the Messenger so that you may
be shown mercy: (Soorat Aal-tlmraan, 3 : 1 32)
'And whatever the Messenger g ives you, take it; a n d
whatever he forbids for you, desist from it. And be ever
conscious of Al la h; for A l l a h is strict i n punish ment:
(Soorat AI-Hashr, 59:7)
Thus, it is Al lah H imself who commands
the Muslims to fol l ow a nd o bey the Pro phet
M uha m mad �. If a nyone claims to fol l ow the
Qur'a n, then he m ust a lso fol l ow the Sunnah of
the Prophet �' as the Q u r'a n itself com mands
the Muslims to fol l ow the Prophet �. Therefore,
it would be contradictory to claim to fol low the
Qur'a n w h ile denying one's obl igation to fol l ow
the Sunnah.
 4.4. The Prophet's Pronouncement regard i ng
the I mporta nce of the Sunnah

Apart from the a bove Q u r'a nic verses that point to the obligation of
obeyi ng the Prophet ij a n d the i m porta n ce of the Sunnah, the Prophet :i
hi mself clea rly declared the i m porta n ce of his own Sunnah and wa rned
against a bandoning it.
I n S.ab.eeb. ai-Bukhaaree a n d S.ab.eeb. Muslim, Alla h's Messenger � is
recorded to have said, 'Whoever obeys me actu a l ly obeys Allah; but
whoever d isobeys me actua l ly d isobeys Allah: Hence, n ot following the
Sunnah or the commands of the Messenger of Allah ij is ta ntamount to
not fol l owing the com ma nds of Allah �. Th is proves that a nyth ing that
comes from the Messenger � as a matter of fact orig inates with Allah.
Alla h's Messenger :i is a l so reported as having said, ' I have left
behind among you [two] matters; if you adhere to them, you wi l l never
be m isg u ided: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ;�: (ai­
Haakim)
Alla h's Messenger :i a lso said, 'Al l [members of] my ummah will e nter
Pa rad ise except those who refuse to do so: His Compa nions asked, 'Who
would refuse?' He repl ied, 'Whoever obeys me will enter Pa rad ise, but
whoever d isobeys me has refused to do so: (a i-Bu khaa ree)
These reports make it a b u nda ntly clea r that a M uslim m ust fol low the
Prophet's Sunnah in order to be rig htly-g uided.

)
,
"'
I

I
 4.5. Narration of Hadeeth
d u ri ng the Prophet's Lifetime
The na rration of t h e excellent practices
a n d sayi ngs of the Prophet ti from one
person to a nother thus became essential
d u ring the l ifetime of the Prophet ti. In fact,
he h i mself used to give instructions with
rega rd to conveyi ng what h e had tau g ht. On
the occasion of the Fa rewe l l Pilgri mage, he
said, 'Let those who a re present here ca rry
[this message] to those who a re a bsent: (a i­
Bu khaaree)
4.6. Writing of Hadeeth
d uring the l ifetime of the
Prophet �
The need of the Sunnah, its a uthority
a n d its preservation a re a l l tracea ble to the
l ifetime of the Prophet ti.
It is genera l ly known that the Prophet ti
discouraged recording his own sayi ngs a n d
the Sunnah a t t h e early stages of his mission
i n order to p reserve the pu rity of the Qu r'a n
a n d prevent the possi bil ity of confusing
between the Qu r'a n a n d his b_adeeth. He o nce
said to his com pa nio ns, 'Do not write what I
say: If a nyone has written a nything which I
h ave said other than the Q u r'a n, let him blot
it out. You may spea k a bout me a n d there is
n o objectio n to that, but whoever attributes
a l ie to me deli berately will have his p lace i n
He ll: (Muslim)
BlJ t there a re reports that d u ring the latter
part of his mission, that is, at a time when
m os : of the Qu r'a n had been revea led a n d
reco fded, t h e Prophet ti responded positively
\
\
to the req uests of some of his Companions to
write down his uttera n ces. Therefore, by the
time when m uch of the Qu r'a n was received,
memorized and doc u mented, the Prophet ti
perm itted doc u mentation of his sayi ngs.
AI-Bukhaaree and severa l other traditionists
(mub_addithoon) have recorded that in the
yea r 8 AH, on the occasion when the Prophet
ti victoriously returned to his n ative city of
Ma kka h, A l la h's Messenger ti del ivered a
sermon on the rig hts and d uties of Muslims and
other i m porta nt matters. A man from Yemen,
Abu Shaah, who was present at the time said,
'Messenger of Allah! Have this written out for
me:The Prophet ti comma nded, 'Write it down
for Abu Shaah:
The Prophet ti is a l so reported as having
said, 'May Allah make rad iant the face of a man
who has hea rd what I said and has preserved
it in his memory u ntil he conveys it to a nother.
Perhaps the person he conveyed it to has a
better u nderstand ing than h i m : (at-Ti rmid h ee)
Abu Daawood and at-Ti rmidhee have a l so
reported that �Abd u l laah i b n �Amr i b n ai-�Aas_
� used to write down the Prophet's sayi ngs
with his knowledge and perm ission so that h e
might not forget them. Some people told h i m
n ot to do so, sayin g that t h e Prophet ::\!j was a
h u m a n bei n g after a l l who may be angry at
times and pleased at times a nd that it wou ld n ot
be rig ht to record a nyth ing he said. �Abd u l la a h
went t o t h e Prophet ti a n d asked, 'May I write
down whatever I hear from you ?' The Prophet
ti rep l ied, 'Write [it down]. By the One i n whose
Hand my sou l is, n oth ing comes out of it except
the truth; pointing to his mouth. This mea n s
that he always spoke the truth whether h e was
a n g ry or pleased.
 AI-Bukhaaree has a lso reported in
5_afleeh that Abu H u rayra h � said, 'None of
the com pa nions of the Messenger of A l l a h �
has na rrated more fladeeth than I have, except
�Abd u l l a a h i b n �Am r, beca use he used to record
the fladeeth but I d i d n ot do so: Ara bs, Ara b
poets a nd geneal ogists were renowned for the
performa n ce of a mazi n g feats of memory and
rel ied o n this a g reat deat and these trad itional
ski l l s were employed i n the ca u se of I s l a m .
Abu H u rayra h � had a photogra p h ic
memory. He came to Madee n a h i n the yea r 7
AH when the Prophet � was at Khayba r. He
fo l l owed him there and accepted Islam. From
that time onward he never left the Prophet
� and was day a n d n i g ht i n h i s attenda nce
as h i s most fa ithfu l servant. This accou nts for
the g reat n u m ber of traditions (aflaadeeth)
attri buted to h i m . H i s belly was easily satisfied.
He ate n o leavened bread (the Arabic word used
by ai-Bukhaaree is a/-khameer) and wore no
showy garments. He did not p u rsue a ny trade
but preferred to rema i n in attenda nce o n the
P ro phet �- Abu H u rayra h � rel ated some 5 3 74
aflaadeeth. There is noth ing to be su rprised
a bout this. The re were Ara bs in the past who
memorized a tota l of 5000 long poems, a n d
there are m a ny exa m ples o f this throug hout
Ara b h isto ry.
Abu H u rayra h � used to ascribe the strength
of his memory to the Prophet's blessing o n h i m .
Hea ring t h e fa me o f his memory, Marwaan i b n
a i - H a kam, t h e governor o f Madeenah, o n o n e
occasion, decided t o test h i s memory. He sent
for h i m, and after havi n g ta l ked to h i m a bout
several matters, he bega n to ask him a bout the
fladeeth of the Prophet ;,1. Beh i nd a c u rta i n was
a scri be, who was writi ng down everyt h i n g that
his Abu H u rayra h � said, while Abu H u rayra h
was tota l l y u nawa re of the a rrangement.
The scribe relates, 'Ma rwaan went on asking
a n d I went on writing, and the fladeeth g rew
considera ble in n u m ber. After the l a pse
of a yea r, Marwaa n sent for Abu H u rayra h
again, a n d I was seated once more beh i n d
the c u rta i n. He went on questioning h i m o n
the same traditions, and I w a s compa ring
what he said now with what he had narrated
before: Th i s esta b l i s hes n ot only the truth
of Abu H u rayra h's strong memo ry but
also the fact that, by Ma rwaa n's orders, a
n u m ber of aflaadeeth that Abu H u rayra h �
na rrated were documented and that they
were a lso verified by way of com pa rison
with the o riginal. (See Dr. H a m i d u l l a h i n his
classic work entitled An Introduction to the
Conservation ofH.adeeth; p. 5 1 )
It s h o u l d be remem bered that accord i n g
t o t h e I s l a m i c bel ief, t h e N o b l e Qu r'a n i s
A l l a h's fi n a l revelation, M uha m mad � i s
Alla h's fi nal messenger ;,1 a n d that A l l a h
commands t h e M u s l i ms t o fol l ow the
Sunnah of the Pro p h et ;1. If the Sunnah was
not preserved, this wou ld not be consistent
with Alla h's mercy, wisdom and j u stice.
The Com panions of the Prophet �
were fu l ly awa re of their responsibil ity for
conveyi ng the fladeeth of the Prophet ;I a n d
they d i d t h i s with g reat accu racy. Certa i nly,
i n genera l, one of the ways of preserving
something is to record it. And the record i ng of
the fladeeth of the P rophet � a ctua l ly bega n
d u ring t h e Prophet's l ifeti me. The P rophet
;I made the Com pa n ions rea l ize that it was
their responsibil ity to learn what he said and
to convey it to others just as they heard it.
 4.8. Col lection of
Hadeeth Conti n ued
after the Death of
the Prophet �
J y _, ,....l - .J.j' -,. ,._.;- �..
- �\ i ...J\ t""\. n ..� .. sJ' ...Jo$ ? rJ
With the Prophet's death,
lll.sl ...... ,_ .1- \. � "- t\,.. \r.,. io -,r..o\f

.J:,. \. l t ,I' J( \ �\ ,._w_.,_, l.!.r' f !l>'i the col lection of b_adeeth yet
&Mi l\ - t \. � ,� , ,.... � )\ \ " ...
J' t i. A� l-o. ,..- v , ,.. ._ _. _... , ,
-�- ' ,.. \\� !-"' l,j ,. ulo .lJ \•P entered a nother stage. Every
$"' ")
case that came up for decision
had now to be referred either
4.7. Letters Sent by the Prophet � to the Noble Qu r'an or to
some judgement or sayi ng of
It is sign ificant to n ote that A l l a h's Messenger � h i mself the Messenger of Allah �- The
sent h u nd reds of l etters to severa l ki ngs, em perors a nd triba l Prophet's j udgements thus
chiefs. I n rea lity, these were noth i ng more t h a n t h e Prophet's gained a wide circu lation. There
b_adeeth. a re plenty of cases on record
The first steps for the preservation of b_adeeth were thus in which a right was clai med
ta ken i n the l ifetime of the Prophet � and conti n ued after his on the basis of a judgement or
death. saying of the Prophet � and
'
In his monu mental work Studies in Early Hadeeth Literature, Dr. evidence was dema nded as
M uha m mad M ustafa A tza m i has listed some fifty com panions to the authority of the saying
of the Prophet � who had recorded b.a deeth (A tza m i p. 34-60). or b_adeeth. Th us there was a
I n fact, D r. Nza m i has com piled a l ist of more than 400 scholars twofold process at work. Not
who had documented b_adeeth, a l l of whom l ived a nd d ied only the trustworthiness or
before the yea r 250 AH. Many of them a re from before the time a uthenticity of the particular
of t U m a r i bn tAbdui-Azeez, who is i nacc u rately credited, by b_adeeth was esta b l ished beyond
some modern scholars, with havi ng been the first person to ask dou bt, but the b_adeeth a lso
for the com pilation of b_adeeth. t U m a r ibn tAbdu i-Azeez ru led gained a wide circulation from
towards the close of the first centu ry. He died in the yea r 1 0 1 AH. being the knowledge of a few; it
Recent resea rch has esta b l ished that a l m ost all the passed on to that of many.
ab_aadeeth of the Prophet � were written down i n the l ife of the Yet t h i s was n ot the o n ly
Companions, which stretch ed to the end of the first century. factor that gave a spa rk to
One may then ask: What ha ppened to these early works? This is the spread of the knowledge
a perfectly g e n u i n e q u estion. Dr. A tzm i says, 'These books were of b_adeeth. There was
not d estroyed, nor did they perish, but were a bsorbed i nto the a nother factor of the utmost
works of later a uthors. When the encycl opaed ia-type books i m porta nce.To the Com panions
were produced, scholars did n ot feel the necessity to keep of the Messenger of A l l a h � the
'
the early books or booklets, and so slowly they disa ppeared: rel igion which he had bro u g ht
(Studies in b_adeeth Methodology and Literature, p. 75) was a priceless diamond; a
thing which they va l ued a bove
everything el se. For its sa ke they
had g iven u p their busi ness, their
relatives a n d their very homes.
They had laid down their l ives
to d efend it. To ca rry the d ivine
blessing, this g reatest g ift of A l l a h
t o other people had become the
supreme goal of thei r l ives.
Hence the s p read
knowledge was their first a nd
foremost concern. They were
fa ithfu l to the g reat obl igation,
which was laid on them. They
went eastwa rds a n d westward s
a n d northwa rds. I n whichever
d i rection they went,
to whichever cou ntry
trave l led, they ca rried with them
the message of the Q u r'a n and
the Sunnah. Every one of them
who had b ut the knowledge
of one-incident relating to the
Prophet's l ife considered it his
d uty to del iver it to others.
Their places of residence,
fact, beca me i n stitutions
the spread of the knowledge of
b_adeeth. Abu H u rayra h � a l one
had e i g ht h u n d red d isciples.
e Aa'isha h's house, too,
resorted to by h u n d reds
a rdent p u pi ls. The reputation
of eAbd u l la a h i b n e Abbaas �
was eq u a l ly g reat. I n spite of h is
youth, h e had a forem ost place
a m o ng the cou n sel l ors of e u ma r
ibn ai-Khattaab on a ccou nt o f h i s
knowledge o f t h e Q u r'a n and the
Sunnah.
Travels for the Purpose of Seeki ng
Hadeeth
The zea l of the n ew generation for the acq uisition of relig ious
knowledge was such that the students reg u la rly travel led
from one place to a nother to complete their knowledge of
the Sunnah. Some wou l d jou rney long d ista n ces to obta i n
fi rsthand knowledge a bout one b_adeeth on ly.
of its
It is reported that J a a b i r ibn eAbd u l l a a h � travelled from
Madeenah to Syria for the sa ke of a single b_adeeth. It was
a month's jou rney as J a a b i r h i mself states i n a report (a i­
B u kh a a ree). AI-Bu khaaree's fa mous commentary Fatb_ ai-Baaree
relates severa l i n cidents of this type. Abu Ayoob a i-Ans_aaree
� for i n sta nce, is related to have u nderta ken a long jou rney
to h ea r a sayi n g of the Prophet ;i from e uq ba h ibn e Aa m i r �­
and
He travel led a l l the way to Egypt. He told e uq ba h that o n ly he
they
a n d e uq b a h were left who had hea rd that particu l a r b_adeeth
d i rectly from the Prophet ;i. After h earing the b_adeeth, his
p u rpose was over in Egypt and thus retu rned to Madeenah.
saeeed ibn ai-Musayya b i s reported to have said that he used
to travel for days and n i g hts in sea rch of a s i n g l e b_adeeth.
Th is esta b l is hes beyond d o u bt that documentation of
b_adeeth beca me a major p reocc u pation of the scholars, which
they p u rsued a s a form of service to Islam a n d a mea n s of
in gaining the pleasu re of Allah. I n the second centu ry of the
for
Hijrah, b_adeeth bega n to assu me a more perma nent s h a pe,
and written col lections beg a n to see the l i g ht of day. H u n d reds
of b.a deeth students were engaged in the work of learn i n g it i n
va rious centres. B u t with every n e w teacher a n d student the
was
work of preservi ng the n a mes of the tra nsm itters a long with
of
the b_adeeth itself was beco m i n g d ifficu lt.
As time passed, the chains of tra nsm itters (asaaneed;
s i n g u l a r. isnaad) g rew longer a n d the deta i l s of names, places,
and dates in them beca me b u rdensome for memo ry. Written
col l ections of b_adeeth had thus become essential. The third
centu ry of the Hijrah marked, yet again, a new phase i n the
documentation of b_adeeth. Th i s g reat work reached its pea k in
the t h i rd centu ry of the Hijrah.
I •
 Defi ne the terms fladeeth a n d Sunnah. What is the basic d ifference
between them?
S how the i m porta nce of Sunnah in Islam. Give a few references
from the Q u r'a n a nd fladeeth to suppo rt you r a nswer.
Write a n ote a bout Abu H u rayra h's a mazi ng memory a n d how it
was, along with other Compan ions'memories, the key to preserving
the hadeeth of the Prophet ii.
Aside from relyi n g on memory, how else was the Prophet's b.a deeth
preserved?
What did the M u s l i m s do after the death of the Prophet ii with
rega rd to the com pi l ation of fladeeth?

4.1 0. The Major Col lections of Hadeeth

lmaam Maa l i k's AI-Muwatta' The Musnad of lmaam

Ahmad i b n H a n ba l
lmaam Maa l i k's AI-Muwatta' is often
descri bed as the pioneeri n g work among the
The term musnad is derived from sanad,
fladeeth col l ections, even preced i n g in some
mea n ing a uthority, and the isnaad of a
ways that of a i-Bu khaa ree. The classification
fladeeth means the tracing of it back thro u g h
of its contents is o rgan ized i n a n o rder that is
va rious transm itters t o t h e Compa n ion o f t h e
typical of the works of j u risprudence, or fiqh.
Pro p h et ii o n whose a uthority i t is rested. The
That is why AI-Muwatta' is sometimes identified
col l ections of fladeeth known as masaaneed
as the work of both fladeeth and fiqh. lmaam
( p l u ra l of musnad) a re a rra nged, n ot a ccord i n g
Maa l i k revised and strengthened h i s work
t o t h e subject-matter o f t h e fladeeth, but
many ti mes and it is said to have ta ken h i m
under the name of the Compa nion on whose
forty yea rs t o complete it. A s fa r a s rel i a bi l ity i s
fi n a l a uthority the fladeeth rested. The most
concerned, AI-Muwatta' sta nds i n t h e first ra n k
i m portant of this class is the Musnad of /maam
with a i - B u khaaree a n d M u s l i m . /maam M a a l i k
Ahmad i b n H a n ba l, which conta i ns a bout
d ied in 1 79 AH. AI-Muwatta' has been tra nslated
3 0,000 reports. lmaam Ahmad was born in 1 64
into Engl ish.
AH a nd d ied i n 241 AH, a n d is one of the fou r
recog n ized lmaams o f fladeeth.
 J
Narrators of �iJI ) :
Kura

Tas kent / .---..,

�·
the Noble Ahaadeeth � � ( .__.) �
Daghestan
. � �
�
erbent � e Bukhar a
.0

--�6 � /"'"'-- "' .

I
- ;"' ::J
) � Samarkand
�
f---------.:--------..,.-J'"-
�Orumiyeh
0 Van <SJ9�I)
-

� o � {i.
Crete Asia Minor
--"� J:.

J)
P�:· Atrak

-
e • •
Rash!
/
% 0' .... �.. . Mary

fV!eC/iterr n
Rodhos .s>& ...,,... .Gorgan Tauz
!!/ • • Khorasan
--:;:.r
a ea
0.0
'S'"'<$'
0
�0 · CJ Qezvin •

,., Se
Cyprus �'?
/<SJ / Rey
Neyshabur

a I
e'?-Cj � • Nahavand
Damascus
"0�,.QJ
Baghdad

..,-?!_,...'V
• Esfahan

�
·\r
;'\2J' &.
•
.., ...._ -
Alexandria �.s>o-
..Jerusa
....___.. lem <;>o;·
L
• �
•
Siwa �-1 QJ
� -

v�h �<%
-�'-5,� AI-Basrah •
'-?- · 11 i?QJ
� 1.., Pers ·

�
Sejstan
• Tabuk "-'
c:. rt' \) An Nafud '"'
� ;-..

l
• Taima

�
�� i?.s>Q Kerman
v-7
� Hagar •
_.
AI-Madinah
� '>'o .
f-------.0::."'---,
• ;,
�:i.· �".o Hajar • '?<;>
.;> / •
Suhar
Gulf of Oman
'>'
.,> '? •
%
<9
The Six Authentic Books � M��
-�'v� o'?
1 . AI- Bukhaar ee •
Makkah
•

/
2. Muslim .,.,

--4it:OO==:::i'oo;......i
. "E::ii" =:::i
At-Taif
3. Abu Daawood Completion of Hadeeth
4. At-Tirmidhee !=-c=':i
'00 ii tooo k.m.
Books to Nine

..,.../
5. An-Nasa'ee 7. lmaam Ahmad ibn !::!a nbal
6. Ibn Maajah 8. Ad-Daarimee
Muhra
9. lmaam Malik

The Six Wel l-establ ished Col l ections of Hadeeth

The most fa mous col lections of b.adeeth, however, a re ( 1 } the Sab.eeb. (the
sound or a uthentic) of Muha m mad ibn l smaa�eel a i-Bukhaaree (d. 256 AH/870
C EL u s u a l ly cal led a i- B u khaaree, (2} the S.ab.eeb. of Abui-H usayn M u s l i m ibn
a i-Hajjaaj (d. 26 1 AH/875 C E), u s u a l ly ca l led M u s l i m . These two S.ab.eeb.s or as­
S.ab.eeb.ayn (the Arabic d u a l of the word �ab.eeb.) a re the most a uthentic of the
six wel l-esta b l ished col l ections. The other fou r a re (3} those of Abu Daawood
(d. 261 AH/875 CE); (4} at-Ti rm id hee (d. 279 AH/892 CE); (5} a n-Nasaa'ee, and
(6} I b n Maajah (d. 273 AH/886 C E). These make u p the Six Books o r a/-Kutub
as-Sittah.
Mainly the works of a i-Bu khaaree and M u s l i m a re referred to as a�­
S.ab.eeb.ayn, o r the two sound col lections. But it is very i m porta nt to rea l ize
that no one may ca l l a b.adeeth u n reliable or wea k merely because it has not
a ppea red i n a i - B u khaaree o r M u s l i m . Al m ost a l l the other major col l ections
conta i n m a ny a uthentic ab.aadeeth. Some of them, however, a lso conta in a
n u m ber of wea k ab.aadeeth.
A d eta i led d iscussion concern i ng these Six Com p i lers of b.adeeth is
forthcoming.
 4. 1 1 . Rules of Criticism of Hadeeth as
There is n o doubt a t a l l that t h e col lectors of b_adeeth attached g reat
i m porta nce to the tru stworthiness of the na rrators. Apart from th is, they
tried their best to fi nd out that the report was tracea ble a l l the way back to
the Prophet �, through va rious n ecessa ry stages.
The Com pan ions of the Prophet � did not accept a ny b_adeeth u ntil
they were fu l ly satisfied that it came from the Messenger of A l l a h rj. AI­
Mub_addithoon or Traditional ists (that is, those special ized in the field of
b_adeeth) adopted ru les of criticism which were a ppl ied to the subject­
matter of b_adeeth. I n j u d g i ng whether a particular b_adeeth was genuine
o r fa bricated, the coll ectors not only u n dertook a thoro u g h i nvestigation
rega rd i ng the tru stworth i ness of the transm itters but also a p p l ied severa l
other ru les of criticism, which a re i n no way i nferior to modern scientific
methods. A b_adeeth was not accepted under a ny of the fol lowi ng conditions:

• If it was contra ry to the text of the Qu r'a n

• If it was agai n st the p l a i n tea c h i n g s of I s l a m
• If the s u bject-matter or words were u n so u n d or i ncorrect; for exa mple,
the words were n ot i n accord ance with the Ara bic med i u m, o r the text
was u n beco m i n g to the d i g n ity of the Prophet �
• If it conta i ned th reate n i ng of h eavy p u n ishment for ord i n a ry sins o r
prom ises o f mig hty reward for s l i g ht g o o d deeds
• If the time a nd conditions of its na rration contai ned evidence of forgery
• If it was opposed to a ny recogn ized historical fact

This l ist is, however, n ot comprehensive. Many other criteria a re also

employed to determ i n e the gen u i n eness of a certa i n b_adeeth. In fact,
a complete science has been evolved, the sole objective of which is the
research into the mea n i ng, the form and the way of tra nsmission of the
Prophet's ab_aadeeth. l n our own times, �Abd u i-Qaad i r a i -Arnaa'oot S h u �ayb
a i-Arnaa'oot M uhammad Naa�i rud-Deen a i-Ai baa nee a nd severa l other
scholars have done a g reat dea l to help revive the study of b_adeeth.
Shaykh a i-Ai baanee's wo rks i n which he d iscusses the statu s of b_adeeth
i n the g reatest deta i ls a re his own collections of a uthentic ab_aadeeth,
which ru n i nto many vol u mes. Besides, Shaykh a i-Ai baa nee has sorted
wea k ab_aadeeth and put them in severa l vo l u mes. Shaykh Naa�i rud-Deen
a i-Ai baa nee d ied in 1 999, in Amman, J orda n . He was 88 yea rs old.
 4.1 2 . Method of Cou nting
D ifferent N a rrations

Those who were engaged i n the spread and

study of b_adeeth looked upon every report as a
different b_adeeth when even a single na rrato r
of the b_adeeth was cha nged. Consider, for
exa m ple, a b_adeeth whose original na rrato r is
Abu H u rayrah �. N ow Abu H u rayra h � had
800 discip les, and the sa me b_adeeth m i g ht
have been reported by ten of his d isciples
with o r without a ny cha nge. Each of these
reports, a ccord i n g to b_adeeth col l ectors, forms
a sepa rate b_adeeth. Thus the n u mber would go
on increasi ng as the n u m be r of reports i n c rease.
That this was the method of AI- B u khaaree's
counting of na rrations is clea r from h i s work
S.afleeb_ a/-Bukhaaree, which with the change of
even one na rrator i n chain of, say, fou r or five,
considers the report to be d ifferent or sepa rate.

4.1 3. The lsnaad - Chain of

Transm itters

Every b_adeeth consists of two pa rts. Here is a

b_adeeth q u oted from AI-Bu kh a a ree:
AI-Bukhaaree said that S u laymaan Abu a r­
Ra bee� i nformed h i m sayi ng that lsmaa ' eel ibn
Ja �fa r said that Naafi t ibn Maalik i nformed h i m
on the a uthority o f h is father that A b u H u rayra h
� related that the Prophet � sa id, 'The signs of
a hypocrite a re t h ree: Whenever he spea ks, he
tel l s a l ie; whenever he m a kes a prom ise, he
breaks it; and whenever he is entrusted with
somethi ng, he proves to be dishonest:
This b_adeeth contains a series of na mes of
na rrators a nd then the a ctual s u bject relati ng
to the Prophet � a rrives.
The first portion is ca l led isnaad, while the
actual statement o r info rmation relati ng to the
Prophet � is ca l led matn (l itera l ly, text). The
isnaad, accord i ng to the Ara bic lexicog ra phy,
mea ns something on which something else
relies. As we rely on the narrators for the
knowledge of the statement of the Prophet �
'
this chain is ca l led isnaad. Its p l u ra l is asaaneed.
Someti mes, the term tareeq is used instead
of isnaad, and someti mes the term wajh is
used for the same pu rpose: (Studies in fjadeeth
Methodology and Literature: M. M. A �zami; p. 32)
 4.1 5. Hadeeth Qudsee (Sacred Hadeeth)

Th is is a kind of b_adeeth in which A l l ah's M essenger � spea ks to his

com m u n ity and relates what he says d i rectly from A l l a h M ost High. Such
b_adeeth genera l ly ta kes one of the fol lowing forms: ( 1 ) The Prophet � says
from a m o n g the sayi ngs he related from h is Lord . . . , (2) A l l a h Most H i g h has
said . . . , o r (3) A l l a h's Messenger � said that Allah has said . . .'

A b_adeeth qudsee is al so known as b_adeeth 1/aahee and b_adeeth rabbaanee.

It is ca l l ed b_adeeth qudsee beca use the s peech is attri buted to A l l a h Most
H i g h i n wh ich case the Messenger of A l l a h � merely a cts as a conveyer
of the d ivine message. The term qudsee mea n s 'sacred, divine or p u re: A
b_adeeth qudsee is so na med beca use, u n l i ke the majority of ab_aadeeth
which a re Prophetic ab_aadeeth, their a uthority (sanad) is traced back not to
the Prophet � but to A l m i g hty A l l a h .
T h e G lorious Q u r'an is the rea l Word o f A l l a h , Most H ig h, a n d the
Messenger of A l la h � had o n ly to receive it and then to teach it to the
people, explain it to them a nd act u pon its d i ctates. It is very im porta nt to
rea l ize that other ab_aadeeth which a re not cal led b_adeeth qudsee ca n not
be said to be u n inspired by A l l a h . The i m porta nt point is that a fladeeth
qudsee is n ot pa rt of the Q u r'a n a lthough its word i ng comes d i rectly from
A l l a h . A l l a h's Messenger � na rrated such sacred ab_aadeeth as Alla h's words.
This i n d icates that they a re words from A l l a h, but it was made clear to the
Prophet � that they did not form part of the Q u r'a n.
In rea l ity, the Sunnah or b_adeeth is a revelation from Allah: It is u n recited
revelation. It is the Pro p het's exposition of the Q u r'a n, or the Q u r'a n
i nterpreted. It is i m porta nt to rea l ize that the Q u r'a n says a bout the Prophet
�: 'He does not spea k of his own desire: (Surat an-Najm, 53:3)

•
 4. 1 6. The Obl igation to J a m a a l ad-Deen Za ra bozo observesI
' By the g race of A l l a h , u n l i ke the Messengers
Follow the Sunnah
who preceded the Prophet M uha m mad �,

It is obl igatory for a person who bel ieves i n A l l a h has preserved for M u s l i m s the a ctual

A l l a h t o fol l ow t h e Sunnah. I n fact, the Sunnah statements a n d actions of H i s last Prophet.

is the i ro n fra mework of the House of Islam. If The Prophet's statements, actions and even

you remove the fra mework of a b u i l d i ng, it w i l l h i s physica l a p peara n ce a re a l l captu red i n

brea k down l i ke a h ouse o f cards. Not fol l owi ng the body o f l iteratu re known a s the b_adeeth

the Sunnah o r the teachings of the Prophet :i l iteratu re. Vi rtua l ly n oth i n g has been l ost

is the same a s not fol lowing the com mands from his l ife. A M u s l i m can know exactly

of Allah �. Hence, accepting the Proph et's how he prayed, fasted, engaged in s port a nd

com mands, decisions a n d rulings is pa rt a n d partici pated i n daily matters with h i s fel l ow

parcel o f fa ith . Fol lowing t h e Prophet :i i s the Compan ions. He ca n visual ize how he ate,

key to A l l a h's l ove, g u ida nce and rea l l ife. The d ra n k a n d sat. Such a m i raculous a nd complete

Sunnah of the Prophet :i is, therefore, next to record ca n n ot be found for a ny other h istorical

the Q u r'a n, the second sou rce of I s l a m i c Law. fig u re since ma n's creation. This is actua l ly

Den ial of the Sunnah is in rea l ity ta nta mount a n other sign of the truth of the Prophethood

to denial of the G lorious Qu r'a n. Anyone who of M uha m mad, peace be u pon h i m . ' (Towards

refuses to follow the 5unnah a s embod ied in the Understanding Our Religion, vol . 1 p. 282-3)

a uthentic b.adeeth has l eft the fold of Islam.

N a m e the m ajor col lections of b_adeeth.

U nder what genera l conditions was a b_adeeth n ot
a ccepted?
What is an isnaad a n d asaaneed? What two other
names is the isnaad known by?
What a re the va rious classes/catego ries of b_adeeth?
Describe each c l ass.
What is a b_adeeth qudsee? How is it d ifferent from the
Pro p h etic b.adeeth?
Why is it obligatory to fol low the Sunnah? What wou ld
h a p pen if one decides to fol low only the G lorious
Q u r'an ?

•
 For Further Reading

1 . Dr. M ustafa as-S i b a ' ee, The Sunnah and its Role in Islamic Legislation,
I nternational P u b l is h i n g House, Riya d h, Saudi Ara bia, 1 st, Edition, 2008.
2. Dr. Yus uf a i-Qaradawi, Approaching the Sunnah, l i lT, London, U K &

Was h i ngton, U SA, 2006.

3 . D r. M uha mmad M u stafa A'za m i, Studies in Early Hadeeth Literature,
I s l a m i c Book Trust, Malaysia, 2000.
4. Dr. M uhammad M u stafa A'za m i, Studies in Hadeeth Literature and
Methodology, La hore, Pa kista n, S u h a i l Academy, 2002.
5 . Jamaal ad-Deen M . Za ra bozo, The Authority and Importance of the
Sunnah, a i-Basheer Publ ications & Tra nslations, 2000.
6. M uha m mad Zu bayr Sidd iq, Hadeeth Literature: Its Origin, Development
and Special Features. Ca l cutta U n iversity Press, 1 96 1 .
7. M uha m m ad Hashim Ka m a l i, A Textbook ofHadeeth Studies. The Islamic
Fou ndation, Leicester, U K, 2009.

�
� Istanbul
Black
:....._;> -------...__
• Ankara
s a
e
. · ·\· · ··· ··.
-..
CJ
;-· ·· · � v
r::::-'
C�.? ilisf-... . .. �- ···· ·· ·· ··· .,:··
····.. j3ukhara
' 0·· .· ··... X
( Aral
·.\ K���-khstan
..
.
····. . ·· · ·K��g;��;�·�··..... )
\ · · · ·· ·· · ···'-!.... .... . . . ./ · ·
• x· ·..··. .··. ::, Taj ikistan ·...ch
c::J
"

(
0
-··.···.. ·· ··. Ba ku �'--- 1';,
·v"·
"'f ..
. ·lna
? :.:·:·,\··· · � -� t � ;�·-. � ��:���t := ...... 1 . ···· ·): . . .
Tu rkey
·

. . . :;,�
..
asa X . . e11,:s,
.

..
M editerranea�
..... ... . ..

: : / � �: { ��:::
..

. ;
.... .. : :: , ... . · ·(
s�;i·� . ·· : . · .. .. .
.

:=... .. .: �� •bul:: "� • � 0:�i '%:, :

�
--- .

:..
.

Neshabur .:
.. ·. Q azaln •Te h ran � .

·:
:' �-
Beirut • � 0 ..: / ··. ... .:.
.
�
•

� / Islamabad'(
./it a ��s X :.\ .:;>
. ·
........_,__ Jerusale "!··... . . · ·· .: .. � • ·�.
- � :!• .. . ... : .... �� Baghdad.. : � '-'.1 . . . ..

�..:'A mman · ·····...9 A I-Basrk h .

·.. : X t ·· . . <:-
IJJ. !
/
• \'<?;.'(\
. .. ..····· \ • X'·.. • / Sejsta�) r.:,
t(J . ·'
·.·· ·.,.:: ::·.. ·:·. .. walt :.... .. .. .... ... -.L " :·
•

. .. :u
.
Kerman ··.. . . . . qiJJ.....- .... ./ lt7
/
.
..

Egy pt L� S
... : '·· ···.
!"
.._...-
- . .. . .s
.

Recent Boundaries
Birth Places of the Reporters X
of f:J.adeeth and places
where they died
 h e would s i m ply look a t a boo k j ust once
a nd wou ld memorize it. A l m i g hty Allah
endowed h i m with g reat i ntel lectua l powers.

1
Completing his elementa ry studies at the
you n g age of eleven, he i m mersed h i m self in
the study of b_adeeth. Wit h i n six yea rs, he had
mastered the knowledge of all the traditionists
(mub_addithoon, scholars of b_adeeth) of
B u kh a a raa. He used his God-g iven i ntel lectua l
powers i n the service of I s l a m a nd the b_adeeth
of the Messenger of Allah �-
5.1 . Abu �Abd u l laah I n h i s sixteenth yea r, ai-Bukhaaree made the

M u h a m mad ibn lsmaa � eel AI­ pilgrimage (flajj) and attended the lect u res of
the most fa mous lectures of b_adeeth in M a kka h
Bukhaaree
and Madeena h. He was h a rd ly eig hteen yea rs
old when he wrote at-Taareekh ai-Kabeer,
Abu 'Abd u l l a a h M uhammad ibn lsma a ' ee l

::
which has remai ned to this day a sta ndard
a i-Bu khaaree was born i n 1 94 AH (8 1 0 C E ) i n

:�
work o n the biog ra phy of b_adeeth na rrators.
the city of Bukhaar a , n ow p a rt of p re s e n t-
day Uzbekistan . H i s
father lsmaa'eel : �:: � : : ��: �::: �
The Jo ur n ey
of
���
; ������ �� �� �����
was a wei i-
ree
AI- B ukh a a

,.- - v
respected scholar. e
n ow l e dg
S ee ki n g K Ash -Sh am
He died when his t
Iraq , EgYP •
Khorasan,

son was sti l l you ng.

A I - B u k h a a ree
bega n the study

Pe�
�
of the P rophet's �.. Sejstan

t r a d i t i o n s
Siwa \
Kerman � S'j0"' _../

(ab_aadeeth) at a
adinah ""7�"'c5!
'?q"'
Hagar •r:.
, � \'� �'
<2::
1
<>'.;,4"
e,..___ Gulf of oman dia

\""'
AI
�� <?;:
c)) Suhar •
very you n g age. He •
• <>'"'>;:
""-'\'(, .,1
�..o Hajar
�·· Muscat

0"'"''>
was wel l-known sy mbol
s Ma��ah
•
• At-Tail
for his retentive • Place of
Birth
an
� -:.,.....: "'"l"" India n Oce
eath
X Place of D i ""
memory. M a ny nd the M uhra
Travel a
.,.J- The Line of
Muslim scholars Journey
bacK to Buk.
hara

have stated that

He then started a series of jou rneys i n quest of Saheeh ai-AI-Bukhaaree
b_adeeth. He passed thro u g h a l l the i m porta nt
Islamic centres of Islamic learning a n d stayed Among the Six Col lections of b_adeeth, which
in each place as long as he needed. He met a re popu larly known a s as-S.iflaab. as-Sittah (the
the traditionists, lea rnt a l l the ab_aadeeth they
Six sound col lections of b_adeeth), AI-Bu khaa ree
knew and com m u n i cated his own knowledge
holds the fi rst p lace in severa l respects, w h i l e
to them. He travel led to Egypt twice and to
M u s l i m comes second, a n d t h e two together
Koofa h a n d Baghdad m a ny ti mes.
a re known as the �ab_eeb_ayn (the two a uthentic
lmaam AI- B u khaaree's travels conti n ued for
books of b_adeeth). lmaam a i-AI-Bu khaaree
some fou r decades. I n the yea r 250 AH/864 C E,
travel l ed widely and devoted sixteen yea rs
he came to the g reat Centra l Asian city N is h a p u r
to the com pi l ation of �ab_eeb. a/-AI-Bukhaaree.
(a lso spelt N isa p u r) where he w a s g iven a
S.ab.eeb_ a i-AI-Bu khaa ree has remai ned to
g rand welcome suita ble to a mub_addith of his
this day the most a uthentic of a l l col lections.
ra n k. Fro m N is h a p u r, he travelled to Kharta n k,
AI-B u khaaree col lected a vast n u m ber of
a vi l lage some ten kilometres away fro m
ab_aadeeth from which he then selected 9,082
Samarqa nd, at the req uest of its i n h a bita nts. He
ab_aadeeth. He repeated ab_aadeeth which had
settled there and died in the yea r 256 AH/870
more than one chain of narrators (isnaad) .
C E. H i s g rave is situated in Kharta n k.
Discou nting all repetitions, a i- B u khaaree
Throug hout h i s l ife, lmaam AI-Bu khaaree,
was the character of sincere and sai ntly M u s l i m conta i n s 2602 ab_aadeeth a nd is divided i nto

scholar. He rigorou sly performed h i s religious 1 06 books and a total of 3450 cha pters.

obl igations. A g ood deal of his i n come, in S.ab.eeb. ai-Bukhaaree has been tra nslated
rea lity, was spent i n helping students and the i nto E n g l ish by D r. M uha mmad M uhsi n Khan.
poor. He n ever showed a n i l l-temper to a nyone,
nor did h e bea r a ny i l l-wi l l agai nst anybody.
Hadeeth was a l most a n obsession with AI­
Bukhaaree. He spa red n o pains to study it a nd
sacrificed a l m ost everyt h i n g for its sa ke. On one
of h i s j o u rneys, h e was so short of money that
he l ived on wild herbs for t h ree days. He was
very fond of a rchery in which he a cq u i red g reat
ski l l . I n fact, he was an excel lent ma rksman.
On severa l occasions, lmaam AI-Bu khaaree's
learn i ng was put to severe test, but he always
emerged with c redit. These repeated tests a n d 5.2. Abui-H usayn M u s l i m ibn
successes won h i m recogn ition as t h e g reatest
ai-Hajjaaj an-Naysaa booree
tradition ist of h is time. He recorded b_adeeth
from a s many a s 1 080 scholars. Those who (lmaam Muslim)
studied u nder him include fa mous subseq uent
scholars such a s at-Ti rmidhee, a n-Nasaa'ee, The fu l l name of lmaam M u s l i m i s Abui­
M u s l i m, a nd m a ny others. H u sayn M u s l i m ibn ai-Hajjaaj an-Naysaabooree
 �� ������������������������
�
(Nis hapu ri). He �as·
born i n M i s h a p u r )r
of
The Jo ur ney
i n 204 AH/8 1 7 CE, a
Musl i m
city in K h u raasaan, n ow l ed g e
S eeki n g K , I raq
Ash -Sh am
no� i n I ra n . H i s HijaZ, Egy pt
,

parents �ere

,��·,v
Crete o

� Rhodes
rel igiously m inded
persons a nd as such
Sejs\an
he �as bro u g ht
up a rig hteous
man and he al�ays
a d hered to the path
of rig hteousness. sy mbols
h
Place of Birt
H i s excellent moral •
In dian Ocea
n
Death
'j., Place of

chara cter can be Travel an

-> The Line of
,.,.,..
k to Nes
Journey bac
judged from the
fact that h e n ever
ind u lg ed in backbiti ng,
a very common h u man �ea kness.
lmaam M u s l i m travel led �idely to
col l ect traditions in Ara bia, Egypt, Syria
and I raq, �here he attended lectu res
of some of the pro m i nent traditionists
of h is time.
After completi ng his stud ies, he
settled do�n in N ishapu r�here he ca me
i nto contact �ith /maam a i-Bu khaaree.
Appa rently, he met al- Bukhaaree in the
year 250 AH �hen the latter came to
Nishapur. lt can not be denied, ho�ever,
that he might have met al- B u khaaree
even ea rlier than this d u ri n g his travels.
lmaam Muslim �as so impressed by ai­
Bu khaa ree's vast kno�ledge of b.adeeth
and his deep insight i nto it that he kept
himself attached to h i m u p to the end
of his l ife. He �as thus a true d isciple of
lmaam AI-Bukhaaree.
lmaam Muslim l ived for a bout fifty­
seven years. Of this short span of his l ife,
d the
habur
he spent most of his time in learning,
col lecting, teaching and tra nsmitting b.adeeth. He �as
bu ried i n the s u b u rbs of N ishapur. Although he compiled
a n u m ber of �orks, /maam Muslim is best kno�n for his
S.ab.eeb.. He d ied i n Nishapur i n 261 AH/875 CE.
Saheeh Muslim
S.ab.eeb.Muslim ra n ks, a l ong �ith S.ab.eeb. a i - B u khaaree,
as the m ost a uthentic book after the G lorious Q u r'a n .
Yet, m ost scholars give prefe rence t o the com pi l ation
of a i - B u khaaree. Not cou nting repetitions, �ab.eeb.
Muslim conta i n s 4000 ab.aadeeth; counting repetitions,
it conta i n s 7275 ab.aadeeth. Any b.adeeth, �hich is
fou n d i n both the col l ections of ai-Bukhaaree and
M u s l i m ca rries g reat sign ifica nce. Such ab.aadeeth a re
ca l led 'ag reed u pon: �hich mea n s both a i- B u khaaree
and M u s l i m have ag reed that the traditions in them
a re a uthentic. Saheeh Muslim is ava i lable i n English
tra nslation as �el l . It �as first rendered into E n g l ish by
'Abdu l-Ha meed 5_i ddeeq. Th i s �ork d oes n ot contai n
t h e Arabic text. The ne� E n g l ish tra nslation o f S.ab.eeb.
Muslim �hich is p u blished by Da rusa lam, Riya d h, Saudi
Ara bia, d oes h ave the Arabic text.
 had a photog ra phic memory. H i s knowledge
of the Prophet's traditions was very vast a nd
deep. He was a man of upright cha racter. Abu
Daawood d ied i n Basra i n the yea r 275 AH/883
CE, at the age of 73.

Sunan Abu Daawood: One of

h i s most Celebrated Hadeeth
Books
5.3. lmaam Abu Daawood
Sunan Abu Oaawood is among the most
Su laymaa n ibn a i-Ash �ath as­ i m portant of the b.adeeth col lections. Th i s
Sij i staanee work occupied Abu Daawood for twenty yea rs.
Most of the scholars a re ag reed that Sunan
Abu Daawood S u l ayman ibn Ash ' ath as­ Abu Oaawood is the best of the fou r Sunan
Sijistaa nee, com monly known a s Abu Daawood, com pi l ations (the other t h ree being Sunan at­
was born in the yea r 202 AH/81 7 CE, in Sij i staan, Tirmidhee, Sunan an-Nasaa'ee a n d Sunan I b n
a region which today stretches from south Majaah). Sunan A b u Oaawood is ra n ked a s third
eastern I ra n to south western Afg h a n ista n. i n i m porta nce after S.ab.eeb. ai-Bukhaaree a nd
H i s el ementary education took p lace in his S.ab.eeb. Muslim. Some M uslim scholars h ave
native town. When he was ten, he joi ned a stated that if a person has the Book of A l l a h
school in N is h a p u r. He then travel led to Basra, a n d t h e Sunan o f A b u Daawood, t h e n he h a s
I raq, where he received the b u l k of his b.adeeth t h e fu nda menta l text o f the rel igion.
train ing. He visited
Koofa h, H ijaz,
of
Syria a n d Egypt. The J o ur n ey
od
Ab u D a awo
He met most of
· Kn ow\ e dCap
S e eki O Q sra
ge
itals
m ic
the p romi nent Baghdad,
AI-Bah, Isla

tradition ists of
his ti me, and
he gai ned from
them a profo u n d
knowledge of
b_adeeth. Abu
Daawood's travels
reg u l a rly took
symbols

time to the city of • Place of Birt

h
an
Indian Oce
Baghdad. X Place of D
eath
Muhra
iravel
Abu Daawood r ihe Line of
 Sunan Abu Daawood is ava i l a ble in E n g l ish.
It has been recently rendered i nto English by
Yas i r Qad h i and Nasiruddin ai-Khatta b. It is
p u b l ished by Daru ssa lam, Riya d h; Sa u d i Ara bia.
It conta i n s the Arabic text and incl udes 5,274
na rrations.
put t o severe tests m a ny times. He travel led
a g reat deal i n sea rch of traditions. He visited
the g reat centres of Islamic l earning in I ra n ,
Khuraasaan a n d I raq. There he w a s able to
associate with pro m i nent traditionists such
a s ai-Bukhaaree, M us l i m, Abu Daawood and
severa l others. In fact, at-Ti rmid hee was lmaam
ai-Bukhaaree's successor.
At-Ti rmid hee was wel l-known for his
knowledge and piety. O n e o f h i s works was
a compi lation of the Prophet's chara cter and
m a n ners, common ly known as Shamaa'i/ at­
Tirmidhee.
lmaam at-Ti rm id hee d ied in Ti rmidh in the
year 279 AH (892 CE).

At-Tirm i d hee's ai-Jaamr

5.4. Abu � Eesaa M u h a m mad
A/-Jaami' or Sunan at-Tirmidhee is one of
ibn � Eesaa at-Tirmid hee what is ca l led 'th e Six Books of Hadeeth: It
conta i n s chapters o n all the essentia l fiqh
Abu t Eesaa M uhammad ibn t Eesaa at­ (j u risprudence) topics. It is one of the most
Ti rmidhee was born i n 209 AH (824 C E) i n i m portant works on b_a deeth literatu re. After
Ti rmidh (sometimes spelt Termez), w h i c h i s Sunan Abu Doa wood, at-Jaami' is conside red to
==

=:=.:;=�==�
situated on the north

'=.':=�'J� �� ��==���
= ==
==
b a n k of the river ========
ey of
Th e Jou r n
Oxus (Am u Darya) --::: K ura

ee
at-Tir rnith
�
i n the p resent-day
n ow \e g e
Uzbekista n . S e ekin g K , Iraq, 'I· az
asan Kho r
Wh i l e he was B ukhara ,

you ng, he bega n

learning in his
own city a n d later
travelled to learn S\wa

from the schola rs of

va rious lands. Abu
' Eesaa possessed a
sy mbols
rema rka bly sharp
h
• Place of Birt
an
and retentive Ind ian oce
ath
l( Place of De
Muhra
memory, which was ..,.,.. The Une of
Travel and
the
ez
k to Term
Jou rney bac
 be the most a uthentic a m o n g the fou r Sunan. E n g l ish by Abu Khaliyl and is published by
In fact, some scholars even considered Sunan Da russalam, Riyadh; Saudi Ara bia. Th is edition
at-Tirmidhee to be the best out of a l l the Six runs into six vol u mes and contains 3956
Books, not in terms of a uthenticity, but i n terms ab_aadeeth.
of o rga n i sation, making it easy for a n average
person to fi nd what he is looking for.
lmaam at-Ti rmid hee categorizes ab_aadeeth
as either �ab_eeb. (sound), b_asan (fa ir or good),
b.asan �ab_eeb. (good, sou n d), �ab_eeb. b_asan
(sou nd, g ood), ghareeb (ra re), Q_a ' eef (weak)
and munkar (undeterm i ned). But perhaps the
most sig n ificant tra it of ai-Jaami', so fa r a s
assessments o f a uthenticity is concerned, is t h e
catego ry o f b.asan (good) . /maam at-Ti rmid hee
defi nes a b_adeeth that is b.asan as one that has
been related by narrators who a re not accused
5.5. A b u (' A b d u r- R a h m a a n
of fa l sehood, provided it is h a nded down by
more than one c h a i n of transm itters, and is not
A h mad ibn S h u ('ayb ibn ('Ali
opposed to what has been related by other an-Nasaa'ee
rel iable narrators.
Thus, a/-Jaami' has enough virtues to ensure Abu 'Abd u r-Rahmaan Ahmad ibn S h u ' ayb
it a place as a disti nctive work among b_adeeth ibn 'Ali an-Nasaa'ee was born in the yea r 2 1 5
col lections. Jaami' at-Tirmidhee is now availa ble AH/830 CE, in Nasaa, a town in Kh u raasaa n. He

r��������������������� �������
in its English tra n s lation. It is rendered i nto

of
received his elementary education in h is home
territor� At the age of
fifteen he travel led to
The Jour ney
a n-N asa' e e Ba l kh, Afg han ista n,
ge
S ee kin g Knowled d a nd
where he studied

�
in the Lan
r d abou't
He wan de e Ar-Ramlah,
y pt d ed in
settle d in Eg _ , i J erusalem
h deeth . H e t rave I I e d
_a
d
an d b une
extensively in search
of b_adeeth and
visited K h u raasaan,
I raq, Ara bia, Syria and
Egypt. He was a g reat
scholar of b_adeeth
and wrote many
books. He died i n
sy mbols

• Place of Birth Damascus in the

n
In dian ocea
th
Y. Place of Dea year 303 AH/9 1 5
The Une of Travel
Mutua
� CE at the age of 88.
 Sunan an-Nasaa'ee two yea rs old, h e bega n h i s travels to other
cou ntries to acq u i re more of b_adeeth sciences.

Sunan an-Nasaa'ee is a ccepted as one of He trave l led to K h u raasaa n, I raq, Ara bia, Egypt

the Six Books of b_adeeth col l ections. It has a nd Syria and attended the gatheri ngs of

been tra n s lated into English by Nasiruddin a i­ b_adeeth scholars. He also travel led to Basra,
Khattab, a nd is p u b l ished by Darussa l a m . I t runs Koofa h a nd Bag hdad and l ea rnt b_adeeth from

i nto six vol u mes a nd i n c l udes 5,761 ab_aadeeth.
the scholars of Ma kka h a nd Madee n a h . He
never paused but conti n ued h i s travel s i n quest
of knowledge.
I b n Maajah is cou nted among the g reatest
a nd most hig h-ra n king scholars of b_adeeth.
He has the h o n o u r of being one of the six
leading schola rs whose col lections of hadeeth
a re widely popu l a r among the M u sl i ms. He
achieved g reat fa me for servi ng the b_adeeth
sciences and played a n i m porta nt role in
record i n g ab_aadeeth.
I b n Maajah died i n the yea r 273 AH/887 CE.

5.6. Abu I! Abd u l laah

Sunan Ibn Maajah
M u h a m mad ibn Yazeed I bn
Maajah a r-Ra b l! ee Sunan Ibn Maajah is counted among
the sou n d six o r the Six Books. I b n Maajah

Abu 'Abd u l la a h M uha m mad i bn Yazeed ar­ conta i n s 4341 ab_aadeeth. It is sign ificar:'. ! to
.
------ -- -···

R a b 'ee a i -Qazweenee

y of
(co m m o n ly known
The Jo urne
at- M aajah
as I bn Maajah) was
ow led ge
S eeking Kn
born in 209 AH/824
d,
Baghda
CE in Qazween, I ra n . AI-Basrah , H" 'az
-S ham , Egypt, '1
Ash
Asia Minor
He was n icknamed
Ibn Maaj a h . Some
scholars hold that his
mother's name was
Maajah.
He received his
elementa ry ed ucation
i n his own home town. sy mbols

Place of Birth
In 230 AH, when he •
Indian ocean
ealh
'1. Place of o
was a bout twenty- rav el
� The Une ofT
rea lize that out of these 4,341 ab_aadeeth 3002
have been recorded by compi lers of the other
Five Books, either by all o r one of them. The
rem a i n i n g 1 33 9 ab_aadeeth a re col lected by
I bn Maaj a h a lone. They a re not recorded by the
other Five b_adeeth col lectors. Scholars place
these traditions i n the fol lowing ra n ks:
Out of 1 339 ab_aadeeth, 428 ab_aadeeth
are classified as '�ab_eeb' (authentic);
a re classified as 'b_asan' (fai r o r good); 6 1 3
are classified as 'Q_a ' eef (wea k); while 99
a re classified as 'munkar' (de n o u n ced) a n d
'mawQ_oo" (fa b ri cated) . It i s h i g h ly rewa rd i ng
to n ote that the last b_adeeth recorded by I bn
Maajah, namely b_adeeth no. 434 1 , is one of
those ab_aadeeth or traditions that only I bn
Maaj a h has recorded. The other five collectors
did n ot, and this b_adeeth is '�ab_eeb_' (authentic).
Sunan Ibn Maajah, which has been tra nslated
1 99 into English by Nasiruddin a i-Khattab, is
p u b l ished by Darussa lam, Riyadh, Saudi A ra bia
a n d runs into five vol u mes.

Write short notes on the fo l lowing peop le's l ives.

o Abu 'Abd u l laah M uhammad i bn lsmaa ' eel a i Bukhaaree

o Abui-H usayn M u s l i m ibn ai-Hajjaaj a n - N i s h a p u ri

Abu Daawood S u layman i b n a i-As h ' ath a s-Sijistaa nee

o Abu ' Eesaa Muha m m ad i bn ' Eesaa at-Ti rmid h ee

o Abu 'Abd u r-Rahmaan Ahmad ibn S h u ' ayb ibn ' A l i a n-Nasaa'ee

o Abu 'Abd u l laah M uha mmad i b n Yazeed I bn Maaj a h a r-Ra b ' ee

Write short notes on the fol lowing works.

o S.ab_eeb_ ai-AI-Bukhaaree

o S.ab_eeb_ Muslim

o Sunan Abu Daawood

o Sunan at-Tirmidhee

o Sunan an-Nasaa'ee

o Sunan Ibn Maajah

5.7. Hadeeth for Special
Study
.
.. ..
• • • • • • t
.. ... .
. . . . . . . .
' . . .
o • I • • fl • •

: :· :S3·:·
:·: .
• • • 0

. · =··
. .

. :·
Rel ig ion is an­
·.
. ...
. .. .. . .
Naseehah
rtJ, I -:. �,, �1 <� ill 1 :..r:
, "_) ) '-?� 1111 �� u,_) -I1 .:r
:,
..r- '-:!!"' -..)
"

' ,..ill," : JIJ

" � �""' : 8; ". � \ &..:i.ll )) : JIJ ::..l:
.
,... ,.. ::; ,..
::; """ ""'
j�
o ;. } ""' "'

(� :lj�). l r-t� �j &.� �il �� J ' ���j ' ��j

... r-- ,...
0

Abu Ruqayya h Ta meem ad-Daaree <:¥;\

na rrated that the Prophet � said, 'The rel ig ion
is sincerity (an-na�eeb.ah) : We asked h i m, 'To
whom?' he repl ied, 'To A l l a h and H is Book
and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the
M u s l i m s and their common fol k: (reported by
Muslim)

Rel ig ion is Sincerity (an­

Na�eehah)
Th is b.adeeth conta i ns g reat inte l l ectua l
d epth a n d understa n d i ng. If t h e M u s l i m s act
u pon it, it will u nd o u bted ly be sufficient to
g u ide them. Some scholars have cal led this
b.adeeth one fou rth of the rel i g ion, but in
rea l ity, its mea n i n g em bra ces the whole of the
rel igion of I s l a m .
 The Mea n i ng of the
Expression an-Na�eehah
The Ara bic word na�eeflah is d ifficult to
tra n s l ate into Engl ish. It embraces sincerity,
good advice a nd wel l-wishi ng. The word has
two basic l i n g u istic mea n ing s. One mea n i n g
is t o clean, t o p u rify or t o i m p rove somethi ng;
fo r exa m ple to p u rify honey from i m p u rities.
Hen ce, p u re honey is cal led na�eeflat a/­
�asa/. The other mea n i n g is 'to u n ite or to join
something together such as when sewi ng
a garment'. Th e word na�eeb.ah is u s u a l ly
tra n s lated as g iving sincere advice o r a friendly
rem inder. Th u s, it is a very comprehensive term
a nd sta nds for a l l those virtues and deeds for
which the advice is g iven. I n fact, na�eeb.ah
i m p l ies that a person l oves for his brother what
is good, i nvites him to it, ma kes it clea r to h i m
a n d encourages h i m to do it.
Ad-Deen or Rel ig ion is good
advice or wel l-wishing
I n t h i s fladeeth A l la h's Messenger � states
that the rel igion of I s l a m is na�eeflah. This
profo u n d statement is fu l l of mea n i ngs. I n this
one short sentence, the Prophet :i descri bes
the heart of I s l a m .
To Allah
When asked t o whom this na�eeflah is
due, the Prophet :i first said, 'To A l l a h'. I n this
fladeeth, na�eeb.ah i n respect of Alla h mea ns:
bel ieving in Him, denying a ny pa rtners to H i m,
affi rm i ng a l l His attributes that are stated in the
Qu r'a n a nd the Sunnah, fu lfi l l i n g the obligatory
d uties, obeyi ng H i s com ma nds, keeping away
from what He has pro h i b ited, doing o ne's
best to rem e m ber H i m u nder a l l conditions,
lovi ng a nd h ati ng for H i s sa ke, demonstrati n g
a bsol ute since rity and devotion t o h i m, a n d
rem a i n i n g g ratefu l t o H i m for H i s blessings
a n d tha n ki n g Him. This i m p l ies that a Muslim
s h o u l d strive h a rd to get as close to A l l a h a s
possible b y performing the obl igatory d uties,
doing vol u nta ry deeds a n d remembering H i m .
To H is Book
Na�eeflah i n respect o f A l lah's B o o k req u i res
that one m ust believe that the Q u r'an is the
speech and the uncreated word of A l l a h .
Na�eeflah i n res pect o f t h e Book a l so req u i res
that one m ust read a n d recite it properly, a ct
u pon its teachi ngs, a n d ca l l s others to believe
in it. I t a lso i m p l ies having respect for it a n d
treating i t i n t h e proper m a n ne r.
To His M essenger �
Na�eeflah i n respect to His Messenger :i
i ncl udes the fo l lowi n g : to believe a nd accept
h i m as the Last Messenger of A l l a h � believe
'
h i s message, believe i n a l l that he brought as
being d ivinely revea led, obey h i m, help a n d
defend h i m, d efend his h o n o u r and respect h is
status, and to accept h i m a s the su p reme g u ide
and the true leader. Everyone else's opinions
a nd uttera n ces come after h i s statements.
To the Leaders of the
M uslims
Among M us l i ms there are two kinds of
leaders: religious leaders or scholars (� ulamaa')
a nd the wo rldly rulers o r leaders. Th is fladeeth
sign ifies both these kinds.
 Na�eeflah in respect of the leaders of the para m o u nt sig nifica nce for the M u s l i m society.
Muslims i nc l udes: cooperati n g with them If they make mista kes, one s h o u l d correct them
for the truth, helping them when they a re i n a n adeq uate m a n ner. One may advise them
fol lowing the truth, o beyi ng them i n what is d i rectly if it is possible. Otherwise, one cou ld
rig ht, and rem i n d i n g them if they should err or write to them o r get in touch with those who
forget. One s h o u l d a lso pray for their g u ida nce a re i n d i rect contact with them. It is not proper
and rig hteousness, beca use this wou l d to search fo r their fa i l i ngs and shortcomi ngs.
u l ti mately benefit the M u s l i m s i n t h e first place,
u n iting the hearts of the M u s l i m s in obedience
To the Com mon Fol k of the
to them a nd not revolting agai nst thei r proper
a utho rity. M u s l i m leaders a re h u m a n beings
Musl i m s
after alt and to err is h u man. Therefore, they a re
Na�eeflah i n respect of the com mon fol k of
i n need of sincere advice l i ke a ny other M u s l i m .
the M us l i m s incl udes: tea c h i n g them abo ut
Pa rt o f the na�eeb_ah t o the leaders a l s o i n c l u des
Islam a n d g u i d i n g them to what is good for
when the leaders a ppoint someone to a task or
them in both this wo rld a n d the hereafter. A
officia l position, that person should discharge
M u s l i m should accept the sound advice that
his duties honestly, ca refu l ly and pai nsta king ly.
comes to him from a ny source. (For a bril lia nt
He s h o u l d not cheat or defra u d the a uthority i n
and fu l ler com menta ry o n this fladeeth, it is
a ny way.
recommended to read Commentary on the
M u s l i m scholars a re lead ers in the sense
Forty fjadeeth of an-Nawawee by J a m a a l ad­
that they g u ide the M u s l i m to the teachings
Deen Zara bozo. This work, which fa l l s i n
of Islam. They are the ones who know how the
t h ree vo l u mes, i s a m i n e of i nformation and
teachings of the Qu r'a n and the Sunnah a re to
knowledge.)
be practised i n daily life. The i r position is one of

Defi ne the terms:

ad-deen
an-na�eeflah
Explain the mea n i n g of the fladeeth: "Religion is sincerity:'
Briefly write a bo ut what the Prophet :i meant when he
said "Religion is sincerity to:"
Allah
H i s Book
His Messenger :i
The leaders of the M u s l i m s
The c o m m o n M u s l i m fol k

•

The Sign of True
and Complete Fa ith
�) �� � (�....UI :fP)) �� J. � �� �' !_;
� � <�..>-� � : � !Sl;.i �.>:.
.. ""' ... .. ,.. ,..
""' , ...
/ ::'
� �-"� " :JIJ ( �j � ill l
"'
,�
..
.
/ they s e e t h a t the other bel ievers a re h a p py,
( �j '-,?J�I �\jj) . ( � � �:-;
... .. ""'
. ,.. .. /
t....i> ,---
An as ibn Maa l i k � na rrated that the Prophet
� said, 'None of you truly bel ieves u ntil he
loves for his brother what he l oves for h i m self:
(Reported by a i-AI-Bukh a a ree and M u s l im)
This b.adeeth fixes one of the most vita l ru les
of behaviou r i n Islam. The sign ificance of this
sta ndard is so g reat that some sch olars consider
this b.adeeth one-fo u rth o r o ne-th i rd of Islam.
None of you truly believes u ntil he l oves
for h i s brothe r what he loves for h i m self. This
is the condition that the Messenger of A l l a h
� a n nou n ced for true fa ith. What t h e fladeeth
sti p u lates is that a M u s l i m d oes not reach the
rea l ity of faith (eemaan) u nti l he l oves for others
what he l oves for h i mself.
I t is, however, sign ificant to rea l ize that
a person who does n ot love for his brother
what he l oves for h i mself does not become a
disbel iever. What the fladeeth ind icates is that
for a person to h ave true and com pl ete fa ith,
he m ust l ove for his brother what he loves for
h i mself. This fladeeth sim ply stresses the fact
that this attri bute is a n essential p i l l a r of true
and complete fa ith. It s h o u l d be kept clearly
in mind that there is m uch more to fa ith than
merely l oving for one's brother what one l oves
for oneself.
Tru e believers want g ood n ot o n l y for
themselves but a lso for each other. Descri b i n g
the com m u n ity o f believers, A l l a h's Messenger
� once said, 'Th e para bl e of the believers with
respect to their m utual compassion, l ove
a n d sympathy i s l i ke that of one body: if one
of its l i m bs is i l l, the whole body suffers from
sleeplessness a n d fever: (Reported by M u s l i m )
Th us, the t r u e bel ievers feel h a ppy w h e n
""' """ c:
/
/
a n d they fee l sad when they see that they
a re u n ha ppy. But this can come a bout when
the person's heart is free of jea lo u sy, g rudges
a n d envy. Envy is a sickness of the soul w h i c h
d istu rbs the l ife o f a n i n divi d u a l a n d society a s
a whole. It is l i ke the p l a g u e. W h e n a society
suffers from this psyc h o l ogical d i sease its
fou n dations a re s h a ken, people a re divid ed,
a n d the wel l being of the whole com m u n ity is
affected.
Envy, as defi ned by schola rs, is the pain
felt when you see that a nother perso n has
something good o r good mora l q u a l ities, a n d
y o u d o you r utm ost t o destroy h i s possession
o r q u a l ities. It is said that envy was the fi rst
sin comm itted in heaven when Sata n envied
Aad a m �\. I n fact, it was the fi rst s i n comm itted
on ea rth when Cain envied Abel a nd k i l l ed
h i m . Th us, a n envious person is a mea n enemy
who ca n not fu lfi l his wicked des i re except by
wis h i n g harm to oth ers. An envious person
ca n never relax, and the corrupt person has
no d i g n ity. Th e envious person feels sad when
he sees that someone has good fo rtu ne.
Therefore, the re is no such t h i n g as a true
believer who has such fee l i ngs i n his heart for
others. A true believer knows that everyt h i n g
comes from A l l a h . There is no need for h i m to
feel a ny sort of envy or jea lou sy with respect
to h i s fe l l ow men.
 Accord i n g to some schola rs, the principle
sti pulated i n th is b.adeeth embra ces both one's
brothers i n faith a s wel l a s o ne's non-M u s l i m
b reth ren . It is, however, i n the sense that
one l oves for on e's d isbel ievi n g brother: h i s
conversion t o Islam, just a s one loves for o ne's
M u s l i m brother h i s rem a i n i n g in I s l a m . This
b.adeeth proves the i ncomp leteness of the fa ith
of anyone who does not l ove fo r h i s brother
what he loves for h i mself.
Th ree Tra its of Bel ievers
Abu H u rayra h � na rrated that the Messenger
of Allah 1i said, 'Let him who bel ieves i n Allah
a n d the Last Day either speak good o r keep
sil ent, a nd l et h i m who bel i eves in A l l a h and
the Last Day h o n o u r h i s neigh bou r, and let
h i m who bel ieves in A l l a h and the Last Day
be genero u s to h i s g u est: (Reported by a i -AI­
B u khaaree and M u s l i m )
'Let h i m who Believes i n
A l l a h a n d t h e Last Day.. :
In this b.adeeth, A l l a h's Messe nger �
me ntions t h ree tra its of those who bel ieve i n
A l l a h a n d t h e Last Day. These traits or deeds
a re pa rts of com plete fa ith. Th is suggests
'None of you truly believes u ntil h e loves
for h is brother what he l oves for h i m self:
Does this mean that a n envious person
is n ot a M u s l i m ? What d oes this b.adeeth
sign ify?
Expl a i n the mea n i ng of envy a n d why
M us l i m s m ust not be envious?
that the person who does n ot possess these
characteristics is n ot a true and complete
believer.
It is i m porta nt to note that the Prophet �
mention s i n this b.adeeth only belief i n A l l a h
and the Last Day. Th is is beca u se i t will b e on the
Last Day that everyone will be held accou ntable
for thei r actions. These actions i nc l u d e what
the person ever uttered, how they treated their
neig h bo u rs a nd how they treated their guests.
Hence, the Last Day, which wi l l be the Day of
J udg ment, is specifica l ly mentioned so that it
could serve as a rem inder or encouragement,
which should lead every bel iever to m a ke sure
that he truly has the traits that the Messenger
of A l l a h 1i mentions i n this b.adeeth.
Speaking Good or Keeping
Si lent
T h e first tra it that Alla h's Messenger 1i
mentions i n this tradition concerns the tong ue.
Words h ave a fa r g reater i m pact than one
m i g ht t h i n k. One m i g ht say a single word that is
bou n d to ru i n his l ife and destroy his prospects
of success in the hereafter. On the other hand,
he m i g ht say a single word or p h rase, which
is so mea n i ngfu l in a positive sense that A l l a h
raises h i m by m a ny degrees. The Prophet �
said, ' I n deed, a s lave may utter a word without
contem plating its conseq uen ces and beca use
of it he s l i ps i nto the Hel lfire further than the
d ista nce between the East and the West:
(Reported by a i - B u khaaree and M u s l i m)
Therefore, a person who bel ieves i n Allah
and the Last Day should be very cautious a bout
their speech. Alth o u g h some words m i g ht lead
to m i sery and p u n ish ment, there a re yet other
words that can lead to h a p pi ness and a great
reward. The Prophet � said, ' I n d eed, a slave may
utter a word that is so pleasing to A l l a h without
givi n g it a ny i m porta nce, and beca use of that
A l l a h will ra ise h i m to a n u m ber of degrees [of
rewa rd] . Conversely, a s lave [of A l l a h] may utter
a word ca relessly without t h i n king of its g ravity;
and beca use of that he w i l l be thrown i nto the
Hel lfi re: (Reported by ai-Bukhaaree)
The Prophet � said in a n other b_adeeth:
'When the son of Ada m wa kes u p i n
t h e morning, his l i mbs h u m ble themselves
before the ton g u e, sayi ng, " Fea r Alla h for o u r
sake beca use w e a re with you (i.e. w e w i l l b e
rewarded or p u n ished as a result o f what you
do). If you a re stra ig ht, we w i l l be stra i g ht; a n d
i f y o u a re crooked, we w i l l become crooked."'
(Reported by Ahmad and at-Ti rmid hee)
In fact, one's worth may be identified by
a very sma l l part of one's body: the tong ue.
Thus, whenever one i ntends to spea k, it is
wise to weigh o ne's words and dwe l l u pon the
worthi ness of one's speech.
Good Speech embra ces a l l sayi ngs that a re
recom mended and req u i red by Islam. A good
M u s l i m m u st engage o n ly in good speech a n d
try h i s best t o avoid s peech that i s n ot good
and that does n ot lead to g oodness.
.��·-·�· · �����������������
.,�-;;�·�
Observing Silence
This is the second choice for the believer. It
is said silence is secu rity. To say noth ing at the
proper time is a cha racteristic of true believers,
just as to speak at the proper occasion is one of
'
the noble qual ities. Nothing is worthier of a stay
in prison than the tongue. Allah has not made
two doors for everythi ng, but He has made four
, for the tong ue: the two l i ps and the upper and
lower teeth.
The l ist of negative or ha rmful kinds of speech
is pretty long. People may easily get involved
into anyone of them. They include backbiti ng,
lying, givi ng fa lse testimony, ridicu l i ng others,
spreading rumou rs, cursi ng, abusi ng, disclosing
others' secrets, and brea king promises.
Honouring One's Neighbour
Honouri n g one's neighbour i nvolves va rious
displays of kind ness and friendli ness, such as
m a ki ng sure o ne's neig h bo u r is doing wel l,
extending g reetings of peace (salaam), g iving
g ifts, meeti n g one's neig h bo u r with a s m i l i n g
face, helping t h e m w h e n they n eed help, and
so on. It a l so i nvolves refra i n ing from harming
them i n any way.
The word neig h bo u r appl ies to both
a M u s l i m a n d a non-M u s l i m, to a pious
wors h i p per a nd a n evi ldoer, to a friend and
a n enemy, to a relative a nd a n on-relative, to
a kind neig h bo u r and one who cau ses h a rm,
a n d to one whose house is near as wel l a s one
whose house is slig htly away.
 Nei g h bo u rs va ry i n deg rees. One's next door
neig h bo u r has more rig hts than a neig h bour
who l ives a l ittle away, such as a person who
l ives two houses d own o r o n the next fl oor of
an apartment b u i l d ing, as opposed to one who
l ives o n the same floor. One should display
good ness towa rds one's n ei g h bour by helping
them when they seek help a n d visiti n g them
when they fa l l i l l . One s h o u l d n ot attem pt to
look i nto their private matters nor harm them
by letting one's rubbish onto their pro perty
or at their doorsteps. These actions form part
of the good ness that one is comma nded to
o bserve. A l l a h's Messenger ;I is reported as
having said,
'By A l l a h , he is not a true bel iever; by A l l a h ,
he is n o t a t r u e bel iever; by A l l a h , he is n o t a true
bel iever: It was asked, 'Who is that, Messenger
of A l l a h ? ' He rep l i ed, 'The one whose neig h bo u r
i s not safe from h i s evi l: (a i-Bu khaaree)
A person can harm their neig h bo u r in va rying
ways and deg rees; the g reatest deg ree bei ng
harm that i nvolves havi ng sexual relations with
a neig h bou r's wife.
Honouring
One's Guest
Alla h's Messenger ;I then mentions that a
person who truly bel ieves i n A l l a h a n d the Last
Day is generous to h i s g uests. Va rious a uthentic
aflaadeeth encourage bel ievers to be generous
to their g u ests. I ndeed, doing so is a Sunnah of
the Prophet ;1, which is recom mended but not
obligatory, and the Prophet ;I considers doing
so a sign of true fa ith i n Allah a n d the Last Day.
Some schola rs mai nta i n that hosti n g is a n
obl igation, i n partic u l a r for t h e first d a y a n d
n i g ht, u p o n the person w h o h a s t h e mea n s to
do so.
I n the present-day social setu p, the fu nction
of enterta i n ment a nd h ospita l ity of g u ests has
been ta ken over by hotels and resta u ra nts. But
in the past, h ospita l ity had a special place in
househo lds. Even today, enterta i n i ng g u ests is
an i m portant pa rt i n M u s l i m society. Everyone,
at one time or a nother, becomes a g uest of
a nother person. A l l a h's Messenger ;I said, 'Let
a nyon e who believes in A l l a h and the Last Day
honour his g u est. H i s jaa'izah (special g ift) is
one day and nig ht. He is to be enterta in ed for
three days. Whatever is beyond that is a n act of
cha rity. It is not lawfu l for a g u est to stay with
his host to the poi nt that he ma kes it difficult
for him: (a i-Bukhaaree)
Exploring the term jaa'izah, M u s l i m scholars
state that a host s h o u l d be extra generous o n
the first n ig ht, a n d then s h o u l d g ive h i s g uest,
on the second a n d the t h i rd night what he
norm a l ly has h i mself.
What is the sign ificance of mentioning
belief i n 'the Last Day' i n the a bove
Why d oes A l l a h com ma n d us to either
spea k good o r be si lent?
What d oes the A rabic word 'nei g h bou r'
s i g n i fy i n I s l a m ? H ow a re we supposed to
treat o u r nei g h bo u rs?
What a re the rig hts and respon s i b i l ities
of a g u est i n I s l a m ? Answer this q uestion
o n ly with refe rence to the a bove fladeeth.
•

�� JL::, �� �i (� ill l ��) illl 4 J. .r.� �
, ,..., -; �!)
.....
�
.,;.,t; -��� il ..:,l)� � �·I� 1;1 -.:...;1+' : <� �. � .di. ill 1 i -:.. )
.. ,... .. ... ,...
J;- ;�1 �J ' f1y;jl �?j J� I .£1\.dj ' 5�� �J
� .� � .J• ;: J/ • �
<�olj� ) (( · r" :JL; (( � �� JJ.;W .l;:. �;
Jaabir i b n �Abd u l la a h :1 na rrated that a m a n
asked the Messenger o f A l l a h :1, ' D o you t h i n k
that i f I perform t h e obligato ry p rayers, fast
Ramadaan, treat that which is lawfu l as lawfu l
and treat that which is forbidden a s forbidden,
and do noth i ng fu rther, s h a l l I enter Pa radise?'
The Proph et :1 said, 'Yes: (Musl im)
In this tradition, the q uestioner
mentioned the obl igatory p rayers a n d the
fast of Ramad_aan, but h e did not mention the
pilgrimage (b_ajj) a n d zakaat (the pu rifying dues).
Why is that? M u s l i m scholars h ave provided two
different a nswers to this q u estion: first, these
two a cts may not have become o b l igatory by
the time the q u estioner asked the Prophet
:1 this q uestion. Second, the questioner may
not h ave been a rich man, beca use both the
p i l g rimage and zakaat req u i re wea lth.
'And do nothing fu rther'
Th is tradition clea rly ind icates that
perform i n g opti o n a l o r recom mended acts a re
vol u nta ry, not o b l igatory. If a person performs
the o b l igatory a cts and keeps away from
the forbidden d eeds, he is actua l l y fu lfi l l i n g
the n ecessa ry req u i rements o f h i s rel ig i o n .
However, for a person who t r u l y desires t o g et
cl oser to Al l a h a n d g a i n s H i s good pleasure,
he s h o u l d not a bandon the vo l u nta ry a n d
recom mended a cts, as there is a g reat rewa rd
for performing them.
In fact, vol u nta ry deeds i n c l u d e all the deeds
that a re not strictly o b l igatory. These deeds
a re a lso at d ifferent degrees of virtue. Some
:::; / virtuous deeds were g reatly stressed by the
Messenger of A l l a h :1, while others were n ot
stressed. There is, howeve r, a b_adeeth qudsee
in w h i c h A l l a h says, 'My serva nt does n ot d raw
nea r to Me with a nyt h i n g more bel oved to m e
than the rel ig io u s d uties that I h ave i m posed
u po n h i m, and My serva nt conti n ues to d raw
nea r to Me with vol u nta ry works s u c h that I
love h i m : (Reported by a i - B u kh a a ree)
It is i n structive to n ote that the term
naafilah ( p l u ra l : nawaafil) denotes, in its p u rely
l i n g u istic sense, a n accretion o r add ition
o n ly
received, beyond one's due o r 'somet h i n g
given i n excess o f one's o b l igation'.
It i s sign ificant to rea l ize that m ost peop l e
w i l l h ave s o m e k i n d o f fa i l i n g s i n their
o b l ig atory deeds. The optio n a l deeds wi l l m a ke
u p fo r any such s h o rtco m i n g s in the o b l igatory
acts. Besides, if someone conti n u a l ly avoids
the recom mended a cts, h e wi l l be losing a
g reat deal of reward a n d a n opportu n ity to get
closer to Al l a h . I n short the o b l ig atory prayers
a n d the fast of RamaQ_aan a re two essentia l
a cts o f I s l a m . Doi n g what is lawfu l a n d keeping
away from what is u n l awfu l i s a l so a n essentia l
part of t h e rel i g i o n . Why did the m a n i n this b._a deeth not mention
If someone t r u l y fu lfi l s th ese essentia l g ivi n g zakaat o r performing the b_ajj?
as pects of the rel igion, he w i l l enter Pa rad i se, Explain what, according to this b_adeeth, a re

by the G race a n d Mercy of A l l a h . (For a fu l le r the criteria to enter Pa rad ise for a poor m a n ?

d iscussion o f this b_adeeth, refer J a m a a l a d ­ What if the m a n has enough money?

What is the significance of vol u nta ry/
Deen Za ra bozo's Commentary of the Forty
optional good deeds?
Hadeeth of an-Nawawee)

Concept of Charity in Islam

, .... .
.. ·- ...
.
..
..
..

.
.
.
.

'+.��; �P �j ,;,;� ;;�WI �lj ,;,;� �8 ij;le � C!:J

.
.
0 J. � , ..,. ,. / J. -:: J ""' 0 ..,, .... /
""'
""' ,..

( �j '-?��� :1j�) ".;,;� 0)aJI :_;. '-'��� �j ,;,;:L.;,

"" 0 ,. ,.
.., � ...... ..... o , ' ,....

� �

Abu H u rayra h � na rrated that the Messenger

:i said, ' Each person's s m a l l bones m ust perform a
cha rity every d ay the s u n comes u p: to act j u stly
between two people i s a cha rity; to help a man

.
with h i s mou nt, l ifting him onto it o r hoistin g up
"'
..
. his belong ings onto it is a charity; a good word is
.
..
..
.
a cha rity; every step you ta ke to prayers is a cha rity
.

and removi n g a h a rmfu l thing from the road is a

.

cha rity:
This tradition is a g reat rem i nder a bout how
Almig hty A l l a h has blessed m a n ki n d. It a lso i nd i cates
how we s h o u l d react to the g reat b l essi ngs and
,.-.r7LJLi nties that our Creator has bestowed u pon us .

-...
• • t • ...... ...... ... ..... . �· .. . . . ... . ... ... . ..- • • •.. • ... .. ...... .. • .. • • • ......... • •• • • • .... • .. •
 Sign ifica n ce of the Arabic ' It is He who has bro u g ht forth for [the
facu lties of] heari ng, a n d sig ht, feel i n g a nd
Word Su/aamaa
understa nd i n g . Little t h a n ks you g ive. ' (Soorat
ai-Mu'minoon, 2 3:78)
Accord i n g to E. W. La n e, the term sulaamaa
(tra nslated in the b_a deeth as 'sma l l bones')
The sma l l bones in o u r wrists, h a n ds, a n d
sign ifies bones of the hands and of the feet: of
feet, a re something that w e hard ly even pause
the fi ngers and the toes. (Arabic-English Lexicon,
to consider. In this b_adeeth, A l la h's Messenge r ;i
vol . 1 , p. 1 4 1 6)
has b ro u g ht o u r attention to them. We ca n n ot
Com menti n g on this word, Za ra bozo states,
possi bly count o r even rea l ize a l l of the g reat
'The word sulaamaa refers to the sma l l
blessi ngs and bou nties that A l l a h has g iven us.
bones in t h e h a n d s a n d feet. These bones a re
A person, therefore, s h o u l d perform some acts
put together in a magn ificent manner. It is their
of tha n kfu l ness for these b l essings.
i nteraction that a l lows the d exterity (ski l l in
using you r hands) that h u ma n s possess i n their
hands. They a re a l so what g ive the feet proper Various Forms of Charitable
ba l a n ce to move a bout . . . These bones a re some Acts
of the keys to the progress and civil ization that
h u mans h ave been able to achieve. It is these
bones that a l l ow h u mans to g rasp, move,
construct and b u i l d thi ngs. Therefore, they a re
a g reat blessing for which one m ust truly be
tha n kfu l.' (Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of
an-Nawawee, Vol . 2, p. 996)

One can sim ply imagine how d ifficult so

many d a i ly chores would be without the use of
these essential a n d i m porta nt bones. When one
ta kes the time to ponder over A l l a h's blessings
u pon us for h avi n g these bones, one feels that
one m ust do someth i n g out of g ratitude to
A l l a h for such blessings.
The A rabic word �adaqah used in this
At the same time, it is very i m porta nt to
b_adeeth conta i n s a wea lth of mea n i ngs. It is
note that a pa rt from these small bones, A l l a h
difficult to fi nd a n a pt E n g l i s h eq u iva lent for it,
h a s a lso g iven h u mans severa l other organs:
but it is usua l ly tra nslated as 'cha rity:
the hea rt, the bra i n, the l u n gs, the kidneys,
S_adaqah in I s l a m ic terminology is used for
the l iver, the eyes and the ea rs. The facu lties of
that g ift or cha rity that is g iven with pu rity
hea ring, seei n g a nd thinking a re the n ecessa ry
of i ntention a n d with a kind h ea rt to g a i n
forces beh i nd the proper use of the bones i n
Alla h's pleasu re. There s h o u l d be no i ntention
t h e h a n d s a n d feet. A l l a h says i n t h e Q u r'a n :
whatsoever of showi n g off, nor of putting
someone u nder a n obligation so that they feel
g ratefu l. The essence of �adaqah is �idq (truth),
from which this word is derived.
I n a b.adeeth reported by M u s l i m in his
S.ab.eeb., A l l a h's Messenger � said, 'S.adaqah
is burhaan (a proof): Th is refers to the fact
that �adaqah is a sign of one's true belief. It is
h u man natu re to l ove wea lth a nd possessions.
Hence, to g ive u p o ne's wea lth for A l l a h's sake
testifies to the truthfu l ness of o ne's fa ith. It is for
this reason that with holding the necessities of
l ife and sma l l kind nesses (maa�oon) as Soorat
ai-Maa�oon ( 1 07:7) mentions, which s pecially
ind icates small a cts of charity, is said to be
against the spirit of prayer.
Cha rity can ta ke severa l forms, a n d the
b.adeeth is very clear a bo ut it. Exa m ples of
other cha rita ble deeds incl ude extending the
g reeti ng of Islam to others, enjoi n i n g what
is rig ht and forbid d i n g what is wrong, and
refrai n i ng from doing evil to a nyone. The c i rcle
of those towa rds whom a n a ct of cha rity may be
done is eq u a l ly wide. To give food to one's wife
o r one's c h i l d ren is a charitable deed, a nd doing
good to a n i mals is a l so a charity. Whoever tills a
field a n d bird s and beasts eat of it, is a cha rity.
The G l o rious Qu r'a n a lso speaks of extending
cha rity n ot o n ly to all men i n c l u d i ng bel ievers
a n d u n believers (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2:272), but
a lso to d u m b creatio n (Soorat adh-Ohaariyaat,
5 1 : 1 9). Cha ritable deeds may be done openly
o r secretly:
'The l i keness of those who spend thei r
wea lth i n the path of Alla h is as the l i keness
of a g ra i n that sprouts seven ea rs. I n every ear
a re a h u n d red g ra i n s. Thus does Allah m u ltiply
reward for whomever He wil ls.' (Soorat a/­
Baqarah, 2:26 1 )
To return to the b.adeeth u nder d iscussion:
'To a ct justly between two people is a
cha rity:
This means reconciling a n d bri n g i ng peace
between two people, j u d g i n g j ustly between
two people, and so on.
'To help a man with his mou nt, l ifti ng h i m
o nto i t or hoisting u p h i s belongings o nto i t i s
a cha rity:
This is one of the simple acts by which one
may express his g ratitude to Allah for the many
bou nties He has bestowed u pon h i m . As Jamaal
ad-Deen Zara bozo puts it,
' I n modern times, of cou rse, this portion
of the b.adeeth may be i m plemented in
m a ny ways. Acts of cha rity wou l d i n cl ude,
for exa m p le, g iving another brother a ride i n
one's ca r, h e l p i n g a nother brother t o j u m psta rt
his car, h e l p i n g h i s brother load h i s car, and
so forth . The Muslim s h o u l d think of a l l of
these a cts that he could face on a day-to-day
basis a n d remember that they a re a l l a cts of
cha rity that he should be h a p py to perform
in g ratitude to A l l a h for the b l essi ngs he has
received.' (Commen tary on the Forty Uadeeth of
an-Nawawee, Vol. 2, p. 1 00 1 -2)
'A good word is a cha rity:
A g ood word incl udes m a ny things. It cou ld
be a ny word by which Allah is remem bered or
a ny word that benefits a ny of Alla h's creation.
' Every step you ta ke to prayers i s a cha rity:
This shows the i m porta nce of atte n d i n g the
praye r i n congregation i n the mosq ue.
'And removi n g a ha rmfu l thing from the
road is a charita b l e a ct:
 Fortunately, this is ava i lable to a l most
everybody. This is perha ps the easiest way to
express one's g ratitude to A l l a h .
0 What does the Ara bi c word su/aamaa
mean?
0 What does �adaqah mea n ? G ive some
exa m ples of �adaqah that can be
performed daily a nd with ease.
0 'To act j u stly between two people i s a
charity; to h e l p a m a n with h i s m o u nt,
l ifti ng h i m onto it o r h oi sti ng u p h i s
belongings onto i t is a c h a rity; a good
word is a cha rity; every step you ta ke
to p rayers is a cha rity and removi n g
a h a rmfu l t h i n g from the road is a
charity: Exp l a i n these five a cts of
cha rity in you r own words.
One's Duty to
Try a n d Stop Other
People from Doing
Wrong
A b u saeeed a i-Khudree � narrated that h e
h ea rd A l l ah's Messenger � say, 'Whoever of you
sees an evi l action, let h i m change it with h i s
h a n d ; a n d i f he is not able t o do so, then with
his tong ue; and if he is not a ble to d o so, then
with his hea rt; a n d that is the wea kest form of
fa ith: (Reported by Muslim)
This hadeeth touches o n one of the m ost
essenti a l issues for the rescue a n d g rowth of
the M u s l i m com m u n ity. The d i stinct q u a l ity
of removi n g evi l disti n g u ishes the M u s l i m
com m u n ity from a l l other com m u n ities: past
and p resent. I n this b_adeeth, A l l a h's Messenger
� m a kes it clear that remova l of evi l o r wa nti ng
to condemn it is a n essentia l attri bute of the
fa ith of a M u s l i m .
The Word 'Munkar'
Its Ara bic root is n - k - r, which means not 'to
know; to 'have no knowledge; to 'deny'. Hence,
munkar means disagreea ble, o bjectionable,
a nd d etestable a cts which people genera l ly
d i s l i ke. Such acts incl ude a busing others,
doing wro ngfu l a cts, practising fra ud, pride,
miserl i n ess and shamefu l a n d l ewd a cts. Th us,
munkar, in a genera l sense, is everything
that is rejected, o bjectiona ble, fa lse, u ntrue,
bla meworthy and u nfa ir from Sharee�ah point
of view. The wo rd munkar occ u rs 1 6 times i n
t h e Q u r'an .
'Whoever of You Sees an Evi l
Action'
I n this tradition, the Messenger o f A l l a h �
specifica l ly indicates the situation where a
person sees the wrong that is bei n g committed.
Th us, if there is an open a n d o bvious evi l that
is observed by M u s l i ms, they m ust c h a n ge it if
they have the a b i l ity to do so.
A person has a d uty to condemn o n ly that
which is m a n ifestly wrong. To pry i nto that
which is hidden i nvo lves the d isclos u re of what
has been kept concea led. This is not a l lowed,
accord i n g to the Sacred Law (Sharee�ah).
As the Q u r'a n states, 'Do n ot spy: (Soorat a/­
Hujuraat,49: 1 2)
Th ree Approaches to the
Condem nation of Evil : with
the Hand, with the Tongue,
a n d with the Hea rt
Once it has been esta b l ished that the
condemnation of an evi l action (munkar) is an
essentia l duty, it s h o u l d be n oted that those
who discharge the d uty are g ro u ped, according
to the b_adeeth under discussion, i nto t h ree
d isti nct categories:
The fi rst g ro u p i ncludes those who a re in a
position to give effect to their condemnation
thro u g h the use of force: l itera l ly 'by mea n s
o f the h a n d : It consists o f t h e leaders o f t h e
com m u n ity, t h e officers i n a uthority, pa rents,
teachers, p ri ncipa ls, headmasters, h usba nds, as
wel l as wives. It is, h owever, i nstructive to rea l ize
that this b_adeeth is ta l ki n g a bout 'the c h a n g i n g
o f evi l ' a n d not 'forbidding evi l : Forbidding of
evil or wrong is a genera l concept. It has to do
with preventive measures to keep an evi l from
happening. This b_adeeth is referring to the
condition where one is a ctua l ly seeing a n evi l
cu rrently occurring:
The second g ro u p consists of those who
express their condemnation verba l ly rather
than by using physical force, l itera l ly by mea n s
o f the tong ue, not t h e h a n d . This category
includes, for insta n ce, shouting for help, ca l l ing
the a uthorities, the pol ice, a nd other emergency
agencies o n phone, SMS, and so forth.
A Th i n g to Ponder:
'In the early evening of Th u rsday 22
September 1 988, a wom a n was raped at a
local tra in station i n Ch icago i n the presence
of severa l peop l e . . .' The sa l ient featu re of this
i ncident i n this account was that n obody had
moved to help the victi m, and her cries had
gone u n heeded - for a l l that the rape took
place d u ri n g the rush h o u r . . . severa l peop l e
were l ooking a n d she asked for h e l p, and no
one wou l d help:
The a bove q u ote has been ta ken from
Michael Cook's Commanding Right and
Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought, a very
large book, perha ps the l a rgest book ever
written i n English on the s u bject. The book
conta ins 702 pages and is p u bl ished by the
Cambridge U n iversity Press.
Th e t h i rd g ro u p consists of those who can
express their condem nation only thro u g h
t h e i r feel i ngs, that is, with the hea rt. T h i s g ro u p
consists of the mass of o rd i n a ry people.
A l la h's Messenger � said, 'Whoever of you :
Th is clearly shows that this com ma n d is d i rected
to each and every M u s l i m . Everyone has the
abil ity to condemn wrong if h e has the mea n s to
do so. This leads to a very i m porta nt poi nt. Does
this command extend to wrongdoers? Yes, the
address in this fladeeth extends to everyon e
w h o can d isti n g u ish between r i g h t a nd wrong.
One does not h ave to be pious a n d free of sins
in order to co m ma n d good and forbid evi l. This
is a n i m porta nt principle i n I s l a m .
B y condem n i ng evi l (munkar), w e are a ble
to correct our i n d ivid u a l behaviou r a s wel l as
that of the com m u n ity as a whole. A nyone who
criticizes and ca l l s for reform and correction is
n ot necessarily perfect h i m self. If we req u i re
perfection of a ny adviser, we s h o u l d have to
wait forever. Someone may arg u e, 'I am not
perfect myself, so I can n ot possibly advise
a nyone about mora l ity: But this is a da ngero u s
a nd mislead i ng notion. Islam has n othing t o d o
with this.
Sata n wou l d certa inly be happy if everyone
t h o u g ht l i ke this, since nobody is perfect a n d
witho ut blem ish, and that wou ld l eave nobody
to preach, which wi l l lead society to colla pse
i nto vice. Let us com pa re it with a society
sufferi ng from the plag ue. Do physicians n ot
suffer a long with their patients? Do they not
conti n u e to attem pt to treat them? In fact,
I s l a m d oes not com prom ise on the pri nciple
of condem n i n g evi l, promoting g ood and
forbidding vice. But the criticism should be
wise a nd wel l-intentioned.
tliat is the Wea kest
Form of faith'
Jamaal a i-Deen Za ra bozo observes,
'This fladeeth is not ta l ki n g a bout the ra n ks
of fa ith a n d bel ievers. Therefore, it i s wrong to
say, based on this fladeeth, that the one who
removes evi l by his h a n d i s at a hig her l evel
of fa ith than the one who removes it by the
ton g u e and so forth . . . Therefore, what is mea nt
by fa ith here is a ctua l ly the effect o r fru it of
fa ith. ' (Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of ai­
Nawawee, Vol. 3 p. 1 23 2)
 For a brilliant a n d lengthier explanation of
this fladeeth, see Zarabozo's Commentary on the
Forty Hadeeth of an-Nawawee. For specia l i sts,
The Question of
this work is a feast; for non-specia l ists, it offers
fresh insig hts into an enti re ra nge of centra l .· · Jihaad
concerns a bout the Sunnah of the Prophet
:i. His a n a lyses of aflaadeeth a re consistently
deep a n d often startl i ng.

Abu S a ' eed a i - K h u d ree � narrated that

What d oes munkar mea n ? Name few
t h i n g s that a re considered munkar i n
Islam.
Why do you think Allah has made
it com p u l sory for M u s l i m s t o stop
evi l actions that they see ha ppen i n g
a ro u n d h i m ?
What, a ccord i n g t o this fladeeth, is
the best thing to do if we see a n evi l
action happen i n g aro u nd us? And if
we a re not a b l e to do that, what other
rea ctions a re at least expected of us
a s Musl ims?
One does n ot have to be pious and
free of sins i n order to command good
and forbid evi l . E l a bo rate.
someone asked the Prophet :i, 'Messenger of
Allah, who is the best a m ong the people?' He
repl ied, 'A bel iever who strives his utmost in the
way of A l l a h with his person and his property:
(Reported by a i-Bu khaaree)
The Term Jihaad
Jihaad is the m ost abused or vi l ified word
in I s l a m i c voca b u l a ry. If you a re vil ified by
someo ne, they say or write very u n p l easant
things a bout you. So is the case with jihaad,
which is com m o n l y translated as 'holy war: But
this is s i m p ly n ot accurate. The term jihaad is
derived from the verb jaahada, which mea ns
'to strive or exert oneself: namely agai n st
anyt h i n g that i m p l ies evi l. The Prophet � for
'
exa m ple, described man's strug g l e agai nst h i s
own passions a n d weaknesses Uihaad an-nafs)
as the 'mig htiest form of jihaad: Th us jaahada
mea ns to endeavo u r, strive a n d strugg le. The
noun juhd means 'making o ne's utmost effort
and struggle to ach ieve o ne's object'.
I n the Q u r'a n ic term i n o logy, the term
jihaad means i nvesting o ne's ca pabil ities a n d
resou rces by t h e utmost striving - i nc l u d i n g
fig hti n g - in order t o obey Allah's co m m a n d s,
to seek H i s pleasu re and to esta b l ish the deen.
The word jihaad is often used as a synonym
for holy wa r, which is not accurate. When the
Qu r'a n specifica l ly mea n s fig hting in the way of
A l l a h, it uses the words qitaal or b_arb. The word
jihaad, therefore, has severa l other as pects
apart from wa r.
To Acquire and Absorb Islamic
Values
The strug g l e one faces i n a cq u i ri n g and
a bsorbing I s l a m i c va l ues i n o ne's life is a mig hty
task, which ta kes t h ree different forms.
Jihaad an-Nafs: Struggle
aga inst the Self
One's own desires, aspirations, passions,
l i kes and d i s l i kes have to be b rought u nder the
ru l e of the Sharee�ah o r the Islamic Law. The
struggle agai n st the self is an i n ner stru g g l e,
for it is waged by the heart a n d the core of
o ne's being a n d by fa ith. When one strugg les
agai n st one's own selt their s u p po rt and help
is the All-M ercifu l : ar-Rab_m aan. Jihaad o r
strug g l e agai nst t h e selt i n fact has no fi nal
l i m it o r point of term i nation. I t is perpetua l and
everlasting. It lasts u ntil one's last breath. This is
the reason why it is termed the most i m po rta nt
a nd mig hty form of jihaad.
Jihaad against Satan
Sata n is ded i cated to the d estruction of
h u ma n bei ngs. He m isses no opportun ity to
cheat, deceive or trick people. His snares a re
the l u stfu l a ppetites, which tem pt both the
pious and the s i nfu l . He l u res people into si nfu l
d i sobedience. H i s rea l p u rpose is to ta ke them
back home with him to Hell (Soorat Faatir,
35:6)
O n ce we truly recog nized Sata n in this
capacity, it is therefore, i nc u m bent u po n us
to wage an a l l-out war on h i m a n d engage
i n the sacred struggle of jihaad agai nst h i m,
with utmost intensity, i n private and i n p u b l ic,
outwa rd ly and i nwa rd ly. We m ust p u rsue this
without respite and spa re no effort i n o u r
com bat with h i m . We s h o u l d seek refuge with
A l l a h and ask H i m for h e l p i n all our operations
a n d schemes. No other creature treats us
m o re h a rshly than Sata n does. So bewa re! This
consta nt awa reness is jihaad an-nafs.
Jihaad agai nst the Evi l of
Society
Apart from recog n izi n g one's own desires
a nd tryi ng to protect oneself agai nst evi l
thoug hts a nd actions, one sometimes faces
opposition from one's own fa m i ly a nd friends.
The rig hteousness a nd rel igiousnes which are
d isplayed in one's l ife sometimes cau ses friction
as one i s seen to be fol lowi ng a 'd ifferent path'.
The reason is that i n some conditions the
demand of one's fa mily may confl ict with
o ne's moral and s p i ritual beliefs and d uties.
In such conditions, believers often have to
end u re h a rd s h i ps, opposition, oppression and
persecution. Such form of jihaad or strug g l e
agai nst the evi ls o f society is the outer form of
struggle or strivi ng.
G u ida nce is Tied to Jihaad or
Striving
A l l a h says, 'As for those w h o strive for O u r
ca use, w e will certa i n ly g u ide t h e m t o O u r
paths: (Soorat at-�Ankaboot, 29:69) Th us, A l l a h
connects g u ida nce with strivi n g in H i s ca use.
The forms ofjihaad, which a re obligatory u pon
us a re jihaad agai nst o ne's own self, jihaad
agai nst desires, jihaad agai nst Satan a n d jihaad
agai nst getting overcome by this worldly l ife.
Whoever strives h a rd agai nst these for the sa ke
of A l l a h, A l l a h will most certa i n ly g u ide h i m to
H i s paths that a re pleasing to H i m . These paths
w i l l lead h i m to Pa rad ise.
Ca l l i n g People to I s l a m :
If one i s convinced that one i s fol lowi n g the
right path, then it is necessa ry upon them to
ca l l others to this path . Such a person is praised
by Al l a h :
'There is n o on w h o is better in s peech
than one who ca l l s others to A l l a h, works
rig hteou sness, a n d says, "I am of those who
bow i n Islam."' (Soorat Fussilat, 41 :33)
Th us da� wah, or i nviti ng others to
Islam, is another form of jihaad, which
m ust be u n derta ken with sincerity and
wholehearted ness s o that i t c a n reach the
heart of the reci pient of the noble message of
Islam. Of course when i nviti ng others to the
path of rig hteousness, one should be a ble to
present a good model in one's own life. The
Q u r'a n provides many instructions in this
rega rd. (Soorat an-Nafll, 1 6: 1 25; Soorat Fussi/at,
4 1 :34-36)
Appl ied to actual wa rfa re, the term jihaad has
been used i n the Qu r'a n exc l usively to denote
a wa r of defence - defence of our freedom of
religion, of o u r cou ntry a n d the l i berty of o u r
com m u n ity. (Soorat al-fj_ajj, 22:39-40)
It is a form of jihaad in defence of I s l a m, i n
defence o f rel ig ions, sacred pla ces, h o n o u r a n d
p roperty. It does n ot contra d i ct t h e kindness
and generosity of Islam, a s it is only resorted to
when a l l other mea n s fa i l .
Jihaad is the H ig hest Form of
Obed ience
Isla m's su m m it o r pin nacle is jihaad. It is
the h i g h est form of obedience because it is
only thro u g h it that Islam becomes domi na nt.
Therefore, it is the g reatest a ct of wors h i p. It is
thro u g h jihaad that the rel igion is p rotected,
defended a nd preserved. It a l so p rotects the honour
of the M u s l ims. Hence, jihaad is considered the most
i m po rta nt deed after the o b l igatory acts. Th is is why
the best among people is a believer who strives his
Martyrdom
utmost i n Alla h's ca use with his life and property. a n d its Various
Kinds
Misunderstandi ngs about Jihaad
.JJ I J�) J li : J ii (� ill 1 �)) o).� '-) �;;
As we h ave n oted a bove,jihaad i s the most a bused ""

'
�� �
�

((�� � A -��� -; ili t.;" : (� � ill 1 1 -:... )

"' � ...

�� � <.JJ
/

or vil ified word in Islamic terminology. It is erroneously

,-�J r..>-

� -'. .JjI �...)"':': l·o � � ! .Jj I J -' � \; : I ·Iij "

/

I �.""" ..;_. rJ":'

translated as 'holy war'. The other m isu ndersta nding -{} "" ,.. "" } ,.. ;. ""'

� '* rJ" .J-'.)

, ..,
". �
.:t'
;,.. ' -::;
/ •

is that whatever wa r M u s l i m s wage is termed jihaad.

� � �,, : l_,ll,; J:.W � �l � � f. � � �r : J ij
/ "" .. ,. /
""
/ / ,.,. / /
,r; ... /

Not every armed conflict is jihaad.

�
".

'i.+�· � �� � J: � :; )) :Jli (( � �� J�)

_;_ ..;t.; :;.-; ,:)_+�· � �� � J: ..;t.; :;.-;
/ / M
/

A Word of Caution about Jihaad

-� � �� J: ..; t.; :_;,.-; • Y � 0�\.b.J I
/
.. ""' / ..
/

/ / 0 0 ;; -{} ,.. /

A stru ggle is not ca l l ed a jihaad in its true sense

(� �ljj) (. (� J.!f3 1j) .1i.i.l J)
,.. / .. / /

.., ,.. ' ,o

u n l ess it is done for the sa ke of A l l a h, inten d i n g to
(I'"

make His word s u p reme and ra ise the sta ndard of

truth for A l l a h's g ood p l eas u re. If someone i ntends
the plea s u re of this world, then his efforts can not be
ca l l ed jihaad i n the true sense of the word. The person
who fig hts to g a i n a position, to receive the spoi ls of
wa r, to demonstrate his bravery, or to g a i n some fa me
wi l l receive no reward whatsoever.
What d oes the term jihaad mean? What
does it sign ify i n Q u r'a n ic term inol ogy?
Jihaad towa rds a cq u i ring and a bsorbing
I s l a m i c va l ues ta kes on three forms. What
a re they? Explain each one of them.
Write a bout jihaad in cal l i n g people to
I s l a m, mentioning when qitaal becomes
n ecessa ry.
Why is jihaad considered the most i m porta nt
deed after the oblig atory acts?
Abu H u rayra h � narrated that
Al la h's Messenger � once asked h i s
Com panio ns, 'Who do you consider to
be the m a rtyrs among you?' They said,
'Messenger of A l l a h �, the person who is
kil led in the cause of A l l a h is a ma rtyr: He
said, '[If this is the defi n ition of ma rtyr],
then ma rtyrs a m ong my nation will
be sma l l i n n u m ber: They asked, 'Who
a re they then, Messenger of Alla h?' He
repl ied, 'A person who is kil led i n the
cause of Allah is a ma rtyr; a person who
d ies i n the ca use of Allah is a ma rtyr; a
person who dies of plague i s a ma rtyr;
a nd a person wh
ma rtyr: (Reportecl
 The Term Shaheed
The Arabic word shaheed means 'witness'
as wel l as 'ma rtyr: Shaheed ( p l u ra l: shuhadaa')
is the person who, by g iving h is life in the
p rocess of fu lfi l l i n g one's rel igious obligations,
bea rs witness to what he believes. (Soorat Aal
�lmraan, 3 : 1 40; Soorat ai-Aflzaab, 3 3:23) The
Q u r'a n i n structs the bel ievers not to ca l l them
dead. (Soorat al-baqarah, 2 : 1 54) ' I n deed, they
a re a l ive a nd a re provided s u stena n ce by A l l a h :
(Soorat Aal �lmraan, 3 : 1 69) 'And those w h o a re
kil led in the path of A l l a h, never w i l l He waste
their deeds. He w i l l g u ide them a n d i m prove
their cond ition a nd a d m it them i nto Pa radise
which he has made known to them: (Soorat
Muflammad, 47:4-6)
Ma rtyrs, of cou rse, do n ot l ive in the physical
world. Due to their s u preme sacrifice for the
sa ke of A l lah, they atta in everlasti n g l ife.

A Person who is Killed i n the eemaan, married to ma idens havi n g beautifu l

eyes, a n d permitted to i ntercede for seventy of
Way of Allah is a Martyr
thei r relatives: (Reported by at-Ti rm id hee and
I b n Maaj a h a n d classified a s 'a uthentic' (saheeh)
Th i s is the fi rst type of m a rtyrdom
hadeeth
by a l-AI baa nee)
m e ntioned by the Prophet � in the
One of the Compan ions asked, 'Messenger
u nder d iscussion. I n thi s l ife, w e d o n o t know
of A l l a h, why i s it that a l l the believers a re tried
what type of l ife m artyrs h ave, except for
in thei r g raves, except a m a rtyr?' He repl ied,
w hatever the Prophet � has told us i n a uthentic
ahaadeeth.
'The clas h i ng of swords over h is head was a
s ufficient trial for h i m : (Saheeh al-jaamn
Nevertheless, the Q u r'a n is the
true Word of Allah, who knows everythi n g. It
It is i m porta nt to n ote that a ny M u s l i m who
i s e n o u g h a s a basis for u s to fundamenta l ly
s i n cerely desires for martyrdo m wi l l b e g ra nted
c h a n g e o u r views of life a n d death . It i s
it, even if h e d oes n ot die i n the battlefield. The
sufficient to tel l us that thi ng s n eed n ot be a s
Pro phet � i s reported to h ave sa i d, 'H e who
they a ppear. A l l a h forbids u s t o t h i n k o f them
s i n cerely asks for m artyrdom, Allah will g ra nt
a s dead. H e assures u s that they a re with H i m,
h i m the levels of m artyrs, even if he d ies i n bed:
wel l provided for. They receive H is bou nty in
(M u s l i m)
the same way as the l iving do.
(eemaan)
The Prophet � a l so said, 'The souls of the
Martyrs who seal thei r fa ith with
m artyrs l ive i n the bodies of g reen b i rds who
thei r d eath i n battle is shaheed. G reat joys awa it
h ave n ests i n chandeliers h u n g from the
them i n Paradise. This is depicted in m a ny
ahaadeeth of the
Throne of the A l mig hty. They eat of the fruits
Prophet �. The Pro phet � i s
of Pa radise from wherever they l i ke a n d then
reported a s h avin g sa i d, 'A m a rtyr is awa rded
n estle i n these c ha n del iers: (M usli m)
seven favours by A l l a h : he is forgiven with
None of the dwel lers i n Paradise wou l d ever
the first g u s h of his b lood, s h own his p lace i n
l i ke to come back to earth except the m a rtyrs,
Pa rad ise, protected from the torment of the
for o n acco u nt of the very specia l bou nties
g rave, saved from the G reat Fea r [on the Day
w hic h a re g ra nted them i n Pa rad ise, they wish
of J udgment], adorned with the adornments of
to suffer martyrdom a n other ten ti mes.

1 45
 The Rest of the Hadeeth:
Martyrdom of m a ny Kinds
Besides this type of m a rtyrdom - getting
kil l ed in the way of A l l a h - there a re other types
of deaths which merit one as a ma rtyr.
A person who dies in the way of Allah is a
ma rtyr. Th is refers to one's total dedication to
I s l a m . Peacefu l moral d uties a re a l l deeds in the
way of Allah and may enable one to share in the
rewa rds, otherwise prom ised to a shaheed o r
ma rtyr. Th us a nyone w h o d ies of a disease l i ke
the plague o r a stomach d isease is considered
a shaheed. Li kewise, those who die as a result
On Earning
a L i ve l i h o o d
Lawfu l Mea n s (ai­
Kasb min-ai-Ha/aal)
AI-Miqdaam ibn Ma ' d Kari b narrated that
Alla h's Messenger � said, 'No one has ever
eaten better food than that which he eats from
the work done by his own h a nd, a nd Prophet
Daawood used to eat from the work done by
his own hands: (Reported by ai-Bukhaaree)
This b_adeeth p rovides us with excel lent
g u i d a n ce on the s u bject of ea r n i ng
live l i hood.
of d rown ing, being bu ried a l ive, b u rn i ng a re
ma rtyrs. A mother who d ies i n c h i l d b i rth is a l so
a m a rtyr.
What does the Ara bic word shaheed
mea n ?
Write a n ote on a person who is ki l led
in the way of A l l a h i.e. a ma rtyr.
Aside from being kil led in the way of
Allah, what other types of death are
considered as martyrdom by A l l a h ?
Dignity of Labour
Some people consider certa i n ki nds of jobs
by as contempti b le. H owever, Islam denou nces
the va l idity of this erro neous notion, and
the Prophet � teaches us that the whole of
a h u m a n being's d ig n ity is tied up with their
work - any sort of work. Rea l disgrace and
h u m i l iation actua l ly l ies i n depe n d i ng on other
people's aid.
The Prophet � once observed, 'It is better
for one of you to ta ke his rope, bring a load of
firewood on his back and sell it, God thereby
preservi ng his self-respect, than that he should
beg from people whether they g ive him
a nything or refuse
h i m : (ai-Bu khaaree)
a
 Every profession is, therefore, considered
h onoura ble in Islam even that of cutting wood.
Among all mea n s of l ivel i h ood, trade occupies
the most i m po rta nt place, a n d the h onest
merch a nt bei ng one of the rig hteo u s servants
of A l l a h . The seller is req uested to be j u st i n
weig h i n g a nd generous i n dea l i ng. If there i s
a defect in a t h i n g sold, he m ust m a ke i t clear
to the buyer. Deceivi ng a p u rchaser through
a third pa rty offering a h i g her price is strictly
forbidden in Islam.
AI-Bukhaaree mentions a n u m be r
professions i n the hea d i ngs of h i s chapters, such
a s that of butchers, goldsm iths, blacksm iths,
ta ilors, weavers a nd ca rpenters and mentions
traditions showing that the Prophet
considered such jobs honoura ble. Those who
fol l owed them were treated on a basis of
perfect equa lity with other mem bers of the
M u s l i m com m u n ity. The h u m blest work thus
ca rries with it a d i g n ity. For fu rther deta ils, see
Kitaab ai-Buyoo� (Book of Buying and Sel l i ng) in
S.afleefl ai-Bukhaaree.
A Muslim may earn his l ive l i h ood
a g riculture, trade, ind ustry, or by a ny other
profession or employment as long as it does
not i nvolve doing, su pporting or promoting
a nything which is u n lawfu l. In fact, Islam
considers obta i n ment of wea lth o r property
to be one of the fu nda menta l laws reg u lati ng
human society. No l i m itation is placed u pon the
wea lth or property which a n individ ual, male
or female, may acq u i re o r g ive away. But Islam
gu ides people to the proper balance between
this l ife and the l ife to come. It is q u ite natu ra l
for people to fi nd the good things of this l ife
attractive and a l l u ring, but a true believer does
not m a ke the goods of this world their u lti mate
goa l. The world ly needs and pleasures never
penetrate their hea rts, nor d o they become their
of foremost a nd main preoccu pation and goal.
The Messenger of A l l a h � said, '0 people!
Fea r Allah and be moderate i n seeking a l iving,
for no person wi l l die u ntil they have received
� a l l their provision, even if it is slow in coming. So
fear A l l a h and be moderate i n seeking provision,
ta ke that which is perm issible and leave that
which is forbidden: ( I bn Maaja h, fladeeth no.
2 1 44; g raded 'a uthentic')
The Noble Q u r'a n denou n ces a l l u n lawfu l
mea ns of a cq u i ring wea lth:
'0 you who bel ieve! Do not consume one
a nother's wea lth by fa lse means. But rather,
let there be free trade with consent among
you rselves: (Soorat an-Nisaa', 4:29)
'Consuming one another's wea lth by fa lse
mea n s' i n any way that is n ot perm itted by
the Islamic Law. Th is incl udes theft, cheating,
m isappropriation, usu ry, g a m b l i ng, and the l i ke:
The Glorious Q u r'a n u rges Muslims to engage
i n trade and com merce and to underta ke
jou rneys for what the Qu r'a n calls 'seeking the
bou nty of Allah: (See, for exa mple, 73:20; 35:1 2;
by 30:46; 2: 1 64 and 28:57)
Accord ing to Islam, the true believers a re not
those who remain in the mosq ue a l l the time
without botheri ng to ea rn their l ivel i h oods, nor
the recl uses or mystics i n their places of retreat.
Rather, the true bel ievers a re people of action.
 m a n ners of mem bers of society. Prostitution,
for exa m ple, is legal in m a ny cou ntries. Perm its
and l i censes a re issued to those who practise
this trade. I s l a m strictly rejects and condemns
I s l a m p rohibits those trades which i nvolve
this practice. Islam forbids any wom a n to
i nj u stice, cheating, making ino rd i n ate profits, o r
ea rn money by sel l i ng her body. Islam a l so
the promotion o f somet h i n g which i s u n l awfu l
forbids sexua l ly exciting dances, a n d other
or b.araam.
exotic activities, such as obscene songs a n d
I s l a m forbids doing busi ness in alcoholic
provocative d ramas.
beverages, i ntoxica nts, d ru g s, swi n e, idols,
statues o r a nyt h i ng of this sort whose u se a n d
cons u m ption I s l a m h a s pro h i bited. Honesty
and trustworth i ness in such busi nesses will n ot
be cou nted as pra iseworthy. Any ea rnings from
such businesses a re si nfu l ea rnings.

All lawfu l jobs a re honoura bl e and

E a r n i n g t h ro u g h other
m u st n ot be treated with contem pt.
Lawfu l M e a n s Explain this with reference to the
a bove b.adeeth.
I n severa l verses of the Qu r'a n, there is
enco u ragement for M u s l i m s to engage in What kinds of trades/jobs a re
a g ricultura l a ctivity, for it has been made for forbidden in I s l a m ?
them a s a divine favou r. (See, for i n sta nce,
1 5: 1 9-22; 5 5 : 1 0- 1 3; 7 1 : 1 9-20 a nd 80:24-28) A l l l awfu l types o f jobs deserve e q u a l
Islam, however, d oes n ot wa nt people to l i m it respect, but what professions does
their economic activity solely to ag ricu lture. A l l a h encourage us to u nderta ke?
Islam g ives d i g n ity to many occu pation s, which Answer this q u estion by g iving
people considered l owly and degrad i ng - for reference oft he prophets' professions.
exa m pl e, the occu pation of shepherding. Allah
did not send a prophet without h i s h avi n g
tended sheep. (ai-AI-Bukhaa ree)
Proph et Daawood �� was a m a ker of coats
of m a i l and sh ields. Prophet Aada m �� was a
fa rmer; Nooh �� was a ca rpenter, l d rees ��
was a ta ilor, a nd Moosaa �� was a shepherd.
( Reported by a i -Haakim)
Islam, h owever, forbids certain professi ons
and i n d u stries to its fol l owers, beca use they a re
ha rmfu l to the beliefs, mora l s, honour a n d good

•
 who has no spouse, i rrespective of whether
he or she has never been ma rried, d ivorced or
widowed.
The Virtue of In pre-Islamic A ra bia, widows suffered a
Helping Widows g reat deal of i nj u stice at the hands of their own
fa m i l ies, their i n -laws and society in genera l .
a n d the Poor
When a h u sband d ied, h is widow wou l d be
confi ned to an i nferior part of the ho use and she
wou ld be made to wea r the sha bbiest clothes.
She would also be prevented from using a ny
perfu me o r i ncense for one whole yea r.
In some relig ions, rem a rriage is not
perm itted for a widow. Even if the h u sband
Abu H u rayra h � na rrated that the Prophet
dies i m m ediately after her m a rriage, s h e has to
:i said, 'The perso n who strives h a rd to help
rem a i n a widow a l l her life, beari ng the ta u nts
widows a nd the poor is l i ke a mujaahid who
of her i n-l aws. I n the first place, s h e is held
fig hts for Alla h's ca use, o r l i ke someone who
responsible for the death of her h u sband. It is
performs prayers all the n i g hts and fasts all the
bel ieved that she has bro u g ht a n i l l-omen, as a
day: (reported by a i-Bukhaaree)
result of which her h u sband d ied.
I s l a m did away with a l l those worthless
The person who strives to customs and set a waiting period of fou r

help widows: months a n d ten days. The pu rpose o f the

waiting period is to d eterm ine whether the

A widow is a wom a n whose h usband has wom a n is preg n a nt and to avoid h u rting the

d ied a nd who has not m arried again. Th e feelings of the fa m i ly of the deceased h u sba nd

Q u r'a n states, 'And ma rry the s i n g l e (ayaamaa) by l eavi ng his home i m med iately after h i s

from among you: (Soorat an-Noor, 24:32). death. Once the waiting period

The word ayaamaa, which is the p l u ra l of is over, n o one from either her

the word ayyim mea n s a person of either sex fa m i ly or that of her h u sband,
has the rig ht to d i ctate to her
what to do with her l ife. She is
tota l ly free to decide for herself
with i n the esta bl ished trad itions
a n d teachings of I s l a m . She is
free to wea r a l l the adorn ments
perm itted to M u s l i m women,
to receive ma rriage pro posa l s,
and to give consent to m a rryi n g
a nyon e she c h ooses. She has
o n ly A l l a h to please a n d fear.

� .
 A l l a h's Messenger 1i g reatly sym path ized with the p l i g ht of
widows. He encouraged M u s l i m s to h e l p them i n every possi ble
way. He said, 'The person who strives h a rd to help widows a n d the
poor is l i ke a mujaahid i n the ca use of A l l a h : He promised g reat
reward for h i m and even compa red h i m with the person who offers
vol u nta ry prayers a l l n i g ht a n d one who observes vol u nta ry fasts
a l l day.

The Ways of Helping Widows and Poor

Th e best charita ble work is to bring rel ief to a widow i n need and
the poor. The first d uty is the m aterial one. The second d uty is to
render personal h e l p to satisfy their needs. One s h o u l d attend to
their needs even without wa iti ng to be asked a n d m a ke effort to
g ive them rel ief from every kind of discomfort and i nconven ience.
The Prophet � once said, 'Wh oever relieves a believer's distress of
the distressfu l aspects of this world, A l l a h wi l l rescue h i m from a
d ifficu lty of the difficu lties of the Day of J ud gment: (Reported by
M u s l i m)

Who a re Considered Poor? Defin ition of

the Poor

Accord i n g to M u s l i m schola rs, t h e poor i n cl u de t h e fol lowi ng:

• A person who has no p roperty o r i ncome at a l l.
• A person whose wealth a nd i n come o n ly parti a l ly satisfy thei r
essential needs.
• A person whose wea lth and income satisfy more than half of their
essentia l n eeds but sti l l fa l l short of fu lfi l ment of these needs.

What was the p l ig ht of widows before Islam?

Draw a d isti nction between h ow some non-M u s l i m
widows a re treated a n d the way M u s l i m widows a re
treated in Islam.
Who a re considered poor accord i n g to I s l a m ?
 'They ask you a bout the orpha ns. Say: The
best thing is their welfa re, but if you mix their
property with you rs, then they a re to be treated
The Vi rtue of as you r brothers in fa ith. And Alla h knows the
Treating Orphans one who makes mischief from the one who
mea n s wel l . ' (Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2:220)
Ki n d ly
Elsewhere, the Qu r'a n addresses the
P rophet � in these words: 'As for the orphan,
do n ot oppress him: (Soorat aQ.-Dub_aa, 93 :9) In
a n other place, the Q u r'a n ma kes the treatment
of orphans a testing g round for the truthfu l ness
of a believer's fa ith: ' Have you seen the one
Sa h l i b n sa�d as-Saa� idee � na rrated that who bel ies the Day of Judgment? Th is, then, is
A l l a h's Messenger ::i said, 'The person who the sa me one who repels the orpha n ' . (Soorat
looks after an orphan and provides for h i m a/-Maa�oon, 1 07: 1 -2)
and I will b e in Pa rad ise l i ke this; a nd he A l la h's Messenger :'i is reported
put his i n d ex and m iddle fi ngers as havi ng said, 'Among the
together: (Reported by a i­ Musli ms, the best house
B u khaaree) is the house where a n
The G l o rious Q u r'a n is orphan i s being wel l­
em phatic in its demand fo r the treated. The worst
fa i r treatment of orphans. This is, i n fact, house among the M u s l i m s is the
one of its recu rrent themes, referred to house where a n orphan is bei ng
n u mero u s places, precisely in 23 places. i l l-treated. The g u a rdia·n
It first occu rs in Soorat a/-Baqarah (2:83), of the orphan a n d I w i l l
a n d fi n a l ly in Soorat ai-Maa�oon (1 07:2). be l i ke t h i s i n Pa radise.
I ndeed, i n one of the verses, the Q u r'a n The Prophet ::i i nd i cated
warns: this by showi ng h i s two
' I ndeed, those who consume fi ngers [the i ndex and the middle
the wea lth of the orpha n u nj u stly a re only fi nger] : (a i-Bukhaaree, a/-Adab ai-Mufrad,
con s u m i n g fire i nto their bel l ies; for they sha l l b_adeeth no. 1 3 7)
roast i n a fla m i ng fire i n H e l l . ' (4: 1 0) These teach i ngs of the Prophet ::i cha nged
This verse made some of the Prophet's the very nature of the Ara bs. The sa me Ara bs
Compa n ions who were taking care of who were h a rd-hea rted towa rds helpless
orphans a nxious a bout the conseq uences of orphans beca me tender hea rted. The houses
some u n i ntentional m isca lcu lation or casua l of severa l of his Com panions tu rned i nto
m i s ha n d l i ng on thei r pa rt, a n d asked the o rpha nages. The behaviou r of �Abd u l la a h ibn
Prophet :'jj a bout it. Th u s a nother Q u r'a n ic � u ma r � was such that he wou l d n ever eat
verse reads: food witho ut s h a ri n g it with an orp h a n .
 Abu Moosaa a i-Ash � a ree �

H i s fu l l name was tAbd u llaah i b n Qays Abu

Who, accord i n g to I s l a m, is considered
Moosaa ai-As h t a ree. He h a i l ed from Yemen a n d
an orpha n ?
embra ced I s l a m i n Ma kka h a t a n ea rly period
With a few q u otes from t h e Q u r'a n
of the Islamic m i ssion. He then m i g rated to
and b_adeeth, s h ow the i m porta nce of
Ethiopia and l ater joined the Pro p h et � a g a i n
treating orphans with g reat ca re.
a t the t i m e o f the Ca mpaign o f Khaybar i n 7
Is a person who is looking after a n
A H . t U ma r ibn a i- Kh atta a b � a p poi nted h i m
orphan a l lowed to use the orpha n's
governor of Basra, I raq, i n 2 0 A H . Abu Moosaa
wea lth? Exp l a i n .
� remai ned in the office u ntil the beg i n n i n g of
t Uthmaan i b n tAffaan's reign. Subsequently, he
was tra n sferred to Kufa h , where he remai ned
u ntil t Uthmaan's ma rtyrdom. H e had the
most beautifu l voice a mong the P rophet's
com pan ions. Th ree h u n d red a nd t h i rty five
ab_aadeeth have been narrated on h i s a uthority.
He d ied i n Kufa h i n 44 AH.
The Ease of Islam

c ; �I J�) �, ;
Mu �aadh ibn Jabal �
; ; ;
�) : JG (� aJ I �)) �;_:J �i :_;.
,

: J� ·AI <� ;·j � ill 1

.. ""

J1 � J. ��j _;:..; �
.. ,...

H i s fu l l name was M u taadh i bn Jabal a i ­

-!.�j
;
� • 0�� �lj :J� -�� :fl- � �( cl<
- ;

:J�
Khazrajee a i-An�aa ree. H e was one of t h e
::: "" .... ::: ..- J u seventy delegates from Yathrib (the p re­
Jl; �; �l . (1;�
/

; ; "' ;;
-8 ;. ,.,. ,. ,., o
�
�
;. ""
I< J.l.hj� ')/ I ';_
;. o ""' ,.,

j d; � ; ')! J; I.;-'..
; � ;) I s l a m i c name of Madeenah) to the Prophet �
- ; u- f-- J r.J _r-1'-J

at a l-tAqa ba h . H e took part in a l l the battles

( �);.;jl �ljj) (( . ...w
the P rophet ;i had foug ht. He was l ater
.. .... ""'""'

a p poi nted by h i m as a d m i ni strator a nd judge

Abu B u rdah � na rrated that the Messenger
of Yemen. The Prophet � often pra i sed h i s
of A l l a h � sent Abu Moosaa a nd M u taadh
deep u nd ersta nd i ng o f I s l a m , and is reported
ibn Jabal to Yemen. He sent each of them to
to h ave said, 'The most lea rned from among my
a d m i n ister a provi nce as Yemen consisted of
com m u n ity as regard s the l awfu l (flalaan a nd
two p rovi nces. The Prophet said to them, 'Ma ke
the u n l awfu l (b_araam) i s M u taadh i bn Jabal:
things easy for the people and do n ot make
When the Pro p h et � d i ed, he retu rned from
things d ifficult for them; be kind a nd l enient
Yemen to Madeenah. t U m a r � ibn ai-Khatta a b
with the peopl e, and do n ot be h a rd o n them I
� a p poi nted h i m governor o f Syria. H e d ied i n
and g ive the people g ood n ews but d o n ot
1 8 AH.
repu lse them: So each of them went to ca rry
out h i s job. (Reported by a i -B u khaaree)
 Enjo inin g Right and Ta king the s i m pl est way was a principle i n
t h e l ife o f t h e Prophet �. Whenever he h a d a
Forbidd i ng Wrong choice between two matters, he wou l d a lways
Th is b_adeeth shows that ease a n d s i m p l icity choose the easier one as long as it did not
of Islam a re among its prom inent featu res that i nvolve a ny sin. He once said, ' I ndeed, A l l a h is

set it a pa rt from a l l other rel ig ions. Ease is part Kind and Gentle and l oves gentleness. He gives
for being gentle what he does not g ive for
of Isla m's o bjectives a nd g oa ls. A l l a h says, 'He
bei ng h a rs h : (Reported by M uslim)
has not placed on you any h a rdship i n rel i g ion:
'Ma ke things easy fo r the people a nd d o
(Soorat at-Hajj, 22:78) He a l so says, ' A l la h
not make things d ifficult for t h e m : Th is is the
intends for you ease, and does not i ntend for
teaching of Islam. I t is, however, i m porta nt
you h a rd s h i p: (Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2 : 1 85) The
to remem ber that this facil ity and flexibil ity
Prophet � a lso said, 'Certa i n ly this rel igion is
should be in h a rmony with the demands of
easy. No one overbu rdens h i mself in the relig ion
the I s l a m i c Law (Sharee�ah) a n d j u stice. A l l a h
except that it overcomes him [a nd he will not makes I s l a m compatible with h u ma n natu re.
be able to conti n u e it for long].' (Reported by Matters i n h a rmony with h u ma n natu re a re easy
ai-Bukhaaree) for people to a ccept. It is part of h u ma n nature
Once a man who had drunk alcohol was to avoid d ifficu lties and h a rdsh i ps. Therefore,
brought to the Messenger of Alla h � and he said, one should make things easy for people. One
'
'Beat h i m : Some of the Prophet's com pa n ions s h o u l d g ive good news and not incite hatred.
beat him with their h a nds, some with their shoes,
and some with [a folded] piece of cloth. When
he left, someone said to him, 'May Al l a h disg race
you: The Prophet � said, 'Do not say that. Do
not hel p Satan overcome h i m [by uttering such Who had the most bea utifu l voice

words] : (Reported by a i-Bukhaaree) among the Prophet's com pa n ions?

A Bedouin once stood in the mosq ue a n d Write a short biography of his l ife.

u ri nated. The people a ro u n d were a bout to The Prophet :i is reported to h ave said,

pou nce u pon h i m, but the M essenger of A l l a h 'The most lea rned from among my

� told t h e m , 'Leave h i m a n d pour a vessel fu l l com m u n ity as rega rd s the lawfu l (fla/aa!)

o f water over h i s u ri ne. You h ave been sent to a n d the u n l awfu l (flaraam) is M u �aadh
i bn Jabal: Write a short biog ra phy of
be easy on peop l e a n d not to be h a rd on them:
(Reported by ai-Bukhaaree) M u �aad h's l ife.

These ab_aadeeth a re but pra ctica l pictures Why d o you t h i n k the P rophet � a l l owed
the people to beat the d ru n ken m a n but
wh ich demonstrate the manner of the Prophet �
in dea l i n g with people a nd their offences. Alla h's stopped them from sayi n g 'May A l l a h
disgra ce you'?
Messenger � is reported as having said, 'Al l a h
Why a re M u s l i m s encouraged by A l l a h
did not send m e as someone ca using h a rdship,
t o always choose t h e easier o f two ways?
or one who seeks out their mista kes and wro ngs,
What a re the cond ition s when ma king
but He has sent me as a teacher and one who
that choice?
brings ease: (Reported by a i-Bu khaaree)
 refresh i n g you r knowledge of the Q u r'an, for it
is more incli ned to esca pe from the hea rts of
men than camels from their ropes: (Reported
Re m a i n i n g by M u s l i m, fladeeth no. 1 84 1 )
Associated to Th u s, if the 'Companion of the Qu r'a n'
persists i n reciting it by n i g ht and day, they w i l l
the Qur'a n and Refresh i n g
defi n itely remem ber it; b u t i f they do not d o
One's Knowledge o f it that, they wi l l forget it. T h i s b r i n g s u s t o the
most i m porta nt q uestions: How often to read
the Q u r'a n a nd how m uch of it to read ?
There c a n b e no fixed answer. I t wi l l va ry
from one i n d ivid u a l to a nother and from one
situation to a n other. The g u iding pri nciple m ust
be what A l l a h Most H i g h says, 'Read so m uch
as may be easy for you: (Soorat ai-Muzzammil,
73 :20) I n other words: 'Read whatever you ca n
�Abd u l la a h ibn � u m a r � na rrated that Alla h's with ease:
messenger ;i said, "The exa m ple of the person
who knows the Q u r'a n by hea rt is l i ke the owner
The Practice of the Prophet's
of tied camels. If he keeps them tied,
he will control them, but if
Compa nions
he rel eases them, they will a n d those who
run away:' (Reported by F o l l o w e d
ai-Bukhaaree)
The p h rase �aafl_ib
them
a/-Qur'an, which
The pra ctice
occu rs in this
of the Prophet's
fladeeth, may
Com panions
mean a person
a n d those who
who has comm itted the Q u r'a n to memory, or
fol l owed them va ried considera bly. Some used
one who has developed a kind of proficiency in
to fi nish the whole Q u r'a n in two monthsI
it by conti n u a l ly reciting it. It is clear that when
some i n ten days, some i n one week, some
the camel is consta ntly watched and is kept
even in one day. One shou ld, however, bea r in
tied, it remains u nder control, otherwise it ru ns
m i n d the fol l owing fladeeth, as the govern ing
away. S i m i la rly, if a person recites the Qu r'a n
pri nciple i n this res pect:
again a n d again a nd is vig i lant enough a s not to
'Th e person who read s the Q u r'a n in l ess
let it s l i p from h i s memory, it becomes a source
than th ree days wi l l not be a b le to u n dersta nd
of spiritual benefit to h i m . But when a person
it: (Reported by Abu Daawood and at­
becomes ind ifferent to it, it s l i ps out of his m i n d
Ti rmid hee; classified as 'flasan' by a l-AI baa nee)
very q u ickly. T h e Prophet ;I once said, 'Keep
 This b_adeeth, h owever, does not state that the person who reads
the Qu r'an i n l ess tha n t h ree days is doing something forbidden. It
merely states that they will not be a bl e to u nd ersta nd it. The safest
way is to fol l ow what the Prophet � said in this respect.
Once, when eAbd u l la a h ibn e u ma r � - u po n being asked by the
Prophet � to read the Qu r'a n i n one m onth - i n sisted o n doing so in
less ti me, the Prophet � told him, 'Read it i n seven days and d o n ot
increase on th is: (AI-Bu khaaree)
It is i nstructive to rea l ize that the Q u r'a n is d ivided into seven g ro u ps
(b_izb; p l u ra l : ab_zaab) a n d t h i rty pa rts Uuz'; p l u ra l : ajzaa). This s h o u l d
g ive us some ind ication o f what is considered desira b le.
I n h is bri l l i a ntly written book Way to the Qur'an, Khu rra m M u rad
writes,
' I n this res pect an-Nawawee's advice is very sensible. One who
can discover deeper mea n i ngs by conte m p lation s h o u l d read l ess;
s i m i la rly one who has to devote time in p u rsu its l i ke ed ucation, affai rs
of government or i m porta nt tasks entrusted by Islam may read less.'

Khu rram M u rad conti n ues,

'The qua ntity of reading wi l l very much depend on the p u rpose
of reading. If you want to j u st spend time with the Qu r'an, o r get a
q u ick overview you may read faster a nd, therefore, more. If you want
to ponder and reflect, you may read much slower a nd, therefore,
less. U nder o u r present c i rcu msta nces, I t h i n k, most of us should a i m
to fin i s h a general read i ng o f the w h o l e Q u r'an a t least o nce every
eig ht months. Th is, should not ta ke more than 5-1 5 m i n utes every
day, depending on whether you u n dersta nd the mea n i ng d i rectly or
thro u g h a tra n slation. But, at least on a few occasions i n you r l ifetime,
you should also attem pt to fi nish one reading in seven days or, in one
month, especially i n the month of RamaQ_aan. Some time should a lso
be devoted to read i ng slowly, with pondering and reflection.' ( Way to
the Qur'an, p p. 60- 1 )

I n what way is the camel's behaviou r s i m i l a r to h u ma n

memory w h e n i t comes t o t h e Q u r'a n ?
What is t h e advice rega rd i n g h ow m uch time s h o u l d we
ta ke to fin is h rea d i n g the Q u r'a n ?

Mercy and
Generosity i n
Buying and
Selling
Jaabir i b n �Abd u l l aah � na rrated that Alla h's
Messenger � said, 'May A l l a h h ave mercy o n
t h e m a n w h o is generou s w h e n he buys and
when he sel l s a n d when he demands his due:
(Reported by a i-AI-Bukhaaree)
The G lorious Q u r'a n lays stress on hon esty
and stra i g ht d ea l i ng in the very earliest
revelations:
' Woe to those who g ive short measure,
who demand of other people fu l l measu res
for themselves, but give less than they s h o u l d
w h e n it is they who weig h or measures for
others.' (Soorat ai-Mutaffifeen, 83: 1 -3)
These verses do not, of cou rse, refer only to
com mercial dea l ings. They touch u pon every
aspect of social relations: politica l and mora l .
Com merce (the activities and proced u res
involved in buying and sel l ing) has always had
a sign ificant place in the minds of Musli ms.
Com merce mea n s the attem pt to m a ke a profit.
One b uys goods at a l ow price, and then sel ls
them at a hig her price. The a ccrued a mount is
ca l led profit. The truth a bout commerce can be
described in two words: buy cheap a n d sel l dear.
Trade is a su perior way of ea rning one's
l ivel i hood. Islam loo ks with favou r u po n
com mercial activity, b u t condem ns fra u d u l ent
practices. It is the characteristic of Islam that
busi ness is n ot sepa rate from the rest of life.
I s l a m places certa i n ru les a nd reg u lations u po n
a M u s l i m trader and certa i n trades. Islam is a
rel igion which reg u lates life i n a l l its spheres.
It is n ot to be rega rded, l i ke the modern ma n's
rel igion, as a personal, private affa i r, which has
noth i ng to do with h is economic a n d political
l ife. I slam cen s u res economic exploitation
as strongly a s socia l excesses and individ u a l
dishonesty.
I n fact, a bsol ute hon esty i n busi ness a n d
commerce is a n I s l a m i c con cept. It i s not
shared by a ny other religion. I n Islam, it is
peo pl e who reg u l ate and dominate busi ness,
n ot busi ness that domi nates them. I n business,
as wel l as in a l l other matters, it is n ot people
who u lti mately o rder events, but A l l a h . A l l a h's
wi l l is everywhere. Noth i ng is too trivia l fo r H i s
attention.
Islam provides general rules for conducting
busi ness affa i rs. A casual look at Kitaab a/­
Buyoo� (the book perta i n i ng to buying a n d
sel l i ng) i n t h e Six S o u n d Books o f b.adeeth
co l l ection w i l l be enough to prove this.
The b.a deeth under study provides ethical
g u ideli nes for reg u lati ng business and
economic l ife. Good business is a resu lt of
goodw i l l . It ca n not a rise from fra ud, force o r
ta king adva ntage o f someone's desperate
conditions. One of the major factors that
i m ba l a nces personal ity, society a n d natu re
is m a n's g reed, which schemes and tricks to
derive more than a j ust s h a re, more than what
i s d ue.
I s l a m is most forcefu l in its condem nation
of commercial d ishonesty. I t denounces, i n the
strongest possible terms, a l l sorts of deceitfu l
d ea l ings a n d i l legal p rofits. It pro h i bits a l l
tra nsactions that are not based o n j u stice
a n d fai r-play. Ad monishing a dishonest dealer
o nce, the Prophet � said, 'Whoever deceives
us is not one of us: (Muslim) He wa nted that
both the b uyer and the sel ler should be truly
sympathetic and considerate towa rd s each
other. He strongly disapproved a l l tra n sactions
which i nvolve any kind of inj u stice or h a rdship
to the buyer o r the sel ler. One should not ta ke
u nd ue advantage of the s i m p l icity or ignora nce
of the other. The seller should not t h i n k that
he has u n restricted li berty to extract a s m uch The I s l a m ic system of com merce a nd fi na nce
as possi b le fro m the buyer. He has to be j u st. is the a n swer to the present-day global fi nancial
He has to be generous and honest a nd ta ke crisis a n d the Wa l l Street games. Th is is beca use
h i s own d u e and g ive the b uyer what is his! A l l I s l a m insists that tra nsactions a re l i n ked to the
tra n sactions: buying, sel l i n g a nd demanding rea l world economy, rather than being paper
d ues s h o u l d be based o n the fu nda menta l pushed a round.
principle of mutual cooperation for the ca use Fu rthermore, when peo ple are u n a b l e to
of good ness o r piety. pay, the Islamic system encourages the rich
One day the Prophet � was going to the fi nancial i nstitutions to g ive them time to
mosq ue to offer the prayer when he saw reo rga n ize their fi nances, rather than kicking
people buying and sel l i ng. He ca l l ed to the them out onto the street. Islam, of cou rse,
mercha nts and traders, so that they looked enco u rages a freely flowing economy, but it
up. The Prophet � told them, 'Traders will be a lso looks to it that the money is not siphoned
resu rrected on the Day of J u d g ment as s i n ners off i nto h idden fi nancial stockpiles, seen at its
except those who a re honest a nd rig hteous. u g l iest in the form of a Swiss bank accou nt.
(Reported by at-Ti rmid hee; fladeeth no. 1 2 1 0)
Alla h's Messenger � is reported as havi ng said,
'Weigh and g ive a l ittle more: (Reported by Abu
Daawood; fladeeth no. 33 36) Abu Daawood
Islam reg u l ates people's economic
a lso reports Jaabir ibn �Abd u l la a h � as having
affa i rs too. What a re the genera l Islamic
said, 'The Prophet � owed me something and
ru les that a tradesm a n m u st keep i n
h e paid me back and gave me something extra:
m i n d when buying a nd sel l i n g ?
(Hadeeth no. 3347)
W h y did the Prophet � say: 'Traders
The Q u r'a n recou nts the sto ry of Prophet
will be res u rrected on the Day of
S h u �ayb �� who a d m o n is hed h i s people thus:
J u d g ment a s sinners . . .'?
'Give fu l l measure a n d be not one of those who
H ow does Islam advise us to treat
measure short. Wei g h with true bala nce and
people in debt? What in turn is the
do not deprive people of their d ue. Do not go
debtor advised to do when repayi ng
a bout ca using mischief (Soorat ash-Shu�araa',
his debt?
26: 1 82)
 . .
.
.
.
. ...
.
.
. . . .
. .
The Verb Rahima Used i n This
Hadeeth
A Musli m Is
The verb rab_ima is derived from the root r - h

. . . . . . . .
Requ i red to Be - m, mea n i ng 'to show mercy, to h ave mercy o n

Mercifu l to All someone, t o forgive, t o spa re, t o rescu e'. Of this

People
Abu H u rayra h �
Messenger � said, 'Al l a h is not mercifu l to h i m
w h o i s not mercifu l to people: (Reported by a i­
B u kh a a ree and Muslim)
Th us a M us l i m is req u i red to be mercifu l
to a l l men, whether they a re M u s l i m s or non­
Musli ms. The Mercifu l One shows mercy to
those who a re themselves mercifu l to others.
So show mercy to whatever is o n earth, then
He who is i n heaven wi l l s h ow mercy to you.
A l l h u ma n beings come from Adam. The
Prophet � has made n o d i stinction between
M u s l i m s and non-M u s l i m s in matters of h u m a n
and mora l obl igations; rel ating t o matters
of l ife, honour, property, and
human rig hts.
root, 1 1 forms occur 342 times i n the Q u r'a n.
Mercy is one of the basic eth ical q u a l ities of
human bei ngs. Therefore, mercy holds a special
i m portance in the ethical teach i ngs of Islam.
Mercy may be explai ned with refe rence to
tender fee l i n g s and emotions. As a result one
displays the utmost l ove, wa rmth a n d affection
and kindness towa rd s one's M u s l i m brothers
na rrated that Alla h's
and sisters. One can not even t h i n k of h u rting
others. It was one of the outsta n d i n g q u a l ities
of the Prophet's con d u ct, the Q u r'a n clearly
states. Fa ith prompts l ove for fel low beings.
A true M u s l i m is, therefore, kind-hearted. Th e
person who does not s h ow mercy to fel low
beings is a wretched person who is den ied
d ivine mercy. Those who are mercifu l a re
s h own mercy by A l l a h, the Most Mercifu l . You
s h o u l d be mercifu l towa rds those on earth so
that A l l a h may be mercifu l to you.
It is related that a wom a n went to �Aa'ishah
�� a n d �Aa'ishah gave her t h ree dates. The
wom a n gave one to each of her c h i l d ren a n d
kept one for herself. W h e n t h e two
c h i l d ren had eaten their
dates, they bega n
g l ancing at their
mother. The
mother took the
date, d ivided it
and gave each
child a portion.
When the Prophet
� retu rned home,
�Aa'ishah told h i m what had h a p pened and
he said, 'Why s h o u l d this su rprise you ? Allah
s h owed mercy towa rds her for the mercy she
s h owed towa rds her c h i l d ren: (Repo rted by ai­
B u khaaree i n ai-Adab a/-Mufrad) The Prophet �
a l so said, 'He is not of us who d oes n ot s h ow
mercy to o u r l ittl e ones and respect to o u r
elders: (Reported by a/-Bukhaaree)
Once A l l a h's Messenger � kissed
g ra ndson a i-Hasan ibn �Ali � wh i l e a i-Aq ra �
ibn Haabis at-Ta m eemee � was sitting with
h i m . AI-Aq ra � ibn Haabis exclai med, 'I h ave ten
c h i l d ren but I h ave never kissed one of them:
The Prop het � looked at him a n d said, 'Those
who s h ow no mercy w i l l be s h own n o mercy:
(ai-Adab ai-Mufrad)
Th us, a M u s l i m em bodies love and affection.
One who neither l oves nor is loved d oes not
have a ny goodness. A true M u s l i m disp lays
affection for his fel low bei ngs and tries his
best to please others a nd avoid a ny discomfort
for them, hence meeti ng a l l the cond itio ns of
his close relationsh i p. The teaching of mercy
is not l i m ited to m a n kind o n ly, but it extends
to a n i m a l s as wel l . remem ber that if you a re
dea l i n g with a M u s l i m, you a re dea l i n g with
a brother in fa ith; if you a re dea l i n g with a
non-M u s l i m , you a re dea l i ng with a b rother i n
h u ma n ity.
What d oes the verb rab_i ma mea n ?
The a bove hg_deeth shows
i m porta nce of being mercifu l
peop le. Elaborate on it, menti o n i n g
non-M u s l i ms, c h i l d ren, elders
a n i mals.
M utual M ercy,
Com passion
a nd Support of
Relatives
his
An-N u � maan i bn Basheer � narrated that
A l l a h's Messenger � said, 'The M u s l i m s a re
l i ke one man: if his eye suffers, h is whole body
suffers; a n d if his head suffers, his whole body
s uffers: (Reported by M u s l i m; b_adeeth no. 6589)
This b_adeeth i n d icates the significa nce and
i m porta nce of the socia l as pects of m utual
help a nd cooperation among Musli ms. Mutu a l
cooperatio n in a l l p hases o f life is a fu nda menta l
req u i rement of I s l a m . The Prophet � said, 'The
bel ievers a re to one a nother l i ke [parts of] a
b u i l d i ng : each part strengthening the others:
(Reported by M u s l i m)
the
to
I n rea l ity, I s l a m demands a society that
and provides n ot only for the spiritual needs of its
mem bers, but a l so for their bod i ly needs. Alla h's
Messenger � said, 'The l i keness of the bel ievers
in their m utual l ove, mercy a n d compassion, is
that of the body; when one part of it i s i n pain,
the rest of the body joins it i n restlessness a n d
fever: (Reported b y M u s l i m; b_adeeth n o . 6568)
He a l so said, 'You w i l l see the bel i evers i n
thei r h avi ng mercy for each other a n d i n their
love for each other, and i n their kindness
towa rds each other, l i ke the body; when one
member of it a i l s, the entire body suffers, one
part ca l l i n g out the other with sleeplessness
and fever: (Reported by a i - B u khaaree)
The M u s l i m society is based on b rotherhood.
Brotherh ood means l ove, respect, sincerity,
sympathy and mercy for those who share o u r
belief. The Qu r'a n says: 'The bel ievers a re b u t a
single brotherhood: (Soorat al-tf_ujuraat, 49:1 0)
The m a i n objective of fa ith is to bring a bout the
moral a nd social change on a u n iversa l sca le.
Therefore, everyone's contribution is of the
utmost i m po rta nce i n ach ieving this idea l .
A devout M u s l i m a cts sincerely towa rds
fel low Musli ms. He defers h i s own needs in
order to help others. Th us a M u s l i m owes m a ny
obligations to fel low Musli ms, such as help i n
solvi n g their fi nancial problems, reso lving their
worries and meeti ng thei r needs. One i s, of
cou rse, not leg a l ly bound to do so. However,
one may d o so by way of doing good to
fel low M u s l i ms. It is n ot possi ble to enact a ny
legisl ation o n such a n issue. It is rather the
o b l igation of a M us l i m to feed, clothe or fu lfi l
the needs o f a fel l ow M u s l i m by way of offeri n g
h i m/her fi nancial help o r emotional suppo rt.
If one refuses to do so in s pite of one's a bi l ity,
A l l a h will ta ke one to account a n d ask one
a bout H is bou nties He has bestowed on one,
which wou l d h ave been sufficient to meet the
needs of fel l ow Musli ms.
The Prophet � said that Allah, the Exa lted
and Glorious, w i l l say to such persons on the
Day of J udg ment, 'I fel l ill b ut you did not visit
Me . . . I asked you to g ive Me food, but you
did n ot feed Me . . . I asked you for a d ri n k, but
you d id not g ive Me a ny: (Excerpts from a long
b_adeeth qudsee reported by Muslim on the
a uthority of Abu H u rayra h �)
O n e w i l l have no a n swer to these q uestions.
For meeting the needs of a M u s l i m for A l l a h 's
sake is a g ood d eed whose rewa rd ca n not
be i m a g i n ed. H ence, o n e s h o u l d h e l p a n d
s u p port a fel l ow M u s l i m i n need, i n wh atever
way o n e ca n . Th is entitles one to A l l a h's h e l p
a n d s u pport, a s evidenced b y the b_adeeth i n
w h i c h the Prophet � said, 'Wh oever rel i eves
a believer's d i stress of the d i st ressfu l as pects
of t h i s wo rld, A l l a h wi l l resc ue h i m from a
d iffi cu lty of the d ifficu lties of t h e h ereafter.
Whoeve r a l l eviates t h e situation of one i n
d i re stra its w h o ca n not repay h i s d e bt, A l l a h
wi l l a l l eviate h i s l ot i n both t h i s world a n d i n
the h ereafter. W hoever con cea l s the fa u lt o f a
M u s l i m , Al l a h w i l l conceal h i s fa u lts i n t h i s l ife
a n d i n the h ereafter. A l l a h h e l ps the serva nt
a s long as the se rva nt h e l p s h i s b rot h e r:
( Excerpts from a l o n g fladeeth repo rted
by M u s l i m )
The Messenger o f A l l a h � a lso said,
'A M u s l i m is a brother of a M u s l i m; he H a y a a '
neither oppresses him nor does he fa i l
G e n e r a t e s
h i m; he neither l ies t o h i m nor does
he hold h i m i n contem pt. Piety is rig ht Good ness
here - and he poi nted to his breast t h ree
times. It is evi l enough for a m a n to hold
h is M u s l i m brother i n contem pt. The
whole of a M u s l i m for a nother M u s l i m
is i nvio l a b l e: his blood, his property a n d
� l m raan ibn H u�ayn � na rrated that A l l a h's
his h o n o u r: (Reported by M u s l i m)
Messenger :i said, 'Hayaa' (Shame o r modesty)
The best type of behaviou r for a
p rod u ces n ot h i n g but good: (Recorded by ai­
M u s l i m is to learn a n d to pass o n what
B u khaaree)
he has l ea rnt, to do fu l l j ustice to peop l e
The i m porta nce of this fladeeth l ies in the fact
u nder his control a n d t o strive i n Alla h's
that it poi nts to one of the traits of flayaa' - shame,
way.
modesty, s hyness or bashfu l ness.
Th us a M u s l i m should do as m uch
good a s they ca n . They s h o u l d visit their
sick neig h bo u rs, attend their fu nera l s The Word Hayaa'
a n d s m i l e a nd s h ow a cheerfu l face.
Every good a ct s h o u l d a rise from good Accord i n g to E. W. La ne, the Ara bic word flayaa'

i ntentions and be done deli berately. mea n s sha me, a sense of sha me; shyness; bashfu l ness;

I ntention (niyyah) is very sign ificant i n o r modesty: a s h ri n ki n g of the soul from fou l con d u ct

Islam. One s h o u l d not do good t o show thro u g h fea r of bla me: (Arabic-English Lexicon, Vol. 1 ,

off or to g a i n pra i se. p. 68 1 ; 2003 edition)

Modesty is Purity's Protecti

S h a me o r m odesty is one of
the m ost i m portant factors
that keep a person away
What a re the obligations of from comm itting a
the members of this M u s l i m sha mefu l or si nfu l
Ummah towa rds one a n othe r? a ct. If a person h a s n o
Why does A l m i g hty Allah feel i n g of sha me, there
compare t h e entire M u s l i m s to is n oth i n g to stop them
one single body? from doing a nyth ing. They
wou l d do a l most a nyth i n g,
beca use they h ave nothing 'within' them that wou l d
tell t h e m that such-and-such is not proper behavio u r,
and that they s h o u l d be asha med to a ct i n such a
manner. Thus, shame prod uces noth i n g but good.
It is often said that the person who has no
shame is l i ke a dead person i n this l ife. They have n o
modesty o r sha me. Their heart is, therefore, dead. I f
they possess sha me, t h e i r heart will be so u n d a nd
hea lthy. The more modest a person is, the healthier
The Result of Faith and
thei r heart is! It is i n fact the feeling of shame that t h e Pro h i bition of Pride
prevents a person from performing evi l deeds.
Shame is thus a very powerfu l preventing force in
the face of tem ptation. A person's sense of s h a me
bothers them even if n obody saw the sha mefu l a ct
they h ave committed. The i r hea rt becomes uneasy
and they become pertu rbed. Th us, shame generates
not h i n g but good.
Shame is a n attribute that sets a pa rt people from
�Abd u l la a h ibn
a n i m a l s. Animals do not feel any shame for their
actions. The Prophet � once said,'Hayaa' is from fa ith, Mas�ood � na rrated

and fa ith is in Parad ise. Obscen ity (shamelessness) that A l l a h's Messenger

is from rudeness, and rudeness is in the Fire: (at­ � said, ' N o one who
Tirm i d h ee; fladeeth no. 2009; g raded as 'flasan') has got fa ith (eemaan)
Al la h's Messenger � sa id, 'If you feel no shame, then in his heart to the
do as you wish: (Reported by al- Bukhaaree) wei g ht of a m u stard­
He also said, 'There is n ever a ny obscen ity or seed s h a l l e nter the Fi re,
in decency in a thing but it m a rs it, a nd there is n ever a n d no one who has got
a ny m odesty, but it bea utifies it: ( I b n Maaja h; Hadith pride (kibriyyaa') i n h i s h ea rt to
41 85; g raded �afleefl) For a fu rther d iscussion on this the wei g ht of a m u sta rd-seed s ha l l
s u bject, you may refer to lesson 3 i n Islamic Stu d ies
enter Parad ise: (Reported by M us l i m;
Grade N i ne.
fladeeth n o. 266)

What is Eemaan?

Eemaan means fa ith or belief, and the

What does the Ara bic word flayaa' mea n ? person with eemaan is ca l led mu'min

What relation does flayaa' have with good (fe m i n i n e fo rm: mu'minah), a believer. The

actions? Ara bic word eemaan sign ifies secu rity. A

person who comes to believe beco mes
secu re agai n st fa lseh ood a n d m is g u i d a n ce i n
t h i s world a n d a g a i n st pu n ish ment i n t h e n ext,
as is i n d icated i n the fi rst p a rt of the b_adeeth The Parts of Eemaan
m entioned a bove. The wo rd eemaan is used
for fa ith or belief, as eemaan g ives an i n d ivid u a l Alla h's Messenger :i said, 'femaan has more
than seventy pa rts, the h i g h est i s the testimony
peace o f m i n d . It a l so creates a h a rmonious
that there is n o god except A l l a h , and the
relatio n s h i p between a h u ma n being a n d the
l owest is removi ng a ha rmfu l object from the
rest of the u n iverse. The wo rd eemaan is u sed
road: (Reported by ai-Bukhaaree) There a re
45 times in the Q u r'a n, a n d its related terms
other ab_aadeeth, such as 'Modesty is part of
a re used 858 times.
fa ith: (Reported by at-Ti rm i d h ee)

The Articles of Eemaan

These ab_aadeeth s h ow that eemaan
embra ces the tota l ity of a believer's l ife.
Of cou rse, certa i n pa rts of eemaan - l i ke
When Angel J i breel �� asked A l l a h's pronou ncing the shahaadah, offering the
Messenger �, 'What is eemaan (faith)?' obligatory prayers, payi n g zakaat, fasti ng i n
He re plied, 'It is to believe i n A l l a h , t h e month o f Ramadaan a nd performing b_ajj ­
His Ang els, His Books, His a re more essentia l, a n d neg lecting them wou l d
Messengers, the Last Day, lead t o t h e loss o f eemaan. Others l i ke removi n g
a n d to believe in the Divine a ha rmfu l object from a path a re m a rg i n a l
Decree (al-qadar), the a nd their om ission w i l l n ot i m pa i r eemaan.

g ood of it and the bad of There a re other a spects of va ryi ng deg rees of

it: ( M u s l i m ) i m porta nce between these two. Eemaan i n

the sense of 'to become a believer' sets a pa rt a
T h e shahaadah: 'I bear
M u s l i m from non-Musl ims. This b_adeeth g ives
witness that there is n o god
g ood n ews to the bel ievers, 'No one who has
except A l l a h and I a lso bear
g ot fa ith (eemaan) in his heart to the wei g ht of
witness that M uha m ma d is
a m usta rd-seed s h a l l enter the Fire:
His serva nt and Messenger' is the
For a detai led d iscussion concern i n g
concise form i n which the co m p l ete
'eemaan; see Islamic Studies: Grade Eight.
c reed of I s l a m i c fa ith is expressed i n the
Qu r'a n .
T h e a rticles o f fa ith a re s u m med u p in
essenti a l ly the th ree fu nda mental bel iefs of Forbiddance of Pride (Kibr)
( 1 ) tawb_eed, (2) risaalah a n d (3) aakhirah -

that is, ( 1 ) bel ief i n the Oneness of A l l a h , (2) The word kibr (or kibriyyaa} sign ifies pride
or conceit. The second pa rt of the b_adeeth
the message with w h i c h A l m i g hty A l l a h sent
under d iscussion says, 'No one who has got
M uha m mad � to a l l m a n ki n d, a n d (3) the
pride (kibriyyaa} i n his hea rt to the wei g ht of a
H ereafter. The enti re ed ifice of Islam rests on
m u sta rd-seed s h a l l enter Pa rad ise:
these fu nda mental bel i efs.
 Pride is the offspring of self-conceit, and it . .
. . . . . . . . .

is the very negation of faith. Pride a n d faith

thus can not g o together. Eemaan incu lcates in
people the spirit of h u m i l ity and s u b m ission
to the truth. Pride is the expression of va n ity. The Life of
It is one of the g reatest o bstacles i n the path the World
of truth. Self-conceited peop l e a ccept n oth i n g
w h i c h does not satisfy t h e i r va n ity. Therefore,
they can not be true bel i evers. They a re
wors h i p pe rs thei r own selves. Va i n a n d self­
conceited people consider themselves to be
su perior bei ngs marked-off from the rest of (�
ma n ki n d .
A bu H u rayra h �� na rrated that A l l a h's
T h e Prophet ii once said, 'Kibr (pride) is to
Messenger ii said, 'The world is a prison for
refuse a n d reject the truth [beca use of self­
the bel iever but a pa rad ise for the d isbel iever:
esteem] and to look down o n people: (Reported
(Reported by Musl im)
by M u s l i m )
In this b_adeeth, A l l a h's Messenger ii
I n rea l ity, one o f t h e first sins ever comm itted,
descri bes h ow the believer and the disbel iever
the a ct of d i sobedience by Satan h i m self, was
feel a bout this world. Let us first exa m i n e the
b u i lt u pon the disease of conceit or pride (kibr) .
l ife of the world (dunyaa).
The evi l of kibr can be so g reat that it ca n be
the m a i n reason for a person refusing to accept
Islam a nd submit h i mself to A l l a h . The Word Dunyaa

The Arabic word dunyaa is d erived from the

root d - n - y, which means 'to be nea r; to come
close; to bring close this l ife as opposed to the
next; to behave contem pti bly: (La ne, Arabic-
English Lexicon, Vol. 1 , pp. 920-22) Th us
What is eemaan?
the term dunyaa the nea rest,
What a re the a rticles of eemaan? How
l owest in .--��---o:--------
can we s u m them u p i n t h ree basic
va l u e, the l ife
beliefs?
of this world
What is kibr?
as o p posed
M u s l i m s a re proud of their religion.
to the next
Some people l i ke to wea r g ood
l ife. The
clothes, for exa m ple. Is this type of
word dunyaa
pride b_araam? What kind of pride has
occu rs 1 15
A l l a h warned us agai nst i n the above
ti mes i n the
b_adeeth?
G lorious Q u r'a n .
 Dunyaa is so cal led beca use it is the
nea rest l ife that comes before the l ife to come
(aakhirah). It is a lso considered to be base and
low in com p a rison to the hereafter.
Cha racteristics of Dunyaa
As compared to the afterl ife (aakhirah), this
wo rldly l ife (dunyaa) is more immed iate and
visible, w h i l e the afterl ife (aakhirah) is d ista nt
a n d hidden.
Dunyaa is a Tra nsitory Life
The Q u r'a n often emphasizes that this world
is s hort-lived and perishable as compared to the
afterl ife, which is to rem a i n forever (Soorat ai­
N /aa, 87: 1 6- 1 7) People a re by natu re i m patient
(Soorat ai-Anbiyyaa', 2 1 :37); they l ove haste and
things that a re ach ieva ble hasti ly. Forth is reason
they pin their h o pes a nd efforts on tra nsitory
th ings. They negate things of lasting va l u e,
which come slowly but s u rely. Th ey, h owever,
ca n only be seen i n the afterl ife. The l ife of the
world is ca l l ed daar al-imtiflaan (place of test),
where peop le's fa ith is tested. A l m i g hty A l l a h
has endowed t h e m with free will s o that they
can choose whatever way of l ife they desire:
either the path of A l m i g hty A l l a h, which leads
......----. to Pa rad ise,
or the path
of satan,
which
certai n ly
lead
Hel lfi re.
is true that
they enjoy
this free will, but they will be held accou nta ble
for their choices i n the hereafter, when a l l
mankind w i l l sta nd before A l l a h for j u d g m ent.
Foolish people waste their l ife and do not t h i n k
o f the hereafter, which is the rea l l ife; smart
people, h owever, devote themselves i n this
l ife to the wors h i p of Allah and work rea l ly
h a rd in o rder to rea p a reward from A l l a h i n
t h e hereafter. For them, t h i s l ife is j ust l i ke a
'fa rm l a n d ' fo r the after life.
The Nature of this Worldly
Life as Descri bed in the Q ur'a n
'The l ife of this world i s but a m u sement and
d iversion and adorn ment a nd boasting to one
a nother a n d com petition i n i ncrease of wea lth
and c h i l d ren.' (Soorat a/-tf.adeed, 57:20)
'The worldly l ife is not but a m usement and
d iversion, but the home of the hereafter is best
for those who fea r A l l a h . ' (Soorat ai-An �aam,
6:32)
'The exa mple of the l ife of this world is l i ke
ra in, which We send down from the sky, a n d the
vegetation of the ea rth m i n g l es with it, then it
becomes d ry rem n a nts scattered by the wind.'
(Soorat ai-Kahf, 1 8:45-46)
The Natu re of th is Worldly
Life as Described i n Hadeeth
A l l a h's Messenger :i said, 'By A l l a h, [th e
bounties and length of] t h i s world with respect
will
to the hereafter a re but as if one were to put
his fi nger i nto the ocea n and see with what it
to
comes out (compared to what it leaves i nto the
It
ocea n). (Reported by Muslim)
He a l so said, 'lf the worldly l ife were worth a
mosq u ito's wing i n the Sight of A l l a h, He wou ld
not g ive a disbeliever even a s m u c h a s a d ri n k
of water from it: (Reported by at-Ti rmidhee
who g ra d ed it a s 'so u n d ')
S u rely, the believers suffer considera bly i n
this wo rld. They fi nd themselves exposed to
sudden desires, which they m ust resi st. They
encou nter violent wishes. They fi nd themselves
torn a pa rt between perm itted t h i n g s which
they strive after a n d forbidden t h i n g s of which
they a re fea rfu l . They have needs but they g ive
priority to acts of o bed ience over their needs
when they confl ict with them. Fo r t h i s reason,
They fast out of s u b m ission to the command
of Allah a n d pay n o attention wh atsoeve r to
their fee l i ngs of h u nger a n d thi rst. Li kewise,
they pay the p u rifying d ues (zakaat) to p u rify
their wea lth a n d please A l m i g hty A l l a h i n spite
of t h e i r l ove for wea lth. Th is is beca use their
love fo r A l l a h is m uch g reater.
Th us this world i s a p rison for the bel ieve rs.
They o n ly move towards d esi re with i n the
l i mits i m posed o n them by fa ith. They do not
covet a ny l uxu ry without being in c heck by
awa reness of A l l a h and the des i re to please
H i m . They know that when their time comes
they will fi nd m o re with their Lord i n the
hereafter than they cou l d ever have i ma g i ned.
As fo r the disbelievers, t h ey a re n ot restra i n ed
by obed ience to A l lah, nor does a ny divine
com ma n d c u rb them. Th ey a re tota l ly free
from a ny restrictions in t h i s world. They do not
bel ieve in l ife after death.
On the other h a nd, the believe rs know that
h u ma n existence is a j o u rn ey and this worldly
life (dunyaa) is noth i n g but a very s hort stage
on a m uch g reater jou rney. It is a pl ace of
tran sition in w h i c h the traveller sto ps to ta ke
shade a n d to rest for a w h i l e d u ri ng the day.
I t i s significa nt to rea l ize that Islam d oes
not pro h i bit efforts to provide for l ivel i hood i n
t h i s world. I nstead, i t g u ides us t o the proper
bala nce between this l ife a nd the hereafter. We,
therefore, d o n ot make the goods of this world
our utmost goa l. In other words, our utmost goal
a lways remains the p l ea s u re of A l l a h and the
hereafter. Th is is n ot so with the non-believers
who always com pl a i n . Their com p l a i nt is that
they never h ave enoug h . They want more and
more wea lth a n d comforts and desire even
g reater l ux u ry. Those who h ave a h ouse seek
a palace, and those who own cars envy those
who have better ca rs. B ut true bel ievers do
not put their aspirations a nd thei r hearts i nto
this world. They do n ot borrow money to buy
l uxu ries. They save first a nd buy later. This
world is not their rea l home. If the believers
lose a nything in this world, it w i l l n ot have a
g reat effect o n their h ea rts a nd emotions. They
a re n ot l i ke the disbelievers who i n rea l ity a n d
p ractice, havi ng n oth i n g t o l ive for but th i s l ife.
If they face some d ifficu lty i n this l ife, they a re
someti mes even w i l l i ng to kill themselves d u e
to thei r depression and l a c k o f having a nyt h i n g
e l s e t o l o o k forwa rd to.
It is a wel l-known fact that d u ring the
latter half of the yea r 2008, m a ny America ns
a nd others t h roug hout the world committed
su icide in the face of the g lobal fi nancial crisis
(fa r g reater than the fa mous stoc k m a rket crash
of 1 929) - a s their whole world, everything a n d
a l l they h a d l ived for - ca me cru m b l i n g down
a ro u n d them.
Once lmaam as h-ShaaWee ( 1 50-204 AH/767
-8 1 9 CE) was sitti ng in a shade, i m macu lately
d ressed in clean clothes. A Jew passed by h i m .
The Jew was strugg l i n g beh i n d h i s don key,
loaded with oil. H i s clothes were d i rty, and his
m a n ner was d i stastefu l. The Jew pa used a n d
asked ash-S haaWee, ' H ow is it that people
• • • & & • • •

say the dunyaa is a p rison for the bel iever

. . .. . . Ill • • • • •

and a pa rad ise for the disbel iever?'

ind icati n g the blessings that su rrou nded
ash-ShaaWee and the strivi n g a n d the toil
in which he fou n d h i m self. It was as if he
wa nted to suggest that those words were
sim ply not true a n d that if they were at
a l l true then ease a n d comfort should be
for the Jew and toi l a n d stru ggle o u g ht to
be the fate of ash-ShaaWee, who cou l d
expect his b l essings i n t h e afterl ife. Ash­
S h aaWee repl ied, 'Yes, it is true that the
worldly l ife is a prison for the bel iever
and a pa rad ise for the d isbel iever. It is
certa i n that the b l essings I enjoy now, in
fact, rep resent a prison in relation to what
awaits me i n the next world. And if you
knew what torments awa it you then, you
wou l d rea l ize that this worldly l ife you
now enjoy is, i n fact, a parad ise for you
compa red to that: Thus the dunyaa is the
prison of the believer.
What does the word dunyaa
mea n ?
Write a note on t h e natu re of
this l ife. Give a reference from
the Q u r'a n a n d fladeeth.
Why does a true bel iever
feel l i ke he is i n prison in this
world, and how is the worldly
l ife considered to be the
u n believer's parad ise?
The Necessity
of Sincerity in
Perfo r m i n g
Deeds
Abu H u rayra h � narrated that Alla h's Messenger
� said, ' I nd eed, A l l a h does n ot look at you r
a ppeara n ces a n d wea lth, but He looks a t you r hea rts
a n d you r actions: (Reported by Muslim)
This fladeeth expresses one of the fu nda mental
ethical princi ples of I s l a m . The A ra bic word �uwar
(si ng u la r : �oorah) used i n this fladeeth sign ifies sha pe,
form a nd i m age. The Q u r'a n says, ' I n whatever form
He wil l s, He com poses you : (Soorat al-lnfitaar, 82:8)
A l l a h does n ot look at o u r sha pes or o utward
a ppeara n ces. He does not look at o u r riches. He
looks at o u r h ea rts a n d actions. Actions a re of va l u e
t h ro u g h the i ntention beh i n d t h e m . One's rig htness
of i ntention m a kes o ne's action rig ht.
Th us i ntention (niyyah) is req u i red before the
performance of va rious acts of worsh i p: a b l ution,
ghusl (ritua l bath), prayers, fasti ng, zakaat,
p i l g ri mage, sacrifice, cha rity, a nd so forth . M oreover,
the intention m u st i m mediately p recede the act.
Its place is the h ea rt. A person should be wel l
acq uainted with the act they wa nt to perform. The
a ct m ust be performed for the sa ke of A l l a h, to
earn H is good plea s u re. I n this sense, the i ntention
is of g reat i m porta n ce. At the very begi n n i n g of

•
 h is fa mous S.afleeb_, lmaam a i-Bu khaaree
has p refaced his vast col lection of a uthentic
Prophetic traditions (aflaadeeth) with the
sayi n g of Alla h's Messenger :i, 'Indeed, a ctions
derive their va l u e from the i ntentions and
every person is c red ited with what they have
actua l ly i ntended: Th is b_adeeth is recorded
in practica l ly a l l m ajor works of b_adeeth. The
va l u e of an a ct of wors h i p, rather a l l a ctions,
even if performed in com plete a ccord with
the rules of the I s l a m i c Law, depends u pon the
intention of the performer. A good i ntention is
ta ken into acco u nt by A l l a h, even if not carried
out. It heig htens the va l u e of the deed. On the
other hand, refra i n i n g from a n evi l i ntention is
reckoned as a good deed (AI-Bukhaaree) A l l a h
says, 'Neither thei r flesh reaches A l l a h nor their
blood; it is you r piety that reaches Him: (Soorat
of-Hajj, 22:37)
I n pre-I s l a m i c times, the A ra bs used to offer
the flesh of the a n i m a l s they had sacrificed at
the a ltars of idols. In l i ke m a n n er, they brought
the fl esh of a n i ma l s so sacrificed to the Ka �bah,
smearing the wa l l s of the Ka � ba h with thei r
blood. Exposi n g the u nderlyi ng fol l y of this
pra ctice, the Qu r'a n poi nts out that what
reaches A l l a h i s n ot the blood or the fl esh
of the sacrificial a n ima l s, but rather piety or
rig hteousness. If a person sacrifices an a n i m a l
o u t o f g e n u i n e feel i ngs o f tha n kfu l ness t o A l l a h
•
• •
and does s o with pu rity o f i ntentio n a n d for the
sa ke of Allah a l one, then the pu rity of their spi rit
and i ntention is bou nd to reach A l l a h . Devoid
of the p u rity of i ntention, h owever, the mere
offerings of fl esh and blood a re mea n ingless.
The same point is made in the b_adeeth
under d iscussion. I ndeed, Allah does not look
at forms and sha pes. It is the i ntention beh i n d
any action that g ives i t its worth.
The mea n ing of sincere devotion (ikhlaa�_)
is that the serva nt of the Lord d evotes their
rel igion sincerely to Allah, that they put it
into pra ctice for the sake of A l l a h, that they
attribute no partner to H i m i n h i s rel i g ion, a n d
that they do not seek t o i m press a nyone with
thei r relig ious practice.
It is i n structive to rem e m be r that we have
fu l l control over one's i ntention. H owever,
we m ust make it clear that the intention is
not to be confused with wishing. Wis h i n g to
do someth i n g is not synonymous with the
intention of doing it. I ntention is a conscious
step. It reflects one's resolve: the i ntention o r
resolve t o seek Alla h's Plea s u re.
 Why does A l l a h base H i s j u d g ement o n the i ntentions of
people a n d n ot on their outwa rd cond ition?

What does this tel l u s when we a re j u d g i ng others o r

forming opin ions a bout others?

What does s i n cere devotion (ikhlaa�.) mea n ?

For Further Read ing a n d Research J

1 . Jamal ad-Deen Zara bozo, Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of an-Nawawee,
AI-Basheer Com pa ny for Publ ications a nd Tra nslations, Denver, 1 999.
2. M uha m mad M uhsi n Khan, The Translation of the Meanings of S.afleefl AI­
Bukhaaree, Da russa l a m Publ ishers a n d Distributors, Riyadh, 1 997.
3. S.afleefl Muslim, English tra nslation by Nasiru d d i n a i-Khatta b. Da russa l a m
p u b l is hers and Distri butors, Riyad h, 2007.
4. Sunan Abu Oaawood, Eng l ish tra nslation by Abu A m m a r Yas i r Qadhi,
Darussa lam P u bl ishers a n d Distributors, Riya d h, 2008.
5. Jaami� at-Tirmidhee, E n g l i s h tra nslation by Abu Khal iyl, Da russa lam Publ ishers
and Distributers, Riyadh, 2007.
6. Sunan an-Nasaa'ee, English tra nslation by Nasirudd i n a i-Khatta b, Daru ssa lam
Publ ishers and Distributors, Riyadh, 2007.
7. Sunan Ibn Maajah, E n g l i s h tra n slation by Nasiru d d i n ai-Khattab, Da russa lam
Publ ishers and Distributors, Riyadh, 2007.
8. lmaam AI-Bukhaaree's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners (ai-Adab ai­
Mufrad) E n g l i s h tra n s lation by Ysu f ia l a l Delorenzo, a i-Saadawi P u b l i cations,
Alexa n d ri a VA, 1 997.
9. Abd u r Rashid S i d d i q u i, Qur'anic Keywords: A Reference Guide, the I s l a m i c
Fou ndation, U K, 2008.
6.1. Islam 161
6.2. The Word Musl i m 162
6.3. What is Required of Someone Who Wishes to Embrace Islam? 163
6.4. Islam as ad-Deen 163
6.5. The Five Pillars of Islam 164
6.6. The First Pillar: Ash-Shahaadataan 165
6.7. The Second Pillar: Establishing the Prayers (�alaah) 166
6.8. The Third Pillar: Giving lakaat 168
6.9. The Fourth Pillar: The Pilgrimage to the House - The Hajj 170
6.10. The Fifth Pil lar: Fasting in Ramad.aan 171
6.l 1 . Eemaan (Faith) 173
a. Belief in Allah 174
b. Belief in Alla h's Angels 175
c. Bel ief in Alla h's Books 178
d. Belief in Allah's Messengers 179
e. Belief in the Last Day 180
f. Belief in the Divine Decree (ai-Qadar):
The Good of it and the Bad of it 182
 Isla m a n em aan

-
t•:_- -
·-

6.1 . Is la m

The word Islam is d erived from the A rabic root s - I - m, which mea ns
'safety, ca l m, bei n g safe, and sou nd, or to rem a i n u n h a rmed, bei n g
free from o bstacles, t o hand over, t o s u bmit to, s u rrender to: T h e word
salaam, which comes from the same root, mea n s 'peace: Th u s, Islam
means tota l w i l l i ng s u b m ission. (Soorat Aal-�lmraan, 3: 1 9) Hence, Islam
is a n act of tota l w i l l i ng su rrender to A l la h's w i l l a n d fol lowi n g H i s
commands. T h e term I s l a m occ u rs e i g h t times in t h e Q u r'a n .
T h e religion sent down b y A l l a h and b ro u g ht i nto the wo rld b y H i s
prophets has been ca l led I s l a m for t h e s i m p l e reason that, i n it, the
servant su rrenders completely to the power and control of the Lord
a n d obeys H i m whole-hearted ly. The Q u r'a n spea ks of Aada m WI a s
the first m a n a n d the first prophet. Prophethood bega n with A a d a m ��
and came to a close with Pro p h et M uhammad �. Prophet Aadam ��
was the fi rst M u s l i m . The rel i g i o n of a l l the prophets and messeng ers
was I s l a m . Th is is the vita l point which s h o u ld be kept in m i n d in tryi ng
to u n dersta nd Islam.
1 16.2: L The Word Muslim

M u s l i m mea ns one who s u b m its to A l l a h; (2:1 3 1 ) one who professes

the fa ith of Islam, (Soorat at-Hajj, 22:78) hence, a 'su b m itter� The term
in its s i n g u l a r form occurs twice in the Q u r'a n (Soorat Aai-�Jmraan,
3 :67 and Soorat Yoosuf, 1 2: 1 0 1 ). Discussi n g the term Muslim, Hasan
Gai Eaton states,
'The term 'Mus l i m' (with a capita l letter) is properly a p p l ied only
to those who fol low the Message of the Q u r'a n, but when it ta kes
the l ower case, it has a fa r more u n iversa l mean ing. I n the first pl ace,
everyone a nd everyt h i n g is muslim, in the sense that a l l, knowi n g ly or
u n knowi n g ly, a re s u bject to the Divine Wi l l and can not esca pe from
it. The rock that fa l l s by the force of g ravity is muslim, so a re the b i rds
and beasts of the field, so too is the h u m a n kind as a whole. Al l su bmit
to the w i l l of their C reator. ' (Remembering God, p. 5)
Since everything i n this u n iverse behaves in accordance with its
i n g ra i ned laws, they a utomatica l ly o bey the command of A l l a h .
T h e w h o l e u n iverse is, therefore, muslim, su rrendering t o the Wi l l of
A l l a h . Man is the o n ly exception in this u n ive rsa l law. This is beca use
h e is endowed with the free choice of obeyi n g o r d i sobeying the
commands of A l l a h .
 II ,..._

6.3.
,_

What is Req u i red of Someone who Wishes to E m b race

Isla m ?

Fi rst of a l l, they m ust pronou nce the two decla rations of fa ith (ash­
Shahaadataan):

<111 1 d vu 1 £ldnd <111 1 Ul dJ I U

There is n o god but A l l a h Laa i/aaha illal/aah
M uha m mad is the Messenger of A l l a h Mub_ammad-ur-Rasoolullaah.

They m u st fi rmly and sincerely believe in the Oneness of A l l a h . they

m u st be detached from every other rel igion, since religion i n the sight
of Allah is Islam (Soorat AaPimraan, 2 : 1 9). Th us, by simply sincerely
reciting ash-shahaadataan a non-M u s l i m enters the fold of Islam a nd
joins the com m u n ity of M u s l i ms.

-
_. 11

. j6.4. Islam as ad-Deen

I
The A rabic word deen is usua l ly tra nslated as religion. But this
does n ot provid e its true mea n ing. Deen, i n fact, denotes a system
of beliefs, a code of l ife. It d oes not merely sign ify the s p i ritua l
fu lfi l ment o f the i n d ivid u a l . It mea n s a l l matters pe rta i n i ng to
a way of l ife, for it encompasses religion, law, trade, commerce,
moral ity, pol itics, justice, foods a nd d ri n ks, clothing: i n fact, a l l
aspects of l ife relating to peopl e's thoug hts o r actions. Th is is
the most fu nda menta l point that should be g ra s ped i n tryi ng to
understa nd I s l a m, beca u se, in this com p rehensive sense, rel igion
is a M u s l i m's l ife. All prophets and messengers brought the same
deen. Any other deen besides Islam is unaccepta ble to A l l a h (Soorat
Aat-�tmraan, 3:85). Th us, it wou l d a ppear that it is not possible to
tra n s l ate the term in a single word in a ny other lang uage.
 What does I s l a m mean? How many times i s this word repeated i n the
Q u r'a n ?
Exp l a i n t h e word M u s l i m .
What is ash-Shahaadataan? W h e n does one become a M u s l i m ?
What is t h e proper mea n i n g of the word deen?

6.5.
I

The Five Pi l la rs of Islam

The basic obligatory d uties of a M u s l i m I m porta nce of t h is Hadeeth

towards A l l a h a re known a s t h e Five P i l l a rs of
I s l a m . The Prophet � said,
' I slam is b u i lt u pon five p i l l a rs 1 : Testifying
that the re is n o god but Allah a n d that
Muha m mad is the Messenger of Allah,
esta b l i s h i n g the [obl igatory] prayers, giving the
zakaat, making the pilgrimage to the [Sacred]
House, a nd fasti n g in Rama.Qa a n . ' (Reported by
ai-Bukhaaree a n d Muslim)
1 - The word pillar does not appear in the Arabic text, but
it has been supplied for clarity of meaning: A n-Nawaw­
This b.adeeth is of g reat sign ifica nce. It
lays d own the fu nda menta l aspects of o ne's
outward su rrender to A l l a h . This self-su rrender
is based o n certa in fou ndations, i n a way
s i m i l a r to a b u i lding. If a person ca rries a l l these
aspects, he lays d own a solid fou ndation for
his rel i g ion as a whole. If a person lacks in a ny
of these p i l l a rs, then the entire b u i l d i ng w i l l
b e exposed t o danger. If a ny o f the p i l l a rs i s
missing, the h o u s e will sta nd b u t it will h ave

' I bear witness that

ee's Forty Hadeeth. Tr. Ezzeddin Ibrahim-Denys Johnson a deficiency. It is i m porta nt to rea l ize that the
Davies, p. 34. The testimony of faith is:
main pillar is the testimony of fa ith. The fi rst
there is no god but Allah and that M uhammad is His serv­
ant and Messenger ' . By reciting this two-fold testimony p i l l a r leads to the fu lfi l m e nt of the rem a i n i n g
of faith, one comes into the fold of I s lam. Although this is
p i l l a rs. The fi rmer t h e first p i l l a r, t h e stronger
a verbal affirmation, it requires conviction in one's heart
and then its manifestation by actions. the rem a i n i n g p i l l a rs!
_[I. I·�
II 6.6. T h e Fi rst P i l l a r: The Two State m e nts of Fa i t h
{ash-Shahaadataan)

The Ara bic word shah ida means 'to witness, to experience personal ly, to be
present: From this root shahaadah means testi mony, evidence o r witness.
Being a M us l i m is o utwa rd ly esta blished by o ne's sayi n g the two statements
of fa ith. One's su b m ission is perfected thro u g h performing other obligatory
d uties, mentioned in the b..adeeth a bove. Neglecti n g them suggests that one
has dissolved o r wea kened the terms of o ne's obed ience. The testi mony of
fa ith is a statement o r kalimah. The Qu r'a n ca l l s it Kalimatan-tayyibatan - a
g ood word (Soorat lbraaheem, 1 4:24), which is l i ke a good tree fi rmly rooted,
its bra nches reaching o ut towa rds the sky. This testi mony is so i m porta nt and
significant that Allah H i m self, H is a ngels a n d those endowed with knowledge
bear witness to it and m a ke this declaration. (Soorat Aal-�lmraan, 3: 1 8)

a. There Is No god but Allah: na mes a re collectively known as a/-Asmaa'

al-fjusnaa (the most bea utifu l names), and
The Q u r'a n ic Conception of many of them a re mentioned in the Q u r'a n .
the Oneness of Allah - The However, the most repeated n a m e s o f A l l a h
a re ar-Rab..eem a n d ar-Rab..m aan, w h i c h express
Tawheed
the i m m e n sity of Divine Mercy for everything

The word A l l a h is used with the h i g h est that is i n the u n iverse. They lead us to the

freq uency in the Q u r'a n. lt is the person a l name proper u n dersta nd i ng of o u r relations h i p with

of the Creator of the u n iverse. The word Allah is our Creator. (Abd u r Rashid Siddiq u i, Qur'anic

u n iq ue. It can not be translated into a ny other Keywords)

la ng uage. Allah is the persona l name of the

U lti mate Rea l ity in this u n iverse. Th us, there b. Muhammad-ur-Rasool-
ca n n ot be a ny p l u ra l of this wo rd in the way
ul/aah: M u h a m mad is the
'God' becomes 'gods: nor has it a fem i n i ne form
a s 'g oddess o r g oddesses: Messenger of Allah
The Oneness of A l l a h (tawb_eed) is the
centra l theme of the Q u r'a n . The name A l l a h is This i s the second part o f the Shahaadah

used exc l u sively for the One who created the or the testi mony of fa ith. M uha mmad i; is the

heavens and the earth and everything i n the Messenger of A l l a h . This means he was chosen
by A l l a h to be His Messenger in order to convey
u n iverse. Accord i n g to a b..a deeth of the Prophet
�� there a re n i n ety-nine names of A l l a h . These His message. He is the fi n a l prophet sent by
 A l l a h . He has been sent to a l l ma n kind u ntil the Day of J udg ment.
The Q u r'a n says, 'He is A l l a h's Messenger a n d the Seal of the Prophets:
(Soorat a/-Aflzaab, 33:40)
A l l a h's Messenger� is described as the Sea I of the Prophets - Khaatam
an-Nabiyyeen - in this verse. he was the last i n the l i n e of prophets and
messengers, and there w i l l be n o other prophet after him.

What a re the P i l l a rs of I s l a m ? Name them.

What i s ash-shahadataan? Is the verbal affi rmation of the
shahaadah enough for someone to be considered a true M u s l i m ?
Explain Laa i/aaha i/1-A//aah, Muflammad-ur-Rasoo/ullaah.

I
- _ _ ,._

I 16.7.
j
The Second Pillar: Establishing the Prayers (Sa/aah)

S.alaah is a n A ra bic wo rd which means 'to
turn towa rds somet h i n g o r to pay attention
to pray, to praise a nd to pay respect: It is a
Q u r'a n ic keywo rd. Esta b l i s h ing the prayers
means the prescri bed I s l a m i c p rayers: the
five d a i ly prayers. (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2:238)
The structure and t i m i n g s of �a/aah as wel l
a s its contents a re a l l very wel l exp l a i n ed i n
both the Qu r'a n a nd the Sunnah. It i s n ot
only for this nation (Ummah) that �alaah was
made o b l i g atory. The Q u r'a n declares that
A l l a h e njoined the performa nce of �a/aah to
the com m u n ities of a l l the earlier prophets.
However the form of �a/aah prescri bed was
d ifferent from the one prescribed for this
com m u n ity. But qiyyaam, rukoo� a n d sujood
were a lways pa rts of �a/aah. The wo rd �alaah
occ u rs 78 times in the Q u r'a n .
A l l a h's Messenger � said, 'Pray in the m a n ner
that you h ave seen me prayi ng: (Repo rted by
a i- B u kh a a ree) The o bjective of �alaah is to
esta bl ish an intimate re lationsh i p between
the servant and h is C reator. Th i s i s renewed
five times a day. It conti n u es thro u g ho ut o n e's
l ife u ntil deat h . S.alaah i s the most i m po rtant
o b l igation fo r a M u s l i m . After pro n o u n c i n g
the shahaadah b y which one enters the fol d
o f I s l a m , t h e very first obl igation testi ng on e's
sincerity of fa ith is �a faa h.
I t is i m porta nt t o rea l ize t h a t the believers
a re co m m a n d ed to esta b l ish the five d a i ly
prayers. Th i s mea ns that these p rayers m ust
be performed at their p roper t i m i n g s i n
con g regation a n d in a mosq ue accord i n g t o its
rules a n d reg u l ations ta u g ht by the Messenger
of A l l a h �- The structu re a n d ti m i n g of each of
the five p rescri bed daily prayers is recorded a n d fu l l y exp l a ined i n the tra d itions of
the Messenger of A l l a h �. It is i m porta nt to n ote that �olooh w i l l not be va l i d without
p reced i n g it with wuQ.oo' (ritual a b l ution).

The five o b l i g atory d a i ly prayers a re:

1. S.oloot-ui-Fojr: the dawn p rayer

2. S.oloot-udh- Dhuhr: the noon prayer
3. S.oloot-uPA�r: the mid-afternoon prayer
4. S.oloot-ui-Moghrib: the s u n set p rayer
5. S.oloot-uP!shoo': the n i g htfa l l praye r

T h e p rayer t i m e s va ry a l ittl e e a c h d a y w i t h the season a n d the yea r, and

from one town to a noth er thro u g h the effects of latitude a nd l o n g itude.
S.olooh ca n be perfo rmed i n d ivid ual ly o r i n con g regation, but men
m ust perform it i n a mosq ue i n the cong regatio n . A l l a h's Messenger
:;i said, 'The merit of the congregational prayer (�o/oot-ul­
jomoo�oh) su rpasses that of the i n d ivi d u a l p rayer by twenty­
seven d eg rees: (Reported by a i - B u k h aa ree a n d M u s l i m )
T h e Pro p h et � a l so said, 'To perform the l ate evening
p rayer (�!shoo} i n con g regation is eq u iva lent to spend i n g half
the n i g ht i n p rayer, while to perform the d awn prayer (Fojr)
i n cong regation is l i ke p rayi ng the whole n ig ht: (Reported by
M u s l im)
The Friday p rayer, which is perfo rmed at Dhuhr time, has
specia l sign ifica nce a s it is preced ed by a sermon (khutboh)
del ivered by the imoom. lt has to be performed in con g regation
and i s oblig atory on a l l a d u lt men.

What does �o/ooh mean?

How m ust we offe r the �olooh? What is its objective?
H ow m a ny times m ust we offer �o/ooh? N a me them.
What a re the merits of �o/ooh?
 -11 1- - - -
-
-
6.8. The Th i rd P i l l a r: Giving Zakaat
The Ara bi c word zakaat is derived
from the root z - k - y, which mea ns
'to g row, to flo u rish, to reach, to
p u rify, a n d to be p u rified: Zakaat is
meant to p u rify a person's capita l a nd
income from the tai nt of selfish ness,
hence the name zakaat - the p u rifying d ues.
The term zakaat occurs 32 ti mes in the Qu r'a n.2
Zakaat is the t h i rd p i l l a r of I s l a m . It ra n ks
very close to �alaah, a n d they a re both often
mentioned together in the Q u r'a n - in eig hty­
two places to be precise. See, for insta nce,
73:20, 33:33 a n d 2:43.
The payment of zakaat p u rifies a bel iever
and their wealth. It p u rifies their soul by
clea n s i n g it of the di sease of tig htfisted ness
and m iserl i ness. In Sharee�ah, zakaat's
tech nical mea n i n g is i n refe rence to a specifi c
portion o f one's d ifferent type o f wealth that
one m ust g ive every yea r to a specific g ro u p of
reci pients mentioned in the Q u r'an. See (Soorat
at-Tawbah, 9:60)
Zakaat is not a favou r to be given to the poor
by the rich. Rather, it is the right of the poor
on the wea lth of the rich. (Soorat a/-Ma�aarij,
70: 24-25) To withhold zakaat is to deprive
the poor of their rig htfu l share. Th us, one who
gives zakaat a ctua l ly p u rifies one's wea lth by
separating from it the portion that bel ongs
to the poor. One who i n c u rs zakaat a n d does
not g ive it will h ave severe p u nish ment i n the
hereafter. Traditions of the Prophet � describe
2 - For more details, s e e Kassis's A Concordance of the
Qur'an, pp. 1 3 2 5 - 2 6 .
i n d eta i l the p u n ishment that will be i nfl icted
on those who do not g ive proper zakaat o n
their wea lth.
Zakaat is one of the p i l l a rs of I s l a m, a nd if a
M us l i m den ies its obligation or says that it is n ot
a part of Islam, then such a person becomes a
d isbel iever, according to the a g reement of
scholars. Zakaat is n ot i m posed u n less the
za kaata ble wea lth reaches a m i n i m u m leve l .
T h i s level is ca l led the ni�aab3 or sca l e. Different
types of properties have different ni�aabs.
Zakaat Yea r
Passage of one l u na r yea r (according to
the heg i ra (hijrah) ca lendar) is req u i red before
zakaat can be i m posed on wea lth. Assets that
rem a i n with their owners for one fu l l yea r a re
za kaata ble. Rich Musl ims, therefore, m u st
esta blish their zakaat yea r. Many M u s l i m s
ca lculate zakaat d u ri n g RamaQ.aan for t h e
a d d e d reward o f wors h i pping d u ring the
blessed month. So, a n exa mple of zakaat yea r
3 - Nis.aab on money i s 8 5 grams o f gold and s o on. Nis.aab
must be in excess of the basic needs of the owner. Things
used for satis fying basic needs are not considered zakaat­
able. Basic necessities are food, shelter, clothes, house­
hold goods, utens ils, furniture, money to p ay back debts
and books of knowledge, among other things.
may be from 1 5th RamaQ_aan 1 43 0 AH to the 1 4th RamaQ_aan 1 43 1
A H (one fu l l hijrah/ l u n a r calendar year). Once the zakaat yea r is set,
the same date ra nge should be used for futu re yea rs.
The wea lth o r property s u bject to zakaat should be of a g rowi ng
type. It should h ave the capa bi l ity for g rowth and development.
Zakaat is obligatory on wea lth reg a rd less of whether the owner
is an a d u lt o r a minor. It is due o n wea lth owned by the insane a s
wel l . Lega l g u a rdians s h o u ld pay zakaat o n beha lf o f m i nors a n d
the i nsane.
Zakaat is compu lsory on merchand ise o r trading goods. If a
l u n a r yea r passes a n d the mercha nd ise or trading g oods reac h
ni�aab, which is t h e va l u e o f 8 5 g ra m s o f gold, zakaat becomes due.
Zakaat on them is 2.5 % if their va l u e reaches the ni�aab. Zakaat o n
l ivestock a n d their ni�aab is different. Ag ricu ltu ra l prod u ce, such a s
g ra i n s, is za kaata ble. Accord ing t o s o m e scholars, h owever, zakaat
need not be g iven on jewels, pearls, d i a monds, and precious stones
which a re used for wea ring. Ni�aab on jewe l lery is 85 g ra m s of gold
o r 595 g ra m s of si lver a nd the zakaat rate is 2.5 %.

Who a re entitled to receive zakaat?

The Q u r'a n states that there a re eight categories of people who

a re entitled to receive zakaat (Soorat at-Tawbah, 9:60). They a re: 'the
poor; the destitute a n d the needy; workers i n zakaa t a d m i n istration;
those whose hea rts need to be reconciled; freeing from bondage;
those in debts; for the ca use of A l l a h and the trave l l ers:

What does the word zakaat mea n?

What is the im porta nce of zakaat? What a re its merits?

On whom is zakaat compu lsory?

On what kind of wea lth is zakaat com p u l sory, a nd how

m uch is to be pa id?

Who a re entitled to receive zakaat?

 The Fourth Pillar:
The Pilgrimage to the House - The Hajj
The n ext p i l l a r mentioned i n the b..adeeth
a bove is the p i lg ri mage to the House - the b_ajj.
Hajj is a n Ara bic term whose primary mea n i n g
i s 'to i ntend t o visit someone or somewhere
that is the o bj ect of reverence, respect,
veneration or honou r'. I n the term i no l ogy of
the I s l a m i c Law (Shareet ahL it is the p i l g rimage
to the Ka t ba h i n M a kka h d u ri n g the p rescri bed
period: d u ring certa i n specific days in the
month of Dhui-Hijjah.
The b_ajj is an obl igation u pon every a d u lt
M u s l i m who is fi n a ncia l ly wel l off a n d physica l l y
fit t o u nderta ke the jou rney, once i n a l ifetime.
It i s, h owever, m uch more than an o b l igation.
It is a p i l l a r of Islam itse lf.
The I n stitution of Hajj a n d
its Rites
In accorda nce with the com m a n d of A l l a h ,
t h e c a l l for b_ajj was fi rst g iven b y Prophet
l braa heem �1. Si n ce then it has been carried
on for the last fou r thousand years. M u s l i m s
from a l l over the world, u s i n g diffe rent mea ns
of tra nsport come to Ma kka h to perform the
b_ajj.
There a re va rious rites connected with the
b_ajj, i nc l u d i n g wearing a spec i a l ga rment to
enter the state of ib_raam (sacred p u rity) a n d
c i rc l i n g t h e Ka t ba h seven times (tawaaf). The
c l i max of the b_ajj i s the sta nd i n g o n tArafa h , a
p l a i n a n d h i l l to the east of Makka h . The time
fo r this is from m idday to s u n set o n the n i nth
of the month of Ohui-Hijjah.
T h e rites o f b_ajj sym bol ical ly re-enact
m a ny of the events i n the l ives of Pro p h et
l braa heem, h i s wife Haaj a r a nd their son
lsmaa t eel. The b_ajj ceremon ies sta rt o n the 8th
of Ohu/-fj_ijjah with p i l g r i m s doing the
tawaaf (ci rc l i n g the Ka t ba h i n a n a nti­
c lockwise fas h io n ) seven times. Th i s is
fol l owed by performing satee (a swift
wa l k) between the h i l locks of .S.afaa
and M a rwa h, w h i c h are now i nc l u ded
in the Masjid a i-Hara a m . Pilgrims
then p roceed to M i n aa, which is
a bout 5 m i l es from Makkah. After a n
overn i g ht stay there, they move to
tArafa h on the 9th of Dhu/-fj_ijjah a n d spend
the whole day in prayers and s u p p l ications.
They l eave the Plain of tArafa h after the s u n set
for a stop-over at Muzd a l ifa h fo r the n ig ht
a n d fi n a l ly they return to M i na a to perform
the rest of the rites, i n c l u d i ng the sacrifice of
a n a ni m a l (depe n d i n g o n the type of b_ajj one
i ntend s to perfo rm), the shaving o r c l i pping of
 the h a i r, the sto n i n g at the th ree p i l l a rs a n d the
performance of a nother tawaaf of the Ka � ba h .
Th e b_ajj rites fi nish by t h e 1 2th or 1 3th o f Dhu/­
Hijja h. 6.1 0. 1!
IJ "'
--'"
�--�
The ritu a l s performed d u ri n g the b_ajj create r

bonds of brotherhood a m o n g M u s l i ms. I n

fact, b_ajj man ifests the u n ity of the M u s l i m
The Fifth Pillar: Fasting i n
Com m u n ity as one fa m i ly. It a lso rem oves
all differences of race, col o u r, l a n g uage, Ramadaan
natio n a l ity and social position .
S_awm or �iyaam l itera l ly means 'to refra i n
from something o r t o leave someth i ng'. I n t h e
Sharee�ah, i t denotes refra i n i ng from food,
d ri n k and sexual i ntercou rse d u ring the days of
the month of RamaQ_aan. Fasting in the month
of RamaQ_aan is a p i l l a r of I s l a m .

What d oes the term b_ajj mean?

What does it mean in the Sharee�ah? Who Must Fast Ramadaan?
On whom i s the b_ajj com p u lsory?
f
Give a n account of the rites of b_ajj. Fasting RamaQ_aan is l
--- - --- _ _j obligatory for every M u s l i m
( m a l e o r fema le), who has
reached p u berty, is sane,
is healthy, a n d i s ca pable
of bea ring the fast; a n d if
female, is not i n the period
of menstruation or postnatal
bleed i n g (nifaas) though
-- -
they a re obliged to make u p
The Jamraat for the d ays missed.
(stoning the
pillars)

Those who H ave a Val i d
Reason to Postpone
Fasting
The fol lowi n g a re perm itted,
they fi nd it necessa ry, to suspend
fasting. H owever, they m u st fast a n
e q u a l n u m be r of days after t h e end of
RamaQ..a an, but not o n tEed days.
• The i l l if the fasting is l i kely to i n c rease
the i l l ness,
• The traveller,
• A preg nant wom a n - if fasti n g i s l i kely
to harm the health of the mother or
the u n born ba by, and/or prevent her
from havi ng enough m i l k for her ba by.
Those who Are Excused
from Fasting a ltogether
• The term i n a l ly i l l - those w h o suffer
from a term i n a l, serious i l l ness that is
bou nd to worsen if they fast,
• The permanently in sa ne,
• The very o l d - those who a re too old
and feeble to fast at any time of the
yea r.
I n stead, the term i n a l l y i l l o r old
person s h o u l d feed one poor person
for everyday of fasti n g that they m i ss. If
the i l l person o r traveller ta kes it u pon
themselves to fast, it is va lid.
The Pillars of Fasting
• The niyyah (the i ntention)
• /msaak: a bsta i n ing from eati ng, d ri n king
a nd sexual i ntercou rse d u ring the dayl i g ht
h o u rs of fasti ng - from the com i n g of dawn,
if u ntil the setting of the s u n .
Fa st i n g S h ows O n e 's
S i n cerity to Al l a h
Fasting i s a n a ct of wors h i p that s h ows o ne's
sincerity to o ne's Lord. Only A l l a h is awa re
whether a person has truly fasted or not. N o
o n e c a n know i f they secretly brea k thei r fast.
Therefore, A l l a h has a speci a l reward for those
who fast. A l l a h's Messenger � said, 'Whoever
fasts the m onth of RamaQ_aan with eemaan
a n d ifltisaab, a l l their previous sins a re forg iven:
(Reported by a i - B u khaaree and M u s l i m )
Eemaan and ifltisaab a re tech nical terms.
They mean that a l l good deeds a re done for the
sake of Alla h with the hope of receivi ng rewa rd
from H i m . Thus, there should not be a ny other
motive. /fltisaab mea ns scruti ny. One should
ta ke account of a l l one's sins and shortcomings
and seek Alla h's forgiveness.
What d oes �awm mea n ? What does it
mean in the Shareetah?
U pon whom is fasti n g d u ri n g
RamaQ..a an com p u lsory?
Who a re excused from fasting? Who
may g ive it up a ltogether?
What a re the merits of fasti n g ?
 -�

6.1 1 . Eemaan (Faith)

Eemaan is a n Arabic wo rd which means fa ith. H e n ce, mu'min

(fe m i n i n e form: mu'minah) mea n s one who believes; an a d he rent to
the true faith. The term eemaan occ u rs 45 times in the Q u r'a n.
The word eemaan is used for faith or belief as it g ives a n i n d ivi d u a l
peace o f m i n d a n d a l s o creates a harmonious relation s h i p between a
h u m a n bei ng a n d the rest of the u n iverse.

Eemaan is a Allah.

Statement and The Articles of

Action Faith

Eemaan i s a statement a n d When A l l a h's Messenger �

action. I n other words, it h a s three
essentia l elements: sincere bel ief i n
t h e hea rt, profession b y t h e tongue
and performance of the deeds by
the physical pa rts of the body.
Eemaan resides i n the hea rt. The
heart is its locus, its fou ndation.
Eemaan increases by a cts of
obedience to A l l a h a nd decreases
by acts of d isobed ience. If the heart
is fi l led with eemaan - with l ove of
A l l a h a n d H i s Messenger � hope
'
i n A l l a h's mercy a nd fea ring H i s
p u nish ment, i t w i l l certa i n ly d rive
one to perform a cts of obed ience to
was asked by Angel J i breel i%§\, 'What
i s eemaan (fa ith)? He repl ied, 'It is to believe i n
A l l a h , H i s Angels, H i s Books, H i s Messengers, the Last
Day, and to believe in the Divi ne Decree (a/-qadar), both
the g ood of it a nd the bad of it: (Reported by M uslim)
Th us, the essential elements of eemaan, accord i ng to
the fladeeth, a re as fol l ows:
To believe in A l l a h,
H i s Angels,
His Books,
H i s Messengers,
The Last Day, and
To believe i n d ivine destiny: the good of it a n d the
bad of it.
 Oneness of Allah (Tawheed):
the I m portance of Correct
Belief in Alla h
Tawb_eed is a n Arabic word which means
'ma king somet h i n g one' or 'asserting oneself:
Most of the Q u r'a n, rather a l m ost a l l of it,
refers to tawfleed. I n fact, the entire Q u r'a n is
the exposition of the N a mes and Attributes of
Allah.
The Oneness of A l l a h : H i s
Attributes
Faith in the Oneness of A l l a h mea n s to bel ieve
that A l l a h is the sole C reator and the Lord of
everyt h i n g that exists in this u n iverse. A l l a h
a s one's Lord a n d Master req u i res vol u ntary
subm ission to H is Commands.
A l l a h Alone is the Sustainer - the Lord (ar­
Rabb) . He is the One without a ny partners
whatsoever in H i s Ki ngdom. He is the O n ly
C reator and the true Owner of the c reation.
He is the only one who nou rishes, s u sta i n s a n d
m a i nta i n s H i s c reation. Everything t h a t ha ppens
i n this creation ha ppens by H is permission a nd
w i l l . Sustena nce and p rovisions a re from A l l a h .
Life a n d death a re i n the H a n d s o f A l l a h . A l l
bounties come from H i m a l one.
A l l a h com mands a n d forbids. He elevates
a n d a bases. He changes day i nto n i g ht. H e
a lternates t h e days o f people a n d nations,
replacing one with a nother. Th ings occ u r
accord i n g t o H i s w i l l . Whatever He wi l ls comes
i nto being i n the time and man ner He w i l l s
it. H i s o rders a n d decrees a re fu lfi l led i n the
heavens, in the fa rthest reaches of the ea rth,
and beneath it, in the seas, the skie, a nd every
other part of the u n iverse. He encompasses a l l
t h i ngs. With H i s knowledge, H e keeps cou nt of
every single t h i n g .
H i s h eari n g encompasses a l l voices, yet they
do not blend i nto each oth er. Rather, He h ea rs
the c l a m o u r of a l l the va rious tongues,
in a l l cou ntless l a n g uag es, distinct
i n their cou ntless s u ppl ications. H i s
S i g ht enve lopes a l l t h i ngs. H e sees the
smal lest black a nt u pon a piece of coal
i n a moon less d a rk n ig ht. The h idden
for Him is vis i b l e a n d the secret is
p u blic.
I n H i s Hand is all g ood a n d to H i m
return a l l affa i rs. H i s powerencompasses
a l l t h i ngs. All depend upon H i m for
their safety a nd sustenance. He forg ives
sins, rel ieves ca res a n d removes woes.
He makes the broken whole, en riches
the poor, feeds the h u n g ry, clothes the
n a ked and hea l s the sick. To Him d o
the deeds o f t h e n i g ht ascend before
those of the day, a n d the deeds of the
day before those of the n i g ht. There is
no one to with hold what H e g ives a nd
n o one to g ive what He with holds. He is One of the u n seen worlds of which Islam tel ls us is
the Su preme Lord without a ny partners the world of a ngels. The angels a re described i n the
whatsoever. He is u n i q u e without eq u a l . Qu r'a n a nd b_adeeth in g reat deta i l . Belief i n the a ngels
He has no s o n s o r daug hters. He is t h e is a nother essentia l bel ief that forms the cornerstone
one without compa rison o r k i n d . There of eemaan (fa ith). When A l l a h's Messenger � was asked
is noth i n g s i m i l a r to H i m . He is the All­ by Angel J i breel ;%§1, 'What is fa ith?' he repl ied, 'It is to
Hearing, the All-Seeing. believe in A l l a h, H i s Angels, His Books, H is Messengers,
Hence, every act of wors h i p, be it the Last Day, a n d to bel i eve in the Divine Decree (a/­
prayer, fasti ng, p i l g rimage, sacrificing qadar), both the good of it a n d the bad of it: (Reported
a n ima l s, and so forth, m ust be done for by M u s l i m) Th u s, belief in the a ngels is the second
the sa ke of A l l a h on ly. All suppl ications a rticle of faith.
and prayers m ust be d i rected to H i m The Arabic word for angel is malak, of which the
a l one. If someone d oes a ny of these p l u ra l form is malaa'ikah. The a ngels belong to the
acts for someone other than A l l a h, h e unseen world (�aa/am a/-ghayb). They a re created from
is negating h i s tawb_eed. These i n c l u d e l i g ht a n d are i nvisible to h u m a n beings. Yet, they do not
p utti n g o ne's trust i n A l l a h, havi ng have forms and bodies. The Gl orious Q u r'a n speaks of
fea r and devotion only for His sa ke, their having a set of wings. (Soorat Faatir, 35 : 1 )
a n d so on. S u bm ission to H i m alone From the moment a n i n d ivid u a l i s conceived i n his
encompa sses wors h i pping Him alone mother's wom b, u ntil his death and beyond, a ngels play
a n d obeyi ng H i m alo. a very significant role in h u ma n l ife. A l l a h's Messenger
:i said, 'When forty nig hts have passed for the
sperm d ro p (the nutfah), A l l a h sends an angel
to it, and it g ives it its s h a pe and creates its
hea ring, sig ht, skin, flesh a n d bones. Then he
says, "O Lord, m a l e o r female?"Your Lord decrees
whatever He w i l ls, and the angel writes it down.
Then h e says, "0 Lord, his l ifespan?" You r Lord
says whatever He wil ls, and the a ngel writes
it down. Then he says, "0 Lord, h i s provision?"
You r Lord decrees whatever He wil ls, and the
angel writes it down. Then the a ngel departs
with the scro l l in his hand, and he adds n oth i n g
t o the decree, nor does he s u btract a nyth i n g
from it: (Reported b y Musl im, fladeeth n o . 6726)
Another fladeeth, narrated by both a i ­
Bukhaaree and M u s l im, states t h a t a n a n g e l
fol l ows the sperm d ro p (nutfah: sexual fl u i d :
gamete is t h e precise word for it) from the
time it enters the wom b u ntil it is completed or
a bo rted (Quoted by D r. Moha m med Ali Albar
in his work entitled Human Development, p. 74).
Angels acco m pa ny h u m a n beings. They
protect them by Alla h's l eave a n d record a l l
their deeds. They extract the soul of the person
when the moment of their death arrives. The
common ph rase 'a n u ntimely death' seems
close to blasphemy (rude or disrespectfu l
thing for A l l a h ) : every death is rig ht o n ti me.
Moreover, to ask 'why' when someone d ies
you n g is absurd . O u r strictly l i m ited minds
ca n n ot g rasp the total scheme of t h i n g s wi l led
by A l l a h .
T h e a n g e l s form a world enti rely d ifferent
from the world of manki nd. It is a noble world,
com pletely p u re. They a re in tota l su bmi ssion
to A l l a h . They a re inca pa ble of com m itti ng a ny
sin a n d a re con sta ntly engaged in A l la h's pra ise.
Each one of them is assig n ed a specific task i n
the g overnance o f the u n iverse. The n u m be r of
angels is known only to A l l a h . Angels a re made
of l ig ht, and A l l a h has not g iven our eyes the
a b i l ity to see them.
The a ngels have wings: two, th ree, or fou r.
Angel J i breel �� has six h u n d red wi ngs. (ai­
Bukhaaree) Allah has c reated the a ngels in
noble and bea utifu l forms. They a re n ot all the
sa me i n their physical s h a pe and status. They
va ry in their status before their Lord. They a re
neithe r male nor female. They do n ot eat or
drink or get ma rried l i ke h u mans do. They
have names, but the Q u r'a n and the fladeeth
mention only a few of them. They a re as fol l ows:
First and foremost is Angel J i breel �� (a l so
ca l led ar-Roofl ai-Ameen). He performed the
most i m porta nt task of bri nging the message
of Allah to H i s prophets. He no longer performs
this d uty as the i nstitution of Prophethood
ca me to an end with Prophet M uha m mad �.
The second a ngel is lsraafeel, who, by Alla h's
comma nd, w i l l blow the Tru m pet on the Day of
Resu rrection a n d bring the present system and
order of the world to a n end. The third angel is
M i kaa'eel, whose d uty is to a rra nge for ra i nfa l l
a nd s u pply of provisions t o the c reation of A l l a h
b y H i s command. Final ly, there i s t h e a n g e l of
death who has been a ppoi nted to ta ke people's
sou l s. It is worth mentioning here, h owever,
that his name is n ot mentioned i n the Q u r'a n
o r i n a ny sound fladeeth. Therefore, the name
�Azraa'eel (or �lzraa'eel) m ust not be attributed
to h i m , as some people mista ken l y d o, as there
is no evidence whatsoever to this effect.
Other angels mentioned in the Q u r'a n a re
Kiraaman Kaatibeen - two honoura ble a n d
k i n d scri bes, and Haaroot and Maa root. The
former a re attached to every h u m a n being, a n d
as t h e i r names suggest, they record g ood a n d
b a d deeds. T h e l atter were sent t o the people of
Ba bylon as a test. Among the angels is Maa l i k,
the keeper of Hell (Soorat az-Zukhruf, 43:77).
Among the angels a re M u n ka r a n d N a keer, mentioned i n the b_adeeth.
These two angels q uestion the dead i n thei r g raves and put them through
a n exa m i nation on the s u bject of their rel igious bel iefs.
Allah has g iven the angels the a bi l ity to ta ke up forms d ifferent from
their own. The speed of angels is fa r g reater tha n that of l i g ht and ca n n ot be
measured by h u m a n standards. But they a re the servants of Allah and they
do not h ave any aspect of d ivi nity i n them, whatsoever. They su bmit to A l l a h's
com mands completely a n d never stray away from o beyi ng H is orders.

The G reat Size of One of the Angels of Allah

Jaabir i b n �Abd u l laah �� na rrated that the Messenger o f A l l a h � sa id,
'I have been g iven perm ission to spea k of one of the a ngels of A l l a h, one
of the bearers of the Th rone. The d ista n ce between h is ea rlobe a n d his
shoulder is l i ke the d ista nce of seven h u n d red yea rs' travel: (Reported by
Abu Daawood, b_adeeth no. 4727, a nd g raded �ab_eeb_ 'a uthentic')
Bel ief in Alla h's a ngels is one of the essentia l a rticles of fa ith. For a deta i led
and i nterestin g d iscussion concern i n g the angels, see U m a r S. a i-As hqa r's
book entitled The World of the Noble Angels.

What does the term eemaan mea n ?

What a re t h e s i x a rticles o f eemaan?
What does tawb_eed mea n ? Why is bel ief in A l l a h the fi rst a rticle of fa ith?
Give a few i m portant attri butes of A l l a h .
What does the term malak mean, a nd what is its p l u ra l form ?
What a re the a ngels made of? How m a ny wings d o they have?
N a me a few angels and mention thei r d uties.
 A l l a h sent s pecifi c
and d ifferent
revelations accord i n g
to the needs and
conditions o f d ifferent
people over time. Th i s
mercy o f A l l a h i n the
form of revelations
conti nued until the
Q u r'a n was revealed .
T h e Q u r'a n conta i n s
a l l t h e g u idance that
people need u nt i l
the Last Day. Th e Q u r'a n is m e a n t to
c. Belief i n Allah's Books
be g u i d a n ce fo r a l l ti mes u nt i l the Day
Belief i n Alla h's Books is the third a rticle of eemaan. of Resu rrection. Th is is the reason why
Th is refers to the revelations A l l a h sent down to His A l l a h has protected the Q u r'a n from any
messengers. These revelations were a mercy and ta m pering, errors o r d i stortions.
g u ida nce from Allah. A l l a h sent down m a ny scri ptu res The Q u r'a n is the u n c reated word of
for g u iding and i n structi ng h u man beings as to h ow A l l a h . It is the fi n a l message to m a n ki nd .
to l ead their l ife i n the rig ht way. It is exactly the same i n its p resent form
a s it was at the ti me of the P ro p h et �- The
Q u r'a n has come down to u s com plete.
The Scriptures Mentioned i n the
No additions have ever been made to it.
Qur'a n No pa rt, not even a t i ny syl l a b l e of it, i s
forgotten o r has gone u n recorded. T h e
• The Tawraah revealed to the Pro phet Moosaa &;,§1.
Q u r'a n is protected b y A l l a h H i mself
• The Zaboor revealed to the Prophet Daawood &;,§1.
from all corruptions and d i stortions. The
• The lnjeel revea led to the Prophet l sa &;,§1.
previous revelations o r the Revea led
• The re is a lso refe rence i n the Q u r'a n to the Sufluf,
B ooks that were sent down before
scro l l s, or leaves, revea led to l braa heem a nd
Proph et M uha m mad � such as t h e
Moosaa. '
Tora h a n d the Gospel, a re n o t the same
• The G lorious Q u r'a n, the fi nal Book g iven to
as what people today possess.
Prophet M uha m mad �-
Belief in A l l a h's B ooks req u i res that
A l l of the previo u s revelations have been ca n ce l l ed one m u st bel i eve that these books
and abol ished by the fi nal revelation - the Gl orious were revea l ed fro m A l l a h �- However,
Q u r'a n . The Q u r'a n is the 'ru ler' over a l l the previous one m u st a ct i n a ccorda nce with the
revelations. It is the determ i na nt factor i n j ud g i ng tea c h i n g s of the Q u r'an - w h i c h i s the
what is gen u i n e and what is fa lse in the ea rlier fi nal revelation.
scri ptu res.
 ca l l ed u pon their people,
sayi ng, 'I a m a messenger
worthy of all trust. So be
conscious of A l l a h and
obey me: (Soorat ash­
Shutaraa', 26: 1 6 1 -3) Of
cou rse the Shareetah
(Islamic Law) differed
from one messenger to
the next due to c h a n ge in
conditions. As prophets
and messengers were
models for h u m a n ity,

d. Belief i n Al la h's Messengers they were a l l h u ma n bei ngs. They did not have
a ny d ivine status. Their loftiest attribute was

Bel ief i n prophets and messengers is a n that of being serva nts of A l l a h . Such is A l l a h's

essential doctri n e i n I s l a m . Prophethood is description of them i n the Q u r'a n.

a favou r a n d bou nty from A l l a h . The terms It is worth mentioning here, however, that

prophets a nd messengers a re commonly used each prophet o r messenger was sent to his own

i ntercha ngea bly. H owever, there is a slight people, but Prophet M uha m mad ;!; was sent

d ifference between a prophet (nabiyy) a nd a to a l l m a n kind. I s l a m is, therefore, a u n iversa l

messenger (rasool). A messenger is a p rophet religion, u n l i ke the previous ones which were

who was g iven d ivine g u ida nce i n the form of rather 'loca l :

scriptu res, w h i l e a prophet came in the periods Aadam �� was t h e fi rst prophet. After

between messengers and fol l owed the d ivine Aada m a succession of messengers and

scripture, o r Book, of the preced i ng messenger. prophets came to renew the g u ida nce of

Th us, a messenger is a rasoo/ a nd nabiyy, but a Allah, which was either lost or had become

prophet is not a rasool (messenger). The term poll uted o r m ixed u p with h u m a n i nterference.

nabiyy l itera l l y mea n s 'a g iver of news: the one The last messenger was M uhammad � who
'
who g ives news from Alla h'. com p l eted the c h a i n of prophets and sea led

A l l messengers and prophets have preached the succession. Thus, the golden chain of

essenti a l ly the sa me message that there is prophets, which bega n with Aada m �\, ended

One God, Allah, to whom wors h i p a n d service with Prophet M uha m mad ;!;. The Holy Q u r'a n

a re d ue. A l l others a re H i s creation. This is a nd the Prophet's teachings a re preserved for

the Q u r'anic tawb_eed - the Oneness of A l l a h . h u ma nity t i l l the end of time.

Islam is u nth i n ka bl e without tawb_eed. All The stories of the prophets form a sign ificant
portion of the Q u r'a n. The Q u r'a n, h owever,
messengers and pro phets bro u g ht the sa me
deen (religion, way of l ife) for manki nd. Their tells the stories of some of the prophets and

fu nda menta l tea c h i n g s were the sa me. They messengers but does not tel l the stories of a
l a rge n u m ber ofthem. Among those mentioned
in the Q u r'an a re: Aadam; ld rees, Nooh, Hood,
S_aa l ih, l braa heem, l smaa e eel, lshaaq, Ya eqoob,
Loot Yoosuf, S h u eayb, Ayyoo b, D h u i-Kifl,
Moosaa, Haaroon, ai-Yasae, l lyaa s, Daawood,
S u laymaa n , e uzayr, Za ka riyyaa, Yahya, e Eesaa
and M uhammad - Peace be u po n them a l l . It
is i m portant to rea l ize that a l l over the world,
Al la h's prophets and messengers were sent,
whether named or not i n the Q u r'a n .
A M uslim, therefore, is req u i red t o bel ieve
in a l l the messengers a nd prop hets mentioned
in the Qu r'an and the Sunnah. As for th ose not
mentioned in the Qu r'a n, one m u st believe i n
them in genera l . O n e m u st believe that there i s
not a s i n g l e com m u n ity a m o n g whom a wa rner
has n ot come.
If a person den ies a ny single prophet or
messenger confi rmed in the Q u r'a n and
Sunnah, then they are in fact denyi n g all of
them. Denial of one a m o u nts to denyi n g a l l of
them.
Why did Allah send down books to
m a n kind?
Name some books and to whom they
were sent down?
Why did A l l a h not protect the previous
revelations? Why is A l l a h protecti n g the
What is the difference between a
prophet a n d a messenger?
What is the d ifference between the
Messenger of A l l a h ci a nd the p revious
Proph ets?
Can you s u pply the eq u iva lent B i b l ical
na mes of prophets mentioned a bove?
e. Bel ief i n the Last Day
Bel i ef in the Last Day i s one of the essential
a rticles of fa ith. It is ca l led the Last Day beca use
n o n ew day w i l l come after that day. The word
genera l l y used i n the Q u r'an to i n d i cate l ife after
death is a/-aakhirah. The Last Day is a lso ca l led
the Day of Resu rrection, the Day of Risi ng, the
Day of Judgment, the other l ife (as opposed
to the near one ad-dunyaa), the Last Abode,
the Hereafter, a nd so on. The word al-aakhirah
occ u rs 1 1 5 times in the G lorious Q u r'an, n ot
counting the other words of its root.
Belief in the Last Day consists of bel ief i n
everything that t h e G lorious Qu r'a n or the
Messenger of Allah � has stated a bout the
events of that day and the events that wi l l take
p lace thereafter. The re a re m a ny a s pects of
this day, l i ke Resu rrection, J udg ment, Rewa rd,
Pa radise, and Hell, among othe r things, that
every M u s l i m is req u i red to believe in with
certa i nty. The Q u r'a n and the Prophet � have
fu rnished g ra p h i c deta i l s of this overwhel m i n g
day.
Proof of the Hereafter
The Q u r'a n often uses the compa rison of the
ra i n to exp l a i n how it is possible to resu rrect
the dead. J ust a s after a s h ower of ra in, dead
earth becomes covered with g reenery, so can
A l l a h resu rrect the dead. See, for i n sta n ce,
Soorat Qaaf, 50: 1 1 ; Soorat ai-�Ankaboot, 29:20;
and Soorat a/-fj_ajj, 22:5-6)
The Qu r'a n a lso a rg ues that if A l l a h is a b l e
t o create n ot only h u ma n b e i n g s b u t the w h o l e
u n iverse i n the first place w h y s h o u l d it b e h a rd
for H i m to recreate them. See. For i n sta nce,
Soorat Yaaseen, 36:79 and Soorat ai-Ab.qaafL
46:33).
Some of the prophets, i n c l u d i n g Prophet
l braa heem ��. were s h own h ow A l l a h bro u g ht
the dead to l ife (Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2: 259-260) .
Li kewise, the story of the Companions of the
Cave (A�-b.aab ai-Kahf) related in Soorat a/­
Kahf (soorah no. 1 8 of the Q u r'an) is presented
as historical proof to prove that people can
be raised again after sleeping for a bout t h ree
h u n d red yea rs.
The Necessity of Judgment
We s e e countless i nj u stices a n d wrongs
being d o n e all a ro u n d us. Perpetrato rs of such
cri mes a re not a l ways ca u g ht nor a re they
sufficiently p u n i s h ed in p ro po rtion to the
crime t h ey h ave comm itted . Then consider
th ose pious believers who selflessly devote
t h e i r w h o l e l ives to d o i n g g ood deeds. They
a re not a l ways rewarded for t h e i r good
a ctions. Th is i s not fa i r at a l l . Therefore, if
there is n o l ife afte r death, where peo p l e wi l l
b e p u n i s h ed a n d rewa rded, a l l other beliefs
beco m e mea n i n g less. Without this belief, l ife
o n t h i s ea rth m a kes no sense at a l l . Li kewise,
if a person d oes not believe in the Day of
Rising a n d does n ot consider that they a re
a ccou nta b l e for t h e i r a ctions, then t h ey can
p u rs u e a l ife of p l ea s u re and wi cked ness.
There w i l l be n o motivation o r l u re for those
to fol l ow the code of l ife provided by A l l a h and
H is Messenger �. Why s h o u l d they go through
tests a nd tri bu lations and suffer h a rd s h i ps?
On the other hand, those who believe in the
Day of J udg ment will be the ones who a re
conscious in this life. They w i l l a ct accord i n g to
the dictates of the Islamic Law (Sharee�ah) and
lead a l ife of piety and rig hteousness. Th us, this
belief has a sweeping effect on people's l ives.
The o n ly thing which can prevent the wicked
from p u rsuing the life of wickedness a n d evi l is
the bel ief in the Last Day.
If a person were to ponder over h ow they
themse lves were c reated, they wo u l d see
that l ife sta rted as a tiny d ro p of semen that
g rew i n the womb. The One who gave l ife
fi rst ca n give l ife a g a i n . It is not d ifficu lt to
u nd e rsta nd. Bel ief in the Last Day consists
of bel ief in the Resu rrection, bel i ef in t h e
recko n i n g o f t h e d eeds a n d bel ief i n Pa radise
and Hell. Bel i ef i n t h e La st Day also i n c l udes
bel ief i n everyt h i n g that h a p pens to a person
afte r death a n d before the Day of R i s i n g . Th is
consists of the t ri a l s i n the g rave and the joy
o r p u n i s h ment i n t h e g rave. The g rave is the
fi rst of the p h ases of al-aakhirah . The aakhirah
with tawheed (One ness of A l l a h ) a n d bel ief i n
A l l a h's messeng ers a n d p ro p h ets a re the th ree
m a i n elem ents of fa ith (eemaan).

f. Belief i n the Divi ne Decree
{ai-Qadar): The Good of it and
the Bad of it
It is a n essentia l part of eemaan to believe in
a/-qadar.
The Term ai-Qadar
Al-qadar is a n A rabic word whose l i ngu istic
mea n i n g is 'a specified measure o r a m o u nt
whether of q u a ntities or q ua l ities'. It a l so mea ns,
among other thi ngs, 'to mea s u re, to d ecide, to
esti mate the q u a l ity, qua ntity, or position, etc.
of something before one actually m a kes it'. Al­
qadar also mea n s 'decree, fate or destiny:
Al-eemaan bil-qadar denotes belief in the
divine decree. Th is means that whatever
h a p pens comes from A l l a h . This belief ma kes
one dependent on Alla h's will. A l l a h Alone
controls all affa i rs, and n oth ing ha ppens in this
u n iverse that is not i n H i s prior knowledge and
wi l l . (Soorat a/-An�aam, 6:59)
There a re, i n fact, fou r aspects of bel ief in
al-qadar. The first of these is to bel ieve that
Allah has knowledge
of everything that
exists in the universe,
as we have poi nted
out a bove. He
has knowledge of
everythi ng, big and
sma l l, before it comes
i nto existen ce.
The second aspect
of bel ief in al-qadar
is that Allah not only
knew and knows what
will happen but also
has recorded this knowledge or i nformation i n
m i n ute deta ils i n t h e Preserved Ta blet (ai-Lawb_
ai-Mab_foodh). A l l this is easy for Allah, and it is
a mista ke to j udge Alla h's knowledge by o u r
rather l i m ited knowledge.
The third aspect of bel ief in a/-qadar is to
bel ieve in Alla h's decreeing everything that
exists; if He does n ot will someth ing, it can never
come i nto existence. I n other words, this mea ns
that a person may intend or try, for insta nce, to
shoot someone to death, but such a thing can
only h a p pen if A l l a h decrees it. The shooter may
ta ke a l l the necessary preca utions, but if A l l a h
does not will it t o occur, it wi l l not occu r!
The fou rth aspect of bel ief i n a/-qadar is to
bel ieve in Alla h's ability to create everything
a nd bring everything i nto existen ce. He has
created everything and measu red it exactly
accord i ng to its d u e measurement.
Thus, to q u a l ify as a believer, a person m u st
bel ieve i n both the good side of destiny (a/­
qadar) and its bad side, in both the sweetness
of fate and its bitterness. They m ust bel ieve
that everything that has ever h a p pened in
former eras and ages and whatever wi l l ha ppen
in the futu re, u ntil the Day of Resurrection, is
i n accorda n ce with the decree of Allah and His
foreordai ned desti ny. For Further Reading and
This is not difficult to understand. If one
Research
pondelrs over one's life, looks deeply into onself
or into the fu nctioning of one's body, one will
1 . M o lvi Abd u l Aziz, Islamic Education,
soon discover that there are several thi ngs
Grade EighC Da russa l a m Publishers a n d
beyond one's freedom to choose. The rea l ity is
Distri butors, Riyadh. 2009.
that most of one's life is not subject to one's own
2 . U m a r S. a i-Ashqar, Belief in Allah in the
choice.
Light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah,
Thi n k a bout the first moments when one
I nternational I s l a m i c Publishing House
a rrives, in the form of a ba by, in this world, when
( I I P H), Riya d h, 2003.
the fi rst breath enters into one's l u ngs at the
3 . U m a r S. a i-Ashqar, The World of Noble
moment of one's birth. Does one choose the
Angels, I nternation a l I s l a m i c P u b l i s h i n g
place of one's birth? Does one choose the hour,
H o u s e (I I PHL Riyadh, 2003.
the day of one's birth? None of us chooses the
4. Sheikh M uha mmad M . a i-Sh a r ' rawi,
moment of their a rrival into this world. In other
Fate and Predestination, translated by
words, we a l l come into this l ife by the will of
Aisha Bewley, Dar ai-Taqwa, London,
Allah. /maam Ahmad was once asked a bout al­
2008.
qadar, and he said, 'AI-qadar is the power of Allah:
5. Umar S. Ashqa r, The Messengers
A person who believes i n al-qadar affi rms that
and Messages, I nternationa l I s l a m ic
this u n iverse and everything in it was c reated by
P u b l i s h i n g House ( I I P H), Riyadh, 2003.
A l l a h . When a person bel ieves that everything
6. Umar S. a i-Ashq a r, The Day of
that h a ppens is decreed, and that provisions
Resurrection, I nternational I s l a m ic
and one's l ifespan a re i n the hands of A l l a h, then
Publishing H ouse ( I I PH), Riyadh, 2003.
they can face difficu lties and tria ls with a strong
7. J a m a l ad-Deen Zara bozo, Commen tary
heart with their head held h i g h . Th is bel ief is
on the Forty Hadeeth of an-Nawawee,
one of the g reatest resou rces of strength for the
Vol u me 1 , A I-Basheer Com pa ny for
rig hteo u s in confronti ng evi ldoers and tyrants.
P u b l ications a n d Tra nslations, Denver,
1 999.
8. Abd u r Ras h id Siddiqui, Qur'anic
Keywords: A Reference Guide, the I s l a m ic
Fou ndation, U K, 2008.
What is the Last Day?
Give a few proofs of the coming of the
Last Day.
Why is the Last Day so i m portant?
What does the word al-qadar mea n ?
Describe t h e fou r aspects o f bel ief i n al-
qadar.

Perhaps the a s pect of I s l a m i n respect of
women which is the most p romi nent i n the
western mind is that of polygyny. The term
polyg a my is often used to refer to the pra ctice
of M u s l i m s havi n g m o re than one wife. While
the word polyg a my can be u sed to descri be
this p ractice, it is i n stru ctive to n ote that
polyg a my a l so i n c l u d es the action of women
ta king more than one h u sband. Therefore, the
p roper word to u se i s polygyny, which mea ns
the practice of ta king more than one wife.
As to the seve ra l ma rriages of the Prophet
� it is i m po rta nt to rea l ize that polygyny was
'
custom a ry a m o n g the Ara b a n d the Semitic
peoples i n genera l in those ti mes. Semitic
mea n s the peop l e who spea k the Semitic
l a n g u a g es, especia l ly Ara bi c and Hebrew.
Among many p rophets a n d messengers of
a ncient com m u n ities, polygynous ma rriages
were widespread. Th u s, the pro p h ets who
came before Prophet M uha m mad � fo r
'
i n sta n ce, l braa heem, Ya �qoob, Daawood a n d
S u laymaan, practised polygyny.
However, an exa m i nation of the
c i rc u m stan ces and m a n n e r in which the
Prophet � practised polygyny w i l l s how that
these m a rriages were for h o n o u ra ble reasons.
They were for the adva ncement a n d p ro m otion
of I s l a m .
Alla h's Messenger � had n i n e wives that
o utl ived h i m . He a ctua l ly had a tota l oft h i rteen,
two of w h ich h e d id n ot consum mate m a rriage
with, and two of which d ied prior to his own
death. These two were of cou rse the fa mous
Khadeeja h bint Khuwayl id � a nd Zayn a b b i nt
Kh uzayma h �- Zayna b b i nt Khuzayma h �
was twice ma rried a nd wa s d ivorced before
the Pro p h et � married her.
The other n i n e bega n with Sawd a h bint
Za m � a h �- She wa s t h e fi rstwoman the Prophet
� m a rried after the death of Khadeeja h �-Th ey
ma rried a few days after Khadeej a h's death i n
t h e tenth yea r o f Prophethood. Sawd a h h a d
been p reviously m a rried t o as-Sakra a n i b n
�Amr with w h o m she e m i g rated t o Eth iopia
a nd o n their way back h e d ied. M a rryi n g her
was a way of honouring her sacrifice a n d
conso l i n g her.
�Aa'i s h a h � a n d Hafs_a h � were the
d a u g hters of h i s c l ose com pa n ions. As fa r a s
J u wwayriya h bint a i-Haarith � i s concerned,
the Prop het :i m a rried her to strengthen
relations with her tri be. J uwwayriya h was the
daug hter of the c h i ef of Banu a i-Musta l iq, of
Khuza a � a h tribe. Having i nfl icted a c ru s h i n g
defeat u pon t h e m , the Prophet :i q u ickly
moved to lig hten some of their acute sense of
disgra ce. J uwwayriya h t$ fel l ca ptive after the
defeat of her people. She came to the Prophet
:i seeking his h e l p i n restoring her freedom. He
was m oved by her p l ig ht a n d saw a possibil ity
to reconcile a s u b-clan of a noble A ra bian tri be,
Khuza a � a h, which was, in the main, a fa ithfu l
a l ly o f t h e Musl ims. A s soon as n ews o f t h e
Prophet's :i m a rriage t o h e r beca me known,
more than a h u n d red fa m i l ies of Ba n u a i ­
Musta l i q were freed from ca ptivity i n one day.
The 'in-laws of the Messenger of A l l a h :i: the
Muslims decided, could n ot be kept i n ca ptivity.
Thus, J uwwayriya h was a g reat blessing to her
people. The B a n u a i-Musta l iq were l iving wit h i n
easy reach o f Madeenah, a n d t h e i r friends h i p
was o f vita l m i l ita ry sign ificance.
The Prophet :i ma rried S_afiyya h bint Huyayy
� out of sympathy for her p l ig ht, her Jewish
father having been ki l l ed i n the battle of
Khaybar. She had no one to ta ke care of her.
How m a ny wives did the Prophet :i
have i n a l l ? N a m e them a n d give the
circ u m sta nces i n which he ma rried
them .
•
She accepted I s l a m . It is i m porta nt to note that
when the Proph et :i emigrated to Madeena h,
enm ity towa rds h i m had not rem a i ned l i m ited
to the Q u rays h . Rather, it spread to tribes
aro u nd Madee n a h . It was necessary that the
Pro p h et :i s h o u l d neutral ize the e n m ity of as
many people as poss i b l e thro u g h ma rriages
with women of other tribes. It was the pra ctice
among the Arabs that the tri be s h o u l d defend
the h usbands of their women.
Moreover, it is very i m portant to rea l ize
that the wives of the Prophet :i whom he left
behind served a s teachers and j u rists to men
and women of this nation. Apa rt from this, they
were models of piety and rig hteous l iving, a s the
Prophet :i was a model i n the way he dealt with
his wives. He treated them wel l, doing j ustice to
every one of them and ta u g ht them Islam.
As rega rds the status of the Prophet's
wives a s the 'Mothers of the Bel i evers: this
was g ra nted by A l l a h h i mself to the bel ievers
(Soorat ai-Ab_zaab, 33:6). This a rises from the
fact of their having shared the Prophet's l ife in
its most intimate aspect. Conseq uently, they
cou l d n ot ma rry after his d eath, since a l l the
believers were, spiritua l ly, thei r 'c h i l d ren�
 Khadeej a h bint Kh uwayl id �2t
Khadeeja h � was the daug hter of Kh uwayl id
ibn !Abd a i-! Uzzaa . The Prophet's ma rriage to
Khadeej a h � took place a bout fifteen yea rs
before the beg i n n i n g of the revelation, when
he was twenty-five and s h e was forty years
old. She was a rich widow a n d ra n a l a rge trade
of her own . It was she who offered h erself i n
m a rriage t o t h e Pro p h et � who was associated
'
with her in her tra d i ng ventu res. S h e soon
u nd erstood the extraord i n a ry q u a l ities with
wh ich he was endowed and remained deeply
d evoted to h i m and mora l ly s u p po rted h i m
t h roughout her life. Khadeej a h � (also cal led
'
Khadeej a h a i-Ku b raa, o r the G rand Khadeejah)
was the first wife of the Prophet �.
Khadeej a h � belonged to the Q u rays h tri be,
a n d the l i neage of the Prophet � meets with
hers in the famous Qu.s_ayy, the g reat fou nder of
M a kkah and fa mous c h ief of the Q u rays h .
T h e m a rriage p roved t o be one o f l ove and
happiness. Despite Khadeeja h's com paratively
advan ced age, it was the most fru itfu l the
P rophet � ever had. I ndeed, all his c h i l d ren,
with the exception of l b raaheem who d ied
as a l ittle boy, were the fru it of this m a rriage.
Khadeej a h � bore the Prophet � two sons, a i­
Qaa.s_i m a n d �Abd u l l a a h (also cal led at.-Iaahir)
who d ied at a very early age. Khadeej a h �
p roved to be a d evoted soul mate who p rovided
comfort a n d helpfu l counsel throughout their
twenty-five yea r, monoga mous ma rriage. The
Prophet � n ever ma rried a nother woma n
as l o n g as Khadeej a h � was a l ive. Alth o u g h
Alla h's M essenger � wou l d g o to ma rry other
women after her death, he neve r forgot her
and d i d not cease to spea k affectionately a bout
her. The first to a ccept I s l a m, a s is u n iversa l ly
acknowledged, was Khadeeja h �· The
bea utifu l story of the Prophet's first encou nter
with the Angel of Revelation (J i breel �\)
reminds us of Khadeej a h �· A l l ah's Messenger
� told her what had h a p pened to him and said
to her, 'Real ly, I fea r for my life: AI- B u khaaree
record s, 'Then Khadeejah � said, ' N o, by A l l a h ,
n ever w i l l A l l a h h u m i l iate you ! Loo k, y o u fu lfi l
the d uties of ki n s h i p, support the wea k, bri ng
gain to the destitute, a re bou nteous towa rds
g uests a n d help those i n g e n u i n e d i stress:
A l l a h's Messenger � once said a bout her,
'The best of the women of her ti me was
Marya m, and the best of the women of
h er ti me was Khadeej a h : (Reported by a i ­
Bukhaaree) T h e P rophet's l ove for Khadeeja h
rema i ned u n d i m i n ished even after her death.
I n fact, her death, which took place a bout three
years before the Hijrah, so deeply affected the
P rophet � that his compa n ions always referred
to that year as 'the yea r of g rief She was i ndeed
a worthy mate of the Last P rophet � who,
a ltho u g h fifteen yea rs you n ger, never thought
of m arrying a nother wom a n a s long a s s h e was
a l ive.
 Sawdah bint Zam ea h �

Sawd a h bint Za m � a h ., the Pro p h et's � second wife, was one of the
first women who accepted I s l a m . She acco m pan ied her first h u sband
as-Sa kraan ibn �Am r to Ethiopia (Abyssinia). The cou pl e retu rned to
Ma kkah before the Hijrah, and a s-Sa kraan d ied there.
Sawda h's ma rriage to the Pro phet ;I was a rra nged by Khawla h bint
H a keem ., who wished to console h i m for the loss of Khadeej a h •·
The m a rriage took place a few days after the latter's death, in 1 0 AH,
before the Prophet's jou rney to a1-Iaa'if. In the first yea r of the Hijrah,
Sawd a h ., together with Alla h's Messenger's daug hters, joi ned h i m
i n Madee n a h . Her dwe l l i n g and �Aai'sha h's were t h e first b u i lt c lose to
the Mosq ue. Sawd a h • was no longer you n g at the time of her second
ma rriage.
As she g rew older, she beca me overweig ht. A l l a h's Messenger �,
d u ri ng a p i l g rimage, a l l owed her the privi lege of rea c h i ng Minaa for the
Fajr prayer before the crowd 's a rriva l to avoid being i n convenienced.
As she g rew older, she yielded her day to �Aai's h a h •· �Aai's h a h •
narrated, 'Never did I fi nd a ny wom a n more loving to me tha n Sawd a h
bint Za m � a h . l wished I c o u l d be exactly l i ke her. She w a s s o passionate:'
(Reported by M u s l i m)
Sawadah • a g reed to g ive u p her right of having the P rophet spend
every a lternate n i g ht with her i n favou r of the Prophet's other wife
� Aa'ishah •· The reason Sawd a h • gave u p this rig ht was her age. She
was old a nd, recog n izing the Pro p het's fon d n ess for �Aa'ishah ., g ave
u p her nig hts to �Aa'ishah wil l i n g ly. The Prophet � sti l l m a i nta i n ed and
took care of Sawd a h • i n every other way i n h i s h ome.
Sawd a h was cha rita ble and g ood-natured. Once she received a
g ift of money from � u ma r ibn a i-Khatta a b �, which s h e gave away i n
cha rity. She d ied in Madeenah, i n 23 A H / 644 CE towa rds t h e e n d of
� u m a r's ru le.

• •
•
 � Aa'isha h bint Abu Bakr �2t

The Prophet :i ma rried �Aa'is h a h ., s ho rtly i n genera l a re someti mes d i stu rbed by the

after Khadeejah's death, a bo ut two and a half t h o u g ht that the Messenger :i of A l l a h took for

yea rs before the Hijrah, a yea r after his m a rriage his wife a girl of a bout n i n e or ten yea rs. For

to Sawda h �- She was at that ti me between six a nyone, however, who knows somet h i n g a bout

and seven yea rs old. the ra pid physical deve lopment of Arabian

On that occasion o n ly the wedd i n g women there is h a rdly a nyth i n g a sto n i s h i n g

ceremony w a s performed. T h e ma rriage was i n such m a rriages. I n fact, � Aa'isha h's mental

consu m mated in Madeenah, a bo ut th ree yea rs precocity (adva nced or mature menta l a b i l ities

later. � Aa'i s h a h � was at that time between for o ne's age) i s q u ite o bvious from many

n i ne a nd ten yea rs old. The m a rriage was traditions. It is very p roba b l e that her p hysica l

consum mated in the month of Shawwaa/ 1 development went h a n d i n hand with the
I

A H . The Prophet :i d ied in Rabee� ai-Awwal, 1 1 mental development. In a ny case, d u ri n g the

AH. Th u s, �Aa'ishah l ived with h i m i n rea l ity for yea rs of her ma rried l ife, s h e n ot o n ly gave

n i n e yea rs and five months. happi ness to her h usba nd, but a lso herself

After the actual m a rriage ceremony, some found, besides the h o n o u r of being a l l ied to the

t h ree yea rs later, when they were all esta b l is hed Prophet :i, all the happi ness and satisfaction

in Madeenah, Abu Bakr � her father, had to which a woma n cou l d expect from a ma rriage.
'
rem i n d the Prophet :i that he ta ke h i s b ride In fact, the i n itiative i n the matter of his

home, for ti l l then �Aa'ishah � had rema i ned in m a rriage with � Aa'is h a h did n ot proceed

her father's hou se. I ncidental ly, this rem i nder from the Prophet :i h i m self. After Khadeejah's

vyou l d suggest that by then �Aa'i s h a h had death, h e was so sad a n d d ispirited that h i s

reached p u berty, and Abu Bakr � had become com pa n ions were worried a bout h i m . Then,

awa re of it. a M u s l i m woman, Khaw l a h bint H a keem �.

Modern M u s l i m s i nfl uen ced by Western req uested h i m to rem a rry and suggested

conceptions of m a rriage a n d sex relations two women - the midd le-aged Sawd a h b i nt
Za m a �a h, widow of a companion, a n d the
you n g daug hter of Abu Bakr a.s_-S_i ddeeq,
'Aa'is h a h . The Prophet ;i a l l owed Khaw l a h to
a rra nge matters o n his beha lf.
Moreover, h i s marriage to �Aa'i s h a h was
motivated by d reams which were s h own to the
Prophet ;i twice. In those d reams, h e saw her
pict u re wra pped i n a piece of s i l k. Someone
said, 'Th is is you r wife: Then the Prophet ;i
u ncovered the piece of cloth and saw her face.
The Prophet ;i said to h i m self, 'If those d reams
were from A l l a h , this m a rriage wou l d ta ke
place: (Reported by a i - B u khaaree)
�Aa'isha h's mother was ca l led Umm
Roomaan bint ' U ma r ibn ' Aa m i r, a nd her kunyah
(a respecta ble but i ntimate way of a d d ressing
people as the father of so-a n d-so, or the mother
of so-a n d-so) was U m m �Abd u l laah, after the
name of her nephew �Abd u l la a h ibn az-Zubayr.
�Aa'i s h a h � is a rg ua bly the most prom i n ent
wom a n of early Islam. She is considered to h ave
been the n i n eteenth person to a ccept Islam.
S h e was clea rly the Prophet's soul mate i n
many ways, a n d although b y no means the
only wife i n his l ife, she was the best l oved and
cherished in his household after his fi rst wife
Khadeej a h's death. N ickna med a i - H u mayraa'
(Red-faced or Little Ruddy O ne) by the Prophet
;1, h i s deep a n d a biding l ove for h i s you n g est
and o n ly virg i n wife is tou c h i n g ly displayed i n
his traditions.

Alla h Proclaimed �Aa'isha's I n nocence i n the Qur'a n

The i ncident occu rred when the Prophet ;I was return i n g from the ca m pa i g n
agai nst t h e Ba n u a i-M usta l iq i n 628 CE. D u ri ng one of t h e h a lts n o t very fa r from
Madeenah, �Aa'ishah � wa ndered off by herself to sea rch for a missing necklace,
leavi n g the curta i n s of her camel l itter sh ut. I n the meantime, A l l a h's Messenger
ii gave the com ma n d for departure and the litter-bearers moved o n without
perceivi ng her a bsence due to her l i g ht weig ht. When � Aa'ishah � came back to
the stop a n d d iscovered what had h a p pened, she wa ited there for somebody to
escort her back.
A you n g man by the name of S_afwaa n ibn a i-Mu �atta l, ha ppened to a rrive at
the s pot a nd b ro u g ht her back to Madeenah, mou nted o n his ca mel, which he
held by the rei n . The sight of �Aa'i s h a h a rrivi ng a lone in the com pa ny of a you n g
m a n , m a d e t h e ton g u e o f the hypocrites wag with slander. The principal accuser

•
was �Abd u l la a h i b n U bayy, who was one
of the notorious hypocrites i n Madeena h :
t h e n a m e g iven t o l u kewa rm o r n o m i n a l
M u s l i m s at best. S h o rtly thereafter, her n a m e
w a s cleared thro u g h verses revealed t o the
Messenger of A l l a h ·� (Soorat an-Noor, 24: 1 1 -
1 7), which condem ned those who had spread
the unfo u nded accu sations agai nst her. These
verses beca me the basis for legal ru l i ngs on
esta b l i s h i n g evidence of i l l icit sexual con d u ct.
The G lorious Q u r'a n (Soorat an-Noor, 24: 1 3)
specifica l ly enjoins that fou r eye-witnesses
who h ave witnessed the a ctual act of i l l icit sex
be produced before a charge of a d u ltery can be
esta bl ished. Apa rt from this, the Qu r'a n (24:4)
t h reatens with whi pping eig hty lashes those
who slander (qagf) chaste women without
producing such witnesses.
�Aa'ishah • u sed to ta ke pride in the fact
that she had been a ca use of revelation and that
A l l a h � H i mself had decla red her in nocence i n
these verses o f the Q u r'a n . This critica l incident
i n the l ife of the you n g �Aa'ishah, is known as
Haadithat a/-lfk, o r the I ncident of the Slander.
The accusation was very h a rd o n �Aa'ishah �·
She kept herself confi ned to herself, weeping
out the day and spen d i ng the n i g ht i n sleepless
a nxiety a nd depression. Yet her hope in the
mercy a nd j u stice of A l l a h never faded. It was
this hope in A l l a h a n d this trust in H i m that
susta i n ed her.
Her major contri bution was i n the a reas of
religion a n d knowledge. The yea rs s h e spent
in the h ouse of the Messenger of A l l a h � were
j ust s ufficient for her to master the sciences
a n d disci plines, which she did. She is reported
to have na rrated m ore than two thousand
a n d th ree h u n d red of the Prophet's sayi ngs
(ab._aadeeth). She is, therefore, the most widely
q u oted person on the traditions of the Prophet
�. Many promi nent and learned com pa n ions
of the Prophet � sought knowledge from her.
She had a n excel lent g ra s p of the Qu r'a n and
its mea n ings.
She witnessed a n d pa rtici pated in a n u m ber
of m i l ita ry campaig n s, a longside the Messenger
of A l l a h �. Promi nent among them were the
Battle of Uhud and that of Banu a i-Mustaliq.
Her steadfastness, end u ra nce a nd cou rage
d u ri n g the I ncident of the Sla nder a re i nspiring
exa m p l es for all time.
�Aa'isha h's love of cha rity is a source of
i nspiration and pride to M u s l i m women of a l l
generations. S h e was d i g n ified and benevolent.
She s h u n ned pom p and the s h ow of this world
and led a simple l ife. Her g reatest endowments
were her q u ick wits a n d phenomenal m emory.
She possessed extraord i n a ry i ntel lectua l
a b i l ities a n d had a good knowledge o f the
h istory, la nguage, poetry and the a n cestry
of Ara bia. Perhaps no other young g i rl of the
Q u raysh was more q u a l ified than her to occupy
the rol e of the wife and compa n ion of the
Prophet �.
�Aa'i s h a h � played a l ead i n g rol e in m a ny of
the a ctivities in the Prophet's household, d u ri n g
h i s l ifeti me and parti c u l a rly in the period after
h i s death. A l la h's Messenger � b reathed h i s last
i n her a rms, when she was o n ly eig hteen yea rs
old.
D u ri n g the ca l i phates of Abu Bakr and
� u m a r, � Aa'ishah � l ived q u ietly. It was after the
m u rder of � uthmaan � the t h i rd ca l i ph, i n 656
'
C E, when she assu med a p u b l i c political rol e.
� Aa'i s h a h • openly dema nded that �Ali, who
had s ucceeded the slain ca l i ph, fi nd a n d bring
the k i l l ers to j u stice, which he was rel u ctant to
do for several reasons. But � Aa'ishah, a l on g with
her two a l l ies, Ia lha h ibn � u bayd u l la a h � and
az-Zu bayr ibn a i-�Awwa a m �� l a u nched the
•
 Battle of the Ca mel agai n st �Ali, i n which
her side l ost. It is so cal led because of the
camel she rode i n this battle. � Aa'i s h a h
� w a s respectfu l ly escorted b a c k to
Madeen a h by �Ali.
� Aa'ishah � took pride i n claiming at
l east ten h o n o u rs that were her own .
( 1 ) s h e w a s the only vi rg i n wife o f the
Prophet :1
(2) Both her parents m i g rated to
Madeenah;
(3) A l l a h � decl a red her i n nocence i n the
Q u r'a n;
(4) J i breel W\1 revea led her image to the
Prophet :1 a n d g u ided him to ma rry
h er;
(5) she had washed i n the same vessel
with the Messenger of A l l a h ;i ;
(6) she was the only wife in whose
presence he received revelations;
(7) she was the daug hter of h i s best friend
a nd s u ccessor
(8) the Prophet :1 d ied in her a rms
(9) he passed away on the n i g ht a l l otted
to her; and
( 1 0) h e was bu ried i n her a pa rtment.
�Aa'ishah • died in 58 AH (678 CE),
when she was a bout 67 years of age
d u ri n g the reign of M u �aawiyah � the
'
first U mayyad Ca l i ph. Her fu neral was
atten ded by a l a rge c rowd of people
who were among the most pro m i nent
M u s l i m s of the ti me. Abu H u rayra h � the
'
governor of Madeenah at the time, led
her fu nera l prayer. Her body was laid to
rest in the fa mous ai-Baqee� g raveyard i n
Madee n a h .
•
Hafsa h bint � u mar ��
--
Haf�a h • was the
d a u g hter of � u m a r i b n ai­
K hattaa b �. S h e was born
i n Makka h . She was fi rst
m a rried to Khu nays i b n
H u d haafa h as-Sa h m ee �
'
who had e m i g rated i n the
way of A l l a h twice: o n ce
to Eth io p i a and a n other
time to Madeena h . He died in
Madeenah soon after the Battle of
Badr. He h a d partici pated in t h e Battle
of Badr a n d had been wou nded. Haf�a h •
was then a bout twenty yea rs of age.
A l l a h's M essen ger ;I ma rried her out of rega rd
for her father, who was very c l ose to the Pro p h et ;i
a n d enjoyed h is l ove a n d a p preciation fo r services
rendered to the c a u se of I s l a m .
Haf�a h , t h e Mothe r o f t h e B e l i evers, was deeply
re l i g io us, steadfast in p rayer and a lways o bserved
vo l u nta ry fasts. When her first h usband d ied, her
father, � u m a r i b n a i-Khatta a b �, tried u n s u ccessfu l ly
to persuade some of h i s close friends a n d brothers
i n I s l a m to m a rry h e r. The nobl e-hearted Messen g e r
o f A l l a h :1 w a s m oved by t h e pain o f h i s c l ose a id e
a n d co m pa n ion � u m a r a n d offered t o m a rry her
afte r the Battle of Uhud . S h e was once d ivorced on
a ccount of her p ro n e n ess to jea l o u sy. But Angel
J i b reel W\1 ca me with a divine c o m m a n d o rdering
the Pro ph et :1 to ta ke her back on acco u n t of her
p i ety a n d d evotion to A l l a h .
Qays i b n Zayd � na rrated t h a t A l l a h's Messe nger
:1 said, 'J i b reel told m e, "Ta ke h e r back beca use she
fasts a n d p rays a g reat deal a n d she wi l l be you r
wife i n Paradise,m (S_ab_eeb_ ai-Jaami�, hadeeth
no. 43 5 1 ) H e r ma rriage to the P ro p h et � was a Z ay n a b bint
c h i l d l ess one. Haf�a h l ived to play a vita l ro l e i n Kh uzaymah �
.fo
the h i story o f I s l a m . W h e n the co m p i lation of
the Q u r'a n was completed d u ri n g t h e rei g n of
A b u B a kr, the m a n uscript was presented
to h i m, a n d it rem a i ned with h i m u nt i l
h i s death. lt then went t o h i s s u ccessor
� u m a r, and after h i s m a rtyrdom,
it passed i nto the c u stody of his
d a ug hter Haf�a h, the widow of the
Prophet �. lt was � u ma r, afte r a l l, who
h a d entrusted the Q u r'an m a n u script
i n h i s possession, w h i c h fo rmed the
The Prophet's next wife was Zaynab the
basis for t h e fi n a l fo rm of the Q u r'a n ic
daug hter of Kh uzayma h of the Bed o u i n
text, to the safe keepi n g of h i s d a u g hter
tribe o f � Aa m i r. Her fi rst h usband a1-Iufayl
Haf�a h, rather t h a n to that one of his sons. She
ibn a i-Haarith had d ivorced her, the second,
kept the m a n u script a n d p a i n sta k i n g l y looked
� u bayd a h ibn a i-Haa rith, was ma rtyred at
after it. S h e had m e mo rized the enti re Q u r'a n .
the Battle of Bad r. She was very generous by
D u r i n g the time o f � ut h m a a n � d ifferences
' natu re, a nd was known before the advent
in rea d i n g the Q u r'a n beca me o bvious
of Islam as Umm-ui-Masaakeen (the Mother
and after cons u ltation with the Prophet's
of the Poor). A yea r after being widowed,
compa n ions, � ut h m a a n � had a sta n d a rd
she was stil l u n ma rried, and the Proph et �
copy pre p a red fro m the m a n u script of Abu
asked her to ma rry h i m . She g ladly a ccepted.
Bakr that was kept with Haf�a h at that ti me.
The ma rriage took place in Shawwaal in 4
So � ut h m a a n � sent a message to Haf�a h
A H . A fou rth a pa rtment was made for her
sayi ng, 'Send us t h e m a n uscri pt of t h e Q u r'a n
i n his house adj o i n i ng the Mosq u e. She was
so that we may com p i l e the Q u r'a n ic m ateri a l
twice ma rried a nd was wid owed before the
i n pe rfect copies a n d ret u rn the m a n u script
Prophet � ma rried her. She was known for
to yo u.' Haf�a h, the refore, sent it to � ut h m a a n
her piety and cha rity.
� . Later � ut h m a a n � d i d retu rn the orig i n a l
H owever, Zayna b did n ot l ive long after
m a n u sc ri pt t o Haf�a h . Th u s Haf�a h p layed a
her m a rriage with the Prophet �. S h e fel l i l l
ve ry i m portant part i n the coll ection of the
a n d d ied, less t h a n eight months after h e
Q u r'a n .
h a d m a rried her. H e led h e r funera l prayer
Haf�a h � d ied i n the yea r 4 1 A H at the
and b u ried her in a i-Baqee� g raveyard,
age of a bout 59. She was fasti n g at the time
n ot fa r from the g rave of h i s d a u g hter
of her d eath. The fu n era l p rayer was l ed by
Ruqayya h . She was the first of the Mothers
the g overn o r of Madeenah, M a rwaan i b n a i ­
of the Bel ievers to be b u ried i n ai-Baqee�
H a ka m . Her body w a s laid t o rest i n a i-Baqee�
g raveya rd.
g raveya rd i n Madee n a h .

I
 U m m Salamah - H i n d bint Abu U mayya h ai­
Makhzumiyya h �
-fo
The name U m m Sa lamah l itera l ly means
mother of Salama h. It is common a mong Arabs
to ta ke a kunyah, a name which one is ascri bed
to a son or daug hter - usual ly, to the eldest son.
I n the sa me manner, Umm Salamah's h usband
beca me known as Abu Salamah, which l itera lly
mea ns, father of Salamah. Umm Salama h's
actual name was H i nd bint Abu U mayyah a i­
Makhzum iyyah . Her h usband was her cousin,
and his a ctual name was �Abd u llaah ibn 'Abd u i­
Asad. They were the ea rliest emigra nts to
Ethiopia and later migrated to Madeenah. Abu
Salamah � d ied in 4 AH from wounds received
in the Battle of Uhud. The wounds had, in fact,
closed too soon but bro ke out afresh. The
Prophet ;!i was with h i m and prayed for him as
he was breathing his last, and it was the Prophet
;!i who closed his eyes when he was dead.
U m m Salamah � and Abu Salamah � had
both been through a lot of h a rdsh ips that only
made their love for each other stronger. They
had been a most devoted cou ple, and she had
wanted him to make a pact with her that if
one of them d ied the other wou l d not ma rry
again; but he told her that if he d ied first she
should ma rry again, and he prayed, May 'Al l a h
g ra nt U m m S a l a m a h after me a man w h o i s
better t h a n me, o n e who wil l ca use h e r no
sadness and no h u rt: 'And who is better than
Abu Salamah ?' she thoug ht. Fou r months after
his death, after the end of her waiting period,
Alla h's Messenger ;!i a pproached her and asked
for her hand in marriage. She repl ied that she
fea red that she was not a suitable m atch for him.
'I a m the mother of orphans. Apart from th is, I
have a natu re of exceeding jealousy, and you,
Messenger of Allah ;!i, have more than one wife:
He said, 'As to you r jealousy, I will pray to Allah
to ta ke it from you; as to you r orphan children,
Allah and His Messenger will ca re for them:
And so they were married, and he l odged her i n
t h e house w h i c h h a d belonged t o Zayna b. S h e
said after t h e marriage, 'Su rely. Allah gave m e
through t h e Prophet � someone better t h a n
A b u Salamah:
There are several good reasons why the
Prophet;!i married Umm Salamah. Fi rstly, she was
a woman of superior chara cter and i ntel l igence.
Secondly, by ma rryi ng her, Allah's Messenger �,
in his fatherly compassion wa nted, as wel l as to
honour her, to provide for her and her children
and to give consolation for the loss of her
husband. Thi rd ly, U m m Salamah � was from
the Banu Makhzoom clan, a respected clan of
the Quraysh and, more i m portantly, the one
that carried the ban ner of wa r against the
Z a y n a b b i n t Jahsh •
Prophet �. It was hoped that the Prophet's
marriage to U m m Salamah wou l d be seen as
a token of goodwi l l - a reason among other
reasons, for the people of Ban u Makhzoom
to enter the fold of Islam, now that they had
become 'in-laws' of the Messenger of Allah �.
Fou rthly, by marryi ng U m m Salamah, whose
h usband had died a martyr, the Prophet �
tau g ht a n i m porta nt lesson to the Muslims
of his generation and to the Muslims of the
succeed ing generations: When men sacrifice
their l ives and a re ma rtyred, the men l eft
behind should honour them by doing
their utmost to take ca re of their bereaved
dependa nts.
The Prophet's marriage to U m m Salamah
proved a successfu l and affectionate
one. U m m Salamah � had many of the Her fu l l name was Zayna b bint Jahsh ibn Ri'aa b a i­
qualities of Khadeeja h �· Like her, she Asad iyya h . Her mother was U m ayya h the daug hter
ca me from a noble Quraysh fa m ily, being of �Abd u i-Mutta l i b, the paternal a u nt of the Prophet
of Banu Ma khzoom and, l i ke her, she was :i. Zaynab �)>, therefore, was the first cousin of the
beautifu l and radia nt despite her somewhat Prophet :i. She was one of the fi rst e m i g ra nts to
advan ced age. Like her, she had a n engaging Madeenah, a nd she was a very pious woman.
and affectionate character and was a su perb Severa l yea rs before the Prophet's mission, his wife
and pleasant companion and partner. Alla h's
Khadeeja h � had made h i m a present of a you n g
Messenger � l i ked stayi ng longer in her
slave, Zayd i b n Haa rith a h who had been ta ken ca ptive
a partment.
as a c h i ld in the course of one of the many tri bal wa rs
Umm Salamah � played a sign ificant
and then sold i nto slavery at Makka h . As soon as he
role in supporting Allah's Messenger :i
beca me the boy's owner, Alla h's Messenger :i freed
and comforting h i m on the day of the
h i m, and sho rtly afterwards adopted h i m as his son.
Peace Treaty of ai-Hudaybiyya h (Sulb_ ai­
H.udaybiyyah). Like �Aa'ishah and Haf�a h, Later, Zayd was among the first to embra ce I s l a m .

Umm Salamah had a lso become a b_a afidhah
- memorizer of the Q u r'an. U m m Salamah �
held a n eminent position due to her bea uty,
knowledge and wisdom. U m m Salamah was
very learned in rel ig ious matters. She lived a
long life. She died i n the year 6 1 AH and was
the last of the Prophet's wives to die. She was
84 years old.
Yea rs later, i m pel led b y the desire to brea k down
the a ncient A rabian prej udice agai nst a slave or
even a freema n ma rryi ng a freeborn woman, Alla h's
Messenger :i persuaded Zayd to ma rry his (the
Prophet's) own cousi n . Zayn a b was closely known
to the Pro p h et :i. She consented to the proposal
with g reat rel ucta n ce, and only out of respect to the
a uthority of the Prophet ij%.
 The Prophet I; wa nted to destroy the class
system a l ong with other customs a nd bel iefs
of the days of the pre-Islamic igno ra nce
Uaahiliyyah). With the advent of Islam, a l l
people were eq u a l ' l i ke t h e teeth o f a com b:
Only piety, a n d no other factor, raised some
peo ple a bove others. Zayna b � obeyed the
Prophet's com m a n d and ma rried Zayd. Th us
the Proph et � succeeded i n destroying the
ba rriers between the classes in the M u s l i m
society a ccord i n g t o the Law of A l l a h, sta rti ng
with his own house.
Si nce Zayd was not at a l l keen o n this
a l l ia nce, it was not s u rprising that the m a rriage
did not b ring happi ness to either Zaynab or
Zayd. On severa l occasions Zayd was a bout to
divorce his wife, who, on her pa rt, did not make
any secret of her d is l i ke for Zayd; a n d each
time they were persuaded by the Prophet ;i
to persevere i n patience and not to sepa rate.
In the end, however, the marriage proved
u ntena ble, obviously on account of Zayna b's
feeling of su periority over Zayd, a former slave,
and so Zayd d ivorced Zaynab in the yea r 5 A H .
(See Soorat ai-Aflzaab, 33 :37)
Formerly Zayd used to be ca l l ed Zayd i b n
Muha m mad, b u t t h e Qu r'a n outlawed this
practice, com manding the believers to ca l l their
adopted sons bythe na m e oftheirnatu ra l fathers.
(Soorat a/-Aflzaab, 33:5) Alla h's Messenger �
was then com manded by the Qu r'a n to ma rry
her so as to a b rogate the custom that fathers
of adopted sons may not m a rry the d ivorcees
of thei r adopted sons. Th is is beca use Zayd �
was n ot rea l ly the Prophet's son, which made
Zaynab � lawfu l for the Prophet ii once Zayd
divorced her. Therefore, their ma rriage made it
known to peopl e that one does not become a
ma n's father t h rough adoption; instead, his true
father was and a lways will remain his father, to
whom he m ust ascribe h i mself. The marriage
was ordered by Allah to a b rogate a n old custom
(Soorat ai-Aflzaab, 33:37).
Apart from this, Alla h's M essenger I; ma rried
her in order to redeem what he con sidered
to be h i s mora l responsibil ity for her past
u n happi ness. The Prophet � m a rried her i n
Dhu/-Qa�dah, 5 AH. S h e was then 35 yea rs of
age. I n fact, it was Almig hty Al l a h � who had
given her to the Prophet � i n ma rriage.
Zaynab was a woman of g reat piety. She
fasted m uch, offered vol u nta ry n ig ht prayer a
g reat deal a n d gave generously to the poo r.
There could be n o q u estion i n her case of
any formal wed d i ng, for the m a rriage was
annou n ced in the revealed verses a s a bond
a l ready contracted. Moreover, it is sign ificant to
note that the permission which A l l a h had g iven
to the Prophet ;I to have more than fou r wives
was fo r h i m a l one, and n ot for the rest of the
com m u n ity. M oreover, h i s wives were g iven
the title of the Mothers of the Believers. Their
status was such that havi n g been ma rried to
the Prophet � their ma rriage to a nother man
'
was forbidden. Zayna b bint Jahs h d ied i n the
yea r 20 AH at the age of 53.
 J uwwayriya h b i nt a i-Haarith �

J uwwayriya h was the daug hter of a i-Haa rith ibn Abu D i raar. Her
name was Ba rra h, but the Prophet � cha nged it to J uwwayriya h .
Ba rra h means someone pious, a n d s o i t is a n a m e that a m o u nts to
a degree of self-pra ise. She was from the tri be of B a n u a i-Musta liq
a n d was ta ken as a war-ca ptive d u ring the Battle of a i-Muraysi�
i n 5 AH. She had been m a rried to M u saaW i bn S_afwaa n who was
ki l l ed in this battle.
When A l l a h's Messenger � ma rried her, she was twenty yea rs
old. She was a very bea utifu l woman, as is attested to by her
co-wife, �Aa'ishah �· When J uwwayriya h came to the Prophet's
door seeking h is h e l p i n restoring her freedom, she was met by
� Aa'ishah. Seei ng her attractive looks, �Aa'ishah tried her best to
send her away without meeting the Prop het �. But as the two
women stood at the door, Alla h's Messenger ;I cha nced to look
o ut of the house a nd saw the a rdent and eager J uwwayriya h
refusing to be sent away. � Aa'ishah later said that s h e tried to send
her away l est the Messenger of A l l a h ;I s h o u l d see her and desire
to ma rry her. This i n d icates that she was a n extremely bea utifu l
woman. A l l a h's Messenger � ma rried her and she beca me a
mother to a l l the believers. She beca me very knowledgeable a n d
a n a rdent worship per. J uwwayriya h • d ied i n t h e yea r 5 0 AH at
the age of 65. She was b u ried in the fa mous a i-Baqee� g raveyard
in Madee n a h .
 U m m Ha beebah Ram la h, the Daug hter of
Abu Sufyaa n �
Her fu l l name was Ra m l a h bint Abu Sufyaan.
In fact, her father, Abu Sufyaa n i b n H a rb, was
the one time a rch-enemy a n d leader of the
Q u raysh opposition. Ra m l a h �mbra ced Islam
despite the attitude of her father and her fa m i ly
and suffered a g reat dea l of h a rdsh i ps a s a result
of that. She was first m a rried to � u bayd u l la a h
ibn Jahsh and e m i g rated with h i m t o Eth iopia.
There � u bayd u l la a h a bandoned Islam a nd
embra ced C h risti a n ity. This had g reatly
distressed U m m H a beeba h, but she refu sed
to fol l ow suit a nd remai ned fa ithfu l to Islam.
S u bseq uently � u bayd u l la a h died.
When news of the d eath of � u bayd u l la a h
ca me from Eth iopia, t h e Prophet � sent a
l etter to the Neg us, asking her i n m a rriage, if
s h e were wi l l i n g . The Pro p h et � did n ot send
the message d i rectly to her, but s h e had a
d rea m i n which someone ca me to h e r a n d
a d d ressed her a s 'Mothe r o f t h e Believers:
a n d s h e i nterpreted t h i s as mea n i n g that
s h e wou l d beco m e the wife of the Pro p h et
:i. The n ext d ay s h e received t h e m essa g e
fro m the N eg u s, wh ich confi rmed her d rea m .
T h e ceremony w a s perfo rmed b y the Neg u s
h i mself i n t h e p rese nce o f K h a a l i d i b n sa �eed,
•
one of her rel atives. J a �fa r ibn Abee Iaa l i b a n d
other c o m pa n i o n s of t h e Pro p h et :i we re a l so
p resent.
It is clea r that the Pro p h et ·� wished t h u s
t o d i sti n g u i sh a n d rewa rd t h e fa ithfu l wom a n
who, i n s pite o f h e r h us b a n d 's a postasy, h a d
rem a i n ed t r u e t o h e r re l i g i o n . Later U m m
H a beebah came to Madeenah together
with other companions who had m i g rated
to Eth i opia. This took p l a ce in the yea r 7 A H .
S h e w a s over t h i rty yea rs o f age at that time.
S h e h a d ea rlier g iven b i rth to a d a u g hter who
was ca l l ed H a bee ba h . While m a rried to the
Pro p het � s h e received m o ra l s u ppo rt fo r her
'
steadfa stness i n fa ith, h e r ma rriage hel ped
decrease B a n u U mayya h's h atred fo r I s l a m
a n d its P ro p h et. T h i s w a s o n e o f t h e o bjectives
of the Messenger of A l l a h �. U m m H a bee b a h
d ied i n M a d e e n a h in the yea r 44 A H .
There is a lso the fa m o u s i n cident w h e n h e r
father vi sited her w h e n s h e was m a rried t o t h e
Pro p h et � a n d s h e refused t o a l l ow h i m t o s i t
o n the Proph et's bed. H e r u n d ersta n d i n g of
I s l a m was rem a rkably deep. U m m Ha beeba h's
father, Abu Sufya a n , e m b raced I s l a m when t h e
Pro p h et � victoriously retu rned t o Ma kka h .
 Safiyya h bint H uyayy �
She was .Safiyya h bint H uyayy ibn Akh1ab.
She was born in Madeenah and belonged to the
Jewish tribe of Ban u a n-Na.Qeer. Her father and
her uncle Abu Yaasir were the Prophet's bitterest
enem ies. When their tribe was expel led from
Madeena h in 4 AH, H uyayy ibn Akh1a b was one
of those who settled in Khaybar, together with
Kinaa nah ibn a r-Ra bee� ibn Abui-H uqayq, to
whom .Safiyya h was ma rried in 7 AH, a month
or two before the Prophet ;!i set out from
Madeenah for the Khaybar exped ition .
S h e had formerly been t h e wife o f Sallaam
ibn Mishka m, who had divorced her. She was
seventeen years old at this time. When Khaybar
fel l in S.afar 7 AH, .Safiyyah was ta ken ca ptive in a
fortress, along with other women and children.
Her h usband was condemned to death by the
Prophet � for havi ng concea led the treasure of
the Banu a n-Na.Qeer. He was kil led for treachery.
.Safiyya h was the daug hter of that .tiuyayy who
had persuaded the Banu Qu raydhah to brea k
their treaty with the Prophet ;!i, and who had
been put to death with them after the Battle
of the Trench. U n l i ke her father and her uncle,
.Safiyya h was of a deeply pious nature. From her
earliest yea rs, she had hea rd her people tal k of
the Prophet � who was soon to come, and this
had fi l led her imagination. Then they spoke of
a n Ara b i n Ma kka h, and then came the news
that he had arrived at Q u baa: That was seven
years before, when she was a g i rl of ten.
Not long before the Prophet � arrived i n
front of Khayba r, s h e h a d a dream in which she
saw a bri l l ia nt moon hanging in the sky, a bove
the city of Madeena h . Then the moon began to
move towards Khaybar, where it fel l into her lap.
When she woke u p, she told Ki naanah a bout her
d ream, and he struck her a blow in the face and
said, 'Th is can mean that you desire the King of
Yathrib (Madeenah): The mark of the blow was
sti l l visi ble when she was brought as a ca ptive to
the Prophet �. He asked her what had caused it,
and she told him of her drea m. Allah's Messenger
� then told .Safiyya h that he was prepared to set
her free, and offered her the choice between
staying a Jewess and going back to her people
or em bracing Islam and becoming his wife. She
said, 'I choose Allah and His Messenger: They
were ma rried at the first halt on the way back to
Madeenah. The Prophet � ma rried .Safiyyah out
of sym pathy for her pl ight. She was the daughter
of a leader and ch ieftain. Her h usband was ki lled
•
 and she had no one to ca re for her. .S.afiyya h's
ema nci pation was her bridal gift (mohr).
Allah's Messenger ii ma rried h e r for the sa me
reasons as he had married J uwwayriyah . Both
her father and her husband had died fig hting
agai nst Islam. It was necessa ry to treat her in
an honourable manner beca use of her status
among the Jews. The ma rriage clea rly exposes
the fa lsehood of the a l l eg ation of the Jews that
the Prophet's qua rrel with them was racia l.
Racism never crossed the Prophet's mind.
Allah's Messenger :i held .S.afiyya h i n high
esteem, and he would show it in the way he
treated her. For example, he wou l d first kneel
on the g round so that Safiyya h could place her
foot on her knee and mount first. But she was so
pol ite and respectfu l of the Prophet :i that she
refused to place her foot on his knee; instead,
she wou l d place her knee over his knee and,
from that position, climb onto the riding camel.
Once .S.afiyya h heard Hafsah saying that she
was after all the daug hter of a Jew. When the
Prophet :i later fou nd her crying a s he went
into her apartment, he asked her a bout the
reason for crying and repl ied, '.tiaf�a h says I am
the daug hter of a Jew: The Prophet :i told her,
'You a re the daughter of a prophet, the niece of
a prophet and the wife of a prophet. How can
they ever seek to air su periority over you?'Then
he said, 'Fea r Allah, .tiaf�a h : (Reported by at­
Ti rmidhee, b_adeeth no. 3894)
It is said that the · Prophet ii a bandoned
Zayna b bint Jahsh for three months when
she ca l led .S.afiyyah a Jewess. When he fi nally
retu rned to her, she gifted one of her slaves to
the Prophet ii i n celebration of his forgiveness,
and atonement for the slip. Th is was d u ri ng the
Farewel l Pilgri mage, as can be understood from
va rious reports in this con nection. (Dr. Mahdi
Rizq u l la h Ahmed, Prophet of/slam, Vol. 2, p. 879)
I
Safiyyah � was noble by birth as wel l by
nature. She was pious, i ntelligent, bea utifu l,
patient, tolerant and dignified. She devoted a lot
of time to reciti ng the Qu r'an, and its effect on
her hea rt was so intense that tears wou l d stream
down her cheeks, and she would start sobbi ng .
.S.afiyya h � loved the Prophet �. Actual ly,
she loved h i m more than she l oved her father,
her relatives and a l l mankind. She even loved
him more than she loved herself. Without g iving
the matter a second thoug ht, she wou ld g ladly
sacrifice her life for him. When the Prophet :i
observed Nikaaf in the mosq ue, .S.afiyyah would
freq uently visit him.
One Rama.Qaa n nig ht, the Prophet ii was
observi ng Nikaaf (retreat or seclusion) when
she visited h i m . He went out with her to see her
off to her house, nea r the house of Usaamah
ibn Zayd . .S.afiyya h's house was on the outski rts
of Madeenah at that time. On the way, he met
two of his companions who were from the
An�aar. When they saw the Prophet ii, they
h u rried their pace and moved out of the way,
feeling shy to em ba rrass h i m, because he was i n
t h e company o f his wife. The Prophet ii ca l led
out loudly to them, 'Why are you h urryi ng?
Th is is .S.afiyyah bint H uyayy: Both of them said,
'G lorified be Allah! Messenger of Allah �! We
ca nnot conceive of anything doubtfu l even i n
t h e remotest corners of our minds:The Prophet
:iJj then said, 'Sata n circu lates in the body of a
person l i ke the circulation of blood, and I was
afraid lest it should insti l any evi l in you r heart
or a nything: (Reported by Muslim, fladeeth no.
5679) This shows that .S.afiyya h � often felt a
longing to see and ta l k with the Prophet ii, so
she used to visit him, even d u ring the nig ht.
.S.afiyyah � died in the month of Rama.Qaan in
the year 50 AH. She was laid to rest i n a i-Baqee�
g raveyard.
 Maymoona h bint ai-Haa rith •

1 2 Maymoonah bint a i-Haa rith •

She was the daug hter of a i-Haa rith and a sister-in-law of a i-�Abbaas ibn
�Abd ui-Mutta l i b, the Prophet's uncle. She was twice-ma rried before. Her
first h usband had d ivorced her. Her second h usband, Abu Ruhm ibn �Abd ul­
� uzzaa, d ied. She, therefore, asked her sister U m m a i-Fa.QI, the wife of ai­
�Abbaas, to find a su itable h usband for her. U m m ai-Fa.QI delegated the task
of fi nding Maymoonah a h usband to a i-�Abbaas. AI-�Abbaas � could n ot fi nd
a better match for Maymoona h than h i s nephew, the Messenger of Allah �.
The matter was q u ickly d ecided upon and ai-�Abbaas gave her fou r h u n d red
dirhams (silver coi ns) as a bridal g ift on behalf of the Prophet �. This took place
at the time of the Prophet's compensatory � umrah, in the yea r 7 AH, in the
month of Ohu/-Qa�dah, right after the Prophet � had completed his � umrah.
The marriage was consum mated at a place ca l led Sarif, a bout 9 mi les outside
of Makka h . She was then 26 years old.
Indeed, Maymoonah • was of such g ood qualities that she deserved to be
a mem ber of the Prophet's fa m ily, i n recognition of her virtues and in order to
soften her family towards Islam. She was the last woman to ma rry the Prophet
� and she was the last of his wives to d ie. She died in the yea r 6 1 AH at the age
of 8 1 . It is interesting to note that she d ied at Sa rif and was bu ried there, the
very place where, years before, her ma rriage was consum mated.

•
 I n addition, the Prophet � had at

Maariya h the Copt �� least two female slaves. The fi rst one was
Maa riya h the Copt (an Egyptia n Ch ristian),
and
a gift from ai-Muqawq i s, the Roma n
Rayhaa n a h viceroy ru l i n g the Copts i n Egypt. S h e bore
the Prophet � a son, who d ied before h i s
second yea r, i n Shawwaal, in the year 1 0
AH.
T h e second one w a s Rayh a a n a h, taken
ca ptive from the B a n u Q u rayd ha h, who
was origi n a l ly Jewi s h . There i s a d ifference
a bo ut her status, but it is genera l l y held
that she was a slave-g i rl and n ot a wife.
As for Maariya h, it is reported that the
Prophet � said when she g ave b i rth to his
child l braa heem, 'Her son has freed her:
( D r. Rizq u l la h Ahmed, Prophet of Islam)

The Teachings of the Q u r'an Con cern ing

the Prophet's Wives

The Q u r'a n a l l ots a di sti n ctive status to the Prophet's wives. It outl i nes their
special o b l igations a nd responsibil ities.
The Q u r'a n states,
'0 wives of the Prophet! You a re n ot l i ke any of the other women, provided that

you remain conscious of A l l a h . Hence, be not soft in you r s peech [to men], lest a ny
w hose heart is d i seased should be moved to desire, but spea k in a kindly way. And
a bide q u ietly i n you r homes, a nd do n ot make a dazzling display of you r beauty and
adorn ment l i ke that of the old days of pagan ignora nce. And be consta nt in prayer
and g ive the pu rifying d ues. And obey A l l a h and H i s Messenger, for Allah only wants
to remove from you, 0 mem bers of the Prophet's fa m i ly, the i m p u rity [of sin] and to
pu rify you with a thorough pu rification.' (Soorat ai-Ab_zaab, 33: 32-33)
 The G l o rious Q u r'a n a l so ca utions them of severe p u n i s h ment if they com m it
i m moral cond uct:
'0 wives of the P rophet! Whoever of you comm its m a n ifest lewd ness, the

p u n ishment for her will be d o u bled, and that is very easy for A l l a h . And whoever
of you is obedient to A l l a h a nd H i s Messenger and d oes rig hteous g ood deeds,
We wi l l reward her twice, a n d We have prepa red for her a noble provision [in the
hereafter] . ' (Soorat a/-Ahzaab, 33:30-3 1 )

Write short notes on the fol l owing wives of the Prophet ij. Mention a few things
a bout each wife that sets her apart from the rest of them.

1. Khadeeja h b i nt Khuwayl id �
2. Sawd a h bint Za m � a h �
3. �Aa'i s h a h bint Abu Bakr �
4. Hafs_a h bint � u ma r �
5. Zayna b bint Kh uzaymah �
6. Umm Salamah �
7. Zaynab bint Jahsh •
8. J uwwayriya h b i nt a i-Haa rith �
9. U m m H a beebah �
1 0 . .S.afiyya h bint H uyayy �

1 1 . Maymoonah b i nt ai-Haa rith �

What a re the tea c h i n g s of I s l a m rega rd i ng the Prophet's wives?

 The Descendants of the Prophet �

T h e P ro p h e t 's
ma rriage with his first wife,
K h a d e ej a h � took place
'
a bout fifteen yea rs before the
beg i n n i n g of the revelation, when he
was twenty-five and she was forty. He did n ot ma rry
a g a i n as long as Khadeeja h � l ived. Khadeeja h � bore h i m fou r
daug hters: Zaynab, Ruqayyah, U m m Kulthoom, and Faa1i mah a n d two
sons who d ied i n their infa n cy.

Zaynab �' Da ug hter of the Prophet �

Zaynab � was the eldest of the Prophet's Abu i-�Aa� fa ithfu l ly fu lfil led his prom ise a n d
daug hters. Her mother was Khadeej a h � a nd sent Zaynab t o Madeena h . The separation of
her h usband was tAli ibn Abee Iaa l i b �. She Zayna b from her h usband a nd her s u bseq uent
was ma rried to Abui-�Aa� i bn a r-Ra bee�, a em ig ration to Madee n a h is one of the most
nephew of Khadeejah before the beg i n n i n g of movi n g sto ries of the M u s l i m exod us. On her
her father's Prop hetic m ission. H i s rea l name way to Madeena h, she was m a ltreated by a i­
is u n certa in, but it was most proba b ly Laqee1. Habbaar ibn a i -Aswad, who was a pagan. She
At the beg i n n i ng, he sided with the paga n was preg na nt, a n d he t h reatened
Q u raysh a nd took pa rt with them i n the Battle her with his spear. The camel
of Bad r. Ta ken prisoner by the Musli ms, he was on which she was rid i n g
ran somed by his wife, Zaynab, who, a lthough jerked violently a n d Zayna b
a M u s l i m, had rema ined with him i n Makka h . fel l so heavi ly to the
Zayna b � sent a necklace which h a d belonged g round that the fa l l ca used
to Khadeeja h � to ra nsom him. The Prophet her to misca rry. U ltimately,
:i a l lowed h i m to retu rn on condition that h e she safely made her way
wou l d send Zayna b t o Madeenah, a s s h e cou l d to Madeenah a nd was
not rem a i n t h e wife o f a non-M usl i m . reu n ited with her father, the
Accord i n g t o Islam, a M u s l i m wom a n can not Prop het �.
be joined in ma rriage to a n on-M u s l i m man. S ho rtly before the Con q u est
of Makkah, Abu i-�Aa� was a g a i n ta ken prisoner
by the M us l i ms in one of the minor ca m paigns.
In Madeenah, he took refuge i n the h ouse of
Zaynab and su bseq uently em braced Islam.
He was then reu n ited to Zaynab by a second
m a rriage, after many yea rs of separation and
agony. This took place in 7 A H . She had two
c h i l d ren, �Ali and U m a a m a h . �Ali d ied i n i nfa ncy
b ut U m a a m a h su rvived. Later, �Al i ibn Abee
Iaa l i b, the Commander of the Faithfu l, ma rried
her, after the death of his first wife Faa1i mah,
daug hter of the Prophet �.
a nd then a cock pecked h i s face which beca me
swo l l en a nd he soon d ied. When the Prophet �
emigrated to Madeenah, she fol lowed su it.
Ruqayya h � fel l i l l when the Prophet � was
p repa ring to set out for the Battle of Badr. So
he left � uthmaan behind to watch over her. S h e
d ied i n RamaQ.aan, seventeen months after t h e
Prophet's, wh i l e the Prophet � was a t Bad r.
When Zayd ibn Haaritha h a rrived from Bad r
with t h e g ood news o f the victory a n d entered
Madeenah, the people were level l i ng the earth
over her g rave. She was laid to rest in a i-Baqee�

Ruqayyah �.fo,
g raveyard in Madeenah.
( ..;
* '{:

Umm Ku lthoom �)>,

\'I

-:7 . 1 7.
'
Da ughter of the ,,
....,.. ....:.
,,,
•j

Prophet � ·�7 . 1 8. Da ug hter of the

Prophet �
Her mother was Khadeej a h •· Ruqayya h
was born i n Makkah and had been ma rried Her mother was Khadeej a h �· S h e had
to � utba h i b n Abu La h a b i bn �Abd u i-Mutta l i b been ma rried to � utayba h i bn Abu Lahab
before the beg i n n i ng o f Prophethood. When before the Prophet � was sent o n his d ivine
the Prophet � was sent on his d ivine m ission m ission. He divorced her for the same reason
and A l l a h revealed the verse: 'Perish the hand that his brother � utbah d ivorced her sister
of Abu La h a b' (Soorat al-Masad, 1 1 1 : 1 ) , � utba h's Ruqayya h, even before the con s u m mation of
father asked h i m to d ivorce Ruqayya h . So � utba h their ma rriage.
d ivorced h e r without havi n g con s u m mated U m m Ku lthoom emigrated to Madeenah.
the ma rriage. She em bra ced Islam when her Following the death of Ruqayyah � he gave
'
mother Khadeej a h d i d and swore a l l egia nce U m m Ku lthoom i n m a rriage to � uthmaan i b n
to the P ro phet �, together with the other � Affaan, hence h i s title Dhun-Noorayn 'th e o n e
women. with the two l i g hts: She remai ned ma rried to
Then � uthmaan ibn � Affaan h i m u ntil her death. She bore h i m no c h i l d ren.
ma rried her, a nd she m i g rated U m m Ku lthoom � died i n Sha� baan 9 AH.
twice to Ethiopia
with him. On the Faatimah �.fo,
first e m i g ration, Da ug hter of the
she miscarried the
Prophet �
child she had from
� uthmaan, but she later bore h i m a Her m other was Khadeej a h bint Kh uwaylid
son whom he na med �Abd u l la a h . •· S h e was born in Ma kka h at the time when
�Abd u l la a h lived t o the age o f two the Q u raysh were reb u i l d i n g the Ka � ba h , five
yea rs before the beg i n n i n g of the Prophet's
mission. The Prophet � was then thi rty-five
yea rs old. She was the you ngest of the Prophet's
daug hters.
�Ali ibn Abee Iaa l i b m a rried Faa1i mah i n
Rajab, five months after the Prophet's a rriva l i n
Madeenah and consum mated his ma rriage o n
his return from t h e Battle o f Badr. S h e w a s then
eig hteen yea rs old. The m a rriage prod u ced the
two fa mous g ra ndsons a i-Hasan and a i-Husayn.
A third son of �Ali and Faa1i m a h, M uhsin, d ied in
i nfa ncy. They a lso had two daug hters: Zayna b
and U m m Ku lthoom, t h e l atter was born i n t h e
last yea r o f Faa1i m a h's l ife.
She is usua l ly referred to as Faa1i mah az­
Zahraa' (the Rad i a nt). �Ali was the Prophet's
cousin, the son of Abu Iaa l i b, the Prophet's
kind u ncle who p rotected h i m d u ri ng the worst
tria l s of h i s l ife. �Ali's devotion to the Prophet
� is best evidenced d u ri n g the e m i g ration to
Madeenah, when he a cted as the Prophet's
decoy i n Makkah, w h i l e the Prophet � q u i etly
l eft his home under the cover of n i g ht.
A l l a h's Messenger � was very fond of
Faa1i m a h �· She bore a stri king resem bla nce to
her father. She not o n ly looked l i ke h i m, but her
way of speaking, sitting, sta n d i ng a nd wa l ki ng,
were exactly l i ke that of the Prophet �. Once
Alla h's Messenger � said, ' Faa1i mah is a part of
me, a n d whoever offends her actu a l ly offends
me: (Reported by a i- B u kh a a ree)
D u ri n g the i l l ness preced i n g his d eath, the
Prophet � ca l l ed his daug hter Faa1im a h �J;;
and spoke to her i n secret, and s h e wept. He
addressed her a g a i n and spoke to her i n secret,
but this time she l a ug hed. Faa1i m a h � later
said, 'The Prophet � spoke to me in secret a n d
i nformed me that h e wou l d d i e i n the cou rse
of that i l l ness, which d i d ta ke h i m away, a nd
so I wept. Thereafter, he spoke to me i n secret
and i nformed me that I wou l d be the first of his
fa m i ly to fol low h i m a n d I l a u g h ed: (Reported
by a i - B u khaaree)
Faa1i m a h �� d ied six months after the
Pro p h et �. She d i ed o n Monday the 3 rd of
RamaQ_aan in the yea r 1 1 AH. She was laid to
rest in ai-Baqee� g raveya rd.
Faa1i mah �J;; was the last survivi n g c h i l d of
the Prophet �. His other daug hters, two of
whom in succession m a rried � uthmaan �, d ied
d u ri n g the l ifetime of the Prophet �. Khadeej a h
� h ad a lso borne h i m two s o n s who both d ied
in infa ncy in M a kkah. A t h i rd son, by Maariya h
the Copt, d ied when he was sixteen months
old. There was thus n o issue s u rvivi ng i n the
ma le l i ne. But two g ra n d sons, ai-Hasan and ai­
H usayn, were left by his d a u g hter Faa1i m a h �·
They were then six or seven yea rs of age ..
AI-Hasa n i b n �Ali
ibn Abee Taa l i b ¢�
AI-Hasan, the eldest g ra n d son of the Pro p h et
� was born in the middle of Sha� baan 3 AH/625
C E. He resem bled the Pro p h et � who named
him a i-Hasan.
After the assassination of �Ali � a i-Hasan
'
was proclai med ca l i p h . AI-Hasan s u cceeded
his father �Ali in the yea r 40 AH to become
the fifth ca l i p h . M u � a awiya h, the U mayyad
governor of Da ma scus, attac ked a i-Hasan, a n d
before a defi nite battle c o u l d ta ke p lace, a i ­
Hasan h i mself gave u p t h e ca l i ph ate i n return
for re m u neration and pensions for h i mself a n d
his b rother a i- H u sayn. He handed over t h e
ca l i ph ate t o M u �aawiya h i n Rabee� ai-Awwa/,
41 AH. Thus the ca l i ph ate of M u �aawiya h i b n
Abu Sufyaa n beca me va l id ly esta b l is hed from
the moment a i-Hasan ibn �Ali renou nced h i s
right to the ca l i ph ate a n d tra nsfe rred it to
M u �aawiya h . Th i s i n rea l ity represented the
fu lfi l ment of something that the Prophet :'i
had foretold, for h e once said a bout a i-Hasan:
'Th is son of m i ne is a ch iefta i n (sayyid) who will
be used by Allah a s a n agent of reconcil iation
between two enormously powerfu l factions:
M u � aawiya h's leaders h i p was thus
made com pletely leg iti mate by a i-Hasa n's
commitment to h i m . The yea r in which he
s u cceeded to the ca l i phate was ca l l ed the Yea r
o f t h e Reun ion, beca use i t ma rked t h e end
of d iscord among all mem bers of the M u s l i m
com m u n ity and the general a g reement to
fol l ow the ru l e of M u �aawiya h.
AI-Hasan was a pa rtic u l a r favou rite of his
g ra ndfather. He was very pol ite, generous
a n d co m m a nd ed h i g h respect. He h a d a
g reat d i s l i ke for d istu rbance a nd bloodshed.
He performed flajj twenty-five ti mes o n foot
although h e had h i s camel with h i m . AI-Hasa n's
ca l i phate lasted six months in a l l . He d ied in
Madeenah i n the month of Rabee� a/-Awwal,
50 AH. I t is genera l ly held that he was poisoned
to death, but when ai-Husayn, his brother,
pressed h i m to tel l the name of the person
who poisoned h i m, he said, 'If the sus pect has
poisoned me, Allah will take revenge, otherwise
why s h o u l d one be u nj ustly put to death for
me: He left behi n d n i n e sons a nd six daug hters.
AI-H usayn i b n �Ali
i b n Abee Taa l i b �
AI-Husayn, the second son of �Ali and
Faa1i mah, was born i n Madeenah in the m onth
of Sha�baan in the yea r 4 AH/626 CE.
M u �aawiya h had become the sixth ca l i p h
a n d was the founder o f the U mayyad dynasty,
h avi n g forced a i-Hasan, the son of �Ali, to
withd raw. M u � aawiyah was the son of Abu
S ufyaan, who had led the Ma kka n o pposition
aga inst the P rophet �- M u � aawiya h died
in Rajab, in the yea r 60 AH/680 CE. When
M u �aawiya h d ied, h is son Yazeed beca me
ca l i p h i n Damascus witho ut the usual election.
He had a reputation as a pleasu re-seeker. AI­
H u sayn � refused to a ccept Yazeed as a ca l i p h
and left Madeenah t o ta ke refuge i n M a kka h.
I n Makka h, his s u p porters invited a i- H u sayn
to Koofa h, I raq, a nd ass u red h i m of su ppo rt
there agai n st Yazeed. AI-Husayn � sent h i s
cousin M u s l i m ibn � Aqeel a head t o test how
m atters stood and to prepa re the way. On his
a rriva l thousands of people rushed to swea r
l oya lty to a i - H u sayn. M u s l i m wrote to a i - H u sayn
to persuade h i m to come to ta ke charge of the
movement.
In the meanti me, � u bayd u l laah, the
governor of I raq, captured M u s l i m ibn �Aqeel
a nd executed h i m . Leavi n g Makkah, where
h e had sought refu ge after refusing to swea r
a l legia nce to Yazeed, ai-H usayn took the road
to Koofa h, accord i n g to M u s l i m's i nstructions.
A few stag es from M a kka h, he lea rnt of the
tragic end of his envoy. � u bayd u l la a h had
set u p o utposts on a l l the road s lea d i n g from
A rabia to I raq a nd bands of cava l ry were
patro l l i n g the roads. The escort of relatives and
devoted fol l owers attached to ai-Husayn came
i n contact with one of these detachments.
On their refusa l to h a lt, � u bayd u l laa h's troops
acco m pa n ied them at a s hort dista nce.
U ltimately, they reached Ka rbala, ten days
later, which was destined to be the scene of
a i- H usayn's ma rtyrdom. The i ro n ring formed
by the soldiers sent by � u bayd u l l a a h closed i n
a round h i m . The governo r wished t o persuade
o r force h i m to su rrender. He cut off a l l pathways
•
 to the E u p h rates, hoping to red u ce h i m by t h i rst. The majority of a i - H u sayn's
supporters were terrorized by the ki l l i n g of M u s l i m .
The tenth o f Muflarram 6 1 A H / 1 0 Octo ber 680 C E dawned. An a rmy of
fou r thousand led by e u ma r i bn sa ed, the son of the Companion saed i bn
Abee Waqqaas, su rrou nded h i m i n Karbala near the E u p h rates river. Cut off
from water for severa l days, he negotiated with the Ca l i p h's troops u ntil at
length the parties foug ht, at first in s i n g l e com bats, as was the custom of the
Ara bs. Final ly, ai-H usayn mou nted his horse a nd went i nto the battle, where,
wea kened by thi rst, he was ma rtyred. Only two of h is c h i l d ren su rvived the
massacre which fol l owed. The m a rtyrdom took place o n the 1 Oth Muflarram
i n 6 1 AH/1 0 Octo ber 680 CE.
M u s l i ms h ave held a i- H u sayn i n high esteem, particu l a rly out of sympathy
for the way in which he was kil led. His decision to die for his princi p les rather
than s u rrender is seen as a sacrifice i n order to defend a n d revive the true
rel ig io n of h i s g randfather.
A l l a h's Messenger once said, 'AI-Hasan a nd a i-H usayn a re the c h i efs of the
youths of Pa rad ise: ( Reported by at-Ti rm idhee, fladeeth no. 3 768) He a lso
said, 'l ndeed, a i-Hasan and a i-Husayn a re my two sweet basils i n this world:
(Reported by at-Ti rm idhee, fladeeth n o. 3 7 70) He is a l so reported to have
said, 'AI-H usayn is from me, and I a m from a i- H u sayn . A l l a h l oves whoever
l oves a i-H usayn. AI-H usayn is a sibi. among the Asbaat: (Reported by at­
Ti rmidhee) Asbaat is the p l u ral form of the A ra bic wo rd sibt, which means
that ai-H usayn wou ld have many offs pring such that they wou l d become a
g reat tri be. This is exctly what h a p pened.

Write short notes o n the fol lowi ng descenda nts of the P rophet 1;.
Mention a few things that were speci a l a bout them, that set them
apart from the rest.

1 . Zayna b �

2. Ruqayya h �
3 . U m m Kulthoom �

4. Faati m a h �

5. AI-Hasa n I b n eAii �

6. AI-Husayn I b n e A i i �

•
•
 The Leading Com pa n ions of the Prophet �

Who is considered a Com pa n ion (�ab.a abee) of the Prophet �?

As a tec h n ical term, the word �ab.aabee (pl u ra l : �ab.aabah) sign ifies a
compa n ion of the Prophet �- Accord i ng to the m ajority of M u s l i m schola rs,
every person who, while being a Musl im, saw the Prophet � even for a short
time, is ca l l ed a �ab.aabee (com panion of the Proph et �). The �ab_aabee occupy
h i g h ra n k i n the esti mation of Sunni Islam, b_adeeth h avi ng been h a nded down
by them. To revile them is considered a g rave sin.
In precedence among the Com pa n i ons, the first fou r Rig htly-gu ided
Ca l i p h s occupy the h i g hest ra n k. With six other �ab.a abah, they share the pre­
eminence of being promised Pa ra d ise by the Messenger of A l l a h � d u ri n g
t h e i r l ifeti me. They a re ca l led a/-�Asharatu ai-Mubashaharoona bii-Jannah: the
ten to whom Pa rad ise had been prom ised i n their l ifeti me. They a re: Abu Bakr
a�-�iddeeq, � u m a r ibn ai-Khattaa b, � uthmaan ibn � Affaan and (Ali i bn Abee
Iaa l i b (The Fou r Rig htly-G u ided Ca l i phs: a/-Khulafaa' ar-Raashidoon), while
the other six were: az-Zu bayr ibn a i-(Awwaam, Ia lha h i b n � u bayd u l laah,
�Abd u r-Rahmaan i b n �Awf, Sa�d i bn Abee Waqqaa�, Sa (eed i bn Zayd a n d Abu
� u bayd a h ibn a i -Jarraah. May A l l a h be p l eased with them a l l .
Other categories a m o n g t h e �ab_aabah a re determi ned b y the d i ffe rent
natu re of their contribution in the Prop het's m ission: ai-Muhaajiroon (the
M i g ra nts), ai-An�aar (the Hel pers), a/-Badriyyoon (those who took pa rt in
the Battle of Bad r), among others. M u s l i m s constantly m a ke the tardiyah
i nvocatio n and fol low the mention of a ny of the �ab_aabah i n speech or
writi n g by sayi n g rad_iyallaahu (anhu (May Allah be please with h i m ) . For a
female Com pa n io n (�ab_aabiyyah), the tard_iyah i nvocatio n would ta ke the
female p reposition (anhaa, and so forth .

•
 Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq �
H e was Abu Bakr
tAbd u l la a h i bn Abu
Quhaafa h at-Taymee.
His s u rname was
tAteeq. His father
t Uthmaan, who
was a l so cal led Abu
Quhaafa h, and his
mother Umm ai-Khayr
Salmaa bint Sakhr both belonged
to the M a kka n fa m i ly of Ka t b i bn Satd
i b n Taym. His rea l name was tAbd u l laah.
Abu Bakr ( Father of the ma iden) was h i s kunyah.
Abu Bakr � was three yea rs you nger than the
Prophet �. He l ived as a rich trader i n M a kka h .
He w a s o n e o f t h e first M u s l i m s a nd o n e of
the Prophet's o l dest s u pporters. Especi a l ly
chara cteristic of h i m was the u ns h a kea ble fa ith
with which he considered the Prophet � as the
chosen Messenger of A l l a h .
S ho rtly befo re h i s emigration t o Madeena h ,
Alla h's Messenger � m a d e h i s N i g ht Jou rney
(lsraa') to Jerusalem a nd from there he
ascended to the h eavens (Mrraaj). This event is
referred to i n A ra bic as lsraa' wal Mrraaj ( N i g ht
Jou rney a nd the Ascension to the heavens). It
is a l so pa rti a l ly referred to i n the Q u r'a n (Soorat
a/-lsraa', 1 7: 1 ; Soorat an-Najm, 5 3 : 1 6-1 8). When
the Prophet � spoke of his N ight Jou rney the
day after this event, some expressed su rprise
at his statement, but Abu Bakr � believed h i m
without a ny hesitation. Therefore, he earned
the epithet a�-S.iddeeq, o r the truthfu l .
D u ring t h e early days o f Islam, Abu B a k r 4>
used his wea lth to h e l p the M u s l i m s t h ro u g h
•
their d ifficult ti mes
a n d bro u g ht freedom
for slaves who were
persecuted for their
fa ith in Islam.
He was of a gentle
cha racter. D u ri n g
t h e recitatio n o f t h e
Q u r'a n, h e shed tea rs and h i s
d a u g hter t Aa'i s h a h �� reported that
he wept with joy at the good news that
h e m i g ht acco m pany the Messenger of A l l a h
� on h i s migration t o Madeenah. H i s daug hter
tAa'ishah � was the favou rite wife of the
Prop het �. He was of an open, right t h i n ki ng
natu re. Amid the g reatest dangers, he fa ithfu l ly
stood by the Prophet �, h i s friend a n d master.
No sacrifice was too g reat in h i s s i g ht for the
sa ke of the P rophet of A l l a h �.
H i s l ife reached its h i g h est pea k when A l l a h's
Messenger � c hose h i m to acco m pa ny h i m
w h e n he emigrated from M a kka h, a n d h i s self­
sacrificing com p a n ionsh i p was rewa rded by
h i s name being i m mo rta l ized i n the G lorious
Q u r'a n as 'the second of the two who lay in
the Cave' (Soorat at-Tawbah, 9:40) i n reference
to the cave in Mount Thawr, where he and the
Pro p h et � hid from the Ma kka n p u rsuers on
thei r m i g ration to Madee n a h .
I n Madeenah, Abu B a k r 4> set u p a modest
hou se i n the s u b u rb of as-Su nh. He was nea rly
a l ways with the Prophet � and accompan ied
him o n all his exped itions. The Prophet � sent
him i n the yea r 9 AH to Makka h to con d u ct
the p i l g rimage. When A l l a h's Messenger � fel l
i l l, Abu Bakr 4> led the prayers i n the m osque
i n h is stead, with his express perm ission. Th is
h o n o u r made it possible for � u mar and other
Com panions, after the Prophet's death on
Rabee� ai-Awwal 1 2, 1 1 A H/ J u n e 8, 632, to
propose Abu Bakr 4> as the head of the M u s l i m
com m u n ity. A b u B a k r thus succeeded the
Prophet � with the title of Khaleefah (successor
o r cal i ph).
Abu Bakr � h eld together the M us l i m
com m u n ity after the Prophet's death and
managed to prevent the th reatening spl it.
He con so l idated I s l a m victories in Ara bia and
p layed a profo u n d ly significant role i n the first
compilation of the Q u r'a n . As ca l i ph he l ived as
simply as before, i n the beg i n n i n g in his house
in as-S u nh and su bseq uently in the town itself.
Abu Bakr ru led for only two yea rs a n d three
months (632-634 C E). In response to the refusal
of the rebe l l io u s tribes to pay their zakaat
to Madeenah, Abu Bakr � stated fi rmly that
even if o n ly the hobble of a young camel were
with held in paym ent of the pu rifying d ues
(zakaat), he wou l d fig ht those who refused to
pay them.
D u ri n g his ru le, practica l ly all of Ara bia was
bro u g ht u nder the control of Madee n a h . Abu
Bakr's official title was Khaleefatu Rasoo/illah
- the successor to the Messenger of A l l a h �.
Abu Bakr 4> died o n Monday, Jumaadaa ath­
Thaaniyah 22, 1 3 AH/ August 23, 634, and as
req uested by Abu Bakr � h i mself, he was laid
to rest i n � Aa'isha h's a pa rtment cl ose to where
the Prophet :1 lay b u ried.

� u ma r i b n a i- Khattaab �

He was � u ma r ibn a i ­ a ppoi nted � u ma r a s h is

Khattaab Abu Haf� a i ­ successor, a decision
Q u rashee a i-�Adawee. which met with l ittl e
He embra ced Islam resista nce from the
in 6 AH w h e n h e was larger com m u n ity.
twenty-six yea rs old. There were many
The Q u raysh reg a rded good reason s for this
his conversion as accepta n ce. � u ma r �
a severe blow to their was a stron g-wi l led person
prestige. � u m a r's a ccepta n ce of and ra n ked very h ig h i ndeed d u e
Islam was a turning point in the fortu nes t o h i s record o f his early and phenomena l
of Islam, for u ntil his conversion, M u s l i m s could services to Islam. He was u nq uestiona bly the
not hold their p rayers in p u b l ic. N ow, after g reatest Compa n i o n of the Prophet � after
h is conversion, they h eld thei r prayers in the Abu Bakr �.
cou rtyard of the Ka � ba h . � u m a r's im med iate goa ls as ca l i p h incl uded
� u m a r partici pated i n a l l the battles of conso l idation of the g a i n s made by h i s
the Prophet :1. Before his death, Abu Bakr � predecessor and t o b u i l d o n t h e m . T h i s he
did with g reat resol ution a nd considera bl e
bri l lia n ce. He l e d the defeat o f the Persian
and the Roman empires. He extended the
rule of Islam from I ra n to Egypt, laid down
the i n stitutions of the new government and
society a n d tra nsformed the young nation that
he i n h e rited into a major world power u pon
his death ten yea rs later. The eva l uation of
� u m a r a n d h i s fa r-sig hted pol icies is ca ptu red
in a statement attributed to the Prophet ii:
'If there were a prophet after me, it wou ld be
� u m a r: (at-Ti rm idhee, fladeeth no. 3686, and
g raded it as 'flasan') The Prophet ii a l so once
l ig ht-hea rted ly rema rked that 'even Sata n flees
from � u ma r: (at-Ti rm idhee; fladeeth 3 692, and
it is 'flasan')
He is known for h is profo u nd knowledge of
the Q u r'a n and the Sunnah a n d for h i s c reative
insight i nto fiqh (Islamic j u risprudence). The
most i m porta nt title a pplied to � u ma r ibn a i­
Khattaa b � is a/-Faarooq, rou g h l y 'the one who
d isti n g u ishes between rig ht and wrong: This
titl e is commonly u nderstood to point to h is role
as a richly productive i nterpreter of the I s l a m i c
Law (Sharee�ah ) . I t was � u m a r � wh o adopted
the title 'Ameer-ui-Mu'mineen' (Com mander
of the Bel ievers) a nd esta bl ished the P u b l i c
Treas u ry and offices o f accou nts. It w a s a lso
U m a r � who reg u lated the Isla mic Calendar.
He i ntrod uced for this p u rpose the Islamic
Yea r, commencing with the new moon of the
first month, Muflarram,
of the yea r
in which
the Prophet :i mig rated
from M a kka h To Madeenah. The
Islamic Ca lendar counts the
days by the nig hts that precede them.
D u ri n g his ten-and-a- half yea r ca l i ph ate,
I raq, I ra n, and a l l the A ra bian Pen i n s u l a were
added to the domin ion of Islam, a n d a bo ut
twelve thousand mosq ues were b u i lt. � u ma r
has related 5 3 0 aflaadeeth from the Prophet :t.
� u m a r � wa s not o n ly a g reat ruler, but a l so
one of the most typica l models of a l l the vi rtues
of I s l a m . S i m p l icity and d uty were his g u i d i n g
principles, and i m pa rti a l ity and d evotion were
the leading featu res of h i s a d m i n istration . He
was the ca l i p h of a vast empire, but he never
lost the bala nce of a wise and sober judgement.
H is sense of j u stice was strong. W h i p in hand,
he wou ld tread the streets and markets of
Madeenah, ready to p u n ish the offenders on
the s pot. But even with a l l this, he was kind­
hea rted.
� u m a r � wa s assassinated on the morn i n g
o f Ohu/-fj_ijjah 2 7 , 23 AH (Nov 5, 644 C E) by
Abu Lu'l u'a h, a Persia n slave of the governor
of Basra, ai-Mug hee ra h i bn S h u � ba h . The
s lave had made com p l a i nts to the Ca l i p h
a bout h is d uties and wages b u t h a d been
d ismissed. In revenge, he stabbed � u ma r �
as he was lead i n g wors h i ppers i n the mosque
for the dawn prayer. On his death bed, � u m a r
a ppoi nted a council, the Shooraa, t o elect a
new ca l i ph, which resu lted i n the election of
� uthmaan ibn � Affaan ii. S u bseq uently � u m a r
d ied o ft h e wounds a n d w a s b u ried on S u nday 1
Muflarram, 24 A H (Nove m ber 9, 644 CE), beside
h is two compa nions i n � Aa'isha h's a pa rtment.
 � uthmaan i b n Affaa n �

The six-man much of North Africa were added to the

electora l cou ncil set domi nion of Islam. The first half
up by � u mar fi nally of � uthmaan's Ca l i phate
elected � uthmaan was peacefu l. Afterwards,
ibn �Affa n � as the revolt began in I raq
third ca l i ph. It ca me and I ran. Civil
a bout as a result wa r arose and
of the unanimous the u n ity of the
a g reement of the
l;�r��:;:������ Prop het's tim e was
Prophet's com panions. � shattered. Despite the
� uthmaan i bn �Affaan � troubles of his Cal i phate, � uthmaan
was born in Makkah, i n the yea r 577 CE, some is held innocent of them. One of the most
forty-seven years before the Prophet's migration significant acts of the ca l i p h was the preparation
to Madeenah. He was one of the earliest people of the official copy of the Qu r'a n (ai-Mus'b.af a/­
to embrace Islam and he sacrificed m uch of his Uthmaanee or The � uthmaanic Codex) and its
wea lth for the sa ke of his rel igion. He was always distri bution to va rious pa rts of the state. Th is
a very close compa nion to the Prophet �. He � uthmaanic Codex su perseded all other exta nt
was ma rried to two daug hters of the Prophet man uscri pts.
(s), Ruqayya h and then after her death, U m m U nfortu nately � uthmaan � was u nfai rly
Ku lthoom. For t h i s d istinction, he ea rned the a ccused of supporti ng members of his clan, the
honorific title Dhun-Noorayn (the one with the Umayyads. This led to a g ro u p of rebels coming
two lig hts). to his home forcing him to resign. When he
� Uth maa n � was very ha ndsome and elegant. refused, they cli m bed over the wa lls of his house
He was one of the few people of Makkah who and ma rtyred him, while � uthmaan sat reciti ng
knew how to read and write. He took part i n the Q u r'a n. His blood spi l led onto the pages of
t h e two emigrations t o Ethiopia, along with the Sacred Text and his wife, Naa'ilah bint ai­
Ruqayya h �· He later emigrated to Madeenah. Fa raafi�a h, was wou nded while tryi ng to protect
U m m Kulthoom � died while � uthmaan was h i m, Naa'ilah cast herself u pon her wou nded
away from Madeenah, partici pati ng in the h usba nd, and as she shielded him with her a rm,
Ta book exped ition. � uthmaan ibn �Affaan a sword cut severed several of her fi ngers, which
was one of the ten compan ions to whom the fel l u pon the g round. A scene of riot fol lowed.
Prophet � gave the good news of Pa radise in Women screa med. The house was gutted.
their l ifetime. � uthmaan ibn �Affaan � died at the age of
During his ca l i phate, Armen ia, Caucasia, eighty-two in the yea r 35 AH after a reign of
Kh u raasaan, Ki rman, Sijista n, Cyprus, and twelve years (24-35 AH/ 644-656 CE)

•
 �Ali ibn Abee Taa l i b �
�Ali i b n Abee Iaa l i b � was the Prophet's
cousin, the son of Abu Iaa l i b, the Prophet's
cari n g u ncle who protected h i m d u ri ng the
worst tria ls of his l ife. He accepted I s l a m at the
tender age of a bo ut ten yea rs. �Al i was born i n
Makkah, twenty-th ree yea rs before the Hijrah
and was raised from the age of five by the
Prophet �. �Ali m a rried Faa1i mah, the Prophet's
daug hter, and the marriage prod u ced the two
fa mous g ra ndsons - ai-Ha.s_a n and a i-H usayn .
The Prophet � gave h i m the kunyah of Abu
Tu raab (the father of d ust) . Th i s h a p pened when
the P rophet � once fou n d h i m sleeping On the
dusty g round, so he brushed off his clothes
and fon d ly said to h i m, 'Wa ke u p, Abu Tu raa b:
No name was dearer to �Ali � than this. �Ali
� wa s a l so one of the ten Compa nions
to whom the Prophet � prom ised
Pa ra d ise d u ri n g their lifeti me.
�Ali � beca me ren owned as
a warrior d u ri n g Isla m's struggle
for su rviva l. He partici pated i n
t h e battles o f Badr, Uhud, a i­
Khandaq (the Trench),
Khayba r and
in nearly all the
Prophet's exped itions except that
of Ta book, d u ri n g which the Prophet �
com manded h i m to rema i n i n Madeenah
i n charge of the city and the Prophet's fam i ly,
wh i l e h e h i mself was proceed i ng to Ta book.
D u ri n g the siege of � uth maa n's hou se, �Ali
supported h i m i n every possi ble way. After
� uthmaa n's m a rtyrdom, �Ali modestly refused to
ta ke the power i nto his hands. But he a ccepted
it later, a n d on Friday Dhui-Hijjah 25, 35 AH (656
CE), a l l egiance was paid to him in the Prophet's
mosq ue in Madeenah. �Ali was elected ca l i p h
a t a ti me of u n rest a n d m o u nting d ifficu lties.
U pon � uthmaa n's martyrdom, the city was
h orror-struck. The Prophet's compa nions had
never expected the tra g i c end. For severa l days
a n a rchy rei g ned in Madeenah. No bed of roses
was laid for �Ali whether at home or abroad,
rou g h and a nxious tas ks lay before h i m . He was
p ressed to p u n ish the men who had sta i ned
their hands with the blood of � uthmaan.
Some people were extremely a gitated at the
kil l i ng of the aged and pious ca l i p h that they
dema nded that the n ew ca l i p h p u nish the
kil lers i m mediately. Othe rs wanted 'Ali to act
cautiously. They wa nted h i m to address the
problem of d iscontent first, and then proceed
to p u n ish the kil lers of � uthmaan.
' A l i had to decide which problem to
address first. He wa nted to
p u n i s h the ki l l ers for ta king
the law i nto their own hands
and k i l l i n g the ca l i ph. But
he a lso wa nted to
strengthen his own
position before ta ki n g
such an action that was
l i kely to wea ken the ca l i p h ate.
However, before �Ali could decide which
cou rse to fol l ow, the situation worsened. He
i m m ed iately had to face a rebel l io n led by
Ia lha h ibn � u bayd u l la a h and az-Zu bayr i bn
a i-�Awwaam, i n which �Aa'ishah, the Mother
of the Bel ievers, a lso took part. In the yea r 3 6
AH, �Ali m a rc h ed agai n st Ba.s_ra h, in the n o rth
of I raq, where �Aa'ishah, Ia lha h and az-Zu bayr
refused to acknowledge h i m . �Ali d efeated
them in what is known as the Battle of the
Ca mel. Many of the suppo rters of �Aa'ishah •
were kil led a nd s h e h erself was captu red . But
in accorda nce with her lofty station, �Aa'ishah
was shown p roper respect a n d was escorted to
her home in Madeen a h . �Aa'ishah • later felt a
g reat remorse for wag i n g the war. She repented
to A l l a h a nd she asked His forg iveness. I n this
battle, s h e rode i n a l itter on the back of a camel
ca l l ed �Askar, and so the battle between her
a n d �Ali ca me to be known a s the Battle of the
Camel.
In the yea r 36 AH, seven months after the
d eath of � uthmaan � �Ali entered Koofa h . He
'
spent the fi rst fou r m onths i n Madeenah, t h ree
months in the Ca m paign of the Camel and
briefly i n Ba.s_ra h . Koofa h was now going to be
eAbdu r-Ra h maan ibn eAwf �
�Abd u r-Rahmaan i b n �Awf � was one of the
very ea rly M u s l i ms. He a ctua l l y embraced Islam
i n the very first yea r of the Prophet's m ission.
He was one of the first eight people to embra ce
I s l a m . He was also one of the ten com pa n ions
to whom the Prophet � pro m i sed Pa radise i n
thei r l ifeti me.
After �Abd u r-Rahmaan � a ccepted Islam,
h e faced h i s own share of persecution and
chal lenges of the Qu raysh. When A l l a h's
Messenger � o rdered h i s Compa nions to
m i g rate to Eth iopia, �Abd u r-Rahmaan i b n �Awf
m ig rated but retu rned to Makka h . Then again
h e i m m i g rated to Eth iopia, a n d from there to
Madeenah. He partici pated in the Battle of
Bad r, Uhud as wel l as a l l the ca m paigns of the
Prophet �.
the seat of ' Ali's govern ment. Then M u �aawiya h,
governo r of Da mascu s a n d relative of � Uthmaan,
rose agai nst the ca l i p hate of �Ali, which resu lted
in the Battle of $_iffeen. When �Ali was on the
point of w i n n i ng, he a ccepted the pro posa l
of M u �aawiya h to negotiate the confl ict. Th is
was beca use �Ali � wished to avoid fu rther
bloodshed. I n a ny case, �Ali concluded the
strugg l e decisively. Nevertheless, he refused to
su rrender his a uthority and esta blished h i mself
at Koofa h i n I raq.
On Friday, RamaQ.aan 1 7, 40 AH/J a n u a ry
24, 66 1 C E, as �Ali was preparing to lead the
Fajr prayer i n the m osque of Koofa h, he was
sta bbed by �Abd u r-Rahmaan i bn M u lj a m . �Ali
died t h ree days after the attac k. He was 6 3 yea rs
o l d at the time of his death a n d was b u ried i n
Koofa h .
�Abd u r- Rahmaan � led the Fajr prayer o n
the exped ition t o Ta book w h e n the Prophet �
was late i n com i n g to the congregation. When
the Pro p h et � a rrived, he joi ned the prayer
beh i n d h i m . The Ta book exped ition took
place i n Rajab, i n the yea r 9 A H . From the time
�Abd u r-Rahmaan � embraced Islam u ntil he
d ied at the age of 75, he was a su perb model
of a g reat believer, wh ich made � u m a r i bn a i­
Khatta a b � co u nt h i m a m o n g the six advisers
to whom he assig ned for succession after h i m .
Most of the Muhaajiroon ( E m i g ra nts)
who came from Ma kka h to Madeenah were
particularly poor. This was beca use on thei r
emigration, they had to l eave their possessions
behind. So the Prop het � suggested to the
An�aar (the Hel pers) that they s h o u l d s h a re their
•
mea ns with the poor e m i g ra nts. The An�aar
responded to the ca l l with enthusiasm. I n fact,
a bout 90 or 1 00 persons, one half of them from
among the An�aar a nd one h a lf from a m o ng the
Muhaajiroon, esta bl ished between themselves
bonds of brotherhood, each An�aaree ta ki ng
one muhaajir a s a brother.
A l l a h's Messenger :i esta b l ished bonds of
brotherhood between eAbd u r-Rahmaan i b n
eAwf and Saed i bn a r-Ra beee . Saed i bn a r-Rabeee
was a very devout compa n ion. He took part in
the Battle of Bad r a nd fel l i n the Battle of Uhu d .
After the Battle o f Uhud, the Prophet :i o rdered
a search for saed's body a n d he was later fou nd
dying. When a m a n of the A n�aar asked h i m
how he felt, he repl ied, 'Te l l you r people that
if the Messenger of A l l a h :i should die in this
battle while even one of them remained a l ive,
they w i l l never be forg iven by A l l a h :
lmaam a i-Bu khaaree reports: ' O n ta ki ng
eAbd u r-Rahmaan a s a brother, Saed told h i m,
"Look, I a m the wea lth iest of the A n�aar,
and I will divide my
possessions i nto two
ha lves:' eAbd u r­
Rahmaan said,
'May A l l a h bless
you r fa m i ly . a n d -
:·
In fact, he wante
to ea rn h i s l ivel i h ood thro u g h trade and
did n ot wish to depend o n others. The m a i n
ma rketplace w a s l ocated i n the Jewis h q u a rter
of B a n u Qayn uqaae. eAbd u r Rahmaan �
went there and began to trade. He was a very
successfu l trader to his own a mazement. He
exclaimed, 'lf I l ift u p a stone, I will certa i n ly fi nd
gold a n d si lve r beneath it: Trade for eAbd u r-
•
Rahmaan, h owever, was n ot d riven by g reed
or desire to gather riches. It was work a n d
d uty, whose s u ccess m a d e h i m enjoy them.
He worked h a rd i n his trade which th rived so
m uch that his trade ca rava ns were a rrivi n g at
Madeenah from Egypt a nd Syria, laden with
a l m ost everyt h i n g that the cou ntry m i g ht need
in food and clothes.
eAbd u r-Rahmaan was very generous. He
spent a lot of h i s wea lth in the ca u se of A l l a h .
One day, he s o l d some land for 40,000 dinars
(gold coins at that time) a n d d istri b uted it a l l
a m o n g the people of Zu h ra h tri be, t h e Mothers
of the Bel ievers and the poor M u s l i ms. Next
day, he provided the M u s l i m a rm ies with 500
h o rses, and on the th i rd day with 1 ,500 ca mels.
Shortly before his death, he beq ueathed 5000
dinars i n the cause of A l l a h and 400 dinars for
each one who was sti l l l iving of those who had
partici pated i n the Battle of Badr. Th us, eAbd u r­
Rahmaan � wa s the master of h is riches, not
its s lave.
One day, he ca me to see the
Prophet with traces of
yel low perfu me
on h i m, and the
Prophet � asked
. h i m, 'What
th is?'
e A bd u r-
R a h_m a a n
repl ied, 'I h ave
ma rried a wom a n from among the A n�aar:The
Prophet :i then said, 'Prepare a wedding fea st,
even with a s i n g l e sheep!'
eAbd u r-Rahmaan ibn e Awf � d ied i n 3 1
AH/652 C E d u ri ng the ca l i phate of eAii �.
 Abu � u baydah ibn a i -Ja rraah
A b u � u bayd a h �Aa m i r ibn �Abd u l la a h � a l l his exped itions a n d com m a nded the
Ethiopia a nd partici pated in the
Battle of Badr. He was one of the ten
Compa nions to whom the Prophet �
prom ised Pa rad ise d u ring their l ifeti me.
A l l a h's Messenger :1 once said of h i m, ' Every
nation (ummah) has a tru stworthy man, and
o u r trustworthy m a n is Abu � u bayd a h ibn ai­
Jarraah: This occu rred on the occasion of the
deputation from N aj raan i n 9 AH who asked
the Pro phet :1 to send with them a trustworthy
man to be the g overnor of their cou ntry in h i s
na me.
Abu � u bayd a h � d isti n g u ished h i mself
by his b ravery and selflessness on account of
which the Prophet :1 na med h i m a/-ameen
(the trustworthy). He hastened to the Prophet's
help i n the Battle of Uhud, acco m pa n ied h i m i n
Ta l hah ibn � u bayd u l laah �
Ialha h ibn � u bayd u l laah a i-Qurashee at­
Taymee :1 embraced Islam at a bout the same
time as Abu Bakr �-
Ten days before the Battle of Badr, he was
sent by the Prophet � together with sa �eed
ibn Zayd on a secret mission to the borders of
Syria, and returned too late to ta ke part in the
Battle of Badr. D u ring the Battle of Uhud, he
saved the Prophet's l ife at the expense of losing
troops o n severa l occasions.
He p layed a significant role in
the election of Abu Ba kr, the first
ca l i p h . Abu Bakr � sent h i m as the
head of a n u m ber of ca m paigns to
Syria. When � u ma r became ca l i ph,
he gave Abu � u bayd a h the s u p reme
com m a n d over the Syrian a rmy and conquered
Da mascus, Emesa, Aleppo, Antioch, among
other pla ces. Later h e beca me the governor of
Syria.
Abu � u bayd a h � d ied of plague i n the yea r
1 8 A H a t Amwaas, at the age of fifty-eig ht.
� u m a r i bn ai-Khattaa b � sa id on h i s death bed,
'Had Abu � u bayd a h ibn a i -Ja rraah been a l ive, I
wou l d h ave entrusted h i m with the ca l i p hate;
and if A l l a h asked me a bout it, I wou l d say, "I
assig ned the ca l i phate to someone who is
known to be trustworthy by A l l a h and H i s
Messenger:"
the use of the fingers of one of h is hands for the
rest of his l ife. He i ntercepted an a rrow aimed
at the Prophet :1 with his bare hand, which was
shattered and su bseq uently d ried u p. Then he
bore the Prophet ;1, who h i mself was wou nded,
on his shou lders out of the thic k ofthe battle and
u p the h i l l . Abu Bakr � later saw that ia lha h had
received on that day about seventy wounds. The
Prophet :i said a bout h i m that day, 'Whoever
wishes to see a m artyr wal king the face of the
earth, let h i m look at ia lha h ibn t U bayd ul laah:
Ialhah � subseq uently took pa rt i n a l l the
ca mpaigns l ed by the Prophet �. He was one
of the ten Compan ions to whom the Prophet �
promised Paradise i n their lifeti me.
I n a l l the va rious events and expeditions led
by the Prophet � Ialha h � was always to be
'
found in the forefront, fig hting in the cause of
Allah. He was one of the wealthiest Musl ims,
and he placed his whole fortu n e in the service of
Islam. He spent it l i bera l ly, and so Allah increased
it for h i m even more. How often did he g ive h is
whole fortune away! He distributed his wealth
often a mong the poor and the needy u ntil there
;as not a single dirham l eft. Allah
1
t h e Ever-generous wou l d a lways
I return
to him
man ifold.
Ia lhah � was very kind towards his relatives
and he supported them a l l though they
were many. He never l eft a n orphan without
su ppo rting him. He provided for the m a rriage
of the u n married people and paid the debt of
those who were in debt. D u ring the Battle of the
Camel, his own commander Marwaan ibn ai­
Haka m ordered his death and he was shot with
an a rrow. He was taken aside and d ied later of
his wound
t U mar ibn a i-Khattaab � once said a bout of
him, 'The Prophet � remained pleased with h i m
u ntil his death:
•
' ,,..
··k ,ayo.
,:;J .30.
Az-Zu bayr
i bn a i - � Awwaam �
Az-Zu bayr i b n al-tAwwa a m ibn Khuwayl id's
mother was �afiyya h b i nt tAbdu i-M utta l i b,
and so he was the cousin of the Prophet �
and a n ephew of Khadeej a h • the daug hter
of Kh uwaylid. He embra ced Islam at the age
of fifteen or sixteen, shortly after Abu Bakr
and was the fifth convert to Islam. He took
part in both m i g rations, fi rst to Eth iopia a n d
t h e n t o Madeen a h and partici pated i n a l l the
exped itions of the Prophet �.
rv-��)�l� (!/'
it
·.ill t J�)
I �, � Jll �
A z - Helper of
Allah's M�ssenger
� _
;.l:;; .;)i.!&� �
�
-
one t h o s e
Com p a n ions to whom the P rophet
� pro m i sed Pa rad ise d u ri n g their lifetime. Once
Alla h's Messenger� said,'l ndeed, every prophet
has hel pers (flawaariyyon), and az-Zu bayr i b n
al-tAwwaam is a h e l per of m i n e: (Reported b y a i ­
B u kh a a ree) T h e word flawaariyyoon (si ng u la r:
flawaaree) is used i n the Q u r'an to denote the
disciples, or companions, of Prophet t Eesaa
(Jesus) �1. More genera l ly, it means 'one who
advises, counsels or a cts s i ncerely, h onestly
or faithfu lly, a friend, or true or since re friend,
or a n assista nt of the prophets. The orig i n a l
mea n i n g o f this word is probably 'one w h o
wh itens clothes b y was h i n g and beating them:
But this the word is u sed i n its genera l sense,
for az-Zu bayr as ' h el per of the Prophet �·.
 Az-Zu bayr � was one of the six men
recom mended by � u mar as his successors
in the ca l i phate. Az-Zu bayr was ma rried
to Asmaa; the d a u g hter of Abu Bakr a�­
.Siddeeq �. Allah's Messenger � esta blished
the bond of brotherhood (mu'aakhaat)
between az-Zu bayr and �Abd u l laah ibn
Mas�ood. It is related that az-Zubayr was
neither ta l l nor short. He was lig ht-bea rded,
da rk-toned and hai ry.
In his l ifeti me, az-Zu bayr was the
wea lth iest of all the Prophet's Com pa n ions.
The i n heritance left by az-Zu bayr amou nted
to 40 m i l l ion dirhams. He was extremely
generous and spent his wea lth in the cause
of Allah. Az-Zu bayr � was g iven perm ission
to wea r silk clothes beca use of some i l l ness.
Islam forbids garments made whol ly of silk
to men.
During the caliphate of �Ali, az-Zu bayr
joined Talha h and �Aa'ishah in the Battle
of the Ca mel against �Al i. S u bsequently he
left �Aa'ishah ca m p. It was �Ali h i mself who
met h i m on the day of the Battle of the
Camel, Jumaadaa a/-Aakhirah 1 0, 36 AH/
Decem ber 4, 656 CE, and asked him to desist
from fig hting. Accord ing to the h istorian a1-
Iabaree, after the battle had ta ken pla ce, az­
Zu bayr rode his horse, named D h u l Kh imaar,
and left for Madeenah. He was killed o n the
way i n Waadee as-Sibaa� and was b u ried
there. He was sixty-four years old then.
Allah's Messenger � held az-Zu bayr
in h i g h esteem. The Prophet � once sent
h i m to the quarters of Banu Qu rayd h a h to
bring h i m i nformation a bout them. When
he retu rned, the Prophet � made use of
the expression 'Fidaaka abee wa ummee',
meaning I wou l d sacrifice my father and my
mother for you!
' ' '�'
*
31
,,
sa � d
�7 . .
i b n Abee Waqqaas �
sa�d ibn A bee Waqqaa� � em b raced Islam at a
very early period, o n the same day as Abu Bakr �
'
when h e was then n i neteen yea rs old. He was one
of the m ost intimate compa nions of the P ro phet �
a n d took part i n a l most a l l the Prophet 's ca m paig ns.
He was one of the ten Com panions to whom the
Prophet � pro m ised Pa rad ise d u ri n g their l ifetime.
sa�d � wa s sent by � u m a r � i n 1 4 A H to I raq a s
commander-i n-chief. H e con q uered t h a t cou ntry a n d
fou nded the town o f Koofa h i n 1 7 A H . S u bseq uently
h e was the g overnor of that town a nd of the whole
of I raq, u ntil he ca l led him back to Madeena h i n the
yea r 21 A H .
s a � d � had many n o b l e q u a l ities w h i c h he could
be p roud of. He was the first of the Ara bs who shot
a n a rrow in the path of A l l a h . This refers to the fi rst
m i l ita ry exped ition ever sent by the P rophet � i n
t h e yea r 1 A H . Its commander was � u bayd a h i b n a i­
H a a rith ibn a i -M utta l i b and sa�d was the sta ndard­
bea rer. It was the fi rst time the P ro phet � employed
a sta ndard of h i s own . The o bject of the expedition
was to i ntercept a carava n of the Q u raysh, on the
west coast of H ijaz, but it ended with n o m ore than
a n exc h a n g e of a rrow s h ots.
sa�d � wa s one of the oldest Compa nions of the
Prophet �. AI-Bukhaaree reports that he o n ce said,
•
 'Often we went forth with the Prophet :J% to fig ht
and had no food except tree leaves: Th us, sa �d
ibn A bee Waqqaa� � suffered m uch for the sake
of Islam. He was considered to be one of the
most cou rageous Ara b a nd M u s l i m horsemen.
He possessed two wea pons: his spea r and h i s
suppl i cation. I n fact, his s u p p l ications were
a lways a nswered.
sa�d was one of the el ectors of the third
ca l i p h � uthmaan. H i s devotion to the ca use of
M u s l i m u n ity was so g reat that throug hout the
civi l wa rs, which fol l owed � uth maa n's d eath he
remained secl uded i n his h ouse and req uested
h i s fa m i ly not to i nform h i m of a nyth i n g that
h a p pened until the whole com m u n ity wou l d
a g ree u pon o n e leader. He died i n his home
in a i -� Aqeeq, nea r Madeenah, i n the yea r 55
AH. He was over eig hty when he d ied and l eft
vast wea lth beh i n d h i m a n d was b u ried i n
Madeenah.

:�·�'(1.32.
'-k:,,--:..,

sa �eed i bn Zayd �
"

sa�eed i b n Zayd � wa s a n early convert to I s l a m . He was h a rdly twenty

years old then. Sa �eed's father, Zayd i b n �Amr ibn N ufayl, had a ba ndoned
the rel igion of his people, the Q u rays h . Zayd d ied w h i le the Q u raysh were
b u i l d i n g the Ka�bah, five yea rs before the Prophet � bega n to receive
revelations.
sa �eed � was the h usband of Faa1i mah bint a i-Khattaa b, sister of
� u m a r, the second ca l i ph. It was inside the house of sa�eed a n d Faa1i m a h
that � u m a r converted t o I s l a m . sa�eed ibn Zayd � was a devout M u s l i m .
He partici pated with t h e Prophet :J% i n t h e Battle o f Uhud, t h e Battle of
the Trench, a n d a l l the other exped itions except for the Battle of Bad r.
This was beca use he was sent befo rehand by the Messenger of A l l a h :J%
with Ia lha h i b n � u bayd u l la h to find o ut the whereabouts of the Ma kka n
trading ca rava n . However, A l l a h's Messenger :J% gave h i m a share o f the
spoils of Badr and told him that he had a l l the reward of fig hting i n the
way of A l l a h there.
After the death of the P rophet :J%, sa�eed � contin ued to serve I s l a m
u nder e a c h ca l i ph. He partici pated i n ta king over Caesa r's throne a n d
d i m i n is h i n g his kingdom. He exh i b ited ra re a n d extraord i n a ry heroism i n
each battle. sa � eed i b n Zayd � partici pated i n t h e conq uest of Da mascus
and was a commander of the a rmies that ca ptu red Pa lestine and Syria.
sa �eed ibn Zayd � died in ai-' Aqeeq, a va l l ey west of Madee n a h, a n d
people ca rried h i m t o Madeenah, where he w a s b u ried. Severa l emi nent
Q u raysh ites b u i lt castles there. He was seventy-odd yea rs o l d when he d ied
in the yea r 50 or 5 1 AH/6 7 1 o r 672 C E. He was one of the ten Com panions
to whom the Pro p h et :J% p ro m i sed Pa rad ise d u ri n g their lifeti me .

•
 The Prophet's Scribes

The Prophet :i did not know how to read o r write. U po n the

a rriva l of waby ( revelation), he routinely ca l l ed for one of his scri bes
to write down the latest ve rses. Zayd i bn Thaa bit � narrated that,
beca use of h is nea rness to the Prophet's Mosque, he was often
s u m moned as scribe whenever the waby descended.
When the verse perta i n i n g to jihaad (strivi n g in the way of
A l lah) was revea l ed, the Prophet ;t ca l l ed on Zayd i bn Thaabit �
with a n i n k pot a n d writing material (the shou lder b l ade of a camel)
and bega n dictating. There is a lso evidence of proofread i n g after
d i ctation.
Once the task of record i n g of verses was com pl ete, Zayd
� wou l d read them out to the Prophet ;i to m a ke s u re that no
writing e rror had crept in. Tho u g h revea l ed verba l ly, the Q u r'a n
consistently refers to itself a s ai-Kitaab (the Book), a s something
written. In fact, verses were recorded from the ea rl iest stages of
Islam, even as the you n g com m u n ity suffered cou ntless h a rd s h i ps
u nder the wrath of the Q u rays h . Thus verses revea led in M a kka h
were recorded i n Makka h . M u s l i m sch o l a rs have recorded the
na mes of a pproximately sixty-five Companions who worked
a s scribes for the Prophet ;i at one time o r a n other. For fu rther
deta i l s, see M. M. a i-A'za mi, The History of the Qur'anic Text - From
Revelation to Compilation.
The A ra bic word for scribe is kaatib, which comes from the root
k - t- b, mea n i ng 'to gather, to put letters together, to record : The
word kaatib denotes one who writes, one who records. The word
kaatib occ u rs fou r times in the Q u r'a n : once in verse 283 in Soorat
ai-Baqarah a n d t h ree times in verse 282 in the sa me soorah).
The Proph et's scri bes included Abaa n ibn sa � eed, Abu Ayyoob
a i -An�aa ree, Abu Bakr a�-.S.iddeeq, Abu H u d hayfa h , Abu Sufyaan,
Abu Sa l a m a h , U bayy i b n Ka � b, Thaabit i b n Qays, Ja �fa r i b n Abee
Ia l i b, az-Zu bayr ibn ai-�Awwaam, Zayd i b n Thaa bit, � u m a r ibn a i ­
Khattaa b, � uthmaan i bn �Affaan, �Ali i b n A bee Iaa l i b and M u � a d h
ibn Jabal.
The scri bes set down the j u dgements the Prophet :i gave,
wrote l etters for h i m , d rew u p treaties between h i m and tri ba l
c h i efs a n d looked after the a d m i n istrative affa i rs.
 For Further Stu dy
a n d Research
What does the term �ab_a abee mea n ?
1 . Akbar Shah N ajeeba badi, The
0 Write short n otes o n t h e fol lowi ng History of Islam, Darussa l a m
companions of the Prophet �. P u b l ishers a n d D istri butOrs,
Mention a few things that were special Riyadh, 2001 .
a bo ut them that set them apart from 2. Kha l id M u h a m mad K h a l id,
the rest. Men around the Messenger,
Islamic Book Trust, Sela ngor,

1 . Abu Bakr a�-S.i ddeeq � Malaysia, 2005.

3 . Women a ro u nd the
2. � u m a r ibn ai-Kh attaab �
Messenger by M u h a m mad
3. � uthmaan i b n �Affaan �
Ali Q u1b; I nternational I s l a m i c
4. � A l i i b n A bee Iaa l i b �
P u b l i s h i n g House ( I I PH), 2007.
5 . �Abd u r-Rahmaan i bn �Awf '*'
4. N o u ra D u rkee, Those
6. Abu � u bayd a h i b n a i-Jarraah �
Promised Paradise, Vol . I, l q ra
7. Ia lha h i b n � u bayd u l la a h �
I nternational Educational
8. Sa�d i bn A bee Waqqaa��
Fou ndation, C h i cago, 1 999.
9. sa �eed i b n Zayd �
5 . N o u ra D u rkee, The First Ones,
Vol. II, l q ra I nternational
What does 'Prophet's Scri be' mean? Ed u cational Fou n d ation,
N a m e a few. C h i cago, 1 999.
6. Mahmood Ahmad Ghada nfa r,
Great Women of Islam who
were Given the Good News
of Paradise, Da russa l a m
Publ ishers a nd D istri b utors,
Riya d h, 200 1 .
7. D r. M a h d i Rizq u l la h Ahmad,
A Biography of the Prophet
of Islam (In the light of the
Original Sources: An Analytical
Study), translated by Syed
Iqbal Za heer, Da russa lam
P u b l ishers a nd Distributers,
Riyadh, 2005 .

•
 8.1 The Significance of the Muslim Ummah 224
8.2 The Teachings of Islam Concerning Personal Modesty 227
8.3 Respect for Others: Adab 229
8.4 A Word about I nternational Law 230
8.5 Islam and H u ma n Rights 230
8.6 Women and their Rights- in Islam 231
8.7 Relations with People of the Book 234
8.8 Principles of Finance i n Islam 236

M ad e e n a h

Riyadh Q

M a kka h
 M u sl i m s i n Relatio n to Others

blessings be upon them). Therefore, the Q u r'an

declares: ' Ma n kind was one single ummah
(co m m u n ity) ' . (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2:2 1 3) Later
as the popu l ation g rew, people were divided
'i nto nations and tribes, so that you may know
each other. I ndeed, the noblest of you i n the
sight of Allah is the most rig hteous of you :
The Sign ificance of the
(Soorat a/-fjujuraat, 49: 1 3) Th i s w a s A l l a h's p l a n .
Musl i m Ummah I n H i s Wisdom, He divided people i nto d ifferent
Ummah is the Q u r'anic word for people, races, la n guages a nd d iffe rent physica l feat J res
com m u n ity, nation or generation. Its p l u ra l to test them i n what He has g iven them. For
form i s umam. T h e term ummah is u sed for a Alla h's message to reach a l l nations, A l l a h sent
g ro u p of people who are related by a common to each ummah a messenger or wa rner to g u ide
creed or geogra p hical o r natural s i m i l a rity. The them to the rig ht path . A l l the messengers
exp ression is n ot l i m ited to h u m a n beings, but broug ht the sa me message from A l l a h, and a l l
is used in relation to other those w h o a ccepted this
species: message formed the
'There is n ot ummah as Musli ms.
a single animal This is mentioned in
trea d i n g o n the ea rth, P ro phet l braa heem's
nor a bird flyi n g with prayer i n Soorat ai­
its two wings, but Baqarah (2:1 28) and
they a re com m u nities a lso in Soorat ai-Hajj
(umam) l i ke you : (Soorat (22:78).
ai-An�aam, 6:38) Before the advent of Prophet
Th u s the word ummah prima rily M uha m mad �
the B a n u lsraa'eel
'
denotes a g ro u p of l iving beings h avi ng certa i n were the ummah entrusted to convey A l l a h's
chara cteristics or c i rcumsta n ces i n common. message to m a n kind. As they fa i led i n this d uty,
The expression ummah is a lso used in the this h o n o u r was handed over to the ummah of
G lorious Qu r'a n to mea n a period of time o r Prophet M uha mmad �. This was expressed by
a defi n ite period o r term (Soorat Hood, 1 1 :8; the change of the qiblah from Bayt ai-Maqdis
Soorat Yoosuf, 1 2:45) i n Jerusalem to the Ka � ba h i n Makka h . After
The h u m a n race is descended from the mentioning this change of the qiblah (the
c h i l d ren of one pair of m a le a n d female: d i rection of the Ka �bah i n Makkah, which has
Aada m and Hawwaa' (may Alla h's peace and to be faced i n �alaah), A l l a h says:
 'And thus We h ave made you to be a nation
of the m i d d l e way that you will be witnesses
over ma n kind and the Messenger a witness
over you . ' (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2 : 1 43).
The p h rase 'ummatan wa�aton' m i d d l emost
com m u n ity or j u stly bala nced i nd icates the
essence of Islam as a median com m u n ity,
avoiding a l l extremes a n d rem a i n i n g m oderate
and dign ified, and l eading a l l m a n kind to the
m i d d l e path of j u stice and peace.
The I m porta nce of the
M usl i m Com m u n ity
The status o f I s l a m i n t h e beg i n n ing was that
of a state with i n a state i n Makka h . M u s l i m s l ived
i n the city state of Ma kka h . They obeyed their
own leader, the Prophet of A l l a h � and tu rned
'
to h i m fo r g u id a n ce. After their emigration to
Madeenah, they fou nded a state and fra med a
constitution for it.
On reac h i n g Madeenah, the Prophet �
fou n d that it was i n h a bited by m a ny tri bes,
which h a d been fig hting with each other for
decades. AI-Aws a n d a i-Khazraj were the two
leading tri bes which belonged to Madeenah.
They had pledged to obey a nd defend the
Prophet � i n times of ease and adversity, even
a g a i nst their own self i nterest. B ut Madeenah
a lso conta i ned the Jews and a spri n kl i n g of
Ch ristians. There was no centra l a uthority, no
o rg a n ized system and n o g overnment. H avi ng
secu red the suppo rt a n d a l legia n ce of ai-Aws
a n d ai-Kh azraj, the Prophet � was, i n rea l ity,
the leader of the com monwea lth of Madeenah.
He com m a nded to the people of Madeenah
that they s h o u ld o rg a n ize themselves for the
p u rpose of d efence and j u stice and c hoose
thei r leader. The p roposal was accepted by the
loca l pop u l ation a n d tri bes.
The Prophet � d rew up a docu ment which
detai led the relation s between the Muhaajiroon
(Emigrant M u s l i m s from Ma kka h), the An�aar
(the Helpers, the M a d i n a n M us l i ms), the J ews
of Madeenah a nd a spri n kling of Ch ristians.
The a rticles of this document a re known i n
A rabic as S.afleefat ai-Madeenah, w h i c h l itera l ly
means the Document of Madeenah a n d is
com m o n ly tra ns lated into English as 'the
Constitution of Madeena h'. The document has
been p reserved i n an early biogra phy of the
Prophet � com posed by I bn 1�-haaq (d. 1 50
AH/767 C E), which was made ava i la ble to us
by his stu dent I bn H ishaam (d. 2 1 8 A H/833 CE).
The docu ment was d i ctated by the Messenger
of Alla h � gathering the Emigrants, the Hel pers
'
and the Jews into a single, u n ified ummah,
with the Prophet � as its leader and governo r.
These t h ree pa rties were ca l l ed the people of
the S.ab.eefah, signifyi n g the fact that they were
its principal signatories. ( Fo r d eta ils concern ing
the Sab_eefah, t u rn to D r. Za ka ria Bashier's
Sunshine at Madeenah, pp. 99- 1 20)
The h i sto rica l s i g n ificance of the Constitu­
tion is considera bl e beca use it g ives a very
clear idea of the natu re of the organ ized society
and of inte rfaith relations t h o u g ht of this ea rly
period. A l l a h's Messenger � g u a ranteed for the
Jews their rel igion and thei r p roperty and g ave
them s pecific rig hts a nd d uties.
 The Q u r'an a n d the b_adeeth a re the sources
of g u ida n ce for a l l M u s l i m s on h ow to cond u ct
their life and behave towa rds each other. The
Glorious Q u r'a n says,
' 0 you who bel ieve! Sta nd out fi rmly for
'The bel ievers a re to one another l i ke pa rts
of a b u i ld i ng - each part strengthening the
others. ' (Reported by a i-Bu khaaree a n d M u s l i m
o n t h e a uthority o f Abu M oosaa a i-As h � ree �)

A l l a h a n d be j u st witnesses and let not the
enm ity and h atred of others make you avoid
justice. Be j u st. That is nearer to piety, and fea r
A l l a h . Verily, A l l a h is wel l-acq uai nted with what
you do.' (Soorat a/-Maa'idah, 5 :8)
M u s l i m s and I nterpersonal
Relations
' You will not enter Pa rad ise u ntil you h ave
fa ith, and you ca nnot atta i n to fa ith u ntil you
love each other. ' (Reported by M u s l i m on the
a uthority of Abu H u rayra h �)
' Al l a h wi l l show n o mercy to those who
h ave no mercy towa rds people.' (Reported by
a i - B u khaaree a n d M u s l i m on the a uthority of
J a reer i bn �Abd u l la a h �)

The Messenger of A l l a h � said,

' He is not a believer who eats his fi l l w h i l e
'The whole of a M u s l i m for a nother M u s l i m
h i s n e i g h bo u r b y his s i d e rem a i n s h u n g ry. '
is i nviolable: h i s blood, h i s property and h i s
(Reported by a i-Bayhaqee on the a uthority of
honour. ' (Reported b y M u s l i m )
�Abd u l la a h i b n �Abbaas �)

' Each of y o u is a shepherd a nd each of

It is very i m portant to rea l ize that the
you is responsible for h i s flock. The leader is a
Prophet !; has made n o d i sti n ction between
shepherd and is responsible for h i s flock; a m a n
M us l i m s and non-M u s l i m s in matters of h u m a n
is t h e shepherd o f his fa m i ly and is responsible
a n d mora l obl i gations rel ating t o matters of
for h i s fl ock; a woman is the shepherd i n the
l ife, honour, property a n d h u m a n rig hts. As �Ali
house of her h u sband a n d is responsible for her
ibn A bee Iaa l i b !; bea utifu l ly put it,
flock; a serva nt is the shepherd of his master's
' If you a re d ea l i ng with a M u s l i m, you
wea lth a nd is responsible for it. Each of you is
a re dea l i n g with a brother in fa ith; if you a re
a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.'
dea l i ng with a non-M u s l i m, you a re d ea l i ng
(Reported by ai-Bukhaaree and M us l i m on the
with a brother i n h u ma nity. '
a uthority of �Abd u l la a h i b n � u m a r �)
Descri be the term ummah. Why is the M u s l i m ummah known a s
'ummatan wa�atan?
Expl a i n i n you r own words the Q u r'a n i c verse: 'Ma n ki n d was one
s i n g l e ummah (com m u n ity): (Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2:2 1 3)
What is the s i g n ifica n ce of the ummah of the Constitution that
was d rawn up by the Prophet :i?
What does I s l a m say a bout the relation s h i p we share with non­
M u s l i ms?

The Teachings of Islam

co n ce r n i n g Perso n a l
Modesty

I s l a m lays some genera l princi ples rega rding d ress a nd

person a l modesty. The first cond ition is that it s h o u ld be
lawfu l o r b_alaal, which ca rries the double sign ificance of
being ea rned lawfu l ly and n ot p ro h i bited by I s l a m .

Defi n ition of the Word �Awrah

The A ra bi c word �awrah (pl. �awraat) denotes pa rts

of the body which should be hidden from the eyes ( l it.
n a kedness) (Soorat an-Noor, 24: 3 1 ). It has been a g reed
on the basis of the teachings of the Qu r'an a n d the
Sunnah that the �awrah for a woma n is defi ned a s the
whole body except for the face and the hands. For a man,
the �awrah is defi ned as the a rea between the navel and
the knees. Th us, the basic req u i rements o r criteria a re:

a. A man s h o u l d fu l ly cover his
�awrah.
b. Men's clothes s h o u l d be loose
enough so as not to describe what
they a re coveri ng rawrah).
c. They s h o u l d be thick enough
so as n ot to descri be the colour o r
t h e skin o r the pa rts req u i red to b e
covered.
d. They s h o u l d not be designed
i n a way to attract attention. The
basic ru le of modesty and avoiding
showi n g off appl ies to all bel ievi ng
men and women.
e. They should not be s i m i l a r
t o what c o u l d b e identified as the
dress of the disbelievers.
f. They s h o u l d not be clothes of
fa me, pride a n d va n ity.
g. Men are n ot perm itted to wea r
silk a n d gold. This d oes not a pply to
wo men.
Defi ne the term �awrah . What is the �awrah for men a n d
What a re the c riteria o f t h e d ress code for M u s l i m s i n genera l ?
Dress Code for Women
The first req u i rement is t h e extent
of covering the �awrah. The d ress
s h o u l d be large enough to cover a
wom a n 's whole body (Soorat an­
Noor, 24:3 1 )
Khimaar (head cover): This is
the cloth which m u st cover a l l
of t h e h a i r o f t h e head, t h e neck
and the bosom.
A M u s l i m wom a n s h o u ld not
dis play h er bea uty and adornment
except fo r that which m ust
ord i n a rily a ppear of it, or that
which is apparent.
The part of the adornment
(zeenah) exem pted from the
above i nju nction i s 'the face a nd
the h a nds: Once the Prophet �
said, 'If a wom a n reaches the age
of p u berty, n o pa rt of her body s h o u l d be seen but this ­
and he poi nted to his face and hands: (Reported by Abu
Daawood)
Whatever a p pears of the wom a n's body owing to the
u n contro l l a b l e factors, such a s the b l owing of the wind, or
out of n ecessity, such as bracelets or even the o uter clothes
themselves fa l l s u nder 'that which is a p pa rent' (Soorat an­
Noor, 24:3 1 ) For a deta i led d iscussion concern i n g a M u s l i m
.
wom a n's garments, see Islamic Dress Code for Women,
p u b l is hed by Darussa lam.
 Respect for Others: Adab

The Arabic word adab means d isci p l i ne of the m i n d o r

every praiseworthy d isci p l i ne b y which a person is tra i ned
in a ny exce l l ence. Good mora l s and good man ners a re the
rea l test of a person's exce l l en ce. Good ness to o ne's pa rents
occupies a very h i g h pla ce in the mora l code of Islam, the
mother com i n g first, so m uch so that Pa radise i s said to be
beneath the mother's feet. Kindness and love for c h i l d ren
is incul cated, and s uffering on account of them is cal led a
screen from Hel lfi re. Being kind towa rds one's relatives is a
source of blessi ngs i n this l ife a n d the n ext. Wives h ave their
rig hts over their h usbands, a n d they m ust be kept in good
compa nionsh ip. The Prophet � once rema rked that the best
of men a re those who a re kindest to their wives, and it is
recommended that they s h o u l d help them in her work.
M u s l i m s a re brothers - mem bers of one body a n d pa rts of
one structu re - a n d thus m ust help one a nother a n d h o n o u r
b e i n g i nviola ble. They a re forbidden t o hate and boycott each
other. A neighbour, whether or n ot a M u s l i m, m ust be treated
kind ly. One m u st be kind a n d generous to one's serva nts o r
employees who m ust in a l l other matters b e treated on a
basis of eq u a l ity. Loo king after widows a n d orphans is a n a ct
of h i g h merit. Even a n enemy m u st be treated genero u sly.
I ndeed, A l l a h shows mercy to those who show mercy towa rds
h i s creatu res, even to d u m b a n i ma l s.
A M u s l i m m ust cu ltivate the ha bit of bei ng truthfu l, for
truth is the basis from which vi rtue springs, w h i l e fa lsehood
leads to vice. I s l a m emphasises the fact that M u s l i ms m ust
be fa i r and forg ivi ng in their dea lings with other people a nd
m ust avoid everyt h i n g which h u rts them. The Prophet �
made no d isti nction between M u s l i m s a nd non-M u s l i m s i n
matters o f h u m a n and mora l obl igations relating t o matters
of l ife, h o n o u r, property or h u m a n rig hts.
 A Word a bout Islam a n d H u man
I nternational Law Rig hts

I nternational law operates between Islam attac h es high i m porta nce to the
i ndependent and sovereign states. D r. preservation of human rig hts and the
M uha m m a d H a m i d u l l a h observes: fu nda menta l freedom of the i n d ivid u a l i n
' I nternational Law originated with the society. When w e spea k o f h u m a n rig hts i n
advent of Islam, and the M u s l i m s a re perhaps I s l a m, we mean those rig hts g ra nted b y A l l a h .
t h e o n l y nation i n t h e world, w h i c h c a n The basic h u ma n rig hts a re:
legitimately �-IP""""":�----IIIIIIilll
Il!J!I'I!I -
lll • The rig ht to life
to possess an
• The rig ht to the safety of life
i nternational law.
• Respect for the chastity of
An i nternational law
women
which is both truly
• The right to a basic sta n d a rd
' i nternationa l '
of l ife
'law' bega n
• The i n d ivid u a l rig ht to
with the Musli ms.
freedom
It was
• The right to j u stice
the ten yea rs
• The eq u a l ity of human
the Prophet's stay in
beings
Madeenah that the
• The right to cooperate
i nternational law came
and not to cooperate. This
to be form u lated.'
concerns the pra ctice of
(See D r. M u ha m m ad
good a nd evi l
H a m i d u l lah, The
• Protection of h o n o u r
Emergence of Islam)
• Freedom of
conscience a n d bel ief
• Protection of religious
sentiments

What is adab? Mention briefly a few traits that a believer m ust

have.
Why a re the h u m a n rig hts g ranted by A l l a h superior to a ny
rig hts that man can c h a rt out?
 Women a n d their Rig hts i n Islam

Islam confers o n wife to get a divorce

women n u mero u s from her h usband.
rig hts: t o be educated, Such dissol ution of
to i n herit and to ma rriage at the wife's
d ivorce, among other i n stance is cal led
things. In fact, I s l a m khur.
released women from Is l a m holds
slavery, honoured women in high
a n d p rotected them esteem. The O u r' a n
and i m p roved their reg a rd s men and
position in many women as eq u a l
ways. in personal a nd
The Q u r'a n g ives basic va l u es, but
protection to women. they have d ifferent
It forbids the Bedo u i n fu nctions that a re
custom of killing c o m p l e m e n ta r y.
i nfa nt g i rls. It g ra nts A woman is the
women rig hts which masterpiece of
women in the West ga ined only thi rteen Alla h's creation. S h e is that creation into
centuries later. The most i m po rtant of these whose d e l i cate hands is the futu re of the world
was the ma rried woma n's rig ht to dispose of entrusted. Once a woman asked the Prop het
her property i n c l u d ing, of cou rse, the bridal �� 'Men go to wa r a n d h ave a g reat reward for
gift (mahr) paid over to her by her h usband it. So what do women have?' He ;I said, 'When
at the time of the wedding. In fact, the Q u r'a n a wom a n is preg na nt, she has the reward of
g ranted women a s h a re i n fa m i ly inherita nce i n someone who spends the whole n i g ht prayi ng
t h e seventh centu ry. E u ropean women had to a nd the whole day fasti ng; when l a b o u r pains
wait u ntil the n i neteenth centu ry before they stri ke her, no one knows h ow m ush reward
g a i ned l eg a l rig hts over their own property. A l l a h g ives her. For havi ng to go t h ro u g h this,
I t is only j u st over a h u n d red yea rs s i nce the and when she del ivers her chi ld, then for every
B ritish parliament passed the Ma rried Women's suck it d raws from her, s h e receives reward
Property Act, which for the fi rst time gave wives for keeping a soul a l ive: He � also said that
a deg ree of i ndependence from their h usbands. if a wom a n d ies in c h i l d b i rth, she is cou nted
I n I s l a m, a widow o r a divo rced wom a n could as a ma rtyr; a nd the reward for m a rtyrdom is
ma rry a g a i n . It is q u ite possible for a n u n h a ppy Parad ise.
 The rea l fou n dation of women's dign ity is the
same a s that of men. Both a re eq ually l iable to fa l l
i nto wicked ways a n d both a re eq u a l ly capable
of fol lowing the rig ht path. Both a re equal in
worth but diffe rent in certa in qualities i n their
rol es. The path of progress is open to both a l i ke.
The reward for ach ievi n g this is the same for
both. I n some things, men excel women, while
i n others women excel men. Women i n Islam
have the right to demand a say i n the house
and i n p u blic l ife, to cond u ct business and to
have access to i nformation, knowledge and
education.
Whatever m ay be sa id by certa in misgu ided
Musl ims, edu cation is not sim ply a rig ht, but a n
obligation for women j u st a s i t is for men. To
seek knowledge throug hout his or her l ife is a
d uty i n c u m bent u pon every Muslim, rega rdless
of gende r.
The re i s, however, one thing that Islam
d i s l i kes: the disto rtion of h u m a n nature. Fai rness
and j u stice is that round pegs should be fitted
into rou n d holes and sq u a re ones i nto square
holes. The alternative is u ncomforta ble and
trou blesome for all concerned. It is u nfortunate,
however, that sometimes practice and princi ples
confl i ct i n the Muslim world concern ing the
position of women. Th is is a serious m atter for
those who n eg l ect their obl igations. As the
Prophet � stated,
'The believers who s h ow the most perfect
faith a re those who have the best cha racter, and
the best of you a re those who a re best to their
wives.' (Reported by at-Ti rmid hee)
It fol l ows that the 'worst' Muslim is one
who treats his wife bad ly. Among several
othe r reasons, there is essentia l ly one reason
for the a buse of women: misunderstanding
or ind iffe rence regard i ng the teachings of
the Q u r'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet �.
•
Women in the Prophet's household, that is, the
Mothers of the Believers, provid e ideal models
for Muslim women as wel l as for men. They
were caring, comm itted and were involved i n
l ife a round them. Above a l l, they had i m mense
dig n ity. Even the closest a mong the Prophet's
com panions were often surprised by the
freedom which the Prophet � a l l owed his wives
and by the respect he showed for their wishes.
But then what a bout equal ity? Th is term
has become a slogan ever since the French
Revol ution. It has become, as it were, associated
or l i n ked with sameness. Or one could ask: Are
a tiger and a lion eq u a l ? The questio n has n o
mea n ing. It is i l logical and a bsurd t o debate it.
I n fact, a wom a n is not the same as a man; she
is different. Islam has g iven men and women
different roles i n l ife. Science a lso testifies that
there a re severa l p hysical differences between
men and women. A woman is biologica l ly
different from a man beca use the two sexes
have d ifferent roles to play in society.
Women's place has traditionally been the
home. The responsibil ity for the m a i ntenance
of the fa mily i n a Muslim society is the ma n's. It
is his duty. The wife herself is responsi ble for the
ca re of her home. It is her responsi bil ity to m a ke
the l ife of her fa m i ly sweet and joyfu l . Th us the
question of eq u a l ity and ineq u a l ity of man
and woman raised in this regard is irrelevant.
Every h u man being is u n iq ue. Arg uments
as to whether men and women a re equal i n
Islam lead n owhere. M e n a re s u perior in one
context, women in a nother. Perhaps one ought
to conclude simply that both are su perior. The
Glorious Qu r'an says,
' I n a fai r manner, women have the same
rig hts agai nst their men, a s men h ave against
them; but men have a deg ree a bove them.'
(Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2:228)
 The s ky from which l ife-g ivi n g ra ins fa l l has a degree above
the earth, but they complement each other. I n this l ife, a man,
a s d i sti n g u ished from a woman, has a th ree-fold fu nction. He
l eads the prayers, he fig hts when it is necessa ry to d efend the
home a n d he toi l s to ea rn his fa m i ly's bread. The t h i rd of these
th ree fu nctions, however, is c h a ngeable.
A l l a h's Messenger's first wife a nd primary s u p port in
the early yea rs of h i s m ission was a successfu l a n d wea lthy
tradeswom a n . But the first two fu nctions a re not changea ble
and the m a n who fa i l s to fu lfil them has no 'deg ree' at a l l .
The Prop het � once observed that Pa radise l ies u nder the
feet of mothers. Hence, motherhood enjoys i m mense respect
in Islam. He a lso mentioned once that the whole world is to
be enjoyed, but the best thing in the world is a rig hteous
woman. In M u s l i m society, women a re respected and a re
provided special protection. Genera l ly, women emerge as
powerfu l mothers who control the l ives of the m e m bers of
the fa m i ly with ski l l a n d confidence. As h usbands g row older
a n d more i nvolved with matters outside the home, wives'
a uthority increases.
It is worth menti o n i n g here, however, that Islam m u st n ot
to be j u dged by the bad pra ctices of some Musli ms. It is true
that many M u s l i m women feel oppressed by their h u sba nds
and i n m a ny M u s l i m societies i n g enera l . Beca use m a ny such
women, who are i g norant of the bea utifu l Islamic teachings
rega rding women, seem to h ate I s l a m and attribute the
oppression to which they s u bjected to I s l a m .

I n I s l a m, women a re l i berated, n o t s u bjugated.

Discu ss.
Men a n d women a re eq u a l but n ot identica l . Explain
in the l i g ht of the d uties g iven to men and women
in Islam.
Why is motherhood g iven a superior status i n
Islam?
 Relations with Ahl ai-Kitaab or
the People of the Book
Ahl a!-Kitaab (the People of the Book) is a
Qu r'a nic expression. Ahl ai-Kitaab a re mainly
the Jews and the Christians on account of their
possessing and believi ng i n Divine Books of
revelation, namely the Tora h (at-Tawraah), the
Gospel (al-lnjeen and the Psa lms (az-Zaboor).
These provide the basis for the identification of
the People of the Book (ahi a/-Kitaab), meaning
those with revea led religions. While it is true that
they transmit their books in a falsified form, the
accepta nce of which as revea led Books gives
them a privileged station a bove fol lowers of
other rel igions.
Islam has always stressed that Ahl ai-Kitaab
must not be distu rbed in their public worship
and m u st be treated h u manely. It is worthy of
mention that after the death of the Prophet
ilj, who had h i mself expel led the Jews from
Madeenah on accou nt of their breach of pacts,
perma nent stay in Ara bia itself was forbidden
to them. The Qu r'a n criticizes both the Jews and
Christians for their misdeeds but also invites
them to reach a common meeting g round to
discuss the issues of m utual interest. (Soorat
AaP!mraan, 3 :64) It also instructs Muslims to
engage with them in good a rgument a bout the
faith. (Soorat a/-�Ankaboot, 29:46)
M u s l i m men are a l lowed to ma rry Jewish
and Christian women, and it is permissi ble for
Muslims to eat their food as wel l (Soorat ai­
Maa'idah 5:5). Tolerance to such a deg ree is
characteristic of Islam, and it is hard ly i m possible
to find such a characteristic among other faiths
and commun ities. Despite the fact that Islam
ta kes the People of the Book to task for their
u n bel ief and m isdeeds, it perm its a Muslim man
to ma rry a C h ristia n or Jewish woman who may
reta in her own fa ith even though she becomes
the head of his house, the mother of h i s children,
the source of his comfort and his mate for l ife.
A wa rni ng, however, is in order here. I n order
of preference, a bel ieving, pra ctising Muslim
woman who l oves her religion is prefera ble to a
nom inal Muslim woman who has inherited Islam
from her pa rents. It is obvious that a Muslim
woman, regard l ess of who she is, is better suited
to a Muslim man than a woman of Ch ristian or
Jewish faith, regard l ess of her merits.
Here a q uestion may be asked: why is it that
Islam a l l ows Muslim men to ma rry Christian
or Jewish women but does not al l ow Muslim
women to ma rry Jewish or Ch ristian men? It
is im portant to rea l ize that Muslims do not
believe that Jesus (Prophet � Eesaa �\) was the
son of God, but they do consider h i m, as they
consider Moosaa and l braa heem and a l l the
other prophets, a true prophet of Allah, a l l of
them having been sent to their own people i n
the same way a s the Last Prophet M uha m mad
� was sent to a l l mankind. So if a Jewish or
Ch ristian woman marries a M uslim, she may
rest assured that none of the persons who are
holy to her wi l l ever be spoken of d isrespectfu l ly
a mong her new fa mi ly.
While on the other hand, should a Muslim
woman ma rry a non-Muslim man, it is certai n
that he whom s h e regards as Alla h's Messenger
wi l l be a bused and perhaps even by her own
children: for, don't c h i l d ren usua l ly fol l ow their
father's faith? It wou l d not be fa i r, therefore, to
expose her to such pain and h u m i l iation. This
touches the kernel of a very i m portant problem.
While Islam guara ntees freedom of bel ief and
practice to a Muslim m an's Christian or Jewish
wife, safeg uard i ng her rig hts accord i ng to her
own faith, other religions, such as Judaism and
Ch ristian ity, do not guarantee the wife of a
d ifferent faith freedom of bel ief and practice.
It is, however, i m porta nt to note that while
there is a n express perm ission to marry women
who profess a revea led religion (Ahl ai-Kitaab),
What s h o u l d o u r d ea l i ngs be l i ke towa rds Ahl ai-Kitaab?
Why, a ccord i n g to Islam, d o you th i n k a M u s l i m man is a l lowed to ma rry a Ch ristia n or
Jewish woman, and n ot vice versa?
Alth o u g h A l l a h has permitted the food of the People of the Book for con s u m ption, where
s h o u l d a M u s l i m d raw the l i ne?
there is a clear pro h i bition to ma rry idolaters or
idolatresses. (Soorat a/-Baqarah, 2:22 1 )
Concern ing the slaug htered food of the
Scriptua ries, or A hi ai-Kitaab, the Glorious Qur'a n
decla res:
'Th is day, a lso made lawfu l for you a re a l l
wholesome th i ngs. Th us, t h e food of those who
have been given the scri pture is lawfu l for you,
and you r food is lawfu l for them.' (Soorat ai­
Maa'idah, 5:5)
It is i m portant to note that the i m pl ication
of the verse 'a lso made lawfu l for you a re a l l
wholesome thi ngs' is that what h a s been
forbidden does not belong to the category of
the wholesome or the good things of l ife (at­
tayyibaat) . Hence, the perm ission to pa rtake
of the food of the followers of other revea led
rel ig ions excludes, of cou rse, the forbidden
categories of meat mentioned i n verse 3 of
Soorat ai-Maa'idah. It is i nteresting to note
that the verse 'and you r food is lawfu l for them'
contains the kernel of this problem. What is
meant here is what is lawfu l to you, 0 Muslims, is
a l so lawfu l to the People of the Book, and not a l l
that they have made lawfu l to themselves, such
as pork. Therefore, if pork is offered to a M us l i m,
they cannot say that Allah has decla red that the
food of the People of the Book is lawfu l to the
Muslims. Rather, since pork is u n lawfu l to the
Musli ms, it is u n l awfu l to them as wel l, and they
a re s i n n i n g by consu ming it.
 Principles of Finance i n Isla m
The Ara bic word for trading is bay�,
which mean s both buying and sel l i ng. Islam
emphasises that every man m ust earn his
own l iving and every profession is, therefore,
honoura ble, even that of the hewer of wood.
Alla h's Messenger :;i said,
' No one has ever eaten better food than that
which he eats from the work done by his own
hand.' (Reported by ai-Bukhaaree)
' If one of you should ta ke his rope and bring
a b u n d l e of firewood on his back and then sel l
it, with which A l l a h should save his honour, it is
better for him than begging of people whether
they g ive him o r d o not give h i m : (Reported by
ai-Bukhaaree)
Among mea n s of l ive l i h ood, trade occu pies
the most promi nent place, the honest merchant
bei n g one of the rig hteous serva nts of Allah.
Alla h's Messenger :;i said, 'The truthfu l, honest
merchant is with the prophets, the truthfu l a n d
t h e ma rtyrs: (Reported b y at-Ti rmid hee) Th is is
'J •
beca use the truthfu I, honest merchant works for
the benefit of h u manity, and thus fi nds a pla ce
with those rig hteous servants of A l l a h whose
l ives a re devoted to the benefit of h u man ity.
Islam req u i res the sellers to be just i n
weig hing their goods:
'Give fu l l measure when you measure, a n d
weigh with a ba lance that is straig ht: that is the
most fitting and the most advantageous i n the
fi nal determ i nation.' (Soorat a/-/sraa', 1 7:35)
It is to be noted that this instruction appl ies
not only to commercial tra nsactions, but a lso to
a l l deali ngs between people. The seller is also
req u i red to be generous i n dea l i ng, and even
giving respite to those in easy circumstan ces
a n d forg ivi ng those in stra itened circumsta nces.
The Prophet ;:i said,
' May Allah h ave mercy on the man who
is generous when he buys, when he sel ls a nd
when he demands his d ue.' (Reported by a i­
B u khaaree)
 'A man from among those who were before you was called to account.
Nothing in the way of good was found for him except that he used to have
dealings with people and, being well-to-do, he would order his servants to
let off the man in straitened circumstances [from repaying his debt]. He (the
Prophet � said that Allah said: "We are worthier than you of that (of being so
generous). Let him off."' (Reported by ai-Bukhaaree)

If there is any defect in the goods sold, it m ust be made clea r to the
p u rchaser. The kinds of sa l e preva lent before I s l a m, in which the b uyer
was deprived of the occasion to exa m ine the t h i n g p u rchased, were made
u n l awfu l . The ta king of oaths i n sel l i ng goods is strictly forbidden. Specia l
instructions a re g iven as t o the sa l e o f food-gra i n s beca use they a re the
prime n eed of every individual, rich o r poor. S peculation in this prime
need of h u ma n ity is not a l lowed, and it is necessa ry that cerea ls m ust be
sold only after their possession has been obta i ned. Alla h's Messenger �
said, 'Whoever with holds cerea ls that may become sca rce and dear is a
wrongdoer: (Reported by Muslim) This bad pra ctice is tec h n ica l ly known
in the fladeeth as ifltikaar, a n d some g ra i n mercha nts, as wel l as other
traders, practise it to increase the price of g ra i n s when they come into their
possession. Speculation means if someone speculates fi nancial ly, they buy
pro perty, stock o r shares in the hope of bei n g a b le to sel l them again at a
h i g h e r price a nd thus m a ke profit.
I n o u r own days, ba n ks have made too m a ny risky loans, which now
ca n not be repaid, and they spec u l ate i n property whose va l u e has now
d ropped. Thus with holding food g ra i ns to ra ise their price a rtifici a l ly is
pro h i b ited. Deceivi n g a p u rc haser t h ro u g h a t h i rd pa rty offering a h i g her
price is strictly u n lawfu l. Perfect honesty is thus enjoined i n a l l busi ness
transactions. However, a uctio n or open sa l e to the h i g h est bidder is
a l l owed. Li kewise, ra ising the price of m i l k producing a n i m a ls by leaving
them u n m i l ked before their sale is prohi bited. This is actu a l ly a trick by
wh ich a p u rchaser is deceived and tem pted to pay a h i g her price.
Such a sale may be cancel l ed. Adva nce prices or earnest money cou l d be
paid o n ly when the mea s u re or weight a nd time of del ivery a re specifi ca l ly
determ ined. Trad e i n idols a n d the t h i n g s which a re fo rbidden as food, such
as wine and swi ne is u n l awfu l . There is, however, an express g u ida nce that
the skin of a dead a n i m a l should not be th rown away and benefit should
be derived from it. Islam came to erase idolatry a nd, therefore, it cou l d not
a l l ow trade in idols. Islam, in fact, looks u pon every profession as a service
to h u m a n ity besides being the means of earn i n g a l ivel i h ood.
 4. The Contract: This is t h e verba l offer a n d
accepta n ce; fo r i n sta nce, the buyer says: 'Sel l
me such-a nd-such a thing: Then the sel ler
res ponds, '! h ave sold it to you.'
5. Mutual Consent: No business tra nsaction
is va lid without the m utua l consent of both
pa rties.
A l l u n l awfu l means of a cq u i ri n g property
a re denou nced:
'0 you who bel ieve, d o not consume one
another's wea lth u nj u stly but o n ly [in lawfu l]
busi ness by m utual consent. ' (Soorat an-Nisaa',
4:29)
Bri bery and misappro priation a re strictly
forbidden:
Islam Forbids Ribaa (Usury)
' A l l a h com ma nds you to make over trusts to
The Qu r'an states, their owners. ' (Soorat an-Nisaa' 4:58)
'Al l a h has perm itted trad i n g a n d forbidden
ribaa: (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2:275) G a m b l in g is pro h i bited as being a fa lse o r
dishonest mea n s o f acq u i ri n g wealth. All kinds
of l otteries a nd the pl ayi ng of rou l ette, however
Pillars of Trade
s m a l l the s u m invo lved, fa l l within the game of
cha nce and a re, therefore, forbidden in I s l a m .
The p i l l a rs of trade
They n ot only promote the h a b i t o f i ndolence
a re five:
and a re thus negation of honest l a bo u r, but a l so
red uce some membe rs of society to extreme
1. The Seller: This
poverty, w h i l e others p rosper at thei r expense.
m ust be the owne r
Usu ry, which has been dealt with earlier, is
o f whatever they
also forbidden for the sa me reason. The word
sel l or they s h o u l d
ribaa (usury a n d i nterest) mea ns an addition
have the permission
over and a bove the principal lent. Therefore,
to sel l what they a re
it apparently incl udes a l l kinds of i nterestI
sel l i ng. The seller should
whether the rate is low or h ig h, a n d whether
be a responsible person .
the inte rest is o r is not added to the principal
2 . The Buyer.
s u m, after fixed periods. I nterest is oppressive
3. The Merchand ise: The goods i ntended fo r
for the debtor, a fact which is borne out by the
sale m ust be lawfu l, p u re and capa ble of being
history of indebted ness i n a l l cou ntries. Isla m i c
del ivered. They should be known to the buyer
fi na nce or Islam econom ics has a wea lth of
as to what they a re, even if they a re known by
extremely usefu l i nformation for o u r modern
thei r description .
economists and M BA's.
 Exp l a i n i n you r own words the b_adeeth: 'No one has
ever eaten better food than that which he eats from
the work done by h i s own hand:
G ive the sign ificance of the verse: 'Give fu l l measure
when you measure, and wei g h with a bala nce that
is stra ig ht: that is the m ost fitting a nd the most
adva ntageous i n the fi nal d eterm i nation: (Soorat al­
lsraa', 1 7:35)
List a few exa m ples of the forbidden trades.
What is the wisdom beh i n d forbidd i n g ribaa?

1 . �Abd u r- Rahm a n I . Doi, Sharee�ah: The Islamic Law, A S

Noordeen, M a l aysia, 2007.
2 . Dr. I bra h i m A bd u l la h ai-Marzouqi, Human Rights in
Islamic Law , Diane Pub Co, Darby, PA. 2000.
3 . Dr. Zaka ria Bas h ier, Sunshine at Madeenah, the I s l a m i c
Fou ndation, U K. 1 990.
4. Islamic Dress Code for Women/ Resea rch Division,
Da russa lam Publ ishers a nd Distributors, Riya d h , 1 999.
5 . D r. M u h a m mad H a m id u l l a h's The Emergence of Islam/
I nternational I s l a m i c U n iversity, Isla m a bad. 1 993.
�·

t> The Sou rces of Sharee'ah: Sources of

Rel ig ious and Legal Authority i n Islam
9

The Mea n i ng of Sharee�ah

Lingu istica l ly, Sharee�ah mea n s 'a way: 'a path'a n d 'the clear,
wel l-trodden path to a watering place'. I n Islamic terminol ogy,
it is used to refer to the matters of religion that God has
legis lated for His serva nts t h ro u g h H i s M essenger �. Th us,
after accepti ng Alla h's Oeen, the way one is req u i red to fol low
is the Sharee�ah-the way of legislation from A l l a h : 'Now We
have set you [0 M uha m mad] on a clea r path (Sharee�ah), so
fol l ow it: (Soorat ai-Jaathiyah, 45: 1 8)
Th us Sharee�ah is the divinely a p poi nted system, l egislation
from A l l a h, or code of cond uct to g u i d e manki nd straight to
the path of peace in this world a n d to eterna l bl iss in the l ife
to come. The affa i rs of this world a re seen by the Lawg iver i n
t h e l ig ht o f t h e interests o f the other world, that is, l ife after
death.
 The D ifference between Can the Sharee�ah be
Deen and Sharee� ah Changed now?

The m a i n d ifference between these two
term s is that whereas Oeen a l ways was, h a s
bee n, a n d sti l l i s one a n d the s a m e, m a ny
sharaa'r ( p l u ra l of Sharee�ah) from A l l a h were
revea led. Some were s u bseq uently re placed
o r c h a nged, but there was n o c h a n g e in the
Deen. A l l p ro p h ets a n d m essengers p resented
the same Oeen, but their sharaa'i� va ried to
some extent; for i n stance, the prescri bed ways
of perfo r m i n g the p rayers a n d observi n g fasts
were d ifferent d u ri n g t h e time of t h e ea r l i e r
pro p h ets. Th u s, Oeen rem a ined t h e sa me
t h ro u g h o ut, while p recise d eta i l s of fol l owing
it h ave va ried.
N o, the Sharee�ah bro u g ht by A l la h's Last
Messenger � ca n not be changed beca use it
is the Divi ne Law, A l l a h's legislation, and a l l
its commands a re s o made that none of them
ever conflicts with the rea l natu re and gen u i n e
needs o f people. The Creator a n d Susta i ner
of m a n kind knows what the true a nd basic
needs of His creation a re. With the passage of
time, new situations may a rise, and the M u s l i m
Ummah may interpret t h e Sharee�ah u nder
the g u idance of its lea rned scholars i n order to
u phold j u stice a n d right conduct. H owever, the
fu ndamenta ls of the Sharee�ah fou n d i n the
Qu r'a n a nd the Sunnah can n ot be cha nged.

The Bases of Sharee�ah

The Sharee�ah i s based on two m a i n sou rces:

� The Glorious Q u r'a n, and

� The Sunnah of the Prophet �.
The Sharee�ah a lso has the fol lowi ng two
secondary sou rces:

� ljmaa� (consensus of M u s l i m schola rs), a n d

� Qiyaas (analogical reason i ng)

The Q u r'an : The First Basic
Source of the Sharee�ah
The Qu r'a n is the book conta i n i ng the speech
of A l l a h revealed to Prophet M uha m mad � i n
Ara bic a n d transm itted t o us b y conti nuous
testimony. It provides proof M uhammad � is a
true messenger sent by A l m ig hty A l l a h . It i s the
most a uthentic and g e n u i n e g u ide for m a n kind
as wel l as the first source of the Sharee�ah.
I ndeed, it is the original sou rce from which a l l
principles a n d com mands of Islam a re d rawn.
All other sources explain the Q u r'a n, which is
the g reatest blessi n g to ma n kind.
The Q u r'an conta i n s 1 1 4 soorahs of unequal
length. The sho rtest soorah consists of o n ly
three aayaat (si n g u l a r: aayah), w h i le the longest
one consists of 286 aayaat.
The A ra bic word aayah has many mea n ings
which i nc l ude, among other t h i n g s, sign,
ind ication, m i racle, indicator, exa m pl e and
model. Hence, the word aayah is u sed in
different mea n i ngs i n the G l orious Q u r'an. Its
wide usage ca n be seen by the fact that aayah
i n its s i n g u la r form occu rs i n the Q u r'a n 86
ti mes, w h i l e its p l u ra l form aayaat occu rs 295
times. Thus, the Q u r'an is the 'Book of S i g ns'. Its
tra n slation into E n g l i s h a s verse or verses is not
accu rate.
Every n ow a n d then, the Q u r'a n reminds us
to reflect on ou rselves i n the vast u n iverse to
see the signs A l m i g hty Allah has scattered :
' We w i l l show t h e m O u r signs in the horizons
and with i n themselves u ntil it becomes clear to
them that this is the truth. l s it not sufficient that
you r Lord is witness over a l l things?' (Soorat
Fussilat, 41 :53)
Two Types of Qu r'a nic
Aayaat: Muhkamaat and
Mutashaabihaat
There a re two types of Q u r'a n i c verses:
those that a re clea r a n d decisive in their
mea n i n g s (mub.kamaat; s i n g u lar: mub.kamah),
and those which h ave va rious interpretations,
appl i cations or val ues (mutashaabihaat;
singu l a r: mutashaabihah).
The term mub.kamah (masc u l i ne: mub_kam)
mea n s 'clear and decisive'. Th us a mub.kam verse
is one that is clear in its mea n ing, decisive in its
cla rity a n d u n de rsta nd i ng a nd thus not open to
i nterpretation. lt is a verse whose i nterpretation
i s known and its mea n i n g is u n de rstood,
clear a n d precise. The mub.kamaat, basic or
fu nda mental, verses a re the fou ndation of the
Book; they a re the 'Mother of the Book:
 The mutashaabihaat (sing. mutashaabih) An example of a mub_kamah verse is
verses a re ca l l ed as such beca u se their
mea n i ngs a re n ot wel l-esta blished, as they
genera l ly relate to the t h i n g s that ca n not be
seen by h u m a n beings. No one can fathom Al-b_amdu lil/aahi rabbii-(Aalamieen (Al l

their rea l mea n i ng except A l l a h . However, we praise is d u e to Allah, Lord of a l l the worlds)

a re req u i red to believe i n a l l of them. (Soorat a/-Faatib_a h, 1 : ·1 )

The word mutashaabihah (mascu l i ne:
The fol lowi ng is al so a n other exa mple of a
mutashaabih) comes from the tri latera l root
mub_kamah verse:
sh - b - h, which means 'resem b l a n ce, l i keness
or s i m i l a rity between two o bjects: 'to be or
become a l i ke: and 'unclea r, which can not be
u n derstood in m ore than one wa/.
It is obvious that objects which resemble
one a n other a re difficult to d isti n g u i s h . They '0 you who bel ieve, whenever you g ive o r
a re, therefore, unclear. It is i m po rta nt to n ote ta ke c redit for a specified period, write i t down.
that mutashaabih does not mean a l legorica t as A writer s h o u l d write it d own between you
some tra n s lators of the mea n i ngs of the Q u (a n justly. ' (Soorat ai-Baqarah, 2:282)
c l a i m . (See, for i nsta nce, M a rma d u ke Picktha lrs This relates to both the g iver a nd taker of
Tra n slation, Soorat Aal 'lmraan, 3:7) credit.

Th us, those aayaat that deal with b_a /aa/ (lawfu l) and b_araam (forbidden)
matters, i n herita nce, promises, a nd the l i ke, belong to mub_kamaatcategory,
while those concern ing the true natu re of resu rrection, judgment, l ife after
death, and the l i ke, belong to the mutashaabihaat category.
I n short, the Q u r'a n is the rea l foundation on which the whole
su perstruct u re of Islam rests. It is the a bsol ute and fi n a l a uthority i n every
d iscussion relating to the pri nciples and laws of I s l a m . It is perfectly right
to say that the Qu r'a n is essenti a l ly the sole sou rce from which all the
teachings and practices of Islam a re d rawn.

What is meant by the word Sharee(ah?

What is the d ifference between Shareetah and Oeen?
Mention the va rious sou rces u pon which the Sharee(ah is based?
Expla i n the term aayaat. Mention the two types of aayaat i n the
Qu r'a n a nd exp l a i n their mea n i ngs.
 Tafseer

Tafseer, the
i nterp retation and
exp l a n a t i o n of the
text of the Noble
Q u r'an, i s t h e m ost
i m p o rta nt s c i e n ce
in I s l a m . The ri g ht
a p p l i cation of
I s l a m i s based o n t h e
r i g ht u n d e rsta n d i n g o f A l l a h 's the
g u ida n ce a s re p rese nted by t h e Q u r'a n . Qu r'a n
Wit h o u t tafseer t h e re wo u l d be n o co rrect often a l l udes to
u n d ersta n d i n g of va r i o u s p a s s a g es of t h e s o m e t h i n g b riefly i n one p l ace a n d
Q u r'a n . t h e n exp l a i n s i t i n d eta i l i n a d iffe rent pl ace.
T h e A ra b i c wo rd tafseer i s d e rived fro m t h e The second t h i n g to d o i s to refer to the
root verb 'fassara ', w h i c h mea n s 'to exp l a i n , exp l a n ations of t h e Pro p h et � who n ot o n ly
to i nterp ret'. Th u s, tafseer mea n s ex p l a n a t i o n com m u n i cated the words of the Q u r'a n but
o r i nterpretati o n o f t h e G l o r i o u s Q u r'a n . T h e a l so exp l a i ned their mea n i n gs. The t h i rd thing
t e r m tafseer i s u s u a l l y tra n s l ated i nto E n g l i s h to d o is to refer to t h e expl a nations p rovided
a s exeg e s i s - t h e d eta i l e d exp l a n a t i o n . by the Pro p h et's compa n i ons bec a u se they
H e n ce, a n exegete i s t h e p e r s o n w h o exp l a i n s u nd e rstood the Q u r'an bette r t h a n a nyon e
a n d i nte r p rets. T h e term tafseer occu rs o n ly e l se, witnessed its revelation, knew the
o n ce i n t h e Q u r'an (Soorat a/-Furqaan, 2 5 : 3 3 ) c i rc u m sta nces in which it was revea l ed
T h e word mufassir ( p l u ra l : mufassiroon) a n d lea rned its m ea n i n g s d i rectly from t h e
refe rs to the person who u n d erta kes t h e P rophet �. The fou rth t h i n g t o d o is t o refer
t a s k of tafseer; t h a t i s t o say, t h e exeg ete o r to the tafseer g iven by s c h o l a rs i n the next
co m m e ntato r. Th u s, tafseer wo u l d mea n t h e two generations after the compa n io n s: At­
s c i e n ce t h ro u g h w h i c h t h e B o o k o f A l l a h c a n Taabi� oon (successors) a n d Taba�-ut-Taabi'een
be u n d e rstood. (th e i r s uccessors) beca use their tafseer was
O n e ca n seek t h e exp l a n at i o n of t h e n ot i nfl u e n ced by foreign ideas a n d is, to be
Q u r'a n from t h e Q u r'an itse lf. I n A Concise s u re, the p u rest exposition in the s p i rit a n d
Children's Encyclopaedia of Islam we rea d : the l etter o f the Q u r'a n . '
'The fi rst t h i n g t o d o t o u n d e rsta n d t h e
Q u r'a n is t o refer t o the Q u r'a n itself beca use

The English Language and
Tafseer
There a re a n u m be r of excel lent
commentaries on the Q u r'an i n A ra bi c from
which the Ara bi c reader may benefit. However,
the Eng l ish reader, who does not h ave access
to such works, will certa i n ly have to face the
harsh rea l ity that the n u m ber of q u a l ity works
in E n g l i s h exp l a i n i n g the Q u r'a n is i nsufficient,
to say the lea st. The fol l owi ng a re some of the
works which the English reader may consult
i n order to deepen his u ndersta n d i n g a nd
knowledge of the Q u r'an.
1. Tafseer ibn Katheer by lsmaa'eel ibn ' Am r
i b n Katheer ad-Dimashqee ( d . 774/ 1 3 72), one
of the most fa mous scholars of his time, under
the title Tafseer ai-Qur'aan ai-Adheem, which
has been pri nted on va rious occasions i n fou r
or eight vol u mes. Its a bridged version has
been edited by M uhammad �Ali a.s.-.S.aa boonee.
M a kta bah Da russa lam has prod u ced
complete Eng l ish transl ation of a n a bridged
version of I bn Katheer's commenta ry, and it is
ava i l a bl e i n ten beautifu l ly pri nted vol u mes.
2. Towards Understanding the Qur'an: This
is the English version of Tafheem ai-Qur'an
by Abu I-A � laa a i -Mawd udee (d. 1 979). Two
d ifferent Engl ish tra nslations from U rd u a re
ava i la ble. The revi sed one with a n excel lent
English tra nslation i s bei n g publ ished by The
Islamic Fou n d ation, U K. To date, eight vol u mes
have been p u b l ished .
•
3. Interpretations of the Meanings of the
Noble Qur'an by Dr. M uhammad Taq iyy-ud­
Deen a i - H i l aalee and D r. M uha m m a d Muhsin
Khan. One chara cteristic that disti n g u ishes this
tafseer/tra nslatio n from other works ava i l a b l e
i n E n g l i s h is t h a t the tra nsl ators have d o n e their
best to stick to the mea n i n g s of the verses of the
Qu r'a n as a re fou n d i n what is reported from
the Messenger of Alla h � the Compa nions and
'
their fol l owers. This work has been p u b l is hed
by Darussa lam in 9 vol u mes.
4. Tafseer-ui-Qur'an: Translation and
Commentary of the Holy Qur'an by M a u l a n a
Abd u l Maaj id Da rya badi. T h i s work is ava i l a b l e
i n fou r vol u m es.
5. Ma�aarif-ui-Qur'aan: A Comprehensive
Commentary on the Holy Qur'an by M a u l a n a
Mufti M u h a m mad Shafi'i. This commenta ry,
which is a n Eng l ish version of the original U rd u
work, i s ava i l a b l e i n 8 l a rge vol u mes and has
been p u bl ished by M a kta ba-e-Da ru l U loom,
Kara chi, Pa kista n .
6. Tafseer Jshraaq ai-Ma�anee b y Syed I q ba l
Zaheer. This fou rteen-vo l u me work, which
has been p u bl ished by l q ra Welfare Trust,
Bangalore, I ndia, is written by a contem pora ry
a
writer who l ives and works in Riya d h, Saudi
Arabia. It conta i n s explanatory m ateria l from
old a n d new tafaaseer ( p l u ra l form of tafseer) .
Th e E l
la ngl
and r,
 Tra nslations of the Mea n ings of the
Qur'a n i n E n g l ish

Some o f t h e most popu l a r E n g l i s h translations a re:

1. The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an by M uha m mad Marmad u ke Picktha l l,

a convert from Ch ristian ity to I s l a m, who was a n ovel ist, esteemed by D. H.
Lawrence a n d E. M . Foster, as wel l as a j o u rnalist, headmaster, a nd pol itica l a nd
religious leader. The English tra nslation is to some extent fa ithfu l to the Qu r'a n
i n its p resentation a nd, l i ke a ny other tra n slation, does h ave a few e rrors. The
text sta n d s with no expla nations or footnotes.

2. The Holy Qur'an: Translation and Commentary by tAbd u l la h Yu suf tAli. This
work has a p pea red i n more than t h i rty-five editions of record a nd proba bly
m a ny u n registered ones. It has been twice revised, once i n the U SA by Amana
P u b li cations in 1 989 and at nea rly the same time i n Saudi Ara bia by the
Presidency of Islamic Resea rches, lfta, Ca l l a nd G u ida n ce and the King Fa h d Holy
Q u r'a n Printing Com p l ex i n 1 990.

3. The Noble Qur'an: A New Rendering of its Meaning in English by Abda lhaqq
and Aisha Bewley. This is a, simple and readable tra n slation without explanatory
n otes.

It is worth noti ng here, however, that no matter h ow h a rd translators try to

render the mea n i n g s of the Q u r'a n i nto E n g l ish, or a ny other language for that
matter, they will by n o mea ns prod uce a tra nslation that is s i m i l a r i n bea uty, style,
g randeur as the Q u r'an itself. As the author of A Concise Children's Encyclopaedia
of Islam p uts it:
'The Q u r'a n is perfect o n ly as
, slatio n s revealed in Ara bic. Tra n s l ations a re
1fa t� e Mea n i ngs
'
the resu lt of h u m a n effort a n d h u m a n
of e our'a n
� �,..gush
f ttl
i m perfection; they also l a c k the i nspired
wonderfu l style norma l ly fou nd in
t h e Qu r'a n . Translations a re therefore
o n ly commentaries on the Q u r'a n, o r
"tra nslations o f its mea n i n g': n ot t h e
Q u r'a n itself. '
 The Sunnah of the Prophet �'
the Second Basic Source of the
Sharee�ah

Sunnah, or b_adeeth, is the seco nd primary source

from which the laws of Sharee�ah a re d rawn. There
a re th ree types of Sunnah:
1 . Sunnah Qawliyyah:That is, what the Prophet
� said,
1 . Sunnah Fi�liyyah: That is, what he d id, a n d
1 . Sunnah Taqreeriyyah: That is, what he saw a n d approved.

The Q u r'a n genera l l y deals with the broad princi ples of rel ig ion,
going i nto deta i l o n ly i n very ra re cases. The detai l s a re provided
by the P rophet � h i m self, either by s howi n g in his pra ctice how a
command ought to be carried out, or by g iving a n expla nation i n
words. The two m ost i m porta nt religious i n stitutions of I s l a m, for
i nsta nce, a re the prayer (salaat) and the p u rifying d ues (zakaat) .
However, when the commands relati n g to �a/aat a n d zakaat were
delivered, no deta i l s were s u p p l ied. It was the Prophet � h i mself
who, by his own exa m p l e, g ave the deta i l s of the prayers a nd the
ru l es and reg u lation s for the payment and col l ection of zakaat.
These a re but only exa m ples. It s h o u l d be remembered that I s l a m
covers the w h o l e sphere o f h u m a n a ctivity. H u n d reds o f poi nts
had to be explained by the Pro p het's exa m ple in action a nd word.
The Prophet's exa m pl e is the best model which every M u s l i m is
req u i red to fol l ow. Therefore, a person who a ccepts Islam sta nds i n
need of both t h e Q u r'an and the Sunnah. For Musli ms, t h e Pro p h et
� is the perfect exa mple for a l l time a nd the best of h u m a n kind.
The Qu r'a n declares him to be a ' bea utifu l model' a n d a n exce l lent
exa mple to follow' (Soorat a/-Ab_zaab, 3 3 :2 1 ) who was sent a s a
'mercy to the worlds' (Soorat ai-Anbiyyaa', 2 1 : 1 07) .

•
•
 When �Aa'i s h a h � the Pro p het's
'
wife, was once a s ked a bout the
The Other
Prophet's c h a racter, s h e s i m p ly rep l i ed
that h i s c h a ra cter was the Q u r'a n itse lf. Secondary Sou rces
I n fact, h i s entire l ife, whateve r he sa id of the Sharee� ah
o r d i d, was a ccord i n g to the tea c h i n g s
o f t h e Q u r'a n . Th us, b y studyi n g a l l t h e
events o f h i s l ife a s we l l as h i s tea c h i n g s
together with all the a uthentic
b_adeeth, we get a co m pl ete tafseer
of the Q u r'a n put i nto practice by t h e
Messe nger o f A l l a h � h i mse lf. W e have
a l ready d i scussed the authority a n d
i m porta n ce o f t h e Sunnah i n a n earlier
c h a pter. It can be poi nted out here
that A l l a h's Messe n g er � said, 'l n deed,
I h ave been g iven the Book a n d what
i s s i m i l a r to it: (Reported by Abu
Daawood a n d classified a s '�ab_eeh' by
Shaykh a i-Ai baa n ee) This m ea n s that
the Pro p h et � received two fo rms of a . The ljmaa1 (Consensus)
revelation: the fi rst one i s recited in
ljmaa� is the consensus o f l eg a l opi nions o f the
the G l o ri o u s Q u r'a n a nd t h e seco nd
l ea rned M u s l i m scholars (�u/amaa') after the death
i s h i s Sunnah, w h i c h a ltho u g h n ot
of the Pro p h et �. It can be defi ned a s the consensus
recited, i s sti l l considered revelation
of o p i n ion of the Companions of the Prophet � a nd
from A l l a h .
the a g reement reached on the decisions ta ken by
the lea rned scholars, those who have a right in virtue
of their sound knowledge, to form a j u dgement.
The Prophetic tradition (b_adeeth) which states 'My
com m u n ity w i l l never a g ree u po n an error' is often
What is tafseer?
cited in s u pport of the va lid ity of ijmaa�.
What a re the foremost
sources of tafseer?
ljmaa� is derived from the A ra bic word jam �,
which means 'col lecti n g o r gatheri ng together' a nd
What is the d ifference
ca rries the two-fold significance of com posing and
between a tafseer a nd a
setting a n u nsettled t h i n g . /jmaa� is the resu lt of a
tra nslation?
strenuous effort made by M u s l i m scholars who a re
What is Sunnah?
wel l-versed i n the Q u r'a n and the Sunnah a nd who
What a re the three d ifferent
work together to reac h a n a g reement formula for
types of Sunnah?
solvi n g a parti c u l a r problem.

•
 b. Qiyaas
The second of the two secondary sou rces of
the Sharee�ah is qiyaas. Qiyaas l itera l ly means
'measuring by or com paring with, or judging
by someth ing: Briefly, it may be described as
reasoning based on ana logy. If you m a ke or
d raw a n ana logy between two th ings, you show
that they a re s i m i l a r in some way.
A case comes u p for decision, which is not
expressly provided for either i n the Qu r'a n
or i n the b.adeeth. The j u rist looks for a case
rese m b l i n g it in the Qu r'a n o r in the b.adeeth,
Fiqh (Islamic J u risprudence)
and, by reason i n g on the basis of a n a logy,
a rrives at a decision; for exa mple, no one
'fixed' heroin in the time of the Prophet � so
'
he never considered it. Th ro u g h the use of
qiyaas, however, M u s l i m schol a rs a re able to
compare the i ntoxicating d rugs with alcohol
a nd conclude that d rug-ta king is forbidden in
the Sharee�ah, j u st as alcohol is forbidden.
If the Qu r'a n has forbidden wi ne, this means
that by ana logy it has forbidden any form of
intoxicating d ri n k or su bsta n ce w hose effect
is j u st l i ke wine, namely, one which ca uses
i ntoxication.
The term fiqh comes from
the tri latera l root f - q - h,
which mea ns 'to understa nd,
to lea rn, to acq u i re knowledge,
com p rehension: Of this root,
two forms occ u r in the G lorious
Q u r'an twenty times: tafaqaah
1 9 times a nd yatafaqqah once.
Yafqahu means 'to u nd ersta nd,
to comprehend' (Soorat Hud,
1 1 :9 1 ), yatafaqqahu mea n s 'to
endeavo u r to g a i n u nderstandi ng,
to seek knowledge' (Soorat at­
Tawbah, 9:1 22). Thus fiqh mea n s
the science o f the a ppl i cation of
the Sharee�ah. An expert in fiqh
is cal led a faqeeh. In fiqh, actions
a re d iscussed, a nd there a re
five catego ries of behaviour i n
descending order of lawfu l n ess.
1 . Farf!_ or Waajib (Obligatory): Th i s refers to
an action which the Lawg iver strictly req u i res to
be done. A person who performs an obl igatory
act o ut of obedience to A l l a h is rewa rded, while
a person who does n ot do it without a va l id
reason deserves to be p u n ished.

2. Mandoob or Mustal!abb (Recom mended):

This refers to a n action which the Lawg iver
recommends to be done but does n ot strictly
req u i re it. A person who performs it out of
obedience to A l l a h is rewarded, and a person
who does not d o it will not be p u n ished.

3. Mubaal! (Perm issi ble): This refers to

an action which the Lawg iver has neither
req uested nor forbidden. Therefore, doing it
is a bsol utely perm issible. If a person does it to
enable h i mself to perform an a ct of obed ience
to A l m i g hty A l l a h, or refra i n s from it for the sa me
reason, he will certa i n ly be rewa rded for doing
so. However, if he does it a s a mea n s to perform
an a ct of d isobedience, he will be comm itting
a sin.

4. Makrooh (Disliked): This refers to an action

which is the opposite of a recommended
(mandoob) a ct. A person who refra ins from
such a n a ct o ut of obedience to A l l a h w i l l be
rewa rded, a nd a person who does it will not
deserve to be p u n ished.

5. Haraam (Unlawfu l): Th is refers to a n act

which the Lawg iver strictly forbids. A person
who comm its an u n l awfu l act deserves
p u n is h ment, w h i l e a person who refrai n s from
it out of obedience to the com m a n d of A l l a h
w i l l b e rewa rded.
 h a s been i s s u ed . I n t h i s case, a M u s l i m 's
c o n s c i e n ce a n d h e a rt h e l p t h e m to k n ow
t h a t a n a ct i s s i n fu l . The m i n o r s i n s a re n ot,
h oweve r, to be ta ke n l i g htly, a s d i sobeyi n g
What is ijmaa�?
A l l a h i s a l ways a seri o u s m atter. Th ese s i n s
Mention a n exa mple where ijmaa' i s
ca n e a s i l y l e a d s o m e o n e t o co m m it a major
used.
s i n, and re peate d l y co m m itt i n g a m i n o r s i n
What is qiyaas?
w i l l c h a n g e its status t o t h a t o f a m aj o r s i n .
Mention an exa mple where qiyaas is
u sed.
Re pe nta n ce w i pes o u t s i n s, b u t th ere a re
What is fiqh?
t h ree c o n d i ti o n s w h i c h a re p e nta nt person
List the categories of fiqh.
m u st meet so that A l l a h may a ccept h i s
re pe nta nce:
Muslim s c h o l a rs d i sti n g u i s h b etween
t h ree leve l s of t h e u n l awfu l : 1 . to desist fro m t h e s i n ,
2 . t o reg ret havi n g d o n e it, a n d
1 . AI-Kufr { D isbelief ) : S i n s w h i c h take a
3 . t o reso lve n ever to c o m m i t it a g a i n
pers o n o ut of t h e fo l d of I s l a m ; fo r i n sta n ce,
to d e n y t h e exi stence of A l l a h , a ny of H i s
Th i s, h oweve r, a p p l ies o n ly t o t h ose s i n s
Att r i b utes, a ny verse of t h e Q u r'a n o r a ny
w h i c h i nvolve t h e r i g hts o f A l l a h , t h at is, i n
of t h e p ro p h ets m e n t i o n ed i n t h e Q u r'a n ,
w h i c h n o other perso n i s affecte d . If t h ey
o r t o rev i l e A l l a h o r H i s Messe n g e r �- These
rel ate to t h e rig hts of a n other person, t h e n
a re m e re l y a few exa m p les; you may con s u l t
a fo u rt h c o n d i t i o n i s to be m et, n a m e l y,
a ut h e n t i c books o n t h e s u bj ect o f fiqh .
to ret u rn t h e rig hts o r p rope rty o n e h a s

2. AI-Kabaa'ir {the Major Sins): Al-kabaa'ir wrongfu l l y t a k e n .

(s i n g u l a r: kabeerah) a re a cts w h i c h a re I t i s i nteresti n g t o rea l i ze t h at t h e m e rit o f

expressly fo r b i d d e n i n t h e Q u r'a n o r by a n act va ries. Fa sti ng, fo r exa m p l e, i s u n l awfu l

P ro p het M u ha m m a d �, o r fo r w h i c h th e re o n � Eed-ui-Fitr day, o b l i g atory befo re it, a n d

i s a b_add p u n i s h m ent u n d e r I s l a m i c law. A reco m m e n d ed a fter it. D ress i n g o n e's best

b_add p u n i s h m e n t i s a p u n i s h m ent specified i s g ood o n � Eed day or o n Friday, but not

by A l l a h i n the Q u r'a n . These s i n s i n c l u d e d u ri n g the p raye r fo r see k i n g ra i n (,ialaat-ul­

wo rs h i p p i n g or associati n g others with istisqaa'), a n d so fo rth .

A l l a h i n wors h i p (shirk) , c o m m itti n g m u rd e r, I s l a m i c fiqh i s a very i nteresti n g a n d

c o m m itt i n g s u i c id e, d i s o beyi n g o n e's p a rents rewa rd i n g s u bj ect.

and n ot o bserv i n g the five d a i ly p raye rs.

3. A�-S.aghaa'ir {the M i nor S i ns): A,i­

S.aghaa'ir (si n g u l a r: ,iagheerah) a re a cts
w h i c h a re d i s p l e a s i n g to A l l a h but fo r w h i c h
n o s p ec ifi c p u n i s h m ent o r severe wa r n i n g
 What a re the three con d itions for repenta nce to be
a ccepted?
M u s l i m scholars d isti n g u i s h between three levels of the
u n lawfu l. What a re they?
Mention some a cts which may be catego rised as 'm inor
sins:
Mention some a cts which may be catego rised a s 'major
sins:
What is the one m ajor sin, d o you t h i n k, which A l l a h never
forg ives u n less the person who com m its it a ba ndons it
a ltogether?

Fu rther Read i n g

1 . Assayyid Saabiq, Fiqh-us-Sunnah tra nslated by M uha m mad

Sa eeed Dabbas and M.S. Kaya ni, American Trust P u b l i cations,
P l a i nfield, l ndiana,1 992.
2. M uham mad S u bhi ibn Hasa n H a l laaq, Fiqh According to the
Qur'an and Sunnah, tra nslated by Sameh Stra nch, Daru ssa lam
Publ ishers and Distributors, Riya d h, 2009.
3 . eAbd u i-Azeem Badawi, The Concise Presentation of the Fiqh of
the Sunnah and the Noble Book, tra ns lated by Jamaal a i-Deen M.
Za ra bozo, I nternational I s l a m i c P u b l i s h i n g House, Riyadh, 2007.
4. M uham mad ibn .S.aa l i h al-e Uthaymeen, Islamic Verdicts on the
Pillars of Islam, a rra nged by Fa h d ibn Naa�ir i b n l braa heem as­
S u laimaan, Da russa l a m Publis hers and Distri butors, Riyadh, 2002.
5 . eAbd u r-Rahman I. Doi, Sharee'ah: The Islamic Law, Ta-Ha
Publ ishers, London, 1 984.
6. M uham mad H a s h i m Ka m a l i , Principles ofIslamic Jurisprudence, 3'd

edition, The I s l a m i c Texts Society, U K, 2005.

7 . Ahmad Hasan, The Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Kazi
Publ ications I n c, C h i cago, 1 993.
8. A Concise Children's Encyclopaedia of Islam, AI-Ara bee Ben
Razzouq, Darussa l a m Publ ishers a n d Distributors, Riyadh, 2007.