Were these Proclamations a mere Show?

These were the manifestations of the philanthropy of our civilization, at work in its basic concepts also and manifest in its laws when they were proclaimed for the people. Now the question arises whether it factually behaved like that when it came in power. Or this principle just remained on paper like the Charter of Human Rights of the United Nations, whose anniversary is celebrated every year with great pomp and show, but the great powers of the world are trampling them under their feet every days, every hour throughout the year. Again, were these principles confined to the countries in which they had been proclaimed like the principles of the French Revolution that remained limited to the confines of France only, and those in the French dominions, colonies and those under mandatory rule were denied the privileges of liberty, equality and fraternity? Has any statue of liberty been erected anywhere else in the world like the one standing on the sea shore in New York that every one entering that country witnesses? And in the world outside, American policies and activities are practically chiding liberty, and the lovers of peace and liberty are being oppressed and crushed.

Magnanimity of Islam

The Islamic Law is still more magnanimous, and irres-pective of faith, race and race faith, and colour, it honours the entire humanity. The Qur'an declares: {We have honoured the sons of Adam}

This honour is the birthright of all persons, and with respect to creed and knowledge and the mode of living provides the same opportunities for all men. It is the duty of the Islamic state to support them all in all these matters without distinction. The Islamic Shari'ah takes man to an even higher plane, and says that decisions shall be taken by God in matters of the rewards and punishments not on their outward appearances and acts but in accordance with their intentions (niyat).
The Prophet says: "Certainly, Allah does not look to your forms and countenances but to your hearts" (Muslim)

The Universality of Islamic Equality

Where the laws of our civilization are concerned, every aspect of them hem is pervaded by man's equality. In prayer they all stand before God in the same capacity (as slaves of God), there being no place of distinction reserved for any monarch, chieftain or a learned person. In fasting too, they all abstain from food alike, there being no distinctive facility for the rich. And on the Hajj pil-grimage, people are all clad alike (in a white shroud), stand alike. And there is no distinction of any kind whatsoever made between (those living) far and (those living) near, the strong and the weak, and the classes and the masses.

Philanthropy in Islamic Civilization

It is not possible for a person discussing our immortal civilization and its impressions, to lose sight of one such peculiarity of our civilization in which it stands out among civilizations. This peculiarity is the love of man. Our civilization ridding mankind of hatred, malice, dissention has taught it the lesson of love, generosity, co-operation and equality. In keeping with the Islamic law and the Islamic social principles, no question of superiority on the basis of race, class, or nationality arises. This principle is conspicuously at work in the bases of our civilization and its finer details.

Not One but a Multitude Rank after Rank

Here we must also mention that 'Umar is not an isolated example presented as a perfect and affectionate person by our civilization. The lives of Abu Bakr, Uthman and 'Ali (God be pleased with them all) were also moulded in the mould of perfect humanity, brimming over with mercy and affection. Also the lives of 'Umar bin-e-Abd-al-Aziz, Salahuddin Ayyubi and many other big personages, the 'ulama' the legists, philosophers and leaders also present countless immortal examples, which is a brilliant evi' dence in favoUr of our glorious civilization from every aspect.

Let the World present one Parallel

So far as my information is concerned, I can say with certainty that there is not a single incident as glorious, outstanding and based on the sentiments of fraternity as the one cited above, anywhere in the lives of the greatest men in the history of mankind. There is an incident connected with George Washington the saviour of Ame-rica that he was once going along the road when he saw that some soldiers were trying to lift a stone but were unable to do so. Their supervisor was standing close by but not lending a helping hand. George asked him to come to their help, but he refused saying that it was below his dignity. Washington kept his sheet on one side of the road and helped them lift the boulder, and said to them when departing that whenever they needed help in a difficulty of that type they could enlist his help at such and such address.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Eleventh Evidence

One of the unique incidents relating to sympathy and equality in the history of mankind is that 'Umar came by one night. It was usual with him to go out during the nights to see with his own eyes the conditions under which people were living. One night he found himself in one of the many valleys of Madinah. All of a sudden he heard somebody crying in a nearby tent, at whose door was standing a man. 'Umar greeted him in the proper manner and asked him who he was. He said in reply that he was a beduin who had come to Madinah to ask the Amir of the believers for help.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Tenth Evidence

            And this is not all. Our civilization has still more glorious incidents to present. 'Umar's servant Aslam relates that he came out with 'Umar one night, and went far out into the open area outside Madinah. We were out on a fact finding mission to distant hamlets on the outskirt of Madinah. From a distance we observed fire aglow far off. 'Umar said, "I believe the darkness of the night and the cold have compelled some horsemen to sojourn here. Let us go and see." We proceeded at a brisk pace and reached that spot. We saw a woman Sitting there with some children around her, a pot boiling on fire, and the children crying. 'Umar greeted her and asked the woman about her condition and also what was going on there. The woman told him that the darkness and cold had forced her to stay there for the night. 'Umar asked her, "Why are these children crying?" And the woman said in reply, "They are hungry".

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Ninth Evidence

            Once a caravan came to Madinah. It had women and children too with it. 'Umar said to Abdul Rahman bin-e-Auf, "Can you stand guard on them to-night?" So 'Umar, the second caliph, and he, kept awake that night together and kept vigil over the cara-van. During that nightly vigil they both offered Tahajjud (late night and early dawn) prayer also. 'Umar on hearing a baby's cry and approaching, said to the mother, "Fear God and do look after your child care-fully." Saying this he came back to his own position. Once again he heard it crying, and going over to her mother once again gave her the same advice. When during the last part of the night the child cried once again, 'Umar came to its mother and said, "Woe to thee! Thou appears not to be a good mother.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Eighth Evidence

            'Umar was going through a lane in Madinah, when he saw a very lean and thin young girl moving along shakily. He said, "In what a sad plight this child is? Does anyone of you (his companions) know who she is?" Abdullah bin-e-'Umar being closest to him said, "O Amir of the believers! you do not recognize her." 'Umar said, "No, I do not." He told him that she was his own daughter. 'Umar again asked him, "Which of my daughters is she ?" Abdullah biri-e-'Uniar said in reply, "She is such and such of my daughters (meaning that she was his Umar's own grand-daughter)". 'Umar asked him, "Why then is she in this pitiable condition !" Abdullah said in reply to his father, "Whatever is in your charge, you give us nothing from it. This indigence of mine has brought her this sorry state". 'Umar said in reply to his complaint, "By God! I have nothing for you more than I can give out to the believers in general, whether it meets your needs or not. The Book of God stands to decide just between us."

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Eighth Evidence

Seventh Evidence
            'Umar comes as a glorious caliph. He is sympathetic to the weak, is firm in his stand by the truth, and all are equal in his sight. He goes without food to feed others, and keeps himself deprived to give to others. He goes from door to door asking people about their conditions of living, and is well known for his activities in this behalf. For example, once he saw an old man. begging in the market-place. He questioned to ask him about his identity. He said that he was infirm and old (unable to work for his sustenance) and was therefore begging to pay Jizyah and keep something for his daily bread. He was from the Jews living in Madinah. 'Umar said to him, "Old man! We have not done justice to you. In your youth we realized Jizyah from you and have left you to fend for yourself in your old age". Holding him by the hand, he led him to his own house, and preparing food with his own hands fed him and issued orders to the treasurer of the Bait-al-mal that that old man and all others like him, should be regularly doled out a daily allowance which should suffice for them and their dependents.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Sixth Evidence

            When it came to the period of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, he came forward as a ruler whose heart was full of sympathy for mankind. Notwithstanding his position as the head of the Muslim state he came to the girls of the locality whose farthers had become martyrs in reli-gious wars. He milked their goats for them and assured them that his new responsibilities would not stand bet-ween him and his routine of benevolent acts such as that.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Fifth Evidence

            When after twenty-one years of hard struggle, the Prophet conquered Makkah and those who had falsified him, had driven him out of his home and had been waging a war with him, were brought before him vanquished, even then he called them to the same thing and kept in view those principles which he had preached bare footed in the vales of Makkah or had enforced in Madinah as a ruler when he was laying the founda-tions of a new civilization in the Islamic history. That day he proclaimed those principles which he had been preaching while he had not yet gained his final victory. Standing at the gate of the Ka'bah he said, "O ye people of Quraish! Allah has, this day, put an end to your pride of the Jahiliyah (ignorance) and also the pride of your ancestory. Keep in mind! All men are the offspring of Adam, and Adam was fashioned out of clay". The Quraish who held an exalted position in the Arabian Society, and had a high opinion of themselves, listened to him in silence with bowed heads. On this occasion he recited the following Quranic verse which he had been reciting off and on: {O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into na-tions and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you}

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History -Fourth Evidence

Adi bin-e-Hatim came to Madinah before embracing Islam and found the companions sitting around the Prophet. They had just returned from some battles and some of them still had the armours and helmets on. 'Adi witnessing the awe of the Prophet and their reverence for him was himself inspired with awe. Meanwhile a humble woman of Madinah came to the Prophet and requested to see him in private. The Prophet readily agreed to talk to her in any street of Madinah named by her. Then he got up and at some distance from the gathering talked to her for a sufficiently long time, and having finished with her came back to the gathering. When 'Adi witnessed this state of affairs, he was very much touched by this inconceivable concept of philanthropy and embraced Islam.

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Third Evidence

            Qais bin-e-Mutatiah, a hypocrite, once came to a gathering where Salman Farsi, Suhaib Rumi, and Bilal Habashi were also present. He remarked tauntingly, "Aus and Khazraj have rendered some service to this person (the Prophet, Muhammad Sal'am), but I fail to understand what have these people (Bilal, Suhaib and Salman) done (to deserve this honour). Mo'az bin-e-Jabal was there in that gathering, and catching hold of him by the scruff of his neck, he dragged him to where the Prophet was seated and told him what he (Qais) had uttered. The face of the Prophet became ruddy with anger, and dragging his sheet after him, he proceeded towards the mosque. The usual summons for the gather-ing of the believers in the mosque were given and the Prophet harangued to them saying, "O ye people! Always remember that your Lord and Cherisher is one and your supreme ancestor is one, and your faith is also one and the same ".

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Second Evidence

            It happened once during the period of the Prophet that a woman of the Bani Makhzoom tribe, Fatimah, was found guilty of theft. She was brought to the Prophet so that she might receive her due according to the Shari'ah (Islamic Law). The Quraish tribe very much resented it since it involved their tribal prestige and dignity. So they thought of intercession by somebody for the remission of her punishment. It was therefore decided after deliberation to send Usamah bin Zaid for such intercession since he was very much in favour with the Prophet. So he was approached, prompted to intercede and he talked to the Prophet on this issue. The Prophet was very angry and said to Usamah, "You intercede in the matter of the limits prescribed by God?" Then he had the people called and harangued to a big gathering of the believers in a touching manner, saying, "The people before you who met their doom, discriminated between the patricians and the plebians in the dispensation of justice for crimes like theft. The high-placed were spared while the weaker elements of society were readily punished. By God if Fatimah bint-e-Muhammad had committed theft, I would have amputated her hand also"

Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - First Evidence

      Abu Zarr of the Ghifar tribe somehow got angry with the freed slave of Abu Bakr, Bilal of Abyssinia. Both of them were the companions of the Prophet. The altercation became prolonged and Abu Zarr in his fury called Bilal the son of a black skinned mother. Bilal complained to the Prophet, who addressed Abu Zarr saying, "Did you call him a name reviling his mother? It appears you still retain vestiges of Jahiliyah (ignorance period before Islam)" Abu Zarr failed to understand the word Jahiliyah and took it to signify some sort of sexual immorality, and meekly questioned in surprise, "At this ripe age, O Prophet of God?" The Prophet said in reply, "Yes, you are his brother (and should be considerate and kind to him)". Abu Zarr who had by now understood the significance of the Prophet's remark, was ashamed and repentant and out of extreme repentance and humility requested Bilal to trample his face with his feet.

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him

by Sheikh Salman al-Awdah

No human being has had a more copious and enduring body of literature written about him than the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Numerous biographical works have been produced about him. Many poems have been composed to praise him. Assembles have gathered for his remembrance. His greatness has remained a lofty summit that cannot be surmounted by any doubt.

During his lifetime, he experienced strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, plenty and scarcity, victory and defeat, being uprooted and being settled, starvation and contentment, grief and joy. Throughout all of this, he was an example to follow. Whatever the circumstances, he demonstrated how Allah was supposed to be worshipped.


He had stayed in Mecca for thirteen years with only a few people believing in him. He did not grow despondent or angry. When his Companions came to him complaining about their difficulties and beseeching him to pray to Allah to relieve them and help them, he made an oath by Allah that the religion would be victorious and everything would be fulfilled, but he also chastised them for their hastiness. The future was, in fact, just as he promised it would be, and this was a sign of his prophethood and a manifestation of Allah's help. It was a victory given by Allah for the faith, not for the benefit of certain individuals. This became even clearer when after delegations came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) from every corner of Arabia pledging their allegiance and their obedience to him, he did not change in any way or show the least sign of pride. He did not even seek revenge against those who had attacked him, abused him, and fought against the religion.

Sufyân b.al-Hârith testified to this in verse when he said:

Upon your life! On the day that I carried the standard

So that the calvary of al-Lât could overcome the calvary of Muhammad

Like an uncertain person who sets out at night,

This was the time that I was offered guidance and was guided.

I was guided by someone other than myself;

I was guided to Allah by the very one I had striven so hard to drive away.

No camel has there been who ever bore upon its back

Anyone more righteous or more faithful in his pledge than Muhammad

In this way, he gently dispelled all enmity and resentment. He reconciled the hearts of the people and restored their solidarity. His enemy knew for sure that this was prophethood even before his friends realized it. They could see he was not after personal gain or aggrandizement, even if some of their soldiers may have had such aspirations. They were amazed at his leniency and at how he eschewed difficulty in all of his affairs. They were equally amazed by the way he maintained his composure, good nature, and balanced perspective no matter how much the circumstances around him changed and no matter how severe and unexpected the turn of events.

There is scarcely a person on Earth who does not suppress some aspects of his personality, aspects which inevitably surface in difficult circumstances. When they do, they lead to partiality towards some at the expense of others and biases his decisions and taints his conduct.

Not so Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). He would give his full attention to anyone who shared his company. He would address each group of people in their own dialect and speak to them on their own level. He would show everyone the utmost courtesy, concern, and mercy unless they came forward fighting and brandishing their weapons in the face of truth and hoping in that way to extinguish its light and rid the world of its illumination.

Any kind of lawful food was good enough for him. Any bedding offered to him was good enough to rest upon. Any person who approached him was worthy to sit in his company. He did not fret over what he did not have, nor did he spurn what was available. He never criticized the meanest of food, nor eschewed anything because of its good quality, whether it be food, drink, furniture, or clothing. He used to love things of good quality but did not find difficulty when such things were unavailable.

The story of his life is an open book, readily available to both those who love him and those who hate him. Every detail of his appearance has been meticulously recorded for us, including the number of gray hairs in his beard and on his head. Every aspect of his behavior has been preserved for us: how he moved his hand, how he ate, drank, and sat on his steed. His travels and places of residence are known to us. We know how he worshipped his Lord. We know what pleased him and what angered him. We even know how he conducted himself with his wives, the Mothers of the Believers: how he treated them, divided his time between them, provided for them, joked with them, and behaved with them when he was angry. We know how he was when he was serious and when he was joking. Every detail of his personal life has been recorded.

A person who reads his biography today will know more about the details of the Prophet's life than he knows about the living people that he is concerned with. He will know more about him than close friends or even spouses often know about each other. The Jews and Christians knew less about their Prophets (peace be upon them) when they were alive than we know about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) today. This is because his life is an example for humanity to follow in every aspect of their lives. It is guidance for presidents, managers, scientists, businessmen, spouses, and parents. It shows how to a person should behave in wealth and in poverty and in every contingency of life. No one can ever get to a level in life wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) will cease to be the best example of good conduct.

If we consider the biography of some other eminent personality, we may find ourselves amazed at the greatness exhibited by that person, but then we have to think about how well suited that person is to be a role model and an example for others. We invariably find that though this person may be a most noble and exemplary person in and of himself due to his unique characteristics or psychological makeup, he is not a practical example for others to follow. We find among our predecessors those whose steadfastness in worship, devotion to knowledge, or renunciation of the world reached a level that we might feel to be the utmost humanly possible. Our feelings about this person might reflect the sentiments of the poet who said:

Do not mention our meager selves along with them;

For a healthy person who walks cannot be compared with the indigent.

However, when we read the biography of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), we immediately sense how accessible his life is and how practical it is to follow. When some Companions fell into hardships, he consoled them with words such as the following:

"I am more humble before Allah than any of you, I fear Allah more than any of you, I have more knowledge than any of you, for I know better than anyone else the One who I fear."

"Engage in the works that you are capable of performing."

"This religion is easy. No one becomes harsh and strict in the religion without it overwhelming him. So fulfill your duties as best you can and rejoice. Rely upon the efforts of the morning and the evening and a little at night and you will reach your goal."

This is why the best way for a person to develop his character is to immerse himself in the study of the Prophet's life and guidance and draw out the lessons and profound meanings that it provides. He should take the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a cohesive whole without focusing exclusively on certain particulars or going off into tangents.

Allah has not given this noble status to anyone besides Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). He is the only example for all of humanity, because he possessed the culmination of the guidance of all those who came before him who Allah had commanded humanity to follow, plus he had the singular virtues and qualities that Allah had uniquely blessed him with. Allah says: "You have indeed in Allah's Messenger an excellent example for those whose hopes are in Allah and the Last Day and who remember Allah often." [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 21]

The life of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), as well as the lives of the Rightly Guided Caliphs who came after him, gives the living, practical explanation of the sacred texts. Therefore, it is necessary to keep this biography in its authentic form without introducing additions, embellishments, and hyperbole that storytellers are prone to coming up with and that can turn this noble biography into a bunch of morality tales emphasizing miraculous and astounding events. This would lessen its appeal to the people and make them less willing to follow it. They would be content to read it shaking their heads, shedding tears, and shuddering.

The miraculous signs that came with the Prophets (peace be upon them) were true, but they were exceptions employed to establish the rule. That rule is the natural order that we witness every day.

Many Muslims, even some scholars, limit their following of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to outward acts of worship and behavior. They follow him in matters of prayer, for he said: "Pray as you have seen me praying" and in the pilgrimage, for he said: "Take from me your rites of pilgrimage." They emulate him in matters of dress, how he entered places and departed from them, and in other similar matters.

This, however, is only one aspect of what it means to follow him, and it is surely not more important than other dimensions of his life. The prophetic guidance is to be followed in our relationship with Allah, in our sincerity and devotion, and in how we are to be critical of ourselves. We must follow this guidance in cultivating our inward hopes and fears. These matters have more right to be emphasized and attended to, even though there are less opportunities in them for competition among people. People generally compete in matters that can earn the praise of others. Such matters necessarily need to be conspicuous so everyone can see them. Subtle matters that only Allah can see rarely ever get the attention that they deserve. This is why a person often goes overboard in applying a certain conspicuous quality of the Prophet (peace be upon him) without ever pondering its implications or thinking about the wisdom behind it and the effect that it should have on a person's character.

These matters, even those that are pure acts of worship, were only prescribed for humanity to benefit them in this world and in the Hereafter. The value of these qualities is not merely in their existence for their own sake. These matters have value in the effects that result from putting them into practice when they are witnessed by the one applying them and by others.

It behooves every Muslim to embark upon a program of reading the Prophet's biography. The following books are recommended:

1. For small children: Batal al-Abtâl by Azzâm.

2. For young adults: al-Shamâ'il al-Muhammadiyyah, either the book by that title written by Ibn Kathîr or the one by al-Tirmidhî. Also recommended are: al-Fusûl by Ibn Kathîr, al-Rahîq al-Makhtûm (available in English translation under the title The Sealed Nectar)or the abridged version of Ibn Hishâm's Sîrah.

3. For scholars: The complete version of Ibn Hishâm's Sîrah or the Sîrah of Ibn Kathîr.

4. For in depth study: the lengthy tomes Subul al-Hadî wa al-Rahsâd and Nadrah al-Na`îm.

May Allah increase our love for His Prophet (peace be upon him) and assist us in following him in both our outward and inward actions. And may Allah gather us together with those who will receive His blessings - the Prophets, their upright followers, the martyrs, and the pious - for they are the best of companions.

The Birth of the Prophet Muhammed

SEERAH OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMED (peace be upon him)

Summarized Translation of Tarek Swaydans’ series


by Mona Soueid


Part 6 - The Birth of the Prophet Muhammed



When Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up Abdul-Muttalib decided that he should get married. So he then got married to Amina Bint Wahb. She is also from Bani Abdi Manaf and hence from the Quraysh who are from the decendants of Ismaeel. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) is from the most respected and honourable lineage. Aminas’ mother was from Yathrib and Amina lived in Yathrib. Abdul-Mutallib hence took his son and got him married to Amina in Yathrib. They returned thereafter to Makkah. Amina got pregnant and after a few months into her pregnancy Abdullah passed away, the father of the Prophet(peace be upon him). He became an orphan before he was even born.


When the time came close to the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his mother saw a dream that she gave birth to a boy and with this boy a magnificient emergence of light spread out and enveloped the earth until it reached Busra in al-Sham. She also saw herself in the dream saying ‘u’iithuhu bilahil-wahid min shari kuli hasid’ which means ‘I seek for him, refuge in Allah the One from the evil of every envier’.


On a Monday, the 12th of Rabee’ al-Awwal (based on the strongest opinion) during the year that became known as the ‘Year of the Elephant’, 50 days after the incident of the Elephant, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born. And with his birth, a number of interesting and extraordinary incidents occurred. We recall them, keeping in mind that the greatness of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not in these incidents, but simply that it is from the signs and glad tidings of his arrival. His greatness is not in his birth, but rather it is within the message and teachings that he brought to mankind.


Hassan Ibn Thabit, (the poet of the Prophet peace be upon him) who was in Madina when he was seven years old, says about the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that, ‘One day when I was seven years old, I was with or at the place of the Jews in their suburb, and there was a rabbi from the Jews who was sitting high on top of a house and was calling out ‘O Jewish people, today the star of Ahmad has emerged or appeared, and it does not appear except with his arrival’.


From amongst the signs also was that his mother while she carried him during her pregnancy, it was a pregnancy with no hardships or discomfort. Even though the norm is that pregnancy brings with it hardship. Allah says about the pregnant woman, ‘She carried him with hardship and she bore him (gave birth to him) with hardship’.


Furthermore, from the extraordinary incidents reported, was that when he was born, he came out supporting himself with his hands, and he raised his head to the sky. He was born Makhtun (circumcised) and Masrur (his umbilical cord was cut off). His birth was made easy.



When his mother gave birth to him, the good news reached Abdul-Mutallib, who was overjoyed by the news. And when he heard about the way he was born, circumcised, umbilical cord cut off, and supporting his body with his hands, his joy and happiness increased, and he said, ‘By Allah, verily for this son of mine there is an important matter’. He took Muhammed (peace be upon him) before he was even named, into the Ka’bah and raised him and thanked Allah for his birth.



As for naming him Muhammed, there is a story behind it. Abdul-Mutallib was on a journey in al-Sham with three of his companions. Along the way they met with a group of rabbi Jews. The Jews asked, ‘From where did you come?’ They replied ‘We are from Makkah'. So one of the rabbis said to them 'That from your country a Prophet will emerge'. They asked, ‘What is the name of this Prophet?’ He replied ‘His name will be Muhammed’. Until then, the name Muhammed was not used by the Arabs. These four companions, when they returned, each one of them decided to name any of their new offspring Muhammed. Abdul-Mutallib could not have anymore children, so he wanted to name the first child that would be born to any of his children Muhammed. And so it happened to be the Prophet (peace be upon him) and so he named him Muhammed.



Another sign that happened when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born, was that Qisras’ palace shook and fourteen of its shurta (pillars) collapsed. Also, the fire of the Majoos (which they worship) got extinguished. Furthermore, with the earthquake that hit the palace of Qisra, they had a boat which was holy to them called ‘buhayrat sa’waa’, the earth opened up under the boat and enveloped it, so the boat of sa’waa disappeared. This caused great fear to overcome Qisra, so he gathered the kuhan (sorcerers) and munajimeen (astrologists) and some of them had contact with the jinn. Allah informs us that the jinn used to eavesdrop on the talk in the heavens, "And verily we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush" (S 72: V 9). The Jinn would then report what they heard to the Kuhan. Qisra questioned the kuhan, some of them replied that these incidents are due to the birth of a Prophet. Furthermore, they were asked about the fourteen pillars that had collapsed. They said, 'There remains from the rulers of Faris fourteen kings then the reign of Faris will come to an end.' Qisra said, ‘Fourteen kings, that is still along time away’. After his death, the leaders of Faris fought each other for his rule, so in four years ten people ruled over Faris. These were all indications to the disintegration of Faris. These were all signs bearing glad tidings for the arrival of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him).



It was from the customs of Quraysh, that if an infant was born they would not raise him up in Makkah for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is that Makkah has a high influx of people coming for Hajj, and some of them would stay in Makkah for a long time thereafter, so they mix with the people. And the children that would be raised up in Makkah, there Arabic Fus’ha (classical Arabic) would not be 100% (as eloquent) because they would get influenced by these people remaining after hajj. So the people of Quraysh used to prefer that there kids were raised outside of Quraysh, until they get used to the Arabic fus’ha, then they would return with a solid foundation in their language. A further reason, is that they wanted their kids to be raised in the desert so that they get used to living a rough life. Kids raised in the city become lenient, and soft. The third reason was because it is a city and there is a continual influx of people, diseases would be brought in, compared to the desert which is clean and free of diseases. It is rare to hear of diseased Arabs living in the desert. So for these reasons they would prefer that there kids were raised outside of Makkah.



It was from the customs of the Quraysh, that the Arab would take them and live with them outside of Makkah until they grow up. The Arab would do this as a form of Rizq - provision to earn a wage, however they would not accept payment for breastfeeding, they considered this rude. So they would take the children without agreeing on or determining a wage, but it was customary for them to be paid later as a form of gratitude and honour. The breastfeeding women of Bani Sa’ad arrived. Among them was Halima Asa’diya and her husband Al-Harith. They were also looking for an infant to take. They were in a very poor state, and Halima had an infant boy whom she was breastfeeding already. She says that ‘Due to our state of poverty I didn’t even have enough milk for my child’ but she was in search of a child out of anticipation for the wage to be paid later on. She came to Makkah riding on a very weak female donkey, which as a result of its weakness it would delay the group of riders. The women would say to her, ‘O Halima, hurry it up, you have delayed us’ and she would try to hurry up the donkey but it would be unable to walk any faster. They finally got to Makkah, and started searching for the infants. Amina would offer them her child (peace be upon him), but once they would realize that he is an orphan they would refuse him. All of the breastfeeding woman refused him. Halima searched and searched for an infant but did not find one, so she left. While her and her husband were sitting outside Makkah, her husband Al-Harith said, ‘We are going back without an infant whereas all your friends are returning with an infant, how about we return and take the orphan child lest that we take from his blessings.’ So they agreed. Halima went and took Muhammed(peace be upon him) and the blessing began.



The first blessing was that the state of the donkey changed. On the way back this donkey was now ahead of the rest and Halima was trying to hold it back. The other women asked her, ‘O Halima, is this the same donkey that you came on?’ She replied 'Yes' and they were bewildered. Also, her breastmilk became ample, wherein she would feed her infant and then feed Muhammed (peace be upon him) until they were both full. They returned to their home in Banu Sa’ad. They had a widowed camel which they had lost all hope in, but subhan'Allah the camel began to increase in weight, and her mammary glands began to get full with milk. They were astonished, how? Also the sheep that they owned began increasing in weight and number very quickly, whereas everyone else’s sheep where not putting on weight. So the people would say to the shepards, ‘Take the sheep to graze where Halima’s sheep graze’. They would reply, ‘By Allah our sheep graze with them, but without the same benefit’. This is from the blessing of the Prophet(peace be upon him).



Life went on normally, and the Prophet was now two years old. Halima says about him, that he grew quickly in a way that most kids don’t grow. She says when he was a child of two years, he looked as if he was a child of six years old. Furthermore, he would speak fus’ha Arabic when he was only two years old. This is from the honor of Allah to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). After two years, the custom is that the kids are returned to Makkah and there parents decide to either keep their children or to return them to the desert environment for a little while longer. Halima kept persisting on returning Muhammed (peace be upon him) with her, until she finally convinced his mother Amina. So the Prophet returned with Halima.



Halima says that after a few months an incident took place. The Prophet peace be upon him had brothers and sisters from Halima. One day his brother (who used to breastfeed with him) ran to his parents Halima and Al-Harith frightened. He said ‘My Qurayshi brother is unconcious’, They said, ‘what is wrong with him?’ He replied, ‘Two men came to him wearing white clothes and hit him’. So Halima and Al-Harith became really concerned and they ran to the Prophet (peace be upon him). They found him, his face having changed and in a state of great fear. They said, ‘What happened to you?’ He said, ‘Two men came to me wearing white clothes. They then hit me causing me to fall to the ground, they then opened up my chest and removed my heart, and washed it in a vessel of gold with the water of zamzam, and they removed from it a black clot and threw it away. They then said, this is the chance of shaytan with you, and they filled my heart with wisdom’. They then returned his heart to its place and closed up his chest and stitched it up. This hadith is sahih. The Prophet (peace be upon him) uncovered his shirt and the marks of the stitching were still present. Here Halima got really scared, so she said to her husband ‘Maybe they are from the Jinn, let us return the child to his mother’. So they returned Muhammed to his mother Amina. She said ‘What happened, you were so keen to keep him with you?’ They said, ‘We were afraid if something happens to him, we thought it would be better that we return him while he is fine’. She said, ‘No by Allah, something happened’. She kept at them until they told her about the incident. She said, ‘Were you afraid for him from the Jinn?’ They said ‘Yes’. She said, "No by Allah, I had seen when giving birth to him a man calling me in a dream and requesting me to say, ‘u’iithuhu bilahil-wahid min shari kuli hasid’ which means ‘I seek for him, refuge in Allah the One from the evil of every envier’ by Allah evil will not touch him". Amina then left them after giving them ikraam.



When the Prophet (peace be upon him)was six years old, Amina passed away, so he became an orphan of the mother and father. His uncle now took him up and a new stage of the Prophets (peace be upon him) life then began.

Omar and the Egyptian: Unparalleled Justice

A man from the Copts(1) came to Omar ibn al-Khattab(2) in Al-Madinah(3), and said, “O Commander of the Faithful! I seek refuge in you from oppression.” Omar replied, “You have sought refuge where it is to be sought.” The Egyptian said, “I was racing the son of `Amr ibn al-`Aas(4), and defeated him. Then he began to beat me with a whip saying: I am the Son of Nobles!”

So Omar wrote to `Amr commanding him to appear before him with his son. So they appeared before him. Omar inquired, “Where is the Egyptian? He is to take the whip and beat him!” Then the Egyptian began to beat the son of `Amr with the whip as `Umar said to him, “Beat the Son of Nobles!”

Anas said, “So he beat him. I swear by Allah, as he was beating him we pitied his wailing. He did not desist until we stopped him.”

Then Omar said to the Egyptian, “Now beat the whip upon `Amr’s bald head!” He replied, “O Commander of the Faithful! For it was his son who beat me, and I have evened the score with him.”

Upon this Omar said to `Amr, “Since when do you enslave the people when their mothers bore them as free men?” He said, “O Commander of the Faithful! I was unaware of this, and he did not come to me (for justice).”

Reference: Seerah Omar ibn al-Khattab, Ibn Abdi-l Hakam; Kanzu-l `Ummaal, al-Hindi; Rabee`u-l Abraar, al-Zamakhshari
Translated by: Shibli Zaman


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Footnotes:
1) Copts are the Christians living in Egypt.
2) The Muslim President in his time. He was one of the best companions of the prophet.
3) The city of the Prophet in Saudi Arabia
4) The Governer of Egypt and one of the Companions of the Prophet.