Could you give me some brief details about the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
Praise
be to Allaah.Differences and disputes arose
among the Children of Israel. They introduced alterations and changes
in their beliefs and laws. Thus truth was extinguished and falsehood
prevailed, oppression and evil became widespread, and people needed
a religion that
would establish truth, destroy
evil and guide people to the straight path, therefore Allah sent Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as Allaah said (interpretation
of the meaning):“And We have not sent down
the Book (the Qur’aan) to you (O Muhammad, except that you may explain
clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance
and a mercy for a folk who believe”[al-Nahl 16:64]
Allaah sent all the Prophets
and Messengers to call for the worship of Allah alone, and to bring
people from darkness to light. The first of these Messengers was Nooh
and the last of them was Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as Allaah said (interpretation
of the meaning):“And verily, We have sent
among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship
Allaah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities,
i.e. do not worship Taaghoot besides Allaah)’”[al-Nahl 16:36]
The last of the Prophets and
Messengers is Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so there is no Prophet
after him, as Allaah said:“Muhammad is not the father
of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last (end)
of the Prophets”[al-Ahzaab 33:40]
Every Prophet was sent exclusively
to his own people, but Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to all of mankind as Allaah
said (interpretation of the meaning):“Allaah revealed to His
messenger the Qur’aan by which to guide people And We have not
sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a Warner
to all mankind, but most of men know not”[Saba’ 34:28]
Allaah sent the Qur’aan to
His Messenger, to guide people and bring them forth from darkness to
light by the will of their Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):“(This is) a Book which
We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad) in order that you might lead
mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and polytheism) into light (of
belief in the Oneness of Allaah and Islâmic Monotheism) by their Lord’s
Leave to the path of the All Mighty, the Owner of all praise”[Ibraaheem 14:1]
The messenger of Allaah, Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allaah ibn Abd al-Muttalib al-Haashimi al-Qurashi was born in
Makkah in the year of the Elephant, the year when the companions of
the Elephant came to Makkah to destroy the Ka’bah, but Allaah destroyed
them. His father died before he was born, and after he was born, Haleemah
al-Sa’diyyah nursed him. When he was six years old, he visited his maternal
uncles in Madeenah with his mother Aaminah bint Wahb. On the way back
to Makkah, his mother died in al-Abwaa’. Then his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib
became his guardian. But ‘Abd al-Muttalib died when Muhammad was eight
years old. Then his paternal uncle Abu Taalib became his guardian. He
took care of him, treated him kindly and defended him for more than
forty years, but when Abu Taalib died he had not come to believe in
the religion of Muhammad lest he be reproached by Quraysh for abandoning
the religion of his forefathersWhen he was young, Muhammad
used to tend sheep for the people of Makkah, then he traveled to Syria
to do business on behalf of Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, and he made a
good profit. Khadeejah was impressed with his character, and his sincerity
and honesty, so he married her when he was twenty-five, and she was
forty, and he did not marry any other woman until after she died.Allaah made Muhammad grow in
a good manner, and Allaah took care of him, so he was the the best of
his people in physical wellbeing and in attitude, he was the most generous,
the most patient, the most truthful, the most sincere and the most honest,
so his people called him al-Ameen (the trustworthy) .Then he was given an inclination
towards solitude, so he used to spend many days and nights alone in
the cave of Hiraa’, worshiping and praying to his Lord. He hated idols,
alcohol and promiscuous conduct, so he never paid any attention to them
all his lifeWhen Muhammad reached the age
of thirty-five he took part in the rebuilding of the Ka’bah, which had
been destroyed by a flood. A dispute arose concerning who should put
the Black Stone back in its place, and they appointed him as an arbitrator
to resolve the dispute, so he called for a garment and placed the stone
on it then he told the tribal chiefs to hold the garment at the edges
so that all of them could lift it together, then Muhammad put it in
place and put stones and mortar around it.The people of the Jaahiliyyah
used to have some good characteristics such as generosity, loyalty and
courage, and they used to follow some teachings of the religion of Ibraaheem,
such as venerating the Ka’bah and making Tawaaf around it, performing
Hajj and ‘Umrah, and offering sacrifices. But besides that they used
to have some bad habits and traditions, such as fornication, drinking
alcohol, consuming ribaa (usury or interest), killing their daughters,
oppression and worshiping idols.The first one to introduce
changes in the religion of Ibrahim, and to call for the worship of idols
was ‘Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuzaa’i, who brought idols to Makkah and other
places, and called people to worship them. Among these idols were Wudd,
Suwaa’, Yaghooth, Ya’ooq, and Nasra.Later on, the Arabs also worshipped
other idols such as the idol of Manaat in a place called Qadeed, and
al-Laat in al-Taa’if, al-‘Uzza in Wadi Nakhlah, Hubal inside the Ka’bah,
and other idols around the Ka’bah, and idols in their homes. People
used to consult soothsayers, fortunetellers and magicians to judge between
them.When shirk and corruption
became so widespread, Allaah sent Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when he was forty years
old, to call the people to worship Allaah Alone and to give up idol-worship.
Quraysh denounced him for that and said:“Has
he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah (God — Allaah). Verily,
this is a curious thing!”[Saad
38:5 – interpretation of the meaning]These idols continued to be
worshipped instead of Allaah until Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the Message of Tawheed
(Oneness of Allaah). So he and his Companions (may Allaah be pleased
with them) broke them and destroyed them, truth prevailed and falsehood
was vanquished:“And
say: ‘Truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism or this Qur’aan or Jihaad against
polytheists) has come and Baatil (falsehood, i.e. Satan or polytheism)
has vanished. Surely, Baatil is ever bound to vanish’”[al-Israa’
17:81 – interpretation of the meaning]The first revelation that was sent down to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in the cave of Hiraa’
where he used to go to worship, when Jibreel came to him and commanded
him to read. The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I am not a reader.”
This happened again, and on the third time, he said to him:“Read!
In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists).He
has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).Read!
And your Lord is the Most Generous[al-‘Alaq
96:1-3 – interpretation of the meaning]The Messenger went back home,
his heart pounding. He entered upon his wife Khadeejah and told her
what had happened, saying “I feared for myself.” She calmed him down
and said, “By Allaah, Allaah will never forsake you, for you uphold
the ties of kinship, help the weak, honour your guests, give in charity
and help when some one is stricken with calamity.” Then she went with
him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who had become a Christian. When
he told him what had happened, he gave him glad tidings and told him,
this is the Naamoos whom Allaah sent to Moosa. He encouraged him to
be patient if his people persecuted him and expelled him. Then the wahy
stopped for a while, and the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was saddened by that. Then
whilst he was walking one day, he saw the angel again, between the heavens
and the earth. He went back to his house and wrapped himself in his
blanket. Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):“O
you (Muhammad) enveloped in garments!Arise
and warn!”[al-Muddaththir
74:1-2]After that, revelations came
one after another to the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
The Prophet stayed in Makkah
for thirteen years, calling for the worship of Allaah alone, in secret
then openly, when Allaah commanded him to proclaim the truth. So he
called them in a gentle and kind manner, without fighting. He called
his clan and closest relatives, then he warned his people and those
around them, then he warned all the Arabs, then he warned all of mankind.
Then Allaah said:“Therefore
proclaim openly (Allaah’s Message
Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded, and turn away from
Al Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers)”[al-Hijr
15:94]A few people, rich people,
nobles, the weak and poor, men and women, believed in the Messenger.
All of them were persecuted for their faith. Some were tortured and
some were killed. Some of them migrated to Abyssinia, fleeing from the
persecution of Quraysh, and some of them were persecuted with the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), until Allaah caused His
religion to prevail.When the Messenger reached
the age of fifty and ten years of his mission had passed, his uncle
Abu Taalib, who had protected him from the persecution of Quraysh, died.
Then his wife Khadeejah, who had been his consolation, also died, and
the persecution of his people intensified. They harrassed him and persecuted
him with all kinds of torments, and he bore it with patience, seeking
the reward of Allaah. May the blessings and peace of Allaah be upon
him.When the persecution of Quraysh
became too intense, he went out to al-Taa’if and called its people to
Islam but they did not respond; instead they insulted him and threw
stones at him, until his heels started to bleed. He went back to Makkah
and continued to call his people to Islam during Hajj and at other times.Then Allaah took His Messenger
on the Night Journey from al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah to al-Masjid
al-Aqsaa (in Jerusalem), riding on al-Buraaq, accompanied by Jibreel.
He stopped and led the Prophets in prayer, then he was taken up into
the lowest heaven, where he saw Adam, with the souls of the blessed
to his right and the souls of the doomed to his left. Then he was taken
up to the second heaven where he saw ‘Eesa and Yahyaa; then to the third
heaven where he saw Yoosuf; then to the fourth heaven where he saw Idrees;
then to the fifth heaven where he saw Haroon; then to the sixth heaven
where he saw Moosa; then to the seventh heaven where he saw Ibraaheem.
Then he was taken up to Sidrat al-Muntaha (the Lote-tree of the
utmost boundary), and his Lord spoke to him and enjoined fifty prayers
upon him and his ummah each day and night. Then that was reduced to
five prayers to be performed, with a reward for fifty, and the prayer
was confirmed to be five prayers each day and night for the ummah of
Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Then he returned to Makkah
before dawn came, and he told them what had happened to him. The believers
believed him but the kaafirs did not.“Glorified
(and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with
Him]Who
took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al‑Masjid
Al‑Haraam (at Makkah) to Al Masjid Al Aqsaa (in Jerusalem), the
neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him
(Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily,
He is the All Hearer, the All Seer[al-Israa’
17:1 – interpretation of the meaning]Then Allaah sent to His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) people who would help and
support him. During the Hajj season, he met a group from the tribe
of Khazraj in Madeenah. They embraced Islam, then they went back to
Madeenah and spread Islam there. The following year, they were over
ten people, whom the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met, and when they left
he sent Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr with them to teach them the Qur’aan and Islam.
Many people became Muslim through him, including the leaders of the
tribe of Aws, Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh and Usayd ibn Hudayr.The following year when the Hajj season came, more than seventy
men from al-Aws and al-Khazraj came and invited the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to come to Madeenah after
the people of Makkah had persecuted him and boycotted him. During the
night of one of the days of Tashreeq, the Messenger made an appointment
to meet them at ‘Aqabah. When one third of the night had passed, they
came out to meet him and found the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), accompanied by his uncle
al-‘Abbaas, who was not a believer, but he wanted to take care of his
nephew’s affairs. Al-‘Abbaas, the Messenger and the people spoke together
in a pleasant manner, then the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted their oath
of allegiance on the basis that he would migrate to them in Madeenah
and they would protect him, support him and defend him, and Paradise
would be theirs in return. They gave their oath of allegiance, one by
one, then they left. Quraysh found out about them, so they set out in
pursuit of them. But Allaah saved them from them, and the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained in Makkah for a
while:“Verily, Allaah will help
those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allaah is All Strong, All Mighty”[al-Hajj 22:40 – interpretation
of the meaning]Then the Messenger commanded
his companions to migrate to Madeenah, so they migrated in groups except
for those who were prevented from doing so by the mushrikeen. Then there
were no Muslims left in Makkah apart from the Messenger of Allaah, Abu
Bakr and ‘Ali. When the mushrikeen realized that the companions of the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had migrated to Madeenah,
they feared that he would join them and become strong. So they agreed
to kill him. Jibreel told the Messenger of Allaah about that, so the
Messenger commanded ‘Ali to sleep in his bed, and he returned the things
that had been entrusted to the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to their owners. The mushrikeen
spent the night at the door of the Messenger, waiting to kill him when
he came out, but he came out in the midst of them and went to the house
of Abu Bakr, after Allaah had saved him from their plot. And Allaah
revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):“And (remember) when the
disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad) to imprison you, or to
kill you, or to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were
plotting and Allaah too was plotting; and Allaah is the Best of those
who plot”[al-Anfaal 8:30]
Then the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) resolved to migrate to Madeenah,
so he and Abu Bakr set out to the cave of Thawr and stayed there for
three nights. They hired ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Urayqit, who was a mushrik,
as their guide, and the ylet him lead their camels. Quraysh were
alarmed when he left, and they looked for him everywhere, but Allaah
protected His Messenger. When the search for them died down, they travelled
to Madeenah. When Quraysh despaired of finding them, they offered to
anyone who could bring one or both of them to them two hundred camels.
So the people intensified their search and on the way to Madeenah, Suraaqah
ibn Maalik found them; he was a mushrik and he set out after them, so
the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed against him and his
horse’s legs sank into the ground. So he realized that the Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was protected, so he asked
the Messenger to pray for him and said that he would not harm him. So
the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for him and Suraaqah
went back, and diverted the people away from them. Then he became Muslim
after the conquest of Makkah.When the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reached Madeenah, the Muslims
exclaimed “Allaahu akbar!” with joy at his coming. Men, women and children
came out to meet him, rejoicing. He stayed in Quba, where he and the
Muslims built the mosque of Quba. He stayed there for over ten nights,
then he rode on Friday and prayed Jumu’ah amongst Bani Saalim ibn ‘Awf,
then he rode his camel and entered Madeenah, with the people all around
him taking the reins of his camel so that he would come and stay with
them. The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them to leave her,
for she would be guided (by Allaah), so she walked on until she sat
down in the place where the Mosque is today.Allaah made it possible for
His Messenger to stay with his maternal uncles near the mosque, so he
stayed in the house of Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari, then the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent someone to bring his
family and his daughters, and the family of Abu Bakr, from Makkah, and
thus he brought them to Madeenah.Then the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions started
to build his mosque in the place where the camel had sat down. He made
the qiblah facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). Its pillars were
made of tree trunks and its roof was made of palm branches. Then the
qiblah was changed to the Ka’bah more than ten months after he had come
to Madeenah.Then the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) established brotherhood
(mu’aakhkhah) between the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar. The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made a treaty with the Jews
and wrote a document agreeing to peace and to defend Madeenah. The Jewish
scholar ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam became Muslim but most of the Jews insisted
on remaining kaafirs. In that year the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allaah be pleased with her).In the second year, the adhaan
was prescribed, and Allaah changed the qiblah to the Ka’bah, and the
fast of Ramadaan was enjoined.The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained in Madeenah and
Allaah supported him with His help. The Muhaajiroon and Ansaar consolidated
their ranks around him, and their hearts were devoted to him. The mushrikoon,
Jews and hypocrites came together to oppose him; they slandered him
and fabricated lies against him, and they declared war on him, but Allaah
commanded him to be patient, forbearing and tolerant. When their
evildoing became too intense, Allaah gave the Muslims permission to
fight, and the aayah was revealed (interpretation of the meaning):“Permission
to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are
fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allaah is
Able to give them (believers) victory[al-Hajj 22:39]
Then Allaah enjoined the Muslims
to fight those who fought against them:“And fight in the way of
Allaah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allaah
likes not the transgressors”[al-Baqarah 2:190 – interpretation
of the meaning]Then Allaah commanded them
to fight all the mushrikeen:“and fight against the
Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness
of Allaah) collectively as they fight against you collectively[al-Tawbah 9:36 – interpretation
of the meaning]The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions began
to call people to Allaah and to strive in jihaad for the sake of Allaah.
He foiled the plots of their enemies and relieved the oppression of
the oppressed. Allaah supported them with His help, until the religion
was all for Allaah. He fought the mushrikeen at Badr in 2 AH, in Ramadaan,
and Allaah granted him victory over them and he defeated them. In 3
AH the Jews of Bani Qaynuqaa’ committed treason by killing one of the
Muslims, so the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expelled them from Madeenah
to Syria. Then Quraysh avenged their dead who were slain at Badr. They
camped around Uhud in Shawwaal of the year 3 AH. Battle raged and the
archers disobeyed the command of the Messenger, so the Muslims did not
achieve victory, but the mushrikoon went back to Makkah without having
entered Madeenah.Then the Jews of Bani al-Nudayr
committed treason and resolved to kill the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by throwing a rock on him,
but Allaah saved him. Then he besieged them in 4 AH and expelled them
to Khaybar.In 5 AH the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) attacked Bani al-Mustalaq
in order to repel their aggression. He was victorious over them, and
took their wealth and their women and children as booty. Then the Jewish
leaders tried to incite the Confederates (al-Ahzaab) against the Muslims,
in order to put an end to Islam in its heartland. So the mushrikoon,
al-Ahbaash and the Jewish tribe of Ghatafaan gathered around Madeenah,
but Allaah foiled their plot and granted victory to His Messenger and
the believers:“And Allaah drove back those
who disbelieved in their rage: they gained no advantage (booty). Allaah
sufficed for the believers in the fighting (by sending against the disbelievers
a severe wind and troops of angels). And Allaah is Ever All Strong,
All Mighty”[al-Ahzaab 33:25 – interpretation
of the meaning]Then the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) besieged the Jews of Bani
Qurayzah, because of their betrayal and their breaking the treaty. Allaah
granted him victory over them so he killed their men, took their women
and children prisoner, and took their wealth as booty.In 6 AH, the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) resolved to visit the Ka’bah
and perform Tawaaf around it, but the mushrikoon prevented him from
doing so. He entered into a treaty with them at al-Hudaybiyah, to stop
the fighting for ten years, during which time the people would be safe
and could choose what they wanted. Then the people entered Allaah’s
religion in crowds [cf. al-Nasr 110:2].In 7 AH, the Messenger attacked
Khaybar in order to put an end to the Jewish leaders who were harming
the Muslims. He besieged them, and Allaah gave him victory over them.
He took their wealth and land as booty, and he sent letters to the kings
of the earth, inviting them to Islam.In 8 AH, the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent an army, led by Zayd
ibn Haarithah, to deal with the aggressors. But the Romans gathered
a huge army and killed the Muslim commanders, but Allaah saved the rest
of the Muslims from their evil.Then the kuffaar of Makkah
broke the treaty, so the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) headed towards them with
a great army and conquered Makkah. He cleansed the Ka’bah of idols and
and freed it from the custodianship of the kuffaar.Then came the campaign of Hunayn
in Shawwaal of 8 AH, to repel the aggression of Thaqeef and Hawazen.
Allaah defeated them and the Muslims captured a lot of booty. Then the
Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued his march to al-Taa’if
and besieged it, but Allaah did not decree that it should be conquered,
so the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for them, then went
away. They subsequently became Muslim, then he went back and distributed
the war-booty. Then he and his companions performed ‘Umrah, then they
went back to Madeenah.In 9 AH the campaign of Tabook came at a time of difficulty,
hardship and intense heat. The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to Tabook in order
to defeat the plots of the Romans. He camped there, but no fighting
took place, but he made a treaty with some of the tribes. He captured
war-booty, then he came back to Madeenah. This was the last military
campaign in which he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fought. In the same year
delegations came from the tribes, wanting to enter Islam. Among them
were the delegations from Tameem, Tayy’, ‘Abd al-Qays and Bani Haneefah.
They all became Muslim, then the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Abu Bakr to lead
the people in Hajj that year. He sent ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with
him) with him and told him to recite Soorat Baraa’ah [al-Tawbah]
to them, to declare disavowal (baraa’ah) of the mushrikoon. He
told him to call out to the people, so ‘Ali said on the Day of Sacrifice:
“O people, no kaafir will enter Paradise, and no mushrik will perform
Hajj after this year, and no naked person shall perform Tawaaf around
the Ka’bah. Whoever has a treaty with the Messenger of Allaah, then
the treaty will stand until it expires.”In 10 AH, the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) resolved to perform Hajj,
and he called the people to do likewise. Many people from Madeenah and
elsewhere performed Hajj with him. He entered ihraam at Dhu’l-Haleefah
and reached Makkah in Dhu’l-Hijjah. He performed Tawaaf and Sa’ee’,
and he taught the people their rituals. He gave a great and comprehensive
sermon at ‘Arafaah, in which he affirmed the just rulings of Islam.
He said:“O people, listen to my words,
for I do not know if I will meet you again after this year. O people,
your blood, your wealth and your honour are sacred to you as the sanctity
of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours.
Every practice of the jaahiliyyah is beneath my feet and the blood feuds
of the jaahiliyyah are cancelled. The first claim of blood that I abolish
is that of Ibn Rabee’ah ibn al-Haarith, who was suckled among the tribe
of Bani Sa’d and was killed by Hudhayl. The ribaa of the jaahiliyyah
is abolished, and the first ribaa that I abolish is that of ‘Abbaas
ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. It is abolished completely.Fear Allaah concerning women, for you have taken them on the
security of Allaah and have made their bodies lawful to you by the words
of Allaah. Your right over them is that they should not allow
anyone whom you dislike to sit on your bed. If they do that, then hit
them, but not severely. Their rights over you are that you should be
kind to them and clothe them properly.I have left you with something
which, if you adhere to it, you will not go astray after I am gone:
the Book of Allaah. If you were asked about me, what would you say?”
They said: “We would bear witness that you have conveyed (the message),
fulfilled (the trust) and advised us sincerely.” Then he pointed with
his index finger towards the sky and then towards the people, and said,
“O Allaah, bear witness, O Allaah bear witness,” three times.When Allaah perfected this
religion and its basic principles had been established, Allaah revealed
to him in ‘Arafaah:“This
day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon
you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion[al-Maa'idah 5:3 – interpretation
of the meaning]This Hajj is called Hujjat
al-Wadaa’ (the Farewell Pilgrimage) because in it the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bade farewell to the people,
and he did not perform Hajj after that. Then after completing his Hajj,
the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) returned to Madeenah,
In 11 AH, in the month of Safar,
the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fell sick. When the pain
became too intense, he told Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him)
to lead the people in prayer. In Rabee’ al-Awwal, his sickness became
worse and he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died in the morning of Monday
12 Rabee’ al-Awwal 11 AH. The Muslims were grief-stricken by that. The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was washed (ghusl) and the
Muslims offered the funeral prayer for him on the 13th, in
the evening, and he was buried in the house of ‘Aa’ishah. The Messenger
died, but his religion will remain until the Day of Resurrection.Then the Muslims chose the
one who had been his companion in the cave and during the Hijrah, Abu
Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) to be their khaleefah. After him,
the position of khaleefah passed to ‘Umar, then to ‘Uthmaan, then to
‘Ali. These are the Khulafaa’ al-Raashidoon (the Rightly-Guided
Khaleefahs), may Allaah be pleased with them all.Allaah blessed His Messenger
Muhammad greatly and enjoined upon him noble characteristics, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):“Did He not find you (O
Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge?And He found you unaware
(of the Qur’aan, its legal laws and Prophethood) and guided you?And He found you poor and
made you rich (self sufficient with self contentment)?Therefore, treat not the
orphan with oppression.And repulse not the beggar.
And proclaim the Grace of
your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces)”[al-Duhaa 93:6-11]
Allaah honoured His Messenger
with noble characteristics which were not combined in any other person,
to the extent that his Lord praised him for these characteristics:“And verily, you (O Muhammad)
are on an exalted standard of character”[al-Qalam 68:4 – interpretation
of the meaning]With these noble and praiseworthy
characteristics, he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was able to bring people
together and soften their hearts, by Allaah’s leave:“And by the Mercy of Allaah,
you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh hearted,
they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults),
and ask (Allaah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs.
Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allaah, certainly,
Allaah loves those who put their trust (in Him)”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:159 – interpretation
of the meaning]Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to all of mankind. He revealed
to him the Qur’aan and commanded him to call people to Allaah, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily,
We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,And as one who invites to
Allaah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allaah (Alone)]
by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your instructions
from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah
the legal ways of the Prophet”[al-Ahzaab 33:46]
Allaah favoured His Messenger
Muhammad over the other Prophets in six ways, as the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“I have been favoured above
the other Prophets in six ways: I have been given the ability of concise
speech; I have been supported with fear [in the hearts of my enemies];
war booty has been made permissible for me; the earth has been made
pure and a mosque [place of worship] for me; I have been sent to all
of mankind; and I am the seal of the Prophets.”(Narrated by Muslim, 523)
All of mankind must believe
in him and follow his sharee’ah in order to enter the Paradise of their
Lord:“and
whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad) will be admitted
to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein,
and that will be the great success”[al-Nisaa’ 4:13 – interpretation
of the meaning]Allaah praises those among
the People of the Book who believe in the Messenger, and He gives them
the glad tidings of a two-fold reward, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning):“Those to whom We gave the
Scripture [i.e. the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before
it, they believe in it (the Qur’aan).And when it is recited to
them, they say: ‘We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our
Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves
to Allaah in Islam as Muslims (like ‘Abdullâh bin Salâm and Salmân Al
Farisî).These will be given their
reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good,
and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided them”[al-Qasas 28:52-54]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three who
will be given a two-fold reward: a man from among the People of the
Book who believed in his Prophet then lived until the time of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and believed in him and
followed him – he will have two rewards…”
