Prophet's Companions
Hazrat Sayeed bin Aamir
Hazrat Sayeed bin Aamir was a happy-go-lucky carefree person before he embraced Islam. The turning point in his life came when Quraish of Makkah captured Hazrat Khubaib bin Adi, a companion of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) and appointed a day to publicly hang him. They had given a call in Makkah for everyone to see the public hanging. Sayeed also wanted to witness the event. He reached Tanyeem, where Khubaib was to be hanged.
The war of Badr had taken place only a few months ago and everyone in Makkah wanted to avenge the defeat at the hands of Prophet Muhammad. They were fierce with rage. Sayeed took a position in the front along with other Quraish chieftains. Khubaib was brought to the center-stage. There were cries of jubilation all over. But Sayeed’s voice rose from amidst the cries. Khubaib sought the permission for two rakaats of namaz before he was taken for his final journey. Permission was granted. Calm and composed, Khubaib did not take much to finish the prayers and then addressed the Quraish chieftains: By God, I would have prayed longer than I did. But then I thought you would think that I am delaying my death by praying longer because of the fear of death. He then presented himself for the death sentence to be carried out.
Sayeed saw that the Quraish were cutting off portions of Khubaib’s body and taunting him and asking him if he would not like Prophet Muhammad to be in his place and he (Khubaib) should be spared of this agony. But Khubaib was cool as ever and replied even as blood was streaming out of his body: By God, I hate me and my family enjoying life even in lieu of my beloved Prophet suffering because of the pricking of a thorn.
“Kill him! Kill him,” rose the cry from the mob. He breathed his last even while his body was tortured
The gory sight of Khubaib’s martyrdom never faded from young Sayeed’s memory. Sayeed had learnt the lesson of the inner strength of faith which accepts death but not compromises. He secretly began to love the Holy Prophet. He was now firm that Muhammad was the real Prophet of Allah. One day he made a declaration in the public that he would now onwards be a believer in Islam. He soon migrated to Madinah and joined the company of the Prophet. He participated in battles alongside the Prophet. When the Prophet departed from this world, Sayeed bin Aamir served as an advisor of Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar. Umar appointed him the Governor of Hams, now in Syria. Umar wanted to fix a salary, but Sayeed told him he would have no use for the money as he was already getting some stipend
A few days later, Umar visited Syria and arrived at Hams which had been renamed as Kuwaifah. His enquiry revealed that people had four major complaints regarding Sayeed. Umar invited both the complainants and Sayeed together at a common sitting. The first complainant said that Sayeed does not emerge out of his house till the sun begins to shine brightly.
Umar wanted Sayeed to reply. Sayeed said: “I do not have any domestic servant. I wake up at the break of dawn. Then I knead the flour and wait for this to ferment for a while. Then I bake bread for the family members. Later I take ablution and go out to serve the people. The second complaint was about Sayeed’s refusal to attend to people’s grievances during the night. Sayeed replied: “I devote my day for the people and the night for the worship of Allah.”.
The third complainant said Sayeed does not come out of his house one full day in a month. To this Sayeed explained that he had no servant nor a second pair of clothes. So he washes the pair on a particular day and since it takes a long time to dry, he is unable to come out that day and as such he is not negligent about his duties.
A fourth complainant said he often faints during his public sessions. Umar wanted to know the reason. Sayeed said he often reflects on the past and the sight of the murder of Khubaib shudders him. “ I fear if Allah would pardon my silence at that moment. I repent not having helped him out of the situation.” Umar thanked Allah for having blessed Sayeed with such humility. On returning to Madinah, he sent one thousand Dinars to Sayeed. His wife thanked Allah for His mercy. But Sayeed was a totally different person. He again distributed the Dinars among the needy, poor and orphans of the city and told his wife that it was better to gain a reward for the hereafter rather than looking for any relief here.
(Translated and abridged by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj from Suwarum min Hayathus Sahaba by Egyptian writer Dr. Abdur Rahman Rafat Pasha.)
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Road to Dubai
On the road to Dubai, my husband stopped at a small mosque to offer the Asr prayer. As I sat in the car, I saw a figure approaching from the direction of a small group of houses. It took some time before I realised it was a man, crawling towards the mosque. He wore rubber sandals on his hands. His lower body dragged on the hard, rocky ground. The sweltering heat was beating down hard on his body. By the time he reached the courtyard of the mosque, I could see he was soaked and his face was flushed. Many men passed him on their way to the prayer, perhaps accustomed to seeing him everyday. One man came out of a shop and watched him for a while. He went back into the shop and came out with a cold drink. He opened it for the crawling man and they sat together for a minute. I heard them talking as the man who offered him the cold drink requested that he would help the crawling man to make it up the stairs to the mosque. He was concerned about making it on time, so he excused himself and continued his slow, laboured journey to the prayer.
I did not watch him as he mounted the stairs. I could not imagine how to help him. I was crying by then, remembering the Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh): “The hypocrites find the Fajr and Isha prayers in congregation very oppressive. If they could know the virtues of these two prayers, they would certainly join them, even if they had to go crawling.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
This man, who literally did crawl even in the heat of the day, did not find the congregational prayer oppressive at all. May Allah reward all who struggle to please Him and may He always remind us of our own weaknesses through such people.
Um Yaqoob
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Sacred Thoughts:
God is the Sustainer
Now all the false gods are an enemy to me, except the Lord of all the worlds- ALLAH-it is He who has created me and so it is He who guides me, it is He who gives me to eat and drink and whenever I am sick, it is He who heals me and it is He who makes me to die and then will bring me to life. And upon Him I pin my hope that He would forgive my sins on the day of judgement. In return for all His favours, I obey Him. I thank Allah every time and I love my Allah very much. I am proud to be born as a Muslim girl.
Sanah Ahmed
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The Mother's Hand
My mother was visiting, she asked me to go shopping with her because she needed a new dress. I don’t normally like to go shopping and I’m not a patient person, but we set off for the mall together. We visited nearly every store and my mother tried on dress after dress, rejecting them all. As the day wore on, I grew weary. Finally, at our last stop, my mother tried on a lovely blue three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline, and as I stood in the dressing room with her, I watched as she tried, with much difficulty, to tie the bow. Her hands were so badly crippled from arthritis that she couldn’t do it. Immediately, my impatience gave way to an overwhelming wave of compassion for her. I turned away to try and hide the tears that welled up in my eyes. Regaining my composure, I turned back to tie the bow for her.
Our shopping trip was over, but the event was etched indelibly in my memory. For the rest of the day, my mind kept returning to that moment in the dressing room and to the vision of my mother’s hands trying to tie that bow. Those loving hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed me, caressed and comforted me, and, most of all, prayed for me, were now touching me in the most remarkable manner.
Later in the evening, I went to my mother’s room, took her hands in mine, kissed them and, much to her surprise, told her that to me they were the most beautiful hands in the world. I can only pray that some day my hands, and my heart, will have earned such a beauty of their own.
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Islamic Voice Quiz February 2002
1. What is common between Edison and Hitler?
2. What is the title of Emperor Babur’s autobiography
3. Which is the hottest planet?
4. Who is the first poet of Urdu?
5. Who is the famous historian of the era of Mahmud Ghaznavi who provided Islamic literature in Sankrit language for Kashmiris?
6. Which is the world’s smallest country?
7. How old was the Prophet when angel Gabriel came to him with the revelation of the Quran?
8. What is tawaf?
9. What are the duties of the Angel Israfeel?
10.Name the four Caliphs incharge of the Islamic nation after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
11.What is tajweed?
12.On whom is the performance of Hajj obligatory?
Write the correct answers on a separate sheet of paper and send it along with the coupon given in this page. Write your name, full address, age and school where you study. Entries without address will not be considered. The first three all correct entries will be given Rs 100 each and six others will receive a children’s novel each. Last date to send the entries is March 10, 2002.
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Nature Watch
On a Camel Ride
Have they not looked at the camel-how it was created and the sky-how it was raised up?
And at the mountains-how they were embedded?And at the earth-how it was smoothed out?
So remind them! You are only a reminder. (Surah al-Ghasiyah-17-21)
On a Camel Ride
What makes the camel “ a special living be- ing” is its body structure which is not af-fected by even the most severe conditions. Prophet Muhammad’s camel was called Qaswa and the Prophet used this camel during his pilgrimage too.
The camel can survive without food and water for eight days at a temperature of 50 degree C.
Camels can consume upto 130 litres of water which is around one third of their body weight in almost 10 minutes.
The hump is the other support of the camel. One fifth of the camel’s total body weight is stored as fat in the hump and this prevents the excretion of water from all over its body-which is related to fat. So the animal uses the minimum of water.
The eyes of the camels have two eyelash layers and they interlock like a trap and protect the eyes of the animal from harsh sandstorms. Camels can close their nostrils so that no sand enters. Created with such superior physical features, the camel has been decreed by the Almighty to serve mankind.
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Do You Know?
Human Rights in Islam
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) once asked his companions: “ Do you know who is a pauper.” The companions replied that a pauper is a person who had no property or money.
The Prophet said: “ A pauper from among my Ummah is one who will come on the Day of Judgement with a good record of Salah, Saum and Zakah, but also he has abused somebody, slandered against someone, usurped the goods of another person, killed someone or beaten yet another person. Then all the oppressed persons will receive a part of the aggressors good deeds.
Should they fall short of his aggression, then the aggrieved persons’ sins and defaults will be transferred from them to him and he will be thrown into the Fire (Hell)
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New Inventions
The Segway, a Computerised
Human Transporter
The future of transport looks simple. It stands between chest and shoulder high. Two wheels, each the size of a children’s bicycle wheel, are joined by a flat platform, less than 1feet off the ground. “Take the handlebars,” “Get a feel for it.” It feels as light as a luggage trolley. When you push the handles, and put one foot on the board, you think you are going to wobble all over the place like a learner skier. But within moments, it feels comfortable. The handles stay steady, the wheels stand still. A small plastic fob, the size of a ring pull, at the end of which is what resembles a large watch battery. This is the coded ignition key. You pop it into a hole on the handlebar and you are ready to go. “Lean forward.” The Segway moves forward. So sensitive are the tilt sensors buried in the foot board, monitoring the rider’s centre of gravity 100 times a second, that they respond to your muscle twitches even before you are aware they are twitching.
New Inventions
The sensors then transmit their findings to a computer which transmits them to an electric motor the size of which resembles a fishing reel. The left handle twists backwards and forwards, like gears on some bikes, to take you right and left. Think stop and you stop. Think backwards and backwards you go.
If you want to zoom, just lean further forward and you are off, up to 12 mph. Dean Kamen from America, inventor of the Segway, first dreamt of the gyroscopic tilt sensor system when he was in the bathroom. He knocked something off a shelf, and bent awkwardly to catch it.
The vehicle will ride on pavements at first, but if Kamen has his way, will ultimately be the main means of urban transport g
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Globe Trotting
Sinan's Magnificent Creations
Masjid e Sulaimaniya, Turkey
Going by its buildings and architecture, Istanbul could be the most beautiful city of the Islamic world. Many of its buildings were constructed by the famous architect Khawja Sinan, who lived during the 16th century. This was the era of rule by Ottoman emperor, Sulaiman the Great.
Sinan was basically a warrior. He participated in wars against Russia, Serbia, Rhodes and Hungary. But he was an extremely good builder and architect. After his life as a warrior, he was appointed as the chief engineer of the Ottoman Sultanate by Sulaiman. He built over 300 public buildings. These include 131 mosques, 55 schools, 7 Darul Qurans, 3 hospitals, 16 community kitchens, 8 bridges, 7 covered canals, 33 hamam (bathrooms) and 34 palaces.
Of his most magnificent creations is the Masjid e Sulaimaniya. It represents the zenith of Sinan’s art. He also built Istanbul’s bazaar known as Qabali Jarishi which is one of the most beautiful markets with oriental charm, in Europe. It has 5000 shops. No ones leaves Istanbul without stepping into this market. Sinan trained many youngsters in architecture, one among whom, Yousuf Barkoshak came to India and built several of the Mughal edifices during the reign of Akbar g
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Prophet Muhammad's (Pbuh)Hajj
Safah Marwah
Hajj is one of the five tenets of Islam and every Muslim having the means, and healthy enough to travel, must go on this pilgrimage once in her or his lifetime. In the tenth year of the Hijrah or 632 A D, Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) set out for Makkah to perform his Hajj. Nearly 1,00,000 believers accompanied him. This pilgrimage is known as the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat-al-Wida). Here he explained the rules of Hajj and gave his famous speech known as the Final Sermon. Upon reaching Makkah, the Prophet and his followers put on the white seamless cloth called the ihram. Then the pilgrims went directly to the Kabah and walked around it seven times in a counter-clockwise direction to show how man’s life must revolve around God. This is called the tawaf. As the pilgrims arrived, they called out: Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaik La Sharika Labbaik...
This is the prayer called the talbiya which is the answer to the divine call to come and give one’s life wholly to Allah. Next they ran back and forth seven times between the small hills of Safa and Marwah in memory of the time when Allah tested Prophet Ibrahim (e) and his family. This is called the Sai. On the eighth day of the Hajj, the pilgrims went to the Valley of Mina about 10 km from the Kabah where Allah had tested Ibrahim by ordering him to sacrifice his son Ismail. At the last moment, Allah stopped Ibrahim and sent a ram to be sacrificed instead.
On the ninth day of the Prophet’s Hajj, the pilgrims proceeded to the Plain of Arafat to stand on the Mount of Mercy. There they stood in the sweltering heat and prayed to Allah for his mercy. This is called the wuquf. Here during the sermon on that day, this passage of the Quran was revealed to the Prophet: “ Today I have perfected your religion and I have completed My blessing upon you and I have approved Islam for your religion.” After praying, the Prophet told the Muslims to let the Quran and his own example to be their guides in life. Revenge, a very old tradition in Arabia and usury were to be ended. And he said: ‘Know that every Muslim is a Muslim’s brother’. After the sermon, the Prophet looked up and cried, “ My Lord, Have I delivered the message I was charged with and fulfilled my calling. Then he told the gathering, “you will be asked about me, so what will you say?”
They answered with one voice: “We bear witness that you have conveyed Allah’s message and have performed your duty and that you have meant goodness for us.” Pointing his index finger towards heaven and then to the people, he said “ Oh Allah, be witness, Oh Allah be witness” The Prophet ended his speech by saying, “ Let those present convey the message to the absent.” By sunset, they headed back towards Mina gathering pebbles along the way. On the next day, they performed the ritual of casting their pebbles at Satan, symbolised by three pillars set up in memory of how Ibrahim and his family resisted the temptation of Satan. Finally an animal was sacrificed and the pilgrims returned to perform the farewell tawaf of the Kabah. The meat from the sacrifice was sent to the poor and the needy. Three months after returning to Madinah, the Prophet fell ill. The Messenger of Allah died on June 8, 632 A D. He was 63 years old.
Shafia AhmedArab News
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Back to the Past-Great Islamic Thinkers
Abu Al Walid Muhammad ibn Rushd
Abu Al Walid Muhammad ibn Rushd
Ibn Rushd is known as Averroes in the West. He was born in Cordova, Spain in 1126 A D. He was a physician, philosopher, scholar and jurist. He studied medicine under a famous physician in Seville-Abu Jafar Haryn Al Tajali. He also studied law.
He became the chief judge of Cordova. His major works in medicine are Al Kulliyat (General Medicine) and a commentary on ibn Sina’s medical poem. He also wrote commentaries on the works of Aristotle. Because of these studies he was called ‘The Commentator.’ The works were translated into Latin and influenced European philosophers. He also wrote on Plato’s Republic. He defended the study of philosophy and said that it was not against religion. He believed that it was the duty of man to discover truth.
Ibn Rushd gave importance to learning. He did not like power or possessions. It is said that he never missed reading or writing except on the day he married and the day his father died. Ibn Rushd was humble and generous. He said: “ he is virtuous who gives to an enemy.” He died in 1198.
Habib Shaikh, Arab News
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