Leaf from the Prophet's Life : War and Peace
By Khalid Mecci
Pre-Islamic Arabia was far from peaceful. In a land where anarchy was a way of life, bloody tribal wars were the order of the day. In one of these wars, the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) hardly fifteen, attended on his uncles. He would pick up the arrows of the enemy as they fell and hand them over.
The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) was still in his teens when Meccan society had fallen into the lowest depths of depravity. Injustice to women and slaves, the burying of new born girls and internecine wars were not uncommon. The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) was witness to all this and his sorrow knew no end.
To the pagan Arabs four months of the year were sacred. During this time they would not indulge in warfare or disturb the peace in anyway. But tribal wars were not uncommon during these months.
Fought in the holy months, these battles came to be known as “the sacrilegious wars.” The tribes had agreed that during the sacred months there would be no restriction of trade and the people were free to worship the gods in the Ka’bah. In the peace and security of the holy months oratory and poetry flourished and Jews, Christians and Pagans mixed freely in the market place.
The peace of the holy months was shattered by the killing of Urwah by Al Barrad. Urwah was leading a caravan for the King of Hira when Al Barrad ambushed him and made away with the goods. Thus began a tribal war which lasted for four years.
After much blood had been spilt in the “sacrilegious wars” a peace treaty was agreed upon. The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) played a great part in negotiations and eventually became a member of a league dedicated to suppressing violence and injustice and vindicating the rights of the weak, the indigent and the destitute. Long after his call to Prophethood, Muhammad (Pbuh) was still a member of this league.
Although this incident occurred almost twenty years before his call, it was the first time the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) was involved in social change. Already he was known as Al-Ameen and Al-Sadiq, the trustworthy and the truthful: titles which were so natural to him. Honest, kind, sincere, extremely sympathetic to the poor, the sick and the needy that was Al-Ameen!
The commanding presence of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) was largely responsible for the success of the peace treaty. Depraved as Meccan society was, it recognised the greatness of character the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) displayed. It is an example of what one can achieve through honesty and integrity despite all odds. He forged ties of friendship between warring tribes who cared only for tribal loyalty. And this was achieved through his great personality. Years later all the tribes came together and the unification of Arabia was achieved by the grace of Allah, through the agency of His Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
The Holy Qur’an described the Prophet (Pbuh) thus : “A messenger has come to you from among yourselves; he is concerned that you have come to grief, is anxious for you, compassionate, merciful towards believers.” (9:128).
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Companion of Prophet (Pbuh) : Hazrath Hamza
Few people commanded as much respect in Makkah as Hamza, the youngest son of Abdul Muthalib. He was the Holy Prophet’s (Pbuh) uncle and also this brother in nursing, for both had suckled at the breast of Thuwaybah for a while.
Hamza grew up to be an intrepid warrior, brave and generous. His formidable sword was held in dread by all the Qureish. The conversion of Hamza to Islam was no less significant than that of Umar. Their commanding presence ensured some safety for the small band of persecuted Muslims in Makkah. Indeed few had the courage to confront the fiery Hamza who had become a devoted adherent of Islam, vowing to protect the Prophet (Pbuh) from harm.
Hamza’s great prowess at war was clearly evident at the Battle of Badr. He slew many leaders of the Qureish in combat. At the outset of the battle, three of the Qureish advanced into the open space which divided the Muslims from the idolaters, and according to Arab usage, challenged three champions from the Muslim ranks to single combat. Hamza, Ali and Obaidah accepted the challenge, and came out conquerors. Prominent among those who fell to the sword of Hamza at Badr were Utbah, the father of Hinda (wife of Abu Sufyan) and her brother. The loss of her father and brother had greatly tormented Hinda who was thirsting for revenge. She promised Wahashi, an Abyssinian slave, a great amount of wealth should he succeed in killing Hamza. To encourage him further, Wahshi’s master Zubayr promised him his freedom.
In the battle of Uhud, Hamza again distinguished himself against the Pagans. Wahshi was there on the battlefield of Uhud with his spear. Soon he spotted Hamza engaged in battle felling his enemies with his sword. Wahshi’s expert aim found its mark and the weapon pierced Hamza in the abdomen. The martyrdom of Hamza caused great sorrow to the Prophet (Pbuh). The cause of Islam had suffered a great blow.
Not satisfied with the revenge she had taken, Hinda ran onto the battlefield and cut off a number of noses and ears of the dead Muslims in order to make a string and a necklace of them. She then cut the body of Hamza open, pulled out his liver and began to chew it. This hurt the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) even more. A revelation brought peace and solace to the believers. The Muslims were asked to be patient during these trials.
Hamza’s deeds of valour have been retold to generations of Muslims all over the world throughout the centuries. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest martyrs of Islam.
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Etiquettes of Masjid
By M. Yusuf Islahi
* Do service to the Masjid by keeping it populated
* Say as many prayers in congregation in the Masjid, as possible.
* Prayer in congregation is rewarded with 27 times more blessing than that said alone.
* Go to the Masjid with eagerness and enthusiasm to say your prayers.
* Keep the Masjid clean. Sweep it, dust it, burn incense so as to fragrance it. Place the article that is in the wrong place, in its right place.
* Greet the believer at the Masjid with sincerity and happiness upon seeing him or her.
* When sitting in the Masjid for the remembrance of Allah (swt), seek humility and forgiveness.
* When bringing small children to the Masjid, be mindful to keep them as quiet as possible out of consideration for those making salat.
* Do not use the Masjid as a thoroughfare without purpose.
* On entering the Masjid, use your right foot and say “O Allah, open the gates of Thy Mercy for me (Allahumm-aftah li abwaba rahmatika).”
* On leaving the Masjid, use your left foot and say “O Allah! I seek your favour and blessings (Allahumma inni as’aluka min fadlika).”
Excerpted from Etiquette of Life in Islam
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History : 6th Century (500-599) C.E.
* 545: Birth of Abdullah, the Holy Prophet’s father.
* 571: Birth of the Holy Prophet. Year of the Elephant. Invasion of Makkah by Abraha the Viceroy of Yemen, his retreat.
* 577: The Holy Prophet visits Madinah with his mother. Death of his mother.
* 580: Death of Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet.
* 583: The Holy Prophet’s journey to Syria in the company of his uncle Abu Talib. His meeting with the monk Bahira at Bisra who foretells of his prophethood.
* 586: The Holy Prophet participates in the war of Fijar.
* 591: The Holy Prophet becomes an active member of “Hilful Fudul”, a league for the relief of the distressed.
* 594: The Holy Prophet becomes the Manager of the business of Lady Khadija, and leads her trade caravan to Syria and back.
* 595: The Holy Prophet marries Hadrat Khadija. Seventh century
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Attributes
* The Last Prophet among all Prophets - Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
* Justice - Hazrat Umar Farooq (R)
* Obedience and Gentleness - Hazrat Fatimah (R)
* Long age - Hazrat Nuh (A)
* Philosophy - Imam Ghazali (R)
* Tolerance - Hazrat Ayyub (A)
* Jihad - Salahuddin Ayyubi (R)
* Manliness - Mohd. Bin Qasim (R)
* Application of Shariah - Aurangazeb (R)
* Handsomeness - Hazrat Yusuf (A)
* Truthfulness - Hazrat Abu Bakr (R)
* Courage - Hazrat Ali (R)
* Martyrdom - Hazrat Imam Husain (R)
* Fear of God - Rabia Basri (R)
* Mourning - Hazrat Yaqoob (A)
* Following Allah’s word - Hazart Ibrahim (A)
* Ignorance - Abu Jahal
* Wealth - Qaroon
* Tourism - Ibn Batuta
* Generosity - Hazrat Usman (R)
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The Sense of the Goose
Abu Muntasir (Jama'ah)
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way.
It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF A TEAM AND SHARE A COMMON DIRECTION GET WHERE THEY ARE GOING QUICKER AND EASIER, BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAVELLING ON THE TRUST OF ONE ANOTHER.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.
IF WE HAVE AS MUCH SENSE AS A GOOSE, WE WILL SHARE INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO ARE HEADED THE SAME WAY WE ARE GOING.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over.
IT PAYS TO SHARE LEADERSHIP AND TAKE TURNS DOING HARD JOBS.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
WORDS OF SUPPORT AND INSPIRATION HELP ENERGIZE THOSE ON THE FRONT LINE, HELPING THEM TO KEEP PACE IN SPITE OF THE DAY-TO-DAY PRESSURES AND FATIGUE.
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with another formation to catch up with their group.
IF WE HAVE THE SENSE OF A GOOSE, WE WILL STAND BY EACH OTHER WHEN THINGS GET ROUGH.
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of a TEAM
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Flags of the Islamic State
It has been confirmed in many narrations that there are two flags in Islam; the first is called Al-Liwaa and serves as the sign for the leader of the Muslim army. It is also the flag of the Islamic State. The other is termed Ar-Raya and is used by the Muslim army. The Liwaa of the Messenger (savw) was a piece of white cloth with the words “La Illaha Illa Allah Muhammadur Rasul Allah” written across it. The Raya of the Messenger (saaw) was a piece of black wool with the words “La Illaha Illa Allah Muhammadur Rasul Allah” also written across it. Therefore, the Liwaa is a white flag with black inscription, and the Raya is a black flag with white inscription. Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated that the Raya of the Messenger (saaw) was black and that his Liwaa was white. While the Muslims were fighting the battle of Mu’atah against the Romans, the Messenger (saaw) delivered a Khutbah in Madinah and informed the Muslims there of what had transpired in the battlefield. The Messenger (saaw) informed them that Zayd (ra) had been martyred and that Ja’far (ra) took the Raya (black flag) after him, but that Ja’far (ra) was also martyred so Abdullah Ibn Ruwahah (ra) took the Raya (black flag) from him. Al-Barra’a Ibnu Azeb (ra) was asked about the Messenger’s (saaw) Raya. He said: “It was black, had four corners and was made of wool.” These and other ahadith clearly prove that Muhammad (saaw) had designated a flag for his Ummah. The Messenger of Allah (saaw) conquered and entered Makkah with a Liwaa (white flag). Allah O Akbar!
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Politics in Salah
Hassan Al Banna
Once I said jokingly to my listeners in one of my lectures - and it was a successful step, praise be to God that the Islamic prayer which we perform five times a day is nothing but a daily training for a practical social order in which are combined the best elements that exist in the ideologies of Communism, Democracy and Dictatorship.
My listeners were surprised and said “How is that?”
I replied that the best element in the Communist ideology is the notion of equality and the abolition of all classes and segregation, and its antagonism to the desire for private property which is the basis of class distinction. The Muslim faces all these concepts when he enters a mosque, since once inside he automatically feels that it belongs to God and to no one else, and that there he is on an equal footing with anyone else great or low, commoner or prince: for in a mosque there are no distinctions nor classes.
However, when the Caller to Prayer calls “Prayers are to be held’: all the people in the mosque stand behind one Imam in solid formation; no one makes a Ruku nor a Sajda unless the Imam makes one and no one moves unless he is following or imitating the Imam. This is the best quality in the dictatorial system, i.e.. unity and discipline in action.
But the Imam himself is bound by the rules of prayers and constitution; if he deviates or makes a mistake in his movements or in the reading of the Qur’an while leading the prayers, it is the duty of any man, woman or little boy who may be praying behind him to make his error instantly known to him, while prayer is still in progress, bringing him back to the right path.
It is the duty of the Imam, whoever he may be, to conform to this advice and to abandon his error. There is nothing in democracy more significant than this equality. How could it then, be said, that any of these systems and ideologies can claim superiority over Islam when their best qualities are contained within the theories of the Islamic doctrine? Islam has combined within its system the best of what exists in all these ideologies and has avoided all their pitfalls. God has said in the Qur’an, “Had It not been revealed of God, they would have found In the Qur’an a great number of contradictions.”
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Praise Be to You
Naila Momin
Praise be to you. O great Almighty
The Lord of both the worlds
Shower your mercy and blessings
Every minute upon us in manifolds
Greate within us patience to face
World's problems both hot and cold
Praise be to you, O creator and destroyer
The scholar of secrets untold
Clouds of sins have surrounded us
Leads us on the rights path you hold
World's complications have entrapped us
Towards your consent our hearts you mould.
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SUPPLICATION
Prayers for This World and the Hereafter
Allahummaghfirli Warhamni Wa Afeni Warzuqni.
O Allah! forgive me, take pity upon me, preserve me, and grant me sustenance.
Allahumma Ahsin Aqibatana Fil Umoore Kulleha Wa Airna Min Khizyid-Dunya Wa Azaabil Akhirate.
O Allah! make sublime in their outcome; all our actions; and save us from disgrace in this world, and from the chastisement in the Hereafter.
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