A Leaf from Prophet's (Pbuh) Life : Courage Beyond Measure
The Quraish had tried everything in their power to dissuade the Prophet (Pbuh) from preaching Islam. They resorted to persecution, slander, ostracism, and ridicule. Nothing worked. At this critical time, the Prophet of Allah (Pbuh) has the protection of his uncle Abu Talib.
Abu Talib continued to protect his nephew and let everyone know of his preparation to fight for him.
As a last resort, the noblemen of Quraish, led by Abu Sufyan went to Abu Talib. “Your nephew has blasphemed our gods, attacked our religion and condemned our forefathers. Abandon him or leave him to our mercy.” They said. Abu Talib spoke to them gently and managed to send them away.
In the meantime the followers of Islam increased. This irritated the Quraish even more and they began to plot against the Prophet (Pbuh). The noblemen came again to Abu Talib and this time they threatened both Abu Talib and his nephew. “Stop him or we shall fight to the end,” they warned. Abu Talib did not want to alienate them; nor did he wish to betray his nephew.
His mind in turmoil, Abu Talib went to his nephew, Muhammad (Pbuh), and pleaded with him: “Save us both and do not cause me to carry a burden I cannot bear.”
The fate of mankind was in balance at that moment in history. What the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) was going to say would change history. Muhammad (Pbuh) looked at his beloved uncle who seemed so helpless. The Muslims themselves were still few in number, poor and weak. All seemed lost. But the Prophet (Pbuh) had been entrusted with a mission the magnitude of which would have crushed a lesser mortal. He replied to his uncle in these memorable words. “By God Almighty I swear, even if they should put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left in return for this cause, I shall not do so until God has vindicated his cause or made me perish in the process.”
What indomitable courage! What single mindedness of purpose! Allah had commanded him to convey the message to all mankind and he was going to perform his duty come what may. This dedication to the cause of God was a quality which all the Prophets possessed in abundance. They were messengers and the hardships they had to endure were indeed great. To some the job entrusted was more difficult than it was to others. The Holy Prophet’s (Pbuh) mission was the hardest and may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him how well he succeeded!
The Qur’an pays tribute to the Prophet (Pbuh) in these words: “You have been (formed) with tremendous character.” (Qur’an 68:4
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Companions of the Prophet (Pbuh) : Hazrath Ammar bin Yassir
All the Companions of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) had sacrificed their lives in the cause of Islam. Some had spend their wealth, others and lost their dear ones and some others had to endure extreme privation and slavery. To be a Muslim was to be prepared for hardship.
Ammar was of Yemenese origin. His father Yassir had made his way to Makkah in the hope of finding his brother whose whereabouts were not known. He never found his brother but decided to make Makkah his home. His wife Samiya bore him two children Abdullah and Ammar.
While Ammar was lucky to be free from childhood, his parents had to endure the hardship of slavery. At first. Abu Huzaifah had enslaves them and after his death Abu Jahl continued to hold them in bondage. To be a slave and a Muslim at the same time was the most difficult thing in the world. The master would torture the slaves for their beliefs as did Abu Jahl. Yassir and his wife Samiya were Muslims and for that reason alone Abu Jahl tortured them. Ammar grew up into a man watching his parents in misery. This naturally caused him a great deal of sorrow.
There were times when Ammar would weep at the suffering of his parents. The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) would console him and pray for the family. One fateful day Yassir, unable to bear the torture any more, passed away. A little while later, Abu Jahl struck Samiya a cruel blow and killed her. Amar himself did not escape the punishment and was once branded on the back.
The Holy Prophet (Pbuh) had great regard for Ammar, who had been with the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) in all the great battles of Islam from Badar to Tabuk and had fought with the greatest zeal and courage.
Among the companions of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) Ammar was held in high esteem, respected for his knowledge of Islam and praised for his undoubted sacrifice to the cause.
Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) died a martyr, a fitting end to a glorious life of sacrifice and patience against all odds. Who can deny Ammar a place among the greatest heroes of Islam?
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Think before Choosing your Path
Ayetullah Ibrahim Amini
If you want to be successful in life, what path should you choose?
To be blessed in this world and in the Hereafter what programme of life should you choose?
Have you ever thought about these things?
What path and programme have you chosen to be a good and perfect person?
Do you look at others and do whatever they do? Or Do you choose your life style for yourself?
Is it not better to think before you choose a path to lead your life the way it should be lead?
Perhaps you will think “I will organise my life and choose my path as I go along”. “But are you really aware of all your needs, in this world and in the Hereafter? If not, how will you be sure that you will choose correctly?
Or Perhaps you will say, “The wise and the educated will choose my path for me, and I will leave it to them,” But are the wise really aware of everything we need for a happy life in this world and the Hereafter?
So, who can determine a proper programme for human perfection and prosperity, man or his creator?
Of course, the honest and logical reply is Allah, since he has created man and is aware of all the secrets of Human nature, and he alone knows about all the conditions of Man’s life in this world and in the Hereafter.
For this reason, only Allah can arrange a proper and complete programme for human perfection and prosperity. It is this programme that he has sent to mankind through the medium of his Prophet. And the people who follow the programme of the Prophets (Pbuh) live in freedom and happiness in this world and the Hereafter. The last and most complete phase of human development was sent to the last of was sent through the lst of the Prophets Muhammad (Pbuh) and is the perfect programme for all the mankind. It is called the religion of Islam, and Allah has commanded all the mankind to follow this religion which is the most natural logical and simple way of life.
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Silence is Successful
Once a king purchased TWO slaves. One of them was very handsome while the other was very ugly. The king asked the handsome slave to go and take a bath. While he was away the king turned to the other slave and said “Your companion has given a very
bad account of you, he said that you are a thief and of bad character. Is this correct?”
The slave replied that his companion was a handsome person, and his exterior beauty must be reflected by inward beauty as well. He could not believe that such a beautiful man could tell a lie. He therefore said “If my companion has a bad opinion about me, there must certainly be something wrong with me. I am afraid he must be correct.”
The king observed that beauty was only an Allah given gift, and it did not follow that a person who had a handsome face had a pure heart as well. The king was greatly impressed with the character and intelligence of this slave. In the meantime, the first slave had returned from his bath.
The king sent the second slave (i.e. the ugly slave to have a bath) and in his absence told the handsome slave that his fellow slave had given a bad account of him. On hearing this, the slave burst into invectives against his companion and said that he was a rascal and a liar.
The king thus came to the conclusion that the slave with a beautiful face had no inner worth while the slave with an ugly face had much inner worth.
The moral of the story is that beauty is only skin deep. All that glitters is not gold. “Every man is hidden under his own tongue” The tongue reveals the inner intelligence as well as inner vileness . “The safety of a man lies in holding his tongue” Rasulullaah (Pbuh) said: “ He who is silent is successful!”
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Do You Know : Sunnah of Visiting the Graveyard
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: “Make Ziyaarat (frequent) of the graveyard, for verily, visiting the graves diminishes the love of this world and makes (one) remember the Aakhirat.”
When visiting the graveyard (cemetery) endeavour to establish in the heart the transitory and perishable nature of the world. Reflect on the condition of the dead - that were like we are today walking around the earth. So were these inmates of the graves; and, one day we too will be lying there buried undersand. In order to achieve this purpose which is explained in the above Hadith, it is best that you visit the cemetery alone. Do not visit the cemetery in a group or gathering, for then, you will not attain this noble purpose, viz., diminishing of the love of the world from the heart and the remembrance of the hereafter.
Upon reaching the graveyard recite the Dua which Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his Companions were in the habit of reciting.
1) “Assalamu alaikkum ya ahlal quboor yaghfirullahu lana wa lakum wa antum salafaona wa nahno bil asr.”
Peace be upon you. O Ye dwellers of these graves! May Allah forgive us and you! You are our forerunners and we are at your heels.
2) The Dua is: Assalaamu alaikum ahlad diyaar minas mumineena wal muslimeena. Wa innaa inshaa’allahu bikum la-laahikoon. Nas alul laaha lanaa waial kumul aafiyah.
May the Peace (of Allah) be upon you, 0 people of this land (the graveyard), who are among the Believers! Insha Allah, we too shall (soon) be joining you. We ask Allah protection for you and for ourselves.”
Once you have recited this Dua or any other similar Dua recorded in the Ahadith, you will have discharged your duty and fulfilled the right which the inmates of the graves had over you. At the same time you will be executing the practice commanded in the above-stated Hadith.
If you have time, it is meritorious to recite some parts from the Qur’an and ask Allah Tala to accept the recital and bestow the Sawaab on the dead. Reciting of Surah Yaseen, Surah Mulk, and Surah Ikhlaas have been specially mentioned in the Hadith.
The above method is the simple and pure way in which Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his Sahaba discharged the duty of making ziyaarat of the cemetery. There is no other ceremony or custom to be observed. From the Ahadith we learn that there are three reasons for visiting the cemetery, viz.
* Eliminating love of the world from the heart.
* Creating remembrance of the Aakhirat in the heart.
* Benefiting the dead by reciting the Qur’an and Dua.
These requirements are best achieved when visiting the graveyard in the manner explained above and adhering strictly to the Sunnah practice of Rasulullah.
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Great Thinkers
Abd Al-Malik Ibn Quraib Al-Asmai (740-828 CE)
Dr. A. Zahoor
Al-Asmai was a philologist who made important contributions to Zoology, Botany, and Animal Husbandry.
Abd al-Malik ibn al-Quraib al-Asmai was born in Basrah in 740 C.E. He was a pious Arab and a good student of Arabic poetry. Al-Asmai is considered as the first Muslim scientist who contributed to Zoology, Botany and Animal Husbandry. His famous writings include Kitab al-Ibil, Kitab al-Khalil, Kitab al-Wuhush, Kitab al-Sha, and Kitab Khalq al-Insan. The last book on human anatomy demonstrates his considerable knowledge and expertise on the subject. Al-Asmai died in 828 C.E.
Interest in breeding of horses and camels was responsible for systematic scientific work by the Arabs as early as seventh century. During the Umayyad Caliphate, behaviour and classification of animals and plants were studied and recorded by several scientists. Al-Asmai’s work was very popular among scientists of the ninth and tenth century.
The King’s Wisdom
Mohammed Ali Al-Jifri
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