PROPHET MUHAMMAD, GOD'S FINAL MESSENGER TO MANKIND

13Friday

As for the Ka'ba, it now housed over 360 idols and fortune-tellers were consulted for both major and trivial decisions. Superstition was now a way of life and very few knew how to read or write -- it was a dark age -- the age of ignorance.

13Friday

a soul winner movie based on the TRUTH of God.

Passion of Christ...may win the soul of millions of christians but also brings anger among the Jews..LOL!

Originally posted by 13Friday at 2004-3-29 01:10 PM:
As for the Ka'ba, it now housed over 360 idols and fortune-tellers were consulted for both major and trivial decisions. Superstition was now a way of life and very few knew how to read or write --  ...

Mr Friday the 13th, can you pls take note that 'now' in that sentence is 'now' in the context of 'that time in history'. Pls read with intelligence.

As for movies and prophets. The reason why Islam does not allow the image of the holy prophets of God etc to be produced in film form or whatever pictorial form is to maintain authenticity and to prevent them from being misused and abused by believers and unbelievers.

Jesus as portrayed by Jim Caviezel  in 'The Passion of Christ' and Moses as portrayed by Charlton Heston in 'The Ten Commanments' can never be the same as the real Jesus and the real Moses in history. To allow people to imagine and to believe that those images belong to the original Jesus or Moses etc would be to run away from what is authentic.

The perfect example has been what christians have been doing. The real Jesus never looked like the Jesus that has been portrayed over the centuries - found on crucifixes, on the walls of churches etc etc..  Maybe they bear a slight resemblance,  but they can never be the same as the original Jesus.

What has been the result of those christian experiments or misadventure??? People have wrongly imagined. The image has stuck in their minds.

Furthermore, nothing can be more  blasphemous and sinful than regarding Jesus as 'God' and portraying his image (pictorially) as the image of 'God'.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 29-3-2004 at 04:54 PM ]

Sephiroth

by Debmey

Sealing of prophethood is a stupid idea. Why would God not want to speak to his people today? How stupid can kennkid be? Its no wonder that Muslims today do not seek guidance from God and that made a mess of themselves and others and also created immorality in their behaviors.

Sorry for the late reply ... didn't have much time today. Have been in Penang the last two days for some business there. Anyway, allow me to answer today.


'Question not thy god, for thy god doth not respond.'

Do you recognise this qoute? It's from the Bible. Roughly translated, it means, don't ask God for any for He do NOT answer you. Right?

That is why it is not a good idea to try and "speak" to God. Because God do not speak back. Do you know why? Because people who attend to speak to Him do so because some selfish reasons. NO ONE (especially Humans) try to speak to God for any non-selfish reason. No one is that holy. ;)

THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE TREATY

Amongst the Quraysh  tribes known as "Confederates"  was that of Sahm . It was from that tribe that a man of note agreed to purchase some valuable goods from a merchant visiting Mecca  from Yemen.

The deal was struck, the tribesman of Sahm received his goods, but then refused to pay the agreed price. Although the merchant from Yemen  was far from home and had no fellow tribesmen to support him, he was not daunted by the weakness of his position. He climbed to the top of Abu Kubays, a nearby hill on which the Black Stone  which now graced the wall of Ka'ba had been found, and appealed to those present about the unjust transaction.

His plaint fell upon the ears of Abdullah, Judan's  son, chief of Taym who offered the use of his house to hear the matter, and so a meeting was convened. Notables from both the "Perfumed Ones"  and the "Confederates"  gathered together in his house to hear the complaint whereupon the tribesman from Sahm  was ordered to pay his debt and those allied to his tribe who were not present at the recent oath-taking raised no objection.  


TRADE  

By now, Muhammad was a young man. The caravan journeys he had made with his uncle had taught him many things, so it was natural that he too should take to trading as a livelihood.

There were those in Mecca who gained much wealth through trading. Some of them, for one reason or another, chose not to accompany the caravans on their missions, preferring to entrust their goods and money to a caravaner who would in return be given a share of the profit.

However, reliable, trustworthy people had become increasingly difficult to find. Muhammad's   word was his bond, his reputation for fairness, honesty and trustworthiness were known by all in Mecca so when he took to trading, Meccan businessmen welcomed him as their profit-sharing partner.

It was not only with their trade that the Meccans trusted him. They trusted him completely in the knowledge that anything placed in his safe-keeping would be returned without decrease.  One might have expected that he would have been paid a fee for such service, however he never requested, desired, nor accepted a fee.

His inherent sense of fairness dictated that receiving a fee would ultimately detract from the value of the person抯 wealth. Such was his impeccable reputation that both businessmen and tribesmen would refer to him as
"Al Amin", the trustworthy. It was through Muhammad抯  example of fair-trading that, in later years, his companions emulated his practice and became very successful in all aspects of commerce. Those who traded with them, be they Muslim or non-Muslim in Arabia or in other countries, knew that they could rely upon their trading partner and would never be cheated.  


THE UNSETTLED TRANSACTION  

Muhammad had negotiated a business transaction with a man by the name of Abdullah,  however, part of the transaction remained unsettled, so it was agreed that the two should meet again to finalize the matter on a specific day.

The matter slipped Abdullah's  memory and Muhammad waited patiently for him to arrive for three days. On the third day when Abdullah  finally arrived, Muhammad neither raised his voice nor did he take offense at being kept waiting. The only comment he made was that he had been concerned for him on account of his delayed arrival.

This degree of tolerance and concern were indeed very rare qualities to be found in Arabs of that day. It was not in Muhammad抯  nature to quarrel nor yet to turn anyone away. In fact the more impertinent and ill-tempered a person behaved towards him, the more tolerant and graceful he became.

Later on during his prophethood, the sincere among the followers of prophets Moses  and Jesus , made it known that this characteristic, together with his description and other signs, were written in their Holy Books so that they might easily recognize and follow the last Prophet of the Creator.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 29-3-2004 at 03:43 PM ]

12 ~~ MARRIAGE



KHADIJAH, DAUGHTER OF KHUWAULID

Among the traders of Mecca was a well respected, honorable, refined, wealthy widowed lady named Khadijah.  She was very beautiful and had many suitors. However, she declined their offers of marriage.

Abu Talib suggested to his nephew, who was now twenty-four, that he might wish to contact Khadijah  to ask whether she might like him to trade on her behalf.

Muhammad, having dealt only with male traders, was somewhat respectfully shy to ask her, so he told his uncle that perhaps she would contact him if she needed his services. When news of the conversation reached Khadijah,  who was twelve years his senior, she told those close to her that if she had known that he was willing to trade with her wealth she would have offered him the opportunity long before.

And so a messenger was sent to invite him to come to her house and discuss arrangements. When Khadijah met Muhammad she respectfully asked if he would take it upon himself to act on her behalf with her merchandize.

She told him that she had already learned of his reputation for honesty, truthfulness and knew of his high morality. Muhammad agreed and as a mark of appreciation she told him she would reward him with twice the usual amount. Muhammad  accepted and thanked Khadijah for her generosity and returned to his uncle to tell him the good news.

His uncle was delighted and told him that ALLAH had sent him this blessing. Just before the end of the month of Dhul Hijjah, Muhammad, in the company of Khadijah's  devoted servant Maysarah, set out on his first trip.

Upon reaching a place called Tayma, Muhammad and Maysarah  sat down to rest under the shade of a tree not far from the hermitage of a monk named Nastura,  who, surprisingly rushed out to greet him. After the exchange of greetings, Nastura  kissed Muhammad's  head and feet then said, "I believe you, and bear witness that you are the one ALLAH  mentioned in the Torah."

When Nastura  saw the mark between his shoulders, he kissed him yet again and bore witness that Muhammad  was to become none other than the Messenger of Allah, the illiterate prophet of whom Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, had prophesied would come.

Then, he turned to Maysarah  and told him, "He is the last Prophet, I wish I could be with him when he is called!".  

Maysarah  was taken aback by Nastura's  statement, it was indeed something to tell his mistress. After taking their farewells Muhammad  and Maysarah continued on their way to Basra  and as the heat of the mid-day sun blazed down, Maysarah noticed clouds, driven by two invisible angels, casting their continuous, protective shade over his companion.

When they reached their destination Muhammad  concluded his commerce and wasted no time setting off back to Mecca . Many days passed before they reached the familiar outskirts of Mecca then, at long last, they finally reached Khadijah's  house around mid-day.

Just before their arrival Khadijah, who had been resting in an upper room, happened to glance out of her window and saw them returning riding on their camels. Then, to her amazement as she looked up into the sky she saw the clouds drifting above Muhammad, shading him from the intense heat of the sun.

After the camels had been attended Muhammad  went to greet Khadijah  and tell her of the tradings  he had made; to her surprise she found her commerce had doubled. Khadijah, true to her word kept her promise and gave Muhammad  his handsome reward.

Later, Khadijah  spoke to Maysarah  about the matter of the clouds and he too confirmed he had seen the same thing throughout the journey. He also related the bewildering conversation and witnessing of the hermit monk, Nastura, and told of the many blessings they encountered upon their journey.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 30-3-2004 at 02:49 PM ]

THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN MUHAMMAD AND KHADIJAH

Khadijah  had been deeply moved and impressed by the things Maysarah told her. Her cousin, Warakah, who was well versed in the scriptures, also spoke highly of him and so she sent her friend, Nufaysah, to discreetly inquire why he had not married. His reply was simple, it was because he had very little money to support a wife and family.

Nufaysah asked him if he would consider marrying a rich, beautiful lady of noble birth, whereupon Muhammad  inquired who the lady might be and was told it was Khadijah

Muhammad was very happy, he respected Khadijah  as she was known among the ladies of the Quraysh as the "Mistress of the Quraysh"  and "Al Tahirah" - the pure.

Muhammad went to his uncle Abu Talib to tell of the proposal, and they, together with Hamza  went to ask Khadijah's  uncle for her hand in marriage as her father has passed away.

Khadijah's  uncle, Amr, Asad's  son gave his permission and the day of the wedding was set.

On the day of their marriage Muhammad  released Barakah, his maid (from the time he was a child), from service. Shortly after, Barakah  married a man from Yathrib and later gave birth to a son named Ayman, however, in the years to come Barakah  was to return to the Prophet's household.

13 ~~ ZAYD


As part of his wedding gift, Khadijah   gave her husband the services of a youth name Zayd  from the tribe of Kalb  in Syria.

Several years before, Zayd's  mother had taken her son to visit her family in the tribe of Tayy.  During their visit the village had been raided by marauders from the tribe of Bani Kayn  and amongst their plunder they seized Zayd  then sold him in Mecca.

Zayd's  father, Haritha, had led a search party to find his son, but the search proved unsuccessful -- there was no trace whatsoever of him and he feared the worst.

Khadijah  and Muhammad  had been married for only a few months when the pilgrimage season began and soon pilgrims from all over Arabia and beyond came to Mecca.

It was in that year that tribesmen from   Kalb  decided to partake in the pilgrimage and by chance Zayd  happened to see and recognize some of them.

Zayd  knew his parents would have grieved over his loss. At first, he too had been devastated at being torn from his parents, but nowadays his circumstances had changed and he was very happy living in the household of Muhammad.

However, now that the opportunity presented itself he was able to send his parents a comforting message via the pilgrims. Members of Zayd's  family were recognized as master poets so he composed a verse conveying the news that he was alive, happy and well. The verse told them not to grieve for him any longer because he lived near the Holy Ka'ba  with a blessed and noble family.



As soon as the pilgrims reached home they went straight to Haritha  and delivered the poem. Haritha  was overjoyed to receive news that his son was alive and immediately ordered mounts to be made ready for himself and his brother to ride to Mecca to ransom his son.

Upon reaching Mecca  they inquired the way to the house of Muhammad  and when they reached it earnestly begged him to allow them to ransom Zayd.

Haritha was prepared to offer any amount of money to free his son. However, they were surprised when Muhammad  told them that if Zayd  wished to return with them he was free to do so and the payment of a ransom was unnecessary. Zayd  was sent for and asked if he recognized the two men standing before him.

Zayd  was overjoyed to see his father and uncle again and confirmed that they were indeed his family. Then, Muhammad  asked if he wished to return with them or to remain with him in his household.

The reply Zayd's  father and uncle were about to hear astounded them --  Zayd  replied that he wished to remain as he was happy where he was. Zayd's  father could not comprehend how anyone, let alone his own son, could choose the life of a servant to that of a freeman, but Zayd respectfully told them that he did not wish it otherwise.

Upon hearing these touching words, Muhammad  took Zayd  by the hand and went to the Ka'ba.

There he announced Zayd's  freedom saying, "All those who are present, bear witness that Zayd is as my son, I am his heir and he is mine."  

Haritha  and his brother returned home and told their fellow tribesmen of Zayd's  decision. They recounted the circumstances and the great bond they had witnessed between Muhammad  and Zayd, and told them that Zayd was a freeman.

THE DAILY LIFE OF MUHAMMAD AND KHADIJAH


Muhammad抯  marriage with Khadijah  was very happy and blissful. He continued to manage Khadijah's  affairs with great skill and her business flourished bringing further wealth to the household.

Despite the abundance of wealth, Muhammad  chose to lead a simple life giving most of his away to those in need. His  aunt, Saffiyah, Abd Muttalib's  daughter, and sister of Hamza,  married a relative of Khadijah  and visited them often taking her son, Zubair (whom she had named after her elder brother) with her.

When Khadijah  became pregnant, Saffiyah  offered the services of her own maid Salma,  to assist with the birth. Khadijah  gratefully accepted and so Salma   became the midwife to all of the children born to them.

Their sons' names were Kasim and Abdullah (who was also known as Al Tahir or Al Tayyib)  -- and their daughters were named Zaynab, Rukiyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima.  However, their sons were not destined to live long. Kasim  passed away  shortly before his second birthday, and Abdullah died during infancy shortly after his father became the Seal of the Prophets of Allah.



14 ~~ THE KA'BA


RECONSTRUCTION OF THE KA'BA


Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in the premises of the Ka'ba, causing a weakness to its walls. Thereafter, the already unstable walls were weakened yet again by a tremendous flood which engulfed the Ka'ba.

The Quraysh  were deeply concerned about its condition and felt it necessary to demolish it completely then rebuild it using the same stones. They also proposed to make it larger and to add a roof -- before that time the Ka'ba  was roofless. All agreed that its reconstruction must be funded with pure money, money gained unlawfully such as that earned by interest, prostitution and such like was automatically rejected.

Such was the deep rooted reverence for the Ka'ba  that the Quraysh  feared their actions might be deemed sacrilegious. Although their intentions were honorable, they remembered what had happened to Abraha when he tried to raze it to the ground some thirty-five years before.

This fear was greatly increased when a large serpent was seen slithering out of the Ka'ba each day and then sunning itself against its walls. When anyone attempted to approach it, it would raise itself up in readiness to strike and hiss violently at the intruder. Then, one day whilst the serpent was sunning itself, ALLAH  sent an eagle that swooped down, seized it and flew off with it in its talons.

The Quraysh  were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild the Ka'ba had been approved. The Quraysh  were about to start upon its reconstruction when news came that a ship had been wrecked off the coast near Jeddah, whereupon one of their tribesmen named Walid,  Mughira's  son, hastened to Jeddah  to purchase its salvageable timber.

One of the ship's survivors was a Roman mason named Bakum,  so Walid  procured his services and together they journeyed back to Mecca  with the timber for the Ka'ba.  

The first person to start removing the stones was Abu Wahb,  brother of Fatima,  but, as soon as he picked up the stone, it fell from his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed onlookers were afraid to continue with the work. However, Walid  supplicated to ALLAH saying, "O Allah, we intend nothing but good,"  and then started to demolish part of the wall near the Black Stone.

This time nothing happened, but the tribesmen were reluctant to continue and agreed that they should wait overnight to see if anything happened to Walid.  The consensus was that if nothing happened to him then they would continue with the proposed work knowing that ALLAH   was pleased with their actions, but, on the other hand if something did happen to him before sunrise they would know their actions were not acceptable, in which case they would just reinforce its walls.

Sunrise came and nothing had happened to Walid so work resumed. When it came to the removal of the Black Stone,  a Syriac  inscription -- the language of Prophet Abraham -- was unearthed.

No one knew what it said so it was put to one side and shown later on to a knowledgeable Jew. To the wonder of all the deciphered inscription read: 'I am Allah, the Lord of Becca, I created her the day I created the heavens and the earth, the day I formed the sun and the moon, and I placed round about her seven inviolable angels. She shall stand so long as her two hills stand, blessed for her people with milk and water.'

After a lot of effort they reached the foundations Prophet Abraham  laid so many centuries before and came across large, round, greenish colored stones.

A tribesman, using a lever, tried to lift one of the stones, but as he did the stone quaked and its shudders were felt throughout Mecca so the stones were left alone. Everyone took it as a sign that these stones should remain undisturbed. Near the door of Ka'ba  lay and still lies, a small rock. Miraculously imprinted in the rock is the footprint of Prophet Abraham.


[ Last edited by KENNKID on 2-4-2004 at 05:02 PM ]

During the reconstruction of the Ka'ba  another inscription was found beneath the rock that read: 'Ka'ba, the Holy House of Allah. Her sustenance comes to her from three directions. Do not let her people be the first to profane her.'

Amongst those who took part in the rebuilding was Muhammad.  As the rebuilding progressed new stones were added to the original stones to make the Ka'ba  higher; before its rebuilding its height had been approximately that of a man.



Before it was rebuilt, the Ka'ba was not this high - it was just the height
of a man. It was also roofless.

Work on the reconstruction continued to go well until it was time for the repositioning of the Black Stone.  Each tribal chieftain was anxious to receive the honor its placing and so inevitably a heated dispute arose between them. The dispute continued for four days and nights without a decision being reached and tempers neared breaking point.

It was obvious that none of the chieftains would relinquish their right to place the stone. After much deliberation it was accepted by all that they would let the first person to enter the precincts of Ka'ba place the stone. The first person to enter was Muhammad. Everyone was delighted, his character was impeccable and no one raised the slightest objection so they went and informed him of his most honorable role.

Muhammad was guided by blessed wisdom that was to satisfy everyone.  He asked for a piece of cloth to be spread out on the ground, then, placed the Black Stone in the middle and asked the chief of each tribe to take hold of the cloth, raise and carry it to the corner of the eastern wall of Ka'ba. Each took hold of the cloth and carried it, then, when they reached the corner, Muhammad picked it up and positioned it, just as his blessed ancestor, Prophet Abraham,  had done so many centuries before. The honor of each tribe was secured and everyone was happy with the solution.

It was around that time that Muhammad peace be upon him  started to receive visions, all of which were to materialize shortly after.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 2-4-2004 at 05:02 PM ]

15 ~~  ALI, SON OF ABU TALIB


There was one year in particular when many areas, including Mecca, were stricken by drought followed by inevitable famine. Abu Talib, Muhammad抯 uncle, had a large family, but by now some of his children had married and left home.

However, the drought had made it all but impossible for him to provide adequately for those still remaining at home. Muhammad  realized the hardship his uncle and family faced so he went to Abbas  and suggested that they should each take one of Abu Talib's  sons into their own household until matters improved.

Without hesitation, Abbas and his wife, Umm Al Fadl,  agreed so they went to Abu Talib  to ask his permission. Their proposal was gratefully accepted and it was agreed that Abbas  should take Jaffar  and that Muhammad should take Ali  into their homes. Ali was around the same age as Muhammad抯 daughters, and so they played happily together under the supervision of Zayd.


THE GIFT OF KHADIJAH

The land of the Bani Sa抋d, the vicinity in which Muhammad  had been raised, suffered greatly on account of the drought. Whenever Halima  visited Mecca  she would make a point of visiting  Muhammad  and his family.

Khadijah  always welcomed her and her visits caused great joy among the family, but this time it was obvious something was troubling Halima.  The drought had caused her to loose almost all her livestock and when Khadijah  learned of her plight she, without a moment抯 hesitation, gave her forty of her own sheep as well as a healthy, strong camel to ease her situation.


THE MARRIAGE OF THREE DAUGHTERS


Muhammad抯  uncle Abu Lahab  was a prominent figure amongst the Quraysh, however, even at this early stage he was not as close to Muhammad  as the rest of his uncles.

However, Abu Lahab  recognized the high regard people had for his nephew and proposed the marriage of his two sons Utba  and Utayba  to Muhammad抯  daughters Rukiyah  and Umm Kulthum. The proposals were accepted. However, the marriages remained unconsummated.

Lady Khadijah also thought the match between their daughter Zaynab  and her nephew Al-Aas,  Ar Rabiah's  son would be a happy union and so she discussed the matter with her husband. Muhammad  was agreeable for he never opposed Khadijah's  wishes and so the young couple were married.

16 ~~ THE PROPHETHOOD




Just outside Mecca  lies a mountain called Mount Hira  and it was there that Muhammad   would often retreat to one of its caves to contemplate and worship ALLAH alone through the means of meditation.


The formal way in which his ancestors, Prophets Abraham  and Ishmael,  had worshipped were long forgotten and he knew no other way of worship. During the month of Ramadan,  it had become his custom to make a special retreat to the cave taking with him some water and dates for his provision.



Mount Hira: Jabal Al-Nur (Mount of Light)
near Mecca, with the cave of Hira
where Prophet Muhammad received
the first revelation. (Sura 96: 1-5).

When Khadijah  thought his provisions might be getting low she would either go there herself or send her maid to bring him fresh supplies. The affairs       Muhammad   observed in Mecca  troubled him deeply, but most of all he abhorred the increased worship of the idols placed in and around the Ka'ba, for he had never been an idolater, he directed his worship to the One and only God, ALLAH , who created and creates all things.


Muhammad   was now forty years old and the month of Ramadan  had come around again, so he made his way once more up to the cave. And it was there during his retreat, on the 27th day of Ramadan, that ALLAH  sent the Arch Angel Gabriel  to him.


Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   was deeply disturbed when Gabriel appeared, and tried to look away, but no matter which direction he turned his face, the angel filled the horizon. Then, the angel spoke commanding him to read.


Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him  had never learned to read and respectfully replied, "I cannot read"  whereupon Gabriel took him and pressed him firmly to him and commanded him again to read.


Once again the  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him  respectfully replied saying,
"I cannot read."   Gabriel  took the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him yet again and pressed him firmly to him but this time when he released him he commanded him saying:


"Read in the Name of your Lord who created, created the human from a (blood) clot. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught the human what he did not know." -  Qur'an Chapter 96 verses 1-5


And so the Prophet,  peace be upon him  recited the words exactly as the angel had taught him. The verses he had been given were indelibly written deep into his very being and Gabriel  departed.


The impact of the event was of tremendous proportion and constantly consumed his thoughts but at the same time he was a little concerned that perhaps he had been visited by a bad spirit.  In haste, the Prophet, peace be upon him  left the cave and as he made his way down the mountainside towards his home he met Khadijah  climbing up the mountain with fresh provisions.


As soon as he saw her he exclaimed with respect in plurality, "Zammiluni, Zammiluni 揫/color]  meaning   揧ou all, cover me, cover me!擺/color]   Khadijah  had never seen him like this before and he told her of his experience in the cave and then of his thoughts.


Khadijah  tried her best to comfort and reassure him telling him that she was certain his concern was unfounded and that the event was nothing other than good tidings from ALLAH.


She reassured him saying that ALLAH  would never disappoint him because he was not only good to his family, but to those in need, and reminded him that he always spoke the truth and whenever asked he would comfort and help people solve their problems and then again, he was always hospitable.


Lady Khadijah  had an elderly cousin by the name of Warakah , Nawfal's  son who was knowledgeable of the Scriptures.


He had studied both the Torah and the Gospel  and became a Nazarene many years before,  but now his sight had failed and blindness overtook him, so she suggested that they should go to him and tell him exactly what had happened and ask his authoritative opinion.


Warakah,  like the handful of other people knowledgeable of the Scriptures, felt sure from their learning that the time was imminent for the coming of the
last Prophet of  ALLAH.  He remembered the prophecy of Jesus, peace be upon him, to his disciples:


"But now I go my way to Allah who sent me, and none of you asketh me, 'Whither goest thou?' But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter  (Prophet Muhammad)  will not come unto you; but if I depart, he will be sent unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of its lack of righteousness, and judgment. Nevertheless when he, the Spirit of Truth (Gabriel) is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he (Prophet Muhammad)  shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."

-- Bible, New Testament John 58:80-82

And so Warakah  listened intently to the events the Holy Prophet peace be upon him  described. Warakah  had no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Muhammad   had been chosen to be the last Prophet of Allah  and informed him that the angel that appeared to him was the same as he who had visited Prophet Moses  and that it was none other than the Arch Angel Gabriel.

Warakah  told  the Prophet,  peace be upon him  how much he wished he could have been a youth when the order came from Allah for him to preach His Message, and warned that he would have to migrate from Mecca.

The Prophet, peace be upon him    was surprised by Warakah's  comment and asked, "Will I have to migrate?"

Warakah  confirmed what he had said saying, "Yes, there has never been a man who brought what you are going to come with that has not been the target of his enemies, but, if I am alive when your time comes, I will be your strong supporter."

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 5-4-2004 at 06:05 PM ]

17 ~~ THE REVELATION, RANK OF THE PROPHETS, MESSENGERS AND THE ARCH ANGEL GABRIEL


The night before Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   received the first revelation in the cave, ALLAH   sent the Holy Qur'an  from the protected tablet "Al Lawh Al Muhfz"  to be lodged in the lower heavens in the House of Honor  and there it remained until ALLAH  commanded its verses and chapters to be sent down at their predetermined time.

The Revelation of the Holy Qur'an  took place over a period of twenty-three years, sometimes with long intervals between their sending. ALLAH  refers to this great event in Chapter 97 of the Qur'an :

"We sent this (the Holy Qur'an) down on the Night of Honor. What could let you know what the Night of Honor is! The Night of Honor is better than a thousand months, in that the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend by the permission of their Lord upon every command. Peace it is, till the break of dawn."


ALLAH  refers to it again in the Qur'an, Chapter 2 verse 185:


"The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was sent down, a guidance for people, and clear verses of guidance and the criterion ..."

Until the advent of   Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him    each prophet had been sent for their own specific nation -- they were not sent to save the whole of humanity. In one of his sermons Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him,  spoke of his own particular mission as stated in the New Testament:


"He answered, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel."

--- (Matthew 24 40:15)

in other words, referring to the sincere Jews who were trying to follow the true teachings of   Moses  but found it difficult to do so on account of the corrupt teachings of erring rabbis  who better served and feared their secular masters rather than their Creator.


The mission of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   was not to be restricted to the Arab nation but for all nations of the world.  He was sent with a Book, -- Al Qur'an  -- that ALLAH, in His Mercy has promised to protect from any form of corruption.

"It is We who sent down the Qur'an, and We watch over it."

--  Qur'an Chapter 15 verse 9


Before the prophets were sent to their respective nations, each took a covenant with ALLAH:


Behold! Allah took the covenant of the prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you an apostle, confirming what is with you; do ye believe in him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear  witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

--  Qur'an Chapter 3 verse 81

The rank of the Arch Angel Gabriel  is that of the highest of all angels.  It is he who received the honor of delivering the Scriptures  to all the Prophets and Messengers of ALLAH ,  from the time of  Adam  up until the   Seal of the Prophets,   Prophet Muhammad and visited Mary , the mother of Prophet Jesus , bringing her the news of her miraculous conception, peace be upon all the prophets and their righteous families.

Amongst authentic Islamic records are that Gabriel  visited Prophet Adam  twelve times, Prophet Idris  four times, Prophet Noah  fifty times, Prophet Job  three times, Prophet Moses  four hundred times, Prophet Jesus  ten times - thrice when he was young and seven times after he reached the age of maturity - and that he visited Prophet Muhammad  on twenty-four thousand  occasions during which time he delivered the Divine Revelation, the Qur'an    that contains 6236 verses as well as 12,000 prophetic quotations.  

We also know that he visited Prophet Ishmael  at least once when Gabriel struck his feet on the ground and Zamzam  started to flow, and at least once to Prophet Joseph  when he was thrown into the well by his brothers.
Peace be upon all the prophets.



[ Last edited by KENNKID on 8-4-2004 at 10:20 AM ]

Sephiroth

Kenkid ... you may want to back-up this thread, just in case.

Originally posted by Sephiroth at 2004-4-7 01:53 PM:
Kenkid ... you may want to back-up this thread, just in case.

Thank you Seph. Yes, you're right. I'll follow your advice. Regards.:

18 ~~  THE MIRACULOUS QUR'AN


When ALLAH   intended His special miracles to be demonstrated by His Prophets, He created something similar, yet clearly superior to the highly acclaimed skills of that day.

To all but the proud, the miracles He sent were clearly recognizable and accepted as such by practitioner and layman alike. For example, during the time of Moses and Pharaoh,  sorcery and magic had reached its highest peak.

To prove to Pharaoh  and his nation that Prophet Moses had been sent with the truth, ALLAH   caused the staff of Moses,   to turn into a serpent and devour the magical snakes of the sorcerers. When the sorcerers saw the miracle they surrendered immediately to the truth, knowing well that the miracle was a reality whereas their skills were nothing other than trickery.

Another example is that of the miracles given to Jesus.   Prophet Jesus was sent at a time when the art of healing had reached an extremely high level.

Among the healing miracles ALLAH   permitted him was that he might raise the dead, and heal the sick from incurable diseases. Physician and layman alike witnessed these miracles and knew that they were not the skills of a skillful physician, rather, they were divine, holy miracles given to him by his Creator.

Earlier, we spoke of the pride the Arabs took in their language and of the prestigious rank of a poet within their tribe. At no time in the history of Arabia had the science of language been greater or more eloquent.

Annual poetry competitions were held in Mecca and elsewhere in Arabia to which people flocked just to listen to the beauty of the language and perhaps partake.

Although Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   was given many great miracles the greatest miracle given to him, was the Holy Qur'an   for its composition, grammar, eloquence and fineries surpasses the work of any author or poet.

ALLAH  issues a challenge in the Qur'an to anyone to compose a chapter or even just a verse of the same quality and beauty to those in His Qur'an  and at the same time warns that no one will ever be able to do so.

In His Mercy, ALLAH   has promised to keep the Qur'an   free from alteration or corruption. The miracle of the Qur'an   was and still is apparent to all whose ego does not resist.


"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot - then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones - which is prepared for those who reject Faith."

--  Qur'an  Chapter 2 verses 23:24


Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   was also given miracles both similar and superior to those of Prophets Jesus and Moses, peace be upon them.


19 ~~ THE EARLY REVELATIONS



Not long after the Prophet, peace be upon him   received the first verses of the Revelation  he received another. This time it was a single letter with a mystical meaning. Later on during the Revelations  he received other mystical letters.

The next time Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   received verses they included a Divine Oath of  Reassurance, these verses were also preceded by one of the mystical letters, the letter "nuun".








"Nuun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,-
Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.
Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.

--- Qur'an Chapter 68 verses 1 - 4



There was to be a long interval between these last verses and the sending down of the next, whereupon, the Prophet, peace be upon him   was concerned thinking that perhaps he had done something to displease ALLAH.

Lady Khadijah  tried her best to console and reassure him, but now that Warakah  had passed away there was no one else except her to turn to.

Then, the much awaited Revelations  resumed once more and again it contained a Divine Oath  that laid to rest his concern and comforted both his heart and soul.  It was in this Revelation  he received the order to preach, telling of the favors of his Lord:
















By the Glorious Morning Light,
And by the Night when it is still,-
Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.
And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased.
Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)?
And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
And He found thee in need, and made thee independent.
Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness,
Nor repulse the petitioner (unheard);
But the bounty of the Lord - rehearse and proclaim!



--- Qur'an, Chapter 93

20 ~~ THE FIRST TO BELIEVE



Now that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him  had received the instruction to tell of the favors of his Lord, he spoke to Lady Khadijah  in depth about Allah.  Lady Khadijah  recognized the truth and became the first to embrace Islam.

In those early days of Islam,   the Prophet, peace be upon him    confined his preaching to his immediate family. At the time Lady Khadijah  embraced Islam,   Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him   had not received instructions as to the manner in which he should offer his prayers.

Then, one day on the outskirts of Mecca, Angel Gabriel  came to him and struck the ground with his heels. From the indentation, a spring of water began to flow and the Angel showed the Prophet, peace be upon him the ritual cleansing procedure he should make before offering his prayer.  

Now that the Prophet, peace be upon him   had learned how to perform the ritual ablution, Angel Gabriel  taught him how to offer his prayers with its postures of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting  which was the same way in which his great ancestors, Prophets Abraham and Ishmael  has offered their prayers so many centuries before.  

The   Angel Gabriel   informed him that he should commence the prayer with the words "Allahu Akbar"   -- (Allah is the Greatest) , and to conclude the prayer by turning the head first to the right then saying "As-Salaamu alaykum"   -- (peace be upon you)    -- and then to repeat the same to the left.  Thereafter, Gabriel  departed and the Prophet, peace be upon him   returned home to teach Lady Khadijah  and together they offered their prayer in unison.



ALI EMBRACES ISLAM


One day, Ali ,  Abu Talib's  son, who had lived with them since the time of the famine, entered the room and found the Prophet  and Lady Khadijah  praying together.

As soon as they concluded their prayer Ali  asked what they were doing whereupon he was told that they were praising and giving thanks to Allah.  Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him   spoke to him about Islam.

Ali was struck by the things he learned. He thought deeply about them and was unable to sleep that night. The following morning Ali  went to the Prophet, peace be upon him  to tell him that he believed and wanted to follow him. And so Ali,  at the tender age of ten, became the first male to embrace Islam.

Abu Bakr,  who had been a friend of the Prophet, peace be upon him   for many years was next. He was a very amiable, tender-hearted man from the tribe of   Taym,  respected not only by his own tribe but by others.

He had gained a reputation for offering sound advice and interpreting visions, therefore it was not uncommon for tribesmen to consult and confide in him. Whenever circumstances presented themselves Abu Bakr  would speak to those whom he trusted about the Prophet, peace be upon him   and his message.

Amongst those who were receptive were Abdu Amr  and Abu Ubayda  both of whom embraced Islam  and changed their names to Abd Ar Rahman  -- worshiper of the Merciful.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 15-4-2004 at 12:17 PM ]

Truth.8

:gantuk::gantuk::gantuk:

There is No God but Allah
and Muhammed is his Messenger

THE VISION OF KHALID, SON OF SA'ID


One day, Abu Bakr  received an unexpected visit from Khalid, Sa'ids  son. It was obvious from Khalid's  face that something was worrying him. Khalid took Abu Bakr  to one side and told him that as he slept he had seen a very disturbing vision and knew it should not be dismissed.


Khalid  told   Abu Bakr   that in his vision he had seen his father trying to push him into a very deep, raging pit of fire and of a violent struggle he had with him. He was about to fall when suddenly, he felt a strong pair of hands grip him tightly around his waist and that he was sure that if it had not been for those hands he would have undoubtedly been pushed into the fire.

He also  told Abu Bakr   that when he looked round to see who had saved him, he saw the hands were none other than those of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and then vision vanished.


Abu Bakr's  face lit up as he told Khalid that Muhammad   had become the Prophet of Allah,   and that if he followed him he would indeed be protected from the burning fires of  Hell.


Khalid   was awe struck and made straight for the house of   the Prophet, peace be upon him   to ask him about the message he had been given. After listening intently he embraced Islam.  However, the Prophet, peace be upon him   told him that for the time being he should keep the matter a secret from the rest of his family.  

Abdullah, Masood's   son was a shepherd who tended a flock of sheep belonging to Ukba, Abd Muayt's  son. One day when the Prophet, peace be upon him   and Abu Bakr  were passing they stopped and asked him for a cup of milk.


Abdullah  told them that unfortunately the sheep did not belong to him and that he did not have any of his own to be able to offer them a cup of milk. The Prophet, peace be upon him   asked Abdullah  if there happened to be a lamb that had not yet been mated in the flock. Abdullah  told him that there was and went to fetch it.


The lamb was set down in front of the Prophet, peace be upon him   whereupon he massaged its udder as he supplicated to Allah  .


Miraculously, the udder filled with milk and they all drank. After thanking Allah they continued on their way. A few days later Abdullah  went to the Prophet, peace be upon him   and embraced Islam.  


Later on, Allah   in His Mercy, blessed Abdullah  in such a way that he was able to recite by heart no less than seventy chapters of the Qur'an   with its precise diction.




There is No God but Allah
and Muhammed is his Messenger


OTHMAN AND TALHA


Othman, Ahllan's  son, was a trader and was upon his return journey from Syria,  when one night as he and his fellow caravaners slept he heard a voice saying:  

"O you who sleep, wake up, indeed Ahmad has come forth!"
  

The voice with its message penetrated deep inside him and consumed his thoughts for many days. He did not know what to make of the message, and who was 揂hmad擺/color]  -- which means the   損raised one擺/color]  and is one of the Prophet抯 names mentioned in the previous Holy Books.

As he drew near to Mecca,  Talha,  a cousin of   Abu Bakr,  caught up with the caravan and rode along with Othman.

Talha  had an experience similar to that of Othman.  He had been on a journey that had taken him through Bostra,   when, much to his surprise a monk approached him asked if   "Ahmad"  from the people of the Holy House had come forth.


Talha   was taken aback and asked the monk who "Ahmad" might be.  The monk answered that his grandfather was Abd Al Muttalib  and that his father was Abdullah ,  then he told him that it would be during that month he would appear.


Talha did not know what to make of the monk's inquiry and like Othman   the matter had consumed his thoughts.   Talha  and Othman shared their experiences with one another and  both were completely bewildered and agreed that the only way to understand the meaning of these events would be to go straight to Abu Bakr  upon reaching Mecca  and ask him.

As soon as they reached Mecca  they went to Abu Bakr   to tell of their experiences and he in turn took them to see the Prophet, peace be upon him  and asked them to relate their accounts.

The Prophet, peace be upon him   listened then told them about Allah   and that he had been called to the prophethood. Without hesitation both Othman  and   Talha   embraced Islam.


Masjid-e-Quba - First mosque of Islam - Built by the
Prophet (PBUH) when  he first migrated from Mecca
to Medina

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 15-4-2004 at 03:56 PM ]