PROPHET MUHAMMAD, GOD'S FINAL MESSENGER TO MANKIND

ABU DHARR

Abu Dharr belonged to the tribe of Bani Ghifar,   and had defended his rights in many hold-ups. He was also amongst the first to convert to Islam.

Abu Dharr   had heard that a man from Mecca   laid claim to being a prophet, so he asked his brother to go to Mecca   and bring back news of him, so dutifully, his brother left for Mecca. Upon his return Abu Dharr   asked him what he had heard, whereupon his brother told him that he had heard him advocating goodness and forbidding evil.

Abu Dharr    was not satisfied with this meager  information so he gathered his water-skin and stick and set off to find out for himself.  When he reached Mecca    he did not like to ask anyone straight away about him so he settled himself in the precincts of the Ka'ba and waited. As he waited, Ali     happened to pass by and after talking to him and realizing that he was a stranger and new in Mecca,  offered him a place to stay. Abu Dharr accepted and followed Ali    back to his house, but did not disclose the reason for his visit.

The following morning Abu Dharr     went to the Ka'ba  again to wait, but this time he asked about the Prophet, peace be upon him   but no one was forthcoming. Ali     happened to see him there again so he went across to him and asked why he had come to Mecca. Abu Dharr     told him, in confidence, that he had heard that a Prophet had appeared in Mecca  and that he had sent his brother a while before to find out more about him.

However, he told Ali, his brother had returned with an answer which did not altogether satisfy him, so he had decided to journey to Mecca himself to hear more. Ali     told him he had found what he had come for and to follow him at an undetectable distance to avoid any possible harassment. He also told him that if he saw someone whom he thought might bother him, he would pretend to adjust his shoe and this would be warning for him to go away.

As it turned out, there was no need for concern, and Abu Dharr     followed him and was at last was brought to the Prophet, peace be upon him .  That same day, Abu Dharr     embraced Islam and   the Prophet, peace be upon him   advised him to return to his village but keep his conversion secret until he learned of their victory.

But Abu Dharr     was so enthused and filled with joy of  discovering the Truth  that he declared:

"By Him, who has sent you with the truth, I will announce my conversion to Islam publicly!"

Then, he went directly to the Ka'ba where he proclaimed for all to hear: :


"I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger."


The Quraysh  tribesmen were infuriated and almost beat Abu Dharr     to death and if it had not been for Abbas  who threw himself between him and his assailants he would have been severely injured.


Abbas   rebuked the angry crowd saying, "Woe to you, do you want to kill a man from the tribe of Ghifar, when your caravans pass through their territory!!"


Abu Dharr was not to be put off, and the next day he went to the Ka'ba  and declared his witnessing again. The same thing happened over again and Abbas intervened once more then he returned home to his tribe.


Later on when the ever-increasing number of   Muslims  met with extreme hostility and persecution from the Quraysh    Abu Dharr took to the roads once more. There he would lie in wait, ambush the Quraysh caravans and retrieve the stolen belongings and restored them to their rightful Muslim owners.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 25-1-2005 at 11:25 PM ]

21 ~~ THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY MUSLIMS

Suratul Ikhlas  
Say: He, Allah, is One.
Allah is He on Whom all depend.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And none is like Him.



Those who embraced Islam  in its early years were seekers of the truth and by nature, upright and truthful. Living in Mecca at that time were a group of people called "Ahnaf".


To them idol worship was repugnant. They tried their best to follow the way of their great ancestor, Prophet Abraham, but apart from their belief that God is One, there was little else left of the religion of Abraham to guide them and it was in this group of people that Sa'id, Zayd's son belonged.


Othman, Maz'un's son had abstained from alcohol long before the advent of Islam. After embracing Islam he wished to live the life of a recluse, however, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him  persuaded him otherwise. Another characteristic of the early Muslims was that none of them were from the Quraysh hierarchy which prompted the scorn of the unbelievers.


Allah quotes their mockery in the Qur'an when they said to the believers:


"Are those whom Allah favors amongst us?" ---- Qur'an  Chapter 6 verse 53


Upon reflection, one remembers that the followers of previous prophets were, for the most part, those considered by some to be on the lower and unimportant edge of society. The Holy Qur'an reminds how the council said to Prophet Noah:

" We see your followers are none but the lowliest amongst us, and their opinion is not to be considered. We do not see you superior to us, rather, we consider you liars."   ---- Qur'an  Chapter 11 verse 27


The early followers of Prophet Jesus were also of the same upright nature and similar in status and his leading disciple James,  was known as 揓ames the Just

Sephiroth

Kenkidd Darling ...,

Put your effects HERE.

Hmph ... Mudah sangat Manusia lupakan tanggungjawab dia. ;)

Originally posted by Sephiroth at 2004-7-10 09:35 AM:
Kenkidd Darling ...,

Put your effects HERE.

Hmph ... Mudah sangat Manusia lupakan tanggungjawab dia. ;)

Thanks for the reminder, sweetheart..;)

Sephiroth

Welcome ...

Originally posted by Debmey at 2004-3-19 09:00 AM:
Dear Seph,

yu must appreciate the differnce between Christianity and Islam. Christianity is a religion of the heart while Islam is one of outward rituals. Both are very different.

Deb

Christianity is a religion of the heart, Islam is the religion of the soul, for the soul. The body is where the soul expresses itself ~ what you call 'rituals". Christianity forgets about the body, that is why what the heart feels, it is not communicated to the soul and the body. It remains there without the intellect, for the brain is given to nourish the soul, to be a complete intelligent being. In Christianity, thinking stops when logic cannot take over stupidity ~ thinking goes into a state of perennial revolution around a viscious circle. Christianity has died..

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 10-7-2004 at 10:08 AM ]

22 ~ THE HIERARCHY OF THE QURAYSH  


  To gain a better understanding of the leaders and their position within the tribe of Quraysh during these early years of Islam we should know the roles of these prominent people, because each one was destined to play an important role in one way or another in the years that followed: The custodianship of the Ka'ba and keeper of its keys was Othman, Talha's son, whilst the family entrusted to look after the welfare of the pilgrims was Nuwfal, under the direction of Harith, Amir's son, whereas it was the responsibility of Abbas to provide them with water.  

The advisor to the Quraysh was Yazid, Rabi'a Al Aswad's son from the tribe of Asad. However, when the need came for an arbitrator, Abu Bakr was called upon. The chief of the tribe of Ummaya was Abu Sufyan, who was also its standard bearer.

During times of war, Walid, Mughira's son from the tribe of Makhzum was responsible for organizing camp affairs. He also commanded the cavalry, however, when Harb, Ummaya's son died, Abu Sufyan, was thought not be sufficiently proficient to assume the command, so the position was given to Waleed who was also the uncle of the Abu Lahab, also known as Abu Jahl. Omar from the Quraysh tribe of Adi was the liaison officer.

He would also decide upon important issues such as lineage. Superstition was rampant, and the chief interpreter of omens was Safwan, another son of Ummaya. The office of treasurer was administered by Harith, Kais' son from the tribe of Sahm. The chieftain of the tribe of Hashim was Abu Talib, later to be succeeded by the infamous Abu Lahab.

It is important to remember that the tribes of Hashim and Ummaya were equally prominent, for many years they had been jealous of one another and acute rivalry existed between them.

23 ~ The Command to Preach
  


Three years after the Prophet (peace be upon him)  received the first Revelation, Allah commanded him to extend his preaching publicly saying:







For all their deeds.
Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.
For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff,
Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to know,
We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say.

~ Qur'an Chapter 15 verse 94-97

The number of converts had risen steadily, many of whom were relatives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, there were many more in his large family, including four uncles who were not among them. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) received another revelation telling him:  




And admonish thy nearest kinsmen,
And lower thy wing to the Believers who follow thee.

~ Qur'an Chapter 26 verse 214-215  

Muhammad thought of ways in which he could best fulfill this command. He knew that he could expect resistance from some members of his family and tribe so he concluded the best way to present Islam to them would be to extend and invitation to them.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 10-7-2004 at 11:03 AM ]

The above is a painting just to provide an ambiance ~
it has nothing to do with the historical events below

The miraculous meal

Approximately forty invitations were delivered and the Prophet (peace be upon him)  as in Arab tradition and hospitality, accorded them with a meal , for which he  asked Ali to prepare a shoulder of lamb and a cup of milk to feed the invited guests.   The uncles of the Prophet, Abu Talib, Hamza, Abbas and Abu Lahab arrived with the other guests and the Prophet asked Ali to bring the shoulder of lamb and the cup of milk he had prepared.

Ali thought that the meat and milk were scarcely enough to satisfy just one man let alone forty, but the Prophet  took the meat, broke it in half, put it back into the dish and invited his guests to eat saying, "Do help yourself to the meal, in the Name of Allah." Everyone ate from the shoulder and drank from the milk until their stomachs were full, not one among them remained either hungry or thirsty. This was to be amongst the first miracles of the Prophet.

However, before the Prophet  had the chance to address his guests, Abu Lahab arose exclaiming, "Your host has bewitched you!"  Whereupon his guests got up and left. The next day, the Prophet asked Ali to invite them all together for another meal and to prepare another shoulder of lamb and a cup of milk just as he had done the day before. The invitations were accepted and once again they gathered together for another meal.

After they had all sat down the Prophet  supplicated and then divided the meat just as he had done the last time, and they ate and drank as before. No sooner had they finished eating, the Prophet  wasted no time to address them saying, "O sons of Abd Al Muttalib, I know of no Arab who has come to his people with a nobler message. I have brought you the best of this world and the next. Allah has ordered me to invite you to Him. So who will help me in this matter, my brother, my executor and successor being among you?"

Silence fell heavily over the gathering and no one stirred, then, young Ali got up and went to the Prophet's side and said, "O Prophet of Allah, I will be your helper in this matter." Whereupon the Prophet  put his hand on the back of Ali's neck and said, "This is my brother, my executor and my successor among you. Listen to him and obey him."

There was an outburst of laughter from his guests who now turned to Abu Talib and said mockingly, "He has ordered you to listen to your son and obey him!".  Although Abu Talib, Hamza and Abbas had not accepted the invitation to Islam, their love and loyalty to the Prophet   remained unquestioned, so it was not surprising that Abu Talib did not object to the conversion of his children, Ali, Jaffar and Saffiayah. Saffiayah had five other sisters, but they were not as yet prepared to make a commitment, however, Abbas' wife, Umm Al Fadl was and embraced Islam.



The invitation to the Quraysh

One day, the Prophet climbed to the top of Safwa  -- the hill Lady Hagar had once climbed centuries before in search of water -- and called the Quraysh to come and listen to the message he brought, and amongst those that came to listen was none other than his uncle Abu Lahab.

Silence fell upon the crowd as the Prophet  asked, "If I were to tell you that behind this hill there is a great army, would you believe me?" Without any hesitation they replied, "Yes, you have never been known to lie!" The Prophet continued, "Then I urge you to surrender to Allah because if you do not a harsh punishment will befall you." The crowd that had just testified to the truthfulness of the Prophet lost their senses, became deeply offended and left.





Early physical hostility towards Muslims

In order to avoid the taunts of the unbelievers, the companions would often offer their prayers in the peaceful valleys that lay just outside Mecca. It was upon one such occasion when Sa抋d, Abu Wakkas' son, in the company of several other friends, were in the midst of saying their prayers that some passersby from Mecca came across them. The passersby could not resist the temptation to make fun, so they started to jeer and insult them.

The provocation worsened to the extent that it became difficult for the companions to continue with their prayers. Understandably, the believers were very upset by this unwarranted intrusion, so they asked the jeerers why they weren't content to leave them alone to offer their prayer in peace. The Meccans had hoped that their provocation would prove fruitful and soon the situation got out of hand whereupon there was an exchange of blows. During the disturbance, Sa抋d happened to glance upon the ground and saw the jawbone of a camel laying there, he seized it, struck and wounded one of the Meccans; this was the first time blood had been shed by a Muslim.

Later, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned of the encounter, he told his followers that it was better to be patient with the unbelievers and not stike back unless Allah commanded otherwise. Not long after, the companions were to be blessed by the offer of the use of Arkam's, house located near the hill of Safwa. At last they had a place large enough in which to gather and offer their prayers in peace and safety, far from the unwarranted hostile taunts of the Quraysh.

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 13-7-2004 at 11:13 AM ]

Debmey

Where is it in the Quran or hadiths of what yu claimed? Where are the references?  Chapter and verse please.

Originally posted by Debmey at 2004-7-13 11:36 AM:
Where is it in the Quran or hadiths of what yu claimed? Where are the references?  Chapter and verse please.

The above event is in relation to the occasion when Almighty Allah revealed the verse  26:214 (See posting before this, same thread)  

When this verse was revealed, the Prophet organized a feast that is well known in Islamic  history as "Summoning the Family - Da'wat dhu 'l-'Ashira". As stated in the above post,  the Prophet invited around forty men from the Banu Hashim and asked 'Ali bin Abi Talib  to make arrangements for the dinner. After having served his guests with food and drinks, when the Prophet wanted to speak to them about Islam, Abu Lahab forestalled him and said, "Your host has long since bewitched you." All the guests dispersed before the Prophet could present his message to them.

Although already mentioned above, but to provide a little more detail,  the Prophet then invited them the next day. After the feast, he spoke to them, saying:

"O Sons of 'Abdu 'l-Muttalib! By Allah, I do not know of any person among the Arabs who has come to his people with better than what I have brought to you. I have brought to you the good of this world and the next, and I have been commanded by the Lord to call you unto Him. Therefore, who amongst you will support me in this matter so that he may be my brother (akhh

24 ~ THE QURAYSH AND ABU TALIB





PROPHET MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him)  was not to be deterred by the ever growing resistance to the Message he brought, and continued his preaching, inviting all who would listen to Islam. However, he was deeply saddened, and concerned that many appeared to disbelieve him when he told them that what he brought was from Allah. Thereafter, Allah sent down the following verse that told the Prophet  that it was not him they disbelieved, rather, it was the verses of Allah.




We know indeed the grief which their words do cause thee: It is not thee they reject: it is the signs of Allah, which the wicked contemn.  

~  Qur抋n , Chapter 6 verse 33


Such was their anger that a state of open hostilities began to emerge. Road blocks were set up along the routes leading into Mecca to warn pilgrims and traders not to listen to a man named Muhammad who claimed to be the Prophet of Allah and preached against their idols. However, the Quraysh  miscalculated and instead,  the warnings served to arouse the curiosity of many travelers and actually helped spread the news of his arrival.

There wasn't a visitor to Mecca who had not heard of the Prophet and when they returned to their homes in distant parts of Arabia and beyond they took with them the news the Quraysh  had attempted to suppress, his name was about to become a household word; a topic of conversation.

The Quraysh  were angered by the Prophet's preaching on several counts. They hated the fact that he preached against their idols because the idols housed in and around the Ka'ba  attracted pilgrims by the thousands each year. Lucrative trades such as idol carving, fortune telling and their likes played an important role for the economy of Mecca, and they didn't want the situation to change. However, the Sacred House together with its City had been created for the worship of the Creator, even before the creation of Adam and humanity. First the angels had built it, then, it was rebuilt later on by the jinn and restored by Prophet Abraham.

There were also those steeped in the folklore of their idolatrous traditions, who, on account of pride, refused to acknowledge its value as being tentamount to nothing. To this sector, the fact that their forefathers had seen fit to practise and uphold the folklore and myth  was sufficient reason for them to continue in the same way. As such they were not prepared to question the authenticity of their heritage, rather, they chose to blindly defend the tradition their forefathers invented. Allah speaks about them in the Holy Qur抋n saying:




When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah hath revealed; come to the Messenger.: They say: "Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following." what! even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?

~ Qur抋n Chapter 5 verse 104


THE SUPPORT OF ABU TALIB

Although Abu Talib had not converted to Islam, he unconditionally offered his support and his love for his nephew remained unfaltering. Abu Talib would not entertain a word against him and was always his strong supporter whenever the need arose. One day, in desperation, a group of influential Quraysh  approached Abu Talib to ask him to persuade his nephew to stop preaching against their idols. However, Abu Talib avoided giving a direct answer and did nothing.

After a while the Quraysh realized their visit to Abu Talib had been unfruitful so they visited him yet again, but this time their visit was more forceful. This time they spoke harshly to him reminding him of his rank and honor saying, "Abu Talib! We have asked you to speak with your nephew yet you have not done so. We swear that we will neither allow our forefathers to be insulted, our ways rebuked, or our gods reviled. You must stop him or else we will fight both of you!"

Having delivered their ultimatum they left in the same manner in which they had come. Abu Talib went straight away to the Prophet  to report the alarming conversation and said, "O son of my brother, spare me and yourself, do not burden me with more than I can bear."

Caringly, yet saddened by the request, the Prophet  answered:

"I swear by Allah, if they were able to give me the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left in exchange for my abandonment of this way before He has made it victorious, or I have died on account of it, I will never do so."

Abu Talib could see the deep upset of the Prophet  and how certain he was of his mission that he replied, "O son of my brother, go, say what you will, because I will never abandon you on any account."

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 16-7-2004 at 10:32 AM ]

25 ~ Tufayl, from the tribe of Daws


Tufayl's tribe resided outside Mecca.  He was a poet of high renown and as such had earned great respect from not only his own tribe but also that of others.

It became necessary for Tufayl to journey to Mecca, so he set out on his journey to the city. As he neared Mecca he was stopped by a party of the Quraysh blocking the road. The Quraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Quraysh said disturbed him to the extent that upon reaching Mecca he plugged his ears tightly with cotton to protect and prevent him from hearing anything.

When he reached Mecca, the familiar sounds of passersby and the market place were now silenced on account of the cotton placed firmly in his ears and he felt at ease. For many years it had been Tufayl's custom to visit the Ka'ba and circumambulate it before attending to business. As he entered the precincts of the Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer.

It was never the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him)  to offer his prayer in a loud manner, and this prayer was no exception, yet Allah, allowed his quiet recitation to penetrate the cotton with which Tufayl had plugged his ears.

Tufyal knew well the intricacies of the Arabic language and was captivated by the compelling beauty and rhythm of the verses. He had heard many poets recite most excellent poetry, but the composition and arrangement of these words with their message was quite the most beautiful and certainly unique.

He had never heard anything that could be remotely compared to the verses he now heard. Suddenly, he remembered the warning, but Allah caused reason to prevail. Tufayl knew he was able to distinguish between right and wrong and realized that what he had just heard was anything but evil.

After the Prophet  finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Quraysh warned against him and how he had plugged his ears tightly with cotton so that he would be unable to hear him, yet, he had heard his beautiful recitation.

Tufayl asked the Prophet to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet  told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Qur'an sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel.

The Prophet, to the great pleasure of Tufayl, proceeded to recite several more verses. As soon as the recitation had finished Tufayl could no longer restrain himself and embraced Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam.

Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Qur'an and spoke about Islam to his family and tribesmen, but only his father and wife came into its fold. Tufayl was both very disappointed and angry that so few had accepted the invitation so he returned to the Prophet in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow.

The Prophet  spoke kindly to Tufayl, but rather than cursing his tribe he supplicated to Allah for their guidance and told him to return home, continue preaching and to be patient with their shortcomings. Tufayl obeyed the Prophet  and in the years to come many families in his tribe embraced  Islam under his patient guidance.



We have adorned the lowest heaven
with an adornment of stars.

~ The Holy Qur'an. (37:6)

[ Last edited by KENNKID on 26-7-2004 at 12:15 PM ]

26 ~ Pre-Islamic conditions at Yathrib (Medina)

Many generations before, no less than twenty-one Jewish tribes settled themselves in Yathrib and in the early days of their migration gained a reputation for their religious schools. However, over the passage of time the tribes dispersed and their numbers dwindled, leaving behind them just a fragment of people.

Secularism was common although a religious minority still remained. The Jews were also well known for their business acumen through which they had amassed great wealth and in their heyday they had once governed the city.

After a devastating flood in Yemen, the Arab Yemeni tribe of Bani Kahtan left their homeland and settled in Yathrib. The Bani Kahtan divided themselves into two tribes named after two brothers -- Aws and Khazraj -- and over time their population grew and exceeded both that of the Jews and other Arabs.

However, there was friction between the two tribes, disputes arose followed by blood feuds. All was not well within the Jewish community as corruption was rampant. There had been a sharp decline in morals most notably in one of their chieftains named Fityun. Fityun usurped his power in such a disgraceful manner that Arab brides-to-be were forced to sleep with him the night before their wedding whilst other Jewish leaders did nothing to prevent him from satisfying his lust, but that was soon to end.

When the time came for the sister of Malik, Ajlan's son to be married, Malik felt ashamed of what was about to befall his sister. So, on the day before her wedding, his sister, dressed in her bridal gown, made her way to Fityun's house accompanied by her brother disguised as a female attendant. Before Fityun could take advantage of Malik's sister, Malik took him by surprise, killed him, then fled to the safety of the tribe of Ghassan in Syria whose chieftain was Abu Jabillah.

When Abu Jabillah heard of the corrupt ways of the Jews, he and his warriors were utterly outraged and set off with Malik back to Yathrib with the intent of putting matters right. Upon reaching Yathrib, Abu Jabillah honored the Arab chieftains with fine gifts and invited the Jewish leaders to join them in a feast. During the feast Abu Jabillah and his warriors overcame the Jewish leaders and all were slain.

So it was from that time onward that the Jews lost their control over Yathrib and the tribes of Aws and Khazraj became the governors of Yathrib. Time passed and the Jews, in their weakened position, deemed it more prudent to ally themselves with the now stronger pagan Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj.

However, the Jews, considering themselves to be the chosen people of Allah, resented the fact that they were now beholden to pagan Arabs and all too often sharp words were exchanged. Many were the times they would taunt the Arabs with the news that a prophet was about to come and that Allah would slay them on account of their idolatry just as He had done to the people of Aad and Thamood.

There were also other times when the religious Jews would speak to their allies about their religion; they told of their belief in One God and in the life after death. Their allies found the matter of being raised from the dead difficult to believe so the Jews told them that when the prophet came he would confirm the truth of the matter. The idea of the coming of a prophet aroused both the curiosity and also the apprehension of the Arabs of Yathrib, so they asked where he would appear and were told in the direction of their ancestral homeland, Yemen, which also lies in the same direction of Mecca.


THE FEUD

For many years there had been a feud between a certain Awsite and Khazrajite tribe, and as time passed more tribes, including the Jews of Yathrib, were drawn into the feud. Three battles had already been waged with losses on both sides and now a fourth was imminent, so in an effort to strengthen their position, the tribe of Aws sent a delegation to Mecca to ask the Quraysh to side with them against the Khazraj.

While they were waiting for the decision, the Prophet  went to the delegation and asked if they would like to hear something better than that which they were seeking. The delegation asked what he had in mind whereupon the Prophet told them about Islam and of his mission, then recited some verses of the Qur'an.

After he had finished the recitation, a young man named Iyas, Mu'adh's son, remembered the taunt of the Jews and got up and said, "By Allah, this is better than that which we were seeking!"  Iyas' spontaneous outburst annoyed the leader of the delegation who picked up a handful of sand and threw it in his face saying, "That's enough! By my life, we came here seeking something other than this!" The young man became quiet and the Prophet left.

Meanwhile, the Quraysh reached the decision that it was not in their best interest to take sides in the feud and so the delegation returned to Yathrib without their help and the battle of Bu'ath ensued. Not long after their return Iyas died, but as he lay on his deathbed those around him confirmed that his last words were spent in praise and exaltation of Allah, testifying to His Oneness. And so it was that, Iyas became the first person to die in Yathrib as a Muslim.

It wasn't long after that traders and pilgrims returning from Mecca brought more news of the Prophet  to Yathrib, the word spread quickly and soon the entire City was talking about him. The Jews listened intently to the reports and recognized the truth in the Prophet's preaching, but for the most part, they could not bring themselves to entertain the fact that he was the long awaited Prophet because he was not a Jew.


The Prophet's mosque in Medina today

~ 27 ~




It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger
from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs,
to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,
- although they had been, before, in manifest error;-
(poster courtesy Harun Yahya)

HISTORY ~ THE FAILURE OF
THE MECCANS TO RECOGNIZE
THE VALUE OF THE PROPHET

In these early days of Islam, those who opposed the Prophet (peace be upon him)    and his message were blinded by their own arrogant, useless idolatrous traditions and pride. Yet strange as it may seem, when it came to taking solemn oaths or when they wished people to take them seriously, the Arabs preferred to swear by Allah rather than their pagan gods.

For many years the pagan, materialistic society suffered on every count. They received no benefit for their dedication to the idols and corruption abounded in every form. Women were treated as worthless human beings and seldom afford their rights, injustice, murder and thievery were, amongst other depravities, were rampant.  

Yet even as these sad, intolerable state of affairs persisted those who opposed the Prophet failed to recognize or admit that what the Prophet, whom they had until recently, attested to having an honest and upright character, brought and practiced a much better, higher standard of life for all; a standard where justice and happiness prevailed.

But more importantly they rejected the news that there was life after death where they would be held accountable for their disbelief in the Oneness of their Creator  for which there is either eternal punishment or the unfailing eternal rewards of Paradise with its continuous peace and happiness. The fact of the matter was that they failed to recognize the true value of the Prophet (peace be upon him) both spiritually and materialistically.


ANGER AND RESENTMENT


Anger and resentment towards the message that Prophet Muhammad brought continued to intensify in Mecca as the number of his followers began to increase. One day, inside the precincts of the Ka'ba  at the Hijr Ishmael, a group of unbelievers gathered and were indulging in slanderous remarks about the Prophet (peace be upon him) as he entered. The holy Prophet  paid no attention and continued to make his way across to the Ka'ba where he kissed the Black Stone & then proceeded to circumambulate the Ka'ba.

The first time he passed by the Hijr Ishmael, the unbelievers shouted at him in a very disrespectful, degrading manner, the same occurred on his second and third round, but on the third round as they jeered and shouted their slanderous remarks he stopped and said: "O Quraysh, will you listen to me? Indeed, by Him who holds my soul in His Hand, I bring you slaughter."  

The unbelievers were silenced by this unexpected statement, and silence hovered like a heavy weight above the gathering. After a while the silence was broken by the one who had been the most venomous with his slander, and in a surprisingly gentle tone he addressed Prophet Muhammad,  saying, "Go on you way, father of Kasim, for by Allah you are not an ignorant fool."  Soon the unbelievers began to regret their momentary weakness and vowed they would never allow a situation like that to be repeated.


ABU JAHL - THE FATHER OF IGNORANCE


Amr, Hisham's son, was an influential, power seeking young man of the Makhzum tribe. He was the grandson of Mughirah and nephew of Waleed, the now elderly chieftain of his tribe. Amr had amassed considerable wealth and was, to those who had not earned his anger, hospitable and had high hopes of becoming the next chief of the tribe.  So he erroneously viewed the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a possible threat to his future. Amr was also a man to be feared for he was known for his ruthlessness toward those who dared to cross his path, and that now included Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as well as his followers. Such was his hatred of the Prophet  and his Message, and disregard for the next life, that he had been among those responsible for setting up the road-blocks into Mecca.  

When members of Amr's own tribe embraced Islam his outrage became so bitter that he persecuted them without mercy; it was because of this that Amr became known to the companions as "Abu Jahl" - 揟he Father of Ignorance

~28~


An attempt to bribe


Utba, Rabia's son, belonged to the tribe of Shams. Abdu Shams was a brother of Hashim and it was he, who, together with the notables of the Quraysh tribe now met to discuss how they might best deal with the Prophet (peace be upon him) .

During the course of the meeting Utba suggested that perhaps the Prophet  might be inclined to accept certain gifts and privileges in exchange for his silence, but if they had searched in the depths of their hearts all would have known he was not like them and would never accept a bribe no matter how it was presented.

However, all were of the opinion that every man had his price and so they placed high hopes on his suggestion saying that they would be prepared to offer him absolutely anything he might desire as recompense in exchange for his silence.

They had just reached their agreement when a late comer joined the meeting and told the gathering that he had just seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) sitting alone beside the Ka'ba. They agreed that now was a good time to approach him with their proposal, and as Utba was related to him they chose him to be their representative.

Utba made his way toward to the Prophet whereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) expressed his pleasure in seeing him, welcomed and invited him to sit down and talk.

When Utba sat down the Prophet (sa) hoped that he had come to learn about Islam, instead Utba proceeded to say, "My nephew, you are one of us, from a noble tribe, a descendant of the finest ancestors. You have come to our tribes with an important matter that is dividing us. You have denounced our customs, insulted our gods and our religions. As for our ancestors, you say they were unbelievers, so listen to me because I have come to you with several proposals, perhaps you may accept one of them."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was very saddened but listened out of politeness as he never turned anyone away as Utba proceeded to describe the bribes.

"If it is money you want, we are prepared to combine our properties and make you the richest one among us. If it is honor that you wish, we will make you our chief with complete and absolute power. If it is leadership, we will make you our leader and if the Spirit you see comes to you and you cannot rid yourself of it, then we will find a physician to cure you."

After Utba finished presenting his bribe, the Prophet (peace be upon him) received a new Revelation from Allah:



"Ha Mim: A Revelation from (Allah), Most Gracious, Most Merciful;- A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail;- a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand;- Giving good news and admonition: yet most of them turn away, and so they hear not. They say: "Our hearts are under veils, (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and thee is a screen: so do thou (what thou wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"

- Qur'an 41:1-5

The compelling beauty of the Qur'anic recitation held Utba's attention in wonderment and as he listened further he heard of the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Then he heard of the prophets sent to the arrogant people of Aad, and of the proud people of Thamood. He learned that all, but a few of their citizens refused to listen to the Message Allah  had given to their prophets so they, with the exception of those who believed, were subjected to punishments of the severest kind in this world and then even greater in the hereafter.

The Prophet (peace be upon him)  continued his recitation with verses that drew attention to the multiple signs surrounding us and concluded with:



"Among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. But do not prostrate yourselves before the sun or the moon rather prostrate before Allah, who created them both, if it is He whom you worship.

Sephiroth

:clap: Welcome back. Now this column has a meaning. :clap:

Originally posted by Sephiroth at 2005-1-26 12:45 PM:
:clap: Welcome back. Now this column has a meaning. :clap:

Thanks Seph.

Sephiroth

OK, continue and I will watch silently.

greekgod

hi.. i see that there are many good historian here...

i need help to SOS here...

debmey is playing trick, and putting history on his own interpretation..

therefore, i need someone to 'teach' and revealed to him the true history about years of compilation of quran and bible.

it is in the thread Science Perspective: World's Creation According to bible

thanks in advanced!