Hazrat Muhammed (SAW) - Life History
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By
Maulana Ali Naqi Naqvi
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Name and Genealogy
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Amongst the progeny
of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham) was Prophet Ishaq (AS) (Issac)
whose descendants were Bani Israil (the tribe of Jews). In this
tribe were born the Prophets Musa (AS) (Moses ), Isa (AS) (Jesus)
and many others. One of the twelve sons of lsmail (AS) , the other
son of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) , was Qaidar whose descendants came to
reside in Hijaz. Amongst them Adnan was the most famous. The Prophet
of Islam belonged t o this pedigree. His genealogy upto Adnan is as
follows:
Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd-e-Munaf
bin Qusayy bin Kilab bin Murrah bin Kaab bin Luayy bin Ghalib bin
Fihr bin Malik bin Nazar bin Kinana bin K.huzaima bin Mudrika bin
Ilyas bin Muzir bin Nazar bin Maad bin Adnan
Of them the
descendants of Nazar bin Kinana were called Quraish. The
Prophet's (SAW) mother was Amina bint-e-Wahab bin Abd-e-Munaf, This
means that the Prophet (AS) belonged to the distinguished tribe of
Quraish both from the side of mother and of father. |
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Birth |
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The year 570 A.D., in
which Abraha, the Abyssinian, attacked Kaaba with an army of
elephants, was named by the Arabs as Aamul Fee! (The year
of elephants). It was in this year that the Prophet (SAW) was born
in Makkah on Friday, the 17 th Rabi-ul Awwal. |
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Orphanhood |
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As recorded in
history, it is unanimously reported that the Prophet (SAW) was
deprived of the protection of his father very early. His father
Abdullah died when, according to some. He was still in the womb of
his mother or as other reports say. He was of two months, or of
seven months, or of two years or of two years and four months, which
is the longest period mentioned in the traditions. As historians
differ in the determination of his age at the time of his father's
death, a satisfactory decision in this regard is difficult to make.
The intensity of sorrow increases alt the more when we find that he
lost his loving mother also at the age of six. It seems that it was
the Will of Providence that the man who was to shower his love and
compassion on the entire world should himself be deprived of the
affection of his parents in his childhood. |
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Upbringing
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Haleema was that
fortunate lady from the tribe of Bani Saad who was engaged as his
wet-nurse. During this period she kept him in her village.
Thereafter, he lived with his mother till the age of six. After the
demise of his mother his grand father. Abdul Muttalib took him into
his care and brought him up with greater care and love than his own
off springs. After two years he also expired. In his last moments
his only anxiety was the protection and safely of this child who, he
was sure. would in future attain a high and prominent position in
the world. When he lost all hopes of his life he called his son Abu
Talib (AS) and entrusted Muhammad (SAW) ' to his charge. He
had other sons older than Abu Talib (AS) but he had an inner
perception that none of them would look after Muhammad (SAW) with as
much care as Abu Talib (AS). Abu Talib justified the trust reposed
in him and to the last breath of his life helped and supported the
Prophet (SAW), thus fulfilling the commitment he had made to his
esteemed father at the last stage of his life. From then onwards,
that is. when the Prophet (SAW) was eight years old. his uncle Abu
Talib (AS) continued to bestow greater love on him till the end of
his life than on his own children. His aunt Fatima bint-e-Asad, the
wife of Abu Talib (AS), also gave him as much affection as he would
have got from his own mother. That is why on the demise of Fatima
binl-e-Asad the Prophet (SAW) uttered the following words. "She was
like my mother after my own mother." |
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First Journey to Syria |
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When the Prophet
(SAW) was twelve years old Hazrat Abu Talib (AS) undertook a journey
to Syria for business purpose and the Prophet (SAW) also accompanied
him. It was during this journey that a Christian monk named Buhaira
saw him and finding in him all the signs as mentioned in the old
divine scriptures declared him a future Prophet and also that he was
destined to attain great power in coming years. This chance meeting
with Buhaira in the course of the journey was a very brief one and
there is not a single tradition, even of dubious origin, saying that
he had stayed there for some lime. |
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Participation in Hilful
Fazal |
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When the Prophet
(SAW) was twelve years old Hazrat Abu Talib (AS) undertook a journey
to Syria for business purpose and the Prophet (SAW) also accompanied
him. It was during this journey that a Christian monk named Buhaira
saw him and finding in him all the signs as mentioned in the old
divine scriptures declared him a future Prophet and also that he was
destined to attain great power in coming years. This chance meeting
with Buhaira in the course of the journey was a very brief one and
there is not a single tradition, even of dubious origin, saying that
he had stayed there for some lime. |
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Journey on Business
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When the Prophet
(SAW) was twenty-five years old he went to Syria on a business trip
with the merchandise belonging to Khadija bint-e-Khwaylid. This
venture proved so successful that the profit earned this year was
the double of what she used to get in the previous years.
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Marriage |
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In connection with
the business transactions the admirable behaviour, the honesty and
integrity, the lofty personality and noble qualities of the Prophet
(SAW) deeply impressed Khadija. At the same lime Khadija's fairness
in business dealings and her upright character had much weight in
the eyes of the Prophet. Consequently, when a suggestion was made to
him to propose to Khadija for marriage the only excuse he put
forward was that she was very rich in comparison to him and
therefore she may not agree. But when he was assured of her consent,
he readily agreed to propose to her. As expected, Khadija gave her
consent immediately- A suitable date was accordingly fixed for the
marriage. On behalf of Khadija her uncle Amr bin Asad and, from the
side of the Prophet (SAW), his uncle Abu Talib (AS) -
performed the marital rites. Although Khadija was much older than
the Prophet (SAW), he had so much respect for her excellent nature
and manners that he never even thought of having a second wife in
her lifetime. |
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Sublime Character
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The Arabs, on the
basis of their actual experience, were so much impressed by the
Prophet's (SAW) general bearing right from childhood to adolescence
that they unanimously admitted to his being honest and trustworthy
and promptly conferred on him the titles of Ameen (The
Trustworthy) and Sadiq (The Truthful One) and began to
place their belongings in trust with him. Besides, they also highly
valued his advice in respect of important matters. Hence, when
during the repair work of the Kaaba a contention arose between the
various tribes in respect of having the honour of fixing the
HaJar-e-Aswud (Black Stone) in its place it was resolved
amicably through the sagacious suggestion of the Prophet (SAW).
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Call to Mission
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The Prophet (SAW) was
forty years old when, on the 27' h of Rajab, he was called upon to
propagate his divine mission. He was practically appointed as the
carrier of the Divine Message As the Prophet of God he first of all
conveyed his Message to his life partner. Khadija bint-e-Khwaylid.
who accepted it with all sincerity. His cousin Hazrat Ali ibne Abi
Talib (AS) , who was always in his company and had already witnessed
the lofty manifestations of his prophethood, became the foremost
believer in his divine mission. Thereafter this call spread to
others day by day and people began joining his fold one by one. But
so far the message of Islam was conveyed only to selected people
secretly as the opportune lime for the propagation of Islam openly
had not yet arrived. Those converted to Islam were also directed to
perform their religious rites secretly and avoid publicity.
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The Asheera Feast |
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After preaching the
message of Islam secretly for three years, the next stage arrived
with the divine direction to convey the message to his relatives.
The Prophet (SAW) directed Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib (AS) to make
arrangement for a banquet. In this banquet all the distinguished
personalities of Quraish were invited. After the banquet the
Prophet" stood up and said: "I have brought for you something, which
is sure to guarantee your welfare in this world as well as in the
next. I am enjoined (by God) to call upon mankind to believe in the
Oneness of God and reform their conduct. Who amongst you is prepared
to cooperate with me in this mission so that he may be my companion,
my legatee and my successor?" Complete silence prevailed over the
gathering. No body uttered a word. Only a courageous child stood up
and said: "I shall ever be your helper in this mission." This child
was Ali ibne Abi Talib who had been. in practice- already helping
him. Now he was again- in this way. repealing his vow of loyalty
before the gathering. The Prophet (SAW) put his hand on the shoulder
of Ali and declared, "Now he is my companion, my legatee and my
successor." |
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Sufferings and Hardships
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Henceforward the
Prophet (SAW) openly began to preach to the Quraish the worship of
One God and to denounce idolatry publicly. The Quraish got ready to
harm him but they felt helpless owing to the personality of Abu
Talib (AS) who was his protector. At last some distinguished persons
from the Quraish collectively met Abu Talib (AS) and bitterly
complained against the Prophet SA . They asked him either to stop
his nephew or leave him alone so that they could deal with him
suitably. Abu Talib (AS) mentioned this to the Prophet (SAW) who
said: "Even if these people put the sun in my right hand and the
moon in my left hand, I will not refrain from speaking the truth."
Accordingly, Abu Talib (AS) replied to them in clear terms refusing
to acquiesce to their demands. This infuriated them all the more and
they began particularly to torture the poor Muslims who had accepted
the new faith. |
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First Migration |
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In the fifth year of
Besat (year of call to the new faith) there was a
tremendous increase in the atrocities on Muslims. The Prophet (SAW)
told his companions lo migrate to Abyssinia . Accordingly, a large
number of Muslims left Makkah for that country. The leader of these
migrants was Hazrat Jafar bin Abi Talib who also ably performed the
duty of interpreting the teachings of Islam and propagating the
faith in the court of the Christian ruler. The king and all his
nobles and courtiers, deeply impressed by his presentation, were
convinced of the greatness of Islam and thereafter the Muslim
migrants lived there in peace and tranquility. |
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The Prophet's (SAW)
attitude towards his daughter |
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It was on account of
the excellent qualities of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA) that the Prophet
(SAW) had extreme affection for her and showed such respect to her
as no father ever does to his
daughter. One
demonstration of his love for her was that whenever he went out for
a battle, Fatima Zahra (SA) was the last person to whom he would bid
farewell. Likewise, when he came back he made it a point to see her
first. Another example of the respect and esteem which the Prophet
(SAW) had for Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA) was that whenever she came to
see the Prophet (SAW) he used to stand up in veneration for her and
make her sit in his place. Except Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA) , there
was no one to whom the Prophet (SAW) paid such respect. |
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The Seige |
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When the pagans of
Makkah came to know of the success of the Muslim migrants in
Abyssinia their animosity and envy knew no bounds. They unanimously
decided to completely boycott Bani Hashim, having no marital
relations with them nor any commercial transactions. Even the supply
of necessities of life, such as food and water, was not allowed.
Finding no other way out Abu Talib (AS) shifted the Prophet (SAW) to
a safe and strong fortress like dwelling of his own situated in a
valley. This happened in the seventh year of Besat. The
siege lasted for three years. During this period the Prophet (SAW)
and, along with him the entire clan of Bani Hashim- had to face
intense suffering and hardship; so much so that very often they had
to go without food and water for long stretches of times . The
boycott ended after three years and then these people could come out
of the fortress. |
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Two Great Shocks
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It was very
unfortunate that Abu Talib (AS) died only two months after the end
of the siege i.e.. in the tenth year of Besat. Thirty-five
days later, Khadija bint-e-Khwaylid also expired. The Prophet (SAW)
was much grieved by the demise of these two loving persons and hence
he used to refer to that year as Aamul Huzn (The year of
grief). |
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Journey to Taif
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After the demise of
Abu Talib (AS) the atrocities perpetrate by the Quraish increased
manifold. His native land turned into thorny place for him.
Moreover, he was also in search of suitable place for the
propagation of Islam. He, therefore undertook the Journey to Taif,
without any viaticum an accompanied only by Haresa. not only to seek
refuge but also t invite the people to the righteous cause. He
stayed at this flourishing locality for ten days and delivered the
message of Islam to every individual. But, alas. this fertile land
also proved to be barren for enlightenment. Not only there was no
favourable response to the Prophet's (SAW) call, the people did not
even allow him to stay there. They even pelted stones at him-
Ultimately he returned back to Makkah. But all these obstacles could
not deter him from striving continuously for the divinecause.
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Meeting with Ansar
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Traditionally fairs
were held every year in Makkah at Mujinna and Ukaz. On these
occasions tribes from different places used to gather there- The
Poets of Arabia recited their panegyric verses and traders sold
their merchandise, in these fairs the Prophet (SAW) would deliver
the message of Oneness of God to the Arab tribes and exhort them to
support him in his mission- But the call of truth touches only such
hearts that are endowed with the quality of receptivity. While most
of the tribal people, instead of promising help, ridiculed him and
even tried to harm him. a small group of people from Yathrib was
impressed by the call- They accepted the faith and promised to help
him. 'this was the first group of Ansar who had the honour of
accepting Islam. Thereafter, they returned to their city and
conveyed the message of Islam to the people there. A number of
people reposed trust in the Prophet (SAW) even though they had not
seen him. The following year twelve persons from among them came and
met the Prophet (SAW) and learnt from him the tenets of Islamic
faith. In the third year seventy persons had this honour. By now
Islam had spread in Madinah to a sufficient extent and people began
embracing Islam in large numbers. Most of them entered the fold of
Islam simply by being impressed by its teachings, without having had
the privilege of having seen the blessed face of the Prophet (SAW).
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Migration to Madinah
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Hearing about the
success of Islam in Yathrib (Madinah) the people of Makkah got all
the more incensed. They began torturing Muslims beyond endurance.
Ultimately the Prophet (SAW) allowed them to migrate to Yathrib.
Gradually most of the Muslims left Makkah. Only the Prophet (SAW)
Hazrat Ah Murtaza and a few other Muslims were left in Makkah- Now
the polytheists of Makkah were convinced that the Prophet (SAW) had
got a safe haven in Yathrib and that he himself would try to be
there very soon. They feared that in that event he would gain
considerable strength to resist them. Therefore, they gathered in
Dar-un-nadwa (meeting place) for consultation- 'there it
was resolved to beseige his house and put an end to his life. The
news reached the Prophet (SAW) and he decided to let Ali ibne Abi
Talib (AS) lie down on his bed while he himself would secretly leave
Makkah for Madinah. Accordingly, Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib, risking
his own life, rested on the Prophet's (SAW) bed and the Prophet s]
left for Madinah hiding himself from his enemies. This important
event is called Hijrat and hencefort commenced the Hijri
calendar of Muslims. Since then on thousands three hundred and
eighty years' have elapsed . |
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The Construction of
Prophet's Mosque |
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The first thing that
the Prophet (SAW) did on arriving at Madinah was the construction of
Masjide Nubvi. (Prophet's (SAW) Mosque). He himself
participated in the construction work bringing stones along with
others. In the beginning only a boundary wall of a man's height was
built. But when he people offering Namaz felt the
inconvenience of heat. a sunshade made of the branches of trees was
put up. But he did not agree to build a proper roof in spite of the
repeated requests by his companions. Small houses were built around
the Mosque for his relatives and other needy companions whose doors
opened within the mosque. Later, with the exception of that of the
house of Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib (AS) . the doors of ail others
opening in the mosque were closed. All entry and exit was now from
the outside. |
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Jihad |
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When the Quraish came
to know that the Prophet (SAW) had reached Madinah safely and that
his faith was spreading rapidly, the world was all dark in their
eyes. In league with the Jews of Madinah. they began to try to crush
this rising power. Consequently, the Prophet (SAW) had to fight
several battles against the pagans from amongst the Quraish and the
Jews. On important occasions the Prophet (SAW) himself accompanied
the Islamic army. Such battles are called Ghuzwas. The
battles, in which the Islamic forces were headed by one of the
Prophet's companions, are known as Saraya. The total number
of Ghazwas is twenty-six. Out of these Badr. Uhud, Khandaq, Khaibar
and Hunain are very well known. The number of Saraya is
thirty-six of which the battle of Mutah in which Jafar bin Abi Talib
attained martyrdom, is most famous. |
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Treaty of Hudabiya
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After the battles of
Badr and Uhud the infidels of Makkah did not indulge in any warlike
activity for sometime. Then in the sixth year of Hijrah the Prophet
(SAW) decided to proceed on pilgrimage to Makkah. Accordingly, he
started for Makkah wit a group of Muslims. When the Quraish came to
know of the arrival of the Prophet (SAW) they came out of Makkah to
stop him from proceeding further- saying that they would not
tolerate the entry of the Prophet (SAW) into the city of Makkah .
Against the aggressive attitude of the Makkans the Prophet (SAW)
adopted a conciliatory posture and had a written peace treaty with
them. The writer of this treaty was Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib (AS)
and its terms were as follows:-
- This year the
Prophet (SAW) shall go back along with hi followers without
performing Haj;
- There shall be no
fighting between the two sides for the next ten years;
- If a resident of
Makkah goes to the side of Muslims it will be obligatory on the
latter to send him back;
- If a Muslim runs
away and goes to the infidels he shall not be sent back;
- A11 the tribes of
Arabia shall have the liberty either to enter into an agreement
with the Prophet (SAW) or with the Makkans;
- The next year
Muslims shall have the right to enter Makkah for pilgrimage but
they shall not slay mere for more than three days;
- The Muslims, on
that occasion, could come with their traveling weapons, i.e.
swords but these shall be in the scabbards . A few Muslims
exhibited their anger on the unjust terms of the treaty. But the
Prophet (SAW) agreed to these conditions so that no body could
blame him for any aggressive action. After signing the peace
treaty on the above terms the Prophet (SAW) left Makkah for
Madinah. In accordance with the terms of the agreement the Prophet
(SAW) went to Makkah in the following year for the performance of
Ha rites and stayed there only for three days as agreed upon and
thereafter returned back to Madinah.
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The Conquest of Makkah
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After a short period
of time the Makkans went back on the terms of the agreement entered
into with the Prophet (SAW). The people of the tribe of Baker who
were the allies of the infidels massacred the tribe of Khuzaah. the
allies of the Muslims. When the news readied the Prophet (SAW) he
immediately started for Makkah with ten thousand men and on arriving
near the city, camped outside it. The infidels had no strength left
for combat and they thought it proper to surrender. The Prophet
(SAW) entered Makkah as a victor in the month of Ramzan. 8 A.H.
After this the mercy and compassion shown by the Prophet (SAW) was
worth seeing. The people at whose hands the Prophet (SAW) had
suffered so much and owing to whom he had to leave his hearth and
home were all pardoned for their misdeeds. When people were swearing
allegiance to him he asked them what treatment they expected from
him? Their reply was: "We expect nothing but good from you. You are
our generous cousin and the son of a generous father.'' 'the Prophet
" said: "Go. You are free" The world was astonished to find
that after their outwardly acceptance of Islam the Prophet 5 '
unconditionally pardoned Abu Sufyan along with his wife Hinda (who
had chewed the liver of his uncle Hazrat Hamzah (AS) after his
martyrdom). Wahshi (who had killed Hazrat Hamzah). Akramah. the son
of Abu Jahl and many others who had inflicted great pains to and
committed heinous crimes against the muslims. After the conquest the
Prophet (SAW) stayed in Makkah for one and a half-month and laid
down such doctrines for the governance of the Stale which even today
can serve as guidelines for the civilized nations. |
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The Last Pilgrimage
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In the 10 th year of
Hijrah the Prophet (SAW) performed the last pilgrimage of his life.
He went through the Haj rites with great elegance in the company of
thousands of Muslims. On his return journey he delivered a memorable
and historical sermon at a place called Ghadeer-e-Khum in
the presence of thousands of Muslims of different parts of the land.
In this Sermon he broke the painful news of the approaching time of
his departure from this world and asked them whether or not he had
greater authority over them as compared to their own selves. When
all of them admitted that he had greater authority over them. then
holding the hand of Hazrat Ali (AS) he raised him before the
congregation and declared: "Ali" shall have the same authority over
you as I have In this way he proclaimed the name of his successor
after him. The entire congregation of Muslims expressed its
happiness and satisfaction at this declaration and Ali (AS) was
generally acknowledged as the Prophet's (SAW) successor.
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The Fundamentals of his
teachings , His Nature and Manners |
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The essence of the
teachings of the Prophet (SAW) of Islam was to divert the attention
of all human beings from the confines o materialism towards an
invisible Power before whom all men have equal status. Oneness of
the Creator and the equality o status of His creations were the two
chief corner stones o which was raised the edifice of the rights of
Allah and the rights of the people. In human history it was for the
first time that civil an human rights were uniformly conferred on
the people in general of which they were previously deprived on the
basis of race, colour, gender and indigency. it abolished all the
previous distinctions of superiority and status and laid
down a new measure for real honour. According to this, greatness I
achieved only through noble deeds and righteous conduct. One who
discharges human obligations best is superior to all others. He laid
great emphasis on virtues of manners and good conduct. He used to
say that he had been sent to improve and make perfect the manners
and morals of the people. He himself was the embodiment of excellent
morals and noble disposition. In spite of the fact that he was the
head of such a vast multitude of the followers of Islam he used to
sit side by side with the destitute of Madinah and partake food with
them. He used to pass night after night in the worship of God so
much so that hi legs would get swollen. The day was passed meeting
with the Arab tribes and delegations from various cities. Problems
were sorted out and disputes were settled. An English
historian(Bosworth Smith) has written: "We cannot find in the annals
of history one person like Muhammad discharging three duties at
lime. He laid the foundation of a nation, introduced a new system of
governance and established a new faith. You cannot find any such
example elsewhere." At the same time he never liked to be called or
regarded as a king. He was always very emphatic in denying it. Once
a man came to the Prophet (SAW) As he stood before him he started
trembling with awe. The Prophet (SAW) said: "be at eased I am not a
king hut only the son of a woman of Quraish who used to mix
pulverised bread in soup (a poor man's diet) and then eat it." His
habits, accordingly, were very simple- At the time of construction
of a building he used to work as a labourer. He himself would go to
the market to make purchases not only for himself but for his
neighbours also. Forgiveness and benevolence were his special
attributes- Enduring hardships with courage and perseverance and
pursuing objectives with determination and serenity were the
prominent features of his character. His actions were the expounder
of his teachings and his teachings were the gist of his actions. The
quality of his speech was its comprehensiveness. In short sentences
he laid down precepts that serve as guide in every field of human
activity. |
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The Holy Quran
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The Quran, a
treasure-house of eternal truths and divine knowledge and a perfect
magna charta for mankind was revealed through the Prophet (SAW) for
the guidance of humanity and billions and billions of human beings
have since profited by its teachings. There are thousands of such
people who have admitted its greatness although they do not believe
in it from the religious point of view. |
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Demise of the Prophet
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It was the terrible
day of Monday, the 2 nd Rabiul-Awwal (or 28 Safar according
to another report), in the eleventh year after Hijrah when the
reformer of the world, the Prophet (SAW) of Islam. Hazrat Muhammad
Mustafa (SAW) left this world for his heavenly abode after a brief
illness of a few days. As willed by him his cousin and successor,
Hazrat Ali (AS) performed his funeral rites and buried his mortal
remains in the closet adjacent to his mosque where he had breathed
his last. The green dome of his tomb at Madinah is a place of
pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world which they visit
before or after Haj. They, thus earn the honour of having the
blessed view both of his mosque and of his shrine. |