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Deviant: ~omgzergrush (#136948877)
Date: May 24, 2005, 5:48:52 AM
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go pas

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:49:14 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.
CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who b

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:49:03 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:50 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:40 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:32 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:26 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:21 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:15 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 29
NADAR, THE SON OF AL HARTIH

The Koraysh admitted the situation was now beyond their ability to remedy and although Nadar, Harith's son, whose grandfather had been the illustrious Ksay, had become notorious for his slander of the Prophet (sa) he reminded the Koraysh that the Prophet (sa) had grown up amongst them as a likable person known for his excellent standing in the society. Nadar now warned the Koraysh to be careful of their accusations for he was sure that they too knew that he was neither a poet nor yet a sorcerer. He reminded them that they also knew the ways of a sorcerer and by no means could he be described as such. He continued to advise them saying that they should be careful of what they said as he felt a serious matter had befallen them which called for a change in their tactics, and so the slanderous remarks subsided for the time being.

NADAR’S ATTEMPT TO COMPETE WITH THE PROPHET (sa)

Nadar was a trader and had traveled the caravan routes not only in Arabia but to distant countries. Whenever he reached his destination it was his habit to seek out the storytellers in the market place and listen to their tales. On one particular trip he heard a tale about the kings of Persia, which, over the passage of time had been embellished by one storyteller then the next, and so the tale made a great impression upon him. One day as the Prophet (sa) spoke to a group of people he told them stories the like of which they had never heard before, of bygone generations and the consequences that befell them on account of their refusal to listen to their prophet. Nadar and Utba were among the gathering and no sooner had the Prophet (sa) finished his narration, Nadar jumped up and told them that he could tell them better stories than these then began to tell his captive audience about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiyar. After he finished the story he asked, "Who then is better at story telling, Muhammad or I?" Someone in the gathering suggested that Nadar and Utba visit the rabbis in Yathrib and ask them about the stories the Prophet had just told them. It was a challenge, and so Nadar and Utba decided to journey to Yathrib to confront the rabbis.

THE THREE QUESTIONS

When they arrived in Yathrib they asked where they might find the rabbis and upon being taken to them said, "You are the people of the Torah, we have come to you to ask how we should deal with one of our tribesmen," and proceeded to describe the Prophet (sa) and speak of his teachings. The rabbis remained silent until they had finished then one spoke saying, "You should ask him these three questions, if he answers you correctly then he is a prophet, however, if he is unable, then he is not, and from this you can form your own opinion." The rabbis asked their visitors to question the Prophet (sa) about the young men that disappeared from their people in ancient days, and then to question him about the great traveler who journeyed to the east and to the west. The final question they were to ask was about the Spirit.

THE PROPHET (sa) IS QUESTIONED

Nadar and Utba returned to Mecca and announced to their fellow tribesmen that the rabbis of Yathrib had given them three questions that would determine whether or not Muhammad was indeed the Prophet of Allah. When they reached the Prophet (sa) he listened to the questions in silence and told them he would give them a reply the next day, for he never spoke on religious matters without receiving its knowledge via the Angel Gabriel. However, when told them he would give them a reply the following day he forgot to say "Insha-Allah" which means - “Allah willing.” The next day came and passed, however, Gabriel did not visited him with the answers which no doubt pleased the unbelievers.

ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS THE ANSWERS

Several days elapsed and the Prophet (sa) patiently awaited the answers to the questions as rumors began to abound in every sector. Then, on the fifteenth day, Angel Gabriel came to him and he asked why he had not come before. Gabriel responded with a new verse from the Koran that said:

"(Gabriel said ‘We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between, Your Lord does not forget.’" Koran 19:64

THE STORY OF THE BELIEVING YOUNG MEN IN THE CAVE

In reply to the question about the young men in the cave Gabriel recited to the Prophet (sa) verses detailing their circumstances so later on when Nadar, Utba and their companions came to him he was able to recite the story to them. The verses told of some young men who lived in a city of idolaters. The young men, however, were not idolaters and told their fellow tribesmen:

"Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We call on no other god except Him; (for if we did), we would have spoken outrageously (in disbelief).” Koran 18:14

Then the young men challenged the idolaters to bring them some proof of their authority to worship more than One God asking:

"Who does greater evil than he who forges a lie against Allah?" Koran, 18:15

The idolaters turned against the young men and it was then that Allah put into their hearts the notion to seek refuge in a cave where they would be safe from the idolaters. Taking their dog along with them, the young men set off for the cave and upon reaching it Allah caused them to fall into a deep sleep.

"You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah .... You might have thought them awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them about to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched its paws at the entrance. Had you seen them you would surely have become filled with terror and turned your back on them in flight. As such We revived them so that they might question one another. 'How long have you stayed here?' asked one of them. 'We have been here a day, or part of it,' they replied. They said: 'Your Lord knows best how long we have stayed here. Let one of you go to the city with this silver (coin) and let him search for one who has the purest food and bring provision from it. Let him be courteous, but let no one sense it is you. For, if they appear in front of you, they will stone you to death or restore you to their religion. Then you will never prosper.' And so We made them (the unbelievers) stumble upon them, so that they might know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. They argued among themselves over the affair, then (the unbelievers) said: ‘Build a building over them (their remains). Their Lord knows best who they were.' But those who prevailed over the matter said: 'We will build around them a Mosque.'" Koran 18:17-22

Regarding their number, the Revelation warned there was a difference of opinion among those who had heard the story and that:

"Some will say: 'They were three; their dog was the fourth.' Others, guessing at the Unseen, will say: 'They were five and their dog was the sixth.' And yet others: 'Seven, their dog was the eighth,' Say: 'My Lord knows best their number. Except for a few none know their number.' Therefore, do not dispute with them except in outward disputation, and do not ask any of them concerning them." Koran 18:22

THE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (THUL-KARNAIN)

The answer to the second question concerning the great traveler, Alexander, was sent down to the Prophet (sa) in the following verses:

"They will ask you about Thul-Karnain (Alexander). Say: 'I will recite to you something of this story. We established him in the land and gave him means to all things. He journeyed on a way until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and nearby he found a nation. 'Thul-Karnain,' We said, 'you must either punish them or show them kindness.' He replied: 'The evil-doer we shall punish. Then he shall return to his Lord and He will punish him with a stern punishment. As for he who believes and does good works he shall receive a fine reward in recompense and we shall bestow on them a rich reward and shall speak to him with a mild command.' Then he followed the road until he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising upon a nation for whom We provided no veil against it to shade them. So, We encompassed in knowledge what was with him. Then he followed the road, when he reached between the two barriers he found on one side of them, a nation who could barely understand speech. 'Thul-Karnain,' they said, 'Look, Gog and Magog are corrupting the earth. Build us a barrier between us and them, and we will pay you tribute.' He replied: 'That which my Lord has given me is better, therefore help me with all your power, and I will build a barrier between you and them. Bring me ingots of iron.' After he had leveled between the two cliffs, he said: 'Blow.' And when he made it a fire, he said: 'Bring me molten copper so that I may pour over it.’ Thereafter they could neither scale it, nor could they pierce it. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord. But when my Lord's promise is come, He will make it dust. The promise of my Lord is true.' On that day, We will let them surge on one another, and the Horn shall be blown, and We will gather them all together. On that Day We shall present Gehenna to the unbelievers whose eyes were blinded to My remembrance and they were not able to hear." Koran 18:83-101

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Concerning the answer relating to the Spirit it was revealed:

"They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge all of you have been given nothing.'” Koran 17:85

The Revelation also bore the reminder:

"'Do not say of anything: 'I will do it tomorrow unless (you add) if Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say: ‘It may be that my Lord will guide me to something nearer to rectitude than this.'" Koran 18:23-24

The Prophet's life was full of guidance and examples. There was once an occasion later on in his prophethood where he offered three units of prayer when there should have been four. Had he not made this omission we would never have known how to correct our errors when we do the same. His omission to say "InshaAllah" was also another exemplary reminder to us through which we are guided.

NADAR AND UTBA RETURN WITH THE ANSWERS TO THE RABBIS

No one in Mecca had ever heard the story of the young men in the cave and the new Revelation attracted more people to Islam. As for the rabbis of Yathrib, they anxiously awaited for the news to arrive, and when it did, they acknowledged the truthfulness of the answers, however, they still wished to question the Prophet (sa) further upon the matter of the spirit. Even though the questions Nadar and Utba had challenged the Prophet (sa) with had been answered and acknowledged to be correct, their hearts remained hardened. Later, after his migration to Yathrib, the Prophet (sa) was questioned again by the rabbis concerning the spirit. They asked: "Who, 'Little indeed is the knowledge all of you have been given" referred too -- was it to them?” Prophet Muhammad (sa), told them that it referred to them, whereupon the rabbis objected saying that they had been given its knowledge in the Torah. The Prophet (sa) replied that indeed they had been given sufficient knowledge to satisfy their needs, if only they would practice it, but in comparison with the Knowledge of Allah, their knowledge was indeed little. It was during this discourse that the Prophet (sa) received another Revelation that informed:

"till Gog and Magog are let loose and slide down out of every slope." Koran 21:96

THE TIME OF GOG AND MAGOG

Later in his prophethood, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that near the end of the world, Gog, Magog and their followers would advance upon the Lake of Tabariah in Palestine. They will consume all of its water and it is then that Prophet Jesus - who will have descended from the heavens - together with his companions be besieged and suffer dreadfully from starvation. He continued to tell that when the siege reaches its height, Prophet Jesus and his companions will supplicate to Allah who will create in the back of the necks of Gog and Magog and their followers, worms, that will cause their death the very next morning. Then, Allah will send a flock of birds with necks as large as those of camels to carry away their foul smelling corpses. Prophet Muhammad (sa), conveyed good news to his companions that after this trial, Allah will send down rain from the heavens which will cleanse the earth and the earth will provide an abundance of fruit for everyone to enjoy. Then, the Prophet (sa) told his companions that it is while the Muslims are enjoying such blessings that Allah will send a sweet, gentle breeze to take away the soul of each and every one of them, thereby leaving only those who disbelieve behind on the earth. The Prophet (sa) concluded his prophecy by telling his companions that after the death of the believers, only the most vile people will remain on the earth who will copulate in public just like donkeys for all to see and that it will be during this time that the final hour will commence.

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:48:04 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.
CHAPTER 40
THE VISION

The Prophet (sa) was now fifty years old when he saw a vision in which a man came to him carrying a figure wrapped in silk. The man told the Prophet (sa), "This is your wife, look." Gently, the Prophet (sa) unwrapped the silk covering and saw Ayesha, however Ayesha was still a young girl similar in age to Lady Fatima and Abu Bakr had already promised her in marriage Jubair, Mutim's son. The Prophet (sa), who never disobeyed Allah in anything, did not question the vision but thought to himself, "If this is what Allah intends, then it will be." A few nights later as the Prophet (sa) slept peacefully, he saw another vision. This time it was not a man that came to him but an angel carrying a figure wrapped in silk. With respect, the Prophet (sa) asked the angel to show him what was wrapped in the piece of silk, whereupon the angel raised the cover and once more he beheld Ayesha. Again the Prophet (sa) did not question the vision but thought whatever Allah had ordained would surely come to be. The Prophet (sa) had not mention his visions to anyone, not even Abu Bakr, when Khawlah, who had attended to his household affairs since the death of Lady Khadijah suggested he should remarry. Politely, the Prophet (sa) asked if she had anyone in mind to which she replied, "Perhaps Ayesha, Abu Bakr's daughter, or Swaydah, Zamah's daughter," who was about thirty years old and had lost her husband, Sakran, shortly after their return from Abyssinia. The Prophet (sa) modestly asked Khawlah to propose both marriages, so she went to Swaydah who was honored by the proposal and sent word back saying, "Obedient to you, O Messenger of Allah." Upon receiving her acceptance, the Prophet (sa) respectfully requested her to chose one of her tribesmen to give her in marriage. Lady Swaydah chose her brother-in-law Hatib who had recently returned from Abyssinia and shortly after the marriage took place. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr went to Mutim and asked him to release Ayesha from the agreement with his son Jubair. Mutim agreed and a marriage by proxy took place several months after his marriage to Lady Swaydah, however, it was not consummated until many years later during the second year after the migration.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:50 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 37
THE DELEGATION FROM ABYSINNIA

During their stay in Abyssinia, the companions spoke of Islam, its principals and of their beloved Prophet (sa) to their new Nazarene and Christian neighbors. Many of the Koranic narratives were very similar to those the Nazarenes and Christians already knew, however, other narratives were new and this, together with tender, loving accounts they had heard about the Prophet’s character kindled an earnest desire to know more about Islam and its Prophet (sa), for some knew from their Books that another prophet would come and wondered if this might be he. With these matters pressing upon their minds, the Abyssinians decided to send a delegation to Mecca to hear the Prophet (sa) speak first hand, and then return home to report the news to those unable to accompany them.

THE ARRIVAL IN MECCA

Upon reaching Mecca, the delegation went to the Ka'ba where they found Prophet Muhammad (sa). As they made their way across its courtyard they passed by Abu Jahl and a group of hostile Koraysh busy in a meeting, however, their presence did not go unnoticed. The delegation approached the Prophet (sa) and happiness radiated from his face as he greeted and welcomed them to sit down and join him. There were so many questions they wanted to ask about Islam and the Prophet (sa) in his endearing, knowledgeable way answered all in a way that satisfied their hearts. Then, he recited portions of the Koran and their eyes filled, overflowing with tears. They knew without a shadow of doubt that the man before them was indeed the Prophet of Allah, the one whose coming Jesus, the son of Mary had prophesied and that they had been blessed to meet him. When the Prophet (sa) invited them to embrace Islam they accepted without the slightest reservation. Allah tells us:

“You will find hat the most people in enmity to the believers are the Jews and idolaters, and that the nearest in affection to the believers are those who say: ‘We are Nazarenes.’ That is because amongst them there are priests and monks; and because they are not proud. When they listen to that which was sent down to the Messenger, you will see their eyes fill with tears as they recognize its truth. They say: ‘Lord, we believe. Write us among the witnesses. Why should we not believe in Allah and in the truth that has come down to us? Why should we not hope for admission among the righteous?’ For their words Allah has rewarded them with Gardens underneath which rivers flow where they shall live for ever. Such is the recompense of the righteous. But those who disbelieve and belie Our verses shall be the companions of Hell.” Koran 5:82-86

From afar, Abu Jahl and his companions monitored the meeting and when the joyous Abyssinians passed them as they left the courtyard of Ka'ba, Abu Jahl and his companions stopped them saying, "Indeed, you are a feeble group. Your people sent you here to bring them news about that man, then after you had sat with him for a short while you renounced your religion and now believe what he says. You are very foolish!" But his words fell upon deaf ears, the happiness of certain belief engulfed their hearts and they returned to Abyssinia to tell their families and friends the good news.

THE MIGRANTS RETURN FROM ABYSINNIA

Some time after the return of the delegation a false report reached Abyssinia that the Koraysh had accepted Islam. There was great happiness amongst the migrants and some, including Lady Rukayyah, daughter of the Prophet (sa) together with her cousins, could not wait to be with the Prophet (sa) once again, for they loved him dearer than anyone else in the world and their separation from him had been a great hardship. However, Jafar and Ubayd remained in their adopted country to preach. It was a long journey but a happy one until they were but a few miles outside Mecca when they learned, to their great dismay, that the report was far from accurate. They knew it would be dangerous to enter Mecca altogether, so it was decided that each family should make their way secretly into its Muslim sector and pray they would not be detected.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:36 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:26 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:17 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:11 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:47:06 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:54 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and w

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:44 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."
CHAPTER 30
PERSECUTION

Meanwhile, the Koraysh chieftains continued in varying degrees in their relentless hostility toward the Muslims. If a convert happened to be among the hierarchy of a tribe, Abu Jahl would reprimand him then ridicule the convert before his fellow tribesmen so that he lost their respect. Traders also suffered. When Abu Jahl discovered a trader had converted he gave orders that no one should deal with him anymore. As a result, the convert trader was unable to sell his wares and his circumstances were soon reduced to that of an impoverished person. The freemen who suffered most were poor converts, who, in the eyes of Abu Jahl, were the least important on the social scale. When one of them converted he would beat them without mercy and urge others to follow his example. As for convert slaves belonging to the unbelieving Koraysh, they received the worst and harshest punishment, for their standing was by far the weakest. Punishment such as brutal beatings followed by depravation of food and water were common, but perhaps the most severe punishment was that of being pinned down upon the scorching hot sands of Mecca and leaving the slave to endure the blistering heat of the sun without the relief of even a sip of water. Some of the physically weaker converts were unable to endure their prolonged punishment and forced to recant. However, their recantations were not from their heart, but just noises made by their tongues. Those who remained undetected would offer their prayers in secret, but there were many who did not have the privilege of privacy and their grief at not being able to offer their prayers was considerable.

BILAL, THE SON OF RIBAH

Amongst those that suffered the torture of the burning sands was Bilal, Hamamma and Ribah's son, who had never known what it was like to be a freeman as they had been born into slavery. Bilal was a slave of African descent and owned by the children of Jumah. When news of Bilal's conversion came to the attention of the children of Jumah, Ummaya, Khalaf's son, subjected him to the most severe kinds of punishment. The harshest torture Ummaya devised was to take him out into the desert during the hottest part of the day, throw him down upon his back so that it lay flat upon the already scorching sand, then place heavy rocks on top of Bilal's chest that prevented him from moving. With a voice full of hatred he would yell at him, "You will stay here until you either die or renounce Muhammad and worship Al-Lat and Al Uzza!" The strength of Bilal's faith was truly great, he never gave into the demands of Ummaya, and as he suffered in the unbearable heat, his weak, parched, strained voice would be heard faintly saying, "One, One!"

ABU BAKR FREES BILAL

Abu Bakr had already bought and freed six believing slaves when one day he came across Bilal whilst he was being tortured yet again. Shocked, and greatly distressed at seeing him in such an appalling condition, he went straight to Ummaya demanding, "Have you no fear of Allah that you treat this poor man in such a way -- how long do you intend continuing like this!" With a sneer, Ummaya replied, "It is you who have corrupted him -- save him from it!" Without hesitation Abu Bakr made him an offer. Bilal was no longer of any use to Ummaya, so the offer was accepted and Abu Bakr took Bilal home with him where he was cared for, nursed back to health and given his freedom.

THE FAMILY OF YASIR

Yasir had migrated to Mecca from Yemen, and there he met and married a slave-girl by the name of Sumayya. From their union was born a son whom they named Ammar. Ammar had been among the early converts to Islam and succeeded to bring his parents into its fold. All three were subjected to the same kind of torture as Bilal, but Yasir and Sumayya were to become martyrs. Sumayya's martyrdom finally came when Abu Jahl brutally thrust his lance into her and killed her.

KHABBAB, THE SLAVE OF UMM AMMAR

Khabbab was the slave of Umm Ammar and when he converted the Koraysh took to subjecting him to many forms of torture. On one such occasion they lit a fire, then spread its burning coals over the ground and forced him to lie down upon his back. To add to this, one of his torturers placed his foot firmly upon Khabbab's chest so that he could not move until the coals had burned themselves to ashes, however, Khabbab survived. In the years that followed Khabbab spoke to Omar about his torture and showed him his dreadfully scared back which was now white and pitted like that of a leper.

LUBAINA AND ZINNIRA, NADIA AND UMM UMAIS

Lubaina was the slave of Omar. Before Omar's conversion his harsh treatment of his convert slaves was well known. Omar was extremely strong, and when he discovered that Lubaina had converted he beat her until he was exhausted and then said, "I have not stopped out of pity, but because I am tired!" Lubaina held on strongly to her belief and said after her severe beating, "If this does not persuade you, Allah shall revenge me!" Zinnira was yet another slave owned by Omar. One day when Abu Jahl was visiting Omar he took it upon himself to beat her. Zinnira was beaten so harshly that she lost her eyesight. Nadia and Umm Umais were yet two more slaves who were among those tortured but refused to recant. When it came to freeing believing slaves, Abu Bakr did not think twice to pay the handsome sum demanded by their torturers to secure their release and the ladies just mentioned were among those blessed by his compassionate generosity.

THE REQUEST OF SOME OF THE COMPANIONS

Khabbab, Al Aratt's son, and some of the companions went to visit Prophet Muhammad (sa), to complain against their increased persecution and ask him to supplicate for victory over their aggressors. The Prophet (sa) listened with heartfelt sympathy and them with the story of a man, who, centuries before, had been taken captive by his enemy and told to renounce his belief. The man refused to give up his belief and so he was flung into a pit and left there. Later, after his captors thought his spirit would have weakened, he was dragged up out of the pit and told to recant, but still the man refused whereupon his flesh was torn from his bones by rakes, but he would not give up his belief. Finally, a saw was sent for and placed on top of his head and he was martyred as he was sawn in half. There was absolutely nothing that would tear him away from his faith. The Prophet (sa) consoled his companions saying, "Allah will surely bring this matter to an end, when a rider will be able to leave Sanna for Hadramet fearing nothing except Allah and the danger of a wolf attacking his sheep."

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:35 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.






بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
CHAPTER 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 Koraysh blocking the road. The Koraysh warned Tufayl about the Prophet, whom they now described as being, amongst other things, a sorcerer. The frightening things the Koraysh 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 Ka'ba he noticed a lone figure standing near the Black Stone offering his prayer. It was never the practice of the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) finished offering his prayer, Tufayl followed him to his home and entered. He told the Prophet how the Koraysh 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 (sa) to tell him more about his message, whereupon the Prophet (sa) told him that the verses he recited were not his own composition, rather, they were from the Holy Koran sent to him from Allah via the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet (sa) 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 converted to Islam, then returned home with the instruction to tell others in his tribe about Islam. Upon his return, Tufayl recited verses from the Koran 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 (sa) in Mecca to ask him to curse those who refused to follow. The Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) and in the years to come many families in his tribe accepted Islam under his patient guidance.










CHAPTER 25
TUFAYL

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:22 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 23
THE COMMAND TO PREACH

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

"Proclaim then, what you are commanded and turn away from the unbelievers. We suffice you against those who mock, and those who set up other gods with Allah, indeed, they will soon know. Indeed, We know your chest is straitened by that they say." Koran Chapter 15 verse 94-97

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

"Warn your tribe and your near kinsmen, and lower your wing to the believers who follow you." Koran Chapter 26 verse 214-215

he 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 invite them all to a meal and then tell them. Approximately forty invitations were delivered and the Prophet (sa) asked Ali to prepare a shoulder of lamb and a cup of milk to feed them.

THE MIRACULOUS MEAL

The uncles of the Prophet, Abu Talib, Hamza, Abbas and Abu Lahab arrived with the other guests and the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) took the meat, broke it in half, put it back into the dish and invited his guests to eat saying, "Take it 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 (sa) however, before he had 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 (sa) asked Ali to invite them all together for another meal that very day and to prepare another shoulder of lamb and 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 (sa) supplicated 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 (sa) 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, "Prophet of Allah, I will be your helper in this matter." Whereupon the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) 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 KORAYSH

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 Koraysh 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 (sa) asked, "If I were to tell you that behind this hill there was 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’ad, 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 prayer. Understandably, the believers were very upset by this unwarranted intrusion, so they asked 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’ad 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 (sa) learned of the encounter, he told his followers that it was better to be patient with the unbelievers until 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 Koraysh.
CHAPTER 23
THE COMMAND TO PREACH

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

"Proclaim then, what you are commanded and turn away from the unbelievers. We suffice you against those who mock, and those who set up other gods with Allah, indeed, they will soon know. Indeed, We know your chest is straitened by that they say." Koran Chapter 15 verse 94-97

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

"Warn your tribe and your near kinsmen, and lower your wing to the believers who follow you." Koran Chapter 26 verse 214-215

he 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 invite them all to a meal and then tell them. Approximately forty invitations were delivered and the Prophet (sa) asked Ali to prepare a shoulder of lamb and a cup of milk to feed them.

THE MIRACULOUS MEAL

The uncles of the Prophet, Abu Talib, Hamza, Abbas and Abu Lahab arrived with the other guests and the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) took the meat, broke it in half, put it back into the dish and invited his guests to eat saying, "Take it 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 (sa) however, before he had 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 (sa) asked Ali to invite them all together for another meal that very day and to prepare another shoulder of lamb and 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 (sa) supplicated 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 (sa) 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, "Prophet of Allah, I will be your helper in this matter." Whereupon the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) 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 KORAYSH

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 Koraysh 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 (sa) asked, "If I were to tell you that behind this hill there was 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’ad, 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 prayer. Understandably, the believers were very upset by this unwarranted intrusion, so they asked 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’ad 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 (sa) learned of the encounter, he told his followers that it was better to be patient with the unbelievers until 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 Koraysh.
CHAPTER 23
THE COMMAND TO PREACH

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

"Proclaim then, what you are commanded and turn away from the unbelievers. We suffice you against those who mock, and those who set up other gods with Allah, indeed, they will soon know. Indeed, We know your chest is straitened by that they say." Koran Chapter 15 verse 94-97

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

"Warn your tribe and your near kinsmen, and lower your wing to the believers who follow you." Koran Chapter 26 verse 214-215

he 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 invite them all to a meal and then tell them. Approximately forty invitations were delivered and the Prophet (sa) asked Ali to prepare a shoulder of lamb and a cup of milk to feed them.

THE MIRACULOUS MEAL

The uncles of the Prophet, Abu Talib, Hamza, Abbas and Abu Lahab arrived with the other guests and the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) took the meat, broke it in half, put it back into the dish and invited his guests to eat saying, "Take it 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 (sa) however, before he had 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 (sa) asked Ali to invite them all together for another meal that very day and to prepare another shoulder of lamb and 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 (sa) supplicated 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 (sa) 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, "Prophet of Allah, I will be your helper in this matter." Whereupon the Prophet (sa) 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 (sa) 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 KORAYSH

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 Koraysh 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 (sa) asked, "If I were to tell you that behind this hill there was 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’ad, 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 prayer. Understandably, the believers were very upset by this unwarranted intrusion, so they asked 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’ad 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 (sa) learned of the encounter, he told his followers that it was better to be patient with the unbelievers until 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 Koraysh.

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:12 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh 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 Koraysh 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 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 Koraysh were deeply relieved by this sign and their hearts were satisfied that their intention to rebuild Ka'ba had been approved. The Koraysh 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 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 leapt out of his hands and returned to its original position. The greatly perturbed the 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 happened 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. During the reconstruction of 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. In those days it was the custom of builders to raise the lower portion of their garments above their head when building. Shyly, Muhammad was about to do the same when he was prevented. He fell to the ground and heard an angel call reminding him, "Your privates". This was the first occasion an angel had spoken to him. Upon picking himself up his uncle advised him to raise his garment above his head but Muhammad declined telling him that the reason he had fallen was to prevent his privates from being seen. 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. 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 started to receive visions, all of which were to materialized shortly after.
CHAPTER 14
KA'BA

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF KA'BA

Muhammad was thirty-five when a fire broke out in 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 Koraysh were deeply co

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:46:00 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 11
THE EARLY YEARS

It was time for the annual trip to Syria. Even though Hashim had secured pacts with tribes along the caravan route many years before, the journey was arduous and not without danger. With this in mind Abu Talib decided to leave his nephew behind thinking it was better for him to remain at home with Fatima and his other children. When the time came for the caravan to depart, Muhammad, who was now twelve years old, rushed up to him and threw his arms around him. Abu Talib never had the heart to refuse his nephew anything at all and so it was agreed that he would join him on the long trip north to Syria.

BUHAIRAH, THE MONK

After many weeks of arduous travel the caravan reached a place called Tayma, a village on the outskirts of Basra. It was there that a monk by the name of Buhairah lived alone in a hermitage that had been inherited by a succession of hermit monks. Over the centuries, important religious documents had been brought to the hermitage and left by his predecessors so Buhairah had made it his life's work to study them well and had become very knowledgeable. In the documents were prophecies that told of another prophet to come after Jesus, peace be upon him. The prophecies described in detail the time in which he would be born, his appearance, character and background and it was Buhairah's dearest wish to be blessed to live long enough to see him. One day as Buhairah was meditating outside his hermitage he noticed a caravan in the distance making its way towards the city. It was a common sight to see caravans making their way there, but as he gazed towards it he noticed there was something very different about this one. In the blue sky was a lone white cloud that floated just above the caravaners heads, when the caravan changed direction the cloud would follow. He watched the caravan more intently and when it started to descend the neighboring hills he witnessed the palm tress bow their branches as the caravan passed by. He noticed something else even more strange, when the caravan came to rest under the trees the cloud disappeared and the palm branches bowed down still further to provide a dense and cooling shade. Just before the caravan reached the market place it halted again under the shade of the trees and Muhammad, being the youngest, was asked to tend to the camels whilst the others went to the marketplace. Buhairah made haste to greet the caravaners and invited them to eat with him; caravans had stopped there many times before, but Buhairah had never invited them nor yet any other caravaners to join him. As they sat down to eat Buhairah looked at each one in turn, then asked if there was anyone missing from the party. They informed him that there was another, a boy, whom they had asked to tend the camels. Buhairah insisted that the boy should join them, and the caravaners felt embarrassed at their unintentional forgetfulness and so Muhammad was invited to join them. When he arrived, Buhairah observed his appearance and manners closely. After a while he questioned him and then asked him to swear by the idols of Mecca -- which was common practice amongst the Arabs. Muhammad refused saying, "There is nothing more hateful to me than to do that." The answers Muhammad gave Buhairah convinced him ninety-nine percent that the young boy, in whose company he was, was none other than the one prophesied in the scriptures to become the last Prophet of Allah. However, one thing bothered him, Abu Talib had referred to Muhammad as being his son, and the scriptures stated quite clearly that the last prophet would be an orphan, so he inquired about Muhammad's parents and was told that indeed Muhammad was an orphan, and that Abu Talib was not his real father, rather, he was his paternal uncle. Now, Buhairah knew for certain that his dearest wish had been fulfilled and that he had been blessed to live long enough to meet the boy destined to be the last Prophet of Allah. He was overcome with joy but at the same time a great sense of fear struck deep within his heart. He told Abu Talib that he must take great care of Muhammad and advised him not to continue onto Basra as he feared the descendants of the Jews that had migrated to Arabia many years before to await the arrival of the last prophet would also notice his signs and try to harm him as he was not of their race. Abu Talib took Buhairah's advice and they returned to Mecca.

EARLY CHARACTER

Muhammad had grown into a quiet, thoughtful youth preferring to look after his uncle's sheep rather than playing with the other children of Mecca. He loved the peace and tranquility of the valleys and mountainside and whilst tending his uncle’s flock would pass his time observing and marveling at the wonders of the creation of Allah. Like all boys of the Koraysh tribe he was taught the art of manhood and how best to defend himself. Muhammad had very keen eyesight and so it wasn't surprising that he became an excellent archer like his ancestor Prophet Ishmael. His reputation for being honest, trustworthy and among other fine qualities, intelligent, was recognized by all who knew him, however, it wasn't until after his prophethood that he learned to read or write.

THE WEDDING

There was to be a wedding in the city, elaborate preparations had already been made, and a fine table prepared. When Muhammad's friends learned of the festivities they were anxious to join in all the fun and rushed to find Muhammad to ask him to go with them. Festivities such as these did not attract him very much but his friends wanted him to go with him and he was not a person to disappoint anyone so he agreed to accompany them. As they neared the bride's house the sound of music grew louder and louder. Suddenly, Muhammad was overcome by extreme tiredness so he told his friends to go on without him, and shortly thereafter fell sound asleep and didn't wake up until the following day when all the festivities were over.

THE AGE OF IGNORANCE

The situation in Arabia had deteriorated to such an extent that murder, lewdness, profanity, gambling and drunkenness in conjunction with other depravities had become common. The poor and weak were treated very badly and the position of women was quite deplorable. Many women were deprived of all their rights, they could be bought and sold at whim, and if they happened to inherit, their wealth was, more likely than not, ceased by their spouse. To many, the greatest shame for a woman was to give birth to a daughter. She alone was blamed and disgrace fell upon the family and all too often innocent baby girls were buried alive or even strangled at birth. Most tribes knew little or no form of government, each tribe was independent from the other except for the occasional alliance; as a result rivalries and deep rooted jealously often prevailed. Tribal feuds were common and all too often the origin of the feud had faded from memory but that was of no consequence, a feud was a feud, and therefore it was perpetuated without regard from one generation to the next resulting in the shedding of much blood. 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.

THE BATTLE OF FIJAR

Muhammad was fifteen years of age when a clash between the tribes of Koraysh under the command of Harb, Ummaya's son and the Banu Huwazin erupted. Since the time of Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, certain months of the years had been held sacred. During these months physical hostilities between the tribes had become strictly forbidden. However, the rule was broken when Al Barrad, Kais Al Kinani's son, killed Urwah Al Rahal, Utbah Al Huwazini's son. The battle that ensued became known as the "Battle of Fijar" because it took place during the forbidden months. Abu Talib took part in the fighting which was destined to erupt spasmodically over a period of four years, however, Muhammad did not take part, rather, he gathered stray arrows for his uncle.

THE TREATY OF FUDUL

After the recent battle the chieftains of the divided tribe of Koraysh known as the "Perfumed Ones" and the "Confederates" put aside their differences and met together in the house of Abdullah, Judan's son. They realized that if they were to show any sign of weakness between them it could result in either party falling prey to an enemy, and in the long term bring about the fall of the Koraysh tribe. There was also another important factor to take care of that related to the protection of the harmed and the rescue of not only of the weak living in Mecca but also the visitors who suffered injustice on account of their weakened position. All who were present took an oath that from that day onward they would take them under their protection and ensure that the injured party received their rights. This treaty was indeed a landmark as injustice was rampant. Such was the importance of this treaty that the Prophet (sa) later told his companions, "Indeed, I witnessed with my uncles, in the house of Abdullah Judan's son, a treaty which is more beloved to me than a herd of cattle. Now in Islam, if I were to be asked to partake in something similar, I would accept." Those that participated in the treaty were the descendants of Hashim, Muttalib, Abd Manaf, Asad, Zuhra and Tamin together with the young Muhammad and his uncles. Abu Bakr, who was in later years to become one of the most sincere and dearest friends of the Prophet (sa), together with his and his father Abu Kuhafah of Taym were also participants.

THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE TREATY

Amongst the Koraysh 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, choose 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’s wealth. Such was his impeccable reputation that both businessmen and tribesmen would refer to him as "Al Amin", the trustworthy. It was through Muhammad’s 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’s 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 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.

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omgzergrush [2005-05-24 09:45:51 +0000 UTC]

CHAPTER 1
PROPHET ABRAHAM AND THE FIRST HOUSE OF ALLAH ON EARTH

Prophet Abraham was born to honorable parents descended from Prophet Noah. He was born in the city of Hara, Iraq during the reign of King Nimrod and is often referred to as “The Friend of Allah” and "The Father of the Prophets". Before Abraham reached maturity his father passed away, and as was the custom in those days, he would, out of respect for his paternal uncle, refer to him as his father. There had been a void in guidance since the death of Prophet Noah and the people of Hara reverted to idolatry. Hara was renowned for its ornate, pagan temples and its citizens took great pride in the idols housed within them. Offerings were sacrificed to the idols and ritual ceremonies, wishfully invoking their favors performed before them. A lucrative commerce had grown around the activities of the temples. Carved replicas of the idols were a much sought after possession and it was to this profession that Azar, Abraham’s uncle, whom he now called “father” directed his talents.

WHO IS MY LORD

Abraham was unlike his contemporaries, he grew to be an upright, caring, young man repulsed by idol worship and sought the answer to a question that had consumed him for many years -- who was his Lord? In the process of his guidance, Allah in His Mercy caused Abraham to contemplate upon the kingdoms of the heavens and earth. One evening, as he gazed up into the night sky, he saw a planet shinning more brightly than the others and exclaimed, "This is surely my Lord!" but, as the morning light came the planet set he rejected his thought saying, "I do not like the setting ones!" On another occasion as he saw the moon rise he said once again, "This is my Lord!" But like the planet as the light of the morning broke it disappeared whereupon he said, "If my Lord does not guide me, I shall be amongst the astray nation!" Then, when he saw the sun rise upon the horizon he said, "This must be my Lord, it is larger!" But as it set he turned to his people saying, "O nation I am quit of what you associate (with Allah, the Creator) I have turned my face to Him who created the heavens and the earth, uprightly, and I am not among the idolaters!" Koran, Chapter 6 verses 76-79

ABRAHAM IS CHOSEN BY ALLAH AND BECOMES A PROPHET

Shortly after this Allah sent the Arch Angel Gabriel to inform Abraham that He had chosen him to be His Messenger. Abraham was deeply humbled by the news and Gabriel brought him, over a period of forty-two visits, ten Holy Scrolls. Prophet Muhammad informed his companions later on that the contents of the Scrolls were examples. Abraham's open rejection of idolatry caused a commotion, no one had ever challenged the deity of the idols of Hara; to his fellow citizens the notion was deemed blasphemous. However, Abraham was resolved, he had no doubt that Allah was the only One to be worshipped because he was convinced that it was He alone who had created everything.

THE LOGIC OF ABRAHAM

Abraham tried reasoning with those around him in the best manner, but they refused to accept his logic even after he had drawn their attention to the obvious fact that their idols had either been hewn from stone or carved from wood by people such as themselves. Abraham never stopped challenging his people and asked if their idols could do anything else other than just stand motionless, year after year, in the same place -- the place in which they themselves had been positioned many years before! He reminded his people that the idols neither ate nor drank from the offerings placed before them nor could they harm or benefit anyone. But still the people refused to abandon their idolatry. Over the course of time the idolaters became outraged and told Abraham that it was he who was wrong and that he must fear their gods. Abraham shook his head and asked, "And how should I fear what you have associated when you yourselves are not afraid that you have associated with Allah that which He did not send down for it upon you an authority.” Koran, Chapter 6 verse 81

ABRAHAM AND KING NIMROD
CHAPTER 5
THE VOW

ABD AL MUTTALIB TAKES A VOW

To many it would have appeared that Abd Al Muttalib had everything he could desire. He was the Custodian of Ka'ba, handsome, wealthy, generous, and of noble character that had won him the respect of the people of Mecca. However, he only had one son, Harith, whereas his cousins Umayyah, chief of the tribe of Abdu Shams and Mughirah, chief of the tribe of Makhzum had many. The fact that he had just one son hadn't concerned him greatly until he met with resistance from his fellow Meccans during the excavation of Zamzam. At that time he felt weaker than at any other and wished he had more sons to support him. He felt humble to be chosen as the one to be honored to restore the well and was grateful to Allah for His blessings to him, but his heart prompted him to supplicate to Him for ten sons. As he supplicated in earnest, he promised Allah that if He would favor him with ten sons that reached the age of manhood, he would sacrifice one of them in the Ka'ba. Allah heard his supplication and as the years passed he had, to his great pleasure, nine more sons. He never forgot the promise he made to Allah and as his sons reached manhood the matter pressed hard upon his mind, especially as the youngest of his sons, Abdullah, had now reached maturity. Abdullah had grown into a handsome, fine, upstanding young man like his father and although Abd Al Muttalib loved his other sons, Abdullah had become his favorite. Abd Al Muttalib knew that the time had come to fulfill his vow. He was a man of his word and had no intention of turning away from his oath. Until this time, Abd Al Muttalib had kept the matter between Allah and himself secret, no one in his family knew of the oath he had taken many years before.

THE SACRIFICE

Abd Al Muttalib had raised his sons to be true men, and all were obedient to him. One day he called his ten sons together and told them of the oath he had taken. They all accepted, their father's vow was their vow, and bravely they asked him how the matter would be decided. He told them that the matter would be determined by arrow divining and that they must each take an arrow and make their mark on it. After their marks had been made, Abd Al Muttalib sent a message to the arrow-diviner of the Koraysh tribe to meet him in the Ka'ba. Then he took his ten sons into the Sanctuary and led them inside the Ka'ba, then, when the arrow-diviner arrived he told him of his oath. Each son presented his arrow and Abd Al Muttalib stood ready with his knife drawn. The arrows were cast, and the lot fell against Abdullah. Without hesitation, Abd Al Muttalib took his son's hand and led him to the door intending to make straight for the place of sacrifice.

ABDULLAH'S REMALE RELATIVES

Abd Al Muttalib had not considered the fact that he might have to deal with his wives as he did not know they had learned of his intention. Fatima, the mother of Zubair, Abu Talib and Abdullah who were all candidates for the sacrifice, was, on her mother's side, descended from Abd, one of the sons of Ksay and belonged to the very influential tribe of Makhzum. When Fatima learned of the vow, she immediately rallied her co-wives, who were from less influential tribes, and together with her own powerful tribe they now marched in force to the Ka'ba to prevent the sacrifice. As Abd Al Muttalib opened the door of Ka'ba his eyes fell upon the large crowd assembled in the courtyard. Everyone noticed that the expression on Abd Al Muttalib and Abdullah's faces had changed. Fatima and her kinsmen were quick to realize that it was Abdullah who had been chosen as the sacrifice. Just then, someone in the crowd called out, "For whom is the knife!" and others took up the cry although it was evident for whom the knife was intended. Abd Al Muttalib tried to tell them of his vow, but was interrupted by Mughirah, the chief of Makhzum who told him that they would not permit him to make the sacrifice. He told him that they were prepared to offer a sacrifice in his stead, even to the extent of ransoming Abdullah with all the property of the sons of Makhzum. They were adamant, and prepared to take whatever steps were necessary in order to spare the life of Abdullah. By this time Abdullah's brothers had come out of Ka'ba. Until then none had spoken, but now they too turned to their father imploring him to spare the life of their brother and to offer some other kind of sacrifice instead. There was no one present who did not urge him not to do so. Being an upright man, Abd Al Muttalib did not want to break the vow he had taken, but the pressure upon him was great. Reluctantly he agreed to consult with a wise, Jewess who lived in Yathrib and was familiar with matters such as this and could tell him whether a substitution was in fact permissible in this case, and if it was, what form of ransom would be required.

THE WISE WOMAN OF YATHRIB

Abd Al Muttalib set off with Abdullah and several of his brothers for Yathrib -- Abd Al Muttalib's birth-place. When they reached Yathrib they inquired the whereabouts of the wise lady and were told she no longer lived there but in Khyber that was approximately ninety miles north of Yathrib. So they continued their journey through the hot desert until the reached Khyber were they found the wise woman. Abd Al Muttalib told her of the oath he had taken and inquired whether it was possible to offer a ransom instead. She listened intently and told them to return the following day after she had time to consider the matter and that she would give them an answer. Abd Al Muttalib prayed fervently to Allah and the next morning he and his sons returned for the verdict. The wise woman greeted them and asked what was the usual compensation offered amongst their tribe, so they told her that it was common place to offer ten camels. Upon hearing this she told them to return home and as soon as they arrived to put Abdullah and ten camels side by side and cast lots between them. She told them that in the event the arrow should fall against Abdullah they were to increase the number of camels by ten, and cast lots yet again until Allah accepted them by the arrow falling against the camels. She also told them that once the number of camels had been determined all were to be sacrificed immediately in order that Abdullah might live.

THE SACRIFICE OF 100 CAMELS

After having thanked the wise woman, Abd Al Muttalib and his sons set out for home straight away and upon reaching Mecca Abdullah and ten camels were taken into the courtyard of Ka'ba. Abd Al Muttalib went inside the Ka'ba and supplicated to Allah asking Him to accept what they were about to do. Upon the conclusion of his supplication he came out of the Ka'ba and the lots began to be cast. The first arrow fell against Abdullah, so ten more camels were added. The lot was cast again, but once more the arrow fell against Abdullah, and ten more camels were added and so it continued. It was only when the number of camels reached one hundred that the arrow finally fell against the camels.

THE RANSOM IS ACCEPTED

Everyone was overjoyed including Abd Al Muttalib, however, he wanted to make quite sure that this was, without a shadow of a doubt the ransom required by Allah to decide the issue, so he insisted that the lots be cast twice more. Anxiously, everyone looked on as the lots were cast, but to everyone's relief on each occasion, the arrow fell against the camels. There was no doubt left in Abd Al Muttalib's mind that Allah had accepted his expiation, and the camels were sacrificed immediately and the abundant supply of meat was amply distributed amongst the poor, needy and the orphans. There was so much meat left over that every sector of the community ate from it and joined in the great celebration.
CHAPTER 10
A NEW LIFE IN MECCA

It wasn't long before the young Muhammad had settled down very happily to his new lifestyle in the City of Mecca and found that he had lots of cousins, an affectionate grandfather named Abd Al Muttalib, as well as many uncles and aunts. Amongst the children Muhammad loved most were Hamza and his young sister Saffiyah, the children of his grandfather, Abd Al Muttalib. Muhammad and Hamza were practically the same age, however, Muhammad was the elder, although technically speaking, Hamza was his uncle and Saffiyah his aunt.

THE JOURNEY TO YATHRIB

One day, Lady Amina learned that a caravan would soon be leaving Mecca and pass through Yathrib (Medina) on its way north. It was a wonderful opportunity for Muhammad, who was now six, to meet the rest of his cousins and relatives that lived there. Barakah, Lady Amina's maid, made the necessary preparations for the eleven day journey and they left with the caravan riding two camels, one ridden by Lady Amina and her son, the other by Barakah. They stayed in Yathrib for a month and the young Muhammad met more of his cousins, the children of Adiyy. He enjoyed being with them and went kite flying and sometimes they would take him to their large well where he learned to swim. It was a happy time but the month soon passed and the caravan destined for Mecca was ready to leave, so they made their farewells and departed.

THE DEATH OF LADY AMINA

As the caravan journeyed to Mecca, Lady Amina was taken seriously ill and never recovered. The angels took away her soul at a village called Al Abwa and it is there that she lies buried. Barakah did her best to comfort the sobbing young Muhammad whose heart became vacant at the loss of his mother and together they made the heartbreaking journey to the house of his grandfather in Mecca. Abd Al Muttalib, deeply saddened by the loss, took his grandson into his own household and a very special love bonded them even more closely together.

THE LOVE OF ABD AL MUTTALIB

For many years Abd Al Muttalib had taken to sleeping near the Ka'ba at Hijr Ishmael, the place where he had been told in a vision to dig for the well of Zamzam many years before Abdullah, Muhammad's father was born. At Hijr Ishmael his couch would be spread out for him and more often than not it was there that one would find him. There was an unwritten rule that no one sat on his couch, not even his young son Hamza, however, such was the love he had for his grandson Muhammad that he alone was welcome to join him there. One day some of Muhammad's uncles found him sitting on the couch and suggested he should not do so. Immediately, his grandfather told them, "Let my son stay, by Allah, he has a great future." The young Muhammad was a constant source of pleasure to his grandfather and both enjoyed the company of each other. Such was his endearing personality that anyone who met him loved Muhammad. It was noticeable that even at such a tender age, Muhammad showed signs of wisdom far beyond his years and when Abd Al Muttalib attended important tribal meetings in the House of Assembly with other elders of the tribe, he would take his grandson with him. Muhammad's opinion was often sought in earnest despite his age, whereupon, Abd Al Muttalib would proudly comment, "There is a great future ahead for my son!" Abd Al Muttalib always referred with pride to his grandson as being his "son".

THE DEATH OF ABD AL MUTTALIB

Abd Al Muttalib was now eighty-two years of age and a few months after his grandson's eighth birthday he was taken ill and passed away. Before Abd Al Muttalib died he entrusted the care of his grandson to his son Abu Talib, the blood brother of Muhammad's father Abdullah, so without hesitation Abu Talib gladly became Muhammad's guardian and took him into his own household. As Abd Al Muttalib's bier was carried to a place known as Al Hujun for burial, many walked in his funeral procession and his young grandson shed many tears as he walked with them to the graveside. It was a time of great sorrow. Like his father before him, Abu Talib became a loving guardian to his nephew and his wife, Fatima, daughter of Asad, Hashim's son, and half brother of Abd Al Muttalib, did all she could to compensate for the mother he had lost. Indeed, such was the degree of her care that in later years after her beloved trust had attained prophethood, he told those around him that rather than let him go hungry, Fatima would have preferred to let her own children go without, but he was never of a greedy nature and would share whatever he was given. Upon the death of Abd Al Muttalib the ascendancy to the house of Hashim had weakened for his family. All but one of the honorable offices he had held for so long now passed to Harb, the son of Umayya. The only position left for his household was that of providing for the pilgrims.

THE GUARDIANSHIP OF ABU TALIB

When Abd Al Muttalib passed away there was very little left for his heirs to inherit and Abu Talib, although his circumstances were restricted, was rich in heritage, honor and nobility. Like his father, he loved his nephew dearly, there wasn't anything he would not do for him. Many a night the young Muhammad would be found snuggled up to his uncle in bed, sleeping peacefully until the light of the morning. During the day, Muhammad would go with him wherever he might go and when he was old enough Abu Talib taught him the skill of how to masterfully shepherd, with both tenderness and care his sheep, which was a vital source of food and income to his family. It was a position of trust and one will no doubt recall that most prophets, peace be upon him, were shepherds at one time or another during their life.

THE DROUGHT

Drought had stricken Mecca and its neighboring settlements in the valley yet again. It was a hard time for everyone both old and young alike. Abu Talib was highly respected in his tribe and in times of need, such as this, they would often turn to him for help and advice. The situation continued to worsen and so in desperation several of the Koraysh went to Abu Talib to ask him to pray for rain. Muhammad was with him and heard their request so together, with Abu Talib carrying him on his shoulders, they made their way to the Ka'ba to supplicate to Allah. As they entered the precincts of Ka'ba the sky was blue and the heat of the sun beat down just as it had done so for many weeks. Muhammad, with his delicate tiny hand held on tightly to his uncle's fingers and together they supplicated for rain. Within moments, clouds gathered from all directions and rain started to fall -- the drought was over. Like Halima, Abu Talib was quick to recognize the multiple blessings he and others shared on account of his nephew.

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tassel [2004-08-18 23:21:29 +0000 UTC]

Wha ha ha banned. Sucks for you

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evilfaeries [2004-07-06 04:12:39 +0000 UTC]

Sucks that youre banned.

if ya ever wanna talk, e mail me.

kandice@kandiceplain.com

xox

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mercoutlaw [2004-04-27 17:31:16 +0000 UTC]

About time you got banned! You were the most rude, obtrusive, unconstructively critical individual on this site...not to mention a pic thief! I'm glad to see DA did something about you!

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thestocker [2004-04-12 01:15:39 +0000 UTC]

I'm the one laughing now, that's who.

Cute little gangster from the streets got it in the teeth.

The world weeps. (right.)

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sicko-sam [2004-04-07 10:19:26 +0000 UTC]

Please come back!

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weirdmunky [2004-04-07 05:31:41 +0000 UTC]

YOUR BANNED!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

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ernestoguevara [2004-04-05 22:05:43 +0000 UTC]

why the fucking ban. i demand answers! :@

and why the fuck are 2 of his recent pieces gone? huh ?

fucking hell i want answers, and im gonna try and see too

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ArtVandalay [2004-04-05 14:16:30 +0000 UTC]

i hope u r back soon u badass

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sicko-sam [2004-04-05 13:31:05 +0000 UTC]

damn man, soz to see you got banned...come back soon

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r3s3nt [2004-04-05 13:26:52 +0000 UTC]

damn it dude, when are you gonna learn to keep outta trouble?

hope you get back soon

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zeibeku [2004-04-05 09:58:51 +0000 UTC]

woot! im idolised!

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jark [2004-04-05 09:37:08 +0000 UTC]

the journal entry that got you banned:

Read or Die

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 5, 2004, 1:29 PM
I hate . I just hate this person.
I was going to sit here and explain why; lay out all the FACTS of why this person is a complete and utter talentless moron.
But I'd rather be concise.
I hate you, bydumbo.

temporary ban due to the posting of hateful commentary. this is completely against our rules. if you do not like someone then talk about it privately not publicly, on deviantART!

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DarkBlackRose [2004-04-04 19:54:37 +0000 UTC]

haha thanx haha yeah my attitude is out of control sometimes

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evilfaeries [2004-04-04 18:08:01 +0000 UTC]

Thank You for +faving my non-fiction prose, 'Cunt 1&2' .

Kandice

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DanielJohnston [2004-04-03 02:14:16 +0000 UTC]

thanks for the fav man!!!

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X-eViL-X [2004-04-02 22:01:38 +0000 UTC]

Your work is krazey, its some of the coolest shit i've ever seen, keep it up!!!

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tonare [2004-04-02 07:29:09 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for the fav bro.

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omgzergrush [2004-04-02 01:47:36 +0000 UTC]

~omgzergrush
Carousel Reversal Spray

is a General Skinner
is Male
is a deviant since Feb 3, 2004, 4:23 PM
has 777 pageviews ^_^

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polyboom [2004-04-01 20:53:28 +0000 UTC]

well thank you again for the 's hell your gallery is very interesting.

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polyboom [2004-04-01 17:59:59 +0000 UTC]

THAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaanks for the & the comment Bro!
I am glad that you like this piece! woohoo ^_^

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