Chapter 5- The Prophet Is Born.

The Prophet Is Born

One day, while traveling north, one of the Arab tribes from Makkah met a hermit in the desert. Some of the men stopped to speak with him. Hermits were known to be wise and the Arabs often asked their advice. The hermit asked where they had come from. When they replied that they were from Makkah, he told them that Allahﷻwould soon sends a prophet, who would come from their people. They asked the name of this prophet and the hermit answered that his name would be Muhammad and that he would guide them to a new way of life.

Meanwhile, in Makkah, Aminah, although saddened by the loss of her husband, felt especially well and strong as she awaited the birth of her baby. During this time she dreamt of many things. On one occasion it was as if a great light were shining out of her, and on another, she heard a voice telling her that she would have a boy and that his name would be Muhammad. She never forgot that voice but she told no one about it.

On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, Aminah gave birth to a son. Allahﷻ sends man many signs when one of His chosen Prophets is born and on that twelfth day of Rabi al- Awwal in the year 570 A.D, many such signs were seen. Some were seen by Jewish scholars who had read in their scriptures of a coming Prophet.

One of these learned men in Yathrib, for instance, saw a brilliant new star he had never seen before as he studied the heavens that night. He called the people around him and, pointing the star out to them, told them a Prophet must have been born. That same night another Jew was passing by the meeting place of the leaders of Quraysh in Makkah. He asked them if a baby boy had just been born and told them that if it were true, this would be the Prophet of the Arab nation.

Aminah sent news of the birth to her father-in-law, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who was sitting near the Kaaba at the time. He was very happy and began at once to think of a name for the boy. An ordinary name would not do. Six days came and went and still, he had not decided. But on the seventh day, as he lay asleep near the Kaaba, 'Abd al-Muttalib dreamt that he should give the baby the unusual name of Muhammad, just as Aminah herself had dreamt. And the child was called Muhammad (PBUH), which means 'the Praised One. 

When 'Abd al-Muttalib told the leaders of Quraysh what he had named his grandson, many of them asked, 'Why did you not choose the sort of name that is used by our people?' At once he replied, 'I want him to be praised by Allahﷻ in the heavens and praised by men on earth.

Eight Miraculous Signs of the Birth of  Rasulullahﷺ

‘And We have not sent you, [O Prophet], except as a mercy to the worlds’

                                                                      [The Noble Qur’an, 21:107]

The birth of  Rasulullahﷺ has been the greatest blessing and favor to our Ummah and mercy to all the world. His birth was an exceptionally important event and  Allahﷻ sent several miraculous signs to the world, many of which have never been experienced before.

‘Indeed Allahﷻ conferred a great favor on the believers when he sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses, and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (Quran) and Al-Hikmah, (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw)), while before that they had been in manifest error

(Qur’an, 3:164)

SubhanAllah, here are just a few of the amazing miracles that preceded the blessed birth of Rasulullahﷺ.

 1. A light that shone like never before

 Before his birth, Rasulullahﷺ mother, Aaminah, was conscious of a light within her when she was pregnant with him, which one day shone from her so intensely that she could see the castles and palaces of Syria. (Ibn Ishaq)

 2. The Persian Fire was extinguished 

Pre-Islam, the Persians worshipped fire and kept a fire burning continuously for a thousand years. Imam Baihaqi narrated from Hani’ I-Makhzumi that as soon as Rasulullahﷺ was born, this fire went out. This was a sign of the truthful call of Rasulullahﷺ to his followers, to worship Allahﷻ alone.

3. The Throne Arch of Chosroes shuddered 

The throne arch is referred to as the Aywan and indicates the political shift caused by the Prophet’s (saw) birth. The Arch (Aywan) of the Palace of Kisra (Chosroes), the ancient emperor of Persia, trembled when Rasulullahﷺ was born. [Baihaqi]

 4. Fourteen royal balconies collapsed 

The throne arch is referred to as the Aywan and indicates the political shift caused by the Prophet’s (saw) birth. The Arch (Aywan) of the Palace of Kisra (Chosroes), the ancient emperor of Persia, trembled when Rasulullahﷺ was born.

 [Baihaqi]

 The Palace of Kisra, mentioned in Baihaqi’s narration, had fourteen balconies which all collapsed when Rasulullahﷺ was born. This was a sign that Persian rule would only last for fourteen more Persian kings. The fourteenth (and last) Persian king ruled from the time of the Prophet (saw)’s birth until the Muslims completely destroyed the whole of the Persian Empire under Umar Bin Khattab (ra) and Uthman Bin Affan (ra). 

[Baihaqi]

 5. Lake Sa’wah ran dry

The lake of Sa’wah is located in Qum and Hamadan in modern-day Iraq. It was known as a city of evildoers but on the night of the birth of Rasulullahﷺ, the lake, which was vast enough for ships to sail through, dried up entirely. [Baihaqi]. This was seen as a sign of Allahﷻ power and a reminder to the people of Sa’wah to follow the path of righteousness.

6. Idols fell flat

The birth of Rasulullahﷺ signaled the end of idol worshipping in the lands of Arabia. When the Prophet (saw) was born, a total of 360 idols fell in and around the Holy Kaaba.  One of those idols was called Hubal, which resembled a human figure and was believed to control acts of divination.

Several people witnessed the falling of the idols, including Abdul-Mutallib, the grandfather of Rasulullahﷺ. The idols remained on the floor for a full twenty-four hours and any effort to pick them up and erect them throughout the world was unsuccessful.

 Abdul Muttalib (ra) took his grandchild to the Kaaba and named him Muhammad (saw), three days after the idols fell. As soon as the child was taken to the Kaaba for the naming ceremony, the four corners of the walls of the Kaaba spoke and declared:

“There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Seal of Prophethood.”

 7. The throne of Iblis collapsed

 Iblis had a god complex and observed that the throne of Allahﷻ is upon water as is mentioned in the following Qur’anic passage: ,

"He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou were to say to them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death", the Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious sorcery!"

(The Noble Quran 11:7)

When he was banished from Paradise, Iblis established his throne upon water on planet earth, but this collapsed at the time of the birth of Rasulullahﷺ..

 

8. The devils were attacked by shooting stars

The devilish Jinn would ascend to the lower sky and attempt to listen to the conversations of the angels positioned at the Kaaba, with the intention of hearing about people’s Qadr (divine decree).

'And we pried into the secrets of heaven, but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. 'We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.

[The Noble Qur’an, 72:8 & 9]

At the time of Rasulullahﷺ. birth, they were stricken with falling stars and barred from accessing this knowledge, and chased away instead by flames and comets. Among the signs is that Iblis, the forefather of the devils, was blocked from the news of the sky so he rang out a very loud scream.

 The beauty of Islam allows us to continue drawing divine links from Rasulullahﷺ. birth to events that took place centuries before it. The miraculous signs of His birth are a reminder that He is indeed the Seal of the Prophets, that he was sent down as a mercy to mankind.

Rasulullahﷺ. taught us about the virtues of giving, so this Rabi ul-Awwal follows his Sunnah of spreading love, peace, and mercy by donating towards one of our appeals, and helping the less fortunate.

    Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

 Allahﷻ

Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

رضي الله عنه

  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ ﷺ.

Chapter 4 - The Invasion of Abrahah

 

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The Elephant Refuses To Move

Abrahah, who came from Abyssinia-a country in Africa-conquered Yemen and was made vice-regent there. Later, he noticed that at a certain time of the year large numbers of people would travel from all over Yemen and the rest of Arabia to Makkah. He asked the reason for this and was told that they were going on a pilgrimage to the Kaaba. Abrahah hated the idea of Makkah being more important than his own country, so he decided to build a church of colored marble, with doors of gold and ornaments of silver, and ordered the people to visit it instead of the Kaaba. But no one obeyed him.

Abrahah became angry and decided to destroy the Ka1bah. He prepared a large army led by an elephant and set off toward Makkah. When the Makkans heard that he was coming they became very frightened. Abrahah's army was huge and they could not fight it. But how could they let him destroy the Holy Kaaba? They went to ask the advice of their leader, 'Abd al-Muttalib. When Abrahah arrived outside Makkah, 'Abd al-Muttalib went to meet him. Abrahah had taken Abd al-Muttalib's camels, which he had found grazing as he entered Makkah, so „

Abrahah said, 'What do you want?'

Abd al-Muttalib replied, 'I want my camels back.' 

Abrahah was very surprised and said, 'I have come to destroy your Holy Kaaba, the holy place of your fathers, and you ask me about some camels?' '

Abd al-Muttalib replied calmly, „The camels belong to me; the Kaaba belongs to Allah and He will protect it.' 

Then he left Abrahah and went back to Quraysh and ordered them to leave Makkah and wait for their enemies in the mountains. In the morning Abrahah prepared to enter the town. He put armor on his elephant and drew up his troops for battle. He intended to destroy the Kaaba and then return to Yemen. At that moment, however, the elephant knelt down and refused to get up, no matter how much the soldiers tried to get it to move by beating it.

But when they turned its face in the direction of Yemen it immediately got up and started off. In fact, it did the same in any other direction, but as soon as they pointed it towards Makkah it knelt down again. Suddenly, flocks of birds appeared from over the sea. Each bird carried three stones as small as peas and they dropped them on Abrahah and his army. The soldiers suddenly fell ill. Even Abrahah was hit by the stones and fled in fear with the rest of his army back to Yemen, where he later died. On seeing their enemy flee the Arabs came down from the mountains to the Kaaba and gave thanks to Allah.

After this, Quraysh gained great respect and became known as 'the people of Allah', and the year in which these events took place, 570 A.D was named the 'Year of the Elephant. In that year Allah saved the Kaaba and he would soon bring forth a Prophet from among Quraysh. 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful: 

“Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did He not bring their stratagem to naught, And send against them swarms of flying creatures, Which pelted them with stones of baked clay, And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?

 (Qur'an 105.1-5)

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Chapter -3 The Promise At Zam Zam

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The well of Zamzam, which disappeared when the Arabs placed idols at the Kaaba, remained buried under the sand. Thus, for many years the people of Quraysh had to fetch their water from far away. One day 'Abd al-Muttalib was very tired from doing this and fell asleep next to the Kaaba. He had a dream in which he was told to dig up Zamzam. When he woke up he was puzzled because he did not know what Zamzam was, the well having disappeared many years before he was born. This same dream would reoccur for a few days.  However, in those dreams, the name of the well was alternated between Zam-zam, Barrah, and Mudnunah.

After a few nights of this reoccurring dream, finally, Abdul Muttalib’s dreamed differently, this time he dreamed about the long-lost location of the well.  When he woke up, Abdul Muttalib quickly went to the location with his son Al-Harith.  When they arrived at the place, which was between the idols Isaf and Nailah, he heard the same voice from his dreams telling him to dig in the ground between the two idols.

Additional info:  The idol Isaf was once a real-life man while Nailah was a woman.  Both of them came from Yaman.  They fell in love and they both came to Makkah to perform the Haj together.  One day when there were few people around the Kaabah, they snuck into the Kaabah and committed adultery.

By the will of Allah, they were turned into stones.  When people found the stones, they brought them out and placed them outside of the Kaabah.  Since Isaf was well-known at the time, they recognized that the stones were actually of Isaf and his lover, Nailah.

The stones later were made idols and were revered and worshiped The next day he had the same dream, but this time he was told where to find the well.

'Abd al-Muttalib and his son Al Harith, they together began to dig. The work was so difficult that Abd al-Muttalib made an oath to Allah that if one day he were to have ten sons to help him and stand by him, in return he would sacrifice one of them in Allah's honor. After working for three days they finally found the well of Zamzam. Pilgrims have been drinking from it ever since. 

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The years passed by and 'Abd al-Muttalib did have ten sons. 

They grew into fine, strong men and the time came for him to keep his promise to Allah. He told his sons about the promise and they agreed that he had to sacrifice one of them To see which one it would be, they decided to draw lots, which was the custom of Quraysh when deciding important matters. 'Abd al-Muttalib told each son to get an arrow and write his own name upon it and then bring it to him. This they did, after which he took them to the Kaaba where there was a man whose special task it was to cast arrows and pick one from among them. This man solemnly proceeded to do this. On the arrow he chose was written the name of 'Abd Allah, the youngest and favorite son of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Even so, the father took his son near the Kaaba and prepared to sacrifice him.

Many of the Quraysh leaders were present and they became very angry because 'Abd Allah was very young and much loved by everyone. They tried to think of a way to save his life. Someone suggested that the advice of a wise old woman who lived in Yathrib should be sought, and so 'Abd al-Muttalib took his son and went to see if she could decide what to do. Some of the Makkans went with them and when they got there the woman asked, 'What is the price of a man's life?' They told her, 'Ten camels', for at that time if one man killed another, his family would have to give ten camels to the dead man's family in order to keep the peace among them.

So the woman told them to go back to the Kaaba and draw lots between 'Abd Allah and ten camels. If the camels were chosen, they were to be killed and the meat given to the poor. If 'Abd Allah was picked then ten more camels were to be added and the lots drawn again and again until they finally fell on the camels.

„Abd al-Muttalib returned to the Kaaba with his son and the people of Mecca. There they started to draw lots between „Abd Allah and the camels, starting with ten camels. „Abd al-Muttalib prayed to Allah to spare his son and everyone waited in silence for the result. The choice fell on „Abd Allah, so his father added ten more camels. Again the choice fell on „Abd Allah, so they did the same thing again and again, adding ten camels each time. 

Finally, they reached one hundred camels, and only then did the lot fall on the camels. „Abd Allah was saved and everyone was very happy. 'Abd al-Muttalib however, wanted to make sure that this was the true result so he repeated the draw three times and each time it fell on the camels. He then gave thanks to Allah that He had spared „Abd Allah's life. The camels were sacrificed and there was enough food for the entire city, even the animals and birds. 'Abd Allah grew up to be a handsome young man and his father eventually chose Aminah, the daughter of Wahb, as a wife for him. It was a good match for she was the finest of Quraysh women and 'Abd Allah the best of the men. 

He spent several months with his wife but then he had to leave her and travel with one of the caravans to trade with Syria. On his way back to Mecca from Syria 'Abd Allah became ill and had to stop off in Yathrib to recover. The caravan, however, continued on its way and arrived back in Mecca without him. On hearing of 'Abd Allah's illness, „Abd al-Muttalib sent another son, al-Hareth, to bring 'Abd Allah back to Mecca, but he was too late.

When he arrived in Yathrib „Abd Allah was dead. Aminah was heartbroken to lose her husband and the father of the child she would soon give birth to. Only Allah knew that this orphan child would one day be a great Prophet.

Chapter 2 - The Grand Children of Ibrahim a.s from Ishmael a.s

Over the years Ishmael's children themselves had children. His descendants increased and formed tribes that spread out all over Arabia. One of these tribes was called Quraysh. Its people never moved away from Makkah and always lived near the Kaaba. One of the duties of the leader of Quraysh was to look after those who came on pilgrimage to the Kaaba. The pilgrims would come from all over Arabia and it was a great honor to provide them with food and water.

As time passed, however, the Arabs stopped worshipping  Allahﷻ directly and started bringing idols back with them from the different countries they visited. These idols were placed at the Kaaba, which was no longer regarded as the Sanctuary of  Allahﷻ, as Ibrahim a.s had intended it. It was, however, still respected by the Arabs. Around this time the well of Zamzam disappeared beneath the sand. 

Also at this time, Qusayy, one of the leaders of Quraysh, became ruler over Makkah. He held the keys to the Kaaba and had the right to give water to the pilgrims, feed them, take charge of meetings, and hand out war banners before the battle. It was also in his house that Quraysh settled their affairs. After Qusayy's death, his son 'Abdu Manaf, who had become famous during his father's lifetime, took over the leadership of Quraysh. After he came his son Hashim. It is said that Hashim was the first to begin the two great caravan journeys of Quraysh, one in the summer to Syria and the north, and one in the winter to Yemen and the south. As a result, Makkah grew rich and became a large and important center of trade.

One summer Hashim went north to buy goods to sell in Yemen. On his way, he stopped in Yathrib to trade in the market, and there he saw a beautiful woman. She was Salma, the daughter of 'Amr ibn Zeid, who was from a much-respected family. Hashim proposed marriage to her and was accepted because he was an honorable and distinguished man. In time, Salma gave birth to a beautiful son, and as some of his hair was white they called him Shaybah, which in Arabic means grey-haired'.

Mother and son stayed in the cooler, healthier climate of Yathrib, while Hashim returned to Makkah, but he would visit them each time he took his caravan to the north. During one of these journeys, however, Hashim became ill and died. Shaybah, a handsome, intelligent boy, grew up in his uncle's house in Yathrib. He was proud of being the son of Hashim ibn 'Abdi Manaf, the head of Quraysh, guardian of the Kaaba, and protector of the pilgrims, even though he had not known his father, who had died while Shaybah was very young.

At Hashim's death, his brother al-Muttalib took over his duties and responsibilities. He traveled to Yathrib to see his nephew, Shaybah and decided that as the boy would one day inherit his father's place, the time had come for him to live in Makkah. It was hard for Salma, Shaybah's mother, to let her son go with his uncle but she finally realized that it was for the best. Al-Muttalib returned to Makkah, entering the city at noon on his camel with Shaybah behind him. When the people of Makkah saw the boy they thought he was a slave and, pointing at him, called out „Abd al-Muttalib's, 'Abd' being the Arabic for 'slave'.

Al-Muttalib told them that Shaybah was not a slave but his nephew who had come to live with them. From that day on, however, Shaybah was always affectionately called Abd al-Muttalib. On the death of al-Muttalib, who died in Yemen where he had gone to trade, 'Abd al-Muttalib took his place. He became the most respected member of his family, loved and admired by all. He was, however, unlike those Arabs who had given up the teachings of Abraham.

#seerah

#sirah

    Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

 Allahﷻ

Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

رضي الله عنه

  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ ﷺ.

Chapter 1 - The Life of the Prophet Muhammad ( Rasulullahﷺ)

Long Time Ago...

Nearly four thousand years ago, in the locality of Iram near the Sumerian town of Ur in the valley of the river Euphrates, lived a young man named Nabi Ibrahim a.s. The people of Ur had once worshipped Allah but as time passed they forgot the true religion and started praying to idols, statues made of wood or clay, and sometimes even of precious stones.

Even as a small child Ibrahim a.s could not understand how his people, and especially his father, could make these images with their own hands, call them gods, and then worship them. Nabi Ibrahim a.s. had always refused to join his people when they paid respect to these statues. Instead, he would leave the town and sit alone, thinking about the heavens and the world about him. Nabi Ibrahim a.s. was sure his people were doing wrong and so alone he searched for the right way. One clear night as he sat staring at the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so beautiful that he cried out: „This must be Allah!' Nabi Ibrahim a.s. looked at it in awe for some time, until suddenly it began to fade, and then it disappeared. He turned away in disappointment saying: I love not things that set. 

(Qur'an 6.77)

On another night Ibrahim a.s. was again looking at the sky and he saw 

the rising moon, so big and bright that he felt he could almost

 touch it. He thought to himself: This is my Lord. 

  (Qur'an 6.78) 

Nabi Ibrahim a.s then saw the beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun must be the biggest and most powerful thing in the universe. But for the third time, he was wrong, for the sunset at the end of the day. It was then that Nabi Ibrahim a.s realized that Allahﷻ is the Most Powerful, the Creator of the stars, the moon, the sun, the earth, and of all living things. Suddenly Nabi Ibrahim a.s felt totally at peace because he knew that he had found the Truth. 

(Qur'an 26.70-82)

One day, while all the townspeople were out, Nabi Ibrahim a.s angrily smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one which was very large. When the people returned they were furious. They remembered the things Nabi Ibrahim a.s had said about the idols. They had him brought forth before everyone and demanded, 'Is it you who did this to our gods, 0 Abraham?' Nabi Ibrahim a.s replied, But this their chief did it.

Ask them, if they are able to speak.' The people exclaimed, 

'You know they do not speak.' 

'Do you worship what you yourselves have carved when Allahﷻ created you and what you make?' 

Abraham continued, 'Do you worship instead of Allahﷻ that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you?' 

(Qur'an 37.95-96)

(Qur'an 21.66)

"Finally, Nabi Ibrahim a.s warned them, Serve Allah, and keep your duty unto Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You serve instead of Allah-only idols, and you only invent a lie. Lo! those whom you serve instead of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him you will be brought back."

(Qur'an 29. 16-17)

The people of Ur decided to give Nabi Ibrahim a.s the worst punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On the chosen day all the people gathered in the center of the city and even the King of Ur was there.

Nabi Ibrahim a.s was then placed inside a special building filled with wood. The wood was lit. Soon the fire became so strong that the people were pushed back by the flames. But Allahﷻ said: 

O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham”. 

(Qur'an 21.69)

The people waited until the fire had completely died down, and it was then that they saw Nabi Ibrahim a.s still sitting there as though nothing had happened! At that moment they were utterly confused. They were not, however, moved by the miracle that had just happened before their very eyes.

Still, Nabi Ibrahim a.s tried to persuade his own dear father, who was named Azar (some mentioned Azar not his father but his uncle, not to worship powerless, unseeing, un-hearing statues. Nabi Ibrahim a.s explained that special knowledge had come to him and implored his father, 'So follow me and I will lead you on the right path. 0 my father! Don't serve the Devil.' But Azar would not listen. He threatened his son with stoning if he continued to reject the gods of Ur. He ordered Nabi Ibrahim a.s to leave the city with these words: 

'Depart from me a long while.'

Nabi Ibrahim a.s said:

"O, my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: 

so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight.

"O, my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against ((Allah)) Most Gracious"

"O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflicts thee from ((Allah)) Most Gracious 

so that thou become to Satan a friend."

(The father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, 

I will indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!"

Abraham said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: 

for He is to me Most Gracious.

(Qur'an 19.43-47)

Imagine how terrible it must have been for him to leave his home, his family, and all that he knew and set out across the wilderness into the unknown. But at the same time, how could he have remained among people who did not believe in Allahﷻand who worshipped statues? Nabi Ibrahim a.s always had a sense that Allahﷻ cared for him and he felt Allahﷻ near him as he traveled. At last, after a long hard journey, he arrived at a place by the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Egypt. There he married a noblewoman by the name of Sarah and settled in the land of Palestine.

Many years passed but Nabi Ibrahim a.s and his wife were not blessed with any children. In the hope that there would be a child, and in keeping with tradition, Sarah suggested that Ibrahim a.s should marry Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid. Soon after this took place, Hagar had a little boy named Ishmael. Sometime later Allahﷻpromised Nabi Ibrahim a.s another son, but this time the mother of the child would be his first wife, Sarah. This second son would be called Isaac. 

Allahﷻ also told Nabi Ibrahim a.s that from his two sons-Ishmael and Isaac-two nations and three religions would be founded and because of this he must take Hagar and Ishmael away from Palestine to a new land. These events were an important part of Allah's plan, for the descendants of Ishmael would form a nation from which would come to a great Prophet, who would guide the people in the way of Allahﷻ. This was to be Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ).

From the descendants of Sarah's child, Isaac would come to Moses a.s and Isa a.s (Jesus). So it was that Nabi Ibrahim a.s, Hagar, and Ishmael a.s left Palestine. They traveled for many days until finally they reached the arid valley of Bacca later to be called Makkah), which was on one of the great caravan routes. There was no water in the valley and although Hagar and Ishmael only had a small supply of water left, Nabi Ibrahim a.s left them there knowing Allahﷻwould take care of them. Soon all the water was gone. 

The child began to grow weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa and the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into the distance to see if she could find any water, but found none. So she went to the other hill and did the same. She did this seven times. Then sadly she returned to her son, and to her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water bubbling out of the earth near him. This spring, near which the mother and child settled, was later called Zamzam. The area around it became a place of rest for the caravans traveling across the desert and in time grew into the famous trading city of Makkah.

From time to time Nabi Ibrahim a.s traveled from Palestine to visit his family and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man. It was during one of these visits that Allahﷻ commanded them to rebuild the Kaaba-the very first place where people had worshipped Allahﷻ. They were told exactly where and how to build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam and built in the shape of a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a black stone that had fallen to earth from heaven. An angel brought the stone to them from the nearby hill of Abu Qubays. Nabi Ibrahim a.s and Ishmael worked hard to rebuild the Kaaba and as they did so they prayed to Allah to send a Prophet from among their descendants. And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House:

 (Nabi Ibrahim a.s prayed):

'Our Lord! Receive this from us; 

(Qur'an 2.127-129) 

When the Ka'bah was completed, Allah commanded Nabi Ibrahim a.s to call mankind to pilgrimage to His Holy House. Nabi Ibrahim a.s wondered how anyone could hear his call. Allah said, 'You call and I will bring them.' This was how the pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Makkah was established and when Muslims make the pilgrimage today they continue to answer the age-old call of Nabi Ibrahim a.s.

Who is the “founder” of Islam? Who “brought” Islam?

Most would respond by saying, Prophet Muhammadﷺ ( Rasulullahﷺ). Many Muslims would give the same answer.

But that is not the correct answer. One may say it is only partially correct.

The traditional thinking is that Islam was born in Arabia in the early Seventh century C.E. That is also only partially true.

Before you get upset, let me explain.

The Qur’an describes Islam as a universal religion with a much broader meaning. Allahﷻ sent the same basic religion to all messengers from Adam a.s and on to Prophet Muhammad ( Rasulullahﷺ).

The Qur’an repeatedly describes Islam as the “religion of Ibrahim a.s.” (Din Al Ibrahim a.s ). There are numerous references to “this religion” as the “way of Ibrahim”.

Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allahﷻ, does good, and follows the way [faith or religion] of Abraham, the true in Faith? For Allahﷻ did take Ibrahim a.s for a friend. 

"Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, 

does good, and follows the way of Abraham the true in Faith? 

For Allah did take Abraham for a friend."

(Quran 4:125)

Say (O Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ ): ‘Surely, (as for) me, my Lord has guided me to the right path; (to) a most right religion, the faith of Ibrahim a.s, the upright one, and he was not of the polytheists. 

(Quran 6:161)

The Qur’an also calls Ibrahim a.s, as well as his descendants, Muslim.

Again, please don’t get upset. The description of a “Muslim” as spelled out by the Qur’an is not necessarily the same as the conventional meaning we have become accustomed to. If you believe Islam was brought by Prophet Muhammad (Rasulullahﷺ), and that a Muslim is one who followed after Prophet Muhammad( Rasulullahﷺ), then calling anyone Muslim before his time would not make sense to you.

But the Qur’an repeatedly mentions many prophets before Muhammad ( Rasulullahﷺ)  as ‘Muslims’.

"And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!"

(Quran: 22-78)

(Quran 2:130–131)

Islam- One Religion

This may be an oversimplification, but Islam means ‘submission’ (to One true God) and a Muslim is a submitter (to One true God).

The Qur’an has made numerous references to Islam as the same religion brought by all other prophets, starting from Adam a.s and on. Here is a small sample.

(Quran 42:13)

(Quran: 21:92–94)

 (Quran 23:51–53)

One might find an apparent contradiction in calling Islam the one religion God sent down, as well as the “religion of Abraham.” So how about the prophets before Abraham? What religion were they preaching?

 The Qur’an, as mentioned in preceding discussions, praises Abraham as a noble servant of God, and one may conclude that by referring to the universal religion Islam as the religion of Abraham, the Qur’an intended to highlight Abraham’s key role in propagating that religion by linking it to him, who in turn was following the same universal religion.

So how is Prophet Muhammad (Rasulullahﷺ) viewed by Muslims? Why is he still considered to be the ‘founder of Islam’?

This in no way undermines the highest position Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) holds in the hearts of Muslims, and in the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an is full of praises for Prophet(Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ). The Qur’an calls him ‘mercy for the worlds’. His name means “the praised one”. He has several nicknames in the Qur’an, such as Ya'sin and Ta’ha, in reference to his perfection, and being the beloved of God. He is the focal point for Muslims and is considered a role model. (Whether we follow the examples of the role model is another story). In fact, the Shahada, or testimony for Muslims, is not complete without believing  “Muhammad is God’s Prophet”.

I hope no one thinks the article in any way lowers his status in Islam, as he clearly is the front and center in Islam. Just want to make sure that my immense love for him is still reflected here. 

Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) did not “bring” Islam. He completed it. Many Muslims would argue that he perfected it. And the following verse from the Qur’an supports this view.

This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion. 

(Quran 5:3)

It would be accurate to say that the Islam we see today was indeed ‘brought’ by Prophet (Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ) in that the rituals, and the sharia or jurisprudence, were introduced through him. Similarly,  the sharia of Moses a.s (Law-Torah) was introduced to the Israelites and the sharia of Isa a.s (Jesus) to his disciples. The following verse explains that every nation was given a set of laws or sharia.

…. To each among you have We prescribed a law and an open way. If Allahﷻ had so willed, He would have made you a single nation [community-Ummah], but He intended to test you in what He has given you: so vie with one another [hasten to] in good works. The goal of you all is to Allahﷻ; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which you dispute. 

(Quran 5:48)

Since Allahﷻ is the one who will show us the truth, so let us not dispute. Let’s vie with one another in good works.

    Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

 Allahﷻ

 Rasulullahﷺ

Rasulullahﷺ

رضي الله عنه

  سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ ﷺ.