Islamic Studies Grade 08

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Islamic
Education
GradeS
Given the dire need for Islamic studies material in
schools incorporating the subject in English,
Darussalam has endeavoured to publish an Islamic
Studies series covering all the grades, from grade
one through grade twelve.
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
_
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any
information storage and retrival system, without the pennission of the publisher.
© Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2009

King Fahd National library Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Abdul aziz, Mo ul avi
Islamic education - gra de 8 Moulavi Abdul aziz - Ri yadh 2008

342p: 28cm ISBN : 978-603-500-103-8
Islamic education 1-Title
377.1 de 1430/1224
L.D. N o. 1430/1224 ISBN: 978-603-500-103-8
Abdul Malik Mujahid

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· · · Pu
All praise belongs to Allah; we praise Him and

seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in
Allah from the evil of our own selves and from our
sinful deeds. Whomever Allah guides, there is none
to misguide him; and whomever He leads astray,
none can guide him. We bear witness that there is no
god worthy of worship except Allah, alone, and we
bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger. We pray to Allah the Almighty to bestow
His peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad,
upon his good and pure family, as well as upon all the
noble companions and those who follow them in
righteousness until the Day of Judgement.
Given the dire need for Islamic studies material

in schools incorporating the subject in English,
Darussalam has endeavoured to publish an Islamic
Studies series covering all the grades, from grade one
through grade twelve.
The present series covers all areas of Islamic

studies: tafseer, hadeeth, tawheed, fiqh, seerah, and
general etiquette relating to different areas and
situations. Given the importance of authentic Islamic
knowledge, every effort has been made to ensure
that the material presented in the series is authentic.
Also, given the importance of Arabic Islamic terms,
most of the terms are presented in their original
Arabic script, along with the transliteration and the
translation of their meanings. This also applies to
supplications which have to be memorised in their
Arabic version. The aim here is to help the reader
read the original text and understand its meaning.
Each lesson is followed by exercises covering
questions about the lesson.
One striking feature in the series is the

colourful artwork used in it that certainly appeals to
children. This is certainly bound to attract the young
readers' attention, stimulate them, amuse them as
well as educate them.
The series aims to acquaint the student with
the teachings of Islam in every aspect: beliefs,
practices and moral conduct. The series, with its
unique features, certainly fills a gap in this area which
·
has long been partially neglected.
The present breathtaking work was initiated by

an expert in the field of education, Maulvi Abdul Aziz,
MA. English literature, who held different posts in the
field including that of Senior Administrative Officer in
the Department of Private Education, Ministry of
Education, Dubai, UAE, from 1982 to 2002.
The current project also owes its existence in

its present form to a number of people who made
informative suggestions, particularly AI-Arabee Ben
Razzouq, College of Languages and Translation,
Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University, Riyadh, who
undertook the painstaking task of checking the
authenticity of the material presented in the series,
proofreading the text as well as adding references to
certain quotations from the Qur'an and the hadeeth.
Special thanks also go to Sheikh Abdui-Qawiy
Luqman, AI-Madeenah University graduate, for his
interesting suggestions and to Mr. Zulfiqar
Mahmood who conscientiously applied his expertise
in the field of graphic design to produce the series in
a superb shape.
We pray to Almighty Allah to reward our

endeavours and to make the present series
abundantly beneficial to students in all stages of
education as well as to any one who reads them.
Abdul Malik Mujahid

Rabee-ul-awwal, 1430 A H.
March 2009.
Chapter CONTENTS Page
1. Eemaan (Faith) 01
2. Belief in Allah 07
3. Belief in the Angels 15
4. Belief in Allah's Books 22
5. Belief in the Messengers of Allah 28
6. Soorat Al�'Asr (The Time) 35
7. Belief in the Last Day 42
8. Belief in the Divine Decree (Al�Qadar) 49
9. Islam: Meaning of the Five Pillars of Islam 53
10. Salaat (The Prayer) 62
11. Zakaat (The Purifying Dues) 72
12. Aayat Al�Birr (The Righteousness Verse) 86
13. The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj) 95
14. Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan (As�Siyaam) 107
15. Prophet Moosaa WI Part 1 116
16. Prophet Moosaa �� Part 2 124
17. Luqmaan's advice to his son (Soorat Luqmaan, 31: 12� 19) 132
21. Prophet Moosaa &#II Part 6 171
22. Our Lord is Allah (Soorat Fussilat, 41: 30- 36) 182
23. Prophet Moosaa � Part 7 192
24. The Story of Prophet Moosaa �� and Pharaoh: 203
25. Salmaan Al�Faarisee � 207

Chapter CONTENTS Page
26. Sujood At-Tilaawah - Prostration For Recitation 210
27. Prophet Muhammad W\ Part 1 217
28. The Creation as Evidence Of Allah (Surah Aal-Imran 3: 190- 195) 230
29. Prophet Muhammad �� Part 2 240
31. Prophet Muhammad WI Part 4 263
32. The Light Verses (Soorat An-Noor, 24: 35-40) 272
33. Prophet Muhammad�� Part 5 279

35. Thaabit ibn Qays al-Ansaaree � 302
36. The Terrible Web of the Two Dangerous D's- Drinks And Drugs 307
37. Laylat Al-Qadr (The Night of Power or Destiny) 314
38. At-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain) 320
39. Islam and the World of Sciences 329
40. 'Ammaar ibn Y aasir � 336
4 1. A Moving Supplication 342
Eemaan {Faith) 1
-
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__
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What is Eemaan? ,r-+.>_,..,. �y _)��;. y �/ �

What is true eemaan, or faith? "0M essenger, l et not those
Who is a true bel iever (mu 'min)? What who race each other into disbel ief not
are the essential elements, or articles, grieve you, those who say 'We bel ieve'
of eemaan? These questions are of vita l with their l ips, but whose hearts have
importance. I n fact, this is what Allah's no fa ith." (Surat a/-Maa'idah, s: 41 )
M essenger ( � ) explained to Angel H ence, eemaan is the statement
J ibreel (�1) when the latter asked him of 'the heart'. It is made up of
about eemaan. recognition, knowledge and
When Angel J ib reel ( �I) asked affirmation. I n other words, a believer
the Prophet ( � ) , "What is faith recognizes that there is none worthy
(eemaan)?" H e replied, " It is to believe of worship except Al lah. H e has
in Al lah, H is Angels, H is Books, H is knowledge of this truth and he affirms
Messengers, the Last Day, and to it in his heart.
believe in the Divine Decree (a/-qadar), The second element of eemaan is
both the good of it a n d the bad of it. " the a ctions of the heart. This a spect of
( M uslim ) eemaan is made up of com m itment,
voluntary surrender a n d a ccepta nce.
Eemaan is a Statement and Action These include, among other things,
love of Allah, awe of H im, trust in H im,
Eemaan is a statement and a ction. I n heedfulness of H is commands and
other words, it has three essential proh ibitions, fear of H im and hope in
elements: bel ief in the heart, Him.
profession by the tongue and
performance of the deeds by the 2. Declaration o f Faith with the
physical parts of the body. Tongue
The second essential element of
1. Belief in the Heart eemaan is to declare one's fa ith with
The heart is the l ocus of eemaan the tongue. I n this case, one testifies
as wel l as its foundation. The Qur'an that one recognizes the truthful n ess of
says, the testimony of the fa ith and intends
2 Eemaan (Faith)
to a dhere to the commands and Branches of Faith

guida n ce of what he has testified to.
M ere pronouncement of the words in The Prophet ( � ) said, " Fa ith has
themselves is not enough. sixty-od d or seventy-od d bra n ches; the
h ighest and the best of which is to
3· Performance of Righteous declare that there is no god worthy of
Deeds by the Body Parts worship but Allah, a n d the l owest of
Eemaan is a statem ent and which is to remove something h armfu l
a ction. Faith increases by a cts of from the road . M odesty, too, is a
obedience to Al lah and decreases by branch of fa ith ." (AI-Bukhaaree a n d
a cts of disobedience. The heart is the M uslim)
driving force behind a l l a ctions. If the
heart is fi l led with eemaan-with the If eemaan has d ifferent branches
love of Al l a h and H is M essenger ( � ), and each part is called eemaan, it
fear of Al l a h, hope in H im, a mongst follows that sa/aat is eemaan, Zakaat is
other things-it will certainly prompt eemaan, and H ajj is eemaan. Virtues
the body to perform a cts of obedience such as modesty, trust, fear of Al l a h,
to Al l a h . It will keep him away from heedfu l ness of Al l a h, a n d tota l
forbidden, shameful a n d even doubtfu l submission to H is will, even removing a
or dubious a cts. Alla h's M essenger ( �) harmful thing from the way, are parts
said, "There is a lump of fl esh in the of eemaan. Some of these parts are
body; when it is sound, the whole body very basic: like the two testimonies of
is sound; but when it becomes fa ith. If you lose them, you lose eemaan
corrupted, the whole body also completely. Others are marginal, such
becomes corrupted . It is the heart. " as removing an obstacle from the way.
( Part of a hadeeth reported by If, for any reason, you lose them, you
ai-Bukhaaree a n d M uslim) d o not lose eemaan completely.
Faith, however, differs from one I nstead, you have moved from the
believer to another, and true faith is lofty l evel of eemaan to its l ower l evel.
one that is expressed in a ctions, a s There are a num ber of things
Almighty Al lah says, "And this is that testify to one's true fa ith . These
Paradise which you have been made to include the following:
inherit because of your deeds which 1. Loving the Prophet ( � ) more
you used to do [in the life of the than one loves one's parents
world." (Surat al-Hijr, 43:72) and chil dren. (See ai-Bukhaaree,
1 :14)
Eemaan ( Faith) 3
2. Esta blishing voluntary prayers stealing is n ot a [true] bel iever."
on the N ight of the Decree (ai-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
(Lay/at a i-Qadr) . (See A sim ilar hadeeth states, "When
ai-Bukhaaree, 1 :35) a person commits il licit sexual
3· Fasting the month of intercourse, eemaan leaves him and
Ramadhaan faithfu lly and in remains a bove his head like a n awning.
a nticipation of Al lah's rewards. When he parts from this illicit
(See ai-Bukhaaree, 1 :37) behavio ur, the eemaan comes back to
4· Esta blishing the obl igatory him." (at-Tirm id hee)
prayers. (See ai-Bukhaaree, 1 :40)
5· Following the funera l procession D uring the time of the Prophet
of a M uslim. (See a i-Bukhaaree, ( �), some people comm itted a d ultery,
1 :47) stole and d ra n k wine. The Prophet (�)
6. Observing hayaa' (modesty, did not call them disbel ievers. H e did
honour, bashfulness) (See not even declare that relations
a i- Bu khaaree, 1 :24) . between them and the M uslims be cut
off. I nstead, he flogged the d rinker and
Sweetness of Faith had the hand of the thief cut off. At the
Anas ibn M aalik ( � ) narrated same time, he sought Al lah's
that Al lah's M essenger ( � ) said, forgiveness for them.
"Whoever possesses these three
qual ities wil l enjoy the sweetness of Scholars have a rgued that the
faith: (1 ) One to whom Allah and H is Prophet's words in the hadeeth,
M essenger is dea rer to him than "Eemaan leaves him and remains
anything else, (2) one who loves a above his head like a n awn ing" suggest
person only for the sake of Al lah and that eemaan does not depart from him
(3) one who hates to revert to d isbelief completely. A person who perform s
as he hates to be thrown into the such deeds still remains a bel iever but
Hel l-fire." (AI-Bukhaaree) he has a deficiency in his faith. I n other
words, he is a believer with respect to
He is stil l a Believer he who has his faith and an evildoer with respect to
Deficiency in Faith the sin he commits. He is n ot a true
The Prophet ( � ) said, "A bel iever. H e does n ot fulfil h is fa ith
fornicator (a person who indulges in sincerely.
ill icit sex) while comm itting ill icit sex is
not a [true] bel iever. A thief while
4 Eemaan ( Faith)
The Essential Elements of Eemaan
The essential elements, or articles, of eemaan, according to a

hadeeth reported by a i-Bukhaaree, are as follows:
To believe in
1. Al lah,
2. H is Angels,
3· H is Books,
4· H is M essengers,
5· The Last Day, and
6. Al lah's decree, the good of it a n d the bad of it.
Eemaan ( Faith) 5
Exercises
A. Fil l in the blanks.
1. The -----
is the locus of eemaan.
2. ---- is the driving force behind all actions.
3· Faith has -----

branches.
4· According to a hadeeth, the lowest degree of faith is to _____
something harmful from the roa d .
5· "A thief while stea ling is not a _____ believer."
B. Answer the fol lowing questions.
1. What are the three essential elements of eemaan?
2. What aspects does belief in the heart consist of?
3· What does profession of fa ith by the tongue entail?

6 Eemaan {Faith)
4· What a re the h ighest a n d lowest bra nches of Faith?
5· Which branch of fa ith will make one lose one's eemaan completely?
6. What do you know a bout a M uslim who com m its major sins? G ive exa mples.
7· What a re the essential elements of eemaan?

Belief in Allah 2-
Belief in Allah is the cornerstone of eemaan. All other

forms of belief in Islam revolve around belief in Allah. It is,
therefore, very important that a Muslim's belief in Allah
must be correct.
The Importance of the Correct no one who causes death and

Belief in Allah - The Tawheed gives l ife except Allah alone: "It
Tawheed means monotheism, is He who gives life and causes
the testimony to the Oneness of Allah, death, and to Him you shall
and it is of three types: return." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0: 5 6)
1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyah (The This kind of tawheed was

belief that Allah is the Lord of all declared by the disbel ievers
the creatures): H e is the Creator, during the time of the Prophet
the Provider, the One who gives ( � ), but this declaration alone
l ife, the One who takes it away was not sufficient for them to be
a n d the One who d isposes of all considered bel ievers, as Al lah
affairs. Therefore, there is no the Al mighty says about them,
creator except Al lah, as Al lah the "And if you [0 Muhammad] ask
Alm ighty says, "Al lah is the them: 'Who has created the
Creator of all things." (Surat heavens and the earth?' they
az-Zumar, 3 9 :62) There is no one wil l certainly say, 'Allah."' (Surat
who provides sustenance except Luqmaan, 31 :25)
Al lah, as the Qur'an says, "And
no moving [living] creature is 2. Tawheed ai-Uioohiyah (The
there on earth but its provision belief that Allah the Almighty is
is due from Allah." (Surat Hood, the true God who alone
1 1 :6) There is n o one who alone deserves to be worshipped):
d isposes of all the affairs except therefore, all a cts of worship,
Allah the Almighty: "He manages s uch as invocation, trust, fear
and regulates [every affair] and sacrifice, should be directed
from the heavens to the earth." to H i m alone. Thus, we should
(Surat As-Sajdah, 32:5) There is invoke none but Al lah, rely on
8 Belief in Allah
none except Allah, seek n o one's described H im, without

help except Al lah's help, and distorting their mean ings,
seek no one's refuge but Allah's denying them completely,
refuge. qualifying them or likening them
It is this type of tawheed to any of those of H is creatures.
with which Al lah's m essengers,
To clarify this, Al lah the Alm ighty
peace be upon them, came. Allah
describes H imself in the Qur'an
the Almighty says, "And surely,
as AI-Hayy 'the Ever Living'
We have sent among every
(See Surat ai-Baqarah, 2:255).
nation a messenger
Therefore, we should bel ieve
[proclaiming]: Worship Allah
that A/-Hayy (the Ever Living) is
[Alone] and keep away from the
one of Al lah's N ames and also
taaghoot." (Surat an-Nahl,
believe in the q uality which is
1 6 :36)The taghoot here means all
conta ined in this name, namely
false deities that a re worshipped
the perfect form of life which is
besides the True God, Al lah the
neither preceded by
Alm ighty.
non-existence nor fol l owed by
This was the very type of
death.
tawheed which the disbel ievers,
past and present, reject. The Another example is the N ame
disbel ievers d uring the Prophet's As-Samee ' (the Al l-Hearer). The
time scornfully said, as the Qur'an says, "There is nothing
Qur'an says a bout them, " Has he like Him, and He is the
(i.e. Prophet Muhammad � ) All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (Surat
made the gods [all] into One ash-Shooraa, 42:1 1 ) Similarly, we
God {Allah)? Surely, this is a must bel ieve that As-Samee' is
curious thing!" (Surat Saad, 38:5) one of Al lah's N ames and also
bel ieve that this is one of H is
3· Tawheed ai-Asmaa' was-Sifaat
qualities; namely, that H e is able
{The belief that Allah the
to hear in a manner that suits H is
Almighty has the Most Beautiful
M ajesty, without likening this
Names and the Loftiest, Perfect
attrib ute to any of those of H is
Attributes): A M uslim bel ieves in
creatures.
all Al lah's N ames and Attributes
with which Al lah describes
H imself or H is Messenger
Belief in Allah 9
Some Manifestations of Allah's Attributes

Al lah Alone is the Susta iner - the Lord (ar-Rabb ) . H e is the One without any
partners in H is Kingdom. He is the Only Creator and the True Owner of creation. H e is
the Only One who nourishes, sustains and mainta ins H is Creation. He created
everything by H imself, a n d tota l power all things with H is knowl edge. He

belongs to H i m Alone. Everything that keeps count of every single thing.
happens in this creation happens by H e envelops all things with H is
H is permission and will . Sustenance M ercy and Wisdom. H is H earing
and provisions a re from H im a l one. Life encompasses all voices, yet they do
and death a re in H is H a nd s, and a l l not blend into each other or resemble
bounties come from H i m alone. each other. Rather, H e hears the
H e commands and forbids. H e clamour of a l l the various tongues, in
causes death and gives l ife. He changes all the cou ntless languages, d istinct in
the day into n ight and a lternates the their countless suppl ications. N one of
days of people and nations, replacing H is creatures distracts H i m from
one with another. H e creates and another, nor does H e confuse their
designs. Th ings occur accord ing to H is innumera ble pleas, nor does the tone
wil l . Whatever He wil l s comes into of the suppl icants' voices repulse H im .
being at the time and in the manner He Hi s. Sight envel ops everyth ing;
,
Wil l s it. H is order and H is decree are H e sees the smal lest bl ack ant u pon a
fulfil led in the heavens, in the farthest piece of coal in a moonless, dark n ight.
reaches of the earth a n d beneath it, in The hidden for H i m is visible a n d the
the seas, the skies a n d in every other secret is publ ic. He knows what is more
part of the u niverse. He encom passes hidden than a secret. H e knows what is
10 Belief in Allah
secret and contained in a person's To H i m do t h e deeds o f t h e night
mind, conceived in h is heart, which is ascend before those of the day, and
not yet uttered by h is lips. H e knows the deeds of the d ay before those of
even what h is heart has n ot yet the n ight. H is Veil is light. Were He to
intended. He knows that this person l ift it, the vision of H is Face will
will have the intention to do consume all in creation that gaze. He is
such-and-such a thing at such-and-such the G iver of all bounties, and giving
a time. d oes not lessen in the least what H e
To Al lah belong the creation and possesses. T h e heart a n d the forelocks
the command. To H i m belong the of every creature are in His H a n d . The
kingdo m and pra ise. To H im belong this whole earth will be in H is grasp on the
worl d and the next. To Him belong Day of J udgment, and all the heavens
grace, blessing and respect. In H is will be gathered in H is Right H a n d . The
earth will shine bright with H is Light on
Hand is all good and to H im a l l affairs
the Day of J udgment.
return. H is power encompasses .
everything. H is grace extends to a l l
living things. Those in the heavens a n d On the Day
the earth a s k H im. Everyday, rather of Resurrection, He will grasp
every moment, He manifests H imself in the earth [by His Hand] and will roll
a wondrous way! Al l depend upon H im up the heaven with His Right Hand
for their safety and s ustenance. H e and will say, "I am the King. Where
forgives sins, relieves problems and are the kings of the earth?"
rem oves woes. H e m a kes the poor ( ai-Bukhaaree)
rich, bestows knowledge on the
ignora nt, guides those who have gone N o sin is too great for H i m to
astray, d irects the confused, aids the forgive. There is no need too great for
desperate, frees the captive, feeds the H im to fulfil. And if all those in the
hungry, clothes the n a ked a n d heals heavens a n d the earth, from the
the sick. H e pardons the one who has beginning to the end of creation,
been tried . H e accepts repentance human beings and jinn a like, had the
from H is repentant slaves, rewards the heart of the m ost pious one among
righteous a n d helps the oppressed. H e them, it would n ot add to H is Kingdom
humbles the arrogant, steadies t h e one in the least. And if all those in the
who stumbles and gives safety from heavens and the earth, human beings
fear. H e does not sleep, nor does a n d jinn, l iving and dead, were
drowsiness or sleep overta ke H i m . gathered on a single vast plain and
Belief in Allah 11
asked from H i m and H e gave each one with holds! There is no one to guide
of them whatever they asked, this whomever He leads a stray and no one
would n ot lessen even by a tiny particle to lead astray whomever H e guides.
what He possesses! There is no one to perm it what H e
If all the trees on earth, from the forbids and n o one to forbid what H e
beginn ing to the end of time, were perm its. There is n o one to hold far
pens; if all the seas a n d seven other what H e brings near. H e is the Su preme
seas added to them were ink and those Lord without a partner. H e is U nique
pens were to write in that ink, both the without equal. H e is the Eternally
pens and ink would run out but the Existent without a son or a mate. He is
words of the Creator would not. He is the One without comparison or kind .
the First before whom there is n othing. Everything perishes except H is Face,
He is the Last after whom there is every kingdom fades except H is
noth ing. He is the I nward a bove whom Kingdom, every sheltering shade
there is noth ing. H e is the Outward except H is will be withdrawn and every
beneath whom there is nothing. grace except H is Gra ce has a limit.
Glorified and Exa lted is H e ! N one obeys except by His
H e is m ost worthy t o b e invoked, perm ission and mercy. N one sins
worshipped a n d praised. He is the first except by H is knowledge and
to be thanked; the One whose support judgment. When He is obeyed H e is
is m ost desired. H e is the M ost Grateful, and when He is d isobeyed He
Generous of those who possess overlooks and excuses! His anger is
whatever H e has bestowed upon a lways just. H is blessings are a lways by
them, the M ost M erciful of those who H is G race. For H im all hearts and
have power and the M o st J ust of those secrets are open a n d the hidden is
who a re just. With H is m ight comes H is evident. When He wills something He
forgiveness; with H is with hol ding merely says: Be! And it is!
comes wisdom and with His There is nothing similar to H im,
Knowl edge comes pardon. N o one has and H e is the All-Hearing, the
a rea l right upon H im . If He punishes All-Seeing.
any of H is creatures, it is in H is total H ence, every rite of worship, be
j ustice; and if He blesses any of them, it it prayer, fasting, pilgrimage,
is out of H is unbounded generosity and sacrificing an a n imal, vowing a n d so
grace. forth, must be done solely for the sake
There is no one to with hold what of Al lah. Similarly, all suppl ications and
H e gives and no one to give what He prayers must be directed to H im alone.
12 Belief in Allah
If someone d oes a ny of these a cts for someone other
than All a h, he is negating his tawheed. These acts
include p utting one's trust in Al lah, fearing only Al lah
and devoting o neself only to Him.
Furthermore, in order for one's tawheed to be
correct, one m u st reject and deny any form of
taaghoot, false gods or fa lse objects of worship.
To conclude: I slam req uires complete
submission to Al lah Alone. Whoever submits h is will
completely to Him as well as to someone or something
else has actually committed the sin of shirk. Shirk
(associating others with Al lah in worship) is a n
unpa rdonable s i n which opposes true faith. Those who
commit such a sin are d isbelievers.
Belief in Allah 13
Exercises
A. Answer the fol lowing questions.
1. H ow important is bel ief in Allah?
2. What is the meaning of the word 'tawheed'?
3· What are the three types of tawheed?
4· Give one or two examples for each type of tawheed.

14 Belief in Allah
5· When does one negate one's tawheed?
6. What is the meaning of the word taaghoot? Give some examples.
B. Think-up
With the help of your teacher, go over the lesson and h ighl ight the attributes
of Alm ighty Al lah.
Belief in the Angels 3-
Belief in the Angels
Belief in the angels is

another fundamental
belief that forms the
cornerstone of eemaan
- faith. When Allah's The Word 'Malak'
Messenger ( � ) was The Arabic word for angel is malak, whose
asked by Angel Jibreel pl ura l form is malaa'ikah. The Qur'an speaks of
( �� ), "What is Faith?" the creation of man from clay and that of jinn
He replied, "It is to from fire. 'Aa'ishah ( � ) narrated that Allah's
believe in Allah, His M essenger ( � ) said that the jinn were created
Angels, His Books, His from fi re (naar), and the angels were created
Messengers, the Last from l ight (noor). ( M uslim)
Day, and to believe in Thus, the angels are a type of Al lah's
the Divine Decree creation that cannot be seen by man. They serve
(al-qadar), both the Al m ighty Al lah in what He commands them and
good and the bad of it."
they d o not enjoy a ny d ivine attributes
( Muslim) whatsoever. They submit to Al lah's commands
completely. They never stray away from obeying
Belief in the Angels,
H is orders even for a moment.
therefore, is the second
This shows that the angels and the jinn are
article of faith.
two d ifferent classes of Allah's creation, and that
it is a m ista ke to consider them as bel onging to
the same class. The Qur'an s pea ks of the a ngels
as messengers (rusul) with wings. (Surat Faatir,
35: 1 )
16 Belief in the Angels
Belief in the Angels consists of
the Fol lowing:
1. We m ust believe that they exist.
2. We m ust bel ieve in those a ngels

whose names we know thro ugh
the Qur'an or the Sunnah. For
example, Angel J ibreel (�\) who
brought revel ation to the • �•• �•••��··�·· �... �... �4· ._.. � ••�48
Messenger ( � ). � Each one of us has two a ngels with him ��

•
• •
3· We m ust bel ieve in their who constantly record a l l his words
attributes, as mentioned in the .. and deeds. The Qur'an says, "Behold, ��
Qur'an or the Sun nah . For
� two [recording angels] appointed to §
�
example, one of the Prophet's
learn [his doings and note them], one �
•
•
traditions state that Al l ah's I
�
sitting on the right and one on the left.
Messenger ( � ) saw Angel �
Not a word does he utter but there is a t
J ibreel (�\ ) in the image in which
� vigilant recorder." (Surat Qaaf, 50:17-18) •
�
�� ·�·� ·��··�·� ·� ·��
he was created, with six hundred
wings that blocked the horizon.
The believers know that there
4· We m ust bel ieve in the a ctions
are a ngel s called mu 'aqqibaat that
that they perform, a s mentioned
in the Qur'an or the a uthentic protect man in a l l situations. The
hadeeth. The Qur'a n says that Qur'an says, "For each [person] there
they worship Al lah and glorify are angels in succession, before and
H im day and n ight. It a l so states behind him. They guard him by the
that specific angel s have specific command of Allah." (Surat ar-Ra'd,
tasks. J ibreel ( ��) is entrusted 13 :11) Another verse reads, He is the
with Al lah's revelations which he Irresistible, Supreme over His slaves,
brings down from Al lah to H is and He sends guardians over you."
prophets and messengers. ( S urat ai-An 'aam, 6:61) These
lsraafeel ( �\ ) is responsible for guardians guard as well as write a l l of
blowing the Tru mpet that will one's good a n d bad deeds.
resurrect the dead on the Day of Another angel we know of is the
J udgment. M ikaa 'eel ( �� ) is Angel of Death who is entrusted with
entrusted with the rain and the task of taking souls. The Qur'an
vegetation. says, "Say the angel of death who is
Belief in the Angels 1 7
set over you wil l take your souls, then continue to seek forgiveness for him
you wil l be brought to your Lord." until the m orning and he sha l l have a
(Surat as-Sajdah, 32:11) garden in Paradise. And if one goes to
Some angels a re entrusted with him in the m orn ing, seventy thousand
the task of keeping Paradise (Surat a ngels go with him and seek his
az-Zumar, 39:73), while others (ca l led forgiveness until the evening and he
az-Zabaaniyah) are in charge of keeping shall have a garden in Paradise."
the Hel lfire (Surat AI-M uddath-thir, (Ahmad, Abu Daawood and
74:27-31 ) at-Tirm id hee)
Some a ngels are entrusted with In fact, a believer can reach a
the foetus in the womb. When the point where the angels begin to love
foetus has spent four m onths in the him and spread love for him in the
womb, Almighty Al lah sends an a ngel world . The Prophet ( � ) said, " If Al lah
with the orders to write h is provision, loves a person, He cal l s Jibreel ( �� )
his l ifespan, h is deeds and whether he saying, 'Allah l oves so and so,
wil l be m iserable or happy in the therefore, so l ove him. The dwellers of
hereafter. the heaven then l ove him and he is
There a re also two angels that then granted acceptance among the
question the dead in their graves a s people of the earth." (ai-Bukhaaree
wel l a s angels that pray for the and M uslim)
bel ievers and support them when they
do righteous deeds to earn the G ood The Supplications of those
Pleasure of Allah. For instance, a mong Angels who are very Close to Allah
many ahadeeth of this nature, the The Qur'an says, "Those [angels]
Prophet ( � ) said, "Al lah, the a ngels who sustain the Throne of Allah and
and the inhabitants of the heavens and those around it exalt [Allah] with
the earth, even the a nt in its hole and praise of their Lord and believe in Him
the fish, pray for the one who teaches and ask forgiveness for those who
people good ." (at-Ta ba ra anee) believe, saying, 'Our Lord, You have
Their Prayers for the person encompassed all things in mercy and
continue for a long time, even after the knowledge; so forgive those who
person has completed h is good deed. repent and follow Your path and
Alla h's Messenger ( � ) once said, " N o protect them from the punishment of
m a n goes t o visit a n i l l person i n the Hellfire! Our Lord, admit them into the
late afternoon except that seventy gardens of perpetual bliss which you
thousand a ngels go with him and have promised them, and to the
righteous among their fathers, their seemed to be lamps in it rising up in the
spouses and their children. Tru ly, You sky until it disappeared. The next day,
are the Almighty, the All-Wise."' (Surat he approached the Prophet ( � ) and
Ghaaf1r, 40:7-8) informed him of what he had seen the
The bel iever recognizes that the previous n ight. The Prophet ( � ) said,
angels a re a very good and magnificent "Those were the angels who l istened
creation. As we have learnt earlier,
to you; and if you had continued
Allah's Messenger ( �) describes Angel
reciting, the people would have seen
J ibreel ( �\ ) as having six hundred
them in the m orn ing and they would
wings. (ai-Bukhaaree) Another hadeeth
not have concealed themselves from
in Saheeh M uslim describes Angel
them." (Saheeh M uslim, Engl ish
J ibreel ( �� ) once as filling up the
entire horizon. The goodness and translation by Abdul-H ameed
magn ificence of this creation of Al lah Siddeeqee, Hadeeth no. 1 742)
certainly points to the greatness and
magnificence o� its Creator. It is this Loving Others for Allah's Sake
knowledge that deepens a person's Abu H urayra h ( � ) narrated that
love, awe and admiration for Al lah. Al l ah's Messenger ( � ) said, "A man
set out to visit a brother [in fa ith] of his
The Electrifying Possibility of in another town, and Al lah appointed
Observing Angels an a ngel for him on his way. When he
U sayd ibn Hudhayr ( � ) was came to h im, the angel a sked, 'Where
reciting the Qur'an in his enclosure one do yo u intend to go?' The man replied,
night when his horse began to jump ' I intend to visit a brother of mine in
a bout frantical ly. Repeatedly U sayd
this town.' The angel then said, 'Do you
would stop his recitation until the
have any property with him that you
horse was cal m . N o sooner had he
wa nt to check on?' He replied, ' N o, it is
resumed reciting than the horse would
only because I love him for the sake of
again begin to jump wildly. Eventually
Al lah M ost H igh.' The a ngel then said, 'I
he stopped a ltogether for fear of
having h is son trampled over by the am a m essenger to you from Al lah [to
horse. inform you] that Al lah l oves you as you
U sayd ( � ) observed, while love him for H is sake."' (Muslim) This
standing near the horse, something hadeeth indicates that the a ngels can
like a canopy over h is head with what assume human shape by Alla h's l eave.
Belief in the Angels 19
The angels record the words and they see Me?' The angels reply, ' N o, by
deeds of each and every one of us. Allah, they did n ot see You.' Al lah says,
They are always in our presence. This is ' H ow woul d it have been if they saw
the reason why the Prophet ( � ) Me?' The angels reply, 'If they saw You,
stated, "Whoever eats of this they would worship You more devoutly
[offensive] plant (i.e. garl ic) must not and celebrate Your G lory more deeply,
approach our m osque, for the angels and more often declare Your freedom
are harmed by that which harms from any resemblance to anyth ing ... "'
humans." (M uslim) ( ai-Bukhaaree)

H ence, even if n o other humans Belief in the a ngels is one of the
are around, the believer knows that essential a rticles of faith. Therefore, if
the a ngels a re a round; therefore, he a person does not bel ieve in them, he is
should always remain carefu l and without doubt a disbeliever.
mod est in their presence. H e should
avoid d oing anything that may annoy
and harm these bel oved noble
creatures. It is important to n ote that
the angels are neither male nor fem al e,
and that they neither eat nor drink.
A very delightful hadeeth
narrates some of the fun ctions of the
angels. Allah's Messenger ( � ) said,
"Al lah has some angels who look for
those who celebrate the praises of
Al lah on the roads and paths, and
when they find some people
celebrating the pra ises of Al lah, they
cal l each other saying, 'Come to the
object of your pursuit.' The angels then
encircle them with their wings up to
the sky of the worl d . Then their Lord
asks them, a lthough He is Most
Knowledgeable of them, 'What do my
slaves say?' The a ngels reply, 'They say:
Sub-haanal/aah, Allaahu Akbar and
ai-Hamdulillaah .' Al lah then says, 'Did
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false {F).
1. The Jinn a re a lso angels. ___
2. Angels can a ssume h uman forms. ___
3· Bel ief in the Qur'an cannot be confirmed u n less one bel ieves in a l l the
a ngels. ___
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. The Arabic word for angels is __ __
2. Almighty Allah created man from _____ , jinn from _____
and the angels from ________
3· Angel Jibreel ( �\ ) is recorded as having _______ wings.
4· When a person visits an ill person, angels go with
h im, and seek forgiveness for him.
C. Answer the fol lowing questions.
1. M ention some qualities of the a ngels.

Belief in the Angels 2 1
2. There are two a ngels who stay with us all of the time. What are their d uties?
3· What is the ruling regarding someone who does n ot believe in the a ngels?
4· What did the Prophet ( � ) say would have happened had U sayd ( � )
continued to recite the Qur'an?
5· Accord ing to a hadeeth, what are the things that bother the angels?
D. Think-up
Mention at least five angels and their responsibilities.

Belief in Allah's Books 4
Divine revelations
Mentioned In the
Qur'an and the
Sunnah
1. The Tawraah
(Torah) revealed to
Prophet Moosaa ( �1)
2. The Zaboor
revealed to Prophet
Daawood( �1)
3· The fnjeel
(Gospel) revealed to
Prophet ' Eesaa (�1)
4· There is also
reference in the
Qur'an to the suhuf -
the Scrolls revealed to

l braa heem ( �� ) and
Moosaa ( �1).
5· The Glorious
Qur'an, the Final Book
revealed to Pro phet
M uhammad ( �)
Belief in Allah's Books includes 3· Acting in accordance with the

four Things teach ings of the Qur'an, which is
Belief in Al lah's Books incl udes the final revelation. One m ust
the fol lowing: submit to it completely, even if
he does not a ltogether grasp the
1. Bel ief that these Books were wisdo m behind the command or
truly revea led by Alm ighty Al lah statement.
to H is m essengers. 4· Bel ief that a l l the d ivine books
2. Bel ief in the d ivine books had been abrogated by the
mentioned in the Qur'a n or the Qur'an, as Al lah says, "And We
Sunnah. have sent down to you the Book
Belief in Allah's Books 23
(i.e. this Qur'an) in truth, Al l of the previous revelations
confirming the scriptures that have been abrogated by the final
came before it and judging over revelation - the Glorious Qur'an.
them." (Surat ai-M aa 'idah, 5 :48) There is no need for any M uslim to turn
Therefore, it is not perm issible to the remnants of any of the previous
to a pply any of the l aws from the revelations for guidance. Everything
previous books unless the that he needs for his guidance is
Qur'an confirms that law; and if contained in the Qur'an . It is not
there is a nything a bo ut which perm issible to act in a ccordance with
there is doubt, we m ust n ot turn any ruling mentioned in the previous
to these books, but to the revelations u n less it is a pproved by the
Qur'an, as Al m ighty Al lah says, Qur'a n .
"And if you differ in anything O n e o f t h e greatest blessings of
among yourselves, refer it to Al lah is that H e sent revelations for the
Allah and His Messenger." guida nce of mankind. In fact, H e sent
{Surat An-Nisaa ', 4:59) specific a n d d ifferent revelations
according to the needs and conditions
A Word about the Previous of different peoples over time. This
Revelations mercy of Al lah continued u ntil the
The Books that the J ews a n d the Qur'an was revealed. I ndeed, the
Christians possess today, which they Qur'an contains all the guidance that
call the Tora h, Gospel a n d the Psalms, people need from the time of the
may contain some of the original Messenger of Allah ( � ) until the Last
revelations. It should be noted here, Day. Because the Qur'an provides
however, that they have been guida n ce for a l l places a n d times until
distorted and that countless changes, the Day of Resurrection, Al lah has
additions and deletions have been undertaken to protect it from any
made into them over the centuries. tampering or distortions.
H ence, to believe in the Tawraah of The Glorious Qur'an is Protected
M oosaa ( �\ ), for exam ple, does not by Allah Himself
mean that a M uslim believes in the first The Qur'a n is the u ncreated
five books of the present-day Old Word of Al lah. It is the Final Message of
Testa ment. The two are d ifferent Al lah to all m a n kind. Its present form is
Books a ltogether. The Old Testam ent, the same as it was at the time of the
however, may contain some of what Prophet ( � ). The Qur'an has come
was originally revealed in the Tawraah. down to us complete. No cha nges have
24 Belief in Allah's Books
ever been made in it. N othing of it is m issing. N o additions
have ever been made to it. No part, not even a tiny syl lable
of it is forgotten or has gone unrecorded. The Qur'an is
protected by Al lah H imself from all forms of d istortions.
The Qur'an is the only revealed book in the worl d
today that has been preserved in its pure original form.
There is no other instan ce of any revealed book, of
whatever description, which has been preserved over
such a length of time. The text of the Qur'a n will remain as
it was revealed u ntil the end of time. It is protected by
Al lah H im self.
"Tru ly, We Who have sent down the

Reminder (i.e. the Qur'an), and We
will assuredly preserve it [from
corruption]."
(Surat ai-Hijr, 1 5:9)
Al m ighty Al l a h a l so says about it,

ft :': � y. �
��--�';/ � _7::f' � ,��
� \_(\'"' �/ rffA
-:; � / /
�"' Y..}. .:: .be i

� H"� " / �J:�� _) ��
� / "" -' "' -- -- ,. ,-/ ?/
" It i s a n honourable, inimitable book;

falsehood cannot come to it from before it
or behind it; [ it is] sent down by the
Al l-Wise, Worthy of all praise." (Surat
Fussilat, 41 :41-42)
EE EE
Belief in Allah's Books 2 5
H e answered, "When I left your

court, I decided to do some research
A I-Qurtubee mentions a on the rel igions of our time. I am a
marvellous story in his Tafseer. H e says: scribe by profession. I write books and
The Caliph a i-Ma'moon used to hold sell them. They bring m e good price.
occasional debates on various issues at This time, I decided to m ake a test. First
h is court where all scholars were I made three handwritten copies of the
invited. It so h appened once that a J ew Torah in which I made some additions
came to attend one of these debates. and deletions of my own. I took these
By his looks, d ress, speech and
manuscripts to the synagogue. The
m a nners, he seemed to be a n elegant
Jews found them interesting and
person. H is speech d u ring the debate
bought them.
was excellent and bril liant. When the
"Then, I did the same thing with
m eeting was over, a l-Ma'moon called
the N ew Testament. I made three
him and asked him if he was a Jew,
man uscripts, complete with my
which he confirmed. To test him,
additions and deletions a n d took them
a i-Ma'm oo n a sked him to accept I slam,
to the church. The Christians were
in which case he could hope to receive
pleased with these man uscripts and
the best possible treatment from him.
bought them from me. After that I
The J ew said that he was not willing to
tried the same th ing with the Qur'an. I
abandon the religion of his forefathers.
made three superb handwritten copies
The matter ended there, and the man
went away. of the Qur'an but with a few a d d itions
Then after one year the same and deletions of my own. When I went
person returned, b ut this time as a out to sell them, I faced a problem; for
M uslim. H e made a remarka ble when M uslim booksellers examined
contribution to the court meetings on the manuscripts they h urled them
the subject of Islamic fiqh. When the across saying that the books had been
sessions were over, a i-Ma'moon called corrupted. From this incident, I learnt
the man and asked him whether he that this Book is protected and
was the same man who had come the preserved by Al lah H im self. 1 ,
previous year. The man a nswered, therefore, embraced Islam."
"Yes." AI-Ma'moon asked h im, "You ( M u hammad a i-Qurtubee, AI-Jaam i ' Li
refused to a ccept Islam last time you Ahkaam ai-Qur'aan, Vol . 5, pp. 6-7)
came. Tel l me what made you accept
Islam."
2 6 Belief in Allah's Books
Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. Bel ief in Al lah's Books is the ---

article of faith.
2. Belief in Al lah's Books refers to -------

Al lah sent down to
H is Messengers.
3· A M uslim must believe in a l l the Books revealed by Al lah but m ust fol low
only the ------
4· is the only revealed Book today that is preserved .
B. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the purpose for Alla h's revel ations?
2. What made the Jew em brace Islam when he had refused to d o so the previo us
year?
Belief in Allah's Books 2 7
3· What a re the d ivine revelations m entioned in the Qur'an that Almighty Al lah
sent d own, and to whom had they been sent?
4· Ca n the Qur'an, in your opinion, be subject to a ny human changes whatsoever,

and why?
5· Do we have to believe in all Al lah's Books? Why or why not?
6. Can we, in your opin ion, fol l ow any of the laws mentioned in the present-day
Old and N ew Testaments? Why or why not?
C. Think-up
Why d o you think Al lah has preserved the Qur'an from d istortions while H e did
no such thing with the previous scriptures?
Belief in the
Messengers of Allah
5
The fou rth article of faith is the
bel ief in the M essengers of Al lah.
To believe in Al lah's M essengers
means to believe with certainty that
Al lah sent a m essenger to each nation,
ca ll ing them to worship Allah alone and
not to associate any partners with H im
in worship.
knows best whom to
choose.
I ndeed, Al lah
chooses m essengers
from both angels and
men, as the Qur'an
says, "Al lah chooses
messengers from
angels and from
men." (Surat ai-Hajj,
22:75)
Al m ighty
All Messengers were Human Al lah also sent prophets and
Beings messengers to every nation. "There
All the prophets a n d messengers was not a single nation among whom
were h uman beings chosen by Al lah to a warner had not passed." (Surat
receive revelations from H im . They Faatir, 35: 24)
were commanded to pass on these We do n ot know a bo ut all of
revelations to people of their time. A them, as the Qur'an says, "[We sent]
person cannot by himself attain messengers about whom We have
Prophethood or M essengership related [their stories] to you before
through spiritual exercises or personal and messengers about whom We have
efforts. It is Alm ighty Allah alone who not related to you." (Surat an-Nisaa', 4:
chooses H is Messengers and He alone 1 64)
Belief in the Messengers of Allah 2 9
As time passed, the original 1. Belief that the message of all of
message of each prophet and them is the truth from Al lah. If a
messenger was distorted or entirely person denies any single one of
lost, and it became necessary for a new them who is confirmed in the
prophet or messenger to appear. Since Qur'an or the Prophet's
Islam is the final religion, Al lah has tra d itions, then he is in fact
preserved its m essage from all forms denying all of them. Denial of
of corruption. Therefore, the bel iefs one is tantamount to denial of a l l
and practices which M u slims recognize o f them, since their message i s
today are the same beliefs and essentially o n e a n d t h e same.
practices ta ught by Prop het Muslims must bel ieve in all the
M uhammad ( � ) himself. prophets and messengers.
2.
It is significant to note that all
Belief in all the prophets and
the messengers and prophets were
messengers mentioned by their
human beings. They ate and drank.
names in the Qur'an and the
They became ill and recovered from
S unnah. As for those not
illness. They married and had children.
mentioned in the Qur'an, one
They l ived and d ied. They suffered from
m ust bel ieve in them in genera l .
what other h umans suffer. They were,
O n e m ust believe that there i s
however, unlike ordinary fo l ks. They
not a single comm u nity a mong
were m orta l but the m ost perfect of
whom a warner had n ot come.
human beings. They were
extraordinary men but did not have Allah sent many prophets and
any d ivine status. They did not know messengers a lthough n ot all of
anything about the u nseen except for them are mentioned in the
those matters a bout which Al m ighty Qur'an or the Sunnah.
Al lah revealed to them. The Qur'an 3· Belief in everything they said.
says, "Say, 'I am only a human being They comm u n icated their
like you to whom it has been revealed message from Al lah completely
to me that your god is but one God."' and correctly. They tried hard to
(Surat Fussilat, 41 :6) deliver Allah's message. They
strove hard for Allah's sake in
Correct Belief in Allah's the m ost complete manner.
Messengers consists of four Things They were the most
The correct bel ief in the knowledgea ble of all people.
messengers of Allah consists of fou r They were the best serva nts of
things: Al lah. Al lah protected them from
30 Belief in the Messengers of Allah
ascribing to H im something of The Qur'an speaks of Aadam
their own inventio n or judging ( &;§I ) as the first man and the first
according to their whims and Prophet. Prophethood began with
desires. He also protected them Aa dam ( &;§I ), and it came to a close
from comm itting sins or a dding with Prophet M u hammad ( � ). The
or deleting something from the end is always in a sense a retu rn to the
religion. beginning. This is equally true of the
Prophets' m ission and Islam. I slam,
4· One must act in accord an ce with being the final message, has in it not
the guidance and the teachings only the fragra nce of the end but also
of the messengers Almighty of the beginning. I slam, in its final
Al lah sent for man 's guidance. form, is the m ost bea utiful, adeq uate,
the m ost wonderful and perfect
I n deed, it is one of Al lah's great religion . Prophet M u ha mmad's
blessings that H e sent prophets and chara cter was the Qur'an itself. H is
messengers to guide mankind to the whole life was the Qur'an in action.
right path. In fact, people a re m ore i n
need of the prophets' guidance than The Purpose of Sending
they a re of food, d rink and shelter. Prophets and Messengers
All a h sent prophets and messengers The Qur'an says, "And We
with clear pro ofs and supported them certainly sent into every nation a
with miracles. messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah
Aadam ( &;§\ ) was the first man and avoid the Taaghoot (i.e. false
and the first prophet, and the gods)." (Surat an-Nahl, 1 6 :36)
succession of prophets and Thus, the basic message of all
messengers came to a n end with prophets and messengers was the
Prophet Muhammad ( � ), who was same: to call to the Oneness of Allah
the Seal of the Prophets. I ndeed, he (tawheed), to worship H im Alone and
was the universal and final m essenger to shun false gods a n d powers of evil .
of Al lah to a l l mankind. Every prophet Al l the prophets a n d messengers
and messenger was sent to his own were inspired by Al lah. They all
people, but Prophet M uhammad ( � ) brought the same basic truth that
was sent to all m ankind, as the Qur'an there is only One God - Al lah, who will
says, "Say [0 Muhammad], 'O reward the good and punis h the
mankind, truly, I am the Messenger of wicked. They all had the same m ission
Allah to you all."' (Surat ai-A'raaf, to ca ll people to the Straight Path.
7:1 58) � �
Belief in the Messengers of Allah 3 1
Difference between Nabee and Rasool

A ' rasool' (messenger) is a man who was
inspired with a new law or set of laws and sent to a
transgressing people, conveying to them Al lah's
message.
A ' nabee' (prophet) is a man who was inspired
with a message, but the message was to follow the
law of those who came before him. He was sent to
a pply a previously revealed l aw.
Stories of Prophets and man who has built a h ouse and he

Messengers in the Qur'an made it very good a n d very bea utifu l
The stories of prophets and with the exception of one stone in the
messengers form a significant portion corner; so people began to go round it
of the Qur'an. The Qur'an, however, a n d to wonder at it and say, 'Why has
does n ot tell the stories of the large the stone not been placed?"' The
number of prophets and messengers Prophet (� ) said, "I am this stone, and
as mentioned in the hadeeth . There are I a m the Last of the Prophets."
twenty-five prophets mentioned in the (AI-B u khaaree)
Qur'an: Aadam, l d rees, N ooh, H ood, It is thus the same procession
Saalih, l braa heem, l smaa 'eel, l s-haaq, m oving forward throughout h uman
Ya ' qoob, Lot, Yoosuf, Shu ' ayb, history since Aadam ( �I ). They
Ayyoob, D h u i-Kifl, M usaa, H a a roon, brought the same guidance, warned
Yoosha, l lyaas, Daawood, Sulaymaan, people against Al lah's pu nishment and
' U zayr, Zakariyyaa, Yahyaa, ' Eesaa, and gave them good news of a happy l ife in
M u hammad-May Alla h ' s peace and this life a n d eternal bliss in the
blessings be upon them a l l ! hereafter. This procession incl udes
The Qur'an speaks o f Prophet noble men from various nations and
M u hammad ( � ) as the Last of the various cou ntries who lived at d ifferent
Prophets - Khaatam an-Nabiyyeen . times. Every one of them received
Al lah's Messenger ( � ) once said, " My revelations from Al lah, and none of
exa mple and the example of the them invented a nyth ing in religion.
prophets before me is like that of a
The Reason behind Raising Allah's Messenger ( � )
The Prophet's ( ;i ) Mission:
The Qur'an states in several places the objectives of

Prophet M uhammad's m ission. It says in one place:
"Just as We sent to you a messenger from among

you, who recites to you Our revelations and purifies
you and teaches you the Book and wisdom (i.e. the
Prophet's Sunnah) and teaches you that which you
did not know." (Surat ai-Baqarah, 2: 1 51 )
O n e o f the Prophet's d uties w a s t o teach his

fol lowers how to understand and interpret the
Qur'an, and translate it into a practica l code for daily
l ife. The Prophet's Mosque was the foca l point of
M uslim l ife and its centre of learn ing. It produced a
unique a n d great civil ization as well a s a commun ity
of bel ievers that has no para l lel in human h istory.
Belief in the Messengers of Allah 33
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Al l prophets and messengers were human beings. ___
2. Anyone can become a prophet. ---
3· Denial of one prophet is tantamou nt to the denial of a l l prophets. __
4· All prophets and messengers Allah sent are mentioned in the Qur'an. __
5· Al l the prophets gave the same guid ing l ight. ___
1. Why has Alm ighty Allah preserved M u hammad's message from corruption?
2. Why did people reject prophets a n d messengers even though they brought
clear signs and proofs to them?
3· Mentio n some of the qual ities of the prophets and messengers.

4· What was Allah's p urpose for sending prophets and messengers?
5· What example did the Prophet ( � ) used to explain his position as the Last
Prophet?
6. What was Al la h's purpose in sending M u hammad ( � ) ?
7· What's the difference between a 'nabee' a n d a ' rasoo/'?
8. Why, in your opinion, is Prophet M u hammad's message universal?

Surat ai-1Asr (The Time) 6
· ::mg
In the Name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful
1. By the time,
2. Truly, man is in a state of loss,
3· Except those who bel ieve and d o righteous deeds,
and a dvise each other to [uphold] the truth, a n d
advise each other t o [observe] patience .
' ·0· ·0 · • f. . -o . . .... . .. · .
Explanation
The Arabic word 'asr means time, that is
measura ble, consisting of succession of periods. H ence,
0 'asr bears the significance of the passing or the fl ight of "'�
.
• 0
time - time that can never be recaptured .
.0· . •0• •0 0 • 0• 0• •0
• •
• 0 • • 'c • •
Four Fundamental Points Concerning Surat ai-'Asr
1. Surat a/-'Asr was revealed to the Messenger of

Al lah ( � ) in the earliest period of h is Prophethood
in M a kkah.
Surat ai-'Asr (The Time)
2. Surat ai-'Asr is one of the The Analysis of the Meaning of
shortest surahs of the Glorious the Translation
Qur'an. I t consists of only three Only three verses form one
verses. The first verse is complete sentence in this surah. The
composed of only two words: wa first verse 'wa/ 'Asr' is an oath. The
(by) a n d a/-'Asr (the time). second verse describes a general ru le.
The third verse describes an exception
3· Surat ai-Asr is the most from that genera l ru le. Combined
together, all three verses firm ly and
comprehensive surah of the
clearly form a single statement in our
Qur'an. Ash-Shaafi 'ee said, " If
minds. Pondering over it, we should
Al lah had revea led only this surah
ded uce fou r concl usions, which are the
to H is creatu res, it wou l d have
basic lessons of this sura h.
been enough for them. " H e also
once said, people were to reflect
The Criterion of Success and
on this surah, it would certainly Failure
be enough for their guidance. " The m ost important truth, which
flows forth from this surah, is Al lah's
4· The wording of this surah is very presentation of the rea l criterion of
simple and easy to understand. man 's success and failure.
The Qur'an is unqu estionably the Every man keeps in his mind a
greatest masterpiece of Arabic criterion of success and failure, of gain
literatu re and i n its total ity can and loss. All his efforts and the whole
be understood easily, but this struggle of his life in this world a re
short surah is the best example directed according to this criterion.
of the m ost l ucid surahs of the Every intellectually mature person has
Qur'an. Although it is quite a n a ppointed goa l or an ideal before
complete and comprehensive, him. Even teenagers keep before them
n ot a single high-sounding or a standard of achievement. If we were
to look aro u nd in our society, we would
elusive word has been used in it.
find that, in our present time, the rea l
I n fact, the word s a re familiar
criterion o f success or failure according
even to those who are
to a large number of people is wealth,
acquainted with U rd u or Persian
property, status, honour, fame a n d
and do n ot know Arabic.
show and worldly power. A l l b u t a few
are running after these things.
Surat ai-1Asr (The Time) 37
They use their energies to The real lesson of this unique
achieve these goa ls. The minds of m ost surah is that the correction of our
of our students and parents a re attitudes and the goodness of our
d irected towards obtaining degrees in deeds depend upon changing our
science or tech nol ogy so that they may criterion of success and fail ure, gain
earn a lot of m oney or achieve status, and loss. If the simple truth stated in
position and power. The ach ievement this great surah penetrates our souls
of these things is their criterion of and is engraved on our hearts, it will
success or fa il ure. definitely bring a bout a revolution in
The foremost truth, which our point of view. I t will change our
comes to our minds by studying Surat val ues and tra nsform our day-to-day
ai-'Asr is very d ifferent from this! I n l ife rad ical ly. What was thought m ost
other words, the criterion of man's important before will a ppear to be
success is not m oney, wealth, status, most trivial. What was insignificant
position, power or fame. Rather it is before will become significant.
faith; the second thing is righteous
deeds; the third thing is The Lives of the Prophet's
encouragement to uphold the truth Companions
and observe patience. The great transformation,
By this criterion, a person who which was brought about in the lives
does n ot possess the a bove four of the Prophet's companions was
qual ities is n ot successful and will the result of this deep-rooted
never achieve his rea l goal, and in the change in their point of view. In their
end he will be a loser th ough he m ight sight, this world and whatever it
be a mill ionaire or even a billionaire and contains seemed to them totally
might h ave power, position and status insignificant compared to the
l ike Pharaoh. Conversely, a nyone who achievement of Allah's Good
has these four qual ities will be pleasure. This is the real lesson of
successful a n d triumphant even if he this magnificent sura h .
may not have any worl d ly possessions
whatsoever, and may be destitute, The Minimum Conditions and
homeless, friend less or even u n kn own. Essential Requirements of Success
This surah describes the bare
Changing our Criterion of minimum conditions and essential
Success and Failure is the Real Lesson requirements of success in this life and
of this Surah the life to come. It explains the
38 Surat ai-1Asr {The Time)
minimum demands for our triumph. the performance of righteous deeds is
Anything less wou l d undou bted ly essential for sa lvation. The affirmation
result in failure. That is why, in this and declaration of truth a n d inviting
glorious surah, the m ost minimum others to accept it as wel l a s rema ining
demands of salvation have been steadfast in the face of hardships and
described in the simplest of terms so calamities for the sake of the truth is
that people may ded icate themselves also essential.
to ach ieving it according to their This is the truth which has been
capabil ity. stated in this rather short but most
comprehensive surah.
All the four Conditions are
Essential
To achieve sa lvation, fa ith, good
deeds, encouragement to uphold the
truth and encouragement to patience
and steadfastness a re all necessary.
N one of them can be dropped. Four
conditions h ave been laid d own for
saving us from utter loss or failure, and
all four of them are essential. The Significance of the Word
If a medical expert prescribes 'AI-'Asr'
fou r m edicines for a patient, and the The word ai-Asr signifies n ot only
patient leaves o ut a ny of them time but also a period of time, which
according to his own judgment, then passes swiftly. It denotes time that is
the medical expert will not be m ea sura ble, consisting of s uccession
responsible for the incomplete of periods. H ence, a/-'Asr bears the
med ication. The patient himself will be meaning of the passing of time, which
accountable for this error. I n the same can never be reca ptured.
way, if any of the four conditions One scholar reported that he
prescribed is left o ut, then the understood the meaning of 'wal-'asri
guarantee of man's salvation will not innal insaana lafee khusr' ( By the time,
rest on the G lorious Qur'an. truly, man is in a state of loss) a s
We m ust remember, however, follows: When he heard an ice-sel ler in
that sa lvatio n does n ot depend on the the marketplace ca l l ing o ut, ' H ave
mere uttera nce of words of faith. mercy on a man whose wea lth is
Rather, we M uslims should realize that m elting away!' meaning please buy my
al 'Asr (The Time 39
ice before it melts, o r I will lose all my investment and have n o

m oney left with which t o feed my fa m ily! Of course, on a very
hot day, even with the best of insulation, the ice would m elt
with every passing second. The scholar thought a bout this a n d
concluded that our l ives are j ust like blocks o f ice: they pass
away with every single second, and never to return.
J ust as an ice-seller is a loser if he d oes not sel l his
mercha ndise before it melts away, we will certa inly be losers if
we do not make the m ost of our time by filling it with good
deeds, which will without doubt pay off in the l ife to come.
( I man Torres-AI Haneef, The Qur'an in Plain English, The I slamic
Foundation, U K)
The time is a witness to the entire human h istory. It has
seen the rise a n d fa ll of human empires and kingdoms. It has
witnessed powerful people come and go. It has seen cities,
towns, castles, and palaces built and ruined. It seems that
everything in this life is uncertain except the coming of death.
When death overtakes us, we leave everything behind.
The only thing that will help us after our death is our sincere
faith and good deeds. Surat ai-'Asr is a clarion ca l l for us to
wa ke up from ind ifference a n d slum ber. It reminds us that
everyone in this life is a loser except those who
(1) sincerely believe,
(2) d o righteous deeds,
( 3 ) a dvise one a nother to uphold the truth by d oing
acts of obed ience and avoiding everything that
Al lah has prohibited, and
(4) a dvise one another to observe patience as a result
of ca lamities as well a s h arms caused to them d ue
to enjoining others to d o good and forbidding
them from d oing evil .
A bel iever must invite others t o t h e truth o f I slam. If he
suffers any h ardships while working for the cause of I slam, he
must bear them with patience and constantly turn to Al lah and
seek H is help!
40 Surat ai-1Asr (The Time)
Exercises
1. The surah has only _______ verses.
2. The surah describes the bare ------

conditions a n d essential
------
of success in o u r afterlife and present life.
3· Sa lvation does not depend on the mere _______ of faith .
4· The Ara bic word 'asr means ------

--�-�------�
1. Mention I ma m ash-Shafiee's views on the surah.
2. Accord ing to the surah, what is the real criterion of m an's success?
3· What is the false criterio n of success in our present times?

4· What is the real lesson of this surah?
5· All the fou r conditions are essential for sa lvation. Explain .
6. What do the words 'wal-'asr' sign ify?

Bel ief in the Last Day 7
The Tremendous Event The Last Day
While the world we l ive in The Last Day is called as such
contin ues its course through the ages, because no new day will come after it.
this will not go on forever. A day will The word generally used in the Qur'an
come when time will come to a n end, to ind icate life after death is
and our time of trial on the earth will be al-aakhirah. Death, in the l ight of the
over. When will the world end? Only plain teaching of the Qur'an, is not the
Al lah ( � ) knows. end of man's life. Rather, it only opens
the door to another form of l ife.
The Last Day has a number of names, and there are

many verses in the Qur'a n which gra ph ically depict this d ay.
Some of these nam es are:
AI-Qaariah the Calamity

Az-Zalzalah the Earthquake
AI-Haaqqah the Real ity
AI-Yawm al-m uheet the Encompassing Day
Yawm a/-Fas/ the Day of Separation
AI-Yawm ath-Thaqeel the H a rd Day
Yawm ai-Ba'th the Day of Resurrection
Yawm an-Nushoor the Day of Rising
Yawm ai-Qiyaamah the Day of J udgment
It is a lso called as-Saa'h (the H o u r). The H ou r of

Resurrection is so called because it hastens towards us
(tas'aa) by passing through moments of time and our
breaths.
The term ' H o ur' also indicates the q uickness with
which its reckoning will be accomplished, or because it will
come suddenly upon man kind, in a moment, and all
creatures will die at one shriek.
t 43
So when someone d ies, h is H our
has reached him and his resurrection
has a l ready begun .
Belief in the Last Day

Bel ief in the Last Day is one of
the essentia l articles of faith. Bel ief in
the Last Day consists of belief in
everything that the Qur'an or the
Prophet ( � ) has stated a bo ut the
events of that day and the events that
wil l take place thereafter. There are One of the many events that wil l
various aspects of the d ay l ike take place before this d ay is that the
Resurrection, J udgment and Reward, sun wil l rise from the west. At that
Para dise and H ell, etc. that every time, a l l those people a live will declare
M uslim should be aware of and bel ieve their fa ith but it will be of n o avail to
in with certainty. them. Their coming to bel ieve will not
The Qur'an and the Prophet ( � ) be a ccepted by Al lah. Then the
have m entioned graphic details of this Trum pet will be blown and a l l those
overwhelming day. The m ore one has who are in the heavens and on the
knowledge of that day and its events, earth will swoon away, except him
the greater effect this bel ief wil l have whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown
on him. H ence, it is necessary that a second time, and a l l the dead wil l be
every M uslim should learn a bo ut the stand ing, looking on and waiting. Ab u
events that wou l d occur before and H u rayrah ( � ) narrated that the
after the Last Day. Prophet ( � ) said, " Between the two
lmaam M uslim m entions an blowings of the Trumpet there will be
authentic hadeeth which states that forty. " The people said, " I s it forty
before the Day of J udgment and the days, Abu H urayrah?" I refused to
destruction of the earth, Al lah ( � ) will reply. They asked, " Forty years?" I
send a cold wind from the direction of refused to reply, They asked, " Forty
Syria which will take the souls of every m onths?" I refused to reply and I
individ ual who has even the sl ightest added, " Everything of a human body
amount of faith in his heart. Therefore, wil l waste away except for the last
the events of the end of the earth will coccyx bone, and from that bone Al lah
befa l l on the worst of people, those will reconstruct the whole body. "
having n o fa ith at all. (ai-Bukhaaree)
44 B 1n the st Day
Belief in the Last Day Consists of successful. And those whose scales
the Fol lowing are light, they are the ones who wil l
find their souls in perdition for
1. Belief in the Resurrection: After denying and rejecting Our Signs."
the second blowing of the Trumpet, (Surat ai-'Araaf, 7:8-9)
people will be resurrected before One m ight ask: H ow ca n actions
Allah. be weighed? The answer is that Al lah
The Prophet (ii) sa id, " O people! has the power over everything and so
You will be gathered together before He can weigh them in a manner that H e
your Lord, barefooted, naked and knows. H e will surely weigh o u r deeds
u ncircumcised. The first one to be accurately and in a just way.
clothed will be l bra aheem ( �1 ). Some On that day, parts of the human
of my followers will be taken to the body will be able to speak! They will
left. I will say, '0 Lord ! These a re my give accou nt of man's deeds
fol l owers.' Al lah will say, 'You do not individually before Al lah, and there wil l
know what new things they introd uced be no one to help him.
[in religion] after you."' (ai-Bukhaaree Some people assume that the
and M uslim) Day of J udgment is a long way away
a n d thus there is no need to worry
2. Bel ief in the reckoning or about it n ow. I n fact, such people a re
weigh ing of the deeds and the reward greatly mista ken, for we do not know
or pu nishment for these deeds. Each when death will overtake us. As soon
descendant of Aad a m ( �I ) will be a s we die our time is over, a n d
bro ught on the Day of Arising a n d will therefore w e have t o b e rea dy t o face
have his deeds weighed on the Scales. our Lord.
If his balan ce is heavy with good deeds, Allah has the ability to recreate
he will be joyfu l and will never ever be the bodies even after they have
sorrowfu l again. H owever, if his completely disintegrated. We m ay not
balance is light, then he will be be able to und ersta nd how this will
extremely sorrowfu l. Al lah has made it happen exactly, but a bel iever knows it
abundantly clear in the Qur'an that full well that it is true because H e
people's deeds will be weighed. knows that the One who h a s created
Al lah says, "And the weighing us o ut of nothing can easily bring us to
[of deeds] on that Day wil l be the life again.
truth. So those whose scales are
heavy, it is they who wil l be the
Belief in the last Day 45
I ndeed, the Qur'an teaches us eternal abode of punishment for those
that all mankind will be raised from the who deny of truth. It is important to
dead. The resu rrection of the dead wil l realize that both Para dise and H el l are
come a bo ut thro ugh the Almighty in existence at the present time and
Power of Al lah who has no d ifficu lty they wil l exist forever. Allah and H is
whatsoever in creating us o ut of Messenger ( �) make m ention of them
nothing and, likewise, H e wil l have no and describe them in graphic deta ils. A
difficu lty in recomposing the elements M uslim shou l d not deny their existence
of o u r bodies once again and give us or descriptions.
l ife.
The Resurrection of the body will The Grave and the Two Angels:
be a m ost powerfu l manifestation of Munkar and Nakeer
the infinite justice and power of Al lah. Belief in the Last Day also
Al l mankind from Aadam ( �I ) to the includes bel ief in everything that will
last person to be born and die wil l happen to a person after his death and
stand on the Day of J udgment before before the Day of J udgment. This
Al lah. consists of the trial in the grave and the
We should rem em ber, h owever, joy or punishment in it.
that Al lah's reward for H is righteous A hadeeth recorded by
servants wil l be out of H is I nfinite at-Tirmidhee states that the two
Mercy, and that H is punishment for H is angels, M u n ka r and N a keer, come to
disobedient slaves will be out of H is the person in the grave and ask him
J u stice. I n fact, H is reward will be far three q uestions, ltWho is your Lord?
greater than the reward the righteous What is you r rel igion? and Who is your
slaves' mere deeds deserve; He will not Prophet?" Other narrations mention
punish anyone more than what he the two angels coming and asking him,
deserves. Each one's new l ife will be ltWhat did you use to say a bo ut this
decided on that day a n d wil l mark a man?" (meaning Prophet M u hammad
new beginning for each and every soul. ( � ).
Th is new beginning will either lead to Is the pun ishment in the grave a
everl asting joy in Para dise or to eternal punishment that smites the soul or is it
punish ment in the H e l lfire. one that a l so affl icts the body, which
over time d isintegrates? You will learn
3· Bel ief in Para dise and H e l l . abo ut such a spects of the grave in the
Para dise is t h e everlasting a b o d e of yea rs to come, lnshaa A llaah.
bliss for the bel ievers a n d H e l l is the
46 el e tn the last Day
We wil l a l so d iscuss in some detail some other
aspects of l ife after death, like the Pool or Basin
(ai-Kawthar) of the Prophet ( � ), the various kinds of
I ntercessors, the handing down of the scrolls of
deeds, passing over the Siraat (the Bridge set over
H el lfire and leads to Para d ise) a n d Para dise and H el l
a n d their descriptions.
We conclude this chapter with a hadeeth
which presents a fearsome spectacle of Reckoning
and should be sufficient to stir one to prepare n ow
for then.
Whenever { Uthmaan ibn {Affaan ( � ) stopped
by a grave, he wou l d weep until his beard soaked. H e
was once asked, " H ow i s i t that you weep when you
stop by a grave?" He a nswered, "I once heard Alla h's
M essenger ( � ) say, 'The grave is the first stage of
the hereafter. Should the one who occupies it be
del ivered therefrom, then what fol l ows wil l be easier
than it. But if he is not delivered therefrom, then
what fol lows is to be severer."' ( at-Tirmidhee and
Ibn M aajah)
Las Day 47
Exercises
1. One day, man's time of -----

on the earth will be over.
2. _____ blowing from Syria will ta ke the souls of every individ u a l who has
even the slightest amount of faith.
3· Two angels, _____ and ______ q uestion the dead in their graves.
1. Mention a few names that refer to the Last Day?
2. Why is the Last Day ca l l ed 'the H o u r'?
3· Is it d ifficult to bel ieve in man's Resurrection after he is dead and m ixed with
the soil? Explain your answer.
4 8 Belief in the Last Day
4· M ention the three im portant elements of bel ief in the Last Day.
5· What q uestions will the two angels ask the dead in their graves?
6. Why wou l d ' Uthmaan ( � ) weep whenever he passed by a grave?

Belief in the Divine Decree
(ai-Qadar)
8
It is an essential part of eemaan to believe in al-qadar.
The word 'ai-Qadar'

Al-qadar is a n Arabic word
which originally means 'measure or
amount whether of q uantities or
qualities'. The verb form of this word
means, among other things, 'to
measure or decide the quality,
qua ntity, or position of something
before one a ctually ma kes it.'
It is obl igatory upon every black a nt upon a massive solid

M uslim to bel ieve in al-qadar. Once rock in an extremely dark n ight.
1Abdullah ibn Umar ibn a i-Khattaab
1 The hidden for H im is visible and
swore by Al lah and said, ulf a nyone the secret is public. He knows
who does not bel ieve in the Divine what is secret and what is more
Decree had with him gol d equal to the hidden than a secret. H e knows
bulk of [ M ount] U h u d of gol d and then what is in a person 's m ind,
he should spend it [in the way of Allah], conceived in his heart, which is
Al lah would not a ccept that from him not yet uttered by h is l ips. H e
unless he affirms his faith in the Divine even knows the intentions his
Decree." (Saheeh M uslim, English heart has not yet formu l ated . H e
Translation, Vol . 1, p. 2) Knows that his creatures will
form ulate in their hearts such
The Levels of Belief in ai-Qadar and-such an intention at such
There a re four levels of belief in and-such a time. Thus Al lah
al-qadar. possesses foreknowledge of a l l
1. Knowledge: This m eans to the deeds o f the creatio n
believe that Al lah has knowledge a ccord ing t o H is Ever-existing
of everything, no matter how knowledge. Th is includes H is
small or big it is. He sees and has knowledge of a l l their affairs
knowledge of even the smal lest with respect to obedience,
so elief in the Divine Decree
d isobedience, sustenance, a n d lifespan . The Qur'an says,
c / /
. L: ��./ ./y � \ t/ �')1. �\ " - � j �� -- �
� �_)� � � - :.- - (? .-:-' ¥
- �""..:t/4!j ::.J' l �<_)_)
� J-'
""'
�
/""� .12.�
J
(� ?-:: 1/ .J...-- �
�
_,
c.:_:-rl.J...-- P.
..
<i"'I
� '..4 / .....
® �0�01�(1;��'1;�}11-;-.::u:�
"With him are the keys of the unseen. None knows them but
Him. And He Knows whatever is on the land and in the seas. Not
a leaf falls but He Knows it. And no grain is there in the darkness
of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in
a clear record." (Surat ai-An 'aam, 6: 59)
tf!?:t i-' "' "'?" ./ ./� "'/ ./ .;-:;; �
� ��1,�\ ...(; �1 01
./
"Al lah has encompassed all things in [ His] knowledge." (Surat

at-Talaaq, 65:1 2)
2. The Recording of Decrees: This means to bel ieve that Al lah

had recorded a l l the d ecrees regarding H is creatures
before H e created the heavens and the earth. H ence, H e
not only knew and knows what will happen, but H e had
also recorded this information in minute detail in the
Preserved Ta blet (ai-Lawh ai-Mahfoodh). The Qur'an says,
� 0� � 4 :1_; ��"]\ � j.;.� �;

//
y�t -:>/
�
/
/
�
® ij_�ljc�'� 0l�\.lu 01��

�/ o,IJ
c,
,.._.
,,. / / ./ ./ ./ ,
/ ,.#
�
" N o calamity occurs o n the earth or among yourselves but it is

inscribed in the Book [of Decrees] before We bring it into
existence. Indeed, that is easy for Allah." (Surat a/-Hadeed, 57:22)
" Do you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on
earth? Surely, it is in the Book (i.e. the Preserved Tablet). Verily,
that is easy for Allah." (Surat at-Hajj, 22:70)
Belief in the D ivine Decree 5 1
3· His Will: This means to bel ieve that Al lah's Will is executed
and that H is Abil ity is Absol ute. If He wills something, it wil l
certainly happen; b ut if H e d oes n ot will something, it will
never happen. This refers to everything. It denotes Al la h's
a ction of giving l ife, sustenance, causing death and so on. It
consists of the a cts performed by h uman beings. N othing
can happen unl ess Al lah wills it and a l l ows it to occur.
A person may intend or try, for instance, to gun another

person down, b ut such a thing can only happen if Al lah decrees it.
The shooter m ay ta ke a l l the n ecessary steps, but if Allah d oes not
wil l it to occur, it wil l not occur!
The Qur'an says,
® ��J/JJ��;h;� ;J)T�lJD\Ul
"Surely, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He
says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Surat Yaa Seen, 36:82)
4· Allah's Creativity: This means to believe that Al lah has

created everything and that there is no other creator
except H im .
The Qur'an says,
�
· ;Jh)-::
� _ _j f�
)-{ :� ��&
" � '--? :{��/ �,. -;: ��
_r_j �& /
/
"Al lah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Disposer of all
affairs." (Surat az-Zumar, 39:62)
H ence, everything is a creation of Allah. Even the deeds of

mankind are creations of Al lah although they are by man's own
free wil l . The One Who created that ability and will is no one else
but Allah. Therefore, a l l of the a ctions of h uman beings are
created by Al lah. Yo u will, inshaa Allaah, learn about this
interesting subject in greater detail in the years to come.
52 Belief in the Divine Decree
Exercises
A. Answer the fol lowing questions.
1. Mention the original meaning of the word al-qadar.
2. List the four l evels of belief in al-qadar.

Islam:
Meaning of the Five Pil lars of Islam
9
Islam is built on Five Pil lars1
Allah's M essenger ( � ) once
said, u l slam is bu ilt upon five [pillars]:
"Testifying that there is no god but
Al lah and that M uhamma d is the
M essenger of Allah, establishing the
[obl igatory] prayers, giving the zakaat,
making the Pilgrimage to the H ouse,
and fasting in Ramadhaan."
(ai-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
Importance of this Hadeeth

This hadeeth is of great
signifi cance. It lays down the
The Word Islam fundamenta l aspects of outward
Islam is an Arabic term which surrender to Al lah. Th is surrender is
literally means 'surrender or based on certain found ations, which
submission'. The religion sent down are in a way similar to the foundations
by Allah and brought into this world of a building. If a person carries out
by His Prophets is called ai-Is/aam these outward obligations, he a ctually
( Islam, for short). It is called as such lays d own a solid fou ndation for his
for the simple reason that a Muslim
religion as a whole. If any of these
surrenders himself completely and
'pillars' is m issing, then the entire
unconditionally to the power and
will of the Lord of all the worlds. He buil d ing will be exposed to danger.
obeys Him wholeheartedly, and I n this hadeeth, the Prophet ( � )
obedience becomes the cardinal likens I slam to a building. The
principle of his life. foundations or pillars of this 'edifi ce' of
Islam a re five. If this building lacks a l l
1 The word 'pillars' does not appear in the
these five pillars, then it does not exist
at a l l . If any of the pillars is missing, the
Forty Hadeeth,
Arabic but has been supplied for clarity of
meani n g : An - N awawee's Tr.
building will stand but it will have a
Ezzedin l braheem a n d Denys Joh nson Davies,
p . 34. deficiency. It is significant to rea l ize
54 Five Pil lars of Islam
that the main pillar is the testimony of "So know that none has the right to be
faith. The first pillar leads to the worshipped except Allah." (Surat
fulfilment of the remaining pillars. The M uhammad, 47:1 9)
firmer the first pillar, the stronger the
remaining pillars! 2. Certainty: Th is means that one
must n ot only say this statement
The Testimony of Faith but must a l so bel ieve with
The testimony of faith, or the certainty that what he is saying is
shahaadah, means: There is none true: that All a h is the only true
worthy of worship except Al lah. This God who alone deserves to be
bel ief in All a h is the cornerston e of worshipped. The Qur'an says,
Islamic faith. All of the other I slamic /
0��
/) �) _-: ...,..,
beliefs revolve round belief i n Allah. It ��
--: ,. .... -! { :
CD 0�� !-*�}__, � u: Ji L.__, ��

/ .> .)- .,y. / / / "'"" / -"// / 7/ /
is, therefore, essential that a M uslim's J} �

beliefs about Al lah a re correct. If a "And those who believe in that which
person's beliefs a bout Al lah are has been sent down to you and in
incorrect, then h is entire faith may be what was sent down before you, and
ruined. they believe with certainty in the
hereafter." (Suart ai-Baqarah, 2:4)
The Conditions of 'Laa llaaha
lllallaah'
Al lah describes the true believers a s
The key to Paradise is the
those w h o have bel ief in Al lah a n d then
statement ' Laa Ilaaha 11/allaah ' (There is
their hearts do not waver . Al lah says,
none worthy of worship except Allah). ,/' '7/ 7 / -;; � // / //
\>:L:i� ��,Ar-->3 ��--�0\l��j.JIWL
0 _}. ,}. -: � 0 ,;.. --:: ,..,
, / _.i. ' ..A """ / �
This testim ony has some conditions.

· ( -: � \:� \.; \ � / , -- /
�· � �Y' ;.!-'�_)
\ / .j �
/
' \ �1 �
_,. .J. { (_..... "" -;: �
� d.:D
/ / y.
� 0
0
Every key has teeth. If you come with

® 0)�,�1 1
/
/ /
the key that has the right teeth, the

door wil l open for you.
"The true believers are those who
1.
believe in Allah and His Messenger and
Knowledge: This m eans
afterwards doubt not, but strive with
knowledge that Al lah is the only
God who deserves to be their wealth and their lives for the
worshipped and that to worship cause of Allah. They are the ones who
other than H im is sheer are sincere." (Surat ai-Hujuraat, 49: 1 5)
fa lsehood. The Qur'an says,
3· Sincerity: This means one must
perform a l l a ctions sincerely a n d
purely for Al lah, seeking H is
Five Pillars of Islam 55
pleasure. As the Qur'an says, 5· Truthfulness: This means one
m ust be truthful in his belief in
Al lah, in h is word s and deeds as
well as in the way one carries the
message of I slam. The Qur'an
"And they were not commanded says,
except that they worship Allah, e lS��Ii;JI�1:6JI(�
® �-}'� \
[being] sincere to Him in religion."
( Surat ai-Bayyinah, 98:5).
0 you who believe! Fear Allah and be
The Prophet ( � ) once said, with those who are true [in words and
"Tru ly, Al lah has forbidden for the deeds]." (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:1 1 9 )
H e l lfire anyone who says Laa ilaaha
illallaah, seeking Al lah's pleasure 6. Submission: This means one
alone." (AI-B ukhaaree) m ust submit completely to the
dictates of this statement.
Love: This means one must l ove Submission here compl iance
4·
Allah a n d H is M essenger ( � ), with Al lah's commands. The
Qur'an says,
giving preference to loving them
over everyone and everything. It
a l so means to l ove this
statement and its implications
"And turn in repentance to your Lord
and submit to Him." ( Surat az-Zumar,
and its adherents who a ct u pon
its dictates. The Qur'an says,
39=54)
-:: � y.
�� r:: -- /
�_)..) � �L_r4 / -- �
U::: ,-::L;.J, �, �--'7
';ti��J.iGI�
7· Acceptance: Th is means one
m ust a ccept all the impl ications
� �(;.l:S\i;.;l� �Jt of this statement. The Qur'an
says,
And among the people are some who

take others besides Allah as rivals [to
Allah]; they love them as they should
love Allah. But those who believe love "Say, 'We believe in Allah and that
Allah more." ( Surat ai-Baqarah, 2:1 65) which has been sent down to us."
( Surat ai-Baqarah, 2:136)
5 6 Five Pillars of Islam
A Muslim must m a ke certain that of J u dgment to bel ieve in and fol l ow
he is M uslim only for the sake of Al lah. the Prophet ( � ). If the message of
A M uslim can n ot be a M uslim for the I sl a m reaches a person and he sti l l
sake of his parents, friends, family, arrogantly refuses t o believe in a n d
community or any worldly gains. fol l ow the M essenger o f Al lah, he is a
He must also make certain to disbel iever a n d will be in the H el lfire,
adhere to the dictates of the unless he repents a n d embra ces I slam.
shahaadah until he d ies. This is
essential if the testimony is to mea n The Prophet's clear guidan ce, in
anyth ing in the afterl ife. The shahaadah its complete form, is present before us.
must be a believer's banner until he H ence, there is no need for one to turn
departs this l ife. The Qur'an says, for guidan ce to the corrupted books of
..;. ,.. .-:; .-: > , :: / ,/ \ ::: � -;: ,., --;; , # ). � ..11 0 ,. ·1,4 (-!'l_:--
�1_, :1�J_,..c. :J3,_Au:; 0>- 411 1 �_,:ii i �I.e u:_�l ..;._ �
;. the J ews and the Christians or indeed
J.
/ /
@ 0�
to any other man-made laws. When
Al l ah's M essenger ( � ) once saw
"O you who believe! Fear Allah in the ' U mar ibn ai-Khattaa b ( � ) holding a
manner He ought to be feared, and die sheet with some verses from the
not except as Muslims." ( S urat Aal corru pted version of the Tawraah, he
'lmraan, 3: 1 02) said to him, "Were Prophet M oosaa
( �I ) a live, he would certa inly follow
Muhammad ( � ) is the me." ( Fath ai-Baaree )
Messenger of Allah
The second part of the Therefore, there is no need for
Shahaadah is to testify that any M uslim to turn to a ny rel igious or
M uhammad ( � ) is the messenger of spiritua l teachings of the d isbel ievers,
Al lah. This means to declare that for he will certa inly find anything he
Prophet M uhamma d ( � ) was chosen needs in the Qur'a n and the S un nah. A
by Al lah to be H is final messenger to a l l M uslim bears witness that the Prophet
mankind. ( � ) conveyed the entire m essage he
I ndeed, Al l ah's M essenger ( � ) received from Al lah. When he declares
conveyed Al lah's entire message to a l l that M uhammad ( � ) is the M essenger
ma nkind. Every prophet and of Allah, he a l so declares that he is the
messenger before him was sent to his final prophet and messenger sent by
own people, but Prophet Muhammad Al lah. Thus, there is no Prophet after
( � ) was sent to a l l mankind until the him. Anyone who claims Prophethood
Day of J udgment. It is, therefore, after Prophet Mu hammad ( � ) is a
obl igatory upon everyone from the blatant liar and a deceiver. To a ccept
time of the Prophet ( � ) until the Day anyone a s a prophet after Prophet
Five Pil lars of Islam 57
M uhammad ( � ) is to negate one's req uirements of it or n ot! This verse
declaration of the shahaadah. clearly rejects the tendency to regard
ties of kinship and social affil iations as
One's Obligation towards the the decisive factors of behaviour. It
Prophet ( � ) shows the bel ievers that Almighty
When a person says, " I bear Al lah, H is M essenger ( � ) a nd struggle
witness that M u hammad ( � ) is the in H is cause represent the only va lid
Messenger of Allah", it becomes basis o n which their l ife should rest.
obligatory upon him to l ove the Moreover, when one makes the
Prophet ( � ) a n d fol l ow h is guidance. testim ony of faith, he a ctually a ccepts
This l ove is not just any form of l ove. the M essenger of Al lah as his example
I ndeed, true faith req uires that he m ust of how to l ive and behave in a way that
love the Prophet ( � ) m ore than is pleasing to Al lah.
anyone or anything else in this world. The Qur'an says,
Al lah says in the Qur'an,
·>
t_;.:J�IJ_;��0fiJ
. \ ��
U;.i..Y'
® ��_h�l�t;&r�-=;0�0J:�
h"' . //·0 / ��1/ ·-t"'�./ ': 1 / �r-::i/ !("Y
:r-/! \/� u-: ,b:;/
7'-'�-'��_) �r�)>-�.J �.-- :J u.: IJ r
��wtpr�� ;: �]jlj�G
"Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah,
you have an excel lent example to
� � � / .J j. / / -;;- r / � _.;-� :t� -:: / ·tr �-:; '"--: '"::
; �_)''>)y-"'_)_) � ��y>-
fol low for anyone whose hope is in
�J
/ / ,A( �!: ·iu> /� ""l /- ...c �, 1 Q. ////
·/'lP """ ·
0k 4.1ll)"-3� _,.4\l � -� �fl" >,.- :- '-J
Allah and the Last Day and [who]
/" �
/ _,. (J
-· �
� · ::.tr
-= :..1ri�
remembers Allah often." (Surat
� ��
cy --.:. ...-:. ai-Ahzaab, 33: 21)
"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your H ence, it is very essential for one
brothers, your spouses, your relatives, to understand what the shahaadah
and the worldly goods, which you affirms and what it rejects. A bel iever,
have acquired, commerce in which therefore, m ust deepen his knowledge
you fear decline, and the dwellings of I sl a m through the a uthentic sources
with which you are pleased are dearer of his rel igion . He m ust be fu lly
to you than Allah and His Messenger prepared to a ccept whatever
and striving in His cause, then wait implications of the shahaadah are. H e
until Allah brings about His Command, should have a firm bel ief i n whatever is
and Allah does not guide those who stated i n the Qur'an or stated by the
are defiantly disobedient." (Surat Prophet ( � ), without any right
at-Tawbah, g: 24) whatsoever to choose what he wants
This verse offers a criterion by to take and what he desires to reject.
which everyone can plumb his faith It is worth mentioning here that
and find out if he meets the when we obey the M essenger of Al lah
5 8 Five Pillars of Islam
( � ) we a ctually obey Alm ighty Al lah.

The Qur'an says,
"Say, 'If you really love Allah then

fol low me; Allah wil l love you."' (Surat
Aal 'lmraan, 3:31 )
A true bel iever must therefore

obey Al lah and H is M essenger. The
Qur'an says,
"And whatever the messenger gives

you take it, and whatever he forbids
you abstain from it." (Surat ai-Hashr,
5 9:7)
The Prophet ( ri ) also said,

"Whatever I command you to do, do it
to the best of your ability; and
whatever I forbid you to do, avoid it."
( M uslim)
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

--------�
1. If a person's beliefs a bout Al lah are wrong, then his entire faith may be
ruined. ---
2. The Prophet ( � ) was sent only to the Arabs. --
B. Fil l in the blanks.
1. Literal ly, the word Islam means -----
2. The main pillar is the ------

. The firmer it is the
______ the remaining pillars .
3· T h e believers strive with their ------

and -----
for the
sake of Al lah.
4· The Prophet's teachings and his a re valid and
obligatory upon a l l m a n kind, u ntil the Day of ------
5· When a M uslim declares that M uhammad ( � ) is the M essenger of Allah,
he a l so declares that he is the Prophet sent by Al lah.

6o Five Pillars of Islam
C. Answer the following questions.

-------
1. Islam is built o n five pillars. What does the word 'pillars' signify?
2. H ow is shahaadah a testimony of one's heart, tongue, and deeds?
3· What did the Prophet ( � ) advise ' U mar ( � ) to d o when he saw him with a
sheet with verses of the Tawraah written on it?
4· Explain briefly one's obligation towards the Prophet ( � ).
5· Briefly state the conditions of 'La a ilaaha illallaah ' .
D. Think-up
------------�------�
- ------�--�----------------�
A person testified to the shahaadah but later changed his mind. Does his initial
accepta nce of Islam hold a ny weight in the afterl ife?
Salaat {The Prayer) 10
eterna l happiness. H owever, if one's
prayer is incorrect, incomplete or
corrupt in some way, one will n ot be
successful on that d ay.
The Prophet ( � ) also said,
"Al lah has made five prayers
obl igatory. Whoever exce l lently
performs their abl utions, offers them
at their stated times and completes
their bows and prostrations with
humility (khushoo') has a promise from
Al lah that He wil l forgive him. And
whoever does not do that has no
promise from Al lah. He may either
forgive him or He may punish h im."
The Term 'Salaat' (Abu Daawood and An-N asaa'ee)
Salaat is an Arabic word which Once the Prophet ( � ) asked h is
lexica l ly means du'aa, or suppl ication. companions, " If there was a river by
Its l ega l meaning refers to, a mong the d oor of any of you in which he
other things, the set of recitations and ta kes a bath five times a day, do you
m ovements such as stan ding, bowing think that any of his dirt wou l d
and prostrating in a certain manner in remain?" They replied, " N one of his dirt
response to Al lah's command to will remain." The Prophet ( � ) then
perform it and seeking to get cl oser to said, "That is the example of the five
Him. [obligatory] prayers through which
Al lah wipes sins away. " (ai-Bukhaaree
The I mportance of the Prayer and M uslim)
The prayer is the first deed a bout Almighty Al lah commands the
which one will be questioned on the believers to strictly establish them at
Day of J udgment. If one's prayer is a l l times. The Qur'an says, "Guard
sound and a ccepta ble, then one will strictly [the five obligatory] prayers."
certainly achieve eternal success and (Surat ai-Baqarah, 2:238)
Salaat (The Prayer) 63
H e even clearly states that these in congregation is like spending the
prayers must be performed at their whole n ight in prayer. " (M uslim)
stated times. The Qur'an says, " Indeed, Allah's M essenger ( � ) said,
the prayer is enjoined upon the "Whenever a certa in obl igato ry prayer
believers at prescribed times." (Surat becomes due and a M uslim performs
an-Nisaa ', 4: 1 03) abl ution and prays with ful l
He a l so severely warns those humbleness, perfecting its bowing,
who neglect them: "Then there this prayer will be expiation of
succeeded them a posterity who whatever sins committed before it
neglected the prayers and followed except for the major sins. Th is remains
lusts; so they will soon be thrown into a lways true. ( M uslim)
Hell." (Surat Maryam, 1 9:59) The Prophet ( � ) said,
The Prophet ( � ) said, "The five "Whenever a M uslim performs a
set prayers a n d the Friday prayers prostration for Allah's sake, Al lah raises
provide expiation for what occurs him one degree and a bsolves him of
between them (i.e. sins) as long a s the one sin. " ( M uslim)
major sins are not committed." The Prophet ( � ) said, " If a
(M uslim) human being prostrates himself at a n
H e a l so said, "The key to appropriate point in h is recitation of
Pa rad ise is the prayer." (Abu the Qur'a n, the devil withdraws,
Daawood) weeping as he says, 'Alas! This man was
bidden to prostrate h imself a n d he has
Merits of the Congregational obeyed, so Parad ise is h is. I was also
Prayer commanded to prostrate, but I
disobeyed and so H el l is my lot."'
The Prophet ( � ) said, "The ( M uslim)
prayer in congregation (jamaa ah) The Prophet ( � ) said, "A man
surpasses the prayer performed gets credit only for that part of h is
individually by twenty-seven degrees." prayer of which he is conscious." (Abu
(ai-Bukhaaree a n d M uslim) Daawood) Th is is confirmed by the
tradition, "When performing the
The Prophet ( � ) said, "To prayer, one is conversing intimately
perform the late evening Prayer with one's Lord ." (ai-Bukhaaree)
(lshaa') in congregation is eq uivalent Conversing in a state of heedl essness is
to spending half the n ight in prayer, certainly n ot meant by intimate
and to perform the dawn prayer (Fajr) conversation with the Lord.
6 4 Salaat (The Prayer)
According to an a uthentic medicine tackled the root of the
hadeeth, Allah's Messenger ( � ) said, disease; indeed, it is the only effective
"A person may com plete [the prayer] rem edy. Th is is a technique for
and a l l that is recorded for him of his qu ietening the mind. Menta l agitations
prayer is one-tenth of it, one-ninth, are sti l led by these types of
one-eighth, one-seventh, one-sixth, 'tranquilizers'. A man, who is n orma l ly
one-fifth, one-fourth, one-th ird, a scatterbrain, full of pressing
one-ha lf." (Abu Daawood and Ahmad) concerns, cannot suddenly switch off
In short, conscious awareness is the n oises within him a n d ach ieve ful l
the very soul of the prayer. concentration a n d inner calm ness. One
All ah's Messenger ( � ) once has to learn the art of continuous inner
prayed while wearing a cloak with an silence.
ornamenta l border, a gift from Abu H ence, when starting the prayer,
Jahm. He removed it after he had you should come into the Presence of
finished h is prayer, saying, 'Take it back Allah, as you wou ld on the Day of
to Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from Resurrection, when you will stand
my prayer. Bring me Abu J ahm's cloak before H im with no med iator between
of coarse wool.' (ai-Bukhaaree and you and H im . You are in confidential
M uslim) com m unication with H im and you
It is related that Abu Ta lhah ( � ) know in whose Presence you are
once prayed in h is garden where there stand ing, for H e is the King of kings.
were trees. H e was attracted by the When you have l ifted your hands and
sight of a honey-bird and spent a few said 'AIIaahu Akbar', then l et nothing
moments fol l owing the m ovement of remain in your mind in the time of
the bird, as it flew a bout seeking an glorification except the Glory of Al lah
opening in the fol iage. Thus he forgot Most H igh.
how many units of prayer he had
completed. He told Alla h's M essenger When the M essenger of Al lah
( � ) a bout the temptation to which he ( � ) was once asked about the true
had succumbed, and then said, meaning of ihsaan (essence of
" M essenger of Al lah! I offer my garden worship), he rep lied, "lhsaan is that you
as a charity. Dispose of it a s you wish . " worship Al lah a s though you a re seeing
(Maal ik) H im; for even though you do not see
Such conduct was intended to H im, He surely sees you."
remove causes of menta l d istraction to (ai-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
atone for deficiencies in prayer. The
Salaat (The Prayer) 65
If you continually remind which one becomes a M uslim. It was
yourself that Al lah is watch ing you made obligatory on a l l the prophets
when you a re praying, when you are and on a l l the peoples.
studying, when you a re doing your job, Sa/aat is the foremost form of
when you are with your family and 'ibaadah (worship). Al lah commands us
friends, when you are playing games, thus, "Indeed, I am Allah. There is no
when you are involved in sports, then deity except Me, so worship Me and
you are wel l on your way to attaining establish the prayer that you may
ihsaan - the m ost excellent form of remember Me." (Surat Taa Haa, 20: 14)
worship. lhsaan raises us to the h igher The whole purpose of salaat is
station of closeness to Al lah. This is His remembra nce. When we perform
what gives real worth to everything we the sa/aat, we involve o u r whole body
do. It makes our a ctions a ccepta ble in - ou r tongue, our hea rt, our mind and
the sight of our Creator and Sustainer. indeed our whole body. H ence, sa/aat
is the most comprehensive form of
dhikr.
Dhikr
It is u nfortu nate, though, that
Dhikr, or remem bra n ce of Allah,
we do not a lways take ful l a dva ntage
is equivalent to awareness of H is
of this gift. M a ny of us enter into sa/aat
Presence. We are commanded in the
and come o ut of it the same person.
a bove-mentioned famous hadeeth of
We m iss something; we m iss the
the Prophet ( � ) to pray as if we are
golden opportunity to ach ieve
actually seeing Al lah before us: 'for,
something great.
though you see H im not, yet H e sees
In rea lity, if the prayer is
you.' Awareness of Allah's Presence
performed properly, with true
and of being seen at every m oment of
remembra nce of Al lah and turning to
our l ives is, in fact, a contemplative H is forgiveness, it will have a lasting
virtue. Islam req uires us to be a ctive a s effect on the person offering it. After
w e l l as contemplative! he completes the prayer, his heart will
be fi l l ed with the remembra nce of
The First Pillar of I slam Al lah. Such a sa/aat will warm his soul,
The i mportance of the prayer i l l uminate his mind and i nfl a me h is
cannot be over-stressed in Islam. I n faith! After the experience, he wil l
fact, it i s the first pillar of I slam that the detest or strongly disl ike stooping l ow,
Prophet ( � ) m entioned after from h is l ofty position, wherein he
mentioning the testimony of faith, by disobeys Allah.
66 Salaat (The Prayer)
H en ce, the most dreadfu l h u rd l e to overcome from
the begin ning, therefore, is absentminded ness.
Absentmindedness destroys the quality of our prayer. B ut
rem eber that salaat is obl igatory. N ever give it up. B ut try to
breathe into it the spirit of heedful ness.
The ability to concentrate in prayer m ay be improved
by undertaking adequate m ental and physical preparation
before the prayer and by using certa in tech n iques while
perform ing the prayer.
Mental Preparedness Physical Preparedness
• Plan your daily a ctivities in such a • Fulfil a l l your personal needs

way that they revolve around before you begin your prayer.
•
the five daily prayers. Do not Always pray in the mosque or in
plan everything else and then try a n environment that is free of
to fit prayer into your busy noises.
schedule. • Adorn yourself with n ice and
• Research in-depth the Qur'anic clean clothes. Al lah says, "O
verses and hadeeth relating to children of Aadam, wear your
the virtues and obl igation of best clothes at every time and
sa/aat. place of worship." (Surat
• Be punctual with your prayer. ai-A 'raaf, 7: 31)
• Always offer the obl igatory • G ive due regard to the
prayers in congregation in the performance of each posture.
m osque. • Pray a s if it is your last prayer.
• Keep your mind free of worl dly
worries a n d concerns.
• Learn the meanings of whatever
verses or suppl ications you
recite in salaat.
Salaat (The Prayer) 6 7
Al la h's Messenger ( � ) is your

guide, so fol l ow him.
Work on Perfecting your Salaat

Ask yourself: I s sa/aat a burden or is
it a pleasure for me? I s it something I
look forward to doing or something I
leave to the last moment because it is a
chore? Does my mind wander when I
pray? I s my heart aware of the
Presence of Allah? Or do I use sa/aat to
balance my unfi nished works?
If your salaat is fal l ing short; if
you can not leave concerns of the
world long enough to complete a
single rak'ah, then there is work to be
done!
Remember that salaat is both a
protection as wel l a s a l itmus test of
fa ith - a barometer of faith, as it were.
When sa/aat is straight, your l ife
outside salaat will be stra ight. When
your l ife outside is straight and your
priorities are in order, so too your
salaat will be perfected. What captures
your heart outside salaat will hold your
heart inside sa/aat. Whatever concerns
yo u m ost outside sa/aat wil l concern
you m ost inside sa/aat. To modify a n
English saying: Tel l me how you pray
and I will tel l you who you a re!
68 Salaat {The Prayer)
Exercises
1. Lexically, the term sa/aat means _____ or _____
2. "The prayer is enjoined upon bel ievers at _______ times."
3· "The key to Paradise is the -------

"
4· Performing prostrations for Al l ah's sake raises him one ______
a n d a bsolves him of one -------
5· A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of which he is
B. Answer the following questions
1. H ow important is the sa/aat, a ccord ing to one of the Prophet's statements in

this regard?
2. What is the reward for congregational prayer a s compared to individ ual

prayer?
3· State the benefits of performing 'lshaa' a n d Fajr in congregation.
4· What is the reward for performing sa/aat in congregation?
5· What part of the prayer does a bel iever get a ctual credit for? Why?
6. Explain the word ihsaan .

70 Salaat {The Prayer)
7· H ow d oes All a h encourage us to remem ber a n d l ove H im?
8. What effect does a prayer that is perform ed properly have on a believer?
C. Think-up
What should a bel iever do when he finds that certain things distract him from
salaat? Answer by giving examples.
2. Explain briefly how you wou l d improve your ability to concentrate in salaat.
3· What a re the major sins? G ive some examples.

Zakaat (The Purifying Dues) 11
Zakaat is the Third Pillar of Islam
Zakaat is one of the five pillars of I slam. Some people wrongly think that
the place of zakaat comes after siyaam (fasting), or even Hajj (the
pilgrimage). Zakaat is actually the third pillar of I slam that comes
immediately after sa/aat. Among the pil lars of I slam, zakaat ranks very
close to sa/aat. They are often mentioned together in the Qur'an, as in the
following verses:
"Establish regular prayer and give zakaat." (Surat ai-Muzzammil, 73: 20)
"Establish regular prayer and give zakaat and obey Allah and His
Messenger." (Surat ai-Ahzaab, 33: 33)
"Be steadfast in Prayer, give zakaat, and bow down in prayer with those
who bow down [in worship and obedience]." (Surat a/-Baqarah, 2: 43)
The Term 'Zakaat' thus affirms the truth that nothing is

Zakaat is an Arabic term. dearer to him in life than the l ove of
Lexica lly, the term denotes Allah, and this action of his clearly
purification, blessing and growth. shows that he is fu l ly prepared to
Another term used in the Qur'an and sacrifice everything for H is sake.
hadeeth for zakaat is sadaqaat(Surat The payment of zakaat purifies
at-Tawbah, g:6o ). The term is derived the bel iever, his wea lth and h is soul by
from sidq (the truth). Both these terms cleansing him of the diseases of
are highly meaningful . The spending of miserliness. It a l so purifies his wealth
wealth for the sake of Al lah purifies the by removing any evil effect on it.
heart of man of the l ove of material Al la h's Messenger ( � ) once said,
wealth. H ence, the translation of the "Whoever pays the zakaat on his
term zakaat as Purifying dues seems wealth will have its evil removed from
. him." ( I bn Khuzaymah
appropriate. The person who offers and
that as a humble gift before the Lord at-Ta baraanee)
If someone does not give to the The I mportance of Zakaat
poor a n d the needy what is their due, Social justice a n d compassion to
his wealth remains impu re. Indeed, this fel l ow h u mans is one of the centra l
person's inner self, too, is impure. H is themes of I slam. zakaat, l ike sa/aat and
heart is too narrow a n d fi l led with siyaam, had been enjoined on the
thanklessness. H e is too selfish and people of messengers gone by.
almost worships wealth. While Al lah Zakaat is obl igatory on a nyone
has been kind and generous to give who has wealth that rea ches or
him wealth in excess of his needs, it exceeds a certain l evel called the
pains him to give what is H is d u e. H ow nisaab, or scale - an mount on which
can we expect such a person ever to d o zakaat becomes obligatory, unlike tax,
some good with the sole aim of which is levied by governments, zakaat
pleasing Al lah, or make any sacrifice for is an a ct of worship for which one
receives reward from Al lah. I gnoring to
the sake of I slam, and his faith?
pay the zakaat, on the other hand, is a
m ajor sin. According to the scholars,
a nyone who d oes not pay zakaat by
denying its obl igation is considered a
d isbeliever.
Zakaat Is the Right of the Poor

Feb Zakaat is not a favour that is
given to the poor by the rich. Rather, it
is their right. It is the right of the poor
on the wea lth of the rich. Al lah says,
" . . . And those in whose wealth is a
known right for the [needy] who asks

and him who is deprived." (Surat
ai-M a'aarij, 70: 24-25)
Zakaat in Islam Zakaat, therefore, is unlike
In the Sharee'ah, zakaat's charity (ca l led sadaqah) that is given to
technical meaning is in reference to a the needy vol untarily. To with hold
specific portion of one's d ifferent type zakaat is to deprive the poor of their
of wealth that one m ust give yearly to rightful share. Thus the person who
a specific group of recipients pays zakaat a ctually purifies his wealth
mentioned in the Qur'an . (Surat by separating from it the portion that
at-Tawbah, g : 6o) belongs to the poor.
74 Zakaat (The Purifying Dues)
The Fate of those who Refuse to before. They will tread on him with
Pay Zakaat their hooves, b utt him with their h orns
The Qur'anic verses and the and encircle him. When the l ast d oes its
hadeeth use the sternest terms to warn turn, the fi rst will start aga in, and h is
those who refuse to pay the zakaat. punishment wil l go on u ntil Al lah has
The Qur'an says, "And those who finished the judgment among the
hoard up gold and silver and do not people."' (ai-Bukhaare and M uslim)
spend it in the way of Al lah, warn The Prophet ( � ) a l so said,
them of a painful suffering [in the life "Whoever is made wea lthy by Al lah
to come]. On that day when [the and does n ot pay the zakaat o n h is
hoarded wealth] will be heated in the wea lth, then on the Day of
fire of hell and with it wil l be branded Resurrection his wea lth will be made
their foreheads, their sides and their [into the shape] like a bald-headed,
backs, [and It wil l be said to them], poisonous snake with two black spots
(This is the treasure which you over the eyes. It wil l encircle h is neck
hoarded for yourselves, so taste what and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am you r
you used to hoard."' (Surat at-Tawbah, wealth, I am y o u r treasu re."'
g: 34-35) (ai-Bukhaaree)
Abu Dharr ( ¢� ) said, " Once I
went to the Prophet ( � ) while he was Ruling concerning those who Do
sitting in the shade of the Ka ' bah. not Pay Zakaat
When he saw me, he said, 'They are Zakaat is one of the five pill ars of
indeed the l osers, by the Lord of the Islam, and if a person denies the
Ka ' bah!' I came and sat down but could obl igation of zakaat or says that it is
not rest and I soon stood up, saying, ' O not a part of Islam, then he is definitely
Al lah's M essenger, m a y I sacrifice m y a d isbeliever, according to the
father and m other t o save y o u ! Who agreement of scholars. The q uestion
are they?' He replied, 'Those who have once again is: What is the status of a
the largest wealth, except whoever person who a ccepts zakaat a s an
does this, th is, this and this [pointing in obligation but due to laziness,
front of him a n d to his back a n d left] . miserl iness or carelessness, he does
I n deed, few w h o do this. Whoever has not give zakaat? Does he remain a
camels or cows or sheep and does not M uslim? For the majority of scholars,
pay the zakaat on them, these animals this person is still a M usl im, but a
wil l be brought on the Day of severe punishment awaits him.
Resurrection far bigger and fatter than
Zakaat {The Purifying Dues) 75
The Worldly Punishment for not sword against them." H is a rguments
Paying Zakaat convinced the companions. (Abu
A person who d oes n ot pay Daawood)
zakaat wil l receive painful punishment Abu Bakr is also reported to have
in the afterlife for depriving the poor of said, ' By Allah! I will fight anyone who
their rights a n d for rejecting Al lah's distinguishes between prayer and
command to do so. In addition, he may zakaat. Zakaat is the obl igatory right to
also incur l oss in h is wealth and be taken from the property. By Al lah! If
property or face some other forms of they refuse to give m e even a yo ung
calamities in this world . The Prophet nanny goat, which they used to give at
( � ) said, "Whenever an amount of the time of the Prophet ( � ), I will fight
wea lth is destroyed in the land or the them for with holding it.'
sea, it could be beca use its zakaat was
not given." (at-Ta bara anee) The Nisaab - or Scale on which
The Prophet ( � ) a l so said, Zakaat becomes Obligatory
"Zakaat is never m ixed with any Zakaat is not imposed u n less the
amount of wea lth without destroying za katable wealth reaches a minimum
or rotting it." (ai-Bukhaaree) level, which is ca l led the nisaab, or
scale. For example, if one has
Zakaat and Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq thirty-nine goats then there is no
After the demise of the Prophet zakaat on his goats. H owever, if he has
( � ), some of the tribes refused to pay forty goats, then zakaat is certa inly due
zakaat. Abu Ba kr, the first cal iph, on them. The Nisaab on goats,
fo ught them. H e had n o hesitation in therefore, is forty goats.
taking u p arms against M uslims who Different types of properties
bel ieved in Allah and H is Messenger have d ifferent nisaabs. For example,
( � ) and performed sa/aat, but refused the nisaab on money is 85 grams of
to pay zakaat. Some of the Prophet's gold, the nisaab on silver is 595 grams,
companions initia l ly had some the nisaab on camels is five camels, and
confusion whether they could wage the nisaab on grains is 653 kilograms.
war against them, but not Abu Bakr. He Zakaat on each type of wealth is
clearly announced, " By Al lah! If these ca lculated separately.
people withhold the zakaat they used The nisaab must be in excess of
to pay d uring the time of the Prophet the basic needs of the owner. Things
( � ), even if it be a piece of rope by used for satisfying the basic necessities
which a camel is tied, I shall ra ise my are n ot considered za kata ble. Basic
needs are food, shelter, clothes, 1428 (one ful l Hijrah l unar calendar
household goods, utensils, furniture, year) . Once the zakaat year is set, the
money to pay back debts, basic same d ate range should be used for
tra nsport, books of knowledge, etc. To future zakaat yea rs.
clarify this, l et us su ppose that the
nisaab on money is $1200 and a family Conditions of Zakaat: Wealth
of four needs $2o,ooo per year to fulfil Subject to Zakaat
its basic needs in a particular place. If
the head of that family earns $21 ,ooo in 1. The wealth or the property
the zakaat year and he d oes not have should be of a growing type. It
any other wealth or money, then from should h ave the capa bility for
the viewpoint of zakaat, he has only growth and development, such
$1000. This is short of $1200 nisaab on as money, l ivestock and
money and consequently, there is n o property.
2. One full lunar yea r should pass
zakaat on that money. H owever, if, in
addition to h is income, he also has cash since the ownership of the
savings of $500 from the previous year, wealth for zakaat to be d ue. This
condition is limited to money
then h is wea lth from the viewpoint of
that is saved, l ivestock and
zakaat is $1 500 ($1 ooo + $500 ). This is at
goods for sale. It does not
or a bove nisaab on money. Zakaat,
include crops, fruits, mineral s
therefore, will be due on $1500.
and treasure.
3· The a sset must be at or a bove
Zakaat Year
the nisaab. There is d ifferent
The passage of one lunar
nisaab for d ifferent types of
(accord ing to Hijrah calendar) is
wea lth.
required before zakaat can be imposed
4· The assets should be in e;�.::. c ss of
on certain wealth. Assets that remain the basic needs. What is needed
with their owners for one fu l l l unar by an individual to satisfy the
year are zakatable. Rich M uslims, basic needs for him and h is
therefore, must establish their zakaat family is n ot subject to zakaat.
year. Many M uslims cal culate zakaat 5· One's debts, if any, should be
during Ramadhaan for the added deducted from one's wealth
reward of worshipping during this before calcu l ating zakaat. If the
blessed month. So, an example of the owner is burdened by debt that
zakaat year m ay be from the 11th exceeds the nisaab, then zakaat
Ramadan 1427 to the 1 0th Ramadan is n ot d ue.
Zakaat {The Purifying Dues) 77
People Subject to Zakaat

Zakaat is imposed on only M uslims. Zakaat is obligatory on
wea lth regard less of whether the owner is an a d u lt or a m inor.
Therefore, zakaat is due on wealth owned by minors a n d the
insane as wel l . Legal guardians should pay zakaat on behalf of
minors and insane people.
There is n o zakaat on M uslim reverts for the past period of
disbelief.
Silver 5 9 5 grams Number of animals Zakaat due

1-4 camels N one
Gold 8 5 grams 5-9 camels 1 sheep
1 0-1 4 camels 2 sheep
Merchandise Equal to the value 1 5-1 9 camels 3 sheep
of 8 5 grams of gold
1-29 cows N one
30-39 cows 1 one-year old cow
Camels 5 camels
40-59 cows 1 two-year old cow
Goats 60-69 cows 2 one-year old cows
4 0 goats
1 -3 9 sheep N one
Sheep 4 0 sheep 40-1 2 0 sheep 1 sheep
1 21-2 0 0 sheep 2 sheep
Cows 3 0 cows 210-30 0 sheep 3 sheep
Zakaat is compulsory on Jewe l lery
merchandise o r trading goods. If a If gold and silver are in the form of

l unar year passes and the merchandise jewellery, then zakaat is payable on them.
It is reported that a woman came to the
or the trading goods reach the nisaab,
Prophet ( �) with her daughter on whose
which is the val u e of 85 grams of gold, wrists were two thick gold bracelets. The
zakaat becomes d ue. Zakaat on them is Prophet ( � ) asked, " Do you pay zakaat
2.5% if their val u e reaches the nisaab. on this?' ' N o,' she replied. Thereupon the
Zakaat on l ivestock a n d their Prophet ( �) said, 'Would you prefer Allah
nisaab is d ifferent. Nisaab and the rates to make you wear two bracelets of fire in
of zakaat on various animals is as place of these two on the Day of
fo l l ows: Judgment?' (Abu Daawood)
'Aa ' ishah ( � ) said, "Al lah's it is kept as a security if a financial need
Messenger ( � ) entered my apartment arises, it req uires the zakaat. Nisaab on
and found in my hands a few rings of jewellery is 8 5 grams of gol d or 595
silver. H e asked, 'What is this?' I sa id, ' I grams of silver and the zakaat rate is
made them i n order to use them as 2.5%.
ornaments to please you.'' Alla h's
Messenger ( � ) said, ' Do you pay their Zakaat on the Produce of the
zakaat?' I answered, ' N o,' He said, 'That Earth
wou l d be eno ugh for you of the fi re.' " Agricultural prod uce, such a s
(Ab u Daawood and ai-H aakim) grains, fru its and vegetables is a l s o
Zakaat, thus, must be paid on zakatable. Zakaat is 1 0% if t h e land i s
gol d and silver, even if they a re in the watered b y ra in a l l or most o f the
shape of ornaments, just a s on cash. period and 5% if it is watered by
Accord ing to some scholars, however, irrigation all or most of the period. The
zakaat need n ot be given on jewels, nisaab on crops is 653 kilograms. The
pearls, diamonds, a n d precious stones zakaat on these becomes due at
used for bea utification purposes. But if harvest time.
Those Entitled to Receive the Zakaat?

According to the Qur'an, eight categories of people are entitled
to receive the zakaat (See S urat At-Tawbah, 9: 6o ) .
1. Fuqaraa': the poor

The fuqaraa ' are those who do have some money but not
s ufficient to meet their basic needs. They cannot m a ke both ends
meet; yet they do not ask for help due to modesty and
self-respect. They l ive in great hardship and d ifficulties.
2. Masaakeen: the destitute and the needy
The masaakeen a re total ly destitute. They have nothing to m eet
their needs.
3· Workers in zakaat administration ( al-'aamileena 'alayhaa )
Those who collect and d istribute zakaat could be paid their
sala ries from zakaat funds, a ccording to the verse 9:60. This
fol lows that zakaat coll ection and admin istration is the function of
an organ ized body of paid employees. These workers can receive
wages regard less of whether they a re poor or n ot.
4· Those whose hearts need to be reconciled (al-mu'allafatu

quloobuhum)
This includes people who have recently become M uslim. They also
incl ude the people whose evil a cts can be prevented. They are also
those who req uire to be given m oney to seek their support for Islam
or to prevent them from opposition. They may be given zakaat to
reconcile them by showing at first hand the caring nature of I slam.
5· Freeing from bondage (fir-riqaab)
Zakaat money can be used to purchase a slave from his master in
order to set him free. According to Sayyid Abui-A'ala Mawdudee, this
category can also be extended to such people as those who have
been imprisoned for their inability to pay fines imposed upon them.
They can be helped with zakaat money to secure their release.
6. Those in debt for personal reasons (al-ghaarimeen, the
overburdened debtors)
These are the people who are overburdened with debt that they
cannot pay it on their own. The debt can be the result of buying a
house for family use, medical expenses, marriage, or other lawful
expenses. Some scholars, however, say that it is undesirable to give
zakaat to people who have fa llen into debt due to their wasteful
habits. They argue that the hope of receiving help from zakaat will
encourage them to continue with their wastefulness. I slam takes a
very noble and understanding attitude towards people burdened with
debt.
7· For the Cause of Allah (fee Sabeelillaah)
The seventh category where zakaat can be spent according to the
Qur'an (9: 6o ) is spending in the way of Al lah. This refers to jihad, or
fighting for the sake of Allah. It means giving help to a struggle for
making Islam supreme on earth. It is significant to real ize that jihad, or
striving, is not restricted to armed struggle only. It could also include
writing, lecturing, and organizing work to support or defend I slam.
8. The ravellers (ibnus-sabeel)
A travel ler may have any amount of wealth in his home, but if he is in
need of money while travelling, he may be given zakaat. Certain
conditions, however, apply, including the fact that the journey should
n ot be made in disobedience to Allah but for a valid cause, such as
seeking knowledge, searching for a lawful job or conducting b usiness.
Bo Zakaat (The Purifying Dues)
Zakaat money should be given to non-M uslims. It is significant to realize,
the a bove categories according to however, that a l l poor a n d needy
their priorities - things that are people, regard less of their rel igio us
regarded as m ore important than bel iefs, can always be hel ped from
others. It should be based on a ctual other funds. They have a share in a l l
needs and public interest. But it is other genera l charities or social
important to remember that the security payments. It will be wrong to
primary recipients of zakaat are the d iscriminate against them.
poor and the needy. H el ping such The Prophet ( � ) once said to
people is the main objective of zakaat. Aa'ishah ( � ), lt Do n ot turn away a
Further, sinfu l M uslims may be given poor man, Aa ' ishah, even if a l l you can
zakaat too. A person's sinfu l ness does give is half a date. If you l ove the poor
not disqualify him from receiving help! and bring them near to you, Aa ' ishah,
Al lah will bring you near H im on the
Who Cannot Receive Zakaat? Day of Resurrection." ( at-Tirm idhee)
This category a l so includes the
children of those who are rich and Other Important Considerations
those whose l iving expenses are the
responsibil ity of a rich person . Parents The intention is requ ired when
and chil dren cannot give zakaat to each paying zakaat. Th is intention,
other, nor can h usba nds and wives. A h owever, m ust not be expressed
dista nt relative, however, is beyond in words. I ntention is also
doubt entitled to it.
needed so that payment of
zakaat can be distinguished from
Can Non-Muslims Be Given
other charitable donations.
Zakaat?
Remember zakaat is an a ct of
Only M uslims are entitled to
worship.
receive zakaat. Accord ing to the
majority of scholars, zakaat can not be
given to non-M uslims. The Prophet Zakaat d oes not have to be paid
( � ) sa id, " It will be ta ken from the in kind but can a l so be paid in
wealthy among you and distributed to va lue. For example, if one is
the poor among you . " (ai-Bukhaa ree required to pay zakaat on h is
and M uslim) crops, then he is perm itted to
pay in cash the va l ue of the crop
Th is concerns zakaat with regard to that is to be given in zakaat.
Zakaat is d u e immed iately; Du'aa by the Recipient for the

payment of zakaat, therefore, Giver of Zakaat
should not be delayed unless Than kful ness is a trait of a l l
there is a valid reason to wait in good-hearted people. This is m ore so
order to give it to needy relatives for a believer. H e is ever grateful for all
or a nyone else in need. the bounties of l ife granted to him by
Pre-payment is a l l owed Al lah. Such a person n ever fails to
a ccording to m ost jurists on appreciate any help, h owever small,
assets that req uire the passage given to him by others. I n this modern
of one year, such as l ivestock, time of o u rs people l ive for
m oney, trading goods and themselves. Self-cantered l ifestyle has
jewellery, if the payer has the become the norm these d ays. To come
necessary nisaab. It is forward and help the needy is indeed a
permissible to give zakaat even sign of l ove a n d compassion. This is
two years in advance. exactly what the zakaat giver does. H e
gives part of h is wealth t o his needy
Should the Receivers be Told it is brothers and sisters. He does n ot want
Zakaat? to receive any worl d ly benefits by his
When zakaat is paid to those zakaat.
whom the giver thin ks are poor, there Moreover, he d oes not offer this
is n o need to inform the recipient that sacrifice just once or twice, b ut he
it is zakaat. There is no need to continues it year after year so l ong a s
humiliate the recipient by saying so. H e Al lah bl esses him with a certain
s h o u l d p a y him and remain sil ent. One amou nt of wealth.
should not h umiliate the bel ievers. A zakaat receiver, therefore1
There are people who would hesitate should pray for blessings and m ercy for
to receive zakaat d ue to their the zakaat givers, even though he may
self-respect and modesty. Some even
may feel uncertain about whether they
are qualified to receive zakaat. If the
giver considers the receiver to be poor
and deserving of zakaat, then this wil l
b e enough. There i s n o need t o further
check or confirm it.
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false { F).
1. Zakaat is a favour that the rich do the poor. ---
2. Zakaat is im posed on only M uslims. ___
3· It is a l l right to give zakaat to wasteful spendthrifts. ___
4· A sinful person should not be given zakaat. __

_
5· The intention for paying zakaat need n ot be expressed in words. ___
6. There is no need to inform the recipient of the zakaat. __
1. Zakaat is the pillar of I slam and ran ks very close to salaat.
2. u . . . And those in whose is a known for
the [ needy] who a sks and him who is deprived."
3· The passage of is requ ired before zakaat can be i mposed on
certa in types of wealth.
4· M a ny M uslims calculate zakaat d u ring _______ for added
rewards.
5· _____ should pay zakaat on behalf of minors a n d insane people.
6. Zakaat is ______ if the land is watered by rain a n d if
the land is watered by irrigation.
7· The primary recipients of zakaat are the ------ and the

C. Answer the fol lowing questions.
1. H ow can the phrase 'purifying d ues' be considered the appropriate translation

of the term zakaat?
2. H ow can we say that a person's inner self is impure when he does not give
zakaat?
3· On whom is zakaat obligatory?
4· List a few punishments in this life and in the afterlife that await those refuse to
pay zakaat.
84 Zakaat {The Purifying Dues)
5· Explain the term nisaab in detail.
6. Mention the condition of wealth that is subject to zakaat.
7. List the people who are entitled to receive zakaat.

8. What are the conditions of giving zakaat to travellers?
9· Pre-payment of zakaat is a l l owed; what about delayed payment?
D. Think-up
1. Distinguish between the terms zakaat and sadaqah .
2. H ow can we help non-M uslims if giving zakaat to them is forbidden?

Aayat ai-Birr (The Righteousness Verse) 12
There is no book that q uickens I n this u n it, we are going to study
the hearts, transforms l ives and it l eads Verse 1 77 of Surat ai-Baqarah. This
whole people from glory to glory l ike verse, or aayah, is n ot known by any
the Qur'an. Indeed, the Qur'an is th e particular nam e, such as aayat al-kursee
final answer to man's eternal q uest for is. H owever, we wil l call it Aayat ai-Birr
existence. For M u sl im s, it is the for the purpose of study. It is one
ultimate arbiter of their destiny, be it complete aayah. The word al-birr
their rise to the heights of glory and occurs in its beginning. The aayah has
civil ization or their fal l into the in it one of the m ost bea utiful
bottomless pits of decay and d isgrace. summaries of essential I slamic bel iefs
The Qur'an has u ntold, priceless and pra ctices.
treasures to offer. It has the endless
joys of communicatio n with our
Creator. It has the immense riches of
knowledge a n d wisdom that guide on
the path of our Lord. It has the hea l ing
that cures our inner and social
illnesses. It offers support, aid and
comfort so that we can carry the
burdens of l ife joyfu lly and reach
/ {. .& ;. ""',.P / / ,...-:..,.. -;; "',... ,..._.
.-:;; ;,., ... ... 'S/ ? .11 . /
0:� \ �jl u:t:\1 �_) �9� �tJ.:.) I � �� G
salvation and success both in this life �-" /
.
/
��
� �_;Q�j��jtJ��
and in the l ife to come.
These treasures are for all the
wayfarers and seekers. They are Translation of its Meaning
available to us today now as they were "It is not righteousness that you turn
available to their seekers yesterday, your faces towards the east or the
more than fou rteen centuries ago. west, but [true] righteousness is to
Surat ai-Baqarah is the second believe in Allah, the Last Day, the
and, indeed, the longest surah of the angels, the Books, and the prophets,
Qur'an . It consists of 286 verses and and to give wealth in spite of love for
covers a bo ut two and a half parts (juz') it, to the relatives, the orphans, the
out of the thirty parts into which the needy, the traveller and those who ask
Qur'an has been divided, to facilitate [for help], and for freeing slaves; and
its regular read ing. to establish the prayer and give
Aayat Birr (The Righteousness Verse) 87
zakaat; to keep promises and be ai-'Asr is a rosebud, Aayat ai-Birr is the

patient in poverty and hardship and flowering of that rosebud. Surat at-'Asr
during battle. Those are the ones who gives us fou r conditions for sa lvation,
are, of truth, the God-fearing." ( Surat and Aayat at-Birr d iscusses three of
a�Baqarah, 2: 1 77) these main conditions in some detail.
The rosebud of Surat at-'Asr
Explanation opens u p, as it were, into five bea utiful
What does the term at-Birr peta ls of Aayat at-Birr. Surat at-'Asr
mea n? mentions eemaan (faith), Aayat ai-Birr
At-Birr is an Arabic word which is describes its five principal articles:
very significant and comprehensive. It
is used for what is good in the a bsol ute Bel ief in Allah,
sense. It combines in itself a l l a cts of Belief in the Last Day,
righteousness a n d o bedience, inward Belief in the Angels,
and o utward . Belief in the Books of Al lah,
Belief in the Prophets.
Accord ing to Lane, it means
"benevolent and Sol icitous (showing The verse a l so describes three
great concern for another person's main categories of good deeds:
welfa re, interests, etc.), regard or
treatment o r cond u ct (to parents and Mercy towards fel low beings,
others, i.e. righteousness to parents The rights of Al lah - a/- ribaadaat,
and towards God), and good ness, or M u 'aamalaat (social deal ings,
beneficence, a n d kindness, or good human relations)
and affectionate and gentle behaviour,
and regard for. the circumstances of The verse a l so mentions three
another." (E.W. Lan e, Arabic-English occasions which need steadfastness in
Lexicon, 2003, Vol . 1 , p. 176) the l ife of a bel iever:
Deep Relationship between H u nger,

Surat ai-'Asr And Aayat-ui-Birr Physical and mental torture, and
Aayat at-Birr is one of the l ongest Times of peril and strife.
aayaat (plura l of aayah) of the Qur'an.
There is a close rel ationship between The verse a l so portrays a ful l,
Aayat at-Birr and Surat at- rAsr, and this comprehensive model of a believer's
closeness is quite apparent. If Surat chara cter.
88 Aayat ai-Birr {The Righteousness Verse)
Righteousness is not attained by direction a s east, west, north or south,
merely turning One's Face towards but towards a particular H ouse, on
the East or the West whatever side of the worshipper it may
The Qur'an stresses that mere happen to be!
obedience to outward appearance It is a l so significant to n ote that
does not fu lfil the requ irements of Musl ims do not worship the H o use, or
righteousness. The reference to the Ka ' bah. Rather, they worship Allah
turning one's face in prayer in this or Al one, the Lord of the H o use.
that d irection fl ows from the q uestion
of qiblah. Then who are the truly
·
The purpose behind the qiblah righteous?

and a l l aspects of worship and rituals The truly righteous a re those
has never been merely the direction who be lieve in Allah, the Last day, the
people face or indeed only any a ngel s and revelation, ( I n this context,
outward form. Although the o utward the term revelation (ai-Kitaab) carries a
forms a re essential, these are not what generic significance: it refers to the
give worship its va l ue or meaning. It whole group of revealed books, the
does n ot make people good or last of which is the Qur'an) and the
righteous. Righteousness is the result Prophets.
of a total feel ing. It is an attitude.
Righteousness is made up of behaviou r The Aayah Continues to further
which shapes t h e individ ua l a n d the Describe the Righteous
col lective conscience of h uman beings. u and to give wealth in spite of love
• • •
Righteousness is, in fact, a discipline. for it, to the relatives, the orphans, the
needy, the travel ler and those who ask
Mere Appearances are not [for help], and for freeing slave ... "
enough The virtues mentioned here are
It is a l so important to realize that in fact gateways to success in this
both directions, the east and the west, worl d as wel l as in the hereafter.
have been held sacred by many paga n The expression 'a faa hubbihee (in
rel igions. The Righteousness Verse spite of l ove for it) m eans however
strikes at the root of direction-worship. much one may cherish it; the
It says very clearly that there is no expression can also be und erstood to
merit at all in merely turn ing towards mea n 'out of l ove for Al l a h ' . Thus the
any particu lar d irection. I slamic expression can be rea d to spea k of
worship is not directed towards any giving goods and money out of l ove for
Aayat ai-Birr (The Righteousne ss Verse) 8 9
Al lah (as opposed to giving for The expression ibn as-sabeel
personal motives), or of giving goods (traveller, wayfarer) refers to any
or money in spite of holding them dear, person "who is far away from his
rather than just giving away what you home, especia l ly one who, beca u se of
don't care a bo ut. this circumstance, d oes n ot have
Abu H urayrah ( �) narrated that sufficient m eans of l ivelihood at his
the Prophet ( ii ) said, "The most disposa l " . ( La ne, Vol . 1, p.1302) In its
superior [kind of] sadaqah (cha rity) in wider sense, it describes a person who,
reward is the one you give while you for any reason whatsoever, is unable to
are healthy, u nwilling to spend and retu rn home either tempora rily or
afraid of poverty and wish to become perm anently. He should, therefore, be
rich." (ai-Bukhaaree) given s ufficient provision to enable him
H owever, one's family mem bers to return to his country.
have priority over others as far as Ibn as-sabeel also signifies the
charity is concerned, as the Prophet guest. Allah's Messenger ( ii ) is
( � ) said, "Giving charity to the needy reported to have said, " H e who
is one sadaqah but giving it to relatives bel ieves in Al lah and the Last Day
is twofold sadaqah - It is sadaqah as should honour his guest according to
wel l as joining ties of relationsh ip, for his right." People asked, "An d what is
they are the people in need of your his right?" He repl ied, "One day and
generosity. " (ai-Bukhaaree) one n ight, and hospita l ity is for three
The orphans are those who have days. Beyond that it is sadaqah. "
lost their fathers or both parents, are (ai-Bukhaaree a n d M uslim)
wea k, very yo ung, immature and Al lah's Messenger ( � ) a l so said,
unable to earn a l iving. H owever, once " It is a part of the S unnah that a man
they attain maturity they are n o m ore goes with his guest to the door of the
orphans. house." ( I b n M aajah)
The needy: Abu H urayrah ( � )
narrated that the Prophet ( ii ) said, " ... and those who ask [for help] . . " .
"AI-miskeen (needy) is not the one who means those who ask for help should
goes round a sking people for a morsel be given charity. Alla h's M essenger
or two of food or one date or two, but ( ·� ) said, "The asker ( literal ly, beggar)
rather one who has not enough m oney is entitled to charity even if he comes
to satisfy his needs and whose begging on h orseback." (Ahmad and
cond ition is not known to others, that Abu Daawood) As-saa 'il signifies
others may give someth ing in charity." anyone who asks for help.
(a i-Bu khaaree and M uslim)
90 Aayat ai-Birr (The Righteousnes s Verse)
The word raqabah (pl. riqaab) I n fact, the prayer is the hal lmark
l itera l ly means 'the neck' but refers to of a M uslim. Paying the zakaat the -
the entire human person. The purifying dues - is another a spect of

expression wa fir-riqaab means "and righteousness. It is clear from the text
for freeing slaves". This applies to both of the aayah that zakaat is separate
the ra nsoming of captives and the from, rather than an obl igation for, the
freeing of slaves. By including this kind desirable charitable a ct m entioned
of expenditure within the essential earl ier.
a cts of righteousness, the Qur'an
While giving to those causes is
impl ies that the freeing of people from
voluntary, paying zakaat is a rel igious
bondage - and thus, the abolition of
duty in its own right, and both are
slavery - is one of the social objectives
essential factors in attaining
of Islam.
The Verse adds that the regular righteousness. U n less this was the
observance of salaat, prayer, is another case, there would be n o meaning in
important aspect of righteousness. giving zakaat a separate mention in the
Salaat is m uch more than a sequence of same Verse.
bodily movements a n d recitations. Keeping one's promises is
There is more to it than facing a certain a nother aspect of righteousness. The
direction, east or west. Salaat is an act Qur'an frequently highl ights it as a
of tota l submission. It is a tota l feature of true faith . It is a quality
dedication to Al lah and a perfect which stems from the fu lfilment of
exa mple of I slam's whole o utlook on one's promise to Al lah. It is an essential
life. requirement for creating a climate of
The prayer is a source of m utual trust and confidence among
strength for the believers. It keeps
individua ls, societies and nations. Islam
their faith ( eemaan) a live a n d a ctive.
has given a matchless example of
The prayer purifies the soul of many
honesty that can never be surpassed .
diseases, such as despair and
Steadfastness a n d perseverance
cowardice. Indeed, the prayer is so
essential to a person's faith that it is in times of misfortune and hard ship,
similar to the role of one's beliefs and a n d in the face of danger, a re
creed. The Prophet ( � ) once said, necessary q u alities for the ed ucation
"The covenant between us and them and development of strong individuals
(i.e. the d isbel ievers) is the prayer; with sterl ing character who will stand
hence whoever abandons the prayer firm come what may. U nder such
will be a d isbel iever. " (Ahmad, conditions, the faithful never lose hope
at-Tirmidhee and N asaa'ee) or confidence in Al lah, nor will they
Aayat ai-Birr {The Righteousness Verse) 9 1
seek help from . any source other than from Al lah. All the
believers should have resil ience (the ability to recover quickly
from shock, injury, etc.) to withstand poverty, weakness, l oss of
friends and companions, shortage of resources, and rigors and
consequences of struggle in the way of Al lah.
Th us we see how, in the unique style of the Qur'a n, a
single brief verse, combines the essentials of faith and personal
and financial I slamic obligations a n d presents them a s a
complete code under the a l l-embra cing titl e of al-birr
(righteousness). Al-birr is essentially a concise and complete
statement of the basic philosophy of I slam and its principles.
The verse ends with the words: "Those are the ones who
are, of truth, the God-fearing."
I n reflection on the contents of this verse, one can clearly
form a mental picture of the great heights to which Al lah is
aiming to raise human beings through I slam. But as one looks at
those who ignore Islam, or those who resist it and suppress or
persecute its fol l owers and supporters, and those who simply
turn away from it, one cannot help being fil led with sorrow. Yet
we m u st n ot despair. Our faith a n d trust in Al lah fill our hearts
with hope and confidence. The day will come when humanity
will come a round to seeing the profound value, un iversal
bea uty and eternal qualities of Islam.
92 Aayat ai-Birr (The Righteousness Verse)
Exercises
1. For Muslims, the Qur'an i s the of their destiny.
2. Mere obedience to o utward forms d oes n ot fulfil the requ irement of
3· The Righteousness Verse strikes at the root of ______
4· Once they attain maturity, they are no l onger ______
5· Mere appearances a re not ______

-------------------------------- �
1. What is Aayat ai-Birr? Explain the term al-birr.
2. M ention some similarities between Surat ai-'Asr and Aayat ai-Birr.

Aayat ai-Birr (The Righteousness Verse) 93
3· What is the essence of righteo usness?
4· Do M uslims worship the Ka ' bah? If n ot, then who do they worship?
5· Mention some of the qualities of the truly righteo us.
6. Explain the term 'a/aa hubbihee.
7· What is the most su perior type of sada q ah ?

94
8. Who is a real miskeen, a ccording to the hadeeth m entioned a bove?
9· What is the right of one's guest?
10. H ow is zakaat different from sadaqah?
C. Think-up
1. The kinsfolk have priority over others in charity.
2. Hard ships and tribulations a re essential for M uslims.

The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj) 13
The Importance of Hajj

The hajj is an obligation u pon every adult M uslim who is
physically fit and has the financial means to perform it. It is,
however, m uch more than an obligation. It is one of the
pilla rs of I slam itself.
* E . W. Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, 2003, Cambridge, England : The Islamic

Texts Society, Vol . 1 , p . 5 1 3 .
96 The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj)
Who Must Perform Hajj? Virtues of Hajj
Every M uslim who fulfils the The reward for the performance
fol l owing conditions must perform hajj of hajj is great. Al lah's Messenger ( � )
at least once in h is l ifetime: said, "Whoever performs hajj and does
1. H e must be a � a d u lt - sufficiently not comm it any indecency or any sins
mature to u n derstand the import and d uring it returns as he was on the day
significance of what he is setting out to his mother gave birth to him."
do. (AI-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
2. He must be of sound mind and Allah's M essenger ( � ) also said,
ful l control of h is mental faculties. "One 'umrah (to the next 'umrah is
3· He m ust be sound enough expiation (kaffaarah) for [the minor
financially to be able to not only bear sins committed ] between them, and
all of h is expenses for hajj but also to the hajj that is accepted by Al lah and
provide adequately for his dependents performed properly has no reward
during his a bsence and u ntil his return. other than Paradise." (AI-Bukhaaree
Children who have not come of age are and M uslim)
exempted from performing hajj. Once someone asked the
Prophet ( � ), "What is the best deed?"
Prerequisites for Hajj He said, " Belief in Allah and H is
Hajj is a n act of worship. It must M essenger. " H e then a sked him,
be performed in peace and "What next?" H e repl ied, "The hajj
single-minded devotion. which is performed correctly and
1. Yo ur intention must be to accepted by Al lah." (A-Bukhaaree and
perform hajj purely for the sake of M uslim)
Al lah. It should not be for pleasing, H e also said, " Make frequent
impressing others or showing off. circumambulations (tawaaf) around
2. The hajj expenses must be met the H ouse, for this wil l be among the
with money obtained through lawfu l gl ories of your records on the Day of
(halaal) means. Resurrection a s wel l a s the most
3· All of your debts and financia l fortunate action credited to you."
obligations must be settled before you (AI-Haakim: Saheeh)
start your journey. Doing tawaaf (circumambulation,
4· You m ust make a sincere effort going round the Ka 'bah) is therefore
to resolve your outstand ing commendable in itself, not only as a
d ifferen ces with others and seek part of hajj (pilgrimage) or 'umrah
forgiveness from those you may have (l esser pilgrimage). We rea d in a
hurt in a ny way in the past. hadeeth, "To go a round [the H ouse]
seven times is a s meritorious a s freeing d ress in a similar way a n d perform the

a slave, while the person who goes same rituals. The wea lthy, the poor and
around [it] seven times in the rain will all others stan d in the same manner
have all h is past sins forgiven." before Allah.
(At-Tirmidhee) The hajj is a perfect sign of faith.
Hajj is eq uivalent to jihaad for It combines in itself a l l the outstanding
women and those who are not capable qualities of other obl igatory acts. It
of taking part in jihaad. In one hadeeth, represents the quality of salaat, since a
Allah's Messenger ( � ) was asked pilgrim offers prayers towards the
whether or not women were required Ka'bah. It encourages spending of
to ta ke part in jihaad. He replied, "Yes, one's material wealth for the sake of
upon them is [a type of] jihaad which All a h, which is the chief characteristic
does not involve any fighting of zakaat. When a pilgrim sets out for
whatsoever: hajj and 'umrah." (Ahmad hajj, he leaves behind h is hearth and
and Ibn Maajah) home, h is dear and near ones to p lease
Moreover, hajj has many Allah. H e suffers hardships and
benefits. Indeed, it provides a meeting sometimes s uffers a l ack of basic
place for M uslims from all over the comforts and things necessary for l ife
world to come and worship Al lah the l esson we learn from fasting and
together. This provides an excellent i'tikaaf. I n fact, the pilgrimage is a n act
opportunity for them to meet one of worship of a l ifetime. It represents
another, understan d one another and the completion of surrender and
get closer to one another. They a l l perfection of one's rel igion.
The Meeqaat
The meeqaat (plura l :
mawaaqeet) is t h e place
Miqat Dhu i-Hulaifah

around M a kkah from
which a pilgrim a ssumes (Abyar Aii)
the state of ihraam .

Here, t h e pilgrim
'"Miqats for lhram)
changes into ihraam
clothing if he has not
done so before and
pronounces his
intention to perform hajj
or 'umrah. These places
(mawaaqeet) a re fixed by
different townships and
loca l ities in d ifferent
directions. Allah's M essenger
( � ) himself fixed these points. Miqat
Qarn AI-Manazil
Anyone who intends to perform (Sail Kabir)
hajj or 'umrah m ust not cross these
points without assuming the state of
ihraam.
These mawaaqeet a re:

• Dhul-Hulayfah, a place 4 5 0 km
north of Makkah, for people coming
from M a deenah and those who pass
by it. Jordan). These days, pilgrims coming
e Dhaat ' Irq, a place 94 km to the from Egypt, Ash-Shaam and those
northeast of Makkah, for people coming through these areas by l and,
coming from I ra q and those passing sea or air assume their ihraam from
through I raq by land or a ir. Raa bigh instea d of AI-J uhfah.
e A l-Juhfah, a place 1 87 km to the e Yalamlam, a place (a mountain)
northwest of Makkah, for people 54 km to the south of Makkah, for
coming from Egypt and Ash-Shaam people coming from Yemen and those
(i.e. Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and passing through Yemen.
e Qarn ai-Manaazil, a place 9 4 km salaat, while in the state of ihraam .

to the east of Makkah (now ca lled Both these p ieces of unsewn cloth
As-Sayl), for people coming from N aj d should be white and clean. He may
b y land or air. freshen his body with perfume before
•
Those who l ive between these changing into the ihraam clothing .
mawaaqeet a n d Makka h assume the lhraam for women consists of
state of ihraam for hajj and 'umrah their simple and modest clothing of
from their homes. As for those who daily wear. They are req uired to keep
l ive in Makkah, they go out of their hands and faces uncovered, while
Makkah's Sacred Area to assume their in the state of ihraam.
ihraam for 'umrah. As for hajj, they A pilgrim m ust intend the
assume the state of ihraam from their consecration (ihraam) with his heart.
homes. He is now. a muhrim (i.e. in a state of
Today people coming to Jeddah ihraam; a woman is cal led muhrimah)
by air often p ut on i and is subject to certai n obl igations
of embarkation. and prohibitions, which are d iscussed
at the end of this unit.
While in the state of ihraam, he
may use certain things for comfort and
convenience. He may wear flip-flops or
similar slippers, provided that they
The Stages and cover as l ittl e of h is feet as possible. H e
the Rites of Hajj may also wear a watch, sunglasses, use
an umbrel la, take a shower or bath,
At the Meeqaat: wash and change his ihraam clothing,
On arrival at the meeqaat, the pilgrim use unscented soap, use a belt and a
m ust attend to the following: pillow, and cover h imself with a
1. H e is recommended to perform a blanket during cold weather, l eaving
major ablution (ghusl), if possible, and his head and face uncovered. Women
make h imself clean and tidy. Ghusl is may continue to wear their modest
not obligatory, though. garments but may not use gloves.
2. lhraam: H aving d ivested h im self 3· He should now perform two
of a l l his clothes, he m ust now change units of prayer and pronounce his
into the ihraam clothing. A man wears intention to perform hajj or 'umrah as
a white seamless piece of cloth (izaar) the case may be. H e should then start
around his waist and the lower part of reciting the talbiyah loudly and
the body, a n d another seamless piece frequently a n d continue to d o so until
of cloth (ridaa') over his shoulder. H e he arrives at a/-Masjid a/-Haraam (the
s h o u l d not cover his h e a d even for Sacred Mosque). A woman must not
Obligations and Prohibitions of ways h e may offer this kaffaarah:
lhraam 1. By sacrificing a sheep and
Once the pilgrim has entered the d istributing its meat among the poor in
state of consecration (ihraam ) , he M a kkah,
m ust not cover his head, and he may 2. By feeding six poor people,
wear neither stitched cloth nor shoes. 3· By fasting for three days.
Women though keep their heads A M uslim must offer the dam a s
covered. H e should not a pply any kin d soon a s possible. If, however, he has
of perfume t o h is body or clothing. H e sexual intercourse d uring this state of
should neither clip h is nails nor shave ihraam, his hajj becomes void, and so
his head - nor cut h is hair. he has to perform the rest of the hajj
H e may not have sexual relations ritua l s, sacrifice a camel and repeat the
with h is wife. H e should avoid hajj the following year.
suggestive or provocative talk or
gestures. He should remain focused on Types of Hajj
his m ission of hajj. Hajj is one of the five pilla rs of
H e must not perform a marriage Islam. There are, however, three types
contract (nikaah) for someone else or of hajj one may perform as described
enter i nto it for himself. He may not below:
hunt or kil l an animal of any kind for 1. Hajj at-Tamattu': This involves
any reason unless it poses a d a nger to performing 'umrah first d u ring a ny of
him or other people a round him. If he the m onths of the hajj, removing the
does any of these things, he will have ihraam garments after 'umrah, a n d
to expiate for this (dam or kaffaarah ) . A then assuming the state o f ihraam
dam is not designed to punish the again for hajj on the eighth day of
pilgrim . It simply reminds him of his Dhul-Hijjah of the same year.
special state and offers him a n 2. Hajj al-lfraad: This involves
opportunity t o renew h i s commitment assuming the state of ihraam for hajj
to perform the hajj according to the only a n d remaining in this state until
commands of Allah and the Sunnah of hajj is finished. No 'umrah is required.
the Prophet ( � ) . 3· Hajj ai-Qiraan: This involves
assuming the state of ihraam for both
The Expiation (Dam or 'umrah and hajj.
Kaffaarah) It is worth noting that the killing
Should a M uslim violate the of a sacrificial animal is obligatory only
sanctity of the ihraam knowingly and on those who perform hajj at-tamattu'
wilful ly, he is required to offer a dam by and hajj-al-qiraan. Those performing
way of expiation and of renewing his hajj-al-ifraad a re not required to
commitment to hajj. There are three sla ughter a sacrificial animal.
The Talbiyah
Labbayk-AIIaahumma labbayk.
Labbayka laa shareeka /aka labbayk.
lnnal-hamda wanni'mata
/aka wal-mulk, laa shareeka lak
Here I am at You r service, 0 Allah! H ere I am! H ere I am at Your service! You
have no partners. Yours a l one is the pra ise and a l l bounty, a n d Yours is the kingdom!
You have no partners.
There a re mainly five d ifferent

types of tawaaf:
The Tawaaf: Going around the 1. Tawaaf ai-Qudoom: The tawaaf
Ka'bah of a rrival
Tawaaf is the a ct of going a round The opening tawaaf of hajj is
the Ka' bah seven times. It forms the ca l led tawaaf al-qudoom: the tawaaf of
essential part of hajj a n d ' umrah. arrival . This initia l tawaaf is performed
The tawaaf is done anticlockwise by the pilgrim upon entering the
with the Ka' bah on the left hand side Sacred M osque for the first time,
fol l owing his intention for hajj.
seven times. It is the Sunnah of the
Each turn is cal led a round
Prophet ( � ) to kiss the Black Stone on
(tawfah, plura l : tawaaf), or a circuit or a
every round. H owever, if this is cou rse (shawt, pl ura l : ashwaat). One
impossible d u e to the large crowds of complete cycle of seven turns is an
pilgrims, one can simply touch it or Usbu ( a sept ) . Each circuit or shawt
even point at it with one's hand while starts from ai-Hajar ai-Aswad ( the Black
saying "AIIaahu A kbar" . Stone ) .
I n order for you to recognize the (niyyah).
point of start of the tawaaf, there is a 3 .Tawaaf al-lfaadhah
green l ight on one of the walls to show This is the tawaaf the pilgrim
the location. Like any other act of performs on the 1 0th of Dhui-Hijjah.
worship, the tawaaf starts with the 4 · Tawaaf ai-Wadaa' (The
intention (niyyah) to perform the act Farewell Tawaaf)
for the sake of Al lah. Each shawt or Tawaaf al-wadaa is the tawaaf
circuit ends at ai-Hajar ai-Aswad. The the pilgrim performs immediately
pilgrim begins a new shawt after before leaving Makkah for his next
reciting Bismillaah, Allaahu Akbar as destination . This is the last act the
before from this point. pilgrim performs in Makkah .
The first three circuits of the
tawaaf al-qudoom a re done with the The Various Acts and Stages of
q u ickened step known as ramal. The the Hajj at a G lance
pilgrim wa l ks briskly with his chest The acts and stages of the hajj a s
thrust forward and his shoulders a whole are as follows:
sl ightly rol l ing during the first three 1. The ihraam at the meeqaat.
rounds of the tawaaf al-qudoom . 2. Tawaaf ai-Qudoom.
Ladies are not req uired to pra ctise 3· The Sa'ee - The wa l king at a pace
ramal. Ramal is performed only in seven times between the two hil locks
tawaaf al-qudoom. It is not req uired in Safaa and M a rwah in Makka h. Th is is
other types of tawaaf. one of the rites of hajj, a n d 'umrah. It is
The male pilgrim drapes the performed immediately after the
ridaa' (wra pper for the u pper part of tawaaf around the Ka 'bah is completed
his body) in such a way that his right by the prayer at the Station of
shoulder is exposed and his left l braa heem (Maqaam lbraaheem) and
shoulder is covered. This is cal led the drin king of Zamzam water.
idhtibaa ' . ldhtibaa' is practised only The sa'ee is performed wal king
while actually performing the tawaaf except for a portion in the m idd le,
al-qudoom. Since female pilgrims wear today marked by green lights, where
no such ihraam cloth ing, the q u estion the pace is q uickened. The fast pace
of idhtibaa' d oes not arise. consists of a distance of some twenty
2 . Tawaaf ai-'Umrah meters. The covered course of the
Tawaaf al-'umrah is the tawaaf sa'ee is called the mas raa and is today
which the pilgrim performs as part of paved and encl osed within the bounds
the rites of ' umrah. It is identica l in its of the Sacred Mosque. Its length is
essentials except for the intention about 293 m/ 927 ft. The entire
The Pilgrimage to the H ouse (The Hajj) 1 03
seven-time-wal k between the hills of Safaa and M a rwah covers a
�
41 d ista nce of a bout 3 miles or 4·5 km.
,
' The origin of this
-- ,f;b
-:::::.
......
_
--
-:::::-
-
_ � rite goes back
-
to H aajar, who - - despairing for
the l ife of her son l smaa'eel, when the goatskin of water that
Prophet l braaheem ( �\ ) had given them was spent, ran back and forth between the
two hills. Then suddenly water gushed forth from the wel l of Zamzam.
a i-'Aqabah.
8. Yawm an-Nahr: (Day
of Sacrifice) The Sacrificing
of an animal in Mina, on the
1 0th of Dhui-Hijjah.
9· Halq or Taqseer: Halq
is the a ct of shaving the
head by the male pilgrim.
This is the last thing a
pilgrim does before getting
out of the state of ihraam.
The taqseer means
shortening or clipping of
the whole head of hair by
the male pilgrim. Either halq
4· Spending the n ight of 8th or taqseer may be performed to fu lfil
Dhui-Hijjah at M ina. M ina is a bout 4·5 the Sunnah of the Prophet ( � ). Female
km from Makkah. pilgrims, however, a re only req uired to
5· Wuq oo f, or the halt at 'Arafah, cut a fingertip ' s length of their hair.
on the gth Dhui-Hijjah . 'Arafa h is a bout 1 0. Tawaaf al-lfaadhah: going round
13.5 km away from M a kkah. the Ka 'bah seven times, and
6. The n ightly stay at M uzdalifah: performing the sa'ee between Safaa
From after the sunset on the gth of and Marwah, according to the type of
Dhui-Hijjah to after Fajr on the 1oth of hajj chosen by the pilgrim .
Dh ui-Hijjah. 11. Ramy ai-Jimaar: Stoning the
7· Ramiy: Stoning the Jamrat three pillars in Mina, for two or three
a i-'Aqabah in Mina on the 1 0th of days, in memory of lbraaheem's
Dhui-Hijjah. Seven pebbles a re pelted rejection of Satan (Shaytaan).
at the Biggest Pillar, called Jamrat 12. The Farewell tawaaf.
1 04 The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj)
Exercises
1. ' Umrah is called the _____ Pilgrimage.
2. The hajj that is accepted has no reward but ----
3· The three types of hajj a re and
4· Each circuit of the tawaaf starts from the -------

, with
the pilgrim reciting ___________

----·
------------------------------�
1. According to E. W. Lane, what is the meaning of the term hajj? Also mention its
Sharee'ah meaning.
2. Mention the conditions that make hajj obl igatory on a M uslim.

The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj) 1 05
3· State what the Prophet ( � ) said regarding making freq uent tawaafs.
4· If not actual war, what is the Jihaad for women?
5· H ow is hajj a completion of one's Religion?
6. Explain the term meeqaat. What is the purpose of meeqaat?

7· What should a pilgrim do if he commits any of the prohibited a cts while stil l in
the state of ihraam? Also mention the expiation.
8. H ow many different types of tawaaf are there? Explain them.
9· What should one do if he cannot hold and kiss the Black Stone?
C. Think-up
Draw a chart indicating the various rites of hajj.

Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan 14
The Word as-� iyaam purpose, thus: "0 you who believe!
As-Siyaam (siyaam, for short, or Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
sawm) is an Arabic word which means prescribed to those before you that
"to keep away or a bstain from you may become righteous." (Surat
someth ing". I n the Sharee 'ah it refers ai-Baqarah, 2: 1 83)
to a bstaining from food and drink from Allah's M essenger ( �) once said
dawn to sunset of the month of that fasting is a protection from the
Ramadhaan with intention of seeking H ellfire:
Al lah's pleasure. Indeed, performing "The fast is a shield from H ellfire
siyaam in the month of Ramadhaan is a just like the shield you use while
pillar of Islam. fighting." (Ahmad and an-Nasaa'ee)
H e also said, "There is a gate in
The Importance and Virtues of Paradise called Ar-Rayyaan from which
Fasting only those who fast will enter on the
Fasting is a source of Day of J udgment, and no one else will
self-d iscipline, self-control, piety and enter from it. When they all enter, the
heedfulness of Al lah. Al lah the gate will be closed, and no one else will
Alm ighty prescribed it for the prophets enter from it. " (AI-Bukhaaree and
who came before Prophet M u hammad M uslim)
( � ). Al lah points out its goa l and
108 Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan
Concerning the fast of travelling at the time a n d is able to fast
Ramadhaan, the Prophet ( � ) said, without hardship. It is also obligatory
"Whoever fasts Ramadhaan with fa ith for women who are not having menses
and hopeful of Allah's reward will have or not d uring post-del ivery bleed ing.
all his previous sins forgive, "
(AI-Bukhaaree and M uslim) Those who should not Fast
Furthermore, it will also a ppear Women during menstruation
as an intercessor on the Day of should not fast. However after the
J udgment. Alla h's M essenger ( �) said, month of Ramadhaan they should fast
"The fast and the Qur'an shall come as an equal number of d ays to those
intercessors (yash fa'aan) on the Day of m issed.
Resurrection . The fast will say, '0 Al lah,
I prevented him from h is food and Those who Have a Valid Reason
drink, d uring the day, so let me to Postpone Fasting
intercede for him.' The Qur'an will say, The following a re perm itted, if
' I kept him from sleep d uring the night, they find it necessary, to suspend
fasting. H owever, they should fast an
so let me intercede for him.' Then they
equal n umber of days after the end of
will be a l lowed to intercede." (Ahmad)
Ramadhaan.
1. The sick person who is not
Fasting Shows one's Sincerity to
terminally ill m ay break the fast
Allah
and make up for the d ays he
Fasting is an a ct that shows
missed. H owever, if he is able to
one's sincerity to one's Lord. Only Allah
fast, then he is a l lowed to do so.
2.
is aware if a person has truly fasted or
The traveller who travels as far as
not. N o one may know if he secretly
the d istance that requires
breaks h is fast. Therefore, Al lah has a shorten ing the prayers (more
special reward for those who fast. than 77 km) may break i.i te fast
All a h says, " H e leaves h is food, d rink and make up for the days he
and desires for My sake. Fasting is for m issed.
My sake and I will reward it. And every 3· A pregnant woma n and
good deed will be rewarded ten-fold. " breastfeeding woman may also
(AI-Bukhaaree) break the fast a n d make u p for the
day she missed if fasting is likely to
Who Must Fast? harm the health of the mother or
Fasting in the month of her unborn ba by, and/or prevent
Ramadhaan is obl igatory for every her from having enough milk for
sane, a d ult, healthy M uslim who is not her ba by.
Those who are Excused from Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and
Fasting altogether clear proof of guidance and criterion;
1. The terminally ill: Those who and whoever sights [the new moon
suffer from a terminal, serious of] the month, let him fast it." (Surat
il lness that is likely to become ai-Baqarah, 2: 1 8 5)
worse if they fast. When the new moon is sighted,
2. The permanently insane. the fast becomes obl igatory on the
3· The very old: Those who are too following day from dawn to sunset. I n
old and feeble to fast at any time fact, the testim ony of one competent
of the year. M uslim is s ufficient to decide the
These people do not have to make beginning of the month of Ramadhaan.
up for the days they missed but However, if there is no direct sighting
a re req uired to feed one poor of the new moon, Ramadhaan is
person for everyday of fasting presumed to have begun when
that they m iss. Sha'baan has lasted for thirty full d ays.
The Intention to fast

Once the advent of Ramadhaan
has been establ ished, one should make
the intention to keep the fast on the
coming day of the month of
Ramadhaan. This intention may be
formul ated at anytime during the
night, until j ust before the d awn. One
may formulate the intention to fast the
whole month of Ramadhaan, or he may
make the intention to fast for a day at a
time. If he d oes th is, this intention
should be renewed each night until the
month comes to an end.
If one eats one's pre-dawn meal
(suhoor) with the intention of fasting
When the Month of Ramadhaan for the sake of Al lah, then one has
Arrives form ulated the intention . If one
When the month of Ramadhaan determ ines that one will fast on the
comes, it is obl igatory for M uslims to next day for the sake of Al lah, then one
fast. The Qur'an says, "The month of has performed the intention even if he
Ramadhaan in which was revealed the does not eat the pre-dawn mea l .
110 Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan
When the daybreak comes, the a n d d rinking from d awn until
person keeping the fast must a bstain sunset
throughout the entire period of
dayl ight from eating and drinking and The Sunan (The Sunnah Acts of
other things that spoil the fast. Fasting)
1. Ta king the pre-dawn meal, or
The Pre-Dawn Meal: The Suhoor suhoor.
The suhoor is an Ara bic word 2. Delaying the suhoor until the very
which means the meal one takes last part of the n ight.
during the last part of the n ight before 3· Hasten ing to break the fast
dawn with the intention of fasting. The (iftaar) immediately after it is
Prophet ( � ) said, "Truly, that which confirmed that the sun has set.
distinguishes our fast from the fast of 4 · Breaking the fast with fresh d ates,
the People of the Book ( i.e. the J ews dried d ates or water.
and the Christia ns ) is the pre-dawn 5· Supplicating u pon breaking the
meal (suhoor)." ( M uslim ) fast.
Eat the meal of suhoor, for
indeed there is a blessing in the Some of the Things that Spoil
suhoor. " ( a i-Bukhaaree and M uslim ) the Fast and require Qadhaa'
Qadhaa' means 'making up for
Delaying Suhoor until the very someth ing'. If a person does not fast,
Last Part of the N ight or spoils his fast, for any of the reasons
The Prophet ( � ) said, "My mentioned below, he should fast
ummah (fol lowers ) will continue to another day after Ramadhaan to make
remain upon goodness as long as they up for the d ays he missed or the fasts
hasten to break the fast and delay the spoilt.
suhoor." (Ahmad ) The things that make r;��haa'
The time of suhoor begins from necessary are:
the l ast half of the n ight and it ends a 1. I llness: When one gets well, one
few minutes before Fajr- the first should, after the end of
crack of dawn. Ramadhaan, fast the num ber of
d ays equal to the num ber of fasts
Pil lars of Fasting of Ramadhaan one has missed.
1. The niyyah (The intention ) . 2. Travelling: After Ramadhaan, one
H owever, one must not express should fast the number of days
the intention loudly. equal to the number of fasts one
2. Al-imsaak: Abstaining from eating has missed.
They also include the following: Types of Fasts

1. I ntentional vomiting Fasts a re of two kinds:
2. Eating or drinking, thinking that Obligatory fasts and voluntary fasts.
the sun has set only to discover The word naf/ ( plural: nawaafil)
l ater that one was mista ken . denotes addition beyond one's d uty or
3· Swallowing water a s a result of something given in excess of one's
exaggerating while rinsing the obligation. The term salaat-un-nafl is
mouth or the nose d u ring the derived from it, which means
ablutions (wudhoo') on condition additional prayer performed voluntarily.
that one has not forgotten one is
fasting
4· I ntending to break the fast even if
one does not a ctually eat or drink
anything.
The Act that spoils the Fast and

require qadhaa' and Kaffaarah
(Expiation)
If a m a n has sexual intercourse
with his wife intentionally d u ring the
day in Ramadhaan, he m ust not only
make up for this day but also expiate
for d isobeying Al lah's command by
doing the following things:
1. To set a slave free.

2. If he can't find a slave or he finds
him but cannot afford to set him
free, then he must feed sixty poor
or destitute M uslims with more or
less the same food a s he feeds h is
own fam ily. 1. The Obligatory Fasts
3· If he cannot afford to do so, then a. Fasting throughout the month of
he m ust fast contin uously for two Ramadhaan.
l unar months for each day that he b. Fasting for expiating for a sin
has intentionally spoilt his fast. (kaffaarah).
112 asting in the Month of Ramadhaan
c. Fasting for vows (nadhr): If 13th, 1 4th and 1 5th days of the
someone vows to fast, the fast l u nar calendar. The Prophet ( � )
becomes obl igatory for him. said, " Fasting three days of every
2. Voluntary Fasts [ l unar month] month, is equal to
Fasting is recommended on the fasting the entire year. "
following days: (An-Nasaa ' ee)
a. The day of 'Arafah for those who e. Fasting M ondays and Thursdays:
are not performing hajj. Th is is on Abu H u rayra h ( � ) said, "Allah's
M essenger ( � ) used to fast
the gth of Dh ui-Hijjah.
Allah's M essenger ( ?i ) said,
Mondays and Thurdsdays
" Fasting the day of 'Arafa h
frequently. When he was asked
expiates the sins of two years, the
a bout this, he said, 'The deeds
previous year and the following
ascend [to Al lah] every M onday
year." (M uslim)
b. The Day of 'Aashuraa' and the Day and Thursday, and Al lah forgives
of Taasuaa' are the 1oth and the every M uslim (or every bel iever)
gth of the month of Muharram . except those quarrelling, for H e
Allah's Messenger ( � ) fa sted the says: Delay them (that i s
Day of 'Aashuraa' a n d ordered the forgiveness will not b e granted to
people to fast it. He also sa id, them until they end their
"When the next year comes, if dispute)."' (Ahmad)
Al lah Wills, we shall fast the n inth
day [of Muharram] as wel l." The Forbidden Fasts
(M uslim) It is forbidden to fast on the
c. Six days of the month of following days:
Shawwaa/ 1. The d ay of 'Eed, whether it is
The Prophet ( � ) said, "Whoever 'Eed-ui-Fitr or 'Eed-ui-Adh-haa
2. The three days of at-tashreeq:
fasts Ramadhaan a n d fol lows it up
with six d ays of Shawwal, it is like These are the three days
fasting the entire year." (M uslim) following the Festival of Sacrifice
d. AI-Ayyaam ai-Beedh ( 'Eed-ui-Adh-haa), which takes
AI-Ayyaam ai-Beedh (Litera lly the place on the 1 oth of Dhui-Hijjah.
white d ays) are the days when Precisely, they a re the eleventh,
you can see all of the moon as a twelfth a n d thirteenth d ays of
complete circle. These are the Dhui-Hijjah.
Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan 1 13
Exercises
1. The Arabic word for fasting is ______ or _____
2. Accord ing to a hadeeth, and shall come as
intercessors on the Day of Resurrection.
3· The beginning of the month of Ramadhaan is ma rked by sighting the
4· ______ d istinguishes our fast from that of the People of the Book.
5· ____ and are the pillars of fasting.
6. There a re two kind s of fasts: ------

and -------
7· It is recommended to fast two days of the week; that is ------
and -------
1. What is fasting? What is its purpose?

1 14 Fasting in the Month of amadhaan
2. Fasting shows one's sincerity to Allah. How?
3· Who m ay postpone the fasts of Ramadhaan?
4· Who are excused from fasting a ltogether?
5· What are the Sunnah acts of fasting?

6. When should a person give kaffaarah? Mention the three types of kaffaarah.
]. List the obl igatory fasts a n d the days on which fasting is forbidden.
C. Explain these Arabic terms
1. Niyyah
2. S uhoor
3· lmsaak
4· Qadhaa'
Prophet Moo sa a �� ( 1) 15
Prophet Ya'qoob and his sons Banu l sraa'eel lived peacefu lly in
move to Egypt Egypt. However, after the death of
Prophet Ya'qoob ( �\ ) a n d his Yoosuf ( �\ ), things began to change.
sons came to Egypt from Ca n'aan at The morals of the I srael ites became
the invitation of Yoosuf (�\), who was corrupted and they stopped
the then ru ler of Egypt. worshipping Allah and cal ling other
Yoosuf ( �� ) warmly welcomed people to worship H im . They fell into
them and was extremely del ighted to the evil ways of the worl d . The
see them. The people of Egypt had a lso Egyptians also changed their
welcomed the fa mily of their noble behaviour towards the Chil dren of
king. They loved this noble family lsraa'eel. They bega n to look at them in
beca use they loved Yoosuf. They had a d ifferent way.
known Yoosuf ( �� ) to be a very The Egyptians believed that they
compassionate man gave them good were the people of the land a n d that
counsel, took great care of them and Egypt bel onged to them alone. Some
looked after their needs well. They had of them considered Yoosuf ( �\ ) a
also seen that Ya'qoob ( �� ) was a foreigner who had been brought from
noble a n d generous person. Can 'aan after having been purchased
Ya 'qoob ( �� ) enjoyed great by the Azeez of Egypt. They thought it
respect in Egypt whose people were to was not right that a Canaanite had
him l ike his own children. Indeed, the become the ruler of Egypt.
people of Egypt were pleased that
Ya 'qoob ( �� ) and his sons had come The Pharaohs of Egypt
to settle down in Egypt. The kings of Ancient Egypt, who
came to the throne to rule the nation,
l sraa'eel, which means 'servant were called pharaohs, the pl ural of
of Allah', was the name that Allah had pharaoh, or Fir' awn.
given to Prophet Ya 'qoob ( �\ ). His M any years had gone by since
children, therefore, were called Banu Yoosuf ( �� ) passed away, and the
l sraa'eel (the Children of l sraa ' eel). Children of l sraa' eel, as his household
They were the descendants of Prophet was call ed, had prospered and
l s-haaq and Prophet l braa heem. increased.
e Moosaa (1 117
Pharaoh's Persecution of the H e bore a deep hatred towards

Children of lsraa'eel the Children of lsraa 'eel. He thought
N ow, there arose a new Pharaoh that his people, the Copts, were far
who fea red and hated the Children of better than the Children of lsraa 'eel.
lsraa 'eel. He made their l ife miserable The Copts, he thought, were a kingly
with harsh labour. H e passed terrible race a n d that they were there only to
laws to keep them in slavery. 'The rule while the Children of l sraa 'eel
Children of l sraa 'eel are in great were a race of slaves who were only
number. They are strong and perhaps there to serve.
one day they will rise aga inst us and Fir'awn ( Pharaoh ) was a n
d rive us out of our l and,' thought arrogant tyrant. H e bel ieved that no
Pharaoh. one was higher than him. H e did not
bel ieve in Al lah. H e used to say, " I am
The Killing of their N ewborn your most exa lted lord." H e was
Baby Boys dazzled by his vast kingdom and the
Pharaoh had a d ream that a fire pl entiful provisions which Almighty
had come from the d irection of Al lah had bestowed upon him.
J erusalem a n d burnt all the Coptic H e ordered his people to
people and their houses and did not worship him a n d to prostrate before
harm the Israelites. When he woke up, him, and they obeyed. But the
he was very frightened that he I sraelites refused to do so. They
gathered all priests, soothsayers and bel ieved in Al lah and H is Messengers.
sorcerers a n d a sked them a bout the The Pharaoh therefore became very
interpretation of this dream. They said, angry indeed with Banu lsraa'eel.
"There will be born a boy from these The Pharaoh made them into
people who will destroy the people of slaves. He made them to toil all d ay in
Egypt. " The Pharaoh then ordered that the scorching desert heat. If someone
all newborn baby boys be kil led and fa inted or lagged behind in their work,
..
baby girls be spared._ the cruel task-masters wou l d severely
whip them to drive them on. Many
people d ied under the scorching heat
and the terrible beatings.
By giving orders to his soldiers to
kill every baby boy born a mong the
Children of l sraa ' eel, he hoped to make
certain that no baby boys were
118 Prophet Moosaa v� ( 1 )
allowed to grow u p into men who Baby Moosaa (�I ) survives
might then fight against him. There For a cou ple of months,
was mourning among the children of M oosaa's mother managed to keep
lsraa'eel when Pharaoh's orders were him safely hidden. Then she became
carried out. The Pharaoh thought that afraid. The baby boy was getting older.
he was the people's lord and master Any day someone m ight hear him
who could put to death whomever he crying and would then tel l the soldiers
pleased and let a live whomever he a bout him. What could she d o? She
pleased! H is soldiers searched out became frightened . She had seen the
th roughout Egypt, a n d whenever they soldiers dragging scores of baby boys
learnt that a baby boy had been born from their mothers' laps. H ow could
among the Israel ites, they would seize she hide her gorgeous baby from the
him and kil l him right away. eyes of the cruel guard s?
H undreds of children were killed
in front of their mothers and fathers.
I ndeed, the day on which a baby boy
was born to the I srael ites was a day of
great grief and sorrow. Sometimes
hundreds of baby boys were killed on
the same day.
The Birth of Moosaa (�1) It was not Alla h's Command that
But Al lah ( � ) wil led that what the child be cast into the river
the Pharaoh dreaded and had been immediately. I nstead, until there was a
warned about wou l d ha ppen. The child rea l threat to the child's l ife, he was to
that Al lah had destined to destroy the be suckled by his m other. Only when
Pharaoh's kingdom a n d to bring she feared that Moosaa's birth was
people out of darkness of idol-worship known to the enemy either by his
into light of true fa ith was born . I n crying or through some informer, was
spite of Pharaoh's arrogance a n d the she to put the baby into a chest and
cruelty of h is strong arm ies, M oosaa cast it into the river. Thereafter, she
ibn ' l mraa n ( �I ) was born and should have no fear or worry!
survived. H e was a lovely child, a n d h is Moosaa's mother put her trust in
mother felt she had to try to save him; Al lah. H er household was not able to
so she tol d no one of h is birth and protect the child any m ore. There were
warned her children not to speak of sol d iers and guards everywhere. There
their baby brother. were spies seeking out the newborn
baby boys.
Prophet Moosaa � ( 1 ) 11 9
Moosaa's Extraordinary Survival Pharaoh's Wife adopts Moosaa

as a Baby ( :%§\ )
So M oosaa's mother did what When Pharaoh found o ut a bout
Al lah had commanded her to do. She the new baby boy, he commanded that
put her l ovely child into a chest. When he be kil led, but h is virtuous wife
she rea l ised that no one was a bo ut, she looked at the child, her heart fil led with
went d own to the N il e River, laid the love a n d affection, wrapped her hands
chest with M oosaa ( :%§\ ) in it on the around him and bega n to kiss him. She
water and set it floating on the N ile pleaded with the king, "[He will be ] a
River. She was very anxious, but then comfort of the eye for you and me! Do
she grew ca l m because she had put her not kill him, for he may well be of use
trust in Al lah M ost H igh and knew that to us, or we may adopt him as a son."
Al lah wo uld n ot disappoint her. She (Surat ai-Qasas, 28:9)
had been assured that by doing so she Thus M oosaa ( :%§\ ) entered
wo uld not expose her baby to any Pharaoh's palace and survived in spite
danger, for Al lah ( � ) wou l d certa inly of Pharaoh's opposition a n d h is
restore her baby to her and m ake him soldiers ' cruelty. Al lah willed that
one of H is messengers. Pharaoh bring up the very baby at
whose hands his kingdom would be
lost. H ow wrong he and his chief
advisor H aamaan were!
Distress of Moosaa's Mother

M oosaa's m other was very
worried, but Al lah ( � ) gave her
comfort. He gave her hea rt enough
strength to keep a l ive her faith in
Allah's promise. M oosaa's elder sister
had kept an eye on the floating chest.
She had done so while wal king along
In th Palace of Pharaoh the bank of the river. She kept the
The chest went on with baby chest in view without giving any hint
M oosaa inside it until it passed by the that her wal k along the bank had
Pharaoh's palace. One of Pharaoh's anything to do with the chest. The
slave-girls saw it and picked it up. chest was floating on the river.
When it was brought before Pharaoh's M oosaa's sister was probably
wife Aasiyah, she opened it a n d, to her ten o r twelve of age at that time. She
great a mazement, she saw a very was intell igent. She successfu l ly traced
handsome boy with a radiant face her brother's a rrival into the pa lace of
whom she l oved instantly. Pharaoh.
120 rophet Moosaa (1 )
Prophet Moosaa �� ( 1 ) 121
Exercises
1. Banu lsra a 'eel means ------
2. Banu lsraa 'eel were the descendants of Prophet _______( �\)
a n d Prophet (�\).
3· Allah caused M oosaa (�\) to refuse the milk of ------ n u rses.
4· ------ was Pharaoh's wife.
1. Who w a s lsraa 'eel (�\)? What d o e s t h e n a m e mean?
2. Why were the Egyptians fea rfu l of Banu lsra a'eel?

122 Prophet Moosaa �� ( 1 )
3· Why was Pharaoh particularly hateful towards the I srael ite baby boys?
4· I n what way was Pharaoh an 'arrogant' tyrant?
5· H ow were the I srael ites tortured at the hands of Pharaoh?
6. Why did M oosaa's mother wa it for two months before casting him into the
river?
Prophet Moosaa '@I ( 1 ) 12 3
7· What do you think made Pharaoh spare M oosaa's l ife even though he was
bent on kil l ing him?
8. H ow did Al lah fu lfil H is Promise to M oosaa's m other?
C. Match the following.
1. Pharaohs a. and put her trust in Al lah
2. Al lah wanted b. H aamaan
3· M oosaa's mother grew calm c. the rulers of a ncient Egypt
4· The Pharaoh's chief a dvisor d. an eye on the chest
5· M oosaa's sister kept e. what Pharaoh d readed

Prophet Moosaa W:\1 (2) 16
After M oosaa ( �\) was weaned him wisdom and knowl edge.
and he no l onger needed his m other's
milk, she returned him to the palace. As
time passed by, M oosaa ( �\ ) grew u p
in t h e king's palace a s a prince. The
awe of kings, emperors and the M oosaa (�\) hated injustice. H e
wea lthy was thus erased from his always supported the weak a n d those
heart. He saw with his own eyes the who were wronged and oppressed. I n
l uxury that Pharaoh and h is family fact, every prophet was l ike that!
enjoyed. Once, he entered the city when
He a l so saw how the I sraelites most of its people were resting in their
were oppressed for the sake of that houses, u naware of what was going on
luxury. He rea l ized how the I sraelites in the streets.
were made to toil like donkeys, how The words 'entered the city'
they were a bused and humiliated. used by the Qur'an (Surat ai-Qasas,
M oosaa (�\) witnessed this everyday, 28:15) suggest that the royal palaces
but he remained silent. This made him were o utside the city; since M oosaa
angry. H ow could he n ot feel anger and ( �\) l ived in one of these palaces, it is
grief at the humiliation of his people thus appropriate to say that he entered
and h is household when they were the the city.
sons of Prophets?
M oosaa ( �� ) l ived in the king's Moosaa (�\) Kills an Egyptian
palace as a prince. M oosaa ( �� ) was I n the city he encountered two
instructed in a l l the wisdom of the men fighting with each other; vne of
Egyptians. He l ived a royal l ifestyle and them was from his own people
was honoured and respected by all. A (Israelites) while the other of h is
handsome young man, clad in princely enemy (Coptic). The Israel ite pleaded
attire! He often went to the land where with M oosaa ( �\) to help him against
the Children of l sraa ' eel l ived. H e his enemy. M oosaa ( �� ) struck him
himself saw the harsh treatment with his fist and kil led him. He did not
meted o ut to them by the king's Coptic intend to kill him. He only wanted to
officers. restra in him and rebuke him. That is
When M oosaa ( �� ) reached why M oosaa ( �� ) exclaimed, "This is
manhood, Al lah ( � ) bestowed upon of Sata n's d oing! Surely, he is a plain
Prophet Moosaa �� (2) 125
m isleading enemy." (Surat ai-Qasas, 28: Pharaoh was furious a bo ut the kil ling
1 5) Sata n had planned the m isch ief of h is serva nt. He tol d the guards that
which prompted M oosaa ( �� ) to act they m ust find o ut the man responsible
violently. Sata n's purpose was to raise for this kil l ing. When M oosaa ( �1) got
a storm of enmity against M oosaa back to the palace he found that the
( �I ). By kil l ing a Copt in the course of story was being whispered
helping an Israel ite, the storm was everywhere.
directed not only against M oosaa (�\)
but against a l l the Israelites. The next day, M oosaa ( �\) again saw
M oosaa ( �I ) was fil l ed with the same Israel ite involved in a fight
regret. He then turned to Allah and with a nother Coptic Egyptian. The
prayed, " M y Lord, I have wronged I sraelite again cried o ut to M oosaa
myself, so forgive me." Al lah ( � ) ( �� ) for help. M oosaa (�I) hurried to
try to part them. He said to the
forgave him a n d blessed him. M oosaa
Israelite, "Yo u a re a m isleading fellow
(�\) vowed never to help wrongdoers.
indeed." When M oosaa ( �1 ) saw the
This cl early suggests that the Israel ite
same person engaged in fights, he
whom M oosaa (�\) had helped was in
became convinced that the I sraelite
the wrong. M oosaa ( �\ ) resolved
was a quarrelsome person. H e
never to support the guilty.
regularly picked on others. A day
The dead Copt was one of
before he had quarrel l ed with one
Pharaoh's servants. The guard s began
person, and the next day he was
to search for his kil ler. M oosaa ( �\ ) quarrell ing with another.
was afraid he would be caught and M oosaa G�l) wanted to stop the
taken before the tyrant Pharaoh. two men from fighting. After scolding
Pharaoh was an a rroga nt and the Israel ite, when M oosaa ( �I )
extremely u njust d isbeliever who turned to strike the Egyptian, the
deliberately suppressed the truth in I sraelite tho ught that M oosaa ( �� )
order to arrogate to h imself the rights was going to hit him so he cried out, "0
and powers that are properly Al l ah's. Moosaa ! Wou l d you kill me as you
He sought to rule in h is own name and kil led another man yesterday? You only
stub bornly ignored the divine laws of want to be a tyrant in this land and yo u
H eaven. do not wish to set things aright." Thus
The dead man became the tal k the Israelite foolishly let the secret out.
of the town, but nobody knew who Moosaa ( �I ), however, did not
had kil led him. Only M oosaa ( �\ ) and support him. He had taken a pledge
the I sraelite knew what had happened. not to support the wrongdoers.
12 6 Prophet Moosaa -�, (2)
In the meantime, the Copt ran
away a n d told the guards what had
happened. When the news rea ched
Phara oh, he became wild with anger
and yel led, " I s this the same boy who
was our foster son in the palace and
who was brought u p by the q ueen?"
M oosaa (�\) had not meant to kil l the
Egyptian, but Pharaoh and his guard s
were not prepared t o accept any
excuse from M oosaa (�0.
Allah ( � ), however, wa nted to
rescue M oosaa ( �� ) from the tyrant
king and his sol d iers. He willed that
Pharaoh would l ose his kingdom and to
rescue the Children of l sraa'eel
through M oosaa ( �\ ) . H e willed that
M oosaa ( �\) would bring the Children
of lsraa'eel o ut of the worship of
tyra nts into the worship of Allah the
One.
When Pharaoh's ministers held a
council and resolved to have M oosaa
(�\) put to death, a man came running
from the farthest end of the city and
said, " O M oosaa! The nobles are
deliberately a bo ut you that they may
put you to death. So go away from
here. I am one of your wel l-wishers."
Soon after hearing this, M oosaa ( �� )
departed in a state of fea r. H e
accepted the man's a dvice. H e looked
around dreadful ly and prayed, "My
Lord, save me from the unjust
people." (Surat a/-Qasas, 28: 21)
Prophet Moosaa 'N:l (2) 12 7
In Madyan (Median) ( �� ) had watered the animals."

Al lah ( � ) guided M oosaa ( �\) (Towards Understanding the Qur'an,
to the right way l eading to M adyan. Vol . VI I p. 209 , the I slamic Found ation,
H owever, even tho ugh the terrible U K)
journey was over, Moosaa (�\) did not M oosaa ( �� ) a sked the two
know anyone in M adyan. Where could women, " 'What is the matter with
he then find shelter or spend the n ight? you?' The women answered, 'We
He was very worried. cannot water [our flocks] until the
H e was sure, h owever, that Allah shepherds drive theirs home, and our
( M ) would come to his help. N ot far father is a very old man."' (Surat
away a few pa l m trees showed that ai-Qasas, 28: 23)
there was a wel l . M oosaa ( �� ) was In other words, they were wea k
tired a n d thirsty. The trees wou l d give a n d so they could not b e involved in
a welcome shelter from the scorching any d ispute with the shepherds in
heat. So he made his way toward s it. At securing water for their fl ocks.
some d istance from the wel l, he saw Furthermore, their father was too old
two girls hold ing back their goats and to water the a n imals a n d there was no
sheep and waiting for the others to male member in the fam ily. M oosaa's
finish watering their fl ocks so that they heart was filled with compassion and
cou l d have their turn. tenderness. So he watered their flocks
Accord ing to Ara b traditions, the for them, a n d then he withdrew into
place where M oosaa ( �\ ) had arrived the shade a n d prayed earnestly, "My
was a few miles south of Maqna on the Lord! I am in need of any good which
Western Coast of the G u lf of 'Aqabah. you may bestow upon me." (Surat
It is precisely called al-Bad'. Sheikh ai-Qasas, 28: 24)
Abu i-A' laa M awdoodee writes, " I M oosaa ( �� ) had l eft Egypt
visited it i n December 1 95 9 on m y way suddenly without taking any
to 'Aqabah from Ta book. The residents provisions, a n d the journey he had
of the town tol d me that they had made had taken several days.
heard from their elders that this is Therefore, he was h ungry, thirsty and
where a ncient M adyan was worn o ut. He was a stra nger in M a dyan
located . . . Abo ut a mile or a mile and a where he had no friends or rel atives,
half away, there are a few ruins among nor any shelter. So he prayed to Al lah
which we saw two dirty wells. The for help. Accord ing to Ibn Katheer, the
locals told us, though with some journey on foot between Egypt and
uncertainty, that one of the two wells M a dyan was eight d ays l ong, a s far as
was located at the spot where M oosaa between Koofa h and Basrah.
128 Prophet Moosaa ihlJ\ (2)
Meanwhile, w h e n t h e two man a s a n honoured guest who
women returned home with their treated Moosaa (�\ ) l ike his own son.
flocks sooner than expected, their One of h is d a ughters s uggested to her
father was surprised . When he asked father to h ire him a s he was both
them why they were home so early strong and trustworthy.
that day they rel ated the incident to After some time, the father said
him. He then real ized that it m ust have to M oosaa ( �\ ), " I intend to give yo u
been a noble stranger who offered to one of these two da ughters of mine in
help h is da ughters, and so he asked marriage provided that yo u serve me
one of them to go and bring him home. for eight years. H owever, if you
Soon thereafter one of the two complete ten years, that would be an
women went to Moosaa (�\), wa l king a ct of grace from you, for I do not want
modestly. H er face was covered with a to im pose any hardship on you. I a ssure
part of her outer garment. She said, you that you will find me, if Al lah so
" My father invites you so that he may wil l s, a righteous man in all my
duly rewa rd you for your having dealings." Moosaa ( �� ) agreed and
watered our flock for us." said, "This is agreed between me and
M oosaa (�\) was in dire need of you. Wh ichever of the two terms I
compassion and a kind person to fulfil, let there be no injustice to me,
provide him with protection and and Allah is witness to a l l that we say."
shelter. Moosaa ( �� ), therefore, did M oosaa (�0 agreed to the terms
not hesitate to go to that ma n's house of the agreem ent. H e knew that Allah
even after hearing that he would ( t� ) would surely bless it for him.
receive some reward for the l ittle Hasan ibn 'Al i ibn Abee Taa lib( � ) said,
service he had rendered . H e real ized " Moosaa ( �� ) completed ten instead
that Allah had answered his prayer. So of eight years . " 'Abd ullaah ibn 'Abbaas
he made his way towards the house, narrated that the Prophet ( � ) said,
wal king ahead of the woman out of " Moosaa (1%!§1) completed the l onger of
modesty. the two terms and the one that was
When M oosaa G�O later rea ched more agreea ble to his father-in-law (i.e.
the old man's home and met him, he ten years)." (ai-Bukhaaree)
tol d him a bout h imself and narrated to There a re various popu lar
him h is story. The old man l istened tra d itions which identify the
intently. When Moosaa ( �\ ) had father-in-law of M oosaa ( �\ ) with
finished, the old man said, " Do not be Prophet Shu'ayb (i%§\). H owever, there
afra id; you are n ow safe from those is n othing in the Qur'an d irectly o r
evildoers." indirectly, which w o u l d justify such
identification. The Traditions, which
Moosaa's Marriage mention Shu'ayb ( i%§\ ) in Prophet
M oosaa (�\) sayed with the old Moosaa's story a re n ot sound!
Prophet Moo sa a �� ( 2) 12 9
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false ( F).
1. The Copt was in the wrong. __
2. N o one knew about the secret of the killing except Moosaa (�\) a n d the
Israelite. --
3· Moosaa ( �1) was a stranger in M adyan. __
4· The kind man in Madyan, who sheltered M oosaa ( �� ), was Prophet
Shu'ayb. --
5· M oosaa (�1) stayed in Madyan for 10 years. __
B. Answer these questions.
1. What d o the Qur'anic words 'entered the city' mean?
2. What kin d of a king was Pharaoh? Explain in detail.

13 0 Prophet Moosaa �� (2)
3· Why did Allah ( � ) choose Madyan for M oosaa (�1) to travel?
4· H ow did M oosaa (�\) help the women?
5· H ow did Al lah's help eventually come to M oosaa (�I)?

Prophet Moosaa %!\1 (2) 13 1
C. Refer to context
1. "This is of Sata n's doing! Surely, he is a plain m isleading enemy. "
2. "You only want to be a tyra nt in this land . . . "
3· " M y Lord, save me from the unjust people . "
D. Think-up
Who is I b n Katheer?
Luqmaan's Advice to his Son
(Surat Luqmaan, 31: 12-19)
17
Surat Luqmaan was revealed in M a kkah a n d owes its title to an ancient sage
whose words of advice to his son form a major part of the sura h. I n fact, such a dvice
is directed to all the bel ievers, and that is why Almighty Allah mentions it in the
Qur'an.
Sage Luqmaan
Very little is known of Luqmaan 's life, but he was very wel l-known for the
wisdom a n d the great knowledge Alm ighty Al lah had granted h im, as the Qur'an
says, "And indeed We bestowed upon Luqmaan wisdom." Some scholars say that he
was an Ethiopian slave who worked as a carpenter, and that he was a righteous
servant but not a prophet.
Luqmaan ' s Advice to his Son 1 33
Translation of the meanings of 16. my son! [contin ued
these verses (aayaat) : Luqmaan] I ndeed, if there be but
the weight of a m u stard-seed and
12. And indeed We bestowed upon it were [hidden] in a rock or
Luqmaan wisdom [and said]: " Be a nywhere in the heavens or in
thankful to Allah. And whoever is the earth, Allah will bring it forth,
thankful is only thankful for his for Allah is Al l-S u btle, Al l-Awa re.
own benefit; but whoever 1 7. "0 my son! Esta blish regu lar
chooses to be ungratefu l, then prayer, enjoin what is right and
Allah is free from all needs, forbid what is wrong, and
worthy of all pra ise. " patiently bear whatever may
13. And when Luqmaan said to his befall you. This, indeed, is of the
son, admonishing him, 0 my " matters [that requ ire]
son! Do not associate a nything determ ination.
with Allah [in worship]; for 18. "And do not turn your cheek
associating others with Al lah [in away [in contem pt] towards
worship] is a great wrong people, nor walk ha ughtily on
indeed !" earth, for Allah does not love
1 4. And We have enjoined upon man a nyone who is self-del uded and
[to be good] to h is parents: his boastful."
mother bore him with strain 19. "And be moderate in your pace
upon stra in, and in two yea rs was and lower your voice, for the -
his weaning. [So] be grateful to most disagreea ble of sounds is
M e and to your parents. To M e is the braying of the donkey."
the final destination.
1 5. Yet should they endeavour to Explanation
make you associate with M e [in On reflection, it woul d a ppear
worship] that of which you have that in many respects, there is a
no knowledge, then do not obey striking relationship between Surat
them [in this], b ut keep company ai-'Asr and the verses 1 2-1 9 of Surat
with them in th is worl d's life with Luqmaan. Though short and compact,
kind ness, and fol low the path of both of these surahs a re extremely rich
those who turn to Me. Then to in m eaning relating to their respective
M e will be your return, and I will themes. The same four preliminary and
inform you of what you used to essentia l points of S urat ai-'Asr find
do. expression in Surat Luqmaan with
13 4 Luqmaan's Advice to his Son
Pri marily the subject m atter of these give you more [favours]!" ( Surat
verses is hikmah, or wisdom. lbraaheem, 1 4 :7)
Surat ai-'Asr affirms that each human The servant's thankfulness is, in
being is at a loss, except those who real ity, only to tell with the tongue and
engage in four activities. The first confirm in the heart the blessings of
activity is holding the faith ( eemaan ). the Lord . Than kful ness means that you
The word eemaan is often translated as do not disobey Allah with what He has
'bel ief', but eemaan (fa ith) incl udes not given you! This means it is not right to
only intell ectual acceptance of certain make use of a ny blessing of Allah M ost
beliefs but also engagement i n just H igh in order to disobey H im . I n the
actions. These actions include, a mong simpl est terms, thankfulness is the
other things, (1 ) defending bel ief in the conscious awareness of the fact that
face of persecution or rid icule; (2) you are incapable of thankfu lness -
sharing wealth; ( 3 ) protecting those not capable of thanking Al lah enough.
'who are in need'; ( 4 ) respecting H ow can we thank H im when d oing so
parents and performing sa/aat, the is itself a blessing from among H is
second activity expl icitly mentioned in gracious favours? The answer l ies in
the above verses. The word eemaan following the example of the Prophet
has also underlying mean ings of being ( � ) who has taught us several
secure or protected . In other words, to suppl ications to express our gratitude
keep the faith alive by counsel ling each to Allah. We should m emorize them,
other to hold on to the truth and comprehend their m eaning, and
counsel ling each other to practise them in our daily life.
steadfastness is the teaching of the Remem ber that whoever is thankfu l is
Qur'an. only thankful for the good of his soul.
Those who choose to be ungrateful
Almighty Allah is free from all must remember that Al lah the
Needs, worthy of all Praise Almighty is free from all needs and
Allah is not in need of praise and wants.
service from humanity; humanity is in
need of pra ising and serving Al lah. Associating Others with Allah in
What is thankfu lness? What is its Worship is a great Wrong
reward? The true meaning of Throughout the Qur'an, shirk, or
thankfulness (shukr) is acknowledging association of a nything or a nyone with
the G iver's gift with humility. The Allah in worship is a cardinal sin,
Qur'an says, "If you are grateful, I wil l because it is the essential expression of
Luqmaan's Advice to his Son 135
the heed lessness of the a bsolute H i m . There is nothing remotely l ike
Power of Al lah. When someone tries to H im . H e Alone is the Creator. H e is the
l iken Al lah to any created thing, or to Only Power behind the universe. He is
suggest that other beings in the the Sole source of its guida nce. Being
universe somehow share Alla h's the sole Creator, Al lah exists outside
creative power, or have H is knowledge and beyond everything that He has
or ability to guide or to forgive, then created. Al lah is outside time. Things,
such a person is guilty of com m itting which are part of time, have
the sin of shirk. beginnings and ends. N ot so with Al lah!
Polytheism (shirk) is not merely H e is the First and the Last. H e is
the worship of idols. It is a lso Eternal.
polytheism to yield to your passionate
desires. It is to eq uate with your Lord
anyth ing whatsoever besides H im .
What is besides H im is other than He.
So when you rely on anything other
than H im, you a re associating
something else with H im .
Allah is beyond t h e world of
matter. The idea of H is somehow Respect for the Parents
m ingling with matter to become the Good treatment of one's elders,
father of a human being, or prod uce a especially one's parents, is an
being that is half human half d ivine is obl igation in I slam. I n fact, it is
blasphemy. Those who believe J esus indicative of s pecial stress that the
( Prophet ' Eesaa �1) to be the Son of d uty of respect for parents appears in
God and that there are rea l ly three the text (verse 14 above) next to the
gods in one (the so-cal led Father, Son worship of Al lah. I ndeed, it is not just
and the H oly Spirit) are making a grave respect but cherishing kind ness and
m istake. humility to parents that is
J esus was a prophet of Al lah. I n recommended. The verse enjoins duty
fact, a prophet cannot b e God. N o towards one's parents and sign ificantly
prophet ever made such a claim. enough, it is mentioned immed iately
Prophet ' Eesaa ( �I ) would have after one's d uty to Allah. Ch ildren are
recoiled in disgust from the suggestion required to be obedient and respectfu l
that he was God. Al lah is Supreme. H e to their parents. They should d o a l l
i s Alone. There is nothing that c a n riva l they c a n to be of assistance t o them.
13 6 Luqmaan ' s Advice to his Son
A man came to the Prophet or both, but does not enter Paradise
( � ) and asked, " Allah's Messenger, [by not ren dering d ue services to
who is most entitled to the best of my them]!" (M uslim)
com pa nionship among the people?" Another verse of the Qur'an
The Prophet ( � ) repl ied, "Your eloq uently guides M uslims to the best
mother." H e asked again, "Who next?" way of treating their parents:
He repl ied, "Your mother." The man 1"\IIU yuut LUI U Il ei ;:) U�t:(reed that
aga in asked, "Who next?" The Prophet you worship none but Him, and that
( � ) repl ied, "Your mother." The man you be dutiful to your parents. If one
then asked, "Who next?" The Prophet or both of them attain old age in your
( �) replied, "Your father." life, do not say to them a word of
(AI-B ukhaaree and M uslim) disrespect, nor shout at them, but
I n fact, the most beautiful word address them in terms of honour and
on the lips of mankind is the word lower to them the wing of submission
'mother'. It is a word full of hope and and humility through mercy, and say,
love. It is a sweet and kind word that 'My Lord, bestow on them mercy as
comes from the depth of the heart. they brought me up when I was
The mother is the source of love, mercy young."' (Surat ai-Israa ', 1 7:23-24)
and sym pathy. The mother is our We should remember, however,
consolation in sorrow, our hope in that obedience to Al lah comes first. If
misery and our strength in weakness. the parents order the children to do
The word 'mother' is hidden in our something which Al lah has forbidden,
hearts. It rises to our lips in times of then the chil dren should obey Al lah
sorrow and happiness as the perfume and not the parents. They should,
comes from the heart of the rose and however, politely explain to their
mingles with clear and cloudy a ir. He parents that they cannot obey them in
who loses his mother loses a pure soul doing someth ing which Allah has
who bl esses and guards him forbidden but should stil l continue to
consta ntly. He who loses h is mother, a show them respect and kindness.
door of suppl ications closes d own Allah's M essenger ( � ) said,
upon him. "The father is one of the splendid
Abu H urayrah narrated that the doors to Paradise. If you wish, you may
Prophet ( � ) said, " M ay he be pull it down, or if you wish, you may
disgra ced! May he be disgraced ! May preserve it." (A fragment of a hadeeth
he be d isgraced, he who finds his reported at-Tirm idhee on the authority
parents [in old age], either one of them of Abud-Dardaa')
Luqmaan's Advice to his Son 13 7
Some of the most unpleasant Preparing Now for Then
features of the secular western The true concept of life is that
lifestyle incl ude, among other things, Al lah the Al m ighty created us and we
its worship of youth and its will surely return to H i m . We a re all on a
ind ifference to the eld erly. It is journey towards our final abode: Hell
common practice in western societies or Paradise, depend ing on what type
that the elderly are sent to of actions we have done in this worl d .
ol d-people's homes where they l ive When, how and where w e w i l l d i e is
and a re cared for as their own child ren Al la h's secret. We do not know how
ignore them and arrogantly prefer to much longer we have to l ive. We,
' l ive their own lives in peace ' . I n fact, however, do know that we must
Islam warns aga inst such a terrible always be ready to die. I n other words,
practice and urges its foll owers to we have to think of our afterlife more
show utmost respect to the parents, than we think of the present life, which
regard less of religion, physical is rather fleeing! Therefore, we must
condition or social status. work hard to please Allah, fol low in the
footsteps of the Prophet ( � ) in all
11To Me is the final destination" aspects of l ife. This d oes not mean,
Th is part of the aayah is very however, that we give up our jobs and
sign ificant as it cautions us aga inst withdraw from social l ife. We also need
committing acts of disobedience and to work for this l ife. 'Al i ibn Abee Taalib
reminds us that one day we will d ie and ( � ) once said, "Work for your present
return to Almighty Al lah for judgment. life as though you a re going to live
I ndeed, our time on earth will forever, and work for your hereafter as
certainly be over one day. Even the though you are going to die
entire universe will come to an end. tomorrow."
The resurrection of the body wil l come
about through the almighty Power of Allah is Al l-Subtle, All-Aware
Al lah who has no difficu lty whatsoever Verse 1 6 d raws our attention to
in creating us out of nothing, let alone some of Allah's lofty attributes. The
resurrecting us from the dead. H e will verse is very bea utifu l and inspiring.
give us life again, not to live on earth Eemaan is not a mere verbal
again, but rather to stand before Him confession. It also means making Allah
for judgment and then H e will inform the centre of life and thus direct all acts
us of what we used to do on earth. of worship to H i m alone. This
encourages us to esta blish a deep and
13 8 Luqmaan's Advice to h is Son
strong relationship with H im as the good for us and our fellow
Creator, and only Lord and Master. human beings.
Holding fast to this relationship
provides all the strength we need to The Importance of
wal k on the Stra ight Path . Salaat
I n fact, we can deepen this Luqmaan's advice to
relationship by pondering over H is his son continues: "0 my
Attributes. The two d ivine attributes son! Establish regular
mentioned here are easy to remember: prayer (salaat). " Indeed,
Al lah's knowledge and power extends salaat is a great act of
to everything in the heavens and on worship,
earth. H is knowledge extends to what or 'ibaadah,
is concealed and beyond what is which brings those
hidden. H e knows and understands the who properly observe it at the stated
hidden conscience. H e knows secret times closer to Alm ighty Al lah. I n fact,
thoughts. H e knows the evil intentions salaat is obl igatory on every believer
and a mbitious aspirations. He is and it will be the first act about which
All-Aware of the wicked temptations he will be q uestioned on the Day of
and motions. He knows the blink and J udgment. The Prophet ( � ) said, "The
the wink. first deed about which a person will be
H e is subtly aware of the click in ca lled to account on the Day of
the throat as well as everything wh ich J u dgment will be sa/aat. If it is in order,
is too subtle for us to identify and too he will be successful and saved, but if it
sublime for us to describe. It d oes not is not, then he will be ruined and lost. "
matter whether they have already (At-Tirmidhee )
happened or have yet to come into Sa/aat purifies the soul and
being. Even if a wrong action or a sin is qual ifies the servant for sa lvation in
equal to the size of a m ustard-seed, this l ife and i n the hereafter. It also
Al lah will bring it forth on the Day of keeps him away from immora lity and
J udgment, and everyone will be doing evil deeds. Those who regularly
rewarded or punished for their actions. offer it esta blish a deep relationship
N othing escapes H is Absol ute with their Lord . The Prophet ( � ) said,
Knowledge. This understa nding "When one of you offers sa/aat, he
encourages us to be aware all the time actua lly speaks confidently to his
that He knows everything about us and Lord . " ( AI-B ukhaaree and M uslim )
prompt us to do good, which is only
Luqmaan's Advice to his Son 1 3 9
Sa/aat is an important source of see from the l ives o f h is companions
strength in times of hardship and the that they conveyed the m essage to the
Qur'an enjoins us to seek help in farthest corners of the world . I ndeed,
patience and in sa/aat. Through it Al lah dawah - ca l l ing people to I slam - is a
will wipe away the sins of those who l ong process which requires patience
establish it regularly with all its and perseverance.
requirements, and it wil l also be a l ight, H ence, if someone witnesses an
proof and del iverance on the Day of evil action, which violates the
J udgment for them. commands of Allah, it is up to that
individual to prevent or denou nce it to
The Obligation of Commanding the extent of h is or her capability. This
Good and Forbidding Evil should, of course, be done gently and
Luqmaan further advises his son, with respect for people's feel ings.
"Enjoin what is right and forbid what There is a story that I mam ai-H usayn
is wrong, and patiently bear whatever ibn 'Al i ( � ) once saw a man
may befall you. This, indeed, is of the performing his wudhoo' incorrectly.
matters [that require] determination." I nstead of telling him directly, which
The Prophet ( � ) once said, wou l d have embarrassed him, the
"Whoever sees something evil should I mam simply told him that he h imself
change it with his hand; if he can not do was going to d o wudhoo' and would
so, then with his tongue; and if he l ike him to see whether or not he was
cannot do even that, then in his heart; doing it properly. When the man saw
and that is the weakest degree of the I mam doing wudhoo', he rea l ized
faith." (M uslim) that he had been m istaken, and he
Command ing good and started doing it correctly from then on.
forbidding evil is one of the major Bearing patiently whatever
themes of the G lorious Qur'an. Th is is misfortunes befa l l us in this world is a
presented as an individual good characteristic that the believers
responsibility as well as a collective should have. When we realise that
obl igation on the whole ummah. The whatever befalls us comes from Allah
Prophet ( � ) said, " Convey [to others and only happens because of H is divine
what I teach you] even if it is a single will, we feel reassured beca use· we
verse (aayah). " On the occasion of his know that H e only decrees what is
last Hajj, he told the assembled good for us. The Prophet ( � ) once
companions to convey his message to said, " H ow wonderful the case of the
those who were not present. Thus we bel iever is! There is good for him in
everyth ing, and this is only the case of The bel ievers are to wear a
a believer. If prosperity attends h im, he cheerful expression o n their faces and
expresses gratitude to Al lah and that is not to turn their fa ces away when they
good for him; and if adversity befalls speak to people. They should n ot show
him, he endures it patiently, and that is off and ad m ire themselves, feeling that
also good for him." (M uslim) they are better than others.
Allah does not Love those who The Command to be Moderate

are Proud and Boastful in one's Pace and to lower one's Voice
Alla h's M essenger ( � ) said, Luqmaan goes on advising his
"Whoever has a n ato m ' s weight of son to walk in a moderate manner and
pride in h is heart will not enter not to ra ise his voice unnecessarily.
Parad ise." Someone said, " H ow a bout M ujaahid and other scholars said about
a perso n who l ikes to wear beautiful the verse, "The most disagreeable of
clothes and fine shoes?" The Prophet all sounds is the braying of the
( � ) replied, "Al lah is M ost Beautiful donkey", "The ugl iest of voices is that
and likes bea uty. I ndeed, pride means of the don key; that is when a person
rejecting the truth and l ooking d own raises h is voice, the resulting voice is
on other people." ( M uslim) like that of the don key in its loud ness.
H e ( � ) also said, "On the Day of Moreover, this is hateful to Al lah. I n
J udgment, Al lah wil l not look at him fact, l ikening a loud voice t o that of a
who trails ' h is garment out of donkey implies that it is extremely
arrogance." (AI-Bukhaaree and M uslim) blameworthy. "
Luqmaan's Advice to his Son 1 4 1
Exercises
1. The subject matter of these verses i s ------
2. is a cardinal sin.
3· The most bea utiful word on the all of mankind is --------
4· We are on a journey towards our final -------
5· The weakest degree of faith is ____________
6. Eemaan is not a mere ------- confession .
7· Whoever has pride will never enter ------
B. State whether these statements are true (T) or false ( F).
1. Luq maan was a prophet. __
2. Allah is beyond the world of matter. --
3· Disobedience to parents is a m inor sin. --
4· We must d isobey our parents if they tell us to d isobey Allah. ----
5· We should enjoin Allah's commands without embarrassing anyone. __
6. If our parents tell us to d o something bad, we should be rude to them. ____

C. Answer these questions.
1. T h e word ' eemaan ' is often translated as 'belief'. B u t i t is a very comprehensive

word. Explain.
2. I n what respects is Surat Luqmaan similar to Surat ai-'Asr?
3· What d oes thankfulness m ean? H ow should we show our thankful ness to

Al lah?
4· Why is association others with Allah in worship a major sin?
5· Polytheism is not merely the worship of idols. Explain.
6. Is Allah time-bound?
luqmaan's Advice to his Son 1 43
7· State briefly the importa nce of the mother in our l ives.
8. What sol ution does Islam have for the issue of 'old people's homes'?
9· M ention a few of the things we learn from the attrib utes of Al lah.
10. M ention some of the benefits of sa/aat.
11. H ow importa nt is commanding good and forbidding evil?
12. What is the true meaning of pride?

18
which he was drawn by a powerful
longing.
But when he came close to it, he
found it burning brightly in a green
thorny tree. M oosaa ( �I ) was in a
valley called Tuwaa and was facing the
qiblah. The tree was on his right side
from the western direction. Then his
Lord called him out in this valley. First
he commanded him to ta ke off his
shoes to show respect to that blessed
place. Then Allah spoke to h im, saying:
"0 Moses! Indeed, it is I - Allah, the
Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Surat
an-Naml, 27:9) and " Indeed, I am Allah;
As the journey happened in a there is no god [worthy of worship]
very dark and cold night, they lost their but I. So worship Me and establish
way in the desert. M oosaa ( &;;§I ) grew prayer to remember Me." (Surat Taa
worried . What woul d they do if they Haa, 20: 14)
cou ld not find a fire to warm Then H e informed him that the
themselves or some light to guide Day of J udgment is inevitably going to
them? happen so that "everyone may be
While M oosaa ( &;;§I ) was judged in accordance with what for
wondering about, he spotted a fire in which they strive." (Surat Taa Haa,
the d ista nce in the d irection of M ount 20: 1 5)
Toor. He tol d his fam ily, "Wait here. I
perceive a fire far away; perhaps I may Almighty Allah supports
bring you from there some Moosaa ( �\) with Miracles and Signs
information or at least a burning M oosaa ( �� ) had a staff which
brand of fire, so that you might warm he used for various purposes. Al lah
yourselves." (Surat ai-Qasas, 28: 29) M ost H igh asked, "What is in your right
M oosaa ( �1) went towards the fire to hand, 0 M oosaa? M oosaa ( �1) repl ied,
Prophet Moosaa %f\l (3) 1 45
"Th is is my staff; I lean on it, with it I The Qur'a n says, "Now put your
beat d own l eaves to feed my sheep hand into your bosom, it wil l come
and in it I have other uses." forth shining white, without blemish.
Allah M ost H igh said to h im, [These are two of the] nine Signs to be
"Throw it down, 0 M oosa a !" carried to Firawn and his people. They
But when M oosaa ( �\ ) threw it are surely a wicked people." (Surat
down, it turned into a sl ithering snake, An-Naml 27: 1 2)
and he drew back in terror. Allah M ost
H igh then rea ssured h im, " Draw near I n addition to these, M oosaa
and have no fear. You are perfectly (�\) was given seven other clear signs,
secure. Ta ke hold of it, and fear not. or miracles. I n Surat ai-'Araaf, these
We shall restore it to its former state." m iracles are mentioned with some
M oosaa ( �� ) obeyed. When M oosaa detail:
(�\) took hold of it, it turned back into (1) The staff which would turn into a
a staff. Allah then gave M oosaa ( �\ ) a snake,
second sign . H e said to him, "Place (2) M oosaa's hand which would
your hand into your bosom, it wil l shine brightly without any harm
come out shining white without stain when he took it out of his bosom,
[or harm]. And draw your hand close ( 3 ) the yea rs of dra ught or shortage
to your side [to guard] against fear. of water,
These are two signs (burhaanaan) ( 4 ) short crops,
from your Lord to Pharaoh and his ( 5 ) epidemics among men and
chiefs; for truly they are a rebellious beasts,
and wicked people." (Surat ai-Qasas, (6) l ocusts swarming a l l over the
28: 32) country,
M oosaa's hand would become ( 7 ) l ice pestering humans and
white as bright as the sun, but this a n imal s,
would happen without causing him any (8) a storm of frogs, a n d
harm . The word used by the Qur'an in ( 9 ) water turning into blood.
this context is 'baidhaa", which means
shining white. Thus as soon a s M oosaa Almighty Allah makes Moosaa's
( �\ ) took out h is hand from his Duty clear to him
bosom, the whole court of Pharaoh Allah then comma nded M oosaa
wou l d become radiant a s though the ( �� ) to begin the task for which he
sun had risen. had been created. Fir'awn ( Pharaoh)
was very a rroga nt and rejected Alla h's
146 Prophet Moosaa �� (3)
Signs. I n fact, he and his chiefs sprea d was because of the im pediment in his
m ischief and corruption in t h e land. As speech that Firawn denounced him,
Al l a h does not l ike his slaves to refuse saying that he could scarcely express
to bel ieve in H im and does n ot l ike himself clearly. (Surat az-Zukhruf,
corruption in the land, H e Commanded 43 = 52)
Moosaa (�\ ) to go to Pha raoh a n d his He also feared that if he had to
su bjects, for "they are a rebellious and speak in the course of his d ischarging
wicked people." (Surat ai-Qasas, 28: d uties as a prophet, he would perhaps
32) be overcome by the impediment in h is
M oosaa ( �\ ) said, "My Lord! I speech . Therefore, he prayed that
have killed one of them, and I fear that Al lah m ight endow him with eloq uence
they will kil l me. And my brother Aaron that he m ight express himself
is m ore eloq uent in speech than m e, so effectively. He also prayed to Allah to
send him with me so that he may a ppoint his brother H aaroon as his
support me. I fear they will reject me." helper. H aaroon ( �� ) was more
Almighty Al l a h reassured him eloquent in speech than M oosaa ( �\ ).
again: "We will certainly strengthen
your arm with your brother, and We Moo sa a ( �� ) prays to Allah for
shall give you both such an a uthority Assistance
that they will not be able to harm you. M oosaa ( �I ) prayed, "O my
So by Our Signs you and whoever Lord! Expand my chest, make my task
fol lows you shall be the victors." easier for me and remove the
H ow could M oosaa ( �\ ) return impediment from my speech so they
to Egypt and confront the tyra nt? H e may understand what I say. And give
had killed a Coptic Egyptian before and me a helper from my family, Haaroon
now they m ight take revenge for him my brother; add to my strength
and so they wou ld kill M oosaa ( �� ). through him, and make him share my
Moreover, he was wel l-known to the task so that we may abundantly
guards and the people of the palace. glorify You and frequently remember
M oosaa ( �I ) prayed that he You. Surely, You are ever Seeing of
might be given the inner strength and us." (Surat Taa Haa, 20: -29-35)
courage needed to shoul der his I n a l l M oosaa ( �1 ) made e ight
responsibilities as a prophet, for his req uests, and he was gra nted them a l l .
task ca lled for enormous courage, Al l ah's true servants s h o u l d a lways be
fortitude and fearlessness. H e was prepared to help others when asked.
aware of not being eloquent. In fact, it
Prophet Moosaa �� (3) 1 47
Allah's M essenger ( � ) never said 'no' The fam ily of l m ra a n
{
to anyone who asked him for M oosaa's father - a l ready had two
something. When he did not have children before M oosaa's birth: a
anyth ing to give, he promised he da ughter and a son named H a a roon.
wou l d give it whenever he had it. H a a roon was probably born before the
Allah said to Moosaa (�1), "You tyrant Pharaoh's decree to have all the
are granted a l l that you have a sked for male infants of lsraa'eel killed had
0 M oosaa!" (Surat Taa Haa, 20: 36) come into effect, and so he survived .
Allah Commands Moosaa and his Brother to go to

Fir' awn
Al lah Commanded, "Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for
he has transgressed a l l bound s; but speak to him mildly so
that he m ight take warning o r fear [Al la h] ." They (M oosaa
( �� ) and H aaroon) said, "We are afra id that he m ight
hasten [punishment] aga inst us or tra nsgress a l l bounds."
Almighty Al lah said, " H ave no fear, for I a m with you;
I hear and see [everything]. So go to him and say, 'Tru ly,
we are m essengers sent by your Lord. So let the Children
of I srael go with us and do n ot persecute them. We have
come to you with a Sign from your Lord, and peace be
upon all those who fol l ow guidance. I n deed, it has been
revealed to us that pu n ishment is for those who reject [the
truth ] and turn away [from it] .' " (Surat Taa Haa, 20: 42-47)
Exercises
1. M oosaa ( �\ ) travel led to after he left M adyan .
2. M oosaa ( �\ ) prayed to Allah to a ppoint a s his helper.
3· was born before the Pharaoh's decree to have a l l male
infa nts killed had come into effect.

--------�--�
1. What d rew M oosaa ( �\ ) towards the fire?
2. Why was M oosaa ( �\ ) a sked to take off his shoes?
3· What a re the nine signs Allah gave to Moosaa ( �\ ) ?
4· What was the purpose of M oosaa's creation?

Prophe t Moosa a �� ( 4) 19
Moosaa (�\) and Haaroon G o to M oosaa ( �� ) replied, u l

the Court of Pharaoh committed that act when I was in error
Obeying Alla h's Comma nd, (i.e. ignora nt). Then I fled for fear of
M oosaa ( �\) and H aaroon ( �\ ) went you, but my Lord bestowed wisdom
to Pharaoh a n d stood in his Council, and knowledge and understanding on
ca l l ing him to Allah and conveying to me and made me one of the
him Alla h's Message. They conveyed to messengers. And as for that favour of
him the purpose of their m ission, which you so tauntingly remind me -
namely to invite him and his people to was it n ot d ue to your having enslaved
worship Allah alone and to release the the Children of l sraa 'eel?"
Children of l sraa ' eel a n d let them go. M oosaa ( �\ ) did n ot get angry,
The tyra nt Pharaoh became nor did he deny Pharaoh's favours. H e
angry at M oosaa's boldness and said spoke plainly a n d with dign ity. H e said,
with contempt a n d arroga nce, u Did we " It is true that you brought me up and
not bring you u p among us when you you were kind to me, but you d o not
were a child and did you n ot stay in our wa nt to consider why I fel l into your
m idst many years of your l ife? And then hands. If you had not given the
you committed that deed of yours command for the ba by-boys of Banu
(that is M oosaa's unintentional kill ing lsraa'eel to be killed, my mother wou l d
of a Coptic Egyptian) [which you know] not have put me into the River N il e,
you did, and you are very ungratefu l and I would not have come into your
indeed." hands. You treated all my people as if
they were beasts of burden. You concerned, I accept o n l y Al lah W h o is
inflicted terrible pun ishment on them. the Lord a n d Master of the East and
What good can you claim for yourself the West, and it is on H is behalf that I
for bringing up one child of Banu a m conveying this command to one of
lsraa'eel? You should real ize that it also H is creatures."
came a bout through ignora nce and The Egyptians worshipped many
error!" false gods. Pharaoh h imself had been
raised to the status of godhead in his
Calling to Allah capacity as the incarnation of Ra, the
Pharaoh was d umbfounded and so-ca l l ed sun god. He considered
speechless. He tried to conceal his h imself as the l ord and master of Egypt
shock and his embarrassment by where his command was executed,
asking, "And what is the Lord of the and where he was considered to have
worlds?" ful l a uthority. H is people considered
M oosaa (�\ ) repl ied, "The Lord themselves bound to obey him a n d
of the heavens and the earth a n d a l l even considered h i m t o b e i n a position
that is between them, i f you were only to decide what was good and bad for
to bel ieve." them! He would arrogantly a n d
Pharaoh said to those around deceivingly s a y t o h i s people, " Does
him, " Did you hear what he said?" the kingdom of Egypt not belong to
M oosaa ( �\ ) continued, " H e is me, and [witness] these streams
your Lord, too, as wel l as the Lord of flowing underneath my [palace]?"
your forefathers of old." (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43: 51)
Pharaoh excla imed, "Truly, this Pharaoh was very angry by
messenger of yours who has been sent Moosa a's reply. H e decided to provoke
to you is simply mad." Moo sa a ( �� ) h is courtiers against him and distract
said, " H e is the Lord of the East and the M oosaa ( �� ) from his argument that
West and a l l between them, if you only was so hard for him. He said, "And
had any understand ing." what of the past generations?"
That is: "I am being ca l led a mad Pharaoh here points o ut that if it was
man, but if you have any sense at a l l, Al lah, as M oosaa ( �� ) claimed, Who
you should seriously consider who the created everything to perfection a n d
true Lord is: Pharaoh who is ruling over W h o guided i t t o its rol e, a n d i f there
a small part of the earth or Alm ighty really was no lord other than Al lah,
Al lah Who is the Lord and Master of then this clearly meant that the
the East and the West? As far as I a m forefathers who had worshipped gods
Prophet Moosaa �� ( 4) 1 5 1
other than Al l a h were in error. Were M oosaa ( �\) was a prophet. He
they a l l - the respecta ble ancestors - possessed a l ight from his Lord, and so
dumb, stupid people? Pharaoh thought he went on to say what the Pharaoh
he had asked a very tricky question. had been trying to avoid hearing and
M oosaa ( �� ) repl ied, "Its preventing others from hearing it as
knowledge is with my Lord, duly wel l . M oosaa ( �\ ) argued, "My Lord
recorded in a book, My Lord does not does not err, nor does H e forget. It is
err, nor does He forget." (Surat Taa He who has made the earth like a
Haa, 20: 52) carpet spread out [for you], and has
M oosaa's reply was fu l l of traced out for you ways and means,
wisdo m . It defeated Phara oh's evil and it is He who sends down water
designs! from the sky, with it We have
produced diverse pairs of plants, each
The record of all the a cts the
separate from the others." (Surat Taa
forefathers h ave committed d u ring
Haa, 20: 52-53)
their l ives was with Allah. He knows a l l
Pharaoh was confused. He did
that they d i d . H e i s wel l aware of their
not know what to say. H e tried to
intentions behind those actions, for
threaten M oosaa ( �\), " I ndeed, if you
nothing escapes Allah's Sight nor does
take any god other than m e, I wil l
anyth ing fade from H is knowledge. It is
certa inly throw you into prison."
for Allah, and Allah Alone, to judge
Because Pharaoh was
them . People should be concerned,
considered to be a god in h is own right,
instead, with themselves. They should M oosaa's chal l enge m eant a challenge
examine their own attitude to l ife. to the prevalent rel igious system as a
They should consider what kind of whole.
ultimate fate they are likely to meet as
a res ult. Prophet Moosaa's Miracles
Of the two brothers, M oosaa Pharaoh had thrown the
( �� ) was the main person entrusted chal lenge. Moosaa ( �\) argued, " Even
with the task of expounding the truth, if I were to bring a clear sign to you?"
and that was why Pharaoh addressed M oosaa's a rgument meant,
Moo sa a ( �\ ) rather than H aaroon. 11 Even if I show you a convincing sign
H aaroon ( �� ) was three years which proves that I a m the messenger
Moosa a ' s senior, and was placed under of Al l a h, the Lord of a l l the worl d s, will
the d irection of Prophet M oosaa to you sti l l refuse to accept my word and
assist him in his m ission. send me to prison?"
152 Prophet Moosaa r{f§l (4)
Pharaoh sa id, "Show it then if servants, and the courtiers. I n a way he
you are truthful at a l l . " was saying, "My reason has forsaken
N o sooner had Pharaoh s a i d this me, tel l me what to do."
that M oosaa (�I ) threw down his rod, The people in the court agreed,
and behold! It was a serpent, plainly . "This is a manifest sorcerer."
visible. And he drew out his hand, and M oosaa ( �1 ) said, "Do you say
it a ppeared shining white to the [this] about the truth after it has come
beholders. to you? Can this be sorcery? But
Pharaoh then said to the chiefs sorcerers will never prosper." (Surat
around him, "Truly this is indeed a Yoonus, 1 0 : 77)
sorcerer of great knowledge, who
wants to d rive you out of your land by Truth or Sorcery?
his sorcery. What, then, do you M oosaa's first argument
advise?" expresses horror that the truth is
These were the two d azzling described as sorcery. The second
signs with wh ich Allah had sent expresses his a mazement that a nyone
M oosaa and H a a roon to the Pharaoh . should actually say it is so. Sorcery
Pharaoh, however, remained does n ot aim to provide guidance to
stubborn. He did not change his ways. people. It does not include any idea
He did not stop cal l ing h imself a lord a bout Al l a h Most H igh and H is
and a god . He cla imed that what rel ationship with H is servants. I t
M oosaa (�I) showed was n othing but can not outl ine a code o f l ife. Al lah's
a sleight of hand - a trick of magic. M essage is not sorcery. Sorcerers'
But Pharaoh was shaken. He had work is a l l fa lse. They play tricks on
previously cal led M oosaa ( �� ) a peopl e's imagination. H ence, they
madman because of his claim to be a ca nnot be successful .
messenger and his demand that the At this point, the nobles i n the
Ch ildren of l sraa 'eel be perm itted to court of the Pharaoh supported him.
leave Egypt with him. He had also They revealed their true m otives for
threatened M oosaa ( �� ) with rejecting the truth . They said, "Have
im prisonment. But no sooner had he you come to turn us away from the
seen these two signs than he was ways we found our forefathers
struck with awe. He dreaded the fol lowing so that the two of you might
thought of l osing his kingdom. H e, become supreme in the land?" (Surat
therefore, l ost his self-control and Yoo n us, 1 0 : 78) They feared that the
spoke with nervousness before his new call wou l d destroy their inherited
Prophet Moosaa �� ( 4) 1 53
beliefs, which formed the fo undation Pharaoh commanded, "Bring me
of their social and economic systems. every sorcerer of great knowledge."
They feared that they would l ose their (Surat Yoonus, 1 0:79) H e contin ued,
power. "We shall indeed produce a magic
Then Pharaoh tried to a l a rm the similar to it. Therefore appoint
council a bout M oosaa ( �� ), "His plan between us a time that we shall not
is to get you out of your land by his fail to keep - neither we nor you - in
sorcery. What do you command a place where both will have even
then?" (Surat ash-Shu 'araa ', 26: 35) chances." (Surat Taa Haa, 20: 58)
The Day of Festival Fixed for the
Tryst
M oo sa a ( �� ) answered, "Your
tryst wil l be the d ay of the festiva l, and
let the people be assembled when the
sun is well up." (Surat Taa Haa 20: 59)
Pharaoh withdrew with his
counsell ors and decided upon the evil
scheme which he would pursue. H e
decided upon his artful scheme of
The Council's Advice to Pharaoh summoning a l l the greatest sorcerers
The Council suggested to the of Egypt.
Pharaoh that he should cal l the best M oosaa ( �� ) chose the great
magicians in his kingdom so that they day of the Temple Festival ( litera lly, the
wou l d use their sorcery against Day of Ad ornment: Yawm az-Zeenah)
M oosaa ( �� ) . The tyrant agreed. I n for this contest when the streets were
fact, accusing M oosaa ( �\ ) of sorcery decorated so that a large number of
sounded good to Pharaoh and his people coming to the festiva l from a l l
nobles. They felt that they could make parts o f t h e country co uld witness the
their accusation stick in people's contest. He decided that time for the
minds. The signs that M oosaa ( �� ) contest wou l d be after sunrise to
exhibited did n ot seem m u ch d ifferent ensure that everyone would witness
from the kind of sorcery they knew and the truth in broad daylight.
practised. They hoped that the Pharaoh bel ieved that his
chal l enge wou l d show M oosaa ( �� ) magicians would be able to nullify the
up to be no more than a high ly s killed im pression created in the minds of his
sorcerer. people by Moosa a's miracles.
15 4 Proph et Moo sa a �� ( 4)
Pharaoh and his courtiers great sign ificance. It was their
considered this encounter to be of m essengers and agents who went
great importance. M essengers were a round telling people that if the
sent to all parts of the country to magicians won the d ay, they would be
summon a l l the skil led m agicians to the secure from M oosaa's religion. If not,
capita l . Likewise, efforts were made to their rel igion would be in trouble a n d
attract the maxim um number of doomed.
people in order that they m ight
witness the magicians' feats.
Moreover, the arrogant Pharaoh and
his courtiers publicly claimed that the
surviva l of their faith would depend on
the performa nce of these magicians. If
they were victorious, their faith woul d
prevail; if not, M oosaa ( �� ) woul d
triumph.
In fact, the news of M oosaa's
m iracles had reached the common
...
people across the country. Pharaoh A Huge Gathering of People
was afraid that the masses m ight have Large num bers of people l eft
been influenced by it. H e wanted to · their houses in the morning a n d
prove to them that the change of the wa l ked t o t h e square in throngs. There
staff into a snake amounted to was a huge gathering of people. All the
absol utely nothing, that each one of talk was of sorcery and the names of
his magicians could perform a similar famous sorcerers.
feat. M oosaa's m iracles had produced The sorcerers came forward in a l l
a great impact on people. The faith of their pride and arrogance. They were
the courtiers had begun to weaken, as clothed in colourfu l ga rments carrying
did the fa ith of those who had m erely their rods a n d ropes. They were
heard a bout them. The only thing that rejoicing for this was the day of their
cou l d possibly save their fa ith was for s ki l l; today the king wou l d witness
the Egyptian magicians to come with their stunning tricks, and everyone else
something on a par with M oosaa's would see their excel lence!
performance. Pharaoh and his nobles, When a l l the sorcerers arrived,
therefore, l ooked upon the they asked Pharaoh, " I s there a reward
forthcoming contest as a n event of for us if we win?"
H e answered, "Yes, and more, a ppeared to M oosaa ( �\ ), owing to
for you will be in that case be [raised their magic, as if their ropes and staffs
to posts] among those who are near were running rapid ly.
and dear to me." (26: 42) This was the The people saw a marvellous
h ighest rewa rd the king cou l d give sight. There were serpents slithering in
them. N ot just money, but also an the square. Frightened, they d rew back
esteemed position at the court. with shouts of 'serpents, serpents'.
Women screamed in a la rm. Children
The Difference between a screamed fearful ly. The cries of
Prophet and a Magician 'snakes, snakes' filled the air. M oosaa
The truth is the truth . It cannot ( �� ) saw the same thing that the
be sorcery or magic. Sorcery does not people saw. H e was a mazed at the
aim at providing guidance to people. I t sight. H is heart was filled with fea r. (20:
does n ot include a faith or a c l e a r idea 67) He felt as if hundreds of snakes
a bout Allah, the True Creator who were speeding towa rds him.
alone deserves to be worshipped! There is nothing, h owever,
I ndeed, sorcery cannot be confused strange a bout the whole thing that
with Allah's Message given to H is such a spectacle would have stunned
Prophets. Sorcerers' work is a l l false, M oosaa ( �� ) for a moment. The feat
and thus they cannot be successful . of the m agicians was mostly based on
mass-hall ucination. They had cast a
A Marvel lous Sight spell o n peoples' eyes.
Then the people witnessed a Allah M ost H igh revea led to
marvel lous sight. The sorcerers M oosaa ( �� ) , "Have no fear, for it is
gathered from every corner of the you who wil l prevail. And throw down
kingdom. Moosaa ( �� ) said to the what is in your right hand. It wil l
magicia ns, "Throw down whatever you swal low up all that they have faked.
want to throw. " So they threw their What they have faked is only a
staffs and their ropes, and said, " By the sorcerer's trick, and the sorcerer
might of Pharaoh, it is we who will never succeeds." (Surat Taa Haa,
certa inly win . " The staffs and the ropes 20:69-70)
appeared to move towards M oosaa M oosaa ( �� ) decl ared to the
( �\ ) as if they were snakes. They magicians, "What you have brought is
enchanted the eyes of the people. mere sorcery, which Allah will
They struck them with awe and certainly bring to nothing. Allah does
produced a mighty sorcery. Suddenly it not further the work of those who
make mischief. By H is Words, Allah The magicians cou l d h ard ly
proves and establishes the truth, bel ieve what they saw. What is
however much the sinners may hate h appening here? We know what
it." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0 :81-82) sorcery is. We know what magic is
When M oosaa ( �\ ) said, "What based on. We know sorcery in all its
you have brought is mere sorcery," he forms. We a re the skilled masters of
was a ctually replying to the a ccusation the art. B ut this does not belong to
level led against him. There is no rea l sorcery! H a d it been witchcraft, we
substance t o sorcery. It is all tricks a n d could have defeated it with sorcery,
deception that dazzles and bewitches confronting skill with skill, artifice with
people. It has no h igher cal l . It is far artifice. Our sorcery vanishes in its face.
from constructive. It builds n othing in It melts away as dew melts under the
the community. What M oosaa ( �� ) sun. Where does it come from? It must
had brought was a real miracle given to be from Al lah, the True Creator who
him by Allah M ost H igh. Therefore, this m ust h ave given support to M oosaa!
statement of his shows his great trust The sorcerers were convinced
in his Lord, Who will never al low that M oosaa ( �\ ) was a prophet. Al lah
sorcery, which is wicked, to score any had given him miracles. They fell down
rea l success. prostrate in ad oration and said, "We
believe in the Lord of all the worlds;
The Lord of Moosaa and Haaroon."
(26:47-48)
Pharaoh's Anger and Threat

The tyrant Egyptia n king became
wild with rage. H e sprang to his feet
and sat down again a n d again. H e was
feeble with anger. The very thing he
d readed had ha ppened. He had
bro ught the h ighly skilled magicians to
M oosaa ( �� ) threw down his defeat Moosaa (�\), b ut the magicians
staff, and behold, it straightaway had become his foll owers. The people
swal lowed up a l l the falsehood which also n ow believed in M oosaa ( �\).
they were faking. The truth came to Pharaoh said, " H ave you come
pass and what they were doing was to bel ieve in him before I have given
proved fa lse. (26:45) you permission? Indeed, he must be
Prophet �oosaa �� ( 4) 15 7
your master who has taught you was not the result Qf the miracles they
magic. But in no time you will come to had witnessed; rather it was of a deal
know my revenge. Most certainly, I will they had struck with M oosaa ( �� )
cut off your hands and your feet on even before the contest began. They
opposite sides and I will crucify you had hatched a plot with the intent of
all." seizing power in the land a n d of
Pharaoh had himself witnessed rea ping the a dvantages bro ught a bout
the m iracles. H is own magicians had by a changing political situation.
testified that M oosaa's a cts were
gen uine m iracles. Despite this, Pharaoh thought that in order to save
Pharaoh rejected the truth and their lives, the magicians would
arroga ntly insisted on branding these immediately confess their guilt of
acts a s n o more than feats of magic. As conspira cy. Thus, he would be able to
soon a s he rea lized that he had lost the offset the effects of the d ramatic
contest, he tried to give events a events, which had just unfolded before
political twist. This he did by spelling thousands of onl ookers. But the
out that the sorcerers had conspired magicians said, " N o harm can you do to
with M oosaa ( �\ ) so as to deprive him us. Indeed, we will retu rn to o u r Lord .
of his kingdom. Thus, Pharaoh tried !O Our only desire is that H e will forgive us
convince the common folk that the our fa ults, since we are the first to
religious conversion of the magicians believe."
158 Prophet Moosaa :@\ (4)
Exercises
1. Pharaoh was considered t o b e the incarnation o f Ra, the -------
2. H aaroon ( �� ) was years older than M oosaa ( �� ) .
3· The Pharaoh said to the sorcerers who bel ieved in Al lah, " M ost certainly, I will
cut off your hands and your feet on sides, and I will
-------
you a l l .
B. State whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. M oosaa's signs did not d azzle Pharaoh. __
2. Sorcery can provide guidance. __
3· The council supported Pharaoh because they were afraid of him. __
4· The faith of the people who had heard of M oosaa's mira cles had begun to
weaken. --
5· The m agicians fell d own in prostration to Al lah. --
6. The magicians knew for certain that M oosaa ( �\ ) was a prophet. __

C. Answer these questions.
1. What reply did M oosaa ( �� ) give to Pharaoh when the latter boasted of
having brought him up in the pala ce?
2. What a uthority did Pharaoh enjoy being the 'lord and master' of Egypt?
3· Write in your own words M oosaa's reply to Pha raoh's q uestion a bout the past
generations.
4· H ow did H aaroon ( �1 ) come to be a prophet?

160 Prophet Moosaa �� ( 4)
5· What was Pharaoh's reaction to Moosaa's signs? Why?
6. Why did M oosaa ( �I ) fix the day of the festival for the tryst?
7· H ow was Moosaa's snake d ifferent from the other 'snakes'?
8. What politica l twist did Pharaoh give to M oosaa's victory?
D. Think-up
Why do you think M oosaa ( �I ) was afra id of the magicians' 'snakes' even
though he believed that sorcery was all wrong?
20
The people had now witness e d M oosaa's miracles. The
'
conceited king's own m agicians had testified that M oosaa's

a cts were indeed mira cles. Th is made two th ings quite clear to
the common people:
1. The king was a liar. He was stu bborn and a rrogant. H e

h a d h imself a rranged the contest s o that people might reac h a
conclusive decision. But after M oosaa's clear victory, instea d of
a ccepting his defeat, Phara o h quickly came u p with the
conspira cy theory. He th reatened the magicians so as to force
them to admit to the conspira cy plan. The sorcerers had seen
that M oosaa ( �\ ) was not a sorcerer, and that h is miracles
were performed thro ugh the Power of his Lord.
2. The skil led magicians who were well-versed in sorcery
u nexpectedly became true bel ievers. They were n ow willing to
suffer terrible physical torture for the sake of their faith
because they were certain that what M oo sa a ( �\ ) came with
Pharaoh's Stubbornness and M oosaa ( �� ), Pharaoh proclaimed

Arrogance among the people, "O my people!
Pharaoh was deeply worried Does the dominion of Egypt not
concern ing M oosaa ( �\ ). H e spent belong to me, [witness] all these
sleepless n ights. He was not able to streams flowing underneath my
enjoy food or drink. H is courtiers [palace]? Can you not then see [that I
provoked him. They a rgued, "Wil l you am the supreme lord]? Am I not better
allow Moosaa and his people to than this contemptible [man] who can
spread corruption in the land and to scarcely express himself clearly?"
abandon you and your gods?" (Surat (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43: 51-52) The
ai-'Araaf, 7:1 27) contents of the message appeared to
.
Anxious to stop the I sraelites Pharaoh u nconvincing, a lth o ugh the
and the Egyptians from bel ieving in message was q u ite clear!
Pharaoh then declared with a Pharaoh was overcome by
great sense of calmness, "O chiefs! I do disappointment, fear, and shame. H e
not know that you could have any god felt that h e was powerless. H e did not
other than me." (Surat a/-Qasas, 28:38) know what to do. He finally decided
He mockingly said, "Well, then. that the only way to defeat M oosaa
0 Haamaan! Kindle me a fire for ( �1) and his mission was to kill him. H e
baking bricks out of clay, and then said t o his n obles, " Leave it to m e to kil l
build me a lofty tower, so that I may M oosaa, a n d let him invoke his Lord! I
mount up to the god of Moosaa; but as fear lest he ca uses you to change your
far as I am concerned, I am convinced religion, or l est he should cause
that he is a liar." (Surat ai-Qasas, 28:38) corruption in the land." (Surat Ghaafir,
Thus Pharaoh contem ptibly referred to 40:26)
M oosaa's concept of Al lah, the
All-Em bracing Lord, H igh a bove all, A Believing Man from Pharaoh's
that exists. H aamaan was the Own Family
Pharaoh's minister responsible for When Phara o h was busy
constructions in the country. Pharaoh devising his evil plan to kil l M oosaa
talked scornfully about going to the ( �I ), a man, who was a bel iever from
sky to see for himself so that he would among Pharaoh's own people, who
tell people that he could n ot find had kept his faith concealed,
M oosaa's Lord there. exclaimed, "Would you kill a man
At times, he rema rked that had because he says, 'Allah is my Lord'
M oosaa ( �1) truly been sent by Allah, when he has brought you all evidence
then "Why are bracelets of gold not of this truth from your Lord?" (Surat
sent down on him, or why do the Ghaafir, 40: 28)
angels not accompany him in The man continued, "Why do
procession?" (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43 : 53) you oppose Moosaa? Why do you seek
This is not much d ifferent from to harm him? If you do not believe in
what Khrushchev, a former First him, then leave him alone. Let him go
Secretary of the Communist Party of his way. If he is a liar, his lie will fall
the then U S S R, used to say. H e had back on him. But if he is a man of truth,
asked his a stronauts in space to look there will strike you some of what the
for God. Sometimes he would deny the [calamity] of which he warns you.
existence of God, at other times he Truly, Allah does not guide those who
would repeatedly mention H is N ame, transgress and lie. Yours is the
sometimes even swearing by H im. dominion this day; you have the upper
hand in the land, but who will rescue you will wish to turn your backs and
us from Allah's punishment once it flee, having none to defend you
befalls us?" (Surat Ghaafir, 40: 28) against Allah; and whomever Allah
Pharaoh stubbornly answered, lets go astray can never find any
"I b ut want to make you see what I see guide." (Surat Ghaafir, 40: 32)
myself. I would never make you foll ow It is sufficient to note that the
any path but that of righteousness." suffering, which is in store in the life to
The an onymous bel iever argued that come for those who have wilfully
the message bro ught by M oosaa ( �1) remained deaf and blind to the truth in
was convincing by itself. It was a proof the life of the world, is a natural resu lt
that he was not a liar who was making of their free choice, just as happiness in
a fa lse claim to Prophethood. the l ife to come is the natura l
He continued, "O my people! consequence of Allah's obed ient
Truly, I fear for you the like of what servants who made efforts to attain
one day befell those others who had righteousness and the ultimate
grouped together [against Allah's salvation.
truth]; the like of what befell Nooh's
people, and to the tribe of 'Aad and He continued, "Al lah gave you a
Thamood, and those who came after blessing. B ut you did n ot rea lize its
them." (Surat Ghaafir, 40:30-31 ) excellence. You did not value it as it
Those sinners were n ot wrong should have been valued u ntil you lost
by what befell them in this world . They it. Then you regretted losing it
had richly deserved it. The bel iever afterwards. That was Prophet Yoosuf
sought to warn his people a bo ut a ( �\) whom Al lah had sent as a blessing
terrible punishment and the fate of upon you, but you did n ot realize his
those who are sinners and worth. When he died, you said, 'There
wrongd oers. will never be a Prophet like Yoosuf."'
This sensible man tried to make
them conscious of the Day of
J udgment. H e tried to make them
rea lize how awesome that Day would
be!
He said, "O my people! I fear for
you the coming of that Day [of
Judgment] when you will be cal ling
each other in distress. The Day when
The Marl' s Good Counsel

The righteous man went on to say, "0 my people!
Follow me; I will guide you to the path of righteousness. 0
my people! This worldly l ife is nothing but a brief
enjoyment, and t h e l ife to come is the home that will last.
He who does a bad deed will be rewarded with no more
thah a like of it, and he who d oes righteous d eeds,
whether a man or a woman, and is a believer, all such will
enter Paradise, wherein they wjl l be b lessed with good
beyond all reckon ing. And 0 my people! H ow [strange ] it
is for me to call you to salvation while you call me to the
Fire; you call me to a scribe partners to H im, partners of
whom you have n o knowledge, and I call you to the
Exalted in Power, who forgives again and again!"
The bel iever knew that his people were intoxicated
with their power and with the pleasures of this world . The
Pharaoh was so d azzled by his power and kingdom that
he and even his chiefs did n ot realise that the worldly life
is short-l ived.
The bel ieving man knew that the pleasu res of this
l ife prevented people from following M oosaa ( �I ) a n d
the -truth with which he came, b u t he still wanted t o c a l l
their attention t o t h e truth. WhEm he despa ired of waking
them from their deep slum ber ;:md guiding them, he
soutlded
A .
a final call, "The time will come when you will
remember what J,. a m telling you. As ·f6r me, I commit
myself to Al lah. Surely All a h �ees what is in the hearts of
H is servants." (Surat Ghaafir, 40:44-45 )
All a h M o st H igh preserved t h e believer from the
evit of their scheming, but He terribly punished Pharaoh
a n d his blind fol l owers.
Prophet Moosaa :hll\ (5) 165
Pharaoh's Wife Phara o h and his guard s could
Pharaoh's head was full of silly not d o anything. They could not
notions. He thought he was the m aster prevent it. Pharaoh had no power over
of his subjects' hearts, in the same way his su bjects' hearts; Aasiya h knew that
as he was the master of their bodies. her husband was the king of Egypt. She
He wrongly believed that he had knew her h u sband better than anyone
absolute power over their tongues and else in the ,land. She knew that he was
speech . When someone came to a merciless tyra nt, yet she bel ieved in
believe in M oosaa ( �\ ), even in the Moosaa ( �� ) and in the message he
distant part of his kingdom, Pharaoh brought from his Lord . She
grew wild with a nger. He would jump worshipped Al lah in the house of
to his feet and slump d own o nto his Al la h's enemy. She was innocent of
throne angrily. H e wou l d fume and what Pharaoh was doing. Al lah was
fret. He wou l d thunder and roar. He pleased with her. H e saved her from
wou l d yell, "How can one believe in Phara o h and his a ctions.
Moosaa and his Lord without my "And Allah sets forth, as an
permission? How can one live in my example to those who believe the
kingdom, eat provisions provided by wife of Pharaoh, as she prayed, 'O my
me, yet be ungrateful to me? People Lord! Build for me, in nearness to You,
must obey me and remain loyal to a mansion in Paradise, and save me
me." from Pharaoh and his doings, and save
Pharaoh had forgotten that his me from those that do wrong."' (Surat
kingdom, his power and whatever at-Tahreem, 66:1 1 )
pleasures he enjoyed were given to
him by Allah M ost H igh. Yet, he was The Trials of the Children of
rebel lious against H im . H e was lsraa'eel
ungrateful to his Lord . But Al lah gave The Pharaoh was too a rrogant,
rise to a sign in his own palace. H is and so were his people. They always
wife, Aasiyah, bel ieved in Al lah without persisted with their evil ways a n d paid
his knowledge. Faith entered Pharaoh's no heed to Allah's signs or to any test
palace without his permission. It laid to which they were put. They said to
bare his hel plessness. Al l a h made it M oosaa ( �� ), "Whatever be the sign
clear that He Alone is the Lord of you bring before us with which to work
people's hearts. The arrogant king's your sorcery on us, we shall never
wife had come to bel ieve in Al lah and bel ieve in you." (Surat a/-A'raaf, 7: 1 32)
disobeyed h er own hwsband.
1 6 6 Prophet M oosaa �� (5)
As people knew that the Punishments
Pharaoh was h ostile to the I sraelites, As Phara o h a n d his fol ks became
they a lways sided with him and more tyrannical, heed less and cruel,
d isplayed their h ostil ity towards Banu Al l a h willed to warn them, for He does
l sraa'eel in various ways. They treated n ot like corruption on earth . Pharaoh
them badly a n d even their children was foolishly ignora nt. Wise words
were rude to them. Every night were wasted on him as he did not heed
brought with it a new disaster, and warnings.
every day bro ught with it a new trial
and calamity. M oosaa ( �I ) consoled
his people and advised them to be
patient. He told them, "Turn to Allah
alone for help and remain steadfast;
for the earth belongs to Allah. He
allows it to be inherited by whomever
He Wills of H is servants; and the end is
[best] for the righteous." (Surat
ai-A'raaf, 7: 1 28)
The I sraelites, however, did not
like this test a n d persecution. They told Egypt was a green, fertile land. It
M oosaa ( �I ), "We have been was a land where fruits, grains and
oppressed before you came to us and vegetables grew in plenty. Egypt had
since you have come to us." (7: 1 29) even provided assistance to d istant
These words carried a sort of a lands in the yea rs of famine d u ring the
compla int. They were tel ling him that time of Prophet Yoosuf ( �I ) . The
his coming to them a s a prophet had reason for this was that Al l a h blessed
not cha nged a nyth ing, and that their Egypt with the N ile which continuously
oppression seemed to be endless. provides it with water and irrigates its
Prophet M oosaa (�1) continued crops. Phara o h and his folks thought
to remind them of Allah and a dvised that the N ile was the key to their
them to put a l l their trust in H im. H e prosperity, b ut they did n ot rea l ize that
tol d them, " I t m ay wel l be that your the keys of sustenance belong to
Lord will destroy you r enemy and leave Al mighty Allah. N or did they consider
you to inherit the earth so H e will see that the N ile ran its course by Al lah's
how you a ct." (7: 1 2 8-1 29) command.
Prophet Moosaa �' (5) 1 6 7
Al lah commanded the N ile and powerless. They cou l d not do a nyth ing.
its waters to recede, and so they I nstead of learn ing a lesson from this
vanished into the ground. The fruits of situatio n, they ascribed these
the land disappeared. Its grains calamities to evil omens connected
dwindled. The land was struck by with M oosaa and those with h im, and
severe d rought and fa mine. even a rrogantly declared that they
Pharaoh, his minister H aa maan, wou l d not a l low M oosaa ( �I ) to
their guards and armies were all bewitch them as they claimed.
A Few more Signs

Almighty Al lah then sent another sign. He sent torrential
ra ins, and the N ile overflowed with rainwater. Actually, it
ra ined so m u ch that the fields were tota lly flooded and the
crops were washed away. Once the people had complained
a bout lack of rain, n ow they were complaining a bo ut too much
of it!
Then Al lah let loose on them locusts. The armies of
locusts devou red the crops a n d fields and made the trees
completely bare. The armies of Pharaoh could not fight against
the armies of Al lah Most H igh . When Allah commanded the
locusts to storm the country, they formed what seemed like a
great cloud that d arkened the sky and ate up all green th ings in
the land.
1 68 Prophet Moosaa �' (5)
The people of Egypt stil l refused Allah then sent yet another sign
to contemplate such signs and took n o aga inst them: blood. Every time they
heed. Allah then sent them another collected water from any river or any
sign . He gave the lice power over them. well, it wo uld turn into blood. Their
Lice were in their clothes and in their n oses bled. It weakened and
hair! They had to spend sleepless exhausted them. Even all the water
nights and.. uneasy d ays searching for they had in their containers would turn
lice to get rid of them. into blood. Their doctors were unable
Then Almighty Al lah engulfed to treat them. No medicine worked.
them with f�ogs. There w�re frogs They complained to their arroga nt king
everywhere: in their storage vessel s and said that they had n othing to drink,
for food and d rink a n d even in their but he thoughtlessly suggested that
clothes. The frogs made their life Moosaa ( �I) had cast a spell on them.
miserable. They croaked all night. One Whenever they saw a sign, they
jumped here and another leapt there. went to M oosaa ( �I ) and said, "Ask
The frogs were all over them. One your Lord to remove this affliction
wou l d even fill a glass with water to from us. We shall truly repent and
drink it, and a frog wou l d leap into it believe in you, and we shall send the
from n owhere! Whenever they killed Children of lsraa'eel with you." But
one, more frogs would appear. when Al lah removed the affl i ction
Pharaoh and his forces were helpless a ccording to a fixed term, they again
against these nasty frogs! broke their promise.
Prophet Moosaa �� (5) 1 6 9
Exercises
1. The only way for Pharaoh to get rid of M oosaa ( �\ ) was to ____ him.
2. Pharaoh thought that he was the master of his subjects' -----

, as he
was of their bodies.
3· Pharaoh's wife bel ieved in Allah without her husband's ------
4· M oosaa ( �� ) a dvised h is people to be ______
5· Pharaoh was so a rrogant that he did not heed _______

----�--�----�
1. What two things did the victory of M oosaa's mira cles m a ke clear to the
common folk?
2. Who was H aamaan, and what did Pharaoh ord er him to do?
1 7 0 Prophet M oosaa ')1&§1 (5)
3· What did the bel iever from Pharaoh's own family bel ieve was the reason for
Pharaoh a n d his people not to fol l ow the truth?
4· H ow did Pharaoh react whenever he learnt of someone following M oosaa

( �I ) ?
5· In what way did Pharaoh's people display hostil ity towards Banu lsraa'eel?
6. Besides M oosaa's m iracles, what were the other trials to which Pharaoh and
his people were put?
Prophet Moo sa a �� ( 6) 21
Pharaoh's rebellion persisted. H is Some people responded
enmity towards M oosaa ( �I ) and his positively to M oosaa ( �1 ). Al lah then
brother Haaroon ( �I ) constantly a dvised Moo sa a ( �I } and his brother
increased. M oosaa ( �� ) produced all H aaroon to choose special houses for
proofs a bout the Oneness of Al lah the Children of l sraa'eel so that they
before Pharaoh and his chiefs and woul d be ready to leave Egypt at the
clearly established evidence against a ppointed time. It wou ld thus be easy
them, but they chose to reject the truth for everyone to contact each other in
in their arrogance. They simply mocked the case of departure from Egypt when
his message and ridiculed it. There commanded to do so.
were only a few people who believed in Even though Egypt was a great
M oosaa ( �I ) from among the Coptic country with a fertile land, the Children
Egyptians, and many of these of l sraa'eel felt they were in prison.
concea led their faith because of their They suffered all sorts of torments and
fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs lest they humiliation. They were human beings
should persecute them. after all, so h ow long could they be
patient for?
Moosaa's Advice to his People
M oosaa (�1) said to his people, Moosaa ( �� ) Supplicates his
" M y people! If you d o really bel ieve in Lord
Al lah, then place your trust in H im if you M oosaa (�1) prayed, "Our Lord!
submit your will to H im . " They said, " I n You have indeed given Pharaoh and his
Allah do we place our trust. Our Lord, chiefs splendour and wealth in the life
do n ot let us suffer at the hands of of this world1, and so, our Lord, they
those who practise oppression, and are misled [people] from Your path. 0
save us by Your G race from those who our Lord! Wipe out the features of
disbelieve in You." their wealth and harden their hearts so
The Qur'an says, "And thus did they will not believe until they see the
We inspire Moosaa and his brother, grievous punishment."
'Provide dwellings for your people in Al lah sa id, "Your prayer is
Egypt, make your dwellings into places accepted. Continue, then, both of you,
of worship, and establish regular steadfastly on the right way, and do
prayer; and give good news to those not fol low the path of those who do
who believe."' (Surat Yoonus. 1 0 : 87) not know." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0: 8 8-89)
1This means: Instead of being grateful to Allah for His bounty, Pharaoh and his chiefs are using their power to corrupt their own people.
1 72 Prophet Moo sa a �tJJ\ ( 6)
The Migration would have a head-start 2Towards understanding

Finally there came a time when ove r Phara oh's arm y." 2 the Qur'an, VoL VII, p. ?o.
Al l a h revealed to M oosaa ( �� ) , The appointed n ight arrived, a n d
" Depart with M y serva nts, by night, for M oosaa ( �� ) l e d t h e twelve tribes of
surely you will be pursued." (Surat Banu l sraa'eel out of Egypt towards
ash-Shu 'araa', 26: 52) the H oly La nd - Pal estine. Each tribe
Commenting on this verse, had its own lead er.
Sheikh Abuai-A'Iaa M awdoodee writes, When Pharaoh's guard s learnt
"It should be borne in mind that the a bout the departure of M oosaa ( �\ )
Israel ites did not l ive in one particular and the Children of lsraa'eel, they
part of Egypt. Rather, they l ived in all of informed Pharaoh of the Ch ildren of
its cities and towns. There was, l sraa'eel's flight. H is anger was terrible.
however, a great concentration of H e sent heralds to a l l cities, bir.lcing
Israelites between Memphis and them to call out h is troops and to
Rameses, which was known a s Goshen. proclaim: "These are a small
Therefore, when M oosaa ( �� ) was contemptible band."
commanded to ta ke the I srael ites out Pharaoh mobil ized his forces
of Egypt, he must have sent erra nds to from all parts of the country to crush
all the towns and must have appointed them once and for all, or so he thought;
a particular night for the m igration. The but Allah turned his plans upon h im by
expression 'you will be p ursued' refers bringing together Pharaoh, h is nobles
to the fact that the time for departure and courtiers as well as his arm ies at
was set for the night so that they one place where they were all doomed.
"My Lord is with Me" separate part became like a huge

As the sun rose, the Children of mountain." ( Surat ash-Shu 'araa ', 26: 64)
l sraa'eel saw a huge cloud of dust The Ara bic words the Qur'an
behind them. Coming after them was a used in this verse are 'at-tawdh
great army. Pharaoh and his army were a/- radheem', which mean a huge
in hot pursuit on chariots a n d swift mountain. These words clearly indicate
horses. M oosaa ( �� ) stood on a rock that the N ile water stood on both sides
and gazed back to the cloud of d ust like two great mountains and remained
already darkening the horizon. H e in this state until several hundred
turned a n d gazed to where the calm thousand I srael ites passed through the
water of the Red Sea fl owed - a barrier dry path, by Al lah's command. As the
separating them from the safety of the 1.:·.- Qur'an says in another verse, "Travel
true desert beyond. Voices were raised, by night with my servants and strike a
"Son of l mraa n ! Why did you plot to
� dry path for them through the sea,
kill us? You have indeed brought us to without fear of being overtaken [by
our death. There is no way for us to Pharaoh] and without [any other
escape, and Pharaoh will certa inly kil l fear." ( Surat Taa Haa, 20: 77)
u s . " M oosaa ( �I ) calmly repl ied, " By There were twelve paths, one
no means! My Lord is with me, a n d H e for each tribe. M oosaa 's fol l owers
will soon guide me." crossed unharmed a n d reached the
Alm ighty Allah then inspired land in safety. Al lah com manded
Moosaa ( �� ) thus, "'Strike the sea M oosaa ( �I ) to leave the sea a s a
with your rod', so it divided, and each furrow [divided] to lure on the Egyptian
1 74 Prophet Moosaa 'MJI ( 6)
h ost, o n which the sea afterwards sea, the sea flooded back over them,
closed in, and they were all destroyed . terrible a s thunder, faster than
(See Surat adh-Dhukh-khaan, 44:24) chariots, and even faster than their
This indicates that if after swift horses!
reaching the other side, had M oosaa As Pharaoh was overwhel med
( �I ) struck his staff aga in, the two with the flood and was a bo ut to
sides of standing water would have drown, h e cried o ut, "I believe that
rejoined. Al l a h, h owever, stopped there is no god other than H im in
M oosaa ( �I ) from d oing so. Al l a h whom the Children of lsraa'eel
wil led that Pharaoh and h is army believe, and to H im I surrender
should be allowed the same d ry path myself." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0: go)
and then be drowned . Pharaoh's masks had n ow fa llen
away. H e was no longer the m ighty
Pharaoh and his Army Drown ruler whose orders were instantly
Pharaoh witnessed h ow the obeyed. He had shrunk a n d looked
I sraelites had crossed the sea in safety. h u m il iated. But Al l a h said, "Only now?
H e did not rea l ise, in h is arroga nce and But before this you were rebelling
fal se pride, this sign a n d a dvanced with against Us, and you spread corruption
h is army towards M oosaa and his in the land." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0 : 91) N ow
followers. The I sraelites were in fear you bel ieve when you have n o longer
again. Following Alla h ' s command, any choice of means of escape. You
M oosaa ( �� ) left the sea alone. h ave been a rrogant in your d isbelief.
H owever, when Pharaoh and his forces You rejected all Our messages a n d
rea ched the middle of the path into the warnings.
The tyrant who had commanded were the gardens and springs they
the slaying of thousands of innocent left, and corn-fields and noble
people and children was now dead. buildings, and pleasant things where
The despot who had treated people they had taken such delight! Thus [was
cruelly and mercilessly was no more! their end]! And We made other people
The king of Egypt had died fa r away inherit [those things]" (Surat
fro m h is throne and h is court, and adh-Dukh-khaan, 44: 25-28)
there was no one around to comfort
him or shed tears for him.
Allah said, "But today We shall
save your body so that you may
become a sign to those who will come
after you, for a great many people do
not heed Our signs." (Surat Yoonus, 1 0 :
92) I n the Sinai Desert
This incident shows that As the I sraelites were city people
Alm ighty Al lah protects the believers and were not used to desert l ife, they
and p un ishes those who choose to be fou n d the desert sun too hot for them.
H is enemies. They did not even have tents which
would shelter them from the sun and
hot winds. But Allah, the All-Generous,
the All-M erciful, commanded the
clouds to shade them a n d travel with
them wherever they m oved!
Soon when they felt thirsty and
Pharaoh's body has been and is saw that there was no water in the
till intact today, and many generations desert, they complained to M oosaa
since he was d rowned have seen this ( �� ) of their severe thirst. M oosaa
sign . I n d eed, it is a clear sign for those ( �� ) prayed for water for his people,
who are able to see and a good lesson and Al lah commanded him to strike the
for those who are willing to heed rock with his staff. M oosaa ( �\ ) did,
Al lah's warnings. and twelve springs gushed forth from
Al l Pharaoh's army drowned to it, so that each group knew where to
the last man. They had left a l l the drink.
blessings Al lah had bestowed u pon They again complained to
them. The Qur'an says, "How many Moosaa (�1 ) , "0 M oosaa! You brought
us out of Egypt, which is the land of m a ke up their mind a bout a nything.
fruits and produce. Who will give us They showed little gratitude and had
food in this desert?" many complaints. They fretted a n d
M oosaa (�\) prayed to Al m ighty fumed. They easily got bored, wanting
Allah, and soon Allah sent down small what they were forbidden and hating
sweet round things called manna as what they were given. Soon they
well as fl ocks of birds called sa/waa complained to Moosaa ( �� ) "O ,
(quails), which they could easily catch Moosaa! We cannot endure one kind
from the trees. of food, so pray to your Lord to
Opinions vary over what exactly produce for us what the earth grows:
was manna. Some believe it was honey, its pot-herbs and cucumbers, its garlic,
others say it was a kind of sweet gum, lentils and onions." M oosaa ( �� ) said
while others maintain that it was a to them, "Would you exchange the
snow-like substance that settled upon better for the worse? Go back in
trees every n ight as dew. They could shame to Egypt, and then you will find
dissolve it in water or m a ke bread with what you are asking for." (Surat
it. The quails used to settle in ai-Baqarah, 2: 61 )
thousands every morning and every
evening near them at such a close The Israelites' Stubbornness
distance that they could easily catch The Children of lsraa'eel were so
them by their hands. stubborn that whenever they were
told to do something they would
The Israelites' Ingratitude persistently do just the opposite. They
Al lah sent manna and quails ignored whatever they were told and
upon the I sraelites, which were two took it l ightly. I nstead of remaining
kinds of foods they received without conscious of Allah a n d being grateful
having to make a ny effort whatsoever. to H im for H is numerous blessings,
Al lah also made springs of fresh water they negl ected their d uties and
gush forth in the desert for them and indulged in sins.
provided them with cool shade in the When Al lah commanded them,
scorching heat of the Sinai desert. " Enter this town, and eat of the pl enty
But they did not appreciate any therein as you wish, a n d enter the gate
of these favo urs. They rema ined prostrating a n d say, hiittatun (forgive
rebel l ious and disobedient. Their tastes us)', We shall forgive you your sins and
and morals had been corrupted d ue to increase [the portion of] those who do
their long ensl avement. They could not good", they simply ignored Allah's
order a n d went in dragging themselves H e would command them to slaughter
on their buttocks, as reported in some a cow. Moosaa ( �I ), however,
Prophetic tra d itions) insisted, "God forbid! H ow can I
Further, instead of praising their attrib ute something to Al lah without
Lord, they said 'hintatun ' (wheat ) , having it revealed to m e? This is what
instead of 'hittatun', m a king it a point All a h has commanded m e when I a sked
of m ockery and derision. So Allah H im a bout this matter, and you ought
infl icted a serious punishment on to do as you are told."
them: a plague that claimed many l ives. The I sraelites a sked so many
One of their many m ischievous questions a bout the characteristics of
deeds was that whenever they were the cow including its colour a n d age.
given a comma nd, they would ask Each time they a sked for more details,
many q uestions in order to avoid d oing they would be provided with these
what they were commanded to do. details, hence making it only d ifficult
for themselves to find the cow they
The Story of the Cow were looking for. They a lso a sked him,
A man was once murdered and "Call on your Lord to tell us exactly
the I sraelites were very worried a bout what type of cow it is. To us cows are
it. They did a l l they could possibly do in all alike; we wish indeed for guidance
an attem pt to find the killer, but to no if Allah wills." (Surat ai-Baqarah, 2: 70)
avail. Finally they went to M oosaa (�1) M oosaa (�I) replied, "He says: a
and begged him to ask Al lah to m a ke it cow not trained to til l the soil or water
clear to them who the m u rderer was. the fields; sound and without
M oosaa ( �I ) sought Al lah's blemish." (Surat ai-Baqarah, 2: 7 1 )
help, a n d H e revealed to him that they They said, " N ow you have come
should slaughter a cow. The I sraelites u p with the right description." So they
fou n d this command so funny that slaughtered it, a lthough they almost
they asked M oosaa ( �I ), "Are you did n ot do it.
mocking us?" he rep lied, "Allah save In fact, Allah's command to them
me from being an ignorant [fool]." was clear and simple: "Slaughter a
(Surat a�Baqarah, 2 : 67) cow." H a d they sacrificed any cow, it
They took it a s a joke, because would have been sufficient. B ut they
they could not bel ieve that he would looked for trouble for themselves, so
ask his Lord a bo ut this matter, and that Al l a h provided them with what they
were looking for!
'See Tafseer Ibn Katheer.
1 78 Prophet Moosaa �� ( 6)
It was n o longer a n ordinary cow gain H is nearness, which can only be
that could easily be found a nywhere, obta ined by All ah's bidd ing. Second, to
but one with a special description and teach the lesson that when one is
an un usual combination of features. commanded to do something, one has
After a long, exhausting search, they to d o it wel l . Third, to impress o n the
finally found the cow with an orphan believers the fact that when one is
who refused to sell it to them unless commanded to d o something, one
they paid him a very h igh price: Its m ust hasten to do it without asking for
weight in gold . details that may only m ake it harder for
M oosaa ( :%§1 ) then commanded one to do. Fourth, to help the orphan
the I sraelites to strike the corpse of the who owned the cow. Fifth, for the
murdered man with a portion of its ignorant not to mock the words of the
meat; and when they did, the man wise, as the I sraelites foolishly
came back to l ife by Al lah's command imagined when Moosaa ( :%§1) a sked
and wil l . Moosaa (:%§1) asked him a bout them to sla ughter a cow. Sixth, for the
the person who had m urdered him. H e believer seeking nearness to Al lah by
pointed to him and then fel l dead h is sacrifices to choose the best that he
again. can find. Ibn t U mar ( � ) used to select
The q uestion arises here as to a sacrificial animal that was the best of
why this approach should be n ecessary its kind and the m ost expensive.
when Allah can restore the dead to life Seventh, to demonstrate that it is Al lah
without the need for anything in alone Who brings the dead to life. It is
particular. What possible rel ationship Al lah's Power, the workings of which
could there be between the sacrificed human beings cannot comprehend.
cow a n d the murdered man being We see the effects of Al lah's
restored to l ife? The Qur'an scholars Power around us all the time, but we
have answered all these q uestions. are not able to grasp its rea l ity or the
First, the a ct of sacrificing a cow way it works. Al lah shows us H is signs
by Al lah's command was a means to so that we may understand.
Exercises
1. M oosaa ( �\ ) wanted to go north, while Al lah wil led him to go _____
2. The Children of lsraa'eel fo und themselves on the shores of the
B. State whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Only a few of the Coptic Egyptians bel ieved i n M oosaa ( �\ ). __
2. M oosaa ( �\ ) led his people towards M a kka h. __
3· The Red Sea stood split at Pharaoh's command. --
4· Pharaoh finally bel ieved in the One True Al lah. __
5· The I sraelites were ungratefu l for Allah's bounties. __
1. Why did M oosaa ( �� ) and h i s brother choose special houses for the Children
of lsraa'eel?
2. Why did M oosaa ( �� ) an d his people leave Egypt at n ight?
3· Why had Allah commanded M oosaa ( �\ ) to leave the sea as it was?
4· What is the wisdom behind saving Pharaoh's body?
5· Mention the blessings Al lah showered on the Children of lsraa'eel.
6. In what way were the I sraelites ungrateful to Allah?

Prophet Moosaa �� (6 ) 181
D. Think-up
What lessons do you learn from the story of the cow?

Our Lord is Al lah
(Surat Fussilat, 41 :30-36)
22
The title of this surah (41 ) is
derived from the verb 'fussilat', which
occurs in verse 3·
Translation of the meaning of
these verses
I n the Name of Al lah, the M ost
Kind, the Most M ercifu l
3 0. I ndeed, those who say, "Our

Lord is Allah" a n d then
steadfastly pursue the right
way-upon them the a ngels will
descend, [saying], " Do n ot fear
and d o not grieve, but receive
the good news of Para dise which
you were promised.
31 . "We [the angels] are y o u r allies
in the l ife of this world and in the 34· But good and evil cann ot be
l ife to come; and you will have equal. Repel [evil] with
therein whatever your soul s something that is better; a n d
desire, and in it you will have behold, t h e one w h o m between
whatever you req uest [or wish]. you a n d him is enmity [wil l
3 2. "As a ready welcome from [a become] as though h e were a
Lord who is] M uch-Forgiving and loyal friend.
All-Merciful ." 35· B ut this is not given to any b ut
33· And who could be better i n those who a re patient; a n d it is
speech than one w h o c a l l s [his not given to any b ut those with a
fel low-men] to Al lah and does large share of good .
what is just and right and says, 3 6. And if a n evil suggestion comes
"Surely, I am of those who have to you from Satan, then seek
surrendered themselves to refuge in Al lah; surely, He is the
Allah!" All-H ea ring, the All-Knowing.
Our Lord is Alia 183
Explanation
A closer look at these verses will revea l a striking similarity
between them and Surat ai-'Asr. I n fact, these verses as well as those
in Surat AI-'Asr describe most clearly the a l l-important truth that
Eemaan (sincere fa ith)

Al-'amal as-saalih (righteous deeds)
At-Tawaasee bil-haqq ( Encouraging each other to the truth)
At-Tawaasee bis-sabr ( Encouraging each other to stea dfastness)
There is, however, a l ittle

difference. Surat ai-'Asr discusses the
four fundamental elements of the
success of human life in brief, whereas
these verses mention their highest and
loftiest stations.
N ow let us take a close look at
these verses. First of all, we will look at
the term ' Rabb' (translated here as
Lord), which occurs in verse 30.
It is d ifficult to find a single accomplisher." The definite a rticle 'ar'
English word with which to pinpoint in 'ar-Rabb' is properly a pplied only to
the basic idea contained within this Al m ighty Al lah.
particular term . Accord ing to the The word is n ow exclusively used
Ara bic Lexicogra phers (persons who for Al lah. H owever, there are a few
write dictionaries), the primary insta nces where the term 'Rabb' is
sign ificance of the noun 'Rabb' is used, as in the Glorious Qur'an, in its
"bringing a thing to a state of litera l and l im ited m eaning of being a
completion by degrees'. Depending on master and a lord . Th us, the Prophet
the context, the word then comes to Yoosuf (�\) rem inded his prison-mate
mean: 'a lord, possessor, owner or who was a bout to be released,
proprietor or a lord, master or chief, to "Mention me to your lord (rabb), but
whom obed ience is offered or a Satan made him forget to mention
fosterer, bringer-up, feeder or him to his lord." (Surat Yoosuf: 1 2:42)
nourisher or a completer or H ere 'rabb' refers to the King of Egypt.
18 4 Our Lord is Allah
Al l a h is the Rabb of the universe, For those .who remain steadfast
of all the worlds - in all the meanings in their faith and constantly obey Allah,
mentioned a bove. Al lah's Lordship Al lah will certainly provide them with
( Ruboobiyah) entails that a person countless help in this world and
should worship Allah a s his Lord. H e bestow untold bl essings on them in the
should b e a servant t o H im alone. H e hereafter.
s h o u l d obey H im everywhere a n d at a l l The angels wil l descend on these
times. A s Al lah is the One w h o provides at the time of their death, and they will
for him and He Alone is the Protector, say to them, H Do not fear what you are
he should then seek His help alone. H e about to face and do not feel sad a bout
causes the l iving t o issue from t h e dead the worl dly things that you have left
and causes the dea d to issue from the behind, such as children, family,
living. All good is in H is hand, as well as wealth, but receive the good news of
Para d ise which you were promised . "
The Prophet ( � ) once said, "The
giving and withholding, wealth and
poverty and honour a n d disgrace. N o
angels say to the soul of the bel iever,
o n e has anything t o m atch H im . A
"Come out, good soul, from the good
sensible person is therefore one who
body in which you used to dwell; come
turns to Him a l one for a ssistance and
out to rest, to provision and a Lord
support.
Who is not angry." (Ah mad)
In verse 30, the Gl orious Qur'an
The bel iever knows that there
gives glad tidings to those who say,
are a ngels with him at all times,
"Our Lord is Al l a h " and then they stand
recording all his deeds. He also knows
firm . This means they do good deeds
that the a ngels are noble creatures
sincerely for the sake of Al lah. They who support whatever is true and just.
obey H im, do whatever He commands Therefore, whenever he intends to
them to d o and do not a ssociate perform a good deed, to stand up for
anything with H im in worship. the truth a n d sacrifice what is right, he
knows that there are creatu res in th is
Once a man came to the Prophet world that are going to support him in
( � ) and said, H Messenger of Al lah! his cause, in the same way that they
Tel l me something that I can adhere supported and h elped the bel ievers in
to! " The Prophet ( � ) said to him, the time of the Prophet ( � ). In
"Say, ' M y Lord is Allah', and then stand particular, the bel iever kn ows that the
firm." (Ibn M a ajah) angels pray for them and support them
when he does righteous deeds. Al lah's
Our Lord is Allah 18 5
Messenger ( � ) once said Allah, the that they enter the Gardens of
angels, the inhabitants of heavens and Eternity which You have promised to
earth, and even the fish in the depths them and to the righteous among
of the seas seek their fathers, their wives and their
1 This is mentioned in
a hadeeth reported by
forgiveness for a posterity, for You are the Exalted in
person who Abu Daawood and M ight, All-Wise. And preserve them
foll ows a path in At-Tirmidhee. for [all] ills; and any whom You
quest of knowledge.1 preserve from ills2 that Day-on them
Their prayers for the person can will You have bestowed mercy indeed,
continue for a long time, even after the and that will truly be the highest
person has completed his a ct. I n achievement."' (Surat Ghaafir, 40: 7-9)
another hadeeth, the Prophet ( �) said,
2 Commenting on this, Yusuf Ali writes, "That i s
" I f someone goes to visit an ill person the final j udgment, and any who is saved from
the evil consequences of their deeds in the life
in the l ate afternoon, seventy
will truly have been saved by Allah's mercy; and
thousand angels go with him and for them it is the highest achievement they
continue to seek Al lah's forgiveness could have, the attainment of all wishes, the
fulfillment of their destiny and the noblest
for him until the morning, and he will purpose of their life, the supreme salvation and
have a garden in Para dise. And if felicity. " The Holy Qur'an: English
(See
Translation of the Meanings and Commentary,
someone goes to visit him in the King Fahd Holy Qur'an Printing Complex,
m orning, seventy thousand angels go Saudi Arabia, p. 1 425)
with him and seek Al lah's forgiveness
for him until the evening, and he will
have a garden in Parad ise . " (Ahmad,
Abu Daawood a n d at-Tirmidhee. Sheikh
a i-Ai baanee classified it as saheeh)
Almighty Allah also says, "Those
[angels] who bear the Throne [of
Allah] and those around it praise and
glorify their Lord and believe in Him
and implore forgiveness for those
who believe: 'Our Lord, You embrace
all things in mercy and knowledge.
Forgive, then, those who turn to You
in repentance and follow Your path
and save them from the punishment
of the blazing fire; and grant, our Lord,
186 ur Lord is Allah
The believer will then feel that he This means that the angels say to
gets support from the a ngels, who are the bel ievers when death approaches
not like ordinary people but rather them: We have been your friends and
creatures with a great and magnificent close companions in this world,
creation. Once the Prophet ( � ) protecting you and helping you by the
described Angel J ibreel (�\) as having command of Allah, and we will bring
six hundred wings! (ai-Bu khaaree) This you to the Garden of Del ight, therein
fact also nurtures in the bel iever love, you will have all that you desire.
awe and admiration for Al lah. Whatever you ask for will appear
before you as you wish it to be.
"As a ready welcome from [a

Lord who is] Much-Forgiving and
All-Merciful"
This means a welcoming gift and
a bl essing from the One who has
forgiven your sins and who is Merciful
and Kind towards you.
A great reward awaits those who The Virtue of Cal ling Others to
gather together to read and study the Allah
Qur'an. The Prophet ( � ) said, "And who could be better in
"Whenever a group of people gather in speech than one who cal ls [his
one of the houses of Al lah in order to fellow-men] to Allah and does what is
read the Book of Al lah and teach it to just and right and says, 'Surely, I am of
one another, peace and tranquillity will those who have surrendered
descend upon them, mercy will cover themselves to Allah!"'
them, the angels will spread their wings This m eans there is no one
over them, and Allah will mention them better than one who ca lls people to
to those surrounding H im . " ( M uslim) Al lah, and he himself fol lows that
"We [the angels] are your allies which he says so it benefits him as well
in the life of this world and in the life to as others. He is not one of those who
come; and you will have therein enjoin good but do n ot do it
whatever your souls desire, and in it themselves, or who forbid evil yet they
you will have whatever you request [or do it themselves. H e d oes good and
wish]" avoids doing evil and ca lls people to
Our Lord is Alia 18 7
their Creator. This is general in himself guided by what he says. Allah's

meaning and appl ies to everyone who M essenger ( � ) is the foremost a mong
calls people to what is good and is people in this regard .
Wisdom in Da'wah " But this is not given to any but

" But good and evil cannot be those who are patient; and it is not
equal. Repel [evil] with something given to any but those with a large
that is better; and behold, the one share of good."
whom between you and him is enmity
[will become] as though he were a It is, however, significant to note
loyal friend." that no one accepts this advice and
There is a h uge d ifference works according to it except for those
between the good deed and the evil who can be patient in doing so, for it is
deed. d ifficult for people to do. Those who
" Repel the evil with one, which is manage to do this are certainly
better" means when someone does endowed with the greatest good
you wrong, repel him by treating him fortune.
wel l . There is no better pun ishment for
one who has d isobeyed Allah with Allah commands the believers to
regard to you than your obeying Allah be patient when provoked, to be
with regard to him. forbearing when confronted with
If you treat well those who treat ignorance and to forgive when
you badly, this good deed will lead to mistreated. When they do this, Allah will
reconcil iation, love and empathy, and it save them from Satan and will continue
will be as if he is a cl ose frien d to you to subdue their enemies to them until
and will become kind to you. they become like loyal friends.
188 Our lord is Allah
"And if an evil suggestion comes to you

from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah;
surely, He is the All-Hearing, the Al l-Knowing."
Since Sata n is invisible, there is no way to fight
off his infl uence and presence except by seeking
Allah's help.
The devils among men may be deceived by your
kind treatment of them, but the devils among the jinn,
when they insinuate their evil whispers, cannot be
dealt with except by seeking refuge with the Creator
who gave them power over you. Sulaymaan ibn Soorad
( � ) said, "I was sitting with the M essenger of Al lah
( ij ) when two men began insulting each other. One of
them was red in the face and his jugular veins had
swelled up. The Messenger of Allah ( � ) said, 11 know
of some words wh ich, if he were to say them, the
state he finds h imself in would go away from him
were he to say �.)ll 9'h)·,7JI � �� ' I seek
refuge with Al lah from the accursed devil ', the
state he finds himself in wo uld go from h im ."'
(ai-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
Our Lord is Allah 18 9
Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks
1. The l iteral meaning of ' Rabb' is ______
2. Al lah commands the bel iever to be ______ when provoked.
3· When a bel iever forgives those who m istreat him, Allah will save him from
------
and to his enem ies.
4· If Satan provokes us, we should ----
1. I n which ways a re these verses and Surat ai-'Asr similar?
2. There is a l ittle d ifference between these verses and Surat ai-'Asr. What is it?
190 Our Lord is Allah
3· Explain in detail the meaning of ' Rabb' .
4· What does Al lah's Lordship entail?
5· What type of support do the bel ievers receive in d oing good works?
6. On what different occasion do the a ngels descend on the believers?

Our Lord is Allah 1 9 1
7· What direct benefit does calling to Al lah have on us?
8. H ow should a M uslim punish an evil doer?
C. Think-up
Explain this hadeeth : "Say, my Lord is Al lah, and then stand fi rm . "
Prophet Moosaa �� (7) 23
The Sharee'ah
I n Egypt, the I srael ites had l ived
a life of the beasts of b urden. N ow
Al lah rescued them and they went to
l ive in the desert as free and noble
folks. B ut they needed a divine law that
would guide them - that could
ill u minate a straight path for them to
fol low. Mankind cann ot live like human
beings unless they a re provided with a
divine law and a light from their Lord.
This light is the light of the Prophets The Tawraah (Torah)
which gives people the guidance they Allah willed to guide the Chil dren
need. Without this light, beliefs are of l sraa'eel on to the Straight Path, and
merely fancies and superstitions. thu s H e sent a shareeah to them.
H ence those who have no knowledge Sharee'ah literally m eans a clear path
of Allah follow nothing but conjecture, which we m u st fol low as we toil on
ideas and bel iefs formed by guessing. towards the Creator whom we will
N ever can conjecture take the place of eventually meet. In its full est sense, the
truth which naturally comes from Al lah Sharee'ah virtually is the 'deen ', which
the Al m ighty. Those who do not fol low is often inadeq uately translated as
the Prophets and violate people's religion . 'Deen ' literally means 'way of
rights exceed limits and fol low their life', 'following' or 'the way'.
whims and desires. The people who M oosaa (�\) was summoned by
have no fear of Al lah and who do not Al lah to M ou nt Sinai in order that he
have a Sharee'ah, or divine law, break m ight receive the Law for the Children
their trusts, abuse the bounties of Allah of l sraa'eel. H e was summoned for a
and violate Al la h's and people's rights. period of forty days so that he m ight
The prophets teach people how to live single-mindedly devote himself to
as human beings on earth. Those who worshipping, fasting, reflecting and
reject the teachings of their prophets contemplating and th us develop the
will never prosper - they a re astray ability to receive the revelation for
and lead a life similar to that of animals. guidance.
Obeying Al lah's Command, the Grace of Al lah. Allah the Al m ighty
M oosaa ( �\ ) left the Israel ites at the spoke to M oosaa ( �� ), but this
place now known as Waadee increased his yearn ing and he said, "O
ash-Shaykh, which l ies between N a bee my Lord! Show Yourself to me so that I
Saalih and M ount Sinai. The p lace might see You." (Surat ai-A'raaf 7: 143)
where the I sraelites had camped is Almighty Al lah said, "'Never can
presently known as M adya n you see Me [direct], but ook upon the
ar-Raa hah. The top of the towering mount; if it remains firm in its place,
M ou nt Sinai standing at 7,3 5 9 feet is then will you see Me. ' When his Lord
m ostly envel oped by clouds. The cave revealed Himself to the mount, He
in which M oosaa ( �\ ) retired for forty caused it to crumble to dust, and
days to devote h imself to fasting and Moosaa fell down in a swoon. When
contemplation is situated at the top of he came to himself, he said, 'Glory be
the m ountain and stil l attracts visitors. to You! To You I turn in repentance,
M oosaa (�D appo inted H aaroon and I am the first to believe."' (Surat
in his place, saying to him before he ai-A'raaf 7: 1 43)
left, "Act for me among my people, do Allah also said, "0 Moosaa! I
right and do not follow the way of have chosen you above other men, by
those who do mischief." (Surat the messages I [have given you] and
ai-A'raaf 7: 1 42) the words [I have spoken to you], so
While leaving for M ou nt Sinai, take the revelation which I have given
M oosaa ( �� ) took with him seventy you and be of those who give thanks."
prominent leaders so that they coul d (Surat ai-A'raaf 7: 1 44)
hear Allah speak t o him and witness Allah gave M oosaa ( �� ) the
M oosaa (�\) receiving the Book - the Book (Tawraah) and the Criterion - a
Tawraah - and Law. M oosaa ( �� ) sta ndard by which to distinguish the
fulfilled the term of forty days. H e truth from the fa lsehood. A h uge cloud
fasted during those days, and when h e engulfed M oosaa ( �� ) and h is
came t o the place appointed b y Allah, companions and they heard Allah
"his Lord spoke to Him". (Surat reveal H is M essage to M oosaa ( �� ) .
ai-A'raaf 7: 1 43) H e presented them the Book and the
Allah spoke to Moosaa (�1) from Criterion. B ut they began to say that
behind a veil, and " H is veil is Light, " as they were not convinced by the Voice
the Prophet ( � ) once explained. alone. They would n ot believe u ntil
( M uslim) This shows the sublime and they had seen Allah H imself. "We will
high rank M oosaa ( �� ) occupied by not believe you until we see Allah
openly," (2: 55) they said to Moosaa would begin to worship idols. The path
( �� ). This invited the wrath of Allah of truthful guidance did n ot attract
and they were pu nished. A them much. Whenever they came
tremendous thunderbolt struck them across a path of error and wrongdoing
and killed them. M oosaa ( �� ) prayed they took it.
to Al lah since none of them was alive After crossing the sea, they had
to bear witness to what had happened. come across, on their way to Sinai, a
Al lah raised them again after they had people who worshipped idols. The
been dead, so that they m ight become Qur'an does n ot say who those people
grateful . Allah answered Moosaa's were. It is, however, proba ble that
prayer and restored them to l ife so that they belonged to the group of Arabian
they m ight show thankfulness. tribes called Amalekites who inhabited
southernmost Palestine, the adjoining
region of the H ejaz and parts of Sinai
Peninsula.
They said, uo Moosaa! Fashion
for us a god like the gods they have."
(Surat a/-A'raaf 7: 138) What incredible
wicked ness! A little while ago, they
were saved from the cruel Pharaoh at
the hands of their Prophet, in the
Name of Al lah, the Lord of all the
World s, who destroyed their enemy
Worship of the Calf and parted the sea for them to cross.
The Children of l sraa'eel had The d iseases of the soul is just as
lived with the idol-worshipping infectious as the diseases of the body.
Egyptians for many generations. The The infection, however, cannot be
Egyptians worshipped many things in passed on except to souls that are
Egypt. The Children of lsraa'eel had ready to receive it. The nature of the
witnessed it with their own eyes. Chil dren of lsraa'eel had grown weak.
H atred of idol-worship had departed They totally lacked in resolve. H ardly
from their hearts. I n stead, love of had they come across people who
idol-worship had seeped into their were engaged in idol-worship than
hearts as water seeps into the they began to overlook what they had
foundation of a build ing. Whenever an been ta ught over a l ong period of time
opportunity came their way, they since M oosaa (�1) fi rst called on them
to believe in Allah's Oneness. They even effigy of a calf - did not give them any
forgot the m iracle that had only a short response. It had no power to harm or
while ago saved them from Pharaoh benefit them. H aaroon forbade them
and drowned him and h is army. to do this. He tried hard to d issuade
M otivated by his faith in Al lah, them, saying, "O my people! You are
the Lord of the World s, M oosaa ( �� ) being tempted to evil by this [idol], for
became very angry. H e said to them, surely your Lord is [Allah] Most
"Surely, you are an ignorant people." Gracious, so follow me and obey my
(Surat ai-A'raaf 7: 138) command." (Surat Taa Haa 20: go )
H e asked them, "Shall I seek for B ut they answered, "By no
you a god other than Allah, when it is means shall we stop to worship it until
He who has endowed you with gifts Moosaa comes back to us." (Surat Taa
above all other nations?" (Surat Haa 20: 91)
ai-A'raaf 7: 140)
When Moosaa ( �\ ) went to the
Mount and was absent from them for
some weeks, they became playthings in
the hands of Satan. They fel l prey to
associating things with Allah. One of
their men called as-Saamiree took
charge of the common folks. He got the
gold ornaments the Children of l sraa'eel
had brought with them from Egypt,
threw a fistful of dust that he had
picked up from the hoof-marks of Angel
J ibreel's horse and moulded a body into The Punishment
the shape of a calf. It produced a lowing When Allah revealed to M oosaa
sound, and the I srael ites began to (�1) that as-Saamiree had m isled the
worship the calf. They said to each Israelites, he came back to his people in
other, "This is your god, and the god of grief and anger. He was angry for
Moosaa, but [Moosa a] has forgotten." Allah's Sake with his brother Haaroon.
(Surat Taa Haa 20: 88) H e asked him, "Haaroon! What
The I srael ites were allured by this prevented you when you saw them
golden ca lf. They bowed to it, and their going astray from following my way?
hearts were deaf and blind to the truth. Have you disobeyed my command?"
They did not think that the calf - the (Surat Taa Haa 20: 92-3)
1 9 6 Prophet Moosaa �� (7)
Haaroon (�1) replied, "Son of my into the golden calf. He thought that
mother! Do not seize me by my beard, by throwing a handful of d ust taken
nor by the hair of my head. I feared from the hoof-marks of the horse of
that on returning you might say, 'You Angel J ibreel ( �0, the moulded golden
sowed discord among the Children of calf would produce a l owing sound.
lsraa'eel, and did not pay heed to my M oosaa ( �I ) pun ished
words."' (Surat Taa Haa 20: 94) as-Saamiree by keeping him entirely
M oo sa a ( �I ) was ful l of wrath apart from the other people of h is
and sorrow. He said to his people, "Evil com m u nity. H e was branded an
is the course which you have followed o utcast and was prohibited from
in my absence! Have you forsaken m aintaining a ny social relations. H e
your Lord's Commands?" (7: 50) constantly announced h i s o utcast
As M oosaa (�1) threw down the condition by saying, "Touch m e not,"
Tablets and dragged H aaroon ( �1) to so that everyone knew that he cou l d
h im, Haaroon said, "The people made n ot be touched - in t h e same way that
me utterly weak and almost killed me, everyone avoided 1 A leper is someone
so do not let my enemies rejoice at my contact with who has leprosy, a
very serious infectious
affliction, and do not count me among lepers1 • He had to disease in which the
the evildoing folk." (7: 1 5 0) l ive alone like a flesh and nerves are
M oosaa ( �1 ) calmed d own and wild beast without gradually destroyed.
prayed, "My Lord! Forgive me and my a ny companions. What a terrible
brother, and admit us to Your grace; punishment! H e corrupted thousands
for You are the Most Merciful of those of people with idol-worship. As a result
who show mercy." (7: 1 5 1 ) he was shun ned and considered filthy.
Then M oosaa ( �I ) turned to M oosaa ( �1 ) then commanded
as-Saamiree and asked him, "What the cursed golden calf to be burnt
then is your case, 0 as-Saamiree?" He down. When this was d one, he threw
replied, 'I saw what they did not see. its remains into the sea. The Children of
So I took a handful [of dust] from the lsraa'eel witnessed the fate of the calf
footprint of the Messenger and threw they had worshipped. It was n othing
it [into the calf]; thus did my mind but an effigy of a calf - weak and
prompted me to do."' (20: 95-96) powerless in the hands of a Prophet.
Some Qur'an scholars have said H e then turned to his people and said,
that as-Saamiree saw J ibreel (�1) and "O my people! You have wronged
picked up a fistfu l of dust from the yourselves by your worship of the calf,
hoof-prints of his horse. He threw it so turn to your Lord in repentance and
slay each other. That will be better for recounted Alla h's blessings on them,
you in the sight of your Lord." (2: 54) how H e had preferred them to other
When those who had not people, so that they would be eager to
worshipped the calf killed those who strive in the way of Allah and loathe the
had worshipped it. Allah turned humiliating and undignified life they
towards them in forgiveness. I ndeed, were living. He said to them, "O my
H e is Oft-Return ing, M ost Merciful . people! Enter the Holy Land, which
Allah had promised you; and do not
The Cowardice of the Children turn back or else you will be lost." (s: 21)
of lsraa'eel
�b)�lb��b)��b)v�lb)�lb)��b&:�lb)��lb1�lb)�lbl�lk.
�
The Chil dren of lsraa'eel had .s;
� What M oosaa ( �\ ) had been �
� afraid of occurred . Their a nswer, in �
lived in Egypt for many years. They had
� spite of all that he had told them was, �

grown up in Egypt in slavery,
�
humiliation and a basement. The warm
-
� "O Moosaa! In this land are a people of �
;§
blood of fa ith had frozen in their veins. @
� exceeding strength. Never shall we �
?§ 0>---
The fire of faith had d ied down in their
hearts. This showed in their lack of � enter it unless they leave it; if they �
�
� leave, then we will enter." (s: 22)
-
courage, self-respect and enth usiasm.
� �
-
Two G od-fearing men u pon �
!§?'
They were not used to lead ing �
�
�
themselves to striving and fighting for � whom Al lah had bestowed H is grace �
� said, "Assault them at the proper gate;
their rights. They had never even
thought of such lofty matters. j for once you are in, you shall be
� victorious! And in Allah you must place
�
�
�
G u ided by revelation from Allah,
M oosaa ( �� ) commanded his people your trust if you are believers." (s: 23) �
& 0>---
� �
0>---
to enter the H oly La nd. There they As cowardly as ever, M oosaa's
�
-
cou l d dwell secure and free. M oosaa ......:;;:::;;

people replied, "0 Moosaa! Never shal l �
( �\) was aware of the cowardice and � we enter it as long as they are in it. Go �
�
§T
weakness of the I srael ites, but he
�
� forth, you and your Lord, and fight �
� then, the two of you while we sit �
�
;i &
inspired them and urged them to wake
here." (s: 24)
� �
up. H e wanted to make things easy for �
�
them because he knew that the H oly The two tried to persuade the
� terror-stricken Children of lsraa'eel to
:5!:Q place their trust in Allah, but that had -
La nd was occupied by a strong and
-::: �
�
�
arroga nt people. -
�
The Children of lsraa'eel refused no effect on them. They were not al ive �
�
;§
to enter the H oly Land until those � - they did n ot m ove!
0>---
�-
�
�
fearsome arrogant people had been � ----

driven o ut from it. M oosaa ( �� )
�
�� q1 �q��q��{ I �{ I �ql �q��\ ��{ql��q��qf\

1 98 Prophet Moosaa :�1 (7)
This made M oosaa ( �1) sad and Al lah afflicted them with
angry. He despa ired of them and h u m il iation and poverty. Even though
supplicated to Allah, "My Lord! I have it was Al m ighty Al lah who had raised
control of none but myself and my Prophets from among them and made
brother, so separate us form this them kings and given them what He
rebellious people." (5: 25) had n ot given a ny other people during
Al lah answered M oosaa's their time, they insisted on d isobeying
prayer. H e said, "Then it shall remain H im, and thus they deserved H is wrath.
forbidden unto them for forty years Pharaoh had subjected them to
[during which time] they shal l be an evil punishment. He had h u m il iated
wandering in the land. Therefore, them, killed their sons, letting their
grieve not for the rebellious daughters live. Al lah had split the sea
people."(s: 26) for them and had rescued them. H e
During this period of the had d rowned Pharaoh and his strong
wandering of the Chil dren of l sraa'eel, armies before their very eyes. H e had
the generation who had grown up in made the clouds shade them . He had
Egypt in slavery and h u m iliation died. sent Manna and Sa/waa for them. He
Another generation grew up and had had made the earth gush forth springs
been raised in this wa ndering hard ship. of water for them. He had given them
That was the nation of the future. ample food and drink.
The Israelites after Moosaa (W\1) But the Children of l sraa'eel did
Prophet M oosaa ( W\1) died while not give than kfu lness to Al lah. I n stead,
the I srael ites were still wandering in they rejected H is signs and d isobeyed
the land, as a punishment from Al lah Him.
and what they had done. They angered M oosaa (W\1) who
was extremely kind to them. I n fact, it
was M oosaa ( �� ) who had rescued Prophethood passed from
them from the tyrant Pharaoh, by M oosaa ( �\ ) to Joshua at the end of
Al lah's leave. H e had brought them out the l ife of Moosaa ( �� ). H e was
of Egypt to a land of security and Joshua, son of N oon. U ntil M oosaa
freedom -out of a l ife of slavery into a ( �� ) died, he contin ued to receive
life of freedo m and comfort. B ut they revelations concern ing commands and
opposed him and m ocked him. Did laws, and to speak with Allah abo ut
they n ot deserve their pun ishment of every circumsta nce. H e had been an
wretchedness and constant wandering honou red Prophet and of eminent
in the land? Yes, they richly deserved all position before Al lah. He spoke to
those punishments beca use of their Al lah u ntil h is very last m oment.
evil d eeds. J oshua ibn N oon bro ught the
"It was not Allah Who had Children of l sraa'eel o ut of their
wronged them, but it was they who wa ndering and took them to the H oly
wronged themselves." (1 6: 33) Land.
Prophet Haaroon ( �� ) d ied in The I sraelites conq uered
the wilderness of wandering about J erusalem under the leadership of
two years before M oosaa ( �� ). After Joshua. When the Israel ites conq uered
him, M oosaa ( �� ) died in the J erusalem, they held it for a long time.
wilderness of wand ering also. H e Prophet J oshua ruled among them
asked h is Lord t o l e t him b e close to with justice in the light of the Tawraah .
Jerusa lem when he d ied - at a H e was one hundred and twenty-seven
distance of a stone's throw from it. years old, and so he l ived after M oosaa
Alla h's Messenger ( � ) is ( �� ), for about twenty-seven years.
reported to have said, " If I were there, You will, inshaa' Allaah, learn in
I would have shown you h is grave detail about the story of Qaaroon and
below the sa nd hill by the side of the Prophet M oosaa's encounter with
road." (ai-Bu khaaree) AI-Khidr in Grade N ine!
Exercises
1. Light from the Lord is the light of the ______
2. People who have n o fear of Al lah and n o sharee'ah break their
3· Allah summoned M oosaa ( �I ) to in order to give him the Law.
4· He was summoned for a period of days.
5· The I srael ites had camped at a place cal led ______
6. M oosaa ( �1) appointed in h is place.
7· Allah gave M oosaa ( �I ) and _____
8. After M oosaa ( �1), Prophethood passed to _____
1. What does sharee'ah mean?
2. Why did M oosaa ( �1) take with him leaders to M o u nt Sinai?

3· What did M oo sa a ( �I ) do in the forty days of retreat?
4· Was M oosaa ( �\ ) able to see Al lah?
5· H ow did M oosaa's companions invite the wrath of Allah?
6. Why did as-Saamiree mould the idol for the I s raelites?

2 02 Prophet Moosaa :ii�j\ (7)
7· What kind of punishment did as-Saamiree receive?
8. Why did Allah forbid the Chil dren of l sraa'eel's entry into the H oly La nd? What
did He do instead?
The Story of Prophet
Moosaa (�1 ) and Pharaoh:
24
The stortj of
show that the true religion of mankind
has always been one and the same -
11 'Pro-pltt et MOOSfA that religion which is consistent with

man's inherent nature. It is the religion
of taw heed - the Oneness of Al lah.
.. - -
Furthermore, through these
.
.-� _, .
_ .;..
stories, the bel iever realizes that he is
-- -
. . ...- _ · ·
part of one community that has
- ·--
existed thro ughout the centuries. This

, com m u n ity has as its sole purpose the
The Benefit and Objective of the worship and good pleasure of Al lah.
Stories in the Qur'an The M uslim is n ot alone in his struggle
It is very i mportant to read and to fol low the Straight Path . Many have
study the stories of the Qur'an. These gone along the path in the past. They
stories contain very important lessons were successfu l in following that path .
and warnings. After one of the longest H e can also be successful in ad hering
stories in the Qur'an, the story of to it.
Prophet Yoosuf ( �\ ) and his brothers, Many of these stories show how
Almighty Al lah makes a very important the earlier Prophets were treated by
pronouncement on stories when H e their own communities. They show
says, "Indeed, i n their stories there i s a that all the prophets had to face
lesson for men of understanding." hardships and difficu lties incl uding
( 1 2:111 ) One of the m ost significant ridicu le, contempt and denial from
Lessons we can derive from these their own · people. Therefore, the
stories is that they show us how we Prophet and those who foll ow in his
should invite people to Allah and what footsteps should keep cl early in their
things we should stress first. The minds that when they face such
stories of the Qur'an make it quite clear hardships in their lives, earlier Prophets
that all the Prophets' primary message also had to face the same. This is
was one and the same - call ing Al lah's way - It is a test from Allah
people to the Oneness of Allah that all may have to face. At the same
(tawheed). M oreover, these stories time, these stories make it abundantly
2 04 The Story of Prophet Moosaa �·
clear that Allah gave them strength
and helped them because of their
patience.
These stories also demonstrate
how greatly Allah Most H igh blessed
H is true and devoted serva nts. While
reading stories of Prophets Sulaymaan,
Daawood, ' Eesaa, Zakariyyaa, and
Prophet Eesaa's mother Maryam, one
does not fail to recognize how m uch
Al lah blessed, guided and supported
these pious and righteous people. It
reminds the reader that if he is really
working for the sake of Al lah, Allah will
surely help him. H e will surely bless him
and will never deprive him of the
rewards of h is deeds. This is part of the
fulfil lment of Allah's promise to the
bel ievers.
Allah has Power over everything.
H e can do whatever H e wills. N othing
occurs except by H is Will . If He wills to
alter the natural course of events and
permit m iracles to happen, this is easy
for H im . He has done it throughout the
history of m ankind. This can be seen in
the stories of Prophets lbraaheem,
Yoosuf, M oosaa, ' Eesaa, and others. articular stories.
H ence, one can clearly see in the l ife of Prophet

Moosaa ( �I ) that when Al lah wills to protect and preserve
something, no one can foil H is plans. This is what happened
with M oosaa ( �I ) when his mother put him into the River
N ile to protect him from Pharaoh's guards. They were killing
the sons of the Children of lsraa 'eel. Al lah revealed to
M oosaa's m other to cast him into the river and not to fear
The Story of Prophet Moosaa � 2 05
fear nor grieve. Al lah promised her to bring him back to her
and make him one of the messengers. Such is the perfect wil l
and knowledge of Al lah.
We can also learn from the story of M oosaa ( �1 ) that
n o matter how powerful the forces of evil might be, there
comes a time when they a re brought d own and destroyed.
Pharaoh and his forces were destroyed swiftly.
Pharaoh misled and befooled his people who
thoughtl essly obeyed him. They were in fact an evil doing folk.
So when they angered Allah M ost H igh, H e pu nished them
and d rowned them all. Allah made them a n example for later
generations. This is one of the clearest lessons of the story.
A bel iever can also see in the story of M oosaa (�1) and
Pharaoh the effect of eemaan , or fa ith, when it enters into
the hearts. The sorcerers whom Pharaoh had gathered
together were wil ling to obey his orders for some worldly
gains. H owever, as soon as they realized the truth of
M oosaa's ca ll, they immediately gave up the gains they were
hoping to get and firmly stood for the truth right in the face
of the cruel Pharaoh and prostrated to Al lah. A little while
before they were sorcerers, and now they were righteous
martyrs, who preferred to die for the sake of their fa ith .
Their fa ithfulness t o t h e Truth is a lesson for all. Once
someone sees and recognizes the truth, he should never
compromise or sacrifice that truth for anything in this worl d .
The stories o f t h e Qur'an are n ot meant for pure enjoyment.
Their purpose is to present very important m ora l teachings.
They contain a great deal of guida nce that the Qur'an has to
offer.
206 The Story of Prophet Moosaa �1
Exercises
1. The Prophets' primary m essage was to cal l people to ______
2. The stories of the Qur'an are not meant for pure _____

------
1. Why is it important to read and study the stories of the Qur'an?
2. What kind of treatment did all the Prophets have to face?
3· What kind of people does Al lah bl ess, guide and support?
4· Why a re the stories in the Qur'an repeated?

Salmaan ai-Faarisee (�) 25
• I n Damascus
�
Taus
• Khorasan
Rai'
The Great Salt Desert
he s pent some
Ha t
Lot Desert
years as a Christian
·S' in the service of a
.._o:
•
•
(Q'&'
Kerman
Zahedan
Gaghboub Oasis priest. After the

Great Desert
priest's death, he
200 200 400 600
�
became h is
successor. For many
The J o u rney of years afterwards,
Salman AI -Faarisee
he was intimately
Hadramawt
Isfahan, Ash-Sham, Mosul, Nasibain,
Ammouriyah, Wadi AI Qura, Yathrib associated as
(AI-Madinah)
s e rv a n t- d i s c i p l e
<:::? Socotra
with severa l other

Salmaan ai-Faarisee, or the Christian priests and monks of m ore or
Persian, hailed from the town of Raam less saintly reputation. He travelled
H u rmuz in Khuzestan . Accord ing to during that period in M awsil, Nasibeen
some other reports, he belonged to and Ammuriyah, a town in Anatolia. I n
J ayy, near I sfahan. H e was one of the the end, he was told b y o n e of h is
noble companions of the Prophet ( � ) . spiritual masters that the Prophet
Salamaan ( �b ) was the son of an annou nced in the l njeel (Gospel) had
apparently well-to-do agriculturist. He now appeared in far-off Arabia.
had d isplayed, since h is early childhood, Driven by his insatia ble spiritual
a deeply religious bend of mind. After a thirst, Salmaan immediately proceeded
period of hard attachment to the southwards. On this way, he was
Zoroastrian faith, he came in contact treacherously sold into slavery by
with some Christians. He found a great some Bedouins of the tribe of Banu
deal of what he had been previo usly Ka ' b, whom he had engaged as h is
longing for, in their teachings. H e, guides. H e came to be the slave of a
therefore, decided to embrace J ew in Waadee a i-Qu raa, a n oasis
Christianity. B ut this angered his father between Taymaa' and Khaybar. He was
who harshly opposed him. So Salmaan later sold by his master to a J ew in
left his home and proceeded to Syria . Madeenah.
208 almaan ai-Faarisee ( c��)
When, a bo ut one year later, the Prophet ( �)
migrated there from M a kka h, Salmaan understood at
once that this was the Prophet of whom he had heard
d u ring his travels in the n orth . H e visited the Prophet ( � )
severa l times and embraced I slam when he was fully
convinced of the truth of his m ission. As a slave,
however, he co uld not take part in the early battles, b ut
shortly after the Battle of U h u d, the Prophet ( � )
suggested to him that he should demand of his J ewish
master his right to purchase his freedom.
From that time onward, Salmaan took part in a l l

t h e Prophet's campaigns. T h e first one in which he took
part was the Battle of the Trench, which took place in the
year 5 AH .
The Prophet ( � ) rega rded him as a member of his
own fam ily. He was deeply respected by all the Prophet's
compa nions on account of the knowledge he had
acquired d u ring his long travels in foreign lands. Umar ibn
AI-Khattaa b ( �) appointed him governor of Madaa'in in
I raq, where Salmaan died during the Caliphate of
Uthmaan. The date of his death is variously given as 35,
3 6, and 37 AH. The m ost probable date is 3 5 A H .
Salmaan ai-Faarisee ( ��) 2 0 9
Exercises
1. AI-Faa risee means ------
2. Salmaan left Persia and went to -------
3· was the first battle in which Salmaan took part.
4· U mar ( .t-k> ) appointed him governor of ------
1. Why did Salmaan ( � ) leave Zoroastrianism to join Christianity?
2. Why did Salmaan ( � ) leave Syria? What happened to him on the way?
3· What kept Salmaan ( � ) from taking part in the earl ier I slamic battles?
4· H ow did Salmaan ( � ) manage to win his freedom?

Sujood at-Tilaawah
Prostration for Recitation 26
n ow and today.
When one real izes the nature of are the people of the Qur'an. They are
the superiority of the Qur'an, one will the people of the Qur'an and specially
defi n itely dedicate some of one's time H is.' (Ahmad, Ibn M aajah and
to read and study this speech and not an-N asaa'ee)
ignore it or turn to other sources for Al lah's M essenger ( � ) also said
guidance. about the Q ur'an, "Al lah makes the
The Prophet ( � ) said, " H ave way to Parad ise easy for him who
good tidings! Truly, one end of this fo llows a path in order to seek
Qur'an is in the H a n d of Al lah and knowledge. No people gather together
another end is in you r hands. Adhere to in one of the houses of Al lah, reciting
it and you will not be destroyed, nor the Book of Allah and studying it
will you ever go astray after it. " among themselves, except that
( at-Tabaraa nee) ca lm ness is descended upon them,
He also said, " Certain ly, Allah has mercy covers them, the a ngels
special people among mankind." H is surround them and Al lah makes
companions asked, " M essenger of mention of them to those in H is
Al lah, who are they?" H e replied, "They presence." ( M uslim)
Sujood at-Tilaawah 2 1 1
Al lah's M essenger ( � ) also said, "The A Muslim's Obligation towards
example of the bel iever who recites the Qur'an
the Qur'an is like that of a citron One of the fi rst obl igations of a
(utrujjah), which tastes good and M uslim towards the Qur'an is to
smells good; that of the bel iever who believe that it is Al lah's Book which H e
does not recite the Qur'an is like a d ried sent down to H is M essenger
date ( tamrah ), which is good in taste M u hammad ( � ). Therefore, he must
but has no smell; and the example of a have a strong love for it. H e should
hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is l ike read it, study it, try his best to
the basil plant (rayhaanah), which memorize it and act in a ccorda nce with
smells good but tastes bitter; and the its teachings.
example of a hypocrite who does not One m ust realize that the Qur'an
recite the Qur'an is like the col ocynth 1 has been revealed for the sake of the
(handha/ah ), which tastes bitter and reader and is d irected to him. The
has no smell." ( M uslim) Qur'an is a mercy, healing and guide
Here Al la h's M essenger ( � ) and has been sent for the sake of every
shows the greatness and lofty nature individ ual who wishes to believe in it
of the Qur'an. I t is important to rea l ize and follow it. H ence, the Qur'an has
that even if it comes o ut of the m outh actually been revealed for the reader
of someone who does n ot tru ly believe himself. Therefore, when he
in it, Allah's M essenger ( ?i ) describes approaches the Qur'an, he should
it as having a good and pleasant smell. think to himself: It is Allah's Mercy. H e
Last but n ot least, we mention h a s revealed t h i s Book for my benefit.
here one hadeeth which demonstrates He has revea led it so I may know my
the importa nce of the Book of Al lah in Lord better and see that Straight Path
one's life. Al lah's Messenger ( � ) said, that is pleasing to H i m and foll ow it. I n
"The Qur'an is evidence either for you real ity, the Qur'an i s m y personal Book.
or against you . " (M uslim) It is my own Book. Allah is talking to me
I n this hadeeth, Alla h's directly in the Qur'an. H e is guid ing me
Messenger ( ?i ) makes it clear that the directly. It is a healing for the diseases
Qur'an constitutes evidence for us or of my heart and soul. There is n ot a
against us, hence the importa nce of single passage in the Qur'an which
living by its dictates. does not have a personal message for
me. Every Attribute of Allah req uires
me to build a corresponding
relationship with Al lah the Al m ighty.
212 S ujood at-Tilaawah
Every description of l ife after death
req uires me to prepare for it, aspire for
its reward and seek protection from its
evil.
The Term Tilaawah

Tilaawah is the term the Qur'an
uses to describe the act of reading. N o
single word in English can convey its
full meaning. 'To fol l ow' is closest to its 1. Correct and good pronunciation
primary meanings. 'To read' is only in recitation,
2.
secondary. A mode of recitation of medium
H ence, primarily, tilaawah m eans speed.
'to m ove closely behind, to go forward,
to go in pursu it, to take as a guide, a
Finally the Word Sujood:
model, to a ccept its a uthority, to
Prostration
understand, and to foll ow the train of
S ujood literally means
thought' . It m eans ' reading the Qur'an,
prostration . It is, however, important
fol lowing its guidance and
that no single English word or
understanding it' .
expression can convey the full
Tilaawah, then, is a n act by which
you r whole person - eyes, tongue, meanings of Islamic terms. The
mind, soul, heart, and your entire body fol l owing explanation will bring out
- participates. the d ifference. The Engl ish word
prostration, according to Oxford
The Manner of Reading the Advanced Learner's Dictionary, means
Qur'an lying stretched out on the ground with
The Qur'an says, "And recite the one's face d ownwards. In the tech nical
Qur'an in slow, measured rhythm ic la nguage of the Sharee'ah, the term
tones." (Surat AI-Muzzammil, 73: 4) sujood is a part of the prayer, or salaat.
This manner of reading the Al lah's M essenger ( � ) used to
Qur'an (tilaawah) can be achieved by say, "When a servant [of Allah]
observing the rules of tajweed. The prostrates, seven limbs prostrate with
term tajweed is derived from the Arabic him: his face, h is palms, h is knees and
root jawwada, which means 'to make his feet." ( M usl im)
well, to improve, or make good' . H ence, H e used to order likewise,
tajweed carries two d istinct meanings. saying, "When you perform sujood
Sujood at-Tilaawah 2 13
place your pa lms on the ground and you perform sujood, p ut your face and
raise your el bows. Do not spread you r hands down firm ly, u ntil all your bones
forearms like a d og spreads his. " are relaxed in their proper places. " ( I bn
(M uslim) Khuzayma h)
Another version reads, " N one of The Prophet ( � ) would s u pport
you should rest h is arms to the ground himself on h is palms, p ut his fi ngers
the way a dog rests them . " together and point them towards the
(At-Tirmidhee) qiblah, keeping his feet upright. H ence,
He also used to say, "There is no he wo uld prostrate on seven lim bs: the
prayer for the one whose nose does palms, the knees, the feet, and the
not feel as m u ch of the ground as the forehead and the nose. He once
forehead." (At-Ta baraanee) observed, " I have been ordered to
In one narration it comes, 'When prostrate on seven bones." ( M uslim)
Sujood at- Tilaawah

There are fifteen verses (aayaat: sing. aayah) in the Qur'an
which require us to perform a prostration when we read
or hear them. In them it is mentioned that Allah's servants
and creatio n prostrate before their Lord. They a re:
Verse Surah Verse Su rah Verse Surah

206 7 18 22 24 38
15 13 77 22 38 41
4 9-50 16 60 25 62 53
1 09 1 7 25-26 27 20-21 84
58 19 15 32 19 96
When one of these verses is read (for example 96: 1 9

or 53: 62), readers a n d l isteners a l ike perform sujood,
either d irectly from the sitting position, if one is sitting, or
from the standing position if, for example, the passage is
recited d u ring the prayer. The prayer is then resumed in
the normal order.
The verses call ing for sujood are often amplified by
printing a line above the actual word s, m entioning the
word 'sajdah' in the margin of the printed copies of the
Qur'an.
2 14 S ujood at-Tilaa wah
I t is reported in connection with
the Conquest of M a kkah that in the
course of the Qur'anic recitation, as
the Prophet ( ri ) recited such a verse,
those stand ing fel l into prostration,
while those who were mounted on
horses and camels performed
prostration in that very state. It is also
recorded that while delivering a
sermon from the p u lpit, the Pro phet
( ri ) came d own from the p ulpit to
Sujood at-Tilaawah outside the offer prostration, and resumed his
prayer is performed as fol l ows: sermon thereafter. (Abu Daawood)
0 Formulate the niyyah (intention).
0 Face the qiblah (standing or N ote:
sitting) . There is a d ifference in Arabic
0 Say takbeer, i.e. Allaah u Akbar. between the words sajdah and sujood.
0 Prostrate on the floor, making Sajdah is one single act of prostration,
sure that the palms, knees, toes, while sujood refers to the act of
nose and forehead are placed on prostration itself.
the floor, and glorify Al lah by
saying: S ubhaana rabbiyai-A'ala
(Gl ory be to my Lord, Most The Conditions for Sujood
H igh), three times. at-Tilaawah
0 Rise saying takbeer. The cond itions for this kind of
sujood are exactly the same as req u ired
According to traditions, while for offering prayer.
reciting the Qur'an in large gatherings, 0 One should be i n a state of ritual
when the Prophet ( ri ) came upon a purity.
verse the recitation of which called for 0 One should be facing the qib/ah.
sujood, he would prostrate and the 0 The prostration should be
whole gathering wou l d fol low him. The performed as one performs it in
traditions mention that sometimes prayer.
some people did not have room to This is the general opinion of
prostrate. Such people prostrated o n scholars on this point, and it is
t h e backs of others. (AI-B ukhaaree) preferable to follow it.
Sujood at-Tilaawah 21 5
Exercises
1. The superiority of the Speech of Allah over a l l other speech is like
2. The Qur'an has been revealed for the sake of the -----
3· When a serva nt [ of Al lah] prostrates, ------

prostrate
with him.
4· There are ______ verses in the Qur'an that req u ire us to prostrate.
1. According to a hadeeth, who are the special people a m ong mankind?
2. Explain the hadeeth "The Qur'an is evidence either for you or aga inst you . "
216 Sujood at-Tilaawah
3· Write a few lines on the attitude M uslims should adopt toward the Qur'an.
4· G ive the m eaning of the word tilaawah.
5· H ow should one perform s ujood at-tilaawah while in prayer?
6. What are the conditions for sujood at-tilaawah?

218 Prophet Muhammad �� Part 1
Paradise is yours. . . for now I have
forgiven yo u your sins."' When H aatib's
servant remarked, " M essenger of
Al lah, H aatib will enter Hell." Al lah's
M essenger ( � ) said, "That is not true.
H e will never enter H ell, for he has
witnessed Badr and AI-H udaybiyyah
[Truce]. " (M uslim)
The fact that Haatib did what he A Word about the Prisoners of
did d oes not mean that he had n o faith War
in Al lah and H is M essenger ( ·;i ). H e As discussed in Grade Seven
o n l y wanted t o have some influence earlier, seventy of the Makka ns were
among the people of M a kka h, so that taken captive on the battlefield. Each
he would protect h is family and his of the captives had been shared
possessions there. This shows the high between three or more of the fighters
in esteem in which the Prophet who had participated in the battle.
( � ) himself held the companions of Al la h's M essenger ( � ) pardoned the
Bad r. Their heroism and self-sacrifice captives. H e a ccepted ransom from
on the occasion of the battle them and released them. H e was
outweighed a ny lapse on their part in gracious to those who had n othing to
later times. It is to be understood, give and set them free. The Quraysh
however, that the Prophet ( � ) sent money to ransom the prisoners
considered that Haatib's act was due and Allah's Messenger ( � ) set them
to weakness rather than to free.
treacherous motives. Among the captives were those
The outcome of Badr had a who had nothing from which to
profound effect in Makka h and ra nsom themselves. Al lah's M essenger
Madeenah and indeed througho ut the ( � ) asked them to earn their freedom
Arabian Peninsula. The polytheists by teaching the children of the Ansaar
were d isappointed with the o utcome how to write. Each captive ta ught ten
and d isplayed hatred, which M uslims. Zayd ibn Thaabit was one of
manifested itself in open hostil ity. those who learnt in this way from the
ca ptives of Badr.
I n dealing with the seventy
captives of war, there were three ways
open for the Prophet ( � ), all of which
Prophet Muhammad � Part 1 27
Great Badr for the sake of their faith without
Expedition any conditions whatsoever.
}
(The Day o f Criterion, the day
when the lwo forces met.)
17 Ramadan 2 A.H. 0�
Swordsmen During the battle, the
13 March 624 A.D.
Well ofBadr Archers une System
I
� Spearmen
Az�Zubalr bin 'Awwam�orse 'Ubaidah Miqdad bin 'Arnr Horse x
M uhaajiroon faced their near
�
Ah
;::,f
:S 11
·verily, Allah loves those who fight x x x
t? The Duel X Hamzah

Q.;sff 11
in His Cause in rows (ranks) as if
!
·S' :f!i It
they were a solid structure."
(Qur'fm 61:4) AI Walid
x x
Shaibah 'Utbah
x
" relatives: son confronted father,
"And AllAh has already made you J':.-.,#'�(S�Q
\\
�
', 1I
;p
.::;,·
victoriou� at Badr, when you were 0# ,-,

\. : \: \: \�1 ;·
'. , / f
.-
a weak little force. So fear Allah J/

much thatyoumay r��e�I;; ),_;
1
1._
1
,�,,
, \ ' 11
AI-Madlnah e and brother confronted brother.
(
: ,._ , /
r J)
I,' � PolYtheists
: II � o �-- :1
-
Family ties did not prevent the
' ��""1
: ,' V$-'{t[,� e ��<'
Shatte�ing ..;'.tacks
I ,•
r--+-----L �� / :f
e
Abwa :it M uhaajiroon from fighting
•
�
Badr
·- against their kith and kin. Faith
Polytheists Fig::�t;:r�� the Method of
�e t
Jl � The Site of came before over all other ties
Badr
and commitments. Those who

fought at Badr obtained great
esteem. They received honour
and recognition throughout the
ages.
The a uthentic sayings of
the Prophet ( �) extol the merits
of the Badriyoon (those who
participated in the Battle of
Badr) and their high ran ks in
Graves of Badr Martyrs
Parad ise.
There is a story of Haatib
The Great Battle of Badr at A Glance ibn Abee Ba lta 'ah ( �) who was
The Battle of Badr was a turning point in one of those who fought in this
the history of I slam. For this reason, the Qur'an battle. H e had informed the
describes it as the Day of Distinction (yawm Quraysh, a l ittle before the
al-furqaan) between truth and falsehood. A conq uest of Ma kka h, that the
little before the battle, the Ansaar of M adeenah M uslims were coming to
had annou nced that their obedience to the conquer M a kka h, but the
Prophet ( :� ) was not limited to the written Prophet ( � ) forgave him. H e
pledge which they had drawn up at the second said, " M aybe Allah has looked at
Pledge at a i-Aqabah. They were obed ient those who fought at Badr and
sol diers. They were prepared to make sacrifices said, ' Do whatever you like; now
Prophet Muhammad � Part 1 2 1 9
were in conformity with the aggrieved, did n ot agree. Suhayl ( � )
esta blished customs of Arabia in those later embraced Islam and became a
days. He could have kil led all of them. devout M uslim.
This was, in fact, suggested to him by All the captives had been tied
no less an illustrious companion than down to different pil lars. Among them
' Umar ibn a i-Khattaab ( � ), who later was AI-' Abbas ibn 'Abd ai-M utta lib who
became the second caliph. ' U mar ( � ) was one of the Prophet's uncles. He
even suggested that each prisoner later embraced Islam d u ring the time
should be killed by h is nearest M uslim of the conquest of M a kkah.
relative. Many soldiers in the M a kka n
army had their relatives among the
The Prophet ( � ) knew that he
migrants includ ing fathers and sons.
had a soft corner for him and that he
But the Prophet ( � ) did not accept the
had joined the Quraysh in Badr aga inst
suggestion.
his wil l. The ropes rou n d him were so
The second course open for him
tight that he groaned in pain. At n ight,
was to take them all as slaves and
the Prophet ( � ) could hear h is groans.
d istribute them among the M uslims
It pained him to see h is uncle in pain
who had fought in the battle. Allah's
and he began to pace up and d own
Messenger ( ?i ) did not do so.
restlessly. The companions asked him
The th ird option available was to
why he was so perturbed, and he tol d
free them by taking ransom . Allah's
Messenger ( � ) preferred this course
them the reason of his distress. The
companions forthwith offered to
of action.
loosen the ropes a round AI-'Abbaas.
The Prophet ( � ) demanded that the
One of the captives was Suhayl
ibn 'Amr who was a fiery orator. He had '
ropes around all the captives be
become infamous for his bitter and
loosened as wel l . Al l the captives were
offensive attacks on the Prophet ( � )
treated in the same way.
and his companions in his speeches.
When he was found among the
captives, ' U mar ( � ) suggested that On one occasion, the Ansaar
two of his front teeth be pulled o ut as sought perm ission from the Prophet
pun ishment so that he m ight n ot in ( � ) not to ta ke ransom from
future be so sharp in h is vile AI-'Abbaas and to release him
utterances. Allah's M essenger ( � ), unconditional ly, but he remarked, "You
although having full power over will n ot leave a single dirham of it. "
Su hayl, and having himself been m ost (AI-B u khaaree)
220 Prophet Muhammad � Part 1
The Prophet ( � ) turned to recognizing it at once as Khadeejah's,
AI-'Abbaas and said, " Ra nsom yourself h is wife. Deeply moved, he said to
and your two nephews, 'Aqeel and those who had a share in the prisoner,
Nawfal, and your ally ' Utbah ibn 'Amr, " If you find it fit to release her captive
for you are a rich man." AI-'Abbaas h usband and return her the ransom, it
protested, " I was already a M uslim, but is for you to do so." They at once
the people made me march out with agreed, and both the money and the
them." The Prophet ( � ) then said, "As necklace were returned together with
to your I slam, Allah knows best. If what Abu AI-'Aas himself. It had been hoped
you say is true, Allah will reward you . that he would enter I slam while he was
B u t outwardly you have been against in M adeenah, but he did not, and when
us, so pay us your ransom. " AI-'Abbaas he left for M a kkah, the Prophet ( � )
repl ied that he had no m oney. But the told him that on his return he should
Prophet ( � ) said, "What about the send Zaynab to Madeenah, which he
money you and your wife, Umm sadly promised to do. The revelation
al-Fadhl, have hidden? You two were made it clear that a M uslim woman
alone when you said to her, ' If I should could n ot be the wife of an unbelieving
be kil led, so m uch is for AI-Fadhl, for man.
'Abdul la h, and for Qutham, my sons."' Many people now began to
AI-'Abbaas said, " I do know for certain accept Islam. Among them were those
that you are Al lah's M essenger. This is who d id so to protect their own
something of which n o one has any interests after they real ized that Islam
knowledge except m e and my wife. " was on the rise. These people were the
And he agreed t o ransom h is two hypocrites (munaafiqoon) who
nephews and h is confederates as well professed I slam but concealed u n belief
as himself. (kufr) in their hearts. Their leader was
One of the prisoners who was 'Abdullah ibn U bayy ibn Salool.
quartered with the Prophet ( � ) was The Quraysh in Makkah could
his son-in-law Abui-'Aas, whose brother hardly believe what had happened.
'Amr came from Makkah with a sum of Their leader and heroes had been killed.
money sent by Zaynab, the da ughter of They were determined to avenge their
the Prophet ( � ), to ransom h im; and dead. They sent ' U mayr ibn Wa hb
with the money she sent a necklace of a i-J u mahee to assassinate the Prophet
onyx, which her mother had given her ( � ) after Safwaan ibn U mayyah had
on her wedding day. When the Prophet promised to look after h is fam ily,
( �) saw the necklace, he became sad, should ' U mayr be killed.
Prophet Muhammad � Part 1 22 1
' U mayr agreed. H is son was one The Prophet ( :!i ) turned to some
of the captives, but he was too heavily of those who were present and said,
in debt to ransom him. "On me be your " I nstruct your brother in his religion,
debt, " said Safwaan, "and your fam ily recite the Qur'an to him, and release
be as mine! I will care for them as long for him his captive son."
as they l ive." ' Umayr immed iately ' U mayr was eager to retu rn to
accepted his offer, and they swore to M a kka h so that he m ight try to bring
keep it a secret between the two of others to I slam; Safwaan was a mong
them u ntil their end had been them. The Prophet ( � ) gave him
achieved. Then he sharpened his perm ission to go and he made many
sword, smeared it with poison, and set people accept Islam. But Safwaa n
off for M adeenah on the pretext of considered him t o b e a traitor. H e
ra nsom ing h is son. When he reached resol utely refused t o speak t o h i m o r
the mosque, ' U mar ibn ai-Khattaab have a nyth ing t o do with him. A few
( � ) seized him and took him to the months later, ' U mayr returned to
Prophet ( � ), who asked him why he Madeenah as an Em igrant.
had come. ' U mayr l ied and told him When Abu i-'Aas returned to
that he had come to ask the rel ease of Ma kka h, he told Zaynab that he had
his son. B ut the Prophet ( � ) told him prom ised her father that he would
his rea l p urpose and repeated word for send her to M a deenah. They agreed
word the conversation he had had with that their little da ughter U maamah
Safwaa n . "So Safwan took it u pon should go with her. Their son 'Ali had
h imself to pay off your debt and look died in infan cy and Zaynab was now
after your fam ily, " the Prophet ( � ) expecting a third child. Zaynab began
concluded, "that you should kil l me, to prepare for the journey in absolute
but Allah has come between you and secrecy. Being the da ughter of the
that." ' U mayr excla imed, "Who told Prophet ( :!i ), she knew the value of
you this, for by Allah there was n o third secrecy when a major task was being
man with us?" "J ibreel told m e, " said underta ken . Of course, the Quraysh
the Prophet ( � ). ' U mayr said, "We were watching. It was impossible that
called you a liar when you brought us they would wil lingly grant the Prophet
news from heaven. Pra ise be to Allah ( � ) the satisfaction and blessing of
Who has guided me to Islam. I testify being reunited with his daughter. So
that there is no god but Allah, and that Zaynab had to plan her exit from
M uhammad is the Messenger of Ma kka h very carefully. M eanwhile, the
Allah." Prophet (�) sent his adopted son Zayd
o·
.A •
•- _,
•
�' •-
.A �I . ....
A ., 0I 1 ' w,....
0
1\
ibn H aarithah, and one of the Ansaar to At length, a group of the ..
go o ut to fetch her. They stayed in

Yaa'jaj, some 12 km north of M a kka h .
The journey took place roughly a
m onth after the Battle of Badr. When
everything was ready, her brother-in
law, Kinaanah ibn ar-Rabee', decreed it
was safe to leave with her in broad
daylight. H e m ight have thought that
as she was inside a h owdah (hawdaj)
nobody would n otice her. B ut he was
proven wholly wrong. Soon the
Quraysh horsemen were in h ot pursuit.
They ca ught up with Zaynab and her
·_ part of the Quraysh.
Then, Abu Sufyaa n, acting as the �-o
guide in a place not far from M akkah
....
ca lled Dhaat at-Tuwaa.
... supreme ch ief of the Quraysh (which 0
. �
One of the pursuers, called
Habbaar ibn ai-Aswad, threatened her • he n o doubt was after the death of Abu �
with h is spear. The camel on which she •. J a h l and other Quraysh leaders who 0
.: were killed at Badr) assured Zaynab �:
was rid ing got frightened, for it jerked
violently and Zaynab ( � ), who was f! ( � ) and her brother-in-law that they 0
-..; !. ,.
�
pregnant, fel l so heavily to the ground o· would, after all, be allowed to l eave for •
that her u nborn child was killed. In this M adeenah, but they wou l d have to
way, Zaynab's skilfu l handling of the - leave at n ight and in secrecy. After a
situation, all her patient, secret 0 few days, when things were calmer �
preparations, was rendered futile by .'- and settled, Zaynab ( � ) was allowed �
the reckless and tho ughtless a ction of 0 to make the journey as pro miserl . She t�
her wel l-meaning brother-in-law, safely made her way to Madeenah and �
Kinaanah. H e, h owever, did ma nage to 0 was reunited with the father, the i.
push back the offenders and guard •. Prophet ( � ) . 0
•
Zaynab against any further harm.

0· •O· . 0· .. · • .
The Incident of Abu Sufyaan and H is Son 'Amr

The d iscussion of the captives of war will remain incomplete if
we d o not m ention the incident of Abu S ufyaan ibn Harb and h is son
'Amr. Abu S ufyaan was the leader of the caravan, which the M uslims
had tried to intercept. That was the incident which led to the Battle
of Badr. As learnt earlier, Abu Sufyaa n succeeded in evading the
M uslim troops and led his caravan to safety u ntil he reached
M a kkah . Two of his sons, however, were in the Quraysh a rmy,
which fought against the M uslims. One of h is sons, H andhalah, was
killed in the battle, while the other Amr was taken prisoner.
When m ost of the captives were freed after the payment of
ransom, some people of M a kka h were surprised that Abu S ufyaa n
did n o t attem pt t o get h is s o n freed, nor was he even prepared to
ransom him. H is argument for leaving h is son prisoner, witho ut
trying to get him released, was that he did not want to suffer a
financial loss i n addition to the l oss of his son. H e said he was
prepared to leave 'Amr captive for as long as the M uslims cared to
keep him. One day, he a rgued, they would have to free him.
A short while later, an elderly Back in M adeenah, the Ansaar

man from the M uslims of Madeenah who belonged to the same clan as Sa ' d
went o ut with h is wife to Makka h for were perturbed when they learnt that
'umrah. It did not occur to the man, he was captured. They went to the
Sa'd ibn an- N u 'maan, that he wou l d be Prophet ( �) and asked him to approve
in a ny da nger beca use it was a an excha nge deal whereby they would
time-honoured custom in Ara bia that give Abu Sufyaa n his son and get their
the Quraysh would not harm anyone man freed . Allah's Messenger ( � )
who visited M akkah for 'umrah no agreed and the exchange was put into
matter how good or bad their relations effect. B ut the time-honoured
with the visitor's tribe were. B ut this trad itions were violated for the sake of
time, Abu Sufyaan and h is men caught a limited gain. I ndeed, the Quraysh
Sa 'd and kept him prisoner. It was, stopped at n othing in their hostility to
however, a blatant violation of their Islam and the Prophet ( � ).
establ ished traditions. N obody in the
Quraysh objected to Abu Sufyaan's The Situation after Badr
wrong action . The fact was everyone in The victory of Badr was m ost
the Quraysh felt the agony and inspiring for the M uslims. It made their
humiliation of their defeat at Badr. Th is position q u ite strong and cast terror
led them to bel ieve that Abu Sufyaan's into the hearts of the enemies whose
action was n ot witho ut justification. defeat at Badr was a grave misfortune
22 4 Prophet Muhammad �� Part 1
for the M a kkans. They were so � So Abu Sufyaa n went on to
shaken by the news that they hard ly Sallaam ibn Mishkam, who was at
believed what had happened. They that time the chief of Banu
had lost most of their pro minent men An-Nadheer and the custod ian of
and tra ined fighters. The defeat their treasure. Sallaam asked him in,
shook their prestige completely. It treated him well and gave him food.
had a profound effect on Abu La hab. Sallaam ibn M ishkam then told Abu
A severe fever seized him and he died
Sufyaan everything he knew about
a few days later.
the Prophet ( � ) and the M uslims.
For days women of the
Before dawn of the fol lowing day,
Quraysh mourned their dead. They
Abu Sufyaan and h is men went to a
shaved off their heads and whipped
themselves. Only H ind, the wife of place ca lled ' U rayd, where they
Abu Sufyaa n, did not lament p u blicly. burnt down some young
She said, " I shall not mourn them date-palms, set several houses on
publ icly until I have avenged them. fire and killed two men of the
Fat and fragrance will remain Ansaar. N ow that Abu Sufyaa n had
forbidden to me u ntil we have fulfilled h is vow, he left q uickly with
defeated the M uslims, " she vowed. h is men.
Abu Sufyaan took control of When the Prophet ( � ) heard
the affairs of M akka h. H e p u bl icly of this incident, he called o n h is
announ ced that he had vowed to companions to p ursu e the raiders.
carry o ut a ra id against the M uslims. H e went o ut at the head of 200 men
of the Emigra nts and the Ansaar in
The Battle of As-Saweeq (The
pursuit of Abu Sufyaan and h is men.
Barley-Meal Expedition)
The M uslims pursued them as far as
N early two and a half m onths
Qarqarat a i-Kudr but could not catch
after the Battle of Badr, Abu Sufyaan
them. They brought back provisions
mobilized a force of two hundred
which consisted of as-saweeq
horsemen and went towards
Madeenah to fulfil his oath. They first (foodstuff made of wheat and
went to the quarters of the J ewish barley) which the raid ers had
tribe of Banu An-N ad heer and called thrown d own on their way to
at the home of H uyayy ibn Akhtab M a kkah in order to lighten their
who refused to open the door as he loads and hasten their escape, hence
was afraid. the name of the campaign.
· ·,._j 1'.
;.. �..,. j ��
Banu Qayn uqaa' was very
\. �...-.L. ��1>
Khaibar
u nfriendly towards the M uslims
�'!>'
u -�
: -�� g
lll� W
and was the first to openly
w
"
'
y<>� ( )'···.. "" Banu Abdul Ash-hal and Za'wara violate the treaty. It chal lenged
r
-{'1>(\'0�'f_(\\ w
AI-Nabit
·! ···
':...('· � --- · ·
• . �/· Banu Zafar
the Prophet (� ) for a fight soon
Abyar Ah .••-' AI-Madinah after the Battl e of Badr. The
_
�
,.···
�
f\� Prophet ( � ) was wel l informed
Banu AI-Harith from AI Khazraj
The Messenger's Mosque
of the trea chery and hatred of

Banu Qayn uqaa'.
Banu Waqif
M ea nwhile an incident
occurred, which bro ught things
/ to a clim ax. A M uslim woman
had come to the market of Banu
Qaynuqaa' to sell or excha nge
some of her gold ornaments.
B a n u Qa i n u q a'
When she sat with one of their
2 AH Banu Auf from AI-Khazraj Houses of Bani An-Nadir
"Say (0 Muhammad ;Iii) to

those who disbelieve: "You will
w · goldsmiths, the men present
be defeated and gathered
together to Hell, and worst
a round her bega n to pester her
indeed is that place of rest."
(Our' an 3:12)
to u nveil her face, but she firmly
w �
Banu Auf bin Malik from AI-Aws
osque
refused to do so. The goldsmith
cu nningly managed to attach
the hem of her dress to her
The Expulsion of the Clan of Banu back. When she got u p, a large
Qaynuqaa' part of her person was exposed.
The bysta nd ers laughed loud ly,
There were three main J ewish tribes and the helpless woman bega n
which had settled in M adeenah: Banu to cry.
Quraydhah, Banu An-Nad heer and Banu A M uslim man who
Qaynuqaa'. Banu Qayn uqaa' had a strong happened to be present
settlement which conducted a market and regarded this as an insult. H e
practised crafts such a s that of goldsmith. came to her rescue and killed
Allah's M essenger ( � ) had made separate the J ew on the spot. The J ews
treaties with these three tribes. Of these, Banu gathered around the M uslim
Qaynuqaa' l ived in a q ua rter of M adeenah, while and likewise slew him. As soon
Banu Qurayd hah and Banu An-Nad heer lived on as the Pro phet ( � ) heard a bo ut
the o utskirts of the city. th is, he gathered a force and
226 rophet Muhammad 5� Part 1
besieged the J ews, who had then arranged that they were to leave
retired to their strongholds. The siege Madeenah, ta king their womenfol k
lasted for fifteen days. The bel ievers a n d children, leaving behind their
completely blocked the J ews in their goldsmiths' tools and weapons. They
quarters and did not allow a nyone to yielded on the terms offered to m ove
enter or to leave. The tension grew. At out of Madeenah.
long last the J ews surrendered . It was
A Few other Events before the Battle of Uhud

Faatimah ( '"'-2 ) was the yo ungest da ughter of the
Prophet ( �� ). She was at this time about twenty years old.
She was married to 'Al i ibn Abee Taa l ib (dJ� ) in Dhui-Hijjah in
the year 2 AH, (J une 62 4 AD). The Prophet ( �� ) married
another of his daughter, U m m Kulthoom to ' Uthmaan ibn
'Affaan, who later became the third caliph. ' Uthmaan had
been previously married to Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthoom's
sister, b ut Ruqayya h ( lf;-2 ) d ied about the time of Badr. I t was
her sickness that had kept ' Uthmaan ( 4i'v ) from taking part
in the Battle of Badr. The Prophet ( � ) himself married
H afsah ( ·-s� ), the da ughter of ' U mar ( ��) , who later became
the second caliph.
I t was in the second year of ai-Hijrah that fasting in
the month of Ramadhaan, Zakaat-ui-Fitr and the two 'Eed
prayers (i.e. 'Eed-ui-Fitr and 'Eed ul Adh-haa) were made
obl igatory.
In this m onth of Ramadhaan (2 AH), Faatimah ( k5"' )
gave birth to a son. The Prophet ( .;;� ) spoke the words of
the call to prayer into the ear of the newborn baby and
named him a i-Hasan, which means 'the beautifu l'.
Prophet Muhammad ti Part 1 22 7
Exercises
1. The Qur'an describes the Battle of Badr as ------
2. AI-'Abbaas ( � ) accepted Islam d uring the time of -------
3· The leader of the hypocrites was ------
4· _______ and _______ did not publicly mourn the dead.
5· The three main J ewish tribes in M a deenah were -------
------
and ------
1. Who are the Badriyoon, a n d what i s their status?
2. What did M u hammad ( � ) d o with the prisoners of war?

3· Did the Prophet ( � ) take ransom from AI-'Abbaas? Why or why n ot, even
tho ugh his companions asked to release him without it?
4· Why did the Prophet ( � ) return Zaynab's ransom?
5· Who a re the hypocrites?
6. What was the pretext for ' U mayr a ccepting I slam?

7· Why was it important for Zaynab to leave M a kka h secretly at n ight?
8. What effect did losing the Battle of Badr have on the M a kkans?
9· What aspects of Islam did Al lah make obligatory I n the second year of ai-Hijrah?
The Creation as Evidence of Allah
(Surat Aal-'lmraan, 3: 1 90-1 95) 28
I n the N ame of Allah, the M ost the evil doers there are no
Kind the M ost Merciful hel pers.
190. Surely, in the creation of the 1 9 3 · Our Lord, we heard a cal ler
heavens and the earth, and in cal l ing us to faith, " Bel ieve in
the succession of n ight a n d day, your Lord," - so we cam e to
there are indeed signs for a l l believe. Our Lord, forgive us,
w h o are endowed with insight. then, our sins, and efface our
1 9 1. Those who remem ber Al lah bad deeds, a n d let us die the
when they sta nd, and when they death of the truly virtuous.
sit, and when they lie d own o n 1 9 4 · Our Lord, grant us that which
their sides, and t h u s reflect on You have promised us thro ugh
the creation of the heavens and You r Prophets, a n d d isgrace us
the earth: Our Lord, You have not on the Resurrection Day.
not created this in vain Truly, You never fail to fulfil You r
(baatilan). You are far from promise!
every imperfection! Protect us 19 5 · Their Lord did answer their
from the punishment of the Fire. s uppl ication thus: I waste not
1 9 2. Our Lord, whomsoever You the labour of any of you who
admit to the fire, You wil l have labours [in My way], be it man or
him bro ught to d isgrace; and for woman - the one of you is a s
The Creation as Evidence of Allah 23 1
the other. H ence, for those who process. Then he stood erect, and
em igrated, and were expel led started to perform the prayer,
from their homes, and those weeping as he did so, until his tea rs
who suffered in My way, and were streaming down his chest. Then
fought and were slain - I will he adopted the bowing posture, and
m ost certainly efface their evil shed m ore tea rs. Then he prostrated
deeds, a n d most certa inly bring himself, and again he wept. Then he
them into gardens undern eath ra ised his head, and wept sti l l m ore. H e
which rivers fl ow, as a reward went o n l ike th is u ntil Bilaal appeared
from Allah; for with Al l a h is the on the scene to cal l him to the dawn
m ost bea utiful of rewards. prayer. Bilaal said, " M essenger of
Al lah, what ma kes you weep when
Explanation Al l a h has forgiven you your former and
latter sins?" H e replied, 'Ala s for you,
Contemplation and Reflection Bilaal ! H ow can I not weep when
I n his Saheeh, Ibn H ibbaan tonight Al l a h sent down to me: Surely,
reports that the compa nion Ataa ' ibn in the creation of the heavens a n d the
Rabaah ( � ) said, "I entered the earth . . . " The Prophet ( � ) a dded,
presence of 'Aai'shah ( � ) and said, "Woe to him who recites these verses
'Tell us a bo ut the most a mazing but d oes not contemplate them . " ' ( I bn
experience you ever had in the H ibbaan )
company of Alla h's Messenger.' She Allah's M essenger ( ;;i ) would
wept at first, but then she said, 'Was recite these verses often at n ight, as is
there anything at all about him that recorded by M uslim. In these verses
was not a marvellous wonder? He Al lah clearly ties contemplating the
came to me one night and sn uggled creation with remem bering H im . The
beside me in my bed. B ut then he said, verses conclude that it is unacceptable
" D a ughter of Abu Bakr, let m e go so to bel ieve that Al l a h has created this
that I may devote myself to my Lord . " I creation in vain and without a noble
then told h im, " I love your nearness, purpose. So the issue is not merely a
but I prefer to respect your dearest matter of appreciating the bea uty and
wish." I therefore allowed him to take excel lence of the creation. This is
his l eave of me. So he got up, found a something that even the d isbel ievers
water-skin which was fu l l of water, and do. U nfortunately for them, as with so
performed his abl ution, pou ring a many a spects of the universe, the
considerable amo unt of water in the disbel ievers d o n ot seem to go beyond
23 2 The Creation as Evidence of Allah
the tip of the iceberg to see the reality present time, in a world of tech nol ogy,
and significance that l ies beyond it. As people are fl ooded with information .
Al lah says, "They know but the outer Most o f which is useless, trivial or
things in the l ife of this world, but of simply time-consum ing.
the Hereafter they are heedless. "
(Surat Ar-Room, 30:7). I n other words,
they a re heedless of the lessons to
which the various aspects of this
creation point.
What is Contemplation and

Reflection?
Contem pl ation a n d reflection
are the words used for the Ara bic term
tafakkur. It is d ifficult to capture the
meaning of the expression tafakkur in Moreover, in order to keep up
English. 'Aamir ibn 'Abd Qays once with the pace of time, many h ave to
said, " I hea rd more than one, two or work overtime or ta ke on two or three
three of the companions of the jobs as everything is considered a
Prophet ( ?i ) rem ark, 'The lamp of necessity of life. Everyone has to have
faith or the light of faith is a cell phone, a newspaper del ivered,
contemplation and refl ection."' internet access, cable TV, a number of
Contem plation and refl ection is cars and so on. All these cost money.
an act of worship in itself. This is often For the majority of people, they cannot
negl ected in the hustle and bustle of be obtained except th ro ugh sweating
the modern world . more and more hours at work. At the
end of the d ay, only mental and
The Plight of Modern Man physical energy to seek entertainment,
It appears as though Satan and relaxation and fun remains. The
its troops have a major plan for the modern tech nologically a dvanced
humans of the present century: keep world is ready to fill this desire and
them so busy and preoccu pied that need in various ways and forms. Once
they do not get any time to reflect again, the person feels exha usted and
upon what they are truly here for, what has n o mental energy left in him to
they should be doing and what their contem plate and ponder.
prime concerns should be. At the
The Creation as Evidence of Allah 233
The Greatest Blessing of Allah realize that we and all the forces of the
The h uman mind a n d its abil ity to creation are acting as one in
contemplate, think a n d understa nd is worshipping the One and Only true
one of the greatest blessings of Al lah. Creator - Al lah. It makes us aware how
When a person uses his mind in an wea k we tru ly a re and how greatly we
appropriate manner, he is depend upon our Creator for
straightaway led to the truth of the everything, from the clean air we
Oneness of Al lah. It stirs in him a strong breathe to the pure water we d rink, to
desire to worship Allah, the One. One most importa ntly, the guidan ce H e has
very essentia l sort of contemplation is bestowed o n us so we can l ive properly
to refl ect upon nature and the creation in this world . It leads in turn to
of the un iverse. Al lah urges mankind to heedfu lness of Al lah.
ponder over various a spects of the We should also refl ect upon
creation, for exam ple, the creation of unpleasant experiences that have
the heavens a n d the earth and the occurred to us or to others. We should
succession of n ight and day. I ndeed also refl ect upon the various peoples
there are signs for men of who were destroyed by Al lah due to
u n d e rsta n d i n g . Co ntem plation their d isobedience and sinful ways. I n
deepens the faith in one's heart. I t short, we should take a dvantage to
increases one's certainty a n d m a kes learn a n d benefit from what occurs to
one conscious of the truth that this them. We need n ot go to some sol itary
existen ce has a Creator. place to contem plate a n d reflect. What
is aro u nd us on a daily basis should
The universe has not come a bout provide us with ample lessons to
on its own! Contemplation ma kes us reflect upon.
The World is a Boundless The word Aayaat
Festival of Mystery The word aayaat, which occurs in
Verses 1 9 0-1 91 invite us to reflect verse 1 9 0 a bove, is the plura l of aayah.
on the world around us, as if for the The term m eans guide, d irective,
first time, with open eyes and eager pointer, sign, indication, sign ifier,
senses and a conscious heart. The proof and denotation. The Qur'an
physical world is ful l of beautiful refers to the things of the u n iverse as
mysteries. It is full of awe-inspiring signs (aayaat) of Al lah, which is to say
events that have captivated many a n that they signify Allah, the Creator.
eye and fascinated m a n y a heart. H ence the u n iverse m ight be defined
a s knowledge of the signs and the
understanding of what they sign ify.
The signs are the signifiers that
He is Real - the Creator of the heavens
and the earth. The signs point to Allah
and each carries a message given to it
by Al lah. H ence each thing in the
universe is a sign and a proof. The
Qur'an uses the word sign (aayah) to
refer to the phenomena of the universe
as wel l as to its own verses. J ust as the
The world is a boun dless festiva l Qur'an is Allah's Book displaying H is
of mystery, splendour and bea uty. The signs or verses, so the universe, or
heavens and the earth, the planets, the cosmos, is H is book. Al lah has given
stars and the galaxies a re in a vast men the ability to read this book. Their
expa nse of limitless space of d izzy wisdom comes from H im .
dim ensions. The cycle of day a n d n ight
and the a lternation of light and Selves and Horizons
darkness, d awn and dusk, rivers, Al lah's signs are found both in
mountains and waterfa ll s, have the outside worl d and within
opened the eyes and ill uminated the ourselves. Al lah has fi l led the Qur'an
hearts and so uls of people with the mention of various signs such
everywhere. For the believing heart, it a s the a lternation of day and night, the
is a d a ily marvel to behold - a descent of the ra ins, the bringing forth
consta nt reminder of Alla h's G reatness of vegetation, the run n ing of ships in
and Gl ory. the sea, the d iversity of tongues and
c o l o u r, sleep d u ring the n ight a n d the The Expression Oolui-Aibaab
d a ytime for seeking Al l a h 's b o u nty. The word 'albaab' is the plural of
S o is everyth ing He h a s m e ntio n e d in lubb, which means the heart,
the Q u r ' a n a s sign s for a people understanding, intel lect, mind and
w h o r e a s o n (1 3 : 4) , reason. It is a l so interesting to note
w h o l i s t e n ( 1 0 : 6 7) , that lubb with the pl ura l luboob m eans
who understand (6:98), core, pith, gist, essence and innermost.
wh o have faith (6: 9 9), Thus, oolul-albaab means people of
and who reflect (13: 3) . wisdom and understanding. The
Qur'an has given the following signs of
Despite all this, n o one gives it the wise:
any notice save the Fol k of Allah, who
� 1;t;��_; ��_;:�;�: t1_:&15J}�0:JI t
are the Folk of the Qur'an!
"(The wise are those) who rem ember
Al lah when they stand, and when they
sit, a n d when they lie d own on their
A Word of Caution sides."
I n the process of contemplation
and refl ection, though, one must The second sign of the people of
contemplate any of the several aspects wisdom given in the verse is that they
of the creation and not try to imagine refl ect upon the creation of the
or, conceive, what the Creator is l ike. heavens and the earth. From this verse
Allah's Messenger ( �- ) clea rly stated, we find o ut that the a ct of
" Do n ot contemplate All a h contemplation is also an act of worship
contemplate Al lah's creation. " (AbUt and very much like dhikr
N u 'aym. Accordi ng to Sheikh (remem bra n ce of Allah). AI-Hasan
AI-Aibaa nee, this hadeeth is hasan). I n a i-Basree used to say, "An hour of
rea l ity, i t i s virtually impossible for a contemplation is better than a whole
human to ponder over the essence of n ight spent in prayers." H e also said,
the Creator, Alm ighty Allah, since there " Contemplation is a mirror which
is nothing similar to H i m that a h uman s hows you both your good and evil
cou l d possibly be familiar with . One deeds."
may, however, contemplate H is It is related that Prophet ' Eesaa
Attrib utes a n d how these Attrib utes (�1) said, " Blessed is he whose speech
are manifested in the u n iverse. is rem embra n ce of Al lah and his silence
is contemplation." ' U mar ibn 'Abd
AI-'Azeez ( �k> ) once observed, "The is as though he met the Prophet ( � ).
best speech is remembra nce of Allah, Such people do not doubt the
and contemplation of Al lah's bounties fact that Allah will fulfil H is promises.
is the best form of worship." Sufyaan What they fear is whether they will be
ibn ' U yaynah said, " Reflection is the reckoned among those for whom these
beam of light entering your heart. " promises are made. H ence they pray to
��g�g��g�� Al lah to make them worthy of it.
Verses 192-194
Verses 1 92-1 94 include a set of Verse 19 5
supplications from people who realize Verse 1 95 confirms that these
that All a h has not created anything in supplications have been accepted. The
vai n and believe that He is far from bel ievers have been given the good
every i mperfection! news that great reward s have been
1. The first appeal is: Protect us marked for their good deeds.
from the Fire. As soon as these supplications
2. The second req uest is: Save us were uttered, they were favourably
from the disgrace of the accepted by Al lah. This ind icates that if
hereafter for whoever is the prayers a re said with sincerity and
condemned to the Fire stands at a n appropriate time, they ga in
disgraced before the whole acceptance. Again, it is stressed that
worl d . whoever struggles in the way of Al lah,
3· The third suppl ication is: We man or woman, will certainly receive
heard the call of the caller to their reward from their Lord. H owever,
fa ith and we have come to there will be struggles, trials and
believe: so forgive our sins and tribu lations ahead. One must be ready
efface our bad deeds, and let us for this!
die the death of the truly Dhikr (remembra nce of .'\l iah)
virtuous. should be synthesized (the combining
��llllllt��[t��JUtgjgg of these two things) with fikr (deep
Accord ing to some Qur'an reflection on Allah's creation) and not
scholars, the cal l mentioned here is the just mere repetition of certa in word s
call of the Qur'an. This is because many a n d expressions.
of those whom Al lah describes in these Woe to him who merely gives
verses a re n ot a mong those who saw them lip service but does not med itate
the Prophet ( � ) or heard his call to upon them.
Allah. H e nce, he who hears the Qur'an
Exercises
1. ______ and ______ are the words used to mean tafakkur.
2. ______ is the l ight of fa ith.
3· The best speech is and the best form of worship is
4· The ca l l of the caller refers to ------
5· Dhikr should be synthesized with -------
1. What d o the verses given in the chapter concl ude?
2. What is Satan's major plan for the modern man?

3· What does thinking in a n appropriate manner l ea d to?
4· What benefits d oes contemplation h ave?
5· What do verses 1 90-1 91 urge us to d o?
6. What d oes the expression 'aayaat of Al lah' m ean?

The Creation as Evidence of Allah 23 9
7· What are the two signs of the wise?
8. What a re the two conditions m entioned in the lesson for a cceptance of

supplication?
C. Think-up
-------�-
1. This lesson teaches us to reflect a n d contemplate. Mention a few a reas that

you wo uld like to reflect upon.
2. Explain the hadeeth, " Do not contemplate Al lah, but contemplate Allah's
creation. "
Prophet Muhammad � Part 2
29
The Battle of Uhud: Preparations for Revenge
The M akkans had suffered a serious disaster at Badr. They had
been completely routed and severa l of their most promin ent chiefs,
including Abu J a h l, were killed. The effect of their defeat co uld never be
erased from the minds of the Quraysh. They were burning for revenge.
To avenge their defeat, they raised a large army wh ich set out for
M adeen a h in the m onth of Shawwaa/ 3 AH ( March 625 AD).
The battle is known by the name Quraysh sent their messengers to

of the mounta in by which it took various tribes around M akkah to
place. M o unt U h ud lies at a d ista nce explain to them the gravity of the
of a bout five kilometres from the situation, which had a risen o ut of the
Prophet's M osque. It is formed of red Prophet's setting up a powerful state
gran ite rocks a n d h a s several peaks. in M adeena h . There was every
To the south, it fa ces a small m o u ntai n possibility that if left u nchecked, it
c a l l e d 'Aynayn. After t h e battl e, i t was would lead to the closing of the trade
known a s Jabal ar-Ru maah (the routes leading to the northern regions.
m o u nta i n of archers). Between the As a result, the M akka ns were
two m o u nta ins lies a valley ca l l ed able to raise a h uge a rmy. I n the last
Waa dee Qanaah. U h u d was so named days of the m onth of Ramadhaan (3
beca use of its unique d i stinction AH), a sealed letter was bro ught to the
among these m o u ntains. The Arabic Prophet ( � ) by a horseman who had
word 'ahad' i m pl ies n u m ber one and ridden from M a kka h to Madeenah in
uniqu eness. three d ays. It was from his u ncle
AI-'Abbaas, warning him that an army
The Strength of the Army of three thousand men was on the
The Makkans had deeply felt the point of marching out against
l oss of their Red Sea caravan route. The M adeena h . Seven h u ndred of the men
M akkans n ow intensified and were fully a rmoured, and there was a
quickened the preparations, which had troop of horses two h u ndred strong.
been in progress ever since Badr for an The cam els were as many as the men,
irresistible attack on M adeenah. The not counting the tra nsport camels and
those which carried howd a hs for wal ls. By the time, the Makkan army
women. A tota l of two hundred and had reached and encamped on a strip
fifty thousand dirhams were ra ised in of cu ltivated land in the plain below
Makkah alone for the expedition. Abu M ou nt U hud, which overlooks
Sufyaan, the new commander-in-chief M adeenah from the north.
of the army h imself had contributed a The Prophet ( �) sent o ut scouts.
fa bulous sum o ut of the profits he had They returned the next morn ing with
made from the trade caravan which he the information that the numbers of
ma naged to lead safely to M adeenah. the enemy were indeed as the letter
By the time the l etter a rrived, had stated. The three thousand and
the Quraysh had already set o ut. Abu more camels and the two h u ndred
Sufyaa n took with him H ind and a l so a h orses were eating a l l the pasture and
second wife. Safwaan likewise brought the as yet unharvested crops to the
two wives, other ch iefs' only one. north of the city, and soon n ot a blade
J ubayr the son of M ut'im remained in of greenery wo uld be left.
M a kkah but sent out with the army an The army, however, showed n o
Eth iopia n slave of h is named Wahshee signs o f being ready for a n y immediate
who, like many of h is countrymen, was a ction. That n ight the city was closely
an expert at throwing the javelin. guarded by the bel ievers and Sa'd ibn
Wa hshee had seldom been known to M u 'aadh and Sa'd ibn U baadah,
m iss his mark. J ubayr said to h im, " If insisted on keeping watch o utside the
you slay H amzah, M u hammad's u ncle, Prophet's door, a n d with them was
to avenge my brother's death, you are Usayd and a strong bodygua rd .
a free man." H a mzah ( � ) had killed
the uncle of J ubayr ibn M ut'im as wel l The Council of War
a s ' Utbah, t h e father o f H ind, in the The Prophet's first thought was
battle of Badr. not to go o ut of the city but to stand a
The Em igrants and H e l pers sti l l siege within its wal ls. H e n onetheless
h a d a bout a week before t h e enemy wished to have his opinion confirmed
could be upon them. But within that by others. H ence, the Prophet (�) held
time room had to be made inside the a council of war. It was the m onth of
wal l s of M adeenah for a l l those who S hawwal 3 A H . He ( � ) discussed the
lived on the o utlying parts of the oasis, tactics of war to be ad opted.
together with their animals. This was He a sked the companions
done. N ot one h orse, camel, cow, whether they should march o ut or not.
sheep or goat was left o utside the The Prophet ( � ) h imself was of the
opinion that the M uslims should give
battle from within the fortifications of Handhalah's Dilemma
Madeenah. They should, if need be, After the prayer was concl uded,
fight in its narrow streets a n d lanes. a man waited behind to speak to the
The Prophet's plan was supported by Prophet ( � ). He had an u rgent
many of the m ost o utstanding among decision to m a ke. He was H a n d halah,
his companions. 'Abdullaah ibn U bayy the son of Abu 'Aamir. It was
also agreed with the Prophet ( � ). A H andhalah's wedding day. The day had
large n umber of the older compan ions, been chosen some weeks in advance.
of both the Emigra nts and H e l pers, H e was engaged to h is cousin
incl ined to the opinion of 'Abdullaah Jameelah, the d a ughter of Ibn U bayy.
ibn U bayy. So the Prophet ( � ) said, He was unwilling to postpone the
marriage, yet determ ined to fight. The
" Stay in Madeenah and p ut the women
Prophet ( � ) told him to celebrate the
and children in the fortresses." Only
marriage a n d spend the n ight in
when he had spoken thus did it
M adeenah; there cou l d be no fight
become clear that most of the younger
before sunrise. H andhalah would have
men were burn ing with eagerness to
ample time to join him on the
march o ut against the enemy. One of
�
battl efield early the next m orn\ng. H e
them said, " Messenger of Al lah, l ead
�('�'
cou l d find o ut by inquiry whiGh� !he
us forth against the enemy. Let them
army had passed.
I I \ I
not th ink that we fea r them. Let them
I
not th ink that we are too weak for
them." These words were m et with
murm u r of approva l from d ifferent Getting Ready for War
parts of the a ssembly. Others said After the 'A sr prayer, Allah's
much the same. They argued that their Messenger ( � ) put on h is armour and
inactivity and their fa ilure to respond came o ut of his house. When he came
for their ruined crops wou l d only o ut, he had wound his turban about his
embolden the Quraysh against them in helmet and donned his breastplate,
the future. It was now clear that the under which he wore a coat of mail,
majority were against remam mg carried his sword and slung his shield
behind city wa lls. At noon they a cross h is back. M a ny of the men by
assembled for the Friday Prayer. Then the time had regretted the course they
the Prophet ( � ) bade them make had taken. As soon as he appeared,
ready to meet the enemy. they said, " M essenger of Allah, it is not
for us to oppose you in a nything; so d o and that of the Em igrants to M us'ab
what seems best t o you . " The Prophet ibn ' U mayr. H e appointed 'Abdullaah
( � ) replied, " It is not fit for a Prophet, ibn Umm M a ktoom to lead the prayers
when he has put on his armour, to take in his a bsence. Then he mou nted his
it off u ntil Al l a h has judged between horse Sakb - Running water, so called
him a n d his enem ies. So look to what I because he could ga l lop at a n easy
bade you do. Do it. G o forward in the pace. He a sked for his bow, which he
Name of All a h . The victory is yours if hung over his shoulder, ta king in his
you are steadfast." hand spear. No other man was
Then he called for three la nces mounted. Sa'd ibn M u 'aadh a n d Sa'd
and fastened upon them three ibn ' U baadah m arched in front of him,
bann ers. He handed the banner of the and there were men on either side. I n
Aws to Usayd ibn H ud h ayr, that of the a l l, there were about one thousand
Khazraj to AI- H u baab ibn a i-M undhir strong.
The March to Uhud: Teenagers' Eagerness

The sun was a bo ut to set when they rea ched a place ca lled
Shaykhayn, half way between M adeenah and U h u d . Bilaal (�) made
the ca l l to prayer, and they prayed. The Prophet ( � ) then reviewed
the troops. It was then that he noticed the presence of eight boys,
who despite their age, were eager to take part in the battle. Amongst
them were Usaamah ibn Zayd a n d 'Abd u l laah ibn ' U ma r, both only
thirteen yea rs old. The Prophet ( � ) ordered them a n d their six
friends to retu rn home immed iately. They protested. One of the
H el pers a ssured the Prophet ( � ) that the fifteen year-ol d Raafi' ibn
Khadeej was a l ready a better archer than some of his elders. So Raafi'
was a l l owed to stay, whereupon Sam ura h ibn J u n d u b claimed that he
cou l d throw Raafi' in wrestl ing. The Prophet ( � ) told the boys to
show him what they could do. So they set a bout each other then a n d
there; and Samura h proved his c l a i m t o be true. H ence, he w a s a l so
allowed to stay, while the others were sent back to their fa milies.
I n Madeenah that n ight H andhalah ibn Abu 'Aamir and
Jameelah had consummated their marriage. At d awn, he bade her
farewell, for he wanted to join the a rmy. H e was in a hurry a n d did not
stay to perform his gh us/; so he put on his coat of mail, seized his
weapons, and l eft.
2 44 rophet Muhammad :.� Part 2
The Qur'an explains that the
withdrawa l of 'Abdullaah ibn U bayy
and the hypocrites took pla ce in order
to cleanse the Muslim ranks of their
infl uence and to distinguish the
Muslims, so that there wou l d be no
one l eft among them who would
spread l ies and th us d iscourage the
M uslim fighters. (3: 1 6 6-1 67 and 179)
Shortly before the battl e, two
other groups from among the
Prophet's forces - namely, the clan of
Banu Salamah of the tribe of Aws and
Banu Haarithah of the tribe of Khazraj
almost l ost heart and considered for a
while to retu rn to M adeenah, b ut they
overcame their wea kness with the help
of Al l a h a n d remained with the
believers. The Qur'an depicts their
cond ition (3: 1 22). They wavered for a
moment and struggled with dou bt,
but, as the Qur'an affirm s, Al l a h came
to their rescue and gave them heart to
stay and fight. They thought of turning
back. B ut Al l a h willed right guidance
for them. They thus rem ained
steadfast. It was no m ore than a wish, a
whispering of the soul. I n times of
hardship the soul is prone to panic, but
it m ust be made to remain steadfast
and end ure adversity. Al lah steered
them away from those negative
feelings. H e gave them the courage to
go ahead and fight. Al l a h was with
them a l l the way. He helped them in
their moments of weakness, so that
Prophet Muhammad _ Part 2 45
they learnt from where to seek help their clothes, n u rsed the wounded and
and support the next time they faced a fetched water for the thirsty.
sim ilar situation. Of the seven h u ndred M uslim
The Army Advances sold iers, only one hu ndred had coats of
Reduced n ow to seven h u nd red, mail. There were only two horses; one
the a rmy adva n ced for a short distance belonged to the Prophet ( � ) , while
towards the enemy. Stil l under cover the other to Abu B urda h ( � ) .
of the d arkness, they m oved to their Soon afterward s, Handhalah
right and made their way a cross a retu rned from Madeenah and greeted
volcanic tract until they came to the the Prophet ( � ) , ready to fight in
narrow val ley of U h u d . In the h alf-l ight Al lah's Way.
of the dawn, they could see the
Ma kka n cam p a head of them. They The Batch of Fifty Archers
marched on u ntil they were directly Al lah's Messenger ( � ) now
between the enemy a n d Uhud. chose o ut his best a rchers. H e told fifty
There were a good n umber of of them to take up their position on a
women vol unteers with the force, hill a l ittle to the left of his main force.
includ ing 'Aa ' ishah, the Prophet's ( � ) He put over them 'Abd u l laah ibn
wife. Women often went with the J u bayr, who belonged to the Aws. H e
armies in those d ays. They usually ( � ) gave them clear o rders, saying,
cooked food for the soldiers, m ended " Keep the enemy cava l ry from us with
·:-.,0.
Majma' AI-Asyal
�
't'�
B'irRumah • .$-
).§
Banu Abdul Ash-hal
•
and Zawara'
1'11"-z.""' An-Nubait Wad; Oanat

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Banu Zalar
azrai
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Banu . m Ai-Kh
Expedition of U h u d Salamah
1-\anth fro
1 5 Shawwal 3 A . H .
As-Sunh
"And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise t o you

AI-Madinah
when you were killing them (your enemy) with
(Yathrib)
His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your
courage and fell to disputing about the order,
Prophet's Mosque Banu An-Nanar
booty) which you love." (Qur'an 3: 152)
and disobeyed after He showed you (of the
24 6 Prophet Muhammad ·� Part 2
your a rrows. Let them not come upon helmet, they knew that he meant to
us from our rear. Be the tide of battl e infl ict a great sla ughter on the enemy.
for us or against us; stay at this point. If H is full name was Abu Dujaanah ibn
you see vultures descending upon us, Simaak ibn Kharaashah.
do not leave your post, and even if you The Quraysh were already in line.
see us overcoming the enemy, do not The right wing of the Makkan force
leave your positions. " was commanded by Khaalid ibn
al-Wa l eed and the l eft by ' l krim a h ibn
Ab u Jahl. Ta lhah of 'Abd Ad-Daar
carried the banner of Quraysh . From
the centre, Abu Sufyaan gave the order
to a dvance. Mus'ab ibn ' U mayr
recognized his fel l ow clansmen from
where he stood in front of the Prophet
( �) with the banner of the Emigra nts.
The Makkan army began to
adva n ce. N ot far from the front l ines
The Battle the women, l ed by H ind, m oved
The Prophet ( � ) now d rew up forward, beating their tumbrels and
his troops for the battle. H e appointed their drums a n d singing.
Az-Zu bayr ibn a l-'Awwaam as the Soon the two arm ies were
commander of the right wing and almost joined. The Prophet's a rchers
AI-M undhir ibn 'Amr was given the left shot a vol ley of arrows into Khaal id's
wing of the a rmy. H a mzah ( � ), the caval ry. From the Makkan centre
Prophet's uncle, was p ut in as the Tal h a h strode forward . H e shouted for
advance guard . Mus'ab ibn ' U mayr was a man to meet him in single combat.
chosen as the standard-bearer of 'Al i ( � ) went out to meet him. H e
Islam. finally fel l ed him t o t h e ground with a
Abu Dujaanah was fortunate blow that cut thro ugh his hel met and
enough to receive the Prophet's split his sku l l . Ta lhah's brother now
sword . " I will take it together with its took his banner and he was slain by
right, " he said. He was a valiant man. H amzah ( � ). The Prophet ( � ) had
H is red headband was well known, and now ta ken u p his position on a piece of
among the Khazraj it was ca l led the relatively h igh ground, with Abu Bakr
ban d of death. When he put it on, as he and ' U mar and others of his closest
had done now, winding round his Companions.
Abu Dujaanah was being true to
his promise of h is red headband. H e Handhalah's Bravery
kil led every m a n he encou ntered a s Handhalah was fighting valiantly
easily as if he had been a rea per a n d his near the centre. Abu Sufyaa n narrowly
sword a sickle. escaped the sword of H andhalah. H e
Hamzah ( � ) fought fiercely. H e was a bo ut t o cut h i m down when a
was rema rka ble for h i s u n usually man suddenly a ppeared from the side
powerful structure a n d for his manner and thrust H andhalah with his spear,
of fighting. He killed many heroes of fel l ing him to the ground a n d killing
the Quraysh . N o one cou l d stand him.
against him u ntil Wa hshee, the slave of The battle moved gradually
J u bayr ibn M ut' im, wa ited for him in down the slope away from the Prophet
ambush. Wa hshee was making his way ( � ). The Makkans were d riven back
forward . U n like the rest of the towards their camp. B ut n ow the
polytheists o n the field, he was Prophet's attention was drawn
concerned with only one man, u pwards from the battle. H is eyes were
Hamzah. Wa hshee saw him from a raised as one watches the fl ights of
distance. H e slowly came forward . H e birds. He said to those beside him, "The
was q u ick enough to see his chance. H e angels are washing your companion
poised his javelin a n d l a unched it with Handhalah." Afterwards he said to
perfect aim. The spear pierced the H a n d halah's wife, J ameelah, "I saw the
l ower part of H amzah's body and he a ngels washing him between heaven
fel l a martyr. Wahshee wa ited u ntil his and the earth with water from the
body stopped m oving. H e then went clouds." Then she told him how
and drew o ut his jave l in and returned through fear of being late for the
with a l l speed to the camp. Later he battle, he had not taken h is ritual bath
said, " I only kil led him for the sake of he would norma l ly have taken." This is
my freedom." H ind, da ughter of why he was n icknamed al-ghaseel, as
' Utbah and wife of Abu Sufyaa n, then he was washed by the a ngels.
went and cut H a mza h 's stomach open. The M u slims contin ued to
She pulled o ut his l iver and began to adva n ce. At one point the enemy lines
chew it. When she cou l d not swa l low it, were broken a ltogether. The way to
she spat it o ut. their camp was now laid open.
24 8 rophet Muhammad --� Part 2
The Archers Leave their Posts and the polytheists were routed.
Allah Most H igh sent down H is About forty of them sped down
help to the believers. H e fulfilled H is the slope in the direction of the camp.
promise until the Makkans were cut off They assumed that the Makkans would
from their camp. They were clearly not come back. So they left the M uslim
defeated. army unprotected. Khaalid ibn
The M uslims had prevailed, and ai-Waleed soon saw what had
seventy of the most valiant of the happened. H e realized that his moment
Quraysh were kil led. The bulk of the had come. He wheeled round and led
Makkan forces were scattered and ran his men into the rear of their enemy's
back to where the women were main force. ' l krimah followed his
camped. The women lifted their dresses example. The Makkan horsemen made
and took flight. much havoc in the unguarded ranks of
When the Muslim archers saw the believers.
that the Makkans had been routed and 'Abd ullaah ibn J u bayr and h is
had turned in flight, a large number of men vainly tried to stop the Makkan
them left their posts. Certain of victory, horsemen with their arrows so m uch so
they headed for the enemy camp. that they threw down their bows and
shouting, " People! Booty, Booty!" I n fought to death with sword and spear.
vain their commander, 'Abdullaah ibn N ot one of them was left alive. 'Ali and
J ubayr, reminded them of the Prophet's his companions now turned to face the
order not to leave their posts on any new danger. The tide of battle had now
account. They d id not listen. They suddenly changed. Many of the
replied that the Prophet ( � ) had not Muslims in the rear lost heart. They fled
meant them to stay there forever. They towards the mountain, where they
thought the battle was now finished knew they could find refuge.
Prophet Muhammad Part 2 49
Exercises
1. w a s t h e command er-in-chief o f the Makkan army.
2. sent a l etter to the Prophet ( � ) describing the Makka n a rmy.
3· The clans of -------

and ------
wavered for a while before the
Battle of U h u d .
4· The Prophet ( � ) gave t h e ______ strict instructions aga inst leaving
their positions.
1. Why is the Battle of Uhud named as such?
2. Mention the strengths of both the Makkan and the M uslim army.
25 0 Prophet Muhammad � Part 2
3· Who was Wah shee? What task was assigned to him?
4· Why did the Prophet ( � ) decide to go o ut to fight at Uhud even tho ugh he
personally wanted to fight with in M adeena h?
5· What was Allah's wisdo m in 'Abd u l laah ibn Ubayy withdrawing with 300 other
hypocrites?
6. What was Wa hshee's m otive for killing H amzah ( � )?

7· Why was Handhalah ibn Abu 'Aamir called 'al-ghaseel'?
8. Why was the a rchers' positions vital for the M uslim a rmy?
C. Think-up
Why was it necessary to make room for everyone inside the wal l s of
M adeenah?
30
The M uslims were not aware of The tables were turned. The
what was happening. Khaalid ibn M uslims went on the defensive. Chaos
ai-Wa leed had occupied the hill where broke out all over the battlefield. The
the Prophet ( � ) had posted the surprise attack from the Quraysh had
archers. The defeated Makkans ral l ied thrown the M uslims into d isorder.
again to the calls of Khaalid. The Many M uslims were martyred.
believers dropped the spoils of war
they were collecting, d rew their sword s
and began t o defend themselves. But
the victory was l ost. The Muslim ranks
were in disorder. They had l ost the
cover of the archers. They were now
caught between the two fires. The
enemy killed several of them. It was the
day of trial for the believers. A scene of The M a kkans were able to get
great confusion fol l owed . Their very close to the Prophet ( � ) who was
fighting was now disorganized and being defended by a handful of his
they were at a great l oss. Many of them companions. Although they fought
fled from the battlefield. Some of them bravely, all were killed. 'Ali, Az-Zu bayr,
sat at the edge of the battlefield Talhah and Abu Dujaanah and others
without fighting. The M uslims had lost who had been in front l ines had fought
their positions. They began to fight their way back, thro ugh the enemy.
without any plan. They could not They now reached the Prophet'� side,
distinguish friend from foe. They killed but not before a sharp stone from the
ai-Yamaan ( � ) by m istake, the father enemy had struck him in the mouth,
of H ud hayfa h, who was a very old man. gashing his l ower lip and breaking one
H ud hayfah ( 4t� ) repeatedly yel led at of his teeth. H is helmet was shattered.
them, "He is my father, he is my A volley of stones was hurled at him by
father! " but no one l istened . the polytheist fighters. It caused him to
Whereu pon, H udhayfah said, " May fal l on his side into a hole. Two metal
All a h forgive you. He is the Most rings from his helmet pierced his cheek.
Merciful of the m erciful . " Blood flowed from his face.
Amid this confusion, someone N usaybah, the Daughter of Ka'b
ra ised a cry, " M uhammad has been (Umm ' Umaarah)
kil led . " The M uslims were overcome N usaybah bint Ka ' b, a woman of
with despair and exha ustion. They the Khazraj of M adeenah, defended
were routed. Anas ibn An- N adhir the Prophet ( � ) gal l a ntly at the most
passed by some men of the Em igrants critical moment in the battle. She was
and the H el pers who were sitting down among the very few who held their
looking very sad and gloomy. H e a sked ground aro u nd the Prophet ( � ) when
them, "What are you d oing here?" "The the M uslim army was d ispersed by the
Prophet ( � ) has been killed," they Quraysh charge. Her galla ntry and
replied. Anas ibn An- N adhir told them, courage were phenomenal. Her
"What is our l ife worth after him, then? husband, Ghaaziya h ibn Amr, and her
G et up and die for what he has d ied two sons were participating in the
for. " He then turned towards the battle with her.
enemy camp and he passed by Sa'd ibn
She had set o ut with them at the
M u 'aadh. He said "Sa'd how
' ' begin n ing of the day with a water-skin
wonderful the fragrance of Para dise is!
to give water to the fighters. She went
I can smell it behind M ou nt U h u d . " He
to the Prophet ( � ) who was with his
went forward and fought the enemy
companions when things were going
until he was martyred, with some
the way of the M uslims. But when the
seventy wounds to his body. Only his
M uslims were routed, she joined
sister was able to recognize him by a
Alla h's Messenger ( � ) and began to
mark on h is fi nger.
take part in the fighting.
At one point Ta lhah ibn
Ubaydullaah rushed towards the She continued to fight, a mong
Prophet ( � ) and was the only one less than ten com panions, who
defend ing him. He took that position ma naged to hold their ground around
until he fel l to the ground. Soon Abu the Prophet ( � ). She sustained more
U bayda h ibn a i-J arraah came running. than twelve wounds, one of which was
He a n d Ab u Bakr as-Siddeeq both almost fatal . It was a sword-cut deep in
rushed towards the Prophet ( � ) to the side of her neck, which took more
find Tal ha h having fa llen wounded . The than a year to heal com pletely.
Prophet ( � ) asked them to take care M uslim reports that at U h u d, the
of him. Ta lhah was now too weak from Prophet ( � ) was l eft alone with seven
loss of blood, but he al most of his com panions from the An saar and
immed iately regained consciousness. two from the Quraysh . When his ( � )
attackers increased their pressure o n
him, he called, "Who would defend me another one of his front teeth came
and go to Paradise?" One by one the out. The Prophet ( � ) all the while
H el pers came forward, fought the urged them to go and help Talhah who
polytheists and was finally martyred. had been wounded in more than ten
Then Ta lhah ibn U bayd u l laah fought pl aces.
hard to drive the enemy away from the 'Ali ibn Abee Taalib ( � ) cleaned
Prophet ( � ) . Abu D ujaanah shielded the Prophet's wound with water.
the Prophet ( � ). Despite the volley of Faatimah ( �J> ), his wife and one of the
arrows that were hitting his back, he Prophet's d aughters, helped him;
never wavered, all the while leaning when she saw blood flowing out of the
over the Prophet ( ti ). wound, she burnt a straw-mat and p ut
The Prophet ( � ) was so it on the wound to ensure that the
exhausted that he was not even able to bleeding stopped. M aa l ik ibn Sinaan
climb a rock on the mountain until sucked the blood out of the Prophet's
Talhah squatted to a l l ow him to step wound to clean it. The Prophet ( � )
over his back. H e couched below the urged him to spit it out, but he refused.
ledge with great viol ence to his The Prophet ( � ) used to point at
wounds. H e took the Prophet ( � ) on M aalik and say, "Whoever wa nts to
h is back a n d raised him to the look at a man from Paradise, let him
necessary height. Al l ah's Messenger look at this man."
( ti ) said of him that d ay, " H e that
would see a martyr wa l king the face of
the earth l et him look on Talhah ibn
Ubaydullaah."
The Prophet ( � ) was hit by a n
arrow. Two rings o f h is helmet had
fo und their way into his cheek. Ab u
Bakr ( � ) came forward to pull one of
them out. when Abu ' U baydah ibn
ai-J arraah pleaded with him to let him
pull it out, he gra bbed the ring with h is
teeth and began to ease it out, taking
care not to hurt the Prophet ( � ) . H e
was a b l e t o p u l l i t out, but h i s own
front teeth came out. He pulled out the
other ring carefully with his teeth and
Wonders of Love and Sacrifice this very limp I wou l d wal k into
Zayd ibn Thaabit (�) relates that Para dise." The Prophet ( � ) a l l owed
at U hud, the Prophet ( � ) asked him to him to go to war.
seek Sa'd ibn Ar-Rabee'. Zayd went out The eye of Qataadah ibn
and found him in the throes of death, an-N u ' maan was injured bad ly. It fel l
with seventy wounds on his body. H e out of the socket onto h i s cheek. The
said t o him, "Sa 'd, Al lah's Messenger Prophet ( :1 ) put it back into the socket
(�) sends his greetings a n d is enquiring and it subsequently became better and
after you." He answered, "Give Allah's sharper than the other eye.
Messenger ( � ) my greetings and tel l Ziyaad ibn as-Sa kan ( � ) fought
him that I smell the fragrance of alongside five of the Ansaar in front of
Para dise. Tel l my people, the Ansaar, the Prophet ( :1 ). They were killed one
that they will have no excuse with Al lah by one. Ziyaad fought until he was
if the Prophet ( � ) comes to any h arm badly wounded. Al l ah's Messenger
while any of them is stil l a l ive." With ( ·� ) said, " Bring him to me. As a pil low
these word s his soul departed. for the dying man's head, he put o ut his
'Abd ullaah ibn J a hsh ( � ) was foot, wh ich he kept m otionl ess until he
heard that day praying. "0 Al l a h, I beg died with his cheek resting upon it.
of You to l et me meet the enemies
tomorrow. Let them kil l me for You r The Great Rejoicing
sake. Let them cut open my a bdomen As the Prophet ( � ) and his small
and cut off my nose and ears, so that band of companions m oved u p the
when You ask me the reason, I will say, glen, they were seen by some of those
' It was done for Your sake."' who had a l ready taken refuge at U h u d,
'Amr ibn al-Jamooh ( �) had fou r a n d they came down to meet them.
sons w h o used t o g o on mil itary Ka ' b ibn Maalik ( � ) was ahead of the
expeditions with the Prophet ( � ). others. He was the fi rst one to real ize
Despite his bad l imp, 'Amr ibn that the Prophet ( ri ) was a l ive. H e
ai-J amooh wanted to join the fighting turned a n d shouted to those behind
at U hud. H is sons told him that Al lah him, "O M uslims, be of good cheer! This
had excused him from doing so and is the M essenger of Al lah!" The
that he did not h ave to go. So he went Prophet (�) m otioned him to be silent,
to the Prophet ( � ) and said, " M y sons and the former did not shout the good
are preventing me from going o ut to news again. B ut it soon spread from
fight with you. By Allah, I pray to Allah m outh to mouth. Men came h urrying
that I will be martyred, a n d that with to reassure themselves that it was true.
25 6 rophet Muhammad � Part 3
So great was the rejoicing that it was as in front of them a l l . U bayy approa ched
if the defeat had suddenly been with a drawn sword, b ut before he
cha nged into victory. The news ra n a cou l d strike a b l ow, the Prophet ( � )
new l ife among the M uslims. had thrust it in his neck. H e bellowed
B ut Ka ' b's joyfu l shout was like a bull and then swayed and almost
heard by a Qurayshite horseman fel l from his horse. But he recovered
whose name was U bayy ibn Khalaf. He his balance and turned and ga l loped
had sworn that from the back of his down the slope u ntil he rea ched the
horse 'Awd, which he was riding, he M a kkan camp. " M uhammad has slain
would kill the Prophet ( � ) . me, " he cried in a trembl ing voice. They
H e rode up the glen u ntil he was l ooked at his wound a n d made l ight of
heard on the heels of the M uslims. it. B ut U bayy was sure that the wound
They turned to face him, and he called was mortal . H e said, " H e told m e he
out, " O M uhammad! If you escape, wou l d kill m e, and by Allah if he had
then may I not esca pe! " Some of the spat upon m e, he would have certainly
companions closed round the Prophet kil led me."
( � ) . Others were a bo ut to attack When the fighting subsided, the
U bayy when the Prophet ( �) ordered Prophet ( ?i ) saw H amza h's body. He
them to hold off their hands. Then the stood next to him, deeply overcome
Prophet ( � ) took a spear from with grief, and said, " I shall suffer no
AI-H aarith ibn as-Simmah and stepped greater loss than this one."
Burial of the Dead two martyrs in one shroud. H e ordered

Allah's M essenger ( � ) then that they should be b u ried with their
ordered that martyrs of U h u d be blood still on their bodies. H e did n ot
buried where they fel l ed, rather than wash them a n d said, " I will be a witness
be taken back to Madeenah. The for them on the Day of Resurrection."
Prophet ( � ) supervised the burials, Safiyyah bint 'Abd AI-M uttal ib,
with two or three bod ies interred in H amzah's ful l sister, came to look at
the same grave. He would enquire him. The Prophet ( ri ) was d istressed
which of the martyrs had been to see Safiyyah ( � ) approaching; so
wel l-versed in the Qur'an and he would he called to Az-Zu bayr ibn ai-'Awwam,
then l et that person be buried before "She m ust n ot see what has h appened
the others. to her brother. " So Az-Zu bayr went to
'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr ibn H araam her and said, "Allah's Messenger ( ri )
and 'Amr ibn ai-Jamooh were b u ried bids you return." B ut Safiyya h had
together a s they were known to have a l ready lea rnt the news at the edge of
been very close friends. The Prophet the field. She said, "Why should I
( � ) sa id, " Bu ry them together; they return? I have heard that my brother's
l oved each other when they were body has been m utilated, b ut it was for
alive. " the sake of Allah. I hope he wil l be
M us'ab ibn ' U mayr, Al lah's rewarded." So she came and looked at
Messenger's ( � ) sta ndard-bearer, her brother and prayed for him a n d
was one of the richest young men of said, "To Allah w e belong, a n d to H i m
the Quraysh before embracing Islam. w e wil l certainly return." S h e remained
Only a small piece of cloth could be cal m and patient.
found for h is shroud. When his head As was Allah's will, the situation
was covered, h is feet showed; when led to a bitter o utcome a n d heavy
his feet were covered, h is head was sacrifices for the M u slims at U h u d . The
exposed. The Prophet ( � ) then m ost serious of these was the
advised, "Cover h is head and put grass wounding of the Prophet ( ri ) himself.
on his feet." This had been very painfu l a n d
There were seventy martyrs. A d istressing for t h e companions. Thus
report in Saheeh AI-Bukhaaree gives the they paid a heavy price, b ut they learnt
n u m ber of martyrs as seventy. a most profou n d lesson. Al l a h wil l ed to
The Prophet ( ri ) would wrap test their hearts and purify their ranks.
A Believing Woman's Concern for the Prophet ( � )

As they returned to M adeenah, the believers passed
by a woman of Banu Dinaar who had l ost her husband,
b rother and father in the battle. When she learnt of their
deaths, she only asked, "What happened to the Messenger
of Al lah ( � )?" The M uslims said, " H e is wel l . " She praised
Allah and req uested them to point him out so that she could
see him.
When Allah's Messenger ( � ) was pointed out to her,
she said to h im, " N ow that you a re safe, every misfortune is
n egligible."
Allah's Messenger ( � ) gave end of l ife. The aayah gives an order

good news to the believers of the not to think of people kil led while
great rewards which Allah had serving Allah's cause a s dead, even
bestowed on the martyrs. He said to though they have departed from the
the d aughter of 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr, worl d and are no longer seen by the
the father of Jaabir, "Why are yo u l iving. It also gives an assurance that
weeping? The angels provide him they are very much a live, with their
shade with their wings until he is l ifted Lord and are wel l provided for by H im.
to his heavenly abode." I n th is l ife, we d o n ot know what
Concerning the martyrs, the type of l ife the martyrs have, except
fol l owing Qur'anic verse was revealed, for whatever the Prophet ( :i ) has told
us a bout in a uthentic traditions, and
" Do not think of those who are the Prophet ( � ) was the m ost
slain in Allah's cause as dead. They are trustworthy a n d truthfu l of a l l people.
alive and well provided for by their Even his oppo nents and enemies
Lord." (Surat Aal-'lmraan, 3: 169) admitted that. He was called 'the
trustworthy' even before he
The martyrs a re indeed a live, announ ced his Prophethood in
having a l l the essentia l qualities of l ife. Makka h. H e once said, " By Allah, I am
They receive for their needs from their the trustworthy one in the heavens
Lord. They h ave a l l that Allah bestows and the trustworthy one on earth.'
on them of H is grace. Death is not the (At-Tirmidhee)
H e also said, " Every believer wounded in Al la h's

cause wil l be raised by Al l a h on the Day of Resurrection,
while his wounds will stil l be bleeding. The colour shall
be that of blood, the fragrance that of musk."
(AI-Bukhaaree and M uslim)
When Alla h's Messenger ( � ) saw and heard the
people of Madeenah weeping a n d wailing for their
d ead, he said, " But there is n o one to weep for H amza h . "
Some o f t h e women o f t h e Ansaar began t o weep for
H a mzah ( � ) The Prophet ( � ) spoke kindly to them
.
b ut strongly forbade them to wail loudly. Thus loud

wailing was forbidden for all time; tears of grief were
permitted.
Exercises
1. took adva ntage of the archers' retreat, which turned
the tide of the battl e.
2. was the only woman fighter among the companions who
was fighting around the Prophet ( � ).
3· shielded the Prophet ( � ) from the volley of arrows.
4· " By Allah, I am the trustworthy one in the _____ a n d the trustworthy
one on ------
"
1. Describe what ha ppend to the Prophet ( � ) in this battle.

2. What effect did the fa lse news of the Prophet's death h ave on the M usl ims?
3· Who removed the helmet rings from the Prophet's cheek?
4· What did Faatimah ( 1$, ) do to ensure that the Prophet's wound stopped
bleeding?
5· Why did the Prophet ( � ) b u ry the martyrs witho ut washing off their b lood?
C. Reference to context
1. " . . . with this very l imp, I wou l d wal k i n Para dise."

2. " . . . they shall have no excuse with Al lah if the Prophet ( :i ) comes to any
h a rm . . . "
3· "O M uslims, be of good cheer. This is the M essenger of Al lah ( � )!"
4· " M uhammad has slain me."
5· " I shall suffer no greater l oss than this one."

31
The true believers came out with and ta ken their fill of revenge on the
firmer fa ith. They were ready to fight enemy, the Quraysh told their slaves to
and die in the way of Al lah. The strike the ca mp. They now prepared to
hypocrites, on the other hand, were set off.
exposed as excuse seekers. They They began to move in the
wanted to remain safe within d irection of M a kka h. Somewhere
M adeenah, away from the battlefield. a long the way a disagreement broke
The M uslims a l so learnt the lesson of out a mong them. Some of them
complete obedience to the Prophet a rgued that they had achieved very
( � ), which is the prerequisite of l ittle at U h ud. Some urged their men to
eemaan. go back to Madeenah to wipe the
Seventy bel ievers were martyred M uslims out once and for a l l .
at U h ud, four of them were from the The Prophet ( � ) a n d the
Em igrants, while the rest of them were M uslims had returned to M adeenah
from the H e l pers. The Quraysh, on the late in the evening of the 1 5th of
other hand, l ost twenty-four men. Shawwaal, 3 A H . Overn ight the
When they had buried their own dead Prophet ( � ) thought deep ly. There
was a possibility that the Quraysh Al lah, I l ove to be with you in every
m ight regret n ot having destroyed the battle, but my father asked m e to look
M uslims and m ight return to attack after his seven da ughters on the d ay of
M adeenah. U h ud, and I ask you to l et me join you . "
The Prophet ( � ) gave h i m permission
to march out with the others.
They made their first halt at
H a m raa' ai-Asad, a bout 1 3 km from
M adeenah. The enemy was by that
time encam ped at Ar-Rawhaa', which
· ·. · :; . : . yvas not far ahead. Thereupon, the
:
·Prophet ( � ) ordered his men to

The M uslims were exhausted. spread themselves over a wide a rea of
Many were wounded . But early the ground. H e com manded them to
next morn ing after the dawn prayer gather as much wood as they could
had been offered, the Prophet ( � ) find, pil ing it u p, each man for h imself,
told Bilaal ( � ) to announce to them in a separate pile. By sunset they had
and to others that the enemy m ust be prepared a s many a s five hundred
purs ued, " But n one shall go out with beacons (fires l it on the top of hills).
us," he said, " except those who were When night had fal len, every man set
present at the battl e of yesterday." fire to his. The flames were sent far and
Upon hea ring the Prophet's wide. It looked as if a great army were
summons, the bel ievers bandaged encamped there. Some of the Quraysh
their wounds as best as they cou l d and had wanted to return and attack
made themselves ready to set out once M adeenah. B ut now they decided to
again. The Prophet ( � ) himself was press on with a l l speed to Makka h.
one of the first to be ready, a lthough N onetheless, Ab u Sufyaa n sent
he was wounded, as were those who back a parting m essage for the
had defended him. Prophet ( � ) by some riders. They
All the M uslims, who had fought were on their way to M adeenah for
the d ay before, went out with the provisions. "Te l l M u hammad from me
Prophet ( � ). No one stayed behind. that we are resolved to come against
Of all the clans, only one man went out him and his companions. We wil l root
who had not fought at U h ud, and that them a l l out from the face of the
was Jaa bir ibn 'Abd ullaah ( ¢sk> ). He said earth." When they delivered the
to the Prophet ( i.i ), " M essenger of message to the Prophet ( � ), he
answered, "Allah is sufficient for us But 'Aasim ibn Thaabit ( � ) answered,
and is a l one to be trusted . " He and his "for m e, I shall never put myself under
companions spent M onday, Tuesday the protection of a polytheist. 0 Allah,
and Wednesday at their camp. They inform your Prophet a bout us!"
l ighted fires every n ight and those So the Banu Lihyaan shot their
were the days of much needed rest. On arrows at them, and slew 'Aasim,
Thursday, they returned to M adeenah. together with six other M uslims. Three
of the scouts surrendered on that
solemn promise: Khubayb ibn 'Ad iy,
Zayd ibn Ad-Dathinah and another
man. When the Banu Lihyaan got hold
of them, they detached their
bowstrings and bound their captives
with them. The third man of the
The Event of Rajee' - Treachery M uslims, 'Abd ul laah ibn Taariq, cried
and Deceit out, "This is the fi rst treachery! By
I n Safar, 4 AH, a delegation from Allah, I shall not go with you, nor shall I
the two tribes of Udhal a n d a i-Qaa rrah fol low those others!" H e meant
came to M adeenah and asked the thereby his slain companions' orders.
Prophet ( � ) to send with them a The Banu Lihyaan dragged him a long
group of his companions to teach them when he refused to go with them, they
Islam. The Prophet ( � ) sent ten of his killed him. Khubayb ibn 'Adiy a n d Zayd
best compa nions under the command ibn Ad-Dath inah were taken a lo ng and
of 'Aasim ibn Thaa bit ( � ) . were sold in Makkah in revenge for
When they reached ai-Had aah, some of the polytheists who were
between U sfaan and M a kka h, their killed at Badr. This event is known a s
presence was known to a sub-tribe of "The Event o f ar-Rajee', after the
H u dayl, ca l led Banu Lihyaan. The Banu watering place, not far from M a kka h,
Lihyaan sent a bout one hundred where it took place.
archers after them who fol l owed their The sons of AI-H aarith ibn 'Aamir
track. When 'Aa sim and his ibn Nawfal bought Khubayb. It was
companions became aware of them, Khubayb who had killed their father,
they took refuge on a hillock. But the AI-Haarith ibn 'Amr on the day of Badr.
foes surrounded them and said, " Come Khubayb remained in their captivity
down and surrender! We give you our until they decided to kill him.
solemn promise not to kill any of you!"
One of the d aughters of Allah's M essenger ( � ) informed
AI-Haarith reports, " By Allah, I never his companions in M adeena h on the
saw a n obler ca ptive than Khubayb! I day these martyrs were slain of what
found him one day fettered in iron had happened to them.
chains, eating from a bu nch of gra pes,
which he held in his ha nd, and there Zayd ibn Ad-Dathinah's Faith in
was n o fruit in M a kka h at that time! Action
Indeed, it was a bounty, which Al lah Khubayb's fel low captive was
had bestowed on Kh u bayb." a l so put to death. Before he was killed,
Abu Sufyaan a sked him, " Do you not
One day, they led him out of the wish that M u hammad were in your
Sacred Territory (the precincts - the place, and that you were comfortably
boundaries of the H aram of M akkah) sitting at your home?"
to kill him. Khu bayb ( � ) said to his He replied, " I would n ot wish
captors, " Let m e pray two rak'ahs." that M u hammad (�) should be pricked
They let him do so. H e prayed two by a single thorn that I m ight thereby
rak'ahs and then he said, " By Allah, be sitting comfortably at home." Abu
were it not that you wou l d th ink I do it Sufyaan exclaimed, " I have never seen
out of fear, I would pray m ore. " Then a man so l oved as M uhammad's
he suppl icated, "0 Al lah, count their companions l ove him." Then they kil led
num ber. Slay them one by one. Let Zayd ibn Ad-Dathinah ( � ).
none of them remain alive. " Then he
recited, Allah Protects Whom He Wills
I care n ot, when I am to be slain Even after Death
a s a M uslim, When some of the Quraysh were
In what way I fa l l for the sake of told of the death of 'Aasim ibn Thaabit,
Allah, they sent out messengers with the
If H e Wills, H e will bless the order to bring a part of h is body. They
mangled l imbs of my body. wanted that his death m ight be known
for certain. 'Aasim had killed one of
Thereupon, one of his captors their leaders at Badr. But Al lah sent a
rose and killed him. And it wa s swarm of bees a s a protection for
Khubayb ( � ) who instituted the two 'Aasim. The bees shielded his body
rak'ahs prayer before death to from their m essengers until n ightfal l .
M uslims, when condem ned to be slain They were thus unable t o cut off a
in ca ptivity. piece of his body. During the n ight, h is
Prophet M u hammad � Part 4 2 6 7
body was swept away by flood to an u n known But Abu Baraa' promised
destination. that n o one wou l d violate the
�
protection which, as ch ief of
L
Mediterranean It<
Sea (5 Q>0 .
Balqa'
Jerusa em o --,
-<l..s\.� An-Nafud G reat Desert
the tribe of 'Aamir, he would
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Dead Sea
• Mu'tah
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give them. Thereupon the
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.... Prophet ( � ) chose seventy of
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his best companions who were
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Ai-Wait\�<i>-0_..,
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•
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0
I slam, both in piety and
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""'·& Fadak Qatana knowledge. They were
AI-Mayfah
proficient reciters of the

Batn N akhl
Khabt
Qur'an and were known as
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To Yamamah
Al-Madinah
0 �
�
AI Bakarat
Yanbu Well of Ma'unah
Alsi
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a/-qurraa '.
0
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Banu Sulaim
Dhat-Jrq
AI-Qarad
These seventy
companions went on until they
atn Nakhlah ..
0 Makkah
•
ha lted at Bi'r M a 'oonah - the
Turabah Khath'am
At-Ta'if
wel l of M a ' oonah. Once there,
• Bishah •�
they sent H a ra a m ibn M ilhaan

with the Prophet's l etter to
The Eve nt 'Aa m ir ibn At-Tufayl, who was
of the We l l
• Najran
• the nephew of Abu Baraa'.

of Ma'oo n a h
Sa'dah Hamdan
When he came to him he

Safar 3 A H rushed at the man a n d killed
him before he even l ooked at
The Event of the Well of Ma'oonah the letter. When H a ra a m ibn
This took place in the month of Safar of Mailhaan was stabbed, he said,
the year 4 A H . The event started when a man "Th is I d o with my blood." H e
from N ajd named Abu Bara a ' 'Aamir ibn M aalik then began wiping his face and
came to M adeenah and m et the Prophet ( � ). hea d . Then he exclaimed, " I
The Prophet ( � ) put I slam before him, b ut the have succeeded, by the Lord of
old man did n ot accept it. H e, however, made it the Ka'ba h ! "
clear that he was n ot averse to it. H e then asked 'Aamir i b n At-Tufayl then
the Prophet ( �) to send some M uslims to N ajd, ca l led out to the tribes of Ibn
where they could instruct h is tribesmen in Islam. Sulaym of U sayy, R i ' l and
The Prophet ( � ) said that he was afraid other Dhakwaan, a n d they came out
tribes would attack them. against the unsuspecting
against the unsuspecting M uslims in his head off as a sign of humil iation.
their camp by the Wel l of M a ' oonah. Then they asked him to tel l the names
They surrounded them a s they were of all his dead com panions. He went
with their camels. Seeing them, they with them to each o ne, and told them
drew their swords and fought to the his name and l ineage. Then they asked
last man, except for two men who had him if any of them were m issing. H e
gone to pasture the camels. All were answered, " I cannot find a freed slave
killed except for Ka ' b ibn Zayd who of Abu Bakr named 'Aamir ibn
was sti l l alive. He was picked up from Fuh ayra h . " "What was his position
among the slain and l ived until the among you?" they asked. 'Amr ibn
Battle of the Trench, where h e was U m ayya h adh-Dhamree said, " H e was
martyred. one of the best of us; one of the
'Amr ibn Umayyah adh-Dhamree Prophet's early companions."
and AI-Haarith ibn As-Simmah, who had H is questioner said, "Shall I tell
fought so val ia ntly at U h ud, were both you what has happened to him?" Then
with their camels out at pasture. They they cal led one of their men cal l ed
did n ot know of the martyrdo m of their Ja bbaar ibn Salmaa AI-Kilaabee.
companions until they saw vultures Ja bbaar, who had h imself killed 'Aamir
circling round the camp. They knew ibn Fuhayrah, recounted how h e had
that this must mean that something come upon 'Aamir from behind and
serious had happened . So they went to thrust him between the shoulders with
investigate and there were the men h is spear. The point had come out from
lying in their blood and the horsemen 'Aam ir's chest, and with h is l ast breath
who had kil led them standing near. the words " I have triumphed by Allah"
'Amr's opinion was that they came out of his l ips. "What cou l d that
should join the Prophet ( � ) and tel l m ean?" thought J abbaar. H e felt �hat
him the news, but AI-H aarith said, " I am he h imself had m ore right to claim a
not one to hold back from fighting on a success. I n a mazement, he drew out
field where AI-M undhir has been slain, " his spear.
and h e threw h imself on the enemy, H e was stil l m ore amazed when
kil l ing two of them before h e was unseen hands carried the body of
finally martyred. 'Amr was 'Aamir ibn Fuhayrah h igh up in the air
overpowered and taken captive. H is until it had gone out of sight. When it
captors were strangely unwil l ing to kil l was explained to Jabbaar that 'triumph'
him, so they set 'Amr free after s having meant Paradise, he embraced Islam.
Prophet Muhammad ;::.: Part 4 26 9
The Prophet ( � ) said when he ( � ) was sad, outraged and deeply hurt
heard of the event that the angels had at what had happened. H e said, "This is
taken 'Aamir to 'illiyyoon. the result of Abu Bara a ' s advice. I was
The men of Sulaym returned to unwilling to send them. I feared the
their tribe. The story of what had consequences . "
happened at the Wel l of M a 'oonah was Perhaps t h e Prophet ( � ) never
repeated again and again. As far as the felt as much sorrow as he felt for his
freed survivor, 'Aamir, they told him companions who were martyred in th is
that Banu 'Aa m ir h a d instigated the incident. It was nothing l ess than
massacre. On his way back to murder in cold blood together with
M adeenah, two men of Banu 'Aamir treachery.
turned up and stopped with him in the I n h is sorrow, the Prophet ( � )
shade. 'Aamir killed both of them, prayed to Allah to punish the clans
thinking to avenge his dead which took part in the kil ling of his
compan ions. But both men were companions. H e did so everyday for a
innocent. They were l oyal to Abu month during the dawn prayer. H e
Bara a ' . They recognized his protection mentioned each cla n by name. H e also
of the bel ievers. Alla h 's M essenger prayed to Allah for certain individuals
( � ), therefore, insisted that blood-wit who were held back in M akka h by the
should be paid for them to their Quraysh .
nearest of kin . A b u Baraa' 'Aamir i b n M aalik felt
'Amr i b n U mayyah a d h-Dham ree resentment and a nger at what had
returned to M adeenah and gave the happened. The incident had taken
news to the Prophet ( �). H e was freed place in spite of the protection
by 'Aamir ibn At-Tufayl beca use of an provided by him. H e succumbed to his
oath taken by h is mother. The Prophet grief a n d d ied after a fortnight. 'Aamir
ibn At-Tufayl died of plague.
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false ( F).
1. Everyone was a l l owed to go to pursue the M a kkan army. ___
2. The Quraysh army sped off towards Makka h . ___
3· The Banu Lihyaan killed a l l the ten companions. ___
4· Zayd ibn ad-Dathinah wished that the Prophet ( ?i ) would be in his
place. ___
5· 'Aamir ibn Fuhayrah was p hysically l ifted by the angels to 11/iyyoon. ___
1. The Prophet ( � ) sent ____ companions to educate the M uslims of
' U d ha l a n d Qaarrah .
2. tribe attacked the group.

2. Why did the Prophet ( � ) decide to pursue the M akkans?
3· Why did the Prophet ( � ) ask each man to l ight his own separate beacon?
4· What a ct did Khu bayb institute in I slam?
5· H ow did Allah protect 'Aasim's body?
D. Think-up
What is '11/iyyoon?
The Li g ht Verses
(Surat An-Noor, 24: 35-40) 32
'� / ). / ., ,.. / // y.. /)- / y. / / ,_ / // -; ., .... �

_A..J ��··�'_;J].J-:�.L;=;j ��:;_)��'l
� �; JT-;: -:-
� I N� k ,-'�::J �� 0'" "-!:J__f:_
� \ ). .>� �I �.f.t:::;!Y lJc-_)_j
/ / c / .& ti .J.
/ � "'_,. ... � > 7 // / '>/ � ..... .... ,.
.
iJJ
.x .... 4\1
e5J��0�y;; � ® ::.�� t�$-/��q

® ��j_J�Q, �s/��, ��Q��_;
�l�Jj��i� �ilicf!t;:I�)��Jt;�
olive that is neither of the east nor

of the west, whose oil wil l well-nigh
light up, even if no fire touched it;
Light upon Light. Allah guides to H is
Light whomever He wills. And Allah
gives examples for men, and Al lah
has knowl edge of everything.
3 6. [This l ight is now l it] in the houses
[of worship] which Al lah has
enjoined to be raised, wherein H is
Name is remembered, in them they
3 5· Allah is the Light of the heavens and glorify H im in the mornings and the
the earth. The likeness of this Light evenings.
is a niche, wherein is a lamp, the 37 · [By] men who are not distracted by
lamp is in a globe of glass, the globe trade or commerce from the
of glass as it were a brilliant star, remembrance of Allah, the
kindled from a blessed tree - an performance of prayers and the
The Light Verses 2 73
giving of the purifying dues; they fear M uslim says, "It is impossible to give a
a day on which hearts and eyes will translation that can convey the poetry,
be agitated. the subtle mean ing that floods the soul
3 8. So that Allah may give them the best when read in the original. To me the
reward for their deeds and grant grandeur of the diction, the varieties of
them even more out of H is bounty; the imageries, and the splendour of the
and Allah provides without measure wood-pa inting differentiates the Qur'an
to whomever He wills. from all other scriptures. " (Lady
3 9 · As for those who deny the truth, their Cobbord: Pilgrimage to Mecca. Quoted in
deeds are like a mirage in a desert, Tafseer Maajidi)
which the thirsty man thinks to be I bn 'Abba as (�) said that the word
water until he comes to it and finds 'noor' alludes to Allah's guidance found
nothing there - but he finds Al lah in every bel iever's heart. Some other
near him, Who then pays him his Qur'an scholars believe that it is the noor
account; and Allah is swift at - the Light - of the Qur'an. Allah Most
reckoning. H igh has named H is Book Noor:
40. Or [their deeds are] l ike thick
darkness in a vast and deep sea,
wh ich waves cover, over which
there are other waves, above which "We have sent down to you a clear
are clouds. Layers of darkness, one Light." (Surat An-Nisaa ', 4: 174)
upon another. When he holds out
his hand, he can hardly see it. And
whomever Allah gives no l ight, has We have a report in Saheeh AI-Bukhaaree
no l ight at all. and Saheeh Muslim that the Messenger
of Allah ( � ) would say when he rose for
Explanation his pre-dawn prayer:
Allah's Light in the Muslim's Heart �ly_:J I �; �t .l.:;J 1 .ilJ �\ l

� � \J i j
� lj G I � �� .l.:;J I .illj · � �)
Verse 3 5 : Al lah is the Light of the
:;; 0 ?? ·\) \ ?
(( � :fJ �) J
•
heavens and the earth. ···
The Light Verses form some of the

countless, most prized and brill iant "0 Al lah, praise be to You, You are the
passages of the Qur'an. Speaking of the Light of the heavens and the earth and
literary charm of the Glorious Qur'an, what is in them; and pra ise be to You,
and taking this particular verse as a You are the Uphol der of the heavens
specimen, an English lady now happily a and the earth and what is in them, etc."
2 74 The Light Verses
Ubayy ibn Ka 'b ( � ) used to say, The oil is so transparent that it glows
"The l ikeness of H is l ight takes place in by itself. When it is mingled with fire, its
the M usl im's heart. This light, which glow becomes more intense. Its content
Al lah has placed in the heart, comes is strengthened, and there is l ight upon
from faith, belief, love and
light! Similarly, the heart of the believer
remembrance of Al lah. It consists in
is so illumined that he could almost
developing a correct understand ing and
know Al lah merely by way of h is own
grasp of His N ames and Attributes,
which He has described in H is Book." fitrah. The fitrah is the pure nature given
to man by Allah. The l ight of the Qur'an
It is the l ight that He has sent down and the Sunnah adds up to the l ight of
to H is servants, by which H e guides his own pure nature. The two combine
them. It is about this Light - its abode, its to become light upon l ight. The glass is
bearer, and its fuel - that Allah has transparent. It does not keep the l ight
coined the parable of the niche. In this
within, but protects and allows it to
niche l ies a globe made of pure glass, l ike
spread, which is why it is likened to a
star! As the Prophet ( � ) once said,
a glistening star. It is white and pure l ike
a radiant star - a similitude for the
believer's heart! In the glass there is a "When l ight enters one's heart, there is
lamp, which bears the l ight. The fuel for an expansion and broadening."
his l ight is oil pressed from an olive tree, (At-Tirmid hee)
which grows in a place so adequate that The believer then turns towards the
the sun reaches it at both the beginning life of the hereafter. He turns away from
and the end of the day. This makes its oil the false hopes of this world. H e starts
the purest and the clearest - so clear
preparing for death before it arrives. It
that it al most glows by itself, without
makes his heart glow. His soul is
fire.
quickened. He feels incl ined to Al lah's
Such is the fuel for this lamp's light! worship willingly. And Al lah guides to H is
Such is the fuel of the lamp in the light whomever wil ls to be guided .
bel iever's heart! It comes from the Tree Verse 3 6: "[This light is now l it] in the
of Revelation - the Qur'an and the houses [of worship] which Al lah has
Sunnah! I ndeed, it is the most centra l of enjoined to be raised, wherein H is N ame
all things, the most balanced and the is remembered, in them they gl orify H im
most excel lent. It seeks the middle way
in the mornings and the evenings."
in all things. Such is the fuel for the Lamp
of Faith, which burns in the bel iever's
heart.
"In houses Allah has enjoined to be Verse 3 8 is self-explanatory.
raised up":
The word raised up may be Verse 3 9 : By the word 'deeds' is
understood in the concrete sense of 'set meant the good deeds of the
up', meaning house of worship built disbel ievers who reject the truth. They
especially for the constant remembrance look bright here but would be worthless
of Al lah, a house ennobled by the in the hereafter. They are bound to
constant remembrance of Allah. real ize on the Day of J udgment that all
their supposedly 'good' deeds have been
Verse 37 : "Men who are not rendered worthless by their deliberate
distracted": refusal to l isten to the voices of truth.
This refers to people whose worldly
occupations do not distract them from
constant and complete devotion to
Allah.
The Companions of the Prophet ( � )
were the first generation of people to
which this verse applied perfectly.
'Abdul laah ibn Mas'ood ( � ) was once
in the market place when the adhaan
(call to prayer) was cal led out. Seeing
. ..:. .
that the traders left their trade and
goods and were preparing to proceed to
the mosque, he remarked, "These are
indeed the ones Allah speaks of in the
verse: "men who are not distracted by
trade or commerce from the 'Abdullaah Yusuf 'Ali writes: "The
remembrance of Al lah." mirage, of which I have seen instances in
It is, however, important to rea lize the Arabian deserts and in Egypt, is a
that the word 'houses' signify both the strange phenomenon of ill usion. It is a
mosques as wel l as the houses of trick of our vision. In the language of our
believers, for I slam does not restrict parable, it rejects the Light, which shows
Allah's worship only to the mosques. The us the Truth, and deceives us with
ordinary houses of believers are also a Falsehood. A lonely traveller in a desert,
place of worship like the mosq ues, and nearly dying of thirst, sees a broad sheet
everyone may worship Al lah in them. of 'water'. He goes in that direction,
Men, however, must perform the lured on and on but finds nothing at all.
obligatory prayers in mosques. He dies in agony."
2 7 6 The Light Verses
Verse 4 0: "Or [their deeds are] like
thick darkness":
This again refers to the deeds of the
deniers of the truth who refuse to
acknowledge the Source of all beings.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b once remarked that the
example is that of the disbelievers who
live in a five-fold darkness: of speech,
deed, entry, exit, and the destination
into the Fire (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
Ibn Katheer adds, "These two verses "When he holds
give us the example of two classes of out his hand,
disbelievers: those who think, hardly see it":
understand and imagine that they are on The ignorance and
something, while they are not. They blindness of the ungrateful not
keep working, hoping to find good only hinders them from the truth of
results. However, when they arrive at is near at hand. "And
the terminal end, they find nothing whomsoever Allah gives no light, has
there. no light at all": Since there is no l ight in
AI-Bukhaaree and Muslim have the whole universe except the Light of
reported that on the Day of Judgment it Al lah, and everything becomes visible
will be said to the Jews, "What were you by Al la h's Light alone, anyone who
worshipping?" They will reply, "We used remains deprived of this l ight wil l
to worship Uzayr, the son of Allah!" It have no light whatsoever. Such
wil l then be said to them, "You have l ied. a person is doomed to
Al lah has not begotten any son. What do remain in darkness.
you want now?" They wil l say, "0 Lord,
we are thirsty, give us something to
drink. " It wil l be said to them, "Can you
see?" At that moment, the Fire will be
made to look like a mirage, waves upon
waves. They wil l rush into it, one upon
another. The verse speaks of the
ignorant masses who blindly fol low their
leaders; they know nothing and
understand nothing.
Exercises
According to Ubayy ibn Ka'b ( � ), the disbelievers live in five-fold darkness:
------
and
1. In the Light Verses, what does the word 'noor' mean? Explain in detail.
2. What is the fuel that burns the lamp's l ight?

2 7 8 The Light Verses
3 · Explain the phrase 'light upon l ight'.
4· Where are those that are guided by this l ight?
5· Who are the 'people who are not distracted'?
C. Think-up
The disbelievers do a lot of good deeds in their l ives, sometimes even dedicating
their lives to 'causes'. What do these deeds account for in the hereafter?
33
As you have learnt earlier, the were the first of the Jews to break the
conflict with the Jews of Banu agreement they had with the M uslims.
Qaynuqaa ' was the first ever confl ict The Prophet ( � ) reminded Banu
between M usl ims and the Jews. Th is Qaynuqaa' Jews of the agreement they
incident took place in the year 2 AH, had with the M uslims and demanded
after the Battle of Badr. A Jewish that they abide by its provisions and not
jeweller dealt indecently with a M uslim break it again. H e warned them stern ly
woman customer. She had refused to against any future violations of the
unveil, but he managed to expose her agreement. In reply they arrogantly
body by means of a nasty trick. The boasted of their military strength. They
Muslim woman cried for help and a unwisely warned the Prophet ( � ) that
Muslim instantly killed the Jewish he would be defeated should he try to
dealer. Jews in turn killed that M usl im. engage them on the battlefield. The
The Prophet ( � ) hurried to the Prophet ( � ) considered their reply a
scene and addressed the Jewish breach of the agreement. He proceeded
gathering in the marketplace of the city, immediately to take action against
which was situated in the Jewish them. This led to the expu lsion of Banu
quarter. Banu Qaynuqaa' was very Qayn uqaa' Jews from Madeenah.
unfriendly towards the M uslims. They
28 0 Prophet Muhammad ·� Part 5
Expulsion of Banu An-Nadheer
Jews: 4 AH ( 62 5 CE)
The Jewish tribe of Banu
An-Nadheer had long been confederates
(al lies or together in agreement) of the
Banu 'Aamir. Al lah's Messenger ( � )
decided to ask them to help him pay the
blood-wit. It was due to Banu 'Aamir for
the two men kil l ed accidenta l ly by 'Amr
ibn Umayyah Adh-Dhamree while he
was return ing to Madeenah from Bi'r
Ma'oonah.
The Prophet ( � ) then went to them
with Abu Bakr and ' U mar ibn a l-Khattaab wal l of one of their fort-like houses. They
and some other com pan ions of his and asked for a volunteer to cl imb to the top
presented the matter before them. The of the fortress to drop a huge rock down
Prophet ( � ) asked their chiefs to on his head to get rid of him. 'Amr ibn
contribute to the blood money he had to Jihaash ibn Ka'b vol unteered to do this.
pay. According to the provisions of the He cl imbed up to drop the rock as
agreement, they were expected to suggested. Al la h's Messenger ( � ) had
contribute some money towards such been accompanied by his companions,
payment. The agreement called upon who incl uded Abu Bakr, ' U mar and 'Al i.
the various parties to it to help each While they were sitting there, in front of
other in such matters. one of their fortresses, Jibreel ( � )
came to the Prophet ( � ), unseen by any
Treachery of the Jews except him, and informed him that the
Banu An-Nadheer apparently agreed Jews were planning to kil l him and that
to do what the Prophet ( �) req uested, he must return to Madeenah at once.
and invited them to stay until a meal The Prophet ( �) then rose and left
could be prepared for them. The his company without a word. Everyone
Prophet ( � ) accepted the invitation. assumed that he would quickly rejoin
Some of the Jews withdrew, pretend ing them. But when some time had passed
to give instructions about the and he had not returned, Abu Bakr
entertainment of their guests. But then suggested to the other companions that
some of them met secretly. They they a lso had to go. So they took their
decided that they would never have a leave of the Jews and went to the
better opportunity to assassinate the Prophet's house. The prophet ( � )
Prophet ( � ), since he was seated by the explained to them what had happened.
He then sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah H uyayy ibn Akhtab, one of the
to the Banu An-Nadheer, tel ling him Jewsih chiefs, with much difficu lty,
what to say to them. The Prophet's persuaded them to stand firm. He felt
messenger hurried to their fortresses. sure that their Bedouin allies would not
When some of their leaders came out to fail them in this crisis. He dispatched
meet him, he told them, "Alla h's urgent appeals to the Jews of Banu
Messenger ( � ) has sent me to you, and Quraydhah for help. He then sent his
he says, ' By your scheming to kil l me, brother to the Prophet ( � ) with the
you have broken the pact I made with message, "We sha l l not leave our
you."' He then recounted to them the dwellings and our possessions, and so
exact details of their plot, as the Prophet do what you wil l . " "AIIaahu Akbar (Al lah
( � ) had bidden him do. Finally he is the Greatest)!" the Prophet ( � )
delivered the main point of his message, exclaimed, "The Jews have declared
" I give you ten days to depart from my war." Then he immed iately col lected an
country," said the Prophet ( � ), "and if army and, placing the banner in the
any of you is seen after that, he will be hands of 'Ali, he set off for the
kil led." settlements of Banu An-Nadheer, a l ittle
to the south of the city. He appointed
'Abd ul laah ibn Umm Maktoom in charge
The Role of 'Abdullaah Ibn Ubayy of the city.
Most of the Jews had already H uyayy ibn Akhtab was very excited
started making preparations to leave. by 'Abdullaah ibn Ubayy's offer. He felt
But in the meantime they secretly that there was an excel l ent chance to
conspired with the hypocrites among defeat the Muslims. The Muslims'
the Arabs of Madeenah who were led by mora le, he imagined, was very low after
'Abdul laah ibn Ubayy, the main their near-defeat at Uhud and the
hypocrite. H e promised the Banu massacre of their companions at
An-Nad heer armed support by two Ar-Rajee' and Bi'r Ma 'oonah.
thousand warriors in case they decided The Muslims prayed the afternoon
to remain in their fortified settlements prayer in the spacious courtyard, which
on the outskirts of Madeenah, saying, the Jews had now vacated since it was
"Do not leave your homes; if the outside their defences. After the prayer,
Muslims fight against you, we shall fight the Prophet ( � ) led his troops towards
side by side with you; and if they the fortresses.
succeed in driving you away, we shal l The ramparts were armed with
leave Madeenah with you." archers and slingers. They had also rocks
at their disposal in case the wa lls came
to be attacked. The two sides kept up an
2 8 2 Prophet Muhammad � Part 5
exchange of arrows and stones until that apart from such severe military
dark. The Jews thought help would needs, all destruction of enemy property
come from Banu Qurayd hah and - and in particu lar of trees and crops,
'Abd ul laah ibn Ubayy. Their al lies of had been and continue to be prohibited
Ghatafaan would be with them in a by the Prophet ( � ).
couple of days, they thought. Most of Surat AI-Hashr refers,
Meanwhile the M uslim army surrounded directly or indirectly, to the confl ict
the enemy on all sides. The Prophet between the Muslim community and the
( ?i ) prayed with them, and then Jewish tribe of Banu An-N adheer.
returned with ten of his companions to The siege lasted for about
Madeenah, leaving 'Ali in charge of the twenty-one days, without actual
camp. fighting. Final ly, when the promised help
The Banu An-Nad heer remained did not arrive, the Banu An-Nadheer
under siege all night long, until it was Jews surrendered in the month of
time for the dawn prayer. After Bilaal Rabee' AI-Awwal, 4 AH and pleaded for
( � ) ca l led out the adhaan, the Prophet peace. Th is they were granted by the
( � ) rejoined them and the believers Prophet ( � ) on cond ition that they
offered the Fajr prayer. would leave Madeenah, taking with
The days passed. The Banu them their movable properties, but not
An-Nad heer began to despair of the their arms and armour.
help, which many of them had thought Most of them immigrated to Syria in
to be certain. The Banu Quraydhah did a caravan of about six hundred camels.
not come. The Banu Ghatafaan Only two families chose to settle in the
remained silent. 'Abd ul laah ibn Ubayy oasis of Khaybar. A few individ uals went
admitted that he could do nothing. The as far as al-H eerah, in lower Iraq. Their
hopes of the besieged Banu An-Nadheer fields and plantations were seized.
dwindled. They were completely cut off The doors of their houses and even
from the outer world . There was no sign the lintels were loaded on to their
of help from any direction. The situation camels. When all was ready, they set off
had become intolerable. In the for the north upon the road to Syria.
meantime, after ten days or more, the People had never seen such a caravan of
Prophet ( � ) gave orders to cut down magnificence within their l iving memory.
some of the palm-trees, which were in As they made their way through the
sight of the walls. This was done by crowded market of Madeenah, the
Allah's Leave (Soorat AI-Hashr, 59:5). camels went into a singl e file. Each one
This was done to facilitate the mil itary as it passed was an object of wonder.
operations against the strongholds of The Banu An-Nad heer Jews were known
the Jews. It should, however, be noted to be wealthy, but until now only a sma l l
portion of their riches had been seen by Events Following the Expedition of
other than themselves. Banu An-Nadheer
During the months which fol lowed,
According to Soorat AI-Hashr, the Faatimah ( � ), the daughter of the
land of Banu An-Nadheer and all that Prophet ( � ), gave birth to another son.
they left behind them was the Allah's Messenger ( � ) was so pleased
possession of the Prophet ( � ). It was with the name ai-Hasan that he now
to be given to the poor and the needy, named ai-H asan's younger brother
and in particular to the poor emigrants ai-H usayn, which means 'the l ittle
who had been driven from their homes. beautiful one'.
Only two of the Helpers were given a About the same time, Zaynab bint
share and that was on account of their Kh uzaymah ( � ), the Prophet's wife, fell
poverty - one of them was Abu ill and died. He led her funeral prayer and
Dujaanah and the other was Sahl ibn buried her in AI-Baqee', not far from the
Hunayf. Only two men of Banu grave of his da ughter Ruqayyah. Zaynab
An-Nadheer accepted Islam: Yaameen bint Khuzaymah was twice married and
ibn ' Umayr ibn Ka'b and Abu Sa'd ibn widowed before the Prophet ( � )
Wah b. They both retained their property. married her. She was known for her
The Banu An-Nadheer Jews left piety and love for charity. This quality of
behind their weapons, which incl uded giving won her the title of Umm
fifty coats of mail, fifty hel mets and AI-Masaakeen, or the Mother of the Poor.
three hundred and forty swords. The next month Abu Salamah of
As always in the Qur'an, these Banu Makhzoom died of a wound from
historical events serve to illustrate a Uhud. The wound had closed soon but it
spiritual truth. I n the expedition of Banu broke out afresh. The Prophet ( � ) was
An-Nadheer, the lesson for the believers with him at the end and prayed for him
is that even if they are inferior in as he was breathing his last. It was the
number, wealth and equipment, they Prophet ( � ) who closed his eyes when
are bound to triumph over their he died on the 8th Jumaadaa ai-Aakhirah
opponents so long as they remain truly in 4 AH .
conscious of Allah.
The date of the Soorat AI-Hashr is the The Prophet's Marriage to Umm
year 4 AH. Some of the Prophet's Salamah
companions - for example, Ibn 'Abbaas Abu Salamah and his wife, Umm
used to refer to it as Soorat Banu Salamah, had been a most devoted
An-Nadheer. couple. She had wanted Abu Salamah to
make a pact with her that if one of them
died, the other would not get married
again, but he told her that if he died first, without Al lah rewarding him, and
she should marry again. Her real name replacing his loss with something
was H ind bint Abu Umayyah. Abu better."'
Salamah's actual name was 'Abd ullaah Umm Salamah ( t-,� ) said, "When Abu
ibn Abd AI-Asad of the Banu Makhzoom Salamah died, I said as the Messenger of
clan. He migrated to both Abyssinia and Allah ( � ) had ordered me, and Al lah
Madeenah and was seriously wounded gave me someone better than him: the
in the Battle of Uhud, and died a martyr Messenger of Allah ( � )."
a month afterwards, as we have pointed Afterwards, the Prophet's marriage
out earlier. to Umm Salamah proved a successful
Four months after his death, the and an affectionate one. Umm Salamah
Prophet ( ti ) asked for Umm Salamah's had many of the qualities of Khadeejah
hand in marriage. She replied that she ( � ). Like her, she came from a noble
feared she was not a suitable match for Quraysh family, being of Banu
him. " I am a woman whose best time has Makhzoom clan. Like Khadeejah ( �1� ),
gone, " she said, "and I am the mother of she was an excellent and a pleasing
orphans. What is more, I have a nature companion. Al lah's Messenger ( � )
of exceeding jealousy, and Allah's married her towards the end of the
Messenger ( ti ) has already one wife." month of Shawwaal, 4 AH. She died in
The Prophet ( ti) replied, "As to age, Dhui-Qa'dah, 59 AH.
I am older than you. As to jealousy, I wil l
pray to Allah to take i t away from you. As The Expedition of Dhaat Ar-Riqaa'
to your orphan children, Al lah and H is After the expedition of Banu
Prophet wil l take care of them." And so An-Nad heer, the Prophet ( � ) stayed in
they got married. Madeenah for a few months when it was
I mam M uslim has reported Umm reported to him that Banu Muhaarib and
Salamah as saying, "I heard Allah's Banu Tha ' labah of the Ghatafaan tribe
Messenger (ti) say, "There is no servant were gathering an army in order to
of Allah who is afflicted with some attack Madeenah. Al lah's Messenger
misfortune and who says, ( � ) proceeded towards Najd at the
head of four hundred soldiers. He met
some men of Ghatafaan, but there was
no fighting.
There is a difference of opinion
(Truly, we belong to Allah, and to H im among the scholars as to when this
we shal l return. 0 Allah, reward me for expedition (ghazwah) actually took
bearing my misfortune [with patience] place. According to some, it was in
and replace it with something better), Jumaadaa al-Oolaa, in the fourth year of
Hijrah, that this expedition took place. an army should offer the obl igatory
According to some other scholars, it was prayer and mod ify the movements of it
in Muharram 5 AH that this campaign at times of danger, and how some
took place. The most authentic opinion should keep watch while others pray.
in this regard is that of I mam ,.
,.
AI-Bukhaaree, who states that this event Allah Has a Hundred Mercies
took place after the fal l of Khaybar in the One of the hel pers who went out
seventh year of Hijrah. with this campaign was Jaabir ibn
This expedition is known as Dhaat 'Abdul laah. He used to tel l an incident
Ar-Riqaa '. It is also known as the which took place at one of their
expedition of Najd and the expedition encampments, "We were with the
against Banu Muhaarib and Banu Messenger of Allah ( � ) when a
Tha 'labah of Ghatafaan. The Muslims companion brought in a fledgl ing, which
approached the gathering of Ghatafaan he had caught. One of the parent birds
but no fighting took place. The enemy came and threw itself into the hands of
vanished when the Muslims were al most the man who had ta ken its young. I saw
upon them. men's faces ful l of amazement, and the
There is some disagreement among Prophet ( tj ) said, 'Do you wonder at
the scholars as to why this campaign is this bird? You have taken its young and it
ca ll ed Dhaat Ar-Riqaa ', but Muslim in his has thrown itself down in merciful
Saheeh reports Abu M usaa AI-Ash'aree tenderness towards its young. Yet I
as saying that for each group of six men swear by Allah, your Lord is more
there was one camel, which they rode in merciful to you than this bird is to its
turn. Their feet were injured. Abu fledgling.' He then asked the man to put
Moosaa adds that his feet were so badly back the young bird where he had found
injured that his nails dropped off. They it. "
covered their feet with rags, so this
expedition was called Dhaat Ar-Riqaa' He also said, "Al lah has a hundred
(the expedition of rags), beca use they mercies. One of them He has sent down
bandaged their feet with rags on that amongst jinn and men and cattle and
day. beasts of prey; thereby they are kind and
merciful towards each other; thereby
Salaat AI-Khawf: The Prayer of Fear the wild creature incl ines in tenderness
It was on this expedition that when towards its young. And ninety-nine
they were nearest to an encounter, the mercies has He reserved unto H imself,
Prophet ( � ) received the revelation that therewith He may show mercy
instructing him how to pray 'the Prayer towards H is slaves on the Day of
of Fear'. The revelation instructed how Resurrection. " (Mus lim)
Uninterrupted Prayer: Faith in Action
One more incident that took place during this expedition is
worth mentioning because it sheds l ight on the M usl ims' faith in
Allah and H is Messenger ( 0i ). The Prophet ( �) had encamped
close to a mountain trail and he asked for volunteers to keep a
night watch. Two men came forward to volunteer for the task:
one of them was 'Ammaar ibn Yaasir of the Emigrants and the
other was 'Abbaad ibn Bishr of the Hel pers. The Prophet ( � )
asked them to remain close to the opening of the trail. When
they reached the mouth of the val ley, 'Abbaad asked 'Amniaar,
"Which part of the watch would you l ike me to take care of, the
first or the last?" "You take the first watch, " answered 'Ammaar,
and then settled down to sleep, while 'Abbad stood up to offer
the night prayers.
Apparently a polytheist was following the Muslim army.
When he drew near, he noticed the figure of 'Abbaad,
performing his prayer. He aimed an arrow at him and shot it at
him. 'Abbaad did not move but drew the arrow out, laid it down
and continued praying. The polytheist then shot again and
struck him. 'Abbaad again removed the arrow and went on
praying. A third time, the polytheist struck him, and once more
'Abbaad withdrew the arrow, put it down and continued his
prayer with a bow and prostration. He then aroused his
companion saying, " Remain seated. I am wounded."
'Ammaar stood up. When the man saw the two of them
together, he fled. Real izing that 'Abbaad was badly wounded,
'Ammaar asked him, "Why did you not wake me up when he hit
you the first time?" 'Abbaad ibn Bishr replied, " I had begun to
recite a soorah of the Qur'an and I did not like to stop until I had
finished it. When the shooting continued I bowed in prayer and
woke you up. By Allah, unless I was to lose a post which the
Prophet ( � ) had ordered me to hold, he could have kil led me
before I would break off my recitation until I had finished the
soorah."
This is just one example of the devotion of the Prophet's
companions to their ca use and their love and attachment to the
Book of Al lah. The Qur'an was the life of their hearts. It was the
l ife of their breasts!
The Story of Ghawrath ibn ai-Haarith

Jaabir ibn 'Abd ullaah (� ) used to say that
he had accompanied the Prophet ( � ) on the
expedition of Dhaat Ar-Riqaa'. When the
Prophet ( � ) was on the way home, the time
for the afternoon rest came when they were in
a valley with many thorny trees. The force
divided up as the companions sought the shade
of trees. The Prophet ( � ) stopped in the shade
of a tree on which he hung up his sword .
Jaabir ( � ) used to recount, "And so we
slept. Then sudden ly, the Prophet ( � ) ca l led on
to us. We responded and found that there was a
Bedouin seated near him. The Prophet ( ti) said,
'Th is man drew my sword right over my head
and asked me, "Who is there to protect you
from me?" I answered, "Allah!" And the sword
fel l from the man's grasp. The Messenger of
Al lah ( � ) then picked up the sword and asked
him, 'And who would protect you from me?' ' Be
compassionate,' the man urged. The Prophet
( � ) asked him, 'Do you testify that there is no
god but Allah?' The man repl ied, ' N o, but I wil l
not oppose you nor associate any others who
do so."'
Al lah's Messenger ( � ) did not punish the
man but released him. The man then returned
to his men and said, " I come to you from the
very best of men." According to Imam
ai-Bukhaaree, the name of the man was
Ghawrath bin ai-H aarith.
Exercises
A. State whether the following statements are true (T) or false {F).
1. Jib reel ( �\ ) informed the Prophet ( � ) o f B a n u An-N adheer Jews' treacherous
plan. ___
2. 'Abdullaah ibn Ubayy, the hypocrite, sent an army to aid Banu An-Nad heer as
promised. --
3· Al lah sent two mercies on the earth. ----
1. The Prophet ( � ) sent _______ to Banu An-Nadheer to give
them an ultimatum.
2. The siege of Banu An-Nadheer lasted for _____ days.
3· Ibn 'Abbaas ( � ) used to refer to Surat -------

as Surat Banu
An-Nadheer.
4· _______ was also known as Umm AI-Masaakeen, the
Mother of the Poor.
5· The expedition of Dhaat Ar-Riqaa' is also known as the exped ition of
and the expedition against and

1. Where were the three main Jewish tribes settled?
2. Why do you think the Prophet ( � ) ask Banu An-Na deer Jews's help in paying blood
money to Banu 'Aamir?
3· What did Banu An-Nadheer Jews decide to do as the Prophet ( � ) waited at their
dwelling?
4 · Why did Banu An-Nadheer Jews decide to defy the Prophet's orders?
5· What lesson do we learn from the incident of Banu An-Nadheer Jews?
6. In what way was Umm Salamah's du'aa at the time of her husband's death
answered?
7· Why is the expedition of Dhaat Ar-Riqaa' named as such?
8. What is sa/aat a/-khawf?

D. Think-up
I n which surah, and in which verse, does Almighty Allah mention the manner of
offering the prayer of fear, or sa/aat al-khawf? Write the verse down.
34
The Campaign against the Banu goods in their possession were seized.
AI-Mustaliq: 5 AH. Only one Muslim was kil led, and of the
The campa ign against the Banu enemy no more than ten . About two
AI-Musta l iq took place in Sha'ban 5 AH. hundred families were taken captive.
The Banu AI-M ustal iq was a branch of The booty incl uded some one thousand
the Khuzaa'ah tribe. They l ived in camels and five thousand sheep and
Qudaid, which l ies on the Red Sea Coast goats. On that very day, Juwwairiyah
between Jeddah and Raabigh. There bint ai-Haarith was also taken captive.
was a spring called M uraysi' in the area
where all the families of Banu The Hypocrite Leader 'Abdullah ibn
AI-M usta l iq l ived. This is why this Ubayy's Mischief
expedition is also known as the Soon after the completion of this
Expedition of Muraisi' . mission, while the Muslim army was still
I n Sha'ban 5 AH, the Prophet ( � ) encamped at ai-M uraysi', a q uarrel
learnt that the Banu AI-M ustaliq, broke out about water between a
together with some other tribes under servant of ' U mar named Jahjaah ibn
the leadership of AI-Haarith ibn Abee Mas'ood ai-Ghifaaree and Sinaan ibn
Dhiraar, the father of J uwwayriyah, who Wabar ai-J uhanee - the two coastal
afterwards became the wife of the tribesmen. One group cal led upon the
Prophet ( � ) , were preparing to mount Hel pers for help and the others asked
an attack on Madeenah. As soon as the the Emigrants to come to their aid.
Prophet ( � ) came to know about this, People from both groups responded
he marched in its direction at the head of and the matter was resolved.
an armed force to nip the evil in the bud. 'Abdullaah ibn Ubayy made an issue
'Abd ullaah ibn Ubayy joined the of this minor incident seeking to exploit
Prophet ( � ) on this expedition along it to the ful l . He began to incite the
with a large number of hypocrites. Ansaar, tel ling them, "These
Never before had the hypocrites joined Muhaajiroon have now pounced on us.
the Prophet (�) in an expedition in such They have become our enemies. Our
large numbers. The Prophet ( � ), example in relation to these Quraysh
however, surprised the enemy by the rags is that of a person who feeds fat to
speed at which he reached ai-M uraysi' . his dog and eventually it mangles him.
After a very l imited fighting, most of By Al lah, when we return to Madeenah,
tribe members were ta ken captive, and the higher and the mightier of us wil l
drive out the lower and the wea ker. You would have flared up in the rising
brought these people here. You made Muslim community. The mischief to
them share your wealth and property. If which we are referring is the vicious
you were to withdraw your support campaign of slander against 'Aa 'ishah,
from them even today, they would be the Prophet's wife.
forced out." We give below the account of the
When these disturbing reports whole incident in 'Aa ' ishah's own words,
reached the Prophet ( ·� ), ' U mar as reported in several authentic
suggested that he should forthwith traditions. What foll ows brings out the
have the traitor beheaded. The Prophet whole content and context of the
( � ), however, decided otherwise. He incident.
said that if such a thing were done, " It was the custom of the Prophet
people would go about saying that the ( � ) to decide which of his wives would
Prophet ( �) killed his own companions. accompany him on a journey by drawing
The Prophet ( �) thus let it seem as if the lots1• For the expedition of Banu
incident were closed: but a surer way of AI-M ustaliq, the lot fel l to my name, so I
avoiding trouble to busy men's minds accompanied him. On our way back
with something else and the Prophet (�) home, as we approached Madeenah,
gave order to break camp immediately. the Prophet ( � ) camped for the night at
N ever before had he been known to a certain place. Some time before dawn,
move off at that hour. It was not long as preparations were made to set out, I
after midday. With brief halts at prayer went out to attend the call of nature. As
times, they were kept on the march I was about to return to the camp, I felt
throughout the heat of the afternoon . that my necklace was missing, so I

The march continued all throughout the started to look around for it. Meanwhile,
night and from dawn until the heat of the caravan proceeded. It was
the next day became oppressive. When customary that I would sit in a l itter,
they were finally told to pitch camp, the which was then put on a camel by four
men were too tired to do anything but persons. Since we women were very
sleep. lean and thin in those days because of
lack of enough quantity of food, the
Al-lfk: The Vicious Slander 1 It is significant to realize that this drawing of
'Abdullaah ibn Ubay's mischief did lots should not be misunderstood as some form
not die down. He now came forth with of lottery, which is prevalent in the present-day
world. All the wives of the Prophet ( � ) had
( � )
something even graver. It was so grave
equal rights. Hence, had the Prophet
that had the Prophet ( � ) and his himself chosen some in preference to others, this
companions not acted with utmost might have hurt their feelings. He, therefore,
resolved the issue by drawing lots.
self-control and wisdom, a conflict
2 94 Prophet Muhammad ::i Part 6
carriers of my l itter did not even realize "As he uttered the words, I woke up.
that I was not in it. They placed the litter I covered my face immediately with the
on the camel and set off. When I sheet. Without saying a word to me, he
returned to the camp after having made his camel kneel down beside me,
traced my necklace, I could not find while he himself stood aside. I rode the
anyone there. I covered myself with a camel and Safwaan bega n to move
sheet and lay there thinking that when ahead, leading the camel by the
people discovered my absence, they nose-string. Around noon, we joined the
would try to trace me and so eventua l ly army when it was about to camp. This
come back to the same spot. provided the slanderers an opportunity
Meanwhile, I fel l asleep. When morning to hurl all kinds of calumnies. 'Abdullaah
arrived, Safwaan ibn AI-M u'attal ibn Ubayy took a leading role in this
as-Sulamee passed by the spot where I slander campaign. I was, however,
lay asleep. He immediately recognized totally unaware of the raging storm of
me since he had seen me before the accusations directed against me."
verse commanding women to wear the According to some other reports,
hijaab was revealed. Safwaan was one of when 'Aa'ishah ( � ) reached the camp
the companions who had participated in on Safwaan's camel and it became
the Battle of Badr. Allah's Messenger known that she had been left behind,
( � ) had assigned him the duty to 'Abd ul laah ibn Ubayy instantly
retrieve whatever articles might have remarked, " By Al lah! She has not
been left in the morning after the army remained untouched. Look! The wife of
had decamped. your Prophet spent the night with
"Safwaan ha lted his camel on seeing another person and now he is openly
me and exclaimed. 'To Allah do we bringing her back. "
belong and to H im we are destined to 'Aa ' ishah ( � ) continues, " U pon
return. Oh, the Prophet's wife has been reaching Madeenah, I fell ill. I was
left behind.' bed-ridden for a month. Slanderous
reports were in circu lation . They even "In my absence, the Prophet ( � )
reached the Prophet's ears. I knew summoned Ali and Usaamah ibn Zayd
nothing about them. What worried me and sought their advice. Usaamah spoke
was the Prophet's ( � ) lack of attention highly of me, saying, 'Messenger of
towards me. When he entered the Al lah, we have seen in your wife nothing
house, he went no further than asking but goodness. It is all a lie.' 'Al i said,
some member of the family, " H ow is 'Messenger of Al lah, there are plenty of
she?" This made me suspect that there women. You can take another wife in
was something behind it. Eventually I her place. Should you l ike to find out,
obtained his permission to move out to send for her maidservant and ask her
my mother's house so that she might about the matter.'
look after me properly. " H ence the maidservant was
"One night, I went out of Madeenah summoned, and the Prophet ( � ) asked
to attend to the ca ll of nature. Up till her, ' Burayra h, have you ever seen
that time there were no toilets in our anything in 'Aa'ishah that might make
houses and we used to go out into the you suspect her?' She replied, ' By Him
open fields for this purpose. I was Who has sent you with the truth, I know
accompanied by the mother of M ista h only good of her; and if it were
ibn Uthaathah who was the materna l otherwise, Allah would inform H is
cousin of my father. Along the way, Messenger. I have no fa ult to find with
Mista h's mother stumbled and 'Aa'ishah but she is a girl, young in years,
exclaimed, "May Mista h perish!" I asked and when I knead the dough and bid her
her, 'What kind of mother are you that watch it, she would fal l asleep and her
you are cursing your own son who pet goat wil l come and eat it. I have
participated in the Battle of Badr?' blamed her for that more than once.'"
Thereupon she narrated the whole 'Aa'ishah adds that when the news
story: how scandalmongers had reached Safwaan ibn AI-M u'attal, the
launched a campaign of slander against man accused in the incident, he
me. Apart from the hypocrites, some exclaimed, " By Al lah, I have never ever
Musl ims had also become a party to this uncovered a woman's shoulder in my
vicious campaign . The leading ones l ife. " I n fact, Safwaan died a martyr later
among them were Mistah, Hassaan ibn in the Battle of Armen ia, during the
Thaabit and Hamnah bint Jahsh. Upon caliphate of ' Umar ( � ) in the year 1 9
hearing this, I was horrified. I even AH.
forgot the purpose for which I had gone The Prophet ( � ) also consulted his
there and immediately returned to my wife Zaynab bint Jahsh ( � ) , sister of
house. I spent that whole night crying. Hamnah bint Jahsh, about 'Aai'shah, and
she replied, " By Al lah, I know nothing " N o sooner had he spoken than my
but good of her. " tears stopped to flow and I said to my
It i s importa nt to point out here that father, 'Answer the Prophet ( � ) for
'Ali ibn Abee Taalib (�) was not involved me.' Thereupon he said, ' I do not know
in this incident. All that happened was what to say.' When I turned to my
that he found the Prophet ( � ) highly mother, she said the same, and I was a
distressed about the matter and that he young girl. Then I said, ' I know wel l that
asked 'Ali for advice. On that occasion, you have heard what men are saying,
'Al i said that Allah had placed no limit on and it has settled in your mind and you
the Prophet ( � ) in this matter. There seem to have bel ieved it. If I say that I am
were many women, and thus he could innocent, you wil l not believe me. And if
take another wife in place of 'Aa'ishah I confess something which I have not
( �� ). This does not mean that 'Al i in any done - and Allah knows I did not do any
way considered va lid the lie that had such thing - you wil l believe me.'
been spoken against 'Aa'ishah. He "Then I groped in my mind for the
merely wished that the grief of the name of the Prophet Ya'qoob, but I
Prophet ( � ) should end. could not remember it, so I said, ' But I
'Aa 'ishah, the mother of the will say as the father of Yoosuf said,
believers, continues, "Talks about the " Beautifu l patience must be mine, and
slander had been in circulation in Allah is He whose help is to be asked
Madeenah for about a month. It made against what they say (12: 1 8)." Then I
the Prophet ( � ) suffer great anguish. returned to my couch and lay on it,
My parents and I were in great distress. hoping that Allah would declare my
We all felt much disturbed. Final ly, the innocence. It had not occurred to me
Prophet ( � ) came out and sat beside though that Al lah would proclaim my
me. During all th is period he had not sat innocence by sending down a surah,
beside me. My parents, Abu Bakr and which will be recited till the Last Day.
Umm Roomaan, both felt that some
decision was at hand. Hence they too "The Prophet ( � ) remained sitting
joined me. in our company and all of us were stil l
"The Prophet ( � ) said, 'O 'Aa 'ishah, present when revelation came down to
I have been told such-and-such a thing him. He was seized with the pangs,
about you. If you are innocent, I hope which seized him at such times, and as it
Allah wil l declare your innocence. And if were pearls of sweat dripped from him,
you have done anything that is wrong, although it was a wintry day. Then, when
then ask forgiveness of Al lah and turn to he was relieved of the pressure, he said
H im. Whenever a servant of Allah in a voice that vibrated with gladness, '0
confesses his sin and repents, Al lah 'Aa ' ishah, rejoice, praise Allah, for H e
pardons his sin.' has declared you innocent.'
"Then the Prophet ( � ) recited the Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful
ten verses of Surat An-Noor (24: 11-21 ). Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq ( � ) had been
When my mother asked me to rise and in the habit of giving his kinsman Mistah
thank the Prophet ( � ), I said, 'I will ibn AI-M u'attal an allowance of money
neither thank him nor you (i.e. my on account of his poverty. But now he
parents). I thank Allah Who has declared said, " N ever again will I give to Mista h.
my innocence. You never even rejected Never again will I show him favour after
the slander against me."' (We might what he has said against 'Aa' ishah.' But
remind ourselves that these words are there now came the revelation, "Let not
spoken by a girl in her teens - May Allah the men of dignity and wealth among
be pleased with her). you swear that they will not give to
kinsmen and to the needy and to those
The Prophet ( � ) then went out to who have emigrated for the sake of
the people. H e addressed them and Allah. Let them forgive and let them
recited to them what Al lah had revealed overlook. Do you not long that Allah
to him on the subject. should forgive you? And Allah is
The new revelation ( Surat An-Noor) Forgiving, Most Merciful." ( Surat
dwelt upon the whole question of An-Noor, 24: 22)
adultery. It prescribed its punishment, Then Abu Bakr ( � ) said, " I ndeed, I
the punishment for slandering do long that Allah shal l forgive me." And
honourable women and the scourging he returned to Mista h and gave him
of the slanderers. This sentence was what he had been used to giving him,
carried out upon Mistah ibn Uthaathah, saying, " I swear I wil l never withdraw it
Hassaan ibn Thaabit and Hamnah bint from you."
Jahsh. They were believers who, out of All the scholars, without exception,
some weakness or error, had become a agree that whoever blames or profanes
party to mischief. 'Abdul laah ibn Ubayy, 'Aa 'ishah ( 1;;.1b ), the mother of the
the leader of the hypocrites, was not believers, after she has been clearly
punished. declared innocent by the Gl orious
The believers who had been Qur'an, is a disbel iever, a blasphemer,
outspoken in spreading the calumny had because he contradicts the Qur'an.
confessed their guilt. The hypocrites did
not confess to having any part in it. So
the Prophet (� ) did not take any action
aga inst them. He preferred to leave
them to Al lah and their punishment kept
for the hereafter.
Release of the Captives of the Banu AI-Mustaliq

The spoils of the expedition of the Banu
AI-M ustaliq were divided as usual. One of the
captives, as we have learnt earl ier, was J uwwayriyah,
the da ughter of ai-H aarith ibn Abu Dhiraar, who was
the chief of the defeated clan. She fel l to the lot of a
Helper, Thaabit ibn Qays ibn Shammaas, who fixed a
high price for her ransom. She came to the Prophet
( � ) to ask for his intervention on her behalf. He was
on that day in the apartment of 'Aai'shah. 'Aa'ishah
( � ) opened the door to her. She said afterwards,
recounting what had taken place,
"J uwwayriyah was a woman of great loveliness
and beauty. No man looked at her but she captivated
his soul. She entered and said to the Prophet ( � ),
'M essenger of Al lah, I am J uwwayriyah, the daughter
of ai-H aarith who is the chief of his people. You know
the distress that has fal len upon me, and I have come
to seek your help in the matter of my ransom.' The
Prophet ( :i ) answered, 'Would you l ike to have
something better than that?' 'What is better than
that?' she asked. The Prophet ( :i ) replied, 'That I
should pay the ransom and marry you.'
"J uwwayriya h gladly accepted the offer and
accepted Islam. The news spread that the Prophet
( :i ) had married Juwwayriyah. When it became
known that the Banu AI-M ustaliq were now the
Prophet's kinsmen by marriage, the Emigrants and
the Helpers set free their captives who had not yet
been ransomed. About a hundred families were
released. I know of no woman who was a greater
blessing to her people than she."
Although J uwwayriyah is reported to have been
beautifu l, this was not the main factor in the
Prophet's decision to marry her. More important to
him was the cause of spreading Islam.
Exercises
A. State whether these statements are true (T) or false {F).
1. The hypocrites used to join the Prophet ( �) in all battles, in large numbers. ___
2. The Prophet's drawing of lots was t�e same as lottery. _

__
3· 'Aa'ishah ( 1$, ) covered her face as soon as she real ized someone was there. ___
4 · For a long time, 'Aa ' ishah ( 1$, ) did not know about the calumnies that were
spreading. __
5· 'Ali ( � ) bel ieved in the slander against 'Aa'ishah ( � ) . ___
1. The Banu AI-M ustal iq was a branch of the _____ tribe.
2. The Prophet ( � ) took his wife _____ for the expedition of Banu AI-M ustaliq.
3· _____ ibn ______ passed by 'Aa'ishah ( 1$, ) the morning after she
was left behind.
4 · Safwaan died a martyr in the Battle of ______
1. Why is the campaign against Banu AI-M ustaliq also known as the Expedition of
M uraisi'?
2. Why did 'Umar ( � ) suggest to the Prophet ( � ) to have 'Abdu llaah ibn U bayy
beheaded?
3 · Who were the three Muslims who were particularly at the forefront of the slander
against 'Aa'ishah ( � )?
4· What method did Allah choose to prove 'Aa' ishah's innocence?
5· What punishment does the Qur'an lay down for slandering honourable women?
6. Why did Abu Bakr ( �) change his decision of never favouring M istah, his kinsman?
D. Think-up
Why did Muhammad ( ;:i ) marry J uwwayriyah?

Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree �
35
'l"�'� Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree hailed from the city of
Madeenah. He was a prominent noble of the tribe of AI-Khazraj.
He was wel l known as an eloquent orator. His interest in
eloquence took him to the young preacher Mus'ab ibn ' U mayr
( . ), who was sent by the Prophet ( ri ) to teach the people of
Madeenah about I slam. Thaabit l istened as Mus'ab recited from
the Book of Allah and was amazed at his sweet, resonant voice
and the serene rhythm of his recital. Thaabit's heart and mind
were drawn to the verses of the Qur'an and their contents almost
immediately. He soon embraced Islam and became one of the
early Muslims of Madeenah.
��' _.J�
Thaabit was an upright, talented " Paradise," the Prophet (� ) replied.
man. He had a pure heart. He was an Everyone's face lit up and exclaimed,
excel lent speaker and had a wonderful "We accept, Messenger of Al lah!" From
voice. Whenever he spoke, he impressed that day, the Prophet ( �) chose Thaabit
his audience. He devoted his talents, ibn Qays ( � ) to be his spea ker, just as
energies, heart and mind as a speaker in H assaan ibn Thaabit was his poet. Each
the service of Islam. time an Arab deputation came to exhibit
When the Prophet ( �) emigrated to their talent in poetry and eloquence, the
Madeenah, Thaabit welcomed him with Prophet ( � ) assigned Thaa bit ibn Qays
a group of his tribes' horsemen. He for speeches and Hassan ibn Thaabit for
received the Prophet ( � ) and Abu Bakr poetry.
as-Siddeeq ( . ) with warm hospitality.
Thaabit stood before him and made an Thaabit's Mindfulness of Allah
eloquent speech. He praised Al lah and It is narrated on the authority of
His Prophet ( � ) and ended his speech Anas ibn Maalik that when the verse:
saying, " Messenger of Allah, we promise "Believers, do not raise your voices over
to protect you from everything from the voice of the Prophet and do not
which we protect ourselves, our children speak loudly to him, as you speak loudly
and our women. What shall we get in to each other, lest your acts be in vain
return?" without your realizing" ( 4 9 : 2) was
Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree � 303
revea led,; Thaabit ibn Qays confined Qur'an to themselves whenever they
himself to his house and said, " I am one seemed appropriate. To them verses of
of the dwellers of the Fire." He then the Qur'an were instructions and
deliberately avoided coming to the messages. They were to be acted upon
Prophet ( � ) and told his wife Jameelah and not merely memorized, melodiously
bint 'Abd ullaah ibn Ubayy to nail the recited or read. Most Muslims today
bedroom door shut after he had entered read the Qur'an in Arabic, without
it. She dutifully did so. When the Prophet understa nding a word of it. It is
( � ) noticed Thaabit's absence from the important to realize that it was not the
mosq ue, he asked Sa'd ibn Mu 'aadh mere sounds of the Qur'an which
( � ) about him and said, " H ow is changed the l ives of the Prophet's
Thaabit? Has he fa l len sick?" Sa'd replied, companions but rather the divine
"He is my neighbor. I do not know of his message contained in it.
il lness." Sa'd then came to Thaabit and
conveyed to him the message of the
Prophet ( � ). Upon this Thaabit said, Martyrdom of Thaabit ibn Qays
"This verse was revealed, and you are Thaabit ibn Qays (�) participated in
wel l aware of the fact that among all of all the Prophet's battles except that of
you my voice is louder than that of the Badr. Allah's Messenger ( � ) had
Messenger of Al lah ( � ), and so I am predicted martyrdom for him, but he
one of the dwellers of Fire." When Sa'd survived in all the Prophet's battles.
informed the Prophet ( � ) about this, However, after the death of the Prophet
he observed, " N ot so, but he (i.e. ( � ), during the caliphate of Abu Bakr
Thaabit) is one of the dwellers of as-Siddeeq ( � ), an opportunity to
Paradise." (M usl im, Vol . 1, Hadeeth no. achieve martyrdom came for him.
2 1 4, English Translation by 'Abdul
Hameed Siddeeqee) Battle against Apostasy:
This hadeeth is indicative of the fact Abandoning of Islam
that a naturally heavy and loud voice is Towards the end of the l ife of the
no sin. What is prohibited is that one Prophet ( �) and during the caliphate of
shou ld try to drown the voice of the Abu Bakr, a number of false prophets
Prophet ( � ) by deliberately tal king appeared in Arabia. The foremost of
louder than him. Good manners demand them was M usaylimah who claimed to
that one should not speak loudly in the have received divine revelations, and
presence of one's superiors. The spoke of himself as the Rahmaan (which
companions of the Prophet ( ;i) used to is a name of Allah) of the Yamaamah, the
reflect on the meaning of the Qur'anic east-central region of Arabia.
verses and apply the teachings of the
304 Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree �
The Battle at Aqarabah in the Yamaamah between the

M uslim forces and those of Musaylimah was one of the
bloodiest that Arabia had ever seen. The fol lowers of
Musaylimah had already defeated one Muslim force led by
' l krimah. At Aqarabah, Khaalid ibn ai-Waleed, the leader of the
Muslim army, divided his army into Bedouins, the Ansaar and
the Muhaajiroon, to spur competition among them to fight to
the utmost. Thaabit ibn Qays took part in this battle and was
martyred. M usayl imah was slain in battle by Wahshee, the slave
who killed Hamzah at Uhud.
At his death, Thaabit ( . ) had on his body a precious armor,

but one of the Muslims who ha ppened to pass by him, took the
armor and wrongful ly kept it for himself.
That night, when the fierce sounds of battle had died down
and the men had fal len asleep, another of the Muslims had a
dream. H e saw Thaabit and heard him speaking to him. He
narrates the conversation they had in the dream, "I am Thaabit
ibn Qays. I want to pass down a responsibility to you. When I
was slain yesterday, a Muslim took my armor. He went to his
tent at the border of the camp and hid it under a cooking-pot.
He placed a saddle on top of the pot. Go to Khaalid ibn
a i-Waleed and tel l him to take possession of the armor from this
man. It is still in its place. There is one more thing you have to do
for me. Tel l Khaalid ibn ai-Waleed that when he returns to Abu
Bakr, the caliph, he must inform him that I have some debt to
settle. Let him pay my debt and set free two of my slaves."
When the man woke up, he went straight to Khaalid ibn

ai-Waleed and told him what he had seen. Khaal id sent
someone to fetch the armor, which was found under the
cooking-pot, under the saddle, as described by Thaabit. When
Khaalid returned to Madeenah, he told Abu Bakr about Thaabit
ibn Qays and his will . Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (. ) accepted it. May
Allah be pleased with Thaabit ibn Qays.
Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree � 30 5
Exercises
1. Thaabit ( � ) belonged to the tribe of -----
2. The Prophet ( � ) chose Thaa bit to be his -----
3 · The Prophet ( � ) had predicted _______ for Thaabit.
4· was the most famous false prophet.
5· managed to kil l Musaylimah.

--------�
1. What specific talent did Thaabit possess?
2. What, in particular, warmed Thaabit's heart to Islam?
3 · I n which battle was Thaabit martyred?

30 6 Thaabit ibn Qays ai-Ansaaree �0
C. Reference to context
" N ot so, but he (i.e. Thaabit) is one of the dwellers of Paradise."
D. Think-up
Why do you think the Qur'an changed people's lives in the olden days? Why do you
think many M uslims' lives do not seem to change for the better despite the fact that
they recite the Qur'an and observe the prayers?
The Terrible Web of the
Two Dangerous D's - Drinks and Drugs
Alcohol Is an Evil Drinks and Drugs are Forbidden In

Alcohol is an evil. Both its use and Islam
abuse are evil. There is no moderate or Allah forbids drinks and drugs. The
temperate drinker in I slam. Islam does Qur'an says,
�d �)��(1-Jr;�.;rr;p C�i;: 1 : &JI �J�
not recognize it. It is the moderate
WI ep
· - 0�
drinker who easily degenerates into the
obstinate alcoholic. Users rapidly grow ,;.
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into abusers. Ta king a l ittle wine, beer or
liquor at table does great harm. The l ittle � / .).""' ,. ,.,. � '>// / / ; / / -:; .; 0 / "<"'� .). //
� 0� fiJ� �p \if'.J�\_j ��r'�-'
b!
use of alcohol or any substance that

intoxicates quickly develops. "0 you who believe, surely,
Su bstances which intoxicate have little intoxicants and games of chance,
appeal at first. One feels that one shou ld and stone�altars, and divining
not touch them, but the one who gets arrows are but a loathsome evil of
the close to them soon acquires a great Satan's handiwork; so avoid them
l iking for them without even real ising it. that you may be successful. Satan
Once formed, the habit of taking even only desires create enmity and
sma l l quantity of intoxicants readily hatred among you by means of wine
leads to severe drug addiction, and the games of chance and to turn
especially as an escape from problems. you away from the remembrance of
3 0 8 Drinks and Drugs
Allah and from salaat. Will you not During the period of ignorance,
then desist?" (Surat AI-Maa 'idah, s: before the advent of I slam, the Arabs
90-91) were very fond of wine and drinking
When these verses were revealed to parties. Their love for wine is reflected in
the Prophet ( � ), it was announced that their language, which has nearly one
those who possessed alcohol were hundred names for it. To eradicate this
forbidden to consume it or sel l it. It was widespread evil from society, Allah Most
ordered that all the stocks should be H igh adopted a wise course of education
destroyed. It is then that alcohol was and training, whereby He prohibited it in
poured into the drains of Madeenah. measured stages.
Some people asked the Prophet The first stage does not go beyond
( � ) whether they could offer their an expression of disapprova l of drinking
stocks to the Jews as a gift. That which is and gambling (Surat AI-Baqarah, 2: 219).
forbidden is not a fit gift was the It is offered as an argument to persuade
Prophet's ( � ) reply. It was also the people not to indulge in drinking and
suggested that whatever wine was gambling, because they derive some
available may be converted into vinegar, pleasure or advantage from it. The
but the Prophet ( � ) did not approve of excitement and enjoyment, which
the idea and insisted that it should be drinking and gambl ing provides is not
destroyed. One person specia l ly asked denied, but in the long run they produce
whether alcohol could be used as a unfortunate and disastrous results.
medicine. The Prophet ( � ) repled, " It is The second phase forbade the
not a med icine; it is a disease. " people from coming to the mosque to
(At-Tirmidhee and Abu Daawood) offer their prayers in a state of
drunkenness (Surat An-Nisaa', 4 : 4 3 ) .
...
This state is not necessarily produced by
1
--
The Word 'Khamr' alcohol alone, but could be the result of
Khamr is an Arabic word which the use of any drugs or intoxicants.
signifies any alcoholic drink, drug or In the third and final phase,
su bstance, which causes intoxication. prohibition was total . (Surat AI-Maa'idah
According to E. W. Lane, khamr s: 90-91)
denotes anything that clouds, or
obscures (literally covers) the intel lect. All that Intoxicates Is Haraam
(Arabic-English Lexicon, Vol. 1, p. 8o8. Any drink, drug or substance, which
2003 reprint) Drinking blurs a person's 1 intoxicates, in whatever form or name it
ability to distinguish between right and
wrong.
J may appear is hraam (forbidden). Thus,
for instance, beer and similar things are
strictly haraam.
Drinks and Drugs 30 9
Allah's Messenger ( � ) said, " Every Cocaine i s a white substa nce. I t is
intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is usua l ly sn iffed. It produces first
forbidden." (M uslim) relaxation and pleasure, but soon it
He also said, "Of that which causes irrational fears and extreme
intoxicates in a large quantity, a sma l l anxiety. Heroin (also known as skag or
qua ntity of it i s forbidden." (Abu smack) is a powder. It is heated to give
Daawood and A-Tirmid hee) fumes, which are then inhaled. It makes
Hence, if a bucket of khamr the user feel far more alert, but this is
intoxicates, a sip of it is haraam. soon fol lowed by drowsiness.
Finally there are several kinds of
The Terrible Web of Dope - magic mushrooms, which when taken
Intoxicating Modern-Day Drugs take users on trips in which excitement
The practice of selling narcotics1 to often combines with loud laughter and
teenagers, taking a ride on LS D or acid2 extraordinary daydreams and images.
and glue-sniffing3 are relatively new
evils. 1
These are drugs that intoxicate
LSD (or acid) is or affect the mind in a harmful
way.
a white powder. This is a powerful drug that
2
Drug-ta kers take it affects people's minds and

makes these see or hear things
as a tablet or even that are not really there.
3
on sugar cubes. inThis is the habit of breathing
the gases from some kinds of
After a couple of glue in order to produce a state
hours or so, the of excitement.
user begins his LS D trip, which can last
up to 1 0 hours or even more.
Amphetamines (also known as
speed) is sniffed or injected into the Cigarettes, tobacco-smoking, is
body. Their effect is at first pl easant. another such thing. Tobacco-smoking is
Users get excited, more alert, l ivelier responsible for hundreds of thousands
and even sl ightly giggly. But soon after, of premature deaths worldwide every
many become depressed, unable to year. Lung cancer and infections, blood
sleep and feeling at the same time clots, strokes and heart attacks are all
tormented . There is stil l another made more likely by smoking. It is
su bstance cal led cannabis (also cal led alarmingly possible to become
dope or pot). It is smoked and prod uces dependant on cigarettes and other
intoxication, tal kativeness and often a intoxicants, and thus become unable to
heightened feeling of sounds and do without one more dose of them for
colours. long.
31 0 Drinks and Drugs
How Does it all Happen? What is the of interest in things that ordinarily
Remedy? interest boys and girls, aches and pains,
The only safe way or the golden rule a runny nose, vomiting, na usea,
is to keep away from these evils. You tiredness, unnatural amount of sleep or
shou ld always remain on guard. lack of it, and long and deep periods of
Some take the first dose to depression fol lowed by short periods of
experiment, but many others become excitement.
merely innocent victims of these evils. It you should be as unfortunate as to
They accept a cigarette from a stranger, note these signs in your brothers,
or even a so-ca l led close friend, without sisters, friends or classmates, you should
knowing what it contains. They tel l your parents or teachers at once.
sometimes sip a seemingly harmless They should then report the matter to
beverage in a delicatessen or chew a their doctors and ultimately to the
lump of sugar. Do you know what a pol ice. Any delay or attempt to cover up
del icatessen is? It is a shop or part of a the facts will only work worse harm
shop sel ling prepared foods, often upon the poor victims. If steps are taken
unusual or brought from other countries quickly, the youth may be cured and
that are ready for serving, for example saved and dope pedd lers or the
meat or cheeses. drug-pushers may be caught.
A seemingly harmless sip of a Teens certainly do not wish or
beverage or anything of that sort may expect to fal l into the drug habit. But
make one a complete slave to drugs in a this world of ours is unfortunately filled
short time, such as a few days. with injustice and oppression. The earth
has become filled with greedy and evil
folks who do not fear Allah at all. They
do not fear Allah even so much as one
fears the sting of a bee or a wasp. This is
why we must be alert regarding our
choice of friends and places of
entertainment and amusement. We
must be firm and resol ute about
avoiding hangouts with questionable
reputations. It is not enough to be
How can One Discover drug heedful of the dangers involved; we
Addiction? must avoid them altogether. That is
It is easy and possible to discover what Allah wants us to do. This is what
drug addiction by watching for a mix of your parents expect. This is what your
the following signs: loss of weight, lack country expects. Heedful teens do not
Drinks and Drugs 3 1 1
hesitate to see that a friendship with someone
about whom they are dou btful is broken off. Keep
your head on your shoulders. Stay on your guard.
Read up on drug addiction. Read up on commands
in the Qur'an and the prophet's Sunnah
concerning drinks and drugs.
I llegal traffic in narcotics is a serious danger
today. You must keep yourself informed for your
own present and future safety and the good of the
family you wil l some day form. Remem ber that the
use and the abuse of drugs is both a disease. The
only inoculation against them is the right kind of
knowledge.
We have been discussing a number of
drug-related issues that are very relevant to your
life right now as well as to your future. In Grade
N ine, inshaa Allah, we wil l touch on a few more
topics l ike trading in alcohol and drugs. We end
this module with a very thought-provoking
hadeeth of Al lah's Messenger ( � ) :
"Tru ly, Allah has cursed khamr, the one who
produces it, the one for whom it is made, the one
who consumes it, the one who serves it, the one
who carries it, the one for whom it is carried, the
one who sells it, the one who earns from the same
of it, the one who buys it and the one for whom it
is bought." (A rel iable record ing in At-Tirmidhee
and I bn Maajah)
3 12 Drinks and Drugs
Exercises
1. Allah refers to the evil of intoxicants as ----- handiwork.
2. "Alcohol is not a medicine; it is a ----- "
3· It is not enough to be _______ of the dangers involved. We must
_____ them altogether.

--�---�----�
1. Does Islam tolerate or accept 'moderate drinkers'?
2. What suggestions did the Prophet ( � ) receive on the use of alcohol instead of
destroying it?
3· Explain in detail the word khamr.

Drinks and Drugs 3 13
4· Mention a few drugs and their ill-effects.
5· Explain how I slam gives not only remedies to problems but also ways to prevent
them.
C. Think-up
1. Why do you thin k Al lah prohibited alcohol and intoxicants in a slow stepwise
man ner?
2. Do you think drinks and drugs have benefits? If so, then why did Al lah prohibit them?
Laylat AI-Qadr
The N ight of Power or Destiny 37
Let us first consider the words of Allah: The Word 'Qadr'
What does 'qadr' mean? Qadr means
power, destiny, decree, honour or glory.
It also means almightiness, majesty,
val ue and importance.
We Sent it down on the Night of

Power
"We sent it down ( anzalnaahu ) " is an
"In the name of Allah, Most allusion to the Qur'an. Allah sent it down
Beneficent, Most Merciful from the Preserved Tablet (ai-Lawh
We have indeed revealed this ai-Mahfoodh) to the heaven of this lower
[Qur'an] during the Night of Power. And world on the N ight of Destiny. The entire
what will explain to you what the Night Qur'an had come down on the N ight of
of Power is? The Night of Power is Power in the month of Ramadhaan to the
better than a thousand months. Therein heaven of this world. J ib reel ( &!\\ ) then
come down the Angels and the Spirit by revealed it to the Prophet (� ), with the
their Lord's leave, with the decree of permission of Allah, from time to time
every affair. Peace it is until the rising of over a period of twenty-three years.
dawn." (Surat AI-Qadr, 9 7 : 1- 5 ) It is a tremendous N ight (Jaylah
'adheemah). It is called the N ight of
Surat Al-Qadr, as a whole, highlights Power (Lay/at AI-Qadr) in order to
the importance of the Qur'an and its proclaim the great significance of the
blessings. Al lah Most H igh calls the night night itself, and to emphasize its glory
in which the revelation of the Glorious (qadr) because it is then that Allah
Qur' an began the N ight of Power. I n decrees (yuqaddiru) how things are to
Surat Ad-Dukh-khaan, i t i s called the be throughout the year, until the same
Blessed N ight. ( 44:1-3) night of the year that lies ahead. Thus it
The revelation of the Qur'an bega n is a blessed night. It is the night of
in the month of Ramadhaan, th us, Lay/at Sublime Majesty and Wisdom.
AI-Qadr is one of the nights in Al lah Most H igh says, "The Night of
Ramadhaan. Power is better than a thousand
months."
Lay/at AI-Qad 315
greeting of peace, with which the angels
sal ute the believers among the people
of the earth, for they say to them : Peace,
peace until the rising of the dawn .
Which Night of Ramadhaan is Lay/at

AI-Qadr?
The mufassiroon (plural: mufassir,
scholars who explain the meanings of
the Qur'an) differ in pinpointing the
specific night of Qadr. In an authentic
(saheeh) hadeeth, Allah's Messenger (�)
instructs us to seek it in the last ten
nights of Ramadhaan, and it is further
indicated that it is one of the odd nights,
that is the 21 st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th
I n other words, good deeds therein

are better than those performed in a 2 1 st ...
2 3 rd
thousand months that are without the
N ight of Power. It has been reported
that the companions of the Prophet
( � ) never felt so happy about anything 25tth
as they felt about these words: better
than a thousand months.
2 7th
What is meant by "the angels come
down " is that they come down in 29th ·
succession from the setting of the sun
until the rising of the dawn . The Spirit night. Most scholars believe it is the 27th
(Ar-Rooh) means Jibreel ( &:§\ ). He is the night. Thus the majority of Muslims
most noble of all the angels in the sight celebrate Lay/at AI-Qadr on the 27th
of Al lah. night. I n most mosq ues, khatm-ui-Qur'an
" Peace it is (Sa/aamun hiya)" has (the completion of the Qur'an) is held on
exactly the same meaning as " It is peace, the 27th night of Ramadhaan.
which signifies that it is perfectly safe H owever, the reason behind
and pleasant." It has also been conceal ing the exact night of Qadr is
maintained that peace means the that for us to receive the bl essing of
31 6 Lay/at AI-Qadr
Lay/at AI-Qadr, we should spend most When does this time occur? Does
nights of the last ten days of Ramadhaan this time remain fixed or does it
in 'ibaadah and not limit ourselves to one move from one Friday to the next?
night only. Since no one can be sure It is Allah's secret. The wisdom
which night that is, the believer is invited behind that is that Muslims should
to prepare himself, to open the gates of spend most of the day in
awareness, sharpen his gaze and tune suppl ication and seeking that
his hearing to receive what comes when special time.
it comes! B. Special time for suppl ications every
night
Allah's Wisdom in Concealment
A. Special time for suppl ications on
Friday
Al lah's Messenger ( ?� ) said,

"Truly, in the night there is a period
of time, which no Muslim man
comes upon and wherein he asks
Abu H urayrah ( � ) reports that Al lah for something good from the
the Messenger of Allah ( ?I ) said, things of this world and the
"There is a special time on Friday, hereafter, without this being given it
and if a Muslim spends it while - and this is so every night."
praying and asking for something (M uslim)
from Al lah, then Allah wil l definitely According to another hadeeth,
grant his request." The Prophet ( � ) this time occurs in the middle of the
then pointed out the shortness of final part of the night. What is the
the length of its time with his hands. exact point of time of its
(ai-Bukhaaree and Musl im) occurrence? It is in Al lah's
Lay/at AI-Qadr 3 17
C. Al lah has concea led H is response to death, so that people might never
suppl ications so that the bel ievers be forgetful about it.
might resort to them oftener. He D. Final ly, had the N ight of Power been
has concea led H is Supreme Name known, the sins of the sinners in
(al-lsm ai-A'dham) so that all H is that night might have weighed
Names might be respected deeply. heavily upon them. To commit sins
He has concealed As-Sa/aat on a known blessed occasion is
AI-Wustaa (the middlemost prayer) greater in magnitude than
so that His servants might pay committing sins on the same
special attention to every prayer. blessed occasion without knowing
Al lah has concealed the time of its blessedness.
The Night of Power in the Hadeeth

AI-Bukhaaree and Muslim record from Abu
Hurayrah ( � ) that Al la h's Messenger ( � ) said,
"Whoever prays during the N ight of Qadr with firm
belief and hope for its reward will have all his
previous sins forgiven."
What should we ask Allah Most H igh on this
Blessed N ight? This was the question the Mother of
the Believers, 'Aa'ishah ( b-� ), once asked the
Prophet ( � ). He taught her this suppl ication:
(0 Allah, You are Most Forgiving and You love

forgiveness, so do forgive me.' (Ahmad and
At-Tirmidhee)
Th us, in the last ten days of Ramadhaan we

should concentrate on 'ibaadah, seek forgiveness
from Allah and pray to H im to save us from the Fire.
3 1 8 Laylat AI-Qadr
Exercises
1. Lay/at AI-Qadr means __________

_
2. The N ight of Power is better than ______________
3· The Spirit refers to ____________

----�----�
1. What special event took place on the N ight of Power?
2. What is the meaning of the word 'qadr'?
3· H ow was the Qur'an sent down on the N ight of Power?

Lay/at AI-Qadr 3 1 9
4· By what different names is the N ight of Power known?
5· When exactly does Lay/at AI-Qadr fall?
6. Why do you think Al lah has concealed the exact N ight of Power from us?
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At-Taghaabun {Loss and Gain) 32 1
4 · He knows all that is in the heavens 10. But as for those who reject faith and
and on earth; and He knows what deny Our signs, they are the
you conceal and what you revea l, Companions of the Fire, to dwell
and He has ful l knowledge of what is therein forever; and evil is that goal!
in the hearts. 11. N o misfortune occurs except by
5· Has the news not reached you of Alla h's permission, and whoever
those who denied the truth, in bel ieves in Al lah, Allah guides his
earl iest times, and tasted the evil heart [aright], and Allah has
outcome of their own doings? They knowledge of all things.
wil l have a painful punishment. 12. Obey Allah and obey the Messenger,
6. That is because their Messengers but if you turn away, Our
brought them the Clear Signs but Messenger's only duty is a clear
they said, "Shall [mere] human delivery of this message.
beings guide us?" And so they 1 3. Al lah - there is no god but H im, and
rejected [the message] and turned on Allah, then, let the bel ievers place
away. But Al lah was not in need of their trust ( tawakkul).
them. Allah is free of all needs, 1 4. 0 you who believe, some of your
worthy of all praise. spouses and children are an enemy
7· The disbelievers claim that they wil l to you, so beware of them. But if you
never b e ra ised [for judgment]! Say, forgive and overl ook and cover up
"Yes, by my Lord, you wil l certainly [their fa ults], surely Allah is
be ra ised again, then you will surely Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful .
be informed about what you did, 1 5. Your wealth a n d your children are
and that is easy for Al lah." only a trial, whereas with Al lah there
8. So bel ieve in Al lah and H is is a tremendous reward .
Messenger and in the Light which 16. So fear Allah as best as you can, and
We have sent down . Al lah is fu l ly l isten and obey and spend for your
aware of all that you do. own benefit; and those who are
9· [Think of] the day when He shall saved from the covetousness of
gather you all together for the Day their own selves, they are the ones
of Gathering - that will be a day of that are the successful .
loss and gain! 17. If you lend to Al lah a goodly loan, He
As for those who believe in Allah wil l multiply it for you, and wil l
and work righteousness, He wil l [on forgive you; a n d Allah is Al l-Thankful,
that Day] remove from them their Most-Forbearing.
bad deeds, and will admit them into 1 8. [ H e is] the Knower of the unseen
gardens, beneath which rivers flow, and the visible, the All-M ighty, the
to dwell therein for ever. That is the All-Wise.
supreme triumph!
322 At-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain)
Explanation and very limited. Sometimes we do
not see its wisdom and goodness
1. All things by their very existence because we see only a broken
proclaim the glory and praises of fragment of it.
Al lah, Most H igh . He has dominion 5· Verse 5 alludes to the disasters and
over all things. He uses H is dominion the suffering which, as history
for just and praiseworthy ends. He shows, inevitably befal l every
can combine justice with mercy. H is community or nation bent on
plan and purpose cannot be rejecting the basic ethical truths,
frustrated . and thus, all standards of moral ity.
2 . I t i s not that H e does not see 6. Allah raised Prophets from their
disobedience and evil. It is not that people's midst. They brought divine
He cannot punish them. He created messages specially mea nt for them,
all things pure and good. If evil but they rejected them. They could
creeps in by His granting of a limited not accept the idea that a divine
free will, it is not unforeseen. It is H is message cou ld be brought through
Wise and U niversal plan that H e has human beings. They expected
given men a chance of rising higher something supernatural about
and higher. One person's denial of them.
the Truth and another's bel ief in it is 7· They refused to bel ieve in
in fact an outcome of free choice. resurrection and the l ife to come. I n
3· Allah's creation is beautiful and other words, they were convinced
grand. He has given us special that no one would be called upon
faculties and special excel lence, after death to answer for what he
which raise us at our best to the did in this l ife.
position of inheritors of the earth. A 8. Therefore, the Qur'an urges people
time wil l come when all things to bel ieve in Allah and H is
created wil l return to Al lah. As they Messenger. It urges them to bel ieve
derive their origin from H im, so will in the light of revelation which Al lah
the return of all of them be to Allah. has sent down. It is the light by
4· Allah creates, develops and sustains
all things. He has full knowledge of
all thoughts, motives, feelings,
intentions, ideas and events. There
is nothing that is not known to H im.
N othing can escape H is Sight. H is
plan is wise and is good in its ful lest
compass. Our intell igence is narrow
At-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain) 323
which we may know Allah and H is message. It is left to people's reason

Will. and free choice to accept or reject it.
9/10. Al lah cal ls people to reflect on the 13. Tawakkul means trust in Allah. This
Day of Judgment, which wil l truly be means acceptance of H is Divine
a day of loss and gain. The believers Decree (qadhaa' and qadar) in every
wil l be rewarded, while the rejecters aspect of l ife. Tawakkul means that
of the Truth will be punished. the believer's heart has faith in the
11. What we consider misfortunes absol ute power, wisdom and justice
might be blessings in disguise. Pain of Allah. He believes that it is Al lah
in the body is often a signal of who is in control of all things.
something wrong, which we can I ndeed, tawakkul is one of the most
cure by remedial measures. So in the important sources of a bel iever's
moral and spiritual world, we should psychologica l strength and energy.
in all circumstances hold firmly to It is the source from which spring
the faith that nothing happens patience, tolerance, determination,
without Allah's knowledge. There is contentment and happiness. The
always justice and wisdom in Allah's true Muslim is patient in times of
plans. Our duty is to find out our trial, and he thanks Allah when he is
shortcomings and remedy them. We blessed with something. Likewise,
should be gratefu l to Allah in times when he experiences a good
of ease, and we should be patient in fortune in this life, he is content, and
times of misfortune. Hence, if misfortune strikes him, he remains
whoever bel ieves in Allah guides his patient and trusts Allah. He expects
own heart towards the truth! to find his reward in the hereafter.
12. Verse 12 makes it clear that H e believes that his efforts wil l pay
rea lization of Al lah's Existence, off in the end, that the truth wil l
Oneness and Almightiness is the ultimately prevail and that
innermost aim of Allah's Message to falsehood will fa ll in the end and its
man. His Prophets can do no more supporters will finally be defeated.
than to deliver and expound this It is very important to note that
324 t-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain)
It is very important to note that may consciously try to induce the
tawakkul is not the same as person concerned to leave some of
tawaakul (Notice the difference in his or her moral commitments in
pronunciation and spelling). order to satisfy some rea l or
Tawaakul means accepting what imaginary family interests. Thus, he
happens or is done to one without or she might become each other's
responding actively or asserting spiritual enemy. The Qur'an urges
oneself. In other words, it means to the believers to be aware of them.
remain 'not active'. Tawakkul is 1 5 . The Qur'an here describes the
something different. One who worldly goods and a desire to
places his trust in Allah uses the protect one's family by two words
appropriate means and fol lows the 'trial and temptation'. This is
natural laws. He strives hard to find because love of worldly goods and
out his shortcomings. He corrects love of one's family may lead a
his mista kes and continues to strive, person to transgression. It may,
while placing his trust in Al lah. thus, lead him to a betrayal of moral
Tawaakul, on the other hand, va l ues taught in Allah's Message.
contains elements of inaction - 16. Thus, greed, miserl iness and
inertia. It contains elements of covetousness are pointed out here
incompetence, inability and laziness. as the main obstacles to man's
H ence when a Bedouin who had attaining of a happy state in this
confused tawakkul with tawaaku/ world and in the hereafter. Man's
came to the Prophet ( � ) and told obsessive striving for more and
him that he had left his camel untied more comforts, more material
out side the mosque and had thus goods, greater power over his
placed his trust in Al lah, the Prophet fellow men, to the exclusion of
(� ) explained it clearly, "tie up your everything else, bars him from all
camel, and then place your trust in spiritual insight. I ndeed, it prevents
Allah." Tawaakul is unnatural. Islam him from accepting any restrictions
does not teach it.
1 4 . This appl ies equa l ly to both the male
and the female partners in a
marriage. Love of his or her family
may sometimes tempt a believer to
act contrary to the demands of
conscience and faith. Occasional ly,
one or another of the loved ones -
be they a wife, husband or child -
At-Taghaabun ( Loss and Gain) 32 5
based on purely moral va lues. The "When I command you to do

result is that not only individ uals but something, do as much as you can of
also whole societies gradually lose it, and whatever I forbid for you,
inner stability. Thus they lose all then avoid it." (Muslim)
chances of happiness. The Qur'an 1 7/18. If you lend to Al lah a handsome
declares: "Those who are saved loan, He will double it for you and
from the covetousness of their own will forgive you. This means
selves, they are the ones that are whatever you spend for the
the successful." Modern civilization pleasure of Al lah, He wil l surely
is a materia listic civil ization in wh ich repay it to you and will certainly give
l iving the present l ife is revered you reward for whatever you give in
above all else. Life after death is charity. Al lah considers giving
derided and dismissed as absurd charity as if it is a loan to H im. He wil l
nonsense. The Qur'an urges the multiply it for the giver a n d wil l
bel ievers to lead l ives of forgive him. H e wil l erase his sins, for
self-restraint and righteousness. Allah is Shakoor, All-Thankful . He
Al lah Most H igh says, "So have gives in return plentiful ly. He is
fear Allah as best you can." Allah's All-Knower of the seen and the
Messenger ( 'ti ) once observed , unseen. He is All-Wise, All-Powerful .
32 6 At-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain)
Exercises
1. The Day of J udgment wil l be a Day of _____ and _____
2. The innermost aim of Alla h's Message to man is _______
3· The Prophet ( � ) said, " ------- and whatever I forbid
for you, then avoid it."
1. Is evil unforeseen by Allah? I f not, then why is it there?
2. How is man, as the inheritor of the earth, different from other creation?
At-Taghaabun (Loss and Gain) 32 7
3· Allah's Plan is wise. Why does man many a time doubt it?
4 · On what basis did the earlier people reject their messengers?
5· H ow is tawal<l<ul different from tawaal<ul?
6. What does Allah mea n by " Lend to Allah a goodly loan"?

32 8 At-Taghaabun {Loss and Gain)
C. Think-up
1. H ow does Almighty Al lah guide a believer's heart to the truth?
2. How do worldly goods and family lead a person to transgression?

Islam and the World of Sciences
39
The Quest for Knowledge Abu Daawood narrates the

The Qur'an and Hadeeth are replete following hadeeth on the authority of
with statements about the merits of Abu H urayra h ( �), "Whoever is asked
knowledge and the learned. Al lah Most about something he knows and conceals
H igh says, "Allah will raise in ranks it shall be made to wear a bridle of fire
those who believe among you and on the Day of Rising. "
those who have been granted Young Musl ims, therefore, should
knowledge." (Surat AI-M ujaadilah, 58: 11) remind themselves that seeking rea l
"Of all His servants who stand in awe of knowledge is not simply recommended;
Allah are those who are it is an obligation.
knowledgeable." (Surat Faatir, 35: 28)
Islamic Science
Hadeeth and Knowledge Islamic science, according to Sayyid
Al la h's Messenger ( � ) said, "The H usayn Nasr, refers to the sciences
superiority of a learned man ( 'aa/im) over developed by Musl ims from the second
a mere worshipper ( 'aabid) is like the Islamic century onwards. It is one of the
superiority of the moon at night when it great achievements of I slamic
is ful l over all other stars." (Abu civilization.
Daawood, At-Timidhee and An-Nasaa'ee) The achievements of early Muslim
" If anybody goes on his way in scientists were great. Sayyid H usayn
search of knowledge, Al lah wil l thereby Nasr, in his scholarly work A Young
make easy for him the way to Paradise." Muslim's Guide to the Modern World,
(Muslim) remarks, " For some seven hundred
33 0 slam and the World of Sciences
years, from the second to the ninth I ndia and introduced them to the West.
Islamic centuries, Islamic civil ization was Before then, Europe had used Roman
perhaps the most productive of all numerals.
civil izations in the domain of science and
Islamic science and was at the forefront
in many fields ranging from medicine to
astronomy. Gradual ly, from about the
ninth century, activity in the Islamic
sciences diminished in the Islamic world,
but it did not by any means die out.
Especially in the fields of medicine and
pharmacology, a great deal of important D It was due to the Arabs that the
activity took place in the eastern lands of various branches of mathematics and all
Islam during the later period of Islamic the sciences that depend on
history." mathematics began to develop in
Western Europe.
A Glimpse at the Achievements in D About a thousand years ago,
the Fields of Islamic Sciences students from all over Europe thronged
at the great centers of teaching at
Cordoba and Toledo in Muslim Spain
(Anda lusia ) , Baghdad in Iraq, and Cairo
in Egypt.
D The word Algebra comes from the
Arabic word a/-jabr, which was used in
the title of a textbook written by an Ara b
mathematician in Baghdad in about 9 2 5
CE.
D It was the Arab mathematicians who
D I n their conquests, Muslims learnt how to use the decimal point.
absorbed and preserved scientific works D Words l ike rocket, alchemy,
and added to them their own special chemistry, admiral, almanac, elixir, and
knowl edge. Ara b physicians were zero have their origin in the Arabic
especia lly skilled in the use of herbs, language.
surgery and the treatment of eye D The Ara bs also became experts on
diseases. navigation and astronomy because
D It was the Arabs who took the these two sciences are cl osely related to
figures we use in mathematics today each other.
from the H indu and Sanskrit scholars of
'Ammaar ibn Yaasir 4:-:-:, 34 1
3 · What lesson do you learn from the incidents mentioned from the l ives of Khabbaab
ibn ai-Aratt, Bilaal, Habeeb ibn Zayd and 'Abdul laah ibn H udhaafah (may Allah be
pleased with them all)?
A Moving Supplication
41
Translation of the meaning of this soul-stirring du taa:

The Prophet ( � ) once said, "N either worry nor sorrow has
affl icted a servant [of Allah] when he says, '0 Allah, I am Your
servant and the son of Your servant and the son of Your
bondmaid; my forelock is in Your Hand (i.e. I am under Your
control); Your judgment is carried out on me; Your decision about
me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours and by which You
have named Yourself or that You have sent down in Your book or
have ta ught to one of Your creation or that You have kept with
Yourself in the knowl edge of the unseen that You have: to make
the Qur'an the l ife (literally the spring) of my heart, the l ight of my
breast, the disperser of my sorrow, the remover of my worry'
without Allah removing his worry and his sorrow and replacing
them with freedom from distress." (Ahmad and I bn H ibbaan)
A Moving Supplication 343
Selected Vocabulary abur-rabee because it appears with the
r
season cal led ar-rabee r or the spring

Hamm season. Rabee' is in fact the spring of
The word hamm signifies anxiety or Arabia - properly the herbage (the
disquiet, or trouble of mind; care or greenery) that is produced by the first
grief, or sorrow affecting the heart or ra in in the quarter, which is ca l led the
mind, by reason of some harm or Rabee'. It also signifies a rivulet or a
annoyance that is expected to happen; streamlet. ( Lane: Vol ume 1, page 1 019)
differing from ghamm, which sign ifies
distress or disquiet affecting the heart or
mind by reason of what has happened.
(Arabic-English Lexicon: E. W. Lane, Vol .
2 , p . 3045. Published by the Islamic Texts
Society, 2003)
Hamm also denotes the anxiety of
the morning and evening meals, or all
grieving anxiety of the means of
subsistence (livelihood), or the grief of
punishment or of death. (Lane Vol ume 1, has a very important con notation in the
p. 563) Qur'an. It is closely related to the
concepts of being guided, guidance and
Huzn following guidance. Allah uses the word
The word huzn signifies grief, noor to describe the moon and dhiyaa'
mourning, sorrow, sadness or (ill umination) to describe the sun. (Surat
unhappiness. It signifies grief arising on Yoonus, 10:5)
account of an unpleasant event that has Noor itself is l ight. Light guides.
happened, or on account of an object of General ly, it is not harmful in any way.
love that has passed away. H ence, we Noor is the l ight without any burning to
find the phrase rAam-ul Huzn 'the Year of it, while dhiyaa' is the thing that shines
Grief', in which Khadeejah ( � ) and Abu brightly and gives off extreme heat. It is
Taalib, the Prophet's uncle, died. the source of l ight but can be harmful or
can cause discomfort when for instance,
Rabee r ai-Qalb touched. It is significant to note that
To be the l ife, or ease of my heart; Allah's Messenger ( �) compared prayer
because the heart of man becomes to l ight by saying " Prayer (salaat) is
lively, or at ease in the season ca lled l ight." (Fragment of a hadeeth recorded by
Rabee' (literally spring). Hence also, the Muslim and by I mam an-Nawawee in his
bird hoopoe is called in Arabic famous Forty Hadeeth: see hadeeth no. 23).
344 A Moving Supplication
The prayer guides the person and keeps him along the
Straight Path. Its effects are such that it keeps a person
away from sins and evil deeds beca use it builds up a
believer's relation with Allah. Hence, the Prophet ( � )
taught us to suppl icate by saying, "O Al lah, make the Qur'an
the light of my breast." It can be called a guiding l ight. This
demonstrates the importance of the supplications taught
by the Prophet ( � ). The Qur'an is bound to guide us to and
along the Straight Path. It will help us know where the Path
is. It wil l also help us stay on it. It wil l be l ight for us in this l ife
and l ight on the Day of Judgment, which wil l guide us to the
Path of Paradise.
The l ight of the moon is very soothing. It is comfortable,
and so is the case with prayer, which provides great comfort
to the soul by bringing it into the presence of the Merciful
Lord . It is interesting to real ize that the guidance brought by
Prophet Muhammad ( � ) is often described as n o or, while
the guidance brought by the Prophet Moosaa ( �\) is
described as dhiyaa' (illumination). The sun's brightness
( dhiyaa') involves some kind of heat or burning with it. The
Law of Moosaa ( �\ ) was known for being difficult or
burdensome due to the Jews' own responses to Allah's
revelations. H owever, the Law of Prophet Muhammad ( � )
came and removed all those burdens from earlier times, as
Allah states in Surat ai-A r raaf, verse 1 57 .
1Abdullaah ibn Mas 1ood ( � ) was once asked, "Should
we learn this supplication?" He repl ied, "Whoever hears this
du 1 aa should surely memorise it."
Memorization
Learn this beautiful du r a a by heart.

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© Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2009

Islamic education - gra de 8 Moulavi Abdul aziz - Ri yadh 2008

L.D. N o. 1430/1224 ISBN: 978-603-500-103-8

Abdul Malik Mujahid

E-mail: darussalam@awalnet.net.sa, riyadh@dar-us-salam.com Website: www.dar-us-salam.com

K.S.A. Darussalam Showrooms: AUSTRALIA

All praise belongs to Allah; we praise Him and

Given the dire need for Islamic studies material

The present series covers all areas of Islamic

One striking feature in the series is the

has long been partially neglected.

The present breathtaking work was initiated by

The current project also owes its existence in

We pray to Almighty Allah to reward our

Abdul Malik Mujahid

3. Belief in the Angels 15

4. Belief in Allah's Books 22

5. Belief in the Messengers of Allah 28

6. Soorat Al�'Asr (The Time) 35

7. Belief in the Last Day 42

8. Belief in the Divine Decree (Al�Qadar) 49

9. Islam: Meaning of the Five Pillars of Islam 53

10. Salaat (The Prayer) 62

11. Zakaat (The Purifying Dues) 72

12. Aayat Al�Birr (The Righteousness Verse) 86

13. The Pilgrimage to the House (The Hajj) 95

14. Fasting in the Month of Ramadhaan (As�Siyaam) 107

15. Prophet Moosaa WI Part 1 116

16. Prophet Moosaa �� Part 2 124

18. Prophet Moosaa �� Part 3 144

19. Prophet Moosaa �� Part 4 149

20. Prophet Moosaa �� Part 5 161

21. Prophet Moosaa &#II Part 6 171

23. Prophet Moosaa � Part 7 192

24. The Story of Prophet Moosaa �� and Pharaoh: 203

25. Salmaan Al�Faarisee � 207

26. Sujood At-Tilaawah - Prostration For Recitation 210

27. Prophet Muhammad W\ Part 1 217

29. Prophet Muhammad �� Part 2 240

30. Prophet Muhammad �� Part 3 252

31. Prophet Muhammad WI Part 4 263

32. The Light Verses (Soorat An-Noor, 24: 35-40) 272

33. Prophet Muhammad�� Part 5 279

What is Eemaan? ,r-+.>_,..,. �y _)��;. y �/ �

to a dhere to the commands and Branches of Faith

The Essential Elements of Eemaan

The essential elements, or articles, of eemaan, according to a

A. Fil l in the blanks.

2. ---- is the driving force behind all actions.

3· Faith has -----

4· According to a hadeeth, the lowest degree of faith is to _____

something harmful from the roa d .

5· "A thief while stea ling is not a _____ believer."

B. Answer the fol lowing questions.

1. What are the three essential elements of eemaan?

2. What aspects does belief in the heart consist of?

3· What does profession of fa ith by the tongue entail?

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1. The Arabic word for angels is

2. Almighty Allah created man from _ , jinn from _