AKHBAR IS ANWA’R THE LINEAGE & FAMILY OF MUHAMMAD (S.A.) MuHAMMAd (S.A.) bin Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib ( called Shaibah) bin Hashim (named ' Amr) bin 'Abd Manaf bin Qusai bin Kilab bin Murrah bin Ka'b bin Lo'i bin Ghalib bin Fihr (also called Quraish, and the tribe was named after him) bin Malik bin An Nadr bin Kinanah bin Khuzaimah bin Mudrikah (called 'Amir) bin Elias bin Mudar bin Nizar bin Ma'ad bin Adnan (Note: till Adnan the lineage is well established, there is no difference of opinion amongst historians, from Adnan onwards, there is a difference of opinion, but the majority of historians are in agreement ) Adnan bin A'ad bin Humaisi bin Salaman bin Aws ( a tribe named after him) bin Buz bin Qamwal bin Ubai bin Nashid bin Haza bin Bildas bin Yadlaf bin Tabikh bin Jahim bin Nasish bin Maki bin Aid bin "Aqbar bin Ubaid bin AdDa'a bin Hamdan bin Sanbir bin Yathrabi bin Yanzin bin Yalhan bin Ar'awi bin Aid bin Deshan bin Aisar bin Afnad bin Aiham bin Muksar bin Nahith bin Zarih bin Sami bin Mazzi bin 'Awdah bin 'Aram bin Qaidar bin Ishmael son of Nabi Ibrahim (S.A.) OuR NABI (SA) Muhammad (S.A.) was born in the Bani Hashim section of Makkah on 12 th Rabi-ul-Awaal (20 th April 571 CE) in the same year of the Elephant incident, and during the 40 th year reign of Kisra (Khosru Nushirwan) The elephant incident took place in the month of Muharram. It was a Divine Sign form Allah of the advent of a Prophet in the Arab land, who will vanquish polytheism and bring in Islam. Abrahah As-Sabah Al-Habashi, who was the viceroy in Yemen, built a large church in San'a in order to attract the Arab pilgrims, to the exclusion of Makkah.
A man from the Kinanah tribe understood his motive; therefore he entered the church under the cover of night, smearing excrement on its front walls. When Abrahah learned of this, he became enraged and led a great army- of sixty thousand warriors, to demolish Al-Ka'bah. He chose the biggest elephant for himself. His army included between 9 – 13 elephants. He continued marching until he reached a place called Al-Magmas. There he mobilized his army and prepared his elephants to enter Makkah. When he reached the Muhassir Valley, between Muzdalifah and Mina, the elephants knelt down and refused to go forward. Whenever they directed it to the north, south or east, the elephants moved quickly but when directed towards al-Ka,bah in the west, it knelt down. Meanwhile, Allah sent birds in flight upon them, throwing forcefully stones of baked clay upon them and made them like scattered chaff. A large number of Abrahah's soldiers were killed in this way and others fled and died everywhere. Abrahah himself had an infection that required his fingertips to be cut off. When he reached San'a, he was in a miserable state and died soon after. Abdullah the father of Muhammad (SA) was the most chaste and loved amongst the sons of Abdul-Muttalib. His mother was Fatimah, daughter of Amr bin A'idh Imran bin Makhzum bin Yaqzah bin Murrah. Abdul-Muttalib chose Aminah to be the wife of his most beloved son Abdullah. She was daughter of chief of Bani Zahra – Wahb bin "abd Manaf bin Zuhrah bin Kilab. She thus, in the light of this ancestral lineage, stood eminent, in respect of nobility of position and descent. REBuILdING OF KABA When Muhammad (SA) was 35 years of age the Quraish started rebuilding of Al-Ka'bah -it was not more than 9 arm's length and roofless from the time of Ishmael (SA) Heavy rains had damaged the edifice. The chiefs of Quraish decided to use licit money in re-building the Ka'bah, so all money derived from immoral means, usury or unjust practice was excluded. They were at first too fearful to knock down the walls, but Al Walid bin
Al- Mughirah began the task. Seeing that no harm had happened to him, the others participated in demolishing the walls, until they reached the basis laid by Ibrahim Nabi (SA) When they started rebuilding the walls, they divided the work among the tribes. The man who laid the stones was a Roman named Baqum. The work went on in harmony, until the time came to place the sacred Black Stone in its position. Then strife broke out amongst the chiefs, and lasted for four or five days. Daggers were on the point of being drawn and great blood shed seemed imminent. Luckily, the oldest amongst the chiefs, Abu Umaiyah bin Mughirah Al-Makhzumi made a proposal that was accepted by all. He said: ' Let him, who enters the Sanctuary first of all, decide on the point.' It was then Allah's Will that the Messenger of Allah (SA) should be the first to enter Ka'bah. On seeing him, all of them cried out aloud " Al Ameen (trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision." They informed him of their objective. He asked for a mantle spreading it on the ground and placing the stone in its center. He then asked the representatives of different clans among them to lift the mantle. When it reached the proper place, Muhammad (SA) laid it in the proper place, with his own hands. This is how a very tense situation was eased and a grave danger averted by the wisdom of the Prophet (SA) When the building of Al –Ka'bah was finished, it assumed a square form about 15 mtrs high. The side with the Black Stone and the one opposite were 10 mtrs: long each. The Black Stone was 1.5 mtrs: from the ground level. The two other sides were 12 mtrs: long each. The door was 2 mtrs: high from the level ground. A roof was erected which rested on 6 columns. REVELATION ANd THE START OF PREACHING ISLAM Muhammad (SA) was accustomed to pass long hours meditating and speculating over all aspects of creation around him. He used to provide himself with Saweek ( barley porridge) and water and directly head towards the hills
and ravines in the neighborhood of Makkah. His favorite resort was a cave named HIRA. Hira on Mount An-Noor was 2 niles from Makkah – a small cave 4 arms length long & 1.75 arm's length wide. In Ramadan he used to meditate there, and this seclusion attended with sort of reflective approach, must be understood in its Divine perspective. It was a preliminary stage to the grave responsibilities that he was to shoulder very soon. It was a rich period of privacy, which lasted for three years prior to the beginning of his mission. When he was forty, the signs of Prophet hood started to appear and twinkle on the horizons of life. The stones of Makkah would greet him with Salam. He would not have a dream except that it would become a reality, as clear as dawn, this lasted for six months. In Ramadan, in his third year of solitude, in the cave of Hira, Allah's Will desired His mercy to flow on earth, and the light of Revelation of the Qur'an burst upon him in the cave of Hira. After a pause of a few days, Revelations started coming strongly, frequently and regularly. For the first three years after the first Revelation, Muhammad (SA) propagated Islam in secret, to a selective few. In spite of the secretive call, news leaked to the Quraish, but they paid little attention to it, since the Prophet was not assaulting their religion nor speaking about their gods. For three underground years of activism, a group of believers emerged stamped by a spirit of brotherhood and cooperation, with one definite objective in their mind, that of, propagating and deeply establishing the call of Islam. Then came the Revelation : ' And warn your tribe of near kindred' [ 26:214] Now the time had come to preach the faith openly, the duty to publicize it for his people, to confront them, invalidate their falsehood, and crush down their idolatrous practices.
In obedience to Allah's Commands, Muhammad (SA) called his kinsmen of Bani Hashim. There counted forty five men. Abu Lahab showed his enmity by taking the initiative of speaking in a threatening tone, in reply to which Moulana Abu Talib (SA) replied: " We love to help you, accept your advice and believe in your words. These are your kins people whom you have gathered and I am one of them and I am the fastest to do what you like. Do what you have been ordered, I shall protect and defend you‌" Once Muhammad (SA) became sure of Moulana Abu Talib's commitment to protect him, while he called the people unto Allah, he stood up on Mount Safa one day and called out loudly " Ya Sabahah!" (this is an Arabic expression used when one appeals for help or draws the attention of others to some danger) Groups of Quraish came to him. He called them to Tawhid, faith in Allah, his Messenger ship and the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet's voice kept reverberating in Makkah and the following Verse was revealed: ' Therefore proclaim openly that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikun (polytheists) [15:94] Allah's Messenger (SA) began to proclaim the invitation to Islam at the gatherings and assemblies of the polytheists. He began to worship Allah right before their eyes, praying aloud in Ka'bah during the day time while they watched. He started disapproving the superstitious practices of idolatry, and revealing its worthless reality and utter uselessness. All this resulted in increased acceptance of the call, people were entering Allah's religion one after another. This caused enmity to develop between the converts and their relatives, and it all made the Quraish shudder in disgust over what they saw Having fully perceived that Muhammad (SA) could never be prevented from accomplishing his mission, the Quraish became really frightened and in a desperate attempt to suppress the tidal wave started resorting to cheap means.
They started taunting, degrading, ridiculing, especially the new converts in general and Muhammad (SA) in particular. Among the early converts, there was a group who had unfortunately no strong clan to support them These innocent souls faced inhuman torture. They started distorting Muhammad (SA) teachings, creating doubts, circulating false propaganda, allegations etc: An-Nadr who got himself acquainted with old history and tales, would follow Muhammad (SA) and after him would narrate the stories of yore, and taking help of female singers and their body charms, would try to entice away from Islam anyone developing the least attachment to Muhammad (SA) By the middle of the fourth year of the Call, the Quraish realized that their taunts and propaganda had failed to stem the tide, and becoming desperate they started torturing the converts. (In one of my earlier article entitled "Make your Choice') I have narrated in detail some of the inhuman tortures inflicted to the hapless victims. The pagans would also throw some of the converts into animal enclosures and then drag them into hot sun. They would put iron armor on some of them and throw them upon boulders to fry in the desert sun. As for the prophet, it was not easy to harm him because he had such significance, nobility and matchless perfection of character that prevented his enemies from committing any act of foolishness against him. Moreover, there was also full support of Moulana Abu Talib (SA) ISLAM SPREAdS INSPITE OF PERCECuSuIONS The Quraish infidels found to their horror the power of Islam rapidly and steadily marching to cancel their religious and wordly authority. The notables approached Moulana Abu Talib (SA) and pleaded with him to restrain Muhammad (SA) from cursing their gods, finding faults with their way of life etc:
When they came a second time Moulana Abu Talib (SA) called his nephew and narrated the appeals made by the Quraish chieftains, to refrain from propagating Islam. MuHAMMAd (SA) replied : ' O my uncle ! By Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this course. I would not abandon it until Allah has made me victorious or I perish therein.' Thus saying as Muhammad (SA) got up and turned away, his uncle called him and said: ' Come back my nephew' and when he came back, he said, ' Go and preach what you please, for by Allah, I will never forsake you.' He then recited two lines of verse with significant meanings of full support to the Prophet (SA) and absolute gratification by the course that his beloved nephew had chalked out in Arabia. "Wal'lahey Layn Yasallu ilaiyka Bey'jamihim; Hatta O Was'sada Fit Turabey Dafina" Wallah! They ( Mushrikeen of Quraysh ) will never hurt you even if they have large force and power, till the time I am buried in the grave. "F'asd'a Bey Amreka Ma Aliyka Ghizazah; W'abshir Bey'zaka Waqarra Minka Uyuna" You continue Dawat with full force, no one has power to stop you; be happy and may Allah always cool your eyes. Note: The above verses are taken from the article: The Founder of N'aat Legacy by Qazi Dr. Shaikh Abbas Borhany. The heathen Quraish now became desperate and started atrocities against Allah's Messenger. Abu Lahab took the initiative in the new series of persecutions. He started throwing stones at Muhammad (SA) until his ankles bled, showing delight on his second son's death and calling Muhaamd (SA) ' the man cut off with offspring'
Allah revealed Surat Al Kawthar to assuage his Prophet. Abu Lahab's wife Umm Jamil bint Harb, the sister of Abu Sufyan had also her share in this merciless campaign. She proved she was no less than her husband in the enmity and hatred . In order to cause bodily injury to Muhammad (SA) she used to tie bundles of thorns with ropes of twisted palm leaf fiber and scatter them in the paths of the Prophet (SA) She was really an ill-mannered and bad tempered woman with abusive language, skilled in the art of hatching intrigues and enkindling the fire of enmity and hatred. She was deservedly stained as ' the carrier of firewood' in the Noble Qur'an. Ibn Ishaq said: ' The group of those who used to harm Allah's Messenger (SA) in his house included Abu Lahab, Al-Hakam bin Abul-'As bin Umaiyah, 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ait, 'Adi bin Hamrah' Ath Thaqafi and Ibn Al-Asda' Al-Hudhali. All these were his neighbors. One of them would throw the womb of a sheep on him while he was praying, another would throw it in his prepared pot (of food) To this insensitive torture Muhammad (SA) would say "O Bani 'Abd Manaf ! What kind of neighborly treatment is this ?" He would bear this inhuman tortures with fortitude and continue with his Mission. THE FIRST MIGRATION The first migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) took place in Rajab in the fifth year of the Prophet hood. A group comprising of twelve men and four women left in the dark of the night, and reached the Port of Shu'aibah were two boats were ready to take them to the court of Ashamah, who held the title of Negus, and this group of emigrants were received warmly and accorded due hospitality. The news of the hospitality and good treatment accorded to the emigrants reached the Makkans, and the polytheists became more annoyed and started to inflict more horrible ill-treatment and tortures to the Muslims.
In due course, another group managed to evade the Makkans and managed to emigrate to Abyssinia. This group comprised of eighty three men and nineteen, or in some versions eighteen women. It included Moulana Ja'far bin Abi Talib. The Quraish could not tolerate the prospect of secure and safe place available for the Muslims in Abyssinia, so they dispatched tow messengers to demand their expulsions. They were the wily 'Amr bin Al-'As and Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'ah. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and had been able to win some courtiers over to their side. However, the eloquence of Moulana Ja'far bin Abi Talib made a very favorable impression on Negus, who was convinced of the Truth. He returned the gifts of the Quraish and sent both the messengers back, licking their wounds. He assured the Muslims full protection. The Muslims lived in Abyssinia undisturbed for a number of years. The polytheists after failing to negotiate with Muhammad (SA) tried to harm him, an unsuccessful attempt was made by Abu Jahl to take his life by throwing a big rock. 'Uabah bin Abi Mu'ait tried to choke the Prophet by pressing his feet firmly on the neck of Muhaamd (SA) while he was prostrating himself in prayer. Moulana Abu Talib (SA) became very worried of this machinations of the heathen Quraish to kill the Prophet (SA) He persuaded his clan of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib to support his nephew and protect him. The Quraish countered by entering into a pact of injustice and aggression. They held a meeting at a place called Wadi Al-Muhassab and took an oath not to have any dealings with Banu Hashim and Banu Al_Muttalib, to severe all social relations, visits and even verbal contacts until the Prophet (SA) was given up to them to be killed. This they wrote down, drawing up a pact and a covenant. This treaty was hung up on the wall of Ka'bah. Moulana Abu Talib (SA) wisely and quietly took stock of the situation and decided to withdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah. The two
tribes were thus confined within a narrow pass (Shi'b of Abu Talib) from the beginning of Muharram, or later as per some accounts, in the seventh year of the Prophet hood till the tenth year viz: a period of three years. It was a horrible and deadly siege. The supply of food was almost stopped and the people in confinement faced great hardship. Cries of little children suffering from hunger used to be heard clearly. Nothing eatable reached them except, on few occasions, some small quantities of food was smuggled by some compassionate Makkans. During the prohibited months – when hostilities traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinement, and buy food from outside Makkah. MuHAMMAd (SA) SETS OuT FOR TAIF Muhammad (S.A.) set out from Mecca in the year 619 C.E. to bring the Quraish polytheists into the fold of Islam. He went with his freed slave Zaid bin Harithhah to Al – Taif a prosperous town having fruit and vineyard farms, located at a distance of 60 kms from Mecca. He first approached the family of Umair, reckoned as among the nobility of the town. All the three sons of Umair turned a deaf year and used abusive language, as regards the cause for which he had been striving. For ten days, he stayed in al Taif, delivering the message of Islam to all the noble people, one after another, but to no avail. Contrary to Arab tradition of hospitality, he was hooted at and pelted with stones, and obliged to flee pursued by a merciless crowd. So much so, that blood flowed down his legs and thus tired and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous fruit farms, and rested against the wall of a vineyard belonging to Walid bin Ukaba . Seeing the plight of a stranger he sent with his slave Adras, who was a practicing Christian, a bunch of luscious grapes – 18 in all. Nabi Muhammad (S.A.) quenched his thirst and felt refreshed, and prayed for Walid, who himself died a polytheist, fighting the Muslims, but in
his descendants, the flower of Islam bloomed, so much so, that as a direct result of Nabi Muhammad (S.A.) prayer, on that eventful day at Al – Taif the Fatemi Dawat of Yemen was resplendent with 18 Doat ul Mutlaqeen, the first and foremost being Syedna Ali bin Mohammad Walid (RA) whose story of tawajo and khusu in well known in the annals of Fatemi Dawat, and it is not mere coincidence that Syedna Mohammad bin Walid (RA) wrote 18 kutubs, and till end, use to go to Masjid to offer Namaz. At Al Taif at a time when the whole world seemed to have turned against him, Muhammad (S.A.) turned to his Lord, and started praying, those touching words are still preserved, as those through which his wronged soul expressed distress and anguish. HE WAS TIRED AND WOUNDED BUT AT THE SAME TIME CONFIDENT OF THE HELP OF HIS LORD. 'O Allah! To you alone I complain of my weakness, my insufficient ability and my insignificance before the people. You are the Most Merciful of the merciful. You are the Lord of the helpless and the weak. O Lord of mine! Into whose hands would You abandon me: into the hands of any unsympathetic distant relative, who would angrily frown at me or to the enemy, who has been given control over my affairs? But if your wrath does not fall upon me,there is nothing for me to worry about ! Your pardon is ample enough for me; I seek pardon in the light of your Face, which illuminates the darkness, fixing the affairs in this world and in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or that You should be wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but Yours alone. THE HIjRAT TO MEdINA
At the meeting at An-Nadwah, there was a lengthy debate and several proposals were put forward. The arch enemy Abu Jahl bin Hisham suggested that they kill the Prophet (SA) and this heinous crime to carried out by a band of young men each form one tribe. This sinful proposal was unanimously accepted and the representatives went back home with full determination for immediate implementations. Muhaamd (SA) immediately came to know of the diabolic plot by a Revelation in which he was also granted permission to leave Makkah. The eleven polytheists surrounded the house of Prophet(SA) as night fell, and Abu Jahl strutted around the house with pride, confident that they will succeed before dawn. Occasionally they use to peep inside the house making sure that Muhammad (SA) and Moulana Ali (SA) were there. They had planned to strike in a group as Muhammad (SA) emerged for morning namaz. Before dawn break Muhammad (SA) left the house, making Moulana Ali (SA) sleep on his bed wearing his mantle. Muhammad (SA) left the house casting a handful of dust on the assassins and reciting the verses from Quran. In the early morning the assassins were bewildered to find Moulana Ali (SA) sleeping on the bed, and by this time Muhammad (SA) had long left Makkah and tricked the polytheists by taking the road least expected lying south of Makkah and leading towards Yemen, than the usual road going to Makkah. Muhammad (SA) hid in the cave on mount Thawr with his companion for three nights. After the frantic search had slowed by the Quraish, Abdullah bin Uraiqit who was a trusted guide, came to the cave with two camels and Muhammad (SA) departed with food provisions for the onward journey through the seldom used ways along the coastal route. That was in Rabi'ul Awwal 1st year A.H. September 16, 622 C.E. After traveling through many villages they finally reached Quba on Monday , 8 th Rabi'ul Awaal ie: September 23 rd 622 AC in the fourteenth year of Prophet hood.
The shouts of ALLAHu AKBAR resounded amongst the Muslims, whose joys knew no bounds as they show they beloved Nabi (SA) emerging out of the desert mirage, from their lookout point at Harrah. They had been going there each morning, and waiting till noon to catch the glimpse of the Prophet (SA). Muhaamad (SA) stayed in Quba for 4 days. He built the Masjid and prayed there. Moulana Ali (SA) stayed back in Makkah for three days to return the trusts on behalf of the Prophet (SA) to their respective owners, and emigrated thereafter and reached Quba. On the fifth day Friday he accompanied by his maternal uncles Bani An-Najjar and others, he rode towards Madinah amidst throngs of joyous Madiense, who had lined his path. Though not wealthy, every Ansar (helper) was eager to receive the Messenger in his house. It was indeed a triumphal procession. Around the camel of Muhammad (SA) and his immediate followers, rode the chiefs of the city in their best garments and in glittering armor, the little girls chanting beautiful verses of welcome. Every one pleading with Muhammad (SA) as he passed their houses to alight and stay with them. Muhammad (SA) used to reply courteously and kindly to each of them " Leave it (camel) on its way, for it is commanded (by Allah)" The camel moved onward with loosed rein, reached the site were Masjid ul – Nabawi will be built. The camel knelt down, but Muhammad (SA) did not dismount, until the camel rose again, moved forward, turned back, and came back to kneel down in the very former spot. At this spot, Muhammad (SA) alighted in the area inhabited by Banu An-Najjar, a tribe related to the Prophet (SA) from the maternal side. The fortunate host Abu Ayyub Ansari, whose house was the nearest to the spot escorted Muhammad (SA) to his dwelling. The first task to which Muhammad (SA) attended was the building of the Masjid, at the spot where his camel had knelt down. The land which belonged to two orphans was purchased, the
ground was cleared of weeds and shrubs, and leveled. Muhammad (SA) himself carried bricks and stones and recited verses, in praise of Allah. THE BROTHER HOOd A brotherhood between the Ansar ( Helpers) and Muhajirun (Emigrants) was established, the most unique in the history of the world. A gathering of 90 men, half of them Helpers and half of them Emigrants assembled in the house of Anas bin Malik, where Muhammad (SA) gave the spirit of brotherhood his blessings. Muhammad (SA) attached to that brotherhood a valid contract, it was not just meaningless words but rather a valid practice relating to blood and wealth. The atmosphere of brotherhood created a spirit of selflessness infused deeply in the hearts of his followers, and produced healthy results. The Helpers were extremely generous to their brethren –in-faith. Abu Hurairah reported that once the Helpers approached the Prophet (SA) with the request that their orchards of palm trees, should be distributed equally between the Muslims of Madinah and their brethren from Makkah. But Muhammad (SA) was hesitant to put this heavy burden on them. It was, however, decided that the Emigrants would work in the orchards along with the Helpers and the yield would be divided equally among them. The Emigrants took only what helped them make a reasonable living. This mutual brotherhood was so wise and timely, that many problems were resolved, and progress achieved wonderfully. www.hikmaah.com