The Biography of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam - Lesson 2
The sources of Seerah,
a. Quran
The Quran gives us
information regarding many aspects of the life of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam. His character, the difficulties he was given by his enemies, the
battles of Badr, Ahzaab, Hudaibiyah and Hunain, his miracles like the Miraj,
etc have been mentioned briefly in the Quran.
However, the Quran
does not discuss details. For example, regarding the battles he fought the
Quran does not discuss the reasons for the battles or the number of combatants,
prisoners and injuries. It only discusses the lessons from a specific battle.
For this reason we cannot suffice on the Quran only for a complete description
of the life of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
b. Sunnah
The six canonical
books of ahadith are an invaluable resource in understanding the life of the
Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. These give us detailed information and
descriptions of his life from the Sahabah who were closest to him. Valuable
insights regarding his actions, words, character, disposition, etc are gathered
from the ahadith.
c. Arabic poetry
Poets who lived in
the time of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam like Hassaan Ibn Thaabit,
Abdullah Ibn Rawahaa Radhi Allahu Anhuma and others give useful insight into
the background of his life.
d. Biographies
A number of authentic
biographies of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam from the early Islamic
scholars are available to us. These include the likes of Al-Maghaazi, Sirat Ibn
Hishaam, Tabqaat Ibn Sa'd, Taarigh At-Tabari, etc.
e. Miscellaneous
works
Numerous works
dissecting and analyzing his life have been compiled by scholars of every age,
both Muslim and non-Muslim. Works in this category include Dalaaílun Nubuwah by
Isbahani, Zaadul Maáad by Ibn Qayyim Jowzi, As Shifaa by Qazi Ayaaz, Mawaahibul
Ladunya by Qastallani, etc. (1)
European and Western
Biographies
Numerous western
writers and scholars have also attempted to analyze the life of the Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. In many cases, unfortunately, their acceptance of
western standards as a yardstick for success has left them far short of
providing a truly objective analysis. As an example, Western and Christian
literature of the 11th and 12th centuries often referred to Muslims as
idolaters, pagans and sun-worshippers. According to Christian writers, human
sacrifices were supposed to have been offered to Mohamed under the names of
Maphomet, Mawmet and Bafum! This distortion has become permanently rooted into
the English and French languages. The French word, "Mahomerie" refers
to superstitious rites. The English words "Mammet" and "Mawmet"
mean an idol. This is despite the fact that Islam prohibits not only the
worship of idols but also the artistic representation of anything that
resembles the human form. (2)
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The World of the
sixth century
The Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was sent as a guide to remove all of mankind from
the darkness of sin and disbelief to the light of purity and faith. His message
encompassed all of humanity and would remain as an eternal source of guidance
for all time to come. To get a realistic and holistic picture of his message it
is crucial to understand the conditions and circumstances of the world he was
sent to.
Religious condition
At the dawn of the
sixth century of the Christian era the world was in darkness. The great
religions of the past had been corrupted and mutilated to such an extent that
it was near impossible to distinguish the true teachings of the faith from the
false. This was the case with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Arabia - The land and
its people
Geography of Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula
is an arid desert land of approximately one and a quarter million square miles.
It is one of the driest and hottest areas of the world. It is surrounded by
water and oceans on three sides. To the west is the Red Sea. To the east is the
Arabian Gulf. To the south is the Arabian Sea. To the north is Syria and Iraq.
Its location made it difficult for invaders to gain access. Despite it being
surrounded by two of the greatest empires of the day it was left untouched. Its
people enjoyed complete freedom and independence for a long time.
Having easy access to
land and sea Arabia was at the centre of the then known world. It was connected
by land and sea to the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. It was, actually,
the most suited for radiating the divine message to the entire world. It is no
surprise that research has shown that Makkah lies at the centre of the world.
The
Arabian Peninsula
Makkah
Makkah has been
described in the Quran by the noble title of Umm al-Qura - 'the mother of
cities.' At the dawn of prophethood it had already developed into an urban city
which was governed by self-governing clans who, by mutual agreement, saw to the
administrative, civil and religious functions of its inhabitants and pilgrims.
The Banu Haashim clan had the honour of providing water for the pilgrims.
Similarly, other tribes saw to the upkeep of the Ka'bah, the administration of
the House of Assembly, etc.
Makkah was the centre
of trade. Merchants and caravans would proceed from Makkah to Africa and Asia
and would return with all the necessities and luxuries. Gold, ivory, resin and
ebony were imported from Africa. Spices, saffron, hides and incense were imported
from Yemen. Oils, armour, silk and wine came from Egypt and Syria. Cloth was
brought from Iraq. Precious stones, ivory and gold were brought from India. (3)
Makkah was regarded
as the home of the Arabic language. The dialect of Arabic spoken here was the
standard. The elegant expressions and untainted purity forced its neighbours to
regard Makkan Arabic in the highest esteem.
Culturally, the
Makkans were attracted to genealogy, poetry and astrology. Horsemanship was an
art dear to their hearts. They would preserve the breed of the Arabian horse
and were masters at every aspect when it came to their horses.
Religious Condition
in Arabia
The Arabs had been
followers of the Abrahamic religion of old and were fortunate enough to have
the house of Allah, the Ka'bah, in their midst. A number of the true teachings
of the Prophet Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam had remained intact, such as the pilgrimage
to the Ka'bah. In addition, Arabia had been the birth-place of many prophets.
Hud had been sent to the nation of Aad which, according to historians, was
close to Hadramaut. Saalih was sent to the tribe of Thamud between Tabuk and
Hijaz. Similarly, Ismail, Shuaib and other prophets lived in Arabia. (4)
Unfortunately, the
people had been led astray by idol worship. It was the chief of the Khuzaá
tribe, Amr Ibn Luhai, who brought idol worship to Arabia. He was a man who was
renowned for his piety and kindness. On one of his journeys to Syria he came
across people worshipping idols. He liked the idea and brought back with him an
idol and placed it in the Ka'bah. As a leader people respected and obeyed him
and readily agreed to follow him in worshipping it. In a short time many more
idols were introduced and idol worship spread all over Arabia. At the time of
the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam idolatry had reached its peak in Arabia
with every clan and family having an idol of their own. Three hundred and sixty
idols had been installed in the Ka'bah itself. Hubal was the chief idol and
occupied the central spot in the Ka'bah. Is'af and Na'ila were two idols that
were placed in front of the Ka'bah. (5)
Idols came to be
venerated and honoured in different ways. People supplicated to them, sought
refuge with them and pleaded to them for all of their needs. Prostration and
pilgrimage to them was considered a great act of worship. Devotees would make
sacrifices of food, crops and cattle to them.
Along with idol
worship astrologers, soothsayers and diviners played an important role in the
social setup of the Arabs. Superstitious beliefs also played an important role
in every day life. As an example, they believed that the soul of a murdered
person would fly in the wilderness and would never come to rest until revenge
was taken for his death.
These conditions
together with the barren rugged terrain of Arabia and its deficiency of
resources discouraged any conquering nation from casting a second glance at it.
In the midst of this corruption a prophet would be born, who would rescue the
Arabs from the gloom that had overpowered them.
Social Life
Story telling was
common amongst the Arabs and groups of men would assemble around a man
well-versed in the art and spend the entire night listening with rapt
attention. The evils of wine and gambling had also become a way of life for the
Bedouins.
Women were regarded
as symbols of honour. They were protected by their tribes and families and
blood was often shed in her defence. However, in many other ways a woman was
regarded as a worthless commodity. She had little control over her affairs.
Prostitution and sexual immorality was common. Adultery was prevalent amongst
all social classes of men. A man could marry as many wives as he wanted and
would divorce his wives when he felt like. Female children were considered a
burden to the family and the father would bury his daughter alive to avoid the
shame of rearing a girl.
Tribalism was an
integral component of the society. A Bedouin had deep emotional attachment to
his clan. His tribal pride would lead him to avenge any act which brought
disrepute to his tribe. This would sometimes result in war which would drag on
for forty of more years.
In short, the Arabs
were uncultured and uncivilised. They did not even know the difference between
camphor and salt. The Arab Muslims, when their days of conquest came, conquered
cities and palaces where they found rooms filled with gold and silver. They
found camphor in large amounts. Thinking it to be salt they used it in their
dough. They found it to be very bitter and only then did they realize their
mistake. (6)
Political Condition
The Arabs were then
an alienated nation. The super powers of the day, the Romans and the Persians,
did not consider the possibility of conquering the cities of Arabia due to the
miserable plight of its inhabitants. They were steeped in moral decay. Their
tribal feuds, which lasted for many years, caused havoc in their social set-up.
Arabian society was fragmented into numerous tribes and clans making any
possibility of a government impossible.
The status of the
pre-Islamic Arabs amongst the rest of humanity can be better understood from
the opinion of their neighbours regarding them.
Yezdigird, the
emperor of Persia said to Mughira ibn Shuba, a Muslim ambassador to Persia : 'I
do not know of any nation on earth which is worse than you, which is smaller in
number than you and which has stone-hearted enmity as you. We had assigned to you
the outlying cities so that we could remain safe from you, so that the Persians
would not wage war against you and so that you would not intend rising to them.
If your numbers are large then do not be deceived by us. If difficulties
afflict you we will stipulate quantities of food to supplement you. We will
honour you. We will clothe you. We will appoint a ruler over you who will be
kind to you.'
Mughira ibn Shuba
replied: 'O King! You have described us with such qualities that you do not
know. With regards to your description of evil conditions, no condition could
have been worse than ours. Our hunger did not resemble hunger. We used to eat
dung beetles, scarabaeus, scorpions and snakes. These we regarded as food. Our
houses were the surface of the earth. We used to wear clothing spun from the
fur of camels and the hair of goats. Our religion was to murder and oppress
each other even though it meant one of us burying his daughter alive disliking
the idea that she would eat from his food. This was our condition until
yesterday. Then Allah sent to us a man...' (7)
Noble qualities of
the Arabs
Despite the paganism,
superstition and inter-tribal wars that weakened their societies, the Arabs
were characterised by a number of praiseworthy attributes.
1. Strong will and
determination - If an Arab was convinced of the truth of a cause he would place
everything, even his life, in realising it.
2. Simple mindedness
- Being accustomed to the desert terrain they were free from many evils that
accompanied an urban lifestyle. They were frank and practical in their
dealings. They had become used to a hard life on horseback with little water
and provisions.
3. Justice and
honesty - An Arab was a man of his word. When he made a promise he would keep
it even if it meant sacrificing his family, children and his wealth in the
process.
4. Language - The
Arabs took great pride in their language. Poetry was a cherished art with them.
Despite the vastness of their deserts Arabic was always the common language of
the Bedouins.
5. Hospitality and
generosity - When it came to their guests they would spare nothing in
entertaining them. They would themselves remain hungry and would even incur
debt but their guest had to be honoured in the best possible way.
6. Courage and
bravery - They were an extremely brave nation and did not consider it difficult
to fight a war with an enemy. (8)
Lessons to learn
Allah chose the land
of Arabia as the base for the religion of Islam because of its favourable
geographical location and the noble qualities of its inhabitants. Both these
factors proved critically important as Islam spread the wings of its message to
the rest of the world.
Rooting out the evils
which had piled up over generations and constructing a society which would
serve as a model for the rest of mankind was no simple task. Only a prophet
assisted by divine power could accomplish a task as difficult as this.
________________________________________
(1) As-Siba’i, M.,
As-Seerat an-Nabawiyyah, Karachi, n.d. p. 25-31
(2) Galwash, A.A, The
Religion of Islam, p.13
(3) Nadwi, Syed Ab
al-Hasan Ali, Muhammad Rasulullah, Lucknow, 1982, p. 82
(4) Nadwi, Syed Ab
al-Hasan Ali, As-Seerut An-Nabawiyyah, Lucknow, 2003, p. 70
(5) Nadwi, Syed Ab
al-Hasan Ali, Muhammad Rasulullah, Lucknow, 1982, p. 89
(6) Ibn Kathir,
Al-Bidayah Wa-Nihayah, vol. 7, p.67
(7) Ibn Kathir,
Al-Bidayah Wa-Nihayah, vol. 7, p.41
(8) Mubarakpuri,
Safi-ur-Rahman, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Riyadh, 2000, p. 47
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