Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (ﷺ) entered (Makkah) during they year of the Conquest, and upon his head was a helmet (Mighfar). It was said to him: ‘Ibn Khatal is clinging to the covering of the Ka'bah.’ So he said: 'Kill him.’“
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1693
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 24
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1693
“On the Day of Uhud, the Prophet (ﷺ) wore two coats of mail. He tried to get up on a boulder but was not able to, so Talhah squatted under him, lifting the Prophet (ﷺ) upon it such that he could sit on the boulder. So he said: (Paradise) "It is obligated from Talhah.’”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1692
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 23
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1692
Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas was only a 17 year old young man filled with excitement and energy. During this period, he saw a dream: While he was in pitch-black darkness, a bright moon rose instantly and he began to follow a moon-lit road. Afterwards, on the same road, he saw that Zaid bin Harith, Hazrat Ali, and Hazrat Abu Bakr were walking ahead of him. He asked them, “When did you all come here?” and they responded, “Now.”
Three days after his dream, Hazrat Abu Bakr, who showed remarkable exertion and zeal during the era of secret conversions, mentioned Islam to him. Afterwards, Hazrat Abu Bakr took him to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence and after receiving knowledge on Islam from the Master of the Universe (PBUH), he immediately became a Muslim.
Both his mother’s and father’s pedigrees were connected to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Since the family of Hazrat Sad’s mother belonged to the Sons of Zuhra, Hazrat Sad was considered to be our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) maternal uncle. For that reason, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) paid Hazrat Sad a great compliment by saying, “Here is my uncle, Sad. If anyone has an uncle like him, then he should show me.”
Hazrat Sa’d and his Mother
Hazrat Sad’s mother was not pleased by her son’s conversion to Islam. How could her son abandon the religion of his forefathers and follow a new religion without her consent? Hamna was aware of the respect and attachment that her son had towards her. She was determined to dissuade him from Islam and have him return to idolatry. One day she said to him:
“Are you not the one who says that Allah commands you to take care of your relatives and to show continuous kindness to and do favors for your parents?”
“Yes”, replied Hazrat Sad.
Upon hearing this response, Hamna expressed her true purpose with the following words:
“By God, until you disavow what Muhammad has brought forth, I am not going to put anything into my mouth until I die from thirst and hunger. The people are going to blame you for murdering your mother.”
Until that day, Hazrat Sad had submitted to all of his mother’s wishes and had always pampered her. However, he had now testified to Allah and had submitted to His Messenger (PBUH) with the fullest sincerity in his heart. And of course, everything was going to be ranked in accordance with his faith.
When Hazrat Sad saw that his mother was refraining from eating and drinking, he went by her side and said, “Oh mother, even if you had 100 lives and were to sacrifice each one so that I would denounce Islam, I would still keep firm with my faith. Now, if you wish, you can eat or choose not do so.”
Upon hearing this answer, Hamna’s stubbornness melted against Hazrat Sad’s steady faith in the truth; she quickly began to eat and drink. Once again, disbelief and polytheism were crushed and defeated by faith and the greatness of Tawhid (the doctrine of Oneness of Allah).
Allah presented an eternal criterion for the believers by sending down the eighth verse of Surah al-Ankabut upon this incident that took place between Hazrat Sad and his mother: “We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did.”
This time, Hamna made another attempt to turn her son away from Islam: One day while Hazrat Sad was praying in his home, his mother called the neighbors to imprison him by having them all shut the door. In the meantime, Hamna, whose heart had been so hardened by polytheism that she could torture her own beloved child, shouted:
“He will either abandon the religion that he has entered or die!”
By looking at this example, it is possible to understand that a mother can torture her own son when her heart has been darkened from disbelief and wickedness and when it is devoid of compassion and mercy!
Every attempt that had taken place had counteracted Hamna’s interests since Hazrat Sad’s son, Amir, had followed his father’s tracks and became Muslim.
This time, Hamna, who had become completely ill-tempered, took Amir by the scruff of his neck: “I am not going to rest under the shade of this date tree nor am I going to eat and drink until you leave the religion you are following!”
As soon as he heard his mother’s vow, Hazrat Sad, who had experienced the unbounded pleasure of having faith in Allah and submitting to His Messenger (PBUH), went to his mother and said: “Oh mother, do not you dare rest under the shade nor eat and drink until you reach the station of hellfire.”
Hamna could not manage to do anything but keep silent in the face of this phenomenal amount of faith and unwavering perseverance and willpower.
The Courage of Hazrat Sa’d
It took place at a very crucial and most difficult period for the Muslims on account of the continuous persecution and torture the polytheists inflicted on them.
Hazrat Sa’d was praying in the Abu Dubb valley with some of the other Muslims who were among the first to embrace the glorious faith. Abu Sufyan, a leading figure among the polytheists, came to them with a few other unbelievers by his side. When the polytheists made the claim that the Muslims’ form of worshipping was a groundless practice, the two sides went at each other’s throats. With the bone of a camel’s chin that he held in his hands, Hazrat Sad wounded the head of one of the polytheists. When the other polytheists saw this, they lost their audacity and began to run away. And the Muslims chased them until they exited the valley.
In this way, Hazrat Sad had become the first companion to shed blood in the way of Allah. This was also the first instance in the history of the Islam in which blood had been spilled.
At the same time, Hazrat Sad bin Waqqas, who was immensely generous, was one of the ten companions who had been given the glad tidings of Paradise. He participated in all of the holy wars during our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) time. During the Battle of Uhud, he devoted his body as a shield for our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and threw arrows at the polytheists in such a manner that allowed him to become the recipient of an address that no other creature has ever had the honor of receiving:
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to him, “Oh Sad, do not stop shooting your arrows, may my mother and father be sacrificed for you!”
Hazrat Ali would say:
“On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Allah’s Apostle (PBUH) only addressed Hazrat Sad with the words, “Fadaka Abi wa Ummi” (May my mother and father be sacrificed for you).
During the same battle, Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) would say, “Oh Lord, this is your arrow” each time Hazrat Sad shot one and would pray for him in this manner:
“O Lord, direct his shooting and respond to his prayer.“
It is through our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) decree, “O Lord, respond to his prayer” that he was able to attain wealth with the acceptance of his supplications alongside his heroism, bravery, arrow-shooting skills, and. Just as the enemies of Islam feared his sword and arrows, the Muslims feared his supplications for the same reason. They would be extremely hesitant to hurt his feelings.
Hazrat Sad, who at a young age became a Muslim during the era of secret conversions and the springtime of Islam, continued to spend his entire life in the service of Islam thereafter. He was appointed as the commander of the army that marched to Iran during Hazrat Umar’s reign. And by leading this army to victory in the Battle of Qadisiyya, he conquered the country of Kisra and incorporated it into Islamic territory. Therefore, he was given the title “the Conqueror of Iran”.
March 10th -
St. John Ogilvie. (1580-1615).
Convert from Calvinism, Jesuit Priest, Martyr. Hanged at Glasgow Cross, Glasgow, Scotland on 10th March 1615. Scotland’s only Canonised Martyr of the Scottish Reformation. - Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 22nd December 1929 and Canonised by St. Pope Paul VI on 17th October 1976.
The era of secret call to Islam was continuing.
During this period, another eminent figure from the Quraysh joined the ranks of Muslims: Khalid bin Said. Hazrat Khalid was a leading figure of the Quraysh and belonged to a rich family.
One night, Khalid bin Said, who had extensive knowledge of Arab literature, saw in his dream that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) rushed to save him when his father wanted to throw him into the pits of Hell.
He woke up screaming. Hazrat Khalid understood that such a clear dream could not be meaningless. He said, “By Allah, this dream is true”, and without losing time, he quickly ran to Hazrat Abu Bakr. Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “I hope the best for you. The Messenger of Allah is going to save you. Quickly go and subject yourself to him! You are going to follow him, convert to Islam, and then be with him. And he is going to save you from falling into Hell as you saw in your dream.”
Hazrat Khalid quickly went to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and asked, “Oh Muhammad! What do you call people to do?”
Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “I call people to believe in Allah, who is One and does not have a partner, to believe that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and to forgo worshipping certain pieces of rock that cannot hear, cannot see, cannot benefit nor harm, and are unaware of those who worship and who do not worship them.”
Hazrat Khalid carefully listened to these words with respect and immediately recited the testimony of faith (shahada): “I testify that you are Allah’s Messenger!”
Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was immensely happy that this individual had entered the circle of Islam.
Hazrat Khalid began to mention Islam to other people in his family and around as soon as he became Muslim. A while later, his wife Umayna, also joined the ranks of Muslims.
Torture
When Abu Uhayha, one of Quraysh’s leading and wealthy figures, heard that his son had become a Muslim, he became exceedingly furious.
One day, he heard that Hazrat Khalid was praying (performing salah) on a desolate spot in Mecca. He sent his other sons to bring Hazrat Khalid before him and angrily said, “So, you have chosen to follow Muhammad despite seeing that he opposes your tribe and he has insulted the tribe’s gods and its past fathers, is that right?” Afterwards, he said many things so that Hazrat Khalid would abstain from practicing Islam.
However, Hazrat Khalid, whose heart had been enlightened with the light of faith, did not have the slightest hesitation and did not feel any regret. He responded to his father who looked at him with his frowning brows: “By Allah, Muhammad (PBUH) tells the truth. I have subjected myself to him and will run the risk of death; however, I will never leave his religion.”
Abu Uhayha, who was severely angered by these words, hit his son with the staff that he was holding until it broke.
However, his efforts were in vain! The faith that was a source of strength and perseverance had occupied and comforted Hazrat Khalid’s heart. Torture and persecution did not invoke the slightest amount of negativity in the face of this faith.
When his cruel father saw that beating him was in no way effective, he told him to “go” and said, “I am going to cut off your sustenance and livelihood; so, go wherever you please.”
Hazrat Khalid knew that Allah was the One that provided for his livelihood; so once again, he did not mind his father’s words. Instead, he said, “Oh my dear father, if you cut off my livelihood then Allah will provide me with all that is necessary to get by.”
This time, Uhayha imprisoned him and threatened the community:
“If one of you decides to speak with him, I will ruin you.”
Hazrat Khalid was left hungry and thirsty for days on end.
It was pointless to continue living with a father who committed such torture and cruelty on account of his son’s religion; so, upon finding an opportunity, he was able to escape from his father’s hands. He did not come into his father’s sight until the second emigration to Abyssinia.
Together, with his wife, he joined the procession that departed from Mecca to Abyssinia.
Hazrat Khalid was among the scribes that could write perfectly during the Age of Ignorance. According to a narration, Hazrat Khalid was the scribe of the letter that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had sent to the King of Yemen and of many other treaties.
Narrated Talib bin Hujair:
From Hud bin ‘Abdullah bin Sa’d, from his grandfather Mazidah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Day of the Conquest and there was gold and silver on his sword.” Talib said: “So I asked him about the silver and he said: 'The hand-guard of his sword was of silver.’”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1690
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 21
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1690
Hazrat Khadija’s conversion to Islam in an unhesitant fashion made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) extremely happy and increased his enthusiasm. There was someone in this world that had accepted and had attested to his cause.
The second person whom our Holy Prophet (PBUH) invited to Islam was again one of the closest to him; and that person was Hazrat Ali. He was under our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) discipline since he was four or five years old. As a result, he had incomparable manners and a higher sense of wisdom and morality than his peers.
One day, he saw our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija praying. He looked at them in awe and after they finished praying, he asked, “What is this?” Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered, “Oh Ali, this is the religion that Allah loves and that He has chosen. I invite you to believe in Allah, who is One and to refrain from worshiping Lat and Uzza, who can neither benefit nor harm humanity.”
Hazrat Ali paused for a moment and looked towards the ground with his sweet, childlike glance. He then replied, “This is something that I have not seen or heard until now. I cannot say anything without first consulting with my father, Abu Talib.”
However, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had not received permission to openly declare his cause. For this reason, he warned Hazrat Ali, “Oh Ali! If you choose to follow what I have said then do so, but if you choose not to, then keep what you have heard and seen a secret. Do not say anything to anyone.”
Hazrat Ali promised to keep this a secret upon hearing our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) warning. He spent the night thinking. Together with the sunrise, a sense of enlightenment arose in his heart. He went before our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence, “When Allah created me, He did not ask Abu Talib for permission; therefore, I will seek Allah’s advice so that I can worship Him” and he became Muslim. Hazrat Ali, who attained the honor of being “the first child to become a Muslim”, was ten years old at the time.
Taking precautions is always favorable. However, it is especially favorable when a new cause is beginning to spread. By telling Hazrat Ali not to recount what he had seen and heard to anyone for the time being, Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) was taking precautions, acting wisely, taking gradual measures, and setting an example for us. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) was always careful to apply precautions and took timing and conditions into consideration very seriously; such conduct was vitally importance during his prophethood.
Zaid bin Haritha, who our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had adopted, followed Hazrat Khadija and Hazrat Ali by converting to Islam.
After their conversion, the ties that Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Zaid had towards our Holy Prophet (PBUH) were strengthened and renewed. From then on, they would not separate from our Master’s (PBUH) side and they performed their prayers and worshipped with him.
From time to time, Hazrat Ali would go to the Kaaba with our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and perform his prayers there.
Before Afif Kindi became a Muslim, he had gone to Mecca with the intention of shopping and saw our Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Khadija, and Hazrat Ali praying. After he became a Muslim, he related the account with envy:
“I really wish I had become a Muslim at that time and that I had been the fourth person among them!”
Despite our Holy Prophet (PBUH) not having openly declared his cause to the public at that time, the unbelievers were not pleased that they were praying at the Kaaba and did not want the two to worship differently from them. For that reason, at a later time, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali deemed it more suitable to pray in the fields and valleys.
Hazrat Ali’s parents were after him
This condition of Hazrat Ali, in which he did not separate from our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) side and followed him like a shadow, caused his parents to panic and worry. Lady Fatima, in particular, was overly worried. She said to her husband, “your son is wandering with Muhammad too much. Be careful that nothing happens to him.”
Abu Talib was an understanding person. He wanted to learn the situation directly from our Holy Prophet (PBUH). One day, he followed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali. He found them praying in one of the valleys in Mecca. He asked the Master of the Universe (PBUH), “Oh, my brother’s son, what religion is this?”
Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied, “Oh, Uncle, you are among those whom I invite to the truth. You are supposed to be among the first to accept this invitation since you are the most deserving out of everyone! Abandon the practice of idol worshipping and believe in the One True God.”
Abu Talib was absorbed in thought for some time and at last he said, “I cannot separate from my old religion. However, continue to practice this religion that you follow! By Allah, I swear that while I am alive, no one can hinder you from completing your mission and do to you anything that you do not like.” Afterwards, he turned to his son and asked, “Oh, my dear son, what is this religion that you follow?”
Hazrat Ali replied, “My dear father, I too have testified to Allah and His Messenger and have attested to every message that he has brought from Allah. I followed him and prayed together with him.”
Upon this, Abu Talib said, “Oh son! It is befitting that you enter the religion of your uncle’s son willingly.” He will only invite you to beneficence. Submit to him!” (4) By saying these words, he made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali happy. He then walked away from there.
When he returned home, Lady Fatima hastily said to him in a harsh tone, “Where is your son? My servant saw him praying with Muhammad on the site of Jiyad. Do you approve of your son changing his religion?”
Abu Talib replied, “Be quiet! By God, it mostly falls upon the uncle and the father to support and help.” By saying these words, he expressed that there was no need to worry and concern. Afterwards he said, “If my ego complied with my wish to leave Abdulmuttalib’s religion, then I would subject myself to Muhammad since he is gentle, trustworthy, and pure.”
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) rode a horse belonging to Abu Talhah called Mandub. He said: ‘There is nothing to be frightened of, and we found him to be (quick) like the sea.’”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1685
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 16
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1685
When the Master of the Universe (PBUH) reached the age of thirty-eight, he started to hear some voices and some lights around. And sometimes he was called as, “O Muhammad!” from unseen.
Yet he was then still unable to understand what those strange voices and lights meant. However, he knew that such occurrences were not meaningless and not for nothing and spent days pondering over them.
From time to time, he told his venerable wife, Khadija, about them and often they two spoke about them. His wife, Khadija, the only source of comfort then, kept consoling him during their conversations.
This state of Muhammad (PBUH) continued for about one year.
True Dreams
At the age of 39, the period of “True Dreams” started. The events that were to happen the day after were being shown to him in his dreams in a way between wakefulness and sleep. It was so much so that the dreams he had in the night were taking place during the day as he had in his dream.
This state went on about six months, which can be considered a preparation period for receiving divine revelations.
He seeks loneliness
After this six-month period, the Master of the Universe’s holy spirit was searching for complete solitude. His greatest desire was to distance himself from the community and to remain alone with his thoughts… because his soul was getting discomforted by the indecency, cruelty, and gloom that was found in the society in which he lived.
He was made to love loneliness, He could abandon everything that he possessed but he would never abandon being alone with the universe and his realm of contemplation, away from people.
For that reason, he did not stay much in Mecca and was seen to choose desolate places that were far from people and to be consumed in contemplation in these places.
During these periods of solitude, he asked why the mountains, rocks, the earth, the sky, and the universe had been created, why people were sent to Earth, and what their aim and purpose was. The boulders of Mount Hira, the immense deserts, the sun, the moon, the shining stars, nor the passing clouds could answer his inquiries. He passed his days and nights in wonder since he could not find the answers to his questions.
Yes, the Master of the Universe’s holy spirit craved solitude in the outwardly sense whereas in reality, he carried the desire of being in the presence of Allah within the depths of his soul. This desire was to reach an endless existence within solitude.
This condition was seen in almost all of the prophets before they received revelations. Before his prophethood, Hazrat Musa spent 40 days fasting in solitude in the mountain of Tur. Similarly, Hazrat Isa was consumed in worship for forty days in a peaceful forest as he remained far from the world.
THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE IN HIRA
The year was 610 in the Gregorian calendar.
The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was forty years old.
He had a regular custom that he had been doing for years. He would spend the month of Ramadan with contemplation, worship, and prayer at the cave at the hill of the Mount of Hira. It was quiet and serene in there. It was the best place for him to be left alone with his reflection. His blessed soul, which was bored with the corrupt atmosphere of the society he lived in, found tranquility and peace over there.
The Messenger of Allah did not worship randomly in the cave of Hira; he worshipped in accordance with the religion of Hanif, the religion of Ibrahim, his ancestor.
One day in the month of Ramadan, he went there again for worshipping and contemplation. He made his way to the mount of Hira with provisions that his wife Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) prepared for him.
The universe observed every step that its Master took with respect and stood in a deep silence. Yet, that stillness was not in vain. It was full of wisdom.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) accompanied the stillness with his reflection, which thus brought about some harmony. It was as though the universe whispered to his great soul as saying, “The reason why I was created is you. It is you who will explain my meaning best and that I am full of wisdom and lessons. Therefore, I am grateful to you.”
The Master of the Universe (peace be upon him) was now in the cave at the hill of the Mount Hira, where he soon was to be worthy of having divine revelation. He was engaged with his worshipping and contemplation.
Narrated Abu Sa’id Al Khudri :
“During the year of the conquest, when the Prophet (ﷺ) reached Marr Zahran, he told us that we would meet the enemy. So he ordered us to break the fast, and we [all] broke our fast.”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1684
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 15
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1684
Some Governors Convert Subsidy Cash to Dollars for Personal Gain – Ex-Rep
Introduction
Corruption allegations have once again rocked Nigeria’s political landscape as a former federal lawmaker accuses certain state governors of diverting federal allocations meant for public welfare into personal accounts. This revelation comes amid ongoing economic reforms, including the controversial removal of…
Some governors convert subsidy cash to dollars for personal gain – Ex-Rep
A2M converts local audio into editable MIDI using a trained piano model. No uploads, no accounts, and no cloud dependency.
Local processing only
CPU default, NVIDIA GPU optional
Batch size control for GPU tuning
Outputs to Downloads/A2M
A model download is required once on first launch (~165 MB).
Best results come from solo piano recordings. Mixed tracks or full songs will be less…
It would be useful to know and to recognize the moral state of humanity and the world before the Master of the Universe (PBUH) was appointed as a prophet. Only then will we be able to understand how he saved the humanity from a social, political, religious, spiritual, intellectual darkness and perversion.
During the end of the sixth century of the Gregorian calendar…
This was an era in which disbelief, heresy, and immorality had descended over humanity with all of its might and were trying to suffocate humanity. The prominent and significant countries of that time were:
Byzantine, Persia, Egypt, India, Alexandria, Mesopotamia, China, etc.
In all of these countries;
A correct belief system did not exist
The people during that time suffered qualms of conscience, had gone mad (so to speak), were rampant, and did not know what they were doing.
They worshipped phenomena that took place in the universe and things that had been created by Allah. Humanity would prostrate before the stars, fire, as well as bone dry, lifeless rocks and idols while claiming they were “Gods!”.
Since souls and the conscience of humanity were buried in the deprivation and darkness of not having faith in Allah; nothing was considered to be the creation of the Divine power and the universe was considered to be meaningless, unnecessary, and pointless. Those poor individuals, who were devoid of faith, wisdom, and understanding, knew that a letter, a word, and a book could not come into being without a writer; however, they were writhing in the misery of accepting that the universe, which contains hundreds of thousands of mysteries and wisdoms, was without an owner and without reason.
In this deplorable state, the entire world was expecting and in need of a prophet who would reintroduce the belief in Tawhid, Allah’s existence and His oneness, and cleanse the heart of disbelief and depravity.
People had been divided into classes
Humanity had broken into several classes, such as the wealthy, the poor, the strong, and the weak; there was a great disconnection and gap between the community and the government officials. There was a considerable amount of tension among the classes.
Due to the tyranny and injustice that was committed by the higher social classes, the lower class resembled a barrel of gunpowder that was ready to explode at any minute. Let us take a glance at the state of Iran during that time as an example: “Like many primitive societies, the Iranians were completely separate from one another. The top three classes were entirely detached from the fourth caste, which was all the way at the bottom. The highest three classes consisted of the priests, judges, warriors and officials who were either called Magipads or Mobads since they were from the Magi Tribe; the farmers and artists constituted the fourth class”. The common people, who were the community, consisted of free city dwellers, slaves, and serfs. Their duty was to work in the fields or in the military without receiving any payments or rewards for their services. They were completely left to themselves and were stuck with insurmountable obstacles. They could not advance in their stations in any way; there was even no hope for them to become townspeople, although the latter openly benefited from their goods and property…”
The Eastern Roman Empire’s condition was even more deplorable. “Its society had been divided into many secondary classes. They were: 1) A class called Curule. They were landowners who were not enlisted in the military and could not get involved in any kind of trade. 2) Tributaries, just like their counterparts in Persia, included those who had no land of their own, those who paid poll taxes, and those were bound to guilds that passed by inheritance from fathers to sons. 3) The military class. As one writer said regarding this matter: “The farmers who cultivated the soil were nothing but tools that clothed and fed the king’s court.”
Finlay, who was an eminent historian on the Middle East, summarized the Eastern Roman Empire’s (Byzantine) miserable condition as follows: “History has probably not seen a community whose morals were as withered as that of the Greeks and Romans who lived in the period between Justinian’s death (528-565) and Muhammad’s birth, and who lacked as much self-control and virtue”.
The European community was in the ruthless hands of the aristocracy, the knights, and the clergy, and its condition was no different than that of a dumb animal. Those in power could purchase and sell the community’s constituents whenever they wanted and the latter did not have the right to object. Those who were sold practically became slaves. Even if they were not slaves in the fullest sense, those who did not have the power and strength to separate from their masters would eventually become servants. Nobody had the right not to like his master, nor did anybody possess the authority to choose him. However, there was this one condition: in some uncivilized countries, servants were able to go to another home by first paying their masters a sum for their freedom; this was considered to be a huge favor.
In summary, all countries other than the Arabian Peninsula had caste systems in which people had been divided into separate classes and looked at each other with enmity, hate, and brutality. This world, which was in a miserable state, was in need of a great prophet who would declare that humans were Allah’s most esteemed creatures, they had all descended from one father, and that they all had specific rights in the same proportion, like the right to freedom, and who would change feelings of hate and animosity into feelings of love, respect, and friendship. This situation called for and was in dire need of this Great Prophet.
Slavery was an official institution
Human beings are both reverend and honorable. However, appreciation of this fact is only possible with true belief.
The people of that age, whose hearts were deprived of faith’s glory, did not respect humans, were unaware that humans were the most reverend beings on the Earth, and were savage enough to sell and purchase their fellow beings.
Those unfortunate people who were labeled as slaves were being sold and purchased at auctions like ordinary merchandise. The masters were fully authorized to insult, torment, and make their slaves work however they wanted.
Humanity was in desperate need of someone who would end this savagery and ingratitude and was in need of a guide who would not withhold his light of compassion from anyone.
Sectarian fights persisted
The belief in the fallacious trinity had replaced the doctrine of Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, which Hazrat Isa (Jesus) had conveyed and preached.
The priests produced a completely different religion in place of what Hazrat Isa had taught.
Likewise, other countries, particularly the Eastern Roman Empire, were committing inconceivable acts of torture and tyranny in the name of religion. For example, historians mention how Phocas, the Patrician, poisoned himself in order to escape from being forcefully converted into Christianity.
Those who left the Mazdaism faith, which prevailed in Persia, or those who betrayed this religion were mercilessly executed. Scratching out the eyes, crucifixion, stoning, as well as starving and leaving someone to die thirsty were all standard death penalties.
While Confucianism and China had advanced in civilization, they were living their most chaotic days and were on the brink of collapsing just before the Sun of Bliss (PBUH) emerged. Civil wars did not cease and the society was at one another’s throats due to sectarian differences.
During the period of Islam’s emergence, Abyssinia was full of clashes that occurred between siblings.
Immorality Prevailed
Humanity, which was deprived of the modesty, fear, and virtue that come from faith, was committing all sorts of lewd behavior and had trampled over its dignity and honor by freely performing vulgar acts.
Gambling, alcohol, and immoral types of pleasure found their place among daily activities. Continuous killing, continuous acts of adultery, mugging, and raids almost swept away the blessed and divine significance from humanity.
Here is one example:
Morality had been completely wiped from the Byzantine Empire and had become so dead that the patriarch of Constantinople himself solemnized the marriage between the Emperor and the latter’s own niece.
To them, a woman was no different than a simple commodity that could be purchased and sold.
Yes, the end of sixth century A.D. was the century of such barbarism, unbelief, idolatry, ignorance and cruelty. All kinds of anarchy, blasphemy, various perverted belief systems and all kinds of debauchery were ruling the world in this century.
Humanity had probably never witnessed such perverseness, immorality, atrocity, and terror since its creation.
Humanity was devoid of a spiritual guide and was like the flowing water in an untamed river as it crashed into stones. With each crash, it lost a bit of its heart, soul, conscience, and honor. Every door that it knocked was shut on its face.
Humans had turned into beasts since they did not know who Allah, the Supreme Creator, was and had not found the essential path that He had drawn for them by means of His prophets. These wild beasts were ready to swallow someone at every minute and were smeared in blood; they caused the wind of anarchism and unrest to blow everywhere.
Humanity had become an orphan, the universe was mourning, and the Earth resembled a ring of sorrow. Everyone was considered an enemy by others, and everything was considered meaningless, soulless, and aimless.
Humanity’s sorrowful screams, which resulted from not having a true guide, were ringing in the skies; the universe, its smallest particles and the sun were crying together over humanity’s miserable condition.
The Sun of Bliss, with all of his glory, was meant to rise in the horizon of humanity so that humans could be happy. The universe’s smallest particle, its sun, its mountains, its stones, its animals, and its people would be saved from being considered insignificant, meaningless, and pointless. Everything would be known as a letter of Allah that was written and presented to be people so that they would draw lessons from them. Pure faith could take the place of disbelief, justice could replace tyranny, peace could replace uneasiness, knowledge could take the place of ignorance, and bliss could replace misery. All believers would be friends and siblings. The universe’s rage could turn into happiness. The stars could laugh and the atoms could whirl like dervishes. The sun, moon, ground, and sky could continue their mission lovingly and ardently.
Man should know that the real wisdom and purpose of his creation, his transfer from the darkness of non-existence to the realm of existence is to know God Almighty, to believe in Him and to worship Him. Thus, he will attain real peace and bliss.
Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had reached twenty years of age.
Many people had lost their lives in the Battles of Fijar in which much blood was shed. As a result, the feeling of hostility had further sharpened among Arab tribes. At every moment, the smallest reasons had the potential of causing the break-up of great incidents, like someone getting killed or tribes attacking one another.
There was no sense of security in terms of life, property, and dignity for those who came from outside of Mecca. Anyone could take any foreigner’s property he wanted without paying a single penny. The weak and helpless were being subjected to all kinds of persecution and they did not have the courage to show defiance.
A solution had to be found for this situation that spread savagery. These actions that were unbefitting to human dignity had to be stopped. Yet, what could be done?
These were the matters that people with integrity, those whose conscience felt tormented amid the injustice, and those who were consistently thinking about the community’s safety and social order, wanted to resolve.
The Seized Goods of the man from Zabid!
The last straw was when As bin Wail, a leading figure of the city, extorted the goods of someone from the Zabid tribe of Yemen.
Every door that the Zabidi tribesman had knocked on for help was being shut on his face. Finally, he went up the Abu Qubays Mountain and attempted to notify the Qurayshis of the insults and injustice that he faced in a loud voice. And it was from this summit that that he summoned the community for help.
This invitation awoke the minds that were contemplating the miserable circumstances in their society. They immediately huddled together and looked for a solution to resolve the corruption and illegitimate behavior that was taking place. Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) uncle, Zubayr was the first person who attempted to gather prominent figures and the reputable elderly in one place in respect to this matter.
Hashim, Muttalib, Zuhra, Asad, Harith, and many of leading figures from the sons of Taym met in the home of Abdullah bin Juda, who was considered to be the oldest person in Mecca and one of the wealthiest and influential of men. It was there, in his home, that the “Hilf al-Fudul” alliance was established.
After they spoke and discussed at great length, they decided on the following articles:
1- No person will be subjected to persecution, regardless of whether he/she is a native of Mecca or an outsider.
2- From now on, there will be no opportunities for cruelty to occur. An oppressor’s cruelty will not be overlooked and there will be no further opportunities for oppression to be inflicted.
3- We will push for the rights of the downtrodden until they are obtained.
Promising they would persevere in upholding these testaments, the members of the alliance made the following oath:
“We will persevere with our oath till the seas do not have enough water to wet a strand of hair, till the mountains are wiped away, and until the act of istilam (the act of rubbing the Hajarul-Aswad while circumambulating the Kaaba. If it cannot be rubbed due to big crowds, then a gesture of greeting should be given from a distance) is removed.”
The name given to this alliance was”Hilf al-Fudul” .
The reasons for this are explained as follows:
Hilf” means oath whereas “fudul” means people with virtue.
During a period in which they were found in Mecca, two people by the name of Fadl from the Jurhumi tribe, made an oath with someone named Fudayl from the Qatura tribe, to prevent cruelty and rape from taking place in the city.
Because the leading figures of the Quraysh had gathered in respect to similar matters and with the intention of making decisions, this association was called “Hilf al-Fudul” to remind the “incident that took place between the Fadls”.
The association’s first action was to take back the Zabidi tribesman’s goods, which he had brought for the purpose of trade, from As bin Wail.
Although our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) was young, he joined this association, which comprised of the elderly, together with his uncles and showed an affirmative response with his vote.
This shows that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had possessed mature thoughts since he was very young, that he was disgusted by cruelty, and had a reputable standing among his tribe.
Of course this individual, who was a symbol of compassion and mercy, was going to rush to help the oppressed and facilitate the positive endeavors on this matter before he was assigned the responsibilities that came with his prophethood. He had been sent for the purpose of “completing high ethics”. In that case, he would partake in every endeavor that was a means of upholding high ethics.
As a matter of fact, after he was appointed as a Prophet (PBUH), he expressed his contentment at having joined the association with the following statement:
“I was also there in Abdullah bin Juda’s home when the oath was affirmed. In my opinion, that oath is more pleasant than owning red-haired camels. If I am summoned to it during the Islamic era, I will accept it.”…
This word of the Messenger of Allah is also a criterion for the Muslims of today: To help the societies and organizations that struggle against oppression and all kinds of immoralities no matter under what name and how…
Narrated Yunus bin ‘Ubaid:
the freed salve of Muhammad bin Al-Qasim said: “Muhammad bin Al-Qasim sent me to Al-Bara’ bin 'Azib to ask him about the flag of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: 'It was a black square of Namirah.’”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1680
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 11
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1680
really really really awesome (/s) that my sister who’s been stuck in our home state for 6 months due to medical complications with her pregnancy (that I have very Barely seen) has suddenly decided Tomorrow is the day she and her new family (i have not met my nephew!) go back to Oklahoma, which also happens to be the same fucking day I’ve finally set up another appointment with my rabbi after 6 years of attendance at my synagogue and 3 years since my last meeting. 😐
Narrated Jabir:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered Makkah, and his standard was white.”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1679
In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 10
English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1679
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Convert HHMMSS Time Format to Hours as Numbers #Excel #shorts
