YES CELEBRATE MAWLID
abd...@hotmail.com
Yes, we can celebrate the birth of the Prophet!
Al-Mawlid… Celebrating the Prophet's Birth, an Islamic innovation
that complies with Qur’an and Sunnah
The annual Celebrations of the Prophet's birth (Mawlid un-Nabiyy) is
among the great innovations of guidance. This event is commemorated by
Muslims all over the world who join together for such rewardable deeds
as reciting from the Qur'an, chanting Islamic praises, telling the
story of the Prophet's birth, teaching Religious Knowledge,
slaughtering animals to feed to the poor, and gathering to thank and
praise Allah and ask Him to exalt the honor of Prophet Muhammad,
sallallahu^alayhi wa sallam. The honorable, knowledgeable, and
righteous ruler: al-Mudhaffar, the King of Irbil, initiated this
practice about 900 years ago, and he was praised by Muslim scholars of
Islam--among them the Egyptian hafidhs: Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy and
Jalal ud-Din as-Suyutiyy. The famous scholar of hadith, Abul-Khattab
Ibn Dihyah, wrote a book for the king especially to be read during the
mawlid celebration, and there are no great Muslim scholars who
dispraised this innovated celebration.
The basis for commemorating honorable events repeatedly every year is
evidenced in the Sunnah of the Prophet. As related by al-Bukhariyy,
when the Prophet emigrated to al-Madinah he found the Jews fasting, so
he asked them why they fasted on the 10th of Muharram (Muharram is the
first month of the Islamic calendar). They told the Prophet they do so
to commemorate the day Allah saved Prophet Moses (Musa) and the Tribes
of Israel (Isra'il) from the tyranny of the Pharaoh. It was revealed
to the Prophet what the Jews said was true, so Prophet Muhammad told
them: "We are more deserving of Moses (Musa) than you." He said this
because Prophet Moses (Musa) was Muslim. Prophet Muhammad ordered the
Muslims to fast the 9th and 10th of Muharram, and this Sunnah is still
practiced today.
To celebrate the birth of the Prophet by doing rewardable deeds-- that
can be done on any day of the year--is considered an innovated
practice because this was not done at the time of the Prophet.
Although this innovation was praised by the Muslim scholars of Islam,
some people consider any innovation an innovation of misguidance.
Those who consider any innovation an innovation of misguidance have
been misled, because there are two sahih hadiths which support
celebrating such an event. Imam Muslim related, through the route of
Jarir Ibn ^Abdullah, the Prophet said:
«من سنَّ في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها إلى يوم
القيامة، لا ينقص من أجورهم شىء ومن سنَّ فِى الإسلام سنة سيئة فعليه
وزرها ووزر من عمل بها إلى يوم القيامة لا ينقص من أوزارهم شىء»
This hadith of the Prophet means: <<The one who innovates a good
innovation in Islam has its reward and a reward similar to those who
follow him in it--until the Day of Judgment--without lessening their
reward. The one who innovates an innovation of misguidance would be
sinful for it and has sins similar to those who follow him in it--
until the Day of Judgment--without lessening their sins.>>
There are two types of innovations (Bid^a) mentioned in this hadith:
The innovations of guidance and The innovations of misguidance. What
complies with the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the Ijma^ (scholarly consensus),
and the sayings and practices of the Companions is an innovation of
guidance, and what contradicts the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the Ijma^, and
the sayings and actions of the Companions is an innovation of
misguidance. This definition of the two types of innovations was given
by many knowledgeable and trustworthy scholars of Islam; among them
Imam ash-Shafi^iyy, Imam an-Nawawiyy, al-Bayhaqiyy, and the Hafidh,
Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy.
It is apparent Muslims have not gone astray in celebrating the birth
of the Prophet, based upon the aforementioned hadith, because the
deeds practiced during this event are considered rewardable by the
standards of the Religion, and in line with the definition of
innovations of guidance. Unfortunately, there are some people who
misinterpret a sahih hadith related by Abu Dawud: "كل بدعة ضلالة"
which means: <<Most innovations are innovations of misguidance.>>
Those who are misguided interpret the word (kul) as `every' and thus
claim this hadith means: "Every innovation is an innovation of
misguidance. Their claim is unfounded for two reasons. Linguistically,
this hadith is similar to the hadith related by al-Bayhaqiyy: "كل عين
زانية"
Which clearly does not mean: "Every eye gazes the look of the
adulterer;" rather, "Most people are guilty of the forbidden look."
The person blind since birth would surely not have the forbidden look,
and it is known the Prophets would never commit such an abject sin.
The word "كل" (kul) as used in both hadiths refers to `most,' although
it can mean "every" it does not mean this in all cases.
As a matter of fact, in the explanation of Sahih Muslim, an-Nawawiyy
said: "The saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, «كل
بدعة ضلالة» is among the terms which are: "عام مخصوص" (^am makhsus)
i.e., a general statement giving a specific meaning; which is a known
field in Islam, and the meaning of the hadith is "most innovations are
innovations of misguidance."
This field the"عام مخصوص" is seen in the Qur'an in Ayah 3 of Surat al-
Ahqaf: [تدمر كل شىء] which means the wind Allah sent as punishment to
the people of ^Ad demolished most of the things.
To accept the meaning: "Every innovation is an innovation of
misguidance," as the meaning of the sahih hadith related by Abu Dawud
would negate the sahih hadith related by Imam Muslim which specifies
two types of innovations: the innovations of guidance and the
innovations of misguidance. In the rules of the Religion it is not
permissible to interpret two sahih hadiths in contradiction to one
another, therefore we know the true meaning.
Although most innovations are innovations of misguidance, there are
numerous examples of Religiously acceptable innovations. During the
Caliphate of ^Umar Ibnul Khattab, ^Umar initiated the gathering of
people in Ramadan to pray the Tarawih Prayer in congregation. When he
saw the people performing this prayer in congregation he said:
نِعْمَت البِدعَةُ هَذِه"ِ "What a good innovation that is!"
The high status of ^Umar Ibnul Khattab is known, thus it is important
to point out ^Umar used the explicit term البِدعَةُ "innovation" in
his praise. If all innovations were misguided--as some claim--^Umar
would not have innovated this practice, nor expressed this praise, yet
both al-Bukhariyy and Muslim related this incident. During the era of
the followers of the Companions of the Prophet, another praise-worthy
innovation took place. Initially, letters like the ba, ta, tha, and
ya, did not have dots above or below them. This practice of
distinguishing between the letters by using this notation began after
the time of the Prophet.
Since the time of the Prophet, many innovations have been adopted.
Remembering the birth of the Prophet by doing rewardable deeds is a
praise-worthy innovation. It is an honorable event and special to
Muslims throughout the world. We rejoice in being members of the
greatest nation of Islam--the nation of Muhammad--who was the best
Prophet and the best creation of Allah. In Surat Al ^Imran, Ayah 110,
Allah said:
(كُنْتُم خَير أُمةٍ أُخرِجت للناسِ تأمُرون بالمَعْروفِ وتنهَونَ عنِ
المُنكَرِ وتُؤمِنونَ باللهِ)
which means: [You are the best of nations brought forth to the people;
bidding the lawful (ma^ruf) forbidding the unlawful (munkar), and
believing in Allah.] This verse means this nation is the best of
nations by virtue of its Prophet," as explained by the scholars of
Islam. Muslims are thankful to Allah for the blessings of Islam and
for being among the followers of Muhammad. In Surat Al ^Imran, Ayah
31, Allah said:
(قُلْ إنْ كُنتُم تُحِبّون اللهَ فاتبعونىِ يُحببكُمُ الله)
which means [If you love Allah, then follow the Prophet, and Allah
will love you.] It is fitting to honor the Prophet. The Mawlid (the
celebration of his birth) has a great benefit: it inspires the heart
to have a more profound love for the Prophet. Hence, Celebrating The
Birth of the Prophet is a Good and Rewardable Innovation. And Allah
knows best.
أهنئكم بذكرى المولد النبويّ الشريف * وأتمنَى لكم أطيب الأمنيات وتقبل
الله طاعاتكم
قالَ عليهِ الصّلاةُ والسّلامُ : "منْ سنَّ في الاسلامِ سنَّةً حسنةً
فَلَهُ أجرُهَا وأجرُ من عَمِلَ بها من بَعْدِهِ من غيرِ أن ينقُصَ من
أُجُورِهِم شيئ" وقد تَبَيَّنَ لنا أن إقامَةَ المولِدِ النَّبويِّ
الشريفِ سنةٌ حسنةٌ يُثابُ فاعِلُهَا وأنَّ الحُفّاظَ والمحدثينَ
والفقهاءَ والمفسّرينَ أَقَرُّوا عَمَلَ مَلِكِ إرْبِل الملك المظفر الذي
كان اول من احتفل بالمولد النبوي الشريف وجمع له العلماء والعامة من
المسلمين وقدّم لهم اطايب الطعام ومفاخر الشراب. فإن الاحتفال بمولد
سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم من الأمور الحسنة، لما في ذلك من إظهار
السرور والاستبشار بمولده صلى الله عليه وسلم إضافة لما في الإجتماع على
ذكر الله تعالى والصلاة على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم من الأجر والثواب،
وما يتبع ذلك من فعل الخيرات والمبرات والتصدق على الفقراء. وقد استحسن
عمل المولد علماء الأمصار في مشارق الأرض ومغاربها منهم الحافظ أحمد بن
حجر العسقلاني، وتلميذه الحافظ السخاوي، وكذلك الحافظ السيوطي وغيرهم.
واعتنى بعض العلماء بتأليف كتب في ذلك منها ما هو منظوم ومنها ما هو غير
ذلك، ولأهمية هذا الأمر رأينا أن نجمع هذا الكتاب، كتابا نافعًا جامعًا
للأدلة فأحببنا نشره حتى يستفاد منه، ونسأل الله أن يوفقنا لخدمة دينه
إنه على كل كل شىء قدير وتقبل الله طاعاتكم.
Mawlid Speech 2006 The Greatness of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, to Him belong the
endowments and proper commendations. May Allah increase the honor and
raise the rank of our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and
his kind Al and Companions and protect his nation from what he fears
for it.
Thereafter, dear Muslims Allah said in the Honorable Qur’an, Al-Ahzab,
45:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا
وَنَذِيرًا {45}
This means: O Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer
of good Tidings, and Warner,
An honored and glorified memory is shining these days over the whole
world, and is commemorated by the entire Muslim world. It is MAWLIDU-
NABIYY, the birth of the best human our Master Muhammad sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam.
Islamic chant (Madih) groups loudly and joyfully praise the Prophet
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and the poems and speeches stating his
good traits and manners are made in spite of Wahhabiyys, who have
hatred towards the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. On
this great occasion let us state some of the great traits and manners
of the Master of the humans.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was born in Makkah
in a place called "Suq-ul-Layl". His father's name is ^Abdullah the
son of ^Abdul-Mutalib, his mother is 'Aminah Bintu Wahab. Many good
things happened to his mother 'Aminah during her pregnancy with him.
She never felt the weight of the fetus, which resulted in an easy
carriage. She dreamt of a star falling in her lap, and when she sought
interpretation, they told her that she will give birth to the master
and the leader of the people.
If she ever sought water from a well, the water itself would rise to
her. One time she said: "While I was half asleep, someone came to me
and asked me if I felt pregnant. I answered that I did not. Then he
told me that I am pregnant with the Master and the Prophet of this
nation." That incident assured 'Aminah that she was pregnant.
It was also said that when the Prophet's mother gave birth to him a
light came out with him, illuminating what is between the East and the
West. The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam landed on the ground
resting on his hands, with his eyes opened and looking towards the
sky.
He received the revelation in Makkah when he was forty years old,
preached Islam as did the prophets and messengers before him. Allah
ta^ala gave our Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, the beautiful
and great manners which made him notable among his people, who had
recognized him as the Truthful and Trustworthy long before he received
the Revelation. His people saw that in him when he was: A young boy
taking care of sheep, a grown man when he was conducting trades, a
worshipper who used to make lot of dhikr, a preacher who was calling
people to worship Allah, a leader in the battlefield where his
Companions used to seek refuge by him, and as a just ruler who was
looking after people with wisdom and good advice. He never committed
any vile or bad action neither before prophethood nor after it.
Allah praised him in the Honorable Qur'an:
(وإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ)
It means: "Verily, your manners are distinguished and great."
When Lady ^A'ishah (may Allah raise her rank) was asked about the
prophet's manners, she said:
"كان خلقه القرءان"
It means: "His manners were all what the Qur'an ordered
to do."
He was described with clemency, patience, and courage. Ibn ^Umar (may
Allah raise his rank) said: "I have never seen someone more
courageous, more generous, or more submitting to Allah than the
Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam."
The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam used to visit the sick, and
to accept the invitation of the rich and poor people. He used to order
others wisely with obedience and prohibit them from disobedience. He
encouraged forgiveness, pardoning others, and practicing the good
conduct that Allah ordered to follow.
The greatness of our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was
not like that of the tyrant kings who would love to enslave people and
humiliate them. Ibn Majah related that once a man came to the prophet,
when he saw him he was so frightened due to his awe, the Messenger of
Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said to him: "Take it easy on your
self, for I'm not a king; I'm just the son of a lady from Quraysh who
used to eat al-qadid." [Al-qadid is the salted meat which is dried out
under the sun.]
His greatness was not like that of the oppressor leaders who cause
mischief on earth, those who are blood thirsty and are delighted to
cause harm to the weak. When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam entered Makkah with the banners of victory waving over his
head, the people of Makkah were staring at him with frightened hearts;
he said to them: "What do you think I would do to you ?" They said to
him: "A generous brother who is the son of a generous brother." He
said to them: "You are free." This is the greatness which prevails
over oppression and tyranny.
The greatness of our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was
not like that of the arrogant rich people who have no pity or mercy
towards the poor and needy. He was known for his great generosity.
Once a man came to him asking for some support, the Prophet sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam gave him sheep which were grazing between two
mountains, that man went to his people and said: "O people embrace
Islam, for Muhammad gives as much as the one who does not fear
poverty."
This great Prophet which we are commemorating today his birth is the
one who taught us the tawhid, he is the one who taught us that Allah
does not resemble his creations, he is the one who taught us that
Allah exists without a place and warned us from committing blasphemy.
Allah the Exalted sent him as a mercy to the humans and jinn, lots of
people were saved by his call. He said:
أنا أول شفيع يوم القيامة وأنا أكثر الأنبياء تبعًا يوم القيامة"
It means: "I am the first one who intercedes on the Day of Judgment,
and I am the prophet with the most followers on the Day of
Judgment."
His saying: "I am the prophet with the most followers on the Day of
Judgment.", is because some of the prophets will come with only one
believer in their call.
We, do not feel shy at all of celebrating the birth of the Prophet
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, at the same time we do not feel shy
either of spreading the True Belief, the belief of the Prophet and the
prophets before him. We are so proud to be among Ahlus-Sunnah wal-
Jama^ah who carry the belief of the Companions and their
followers.
We are among the hundreds of million of Muslims who commemorate the
birth of the Master of all of the children of Adam our Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. What is wrong with celebrating
the birth of this great human, this great prophet? This practice was
well known among the Muslims after the third Hijriyy century and is
still observed until our present time . This great Prophet came with a
great shar^ (law) indicating: The lawful (halal), the unlawful
(haram), the obligatory (wajib), the recommended (sunnah), the
disliked (makruh), the valid (sahih), the invalid (batil). The one who
learns the personal obligatory knowledge and passes it on to his
parents, wife, kids, beloved ones, neighbors has won a lot.
Dear Muslims do attend the Religious Knowledge sessions and implement
what you learn so that you will be complete and true followers of the
Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. However, chanting and
praising the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and
putting decorations without performing the obligations and avoiding
the prohibitions is not what the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi
wa sallam loves for us. What he loves for us is to perform the
obligations and to avoid the prohibitions. While we say that we stress
on our disagreement with the Wahhabiyy sect, who deem unlawful
celebrating the birth of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa
sallam (Mawlid). They also say that it is not permissible to
aggrandize the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, they have no
foundation to their claim; they do not even have one religious proof
to their false claims. Allah said in Surah Al-A^raf verse 157:
(فَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ)
In this verse Allah praised those believed in the Prophet sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam and aggrandized him.
(عَزَّرُوه) means: "aggrandized him." This verse negates the claim
of those wahhabiyys who have hatred towards the Prophet sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam and at the same time do not feel shy from likening
Allah to his creations.
We also disagree with those singers who perform the unlawful singing
without performing the obligations and avoiding the prohibitions.
Learning the rules of the Religion and spreading it amongst the
Muslims is a very important matter, so do not just attend the Mawlid
celebrations to listen to the chants while not learning the personal
obligatory knowledge; because knowledge protects you whereas you
protect money. So be eager to acquire that knowledge and do not be
among those whom the Devil makes fun of due to their ignorance.
The Honorable Birth of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, to Him belong the
endowments and proper commendations. May Allah increase the honor and
raise the rank of our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and
his kind Al and Companions and protect his nation from what he fears
for it.
On the 12th of Rabi^ ul-‘Awal of every year an honored and glorified
memory shines over the whole world, and is commemorated by the entire
Muslim world. Every honest Muslim participates in celebrating such an
honorable memory to praise Allah for the blessing and endowment of
Prophet Muhammad.
This occasion is the Honorable Birth of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
^alayhi wa sallam. How can one not celebrate this birth that has
changed the face of history. This birth was one of the best gifts that
one can ever receive. It is because of this Prophet may Allah raise
his rank that we became Muslims. What is better than becoming a Muslim
is to remain steadfast to Islam and die as a Muslim. We thank Allah
for this birth and for making us among the followers of this Prophet.
Only those who have darkness in their hearts deny the permissibility
of celebrating this birth, and forbid others from doing so. It is
absolutely not unlawful (haram) to celebrate the birth of the Prophet
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, rather it is a rewarded deed. In fact it
is the habit of the hundreds of millions of Muslims all over Asia,
Africa, Europe, India, Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Yemen, Turkey,
Pakistan, and the Americas. Only those who do not love the Prophet say
that such celebrations are unlawful (haram).
The Year of the Elephant:
The king of both Yemen and Habashah was a man called ‘Abrahah, who was
a non-believer. When he saw that the people were visiting Makkah
rather than his countries, and after hearing about the good things
that were happening in Makkah he decided to destroy the Ka^bah.*
* The Ka^bah is the cubic structure in the Holy Mosque of Makkah,
built first by Prophet ‘Adam peace be upon him in obedience to Allah.
‘Abrahah built a huge temple in order to divert the people from the
Ka^bah. He tried to glorify this new temple by decorating it with lots
of jewels and precious stones. After that, the king of Yemen and
Habashah prepared a huge army with huge elephants led by his men. When
the Arabian tribes learned about ‘Abrahah's intentions to destroy the
Ka^bah, they fought to the best of their abilities. The tribes
couldn't stop the elephants or the army. The huge army kept going
until they reached the borders of Makkah.
When ‘Abrahah was ready to destroy the Ka^bah, he turned his elephants
towards it so they would demolish it, the elephant refused to move and
sat idly. They tried to force the elephant to move but they did not
succeed. When they changed the direction of the elephant to south and
away from the Ka^bah he obeyed. They tried the north, the elephant
again obeyed. When they turned the elephant again towards the Ka^bah,
it would not move an inch.
The huge elephant refused to destroy the Ka^bah. Allah then sent birds
from the sea with rocks placed between their legs and in their beaks.
They threw them on that army until they killed them all. Al-Qurtubiyy
said that the army was of 60,000 soldiers. For this significant
incident people named that year as "The Year of The Elephant".
In that year Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was born.
He was born in a place called "Suqul-Layl" in Makkah. According to the
Roman Calendar it was in the 6th century.
Mother and Father:
‘Aminah Bintu Wahb was the name of the Prophet's mother. Many good
things happened to ‘Aminah during her pregnancy with the Prophet. She
never felt the weight of the fetus, which resulted in an easy
carriage. She dreamt of a star falling in her lap, and when she sought
interpretation, they told her that she will give birth to a master and
to the leader of the people.
If she ever sought water from a well, the water itself would rise to
her. One time she said: " While I was half asleep, someone came to me
and asked me if I felt pregnant. I answered that I did not. Then he
told me that I am pregnant with the master and the Prophet of this
nation." That incident assured ‘Aminah that she was pregnant.
It was also said that when the Prophet's mother gave birth to him a
light came out with him, illuminating what is between the East and the
West. The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam landed on the ground
resting on his hands, with his eyes opened and looking towards the
sky.
^Abdullah Ibn ^Abdul-Mutalib, the Prophet's father, did not live to
see his son Muhammad. He died while ‘Aminah was still pregnant. His
father didn't see the best and the last Prophet.
Name and Lineage:
As for the name of the Prophet, many people do not realize how
important it is to memorize his name and the name of his grandfathers.
It is considered as an Islamic important issue to memorize the lineage
of the Prophet up to 20 grandfathers.
He is Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, the son of ^Abdullah, the
son of ^Abdul-Mutalib, the son of Hashim, the son of ^Abdu Manaf, the
son of Qusaiyy, the son of Kilab, the son of Murrah, the son of Ka^b,
the son of Lu’aiyy, the son of Ghalib, the son of Fihr, the son of
Malik, the son of an-Nadr, the son of Kinanah, the son of Khuzaymah,
the son of Mudrikah, the son of Ilyas, the son of Mudar, the son of
Nizar, the son of Ma^add, the son of ^Adnan, and after that his
lineage goes back to Prophet Isma^il the son of Prophet Ibrahim peace
be upon them.
On the Day of Birth:
On the day Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was born, the
huge fire of the fire worshippers which had been lit for 1000 years to
that day died out. The water of the Lake of Sawah dried out. Also, the
palace of the arrogant dictator Kisra trembled, and 14 of its
balconies fell to the ground.
Halimah as-Sa^diyyah:
It was the habit of the Arab women to breast-feed other than their own
children. It is important to know that when a woman breast-feeds a
child a certain amount of milk she becomes his foster mother and her
children would become siblings of that breast fed child.
The story of how Halimah became the breast-feeding mother to the
prophet is ironic and as told by Halimah as-Sa^diyyah herself: “It was
the year of draught when I traveled to Makkah with other women from
the tribe of Sa^d seeking to breast-feed babies. I was riding a
donkey. Our camel hardly produced any milk, and my child kept us awake
crying out of hunger. Even my breast hardly had any milk for my child.
We had nothing but hope. We reached Makkah. When the breast-feeders
learnt that baby Muhammad was an orphan, none of the women accepted to
take him in to breast-feed. The breast-feeders were hoping for the
financial generosity of the child's father and Muhammad was an orphan.
Each of us thought that his mother would not be as helpful. We kept
refusing to take Muhammad, until all of the other women found children
to breast feed except me. Hating to return empty handed, I told my
husband that I will take that orphan Muhammad.
I swear by Allah, the moment I put him on my lap, my breast became
full with milk. He took my breast for as much as he needed and my
child did the same. That night my husband went out to check on our
camel, and to his surprise its udder was full of milk. Soon we were
both full and satisfied. My husband looked at me and said: " I swear
by Allah, you have picked a blessed soul.””
Growing Up:
Halimah raised the Prophet until he was 2 years and 2 months old, then
she returned him to his mother. The Prophet’s growth was unlike any
other person’s. He used to grow in one day as much as a regular child
would grow in a whole month. He would grow in one month as much as a
regular child would grow in a whole year.
One day while the Prophet was playing with his brothers (sons of
Halimah) behind the house, an extraordinary thing happened. The
Prophet's brother ran terrified to his parents and said :"Help my
brother, two men came to him and opened his stomach." Halimah and her
husband ran out to the Prophet. They found him standing with a pale
face. Halimah hugged him and so did her husband who asked: "What's
with you son?!!" The Prophet replied that two men wearing white
clothes came to him, laid him down and opened his abdomen, but he did
not know what they did.
The fact is that those two men were the angels Jibril and Mika’il who
came in the shape of men. It was said that they opened his abdomen and
washed it with Zamzam water, hail water, and snow water. Then they
stitched it by the Will of Allah and stamped him on his back between
his shoulders with an oval mark, which was the seal of Prophethood.
Even as a growing child, Prophet Muhammad displayed particular habits.
If he ever wanted to urinate or defecate, he would go so far where no
houses are in sight. When he used to go through the valleys and the
mountain every tree and stone he would pass by would say: "Peace be
upon you O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet would look left and right,
but he would not see anyone.
After Halimah returned the Prophet to his mother ‘Aminah, he stayed
with his mother till the age of five. ‘Aminah then took him to see his
uncles in al-Madinah. She stayed there one month. On her way back she
died leaving the Prophet to be raised by his grandfather ^Abdul
Mutalib. It was said that when the Prophet's mother died his
grandfather hugged him and showed feelings towards the Prophet that he
never showed towards his own son.
When his grandfather ^Abdul-Mutalib was dying, he recommended to the
Prophet's uncle Abu Talib to take care of the Prophet. The Prophet's
uncle used to love Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam very
much, and he used to favor him over his own children.
His First Wife Khadijah:
Prophet Muhammad stayed with his uncle Abu Talib and went out with him
to trade caravans. When the Prophet became 25 years old, he was
offered to marry lady Khadijah. She was the owner of some caravans and
at that time the Prophet used to work for her. The Prophet accepted to
marry Khadijah who became his first wife.
Lady Khadijah Bintu Khuwaylid was a very respected, honorable and
patient woman. She was the richest amongst her people. Lady Khadijah
was presented with many suitors for marriage but she refused in spite
of all generous offers she had.
Some of the Miracles of Prophet Muhammad:
- The Holy Qur'an
- The crying of the tree trunk
- The camel speaking and seeking refuge in him
- The speaking of the wolf and his testimony
- The water coming out from between his fingers
- Returning Qatadah's eye
- The testification of the tree and its speaking up
Physical Description:
The Prophet was not extremely tall, nor was he short. He had a white
complexion and black hair. The Prophet's hair was not straight rather
it was curly and long down to his shoulders. His aroma was nicer than
pure musk itself. He had a clear forehead, long eyelashes, broad
shoulders and a firm stomach. The Prophet was fast in his walk, and it
was narrated that seeing his face one would think that the sun is
rising from it.
His Death:
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam immigrated to al-Madinah
in compliance with the orders of Allah, he lived there for ten years
before he died at the age of sixty three. He was buried there in the
house of his wife ^A’ishah may Allah reward her deeds. It is rewarding
to visit him at his grave.