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You can read part 3 of this series by clicking the link: http://lubnah.me.ke/the-greatness-of-prophet-muhammad-p-b-u-h-pt-3/

HIS WORSHIP

If we knew for sure that we will go to jannah, if we knew for sure that all our sins are forgiven, that Allah (S.W.) is pleased with us and that our place in heaven is ready for us, would we bother to worship Allah? Would we still strive to be better worshippers, better believers? Or would we just relax and wait for our time of death to come?

The prophet (p.b.u.h) was granted forgiveness and promised jannah while still alive, yet he did a lot of ibaadah and got close to Allah (S.W.) more than any other human being.

Even before prophethood, Muhammad (p.b.u.h) would seclude himself so as to worship one Lord and avoid idolatry as his people.

According to Al Bukhari and I quote: “The commencement of the divine inspiration to the Messenger of Allah was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed on him. He used to go in seclusion in the Cave of Hira’ where he used to worship [Allah alone] continuously for many days before he would desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to [his wife] Khadija to take food for another stay, until suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira’. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet added, “The angel caught me [forcefully] and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ So he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ So he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: 

Read in the name of your Lord who created (96.1). He created man from a clot (96.2). Read and your Lord is most honorable (96.3) who teaches by the pen (96.4). He taught man what he did not know (96.5).”

The worshipping habits of the Rasul (S.A.W) is definitely something we should emulate and follow. Here are some of his worship habits:

  • Al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray until his feet were swollen. It was said, “Why do you do this when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?” The Prophet said, “Shall I not be a grateful servant?” (Muslim)

 

  • Narrated ‘Alqama: I asked `Aisha, mother of the believers, “O mother of the believers! How were the deeds of the Prophet? Did he use to do extra deeds of worship on special days?” She said, “No, but his deeds were regular and constant, and who among you is able to do what the Prophet (ﷺ) was able to do (i.e. in worshipping Allah)?” (Bukhari)

 

  • Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle used to offer eleven Rakat and that was his prayer. He used to prolong the prostration to such an extent that one could recite fifty verses (of the Quran) before he would lift his head. He used to pray two Rakat (Sunna) before the Fajr prayer and then used to lie down on his right side till the call-maker came and informed him about the prayer. (Bukhari)

 

  • Narrated Aisha: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. (Bukhari)

 

  • It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The Prophet used to bring his head close to me when I was menstruaring and he was in I’tikaf (seclusion in a mosques for the purpose of worship), and I would wash it and comb his hair.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

 

  • Narrated Anas bin Malik: Sometimes Allah’s Apostle would not fast (for so many days) that we thought that he would not fast that month and he sometimes used to fast (for so many days) that we thought he would not leave fasting through-out that month and (as regards his prayer and sleep at night), if you wanted to see him praying at night, you could see him praying and if you wanted to see him sleeping, you could see him sleeping.(Bukhari)

 

  • Narrated ‘Aisha: The Prophet was never more regular and particular in offering any Nawafil than the two Rakat (Sunna) of the Fajr prayer. (Bukhari)

 

  • It was narrated that ‘Aishah said the Messenger of Allah would come and say: “Do you have any food for breakfast?” and we would say no, so he would say: “I am fasting.” One day he came to us and we had been given some Hais. He said: “Do you have anything (to eat)?” and we said: “Yes, we have been given some Hais.” He said: “I started the day wanting to fast,” but then he ate. (Sunan an-Nasa’i)

 

  • Narrated by Abu Huraira:”The Prophet used to perform Itikaf every year in the month of Ramadan for ten days, and when it was the year of his death, he stayed in Itikaf for twenty days.”(Bukhari)

 

  • Aisha mentions that: “The Prophet one night stood up for Salah and he stayed in it for so long that I thought the Prophet had passed away or died. When I felt that way I stood up shook his toe and I felt the movement then I laid down again and I heard the Prophet saying in Sajdah “I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praises as You praise Yourself.” (Transliteration: Audhu bi ridaka min sakhatika, wa bi muafatika min uqubatika wa bika minka, la uhsiy thana’an alayka, anta kama athnayta ala nafsika).

When he stood up from the Sajdah he asked Aisha, “do you think God’s Prophet has betrayed you?” Aisha responded “No Prophet of God, because of the long Sajdah I thought you had died.” (Hadith from Baihaqi)

 

PROPHET’S DA’AWAH CONSISTED OF:

  1. Calling to the religion of Islam
  2. Calling to tawheed (Oneness of Allah) and Imaan in Allah (S.W.)
  3. Standing firm to the word of God
  4. Enjoining good and forbidding evil
  5. Showing exemplary manners and good behaviour.

 

STYLES OF DOING DA’AWAH

  1. Individual approaches:

The prophet peace be upon him would talk, discuss and call individuals to Islam at the market, on the way, and at any opportunity he got. It is said that he went to visit Abu Jahl 70 times to call him to the true religion.

  1. Group Da’wah

The prophet peace be upon him would sometimes bring together several people at Jabal Abi Qays and inform them of the word of Allah (S.W)

  1. Making promises:

Promises give us hope of what’s to come and make us anticipate the future and all it holds. The prophet peace be upon him having being known as the honest and truthful one, no one used to doubt his words. Therefore, Muhammad peace be upon him would give glad tidings to encourage people to embrace Islam or to increase their imaan.

“During the Hijra (migration from Makkah to Madina), the Prophet (pbuh) met Abu Bakr at his house, and they both traveled to a nearby cave, the Jabal Thur. When the quraysh realized that the Prophet had evaded them, they were furious. They looked for him everywhere and on all roads; they also offered a reward of 100 she-camels for anybody who would bring them the Prophet, dead or alive.

Motivated by the large reward, one of the best trackers in Mecca, Suraqa Ibn Malik, went riding on his horse looking for the Prophet (pbuh) every which way until he found him. Dressed in his armor and sword, Suraqa attempted to kill the Prophet but as soon as he would approach him, his horse would sink into the sand and not budge. He tried several times and when he realized it was a miracle, he said: “Oh Muhammad I know that your religion will spread and that your stance shall rise. Promise me that when you have the upper hand and are in power you will treat me well. I would like you to give me this promise in writing.”

The Prophet ordered Abu Bakr to give him the promise in writing and asked Suraqa to mislead the enemy away from the Prophets hiding place. The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “How would you feel, O Suraqa, when you wear the bracelets of Kisra (the King of Persia at the time Persia)?” There was only one Kisra and everyone knew who this was, but this statement was so shocking that Suraqa ibn Malik had to clarify again: “Kisra!?” The Prophet (saws) said “Yes, Kisra the son of Hermuz.”

These Bracelets were very famous, the equivalent to the Crown Jewels in our days. They were worn by the Persian Kings, who would simply rest their hands in them as a show of power. For a man who was fleeing persecution and on the brink of assassination, this promise seemed hardly possible. Thereafter; Suraqa retreated, and the Prophet proceeded towards Madinah. This was Hijrah, the emigration – a small distance in space, a mighty leap in history, an event that was to become a threshold in the shaping of the Islamic Ummah.

Several years later, Suraqa converted to the religion of Islam and came to Medinah where the Prophet resided. Years passed, and life went on. It was during the Caliphite of ‘Umar Ibn Al Khattab, Suraqa joined the army which later prevailed over the Persians in the battle of Qadisiyya and the booty was brought to Medinah. Among them, was the crown of Kisra, his clothes sewn out of gold thread, his scarf adorned with precious jewels, and his bracelets like which nobody had ever seen before. ‘Umar shouted: “Where is Suraqa Ibn Malik?” So he came and wore the bracelets of Kisra. He walked around with them proudly, tears flooding from his eyes, saying: “Behold, the honest and the trustworthy Muhammad (pbuh) has told the truth after 20 years. He has kept his promise.” ‘Umar then raised his head to the heavens above and said: “Oh Allah, You did not reward this wealth to your Prophet, and he was closer to You and loved by You more than I, neither did You reward this wealth to Abu Bakr and he was closer to You and loved by You more than I, and You gave it to me. I seek refuge from You in what You have given me and hope that this is not a test from You in which I fail.” [imedbham.webs.com. Reference used: “100 Stories from the Life of ‘Umar Ibn Al Khattab” by Muhammad Sedeeq Al Minshawi]

  1. Having discussions and debates

The prophet used to have stimulating conversations, discussions and debates as a way of teaching and imparting knowledge to both muslims and non-muslims. The prophet (s.a.w) once had a conversation with one of the non-muslims. The prophet asked him how many gods he believed in and the qureishi answered that he believed in six gods. The prophet asked him where the gods were and the qureishi answered that five of the gods were in earth and one is in the heavens. The prophet asked the qureishi which god he depended on most when he had difficulties and the qureishi answered that he depended on the one that is in the heavens. The prophet of Allah thus told him that he should then only worship the God that is in the heavens and leave the rest. This was a way of awakening the qureishi and a way of imparting knowledge such that a person could come to self-realization.

  1. Showing kindness

Kindness is the language that all humankind understands and appreciates. What better way to show how beautiful our religion Islam is than to be kind to the people? Muhammad peace be upon him was the most kind human being and naturally, people were drawn to him for that.

Anas bin Malik, radi Allahu ‘anhu, narrated, “The Messenger of Allah was never asked for a thing by one who may be about to accept Islam, except that he would give it. A man came to the Prophet, who gave him a herd of sheep filling an area between two mountains. When that man returned to his people, he said to them: ‘O my people! Embrace Islam. Muhammad gives, like one who has no fear of poverty.’”

Anas, radi Allahu ‘anhu, said the person initially embraced Islam for the sake of the world, but later Islam became dearer to him than the world and what it contains. (Muslim)

P.S I am not a scholar and this is my little effort in spreading the knowledge therefore in case of any mistake/correction/addition needed in this article about the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his life, kindly email me at: info@lubnah.me.ke.

***

Assalam aleykum,

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You may read the first part here:  http://lubnah.me.ke/the-greatness-of-prophet-muhammad-p-b-u-h-pt-1/

In our current times, once someone acquires high status and recognition within their respective communities, most people become rigid and serious with no time to have fun and enjoy with their wives or children. But it is well known that the prophet peace be upon him was very romantic and always made the time to entertain, relax and enjoy with his wives.

 Once the Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) was sitting in a room with Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) and fixing his shoes. It was very warm, and Aisha looked to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. She became overwhelmed by the majesty of that sight and was staring at him long enough for him to notice.
He said, “What’s the matter?” She replied, “If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, “What did he say?” She replied, “Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everyone to see.” So the Prophet, peace be upon him, got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said, “By God, O Aisha, you are like that to me and more.”

 Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) relates the following about her husband, the Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him Upon):
I swear by Allah that I saw Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) standing at the door of my room while the Abyssinians were engaged in spear play in the mosque of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). He screened me with his cloak so I could watch them perform. He stood there for my sake until I decided that I had had enough. Now just imagine how much time a young girl eager for entertainment would stand there watching. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

 ‘A’ishah radiallahu ‘anha said: That she accompanied the Prophet on a certain journey. At that time she was a mere girl and was neither fat nor bulky. The Prophet asked the people to move on, and they marched ahead. Then the Prophet said to me, “Come on, let us have a race.” ‘A’ishah says that she ran and remained much ahead of him. The Prophet kept quiet for some time. Later on when ‘A’ishah grew fat and loose bodied, and she forgot the previous incident. Again she accompanied the Prophet on some journey. The Prophet again asked the people to march ahead, and they moved ahead. Then the Prophet again asked her to have a race with him. This time the prophet defeated her and she lagged behind. Now the Prophet laughed and said, “This is in reply to our previous defeat.” [Ahmad, Safwat as-Safwah, vol. I, p. 68]

 Aisha (May Allah Be Pleased With Her) would often seek reassurance from The Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) that he loved her.
“How is your love for me?” she once asked.
“Like the rope’s knot,” he replied, meaning that it was strong and secure.
Many times after that she would ask, “How is the knot?” and he would reply: “Ala haaliha” meaning “The same as ever!” [Hilya al Awliya]

MUHAMMAD (S.A.W) AS A ROLE MODEL

Muhammad (S.A.W) was known for his compassion, kindness and love for children. He would play around with them and teach them in the most wise and beautiful ways. We get to learn from the best of mankind how to treat and nurture children without aggressiveness or anger, how to influence positive behaviour on them, how to grant them higher self-esteem and make them better and eager learners and Muslims.

 Anas said: The Apostle of Allah was one of the best men in character. One day he sent me to do something, and I said: I swear by Allah that I will not go. But in my heart I felt that I should go to do what the the Messenger of Allah had commanded me; so I went out and came upon boys who were playing in the street. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah, who had come from behind, caught me by the back of the neck, and when I looked at him he was laughing. He said: Go where I ordered you, little Anas. I replied: Yes, I am going, the Messenger of Allah! Anas said: I swear by Allah, I served him for seven or nine years, and he never said to me about a thing which I had done: why did you do such and such? nor about a thing which I left: why did you not do such and such? [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 3, #4755]

 Narrated by Umar ibn Abi Salma (May Allah be please with him): I was a boy under the care of Allah’s Messenger and my hand use to go around the dish (as I was eating) so Allah’s Messenger said to me, ‘Oh boy, Mention the Name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you.’

 Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said to me, “Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and he will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to benefit you, they will not benefit you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gathered together to harm you, they will not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” [Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2516]

 Narrated by Anas: The Prophet (S.A.W) was the best of people in character. I had a brother whose name was Abu ‘Umayr. He said, I think he was weaned, and when he (the Prophet (S.A.W) came he would say, “O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr (a small bird that he kept as a pet)?” [Narrated by Bukhari, 5850; Muslim, 2150.]
Abu ‘Umayr was Anas’s younger brother and Nughayr was his pet that he loved dearly. Unfortunately, Nughayr died and Abu Umayr was really saddened by the event. When the prophet peace be upon him came to visit them, he tried to lift his spirits up by joking with him about his little bird.

 It was narrated that Aisha, said: “Some Bedouin people came to the Prophet(ﷺ) and said: ‘Do you kiss your children?’ He said: ‘Yes’. He said: ‘But we, by Allah, never kiss (our children)’. The Prophet(ﷺ) said: ‘What can I do if Allah has taken away mercy from you?'” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3665]

 Narrated Sahl bin Sad: A tumbler (full of milk or water) was brought to the Prophet who drank from it, while on his right side there was sitting a boy who was the youngest of those who were present and on his left side there were old men. The Prophet asked, “O boy, will you allow me to give it (i.e. the rest of the drink) to the old men?” The boy said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I will not give preference to anyone over me to drink the rest of it from which you have drunk.” So, the Prophet gave it to him. [Sahih al-Bukhari Book 40 Hadith 541]

PROPHET MUHAMMAD AS A DAEE’ AND LEADER

“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.”
[Surat Ahzab: Verse 45]

The prophet peace be upon him was the best, most tactical daee’ there ever could be. He was known for his outstanding way of doing da’awah and convincing the people that Islam is the true religion.

There are some stages that the prophet peace be upon him went through in his da’wah:

1. Khalwah (Isolation) to worship: Before prophethood, Muhammad (S.A.W) used to isolate himself for several days up to one month at Cave Hira, far away from idolatry and the vices of the Quraish.

2. Revelation: This is the first time Jibril aleyhi ssalam was sent to prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and asked him to read.

3. Ba’ath wal Irsal (delegation and being assigned as a messenger): Muhammad (S.A.W) is given the duty as a messenger of Islam to spread the word of Allah (S.W).

4. Start of da’awah: There were two phases here; secret and open da’awah. First, the prophet started with secret calling to Islam whereby forty people reverted including Abubakar, li, Khadija, Uthman and others (Allah’s peace be upon them all). Then came the verses: “Then declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists.” [Surat Hijr: 94] and “And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred.” [Surat Ash-shua’ra: 214] That’s when the prophet peace be upon him started openly calling to Islam to his relatives, at the market, to the pilgrims at the Kaabah and any chance he got.

5. Hijrah to Madina: The prophet and his sahaba were granted permission by Allah (S.W.) to migrate to Madina after the suffering and endless torture from the Qureish.

6. Acquiring support of the Ansar of Madina: The Ansar of Madina helped the prophet and his sahaba; they welcomed them, offered them their homes, food and clothing and pledged to support Muhammad and the flag of Islam to the very end.

7. Allah’s support: Allah (S.W) granted his prophet support and help during the different battles that he fought i.e. battle of Badr, Uhud, Ahzab, Conquest of Makkah etc and He made large numbers of people convert to the true religion.

To be continued…

P.S I am not a scholar and this is my little effort in spreading the knowledge therefore in case of any mistake/correction/addition needed in this article about the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his life, kindly email me at: info@lubnah.me.ke.

***

Assalam aleykum everyone,

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