The Prophet's Smile Notes

Qabeelat Hosna The Prophet’s Smile July 24-26, 2011 Shaykh Yaser Birjas

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More than 1400 years ago, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) traveled from Makkah to the city we know today as Madinah, where he spent ten years before passing away. He was expelled by his own people who rejected his message, and he went to the city of Yathrib. When he arrived, he described that day. He was traveling with his friend Abu Bakr and his guide. There were three of them traveling in the middle of the desert by camel. They traveled by night so that they would not be caught by the people of Makkah. The residents of Madinah were going outside of the city every day waiting for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to arrive. They were so excited and so happy. They endured the heat of the sun waiting for him to arrive. They would do this every day until one day a man from a Jewish tribe who lived in Madinah saw the caravan from a distance. He called, “O people of Yathrib, the man you are waiting for is coming. Everyone ran to meet him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so humble that people did not recognize who he was, and only a few had seen him before that day. The vast majority of the people of Madinah did not know who he was, but they loved him from hearing about his beautiful character. Can you imagine the influence of the reputation of a person before you meet him? Imagine people believing in someone simply because of his beautiful reputation. As he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was coming in with Abu Bakr and the guide, people could not tell who he was because he did not have any special marks and no crown and no entourage. He was like anyone else. The people kept looking to see which man he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) he was, and Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) took off his outer garment and put it over the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to shade him from the sun, so the people then knew who he was. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so humble. His character and akhlāq were captivating. According to Abdullah ibn Al-Harith: “I have never seen anyone who smiles more than him.” Anas ibn Malik said, “I lived with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) for ten years, and he always smiled in my face.” What does this mean to smile in someone’s face? You automatically smile – you know that this is a gesture of happiness. This was the message of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to the world: be positive. Another companion said, “When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to speak, he used to smile when he delivered the message.” The smile of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) captivated the hearts of many people. Many people embraced Islam after looking at him. The story of Abdullah ibn Al-Salam: He was a rabbi from the Jews in Madinah. He said that when he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) arrived, all of the people ran to see him. Out of curiosity, he went as well. He said, “When I looked into his face, I was scrutinizing [i.e. looking at him carefully]. I knew for sure that this cannot be the face of a liar.” For this reason, he took his shahadah. The character of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is an amazing thing. This class will educate us on who he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was, his lifestyle, his conduct so that we know what to say about him.


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One of his qualities: What would he get angry for? 1) Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said he never got angry for anything personal and would only

get angry if people violated the rules of Allah. How could people tell if he was angry? By looking at his face. When they saw that he was not smiling, then they knew that something was wrong or upsetting him.

2) He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was never physical or violent. One time he was sitting with his wife Aisha, and a man passed by and intentionally cursed him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying, “al-saam ‘alayka.” Al-saam means death in Arabic. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Walaykum (and you too).” Aisha responded to the man, “May curse and death be upon you.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told her, “Take it easy.”

3) He never holds grudges. How many people do you know who hold grudges for years? He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) received a gift of milk, and he told the people to go call a man back. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) smiled at the man and told the man to have a drink. The man was relieved and then gave it to other people. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was giving a practical, active response showing him that he would not hold anything against him. The man and the people and we today learn a lesson.

4) Whenever he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) became angry, he would channel the energy to something positive. One day a woman from elite society stole something. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard about someone interceding regarding a rule of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) and obstructing justice, he became extremely angry. The Prophet immediately called for a public gathering in Madinah. He gave a very important speech that laid the foundation of our Islamic system and said, “Those who were before you were destroyed because when the rich stole, they would let them go, but when the poor stole, they would execute justice upon them. Wallahi, you will never be safe until you make them equal.”

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us how to control anger.

1) Say: a’udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajeem. The Shaytan likes to incite hatred and animosity and provokes people.

2) If you can’t say this, he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) suggests to be quiet. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “If someone is angry, it is better to be quiet.” Take a moment and think about what you are about to say.

3) He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “If you get angry and were standing, then sit. If you were already sitting, then lie down.” What does this mean? Diffuse the anger. Instead of taking one step forward, take one step back.

4) A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, “Ya Rasulullah, give me advice.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t be angry.” He said, “Ya Rasulullah, give me another advice.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t be angry.” Then the man again says, “Ya Rasulullah, give me advice.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not be angry.” The man then understood the advice. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is saying to focus. Focus and put yourself together.

5) The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The strong person is the one who is strong by holding himself and controlling himself.” If someone provokes you to get angry, it is a natural reaction to get angry. What is unnatural is to control yourself. How do you do this? He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that you do this by training: “Patience comes through training.” Never accept having a short temper.

6) Forgiveness is the key to solving all of these problems. A man was once asking for his money back. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) pulled his sword out and was about to chase the man. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Ya Umar, take it easy. Pay him


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back and give him more because you scared him.” The man was wrong in the way he asked for the money, but the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used the power of forgiveness.

7) It is not just that you forgive, but be generous with people who hurt you. Al-Hasan Al-Basri heard that some people were backbiting about him, so he sent him some sweets. The man was shocked and asked what it was for, and he said, “You are giving me your hasanat, so I wanted to give you something for that.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Those who control their anger and forgive, Allah rewards those who do good.” How many people claim that they forgive someone but do not do so inside? If you want to show that you have forgiven, then do better.

8) Look at yourself when you get angry. A man once got angry, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told people to look at him. In psychology classes, they teach you how things happen. They ask parents to sit down on the ground and look up at someone standing because this is how kids feel since they are much smaller.

9) Du’a. Ask Allah to help you ease the anger or stress or situation. 10) Wudu’. Make wudu’. When you get angry, your blood starts boiling. You need to cool

down. If wudu’ is not enough, take a shower. From human physiology, you cannot smile when you are angry, so if you do smile, then you let some anger go (you may still be upset). It diffuses the anger. Also, when you are extremely sad, you cannot smile. This is one of the etiquettes of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). One thing to remember in this class – you are going to be living with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as if you see him as a human being that you can relate to him much better. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) attended the last prayer and on the way back they were supporting him walking back and the Prophet said I wish I could live to see my brothers and the people supporting him said aren’t we your brothers o prophet, he said no you are my companions but the people who come after me and believe in me are my brothers.

“Better than you my eyes have never laid upon

and more beautiful than you no woman has given birth to it is as if you were born free from every deficiency

or it is as if you were created as you yourself had pleased.”

This poetry is by Hassan ibn Thaabit.


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A Jewish man who was on top of his house saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr As Sideeq, and their guide coming towards Yathrib. He said, “Your man is coming!” Everyone in the town, Muslim and non-Muslim, came to see the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), but the crowd was confused because they could not recognize him. Abdullah ibn Salaam (a Jewish rabbi) came and he said, “When I saw his face, I knew his face was not the face of a liar.” We are obligated to love the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). No one will have true eman until he loves the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) more than his parents, his children, and all of mankind. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Surah Al Qalam (68:4): “Indeed, you (Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)) are on an exalted standard of character.” Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said: “I served the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) for ten years, and he never asked why I did something or why I did not do something.” Anas was walking and saw children playing. He watched them and then he began playing with them. He felt someone’s hand on his back/neck and then a voice said, “Where did I send you?” He said he never felt a silk softer than the hand of RasulAllah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a human being. In Surah Fussilat (41:6), Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says, “Say (O Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)), ‘I am but a human being like you…’”

Following the example of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam):

- He was very humble and natural When people came to Madinah and into the masjid, they could not distinguish him from his companions. Adiyy ibn Hatim was an Arab Christian leader, and to honor the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), he invited him to his house. He gave him his small mattress to sit on, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sat on the floor. When he saw that, he said that he knew he was like any man. He embraced Islam afterwards.

- He wore whatever was available. He always wore perfume. He ate whatever was available.

It is our duty to protect the honor of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Many of us know the seerah, which is the history, but this class focuses on the human side of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his personality. A man aided the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on a journey, and he said to ask or wish for something in order to reward him. The man said, “Ya Rasulullah, I want to be with you in al-Jannah.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Can you wish for something else that I can guarantee for you?” The man said, “This is what I want.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Then help me to assist you achieve that by making much sujood.” If Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) grants this wish, then he will be in Al Firdous Al ‘Ala.

Can you see the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)? When you love someone, you have the image of that person in your mind. This class will help us to live with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and refute the erroneous allegations against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).


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Section 1 | Love of the Prophet (1a) True Love There are more than 60 words in Arabic for ‘love.’ A common saying out of love for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is ‘I sacrifice my parents for you’ (figuratively).

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are rebellious.” [Al-Tawbah: 24]

In this ayah, Allah is counting the different categories and kinds of love and reminds us to let our love for Allah and His Messenger to be above all. To love your father means your parents in general, and it is an obligatory love. In Fiqh of Love and Love Notes, we explained the meanings of love and explained that it transforms itself depending on the relationship. Each love is different. Love is something practical and something you can do. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) mentions part of the love of parents: never say ‘uff’ to your parents. What does this mean to say ‘uff’? Just blowing air in the face of parents is a major sin. Even behind their back it is a major sin, let alone to speak bad or do something to hurt their feelings. Love of parents is part of Arab culture, which was based on tribal lines and allegiances. The second category of love is your children. This is natural love. When they are young, you love them so much. If someone has an old parent in their 80s or 90s who falls ill and goes in the hospital and is connected to machines and you stand there by their bed, what do you wish for them? You want them to relax. How do they find relaxation? Departing in peace with less pain. If you have in that same bed your five-year-old child, what would you wish for him? You would wish for him to recover because we see our future in our children. The third kind of love: for your brothers. This is familial love, which includes your brothers and their children and extended family. People love beautiful gatherings and special occasions. The fourth category: your spouses. This is al-‘ish, which is sentimental love and feelings towards your spouse. The fifth category: the tribe / clan. Arab culture was based on tribal lines. In the Arab culture, people were living to sacrifice their lives for their tribes. They gave allegiance to their tribes and clans blindly. The sixth category: money that you have earned. “And you love money with passionate love.” Human beings do. Allah says, “And business and trade, that you are afraid it is going to go stagnant.” This speaks about economy. You want the economy to be strong because it relates to


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politics and has a strong say in the world. Allah is saying that we love to be strong economically. The next category: lands. This means nationalism. It is not the actual soil that you stand on, but it is symbolic. Allah says that if you love all of this more than Allah and His Messenger and striving for His Cause, then you have prepared yourself for destruction.

“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to himself than his parents, his children, and all of mankind.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

This means you always think of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and follow this example. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “Ya Rasulullah, wallahi I love you more than anyone except myself.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, “No, ya Umar, it is not enough.” Umar said, “In that case, you are more beloved to me than anyone.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “It is enough now, ya Umar.” When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is most beloved to you, then everything else is easy to achieve.

“There are three qualities for which anyone who is characterized by them will relish the sweetness of faith: he to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than all else; he who loves a man for Allah’s sake alone; and he who has a great abhorrence of returning to disbelief after Allah has rescued it from him, as he has of being cast into the Hellfire.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Your allegiance to people is based on their love of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). This is bonding based on faith and belief in Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). If you hate leaving your faith as much as you hate being exposed to fire, then you have reached a very high level. The Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is more concerned about the believers than they are about themselves. Hadeeth: “My example and your example is that of man that lit a fire in the desert and all the insects come and fall into the fire. And I’m holding tight to your waist (figuratively) and you choose to slip out of my hand.” (1b) Why Love the Messenger? How do you know if someone is falling in love? They become subservient to the person they love. If a man loves his wife so much, he will do whatever she says. 1. Allah has commanded us to love him The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to himself than his parents, his children, and all of mankind.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

In many verses in the Qur’an, Allah says, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.” Obeying is an evidence of love. Show the evidence that you love the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) by


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obeying him. In Surah Al-Imran, Allah says, “Say [O Muhammad], if you truly love Allah, then follow me.” Prove the love through action.

2. Allah loves him Hadeeth: “Allah has taken me as a khalil just as he took Ibrahim as a khalil.” Khalil is higher than habib. Is it proper to call the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ‘Ya Habibi’? Yes, but it is better to call him khalil.

Khalil comes from khulla, which means something is absorbed by something else. Khalil means that the love is absorbed in the heart so much and has taken every piece of the heart. Another meaning: if the love comes between the fine tissue in the heart, it is the highest level of love. Allah called Ibrahim and Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) khalil, meaning most beloved. Are we allowed to call the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ‘habib’? Habib means ‘beloved.’ It is allowed, but it is better to call him Khalil.

3. His beautiful character and impeccable manners We follow him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). “Say to them, ‘If you truly love Allah, then follow me…’” A requirement to fulfill love is to follow and obey. A person with good manners and akhlaq is captured by ihsaan. You are attracted to good manners and good akhlaq. You hate people who have other qualities.

4. None of us will be able to truly emulate him till we love him It is easier to follow his example if you love him. When your children are younger, they follow your example. They make salah with you because they love you, but when they become teenagers, their love starts shifting somewhere else which is why they may not obey immediately.

5. The struggles he went through to make sure Islam would reach us today Read the sirah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Read the challenges he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went through and the pain just for us to become Muslim. In the incident when he was coming down from the mountain of Ta’if, he was bleeding, and the angel Jibril came down to him with the angels of the mountains and said that the angel can finish the people, but he said, “I hope that from these people some will become Muslims.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so forgiving even when he was able to retaliate. 6. His love and concern for us He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “I wish I can live to be with my brothers. I know they will need me in the future.” In Surah Al-Tawbah v. 128, Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says, “There came to you a messenger from amongst yourselves [in another qira’ah: the best among yourselves] and whatever hurts you hurts him.” 7. A person will be raised with those whom he loves A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said that someone loves some people, but he knows that he will not reach their level. (He was hinting at himself and asking what he could do). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave him the good news. A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, “Ya Rasulullah, what do you say about someone who loves the righteous but cannot catch up with him?” The man made it a general question. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The person will be resurrected with


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those whom he loved.” If you loved the righteous people, then you will be with them. What about someone who loves the righteous but is doing a lot of bad deeds? Allah is capable to forgive anyone he wishes, but no one has a guarantee of forgiveness. (1c) Signs of Love for Him 1. Imitating and emulating him 2. Loving what he loves

Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) eating squash or pumpkin (ad-duba) and ever since then, he loved it. A form of ibaadah is to love what he loved out of remembrance and following and emulating him.

3. Loving that with which he was sent (the Quran and Sunnah) 4. Frequently sending salah and salam upon him

5. Loving those whom he loved and those who love him

Abu Bakr – his closest companion Aisha – his most beloved wife We love them out of their relationship to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

6. Frequently remembering his life and ways Observing the halal and haram. Adkhar – when we wake up, when we eat, when we walk in the masjid, when we drive, our cars etc.

7. Encouraging others to study his life and follow his way Part of our duty is to advocate for the message of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

(1d) His Rights Upon Us 1. To believe in him and everything he came with

One of the basic rights is to believe in him and have no doubt in him. If a statement is authenticated and proven to be his statement, action or teaching, then we believe in it. If there is a challenge to your intellect, follow him and seek to understand.

2. To obey him and make him a reference point in our disputes Allah said, “If you ever dispute over anything, refer back to Allah and His Messenger.” How do we do this? Refer back to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Many people come together in marriage upon the sunnah but separate in the courts. Surah An Nisa: “If you dispute about anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger.” Az-Zubayr ibn al Awwam disputed with a man from the Ansar over the water level on their land. He said, “Hold on to the water until it reached this level and then release it.” The man from the Ansar did not like it, and said, “Is it because he is your cousin?” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was very angry and said if this is the case, allow it to go to this level (it was now at a higher level, which was his right but he was trying to help the other man).

3. To study his life


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You should have books in your house on the life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

4. To follow his way and emulate him The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sent to us so that we could follow his example. Should we follow him in everything that he has done? Some of his actions are considered legal Sunnah, which are actions and statements done in his capacity as a messenger. Non-legal Sunnah are actions and statements done in his capacity as a human being such as the foods he liked and the way he walked, and we don’t have to follow these things. 5. To send salah and salam upon him Say: ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad. 6. To honor, love, and respect him 7. To defend him In many Muslim countries, they protest and demonstrate, and people may be killed. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to get angry, but he would channel it into positive ways and means. Section 2 | The Names of the Prophet (2a) The Praised One The name Muhammad is the derived object from the verb ‘ḥamida’ (حمد), which means ‘to praise exceedingly.’ Thus, he is the one who is praised exceedingly. Scholars offer the following reasons as to why:

- He is the most praised by Allah and the angels. - His name is mentioned in the adhan and salah, which are repeated frequently

throughout the day. The adhan is announced five times a day. In Muslim countries, there are thousands of mosques where the adhan is called. In the adhan, we say: ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah. In the salah, we say the tashahhud. Almost in every single minute and perhaps even second on earth, someone is calling the adhan or praying salah.

- His name would go on to be the most used. Ahmad – the one who is the most praised. He is the one who praises Allah the most. Muhammad is ‘the praised one’ and Ahmad is ‘the one who praises the most, the most praising one.’ He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the most praising one because he praised Allah more than anyone else. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “I am the most fearful of Allah among you and the most pious.” (2b) The Story Behind His Name Fabricated stories: it was written on the Throne of Allah, his mother had a dream to name him Muhammad, his grandfather saw something in the sky. The books of seerah mention that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was named by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. When Abdul Muttalib was asked why he named his grandchild a name unknown by his relatives and the people, he responded, “I hope that he will be one who is praised in the heavens and earth.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was born in a special year,


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the Year of the Elephant. The Abyssinians tried to destroy the Ka’bah, and the people asked Allah to protect his house. It was an almost unknown name amongst the Arabs. His kunya: Abu Qasim. In Arab tradition, men and women called each other by the name of the eldest son. His first son was named Qasim. The mushrikeen tried to insult, deride, and ridicule him by calling him a slight variation of his name: Mudhammam (meaning: the most vilified). Some sahabah became upset and asked the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to do something, but he said that they are not talking about him but talking about someone else named Mudhammam. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t you see how Allah is driving them away from cursing me?” (2c) His Lineage Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib (Shaybah) ibn Hashim, (‘Amr) ibn AbdMunaf (AlMughirah) ibn Qusayy (Zayd) ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fahr (Quraysh) ibn Malik ibn An-Nadr (Qays) ibn Kinanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah (Amir) ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma’ad ibn Adnan. Reported by Bukhari The biography of each person in this line has been preserved in books of history. The connection from Adnan to Ismail is not authentic. This is the only authentic line that we know of. It does connect to Ismail because he said so, and his forefather is Ibrahim. Ibn Al Qayyim mentions that the scholars are in agreement, up and until Adnan. Thereafter, they differ not only on the names, but also on the number separating him and Prophet Ibrahim (alayhi salaam). Was there anyone named Muhammad before the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)? In books of history, this is controversial. We do know that there were people named Muhammad after him. (2d) His Other Names A principle in the Arabic language states, “The more names an object has, the more prestigious and magnificent it is.” Based on this principle, we realize why Allah and the Day of Judgment have so many names. When it comes to the names of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), scholars have attempted to enumerate them. Imam Al Suyuti came up with roughly 500 different names. whereas the Maliki scholar Ibn Al Arabi lists close to a thousand different names for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Here is a small glimpse into those names: It is related that Jubayr ibn Mu’tim said that the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad. I am al Mahi, the Effacer by whom Allah will efface disbelief. I am al Hashir, the gatherer, after whom people will be gathered, and I am al ‘Aqib, there will be no Prophet after me.” [Bukhari]


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Muhammad and Ahmad are both mentioned in the Quran. ‘Isa will come back, but he is coming to complete and continue his mission. In the first volume of Ibn Al Qayyim’s book Za’d al Ma’ad (Provision of the Traveler) gathered some names, which some say are attributes and not names:

- Al Mutawakil - Messenger of Tawbah - Nabiyy al Rahma (the prophet of rahma) - Al Fatih (conqueror of Makkah) - Al Amin (the trustworthy) - Al Saadiq - Al Bashir (the one who brings good news) - Al Mustafa (the chosen one) - Al sayyid al walid ibn Adam - Ta Ha and Ya Seen – some mufasireen say that these are names of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu

‘alayhi wa sallam), which is a minority opinion. These are not names and not descriptions of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). They are just letters related to the surahs.

We are allowed to call him by his attributes. Are we allowed to use the kunya Abu Qasim? In Bukhari, there is a hadeeth where the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked if they could name their sons Muhammad or Abu Qasim, and he said to name children after him but not to use his kunya. The ‘ulema argued about the meaning of this hadith. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim in Za’ad Al Ma’ad said this prohibition was limited to his time only because people would be confused if they heard “Abu Qasim said such-and-such” so to remove any confusion, they were not allowed to name their sons Abu Qasim, and when he passed away, the prohibition was removed. Imam Shafi’ee said it is prohibited until the Day of Judgment to use the kunya Abu Qasim. The majority debated the authenticity or say that it was only during the life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to avoid confusion. (2e) His Mention in the Scriptures (2e.i) The Quran The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was mentioned five times by name in the Quran: 4 by Muhammad and 1 by Ahmad.

“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful.” [Al Imran: 144]

This ayah was revealed at Uhud when the companions thought the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was killed


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“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” [Al Ahzab: 44]

What is the meaning of this ayah?

- No one today can claim that he is directly from the line of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) because none of his sons survived. This protects against any claim to the throne after him. Leadership is because of the most qualified and not necessarily because of the line. The family of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is not big. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The fastest people to die and perish is the Quraysh [meaning his family].”

- It is incorrect that it means all of his children died. - The cancellation of the adoption system – referring to Zayd ibn Haritha - All of the people who attribute themselves to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) go through Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib

“And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from their misdeeds and rectify their condition.” [Muhammad: 2]

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sewers – so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.” [Al Fath: 29]

Allah tells us that He mentioned him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the Tawrah. Musa spoke to his people about those who will come with the last prophet. The prophet ‘Isa was also given the description of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

“And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.’ But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, ‘This is obvious magic.’” [Al Saff: 6]

Why can you not find these descriptions in the books today? Read the book Misquoting Jesus, which is the story about who changed the Bible and why. This book speaks about the story of the compilation of the gospels and why there are so many modifications that were made until this time. We don’t need the support from the Gospel or Tawrah to prove the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We don’t need to prove that he was mentioned in the Gospel because we already have the proof in the Qur’an, and Allah tells us. (2e.ii) The Torah and Gospels


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According to the Jews and Christians, Muhammad is not mentioned in their books. In Sahih Bukhari, in a hadith of Amr ibn Al ‘As: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was mentioned by name in the Torah, but they changed the name.

“And the Lord said unto me, ‘They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.’” [Deuteronomy 18:17-19]

“like unto thee”: Try to make a comparison between Musa and ‘Isa. The Christians say ‘Isa is the son of God. ‘Isa was born from a mother without a father, and his birth was miraculous. The birth of Musa was not miraculous. The birth of Muhammad was also not miraculous but normal. Musa and Muhammad both had long lives, but according to the Christians, ‘Isa is not yet dead. The description does not fit ‘Isa, but it fits Muhammad. ‘Brethren’ in the English dictionary does not mean a brother but means cousin. ‘Isa was of Bani Israil, but Muhammad was from the cousins. According to the Christians, the Gospel is the words inspired by God to the scribes.

“And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot read.’” [Isaiah 29:12]

What is this story? If you read any book of sirah or tafsir, you will find this story there of when he was in the cave and the angel came and squeezed him and told him to read. This is the description of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” [John 16:7]

To get the full story, read 16:7-26 and John 14:16 and John 14:26. The description speaks about the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

“The disciples answered, ‘O Master, who shall that man be of whom you speak, who shall come into the world?’ Jesus answered with joy of heart, ‘He is Muhammad, Messenger of God, and when he comes into the world, even as the rain makes the earth to bear fruit when for a long time it has not rained, even so shall he be occasion of good works among men, through the abundant mercy which he shall bring. For he is the white cloud full of the mercy of God, which mercy God shall sprinkle upon the faithful like rain.” [Barnabas 163]

Muslim sources say the book of Barnabas explicitly used the name of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but the Christians now deny this was ever a part of the Bible.


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Jesus answered, “Believe me, Barnabas, that every sin, however small it be, God punishes with great punishment, seeing that God is offended at sin. Wherefore, since my mother and my faithful disciples that were with me loved me a little with earthly love, the righteous God has willed to punish this love with the present grief, in order that it may not be punished in the flames of hell. And though I have been innocent in the world, since men have called me ‘God,’ and ‘Son of God,’ God, in order that I be not mocked of the demons on the Day of Judgment, has willed that I be mocked of men in this world by the death of Judas; making all men to believe that I died upon the cross. And this mocking shall continue until the advent of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, who, when he shall come, shall reveal this deception to those who believe in God’s Law.” Having thus spoken, Jesus said, “you are just, O Lord our God, because to you only belongs honor and glory without end.” [Barnabas 220]

Christians have some refutations – Book by Catholic Priest Jeff Childers: Answering the Attempt to find Muhammad in Biblical Prophecy Review Is it permissible to call the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) “habib”? Yes, it is permissible. It is better to call him khalil. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said in a hadeeth in Sahih Muslim five days before he passed away, “I do not accept (i.e. I am innocent / free) from... Allah chose me to be a khalil like He chose Ibrahim to be a khalil. If I could choose a khalil from amongst you, I would choose Abu Bakr…” It is a higher degree or level of love to call him khalil. Signs that you love the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): emulate him / follow his example, send salawat upon him, love those whom he loved (Aisha, his family, his companions), defend him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had many names, including: al amin, Muhammad, Ahmad, Al Hashr, Al Aqab. These are not specific names of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but are names derived from attributes of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). In one hadeeth, he named himself by five names. Other names have been given by other people. What is the difference between Muhammad and Ahmad? Muhammad means the praised one. Ahmad means the one who praises a lot. How is his name praised? The adhaan is called all over the world, the tashahhud. How do we explain the meaning ‘the one who praises a lot’? He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) praised Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) more than anyone else. For example, he would say alhamdulillah in almost every affair (i.e. after waking up, before eating, before giving a speech). What is the kunya of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)? Abu Qasim. Can you call yourself Abu Qasim? The majority of the fuqaha said yes, but Imam Shafi’ee said that it is prohibited because people were known by their kunyas and it was confusing if people had the same kunya. (After the death of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), this is no longer a cause for confusion). In the Quran: 4 times by the name Muhammad and one time by Ahmad (he was called this by ‘Eesa (alayhi salaam)). Allah called him by “Messenger of Allah” many times in the Qur’an.


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YouTube: The Prophet in the Torah, The Absolute Truth about Muhammad in the Bible. Section 3 | The Characteristics of the Prophet (ṣal la l lāhu ‘a layhi wa sal lam ) Books on this topic in English: Al Shama’il by Imam At Tirmidhi, Za’d Al Ma’ad (The Provision of the Traveler) by Ibn Al Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Ash-Shifa by Al-Qadhi ‘Iyad, The Personality of Allah’s Messenger by AbdulWaajid Khan There are many books speaking on one quality of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) such as his mercy and etiquettes. (3a) The Muhammadan Characteristics Ash-shama’il muhammadiyyah is a study of the characteristics, traits, and attributes of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). These characteristics include, and are not restricted to, his physical demeanor, his character/manners, and those things which were exclusive to him. The ulema collected the statements from the companions in one collection. In Bukhari and Muslim, there are thousands of ahadith. However, not all of these ahadith talk about his characteristics. The ulema looked at the ahadith where the companions described him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). It is an exclusive study of the characteristics, traits, and attributes of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). In the Arabic language, we call these ash-shama’il muhammadiyyah. There is a book translated into English written by Imam At Tirmidhi, which is a collection of ahadeeth. The categories of characteristics are:

1. His physical demeanor (khalqiyyah): how he looked, his face, his body, his hair, everything related to his person (personal preferences, clothes, food) and lifestyle

2. His characters and manner (khulooqiyyah): this includes his manners and dealing with the people, children, his wives, and friends; his character as a family man

3. Exclusive to him (khasaa’is): This can be divided further into categories. Some are related to him as a prophet for his ummah and also as a prophet among the other prophets. These can be related to him as a human being or prophet of Allah. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “My eyes fall asleep, but I’m always awake.” This is exclusive to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Also, he married more than four wives, which is exclusive to him.

(3b) How does the Shama’il differ from Seerah? The Seerah is a detailed study of the life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), usually from the angle of chronological events starting from before his birth until he died. Seerah usually focuses on milestones such as when he first received revelation, battles, and the hijrah. It does not focus on the fine details of his life. The Shama’il are void of chronology and focus more on who the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was as an individual and his character and personality. It is quite common for a book of seerah to have a section on the Shama’il of the Prophet. Shama’il is a specific chapter from the seerah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). However, in the seerah, you follow the chronological order of his life (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)


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and begin from before he was born, and everything is put in a historical context. In the shama’il, you follow the traits regardless of the chronological order or historical context. The main focus of the study of the shama’il is the characteristics of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) regardless of the historical context. Also, usually the seerah focuses on the role of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a messenger. The shama’il focuses on the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a human being. This study is for you to attach yourself to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his noble character. (3c) The Physical Description of the Prophet Poem by Hassan ibn Thaabit:

When I saw his light shining forth, In fear I covered my eyes with my palms,

Afraid for my sight because of the beauty of his form. So I was scarcely able to look at him at all.

The lights from his light are drowned in his light And his face shines out like the sun and moon in one.

A spirit of light lodged in a body like the moon, A mantle made up of brilliant shining stars.

I bore it until I could bear it no longer. I found the taste of patience to be like bitter aloes.

I could find no remedy to bring me relief Other than delighting in the sight of the one I love.

Even if he had not brought any clear signs with him, The sight of him would dispense with the need for them.

Muhammad is a human being but not like other human beings. Rather he is a flawless diamond and the rest of mankind is just stones.

Blessings be on him so that perhaps Allah may have mercy on us On that burning Day when the Fire is roaring forth its sparks.

Hassan ibn Thaabit was from the people of Madinah and a poet. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) arrived in Madinah, the some of the mushrikeen gathered some money and went to him and tried to bribe him to ridicule the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He went to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and met him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and saw nothing but good, he could not do what they asked him to do, so he gave the money back. He believed in Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and became a Muslim and composed poetry describing him. He became the official poet of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Today, after 1400 years, we have almost the full collection of the poems of Al-Hassan called the Diwan. This poem describes the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) when he first saw him. People would be mesmerized by his image and character before they heard him speak. (3c.i) The Physical Description and Beauty of the Prophet


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Who would be the best person to describe you? Your parents, your spouse, your child, or someone who is always with you. These people could describe the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) because they were with him all the time. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he grew up in the house of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He knew everything about the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Ali (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) described the noble features of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “The Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was neither very tall nor short, but of a medium stature amongst his people. His hair was neither very curly nor very straight, but had a slight wave in it. He did not have a big body or a round face, but his blessed face was slightly round. His complexion was white with redness in it. His blessed eyes were extremely black. His eyelashes were long. The joints of the body were large, as was the portion between the two shoulders broad and fully fleshed. He had no excessive hair on his body. He had a thin line of hair running from the chest to the navel. His hands and feet were fully fleshed. When he walked, he lifted his legs with vigor, as if he were descending to a low-lying place. When he addressed a person he turned his whole body towards that person. The Seal of Prophethood was situated between his shoulders. He was the last of all prophets. He was the most generous and the most truthful. He was the most kind-hearted and came from a most noble family. Any person who saw him suddenly would become awe-inspired. Anyone who describes his noble features can only say, ‘I have never seen anyone like the Messenger of Allah, not before him, not after him.’” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so strong that he could jump on the horse without the saddle, but he didn’t have a huge body. He had square shoulders and muscles. People built natural muscles from their everyday activities. When the companions talked about the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they talk about him in full detail, showing how much love they had for him in their hearts.

Jabir ibn Samra (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “I once saw the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on the night of a full moon. On that night, he wore red clothing. At times I looked at the full moon and at times at the Messenger of Allah. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that the Messenger of Allah was more handsome, beautiful, and more radiant than the full moon.” [Shama’il al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ad Darimi, Abu Hakim]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never wore a plain red suit (it would be striped or have a pattern). Notice that out of their excessive love for him, the companions paid attention to details. Today we don’t really see the beauty of the full moon. At that time, at night all they would see was the moon. The scholars would write books under the light of the moon. (3c.ii) The Seal of Prophethood


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The description of the seal of prophethood was mentioned in the old scriptures, and this was mentioned by Salman Al Farsi and others.

Abdullah ibn Sarjas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “I came to the Messenger of Allah while people were sitting in his company. I went around to his back and the Messenger of Allah understood what I was trying to do. He removed the shawl from his back. I saw the place of the Seal of the Prophethood between his two shoulders. It was like a cluster surrounded by moles which appeared to be like a tag. I came in front of the Messenger of Allah and said to him, ‘May Allah forgive you’ and he replied, ‘May Allah forgive you too.’ The people then began to question if the Messenger of Allah had supplicated for my forgiveness, and I replied, ‘Yes, and for you too, because Allah has said, ‘O Muhammad, seek forgiveness for yourself and the believers, male and female.’” [Shama’il al-Tirmidhi]

This sign has many descriptions:

- It is the size of the egg of a quail (the size of a pigeon’s egg) - The location is between the shoulders - It is towards the left side of the shoulders of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) - It has some hairs growing from it, meaning that it is something natural - The skin was raised (it looked like the surface of a cauliflower) - If looks something similar to the shape of a closed fist - Rounded by moles, meaning it has dark color - Rough skin (it looks like a wart) - It has a reddish color (light brown / dark red)

There is no evidence that the mark had any writing on it. Was the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) born with this, or did it appear later in his life? Shaykh Yaser could not find an answer for this, but it was visible to people when he was a messenger. What is the significance of the seal of the prophethood? Those who read the scriptures would see it and testify that he is a prophet. Salman Al-Farsi was the son of one of the ministers in the Persian palace, but he felt spiritually empty and couldn’t believe in the religion of his people, so he started exploring. In Persia, there were many monasteries, and he passed by one and they told him about believing in one God. His family tried to prevent him from traveling to Al-Shaam, but he escaped and fled to Syria. He asked about a prominent scholar of the faith, and he was sent to a church, but he discovered that when he died, the man was hoarding money from the church. He then asked for someone who was prominent in faith, and he traveled and went to him. This priest was about to die, and Salman asked about another scholar and was sent to another city. He was then sent to a third person who told him before dying, “I do not know anyone following the monotheistic faith, but you are living in the time of a prophet.” He gave a description of the land where the prophet will come from and gave him three signs: he doesn’t eat from charity, he eats from gifts, and he has a mark on his back. While he was traveling, he was captured and sold by a slave. The Jewish man took him to Yathrib, and when Salman saw the city, he knew that it was the city of the prophet. Salman Al Farsi had three signs to test the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with: he accepts gifts, he does not accept charity, and the seal between the shoulders. He (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu)


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brought food to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and gave him food as charity. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told the people around him to eat, but he did not eat from it. Salman Al Farsi then brought more food and gave it to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a gift. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called the people to eat and also ate with them. He then tried to see the seal, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) knew what he was trying to see, so he lowered his garment to make it easier for Salman to see. When Salman saw the seal, he hugged the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from behind and kissed him and wept. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) brought him in front of him and he kept crying. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked him about his story, and Salman told him how he had been searching for decades. Salman Al Farsi owed his master 100 palm trees for his freedom so he asked the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to help him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to let him know when he dug the holes for the trees, and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) blessed each tree so they did not die. Salman lived in slavery for many years, and when he became a free man, he was an expert in many fields. He helped the Muslims in the Battle of the Trench with the knowledge he had from Persia. Salman Al Farsi lived during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar as khulafa. He became the first governor of Persia for the khalifah in Madinah. After so many years, he returned back as governor. (3cii) The Blessed Hair of the Prophet

Qatadah ibn Di’amah as-Sadusi relates, “I asked Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu), ‘How was the hair of the Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘It was not very curly, nor very straight. It had a slight twist and was a bit curled, and reached till his ear-lobes.’” [Shama’il al-Tirmidhi]

Anas ibn Malik (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports, “I did not count more than fourteen white hairs on the head and beard of Allah’s Messenger.” [Shama’il al-Tirmidhi]

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had hair and would comb his hair, meaning he

maintained it. - His hair was not too curly and not too straight - The hair was dark (darkest shade of brown) or black in color. This is a common description

of the hair of the Arabs. - There are different narrations on the hair length: Reached his ear lobes, below his ears,

between his ears and shoulders, below his shoulders. He would have long hair and short hair, and sometimes he would shave. He grew his hair as part of custom and tradition.

- He would comb his hair to the front, and sometimes it would be on his forehead - He would part the hair in the middle, sometimes on the side - Some narrations state that he would tie his hair in four braids. - He would maintain his hair in the best way possible, and he ordered us to do this.

“Whoever has long hair should honor it (i.e. take care of it and maintain it).” He would practice al-tarajjul, which is to use oil. He would do this every now and then (not every day).

- He would use oil in his hair and comb it nicely so that it was not disheveled. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would also use oiled perfume on his beard. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) would put the oil in his hair and made sure that he smelled nice. When the Prophet


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(ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would walk outside, people would see the reflection of the sun on the oil in the hair.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would dye his hair and beard. At that time, the people used henna, khatm (a dark reddish color), and a dark color. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to prefer khatm which had a darker color between brown and a dark red color. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once saw the father of Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) when he became Muslim, and he had white hair. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to change the color but not change it to black because that would be deceiving. Can you use a natural color? It is fine. You can use a dark brown. Do not use black because it was prohibited by the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Some of the ulema say that it is sunnah for those who have white hair to dye it. Some ulema say to avoid the original color of the hair because it would be deceitful. So if someone was blonde, do not dye it blonde but a color close to it. You can use hair dye. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade the black hair color because it was the common color of hair back then; therefore, avoid the original color of the hair. (Go less by one or two degrees). Are highlights ok? Yes.

- The white hair only grew on the side of his beard, and a little under the lower lip, and a little in the middle of the head. Some narrations said that he had eleven, fourteen, or white hairs. They were mainly in the middle of his head, and some on his beard. He grew the grey hair because of Surah Hud, which speaks of previous nations and their rejection of their prophets.

- His beard was described as adheema (great, huge). People could recognize him making dhikr from the vibration of his beard from behind. Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) noticed the beard of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) moving at the beginning of the salah, and he asked him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) what he recited in the silence. Some sahabah described the beard as reaching the chest. The beard was dark black.

Did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ever trim his beard? The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) encouraged people to maintain a long beard. Dying hair completely black is not acceptable for women or men. Some ulema say that it is about the color black and other ulema say that it is about dying to the original hair color so that there is no deception. Shaykh Yaser is inclined to the opinion that it is about the original hair color. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) styled his hair in a certain way, he was doing what the people of his culture were doing. Is there any authentic chain that the hairs that people say they have are from the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (i.e. in Turkey)? At the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), people would keep the hair with oil and use it for barakah and healing. We have lost trace of the items and should not attach our hearts to them. What is the ruling on shaving one side of the head and leaving the other part? The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade us from doing this. You cannot just shave one side and leave the hair or on top or just shave the top and leave the bottom. (3c.iv) The Prophet’s Garments


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Umm Salamah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) relates, “Of all the clothing, the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) preferred wearing the qamis the most.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Ibn Abbas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) says that the Messenger of Allah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) used to say, “Choose white clothing, as it is the best clothing. And bury your dead in it.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says in Surah Al A’raf 7:26: “O children of Adam, We have sent down for you libas in order to cover your ‘awrah and adorn yourselves. However, the boundaries of taqwa, piety and righteousness, are the best.” If a person does not wear the garments of taqwa, he will be walking around naked even if he has clothes on. It is permissible to adorn your clothing. This ayah addresses all human being regardless of religion. What is the difference between clothes and feathers? Libas are essentials, and feathers are accessories. It is permissible to beautify clothes. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah does not look at your image. He sees your heart and actions.” From the ahadeeth: - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would put on what was available without

demanding anything. We have a culture of branding everything. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore what was customary and in the market (i.e. not something wild).

- He would wear average, customary clothes as long as it was something halal (i.e. not silk, not revealing the awrah).

- Used clothes made of cotton, wool, linen, and other material available at the time. Wool at that time was a sign of poverty.

- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had special clothes for Eid and jumu’ah. He would wear this clothing whenever he met delegations.

- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to take care of his clothes: always smelled clean and nice.

- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) loved to wear white but also wore other colors. The ulema say that “red suit” does not mean that it is completely red because the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade men from wearing something completely red. Hulla (suit) in Arabic means made of two pieces (i.e. similar to Pakistani clothing). The hadith says mu‘asfar, which is a shade in the spectrum of red. It is disputable amongst the ulema and some say it is yellow or orange and others say red.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore qamis, which is a shirt. The thawb / dishdash is a qamis. The length would be to the middle of his calf. Many times people would wear a qamis with nothing underneath it, but sometimes it would come with an izhar.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would not let the izhar go below the ankles. The average length of his thawb was in the middle of his calf, and the sunnah for the length is to match the customary length / tradition.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade men to wear pure silk. It is permissible to wear artificial silk. If the clothing has an insignificant amount of silk, then it is ok to wear it.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade us from wearing clothing to show off (libas ash-shuhra). Wear what is customary to the area you are living in. Match the culture of your society.


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- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wear clothes from other regions like Yemen and Al-Shaam.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade men and women to dress like the opposite gender.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore the turban as part of Arab tradition. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore different fashions and clothes of different

traditions. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) put on Roman and Yemeni clothes. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would put on his clothes starting with the right

hand. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mentioned the Name of Allah when he wore clothing. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would say: ‘I ask you for the good of what this was created for and protection from the evil of what is possesses / made for’ when wearing new clothes.

O Allah, for You is all praise, You have clothed me with it (i.e. the garment), I ask You for the good of it and the good for which it was made, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of it and the evil for which it was made.

The Arabs of his time would wear a single cloth (izhar) around the waist, ridda with the izhar, turban. The ridda was often for special occasions. There are no special recommendations to cover the hair or to dress like this. The iqal was used to tie the legs of the came when they dismounted, and they would tie it around themselves so that they did not use it. Often it is a modern fashion statement in the Gulf. They also wore shawls in cold weather. One time he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was walking in the market with Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu). Umar saw a nice suit and said, “Ya Rasulullah, why don’t you buy this for when you meet delegations?” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) liked the idea and bought it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wear clothes and shoes starting with his right side. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would not allow his thawb to go below his ankles. (3c.v) The Prophet’s Sandals The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was humble and like an average man and would wear what others wore. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said that he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would fix his sandals with his own hands. Visualize the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sitting on the floor and fixing his own sandal.


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Qatadah reports, “I asked Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) to describe the sandals of Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he replied, ‘Each sandal had two straps.’” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi] Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) relates that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whenever one of you puts on his shoes, he should begin with the right, and when he removes his shoes, he should begin with his left. The right foot should be first when putting on and last when removing.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore sandals. Shoes were not necessarily in the Arab tradition. In the winter, they would wear leather socks and sandals. Until this day, this is the common practice in the Arabian Peninsula. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade us from walking while wearing one sandal with the other foot bare. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to either wear them both or take them both off. The ulema say that this is to be just and fair to your feet. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recommended for us to walk around barefoot sometimes. Why? People are so used to luxury and age fast because the brain does not know how to handle changes. One example: when old people get older, they don’t know how to walk as easily because they are used to wearing shoes for their whole life, so their brain has been trained that everything is soft and level. If they are unable to wear shoes because of arthritis or swelling, they cannot because the brain doesn’t know how to help them walk. Every now and then, walk barefoot in and outside of your house. For example, walk barefoot to pick up the mail. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to command the companions to sometimes walk barefoot. Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen would come to fajr salah walking barefoot. When the salah was finished, he would be driven back. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) saw that the feet of his son were soft, and he told his son, “Roughen up a little bit because these blessings don’t last forever.” Online you will find some sandal styles attributed to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Allahu ‘Alam. Does tanning the skin lift the prohibition? For example, we cannot eat the flesh of an animal with fangs, but can we use their skin? Are you allowed to tan the skin of a predatory animal like lions, tigers and snakes and use them? Many ulema say that it is accetable to use it as long as it is permitted to hunt the animal (i.e. it is not an endangered animal). (Shaykh Yaser agrees with this opinion). (3c.vi) The Prophet’s Ring

Ibn Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates that “Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a ring made of silver. He used it as a stamp on letters, but did not always wear it.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore silver rings. When he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore the ring, he had a purpose.


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While the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was in Makkah and for a few years in Madinah, he did not wear any rings. After Hudhaybiyah, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) started to initiate correspondences with the surrounding states, and some of the ansaris who knew about the Jewish and Christian traditions said that the Romans and Persians do not accept letters that are not officially sealed. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked for a seal to be made for him with the inscription: Muhammadan Rasulullah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to wear the ring because it was most easily accessible. He did it because the ring served a purpose. (Ulema disagree as to whether wearing a ring is sunnah or not). Some ulema say that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had it on his left hand most of the time while others said that he wore it on his right hand. Shaykh Yaser is more inclined to the opinion that he wore it on his left hand to keep his right hand free. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore the ring flipped inwards to protect it from scratching. When he went to the bathroom, he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would take the ring off. The seal said “Muhammadan RasulAllah.” What happened to the ring? It became the official seal of the state, so Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) used it afterwards. Then it passed on to Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) and Uthman (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu). The ring was then lost. Uthman (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) was taking water from a well called arees, and the ring fell off of his hand into the well. There is a hikmah of this ring being lost and ulema say that this was a rahmah and ni’ma from Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) because Uthman (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) was assassinated by extremists in the Muslim community. People would have fought over the ring and claimed the official seal of the state. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was also seen wearing rings with Abyssinian stones, indicating that it is permissible to wear rings for decoration. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wear rings on the right and left hands. (3c.vii) The Prophet’s Sword

Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports that “the handle of the sword of the Prophet of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was made of silver.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Ibn Qayyim counted nine swords of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and seven armors. The handle of the sword was made of silver. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) entered Makkah, he had a sword with a handle of gold and silver. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wear a helmet when going into war. People would carry a banner (white, black, or yellow). (3c.viii) The Prophet’s Turban

Ibn Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports, “When the Messenger of Allah fastened an ‘amāmah, he used to put the shamlah between his shoulders.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wore white and black turbans. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so generous with his clothes, and if someone asked him for something, he would give it to him.


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As-Sahab (white like the cloud) was the name of one of his turbans. A sahabi gave him a nice suit, he wore it once, and then a sahabi asked if he could have it, so he went home, took it off and gave it to the man. The sahaba began blaming the man and then he said, “I wanted it to be my burial shroud.” Is it Sunnah to wear a turban? No, because it is a custom. (3d) The Etiquettes of the Prophet (3d.i) The Walk of the Prophet

Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “I did not see anyone walk faster than the Messenger of Allah. It was as if the earth folded for him. A few moments ago he would be here, and then there. We found it difficult to keep pace when we walked with him, and he walked at his normal pace.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) walked quickly and was active, showing energy. He was firm and fast when walking. Ulema say students of knowledge have to be fast in three things: eating, writing, and walking. Eating kills the time and momentum, and you don’t want to eat too much. When writing, if you pay attention to the punctuation and use different colors, then you will miss knowledge. Being fast while walking does not include driving fast on the highway. A man was trying to be humble, so he was leaning forward and slouching while walking. Umar saw him and asked him if something was wrong, and the man replied that nothing was wrong. Umar raised his stick and told the man to walk properly or he would beat him. Descriptions of the walk of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): - He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would walk as if he was descending from a height. His

shoulders were square and his back was straight and firm. - Sometimes the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would walk alone. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would walk with his sahabah. He would stay in the

back of the group because the angels came behind the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he wanted the angels to surround the companions as well.

- Sometimes the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) walked with slippers and other times he walked barefoot. He commanded us to walk barefoot because the ni’ma of Allah does not stay forever. Roughen yourself a little because the ni’ma will not last forever.

How did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sit? He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was never seen showing any signs of kibr (arrogance) in the way he walked or sat. Sometimes he would sit crouching on the ground. When they ate, they would crouch down and eat, and this is done until this day in Arab culture. Sometimes he would sit with his legs crossed. He was also seen sitting in the position of tashahhud. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would lie down in the masjid on his back with his legs crossed (very casual) with his hands behind his head. Sometimes he would lean on something either on his left or right side. He was also seen with his legs crossed and held between his arms, and he would wear a rida to cover himself while in this position (don’t sit in that position in the masjid unless you have a rida because it prevents you from exposing yourself). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade men from sitting like this unless they were completely covered.


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There are reports that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sat in a chair. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was giving khutbah, and a man asked, “Teach me about the religion.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) interrupted the khutbah and sat in a chair with a frame made of steel. Chairs at that time were not very common. There are many reports of people coming to the masjid to look for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and they could not tell who he was because he was very normal. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) forbade us from lying on our stomachs whether for sleeping or resting. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that this is the position of the people of the fire of Hell. [What about for babies? If it is for a baby because he/she is more comfortable on the stomach to relieve gas, then it is fine.] Adi ibn Hatim, an Arab Christian, came to Madinah because his sister was captured in a battle so that he could ransom her. He was the leader of his tribe. When he saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), he said, “I knew we wasn’t a king. [i.e. he wasn’t arrogant].” In Sunan Abi Dawud: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was never seen eating off of a table. He always had the food on the floor. (3d.ii) The Eating and Drinking of the Prophet

Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “The Messenger of Allah used to lick his three fingers after having eaten.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that you do not know where the barakah of the food is. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would try to leave nothing in the dish. Use a spoon, your hands, or a piece of bread to clean the plate. The sunnah is to not be greedy while eating and to eat in the way that is customary. If you know that you cannot finish everything in your plate, what do you do? Do not take more food than you can eat.

Umar ibn Abi Salamah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) came to the Messenger of Allah while food was being served to him. The Messenger of Allah said, “O my son, come near, recite bismillah, and eat with your right hand from that portion which is in front of you.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi] Amr ibn Shu’ayb’s grandfather (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) relates, “I had seen the Messenger of Allah drinking water whilst standing and also whilst sitting.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said, “The drink most liked by the Messenger of Allah was that which was sweet and cold.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Etiquettes: - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) always remembered the Name of Allah before and

after eating. Say bismillah before starting, and say at least alhamdulillah after finishing. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would eat with three fingers. Eating with a spoon

is also Sunnah because you are using only three fingers. Which is better? Follow your


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culture. What if there is a mixed culture and people are doing both? Be polite as much as possible while you eat.

- Eat from that which is in front of you. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would lick his fingers after finishing. - Do not use your left hand while eating. In the Arab tradition, they keep the left hand

behind their back while they eat, and if they are trying to tear a piece of bread, they would use their right hand and have someone else help them. Now, it is more acceptable to use your left hand to assist yourself while eating. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that the Shaytan eats with the left hand. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saw a man eating with his left hand, and the man replied, out of arrogance, that he could not. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “You may never be able to.” The sahabah said that he was never seen raising his right hand again (i.e. he was paralyzed).

- It is permissible to use a knife while eating. - The bread of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was made out of barley grain. He did

not eat refined bread. Because it was hard and stiff, they would soak it in soup. - Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said that their food was water and dates. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never ate on a table. This was their tradition. - One of his favorite dishes was crumbs of bread in a soup with meat on top. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ate chicken, wild birds, olive oil. He loved the squash or pumpkin. He loved sweets and honey. It was narrated that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ate meat that was barbecued. He loved the forearm or the shoulder of the meat. He ate cooked meat. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never filled his stomach two consecutive days with garlic bread. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never ate flat bread. Why? When it is flat, then the flour has been refined to make it easy to make in that way. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) loved to eat leftover food. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never criticized food or meat. If he disliked a food, then he would abstain from it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would go hungry and would satisfy his hunger. It is not a sunnah to starve yourself, and it is not a sunnah to stuff yourself. One time the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was served roasted dhabb, and when he was told what it was, he pulled his hand away. Khalid ibn Walid asked, “Is it prohibited?” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No. It is not common from my homeland so I don’t like it.” Khalid ibn Walid ate it in front of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). One day he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came home and asked for something to eat, and Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said that they had nothing but vinegar. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Bismillah, bring it.” They brought vinegar with bread and he ate it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The son of Adam never filled a vessel worse than the stomach. If you have to fill it, then fill it with one-third for food, one-third for drink, and one-third for air.” It is better to leave your meal desiring more food than to leave your meal feeling completely stuffed.


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Is it ok to cook more if you are cooking for guests? Yes (as long as you know it will not go to waste). The proof is from the story of Ibrahim when the three angels came, and they cooked an entire cow. Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrated that one day he was so hungry that he went out in search of food. He would sometimes ask the senior companions a question he already knew the answer to so that they would invite him for food. Abu Hurayrah met Abu Bakr but they parted ways, and then he met the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who knew what he was doing. They went to the house of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and an ansar had brought some milk for him. Abu Hurayrah was very excited. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to call all of the people of the suffah. Abu Hurayrah looked at the container and wondered how it would satisfy all of them. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to give them the milk first. Abu Hurayrah then drank and gave it back to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who told him to drink more and again told him to drink more. The last time he told him to drink more, Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that there was no more room for it. This is the blessing of the barakah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Lesson from this story: It is halal but not recommended to fill your stomach. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) loved sweet and cold drinks. Drinks would be made sweet by adding fruit. They would drink honey by itself or mixed with water. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) loved laban (milk). Whenever he ate or drank, he would say, “O Allah, bless us with that which is better” except when he drank milk, when he would say, “O Allah bless us with more of this.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would drink slowly. He would breathe outside of the cup. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t drink like the camel.” The camel drinks everything at once until it is no longer thirsty. When drinking, he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would say, “O Allah make it healing, easy, and soft.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would drink while he was standing. It is better to sit while drink, but it is permissible to drink while standing. Can you eat while standing? It is cultural. In some cultures, eating while walking is offensive. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recommended for us to sit down while eating and drinking. Is it acceptable to eat on a plate that is lined with silver or gold? Shaykh Yaser personally does not like it, but eating from a plate fully made of gold or silver is haraam. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would sometimes feel so hungry that he would tie a stone on his stomach to suppress the feeling of hunger. Sometimes he would eat until he was full. Sometimes he was a guest, and sometimes he was a host. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The son of Adam never filled a vessel worse than his stomach. If you have to fill your stomach, let it be 1/3rd for food, 1/3rd for drink, and 1/3rd for air.” It is permissible to fill your stomach, but it is not recommended at all. (3d.iii) The Fragrance of the Prophet

Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates, “The Messenger of Allah said, ‘The fragrance of a male is the fragrance which spreads and is transparent, and the fragrance of a female is that which is colored and less fragrant.’” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]


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This hadeeth implies that when in public, it is not allowed for women to wear perfume because other men can smell it. The best fragrance for both men and women is taking a shower. Smell normal and natural. Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that he never smelled musk more beautiful than the fragrance of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He would use different kids of ‘ittar. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said there are three things that you cannot reject: adh-dhuhn (fragrance), al laban (milk), and al wisalah (if you are invited to someone’s house and are offered something out of hospitality). The sweat of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) smelled good. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was once invited to the house of Umm Sulaym, and he took a nap in the house. She noticed that he was sweating, and she collected the drops of sweat in a small bottle, and she would use it to heal the sick in her family. (3d.iv) The Speech of the Prophet

Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) relates, “The speech of Allah’s Messenger was not quick and continuous as that of yours. He spoke clearly, word for word. A person sitting in his company remembered what he said.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would repeat his speech three times so that it would be understood from him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would talk to the people on the right side and then to the people in front of him and then people to the left of him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would speak only when there was a need to. The companions would reflect on their days of jahiliyyah, and he would listen to them silently smiling. One of the main source of bad habits is the television. Eventually you get used to it and it is no longer an awful thing, which is very bad. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stood on the minbar on Fridays, he said, “One of the signs of good understanding of an individual is that he gives a short khutbah and a long recitation of the Qur’an.” This is the opposite of what happens today; however, people today say that 5 minutes is not sufficient to convey a message. At the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the hearts of the people were already full of iman and they just needed a punch line to continue for the following week. (3d.v) The Smiling, Laughing, and Jesting of the Prophet

Abdullah ibn Harith (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports, “I did not see anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah.” [Shama’il At Tirmidhi] In another narration from a companion: “I have never met the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) anywhere in Madinah except that he was smiling.” Abdullah ibn Harith (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) relates, “The laugh of Allah’s Messenger was but a smile.”


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Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports, “The sahabah asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you joke with us?’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘Yes, but only in truth.’” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Hasan Al Basri said, “An old woman came to the Messenger of Allah and made a request, ‘O Messenger of Allah, make du’a that Allah grants me entrance into Jannah.’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘O Mother, an old woman cannot enter Jannah.’ The woman began crying and started to leave. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Say to the woman that one will not enter in a state of old age, but Allah will make all the women of Jannah young and playful.’” [Shama’il At Tirmidhi]

He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to laugh when something was funny. However, when he laughed, he didn’t laugh the way we do today. His laughter was short. Some people think that laughing is not a good etiquette and always try to be serious, which for them means frowning. Loosen up. Laugh like the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would laugh. It is as dangerous to make haram to halal and halal to haram. If it is permissible, enjoy it. Be cheerful when you meet other people. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Smiling in the face of our brother is an act of charity.” The sahabah asked the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “You enjoy joking with us.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Yes, but I only say the truth.” Examples of jokes with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam):

- He would joke with Anas and call him “you with the two ears.” He would call a boy Abu Umayr, and one day the bird died, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked the boy about it.

- A man wanted to go on an expedition with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on a camel, and he said, “You will go on a baby camel.” The man asked if the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was making fun of him, and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Isn’t a baby camel a camel?”

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saw the companion Zahir in the market and came up behind him and put his arms around him. When Zahir realized who was behind him, he started to push himself against his chest to come closer to him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called out, “Who wants to buy this slave?” He was not lying because Zahir was the slave of Allah. Zahir said, “No one will buy me.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “With Allah, you are precious.”

- Al-Nuayman was an average person and not so educated, but he loved the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) so much. He was like the court jester. He used to make the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) laugh. One time the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was getting ready to ride on the horse, and Al-Nuayman untied the bottom, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) fell off. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not take it personally. It was a joke.

(3d.vi) The Devout Worship of the Prophet


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Al Mughirah ibn Shu’bah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reports, “The Messenger of Allah performed such lengthy night prayers, that his blessed legs would become swollen. The companions said, ‘You undergo such strife, when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?’ He responded, ‘Should I not be a grateful servant?’” [Shama’il At Tirmidhi] Hudhayfah ibn Al Yaman (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates, “I prayed the night prayer with the Prophet one night, and he read Al Baqara, An Nisa, and Al Imran.” (In another wording, he added Al Ma’idah and Al Anam, but was unsure of the order.) [Shama’il At Tirmidhi]

The night prayer is one of the main signs of devotion because most people are sleeping and snoring. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The best prayer after the obligatory is the night prayer.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The essence of night prayer is the long standing.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would pray eight rak’ah at night, and he would recite two or three juz. He would spend more than 1/3rd and almost half of the night in prayer. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) didn’t just maintain length but also beauty of the salah. His ruku’ would be almost equal in length to his standing. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said, “He would pray four rak’ah, and don’t ask me how they were [meaning they were so beautiful], and then he would pray another four, and don’t ask me how they were.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would pray qiyam al-layl regularly. Sometimes he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would recite five to six juz in one rak’ah. Ibn Masood (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that he was praying with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he contemplated sitting down and leaving the salah because it was too long. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said, “He would stand up in qiyam al-layl, and his feet would start swelling and cracking.” This means it was a long standing. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Shouldn’t I be a grateful servant?” The ibaadah was known to be very long, specifically the night prayer. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was focused on quality. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) established an ibaadah, he would maintain it on a continuous basis. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would make qiyam al layl and sometimes repeat one ayah over and over again, contemplating on the meaning of the ayah. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would pray qiyam al layl, he would stand up as long as he could, and then he would sit down. He would alternate between standing and sitting towards the end of his life. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was known to fast many days. Sometimes he would fast the month until they thought he was going to fast every day of the month, and sometimes he would not fast a day in the month until they thought he would not fast. Every month the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would fast at least three days. The best days of the month are the middle days (13th, 14th, 15th), but the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) fasted from every part of the month (beginning, middle, and end). He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would fast Mondays and Thursdays, and he told us that our deeds are lifted on these days. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t let a month pass by without fasting three days.” (3d.vii) The Weeping of the Prophet Sometimes the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would cry in his worship. There are many reports on how he would cry. Sometimes his chest would vibrate, and he was holding it in as he


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cried (i.e. like a boiling pot). Other times he was overwhelmed by emotion and tears would flow. Sometimes tears would flow down his cheeks, and sometimes the tears would wet his beard. Why did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cry? - The death of his children. When Ibrahim died in infancy, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) cried. When one of his daughters passed away, he also cried. Abdul-Rahman ibn ‘Awf was surprised to see the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cry, and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, “This is mercy.”

- When he was burying his eldest daughter Zaynab, he was crying. - Upon visiting the grave of his mother. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked for

forgiveness for her but was not granted this, and he asked to visit her grave, and he was granted this.

- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cried for his ummah. On one occasion, he made du’a that Allah protect his followers, and he raised his hands so high and was crying. Abu Bakr said, “Take it easy, ya Rasulullah. Allah will fulfill what he promised.”

- He would cry when he prayed. - When reading the Quran. - It is reported that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cried a lot when praying the salah

for the eclipse. - When hearing the recitation of the Quran.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “Allah’s Messenger once asked me to recite the Qur’an to him. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I recite it to you when it has been revealed to you?’ Allah’s Messenger responded, ‘I love to hear it from another person.’ Thereupon, I began reciting Surat An Nisa. When I reached the ayah ‘How when We bring of every people a witness, and We bring you (O Muhammad) a witness against them?’ (al Nisa: 41), I saw tears flowing from both of his eyes.” [Shama’il At Tirmidhi]

Did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cry out loud? No. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would try to suppress his crying. It was like the sniffling noise of a boiling pot. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would cry for normal, natural reasons and for spiritual reasons. Can someone force themselves into crying? Yes. Squeeze your heart so that it allows your tears to flow. Gradually, when your eyes and heart get used to this, it will inshaAllah become natural. Do not fake weeping. If your eyes are completely dry, then you need to check your heart. If your heart is not affected, it will not pump any emotions to your eyes. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that one of the groups of people under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Judgment is someone who remembers Allah in privacy and cries. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) narrates, “One night, Allah’s Messenger kept repeating one ayah the whole night, and continued to weep. ‘If You should punish them – indeed they are your servants; but if You forgive them – indeed it is You who is Exalted in Might, the Wise.’ (Al Ma’idah: 118) If someone is overwhelmed in salah and starts crying and crying and then the voice gets loud and disturbs the people praying in jama’ah, what do you do? In this case, it is better to leave the salah because you don’t want to disturb everyone else. (3d.viii) The Sleeping of the Prophet


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Abu Qatadah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates, “If Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) slept during the night, he slept on his right side. If he was only able to sleep a short while, he would raise his right arm and then sleep on it.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi]

Listen to Shaykh Muhammad AlShareef’s lecture: The Sleeping Habits of the Prophet The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never slept the entire night. He disliked for us to sleep before isha and to talk after isha. This means that he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) disliked for us to socialize after isha. Before isha, dim the lights as much as possible to prepare everyone to sleep after isha. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would sleep immediately after isha, and he would sleep for 1/3rd of the night and would then wake up to pray ½ of the night, and then he would rest for the remaining 1/6th of the night. He would take a qayloola during the day after salat al-dhuhr. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) prayed qiyam al-layl at all parts of the night. Some etiquettes: - Before sleeping, he would make a quick wudu’. - Sleep on the right side using his right hand as a supporting pillow. - He would go to sleep early after isha and then wake up for qiyam. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would make adhkaar and du’a before sleeping. He

would cup his hands and blow into them and recite the 3 quls and then wipe his face and body to as far as he could reach. He would do this three times. Teach your children this beautiful habit and tradition.

- He would recite some supplications before sleeping. - The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would breathe deeply when sleeping (blowing). - If he slept late at night close to the time of fajr, then he would not seek a comfortable bed.

He would lie down on his side with his right elbow up and supported his face with his right hand.

- He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would sleep in the beginning of the night. He disliked for us to sleep before isha and speaking after isha. We do the opposite of this, and the lifestyle we are leading now is not biological.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would pray witr in the later part of the night, and then he would go to bed.

- When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard the adhan for fajr, he would leap out of bed.

- The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a mattress that was made of leather with a filling of palm tree leaves. Sometimes he had a mat made of straw. If he did not have a covering, then the marks would show on his body from the mat. One time Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) saw the marks and started to cry. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “May your mother lose you! Allah has given them the duniyah, and the akhirah is for us.”

- One time Hafsa folded the mat to give the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) more cushion, and he could not wake up for qiyam al layl and was upset and told her not to do that anymore. If you desire the akhirah, you need to roughen up a little in a halal and moderate way.

- If he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) didn’t want to fall asleep because fajr was close, he would sleep resting his head on his propped up arm.


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When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) woke up for fajr, he did not make wudu, and Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) asked him about this, and he said that his eyes sleep but his heart does not. This is exclusive to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). (3e) The Character of the Prophet (Al-Shama’il Al-Khulooqiyyah) “And verily, you are on an exalted standard of character.” [Al Qalam: 4] Reflect on this ayah and think about the meaning. In the Arabic language, the word inna is used to affirm something, and adding wa with it adds emphasis. La’ala adds triple emphasis. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the same in public and private. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) was asked about the character of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and she said, “His character is the Quran.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the same person inside and outside of the house. His natural behavior was to be at a very high character. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The people closest to me on the Day of Judgment are those with good manners.” It is an important act of worship to be nice and have good manners. Ethics are the same in every field. You have akhlaq with your parents, children, personal life, informal life, etc. It can be applied to every facet of your life. Character is built on frequency and repetition of behavior. If someone always makes jokes, then people call him a joker or a clown. Ask people to describe you, and you will be surprised how people see you. (3e.i) Mercy and Compassion “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Al Anbiya: 107] This means: human beings, jinn, animals, anything you can think of. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sent not just for his time. Al ‘alameen means worlds, which considers generations. “So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Al Imran: 159] A quality of a leader is to be forgiving. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was merciful to the people. When you make a decision, be firm and rely and trust in Allah. “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.” [Al Tawbah: 128] Whenever something was hard for the ummah, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked Allah to relieve them from it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), without a shadow of a doubt, was the epitome of mercy. This is not only due to Allah describing him as such, but due to the manifestation of mercy in his character. There are two particular scenarios that stick out above the rest:


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Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al ‘As (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reported, “Verily the Prophet of Allah recited the words of Allah, the Great and Glorious, that Ibrahim uttered, ‘My Lord! Indeed they have led astray many among the people, so whoever follows me, then he is of me,’ [Ibrahim: 36] and Jesus said, ‘If you punish them, they are your slaves, and if you forgive them; verily you are the Mighty, the Wise.’ [al-Ma’ida: 118]. Then he raised his hands and said, ‘O Lord, my ummah, my ummah,’ and wept. So Allah the High and the Exalted said, ‘O Gabriel, go to Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (though your Lord knows it fully well) and ask him, ‘What makes you weep?’ So Gabriel came to him and asked him, and the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed him of what he had said (though Allah knew it full well). Upon this, Allah said, ‘O Gabriel, go to Muhammad and say, ‘Verily We will please you with regard to your ummah and would not displease you.’’” [Muslim] “Being a Prophet of absolute mercy, one who came to secure the happiness of mankind both in this world and the next, Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) entered Makkah, bowing on the back of his mule, as a victorious conqueror. He displayed no hint of self-pride nor thought of either vengeance or retaliation. He proceeded toward the Ka’bah in utmost modesty and absolute gratitude to God, Who had made him victorious in his sacred mission. He stopped at the Ka’bah and asked those who assembled there, ‘How do you expect me to treat you?’ ‘You are a noble man, the son of a noble man,’ they answered. Allah’s Messenger concluded, ‘No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.’ [Yusuf: 92] You can disperse.’ This marked the end of polytheism in Makkah. While he was toppling down the idols at the Ka’bah one after the other, he recited, ‘Say, ‘Truth has come and falsehood has disappeared. Indeed falsehood is subject to disappearance.’’ And almost all of the Makkans who had been the enemies of Islam until one day before acquired the honor of becoming companions to Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” [Tabari] When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was coming back from Ta’if, an angel came to him and asked if he wanted Ta’if to be destroyed, but the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that perhaps from their offspring there will be righteous people. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “O Allah forgive my people because they know not.” In the final khutbah, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave his final advice to be kind to the weak in society and to women. When the Persians and Romans conquered a city, they would show no mercy and would burn, rape, and pillage. In contrast, when the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) entered Makkah after being fought for 13 years and 5 years in Madinah, he returned with 10,000 warriors and pardoned the people. Three years prior in the battle of al-Khandaq, the Arabs raised their largest army against the Muslims. When the army camped for the night, he called out whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan and others will be safe. (Basically, if they stayed in their homes they would be safe.) The army entered in groups of a hundred, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) entered among the last battalion of the muhajiroon. He entered on his camel with his head down, chin touching his chest, and beard almost touching his chest out of humbleness and gratitude. Then, he went to worship Allah at the Ka’bah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sent to guide people. (3e.ii) Kindness to Children


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Anas ibn Malik (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reported, “Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had the noblest character amongst mankind. I had a brother who was called Abu Umayr. I think he was weaned. When Allah’s Messenger came to our house, he saw him, and said, ‘Abu Umayr, what has the sparrow done?’” [Muslim]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would start the salah with the intention to make it very long, but after hearing the cry of a child, he would shorten the salah so that the mother would not panic in the salah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would play with children. Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn As Salaam was named Yusuf by the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). When he grew up, he said, “It was the Prophet who named me Yusuf, and he wiped over my head, and he sometimes held me in his lap.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was so tolerant with children. A child once peed on the thawb of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he asked for water and splashed it on his thawb. He was okay with that situation. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would be playful with children. He kissed al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and they played on his back during the salah. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would prolong his sujud if a child was playing on his back. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) after the salah explained that they were playing and he didn’t want to rush them. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would take care of orphans in particular. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would stop and talk to them. When Ja’far, his relative, died, he said, “Take care of the children of Ja’far.” The alleys of Madinah were narrow, and when children saw adults, they would try to run away. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would play with them and try to block them. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would hug and kiss his children and play with them. A man was with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stopped at the house of Fatimah and called for Hasan, and he hugged and kissed him. The man said, “What is this? I have ten children and have never kissed them.” He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “What can I do for you if Allah has taken mercy out of your heart?” (3e.iii) Kindness to Animals The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was on a journey and saw a bird that was flying around and acting like something was wrong. The people said that they wanted to make it as food for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told them to put it back. A woman let a cat starve outside of her house, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that she will be in Jahannam for this action. (3e.iv) Generosity


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Anas ibn Malik (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) reported, “It never happened that Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked anything for the sake of Islam and he did not give. There came to him a person and he gave him a large flock (of sheep and goats) and he went back to his people and said, ‘My people, embrace Islam, for Muhammad gives so much charity it is as if he has no fear of poverty.’” [Muslim]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the most generous of all people, and he would be more generous during the month of Ramadan. Jibreel would come to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to review the Quran with him. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was in the company of the angels. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was more generous than the wind, which causes trees to produce, etc. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was once gifted a nice suit, and he went out for the salah wearing it. A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said it was a nice suit and asked for it, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave it to him. The sahabah were upset with the man, and the man said that he wanted to make it his shroud for when he died. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would even give away the things that he was in need of. A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, “Ya Rasulullah, I want something.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave him. The man asked for more, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) continued to give him until the man felt shy to ask for more. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave like he did not fear any poverty. He would never say no to anyone who asked. A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked him for something. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recognized the man as a leader of a tribe, and he told him, “Do you see all of these animals between these two mountains? These are yours.” The man asked the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) if he was mocking him, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to take them. As the man was taking the animals, he kept looking over his shoulder because he couldn’t believe that they were really his. Eventually he arrived at his destination and called his people and said, “My people! Embrace Islam for Muhammad is a man who gives as if he fears no poverty.” The generosity is based on full tawakkul in Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla).

Ibn Shihab reported that Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went out along with the Muslims and they fought at Hunayn, and Allah granted victory to His religion and to the Muslims. Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave one hundred camels to Safwan ibn Umayyah. He again gave him one hundred camels, and then again gave him one hundred camels. Sa’id ibn Al Musayyib said that Safwan told him, ‘By Allah! Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave me what he gave me, and he was the most detested person in my eyes. But he continued to give until he became dearest to me.’” [Muslim]


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After the Battle of Hunayn, the Muslims gained huge war spoils, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave to those who had just become Muslims, and some of the ansar were upset. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained to them that they would be going back to Madinah with him, so give to the people in Makkah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wanted to strengthen his alliance with the people of the Quraysh. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says in the Quran that when you give, give moderately. Do not spend everything, and do not hold onto everything. (3e.v) Justice The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the most fair and just.

Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) narrated, “The people of Quraysh became very worried about the Makhzumiya lady who had committed theft. They said, ‘Nobody can speak to Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) except Usama ibn Zayd who is the favorite of Allah’s Messenger.’ When Usama spoke to Allah’s Messenger about the matter, Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Do you intercede with me to violate one of the legal punishments of Allah?’ He then got up and addressed the people, saying, ‘O people! The nations before you went astray because if a noble person committed theft, they used to leave him, but if a weak person amongst them committed theft, they used to inflict the legal rulings on him. By Allah, if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad committed theft, I would have cut off her hand.’” [Bukhari]

Abu Salama related that Abu Sa’id said, ‘While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was distributing [zakat], ‘abd Allah ibn dhi’l-Khuwaysir al-Tamimi came and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, be just!’ He said to him, ‘Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just?’ (In another version: You do not trust me when the One in the Heavens trusts me?) ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said, ‘Give me permission to cut off his head!’ He said, ‘Leave him. He has companions whose prayer will make yours seem paltry and whose fasting makes your seem paltry. They will pass through the deen like the arrow passes through game. One looks at his arrowhead and there is nothing on it. Then he looks at the mount of its head and there is nothing on it. He will look at its shaft and there is nothing on it. Then he will look at its feathers and there will be nothing on them, for it has been too fast for excrement and blood. Their sign will be a dark man, one of whose arms will be like a woman’s breast, or a piece of meat palpitating. They will emerge when there are parties among the people.’ When it came to fulfilling the law and justice, it is for all. When it comes to fulfilling justice, religion becomes irrelevant. Justice is fulfilled for everyone. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would distribute the provisions for his household, he would be fair in distributing time and provisions and everything except that which he did not have control over (the heart). He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “My Lord, this is my distribution for that which I can control. Forgive me for that which I cannot control.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “If any of you marries more than one wife and is unjust to any of them, then on the Day of Judgement he will be standing slanted (can’t stand straight).”


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The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lined up the sahabah before the battle of Badr. One man was a little in front of the others in the line, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) pushed the man with his miswak. The man said, “Ya Rasulullah, you hurt me.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) immediately apologized and told the man that he can retaliate. The man said that he was bare-chested, so the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) raised his shirt for the man to retaliate, and the man hugged and kissed the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said that he was going into the battlefield and did not know if he would live or not, and he wanted his skin to touch the skin of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) before he died. Before the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) fell ill, he was preparing to depart the duniyah and visited the grave site of Uhud. One night, he thought that Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) was asleep, and he went out. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) got jealous and dressed and followed him. As the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was walking, she was following him and hiding. She saw that he was heading towards Baqi’. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went there and made du’a for the deceased and then started to head back home. When she saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) head back towards her direction, she started to hurry home. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) noticed someone in front of him and started to follow faster. She started to jog and then run. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) arrived home and found Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) panting and out of breath. She told him that she wanted to know where he was going. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) became angry and pushed her. He said, “Do you think that Allah and His Messenger would be unfair to you?” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was telling her that he is just and fair. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) observed justice not only in public but also in private. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) moved to Madinah, he dealt with multiple different groups: Muslims, non-Muslims, Jews, munafiqeen. He always dealt with others in full justice. A Jewish man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked to be paid his money. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that he would finish the man off, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that it is better for him to pay the man, and it is better that Umar advises the man to speak nicely. (3e.vi) Patience

Khabbab ibn Al-‘Arat (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrated, “We complained to Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) of the persecution inflicted on us by the Quraysh while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka’bah. We said to him, ‘Would you not seek help? Would you not pray to Allah for us?’ He said, ‘Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion will prevail till a traveler from Sana to Hadramawt will fear none but Allah, or a wolf, as regards to his sheep, but you people are hasty.’” [Bukhari]

When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was making sujood in Makkah, the people asked who would put the intestines of the camel on his back. Fatima (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) came and


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cried and removed everything from his back. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not retaliate at all. Patience doesn’t mean to be weak. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was making tawaf and some of the mushrikin were harassing him. On the third time, he turned to them and said, “Listen, wallahi, I came here to slaughter you.” They panicked and then remained silent for the rest of his tawaf. If you can handle things verbally, don’t take it to the next level. Read about the Makkan period of the seerah to learn more about the patience of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). (3e.vii) Bravery and Courage

Bara’ ibn Azib (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates, “In the battle of Hunayn, as Muslims were being taken out by archers, the people turned to the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Abu Sufyan ibn Harith was leading the Messenger of Allah’s (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mule. He got down, prayed, and invoked Allah’s help. He said, ‘I am the Prophet. This is the truth. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib. O Allah, descend your help.’” Bara’ continued, “When the battle grew fierce, by Allah, we would seek protection by the Prophet’s side, and the bravest among us was he who confronted the onslaught in the front, by the Prophet’s side.” [Muslim]

Victory is in the Hands of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a great number of people with him, but they were ambushed. When he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) first arrived in Madinah, he was worried that people would come after him, and he had guards until Allah revealed that He would protect him, and then he let the guards go. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was still in Makkah, Al Aas ibn Wa’el came to Makkah to do business and was not paid. He asked for help from people, and they told him to go to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) for help. The man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that he would help him. With full courage, he went and knocked on the door of the man that owed Al Aas money, and the man replied that he would pay him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would take every opportunity to aid and assist people. Madinah was a vulnerable city in the Arabian Peninsula. One night, they heard a loud cry as if there was something serious and dangerous happening. People woke up and looked out the windows to find out what was happening and would wear their armor to go outside. By the time the people went outside, the people saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) coming back riding on his horse with no saddle and carrying his sword on his shoulder. He told the people that he took care of the problem. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went by himself. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never killed anyone except Ubay ibn Khallaf. He crushed bones and blew them in the face of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said,


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“Do you think Allah is going to put this back together?” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “He will do that and throw you in the fire of Jahannam.” Ubay then said he was going to kill the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No, I will kill you.” The man went home afraid to his wife because he knew that he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was al-saadiq and al-amin. During the battle of Uhud when the defeat was imminent, Ubay ibn Khallaf saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) retreating and called out that he would go after him and die going after him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) out of fear for the small group with him stopped and found someone carrying a spear. He took the spear and positioned it in his hand, and as he did this, the sahabah moved away to give him space. Ubay ibn Khallaf was covered in armor, and only a place around his neck / shoulder was exposed, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) threw the spear and it his the target. The man fell off his horse and then panicked. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was then able to take those with him and leave. The man said that he was dead because if the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made a promise, then it would be fulfilled. The man on his way back to Makkah died from the wound. (3e.viii) Humility

Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) narrates, “He used to remain busy serving and helping his household, and when the time for prayer came, he would perform ablution and go for prayer. He would patch his own sandals and sew his own garments. He was an ordinary human being, milking his sheep, and doing his own chores.” [Shama’il Al Tirmidhi] Being the Messenger of Allah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), a living example for all of eternity, the discussion of his noble and great character would never come to an end. It is as the scholars have said, “Describing the greatness of Allah’s Messenger (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is that ocean that knows no shore.” [Ibn Hajr Fath Al Bari]

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made himself available to the community, even the old women. An old woman once stopped the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the street, and he said that he would go wherever she needed. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself went with the woman to help her. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would visit the sick and witness the janazah. He rode on the donkey. He responded to invitations of everyone, even the slave. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) walked in a room, the sahabah would not stand up for him because they knew that he hated for them to do so. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would fix his own garments if they ripped. He would milk the goat for himself and the family. He would serve himself. He would fix his own shoes. He would sweep the house. A man came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who was shivering out of fear for being in front of him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told him to relax and that he is the son of a man who used to eat simple, cheap food. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would always remind people of his origin.


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When people saw the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they would not know that he is Muhammad. He did not wear any specific garment, crown or throne. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would look down out of humbleness and humility while knowing that people were looking at him. Five days before he passed away, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not exaggerate my praise like the Christians did to ‘Isa ibn Maryam. I am nothing but a slave, so call me the servant or slave of Allah and His Messenger.” To praise the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the best way, call him the slave of Allah and His Messenger. The conquest of Makkah: He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came back with 10,000 people. Seven or eight years earlier, there were only a few hundred Muslims. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not show any arrogance but was humble. The people of Makkah asked for a sign that he was giving them amnesty, and he took off his turban and gave it to them. As he was entering, he lowered his head in humility such that his chin reached his chest and his forehead was on his camel. He didn’t want the people to think that he was proud because it all happened with the Will of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). (3f) The Exclusive Characteristics The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) being the best of mankind and the seal of the Prophethood was given exclusive and particular characteristics that were not given to anyone before or after him. This topic is known as khaṣāʾiṣ al-nabuwwah and is divided into two main categories:

1. That which is exclusive in legislation 2. That which is exclusive in virtue and preference

Not all of the exclusive attributes are agreed upon, and thus their number tends to fluctuate between 37, as stated by Al Qurtubi, and 65, as stated by Al Suyuti. This subject is usually discussed in most books of fiqh (particularly Maliki and Shaf’i books) in the chapter of nikah. The exclusive characteristics can be further subdivided into exclusive matters in legislation / rules of fiqh and exclusive matters in virtue and preference. Example of exclusive matters in legislation: the land was given to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a place of worship and was made pure for him. This was not the same for the Jews and the Christians. There is not a specific number of exclusive matters. Al Suyuti and Al Qurtubi wrote on this subject. Some count 37 while others counted more than 65, depending on what they counted to be exclusive matters and the authenticity of the ahadeeth. (3f.i) That which distinguishes him from the rest of the prophets with regards to this world

1. The greatest revelation: the Quran. The Quran is the spoken Words of Allah and is a vocal revelation. It is exclusive in all of its aspects, which can be studied in uloom al Quran. Musa (AS) received the Tablet in writing. The Qur’an was the actual Speech of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla).

2. The Seal of the Prophets. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the last prophet. The last

means perfection.


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3. The earth was made pure and purifying for him and a place of prayer. The earth is used

when making tayammum. This means that if you travel and lack water to make wudu’ or to take a shower to perform salah, then you are permitted to use the earth to make tayammum. Strike the ground, blow off the dirt, wipe the face once, and wipe the hands once. Wherever you are, you can make salah. You can pray the salah in any place that is pure and clean.

4. The taking of the spoils of war. Before the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) during the time of Bani Israil, they piled everything together and lit a fire and destroyed everything. They were not allowed to consume or use the spoils of war. At the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), it was made halal to take the spoils of war.

5. Sent to both mankind and jinn. All of the other prophets were sent exclusively to a

group of people. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sent to both jinn and ins. Was Musa (alayhi salaam) sent to the jinn? What about ‘Isa (alayhi salaam)? Allah says in the Quran that they were sent to Bani Isra’il. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) communicated with the jinn directly. He had a meeting with some of them and gave them specific instructions.

6. Lead all of the prophets in prayer in Jerusalem. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) made isra wa

al-miraj exclusive for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We don’t know any other prophet who did this.

7. That which is between his house and his minbar (CORRECT IN BOOK) is a garden from

the gardens of Paradise. It is the place between the second mihrab to the room of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). It is recognizable by the color of the carpet (green). To be in the rawdah, you must go very early. Many ulema spent so much time in the rawdah, and many blessed books were written and finished in that place. A top-selling book was finished in that place: Sahih Al Bukhari. Imam Al Bukhari wrote at the end that he finished the last words of the book in the rawdah. Imam Maalik used to spend a lot of time in that area as well. If you are there, then make sure to also give time to other people to be there.

What does it mean to be a garden from the gardens of Paradise? The ulema gave different interpretations. When you sit there, you are being honored and are trying to preserve your spot in Jannah. If someone undertakes a long journey to go and makes the effort to go to the rawdah, it will be a testimony for you. What do you do while you are in this place? There is nothing specific. You can pray, read Quran, make dhikr, make du’a. Many people have the misconception that they have to pray 2 raka’ahs.

8. His city would never be affected by plague. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

made du’a for Madinah, which was a humid place. The sahabah started to fall sick because of the different climate (Makkah was a very dry place). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made du’a and asked Allah to protect Madinah from any plague or disease and to remove harmful diseases from the city and send them to the hills and mountains surrounding Madinah. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) accepted the du’a. There


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was a lot of excitement amongst the sahabah when the first baby boy was born to the muhajireen because they had thought that the people of Makkah would die. This baby boy was Abdullah ibn Az Zubayr. (Az Zubayr was the first cousin of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

9. Prayer in his masjid is multiplied one thousand fold. One salah in the Haram is 100,00

salah, and one salah in Masjid An Nabawwi is 1,000 and one salah in Masjid Al Aqsa is 500 salah. This is in terms of reward and not quantity.

10. The book revealed to him will be preserved from error and distortion.

11. The day of Jumu‘ah. The day of Jumu‘ah is a blessed day. Allah has given the Prophet

(ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) this blessed day.

12. The last two verses of Surah Al Baqarah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was with Jibreel and heard a noise in the sky, and there were two angels that were coming down with a special treasure from the Throne of Allah, which was these two verses. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was one day with Jibril, and Jibril said that a door was opening in heaven that had never been opened, and an angel came down who had never come down with these two ayahs. You recite these ayat before sleeping, on special occasions, and as ruqiyah. These verses came down from under the Throne of Allah.

13. Allah swore by his life. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) did not swear by anyone else in the

Quran. This is in Surah Al Hijr 15:72. “By your life, in the wild intoxication they wandered in distraction to and fro…” Are we allowed to swear by the life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)? No because the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to only swear by the Name of Allah. Usually Allah swears by His creation (the forenoon, the night).

14. His followers are obligated to send salah and salam upon him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu

‘alayhi wa sallam) does not need our salah and salam, but he is encouraging us to receive reward. The name of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the most praised. This is not found in other religions. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was hurt by his people, he said, “May Allah have mercy on my brother Musa, he was hurt by his people more than this.” The followers of the other anbiya were never commanded to say this after their names. Muslims automatically say words of reverence after the names of prophets.

15. The splitting of the moon. We do not need anyone to confirm this for us by images.

This is a miracle that Allah mentions in the Qur’an.

16. The description of al-Dajjal. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that no prophet was sent to his people except that he informed his people about al-Dajjal. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave a vivid description of al-Dajjal. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that if you meet al-Dajjal, then run away from him because when people encounter him, they will follow him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Every prophet sent to his people was given warning of al-Dajjal, but I am giving you a special description that no one else received.” He will have one


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eye, and in the middle of the forehead the word kafara will be written and every literate and illiterate person will be able to read it.

(3f.ii) That which distinguishes him from the rest of the prophets, with regards to the afterlife

1. He will be the first to be resurrected. There is a hadeeth of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “On the Day of Judgment, I will be the first person to be resurrected. I will see Musa holding to one of the pillars of the Throne. I do not know if he was resurrected before me or if he was exempt by the sahqa of the Day of Resurrection [because he already experienced this when he tried to see Allah – mentioned in Surah Al-A’raf].” If the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wasn’t before Musa, he was before everyone else. In Surah Al-A’raf: Allah tells Musa that He will expose His beauty to the mountain, and the mountain was crumbled to dust, and Musa was taken by the shock.

2. He will be the first to enter Paradise. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that

there are huge golden gates as wide as the distance of five hundred years. People will congregate. No one will be allowed to go through the gates until the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) does. This is the intercession of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to enter Jannah. When Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) goes, then the angel will say, “I was commanded to open to gate for you.”

3. He will be granted al-maqam al-mahmud and al-wasilah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) asked us to request al-maqam al-mahmud for him, which is in the du’a after hearing the adhan. What is the meaning of it? It means the praised position on the Day of Judgment. The ulema say that this is the greatest shifa’ to begin the account. In the du’a after adhan, you ask Allah to give him wasilah and al-maqam al-mahmud. Ulema give different interpretations of the hadith and many say that they are the same thing – special status on the Day of Judgment. Others differentiate and say al-wasilah is the greatest shifa’ah (intercession) when all the people are extremely exhausted and tired and go to the prophets to ask for intercession. People will go to Adam first, and he will say that he committed a sin and they should go to Nuh. They go to Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and ‘Isa and then finally the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) will make sujud and ask for the start to begin. Al-maqam al-mahmud is a special position in Jannah.

4. He will be the first to intercede. 5. He will be granted Al Kawthar. It is a river flowing underneath the Throne of Allah, and

it is given exclusively to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Anas said the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained what Al-Kawthar was: a river that Allah has given him in Jannah which flows under the Throne of Allah until the pool (al-hawd).

6. He will be granted Al Wasilah. The most popular meaning: it is a specific degree and

position in Jannah.

7. He will have the largest congregation. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) will see a huge crowd coming from over the horizon and makes du’a that they are his people, but they turn to Musa. A larger congregation will come, and they are his ummah.


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The Vatican has made an announcement that there are now more Muslims than Catholics, which is the largest Christian denomination. We will be among the ummah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The angels will turn people away from al Hawd, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) will say ummati ummati, and he will be told that his ummah has changed and that he did not know what they did after him.

8. He will be able to partially intercede for a non-Muslim. He interceded for Abu Talib,

and he will be taken from the bottom of Jannah to the lightest punishment of having coal under his feet and boiling his brain, and he will think that he has the greatest punishment. Ibrahim (alayhi salaam) was not allowed to intercede for his father.

A man once came to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked where his father is. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied that the man’s father is in the Hellfire. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then said that both his father and mother are also in the Hellfire.

(3f.iii) That which distinguishes him from his ummah 1. He was granted the permission to continually fast. This is called al wisaal. The Prophet

(ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would fast connecting the day and night for several days. The sahabah tried to do the same, but the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told them that he is not like them and that Allah is feeding him and taking care of him. Some of them tried to fast, and they fainted. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) didn’t have to worry about food and was always fasting. When you are not worried about food, you can do other things. Fasting is a religious practice. When people fast in Ramadan, they feel more spiritual and focus more on ‘ibadah.

2. He was allowed to marry more than four wives. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) died, he left nine wives.

3. When he sleeps, it is only his eyes and not his mind and heart that sleep. Angels came down one time and were arguing about him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). His eyes were sleeping but his heart was not. One time the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) woke up for fajr salah and did not make wudu, and Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) asked him about this, and he replied that his eyes were sleeping but his heart was not.

4. Lying upon him is far more severe than lying upon others. This includes even lying to

support his cause. It is a very dangerous crime. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “If you lie upon me, it is not like anyone else. Let that person preserve their spot in Jahannam.” You are not allowed to make a lie and attribute it to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) even if it is for a good cause.

5. It is an obligation to love him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “No one is

a true believer until he loves me more than his parents, his children, and all of mankind.” Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that he loved him more than everyone except


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for himself, and then he thought for a moment and said that he loved the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) more.

6. His qarin accepted Islam. When every child is born, a qarin is assigned to him. The qarin

(meaning: companion) is the one that whispers to you. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) asked if even he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a qarin, and he replied that he did but that Allah allowed him to overpower his qarin and his qarin accepted Islam and only whispered good. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Every human being is born and a qarin is assigned to him.”

7. Our salam reaches him wherever he may be. Whenever someone says: ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi

wa sallam, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) responds. This is part of the unseen world and the life of the barzakh.

8. Shaytan cannot imitate his form. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Whoever sees me in a dream, then it means that he has seen me.” The ulema dispute over whether this is for the sahabah only or for everyone because if someone in your dream says that he is Rasulullah, how can you tell? Some of the ulema say that this hadeeth is exclusive for the sahabah because they knew how he looked. Other ulema say that this extends to everyone until the Day of Judgment. If someone has the feeling that he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was there in the dream, then it is good. It is a very good sign if someone sees the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in a dream.

If someone sees the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in a dream and he gives him a command about the deen in the dream (i.e. salah is three times a day instead of five), what do you do? This is definitely not from the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We don’t take our deen from dreams. Our deen is taken from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

9. He was able to hear that which others were not. Sometimes the camel would talk to the

Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he heard a stone in Makkah giving salam to him. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) could hear the clouds and where they gave water to. Sometimes he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would hear the torment of the grave.

10. The earth will not devour his body. His body does not decompose.

(This may be one of the disputable exclusive characteristics because the bodies of the shahadah also do not decompose). How there is a metal barrier and tunnel around the graves of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr, and Umar.

11. His perspiration was fragrant. Umm Sulaym collected his perspiration and used it for healing.

12. He is buried where he died. Some of the ulema say that this is not exclusive to the

Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) but to his ummah. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was buried underneath his bed. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told the sahabah to bury him where he died, and they took this literally.

13. He is exalted; belittling him is disbelief. Anyone who abuses or curses the Prophet

(ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has committed an act of kufr. Some of the ulema argue over whether or not the person should be executed or not, which is an issue of legislation. Others say that it is an apostasy. They all agree that the person should be punished.


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There is nothing in the Qur’an and Sunnah saying that if someone curses the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) should be killed, but it came from ijtihaad and became a state law.

Ibn Taymiyyah was once on the frontier and people started cursing the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and abusing the Muslims. When he heard this, he was happy and said that they had victory because Allah promised to protect His Messenger, and Allah will defend against them.

14. His wealth is not inherited. Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) argued with Ali and Fatima

over the inheritance of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The community of the prophets do not leave inheritance. Whatever we leave after us is considered charity and sadaqah.”

15. He was obliged to pray the night prayer. It was waajib that he prayed qiyam al layl every

single night.

16. His wives could not remarry after his death. After the death of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the wives of the Prophet cut their hair short. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) said that there was no one left to beautify herself for, and she wanted to dedicate her time for ibaadah.

17. During his life, it was permissible to seek blessing through him. The sahabah would

touch him, hug him, and kiss him. This was permissible and exclusive to his time. Can we go to his grave now and do the same thing? No. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to not make his gravesite a shrine.

Example of disputable exclusive characteristics: There is a hadeeth that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was born circumcised, but this hadeeth may not be authentic. Even if it is an authentic hadeeth, there are reports in history of babies being born circumcised. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was given the power of three men and was so strong. When he fell ill, he suffered double the pain. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us: all of the anbiya are alive in their graves in a way that we do not know how, and they are worshipping Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). Some characteristics attributed that are not true:

- He was created exclusively from the noor of Allah. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us that he is a human being just like us. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t overpraise me.”

- He was walking around without a shadow. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) said that he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a human being.

- He was the most beautiful person ever created. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said Yusuf (alayhi salaam) was given half of beauty. Allah said about Adam: We created man in the best form. Adam has the best form of creation. Some ulema argue whether Adam or Yusuf was more beautiful. Some argue that Yusuf was given half of the beauty of Adam and not of beauty in general.

- He was the first person ever created. This is not true. - His name is engraved on the Throne of Al-Rahman. This is also not true.


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- Allah created all of this universe for Muhammad. Allah is clear in the Qur’an: “I have created jinn and mankind for no reason except to worship Me.”

(3g) The Signs of Prophethood Upon initial reflection, it seems that proving the prophet-hood of an individual would be very difficult. We fail to realize that it is Allah who is establishing prophet-hood, and nothing is difficult for Him. Our task is to find the signs of prophet-hood in the individual in question, in this case, the Prophet Muhammad. This method was used by Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantine:

“Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following: ‘I asked you about his family, and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all of the prophets come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody else amongst you claimed such a thing, your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man’s statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And in fact, all of the apostles have been followed by this very class of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of) true faith – when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and likewise, the Prophets never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do and you replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone, and not to worship anything along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth, and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet, and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear, but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely I would go immediately to meet him, and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.’” [Bukhari]

Things before the birth of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) are called irhaasaat (prophecies about the special status of the person). Those after are called mu’jizah (miracles). Heraclius was a very religious man, and he was very interested in the idea of a new prophet coming. When he received the letter, he was surprised and asked if there was anyone from the region claiming to be a prophet. They found that the Arabs, like the Bani Isra’il, also circumcise. Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan a few questions, and he asked about exclusive signs that can be used to determine if he was a prophet of Allah. He asked if he had anyone in his


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lineage who called himself a king, and if the man was amongst the best or the least of his society, and who his followers are. In the end, he told Abu Sufyan a powerful statement: “If what you have said about this man is true, then he will possess the spot beneath my feet very soon.” From the narration: this was the last thing we knew about this king. Al Bukhari alludes that perhaps this king secretly embraced Islam like An Najashi, but there are no reports. Al Bukhari had hope that Heraclius died upon Islam. The method can be further complemented with other realizations: 1 – The methodology of Allah is that progress in all facets of life is gradual, and not instantaneous. This realization directs us to the pre-Prophethood days of Muhammad, to see if there are any indications of future Prophethood. Upon analysis we find the following indications:

1. The miraculous birth of the Prophet. This is an issue of dispute. What is meant by ‘miraculous birth’? Books of seerah say that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was born making sujood, and others debate it saying that children do not come out like that. Other reports say that he was raising his forefinger. Other reports say that he is circumcised. Others say that there was light from the place where he was born up to the heavens. Others say that at that time, there were natural phenomena occurring all over the world. The birth of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a normal birth. If these reports are proven to be authentic, then we accept them. If they are not, then we are neutral. Ibn Al Qayyim said that there are no authentic reports that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was born circumcised, and he also brought reports that others were born circumcised. For example: one man was disappointed that his son was born circumcised because he could not follow the sunnah of circumcising the son, and he was told that Allah has saved him the trouble of having to do it.

2. The opening of his chest This is authentic. It was mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. When he was in the desert, his brother by breastfeeding said that two men had come and were hurting him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), so she went to him and saw him pale. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said two angels came down to him and opened his chest and took out his heart and washed it with the water of zamzam and took the piece of the Shaytan (the connection of Shaytan in the heart of every human being) out and put in hikmah and eman. Some narrations say that this happened twice. Most scholars say that this happened once. Some sahabah reported seeing traces of this happening on his chest. The heart of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was clean from the Shaytan.

3. Staying away from idol worship. Abhorrence (al-sifah). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never prostrated towards a stone or idol in Makkah. He grew up with a level of hikmah and wisdom.

4. Staying away from evil and lewd acts.


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Because he was an orphan, he needed to start supporting himself at a very young age. He was a shepherd, and people would pay him to take care of their animals. When his uncles were participating in rebuilding the Kab’ah, he was told to take off his loin cloth and put it on his shoulder to protect it from the stone. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did this, he felt a great push and fell on his back and heard a voice telling him to put his clothes back on, and he did.

5. Establishing a trustworthy and honest relationship with his people so that he would come to be known as “The Trustworthy.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had sound character that distinguished him amongst the youth, and he was called al amin (the trustworthy).

2 – Every Prophet was given mu’jizat (miracles) – miracles so great that no one who witnessed them could deny the divine intervention involved therein. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “There is no prophet sent to a people except that he had signs by which people can believe in him and his message.” [Bukhari] The signs surpassed the mastery of the time and the people. At the time of Musa, the people were known for magic, so when he went to the Pharaoh, he brought with him something which surpassed magic. They could not transform anything from one form to another form. Musa threw the staff and it became a huge snake and devoured their magic, so they knew that this was not magic. For that reason, they were the first believers and said, “We believe in the God of Harun and Musa.” The mastery of the time of ‘Isa was medicine. The Romans were very advanced in the art of medicine and could cure many diseases, but they could not cure some things such as death, aging, and leprosy. ‘Isa brought someone back to life and breathed into birds of clay and they became alive. The Christians misunderstood the miracles and though that ‘Isa was doing these, but it was from Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). At the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the mastery that the people had was eloquence of speech. The culture of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a linguistic culture based on the art of speaking. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was given many more miracles. Some miracles are disputable in terms of authenticity. They had hung the ten best poems in the Ka’abah, and it was at this time that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came with the Qur’an. These divine miracles can further be categorized into two: a) Those that can truly only be appreciated by those who witnessed them. Examples of these

include, but are not limited to: - The splitting of the moon. Some people traveling in the desert witnessed this. Those

who saw it spoke to others about it afterwards. Some ulema argue about the authenticity of the hadeeth and say that the ayah is referring to something that will happen at the end of time.


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- Al isra’ wal mir’aj. This happened in Makkah before the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went to Madinah. Ahl as sunnah wa al jama’ah believe in this because Allah said so and it is in Surah Al Isra. Some of the details of the story may be disputable, but the overall scenario of the journey is mentioned in the sunnah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). What did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) see? Did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) see Allah or not? These are disputable details. Some sects say that this was in the dream of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

- Clouds obeying Allah to aid the Prophet. Surah Al Anfaal: the story of the battle of Badr. One of the bounties upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his people at Badr was that slumber was sent upon them so that they would rest, and clouds were sent with rain and mercy.

- Divine aid in battle. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) sent the angels in Uhud, Badr, and Khandaq. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took off his armor in the Battle of the Trench, Jibreel came to him and was still in armor. Ahl as sunnah wa al jama’ah believe that this is a physical descent / presence of the angels. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) mentions them in number (i.e. 3,000 or 5,000).

- Curing of the sick. The saliva of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cured Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) when he was stung in the cave on the journey to Madinah, and he was cured instantly. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Tomorrow I will give the rayah to someone who loves Allah and His Messenger and Allah and His Messenger love him.” When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called Ali, he was told that he was suffering allergies in his eyes. He was brought before the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) blew in his eyes, and he was instantly cured. Disputable in terms of authenticity: A man in battle lost one of his eyes and was carrying it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stopped him and put the eye back in the socket. ‘Eesa (alayhi salaam) did more than this.

- Communication with animals The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saw a camel that was crying and complaining about the owner beating it and not feeding it well. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave a full khutbah because of this incident on taking care of animals. Sulayman (alayhi salaam) did even more than this, which is mentioned in Surah An Naml. Musa (alayhi salaam) had this type of communication. He was seeking rain, and he saw an ant making du’a, so he told the people that they should go back because Allah will answer the du’a of another creature.

- Miracles with trees and mountains The incident of the tree stump. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stopped using a tree stump as a mimbar, and the tree stump made a noise like a baby crying. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went and hugged the tree stump.


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Disputable: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) pulled two trees next to each other to cover himself. The mountains and the trees and the rocks: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard a rock giving salaam to him. One time, Uhud was shaking when Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman were on it. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Remain silent! It is only a prophet, a siddiq, and two martyrs on you.”

- Miracles with food and drink There are many stories mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim. Famous hadeeth of Jaabir: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was helping to dig the trench around Madinah. There was no time to even eat, and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would tie a rock or stone on his stomach to suppress his hunger. Jaabir saw this and went to his wife and asked her to cook something for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). They slaughtered a goat, and she told him to call the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and five companions. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Ya qawm, Jaabir is inviting you for food!” Jaabir ran to his wife and said that the Prophet was coming with an entire army. She asked him if he had told the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) how much they had, and when he said he had, she told him not to worry because the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) knew what he was doing. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made du’a and blew in the cooking pot and the same from the bread. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told them not to uncover the pot completely and not to uncover the bread completely. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) helped serve and called people 10 at a time. Jaabir said that when the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) left and the army left, the pot was still boiling and they did not know how much was even left. Over 300 people were served from the meal. Example of water: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was on a journey, and they lacked water. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked some companions to fetch water. They found a non-Muslim lady with two skin bags of water. They brought her to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and he asked permission to use the water. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) poured water in a bowl and put his blessed hand in the water. The water started to gush and the bowl filled with water. Everyone filled their containers and left. There were close to 1,000 people in the caravan with the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then put the water in the bags and gave it back to her. The woman said that she thought the bags had more water than when she had given it to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). She met people later, and she said that either she met a messenger of Allah or the greatest magician she had ever met in her life.

- Protection from enemies The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took the shade of a tree and hung the sword of a tree. One of the mushrikeen snuck into the camp without being noticed. He took the sword of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then woke up. The man said, “Who is going to protect you from me now, oh Muhammad?” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sat down with full confidence and replied, “Allah will protect me.” The man was petrified and could not move. He started to shake and then dropped the sword. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then grabbed the sword and said, “Who will protect you from me now?” The man was petrified and could not say a word. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then put


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the sword away and told the man to go. This is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al Ma’idah. The man later became Muslim. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was protected when he left Makkah for Madinah.

- Instant answering of supplications A man came and said that the people and animals were dying and asked him to make du’a for rain. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stopped the khutbah and made du’a for rain. The people were then stepping in mud when they were leaving. There was so much rain that the following week the man came back and asked the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to make du’a for the rain to stop. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made du’a and before the end of the khutbah the rain had stopped.

b) Those that stand the test of time and are a lasting miracle until the end of time.

- The Quran and that which is related to it The challenge in the Quran to produce anything similar to it is still there and will be there until the Day of Judgment. The challenge is for someone to produce something similar to the Quran, to produce 10 surahs, and to produce 1 surah. This is a living miracle. Many people get excited and when making daw’ah they first mention the scientific miracles in the Quran. This is not the primary thing to talk about. The Quran is preserved. We have witnessed another way of preserving the Quran: the incident of the attempt to burn the Quran. Acts like these motivate the ummah.

From a recent khutbah of YB: 1) memorize a new surah of the Quran, 2) if you have children, dedicate them to memorize the Quran, 3) if you do not have a Quran school or halaqah in your community, then establish one.

- The Sunnah and that which is related to it. The preservation of the sunnah is a miracle.

There is no man in the history of mankind whose words were preserved in a specific way more than the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). In order to appreciate this and understand it, study the science of hadith. People were carefully scrutinized and their character and level of memorization were looked at.

- The detailed preserved biography of the Prophet. We know the tiniest details about the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in terms of fiqh and lifestyle. There is no other man on earth whose biography has preserved as much, and he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lived 1400 years ago.

- The level of love and emulation of the Prophet. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sitting with his companions and said, “I wish I could live to meet my brothers.” A companion said, “We are your brothers.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “You are my companions. They are the ones who will live after my time and will believe in me even though they have never seen me.” We are considered as the brothers of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

- The legal and creedal composition of the religion. This is one of the most organized religions in terms of structure, religion and order. The Islamic system has been used for many years before the collapse of the caliphate.


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- Giving the news of the future. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave signs of the Day of Judgment. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that the desert people will be competing in building lofty buildings.

“Certainty is only achieved by having plenty of different sorts of evidence and then putting them all together. A miracle, when taken on its own, does no give some people certainty. The miracles of Moses did not cause Pharaoh and his people to believe, but rather caused them to say that he was a lying magician. In the same way, if you were to understand the true meaning of Prophethood and look deeply in the Qur’an and study the Hadith literature, you would inevitably come to know that Muhammad was a man who had reached the highest levels of prophethood. You can be ever more certain of this by putting the things he said to test when it comes to acts of worship, and seeing the effects they have in purifying the hearts.” [Al-Ghazali] As Muslims, we should not argue with people first about the miracles. We live in the 21st century where many people are intellectuals. The most important thing is to provide the whole picture of the religion and the deen. Look at the whole system. This faith is based on knowledge and is not based on fables or visions. Allah says, “Have the knowledge that there is no god but Allah.” Many people hate just the mention of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Give them the opportunity to study his life. Shaykh AbdulNasir told Shaykh Yaser the story of someone who always criticized the sunnah and asked why we have to follow it. Shaykh AbdulNasir was traveling and did not have time to argue with him, so he told him to read about the life of Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and gave him four or five books on the topic. Shaykh AbdulNasir met him the following month and asked to meet him. The man replied that there is no need to discuss because he had read the books and understood why we need the sunnah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Sometimes because people do not know, they unfortunately miss a lot when it comes to the sunnah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Bring a collective understanding of the religion. Section 5 | Refuting Doubts About the Prophet From the very first day on which the Prophet began to publicize his call and propagate his message, the disbelievers have looked for ways to hinder his success. The Quraysh of old referred to him as a mad man, one who is possessed, one who wrecks homes, a poet, a sorcerer, etc. Even in our times, allegations are made in hopes of tarnishing the pure character and noble personality of the Prophet. It is our duty as Muslims to defend the Prophet from such allegations, as Allah says:

“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves.” [Al Ahzab: 6] 1) The attacks against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) are not new. It started at the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Some classical examples of what he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was called: crazy, magician, poet, possessed, liar, copying other religions, sorcerer, fortune teller. They said about him that he was copying the legends and stories of the past. Allah answered that allegation saying, “The tongue that they attribute this knowledge to is a foreign tongue.” They criticized him for eating food and said he should be an angel. They couldn’t believe that the Messenger of God would eat like everyone else and walk in the marketplace.


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Allah is the One who protects the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and He will make ways. It is up to you whether or not you want to be part of it. Rest assured that they will continue until the Day of Judgment. People get very upset and angry when people attack the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). When people attack the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), there should be barakah that comes out of it telling people who he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was. It is left up to you to answer and refute the claims in the best way possible and to use it towards benefiting the deen of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). It is our duty as Muslims to defend the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from such allegations. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves.” [Al Ahzab: 6] 2) Equip yourself with the proper knowledge. 3) You do not have to answer every single question. The ulema taught us that saying “I don’t know” is half of knowledge because you know your limits. The more you know, the less you talk because you go directly to the point. 4) Never get into a discussion with the intention of debate. 5) You have the full right to respond and defend the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). 6) Always check your intention. 7) Make du’a to Allah to assist and help you. 8) Ask the experts, ulema, and knowledgeable people if you are in trouble. Websites that are resources: www.rasoulallah.net www.nusrah.com and www.muhaddith.org We will cover some of the classical claims against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He was called the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) a liar (khadaab), magician / sorcerer (saahir), crazy (majnoon), soothsayer (kahin), a poet (sha’ir), that he takes the religion from other religions, which is not true because the others did not speak Arabic so it could not be the production of others. They also criticized him for being a human and said that if Allah sent a messenger it would be an angel. In an ayah: “I am just a human being sent by Allah.” We are obligated to support the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The following are some common questions about the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam): Doubt #1: Why did the Prophet have so many wives? Surah Al-Ahzab 33:50 “…exclusive characteristic for you.” When the religious requirement for him to marry more than four was fulfilled, Allah ordered him not to marry any more. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lived two kinds of lives: he was a messenger and a man. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) acted as a man, he married only one woman – Khadija (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha). When she passed away, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was in his 50s. A man who marries at that age is looking for companionship, so it does not make


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sense that a man would marry many wives. This indicates that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was acting as a messenger when he married many times, and there was a reason for it. It is important to understand that Islam did not introduce polygyny; rather this practice existed in the previous faiths, it existed in the times of Musa, ‘Eesa etc. and Ibrahim ‘alayhi al-salam had two and Sulayman had several; this was common in the previous religions, also the marriages of the Prophet were not out of lust and only one of his wives was a virgin. If one was to take a cursory look at the Bible one would find that the Prophets of old had multiple wives as well. Likewise, it was from pre-Islamic culture that a man could have as many women as he desired without restriction. With the coming of Islam, this practice was regulated and restricted. Men could no longer marry more than four wives at a time, in hopes of honoring and protecting the rights of women. Of all of the wives of the Prophet, only one was a virgin. The rest were previously married, and most of them old in age. Therefore, the claim that these marriages were out of lust and personal desire are lacking substantiation, as the Prophet could have had any woman he desired but chose these ones specifically. This can be seen by the stages of his married life:

1. He remained single until the age of 25. This indicates that he was not going after his desires. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married someone who was older than him. Most resources say that Khadija was 40, but if you look at the stories of the sirah, she was younger than 40 but still older than him.

2. From age 25-50 he was married exclusively to his first wife, Khadijah, who bore all his children except one. She was 15 years older than him, with children from two previous marriages. She was his greatest ally when he received the call at age 40 until she died when he was 50 years old. He remained in love with her until he died and often talked of his life with her with great nostalgia. Even after she passed away, he was faithful to her memory.

3. Between ages 50 and 52 he remained unmarried and mourning his beloved late wife. He lived alone with his daughters.

4. Between ages 53 and 60 he married all his other wives for many noble reasons detailed below. It is unimaginable for a man to suddenly turn lustful at this age, especially as he was constantly traveling with bloodthirsty enemies on his heels.

5. At age 60 Allah revealed to him a verse preventing him from marrying any more until he died at age 64.

Now, the question arises as to what were the motives behind the rest of the marriages? Upon further research and analysis, we can derive three major motives:

1) To pass on Islam to the next generations as a practical legacy. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the only prophet without any privacy and with a meticulously preserved tradition in speech and actions in all minute details of his public and private life. Preserved in the sharp minds of his wives and his companions, those narrations comprise the “daily life manual” for Muslims to follow until the end of time. The fact that Islam was spread on the shoulders of women and preserved in their hearts is a great honor to the females of this ummah. The books of authentic hadeeth attribute more than 3,000 narrations and prophetic traditions to his wives alone. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) was very young, so she could pass on the message longer. When it was coming from multiple sources, then it is more authentic.


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2) To cement the relations of the budding nation. In a tribal society, it was customary to seal treaties through marrying into tribes. Muhammad’s (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) closest companions later became the four caliphs who led Islam at the critical stage after his death. Two of them were the fathers of his wives Aisha (daughter of Abu Bakr) and Hafsa (daughter of Umar). The other two married his daughters (Uthman married Ruqayyah and Zaynab in succession, and Ali married Fatima).

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married Ramlah bint Sufyan when her husband embraced Christianity and died in Abyssinia. He sent to al-Najashi, the ruler of Abyssinia, to ask for her hand in marriage. She was glad, and her father was proud. It is a well-known fact that Abu Sufyan was highly esteemed among his people and that relationships through marriage had many social effects among the Arabs. It was a means of affinity among people, especially when the couple fulfilled their duties towards one another. The Prophet also married Juwayriah bin Harith for the same reason. She was from the desert. She was a war prisoner in the Battle of Bani Mustaliq and the Prophet wanted to give dignity to these types of women, he thus made them equal with free women. Such a marriage was a clear proof of tolerance in Islam. Another political wisdom can be discerned in the marriage of Safiyyah bin Huyai bin Akhtab which refuted the accusation of racism against the Jews made against the Prophet. Safiyyah was the daughter of the Jewish tribes in the north, so by marrying her, he strengthened ties with them. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married Marya, the Coptic.

3) To teach Muslims compassion with women. He taught them to be compassionate not just to the young and beautiful maidens but more so to the weak and destitute widows, divorcees, orphans, and elderly women. Islam teaches that women are to be respected, protected, and cared for by their men fold. They are not to be cast out to face a harsh life alone. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The best among you are the best to their wives.”

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married his wives for different reasons.

- Aisha – she was the youngest. - Hafsa – because of Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu). When Hafsa’s husband passed away, Umar

(raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) went to Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) to ask him to marry his daughter, he remained quiet. Then he went to Uthman who told him that he would reply in a few days. Uthman came back and declined. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that the response of Uthman was easier than the silence of Abu Bakr. Then Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) received the proposal from the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Abu Bakr later told Umar that he had heard the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) speak about her and did not want to reveal it but otherwise he would have married her. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wanted to strengthen the ties with his friend.

- Safiyyah – She was from a Jewish tribe. This refutes any claim that the Prophet was anti-Semitic. Also, she was a convert. She was from a different culture.

- Zaynab – She was the first cousin of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). - Juwariyah – The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married her for political reasons. - Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan – The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) married her for

political reasons. - Maarya – She was a gift from the king of Egypt to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam). She was a Coptic Christian. There are different opinions as to whether he freed her and then married her as a wife or if he had intercourse with her. Shaykh Yaser is of


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the opinion that he freed her and then married her. She became Muslim. She gave birth to Ibrahim. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “When you go to Egypt, remember that you have kinship (rahim) with them.”

The alliances helped strengthen the community and society. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) could not display all of the legitimate reasons to get married if he married only one woman. There is a global crisis of women outnumbering men. Islam is a very practical religion. The Sunnah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is to be kind and nice to your wife. If you do not have the sustenance or ability to support more than one, then only marry one woman. The Hanafis, Malikis, and Shafi’ees say that even if a woman puts the condition in the contract that the husband does not marry any more wives, the condition is void. The Hanbalis said that the contract needs to be honored. If the husband marries another wife, then the first wife has the option to divorce the husband. Doubt #2: Why was Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) so young? The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a contract when she was seven years old and the consummation occurred when she was around nine. Do not use the 21st century standards and apply them to 1400 years ago. Firstly, it should be pointed out that this contention was never raised by any of the earliest critics of Islam and the Prophet. Rather it is an allegation that became notorious post-enlightenment. Thus, had there been the smallest hint of impropriety, the early critics of the Prophet would have definitely have raised this contention. Secondly, not only was it customary in Arabia to get married at the age of puberty but it was customary in the Christian western world as well. Here are some examples:

- Imam al-Shafi‘i said, ‘During my stay in Yemen, I have come across girls who began their menstruation at the age of nine.’ [Siyar a’lam al-nubala’ 10:91]

- Imam al-Bayhaqi narrated that Imam al-Shafi‘i said, ‘I have seen in the city of San‘a a grandmother who was twenty one. She menstruated at the age of nine and gave birth at the age of ten.’ [Sunan alBayhaqi alKubra’ 1:319]

- Ibn alJawzi narrated similar stories from Ibn ‘Uqayl and ‘Ubad alMahlabi [Tahqiq fi ahadith al-khilaf 2:267]

- It is also narrated that the companion ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr bin al-‘As –got married at the age of 12- became a grandfather at the age of 23 or 26. [Siyar a‘lam al-nubala’]

- In Greek and Roman literature, many citations can be found of women getting married at puberty.

- In our times, the states of Alabama and New Hampshire allow a girl of age 13 and 14 to marry with guardian consent.

It is also important to note that at no point in time was any discontent shown from Aisha, but rather, she loved the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) dearly. This is manifested in the fact that with her sharp and intelligent mind she went on to become of the five top narrators of hadeeth from all of the companions. This alludes to greater wisdoms behind this marriage as


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well. Lastly, it is important to note that just because we are unable to perceive and fathom maturity at such young ages (due to the times in which we live where at 17 one is still considered a minor and unaccountable for one’s actions), it does not mean that it did not previously exist. Thus, it is clear that claims that such wives were too young are baseless, and it is rather just a case of difference of place and time. Of all the classical criticism, none of the Arabs criticized the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) for marrying Aisha at that age because it was very common at that time. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al ‘As became a grandfather in his early 20s. He married at an early age, and his son married at 12 and had a child soon after that. Also, it was common amongst all nations at that time and not just amongst the Arabs. Until today, in some of the remote villages in South America, this custom is still practiced. They marry at a young age (10, 11, 12). We need to understand that when the critics speak against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in this context, they are using their own culture and are projecting their own standards on the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). This is not fair. Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) was very young and energetic. She would absorb all of the traditions and legacy of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). She is one of the top four narrators of ahadeeth (the others: Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar). She became one of the greatest scholars in Islam, and she reported more than 2,210 narrations, and 316 have been mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim. She had the greatest access to the private life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). When she was young, she would remember all of the stories, and she was the last wife of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to survive him. She lived until she was 67 years old, and she died in Ramadan in 57 / 58 / 59 AH during the time of Mu’awiyah. Abu Hurayrah (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) led the salat al-janazah for her, and she was buried in Al-Baqi‘. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed away, she was very sad. She cried for the loss of her husband. This shows that she was not oppressed and not under any pressure. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had a dream about Aisha: the angel was carrying her and came to him and said that she was his wife. Ayah: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men.” This would have caused fitnah. There is no direct line to him other than through Fatima, and there is a lot of fitnah from this. If there were any male children, then there would be a struggle to claim power / leadership. Today maturity has been pushed until the children are much older whereas before, some children were ready to run businesses at 10 years old. Doubt #3: Why was the Prophet of mercy in so many wars? Almost all of the prophets (except for ‘Isa (alayhi salaam)) have engaged in some form of combat between good and evil, and this is the way Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) establishes justices


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between haqq and baatil. In the 21st century, there are some advocates that justice cannot be established with a certain moderate level of force. Democracy sometimes needs to be spread by war (i.e. Gulf War). A level of force can be used to establish a noble cause such as justice. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a prophet, a statesman, a family man. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) always led his people through shurah. He went to war with reasons. We need to put it in perspective. The expansion of the Islamic state was not something unique for its time. Every nation and empire used to expand (i.e. the Romans and Persians). The warriors were Muslim but did not force Islam upon the people. During the first ten years, the message of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was complete tolerance. The Muslims were later allowed to initiate war against the enemies until they were victorious, and then they were commanded to spread the daw’ah and expand. Regarding the subject of war, we have ethics. The ethics are discussed in the Heavenly Hues course. Two incidents that people discuss these days:

1) Assassination of a few people in the Arabian Peninsula (Ka’ab ibn Ashraf, Abu Rafi Salam ibn Abi Haqiq). This did not happen by the command of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and by his permission. Ka’ab ibn Ashraf was the leader of some Jewish tribes. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked, “Who can take care of Ka’ab ibn Ashraf?” He broke the treaty and was active in his poetry against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He went to Makkah to incite the mushrikeen against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Abu Rafi Salam ibn Abu Haqiq was assassinated by permission. He was inciting against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and engaged in active provocation against the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). There was an open war between him and the people.

2) Banu Quraydah. When the Battle of the Trench ended, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

sallam) was taking off his armor and Jibreel came and told him not to take off his armor until he took care of Banu Quraydah. They were supposed to take care of the back of the Muslims. Madinah is surrounded by natural barriers on the east and the west. The back entrance had orchards and gardens and one passage that went through Banu Quraydah. The front entrance was where the Muslims had built the trench to close the gap between the barriers on the east and the west. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard that Banu Quraydah broke the treaty with the Muslims and were going to allow the enemies to enter. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) protected them from this. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) went to Banu Quraydah and besieged the town because there was no longer a treaty. It went on for some time, and they then requested arbitration. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) agreed, and they chose Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh to judge, and he judged that the men should be executed. If they had allowed the mushrikeen to enter, then men and women and children would have died. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) agreed with the judgment of Sa’ad. Those Jewish lines that did not agree with breaking the treaty went to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) before the treaty was broken and affirmed their allegiance to the treaty, and these people were left alone. The next year, he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered his companions to march from Makkah to Madinah in white robes and just


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with regular swords for protection during the journey. They went to go make ‘umrah. This eventually led to a famous peace treaty.

In order to truly comprehend this, we must firstly understand that one cannot be held accountable for being attacked. That is just how empires and tribes expanded. Secondly, we must acknowledge the history of war in Islam and its stages of revelation:

1. Muslims are prevented from fighting. During the first thirteen years of Prophet-hood, Muslims are ordered to be patient and abstain from retaliation, no matter how bad the persecution gets. Allah said, “Forgive and show complete tolerance.” They were not allowed to retaliate or fight back even if they were beaten. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then later went to Madinah, which was divided into Muslims, non-Muslims, and hypocrites. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had guards until Allah revealed to him that he would be protected and just needed to deliver the message.

2. Muslims are allowed to defend themselves. This stage begins with the migration to Madinah.

3. Muslims are now allowed to attack those who attack them. This is fifteen years after the first revelation. After years of persecution in Makkah, the Muslims are now allowed to attack those who wage war against them. This is what led to the battles of Badr and Uhud.

4. With the establishment of the Muslim state, the Muslim are now commanded to propagate and preach Islam and spread justice. Tribe and empires are first asked to accept Islam; if they refuse, they can pay jizya (a nominal tax), while keeping their society and religion intact. If they still refuse to accept propagation of justice, they are then taken to war, within civil terms.

The last battle he (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) participated in was Tabuk, two years before his death. But when the people heard of his coming, they dispersed and there was no fighting. It is worth mentioning here that these stages did not supersede each other because each stage had its own conditions, circumstances and justifications concerning the balance of power and weakness, the change of the position of the enemy in war and peace, the kind of disbelievers as well as other factors. Remember that this was Muhammad the statesman, and put it all in historical context. It was normal for the expansion of a civilization. Section 6 | Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him The command comes from Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) in the command in the following ayah: “Indeed Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe, ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation” [Al Ahzab: 65] Shaykh al-Sa‘di says, ‘And in this there is an indication of the Prophet’s completeness, high rank, elevated status with Allah and His creation, and his wide fame. Indeed, Allah the Exalted and His angels confer blessings upon him, meaning that Allah praises him before the angels, and in the exalted assembly [of angels] due to His love for him. And the close angels [too] praise him, make du‘a for him, and seek forgiveness [for him] in humbleness and humility.


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O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessings upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace following the example of Allah and the angels, rewarding him for some of the rights he has upon you, completing your faith, glorifying him, loving and honoring him, increasing in your good deeds, and expiating your sins. And from the best forms of asking Allah to confer blessings upon him, is the form that he taught to his companions: ‘O Allah, send your salat upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as you sent your salat upon the family of Ibahim; verily, You are the Most praiseworthy, most glorious. And send your blessing upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as you sent your blessing upon the family of Ibrahim; verily, you are most praiseworthy, most glorious.’ And this command of asking Allah to confer blessing upon him is legislated at all times, and many of the scholars have made it mandatory in the prayer.’ [Tafsir al-Sa‘di] (6a) What does salah and salam upon him mean? Imam al-Bukhari narrates from Abu ‘Aliyah – he was a student of Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud – that salah upon the Prophet means to ask Allah to praise the Prophet in the presence of the angels, the higher ranked ones in particular. This was the opinion of Ibn al-Qayyim and Shaykh bin al-‘Uthaymin. There was another group of scholars who said it means to send mercy and blessings upon him. However, linguistic and textual evidences seem to strengthen the first opinion. As for salam upon the Prophet, the meaning is its apparent meaning, there is no disagreement with regards to it, it generally means peace, and something that is free from defect, we are making du’a that Allah keeps him free of deficiency and defect and that He protects him. That is, to keep the Prophet safe and protected. This was the view of Shaykh Ibn al-‘Uthaymin and there seems to be very little difference of opinion. The ulema have different opinions as to what it means to send salah and salam on the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The salah is not the prayer, but it is the linguistic meaning of du’a. Opinion #1: Imam Bukhari mentions this from some of the tabi’een. The Prophet’s name is praised by Allah in the presence of the angels, the higher ranked ones in particular. Opinion #2: There was another group of scholars who said it means to send mercy and blessings upon him from the angels and believers. Either way, it is a great benefit and virtue that we ask from Allah to be sent upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). How do we say it? There are different forms. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) taught them: “Say: allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad…” This is known today as the tashahhud or durood. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explicitly said this. The ulema say that any form that is mentioned is considered to be salah. Alayhi salaat wa as-salam, alayhi salaam. There should be no shirk and no bid’ah in the practice. What is the difference between saying salaat ‘ala an-nabi and the other prophets? You can say ‘ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam’ for all of the prophets. You can send the salam on all of the prophets. The practice that became most popular amongst people and ulema is that when they speak about the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they exclusively say: ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa


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sallam and for other prophets, they say: alayhi salaam. Where does this come from? The Quran. Salawat was mentioned in the ayah in the Quran and in the tashahhud. What about for anyone besides the prophets? There is no tahreem (prohibition). It is not common practice because this was commanded by Allah that we do this for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). We make du’a for other people and ask for Allah’s forgiveness for them. Can you say for the sahaba alayhi salaam? Can we say Aisha alayhi salaam? Yes, but the common practice is to say raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu so that we don’t put them at the level of the anbiya. The angels make salawat and salam for you when you remain sitting after the prayer. Do you have to say sayyidina (master / leader)? There is no doubt that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is sayyidina, but you do not have to say it. It was not his (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) practice and not the practice of the companions. People now say: allahummah salli ‘ala sayyidinna Muhammad. It is permissible to say this. Can you say ‘ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam’ after the name of another prophet? Yes. What about after the name of a regular person? You can because it is a du’a. We say ‘alayhi salam’ after prophets because in the Qur’an, Allah says “may peace be with me” in the stories of Yahya and Zakariyya. Can you say ‘Umar alayhi salam’? Yes because it is a du’a, but we know the standard is saying raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu. (6b) What is the ruling on sending salah and salam upon him? If you initiate his name, it is recommended that you send salah and salam. It is obligatory in the salah in the tashahhud. If you hear his name, then it is obligatory. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that the person is stingy who hears his name and does not say ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. What about in a lecture? Can you say it once? This is being stingy. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The stingy person is the one who does not send salah and salam when he hears my name.” When you write his name, are you obligated to write “ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam”? No, you are not, but you must say it. In the older days, they wanted to save time and space in the books and used an abbreviation when writing, but this did not mean that they did not say it. Many people write صص (saad). Should you do this? Shaykh Yaser does not recommend it, but it is better than (saad – laam – ayn – meem) which is meant to mean “ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam” and is not meant to be read as one word. It is okay to write “pbuh” in English, but do not write it in Arabic abbreviated in this way. In Surah Al Kahf, Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says: “Remember Allah if you forget…” Does salawat count as the remembrance of Allah? Some ulema say that it does because it is an act of ibaadah and an act of dhikr. It is preferable not to say: ‘allahumma salli ‘ala sayyidinna Muhammad’ when you forget something but rather: subhanAllah, etc. It is only compulsory to send salah and salam upon the Prophet in the last tashahhud of prayer. In the following scenarios, it is considered virtuous and recommended:


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1. When his name is mentioned. It does not have to be just Muhammad but could be Rasulillah, Nabiyy, etc.

2. After the adhan. You should send salawat upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) after the adhan. Can you include the sahabah and the family of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) when you send the salawat? Yes, you can.

3. In the first tashahhud. 4. In du’a. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recommends that whenever you make

du’a, mention the praise of Allah at the beginning and the salawat of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) at the end. It is recommended that you always end your du’a with sending blessings upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

5. In janazah. 6. In the Friday khutbah. The khateeb starts the khutbah sending peace and blessings

upon him (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). 7. Entering and leaving the masjid. Enter the masjid with the right foot. When you enter

and leave, you say the du’a. 8. The day of Jumu’ah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recommended that we

increase the number of salawat we send upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on this day. Repeat it as many times as you want.

9. When teaching and conveying knowledge. The ulema say that you begin the same way you start the khutbah.

10. At the time of nikah. Also at the time of other contracts. How did the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) make the salawat upon himself? He would say ‘allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad’ and mentioned himself by name because this was how he taught the sahabah. To find out more, look at the book of Ibn Al Qayyim, and there is a summarized version in English. Ibn Al Qayyim mentions 40 different places all together which can be found in his book Jala’ Al Afham fi salati wa’l-salam... (6c) What are some of the virtues of sending salah and salam? 1. Fulfillment of the command of Allah. This is in Surah Al Ahzab.

2. Doing an action that Allah and the angels do.

3. Receive ten salah from Allah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever

pronounces the salawat upon me one time, Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) in return mentions salawat for that person ten times.” This means that Allah will remember you with mercy and blessings ten times.

4. Ten minor sins are forgiven. In another narration, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that whoever mentions the salawat, ten of his sins will be forgiven. This may be disputable in terms of authenticity. This can be found in Ibn Al Qayyim’s book. Allah says, “Good deeds will erase the bad ones.”

5. A cause of du’a being answered. It increases your chances of your du’a being answered. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said the du’a with mentioning salawat upon him is cut off and not complete.


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6. A cause of attaining the Prophet’s intercession. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that whoever maintains the salawat upon the Nabi all of the time, then he will receive his intercession on the Day of Judgment.

7. The Prophet responds to you This happens in a manner which we do not know. The salawat is sent to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) will respond, but how it happens is part of ilm al ghayb.

8. Makes gatherings virtuous. The angels are there and making salawat for you. This does not mean that you should gather many people and continuously recite ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam because the sahabah did not do so.

9. A way to increase our love for the Prophet. When you remember him and his name, you become more attached. When you love someone, don’t you love to hear that person’s name?

10. A means of attaining Allah’s mercy. If Allah sends salawat upon you, then Allah is showering you with mercy.

Why do we not have to mention anything special when we say the Name of Allah? Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) is not in need of our praise. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) is above our praise. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) is giving the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) a special status. In a non-Muslim gathering, can you say ‘peace be upon him’? Shaykh Yaser sends salawat regardless of what type of gathering. After one gathering, someone asked what was being said, and Shaykh Yaser responded that it is a form of respect. Gathering together and sending salawat upon the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) continuously was not the practice of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) or the companions, so avoid it. What about chanting the burdah? The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the sahabah never did this. There are hundreds of poems that praise the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) other than the burdah. What about celebrating his birthday? Should we do this? We do not celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t take my grave as a shrine.” It becomes like an ‘Id festival. This habit did not start by the Sunnis but was initiated by the Shi’a in North Africa and Egypt. Whenever you type an article, do you need to write “ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam” every time or can you write an abbreviation? It doesn’t look good, but there is no harm in using an abbreviation. In the Arabic language, they use the letter saad as an abbreviation. In the original manuscript of Sahih Bukhari, it did not contain the full statement because they were using ink on parchment and the book would then be ten times larger. In the commentary, it is written that perhaps he was pronouncing it as he was writing the book. Section 7 | The Greatest of Calamities Any Muslim with a heart that beats can testify to the great sorrow and sadness one feels upon reading about the death of the Prophet. Amazingly enough, even in relation to his death the


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Prophet is able to put things in perspective for us. Ibn ‘Abbas narrates that the Prophet said, ‘If anyone is afflicted by a calamity, then let him remember that calamity by my death, for indeed it is the greatest of calamities.’ [al-Tirmidhi] In the Arabic language, calamity is museeba. Ibn Abbas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “If anyone is afflicted by a calamity, then let him remember that calamity by my death, for indeed it is the greatest of calamities.” We all wish that we had the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) amongst us to guide us through the difficulties of this life. Whenever there is something that you are going through, remember that there is no greater calamity than missing the time of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The same day that the companions buried the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they said that they could feel the change in their hearts. The Prophet knew his time was coming several months before his actual death. He gave the following precursors in hopes that the impact would not be as great or severe: 1. In Ramadan, in the tenth year of the hijrah, he secluded himself for twenty days in contrast

to his usual ten. Some of the ulema say that he did this to compensate for not making i'tikaaf the year before, but others say that it was exclusive for him and that he was preparing himself for departing this world.

2. Jibreel reviewed the Quran with him twice. This was to make sure that everything was preserved and correct.

3. At Hajj, he clearly stated, “I do not know whether I will ever meet you at this place once again after this current year.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said this in the Farewell Khutbah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was giving them precious advice. More than 100,000 people went with him, and it was a gathering the Arabian peninsula had never had before.

4. The revelation of Surat an-Nasr. “When the victory and the conquest have been fulfilled, and the people come to Islam in waves, praise your Lord and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is Oft Forgiving.” The sahabah may not have understood the true message, but Ibn Abbas and Umar understood the meaning. Ibn Abbas said that this was an early death announcement for the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Most of the companions thought that the meaning was good news from him and about victory.

5. In the early days of Safar, in the eleventh year of al-hijrah, the Prophet went out to Uhud and observed a farewell prayer to the martyrs. It looked as if he was saying goodbye to the dead and the living alike. He then ascended the pulpit and addressed the people saying, “I am to precede you and I have been made witness upon you. By Allah, you will meet me at the ‘fountain’ very soon. I have been given the keys of worldly treasures. By Allah, I do not fear for you that you will turn polytheists after me. But I do fear that acquisition of worldly riches should entice you to strike one another’s necks.” [alBidayah wa’l-nihayah]. Some of the ulema say that it was in the middle of Safar, and others say it was at the end of Safar and the beginning of the following month. We know that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) fell ill upon his return from Hajj. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa


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sallam) gave the famous khutbah and was then feeling ill, he said, “A man was given the choice between meeting his Lord and staying in the duniyah, and he chose to meet his Lord.” Everyone was okay with this, but Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) was weeping and crying. Perhaps he was the only one who understood the language of his friend, and he said that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was talking about himself. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that he will be going ahead and waiting for them at al hawd. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave the final reminder that he was not fearful of poverty for them because Allah would provide for them, but he was afraid that they would fight each other for the riches of this world. This unfortunately did happen after the death of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

(7a) The Sickness Begins Was the death something natural or was it because of the poison he once had ingested? When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ate from the meat, the woman said that she knew that if he was a prophet, then he would be informed about it, and if he was not, then she was saving people from trouble. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was informed about it. The poison as kept in his body until the later time. Because of this, the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was a martyr, which is a popular opinion amongst the scholars. The majority say that he died a natural death. Scholars differ as to when the illness actually began. Some have said the 22nd of Safar and others the 29th, and other the beginning of Rabi‘ al-awwal. Some scholars speculate that the lingering effects of the poisoning at al-Khaybar triggered the sickness. (7b) Farewell Advice and Legacy 1. He orders Abu Bakr to lead the prayers.

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was always an imam for the community. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sick, more people started coming to the masjid, and he wanted to be there for him. One day he fell unconscious and when he woke up, he asked about the salah and was told that the people were waiting for him. He asked for water and Ibn Abbas and Ali helped him outside. He fell unconscious again and then asked about the salah when he woke up. He drank water and then after he got up he again fell unconscious. (This happened three times). He realized he would not be able to go outside. Then he said, “Let Abu Bakr lead the people in salah.”

2. Five days prior to his death, he warns the people against building masajid at graves.

3. He orders every door that connects to the masjid to be sealed, except Abu Bakr’s door. The houses were connected to the masjid at that time. This was a hint to the Muslim ummah for Abu Bakr to be his successor.

4. He informs Fatima that his death is imminent, and that she will be the family member who follows him most closely. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) whispered something to Fatima, and Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) was also present. Fatima started to cry, and then when he whispered again, she smiled. When Fatima was leaving, Aisha asked her what the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had said to her. Fatima refused to say anything. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed away, she approached Fatima again and


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asked her what he had said. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had first told Fatima that he would be dying soon, and then he said, “Don’t you want to be one of the fair ladies of Jannah?” He was giving her an announcement of death for her. Fatima died six months after the death of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

5. He warns the people: Don’t turn his grave into a place of worship. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Don’t make my grave a shrine.”

6. Expel the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula, except for delegates. This was left for Abu Bakr to handle, and it was not fulfilled until the time of Umar.

7. Hold on to the book of Allah and the Sunnah. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that if you hold onto two things, you will not go astray: the Quran and Sunnah.

8. Fulfill the rights of his family. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advised us to take care of his family. Normally, in every political system, when people start to compete for positions in the government, they have animosity for the ruling family. Karbalah occurred not too long after this time and many of the family of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) were killed.

9. He orders the sending forward of Usama’s army. This army was sent to defend the northern borders of the Arabian Peninsula against the Romans. Abu Bakr’s opinion was to send the army, but Umar’s opinion was that the army was needed to fight the apostates. Abu Bakr said that he would never untie a banner that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had tied, and the army went forward to Ash Shaam. Usama at that time was 19 years old.

10. “The prayer and that which the right hand possesses.” The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advised us about the salah and the rights of the slaves. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mentions the rights of the slaves with one of the most important actions: salah. He (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was reminding us to fulfill the rights of Allah.

(7c) The Final Moment

On Monday, the 12th of Rabi’ al Awwal, Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) narrates, “Laying in my lap gazing at the skies, his last words were, ‘O Allah (unite me) in the highest companionship.’” [Bukhari] Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said, “On the day that the Messenger of Allah entered Madinah, all things inside of it became illuminated. But on the day that he died, all things in it became darkened. And no sooner did we leave the Prophet and bury him that we reproached our hearts, finding fault with them. [Al Bidayah wa al Nihayah]

Aisha (raḍyAllāhu ‘anha) narrates these final moments. She said that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was leaning towards her. She was on his bed and holding him from behind. His back was on her chest. She held onto him tightly. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) held was so weak and not able to read Quran and wipe over his own body. She would recite the Quran for him and would take his hand and wipe it over his body. At that time, her brother AbdurRahman ibn Abi Bakr with a miswak in his mouth. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa


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sallam) stared at him. Aisha said that she knew how much he loved the miswak and asked him if he wanted it. He could only nod. She took the miswak, and she bit the tip of it, and she cleaned the tip, and then she gave it to him. The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took it from her and started to clean his mouth and teeth. She said, “I’ve never seen him doing anything nicer than that time.” He was preparing himself for a special meeting. Suddenly, he put the miswak down and raised his finger and said, “In the highest companionship, in the highest companionship.” She realized that the angel was asking permission to take his soul. When the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did this, he then put his hand down, and suddenly she felt the heavy weight of his body on her, meaning that he was gone. What did she do? She did not know what to do. She placed him down, and she cried. The sahabah and family were called to see the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). They were in complete shock and disbelief. They covered his face, and they were waiting to know what to do. Abu Bakr (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) came immediately and uncovered his face. He bent down and kissed him and said, “You are so good and so beautiful dead and alive.” He covered him again and went out to deal with the chaos in the masjid. People were crying, fighting, and depressed. Umar (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) was carrying his sword and said that if anyone says that Rasulullah is dead, then he will kill him. Abu Bakr gave a very quick khutbah and made a strong statement: “Ya Umar, sit down!” He then said, “Let those who worship Muhammad know that Muhammad is dead. Let those who worship Allah know that Allah is Eternal and Living.” Then he said the ayah in Surah Al Imran: “Muhammad was a Messenger of Allah. If he dies or is killed, will you turn your back and leave the faith in disbelief?” Umar collapsed and it was as if it was the first time that he heard the ayah. Anas (raḍyAllāhu ‘anhu) said that when the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had come to Madinah, it became so bright, and when he left, it again became dark. Mu’adh ibn Jabal came from Yemen when he heard about the sickness of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The moment he arrived, he realized that something was wrong. He collapsed and cried that he did not have the opportunity to see the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) again before his death. Ask yourself: Am I fulfilling the rights of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)? Q&A In some books of history: Some people began naming their children Muhammad because they were expecting a prophet but perhaps more common after Abdul Muttalib started it, and people followed him. Significance of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) being illiterate: A miracle that someone who is unlettered could come up with such an amazing book. Do you have to wear full hijab when making du’a? It is of the etiquettes to face the qiblah, wear hijab, make wudu, etc., but it is not mandatory / waajib. When you are on your period, you cannot even make wudu, so it is not necessary. Sometimes you do not have time to do all of these things. How can we make adhkaar for our children? The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would do this with Hasan or Husayn when sending them to bed. He would recite 3 times: a’oodhu bi kalimaatillah wa min sharri ma khalaq. Wipe over their bodies with your hands while reciting and then blow on them directly.


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Muraaqaba is always keeping in mind that Allah is looking over you. It is something that we need to worry about. It is part of ihsan that you worship Allah as if you see Him and if you can’t get to that level, then you know that He is seeing you. There are no specific number of rak’at before salat al jumu’ah – you can make as many as you want. After jumu’ah, if the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) prayed in the masjid, he would pray 4 rak’ah. If he went home, then he would pray 2 rak’ah. There are shayateen from jinn and ins. From ins: the people are so evil / worse than the shayateen. There is a volcano in Madinah on the eastern side. Alhamdulillah it is not active. The last time it exploded was 800 years ago. The incident can be read in Al Hidayah wa Niyaha of Ibn Kathir. The masjid of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was destroyed and later rebuilt. Some of the people who lived at that time thought that it was the Day of Judgment because one of the signs is a fire that can be seen from far away. Birthdays are a borderline issue. It is ok, but it becomes a huge social burden and can cut ties. People feel obligated to bring nice gifts.

Documents

The Prophet's Smile Notes