MUHAMMAD SAW THE MESSENGER OF ISLAM (515 pages, 10/41)
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The Prophet answered him, “What is it you wish to see?” The monk said, “I wish to see the seal of prophethood which is stamped on your back between your shoulder blades, this is the stamp of your mission. I would so wish to behold it and kiss it and rub my eyes upon it, that my eyes might be filled with the light therefrom and I might delight in its heavenly scent.” The Holy Prophet in order to please his host then stripped off his upper garment so that the monk could see what he wished to see. Upon the seal was written:
Tawajjuh haithu shi’ta fa-innaka mansur
(turn wherever you will, you will be assisted.)
The monk rubbed his face and eyes on this seal, then he said with great deference and respect, “Oh Holy Prophet , oh Beautification of the Judgment Day, oh Intercessor of your Nation, oh Amender of Troubles, oh Dissolver of Difficulties, oh Prophet of Mercy!” Having praised the Prophet in these words,
the monk was honored with acceptance into Islam (before its time, as the prophethood of Muhammad had not been revealed as yet).
After this, the monk turned to the whole caravan and told them that the Prophet who had now appeared among them was the celebrated personality that had been anticipated and foretold in the words and scriptures of all prophets since the time of Sayyidina Adam. He confirmed that all the prophets were of great worth and closeness to Allah Almighty, but that the long-awaited prophet the whole world had been expecting now dwelt in their midst, and he implored them not to stay for long in Sham. For just as he had been able to recognize him by his marks and signs, so could the unbelievers of Damascus who were his sworn enemies and wished to do him harm.
After the gathering had heard the admonition of the monk, they rose to resume their journey. When they reached Sham, their trading was accomplished in a very short time and yielded unexpectedly high profits, through the blessings carried by Muhammad .
One day during their stay in Sham the Holy Prophet said to and Abu Bakr, “Let us go to the unbelievers’ house of worship and see what they do there.” Neither Abu Bakr nor Maysara were too happy to go there, but they didn’t feel right about refusing Muhammad’s request either. So, on a certain day they went to the unbelievers’ house of prayer. There were a great many people assembling there, and the unbelievers manifested their disbelief. When Muhammad entered the prayer house, the chains on which the great lamps were suspended began to swing under the impact of his holy gaze, until they snapped and broke, the lamps tumbling to the ground in broken shards. The unbelievers who were assembled in the building were stricken with horror and took to weeping and wailing, and they made a great commotion. The most learned among them however said, “Quick, shut all the gates, for the man who is to be the Prophet of the last times must secretly be among us! Let him not escape, for all this is written and described in our holy books. Let each one of us now be identified by his brethren, and he who is not of us, him let us seize and dispose of forthwith; in that way we shall have rid ourselves of the danger coming to us from this Arabian prophet who could destroy our religion once he takes up his calling.”
So the gates were shut and all the unbelievers got together and looked at each other to discover who they did not know. Abu Bakr and Maysara now feared for their lives and began to weep, but Muhammad said to them, “Have no fear, for they cannot see us; Allah’s protective power will cover us, so that they cannot
touch us.” In this way Muhammad reassured his friends. The unbelievers meanwhile gathered in one spot and began to search the premises.
Abu Bakr relates: “The three of us remained standing in one place. The unbelievers passed to the right and to the left of us, so close that they even touched us. Despite this, not one of them was able to see us. They passed by us in a confused and senseless manner. They took count of their own number and found no stranger among them. They checked all corners and window niches several times over, yet they found nothing. At long last they concluded that he must have stood outside the building and cast a glance at the lamp from there, causing it to crash. ‘Now they have come and gone; where shall we look for them?’ they wondered. So they opened the doors and gates again, and we left.” Abu Bakr, Maysara and the Holy Prophet went back to their caravan and prepared for immediate departure.
When seven days journey remained till they would reach Mecca - may Allah increase its luster and grant us easy access – Maysara wrote a letter to Khadija as was his custom whenever he reached this stage of the journey, informing her of their progress and the results of their trading. This time he wrote to her that they had fared far better than in previous years, and their trade had been far more profitable than before, and that he believed this had to do with the blessing of Muhammad who had traveled with them for the first time this year. He then sealed the letter, looked at the Holy Prophet and said, “Oh Muhammad, light of my eyes, will you do this letter the honor of taking and delivering it in person to the lady Khadija?” Muhammad agreed and a fine Hijin camel was decked out for the journey. He set out at the break of dawn, proceeding towards Mecca, and they followed him with their eyes until he disappeared from view.
When they could no longer see him, the camel lost its way. The following narration tells of this: Shaytan took hold of the camel’s halter and led it astray. Thereupon Allah Almighty in all His Might and Glory commanded the angel Jibra'il to descend to earth and set the Prophet and his camel back on the right way. Thus it is revealed in the Holy Quran:
Did He not find thee erring and guide thee? (The Forenoon, 7)
Then He commanded the angel to fold up the earth so that he might reach his destination speedily. The angel Israfil was commanded to stand by his right, and Mikhail by his left side, and in this way the Holy Prophet was protected and guided safely through the perilous desert. He felt sleepy and dozed off, and the angel Jibra'il folded up the earth beneath him, so that he reached Mecca by
the time the sun rose again, though it was seven days distance from where he had set out.
After the Holy Prophet had departed for Sham, Khadija was beset by a great and passionate longing for him, which grew stronger with each passing day. When she awoke in the morning she would look out her window facing north, the direction of Sham, and wonder whether this day she would have any news. She waited. One day, she was again looking out for a messenger when in the distance she beheld a cloud of dust. She looked again carefully and managed to distinguish a rider approaching at the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. Two angels in the guise of birds were shading this rider with their wings, or according to a differing narration, she saw him being shaded by a white cloud. As soon as she saw him, she began to wonder who he might be and what urgent message he might bring, for he came on in great haste. Presently a servant girl entered and brought her the news.
“Good tidings to you, my lady,” she said, “the rider we saw approaching is Muhammad .” To this Khadija replied, “If it is really so, I will set free all the slave girls that I own.” No sooner had she uttered these words that the Holy Prophet rode up to her gate.
All of a sudden Muhammad awoke from his slumber and found himself before Khadija’s gate. He dismounted and entered the courtyard and was received with great courtesy and regard. Khadija then read the letter he handed her and noticed that it was written on the same day as it was delivered. “When did you set out?” she asked Muhammad . “This morning, at the break of dawn,” answered the Holy Prophet . Then Khadija knew for certain that this man of miracles was the prophet to be, and from joy at his safe return she set free all her slave girls. Then she said to Muhammad , “The camel on which you have come, and all that is upon it shall be yours. Go now to see your relatives, then quickly return to me.”
While he was gone, she prepared bread dough and baked the bread with her own hands. Nobody else could bake bread as she did. When the bread was done, Muhammad returned from visiting his relatives. She asked him if he would be willing to return once more to the caravan if she asked him to. “Certainly,” he said, and she wrote him an answering letter, gave him the warm bread and sent him off. The Holy Prophet remounted his camel and took to the road again. As soon as he was gone out of sight, as before he was overcome by a great drowsiness and he fell into a deep sleep. Again the angel Jibra'il folded up the ground ahead of him, Israfil shielded him from the right and Mikhail from the
left, and a small white cloud traveled overhead, shading him. In this way he made his progress.
Meanwhile, when Muhammad set out with Maysara’s letter, Abu Bakr said to him, “You have committed a bad mistake. Muhammad is inexperienced, he knows not the way through the desert and you have sent no one along to guide him. How easily he may go astray and get lost in this wilderness! How will you face the lady Khadija and the Bani Hashim?” Maysara became downhearted when he heard these words from Abu Bakr. He ordered the caravan to halt, and sent out Hijin riders in search of Muhammad . While the search party was yet roaming for him, they saw Muhammad coming towards them from the direction of Mecca. It was the time of Duha, the late morning. When Maysara was told, he said, “You see, he missed the way and kept going round in circles until he ended up back where he started out from.”
As they were yet talking of him, the Holy Prophet strode in, and they could smell the scent of fresh bread, which took them greatly by surprise. “It smells just the same as the bread that Khadija bakes,” they wondered, “how can that be? Where can he have found that?” Just then Muhammad entered the tent, greeted them and handed them bread and letter from Khadija. It was obvious to all that indeed it had come from the hand of the lady Khadija, but no one could understand how. “When did you get there?” they asked Muhammad . “I arrived just as the sun was rising,” said Muhammad , “I handed Khadija your letter and while she was baking the bread I went to see my relations. When I came back to her, the bread was ready and she wrote this letter and sent me back to deliver it.”
They all marveled at this and murmured among themselves, “All that the monk has told us about him is true. It is a seven days journey from here to Mecca, and a seven days return. To cover such a distance in a space of a few hours is beyond the power of any human being, it can only be done through direct empowerment by the Almighty Lord of the Universe, which He confers only on His Holy Prophets.”
Together they set out for Mecca, and in due time they arrived. Rasulullah went to his uncle’s house while Maysara went to report to the lady Khadija. She welcomed him back and said, “When Muhammad came here, I saw two birds hovering alongside, as well as a white cloud above his head.” Maysara told her, “It’s been like that ever since we departed from Mecca.” Then he told her all that had occurred from the time they left to the present moment, and how everything confirmed what they had suspected already: that Muhammad was destined to
be the Prophet of the last times. Khadija also felt confirmed in her certitude as she listened to Maysara’s tale, but she said to him, “Oh Maysara, tell no one about what you have seen and heard,” and she repeated this over and over again for reasons of her own. For if the chiefs of Quraysh should hear about the exceptional gifts of this young man, they would all rush to marry their young daughters to him, and she would see herself deprived of happiness.
After the travelers had rested from their exertions for a few days, Abu Talib said to Muhammad , “Oh Muhammad , oh light of my eyes, it is time now to go to the lady Khadija and ask her for your wages. We will add to this whatever we can afford, and in this way we hope to find you a suitable match.” So Muhammad went to Khadija’s house, but he was too shy to ask for what was his due. When at last he did ask her she said to him, “What will you do when I have paid you your wages?” Truthfully, Muhammad answered her, “I will take the money to my uncle who intends to get me married.” Khadija then said, “How much is this money going to buy you? I have found you a wife who possesses a lot more of it. Of good family she is, of clear lineage and excellent character, pure and chaste. Her beauty is renowned throughout the lands of the Arabs, and not a few of the Arab chieftains have asked for her hand in marriage. Plenty are the offers of gold and silver and gifts of great value; alone, she would consent to none of these worthy suitors. There is one thing only in which she is lacking, and that is that she has been married before and has been widowed. If you will accept her despite this flaw, all of her wealth will be your own, and she herself your loyal servant.” In this manner Khadija made allusion to her own person. The Holy Prophet heard and understood this proposal, and he blushed, and from bashfulness was unable to answer her.
When he returned to his uncle’s house empty-handed, Abu Talib asked him, “So, what did she give you?” Muhammad said, “She did not give me it, instead she made fun of me, by talking of unsuitable things that cannot possibly be.” Alarmed, Atiqa went to Khadija and asked her about what had transpired between her and Muhammad , and why she had made fun of her nephew in such a way. Khadija swore solemnly that she had not thought to ridicule him at all, rather that she was completely convinced of his superior qualification, both by birth and by personal distinction, on account of his truthfulness and trustworthiness which had been amply proven during his journey to Sham, and that her heart inclined strongly towards him so that she wished him for herself.
Muhammad’s aunt Atiqa was amazed to hear these words from the high-born lady and said, “If I go now and explain this matter to Abu Talib, and should he
consent, will you surely not change your mind and shame me thereby? Truly, you are not speaking in jest?” Khadija replied, “By Him who holds my soul, never have I been more serious about anything in my entire life. Go directly to Abu Talib and give him my salams. Go also and invite my cousin Waraqa bin Naufal; give him plenty of wine to drink and when he is quite happily drunk, let Abu Talib ask him for my hand. The rest I will take care of when he comes to speak to me. In that way the match can be arranged.”
Atiqa went back, jubilant in her heart and told all to Abu Talib. He too was glad and prepared to invite Waraqa bin Naufal, Abu Bakr and the chiefs of the Meccan clans. They gave Waraqa a lot of wine to drink, and when he was nicely in his cups, Abu Talib approached him and said, “Oh Waraqa, there is a favor I have to ask of you.” “What may that be, ya Abu Talib?” asked Waraqa. Abu Talib then said, “You know for yourself what a fine young man my nephew Muhammad is, truthful, trustworthy and honorable as no other; for him I am asking the hand of your cousin Khadija.” All the assembled chiefs and notables thought this a suitable proposal, and Waraqa answered, “Yes, it is a good idea, and my wish as well. As her guardian, I give her to your nephew in marriage. But I will speak to her first, then I will return.”
So Waraqa proceeded to Khadija’s house and spoke to her. He said, “All the dignitaries of Mecca and the heads of Quraysh have proposed that I marry you to Abu Talib’s nephew Muhammad . I, too, find this a suitable proposition, but I have come to you to discuss the matter with you and to obtain your consent, if indeed it is forthcoming. Should you find this acceptable, you need only appoint me as your representative, and the marriage contract will be concluded.”
Khadija then pretended to know nothing of this matter and asked Waraqa to tell her about Muhammad . “He is extremely pious,” said Waraqa, “of excellent character, truthful and reliable. He is nobly born and his honor, kindness and good nature are undisputed. The only thing he lacks is money, of that he possesses none to speak of.” Khadija then said, “Money, of that I have an ample supply myself, more than I can count. If this Muhammad is really as excellent as you say he is, I have no objection. Go then, and as my representative perform the ceremony of nikah.”
Waraqa then returned to Abu Talib and the assembled Meccan dignitaries, and the nikah was performed and witnessed, and thus Muhammad and Khadija were joined in the bond of holy matrimony. This ceremony took place on a Friday, and both Abu Talib and Waraqa bin Naufal made speeches at the
wedding, but it was Khadija’s uncle ‘Amr bin Asad who gave her away.
There is disagreement concerning the matter of the marriage settlement (Mahr). Some authorities say it consisted of twelve okes of gold and five hundred dirhams of silver, some say it was twenty camels. When the marriage contract was concluded, Abu Talib slaughtered one camel in gratitude and invited all the nobles of Mecca to a feast. Muhammad then said to Abu Bakr, “Will you go with me to the house of my bride, Khadija?” “With the greatest pleasure,” replied his friend, and together they went there. Abu Bakr accompanied Muhammad to Khadija’s house where she had prepared a splendid welcome for him. After food and drink had been served and all the guests had departed, the couple finally remained alone. Khadija then kissed his hands and made over to him all she owned, even the robes she wore on her person, disassociating herself entirely from all material belongings.
Khadija was Muhammad’s first wife and he loved her dearly and always held her in the highest esteem. As long as she lived he married no other woman. For twenty-four years, five months and eight days she lived with him and served him. It was fifteen years before the revelation of his prophethood; when it was revealed, she believed in him and accepted his message and was the first woman to accept Islam, may Allah be well pleased with her.
Khadija passed away three years and four months before the Hijra from Mecca to Madinah and lies buried on the hill of Hajun in the Nam area of Mecca. Seven children were born to the couple, three sons and four daughters. Their first son was Qasim; therefore the Prophet is called Abu Qasim by the Arabs (meaning, “the father of Qasim”). The second son was Tahir, the third Tayyab; the first daughter was Zaynab, the second Ruqiyya, the third Umm Kulthum, and the fourth Fatima. All three sons died before the coming of the revelation, while the daughters still lived.
Through his marriage to Khadija, Muhammad had become a wealthy man, and he now began to work with her capital. He was known throughout Mecca as a reliable and eminently trustworthy personality. Still there were his enemies and detractors who were not idle in pointing out that he had become rich through his marriage to Khadija, and they spread vicious gossip about him, saying he would soon cause her bankruptcy and ruin.
When Khadija heard of these rumors, she made a public proclamation, saying that she had made over all her wealth and worldly goods to her husband Muhammad , that she had done so at the time of their marriage and she was now
repeating the act, with full conviction. “From now on I own nothing, I am his slave and his dependent,” she said.
Muhammad was known as al-Amin, the Trustworthy, for he was known to be utterly reliable, and anyone could entrust his goods to him. If ever there was a disagreement, he would be called as peacemaker between two parties. He was Abu Talib’s designated successor, for there was no one more highly esteemed than he.
When Muhammad had reached his thirty-fifth year, the Quraysh wished to dismantle the building of the Kaba and erect a new one on the same spot. Since the time of Ibrahim the Kaba had not been rebuilt. It stood between two mountains, and whenever it rained heavily, the water drained into the Kaba and dirtied it. Therefore the elders of Mecca had decided to rebuild the holy house in such a way as to make it safe from flood damage, but from fear and awe no one had dared to apply himself to the task. The problem presently arose who was to have the honor of placing the black stone (Hajar-al-Aswad) in its place. The great clans of Quraysh, the Bani Hashim, the Bani Umayya, the Bani Zuhra, and the Bani Mahzun all came together to combine their efforts. They split the task between them, each clan being assigned to one wall. For a long while they hesitated to tear down the venerated ancient structure, but at last one man from among them took it upon himself to breach the wall, and the work began. They had torn the walls down to about a man’s height when they hit upon a green stone, which could not be split by any means. This was the stone mentioned by Allah in the holy verse:
“And when Abraham, and Ismail with him, raised up the foundations of the House…”
(The Cow, 127)
Then they knew they could dig no deeper, so they began to reconstruct the walls upon this foundation, using the original stones. When it came to resetting the Black Stone in its place, all four clans disagreed who should be given the honor of that supreme task. They sat down in the confines of the sanctuary and began to argue about the matter, each man praising the heroic deeds of his forefathers that entitled him to this honor rather than his rivals. Each accused the other of lying, tempers grew heated and soon it would have come to blows.
Finally they agreed to choose one man to perform the task, and they all agreed that it could be no other than Muhammad Amin , no one doubted that he was the right man. Muhammad considered their problem, then he took his cloak
from his shoulders and spread it upon the ground. He then lifted the Black Stone and set it upon his cloak. Then he called to the men of all four clans to come and each lift a corner of his cloak and to thus carry the stone to its intended place in the newly built Kaba. In this way each clan would have taken part in the honorable feat and they all could take pride in it. Everyone was highly satisfied with the wisdom of this decision as it saved them the trouble of protracted disputes and, possibly, even tribal warfare, so they happily did as Muhammad had suggested. When they had brought the stone near to the house, the question still arose who was to actually lift it to its place, but now they all agreed that no one was more suitable than Muhammad , so he himself placed it there with his blessed hands.
Now all was completed but the roof, which was to be of wood. But in all of Mecca there was no wood and no carpenter to be found. However, it so happened that just at that time a merchant ship had come into Jeddah with a cargo of wood. They bought it from this ship, and they also found a Coptic carpenter who built the roof for them. To this very day the roof that was built at that time is still in its place.
In the time of Hujjaj bin Yusuf one corner (rukn) of the building was damaged by a falling stone, and it was immediately repaired.
Revelation of Prophethood
When Muhammad had reached the age of forty, Allah sent the angel Jibra'il to him to bring him the revelation. According to a different narration, Muhammad was forty-three, and another version by Muhammad ibn Jarid says he was only twenty, but that cannot possibly be correct, for the mind of man does not mature before he has reached his fortieth year. As the time of the first revelation approached, Muhammad began to experience many curious signs. In his dreams at night he would see the angel Jibra'il , but he did not know him. During the day, he would roam about, lost in thought, and all the stones and clods of earth along the road would greet him, saying, “as-salamu alaykum, ya Rasulullah”. He would hear their voices and grow afraid of them.
At that time it was a custom among the Quraysh for the pious to retreat to a cave on the Mount of Hira during the month of Rajab and to spend this time secluded from their fellow men in solitary contemplation. Each group of the Bani Hashim had their own place there, side by side in adjacent caves.
One day the Holy Prophet came down from the mountain and said to his wife
Khadija, may Allah be well-pleased with her, “I am afraid, for I have seen many strange signs with my eyes; by day I hear the stones and clumps of earth speaking to me with a voice of their own, and at night there are great creatures that appear to me. One of them in particular is so tremendous that its feet are on the ground while its head is in the heavens. It would approach me and take hold of me...”
Khadija comforted and reassured him, “Oh Muhammad, these happenings are all part of the momentous changes that are about to come over you. When this sort of thing comes on you again, let me know.” So one day as they were sitting together, Muhammad had another visitation of this kind, and he told to Khadija what he was seeing. Khadija went around to his back and embraced him from behind, then she asked him, “Do you still see it?” “Yes,” replied Muhammad . Then she took off her head covering and asked, “So, do you see it still?” “No I do not; it has gone,” said Muhammad . Thereupon Khadija said, “Good tidings to you, for whatever you have seen, it is not from the evil one, it must have been an angel from Heaven. For had it been the accursed devil, he would not have shied away when I uncovered my hair.”
Whenever the Holy Prophet felt low-spirited and downcast, he would retreat to the cave on Mt. Hira to spend time in reflection and contemplation. Even if he came home at night looking downhearted, Khadija would always welcome him warmly, praying for the day to come when Allah would reveal to him his destiny. The day did come, and it was on a Monday that Allah’s mercy was revealed to him–just as the Holy Prophet was born on a Monday, and died on a Monday as well – and according to some it was the eighteenth day of Ramadan, while others maintain it was the twelfth day of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Allah sent the angel Jibra'il to Muhammad , commanding him to appear to him and to teach him the Sura ‘Iqra’ (The Blood Clot).
This was the first revelation of the Holy Quran. The angel descended upon Mt. Hira, appeared to the Prophet and greeted him, “As-salamu alaykum, oh Messenger of Allah!” The Holy Prophet startled in surprise and would very nearly have fallen off the cliff from fright, had the angel of Allah not caught him in his wings, and held him so that he could move neither forward nor back. Then the angel said to him, “Oh Muhammad, read!” “How shall I read,” asked Muhammad , “I do not know how.” “Iqra! (Read!),” repeated the angel, “Iqra! Bismi-rabbikal-ladhi khalaq. Recite in the Name of thy Lord who created!” and the angel recited the first Sura to him.
When the apparition of the angel was over, and he had released Muhammad from his wings’ embrace, the Prophet was in pain and left the mountain to go home. He reached his house trembling, repeating over and over to himself the Sura the angel had taught him, and he felt intensely afraid. He came to Khadija and said, “Now I have seen up close that person who has been appearing to me in the distance.” “What did he say to you?” asked Khadija. “He told me that I was a Prophet of Allah, and that he was the angel Jibra'il . Then he made me recite after him this Sura -” and he repeated to Khadija what he had heard. Khadija had heard before that the prophets of old were instructed by the angel Jibra'il , and through him received revelation from the Lord. Muhammad was shivering and felt cold from within. He lay down, saying to his wife Khadija, “Cover me up!” as he laid his blessed head upon the pillow. She covered him with his cloak, and he slept.
Khadija then went to see her relative Waraqa ibn Naufal who was a learned man and who knew a lot of things about the coming of the prophet of the last times. She asked him whether he had ever heard the name Jibra'il, and he said, “Jibra'il is the name of one of the great angels of Allah; he is the messenger-angel sent to the prophets. But why do you ask me this question?” Then Khadija told him what Muhammad had experienced, and Waraqa replied, “If what you say is true, then Muhammad is the Arabian prophet we are waiting for, whose advent is foretold in all the ancient scriptures. Oh Khadija, did this angel not command your Muhammad to do something?” She answered that he had ordered him to proclaim the Unity of Allah, and that he taught him a Sura, which she then recited (Sura: The Blood Clot). Waraqa then exclaimed, “If this is truly the anticipated prophet of the last times, then I will be the first to believe in him, for I have expected and waited for him to come for such a very long time.”
Khadija returned to her house where she found the P
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The Prophet answered him, “What is it you wish to see?” The monk said, “I wish to see the seal of prophethood which is stamped on your back between your shoulder blades, this is the stamp of your mission. I would so wish to behold it and kiss it and rub my eyes upon it, that my eyes might be filled with the light therefrom and I might delight in its heavenly scent.” The Holy Prophet in order to please his host then stripped off his upper garment so that the monk could see what he wished to see. Upon the seal was written:
Tawajjuh haithu shi’ta fa-innaka mansur
(turn wherever you will, you will be assisted.)
The monk rubbed his face and eyes on this seal, then he said with great deference and respect, “Oh Holy Prophet , oh Beautification of the Judgment Day, oh Intercessor of your Nation, oh Amender of Troubles, oh Dissolver of Difficulties, oh Prophet of Mercy!” Having praised the Prophet in these words,
the monk was honored with acceptance into Islam (before its time, as the prophethood of Muhammad had not been revealed as yet).
After this, the monk turned to the whole caravan and told them that the Prophet who had now appeared among them was the celebrated personality that had been anticipated and foretold in the words and scriptures of all prophets since the time of Sayyidina Adam. He confirmed that all the prophets were of great worth and closeness to Allah Almighty, but that the long-awaited prophet the whole world had been expecting now dwelt in their midst, and he implored them not to stay for long in Sham. For just as he had been able to recognize him by his marks and signs, so could the unbelievers of Damascus who were his sworn enemies and wished to do him harm.
After the gathering had heard the admonition of the monk, they rose to resume their journey. When they reached Sham, their trading was accomplished in a very short time and yielded unexpectedly high profits, through the blessings carried by Muhammad .
One day during their stay in Sham the Holy Prophet said to and Abu Bakr, “Let us go to the unbelievers’ house of worship and see what they do there.” Neither Abu Bakr nor Maysara were too happy to go there, but they didn’t feel right about refusing Muhammad’s request either. So, on a certain day they went to the unbelievers’ house of prayer. There were a great many people assembling there, and the unbelievers manifested their disbelief. When Muhammad entered the prayer house, the chains on which the great lamps were suspended began to swing under the impact of his holy gaze, until they snapped and broke, the lamps tumbling to the ground in broken shards. The unbelievers who were assembled in the building were stricken with horror and took to weeping and wailing, and they made a great commotion. The most learned among them however said, “Quick, shut all the gates, for the man who is to be the Prophet of the last times must secretly be among us! Let him not escape, for all this is written and described in our holy books. Let each one of us now be identified by his brethren, and he who is not of us, him let us seize and dispose of forthwith; in that way we shall have rid ourselves of the danger coming to us from this Arabian prophet who could destroy our religion once he takes up his calling.”
So the gates were shut and all the unbelievers got together and looked at each other to discover who they did not know. Abu Bakr and Maysara now feared for their lives and began to weep, but Muhammad said to them, “Have no fear, for they cannot see us; Allah’s protective power will cover us, so that they cannot
touch us.” In this way Muhammad reassured his friends. The unbelievers meanwhile gathered in one spot and began to search the premises.
Abu Bakr relates: “The three of us remained standing in one place. The unbelievers passed to the right and to the left of us, so close that they even touched us. Despite this, not one of them was able to see us. They passed by us in a confused and senseless manner. They took count of their own number and found no stranger among them. They checked all corners and window niches several times over, yet they found nothing. At long last they concluded that he must have stood outside the building and cast a glance at the lamp from there, causing it to crash. ‘Now they have come and gone; where shall we look for them?’ they wondered. So they opened the doors and gates again, and we left.” Abu Bakr, Maysara and the Holy Prophet went back to their caravan and prepared for immediate departure.
When seven days journey remained till they would reach Mecca - may Allah increase its luster and grant us easy access – Maysara wrote a letter to Khadija as was his custom whenever he reached this stage of the journey, informing her of their progress and the results of their trading. This time he wrote to her that they had fared far better than in previous years, and their trade had been far more profitable than before, and that he believed this had to do with the blessing of Muhammad who had traveled with them for the first time this year. He then sealed the letter, looked at the Holy Prophet and said, “Oh Muhammad, light of my eyes, will you do this letter the honor of taking and delivering it in person to the lady Khadija?” Muhammad agreed and a fine Hijin camel was decked out for the journey. He set out at the break of dawn, proceeding towards Mecca, and they followed him with their eyes until he disappeared from view.
When they could no longer see him, the camel lost its way. The following narration tells of this: Shaytan took hold of the camel’s halter and led it astray. Thereupon Allah Almighty in all His Might and Glory commanded the angel Jibra'il to descend to earth and set the Prophet and his camel back on the right way. Thus it is revealed in the Holy Quran:
Did He not find thee erring and guide thee? (The Forenoon, 7)
Then He commanded the angel to fold up the earth so that he might reach his destination speedily. The angel Israfil was commanded to stand by his right, and Mikhail by his left side, and in this way the Holy Prophet was protected and guided safely through the perilous desert. He felt sleepy and dozed off, and the angel Jibra'il folded up the earth beneath him, so that he reached Mecca by
the time the sun rose again, though it was seven days distance from where he had set out.
After the Holy Prophet had departed for Sham, Khadija was beset by a great and passionate longing for him, which grew stronger with each passing day. When she awoke in the morning she would look out her window facing north, the direction of Sham, and wonder whether this day she would have any news. She waited. One day, she was again looking out for a messenger when in the distance she beheld a cloud of dust. She looked again carefully and managed to distinguish a rider approaching at the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. Two angels in the guise of birds were shading this rider with their wings, or according to a differing narration, she saw him being shaded by a white cloud. As soon as she saw him, she began to wonder who he might be and what urgent message he might bring, for he came on in great haste. Presently a servant girl entered and brought her the news.
“Good tidings to you, my lady,” she said, “the rider we saw approaching is Muhammad .” To this Khadija replied, “If it is really so, I will set free all the slave girls that I own.” No sooner had she uttered these words that the Holy Prophet rode up to her gate.
All of a sudden Muhammad awoke from his slumber and found himself before Khadija’s gate. He dismounted and entered the courtyard and was received with great courtesy and regard. Khadija then read the letter he handed her and noticed that it was written on the same day as it was delivered. “When did you set out?” she asked Muhammad . “This morning, at the break of dawn,” answered the Holy Prophet . Then Khadija knew for certain that this man of miracles was the prophet to be, and from joy at his safe return she set free all her slave girls. Then she said to Muhammad , “The camel on which you have come, and all that is upon it shall be yours. Go now to see your relatives, then quickly return to me.”
While he was gone, she prepared bread dough and baked the bread with her own hands. Nobody else could bake bread as she did. When the bread was done, Muhammad returned from visiting his relatives. She asked him if he would be willing to return once more to the caravan if she asked him to. “Certainly,” he said, and she wrote him an answering letter, gave him the warm bread and sent him off. The Holy Prophet remounted his camel and took to the road again. As soon as he was gone out of sight, as before he was overcome by a great drowsiness and he fell into a deep sleep. Again the angel Jibra'il folded up the ground ahead of him, Israfil shielded him from the right and Mikhail from the
left, and a small white cloud traveled overhead, shading him. In this way he made his progress.
Meanwhile, when Muhammad set out with Maysara’s letter, Abu Bakr said to him, “You have committed a bad mistake. Muhammad is inexperienced, he knows not the way through the desert and you have sent no one along to guide him. How easily he may go astray and get lost in this wilderness! How will you face the lady Khadija and the Bani Hashim?” Maysara became downhearted when he heard these words from Abu Bakr. He ordered the caravan to halt, and sent out Hijin riders in search of Muhammad . While the search party was yet roaming for him, they saw Muhammad coming towards them from the direction of Mecca. It was the time of Duha, the late morning. When Maysara was told, he said, “You see, he missed the way and kept going round in circles until he ended up back where he started out from.”
As they were yet talking of him, the Holy Prophet strode in, and they could smell the scent of fresh bread, which took them greatly by surprise. “It smells just the same as the bread that Khadija bakes,” they wondered, “how can that be? Where can he have found that?” Just then Muhammad entered the tent, greeted them and handed them bread and letter from Khadija. It was obvious to all that indeed it had come from the hand of the lady Khadija, but no one could understand how. “When did you get there?” they asked Muhammad . “I arrived just as the sun was rising,” said Muhammad , “I handed Khadija your letter and while she was baking the bread I went to see my relations. When I came back to her, the bread was ready and she wrote this letter and sent me back to deliver it.”
They all marveled at this and murmured among themselves, “All that the monk has told us about him is true. It is a seven days journey from here to Mecca, and a seven days return. To cover such a distance in a space of a few hours is beyond the power of any human being, it can only be done through direct empowerment by the Almighty Lord of the Universe, which He confers only on His Holy Prophets.”
Together they set out for Mecca, and in due time they arrived. Rasulullah went to his uncle’s house while Maysara went to report to the lady Khadija. She welcomed him back and said, “When Muhammad came here, I saw two birds hovering alongside, as well as a white cloud above his head.” Maysara told her, “It’s been like that ever since we departed from Mecca.” Then he told her all that had occurred from the time they left to the present moment, and how everything confirmed what they had suspected already: that Muhammad was destined to
be the Prophet of the last times. Khadija also felt confirmed in her certitude as she listened to Maysara’s tale, but she said to him, “Oh Maysara, tell no one about what you have seen and heard,” and she repeated this over and over again for reasons of her own. For if the chiefs of Quraysh should hear about the exceptional gifts of this young man, they would all rush to marry their young daughters to him, and she would see herself deprived of happiness.
After the travelers had rested from their exertions for a few days, Abu Talib said to Muhammad , “Oh Muhammad , oh light of my eyes, it is time now to go to the lady Khadija and ask her for your wages. We will add to this whatever we can afford, and in this way we hope to find you a suitable match.” So Muhammad went to Khadija’s house, but he was too shy to ask for what was his due. When at last he did ask her she said to him, “What will you do when I have paid you your wages?” Truthfully, Muhammad answered her, “I will take the money to my uncle who intends to get me married.” Khadija then said, “How much is this money going to buy you? I have found you a wife who possesses a lot more of it. Of good family she is, of clear lineage and excellent character, pure and chaste. Her beauty is renowned throughout the lands of the Arabs, and not a few of the Arab chieftains have asked for her hand in marriage. Plenty are the offers of gold and silver and gifts of great value; alone, she would consent to none of these worthy suitors. There is one thing only in which she is lacking, and that is that she has been married before and has been widowed. If you will accept her despite this flaw, all of her wealth will be your own, and she herself your loyal servant.” In this manner Khadija made allusion to her own person. The Holy Prophet heard and understood this proposal, and he blushed, and from bashfulness was unable to answer her.
When he returned to his uncle’s house empty-handed, Abu Talib asked him, “So, what did she give you?” Muhammad said, “She did not give me it, instead she made fun of me, by talking of unsuitable things that cannot possibly be.” Alarmed, Atiqa went to Khadija and asked her about what had transpired between her and Muhammad , and why she had made fun of her nephew in such a way. Khadija swore solemnly that she had not thought to ridicule him at all, rather that she was completely convinced of his superior qualification, both by birth and by personal distinction, on account of his truthfulness and trustworthiness which had been amply proven during his journey to Sham, and that her heart inclined strongly towards him so that she wished him for herself.
Muhammad’s aunt Atiqa was amazed to hear these words from the high-born lady and said, “If I go now and explain this matter to Abu Talib, and should he
consent, will you surely not change your mind and shame me thereby? Truly, you are not speaking in jest?” Khadija replied, “By Him who holds my soul, never have I been more serious about anything in my entire life. Go directly to Abu Talib and give him my salams. Go also and invite my cousin Waraqa bin Naufal; give him plenty of wine to drink and when he is quite happily drunk, let Abu Talib ask him for my hand. The rest I will take care of when he comes to speak to me. In that way the match can be arranged.”
Atiqa went back, jubilant in her heart and told all to Abu Talib. He too was glad and prepared to invite Waraqa bin Naufal, Abu Bakr and the chiefs of the Meccan clans. They gave Waraqa a lot of wine to drink, and when he was nicely in his cups, Abu Talib approached him and said, “Oh Waraqa, there is a favor I have to ask of you.” “What may that be, ya Abu Talib?” asked Waraqa. Abu Talib then said, “You know for yourself what a fine young man my nephew Muhammad is, truthful, trustworthy and honorable as no other; for him I am asking the hand of your cousin Khadija.” All the assembled chiefs and notables thought this a suitable proposal, and Waraqa answered, “Yes, it is a good idea, and my wish as well. As her guardian, I give her to your nephew in marriage. But I will speak to her first, then I will return.”
So Waraqa proceeded to Khadija’s house and spoke to her. He said, “All the dignitaries of Mecca and the heads of Quraysh have proposed that I marry you to Abu Talib’s nephew Muhammad . I, too, find this a suitable proposition, but I have come to you to discuss the matter with you and to obtain your consent, if indeed it is forthcoming. Should you find this acceptable, you need only appoint me as your representative, and the marriage contract will be concluded.”
Khadija then pretended to know nothing of this matter and asked Waraqa to tell her about Muhammad . “He is extremely pious,” said Waraqa, “of excellent character, truthful and reliable. He is nobly born and his honor, kindness and good nature are undisputed. The only thing he lacks is money, of that he possesses none to speak of.” Khadija then said, “Money, of that I have an ample supply myself, more than I can count. If this Muhammad is really as excellent as you say he is, I have no objection. Go then, and as my representative perform the ceremony of nikah.”
Waraqa then returned to Abu Talib and the assembled Meccan dignitaries, and the nikah was performed and witnessed, and thus Muhammad and Khadija were joined in the bond of holy matrimony. This ceremony took place on a Friday, and both Abu Talib and Waraqa bin Naufal made speeches at the
wedding, but it was Khadija’s uncle ‘Amr bin Asad who gave her away.
There is disagreement concerning the matter of the marriage settlement (Mahr). Some authorities say it consisted of twelve okes of gold and five hundred dirhams of silver, some say it was twenty camels. When the marriage contract was concluded, Abu Talib slaughtered one camel in gratitude and invited all the nobles of Mecca to a feast. Muhammad then said to Abu Bakr, “Will you go with me to the house of my bride, Khadija?” “With the greatest pleasure,” replied his friend, and together they went there. Abu Bakr accompanied Muhammad to Khadija’s house where she had prepared a splendid welcome for him. After food and drink had been served and all the guests had departed, the couple finally remained alone. Khadija then kissed his hands and made over to him all she owned, even the robes she wore on her person, disassociating herself entirely from all material belongings.
Khadija was Muhammad’s first wife and he loved her dearly and always held her in the highest esteem. As long as she lived he married no other woman. For twenty-four years, five months and eight days she lived with him and served him. It was fifteen years before the revelation of his prophethood; when it was revealed, she believed in him and accepted his message and was the first woman to accept Islam, may Allah be well pleased with her.
Khadija passed away three years and four months before the Hijra from Mecca to Madinah and lies buried on the hill of Hajun in the Nam area of Mecca. Seven children were born to the couple, three sons and four daughters. Their first son was Qasim; therefore the Prophet is called Abu Qasim by the Arabs (meaning, “the father of Qasim”). The second son was Tahir, the third Tayyab; the first daughter was Zaynab, the second Ruqiyya, the third Umm Kulthum, and the fourth Fatima. All three sons died before the coming of the revelation, while the daughters still lived.
Through his marriage to Khadija, Muhammad had become a wealthy man, and he now began to work with her capital. He was known throughout Mecca as a reliable and eminently trustworthy personality. Still there were his enemies and detractors who were not idle in pointing out that he had become rich through his marriage to Khadija, and they spread vicious gossip about him, saying he would soon cause her bankruptcy and ruin.
When Khadija heard of these rumors, she made a public proclamation, saying that she had made over all her wealth and worldly goods to her husband Muhammad , that she had done so at the time of their marriage and she was now
repeating the act, with full conviction. “From now on I own nothing, I am his slave and his dependent,” she said.
Muhammad was known as al-Amin, the Trustworthy, for he was known to be utterly reliable, and anyone could entrust his goods to him. If ever there was a disagreement, he would be called as peacemaker between two parties. He was Abu Talib’s designated successor, for there was no one more highly esteemed than he.
When Muhammad had reached his thirty-fifth year, the Quraysh wished to dismantle the building of the Kaba and erect a new one on the same spot. Since the time of Ibrahim the Kaba had not been rebuilt. It stood between two mountains, and whenever it rained heavily, the water drained into the Kaba and dirtied it. Therefore the elders of Mecca had decided to rebuild the holy house in such a way as to make it safe from flood damage, but from fear and awe no one had dared to apply himself to the task. The problem presently arose who was to have the honor of placing the black stone (Hajar-al-Aswad) in its place. The great clans of Quraysh, the Bani Hashim, the Bani Umayya, the Bani Zuhra, and the Bani Mahzun all came together to combine their efforts. They split the task between them, each clan being assigned to one wall. For a long while they hesitated to tear down the venerated ancient structure, but at last one man from among them took it upon himself to breach the wall, and the work began. They had torn the walls down to about a man’s height when they hit upon a green stone, which could not be split by any means. This was the stone mentioned by Allah in the holy verse:
“And when Abraham, and Ismail with him, raised up the foundations of the House…”
(The Cow, 127)
Then they knew they could dig no deeper, so they began to reconstruct the walls upon this foundation, using the original stones. When it came to resetting the Black Stone in its place, all four clans disagreed who should be given the honor of that supreme task. They sat down in the confines of the sanctuary and began to argue about the matter, each man praising the heroic deeds of his forefathers that entitled him to this honor rather than his rivals. Each accused the other of lying, tempers grew heated and soon it would have come to blows.
Finally they agreed to choose one man to perform the task, and they all agreed that it could be no other than Muhammad Amin , no one doubted that he was the right man. Muhammad considered their problem, then he took his cloak
from his shoulders and spread it upon the ground. He then lifted the Black Stone and set it upon his cloak. Then he called to the men of all four clans to come and each lift a corner of his cloak and to thus carry the stone to its intended place in the newly built Kaba. In this way each clan would have taken part in the honorable feat and they all could take pride in it. Everyone was highly satisfied with the wisdom of this decision as it saved them the trouble of protracted disputes and, possibly, even tribal warfare, so they happily did as Muhammad had suggested. When they had brought the stone near to the house, the question still arose who was to actually lift it to its place, but now they all agreed that no one was more suitable than Muhammad , so he himself placed it there with his blessed hands.
Now all was completed but the roof, which was to be of wood. But in all of Mecca there was no wood and no carpenter to be found. However, it so happened that just at that time a merchant ship had come into Jeddah with a cargo of wood. They bought it from this ship, and they also found a Coptic carpenter who built the roof for them. To this very day the roof that was built at that time is still in its place.
In the time of Hujjaj bin Yusuf one corner (rukn) of the building was damaged by a falling stone, and it was immediately repaired.
Revelation of Prophethood
When Muhammad had reached the age of forty, Allah sent the angel Jibra'il to him to bring him the revelation. According to a different narration, Muhammad was forty-three, and another version by Muhammad ibn Jarid says he was only twenty, but that cannot possibly be correct, for the mind of man does not mature before he has reached his fortieth year. As the time of the first revelation approached, Muhammad began to experience many curious signs. In his dreams at night he would see the angel Jibra'il , but he did not know him. During the day, he would roam about, lost in thought, and all the stones and clods of earth along the road would greet him, saying, “as-salamu alaykum, ya Rasulullah”. He would hear their voices and grow afraid of them.
At that time it was a custom among the Quraysh for the pious to retreat to a cave on the Mount of Hira during the month of Rajab and to spend this time secluded from their fellow men in solitary contemplation. Each group of the Bani Hashim had their own place there, side by side in adjacent caves.
One day the Holy Prophet came down from the mountain and said to his wife
Khadija, may Allah be well-pleased with her, “I am afraid, for I have seen many strange signs with my eyes; by day I hear the stones and clumps of earth speaking to me with a voice of their own, and at night there are great creatures that appear to me. One of them in particular is so tremendous that its feet are on the ground while its head is in the heavens. It would approach me and take hold of me...”
Khadija comforted and reassured him, “Oh Muhammad, these happenings are all part of the momentous changes that are about to come over you. When this sort of thing comes on you again, let me know.” So one day as they were sitting together, Muhammad had another visitation of this kind, and he told to Khadija what he was seeing. Khadija went around to his back and embraced him from behind, then she asked him, “Do you still see it?” “Yes,” replied Muhammad . Then she took off her head covering and asked, “So, do you see it still?” “No I do not; it has gone,” said Muhammad . Thereupon Khadija said, “Good tidings to you, for whatever you have seen, it is not from the evil one, it must have been an angel from Heaven. For had it been the accursed devil, he would not have shied away when I uncovered my hair.”
Whenever the Holy Prophet felt low-spirited and downcast, he would retreat to the cave on Mt. Hira to spend time in reflection and contemplation. Even if he came home at night looking downhearted, Khadija would always welcome him warmly, praying for the day to come when Allah would reveal to him his destiny. The day did come, and it was on a Monday that Allah’s mercy was revealed to him–just as the Holy Prophet was born on a Monday, and died on a Monday as well – and according to some it was the eighteenth day of Ramadan, while others maintain it was the twelfth day of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Allah sent the angel Jibra'il to Muhammad , commanding him to appear to him and to teach him the Sura ‘Iqra’ (The Blood Clot).
This was the first revelation of the Holy Quran. The angel descended upon Mt. Hira, appeared to the Prophet and greeted him, “As-salamu alaykum, oh Messenger of Allah!” The Holy Prophet startled in surprise and would very nearly have fallen off the cliff from fright, had the angel of Allah not caught him in his wings, and held him so that he could move neither forward nor back. Then the angel said to him, “Oh Muhammad, read!” “How shall I read,” asked Muhammad , “I do not know how.” “Iqra! (Read!),” repeated the angel, “Iqra! Bismi-rabbikal-ladhi khalaq. Recite in the Name of thy Lord who created!” and the angel recited the first Sura to him.
When the apparition of the angel was over, and he had released Muhammad from his wings’ embrace, the Prophet was in pain and left the mountain to go home. He reached his house trembling, repeating over and over to himself the Sura the angel had taught him, and he felt intensely afraid. He came to Khadija and said, “Now I have seen up close that person who has been appearing to me in the distance.” “What did he say to you?” asked Khadija. “He told me that I was a Prophet of Allah, and that he was the angel Jibra'il . Then he made me recite after him this Sura -” and he repeated to Khadija what he had heard. Khadija had heard before that the prophets of old were instructed by the angel Jibra'il , and through him received revelation from the Lord. Muhammad was shivering and felt cold from within. He lay down, saying to his wife Khadija, “Cover me up!” as he laid his blessed head upon the pillow. She covered him with his cloak, and he slept.
Khadija then went to see her relative Waraqa ibn Naufal who was a learned man and who knew a lot of things about the coming of the prophet of the last times. She asked him whether he had ever heard the name Jibra'il, and he said, “Jibra'il is the name of one of the great angels of Allah; he is the messenger-angel sent to the prophets. But why do you ask me this question?” Then Khadija told him what Muhammad had experienced, and Waraqa replied, “If what you say is true, then Muhammad is the Arabian prophet we are waiting for, whose advent is foretold in all the ancient scriptures. Oh Khadija, did this angel not command your Muhammad to do something?” She answered that he had ordered him to proclaim the Unity of Allah, and that he taught him a Sura, which she then recited (Sura: The Blood Clot). Waraqa then exclaimed, “If this is truly the anticipated prophet of the last times, then I will be the first to believe in him, for I have expected and waited for him to come for such a very long time.”
Khadija returned to her house where she found the P
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