In his Friday Sermon of 18
January 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius
(atba) gave a discourse on the early life
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) whose endearing personality was “the epitome of purity, morality, spirituality and human
perfection.” The Sermon presents a
graphic portrait of the early years of the man whom Allah the Most High had
destined to raise to a lofty spiritual station in this very life. Reflecting on
the very many trials and tribulations faced by the young Muhammad, who went on
to become the Holy Prophet of Islam, the Khalifatullah (atba) observes: “It
was the will of God that the Prophet to-be should undergo all sorts of
sufferings, pains and privations incidental to human life in order that he
might learn to bear them with becoming fortitude and raise his stature in human
perfection.”
Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:
Born
on the soil of Arabia on a Monday 12 Rabi’ul
Awwal (in the year of the Elephant), the Seal
of all prophets, Muhammad (pbuh) came as Warner and Preacher of the Unity of
God, not only to the People of the land upon which he was born, but he came
also as the Universal Prophet, that is, for all nations of the world, a
blessing indeed for the world. He was commissioned to Prophethood on a Monday
also, and very often he used to fast on this day in remembrance of the immense
favour which Allah made upon him when He chose him as the best of mankind.
Mondays,
and also Thursdays are the days during which the deeds of people are presented
before Allah, and thus our beloved prophet, humble and God-fearing as he was,
preferred to spend these days in fasting.
Despite that he was sinless – with only slight faults like any human being
which Allah strived to make him correct over the years as prophet – the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) represented the epitome of purity, morality,
spirituality and human perfection. He was the ideal man, the ideal prophet, the
ideal husband, the ideal father, the ideal grandfather, the ideal soldier, the
ideal commander, the ideal leader, the ideal servant, the ideal common man, the
ideal worshipper of Allah, the ideal advisor, the ideal arbitrator, the ideal
judge etc. In a nutshell, he was the ideal human prophet, the exemplar man, the
role model for mankind.
The
chapters of his life show us that at each turn he strived to be the best and to
remain the best till his last breath. His best was verily found in humility.
Without humility, he could not have gone far in being
the representation of the best human. In every situation he showed himself to
be humble and patient, but there were times when the situation demanded, he was
rough only to protect the Muslims under his wing, and this he did according to
the Will and commandment of God.
The babyhood, childhood and adulthood
periods of his life demonstrated how exemplary he was. Allah has made me
understood that a Messenger of Allah is carefully protected by Allah even before his
birth on earth. He is a light vouchsafed by Allah in the loins (Salib)
of the father into the womb (Rahim) of the mother. Therefore, Allah purified
both his father and mother so that they may welcome into the world the most
perfect of children; the best of mankind. It is reported in the ancient
traditions that his mother was recipient to many dreams and visions, and it was
in one of them that she witnessed how glorious a son she will give birth to and
what name to give him. Muhammad, the Praised One. A name within a name. Allah,
our beloved Creator made him into existence so that his life may reflect the
life of the blessed ones, and he is the sole prophet and human that whenever
his name is pronounced and heard, one has to send the blessings of God upon
him. This act of sending blessings forms part of the faith of the Muslim and is
obligatory upon him to do so, lest he shall be considered as an arrogant in the
eyes of Allah. He (pbuh) thus fulfilled the meaning of his name: Muhammad, the
Praised One (pbuh).
His father sadly left the world before his
birth. His mother died when he was in infancy. The first human being with whom we come into contact at the
commencement of our life on earth is our mother. It is she who first conceives
us in her being, then rears us in her lap, nourishes us with her milk and
shares our joys and sorrows. Next comes our father who acts as a partner of
our mother in the fulfilment of all these obligations and takes upon himself
the weighty responsibility of our education and sustenance.
Now, to make an adequate return of their
innumerable sacrifices is not possible for us; but surely our sense of
gratitude must impel us to respect and honour them and do everything in our
power to at least acknowledge their favours and obligations. Consequently the
Holy Quran says:
“And
your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to
your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say
not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but speak to them a noble
word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My
Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.” (17: 24-25).
Our beloved Prophet’s (pbuh) father, Abdullah ibn Shaiba ibn Hashim (ra)
sadly left the world before his birth, and his mother Amina bint Wahb (ra) died when he was in infancy. He missed the
love of his biological parents, yet Allah gave him provision of parental love
in the form of his foster caregivers, and parents, like Halima Sadiya and her husband Al’-Harith
ibn ‘Abdul-‘Uzza. It was the
will of God that the Prophet to-be should undergo all sorts of sufferings,
pains and privations incidental to human life in order that he might learn to
bear them with becoming fortitude and raise his stature in human perfection.
Despite losing both his parents at a very
tender age, yet Allah provided for his needs through a gentle foster mother who
witnessed miracles over miracles when she took baby Muhammad (pbuh) to care
for. In ancient Arabia, it was the customs for mothers to give their babies to
experienced wet-nurses who live in the deserts and mountainous areas so that
their children may learn life in a most beautiful way and get the necessary
provisions and knowledge till they reach old age. Halima Sadiya was at first
reluctant to care for an orphan, and she was in need of money. But upon seeing
that all her friends have got each a baby to return back home, she finally
accepted to look after the sweet little orphan, and she got the surprise of her
life when miracles upon miracles happened to her in the form of all sorts of
provisions for the new-born. Milk came out in abundance for the perfect baby
and thus began the journey of baby Muhammad (pbuh) in the arms of his foster
mother.
Even when years later the little child was
returned back to his mother Amina, it was not long before his mother died and
he was given in the care of his paternal grandfather Shaiba ibn Hashim, better
known as Abdul-Muttallib. Two years
later, after the death of his grand-father, he was given in the care of his
paternal uncle Abu Talib, and he
also considered him and his wife Fatima
bint Asad and children as his parents and brothers and sisters. But he
never forgot his foster-mother, Halima Sadiya.
The respect and reverence due to parents,
this was well reflected in the way Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) treated both his
uncle and aunt, and his foster-parents also. There is a tradition to the effect
that once Halima Sadiya came to the Prophet. No sooner did he see her than,
overcome by love, he stood up and exclaimed: “My mother, my
mother!” Instantly he spread his sheet for her and invited her to sit
down.
About his uncle’s wife, as the Holy
Prophet (pbuh) himself said, Fatima bint Asad was his “mother” who kept her own
children waiting while she fed the Holy Prophet, kept her own children cold
while she gave him warm clothes, and who even went hungry so as to feed her
adopted son, Muhammad (pbuh). She was among the first Muslims who formed part
of the family of the Prophet of Allah to have accepted his mission as Prophet.
If on one hand, despite loving and sheltering him from all sorts of trials and
persecutions, his paternal uncle Abu Talib did not accept the unity of Allah
and Islam, on the other hand his adopted mother Fatima was among the first
people to have believed in him and who became Muslim. She was ever ready to
support him and shelter him from the evils of the Quraishs. Upon her death, the
Holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: “My dear mother, may Allah
keep you under His Protection. Many times you went hungry in order to feed me
well. You fed me and clothed me on delicacies that you denied yourself. Allah
will surely be happy with these actions of yours. And your intentions were
surely meant to win the goodwill and pleasure of Allah and success in the
Hereafter.”
Another woman who attended to him in his
infancy is Barakah. She was the
maid-servant of Hazrat Amina (ra) and she was present for the prophet of Allah (pbuh)
since his birth. When Halima Sadiyah (ra) returned the young boy to his mother,
Hazrat Amina bint Wahb got a big help from Barakah in the upbringing of
Muhammad (pbuh). Sadly enough, Hazrat Amina due to a fever she contracted while
she was in Yathrib (Madina) to visit the grave of her late husband and to visit
some of her families who lived there. Barakah accompanied her and the little
boy, and it was on the way back to Mecca, at a place called ‘Abwa that
Hazrat Amina (ra) succumbed to her illness.
Therefore, it dawned on Barakah that she
has now to care for the little one and took him back with her in Mecca, and
thus, throughout the remaining life of Abdul-Mutallib and through the
growing-up of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) in the house of his uncle Abu Talib,
Barakah was never far away from the child. She and Fatima bint Asad both doted
on him as his mothers, and the Prophet loved both of them greatly. She was
quite young when the Prophet of Allah was born, and she had the blessings of
hearing about the prophecies of the coming of the Seal of Prophethood among the
Children of Ismail from the mouths of the Jews of Medina (while she was there
with mother and son). She witnessed so many signs and manifestations that it
was inconceivable for her not to believe and follow her “adopted” son, Muhammad
(pbuh). After his marriage to Hazrat Khatija (ra), the Prophet of Allah set her
free. She then married Ubayd ibn Zayd and bore him a child, Ayman. As from this
day, she was better known as, Umm Ayman. Both her husband and son later became
martyrs in the battles in the cause of Islam.
It was to Barakah that the adopted son of
the Prophet was then married to. Indeed Zayd bin Harith was the first freed
slave to have become Muslim. Barakah was referred to as one of the ladies of
Paradise by the Prophet of Allah (pbuh), and thus Zaid (prior to his marriage
to Zaynab bint Jahsh) married Barakah, and together they had a son, Usama ibn
Zayd who was a most beloved child to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Umm Ayman was thus present since the birth
of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh), and she witnessed so many events, including the
passing away of the beloved Prophet of Allah, who was so close to her heart.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to go and rest at her house and keep her company.
She died in ripe old age during the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab
(ra).
It can, therefore, be easily conceived
that when our beloved prophet (pbuh) evinced so much affection and paid such
respect to these three ladies of exceptional and motherly attributes, what
would he not have done for his real mother had he got the opportunity to
benefit from her presence in his youth, adulthood and especially during his
call as prophet of Allah!
There is another tradition which relates
that once a woman was seen coming towards him, followed by a man and a youth;
he offered her one corner of his sheet and requested the man to take his seat
at the other corner; and when his eyes fell on the youth, he stood up saying: “O,
my brother, O, my brother!” and embraced him. They were
none else than Halima Sadiya, her husband and her son. It is evident that he
accorded them the same respect and honour and cherished for them the same love
and affection as one does for his real parents and brother. This same brotherly
love, he also bestowed it upon the sons and daughters of his paternal uncle Abu
Talib. Indeed, when Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was old enough, it was him who took
the responsibility of his youngest cousin, Ali
bin Abu Talib. Therefore, since a young age he learnt and also developed a
caring for children, doing everything in his power so that they are well cared
for, well-nourished and respected.
Attachment to and affection for one’s
children are inborn in human nature and the ties of blood that bind us to them
are next in rank only to those of parents and cannot be severed unless those
creatures of Allah denies Allah and become the enemy of Allah and that of His
Messenger. It is then that according to the Holy Quran, preference must be
given to Allah, His Religion and Messenger, but that those people should be
treated in an estranged cordial way, but not as intimates. The Holy Quran
verily says:
“Indeed,
the ones who oppose Allah and His Messenger - those will be among the most
humiliated. Allah has written, "I will surely overcome, I and My
messengers." Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. You will not
find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those
who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their
sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those (are they whom) He has decreed
within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will
admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally.
Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party
of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful” (Quran 58: 21-23).
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his companions
set such an example in this respect. He moreover was a staunch protector of the
rights of the women, children and orphans. He condemned the killing of
daughters, and as per the Will of Allah, he fought this injustice ever since
his youth. These people took daughters as a bad omen, a burden and dishonour.
They thought it below their dignity to kiss even their youngest offspring, were
abashed and dumbfounded. In the times of Islam, the following commandment of
God struck them like a tight slap:
“And
do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you.
Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.” (17: 32).
This verse applies to those among the
barbarous Arabs who without any qualm killed those innocent souls because of the
shame of their birth and sex. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) came as the liberator of
the women and girls and to re-establish for them their rights, ever since their
birth on earth. He is reported to have said:
(1) “Allah
has forbidden you … to bury your daughters alive…” (Bukhari)
(2) “He
who is involved in the responsibility of bringing up daughters and he accords
benevolent treatment towards; them, there would be protection for him against
the fire of Hell.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
(3) “Whoever
is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully.” (Bukhari)
When he got married to his first wife (who
later became his first disciple) Lady Khatija (ra) at age 25, and begot
children from her, four out of whom were daughters, our beloved Prophet
cherished them so much and cared for her in the best of ways. His first-born
child was his daughter Fatima Zahra,
that he frequently referred to her as his “heart and soul,” and treated her
sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain as his own. He used to hug
them and kiss them on their foreheads and address them in sweet, endearing
terms. Once it so happened that they entered the mosque while he was delivering
a sermon. The moment he saw them tottering towards him, he came down from the
pulpit, approached them, lifted them up in his arms, and made them sit beside
him. Thus he demonstrated to the world that love for children and for one’s
off-springs does not come in the way of devotion to and worship of Allah.
Allahummah salli ala
Muhammadiw wa ala aali Muhammadin bi adadi kulli zarratim maa’ata alfin alfa
marratiw wabaarik wa sallim.
“O Allah! May Your beneficence be on Muhammad (pbuh) and on the House of Muhammad (pbuh) in a number equal to a million fold of each atom (that You created) and Your blessings, Your Peace be on him.” Ameen.
I’ll stop here for today’s sermon on the
life of our beloved master and prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). May Allah enable
each of us to emulate his example and follow in his footstep to reflect the
true Islam within you and all around us, Insha-Allah, Ameen.