Showing posts with label daughters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daughters. Show all posts

Saturday, December 2, 2017

'Yaum-un-Nabi': The Prophet as a Father

The Holy Prophet of Islam as a Father

Today is Friday the 12 Rabi'ul Awwal 1439 AH. The majority of the Muslim World is celebrating Yaum-un-Nabi - the Day of the Prophet (pbuh), while others call it Milad-un-Nabi - the birthday of the Prophet (pbuh). While celebrating birthdays was not a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), each Muslim must bear in mind that celebrations which resemble the practices of the non-Muslims (e.g. cake cutting and blowing on candle and making wishes, partying with dancing, music and alcoholic drinks etc.) are strictly forbidden in Islam.

As for us, we prefer to commemorate the Seerat-un-Nabi, i.e. the life story of the Prophet (pbuh) so that we may remind ourselves of his perfect character as a human being and prophet.

Muhammad literally means much praised. Even before he made claim to prophethood, his own people knew him to be truthful and trustworthy. The Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh) was the father of three sons and four daughters. Two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, named in the family Tayab and Tahir were born from Hazrat Khadija. Another son, Ibrahim, later on, was born from Hazrat Maria, his Coptic wife (who later became Muslim).

The first born was Qasim after whom, according to the Arab custom, the Holy Prophet himself was called Abul Qasim, i.e. father of Qasim. Qasim died at the age of two before the advent of Islam. Next to Qasim was his eldest daughter named Zainab. Next to her were daughters Ruqayya, Umme Kulsoom, and the youngest of all daughters was Fatima. The youngest offspring of the Holy Prophet and Hazrat Khadija was Abdullah, who passed away as an infant before the advent of Islam.