Life History of Prophet Muhammad PBUH : The Beginning

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

In the name of Allah the most beneficent, the most merciful.

Dear Brothers & Sisters, 

"السلام عليكم ورحمتہ اللہ وبرکاتہ"Assalamu Alaikum 

(May the blessings of Almighty and peace be upon you) 

Let us start our day by sending Darood (supplication for blessings) to our beloved Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH

للّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْتَ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْمَ وَعَلٰٓی اٰلِ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ اِنَّکَ حَمِیْدٌ مَّجِیْدٌ اَللّٰھُمَّ بَارِکْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ کَمَا بَارَکْتَ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْمَ وَعَلٰٓی اٰلِ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ اِنَّکَ حَمِیْدٌ مَّجِیْدٌ

The Beginning (Urdu)

مکّہ شہر اَب سے تَقریباً چار ہزار ایک سو سال پَہلے حَضرَت اِبراہیم عَلَیہِ السّلام کی زَوجۂ مُحترمَہ حَضرت ہَاجرہ نے آبَاد کیا تھا۔ یَہی شَہر بَعد میں رَسولُ اللہ صَلی اللہ عَلَیہ وسلّم کا وَطن ہُوا۔

حضرت اِبراہیمؑ کے زَمانے میں یہ ایک ایسا عِلاقہ تَھا جَہاں دُور دُور تَک نہ کَہیں آبادِی تِھی اور نہ پَانی اور نہ سَبزہ کا نِشان۔ مگر خُدا تعَالیٰ کو اِس زَمین کا مَرتَبہ ساری دُنیا سے بَڑھانا تھا۔ اِس لئے اللہ تَعالیٰ نے جب اِس زَمین کو آباد کرنے کا اِرادہ کِیا تو اُس نے اَپنے نَبی حضرَت ابراہیمؑ کو حُکم دِیا کہ وہ اَپنی بِیوِی حَضرَت ہاجرہ اور اپنے دودھ پیتے بیٹے حضرت اِسماعِیلؑ کو اِس مَیدان میں پہنچادیں۔ حضرت اِبراہیمؑ نے خُدا تعالیٰ کے اِس حُکم پَر سر جُھکادیا اور اَپنی بِیوی اور بَچّے کو اِس وِیران اور چَٹیل مَیدان میں پہنچا کر آگئے۔

The Beginning 

If we start our journey from the very beginning of evolution of humankind i.e. from Hazrat Aadam Alaihis Salam (A.S), then it will be a long course and an extensive volume may be required for the same to understand. In order to cut short if we start our journey to understand the lineage of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH, and also to understand the events that folded upon before the birth of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH, a brief history of the Arab is essential. we will take into account the history of Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihis Salam (A.S) (Abraham) and Hazrat Ismail Alaihis Salam (A.S) (Ishmael).

If we take into account the types of Arabs, then Arab were of three types, باعيدة (Baaidah), عريبة (Aarebah) and مستعربة (Mustaarabah). Baaida Arabs were the first ones who spoke Arabic and presently they are totally extinct, if Quran would have not mentioned about these Arab types then we would also be not aware of the same.

Mustaarabah, are those who have learnt Arabic from others, we shall not go in depth into this as this itself will take much of our time and our main topic of describing the life of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH will get more extensive. Instead we shall concentrate on the immediate history of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH which connects him to Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) because Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH is from the lineage of Hazrat Ismail (A.S). The lineage of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH goes until Hazrat Ismail (A.S) and from Hazrat Ismail (A.S.) until Hazrat Aadam (A.S).

Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was not from the present day Mecca, he was spreading the word of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ (subḥānahu wataʿālā, “glorious and exalted is He”) and kept on moving from Palestine to Syria and few places near Iraq. Upon the order of Allah (SWT) Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) took Hazrat Hajira (A.S) (Hagar) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) to a place destined by Allah (SWT). The place was deserted and barren land with no human life, vegetation & water. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) obeyed the order of Allah (SWT) and as per the command of Allah (SWT) left Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) near the Zam Zam well which is in present day.

ZAMZAM WELL LOCATION

 

Allah(SWT) commanded Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) not to speak anything of this to Hazrat Hajira (A.S). After leaving them in such a secluded place, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) started to continue his journey back. Upon seeing this, Hazrat Hajira (A.S) started running towards him with Hazrat Ismail (A.S) who was just an infant and was in her arms. She ran until the place known as Jannat ul Mualla. The name Muallah was given to this place as this was the highest place during that time and in the present day we can see many of the Sahabas (companions of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH) and residents of Makkah are being buried in this place called Jannat ul Mualla. Bibi Hajira (A.S) enquired Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) is this act of leaving them being ordered by Allah (SWT) or he is leaving them on his own will, to this, Allah (SWT) ordered Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) to inform Bibi Hajira (A.S) that this is the order from Allah (SWT). When Bibi Hajira (A.S) came to know that it is from the orders of Allah (SWT), she stopped running behind Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Hajira recited these verse.

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ “Hasbunallahu wa Niyamal Wakeel” Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).”آل عمران : Surah Al 'Imran (3:173)

JANNATUL MUALLA

Now one has to understand the amount of taqwa (God consciousness) Bibi Hajira (A.S) had and the way she had full faith in Allah (SWT) knowing fully that in such a deserted place with no vegetation, no human life & water, it will lead herself and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) no means to sustain even for a single day. Still her faith in Allah (SWT) was such that she stayed back along with Hazrat Ismail (A.S) who was an infant, with only the faith of Allah (SWT) that, he will not let them go astray.  

If we analyse from this, we can conclude that how it could be possible for them to go astray, if they are to go astray and to be punished then they could have been whilst they were in Palestine and other areas. It is as if the entire path was derived by Allah (SWT) to protect Bibi Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) so that from his lineage Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH will descend and spread the word of Allah (SWT) to this whole mankind from this deserted and secluded land which Allah (SWT) had rightly chosen. It is as the entire universe is preparing for the arrival of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH and every thing is being placed in order for his grand arrival.

Continued........

What we learnt/ Teachings/ Guidance: Now, if we analyse from the recordings above, whenever we are in distress, or in a situation from where there is no way out, if we recite the verse given above with full taqwa in Allah (SWT) it is for sure there will be path of guidance, help and blessings from Allah (SWT) for those who seek. 

Many of the Islamic scholars have brought out that when Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was subjected to  fire, he recited these verse which saved him eventually from the fire, also during the battle of Ouhad, all the companions of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH recited these verse and help from Allah (SWT) came to them at instance. It is also recorded by many scholars, when there was an accusation against Ummahaatul Momineen (Mother of all believers) Amma Sayyeda Ayesha Siddiqa Radiallahu Anha (R.A) (May Allah be Pleased with her), by some of the hypocrites, Sayyeda Ayesha Siddiqa R.A. recited these verse and Allah (SWT)  verily sent divine revelation to Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH pledging her innocence. Such is the help of Allah (SWT) for the seekers.