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) 

The Beginning (Urdu)

حَضرت ہاجِرہ یَہاں حَیران و پَریشان پِھررہی تھیں، اُن کی گود میں بچّہ بُھوک اور پِیاس سے تَڑپ رَہا تَھا کہ خُدا وَندِ کریم نے وَہاں اَپنے فَرِشتے حَضرت جِبریل عَلَیہِ السّلام کو بھیجَا۔ جِس جَگہ آج بَیتُ اللہ شَریف ہے حَضرت جبریلؑ نے اُس کے قَریب آکر زَمین پر اَپنے پاؤں کی ایڑی مارِی اور خُدا تعَالیٰ کے حُکم سے وَہاں پَانی کا چَشمہ جَاری ہوگیا۔ یَہی وہ چَشمہ ہے جُو زَمزَم کا کُنواں کَہلاتا ہے۔ اِس طرح خدا تَعالیٰ نے اِس خُشک اور بَنجَر عِلاقے میں پَانی جارِی کردیا اور حَضرت ہاجرہ صَبر و سُکون کے ساتھ یَہاں تَنہا رہنے لَگیں۔

یَہاں پَانی دیکھ کر پَرندے آنے شُروع ہوگئے اور ہَر وَقت اُن کے جھنڈ اُڑنے لگے۔ اِتفاق سے اُس زمانے میں یَہاں سے ایک قافلہ گُزررہا تھا۔ یہ قَبِیلہ بَنی جُرہُم کا تَھا جو پانی کی تَلاش میں بَھٹَکتا پِھررَہا تَھا۔ اُنہوں نے پَہَاڑوں پَر پَرِندوں کے جُھنڈ اُڑتے دیکھے تو وہ سَمجھ گئے کہ یَہاں کَہیں پَانی مَوجُود ہے اور پِھر ڈھونڈتے ہوئے وہ کُنویں کے پَاس آپہنچے۔ یَہاں اُنہوں نے دیکَھا کہ ایک تَنہا عَورَت اپنے بچّے کو لیے بِیٹھی ہے۔ اُن لوگوں نے حضرَت ہَاجرہ کے پَاس آکر اُن سے وَہاں رَہنے اور پَانی اِستِعمَال کَرنے کی اِجازَت مَانگی۔

The Beginning

Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) left Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and his son Hazrat Ismail (A.S) in a barren land as ordered by Allah (swt), as the day began to diminish and the darkness prevailed upon Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S), as a mother she (Hazrat Hajira (A.S) was worried much about Hazrat Ismail (A.S) a natural phenomenon for every mother to be worried for their offsprings. She was surrounded by various voices of creatures getting closer to her and she was worried about the safety of her child the infant Hazrat Ismail (A.S), the moment the voices grew stronger, she stood up and addressed the creatures holding a  stick in her hand as if she is pointing them and addressing. She uttered “Oh the creatures of this land, listen I am the wife of the Khaleelullah (Friend of Allah (swt) a name given by Allah (swt) to Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)) and he (Hazrat Ismail  (A.S) the son of the Prophet of Allah (swt), if you intend to harm be sure that you are inviting the wrath of Allah (swt), it is said that all the creatures went silent. It is as if they were telling Hazrat Hajira (A.S) that Bibi we are here not to harm you but to protect you as ordered by Allah (swt).

After few days, the provisions carried by Hazrat Hajira (A.S) such as dates, flour (prepared with  mixture of various lentils) etc which Hazrat Hajira (A.S) had brought with her depleted. Moreover, as there was no water, it was becoming extremely difficult to sustain in such a place with soaring heat upon Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S). As a mother, she was more worried about her child as Hazrat Ismail (A.S) was very thirsty, and was whimpering in pain, Hazrat Hajira (A.S) could not contain the pain of Hazrat (A.S) and she went on to look for water by climbing up to a nearby mount called Safa, when she didn’t find water she looked upon to a mount opposite to Safa called Marwa, she ran to that mount and looked for water in bewilderment. Upon not finding the same at mount Marwa too, she ran back again to mount Safa in curiosity and with eagerness that she will surely find water for her child Hazrat Ismail (A.S). She ran from mount Safa to mount Marwa and from mount Marwa to mount Safa and she did this for 7 times and stopped at mount Marwa the seventh time. Allah (swt) admired this act of Hazrat Hajira (A.S), her agony to quench the thirst of Hazrat Ismail (A.S) that it is made mandatory to all Ummah (people) whoever performs Umrah and Haj to perform Masaa (walking from Safa to Marwa 7 times), this is one of the rituals of Umrah and Haj for every person performing Umrah and Haj and this ritual will continue until doomsday. 

Mount Safa & Marwa along with Kaaba

When Hazrat Hajira (A.S) reached Marwa the seventh time, she heard a voice coming from nearby to this she was astounded and addressed “whosoever you are come upon face to face”, to this the voice said Bibi be not worried, help from Allah (swt) has arrived.  Allah (swt) ordered Angel Jibreel (A.S) to go down and poke his wings exactly at the place where Hazrat Ismail (A.S) legs were moving to and fro while whimpering, Angel Jibreel (A.S) came down and he poked it right in the place as ordered  by Allah (swt) (right at the time when Hazrat Ismail (A.S) feet was touching the ground), there then gushed a spring of fountain, when Hazrat Hajira (A.S) saw the fountain gushing from Hazrat Ismail (A.S) feet, she in amazement and with a fear that the water will flow away said “ZamZam” meaning stop flowing, to this the water contained in the same place. Hence, it is called zamzam.

During the same time in Yemen, a dam built by the people of Yemen, collapsed and as there was no water left in Yemen, the people of Yemen spread themselves to travel to different nations in search of water, as without water there is no life and Quran clearly depicts the same. (Allah (swt) verily says in Quran “as in all living organism we have connected them with water, with this water we have made them alive”). During the quest of searching water, one of the tribes of Yemen named “Jurhum tribe” was nearing to the place where Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Ismail (A.S) were stay put. The people of Jurhum saw some birds flying in this area and it is a renowned fact that birds normally fly only when there is water. Whey they saw the birds in this area, they discussed amongst themselves that they had never come across such thing before as there were no birds in this place earlier when they had ventured out this place. hence, they decided to search the place and found that there is water in this place and an elderly woman with a child is also living in that place. Entire tribe of Jurhum came down to this place, the leader of the tribe went up to Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and said “Bibi we have come in in search of water and we are from Yemen, if you allow us to live here, then it will be grateful”. Hazrat Hajira (A.S) allowed them to live in this place and also permitted them to use the water but not to stake claim. The stake of the water will remain with Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and her son Hazrat Ismail (A.S). Accordingly the people of Jurhum started living in this place.

Continued……….

What we learnt/ Guidance:

(1) Today we learnt that Masaa (Saee) and its importance, and how Allah (swt) admired the running of Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and bestowed upon the entire Ummah (people) to follow the same procedure whenever they perform Umrah or Haj. The point to be noted here is, while performing the Masaa (Saee) one has to think of sins committed in his/her heart and with this he/she has to seek refuge from Allah (swt) for his /her wrongdoings, for Allah (swt) verily says you exploit yourself whenever you commit a sin.

(2) Many learned scholars of Islam have brought out the importance of zamzam water in their innumerable accounts of works and lectures, it is established that the zamzam water is more precious than the waters of the streams and rivers flowing in Jannah. To substantiate this, the scholars of Islam have brought out that when Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH chest was opened for Meraaj (meeting with Allah (swt) ) to cleanse the heart of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH before his meeting with Allah (swt), all the materials for the operation was brought from Jannah but water utilised was zamzam, such is the importance of zamzam water. Also, it is established from the scholars of Islam, that zamzam water has three qualities which no other water does posses, the first, it has the feet of Hazrat Ismail (A.S), second the wing of Angel Jibreel (A.S) and third Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH drank water from zamzam well and Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH poured down half of the water from which he drank to the well so it may benefit the entire Ummah (people), hence it contains the piousness of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH.

(3) One can also analyse from the above, the humble nature of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH who verily accepted the word of Allah (swt) when it was bestowed upon the Ummah (people) the rituals of Masaa (Saee) for all who perform Haj & Umrah, an act done by Hazrat Hajira (A.S), such is the greatness and humbleness of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ PBUH. At this point we learn that we all should be very humble in all our worldly affairs with others.