Life 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)

حَضرَت ہاجَرہ اَپنی تَنہائی سے گَھبراتی تِھیں، اُنہوں نے اِس قافلے کو وَہاں رَہنے کی اِجازت دےدی۔ اِس طرح یَہاں حَضرت ہَاجرہ کے بَعد پَہلی آبادِی قَبیلہ جُرہُم کی ہوئی۔ اِس کے بَعد یَہاں آہِستَہ آہِستَہ اور لوگ بِھی آکر بَسنے لَگے اور دیکھتے دیکھتے یہ سَرزَمین جِس کو ’’تِہَامَہ‘‘ کہتے تھے ایک چھوٹی سی بَستی بَن گئی۔

حَضرَت ہَاجَرہ کو یہاں رَہتے ہوئے پَندرَہ سال گُزرگئے۔ اُن کے بیٹے حَضرت اِسمَاعِیل عَلَیہ السّلام کی عُمْر بھی پندرہ سَال ہوگئی تھی کہ ایک روز حَضرت ہاجَرہ کا اِنتِقَال ہوگیا۔ حضرت اسماعیلؑ نے اپنی والِدہ کو زَمزَم کے کُنویں کے قَریب ہی ایک جگہ دَفْن کردیا۔

حضرت ہاجَرہ کے اِنتِقال کے بعد حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السّلام شام سے مکّہ آئے۔ خدائے پاک نے اُن کو حکم دیا تھا کہ اِس بَستی میں کَعبہ تیار کریں جو خدا کا گھر کہلائےگا۔ حضرت اِبراہیم علَیہ السّلام جَب اپنے بیٹے سے مِلے تو اُن سے یہ بات بَتائی کہ مُجھے خدائے پاک نے حکم دِیا ہے کہ میں یَہاں ایک گھر بناؤں جہاں لوگ خدائے تعالیٰ کی عِبادت کیا کریں۔ تُم اِس کام میں میرا ہاتھ بَٹانا۔ اُس کے بعد حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السلام نے دیواریں چُننے کیلئے وہ جَگہ بتائی جہاں آج تک بَیتُ اللہ شریف مَوجود ہے۔ حضرت اسماعیل علیہ السلام نے فوراً باپ کا حُکم مانا اور تعمیر کیلئے پتّھر وَغیرہ اکھٹے کرنے شروع کردیئے اور حضرت ابراہیم علیہ السلام نے دیواریں بنانی شروع کردیں۔ اِس طَرح کُچھ عَرصہ کے بَعد کَعبہ تَعمِیر ہوگَیا جہاں لوگ خُدا تَعالیٰ کی عِبادَت کرنے لَگے۔

حَضرَت اِبراہیم علَیہ السّلام خُدا تَعالیٰ کے بَرگزیدہ رَسول تھے اور تَمام عُمْر لوگوں کو خدا تعالیٰ کی عِبادَت کرنے اور سِیدھے رَاستے پَر چَلنے کی تَبلِیغ فَرماتے رَہے۔ بیتُ اللہ کی تَعمیر کے بَعد حَضرَت اِبراہیم علَیہ السّلام کی وَفات ہوگَئی۔ اِس کے بَعد خُدا تَعالیٰ نے حَضْرَت اِسماعِیل عَلَیہ السّلام کو اَپنا نَبی بَنایا اور اُنہوں نے لوگوں کو خُدا کا پَیغَام پہنچانا شُروع کَردِیا۔ اِس طَرح مکّے میں حَضرت اِسمَاعِیل عَلَیہ السّلام کا سچّا مَذہَب پھیلنے لَگا۔ خدائے پاک نے لوگوں کے دِلوں میں اَپنے پَاک گَھر کی عِزت اور مُحبّت ڈال دِی اور دُور دُور تَک اِس کی شّہرَت بَڑھ گئی۔ آخِر سَو سال تَک لوگوں کو تَبلِیغ کرنے کے بَعد حَضرت اِسماعِیل عَلَیہِ السّلام بِھی وَفات پَاگئے۔ آپؑ کی شَادِی مَکّے ہی میں ہوئی تِھی اَور یَہیں آپؑ کی اَولاد بِھی رَہتی تِھی۔ یَہاں تَک کہ جب آپؑ کی نَسل بَہت زِیادہ بَڑھ گَئی تو اُن میں کُچھ لوگ دوسرے شَہروں میں جَاکر بَس گَئے۔ (اِبن خلدون)

The Beginning

The people of Jurhum started living in this place along with Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S), later many other tribes also came down to this place and started living,  gradually this place which was called as “Tihamah” (earlier now "Makkah") became a small town. Hazrat Ismail (A.S) grew up to a very handsome young man, he was of the age of 15 when Hazrat Hajira (A.S) passed away and she was buried near the zamzam well. Hazrat Ismail (A.S) learned the language of Arabic with the people of Jurhum and became well versed with the language of Arabic, which eventually helped him to manage his day to day affairs with the people living around him, his marriage was also solemnised and he settled down in this place. 

During the same period, Allah (swt) ordered Hazrat Ibrahim  (A.S) to build a house in the name of Allah (Baitullah). Upon the orders of Allah (swt), Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) came from Syria to meet Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S), upon his arrival he learnt the sad demise of Hazrat Hajira (A.S). Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) informed Hazrat Ismail (A.S) the order of Allah (swt). Both Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) went to the place as directed by Allah (swt) and they saw that the place Allah (swt) had earmarked for the construction of Kaaba is a hilltop (it had become a hilltop due to accumulation of sand in this area by means of floods and less population). Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was also not aware of the exact location in the hilltop where the house of Allah is to be constructed also its specifications like length and breadth. 

Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) sought guidance from Allah (swt) and verily Allah (swt) instructed Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) to follow the shadow of the clouds which will arise above the place and mark only those areas where the cloud will cast its shadow. Accordingly, as ordered by Allah (swt) clouds arose up the place and the shadow of the clouds were clearly visible to make the exact markings. As Instructed by Allah (swt) Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) made the marking and both Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) started to dig the marked area and to their amazement they found the foundation laid by Hazrat Aadam (A.S). The marking were so perfect that they found the exact foundation laid by Hazrat Aadam (A.S) during his days. 

KAABA BUILT BY Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)

Now they both started to build the House of Allah (Kaaba). During the construction, when the walls were high, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) couldn’t move more up as there was no ladder available and to make one, he had to look for trees, shape the wood with a chisel and then make a ladder. When, Allah (swt) saw the difficulty of his Khaleelullah (Friend of Allah (swt) a name given by Allah (swt) to Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)), Allah (swt) instructed Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) to stand on a stone and order the stone to go up and down and the stone will obey as per the orders given by Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S). Hazrat Ismail (A.S) use to collect the stones and Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) use to place them on the walls and the construction of the house of Allah (swt) was completed. While constructing the House of Allah (swt), Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) use to stand at a particular place and take view to see if the walls are built perfectly, this place is called as “Maqaam e Ibrahim” (Place of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S). The stone in which he stood and constructed the House of Allah (swt) (Baitullah, Kaaba) has the impression of his footprints and to this date it is kept in Maqaam e Ibrahim. 

OLD VIEW OF MAQAAM E IBRAHIM

MAQAAM E IBRAHIM IN PRESENT TIMES

Once the Kaaba (House of Allah) was built, Allah (swt) instructed Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) to give call to the people to visit the House of Allah (swt) and worship Allah (swt), it is said by the scholars of Islam, that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) stood at Maqaam e Ibrahim and started to call the people to worship Allah (swt), some claim, that he went up to the Mountain named Abi Qubais (the first mountain to be placed on this earth by Allah (swt) ) and some claim that he went to the place called Arafah and called the people to visit House of Allah for the worship of Allah (swt). 

Allah (swt) spread the voice of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and people from all over the places visited the Kaaba and started worshipping Allah (swt). Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was the Khaleelullah (Friend of Allah (swt)), he spent all his life in giving sermons and inviting people to worship the one God, Allah (swt). After the construction of Kaaba, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) departed from this world and Allah (swt) bestowed upon Hazrat Ismail (A.S), prophethood and he too spread the word of Allah (swt) to his people. As the population of the people grew in Makkah, they started moving to other places and they also spread the word of Allah (swt) which was taught to them by Hazrat Ismail (A.S). During this period, it is known that all of them were the followers of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S), their call for one God and to worship one God was much prevalent.

Continued………..

What we learnt / Guidance:

(1) The house of Allah (swt) was constructed by Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) and to this day, it is in the same location where it was originally built. Also, one may wonder how is it possible that clouds will gather and their shadows will give the marking for the construction of the Kaaba, to substantiate this, if we look to our modern technologies, we do make marking for any structural design by having a aerial view of that particular place, once when we humans have this talent, then for Allah (swt) and for his Khaleelullah (Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), this is not an odd event.

(2) The entire events of the sacrifice of Hazrat Ismail (A.S) by the order of Allah (swt) to Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) is not included in this section, as it will take much time to get into our main subject, also it has to be noted that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) used to visit Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S) during their stay in Makkah. As some claim that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) banished them but it is not the case, if Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) had banished then the event sacrifice of Hazrat Ismail (A.S) would have not taken place. Moreover, it is to be noted that mission of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was to spread the word of Allah (swt) from one place to another, and whenever he had time he used to visit Hazrat Hajira (A.S) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S). If one can relate to today's busy life it would be very easy to understand as how one manages his/ her personal and professional affairs.

(3) When we speak of the Maqaam e Ibrahim, the footprints of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) is present till date and whenever we visit Kaaba for Umrah and Haj, one must ensure that one makes supplication (Dua) at this place and not kiss the footprints of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), to kiss the footprints is forbidden. Also, it can be noted that if one can have the closer view of f the door of Kaaba, one can see some stones placed abruptly, it is the place where Angel Jibreel (A.S) offered Salah (obligatory prayers) with beloved Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH, 5 prayers (Salah) ((1) Fajr, (2) Duhur, (3) Asr, (4) Magrib & (5) Isha) (in their (Awwal waqt) first time and 5 prayers (Salah) in their (aakhir waqt) last time, as every Salah (prayer) time is fixed and there is the first and last time of every Salah (prayer).

(4) Arafah  is a place in Makkah, it is a place where Hazrat Aadam (A.S) & Hazrat Hawwa (A.S) met after their separation from Jannat, when they were sent down to this earth many scholars of Islam say that Hazrat Aadam (A.S) was sent to Ceylon (once a part of medieval India) and Hazrat Haawa (A.S) was sent to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, they both finally met at a mount in Arafah named Jebel e Rehmat (Mount of Blessing).

JEBEL E REHMAT AT ARAFA

(5) Monotheism, which islam practices is not a new religion, it is from the beginning of the human kind i.e. from Hazrat Aadam (A.S), there may be many claims that many of the religions are Abrahamic religion, one has to note that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) (Abraham PBUH) always proclaimed to worship one true God, the Allah (swt) which is the true essence of Islam. The same proclamation was made by the last and final messenger of Allah (swt) Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam (PBUH).