#companions of prophet muhammad

[jehanallli]

One of the rights of Sahabah (R.A) include to testify that those people will be in paradise whom Allah and his messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم testified that they will be in paradise, as in the Hadith of Abd-Ar Rahman ibn Awf (R.A), according to which the Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

Abu Bakr will be in paradisse.

Umar will be in paradise.

Ali will be in paradise.

Uthman will be in paradise.

Talha will be in paradise.

Az- Zubayr will be in paradise.

Abd- Ar Rahman will be in paradise.

Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas will be in paradise.

Saeed Ibn Zayd Ibn Amr Ibn Nufayl will be in paradise.

Abu ubaydah Ibn Al- Jarrah will be in paradise.

Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, classed as sahih al- Albani.

[soltlane1]

Surah Al-Ḥijr

Surah Al-Ḥijr In The Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur’an. (Quran Surah Al-Ḥijr 15:1) Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. (Quran Surah Al-Ḥijr 15:2) Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know. (Quran Surah Al-Ḥijr 15:3) And We did…

[tanween]

Birthday or Mawlid Al-Nabi of Prophet Muhammad: An innovation started by latecomers.

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.Allaah [The Most High] said:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌيَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّO you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messenger, and…

[tamamita]

why do sunnis hate shi'as that much what the fuck is their problem?

Hatred towards Shi'a Muslims is not only a concurrent issue, it's a 1400 year old issue that started as a result of the political unrest that took place following the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh&hf) death. It laid the foundation for the political schism of Islam. Initially, the Shi'as (or Alids) were just a group of partisans that would only develop their own theology a hundred years later. And then you had those who supported Abu Bakr rise to the caliphate. For Shi'as, we believe Abu Bakr usurped the caliphate due to various incidents, and thus, we rejected his ascent to power. These were the partisans of Ali (a). When Ali (a) eventually became the caliph, he was met with a lot of hardship and opposition by people who either hated him or sought political power. During the caliphate of Uthman, the Umayyads were given unrestrained power, and it was not until Ali (a) became the caliph that he removed them from power for their greed and nepotism. However, Muawiyah, a "companion" of the Prophet, who was intially opposed to him before his clan lost in the final battle of Mecca, was in control of Sham (Syria) and refused to go down, hence a renewed civil strife within the Islamic world. The Umayyads were vicious people who were renown for their corruption and hedonism, and their caliphate was founded on the blood of Imam Hussain (a), the son of Imam Ali (a). For Sunnis, these events aren't particularly important, and Islamic history is often neglected, promoting the idea that whatever happened in the past has no religious or theological significance to Islam as a religion. This is where we disagree because, as Shi'as, we simply can't accept certain religious doctrines on the basis of these people being unreliable. For example, Ayesha, having been the wife of the Prophet, is one thing, but she still waged an unjust war against Ali (a). There is no way we can accept her narrations because she's simply untrustworthy.

Because of the power that the Umayyads managed to consolidate for themselves, superseeding the Rashidun caliphate, there was a state-sponsored campaign with the purpose of supressing any Shi'i resistance against the rule, the Shi'as were among these groups and suffered severe persecution to such extent that even members of the Prophet's family were brutally oppressed. For Shi'as, the Prophet's family are a source of emulation and knowledge, and we have to adhere to their understanding of Islamic theology, this is why Islamic history is important, so we can highlight the root behind the resistance. However, dwindling in power and numbers, the Shi'as ultimately committed themselves to Taqiyyah (concealing one's religion) to ensure their survival. This is how we managed to survive for 1400 years. For Sunnis, the Umayyads and subsequent caliphs are a source of great pride, hence why Syria is considered an important heritage site for Sunnis who regard the Umayyads with great respect.

With that said, the reason there's so much sectarian animosity towards Shi'as is because with history in mind, our tradition of reviling these companions is considered an act of disbelief. Sunnis often retort that these companions are noble people and could not possibly be reviled because they had been in the companionship with the prophet, holding that despite the wars and atrocities committed by these people, we should respect them nevertheless. Either way, Shi'a Muslims have a doctrine called Tabarrah (dissociation), which is extended to those people who have caused harm towards the Prophet and his family. This includes "cursing" them, which is considered one of the most offensive acts and a reason why Sunnis get up in arms when we criticize the companions, especially the first caliph Abu Bakr and the second caliph Umar. Furthermore, our emphasis on the doctrine of intercession has caused much controversy because stricter muslims, such as Salafists consider these acts tantamous to idolatry, hence why it's easier for Shi'as to be considered heretics. The fact that we have shrines is considered blasphemous and there are many instances in which these shrines have been attacked. Shi'as are so reviled that for some Sunnis and Salafists, the difference between a Christian and a Shi'a is that Christians have rights as pertained to their status as "People of the Book", while Shi'as are considered heretics, and ultimately disbelievers. For such a reason, we do not have any rights; our blood becomes lawful to them.

In short, HTS, AS, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and all their Salafist sympathisers believe that the blood of a Shi'a is lawful because we are heretics. We are simply putting up a resistance against them. Shi'ism is not just a branch of Islam. It's one of the oldest resistance movements in the world.

[catinafigtree]

Hi, do you have any tips on how to be comfortable being a Muslim while being queer?

I've been trying to do that for a very long time, focusing on my faith in Allah, but it's a bit hard and I always get demotivated randomly :(

Hey! Salam! Sorry for the kind of late response, moving houses has been hectic. This will be a long response (sorry), so I will put it under the cut.

I want to preface this by saying every queer person is different. I don't know the specifics of your identity so I am going to cover both sexual queerness and gender queerness.

My biggest obstacle in nurturing my relationship with Allah was believing that the way I am was haram, and even that I was cursed by Allah. I no longer believe this, but it was a long road.

Sexuality

I don't believe that homosexuality is haram. The common claim that the story of Lut is about homosexuality is full of holes and inconsistencies and it's largely based on the Christian religious tradition, even if the grammar of the Qur'an doesn't align with the Christian tradition (eg. the Qur'an uses the word "banaat" for Prophet Lut's (as) daughters. Bannat is plural, meaning 3 or more daughters, and in the traditional telling Lut (as) has 2 daughters).

Here is a really good study by Nahida Nisa:

I recommend reading all of Nahida's things because she's an amazing writer.

And a video from Dr. Shehnaz Haqaani's (PhD, Islamic Studies) podcast "What The Patriarchy":

and you can find her blog here

These articles from the blog, Lamp of Islam are also pretty good. He is a hardcore Qur'anist with some strange opinions, so peruse his blog with caution.

Letting go of the belief that the way I am was haram and that Allah had cursed me was the most critical part of fixing my iman and overall nurturing my relationship with Allah.

Also, it doesn't make any sense that The All-Merciful, Allah would make someone with an innate attraction to the same gender and then forbid them from "acting on it".

The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) never punished anyone for homosexuality, after his death, his companions debated whether or not to punish homosexuals and they could not come to a conclusion.

Gender

The Qur'an seems to acknowledge the differences between sex and gender. For example, the word for 'man' in the Qur'an is rijal and the word for 'male' is dhukran. And the word for 'woman' is nisa, but the word for 'female' is untsa. You can read Lamp of Islam's article on the meanings of these words here.

There also may be a vague reference to intersex and/or gender non-conforming people in verse 42:50.

There are also some hadith that seem to imply that gender non-conforming people were accepted around Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam). Prophet Muhammad's (Salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) wife Umm Salama (Radi Allahu anha) had a seemingly close friend who was then called a 'mukhanath', named Hit, who was described as a 'male who exhibited effeminate traits' was was welcome into the private women's section of the Prophet's (Salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) home. Today this person might have been a gay man (who displayed effeminate traits by accepting the "woman's role" (🙄) in relationships), or, more likely IMO, this person would be considered a trans woman today.

Hit was punished by the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam), but not for their sexuality/gender expression, they were punished for describing a woman's body to a man, which was possible because they were allowed into both men's and women's spaces. The punishment of Hit is often used as 'evidence' to support homophobia and transphobia, but they neglect to mention the specific reason that Hit was punished.

You can read more about queerness in Islamic history here.

The link above takes you to Muslims For Progressive Values, they also offer marriage services for queer Muslims and interfaith couples, specifically for Muslim women seeking to marry non-Muslim men.

Here is a link to MPV's video series, but massive trigger warning for the comment section.

And a second MPV video series.

And another article from MPV.

More Tips

As I said, learning about LGBTQ Islamic History helped me a lot.

Keep your relationship with Allah between you and Him. Only share it with people who you 100% trust, because religion is extremely personal.

Find your people. Whether online or in-person, a community of people like you is important.

Know that Allah knows you, your identity, and the way you feel. Ultimately, Allah is your creator and we will only return to him. And we, as queer people KNOW that this is the way we were created. Nobody can tell you that who you are is false because they have no way to know that.

Block. Block. Block. Block. Block anyone who is being a problem, who might become a problem in the future. Block them all. Block Islamophobic queers, block queerphobic Muslims. Protect your peace and your relationship with Allah at all costs.

Here are people that I block quickly: anyone who has outwardly queerphobic or Islamophobic things posted on their page. Salafis and Wahabis. The black flag freaks: those with black flags in their user names/bios. I block people for the comments they leave all the time. Generally, I don't wait for them to do something, I block them on sight.

You mentioned that you struggle with low imaan sometimes. It's important to know that fluctuations of imaan are normal and completely natural. But I'm assuming since you've sent this ask, you always come back, which is what's important.

Here is another video from Dr. Shehnaz Haqaani's (PhD Islamic Studies) Podcast for Muslims who struggle to practice.

And a TikTok from @/soundous.boualam:

My biggest tip for building faith is to start slow.

Pray one prayer a day at first, and wait until that prayer is deeply ingrained into your habits, then add another. I recommend starting with Isha before bed. Don't try to do everything at once. You'll burn yourself out.

Build up the fard actions. Your prayers, primarily.

If you can take on more, add in the dhikr after prayer (subhanallah 33x, alhamdullilah 33x, and allahu akbar 34x). Or add dhikr in throughout your day. I use an app called Azkar that I set to send notifications to remind me to do various worship activities.

When I braid my hair I say alhamdullilah every time I cross a piece over another.

If you can, it might also help to put a poster or picture on your wall with your favorite Qur'an verse, hadith, or Islamic quote on your wall, or make your screensaver a reminder to remember Allah.

You can also buy or make a beaded tasbih bracelet, sometimes having something on your wrist can make it easier to remember.

I also like to spend 20-30 minutes every morning after Fajr to just spend time with Allah, talk to Him, and read the Qur'an.

But also remember that you don't only get rewarded for outright acts of worship. You get rewarded for caring for your body, taking a nap when you're tired, eating food, drinking water, caring for pets, and spending time with family. All of that stuff is worship.

Be easy with yourself. Allah does not want hardship for you (2:185).

And I'll leave you with a Qur'an verse.

It was We Who created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him that [his] jugular vein. (50:16)

I hope this helps you some. I love you. Allah loves you. May Allah bless you with peace, imaan, and His abundant guidance and mercy, Allahumma Ameen.

You can ask questions in the comments or in asks if you want.

[lughatul-qurania]

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

- Never sit with the dead people!

The companions of the Prophet asked:

O Messenger of Allah! Who are the dead people?

The Prophet ﷺ replied:

- The dead are those who are lost in this world.

If one mingles with the heedless people who are the dead of this world, one drinks a deadly poison without being aware of it. The spiritual consequence of this influence is to deaden the heart.

[9amartt]

The more you know rasulullah the more you’ll love and admire him, the more you know about him the more action you will take when hearing him being belittled, the more you know him the bigger his place in your heart becomes, those whose blood was spilled in defence of Allah’s most beloved man didn’t make their blood worthless like that, it was not an impulsive decision, but they knew the worth of the blood of Muhammad, of his honour, of his name, of his dignity, and to defend Him, their blood became cheap. 

May peace and blessings be upon our dear prophet, his family and companions and righteous followers.

Oh Allah if my love for your prophet is my only good deed in this world, accept it from me and allow me with this deed and with your mercy to enter Jannah.

[uma1ra]

SUBHAN'ALLAH, THIS TEXT CONTAINS VERY INFORMATIVE KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL!! READ & SPREAD IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, IT WILL BE SADQA-E-JARIAH FOR YOU AND ME.

1-Akhi - Brother

2-Ukhti - Sister

3-JazakAllah khair - May Allah give you Ajar/Sawab for your deed.

4-Ma'Shaa'Allah - As God has willed.

5-HayakAllah - May Allah give you life.

6-BarakAllahu Feek - May Allah put baraka in what you are doing.

7-Wa feeka barakallahu - and May Allah bless you. (in response to Barakallahu Feek)

8-Wa iyyakum - And to you

9-Alhamdulillah - Praise be to Allah

10-Allah - God

11-Allahu Akbar - Allah is Most Great

12-Amanah - Trust

13-Assalamu Alaikum - Peace be upon you--the "official" Islamic greeting.

14-Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh - "Peace and the Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you" Extended form of the above.

16-Astaghfir Allah - I seek forgiveness from Allah (used when mentioning something that goes against the standards of Islam)

17-Ayah/Ayat - Qur'anic verse

18-Bid`ah - Innovation, addition to the religion's essentials

19-Bukhari - One of the most noted compilers of hadith. His collection is 20-known as Sahih Bukhari

21-Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim - In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

23-Da'wa - Invitation (for humankind to Islam)

24-Du`aa - Supplication

25-Eid - Islamic holiday

26-Fatwa - Islamic legal ruling

27-Fiqh - Islamic law as interpreted by scholars

28-Fitnah - Corruption and disorder, also temptation

29-Hadith - A report of a saying or deed of the Prophet

30-Haj - Pilgrimage

31-Halal - Allowed (per Islamic law)

32-Haram - Forbidden (per Islamic law)

33-Hazrat/Hadrat - Honorable

34-Hijab - Modest way of behavior and dress (including head scarf for women)

35-Imam - Leader

36-Iman - Faith

37-In Shaa Allah - If God wills. (Used when talking about a future event)

38-Injeel - The scripture sent down to Prophet Issa (Jesus)

39-Isnad - Chain of transmitters, the list of people who successively narrated a given hadith

40-Jannah - Paradise

41-JazakAllah Khair - May God grant you what is good. (Often used instead of "Thank you")

42-Jihad - Striving for Islam, whether by peaceful or violent means

43-Jinn - Unseen beings, who, like humans, are given the power to choose between right and wrong

44-Kafir - One who denies the truth. Literally, one who "covers" the truth (sometimes applied to non-Muslims).

45-Khalifah - Caliph: Leader of Muslim nation

46-Khilafah - Caliphate

47-Khutba - Sermon

48-Kufr - Denial of the Truth, rebellion against God

49-La Ilaha Illa Allah - There is no deity but God

50-Ma Shaa Allah - What God has willed! (Usually used to express wonder at Allah's creation)

51-Madhhab - School of jurisprudential thought

52-Makruh - Detested, but not forbidden (per Islamic law)

53-Mandoub - Recommended, but not required (per Islamic law)

54-Mubah - Neither forbidden nor commended. Neutral (per Islamic law)

55-Mushrik - One who commits Shirk

56-Muslim - One who submits to Allah and is a follower of Islam; also, name of one of the most notable hadith scholars. His collection is known as Sahih Muslim

57-Nabi - Prophet

58-Qur'an - The Words of Allah conveyed to us by the Prophet

PBUH - Peace Be Upon Him. Same as SAW

59-RAA - (Radia Allahu Anhu/Anha.) May Allah be please with him/her

60-Ra-sool - Messenger (Prophet to whom a scripture is revealed)

61-Rasool Allah - Messenger of God (used to refer to Prophet Muhammad)

62-Sahaba - Companions of Prophet. Singular is "Sahabi"

63-Sahih - "Sound in isnad." A technical attribute applied to the "isnad" of a hadith

64-Salaam - Peace. An abbreviated version of the Islamic greeting

65-Salaat - Prayer

66-SAW - (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.) Peace Be Upon Him

67-Sawm/Siyam - Fasting

68-Seerah/Sirah - History of the Prophet's life

69-Shahadah - Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.

70-Shari'ah - Divine Law

71-Sheikh - Scholar (or any elder and/or respected man)

72-Shirk - Associating partners (e.g. helpers, other gods) with Allah

73-Shura - Consultation among Muslims

74-Subhan Allah - "Glory be to God"

75-Sunna/Sunnah - Tradition of the Prophet

76-Surah/Sura - A Chapter in the Qur'an

78-Tafsir - Interpretation

79-Tawraat - The scripture sent down to Prophet Musa (Moses).

80-Ulama - Religious scholars

81-Umma - Nation, community.

82-Ustadh - Teacher

83-Wassalaam - And peace. It means "goodbye"

84-Zakat - Required charity

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

"If you find men engaged in a homosexual act - kill the active one as well as the passive one."

Don't start asking: "Are you active or passive?" Just kill both.

The companions of the Prophet Muhammad unanimously agreed that homosexuals should be killed, but they had disagreements about the method of killing.

Some said that they should be burned alive. That was (the Caliph) Ali. Abu Bakr supported this ruling. Others said that they should be thrown off a high place and this should be followed by stoning. Yet others said that they should be stoned to death. Both Ali and Ibn Abbas agreed on this.

With regard to girls - people ask if the same ruling applies to lesbianism. The Islamic scholars have said, unanimously, that lesbianism is prohibited.

Some of them say: "I am not homosexual, I'm gay." They want it to sound nice. No! You are a homosexual, a sodomite, and a lesbian.

--

https://quranx.com/Hadith/AbuDawud/USC-MSA/Book-38/Hadith-4447/

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done. Abu Dawud said: A similar tradition has also been transmitted by Sulaiman b. Bilal from 'Amr b. Abi 'Umar. And 'Abbad b. Mansur transmitted it from 'Ikrimah on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas who transmitted it from the Prophet (ﷺ). It has also been transmitted by Ibn Juraij from Ibrahim from Dawud b. Al-Husain from 'Ikrimah on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas who transmitted it from the Prophet (ﷺ).

https://web.archive.org/web/20130331091657/http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Excerpts_from_Saudi_Textbooks_715.pdf

Homosexuality is one of the most disgusting sins and greatest crimes. God did not afflict any people with this before [He afflicted] the folk of Lot, and He punished them as He punished no one else. It is a vile perversion that goes against sound nature, and it is one of the most corrupting and hideous sins.

Homosexuality is forbidden. It is a great sin. The Qur’an and the majority opinion [of scholars] confirm the prohibition on it. The Qur’an states: “We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." [7:80-81] God the Most High said about His prophet, Lut: And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practised abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious people. [21:74]

Muslims have been unanimous in prohibiting this practice.

Punishment

The punishment for homosexuality is death. Both the active and passive participants∗ are to be killed whether or not they have previously had sexual intercourse in the context of a lawful marriage. The Qur’an and the unanimous opinion of the Prophet’s companions show this.

The companions of the Prophet were unanimously agreed upon killing [those who commit this sin]. Ibn Qudamah said, “The companions of the Prophet were unanimous on killing, although they differed in the description, that is, in the manner of killing.”2 Some of the companions of the Prophet stated that [the perpetrator] is to be burned with fire. It has also been said that he should be stoned, or thrown from a high place. Other things have also been said.

==

I wonder whether the "Queers for Palestine" prefer to be burned alive, stoned to death, or thrown off a high place and then stoned?

🤔

Happy Pride.

[jehanallli]

Abu Hurayrah (R.A) had a name which he was known by ( Abd Ar Rahman Ibn Sakhr Ad Dawsi ) but why was he called “Abu Hurayrah” ?

The word “Hurayrah” in arabic means little Kitten, and the word “Abu” means father. So our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم named him “Abu Hurayrah”

Note:- Abu Hurayrah was a very soft hearted companion to an extend that he was seen carrying a small kitten in his sleeve always ❤️🐈

[leroibobo]

ruins of the white mosque of ramla, palestine. construction was initiated by umayyad governor sulayman ibn abd al-malik in 715-717 ce, but was completed by his successor umar ii in 720.

an earthquake in january of 1034 destroyed the mosque, and reconstruction was completed 200 years later. it since had several destructions, restorations, and expansions, including one restoration by saladin. the last took place between 1844-1918; since then, it has been mostly destroyed, with only its minaret still intact.

the mosque is reputable in muslim tradition; its minaret is referred to as the tower of forty martyrs, after the belief that forty companions of the prophet muhammad are buried under it. within local muslim tradition, it's believed that the prophet salih was also buried here, and a maqām in his honor is located nearby. a religious celebration of salih used to take place here annually before the nakba.

below the mosque's courtyard also exist three large cisterns (last two pictures) which provided water for worshippers, including for a former pool for wudu.

[herald-divine-hell]

How I Would Fix the Qun - a Muslim Perspective

Let us first begin with a general statement: I will not have any DA fans try to claim that since the Qun and the Qunari take other inspirations from different philosophical and social frameworks, that the racist conception and utilizing of Islamic history should be disqualified since it is not "really" Islamic history.

Case in point, if I see any attempt such as this:

I will slap you.

It is perfectly fine that the Qunari can take inspirations from other historical and philosophical ideas (though, importantly, different people have different claims of what inspiration the Qunari come from, despite the fact that it is very clear through Thedasian dating that the Qunari are meant to be the Thedasian representation of the Islam and its history with Europe), it is not fine to utilize a millennia-old racist stereotype that claims that the culturally, religiously, and physically distinct people is hell-bent at spreading their philosophy across the world by force. There is no hand-waving away the clear connections - BioWare took their inspirations but did not have any real interest to actively study or examine any historical book that reexamined the Arab conquests and the spread of Islam (ironically, Hugh Kennedy's the Great Arab Conquests was out prior to DAO's development, so they could have easily read that if they wanted some idea).

So, yes. The Qunari and the Qun are both inspired by Islamic history, while bearing little of the actual theology or belief system that made Islam a potent force of liberation and oppression. Simply because it takes from different philopshical approaches (which I have heard a variety of from fascism and communism to Plato's ideal system of governance), the fact that BioWare, as a primarily white gaming developer, especially in the late 2000s, should have taken more care and been more critical with the terrible extent of fetishizing and otherization of the Qunari as a group compared to the other Thedasian populations - going beyond simply Andrastian Thedasians, but also the dwarves and elves, and even then some can argue their handling of those depictions could have been better.

Of course, I will be fare to BioWare. It takes a lot of energy and time to research on the complex history of any society or religious group - excluding their own perspectives on the events. However, it is not difficult to ask for an attempt of fairness when utilizing marginalized groups of people's history to be accurate and careful with such representation, which I would argue that they failed to achieve with the Qunari especially.

Let us first begin.

The Prophet Muhammad and Islam's Misunderstood Origins (First Part)

The historical role in which Islamic history, or the history reported by the later 'Abbasid historians is much inspiration for the Qunari - there is nothing to deny there. I had discuss it in this post regarding the similiarties of dates between Islamic history and the history of the Qun in relations to Thedas. Yet much of the history that was are ensured accuracy to the life of the Prophet Muhammad and his early religious community is snared by religious, political, and social sectarianism. In short, much of what we know of Muhammad is not actually from Muhammad.

"Herald, what do you mean by this? The Islamic world has a vibrant and documented history on the Prophet Muhammad."

Yes, they attempted to do so. But let me try to make certain things cleared: Much of the traditional historical data on the Prophet Muhammad - founded in places such as the hadiths or sira were written well after Muhammad and his companions had died. Little is known during the Rashidun period (632-661), where Muhammad's companions were made leaders of the nascent Islamic community that would expand rapidly into a far-flung imperial state that included significant portions of Eastern Rome and nearly the entirety of Sasanian Iran, and much of what we know of the Umayyads, for written sources at least, date to the Umayyad-critical 'Abbasid period. The hadiths in particularly are points of contention - none of them truthfully dates back to the Prophet Muhammad, and some of the earliest hadith collections that have been discovered has only been found in the middle 700s CE, such as the famed Medinan Islamic scholar Malik b. Anas (711-795 CE) and his al-Muwatta (of whom, the transmissions by his students would see variations in text). And much of what is understood to be "Islamic" can be traced not to the Islamic holy text of the Qu'ran, but the hadiths themselves. It is the hadiths which decree the punishment of adultery would be stoning to death, which clearly goes against the literary tool of stoning in the Quran and the clear punishment of lashing for adultery found in it. In the Qu'ran, stoning is used as a means to display the oppression faced by Islam's prophets and other sincere monotheists by the accepted social customs of their time [Hud, 11:91; the Cave, 18:20; Mary, 19:46; the Poets, 26:116].

There is not much doubt that the man, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, existed and he was considered a prophet by the Arabs. There is much to doubt the historical transmissions founded in traditional Islamic histography. Most (western scholars that is) have a strange relationship with hadiths - some fully reject them, others are more critical but believe that you can find a kernel of truth in the hadiths themselves that connect back to the Prophet, and others accept them in relation to the Prophet Muhammad. The hadiths themselves, at least within contemporary Sunni Islam, have become near sacrosanct, and much of the varied developments of the Sha'ria comes from the hadith corpus (of which even the different sects and schools within those sects disagree on) rather than the Qur'an.

So what do we know? If we doubt the authenticity of the hadiths in relations to Prophet Muhammad, what do we have? How does this relate to the Qun?

In terms of primary sources in relation to early Islam and the Prophetic period of Islam (Muhammad's messengerhood), there is little of. The only real written source that most, if not a near consensus, historians agree that came more or less from Muhammad is the Qur'an itself. Beyond that, the earliest references of Islam on written sources comes not from the Arabs but from Christian writings, writing during the Arab conquests. For example, early Christian writer, known to modern day historians as Pseudo-Sebeos, wrote in 660CE:

At that time a certain man from along those same sons of Ismael, whose name was Mahmet [i.e., Muḥammad], a merchant, as if by God's command appeared to them as a preacher [and] the path of truth. He taught them to recognize the God of Abraham, especially because he was learnt and informed in the history of Moses. Now because the command was from on high, at a single order they all came together in unity of religion. Abandoning their vain cults, they turned to the living God who had appeared to their father Abraham. So, Mahmet legislated for them: not to eat carrion, not to drink wine, not to speak falsely, and not to engage in fornication. He said: 'With an oath God promised this land to Abraham and his seed after him for ever. And he brought about as he promised during that time while he loved Ismael. But now you are the sons of Abraham and God is accomplishing his promise to Abraham and his seed for you. Love sincerely only the God of Abraham, and go and seize the land which God gave to your father Abraham. No one will be able to resist you in battle, because God is with you.

Of course, there is much to be critical here. By the highlight portion is significant, for later Islamic historians would agree that Muhammad too was a merchant. So, we can generally make the safe assumption that Muhammad indeed was a merchant, though historians may or may not be critical with the assumed quote by Pseudo-Sebeos from the mouth of Muhammad.

Herald, you are rambling, why is this important?

For one, the oft-considered "real" Prophet Muhammad found within traditional Islamic sources only date a century or more after his death, a substantial period of time that saw Muhammad's religious community go from a quasi-polity in the western Hejaz to a wide-spread imperial caliphate, incorporating different cultural and social beliefs of those peoples as much as establishing a coherent Islamic identity. Perhaps a clear example of this can be found in the term Muslim as an identifier of Muhammad's followers, when the Quran utilizes the term as something different.

Now utilized as a term to identity those who follow the Prophet Muhammad's teachings - the usage of the term muslim in the Quran has a distinctiveness that relate to a general identifier of being someone who is a monotheist. In the Quran, it declares Jesus' Disciples as:

3:52: And when Jesus sense rebelliousness in them, he said, 'Who are my helpers from God?'' The apostles [the disciples] said, 'We are God's helpers. We believe in God; bear witness that we mus'limuna [are Submitters].

The Quran also refers to those who accept Muhammad's messages of truth as being "submitters even before it [the Quran]."

And indeed We have caused the Word to reach them, that haply they may reflect. Those unto whom We gave the Book before it, they are believers in it. And when it is recited unto them, they say, “We believe in it; verily it is the truth from our Lord. Truly we were submitters even before it.” It is they who will be given their reward twice over for their having been patient. And they repel evil with good, and spend from that which We have provided them." [28:52-54]

Alongside this, the chronologically late al-Ma'idah also refers to both the Gospels and the Torah as being "a guidance and a light":

"And how is it that they come to you for judgment, when they have the Torah, wherein is God's judgement? Yet even after that, they turn their backs, and they are not believers. Truly We sent down the Torah, wherein is a guidance and a light, by which the prophets who submitted judged those who are Jews, as did the sages and the rabbis, in accordance with such of God's Book as they were bidden to preserve and to which they were witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me! And sell not My signs for a paltry price. Whosever judges not by that which God has sent down - it is they who are disbelievers. And therein We prescribed for them: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds, retribution. But whosever forgoes it out of charity, it shall be an expiation for him. Whosever judges not by that which God has sent down - it is they who are the wrongdoers.

And in their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is a guidance and a light, confirming the Torah that had come before him, as a guidance and an exhortation to the reverent. Let the people of the Gospel judge by what God has send down therein. Whosever judges by not that which God has sent down - it is they who are iniquitous. And We have send down unto you the Book in truth, confirming the Book that came before it, and as a protector over it. So judge them between in accordance with what God has sent down, and follow not their caprices away from the truth that has come unto you. For each among you We have appointed a law and a way. And had God willed, He would have made you one community, but [He willed otherwise], that He might try you in that which He has given you. So vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your return all together, and He will inform you of that wherein you differ." [The Table Spread, 5:43-48]

Why do I touch upon this? Well, if one asks any layman Muslim (and perhaps most modern day scholars), many would argue that the position of Jesus or Moses or Abraham as having "being" Muslim as a point in favor to Islam. That is not what the Quran is seeking to state, and any attempt to associate the thousand year accumulation of theological and scholarly interpretation of Islam as being the same message Muhammad argued for is historical anachronism. The Quran does argue that it is the pristine message from God to Muhammad that had been revealed to Jesus and Moses and Abraham, but no where in the Quran does that negate the Torah or the Gospel as being of divine origins. Indeed, often the Quran commands that those who doubt Muhammad's message to ask "the People of the Scripture" .

Of course, there are also the famous verses of 2:62 and 5:69:

"The Believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians—all those who believed in God and the Last Day and do good will have their rewards from their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve." - 2:62

"The Believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians—all those who believed in God and the Last Day and do good will have their rewards from their Lord, and there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve." - 5:69

Now you'll notice - it mentions the Jews and Christians, but who are the Believers? Well, that is Muhammad's followers! In the Quran, whenever it is referring directly to Muhammad's followers, it uses the phrases "believing men and believing women" or "O you who believe". The term in Arabic would be the mu'minun, of which the caliphal title - amir al-mu'minun - takes its origins from. That is is good enough title for Muhammad's followers and goes more onto my point: the term for Muhammad's followers as being muslim or that Muhammad considered the term islam as the term for his own distinct religion simply isn't true. All Believers in Muhammad's revelations are muslim, yet not all Muslims, quranically speaking, are Muhammad's followers. The Quran does and encourages pluralism as a sign of God, and although Muhammad was given the "clear way", devoid of the sectarian influences that it considers the Christians and Jews had fallen into, Christians and Jews are still apart of the primeval conception of islam.

So, why mention this? It is to demonstrate that the early community founded by Muhammad was not the same community that grew out of the massive expansion born from the Arab conquests. The later imperial caliphates of the Umayyads (alongside its rivals the Kharijites and Zubayrids during the Second Muslim Civil War) began a slow process that began to remove the Christians and Jews from being a part of the primeval faith of islam. Importantly, the faith of Muhammad played little reason on why the Arabs expanded - so the idea that the Arabs came to the global scene to "spread Islam by the sword" is purely fictional. As Amira K. Bennison wrote in her the Great Caliphs (2011):

"These conquests [the Arab conquests] were often quite superficial, combing the capture of key settlements or the establishment of garrison towns which deals struck with local rulers - Visigothic nobles, Persian kings, and Turkic warlords - which gave them autonomy in return for recognition and tribute." (Bennison, pg. 20)

And:

"Contrary to popular myth that Islam was spread by the sword, many Muslim Arabs believed that it was their mission to conquer the world, not change the faith of its inhabitants, and saw Islam as theirs, the religion of the ruling elite, not of their subjects. Although they wanted to convert all Arabs, they showed little desire or compunction to convert the peoples of the other lands they had conquered..." (Bennison, pg. 21).

Hugh Kennedy wrote in his the Great Arab Conquests (2005):

"In general, however, conversion to Islam, or offering the opportunity to conversion to Islam, is not widely cited as a reason for fighting. More common is pride in Arabness and pride in tribe." (Kennedy, pg. 63)

Yet, what does the Quran states about fighting? According to the Quran, Muhammad's followers were permitted to fight against their polytheistic oppressors due to:

Permission is granted to those who are fought, because they have been wronged—and truly God is able to help them—who were expelled from their homes without right, only for saying, “Our Lord is God.” Were it not for God’s repelling people, some by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein God’s Name is mentioned much, would have been destroyed. And God will surely help those who help Him—truly God is Strong, Mighty—who, were We to establish them upon the earth, would perform the prayer, give the alms, and enjoin right and forbid wrong. And unto God is the end of all affairs. [the Pilgrimage, 22:39-41]

So, this differs much of what is touched up - by both Muslims and non-Muslims. That the Arabs came at the direction of the Prophet to conquer and spread his religion (it is entirely unknown if Muhammad had any real hand in directing his followers to attack their northern neighbors, since all mentioned battles hint toward a more southern-focused direction), that they viewed other religious traditions false, and forcefully converted or slaughtered en masse many who refused this new religious is entirely fictitious. Later Muslims writing in the imperial caliphal period [Umayyad, onward] may have adopted such militant thinking to justify and explain their state expanded so rapidly. But that is just it! They were explaining why it happened rather than how it happened; and much of the historical documentation is filled with the narrative historicity born from the traditions of much of the Near East - the historians of the 'Abbasid period were ill-interested in army sizes, logistics, etc., but instead on individual leaders, valor, and moral lessons in which these stories can teach those living in the present. This is a tradition likely adopted from the pre-existing historical culture (what little documentation of the Sasanian sources bare similar results), and these sources themselves are not "primary" in their relation to Muhammad or his companions. They were written by their descendants, who often had a religious or political interest to paint certain areas a certain way (such on what Muhammad did or did not say or do at the time of his death to name a successor).

The relations with the other religious groups within Arabia (and possible Levant if Muhammad was a merchant who did preach northward to Roman Christians and Jews) is multifaceted and complex, with an underlying influence of political considerations tied with disagreements with religious doctrines of Islam's sister religions (such as Jesus as God or God's son). Much criticism toward these groups should always be read as these groups among the Christians and Jews, rather than a wholesale brush that condemns them to hell.

Now, onto the Qunari, in part 2.

[whencyclopedia]

Umayyad Dynasty

The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE), the first dynasty to take the title of Caliphate, was established in 661 CE by Muawiya (l. c. 602-680 CE), who had served as the governor of Syria under the Rashidun Caliphate, after the death of the fourth caliph, Ali in 661 CE. The Umayyads ruled effectively and firmly established the political authority of the Caliphate, rebellions were crushed with brute force, and no quarter was given to those who stirred uprisings.

They ruled over a large empire, to which they added vast newly conquered areas such as that of North Africa (beyond Egypt), Spain, Transoxiana, parts of the Indian subcontinent, and multiple islands in the Mediterranean (but most of these were lost). Although the empire was at its ever largest size during their reign, internal divisions and civil wars weakened their hold over it, and in 750 CE, they were overthrown by the Abbasids (r. 750-1258 CE, a rival Arab faction who claimed to be descended from the Prophet's uncle Abbas).

Prelude

After the death of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), Abu Bakr (r. 632-634 CE, a senior companion of the Prophet) took the title of the Caliph, hence forming the basis of the Islamic Caliphates (intermittently: 632-1924 CE). Abu Bakr was the first of the four initial caliphs referred collectively by the mainstream Sunni Muslims as the Rashidun Caliphs, while the Shia Muslims only consider the fourth one of these, Ali (a close companion and son-in-law of the Prophet), the sole legitimate candidate for the Caliphate.

In the Rashidun period, the armies of Islam launched full-scale invasions into Syria, the Levant, Egypt, parts of North Africa, the islands of the Greek archipelago, and the whole of the Sassanian Empire. These conquests were initiated by Abu Bakr and successfully carried on by his successors Umar (r. 634-644 CE) and Uthman (r. 644-656 CE). Uthman, however, was not a strong ruler and was murdered in his own house by rebels in 656 CE. His death marked the breaking point in the history of the Islamic empire: his successor Ali (r. 656-661 CE) was pinned between handling a disintegrating realm and people insisting that justice be served to his dead predecessor.

Ali was faced with opposition, most notably from the governor of Syria, Muawiya (l. c. 602-680 CE). Muawiya was a cousin of Uthman; he refused to settle for anything less than the execution of his kinsman's assailants. Civil war erupted, the First Fitna (656-661 CE), which ended with Ali's murder at the hands of an extremist group called the Kharjites. These zealots had made an attempt on Muawiya's life as well, but the latter survived with only a minor injury.

Continue reading...

[27moremoons]

Civil Defense in Gaza: IMPORTANT/LONG POST

"Civil Defense" after a year of continuous war against our people in Gaza

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the best of martyrs and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and all his family and companions...

We extend our greetings to the Palestinian people in Gaza for their patience and steadfastness throughout a full year of "israeli" war.

We salute the heroes of the Civil Defense who work tirelessly day and night, never wavering in their responsibilities and their national, religious, and moral duties toward their people. We also extend our appreciation to our humanitarian service partners across all fields.

After a year of continuous war on Gaza, we confirm that the Civil Defense is operating at full capacity, which amounts to only 20% of its original capabilities. This is due to the "israeli" occupation deliberately targeting Civil Defense facilities, vehicles, and personnel during their duties. This led to the complete or partial destruction of 52 vehicles of various types and the martyrdom of 85 personnel, with 292 others injured.

The "israeli" occupation has completely destroyed 11 firefighting and rescue vehicles, 2 rapid intervention rescue vehicles, 4 water tanker trucks, 8 ambulances, one hydraulic ladder vehicle, and 12 administrative vehicles. This confirms that the occupation forces are deliberately hindering humanitarian work and interventions aimed at saving lives and protecting property.

Additionally, 7 fire trucks have sustained damage that can be repaired if the necessary support and spare parts are provided. Also, 3 rescue vehicles, 3 ambulances, and one water tanker truck were damaged and can be restored to service if the occupation allows the entry of appropriate spare parts for repairs.

The continued disregard by the international community and humanitarian organizations has emboldened the "israeli" occupation to intensify its targeting of our resources and personnel. Our facilities and teams were directly targeted 6 times, and our teams were attacked while performing their duties on the scene 14 times.

Over 47% of our teams have been physically endangered, and all of them have suffered psychological harm due to losing family members or their homes.

Since the start of the war, our teams have carried out operations equivalent to 40 years of work based on response time and control, compared to their usual work before the war.

During the genocide, the Civil Defense received 90,000 emergency calls and responded to over 75,000 of them, resulting in more than 260,000 tasks, including rescues, evacuations, medical care, firefighting, and retrieving the bodies of martyrs.

However, our teams were unable to respond to over 15,600 emergency calls due to numerous obstacles and difficulties imposed by the "israeli" occupation.

Over the course of the year-long genocide, our teams, accompanied by medical teams, retrieved 37,210 martyrs from homes, streets, and targeted areas. The occupation has hindered the recovery of thousands of bodies still trapped under the rubble.

After a year of this devastating war, we affirm the following:

The continued international neglect in providing necessary support to the Civil Defense in Gaza will severely reduce our ability to respond to emergency calls from citizens. Our teams have been unable to respond to many of these calls due to fuel shortages and the lack of essential Civil Defense equipment. The occupation forces also deliberately block and hinder our access to areas they have invaded by closing streets and exits.

Civil Defense teams and humanitarian service providers in Gaza have faced immense challenges since the start of this war, and the evasion of responsibility by international institutions has exacerbated these challenges and difficulties.

We demand the provision of spare parts for Civil Defense equipment and vehicles, so we can repair damaged equipment and vehicles and allow our humanitarian intervention teams to continue their work.

We call for protection for Civil Defense personnel while carrying out their humanitarian duties and for the occupation to stop targeting our already worn-out vehicles and equipment.

We urge the world to pressure the occupation to allow the entry of urgent equipment for the Civil Defense of all types so that we can fulfill our duty amid the ongoing aggression and continuous bombardment across Gaza.

We demand the entry of heavy machinery to help clear the rubble of homes and structures to retrieve the bodies of over 10,000 martyrs still under the debris. These martyrs are not included in the official statistics of casualties from the aggression.

We demand the entry of the necessary quantities of fuel for Civil Defense vehicles, as we have often been unable to reach targeted areas due to fuel shortages, which has led to the martyrdom of hundreds of injured individuals who could not receive the necessary medical care.

General Directorate of Civil Defense

Gaza

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Below are the names of the 85 Civil Defense officers who have ascended to martyrdom in the last year as a result of the zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip:

Mohammed Musa Mohammed Hamad, Mohamed Abdel Hay Mohamed Morsi, Naeem Salama Ismail Al-Ghoul, Mohammed Abdel Hakim Khaled Shabir, Mohammed Nazmi Khamis Al-Ghalith, Fadl Sakib Hassan Ataya, Mohammed Suleiman Shahada Jabr, Shady Hassan Ibrahim Hamad, Ashraf Atta Saleh Juha, Jihad Ammar Khamis Abu Taqiyah, Ashraf Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Al-Maza, Maher Hassan Hamdan Abu Sawawin, Naji Ahmed Mohammed Al-Labban, Abdullah Farid Mohammed Abu Awda, Oday Abdul Jawad Mohammed Abu Ras, Saber Omar Dawood Abu Muslim, Ibrahim Atta Mohammed Hamdan, Mohammed Ayesh Sayed Hamdan, Mohammed Ahmed Musa Ali, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Noufal, Khaled Jamal Mohammed Al-Arabid, Osama Suleiman Salah Salah, Mahmoud Nahed Rashid Atallah, Muhammad Farid Hashem Dughmosh, Abdul Rahim Youssef Diab Abu Baid, Ayman Mohammed Mohammed Shawan, Abdullah Suwailem Abdullah Abu Rabie, Ahmed Mohammed Al-Abd Khas, Abdul Ghaffar Ayesh Hussein Asaad, Mazen Ismail Abd Rabbo Ashour, Iyad Abdul Karim Abdul Rahman Salem Deeb, Mohamed Fawzy Mohamed Qatit, Alaa Al-Abd Yousef Abu Ghanima, Adham Fathy Hassan Issa, Suleiman Ali Suleiman Yassin, Mohamed Sobhi Mousa Al-Jamasi, Nour El Din Mohamed Khamis Saqr, Bahjat Omar Musa Al-Jamal, Mohammed Majed Ahmed Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq Mahmoud Khaled Al-Mamluk, Hossam Eid Shaaban Abu Shaaban, Naji Jamal Saleh Al-Fayoumi, Mahmoud Abdel Karim Nimr Al-Sarhi, Hamed Mohammed Rashad Zeno, Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed Abu Al-Qura, Diaa Essam Abdel Rahim Abu Amouna, Mohamed Emad Hamdy Abdel-Ilah, Ahmed Zuhair Ahmed Hamouda, Ibrahim Shaaban Salem Obaid, Ahmed Saqr Hassan Abu Hin, Ahmed Mohammed Saleh Hamada, Mohammed Awad Ahmed Suleiman, Mahmoud Mohammed Ahmed Qanou, Karam Imad Hammad Abu Al-Araj, Abdullah Basem Mohammed Toman,. Mohamed Salah Mohamed Abdel Hadi, Mahmoud Basem Ibrahim Al-Muqaddamah, Mahmoud Mohammed Ahmed Salem, Abdul Karim Hassan Arafat Al-Ghazi, Hussein Diab Hussein Abu Jamous, Sohaib Adel Mohammed Abu Taqia, Ahmed Asaad Gabriel Faraj Allah, Osama Azmi Khalil Abu Daqqa, Abdul Latif Mohammed Ibrahim Salem, Youssef Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Mamluk, Ahmed Ismail Ahmed Abu Al-Qumsan, Bakr Raed Hussein Abu Harb, Ezz El-Din Abdel Sater Ramadan Al-Kurdi, Khaled Adeeb Abdullah Al-Hawrani, Ibrahim Imad Abdul Matar, Abdullah Mansour Eid Abdul Jawad, Hossam Hamdy Abdel Ghani Al-Maqid, Mohammed Hafez al-Assad Hassan Hamada, Mahmoud Ayman Mahmoud Ahmed, Badr Abdel Raouf Tawfiq Qasim, Musab Abdullah Saeed Al-Kurdi, Siraj Ayman Fathi Kaskin, Mahmoud Nidal Mahmoud Hammad, Mohammed Abdul Jawad Abdul Hadi Al-Shoubaki, Rami Abdel Qader Shafiq Mansour, Mahmoud Abdel Shafi Khamis Hussein, Bilal Ramadan Abd Rabbo Farhan, Hani Mohammed Ahmed Juma, Ziad Mohammed Salim Al-Habash, Ammar Rajih Ahmed Awad.

Glory to the heroes of the Civil Defense and their martyrs, to those who work tirelessly and sacrifice to relieve our people day and night through all available means.

[howtomuslim]

Why Did the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Embrace Islam?

One of the most frequently asked questions about Islam is, “What is the strongest proof for its truth?” The answer to this question often depends on the individual’s perspective and background. This principle also applied to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Different companions embraced Islam for different reasons, shaped by their unique experiences, knowledge, and interactions with the Prophet and his message.

Knowledge of Previous Scriptures

For some companions, the descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in earlier scriptures were compelling proof of his prophethood. Abdullah ibn Salam, a Jewish scholar, embraced Islam after recognising in the Prophet the signs and characteristics foretold in the Torah. Similarly, Salman al-Farsi, a seeker of truth who traveled far and wide in search of the true religion, found confirmation in the descriptions of the final Prophet found in Christian texts and teachings. For these companions, the congruence between previous revelations and the life of the Prophet was undeniable evidence of his divine mission.

Interestingly there were Jewish tribes who moved to Medina believing that a prophet would arise and be welcomes into that very city, a prophecy fulfilled. 

The Miraculous Beauty of the Quran

Others were drawn to Islam through the Quran, a book whose eloquence and profundity left even the greatest poets of Arabia in awe. In a society that prized poetry and linguistic mastery, the Quran’s unmatched style, depth, and rhythm were beyond human capability. For example, Al-Tufayl ibn Amr, a renowned poet, was initially cautious about Islam due to the warnings of the Quraysh. However, upon hearing the Quran directly, he was overwhelmed by its beauty and depth, which he immediately recognised as divine. Unais, the brother of Abu Hurairah and himself a poet, was similarly convinced of the Quran’s divine origin upon hearing its verses.

The Quran’s ability to address profound theological truths, human psychology, and the natural world in a manner that resonated with hearts and minds was transformative. Its impact on the people of Arabia, particularly those who understood its linguistic nuances, was unparalleled.

The Fulfillment of Prophecies

For many companions, the fulfillment of prophecies was a decisive factor in their conversion. The Quran’s prediction of the Roman Empire’s victory over the Persians after a period of defeat, as mentioned in Surah Ar-Rum, is a notable example. This prophecy came to pass precisely as foretold, strengthening the faith of many, including Niyar ibn Mukram. Such accurate predictions demonstrated that the Quran was not the work of an ordinary human but rather a revelation from the All-Knowing Creator.

The Prophet’s Miracles

Beyond the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed numerous miracles that convinced skeptics of his prophethood. These included the splitting of the moon, the gushing of water from his fingers, and the increase of food to feed multitudes. Witnessing such extraordinary events firsthand left many companions with no doubt about his prophethood.

The Prophet’s Impeccable Character

Perhaps the most compelling reason for many was the unparalleled character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was known as Al-Amin (the Trustworthy) even before his prophethood, and his honesty, compassion, and integrity were evident to all who interacted with him. Companions like Khadijah, Abu Bakr, and Umar ibn al-Khattab were deeply moved by his sincerity, wisdom, and steadfastness. His ability to forgive even his staunchest enemies, his concern for the downtrodden, and his humility despite his growing influence endeared him to those around him.

A Message for All Backgrounds

The beauty of Islam lies in its universal appeal. It speaks to the scholar through its knowledge, to the poet through its eloquence, to the skeptic through its evidence, and to the seeker through its simplicity and depth. The companions of the Prophet embraced Islam for reasons as varied as their own personal journeys, showing that Islam’s message resonates with all who approach it with an open heart and mind.

For more about Islam visit: https://www.howtomuslim.org

Islamic Resources: https://www.howtomuslim.org/catalogue

Why Islam: https://www.howtomuslim.org/why-islam

Who was Prophet Muhammed (PBUH): https://www.howtomuslim.org/prophet-muhammed