RS 102teaching of The Prophet

Republic of the Philipines
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Commision on Higher Education
Parang Foundation College Incorporated
Parang Maguindanao
Pfci 1989@yahoo.com/09204718107
MODULE
RS 102
Life, Teaching of the Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.)
COMPLETE NAME
SAIDAMEN M. ULAMA LPT.
INSTRUCTOR
2nd Semester A. Y. 2021-2022
RS- 102 Life, Teaching of the Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.) Page 1

VISION:
We envision the Parang Foundation College Inc. as the primary instrument and to be a leading
professional institution through quality education improvement and an institution whose
graduates contribute to the welfare of society.
MISSION:
The Parang Foundation College Inc. is committed; to empower the Filipino Youth and to form
well-integrated persons by providing quality of comprehensive education especially the less
fortunate, to transform students into graduates enhances with full competence in their field of
study and who also possess:
The Filipino values of honesty and integrity the importance of family, service to others, enhance
impart Filipino socio-cultural and spiritual heritage.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This Course aims to introduce students to the development of Islamic religious belief and the
practice of Islam from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to the present. One of the main goals
is to illustrate the diversity of these beliefs and practices over time and across the world. Another
is demonstrate t development of Islam in its historical context.
I. OBEJECTIVE
1. To familiarize the with the status and authoritative position of

2. Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
3. Describe what the disciplines of history and religious studies each contribute to
understanding the development of Islam.
4. To build up, have sufficient knowledge and information in the life and teaching of
Prophet Muhammad.
5. To develop a personality under the influence of moral teaching.
II. LESSON PROPER

PRELIMINARY
 ARABIA BEFORE ISLAM

is the largest peninsula in the world. It has the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf
of Adan to the south-east and the rivers Euphrates and Tigris and the Persian Gulf to the north-
east. It thus occupies a unique position. It is situated in Asia, yet only the narrow Red Sea divides
it from Africa and by just passing through the Suez Canal, one reaches the Mediterranean Sea
and Europe. It is thus at the centre of three continents, yet it is apart from all of them.
Arabia being a very hot and dry country, one third of it is desert. It is strange that a land
surrounded by water on three sides, and with only a narrow strip of land to the north, has
practically no river of its own, except for small streams here and there, which soon dry up in the
hot desert.
The camel, the only means of transportation is indispensable, for a desert life demands
continuous movement. The desert dwellers must continually go in search of pastures, which are
scarce and thin, and soon cropped bare. The pastures turn green around spring, watered by
springs which form in the wake of occasional rainfalls. In such an infertile country where no
agriculture has ever been possible, the only produce is dates. In the context of this civilization,
Yemen has always been very developed in terms of agriculture. Showing great intelligence the
Yemenis invented ways of saving rain water from running down to the sea so that artificial
irrigation could be carried out. Moreover, they built the famous dam of Maarib by changing the
natural course of the water. This water is gathered in a 400 meter wide valley between two
mountains by constructing a dam with gates at the narrowest point in the valley.
Then this water is divided into many streams and spread over a wide area of plains. It is almost
like the Nile in the dam area in Upper Egypt. In this way they have contrived to have a controlled
distribution of their water. The fertility of their land has gone on increasing and the people of
Yemen have become very prosperous.
 MAKKAH
When Hajira’s infant son started crying for water she ran desperately between the hills of Safa
and Marwah in search of water. She ran seven times when finally she discovered a spring of
water gushing from the ground by the side of her son. It was this spring which is known as
Zamzam. Makkah is founded at this spring spot of Zamzam.
Both Makkah and Madinah were, and still are, islands in a sea of desert. These towns were
initially inhabited by the descendants of the nomads, who still retained many of the desert born
habits of their ancestors.
Situated in a valley, Makkah is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is a desert, with no
vegetation, no date-palms.
Makkah since ancient times was an important Centre for the caravans coming from the south
with valuable merchandise. They brought gold, precious stones and spices from Africa to

Yemen. From here it was taken to the markets of Syria, Egypt and many other places on the
backs of camels.
The merchants travelled in caravans for the sake of safety. For in those days caravans were an
easy target. Since these caravans passed through vast stretches of uninhabited deserts, it was easy
for plunderers to rob them of all their merchandise.
At Makkah agriculture not being possible, the city thrived on commerce. Makkah became an
important trading centre because of the Sanctuary – the Kabah, to visit which people came from
places far and near. Its geographical position was very good from the point of view of trade, it
being situated at the crossroads of the routes from Yemen to Syria and Abyssinia to Arabia. So
the nomads came to Makkah from all sides. By the 6th century, Arab traders had become very
influential and controlled the trade from Yemen to Syria. Taif was also an important commercial
centre but Makkah was more important because of the Kabah.
So Makkah became a religious as well as a financial centre. By the time the Prophet conquered
Makkah, we find many influential traders who were adept at doing business with different parts
of the world. Although Yemen was the most advanced province in the Arabian Peninsula
because of its water resources and sound administration, Makkah being a religious centre
wielded greater influence on this account. Makkah, a focal point of pilgrimage dating back to the
origin of Arab history, owed its status to the Kabah, which had been built by Ibrahim and Ismail.
Everyone observed its holy months for religious reasons as well as on account of the special
position it enjoyed with regard to trade, being the capital of the peninsula.
The Arabs of the North are considered Arab al mustaribah, “Arabized Arabs.” The Qahtanis of
the South are considered Arab al Mutaarribah, or tribes resulting from mixing with the Arab al
Aribah, original, or true Arabs. From the Qahtanis descend the Arabs of ancient South Arabia, or
“Himyarite” Kingdoms. The completely “true Arabs”, descendants of Aram, son of Shem, son of
Noah, are called the Arab al baidah, “the lost Arabs”, their identity having been submerged in
that of other peoples.
The progeny of Ismail were known as Mustariba, or naturalised Arabs, and they greatly
multiplied. They were divided into many tribes and clans. The Quraysh, the largest tribe,
descending from the Kinanah and Ismail, had several clans. They were settled in Makkah by an
ancestor of renown called Qusayy, who displaced the previous inhabitants, the Khuzaah. The
clans who lived in the vicinity of the Kabah were considered most honourable. These were called
Quraysh al Bitah (the Quraysh of the Hollow).
The location of Makkah on important caravan routes across the Peninsula, and the prestige of the
Kabah in the age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) gave it great advantages as a trading city. This is why
the Quraysh became one of the richest and most powerful tribes. This, together with their descent
from the Kinanah and Ismail, gave them claims to an aristocratic pre-eminence.

The nomadic life is based upon stockbreeding, especially the breeding of camels. There is some
rain in the winter season and then some vegetation comes up in the low-lying areas. These areas
become a paradise for camels, as they provide the best pasture, but with the coming of summer
the pasture vanishes. Then the nomads move on in search of other green areas in order to feed
themselves as well as their camels. Then there are some wells, which provide water for the
camels. The milk of the camels is the diet of the nomads along with dates, which are obtained
from the oases. Cereals are not easily available. Only the rich can afford them. The oases that are
found in Madinah are near the mountains. So there the date crop is grown. And in Taif, which
has very fertile soil, cereals are grown. Madinah has the largest of the oases.
Ibrahim was the first to teach them the worship of one God. The Arabs followed the religion of
Ibrahim for some generations, but their later generations tended to deviate from the straight path
shown to them by Ibrahim and became idolators. At the time of the birth of the Prophet, the
whole of Arabia had taken to idolatry. Some of the tribes worshipped stars and planets, some
stone idols, and, thus the Kabah, which had been built for the worship of God became a centre of
idolatry. It housed 360 idols, one for each day of the year. Hubal was the most honoured. Carved
in red stone, it held seven arrows in its hand. Among the Arabs lots were drawn to decide all
important matters.
The Quraysh were the most influential tribe in Makkah. Most of them were engaged in trade,
and some of them were great traders. The name Quraysh is derived from a word which means to
trade. Since the Quraysh was the largest and most powerful tribe in Makkah, its chief was the
most influential man in Makkah.
 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARAB PEOPLE

Islam emerged in a region known as Hijaz, inhabited by the descendants of Ismael and Banu
Kinanah. These people had access only to limited resources, limited habitable area, cattle,
pasture and oases. Everything was in short supply. So they could afford to lead an extremely
simple life.
Due to these constraints they often waged war, sometimes to take possession of the limited
reservoirs of water and pastures. Nevertheless, these Bedouins had noble human qualities. For
they lived very far from the artificial world of civilization. The atmosphere of nature served as a
vast school of nature for them. They never led the artificial life of the cities and their life was
devoid of all formalities. This extremely simple, austere life made them realists.
All this was responsible for producing in them the qualities which the Arabs call al muruuwah,
manliness, which meant to them acknowledging the truth, speaking nothing but the truth,
fulfilling promises, honouring obligations, supporting the oppressed, promises, honouring
obligations, supporting the oppressed boldness, noble character, patience generosity and
hospitality.

When this high level of humanity was combined with the truth of Islam, they were enable to
perform great feats. It was this truth which has been thus expressed in a hadith;
“Those who were good people in the days of ignorance will also be good people during
Islam.”
In ancient Arabia despite their battles, wars, conflicts and tensions, their vows of revenge, which
went on for generation after generation, their mentality, their thinking, their aptitude for
acknowledging the truth were fully preserved.
For instance, once in ancient Makkah two groups: were ready to fight. At this juncture, Abu
Sufyan ibn Harb intervened and said to them: “If you waged a war so many people would be
killed belonging to both the groups. So should I not tell you something better?” They agreed with
him. Then Abu Sufyan said: “What has passed has passed, now you must make peace.” Both the
parties accepted his advice there and then and made peace. This was in spite of the fact that there
were people who used to go on
“May God destroy you. I had come to seek your blessings and you made my camels run
away.”
Of these ancient Arabs there were a sizeable number who were known as Hanif. These people
were truth seekers and they shunned idolatry. They lived an aloof, social life. They used to say:
“O, God, I do not know how you should be worshipped. Had I known, I would have
certainly worshipped you in that manner.”
These circumstances of the ancient Arabs and their moral qualities had a close affinity with
Islam. These people true in nature, were as if potential converts of Islam. Therefore when the
Prophet of Islam began his preaching in 610, these Hanifs took no time in responding to his call
and became his devoted companions, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Qahafa being one of those Hunafa. What
distinguished the Arabs from others was that they could not afford to reject a truth when it had
become clear to them. That is why in the initial stage of the Prophet’s call, due to some
misunderstanding, a number of them turned against the Prophet Muhammad. But when finally
they learned that what the Prophet was telling them was nothing but the truth, they took no time
in entering the fold of Islam. There are a number of incidents in the books of Seerah to this
effect.
Thus the sending of the Final Prophet was not without reason. It was a well-planned decision of
God which He in His Own knowledge decreed. These Arabs were the living people who were
selected by God to lend full support to His final Prophet, so that he might fulfill the divine
mission.
 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

THE Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ibn Abdullah,- was born in Makkah,on Monday,12 rabi’ Al-
wal 570 AD. Age 63 in 632 ad, in the tribe of Quraysh – he died.
The year of his birth is known among the Arabs as the year of the Elephant (Aam al-
FilMuhammad was still in his mother’s womb when his father, Abdullah, died. After his birth,
Amine, his mother, sent the baby to Abdul Mutely, his grandfather, who was in Kabah at that
time.
The grandfather was overjoyed at the news, for he loved Abdullah, Muhammad’s father, very
much. The grandfather gave him the name “Muhammad”, meaning “the praised one.” As
was the practice of the Makkah nobility, he was handed over to a wet nurse, Kalimah al-Sadly,
who belonged to the Banu Sad tribe. This custom is still practiced among Makkah aristocracy.
Kalimah nursed Muhammad for two years and a few months. She said that when he stayed
with them, her family received all kinds of unaccustomed blessings. Having nursed so many
children before, she noticed something ‘different’ or ‘extraordinary’ about the infant
Muhammad. These observations are recorded in detail by some biographers such as Al-Walid,
Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham.
Two years later, after the child had been weaned, Kalimah brought him back to his mother. But
Makkah at that time was stricken with an epidemic, so Amine asked her to take him back to live
in the pure air of the desert.
Muhammad returned to his mother after five years of desert life. Then Amine took him to
Madinah to meet her uncles, the Banu al-Ajar. She was accompanied by Umm Layman, her
servant, on that trip. After a stay of a month in Bathrobe, Amine was on her way back to
Makkah, when passing through a village called Abash, she fell ill and died there. She was buried
in Abash. It fell to Umm Layman to bring Muhammad back to Makkah.
Therefore, the orphan Muhammad was taken care of by his grandfather Abdul Mutely, chief
of the clan of Banu Hashim. He looked after him with great affection. As leader of the Quraysh,
he used to sit on a cushion in Kabah, whenever Muhammad joined him, he was allowed to sit on
that cushion. If anyone tried to stop him, his grandfather would say, “Leave him alone. By God,
he is very important.” (Ibn Hisham) Abdul Mutely died when Muhammad was eight years old.
Now the guardianship of Muhammad passed to Abu Talib, his uncle, who was a merchant.
Once when Abu Talib was preparing to go to Syria on a trading journey, Muhammad expressed a
keen desire to accompany him. Though he was very young to undertake such a difficult journey,
Abu Talib was so full of affection for him that he could not refuse, and agreed to take him on the
journey.
Their trade caravan halted in the city of Bursa in Syria. There was a Christian monk by the name
of Bah rah living there in a monastery. He had read in the ancient books about the emergence of
an Arab prophet. He recognised in Muhammad the signs of prophethood. He knew at once that
he was the boy who had been destined to become the last of the prophets.
The monk invited the whole caravan to his monastery and asked Abu Talib, “In what way are
you related to this child?” He said, “He is my son.” Bah rah said, “It cannot be. His father should
not be alive.” Then Abu Talib informed him that his father was no longer alive. Bah rah advised
him to return with his nephew immediately and to protect him from enemies. He said, “By God,
if he is recognised, he will surely be harmed.”
Ibn Ishaq writes, “Muhammad entered his adulthood as if God Himself was protecting him from
the widespread evils of the period of ignorance.” By this time he was well-known in Makkah for

his good morals, gentle disposition and sincerity. In fact, he was called Al-Amin (trustworthy)
and As-Sadiq (truthful) by his compatriots.
When Muhammad was twenty-five,
A rich 40-year old widow, Khadijah bent Khuwaylid of the Quraysh tribe, entrusted him with the
management of her business. She used to employ men to engage in trading on her behalf, and
rewarded them with a share of the profits. Muhammad was so honest in all his dealings that she
was deeply impressed by his virtues and expressed her desire to marry him. After consultations
with his uncle, Muhammad accepted the proposal of marriage.
Khadijah became his first wife and during her lifetime he had no other wife.. All his sons
died in infancy. Of the daughters, Ruqaiyyah, Zaynab, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah lived
long enough to accept Islam and migrate to Madinah with the Prophet.
When Muhammad was twenty-five, the Quraysh decided to rebuild the Kabah after a sudden
flood had shaken its foundations and cracked its walls. The old structure was demolished and the
new construction began. When the walls rose from the ground and the time came to place the
famous Black Stone (Hajr al-Aswad) in its place on the east wall, a dispute arose among the
clans as to who would have the honour of laying it in place. Each clan wanted to have the honour
of placing the stone for itself. This dispute almost led to a civil war. No peaceful solution seemed
possible.
At this critical juncture Abu Umayyah, son of Mughirah alMakhzumi said to the Makkans,
“Put it off till tomorrow, the man who enters the Kabah first of all in the morning will be our
arbitrator in this dispute.” Everybody liked the idea. Men from different tribes ran to the Kabah
before dawn next morning. Each one tried to be the first to enter the House of God. But the first
one to pass through the gate was Muhammad. On seeing him they all said, “There goes al-Amin.
We shall agree with his verdict.” Then he was asked to give his decision on the matter. He took a
sheet of cloth and spread it on the ground, and placed the Black Stone in the middle of it and
then he asked the chiefs of all tribes to hold different ends of the sheet and lift it up. They carried
the stone to the site of construction. Then Muhammad picked up the stone from the sheet and set
it in place. Thus a bloody clash was averted and the dispute resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.
The life of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, before prophethood has been recorded in detail
in several books. However, the following events are worth mentioning. A covenant known as the
Alliance of Fudul (Hilf al-Fudul) had been entered into by three men, Fadal bin Fadalah,
Fadal bin Vida and Fadal bin Harith. This was to ensure that no oppressor ever lived in
Makkah. (Sirat ibn Hisham
This Alliance ceased to exist after the death of its architects. Muhammad was 15 years of age
when a civil war broke out involving the tribes of Quraysh and Qais. It is known as the Fijar
War. In view of the widespread disturbances some people thought of reviving the Alliance of
Fudul, to restore tribal harmony and ensure peaceful co-existence.

It happened that a trader from Yemen sold some of his goods to Aaas bin Wail, but he was not
paid in full. He composed couplets narrating his misfortune and pleading for justice. This
touched the pride of the Makkans, who gathered at the house of Abdullah bin Jud‘an at the
instance of Zubayr ibn Abd al Muttalib.
Twenty years before prophethood, Muhammad, may peace be upon him, participated in the
Alliance. Twenty years after the prophethood he said, “I was present at the house of Abdullah
bin Jud‘an at the time of the Alliance. I will not go back on it, even if I were to be given hundred
red camels. Even after Islam has been established, I shall still be in favour of such treaty.’
During that period, there were other social treaties as well. Banu Abd al-Dar and his colleagues
once gathered in the precincts of Kabah and vowed that they would not leave each other in time
of need and they would not hand over anyone to other groups. Muhammad, may peace be upon
him, did not rescind these treaties. However, he supported them. He even said that such treaties
of mutual understanding and reconciliation have been further strengthened after the advent of
Islam.
Before the prophethood, Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was engaged in trading. Abdullah
bin Abi al-Hamsa said:
“I had transacted some business with Muhammad, may peace be upon him, in those days and
owed him money. I asked him to wait till I brought the required sum. When I reached home, I
completely forgot about it. I remembered three days later and rushed to the spot where I had left
Muhammad, may peace be upon him. He was there waiting for me.” He did not upbraid me. All
he said was ‘You caused me a great deal of inconvenience. I have been waiting for you here for
the last three days.’ (Ibn Ishaq)
Abdullah bin Saib said that during the days of Ignorance, he was a partner in trade with
Muhammad, may peace be upon him. Much later he went to Madinah and met him.
Muhammad, may peace be upon him, said, “Do you recognise me?” He said, “Indeed, you
were my partner in trade. And what a wonderful partner you were! You never indulged in
deceit or quarrels.”
Even before his prophet hood, Muhammad used to shun polytheism, idolatry and rude behaviour.
During his second journey to Syria, a dispute arose between Muhammad and a man in the course
of a transaction. The man said:
“I will accept your words if you swear in the names of Lat and Uzza. (The two of three main
idols worshipped in Makkah, mentioned in the Quran 53:19-20).
Muhammad replied: ‘I have never sworn in the name of Lat or Uzza till today. Whenever I come
by chance upon Lat or Uzza, I avoid them and carry on.”
With reference to such incidents, Ibn Hisham has rightly concluded that:

“The Messenger of God entered his adulthood as if God was protecting and watching over him.
And He kept him safe from the evils of the time because, He wanted to confer on him honour
and prophethood. Thus he reached a position of supremacy over all the men of his tribe. Of all of
them, he was the best behaved. He was the noblest among them by his lineage and was the best
neighbour. He was unparalleled in forbearance. He was honest in what he said, and the most
trustworthy. He refrained from misconduct. Ultimately, he began to be called Al-Amin (the
trustworthy) in Makkah.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham)
With his marriage with the wealthy Khadijah, Muhammad had access to all her wealth and
property, he could expand his business as much as he desired. He had every opportunity to lead a
successful and comfortable life. But with the passing of years he became less and less interested
in business and devoted more and more of his time to the search of truth by means of reflection
and meditation, instead of trying to establish himself in his society he took to the desert. He
would often go to mount Hira, three miles from Makkah. He stayed there in the cave lost in
thoughts for hours. When his supply of food and water were exhausted, he returned home for
provisions and went back to the solitude of nature for prayer and meditations. He sought answers
to the mysteries of life. What is man’s true role in life? What does the Lord require of us, as His
servants? From where man comes and where will he go after death? It was to find answers to
these perplexing questions that he betook himself to the stillness of the desert. With all these
questions in mind, worldly gain and loss, comfort and distress did not concern him. He urgently
wanted the answer to these important questions of truth. For nothing less than the truth could
satisfy his soul. This phase of Muhammad’s life is referred to in the Quran in this verse.
“Did He not find you wandering and guide you?” (93:7).
He spent the whole of the month of Ramadan in the Cave of Hira. Finally after spending six long
months in the cave, God turned in mercy to His Prophet, to guide him to the path of truth. At the
age of 40, on February 12, 610 A.D., the Prophet was sitting all alone in his Cave. The angel of
the Lord appeared to him in human form, bringing the first message from God. These words
form part of the beginning of the ninety sixth chapter of the Quran. The Prophet’s quest had
finally been rewarded. God granted him guidance and chose him as His Prophet..
The angel said to him “Read.” The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.” Then
Muhammad felt that his body was being squeezed hard. Then the angel released him and
repeated the same command. Again Muhammad replied that he did not know how to recite. Then
the angel again squeezed him and then released him for the third time and said: Read!” Then a
change came over him and he was able to repeat the divine words. Then Gabriel revealed to him
the chapter Al-Alaq. “Recite in the name of your Lord, who created; who created man from a
clot of blood; Recite, and your Lord is the most Gracious. It is He who has taught man by the pen
that which he did not know.” (96:1-5) Muhammad recited these verses repeating them after the
angel. Then he found that these words were written on his heart (Ibn Ishaq). The Prophet
trembled in fear of what he had seen and heard in the cave. The revelation was totally a new

experience for him. He set off for his house immediately after the disappearance of the angel. On
reaching home the Prophet asked Khadijah to wrap him in blankets. He was shivering from high
fever. When he calmed down, he related the whole incident to her.
Khadijah, being very kind and understanding tried her best to assure him. She said: “By Him
who dominates Khadijah’s soul, I pray and I hope that you will be the Prophet of this nation. By
God, He will not let you down. You are kind to your relations. You speak the truth, you help the
poor and bear their burden, you honour guests and help those in distress. Surely God will never
let you fail.” Khadijah then suggested that they should go and consult her cousin Waraqa ibn
Nawfal, who had become a Christian hermit. Waraqa heard the whole account from Muhammad
and said: “I am sure the angel that descended on Moses has descended on you. You will be
abused, and you will be pursued. I wish I could be alive to give you my support when your
people will turn you out.” “Will they turn me out?” The Prophet found this difficult to believe.
Waraqa replied that people have always turned against those who are recipients of God’s
messages. The Prophet’s wife Khadijah was the first convert to Islam. When the news of
Muhammad’s prophethood reached a freed slave, Zayd who was 30 years of age, and his cousin
Ali, who was about eleven, both declared their faith in Islam. Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s friend
from childhood, was out of town. On his return he heard of the new experience of the Prophet.
People said to him that his friend had taken leave of his senses, believing that angels brought him
messages from God. But Abu Bakr trusted the Prophet completely. Not for one moment did he
doubt his veracity. He immediately went to meet the Prophet to find out the truth for himself.
Abu Bakr asked the Prophet whether an angel had really descended upon him from God and had
given him a message. The Prophet said “Yes,” and without a moment’s hesitation Abu Bakr
professed his faith. He did not require any arguments to be convinced that he was telling the
truth.
This small group of the Faithful were the first believers of Islam. In the first stage, the Prophet
was asked to spread the message of Islam quietly to avoid arousing any hostility. Abu Bakr,
being an influential merchant, was able to bring some of his friends, also rich merchants, into the
fold of Islam. But the majority of the conversions took place among the weak and the poor.
In the second stage the Prophet received the command from God to spread the message publicly,
but first to his own kin.
According to Arab custom, people used to ascend a hill when they had to announce some
important news. So the Prophet, with his all-important tidings, climbed up on a hillock called
Safa, situated near the Kabah. He then called out to the people, who all gathered around him.
Then he addressed them thus: “If I tell you that a big army is hiding behind that mountain and is
ready to attack you, will you believe me?” They all chorused, “Of course, we will, for we trust
you. We know you always tell the truth.” Then the Prophet said: “God has commanded me to
warn you, my kinsmen, that you should worship none but the one and only God. If you fail to do
so, you will invite God’s wrath. And I will not be able to do anything to help you, even though

you are my kinsmen.” Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle, became very angry and said: “Woe to
you on this day! Did you assemble us for this?” Some remarked that he had gone mad. Soon they
all dispersed without caring to give any thought to the words of the Prophet. There was one main
reason for the Quraysh to oppose the Prophet, and to keep him from spreading his message.
Makkah was a centre of pilgrimage because of the Kabah, which housed 360 idols of the
neighbouring tribes and nations. Since Islam believed in only one God, the Quraysh feared that
once the concept of one God became popular, the tribes would stop visiting the Kabah to pay
homage to the idols. This would deprive them of the respect they commanded as guardians of the
Kabah. Besides, the prosperity of Makkah depended mainly on these idols. People in great
numbers from the neighbouring tribes used to visit Makkah all the year round to make offerings
to the idols. This brought prosperity to Makkah, for trade flourished side by side with the
pilgrimage. Makkah being a desert, no agriculture or economic resources existed there. The
Kabah was their only asset. But, allthe Makkans were not hostile. There were people who gave
serious thought to the message of the Quran and gradually began to accept Islam. About 200
people from Makkah as well as the neighbouring settlements entered the fold of Islam. The
Quraysh who enjoyed the Makkan leadership considered the teachings of the new religion an
insult to the religion of their forefathers. In Islam they saw a danger to their own leadership.
Such leaders as Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab were the most hostile to the Prophet. They began to give
serious thought to the matter. Islam was fast gaining ground, so they thought that they could not
afford to postpone taking action. This menace, they had to nip in the bud. The chiefs of different
clans gathered to discuss this matter. They all felt that if Abu Talib did not come in their way,
they would have no difficulty in finding a solution to this problem. So they all came to Abu Talib
to tell him to stop Muhammad from spreading his message. They warned him, “Tell Muhammad
to stop spreading his message, or you will abandon him. If you fail to do so, you should be ready
to suffer for the deeds of your nephew.” Abu Talib, an old man, felt that he would not be able to
resist their wrath. So he told Muhammad what the Quraysh chiefs had said to him and then
added, “My dearest nephew, look to your own safety, and to the safety of your uncle, and do not
cause me to carry a burden I cannot bear.” For a while the Prophet stood motionless. On the one
hand, there was his old uncle weakened by the people’s opposition, and on the other hand, there
was the responsibility to proclaim the truth till his last breath. And the only source of strength
was his faith and his conviction in the truth. So he decided to discharge his duty whatever the
cost. In a firm and calm voice, and with tears in his eyes, he said: “O uncle! By God Almighty, I
swear that even if they were to place the sun on my right and the moon on my left, I would not
give up my mission. I must go on carrying it out until I die.” Abu Talib, touched by the sincerity
and force of the words uttered by his nephew, remained motionless for a while. Then he turned
to the Prophet and said: “My nephew, go your way. Do your duty. Let my people turn against
me. I am with you. No one shall harm you as long as I live.”
MIDTERM

ISLAM SPREADS TO YATHRIB (MADINAH)
The Prophet used to convey the message of Islam to the people coming from outside Makkah. In
the eleventh year of prophethood six men from the tribe of Khazraj of Yathrib (later came to be
known as Madinatun-Nabi, Prophet’s city) accepted Islam during their pilgrimage to Makkah in
620. The following year twelve more men from Yathrib accepted Islam. This time they took an
oath pledging allegiance to the Prophet. This oath is known as the First Pledge of Aqabah, named
after the Aqabah pass, at Mina, near Makkah, where they had been sworn. They requested the
Prophet to send Musab bin Umayr, a companion of the Prophet, to Yathrib to convey the
message of Islam to the inhabitants. There the divine message was immediately well received,
and within a year, a number of people converted to Islam as a result of the preaching of Musab
ibn Umayr.
In the thirteenth year of Prophethood, seventy two Muslims from Yathrib came for the Hajj. On
behalf of their people they invited the Prophet to make Yathrib his home. During the pilgrimage
they also took the oath, known as the second pledge of Aqabah. These men from Yathrib, of the
tribes of Aws and Khazraj, pledged to protect the Prophet from his enemies. For all this sacrifice
on their part they wanted only one assurance from the Prophet: that when the Prophet had gained
power, he should not leave them and return to Makkah. The Prophet replied:
“You have that assurance. I am yours and you are mine.”
Now the Muslims began to emigrate to Yathrib in large numbers to escape persecution at the
hands of the Quraysh. Only the Prophet, Abu Bakr and a few Muslims were left in Makkah.
This infuriated the Quraysh for Islam was now strengthening its root in Yathrib. They were
greatly alarmed that their enemies were gaining a firm foothold. There was nothing more
dangerous than that. So they resolved to remove the danger once and for all. They said:
“Kill Muhammad and Islam will die with him.”
As the Makkans plotted against his life, God sent His command to the Prophet to leave for
Yathrib. First of all he called Ali and gave him the deposits of the people and asked him to return
it to the depositors. The young men with whom the Quraysh had planned to carry out the
assassination collected on that fateful night to put their plan to action. But God had another plan.
And who can overrule the plan of God? Accordingly, the Prophet made Ali lie in his bed while
he himself left the house at midnight.
The Prophet had already informed Abu Bakr, his closest friend, of the plan to emigrate, to be
conducted in total secrecy. They left Makkah before dawn, riding on two camels, which Abu
Bakr had kept ready to carry them across the desert. About five miles from the city they took
shelter in a cave called Thawr.
 THE PROPHET ARRIVES AT MADINAH

After six days’ journey the Prophet reached Quba, a village three miles from Madinah. At that
time the people of Madinah had been waiting impatiently for his arrival. The Prophet stayed for
two weeks in Quba, where he built the first mosque of Islam.
Each morning people used to come out of the city and watch the road from Quba. At last the
great day arrived. He set off for Madinah on a Friday morning. When he entered the town, he

found that all the people, men, women and children, had turned out to receive him. The women
stood on the house-tops and sang songs of joy.
They had all lined both sides of the street to receive him. When the Prophet entered the city,
everybody wanted him to be his guest. The more zealous held the reins of the camel and wanted
the Prophet to dismount in front of their doors and enter their houses. But the Prophet refused
politely and said:
“Leave my camel alone. She is under the command of God; she will stop where God wants
her to stop.”
It finally stopped at a site, which belonged to two orphans of the Banu Najjar tribe. The Prophet
dismounted saying: “It seems that this is where God wants us to stop.”He then bought this land
to build a mosque and some houses on it. After settling this matter, the Prophet asked who lived
nearest to the site. Abu Ayyub Ansari said that his house was the nearest and requested the
Prophet to be his guest. The Prophet stayed in his house for about seven months. In the
meantime, his house was built. From the day the Prophet came to Yathrib, it came to be called
Madinatun-Nabi or “The City of the Prophet.” The Prophet entered Yathrib on the 17 September
622. This year was later designated by Caliph Umar as the first year of the Islamic era, for this
event was considered to be the most important in the history of Islam.
 THE PROPHET ARRIVES AT MADINAH

After six days’ journey the Prophet reached Quba, a village three miles from Madinah. At that
time the people of Madinah had been waiting impatiently for his arrival. The Prophet stayed for
two weeks in Quba, where he built the first mosque of Islam.
Each morning people used to come out of the city and watch the road from Quba. At last the
great day arrived. He set off for Madinah on a Friday morning. When he entered the town, he
found that all the people, men, women and children, had turned out to receive him. The women
stood on the house-tops and sang songs of joy.
They had all lined both sides of the street to receive him. When the Prophet entered the city,
everybody wanted him to be his guest. The more zealous held the reins of the camel and wanted
the Prophet to dismount in front of their doors and enter their houses. But the Prophet refused
politely and said:
“Leave my camel alone. She is under the command of God; she will stop where God wants
her to stop.”
It finally stopped at a site, which belonged to two orphans of the Banu Najjar tribe. The Prophet
dismounted saying: “It seems that this is where God wants us to stop.”
 BROTHERHOOD OF ISLAM
The first problem faced by the Prophet was that of the Makkan refugees. They had neither homes
nor money. Most of them had been well to do in Makkah, but they had left everything there. So
the first important thing for the Prophet was to settle them in their new surroundings.
The solution to this problem was found in the concept of brotherhood in Islam. The Prophet
collected the Muslims and suggested that one Ansari (Madinan) Muslim and one refugee
Makkan Muslim should become linked together as two brothers.
They immediately accepted the suggestion of the Prophet. Each Ansari took one Makkan Muslim
as his brother. This bond between the two became even more powerful than a blood relationship.
The Ansari gave his Makkan brother half of everything he possessed— house, land, money and
other belongings.
 THE PROPHET’S MOSQUE
The next most important task for the Prophet was to build a mosque. This mosque was built on
the land he had bought from the orphans. It had mud walls and a roof of palm leaves. Huts were
built adjacent to the mosque for the Prophet’s family. A platform with a thatched roof was built
in one corner of the mosque. Poor people who had no home or family lived here. They spent
their time in worship and prayer. They were fed by those Muslims who could afford to do so.
They also sometimes earned their living by collecting wood from the jungle and selling it in the
market. These people came to be known as Ashabus-Safa, people of the bench. Abu Hurayrah,
also one of Ashabus-Safa, and the most constant attendant of the Prophet, related more traditions
of the sayings and doings of the Prophet than any other. Yathrib was inhabited mostly by the
tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Both tribes rapidly entered the fold of Islam. Some Jewish tribes also
lived in the city. They were rich, owned orchards and were very powerful. Now the Prophet
turned his attention to the important task of establishing friendly relations with various tribes.
The Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nazir, Banu Qurayza, the Jewish tribes, were neither friendly nor
hostile towards the Aws and Khazraj. But now that the Aws and Khazraj had accepted Islam, it
was necessary to make a new treaty to determine each other’s rights and duties in the new
scenario, with the Prophet as their leader. This pact dictated by the Prophet granted full religious
freedom to the Jews. The Muslims and the Jews had to live in peace and amity together as
brothers, helping one another in times of need. After the conclusion of this treaty, Islam found a
safe home in Yathrib.
 THE PROPHET’S FAMILY

The Prophet had a large family. He married twelve other wives after the death of Khadijah. Most
of them were widows, two of his wives were Jewish, one was a Christian.
In those days, polygamy was prevalent. Islam restricted the number of wives to four. In those
days, when men were often killed in battle the women who were left behind had to be looked
after. So taking several wives was like taking helpless refugees into one’s home. They were
treated kindly and generously. Muslim men were encouraged to look after the widows of friends
who had died in battle, give them separate homes, and treat them equally in every respect.
The Prophet’s wives shared his pious way of life. They made great personal sacrifices, bearing
patiently with all kinds of hardship in the path of God. So they became known as the mothers of
the faithful. All the Prophet’s sons had died in infancy. But four daughters borne by Khadijah
survived infancy, grew to adulthood, married and bore children. They were Fatimah, Umm
Kulthum, Ruqayyah and Zaynab.
 JIHAD
The Prophet was a man of peace and reconciliation. He urged his companions to ask God for
peace. For the Prophet’s main task was the communication of the divine message to the people.
And an atmosphere of peace and goodwill was essential to perform this duty. But the Quraysh

did not allow him to work in peaceful conditions. When they saw that the Muslims were
becoming increasingly stronger, they resolved to wage war and crush them altogether.
 THE BATTLE OF BADR

The Quraysh marched to Madinah with a thousand strong army. They camped at Badr, about
eighty miles from Madinah. It was the month of Ramadan, 2 A.H. On hearing the news of the
enemy camping at Badr, the Prophet marched out of Madinah at the head of an army of 313
Muslims. There were few horses and the Muslims had no armours. The Makkans, on the other
hand, were well armed and had 300 horses and 700 camels.
The battle, in which the Makkans were seriously outnumbered, began on Friday the 17th of
Ramadan. The fighting lasted only a few hours, during which the Prophet prayed continuously
for divine succour. God then sent angels to help the Muslims who emerged victorious. The
Quraysh suffered a total rout.
The defeat, however, did not teach the Quraysh a lesson, but further enraged them. Determined
to wipe out the blot of this humiliation, they now began preparations for a second attack, on a
much bigger scale. They raised an army of more than 3000 warriors and mad with revenge,
marched to Madinah led by Abu Sufyan. The Battle of Uhud took place in 624 A.D. The enemy
numbered 3000 while the Prophet’s men numbered only 700. But with God on their side, the
Muslims successfully repulsed the attack. The enemy started retreating, leaving behind large
quantities of booty. Victory was eminent for the Muslims, when forty archers whom the Prophet
had assigned to the hillside to guard the pass, saw the retreating army and thought that if they
remained on the hill, they would lose their share of the booty. Therefore most of them abandoned
their posts. This left the way open for a counter attack. When Khalid bin Walid, still a non-
Muslim, saw the pass undefended, he led his men behind the hill and killed the few archers who
still stood guard. Then he fell upon the Muslims from the back. Seeing this, the fleeing Quraysh
leaders turned back. The Muslims were thrown into utter confusion. The Prophet himself.
was wounded. But the Muslims stood like a solid wall of stone around the Prophet, and managed
to repulse all attacks with superhuman courage. Many fell dead and several wounded. They had
gone to the extent of sacrificing their lives to save the Prophet from the enemy onslaught. Slowly
the enemy was beaten back. The Quraysh lost 14 men, while the Muslims lost 70. Among the
dead was Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle. The Prophet grieved over the loss of this brave soul.
With deep sorrow the martyrs were buried and the Muslims came back to Madinah. The Quraysh
knew at heart that the Muslims would have emerged victorious, had not the fateful mistake of a
few Muslims had turned their victory into defeat. So for two years they made no attempt to
invade Makkah.
 THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCH

The enemies and hypocrites had been plotting all this while. They managed to bring together all
the opponents of Islam. So they were able to assemble a mighty force of 24,000. In the fifth year
of Hijrah, this large army started marching towards Madinah. The Prophet came to know of the
Jewish plot to exterminate the Muslims. He consulted his companions. One of them, Salman
Farsi, a Persian, suggested that a defensive trench be dug around Madinah. This strategy was
used by the Sassanids on such occasions. Three thousand men worked for twenty days to dig it.
The allied forces of 10,000 marched to Madinah under the command of Abu Sufyan. The
Madinans numbered only 3,000. The Makkan cavalry were stopped by the trench. However, they
had plenty of provisions and supplies so they decided to lay siege to the city. On the 27th day of
the siege, a cyclone hit Madinah. For three days and nights the storm continued bringing
torrential rain. All the tents were blown away and the provisions became unusable due to the
rain. Dissension in the army was gradually growing. Discouraged, the Quraysh abandoned the
siege.
 TREATY OF HUDAYBIYYAH
The Prophet felt that war was not the solution. Therefore he adopted another strategy. Guided by
a dream, he left for Makkah to perform Umrah accompanied by 1400 companions. He camped at
Hudaybiyyah, a short way from Makkah. It was a completely peaceful march. But the Makkan
leaders objected to it. They felt that their prestige was damaged by the fact that the very people
who had been expelled by them from Makkah should come to the city again and perform the
rights of Umrah openly and in such large numbers.
Now the Prophet halted at Hudaybiyyah and began negotiating for peace with the Makkan
leaders. The Quraysh finally agreed to sign a peace treaty. However, at the Prophet’s suggestion,
a clause was included in it, specifying that for the next ten years no war would take place
between the Muslims and the Makkans. By the terms of this treaty the Muslims were to go back
without visiting the Kabah. They were to come again the following year and stay in Makkah for
just three days.
The treaty appeared to be a victory for the Quraysh, for the Prophet had unilaterally accepted all
their conditions. But it soon proved to be otherwise. Now there being no danger of war, people
were able to mix freely with any tribe they liked. This gave the nonMuslims an opportunity to
have a closer look at Islam. During this period of free interaction, Islam became a subject of
general discussion. The call of Islam spread rapidly. The Arabs, impressed by the virtues of
Islam and began to enter its fold in large numbers. Within the next two years the number of
Muslims greatly increased.
 CALL TO THE WORLD

Now that peace prevailed, the Prophet took full advantage of the opportunities it afforded him.
He sent his companions with letters to the rulers and kings the borders of whose kingdoms were

contiguous with, or close to Arabia. The companions used to deliver these letters to the rulers. –
Iran, Byzantium, Abyssinia, Egypt and Syria, amongst others. These letters contained the
fundamental teachings of Islam and the rulers were invited to accept Islam.
Some of them, like Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia accepted Islam, while others rejected it, but
they accepted the letters graciously and sent presents to the Prophet. Only the Emperor of Iran,
Khusro Parvez, tore the Prophet’s message apart in his arrogance. He considered it below his
dignity to accept such a letter. When the Prophet received this news, he said: “The Emperor of
Persia has himself torn his Kingdom into pieces.” This prediction was fulfilled during the rule of
Caliph Umar, when Iran came under Muslim rule.
 FALL OF MAKKAH
Two years after the signing of this treaty, it was violated by the Quraysh. The Prophet then
announced that the peace agreement had been revoked. Subsequently, on the 10th of Ramadan,
he left for Makkah accompanied by 10,000 companions. This march was conducted in complete
secrecy. Only when they encamped a few miles from the city did the Makkans come to know of
their arrival. The Makkans were completely taken by surprise. Faced with this numerical
strength, the Makkans found themselves helpless. Therefore they conceded their defeat without
any resistance. Makkah was thus conquered without any armed encounter. The Muslims had
strict orders to shed no blood. The Makkans were told that they would be safe if they kept
indoors or took refuge in the Kabah or in Abu Sufyan’s house.
After the fall of Makkah the Kabah was purified of all the idols, which had been placed in it.
Then Bilal, the Negro companion of the Prophet, went up on to the roof of the Kabah and gave
the call to prayer (Azan). Then the companions said the thanksgiving prayer, led by the Prophet.
 PARDON FOR ALL

The Makkan leaders sat in the compound of the Kabah. They were, without exception, the worst
types of criminals. Therefore, even if all of them had been put to death, the punishment would
have been fully justified. But the Prophet, being of a noble character, did not take any action
against them. He unilaterally declared a general amnesty, saying: “Go, you are all free.”
The Makkan idolaters could hardly believe their ears. This generous treatment meted out to the
fallen foe won all hearts, including those of the most bitter enemies of Islam. After the conquest
of their hearts, they had no choice but to embrace Islam. All the insolent Makkans surrendered
and joined the Prophet in his mission as his companions. All opposition had just vanished.
 BATTLE OF HUNAYN
The fall of Makkah was not taken kindly by all the tribes. The Banu Thaqif and the Hawazin,
who lived between Makkah and Taif, were highly perturbed by the developments in Makkah.
Sensing the danger to their independence and supremacy, they turned aggressive and collected a

huge army. This army was encamped in the valley of Hunayn, to which a narrow pass was the
only entrance.
Expert archers hid themselves behind rocky crags. The Prophet arrived with an army of 12,000.
The Muslims filed between the narrow rocky walls of the pass, panicked under the sudden heavy
rain of arrows from the hidden archers. About 11,000 of the 12,000 strong Muslim army turned
and fled, for they were not at all prepared for this sudden attack. But the Prophet and some of his
close companions showed no signs of panic, reposing their entire trust in God. God sent His
succour as promised. Thus, despite the initial setback, the course of battle was altered. The
Muslims won an extraordinary victory. Six thousand members of the Hawazin tribe were taken
prisoner. They were proven war criminals. According to the prevailing custom, they should all
have been put to death. But the Prophet pardoned them all and set them free without setting any
conditions. This extraordinary and unexpected amnesty impressed these insolent people so much
that they all entered the fold of Islam. After the conversion of the Hawazin tribe, the rebel Thaqif
tribe of Taif lost courage. Within one month they all surrendered and embraced Islam.
 FIRST HAJJ UNDER ISLAM

The first Hajj under Islam took place in the ninth year of Hijrah. The Prophet himself did not
lead it but sent Abu Bakr in his place. The ninth year of Hijrah witnessed a rapid spread of Islam.
Representatives of tribes inhabiting far off parts of Arabia poured into Madinah. They had a two-
fold purpose—to convert to Islam and to establish relations with the newly formed Islamic state.
These delegations came in such large numbers that it became known as the year of delegations.
In this way one after another all the tribes of Arabia entered the fold of Islam.
 THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE

After having consolidated the power of Islam in Arabia, the Prophet set out to perform Hajjatul
wida, his Farewell Pilgrimage. It was the last year of his life. He left Madinah for Makkah
accompanied by Madinan Muslims. When the news spread that the Prophet was going to
perform the pilgrimage, various tribes living in Arabia began pouring into Makkah.
Therefore when the Prophet of Islam performed his first as well as his last pilgrimage, he was
joined by 125,000 Muslims. During this pilgrimage the revelations about the rules of the Hajj
were given to him. These are followed by all Muslims to this day.
When the Prophet arrived at Mount Arafat he imparted some teachings to the people present on
that occasion. These are preserved in the form of the ‘Final Sermon’.
During the Sermon of Arafat the last passage of the Quran was revealed:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessings upon
you; and I have approved Islam as your religion.” (5:4-5)

This proved to be his last visit, that is why it came to be called the “Farewell Pilgrimage.” Only
three months after his return to Madinah he fell ill and, with the consent of all of his wives,
stayed in the house of Aishah. He had fever and headache. He remained ill for about two weeks
and breathed his last on 12 Rabiul Awwal 10 A.H. He continued leading prayers till he became
too weak to go to the mosque. But before his death he said his last prayer in the Masjid-e-
Nabawi and made Abu Bakr, his closest companion, the Imam of this prayer. This was a clear
indication that he wanted Abu Bakr to succeed him as the leader of the believers. The Prophet
died in the room attached to the Masjid-eNabawi. He was buried in the same place. Later when
Abu Bakr and Umar died, they were also buried to the right and left sides of the Prophet.
THE STATUS OF WOMAN IN ISLAM
A study of the Quran and Hadith tells us that in Islam a woman enjoys the same status as that of
a man. The Quran says: “You are members, one of another.” (3:195) There is no difference
between the two as regards status, rights and blessings both in this world and in the Hereafter.
1. The first verse that we find in the Quran on this subject is as follows:
‘Mankind, fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created man’s mate from the same
soul, from these two scattering on earth many men and women. Fear God, in whose name you
entreat one another, and be careful not to sever your ties of kinship, God is watching over what
you do.’ (4:1)
This verse of the Quran tells us that God has created man and woman from the same soul, that is,
from the same substance. The entire human race has come from Adam and Eve, the first man and
the first woman. Looked at in this way human beings on this earth are blood brothers and blood
sisters.
2. Another verse of the Quran reads:
It is He who created you from a single soul and made from him his mate so that he might find
comfort in her. (7:89)
This verse stresses the aspect of commonness between man and woman (what is common
between the two) that is, both are a source of comfort to one another. The word ‘comfort’ relates
to all the activities of life, meaning thereby that God has created men and women in such a way
that they assist one another in all matters of life, in order to go on life’s journey peacefully and
successfully.
3. There is another verse in the Quran, which tells us that men and women have equal
status in God’s eye. None is superior to the other.
“I will not let the deeds of any doer among you go to waste, be he male or female. You are
members, one of another.” (3:195)
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the well known commentator on the Quran, remarks in his commentary on
this verse: “In Islam the equal status of the sexes is not only recognised but insisted on. If sex
distinction, which is a distinction in nature, does not count in spiritual matters, artificial
distinctions, such as rank, wealth, position, race, colour, birth, etc., would count even less.”
Thus it will be the very same virtues in thought, word and deed, which will be prerequisites for
both sexes to enter Paradise. If the qualities of piety, humility, honesty, patience and compassion
are demanded of men, they will in like measure be demanded of women.

4. There is a hadith, which also explains that “women are the other half of men.” That is,
they are equal halves of one another.
5. The Quran says that men are in charge of, that is, ‘maintainers’ of women (4:34). This
does not mean that men have a distinctive status over women. Then being maintainers of
women has never been intended as a form of discriminatory treatment. It rather concerns the
practical management of the home, for which the man is held responsible. However, this does
not mean that a woman will never be allowed to shoulder these responsibilities. If she finds that
she can bear this burden, no objection will be raised from any quarter. One example of this can
be found in the Quran with reference to the people of Sheba. They lived in Yemen. The famous
dam of Marib made their country very prosperous and enabled it to attain a high degree of
civilization. The Quran tells us that they were ruled by a woman (27:23) without disapproving of
her rule. Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba was very wise and sagacious, even more so than the men in
her court. She did not want to embroil her country in war, while the men advised her to confront
her enemies, namely, Solomon’s army. Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes:
“In Bilqis we have a picture of womanhood, gentle, prudent, and able to tame the wilder
passions of her subjects.”
It is an accepted principle with the commentators of the Quran that when the Quran reports
something without any disapproval, that means that has been approved of by the Quran.
So when we look at this incident in the light of the Quran, we find the status of woman even
higher than that of men. A woman is in charge of men and she has shouldered this responsibility
with greater efficacy.
Thus the example of the Queen of Sheba having found mention in the Quran shows that rulership
is not man’s monopoly. A woman can be a ‘qawwam’ over a man and the Quran has itself
testified to it.
HIJAB IN ISLAM
Now the question arises as to the concept of veil in Islam. Nasiruddin Al-Albani, a famous
scholar and traditionist, has written a book titled Hijab al-Mar’ah al Muslimah fil Kitab was
Sunnah. The author has discussed the subject in the light of the Quran and Hadith. He says that
whenever she steps out of her home it is incumbent upon her ‘to cover herself completely so as
not to show any apart of her body except the face and the hands. According to his findings the
following rules of Hijab must be observed by a woman:
1. The whole body, except for the exempted parts should be covered.
2. But any veil, which in itself becomes an attraction, is to be avoided.
3. Garments should not be semi-transparent.
4. Dress should not be tight-fitting.
The first rule of Hijab has been derived from Chapter 24, Verse 31. Allama Nasiruddin Albani
interprets the wording “to cover their adornments except such as are normally displayed,” to
mean that the hands and face are exempt from covering.
He has drawn extensively from the Hadith in support of his argument. After studying the
traditions in connection with the Quranic verses (24:31, 33:59) he writes: “It is clear from the

instances drawn from the Quran and the Hadith that though it is preferable for a woman to cover
her face, it is not compulsory for her to do so.
“It would be better if women followed this practice, but there is no harm if they do not.” He
concludes his argument with these words: “The garment should cover the entire body of a
woman except the face and hands, and should not become an attraction in itself. Neither should it
be thin or tight. It should not accentuate the body.
Maulana Shabbir Usmani, the well-known Indian commentator on the Quran gives the following
commentary on this verse of the Quran:
“It is evident from the Hadith and athar (the sayings and deeds of the Prophet’s companions) that
the face and hands are exempt, because it is not possible to keep them covered while performing
the various chores of daily life and even religious rites. If they are ordered to be strictly covered,
it will create great difficulties for women in carrying out their jobs. The theologians have
considered the feet also to be exempted parts.”
This exemption of face, hands and feet, derived from verse 31 of chapter 24 is extremely
important. This shows that Islam does not intend to stop women from going out to receive
education or to work but rather desires them to observe the Islamic culture known as Hijab.
Hijab requires a dress, which properly covers the body, for she is obliged to observe the rules of
modesty.
Another important matter concerning women is education. A study of the life of the Prophet of
Islam tells us that education is as essential for women as it is for men. The actual goal of
education from the Islamic point of view is to make him or her an aware person. And without
doubt it is only aware men and women who can conduct the practical matters of life smoothly.
We find an example in this connection in the life of the Prophet of Islam in relation to his wife
Aishah. There are such traditions as tell us that the Prophet’s conversations with Aishah were
aimed at educating her. Aishah says that when the Prophet of Islam would get up at night after a
few hours to sleep, in that peaceful
atmosphere he would converse with her over a long period of time. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih
Muslim)
This course of informal education continued uninterruptedly, for Aishah used to accompany him
even on his journeys.
This informal education was so important for Aishah that she became the most distinguished
personality so far as religious knowledge was concerned. She survived the Prophet for a full fifty
years. Throughout this period she remained a very valuable source for the acquisition of religious
knowledge. Her house served as a school of religious learning.

In the early period of Islam, regarded as model for all believers, we have a number of examples
that show that women used to take part in practical matters. For instance Khadijah, the Prophet’s
wife, conducted business, and Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter helped with giving first aid to the
wounded in battle. Asma, Abu Bakr’s daughter, looked after her camels and date orchard, etc.
Western civilization believes in gender equality, that is man and woman are one and the same
thing. There is no difference of any kind between the two. But Islam regards this equality as
unnatural. In the light of Islamic teachings men and women both are, without doubt, equal. In
God’s eyes, both have equal rights and duties. Owing to their biological structure, however, they
are different from one another. That is to say, they are equal but different.
The characteristics of true believers, both men and women, are referred to in the Quran in these
words:
“Those .... who are devout, sincere, patient, humble, charitable and chaste, who fast and are even
mindful of God - on these both men and women, God will bestow forgiveness and a rich
reward.” (33:35)
These are the attributes, which both men and women must cultivate if they want to become
God’s favoured servants. These are the qualities that form the basis of Islam, and are the true
means of salvation in the Hereafter.
FINAL MODULE
WAR AND PEACE IN ISLAM
IN order to appreciate the position of war and peace in Islam, we have to answer another
question concerning the goal of Islam. What is the actual plan of Islam regarding human life? To
answer this question we have to refer to the Quran, the source of Islamic teachings:
1. Chapter 103 of the Quran, titled Al-Asr, is regarded as the essence of Islamic teachings. It
reads: “I swear by the declining day that perdition shall be the lot of man, except for those who
believe and do good deeds, and exhort one another to truth and to patience.”
From these verses in the Quran we find that success depends on four things. That is, one should
have faith in God, possess right beliefs, observe Islam fully, adopt Islamic ideology
wholeheartedly, and lead a life of virtuous action and Godconsciousness. We should accept the
standard set by God in regard to the truth and untruth.
Not only we should adopt all these beliefs and practices in our own lives but we should also
enjoin upon others truth and forbearance as a matter of religious duty.

2. There is another verse in the Quran:
“God enjoins justice, kindness and charity to one’s kindred, and forbids indecency, wickedness
and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.” (16:90)
Because of the importance of this verse, the fifth pious caliph issued instructions that it should be
made a part of the Friday sermon.
This verse tells us how human beings are supposed to lead their lives in this world. The first
thing, which is most important, is to deal justly. That is, whatever right one has over another
person should be fulfilled. People should learn of the needs of their relatives as well as other
fellow human beings and spend their money to fulfill their needs. They should not indulge in
such things as are disapproved of in society. They should not adopt the way of arrogance and
haughtiness. They should not only refrain from evil deeds themselves, but should also persuade
others to do the same.
There are a number of such verses as make it clear that war and violence are alien to the scheme
of Islam. In fact, they have nothing to do with the kind of man Islam wants to build. It is entirely
based on bringing about a revolution in thought, and aims at building a personality based on
moral values. Man has to be wholly imbued with the divine hue. However, another question
relates to the fact that human beings lead their lives in a society. Social life repeatedly produces
mutual conflicts. Everyone thinks differently, everyone’s interests clash with those of others and
these differences sometimes escalate to war and violence.
In such a situation the question is how to deal with the problem of differences and controversies.
The teaching of Islam in this matter is that on all such occasions our best efforts should be aimed
at defusing the controversy in its initial stage, it should not be allowed to reach the stage of
violent clash and confrontation scheme to war. This is indeed a strategy to avoid a war from
taking place. There are a number of ways of such avoidance.
The first way, as the Quran tells us, is to “avoid the ignorant”. (7:199) That is, instead of clashing
with them one must adopt the policy of avoidance. Another word that the Quran uses for this is
patience. The Quran goes to the extent of according patience the status of worship:
Those that endure with fortitude shall be requited without measure. (39:10)
SABR means avoidance of retaliatory activities, in spite of provocation from the other party.
This patient attitude has been held to be deserving of the choicest blessings from God. This
Quranic teaching of patience and avoidance has been explained by a companion of the Prophet in
these words: “One who will not tolerate minor evil perpetrated by an ignorant person will have to
tolerate a major evil.” This means that whenever there is any provocation from antagonists, at
that time an individual or a nation has one of two choices: that the provocation should be avoided
in the very first instance and not allowed to reach the extent of war and violence, so that the

lesser evil is nipped in the bud. In this matter we find a very important principle in Islam in a
hadith narrated by Aishah, the Prophet’s wife. While describing the general policy of the Prophet
of Islam she said that whenever the Prophet of Islam had to opt for one of two ways he would
always opt for the easier option and discard the harder one. In all controversial situations
between two parties, attempts to solve the problem should be made only in the peaceful sphere.
Taking the second option means attempting to solve the problem of ‘guns’ with ‘bombs’. It is
this second option, which turns conflicts into war.
The life of the Prophet of Islam tells us that he adopted this method, called the easier option by
Aishah, throughout his entire life. At least a hundred times he had to face the confrontation
produced by his opponents, but he always opted for the way of the easier option. He could
almost always avoid any head-on clash by peaceful strategy. That is why we find that between
the Prophet and his opponents collisions took place only three times: at the battles of Badr, Uhud
and Hunayn.
Although many incidents have been termed “battles” in the books of seerah, on examining them
closely we find that these are only different forms of avoidance and not of indulgence in war. For
instance, we find in the books of Seerah the names of battles like Ghazwa-e-Tabuk, Ghazwa-e-
Khandaq, Ghazwa-e-Makka, Ghazwa Hamraul Asad, whereas in all these battles and a number
of other such battles the Prophet always succeeded in managing to avoid war by employing some
strategy or the other. So we can safely conclude that peace is the rule in Islam and war is only a
rare exception.
Now the question arises as to why, in the first place, there is the injunction to wage war in Islam
and why the Prophet had to go to war with his opponents three times. We learn from the Quran
that so far as the matter is confined to mere provocation or an insignificant loss the way of
patience and avoidance must be adopted. But when the other party initiates the aggression, then
at that time war can be waged in defence. The first principle in this regard is that which we learn
from the Quran:
“So long as they are straight with you, be straight with them.” (9:7)
This means that so long as your adversary has not initiated aggression and has not compelled you
to wage war, you should live with him peacefully, never initiating aggression under any
circumstance. The constructive goals of Islam can be achieved only when there are friendly
relations between Muslims and nonMuslims, that is why this injunction has been given in the
Quran. This shows that fighting in Islam is permitted only when there is simply no other option.
That is why the verse which gives Muslims permission to fight in self-defence, is given in these
words:
Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked, because they have been wronged. God
will certainly help those who help Him. (22:39)

Similarly, at another place the Quran says:
“Fight in the name of God those who fight you, but do not go beyond the limits. God does not
love the transgressors.” (2:190).
At yet another place the Quran states it clearly that war can be waged only when it has been
initiated by the other party. This verse of the Quran on this subject is very explicit:
“It was they who initiated hostilities against you in the first place.” (9:13)
A study of the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh tells us that Islam gives permission to fight only in
defence. Yet even in the waging of a defensive war, Islam sets clear conditions. An Islamic war
is one which is waged by only fulfilling all these conditions. A war in which these conditions are
not observed is not an Islamic war, even if this is waged by Muslims in the name of Islam. Here
are some of the conditions:
1.War can be declared only by an established government. Non-governmental organisations have

no permission to wage war. War is a state matter in Islam. The public has only the permission to
work peacefully. They are not allowed to go to the extent of engaging themselves in armed
struggle.
2. Even for a genuine war it is essential that it be formally declared. Undeclared war is not
permissible, even by a government.
3. Even in a genuine war Islam allows only combatants to be attacked. The killing of non-
combatants is not allowed in any war, however justified it might be. According to the Islamic
conditions a lawful war is only one which is a defensive war, no war like gorilla war, proxy war,
undeclared war is permissible in Islam. War for reform, for removing obstacles, or for putting an
end to injustice, are also not permissible in Islam.
If we have to bring about reform in any society, or we have to remove certain obstacles, these
tasks can be carried out only through peaceful struggle. If the problem is not solved through
peaceful struggle, even then we have to remain patient and on no pretext can we engage in armed
struggle according to Islam. We have to remain patient and work peacefully towards that end.
The Prophet of Islam has been called a Mercy to all the nations. The word mercy is another name
for peace. We can put it differently and say that the Prophet of Islam was a Prophet of peace. He
was sent to establish peace in the world. A study of Seerah tells us that peace was the greatest
concern of the Prophet. Most of the traditions of the Prophet are directly or indirectly in the
nature of an injunction to maintain peace. Similarly, a study of the 30-year life of the Prophet
tells us that in all matters the Prophet always adopted methods aimed at establishing peace.
For instance, according to one tradition, the Prophet of Islam said: “Do not wish confrontation
with your enemy, always ask for peace from God.” (al-Bukhari) This shows that the actual object

desirable by the Prophet was peace not confrontation. For one who is sincere in his prayers for
peace, it is not possible to opt for war instead of peace.
Similarly on another occasion the Prophet of Islam said:
God grants to non-violence what He does not grant to violence.
This saying of the Prophet of Islam tells us that, because of their consequences, the Prophet
regarded war and violence as futile. He was convinced that goals can be achieved only by
peaceful means. No positive results can be achieved by the violent method. This saying amounts
to a Prophetic declaration in favour of peace and against war.
In this connection one finds a number of sayings of the Prophet of Islam in the books of Seerah
and traditions which tell us directly or indirectly that war and violence are to be abhorred. It was
peace which the Prophet desired most. This is because Islam is a religion of peace. The Quran
calls its ways “the paths of Peace” (5:16). It favours reconciliation as the best policy (4:128). It is
clearly stated in the Quran that God abhors the disturbance of peace (2:205).
Thus I would like to conclude this chapter with this prayer of the Prophet:
O God, you are peace. Peace is from you. Peace returns to you. O Lord, let us live a life of peace.
O Lord, usher us into your home, the house of peace. Glory be to God, the most high. All glory
and all greatness is for you, O Lord.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN ISLAM
“My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge.” (20:114)
THE mission of the Prophet of Islam has been introduced in the Quran at more than one place as
an Instructor of the Book and giver of wisdom. Here is a verse from the Quran:
“He it is who has raised among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who
recites to them His signs and purifies them, and to instruct them in the Book and wisdom.” (62:2)
Similarly, on another occasion the Prophet of Islam presented himself before the people saying,
“I have been sent only as a teacher.”
Then the first word revealed in the form of the Quran was ‘Iqra’ (96:1). The fourth verse of the
first revelation forming part of the chapter Al-Qalam has this to say:
“God has taught man by the pen.” (96:4)
We find more than 1500 derivatives and synonyms of the word Ilm, that is, knowledge. It
becomes easy to understand in the light of this how the revelation of the Quran in this almost
illiterate nation of Arabia set off such a wave of receiving and imparting education, which can
rightly be called a learning explosion.

The revolution brought about by this learning explosion ushered in a new age of highly
developed culture and civilization not only in Arabia but all over the world. This is a fact that has
been acknowledged by historians. For instance, Indian historian, T. Rama Rao begins his
biography of the Prophet of Islam with these words:
When he appeared, Arabia was a desert—a nothing. Out of nothing of the desert a new world
was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Muhammad. A new life, a new culture, a new civilization,
a new kingdom, which extended from Morocco to India and influenced the thought and life of
three continents—Asia, Africa and Europe (Life of Muhammad).
MERIT OF THE LEARNED AND LEARNERS
The Quran and Hadith both hold men of knowledge superior to the ignorant. (39:9) The books of
hadith have a whole lengthy chapter devoted to the importance of knowledge, and the rewards of
teaching and learning.
For instance, there is a tradition that one who treads a path in search of knowledge has his way
paved to paradise by God as a reward for this noble deed (Bukhari, Muslim)
In a tradition recorded by Tirmidhi, angels in heaven, fish in the water and ants in their dwellings
pray for the well-being of a seeker of knowledge.
In another hadith the Prophet of Islam observed, those who learn virtues and teach it to others are
the best among humankind (Al-Bayhaqi).
Not more than 150 people all over Arabia knew how to read and write. They made the maximum
use of their ability to memorise, preserving all their literary heritage in their memory. There is no
trace of any systematic or organised activity of learning or teaching in the society. But soon after
the revelation of the Quran, the trend of receiving education set in, and everyone who accepted
Islam learnt the Quran from the Prophet, and after learning it himself taught to other converts. In
this way the homes of the early Muslims—Abu Bakr Siddiq, Al-Arqam bin Al-Arqam, Fatimah
bint Khattab—turned into centres of learning. Moreover, from the very outset, the Prophet
appointed scribes who were assigned to write down the Quranic portions as soon as they were
revealed. This motivated others as well to learn writing so that they might make their own copies
of the holy textbook. It is to be noted that even under life-threatening circumstances, when the
Prophet had had the first and second pledge at Al-Aqabah, three years before the migration, he
appointed twelve people who were most learned amongst them as teachers of the Quran. These
teachers were so sincere and enthusiastic that within a short period of three years they spread the
knowledge of the Quran to almost each and every home of the tribes of Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj.
Hence when the Prophet arrived at Madinah in the 13th year of his Prophethood, he found all the
young and old people of these tribes well versed in the teachings of the Quran.

At the Battle of Badr 70 people were taken prisoner. The decision was taken after consultation
with the senior companions that on payment of 4000 dirhams each they would be set free. Most
of the Makkans being businessmen, knew how to read and write. But the Madinans were mostly
farmers, who did not know how to read or write. Owing to the importance of education in Islam
it was decided that those prisoners of war who were not able to pay ransom, should be asked to
teach 10 Muslim children in order to secure their freedom. This was the first proper school in
Islam established by the Prophet himself (Tabaqat, Ibn Sad).
The learning explosion produced by the first divine word Iqra continued non-stop. It initially
began at Makkah and gradually spread throughout the world. After the demise of the Prophet, the
companions spread out in the neighbouring countries with the same spirit of seeking knowledge
and imparting it to others. From Makkah to Madinah to Abyssinia to Iraq, to Egypt, to Baghdad
this revolutionary educational movement gradually passed on to Central Asia and the East, then
to Spain and the West.
For more than a thousand years these served as international centres of learning, education,
medicine and multidimensional development in all spheres of life.
Women were not kept away from these activities. Starting with the Prophet’s own household,
Muslim families provided equal opportunities to the female members of the family to learn to
grow and play a constructive role in the progress and development of society at large. A large
number of learned women have found mention in history as authorities on various Islamic
sciences such as hadith, Islamic jurisprudence, seerah of the Prophet, commentary on the Quran,
etc. The Prophet’s own wife, Aishah, imparted the knowledge and wisdom she received from the
first educator, for almost half a century. She has narrated more than two thousand traditions of
the Prophet, and according to the Muslim jurists, these are the source of two thirds of Islamic
laws relating to social, political and cultural issues.
Biographers such as Ibn Khallikan (author of Waqeyatul Ayan), Ibn Sa’d (author of Tabaqat),
Khatib Bhaghdadi (author of Taarikh Baghdad) and Al-Miqrizi (author of al-Khutal wal-Athar)
have mentioned the names of thousands of women and their outstanding contribution in the field
of education and development in the Muslim world. Noteworthy among them, for instance, are
the two sisters of Al-Fahri of Morocco, Fatimah and Maryam, the daughters of Muhammad ibn
Abdullah, who founded the Qayrawan University and the Andalus University in the historical
city of Fas in 245 A.H.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES
The emphasis of Islam on learning and teaching was not confined to the Quran or the teachings
of the Prophet. The Quran, in fact, has given a new outlook, a new perspective or paradigm as
coined by Thomas Kahn (The Structure of Scientific Revolution, 1955). According to this
Quranic paradigm, man’s most important activity being intellectual contemplation or reflection,
he was not supposed to blindly follow any idea or notion just because it was attributed to his

ancestors or some other authority. He had to ponder on it critically and realistically. That is why
we find that the Quran is replete with hundreds of inspirational and motivational verses that
invite man to reflect on the wonderful creatures of God. For example: In the creation of the
heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are signs for people with
intelligence, those who remember God standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on
the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying) “Our Lord! You have not created all this in
vain (without purpose), Glory be to You. (3:190-91, 7:176, 10:24, 13:3, 16:11).
This, we can say, was the intellectual seed, which is called in academic circles the spirit of
enquiry. According to Toynbee and other world historians, this spirit of enquiry was the first and
foremost prerequisite for the inauguration of the scientific era and the elimination of a
superstitious outlook on nature and life. So it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is the
Quran that has laid down the foundation of modern science. On the other hand, the Prophet
himself has dealt with day-to-day problems of life in accordance with this realistic approach
taught by the Quran. Consequently the same realistic approach became an integral part of the
frame of mind of his companions. They all became curious, inquisitive and realistic in all matters
of life.
For example, once the Prophet passed by an oasis where he found the farmers, who were date
planters at work. When he asked what they were doing, he was told that they were pollinating the
clusters of dates in order to produce a better yield. The Prophet expressed his disapproval of this
process. Knowing this, the farmers immediately stopped it. But later on the Prophet was told that
due to lack of proper pollination the yield had been very low as compared to the previous years.
On hearing this, the Prophet replied. “You know your worldly matters better.” (Sahih Bukhari)
In other words, experiment and observation should be the final criteria in such worldly matters.
The invitation of the Quran to inquiry on the one hand and the encouragement of the Prophet to
engage in direct observation and reflection on the other led the Muslims to study everything
objectively. They started eagerly learning from everyone irrespective of his or her religious and
cultural origins. This trend of insatiable curiosity and open mindedness motivated the succeeding
generations during the Umayyad and Abbasid times to enthusiastically learn and translate the
cultural legacy of other nations, particularly the Persian, Greek and Roman. Abu Jafar Mansur
(754-775) established Bayt al Hikmah (the House of Wisdom) where highly paid multilingual
scholars were appointed to translate into Arabic books on Persian literature, Greek philosophy,
medicine, and other sciences available in those times in different parts of the world.
This was an actualisation of the Prophet’s inspiring words: “Wisdom is a believer’s own
property, he should try to take it wherever he finds it. Of the Abbasid Caliphs, Harun Ar-Rashid,
AlMamun and Mutadid Billah, are reported to have invited doctors, philosophers, and learned
scholars from various parts of the world to settle in Muslim cities and help in these activities.
They even bought some books by paying for them in gold equivalent to their weight.

This generous appreciation and support of the State accelerated research work, and cultural
exchange through translation, which reflected on the general progress and development of the
entire Muslim world at that time. Spain, under Muslim rule, witnessed a similar progressive and
developmental process. A number of world renowned historians of science and civilization. (e.g.
Hughman) have pointed out that Muslims’ contribution in the development of natural sciences
and philosophy were not merely confined to translations from Greek, Persian, Indian, etc. For in
view of their inquisitive and critical mind-set, it were not possible for them to accept Greek
philosophy or any other sciences without an objective analysis. The fervour shown in
authentification of the Prophet’s words was also in action in the field of natural science.
Therefore Muslim scientists, doctors and other experts were able to remove so many
superstitious notions about nature and life that prevailed among the Greek philosophers. On the
other hand they proved to be creative and innovative in the widest sense of the term. They sent
missions for exploring new lands. They established observatories. They corrected many false
concepts in astronomy, medicine, chemistry and physics. It was the legacy of the Islamic
civilization that reached Europe via Spain after the fall of Granada in 1492 A.H., which laid the
foundation of the Renaissance in the West.
Islam attaches such great importance to learning that the Quran has this to say:
“It is the men of knowledge who can truly realise God.” (35:28)
Scholars are considered to be like angels (3:18), in view of their potential for discovering the
oneness and the glory of the Creator. To inculcate this importance of knowledge in the minds of
the believers, the Prophet once observed that the worship of a learned man is a thousand times
better than that of the ignorant worshipper (Mustadrak Al-Hakim). By way of encouraging
reflection on the universe and nature in order to explore divine glories, the Prophet is reported to
have said: “An hour of reflection is better than a hundred years of worship without reflection.”
(AlBayhaqi).
It was this interrelatedness of knowledge and worship that made the early Muslims seek and
impart knowledge wholeheartedly and religiously.
But knowledge for the sake of knowledge as such may not be an acceptable notion according to
Islamic ideology. Instead, a Muslim is supposed to seek knowledge for the pleasure of his Lord
on the one hand and for the rendering of better services to the welfare of humankind on the other.
In other words, the motto of education in Islam would be knowledge for the sake of serving God
and His creatures. That is why from the very beginning almost equal attention has been paid to
the learning of both the religious sciences and the worldly or secular sciences.
Imam Ghazzali noticing a lack of interest among the youth of his times in learning medicine and
other useful crafts and skills, issued a fatwah that doctors, craftsmen, and experts of other human
skills are not less important than the scholars of fiqh, hadith and pure religious sciences (Al-
Qadim waal Hadith, M. Kurd Ali). If the two-fold purpose of life is to worship God and serve

mankind, then a believer cannot succeed in achieving it unless he devotes all his potential to the
acquisition of religious and non-religious knowledge. Thus we may conclude that:
a) Iqra being the first word revealed in the Quran, an intellectual process was simultaneously
started which we have called the learning explosion.
b) The commandment of Iqra has been linked with the name of God (Read in the name of your
Sustainer). This connection has given at the very outset the Islamic concept of education,
that is, knowledge should not be sought after for the sake of knowledge, but for the sublime
purpose of the realisation of God and the welfare of man.
c) This two-fold purpose of life naturally called for Muslims to strive hard in seeking
knowledge both related to their religion and to the progress and development of the human
condition in general. Since the Quran and hadith have made no discrimination between men
and women concerning their rights and duties, the commandment of Iqra is equally inspiring
and motivating to womenfolk. Consequently, they also did their best and contributed to this
noble cause with the same spirit, fervour and dedication.
d) The Quran paradigm based on the concept of Tawhid has changed the traditional approach
to the universe and human life. An intellectual revolution took place, superstitious thinking
was replaced by rationalistic, realistic and objective analysis. Thus in the words of Henry
Pirenne, Islam changed the face of the globe. The traditional order of human history was
overthrown.
THE CONCEPT OF IJTIHAAD IN ISLAM
IJTIHAAD- as a source of Islamic shariah has the approval of both the Quran and the Sunnah. It
is known as ‘inference’ in the Quran (4:83) and Ijtihaad in tradition (sayings of the Prophet). It is
first referred to in a famous tradition of the Prophet concerning Muaz ibn Jabal, a companion of
the Prophet. The practice of Ijtihaad, according to Muslim jurists (Fuqaha) can take place at two
levels: one is collective, which is called Ijma (consensus), while the other is individual in nature
and is known as Qiyas (Analogy). Both the Ijma and Qiyas aim at re-application of the principles
of the Quran and Sunnah to situations and problems not explicitly covered by these two basic
sources of religious legislation. (For details see: Al-Umm, by Imam Shafii)
The compilation of the Quran in book form, instead of in the separate portions possessed by the
companions, is taken as a historical example of collective Ijtihaad, i.e. Ijma in which all the
companions of the Prophet unanimously agreed on the legitimacy of the project. Further details
on this subject will be given later on, while Qiyas (analogy), which is generally exercised at the
individual level, is illustrated by the following. The Quran prohibits the drinking of wine.
Similarly, the Prophet’s Sunnah contains a number of prohibiting commandments in this
connection. In those times wine was the only intoxicant. That is why the Quran and Sunnah have
prohibited wine specifically. But what about drugs like hashish, cocaine, heroin, etc.? The
Muslim jurists here applied the principle of Qiyas. The muskir (intoxicant) mentioned in the
Hadith (Musnad Ahmad) was further elaborated upon by them to include any substance, liquid or

solid, causing “intoxication” and hence like wine, will be considered as haram (prohibited).
(Usul al-Fiqh, A.W. Khallaf)
One who exercises Ijtihaad is termed “Mujtahid” as opposed to “Muqallid” (one who
unquestioningly abides by an established school of law). There is a particular branch of Islamic
jurisprudence called “Usul al-Fiqh” (the fundamental principles of jurisprudence), which
exclusively deals with this topic. Starting with Shafi’s book Al-Umm, a great number of books
have been written to date on this subject. According to these books, Mujtahid is of two kinds:
Mutlaq (independent/unrestricted) and Muqayyad (dependent/restricted). Sunni Muslims in
general recognise only four independent Mujtahid in Islamic history. First, Abu Hanifah (81-150
A.H.), with whom the Hanafi school of law is identified. Secondly, Malik ibn Anas (94-179), the
founder of the Maliki School of Law, thirdly, Ash Shafii (150-205), who is considered the
founder of the Shafii School of Law, and lastly, Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164-241) the originator of
the Hanbali School of Law.
In the present chapter the vastness of the literature of Usul-al Fiqh preclude the possibility of
lengthy discussion of the fundamental principles of Ijtihaad. The author is mainly concerned here
with showing the relevance of Ijtihaad in the contemporary world. Traditional scholars hold that,
after the above mentioned four Imams, no one is authorised to practice independent Ijtihaad. But
an objective study of the Quran and hadith and other relevant books surprisingly led me to the
following conclusions:
a) Neither in the Quran nor in the hadith is there clear evidence in favour of the traditional notion
that Ijtihaad is no longer allowed or required.
b) None of the four Imams mentioned above ever claimed that the succeeding generations could
do nothing but follow them, without ever feeling the need to attempt an independent Ijtihaad on
any given subject.
c) A considerable number of scholars, right from the earlier period to the present day have not
only encouraged Ijtihaad but have also strongly criticised the notion of taqlid (as opposed to
Ijtihaad). Among them are the names of scholars as great as (1) Ahmad ibn Hanbal, (2) Ibn
AbdusSalam, (3) As-Suyuti (4) Al-Shawkani (5) Bahrul Uloom Abdul Ali (6) Grand Shaykh Al-
Azhar M. Al Maraghi.
In view of these facts the whole of this chapter is devoted to examining (a) What is Ijtihaad in its
applied form and (b) What are the areas or problems in modern times that urgently require
Ijtihaad, if Islam and the Muslims have to march forward in the current millennium.
Ijtihaad literally means ‘doing one’s utmost’. In the terminology of jurisprudence it refers to
any effort made towards the application of Islamic teachings to suit new or changing situations.
Ijtihaad does not mean simply personal opinion, but rather the seeking of guidance from the
Quran and Hadith regarding changed situations. The task can be performed only by those who
have a thorough knowledge of the Quran and Hadith. Coupled with this, they should also be
sincere in seeking guidance from these basic sources of Islam. Whether Ijtihaad is practised

through Ijma or Qiyas, certain things must be borne in mind as pre-requisites for its validity in
relation to the Shariah. a) Ijtihaad must be based on fundamental principles laid down by the
Quran and the Prophet and should not be inconsistent with them. b) The fundamental principles
of the Shariah may be applied and re-applied to any new situation through Ijtihaad, provided this
does not change anything clearly declared Haraam (unlawful) into Halal (lawful), or vice versa.
c) Any law, rules, regulations concluded through Ijtihaad will be acceptable only when they are
conducive to achieving the essential purposes of the Islamic shariah, which is broadly divided
into five categories : (i) preservation of life (ii) preservation of money (iii) preservation of self-
respect and dignity (iv) preservation of one’s religion (v) preservation of the intellect or sanity of
mind (AlMuwafaqat, Shatibi). Let us look at further examples. The Prophet once sent a group of
the Companions to the settlement of Banu Qurayza on the outskirts of Madinah. They set off
after saying their noon prayer. While despatching them, the Prophet gave them this instruction:
“You should not say your afternoon prayer before reaching your destination in Banu Qurayza.”
(Bukhari). The companions left Madinah after their zuhr (noon) prayer. But, when the sun was
about to set they had still not reached the Banu Qurayza. Seeing this, some of them said that if
they followed the Prophet literally they would miss the time specified for their Asr (afternoon)
prayer. So they said their prayers midway. Others differed from this opinion, saying that they
would say their prayers only after reaching the settlement of Banu Qurayza, as the Prophet had
bade them. When these people returned to Madinah, this issue was brought before the Prophet.
The Prophet approved the decision taken by those who had said their prayers before reaching
their destination. They contended in justification of their act that when the Prophet told them to
say their Asr prayer only after reaching the Banu Qurayza, he intended only to accelerate their
journey and reach the destination as soon as possible. This incident makes the sense of Ijtihaad
clear. We can say that Ijtihaad is a process of arriving at reasoned decisions to suit new
circumstances in order to better fulfill the purposes of the Shariah. Both the Prophet and his
companions exercised Ijtihaad. The Ijtihaad of the Prophet served to instruct the companions in
the method of Ijtihaad.
Ijtihaad is a process, which is always at work in Islam. The commandments of Islam

are eternal in nature but the circumstances keep changing. That is what necessitates the proper
understanding of the spirit of Islamic commandment and seek their re-application in changed
circumstances. For instance the Muslim community has been commanded in the Quran to
prepare for power. (8:60) Power has been defined as the ability to inspire awe in the enemy. In
ancient times power meant possessing an army and weapons. But today, after the great progress
made in science and industry, circumstances have been totally revolutionised. Now power is not
confined to military weapons alone. Now education, social institutions, journalism, industry,
scientific research, economy, the electronic media, etc. are all sources of power. Now on the
question of the preparation for power, a Mujtahid, (literally one who strives) for making original
decisions on canon law, rather than applying precedents already established) can say that the
commandment of the Quran is undoubtedly eternal in nature, but that its reapplication will be
sought according to modern circumstances. And that plans for making progress will now be

made in peaceful arenas. In modern times, Russia provides one example of the accumulating of
all sorts of weapons, including 30,000 nuclear warheads. On the contrary, Japan did not make
any military preparation, rather made plans on a vast scale to go ahead in the fields of education
and economy. The result was totally different.
Russia with all its military force collapsed, while Japan has become an economic superpower in
the modern world. Islamic Ijtihaad, on parallel with the above, would entail a fresh planning of
the Muslim Ummah or Muslim State according to the demands of modern times. Progressing
beyond ancient traditional thinking, the plan of progress and development should be chalked out
in the light of modern requirements. This matter of Ijtihaad relates to all walks of life. For
instance, there is a tradition, which says: “Start your fast after sighting the moon of the month of
Ramadan, and break your fast (to celebrate Eid) after sighting the moon.” (Abu Dawood)
According to the words of the tradition it was held that ‘sighting the moon’ depended on seeing
with the eyes. That is to say, the first of Ramadan was to be fixed by sighting the moon with
one’s eyes and the same applied to the first of Shawwal (the day of Eid). Thus fasting as well as
Eid would both depend on the sighting of the moon. However, in modern times something new
has been brought into existence, which had never existed before—the observatory. The moon,
like other astronomical bodies, is sighted by the latest telescopes and other scientific devices in
the observatory and the correct and precise movement of the moon is determined by modern
machines, which carry out the necessary mathematical calculations. This system is so perfect that
an absolutely accurate.
estimate can be made in advance as to the date and exact time that the new moon will be sighted.
Now the situation is such that there is a pressing need for Ijtihaad. In the case, Ijtihaad would
rule that where tradition uses the word ‘sighting’, the Mujtahid would say that according to the
change in circumstances, this tradition needs to be given a new interpretation. And that is that the
sighting of the moon by the machines will be held to be as reliable as that of the human eye. That
is, if on the occasion of the beginning of the month the horizon is not clear and the moon cannot
be sighted by the human eye, a mechanical observation will be relied upon. If the moon has risen
according to the mechanical observation the decision will be taken that the month of Ramadan
has started and the fasting will be observed. Let this point be made clear here that, according to
modern research the new moon appears on the 29th of every month. However, the moon can be
sighted only when it is 8 degrees above the horizon. In ancient times man had no knowledge of
this reality. That is why in those days sighting by the human eye was the only dependable source.
Now that by means of calculation or the “mechanical eye” the movement of the moon can be
ascertained with precision, it will certainly be a proper use of Ijtihaad to establish that the
sighting of the moon by the mechanical eye is as dependable a source as that of the human eye.
“Ijtihaad of this kind has continued to be exercised in Islamic history. This process of Ijtihaad is
essential to lend an eternal character to the teachings of Islam. If this process of Ijtihaad comes to
a standstill, Islam’s eternal journey will also be affected.” (Al-Islam, Maulana Wahiduddin
Khan) Here we provide some instances from the early history of Islam. The written or recorded

pieces of the Quran were collected during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, and under
the guidance of Zayd ibn Thabit Ansari one copy of the complete Quran was compiled in book
form. After the preparation of this volume the question arose as to what should be done with the
remaining recorded parts of the Quran, which had been collected from the possessions of
different companions. These were written on such diverse materials as bones, leaves of the date,
white stones, thin skin, depending upon what was available in those days. A study of Islamic
history shows that, after long deliberations, a consensus emerged among the concerned
companions that those fragmentary parts should be burnt. This was a clear case of Ijtihaad. (See
details in Tadween-e-Quran, by M.A. Gilaani). Similarly, during the caliphate of Umar Farooq,
the second caliph of Islam, when Iraq’s fertile land was conquered, the question arose as to how
this land was to be administered.
According to the prevailing custom, the movable and immovable spoils of war were divided
among the soldiers after the conquest, for in those days there was generally no regular or
standing army. People used to join the army voluntarily, and it was in the form of booty that they
were given remuneration. But the caliph Umar refused to give away the land of Iraq to the
soldiers as booty. A meeting of the senior knowledgeable companions was called to deliberate
over this matter. Finally the consensus emerged that the land should be the property of the State.
This was a case of Ijtihaad, a decision arrived at by the consensus of the companions, keeping in
view the spirit and longterm aims of the Islamic shariah. (Tarikh Umar ibn Khattab, Ibn Jawzi).
Similarly, during the Abbasid caliphate, when the Hadith was collected and compiled and also
the fiqh (Islamic law) was compiled, this whole method was based on Ijtihaad. For there was no
precedent of this type of task in the Prophet’s time. This process of collection and compilation
was approved of by all the scholars of Islam. But in later periods of Islamic history when the
political institution of Islam weakened, some scholars declared that now the door of Ijtihaad
must be closed lest it lead to anarchy. In this way, the process of Ijtihaad has been almost entirely
in abeyance for the last several hundred years.
Ijtihaad is a natural requirement. In the ever-changing phases of life its importance is so

great that, even after the door of Ijtihaad having been closed, its process is continuing without
any formal announcement. One interesting example of this dates back to the British period, when
paper currency replaced gold and silver coins. There lived in Delhi a great scholar by the name
of Abdul Haq Haqqani. He was asked to issue a fatwa (religious edict) as to whether these paper
notes were lawful or unlawful. He did not comply with this request, saying: “My fatwa will not
gain currency, but paper notes will.” The truth is that no excuse justifies closing the door of
Ijtihaad. According to a tradition recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari: “The Prophet of Islam observed:
One who exercised Ijtihaad and succeeded in reaching the right decision would be doubly
rewarded, and if he failed to reach the right decision, he would also be rewarded for his sincere
effort towards this end.” This tradition clearly and unconditionally encourages the process of
Ijtihaad by saying that even when there is a chance of going wrong, it should be continued, the
reason being that putting a stop to Ijtihaad brings about intellectual stagnation, and without doubt

this is a greater evil than a wrong decision. A number of important issues have come up in
modern times, but, without Ijtihaad Muslims have failed to receive properguidance. This has
resulted in great and irreparable losses. For instance, in modern times science has come to
receive great importance. But Muslims have continued to keep away from it holding it to be
something unIslamic. Similarly the political principle of democracy has been introduced to the
world, but Muslims fail to understand its utility. In a similar way, secularism is a popular
political philosophy in modern times. But Muslim scholars fail to understand its practical utility
and that is why they have come to regard it as unlawful. On the issue of nationalism too,
religious scholars have failed to adopt a correct stand. That is why Muslims are still confused
about it. Nationhood in modern times is based on the homeland. That is to say, those who share a
common land will have the same nationhood, whatever their religion and culture might be.
Today this concept has been accepted all over the world. But Muslims are not yet ready to accept
it wholeheartedly. The reason for this is that, traditionally, Muslims have cherished the concept
of pan-Islamism for several centuries. They believe that Muslims living all over the world are
one nation. That is to say, the Muslims’ traditional bent of mind caused them to regard the basis
of nationhood as religion rather than homeland. This concept runs counter to the modern concept
of the state, although Muslims in every country enter in their passports their nationality as being
that of their country of residence.
Evidently their minds are confused in this regard. The reason again being that the scholars of
modern times have not exercised Ijtihaad on the subject of nationhood, and have thus failed to
give clear guidance to Muslims. Events tell us that, through sheer force of circumstances
Muslims all over the world are following in the footsteps of other nations. This state of affairs
has led them to opt for a life of contradiction. They adopt something they consider unIslamic
owing to practical compulsions. Their thinking and their actions are not in accord with one
another. It was the responsibility of Muslim religious scholars to exercise Ijtihaad and guide
Muslims in solving these modern problems so that they might wholeheartedly adopt such values
as they have already adopted by way of compulsion. This is the only way of extricating Muslims
from the state of confusion and its grave consequences.
Since their minds are not clear in these matters they are able to take part in the modern world
only in a limited fashion owing to worldly compulsions. This is why they are lagging behind all
other nations in the race of progress. Other nations in modern times are wholeheartedly
advancing along the path of progress. But Muslims’ participation is minimal because of their
half-hearted approach. This is the sole reason for Muslims’ backwardness in modern times.
Apart from lagging behind in the race of progress, they are also suffering from many socio-
political and cultural problems at both national and international levels. For example, on the
national level, Muslims living as a minority in non-Muslim countries are generally not
considered ‘loyal citizens’, as the modern concept of nationhood and its resultant obligations
have yet to be legitimised by the Islamic shariah authorities. Banking, interest, insurance and
other forms of financial transaction still await the unanimous stamp of approval of the Muslim

Ulama. None of these problems and misconceptions can be removed without a wide acceptance
of Ijtihaad throughout the Muslim world.

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Republic of the Philipines

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

SAIDAMEN M. ULAMA LPT.

2nd Semester A. Y. 2021-2022

RS- 102 Life, Teaching of the Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.) Page 1

1. To familiarize the with the status and authoritative position of

II. LESSON PROPER

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 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARAB PEOPLE

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 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

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When Muhammad was twenty-five,

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“Did He not find you wandering and guide you?” (93:7).

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 THE PROPHET ARRIVES AT MADINAH

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 THE PROPHET ARRIVES AT MADINAH

 THE PROPHET’S MOSQUE

 THE PROPHET’S FAMILY

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 THE BATTLE OF BADR

 THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCH

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 CALL TO THE WORLD

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 PARDON FOR ALL

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 FIRST HAJJ UNDER ISLAM

 THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE

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THE STATUS OF WOMAN IN ISLAM

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WAR AND PEACE IN ISLAM

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1.War can be declared only by an established government. Non-governmental organisations have

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Similarly on another occasion the Prophet of Islam said:

God grants to non-violence what He does not grant to violence.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN ISLAM

“My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge.” (20:114)

“God has taught man by the pen.” (96:4)

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MERIT OF THE LEARNED AND LEARNERS

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES

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