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Class O1 Islamiat Notes

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Notes for o’ LeveL


Islamiyat

Class: O1
Session: 2021-2022

Compiled by:
Hafiz Muhammad Usman
Lecturer Chenab College Jhang
Mobile No: 0333-6725057
0312-0325057
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Articles of Faith
(4) Prophets

Prophet hood is the channel of communication between Allah and mankind. Muslims
believe in the long line of prophets from the prophet Adam to the last Prophet
Muhammad and they show respect to all the prophets. The Holy Quran says: “We
make no distinction between one and another of his messengers.” (2:285)

Prophet Hood is not an institution that can be attained through penance and prayers.
It is an extremely rare gift that Allah gives to whom He wills. All these prophets were
chosen by Allah, as Allah said: “Allah chooses messengers from angels and from men.
Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing”.

The Holy Quran says that Allah sent a Warner and guide to every nation and it
mentions the names of many of them. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet,
their number is said to 1, 24,000. Holy Quran mentions almost thirty names such as:
Hazrat Adam, Hazrat Nuh, Hazrat Mosa, Hazrat Isa, Hazrat Saleh, Hazrat Ibraheem,
Hazrat Ismael, Hazrat Ishaq, Hazrat Dawood, Hazrat Yousuf, Hazrat Sulaiman, Hazrat
Zakaria, Hazrat Muhammad etc.

The Holy Quran insists that the prophets were raised to be obeyed and followed; as
Allah said: “We sent not a messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of
Allah”. (4:64)

Duties of Prophets: Prophets were sent to educate the people, to correct their beliefs
and actions, to give the glad tidings of paradise for doing good deeds and warn the
people in case of doing bad deeds and to practice their teachings first, so that they
can prove that these teachings are practicable.

Books: Some of the Prophets were blessed with the Divine books like Hazrat Dawood
was given Zabur, Hazrat Mosa was given Taurat, Hazrat Isa was given Injeel and the
last prophet was blessed with Holy Quran. Some Prophets were blessed with small
books (suhuf), like Hazrat Ibraheem, Idrees etc.

Miracles: Many prophets were blessed with some miracles to show the people to
believe in their teachings as Hazrat Mosa’s stuff became a snake and his hand started
gleaming when he drew it, Hazrat Isa gave life to the dead with the permission of Allah,
made birds out of clay and breathed in them life that they became the original birds,
Holy Prophet split moon into halves and many others.

Prophets and their character:

 All the prophets were human beings and men. No woman, jinn or angel was
ever accorded the status of a prophet.
 Messengers were essentially innocent. No one else enjoys this level of
distinction.
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 The prophets had the best moral, habits and the finest characters. As Allah said
about Holy Prophet: “And verily you are on an exalted standard of character”.
 Prophets conveyed to the people whatever was sent to them without any
alteration and corruption.

The prophet hood of Hazrat Muhammad is distinguished in many ways:

 It is universal, that means, he was not sent for any particular country or
community but for the whole world and the entire mankind. As Allah says: “We
have not sent you but as a universal messenger to men”.

 His prophet hood is eternal. With him, the chain of revelation and prophet hood
has come to an end. As Allah said: “But he is messenger of Allah and the seal
of the prophets”. He is termed as Khatam-un-Nabiyyin. The primary meaning
of Khatam is a seal and the secondary meaning is the end or the last part of a
thing. As Holy Prophet said:“I am the seal of the prophets and there will be no
prophet after me”.
 His message is perfect in all respects. The Holy Quran says: “This day have I
perfected your religion for you, complete my favour upon you, and have chosen
for you Islam as your religion”.(5:3)
 Allah has protected his message from change and corruption.

Effects of the belief in prophet hood on Muslim’s life:

 It flourishes the interfaith harmony among the different religious people, as the
basic message was same of all the prophets.
 He starts realizing the significance of the moral teachings conveyed by the long
chain of prophets and he will try to become a better and well-mannered person.
 It gives the detailed knowledge to the people about the perfect life and divine
teachings.
 It helps the believers to understand and then follow the divine commands
keeping in mind the fate of the earlier communities who had rejected their
messengers and faced God’s punishment.
 It provides the clear demonstration to the people about the divine teachings and
it makes them easy to follow the divine teachings. As Allah said about Holy
Prophet: “Indeed in the messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow”.

(5) Predestination or Divine Decree

Meaning: The Arabic word for it is “Taqdeer” means “the measuring out of something
or fixing of a limit to it”. Faith in predestination means that we believe in our heart and
confess with our tongue that the Most High Allah has decreed all things; what happens
in the world, good and evil, obedience and disobedience, faith and infidelity, sickness
and health, wealth and poverty, life and death and all these are written in the Preserved
Tablet (Loh-e- Mahfuz). Allah is the sole creator, all powerful and all knowing.
Therefore, Allah can write easily all the things before happening.
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Muslims also believe that Allah is powerful over all things that happen in the world,
and nothing happens unless he wills it. All the things we do are because of Allah’s will
and power. As the Holy Prophet said: “There is no ability or power except through
Allah”.

Holy Quran and Decree: The following verse testifies to this belief:

“No misfortune or calamity can happen on the earth or in yourselves but is recorded
in a Book before we bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah”. (57:22)

Holy Prophet and Decree:

Holy Prophet said: “Allah recorded the fates of all creatures 50,000 years before
creating the heavens and earth”. Holy Prophet also said: “The first thing Allah created
was the pen. He told it to write and when it asked Him what it should write what was
decreed, so it wrote what had taken place and what would take place to all eternity”.

Objection:

Most non-religious people say that if everything is fated already, then how people can
be blamed for committing crimes in society. In answer to this objection, we say that no
doubt nothing happens unless he wills it. All the things we do are because of Allah’s
will and power. But not the bad things, because Allah only wills the good things, but
men carry out the bad deeds themselves. So Allah will reward the good deeds at the
last judgement, but he will condemn the bad deeds and will punish the bad-doers by
sending them to the fire. The holy Prophet said, this world is a seed-bed for the world
hereafter. He meant that the actions that we perform ourselves will give us reward or
punishment. Similarly, Islam tells us that Allah has shown both paths, right and wrong
and given every human the ability to do good or bad in life. He has given human beings
freedom of choice for their actions, but also made them responsible for what they do.
People decide what to do, so the pious people will be rewarded and the wrong doers
will be punished on the last Day of Judgment.

Some effects of this belief on Muslim’s life:

 It makes him brave and he will have no fear of any person because life and
death is decided by Allah.
 It makes him humble for he knows that he does not know what has been
decreed for him. This makes him admit his weakness and need of Allah.
 It will help him to overcome the vice of envy for he knows that the people have
got these bounties according to their decree.
 It makes him satisfied and pleased in every situation; good and bad because
he knows everything comes to him is from Allah and according to his own
decree.
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(6) Life after death

Belief in the life after death, resurrection, final judgment, Akhirah is one of the articles
of faith. Following verse of the Holy Quran describes this fact as;

“Anyone who denies God, his angles, his books, his messengers and the Day of
Judgment has gone far, far astray”. (4:136)

The Holy Quran gives great importance to this belief, placing it next in importance to
faith in Allah at many places in the Holy Quran. It says;

“Any who believe in Allah and the last day and work righteousness, shall have their
reward with their Lord”.

Alam e Barzakh and Qiamat e Sughra:

A man’s life on this earth ends with his death, after which another life begins in the
state of Barzakh which is also called Qiamat-e-Sughra in which the righteous are
spoken of as tasting the fruits of good deeds while the evil doers have to taste the evil
consequences of their wrong deeds.

Qiamat e Kubra:

Islam says that a time known to Allah this world will be brought to an end with a
deafening noise. The earth will split apart and become a level stretch; the mountains
will crumble to dust and will fly here and there like wool. The sun will be folded up, the
moon will be in darkness, the stars will become dim and fall, the oceans will boil over
and burst forth and all those who are alive on earth at that time will die.

The Day of Judgment:

It means the day on which the bodies of the dead will be raised from their graves and
rejoined with their souls. All men will then stand before Allah to give an account of their
actions in this world. They will be given their record in their book of deeds which they
will be asked to read. Allah will set the Scale of Ultimate Justice and body organs of
each every individual will speak to tell the details of deeds and earth will also speak
about the deeds of people. Surah 99 says:

“Then anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, shall see it. And anyone who
has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it”.

Finally, according to the deeds people will be treated forever. Allah said: “Then he
whose balance of good deeds will be heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and
satisfaction, but he, whose balance will be light, will live in a bottomless pit…..it is fire
blowing fiercely”.

No injustice will be done on that day. There will be no bargaining, no friendship or


intersession.
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Effects of this belief:

 If we have developed this faith that the good and obedient people will be
rewarded in graves and in paradise and the sinners and wrong doers will be
punished in graves and in Hell, then we will try our best to be pious, pure,
disciplined, caring and compassionate because we know that Allah will give us
the reward of even the smallest act of good deed.
 It will develop the sense of responsibility, the love for good, hatred for evil, the
obedience of Allah, the fear of Allah, humility and patience.
 This world, then is seen by Muslims as a temporary place where their actions
and behaviour will determine what will become of them in their next life.
 It keeps the Muslims on the path of righteousness fulfilling the obligations of the
creator and their fellow beings.
 The holy Prophet said: “This world is a seed-bed for the world hereafter”. He
meant that the actions that we perform ourselves will give us reward or
punishment.
 It is source of great comfort and prosperity on earth.
 In the absence of this belief, there will be no deterrence to evil, sin, crime and
transgression, and this will lead only to disobedience, chaos, disturbance and
injustice and destruction in the world.

Allah’s relationship with the created world:

The main theme (s) of this passage:

It is one of the early revelations and the first complete surah revealed to the Holy
Prophet. Al-Fatiha means the opening. This surah is known as Umm-ul-Kitab (Mother
of The Book) as it is the foundation of the Holy Quran. This surah is mentioned in the
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Holy Quran as “the seven oft repeated verses” because it is repeated several times in
five daily prayers. The first four verses, including Tasmiyah, focus on Allah’s attributes
like mercy and lordship. The word Rab is used, means the one who, step by step,
helps one to grow from lower to higher stages till he reaches the stages of finality and
completeness. The next verse is about man’s relationship with his creator. The surah
ends by teaching a dua for guidance from Allah of the straight path which is the path
of the Prophets and all pious people.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

The passage is very important for Muslims because it sums up the message of the
Holy Quran. This surah shows us that Allah showers us his mercy in many ways by
protecting, guiding and helping us to lead better lives. It teaches about power of Allah
that he alone can help so we should always turn to him for help and should never lose
hopes in Allah’s mercy. This surah tells us that only Allah can guide man to the way of
successful life and can protect us from wrong paths. Holy Prophet recited it in all the
kinds of prayers and all rakaat of prayers. Holy Prophet also showed the importance
of this surah by these words: “There will be no acceptance of prayers without Surah
Fatiha”.

The main theme (s) of this passage:

These verses are also from Surah Al-Baqarah, a Madinan surah. The main theme of
these verses is the relationship of Allah with his created world. It focuses on the fact
that Allah is the creator of all people, past and present. The theme stresses on the
rank of Allah as not only the creator but also the provider of sustenance and life for all
human beings. All foods and fruits are his blessings and we must recognize his powers
through these blessings. As Allah said in the Holy Quran: “Among His signs are night,
and the day, and the sun and the moon. Adore not the sun and moon, but adore Allah,
who created them”. The passage also teaches that righteousness and piety can be
achieved by worshipping Allah alone.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

The passage is very important for Muslim’s life today because it inculcates in human
the piety and a sense of gratitude to Allah for his countless bounties. It teaches that
Allah is the one who made life possible on earth. The creation of earth and heavens,
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the sending of rain and the growth of fruits are the manifestations of Allah’s lordship.
The Holy Quran says it repeatedly in Surah Al-Rahman: “Then which of the bounties
of your lord will you deny. Thus they should worship him alone and do his bidding.

The main theme (s) of this passage:

The main theme of this passage is to teach man his relationship with Allah. These five
verses are the very first revelation brought to Prophet by the angel Hazrat Jibrael while
he was meditating in the cave of Hira, outside Makkah at the age of 40. This revelation
was the beginning of the Holy Quran and it continued for the next twenty three years.
In fact Allah created man from a low origin and then matured him physically,
intellectually and spiritually by enabling him to read and write. As Allah said: “Al-
Rahman, who taught (mankind) the Quran”. The passage further describes the
importance of pen, as it is the foremost important instrument of saving and transferring
the enormous treasure of knowledge. Without pen knowledge would have been
confined to few people. It shows that knowledge is the special gift of Allah for mankind.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

This passage is very important for Muslims because in this passage Muslims are
required to acknowledge Allah’s goodness and greatness as he created man from a
low origin and then enabled him to acquire knowledge. It teaches that after the creation
of human, Allah has not left him alone but gave him guidance through Prophets and
Divine Books, so we must follow the guidance that Allah has sent to us. It also tells us
that it is he who teaches men and women through reading and writing. Thus they must
remember that whatever knowledge they have is from Allah and they must use that
knowledge in the manner that pleases Allah.
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The main theme (s) of this passage:

The theme of the passage is Allah’s relations with created world. It highlights the
events of one of the most important articles of Islamic faith, belief in the Akhirah or Life
after death. This is a Makki surah and its title meanings are the violent and terrifying
natural calamity that turns everything upside down and is destructive. The theme of
this surah shows that Allah has not just given man life on this earth to do as he pleases,
rather this is a test for him. As Allah said in the Holy Quran: “Who has created death
and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deeds”. During this test, every
action big or small is being recorded by Allah. Once the test is over, Allah shall destroy
this world and all that is in it. Then he shall bring back all mankind to life and put before
them all that they had done in their lives. Not the smallest good or bad shall go
unnoticed by him. This surah is a warning for people to give up their lives of sins and
be obedient to Allah.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

As this passage is a reminder of the Day of Judgement, it holds a great importance in


the life of a Muslim today. This passage reminds them of the temporal nature of this
world. Everything shall be destroyed in this world and torn apart and only Allah will
remain. Allah will make the earth to speak, shows the power of Allah that nothing is
impossible for him. So this thing showed that Allah has complete control over entire
universe. It also reminds that we should focus on collecting those things which shall
benefit on the Day of Judgement and should also shun all bad deeds completely. This
passage also teaches that one should not consider any deed too small or insignificant
because the smallest of deeds whether good or bad shall be brought forward that day.
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The main theme (s) of this passage:

The theme of this surah is Allah’s relations with created world. This is a Makki surah
which was revealed along with surah Al-Falaq, both are known as “Muawwazatain”
the two protecting surahs as these surahs protected the Holy Prophet from the magic
casted over him. This is the concluding surah of the Holy Quran like surah Al-Fatiha.
The Quran concludes its message by reminding man that Allah is the only and ultimate
king, master and lord. It also tells the reader that the devil is the open enemy of man.
Man must understand that the devil attacks him/her in many ways, both open and
secret. When a person remembers remembrance of Allah, the devil holds himself
back, but when he becomes unmindful of the remembrance of Allah, the devil again
comes forward and whispers in his/ her heart. These whisperings may come from
invisible beings or humans; in both cases, Allah is the one who can protect a human
being from all attacks. As Allah said in Surah Al-A’araf: “If an evil whisper comes to
`you from Satan then seek refuge with Allah”.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

This surah holds special importance in the life of Muslims today especially in two main
ways. Firstly, it is regularly recited along with surah Falaq as well as other surahs to
cast away evil spells. As the Holy Prophet used to recite these two surahs in every
night. Secondly, it serves as a constant reminder of the power of Allah to protect
Muslims from evil forces. It also teaches Muslims that they should strengthen their
relation with Allah towards all evil forces. The surah also describe that we should ask
Allah alone for our protection because he has absolute control and power over
everything. It also advises Muslims to beware of those suspicious whispers that rise
in the hearts prompting them to evil as well as those persons who encourage them
towards evil acts.
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4th Pillar: Hajj (Pilgrimage)


Meaning of Hajj:
Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam which was made obligatory in 9 th year of Hijra. The
literal meaning of the hajj is the intention to visit, but according to Islam it means to
make intention to visit the Holy Ka’ba in a prescribed manner, during the prescribed
time.
Holy Quran and Hajj:
Allah said in the Holy Quran about Hajj: “Pilgrimage to the house is a duty that men
owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey” (3:97).
“Accomplish the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah” (2:196).
“The Hajj is (to be performed in) the months that are well-known” (2:197).
Holy Prophet and Hajj:
The Holy Prophet enjoined upon people to fulfill the obligation of pilgrimage:
“Pilgrimage has been ordained for you people, so perform it”.
“If anyone performs the pilgrimage for Allah’s sake without talking immodestly or acting
wickedly, he will return free from sins as on the day his mother bore him”.
“Hajj which is free from sins and defect is rewarded with Paradise”.
For whom Pilgrimage is compulsory:
The pilgrimage to Makkah once in a life is religious duty and an act of ibadah for all
the Muslims. There are some conditions for it, such as:
 It is obligatory on every adult, sane, free Muslim.
 It is obligatory on those who have sufficient money to pay for their journey to
Makkah and they have sufficient money to meet all their expenses during their
stay over there and sustain his dependents and house hold until his return.
 It is only obligatory on those who are physically fit to undertake the journey. Hajj
is not binding on people who are very sick and cannot undergo the hardships
of long journey.
 A woman is not allowed to proceed to pilgrimage without a mahram male. In
case, she cannot find a mahram to accompany her, it is not obligatory for her
to perform pilgrimage.
Method of Hajj:
Tawaf-e-Qudoom:
The pilgrims wear Ihram at Miqat on the 7th or 8th of Zul Hajj, which is an obligatory act
and start the Talbiya, enter Ka’ba and perform Tawaf-e-Qudoom which are seven
circles around Ka’ba and then offer two Nawafil at the station of Ibrahim which is an
important part of Hajj. After it they perform Sai which is running between Safa and
Marwa for seven times and it is also Wajib.
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Mina (8th Zul Hajj):


The pilgrims go to Mina, a place three to four miles away from Makkah. They have to
reach Mina before noon and offer their Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha prayers there.
They also sleep the night at Mina, offer the Fajr prayer of the 9 th of Zul Hajj and go to
Arafat.
Wuquf Arafat (9th Zul Hajj):
On the 9th the pilgrims go to Arafat, a barren valley at a distance of about six miles
from Makkah. Staying at Arafat is an essential part of the pilgrimage, if one misses it,
the pilgrimage shall be void. The Prophet said: “Hajj is halting at Arafat”. The pilgrims
offer Zuhr and Asr prayers combined and listen to the sermon of the Imam. All the
pilgrims are required to stay in Arafat until sunset, then they move towards Muzdalifah
after sunset, without offering Maghrib prayer.
Night at Muzdalifah:
After sunset, on the 9th of Zul Hajj, all the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah where they offer
their Maghrib prayer and Isha prayers together. This place is also called “Mashar-ul-
Haram”. The pilgrims spend all night here in praising Allah, recitation and
supplications. The next day, they offer Fajr prayer and collect 70 pebbles for Rammi
means casting stones at the devil.
Yaum-ul-Nahr (Day of sacrifice) 10th Zul Hajj:
 Rami:
The pilgrims come back to Mina on 10th of Zul Hajj and go to the Jamarh tul Aqaba
and throw seven pebbles, which is called Rammi. Immediately after Rammi the
Talbiyah is stopped.
 Sacrifice:
Then the pilgrims offer their sacrifices.
 Shaving and cutting of hair:
After sacrifice, the pilgrims have their head shaved or their hair cut, and then come out
of the state of Ihram, the women cut a lock of their hair.

 Tawaf-e-Ifadah (Tawaf-e-Ziyarat):
The pilgrims go to Makkah on the same day for Tawaf-e-Ifadah or Tawaf-e-Ziyarat and
this tawaf is an indispensable part of the Hajj and if it is not performed the Hajj
becomes void. But it is permissible to perform this tawaf later during the next three
days or even later.
Ayyam-e-Tashriq (11th, 12th and 13th):
The pilgrims come back to Mina after Tawaf-e-Ifada, and remain there for two or three
days known as Ayyam-e-Tashriq. The pilgrims
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perform Rammi on all three satan symbols on these days. The pilgrims start with the
Jamara tul Aqaba, then Jamara tul Wusta (the middle stone) and then Jamara tul
Sughra (the smallest stone).
Tawaf-al-Wida:
Before leaving for their homes, the pilgrims must offer the farewell (wida) tawaf of
Ka’ba. They go round the Ka’ba seven times and offer two rakat prayers at the station
of Hazrat Ibrahim.
Kinds of Hajj:
Hajj can be performed in three different ways, which are:
Ifrad:
In Ifrad, the pilgrim is called Mufrid. He puts on Ihram at the Miqat prescribed for him
for Hajj alone. He shall continue wearing it until the completion of all the rites of Hajj.
It is desirable to offer a sacrifice but it is not obligatory.
Qiran:
In the Qiran, the pilgrim is called Qarin. He puts on Ihram at the Miqat prescribed for
him for both Umra and Hajj. On reaching Makkah he will perform Umrah but does not
shave his head nor puts off Ihram. He shall take off his Ihram after performing the Hajj.
Sacrifice is obligatory in this method.
Tamatt’u:
In Tamatt’u, the pilgrim is called Mutamatte. He puts on Ihram for Umrah, after Umrah
he shaves his head or cuts his hair and gets out of Ihram. Now he is free of all the
prohibitions of Ihram. On the 8th of Zul Hajj he again puts on Ihram for Hajj. For
Mutamatte, the sacrifice is obligatory.
Differences between Hajj and Umrah:
The word Umrah is usually translated as minor pilgrimage. It is commonly called Hajj-
e-Asghar. Many acts of Umrah are similar to Hajj but there are some fundamental
differences. Some of the basic differences are:
 Hajj is obligatory while Umrah is not.
 Hajj can only be performed during prescribed month and dates while Umrah
can be performed at any time of the year.
 In Hajj, a person has to go and stay in Mina while in Umrah there is no need to
go to Mina and stay there.
 Wuquf of Arafat is one of the most important component of Hajj without which
Hajj is void, there is no Wuquf of Arafat in Umrah.
 Similarly there is no Wuquf of Muzdalifah or combining the prayers of Maghrib
and Isha in Umrah but it is very important in Hajj.
 In Umrah the Talbiyah is stopped while starting the Tawaf while in Hajj the
Talbiyah is stopped on the 10th of Zul Hajj after the stoning of the devil.
 Rammi of Jamarat is the essential part of Hajj but it is not part of Umrah.
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 In Hajj, the pilgrim gives a sacrifice on the 10 th of Zul Hajj while no sacrifice is
offered in Umrah.
Importance and significance of pilgrimage:
Spiritual Benefits:
 Hajj above all is a great spiritual experience. It is the experience of coming
closer to Allah until the pilgrim feels that all the barriers between him and his
Lord are removed and nothing stands between them because Hajj is the only
pillar among the fundamental pillars of Islam which requires both physical and
financial sacrifices.
 Similarly, a person’s sins are washed away due to it. As the Holy Prophet said:
“When the day of Arafat comes, Allah descends to the lowest heaven, and
praise them to the angels, saying “look at my servants who have come to me
dishevelled, dirty and crying from every deep valley, I call you to witness that I
have forgiven them”. The Holy Prophet also said: “If anyone performs the
pilgrimage for Allah’s sake without talking immodestly or acting wickedly, he will
return free from sins as on the day his mother bore him”.
 It is specially focused at the affluent class, and prepares them for the trial of
wealth.
 It makes the Muslims ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of Allah.
 The expense in the way of Allah, sacrifice of time and energy and the rites
themselves prepare one for the true purpose of a believer’s life.
Social Benefits:
 One of the most important benefits of Hajj is that it demonstrates the worldwide
Islamic brotherhood. As the people of all nationalities, all colours, races and all
ranks from all over the world assemble at one place and interact for quite some
time.
 Similarly the Hajj is a great exhibition of equality, when all the pilgrims come
before their Lord in extreme humility, wearing the same uniform (two white
sheets), without any distinction between the high and low, the king or the
servant, gather at the same place and utter the same words of Talbiyah.
Political Benefits:
The Muslims assemble every year in Makkah, each year it provides them the chance
of agreeing on many topics of common interests. They can discuss and formulate a
common policy to be followed by all Muslim countries.
Economic Benefits:
Trading is allowed during pilgrimage. The pilgrim may engage in buying and selling,
thus he can meet the expense of this journey. The pilgrimage has many other
economic benefits for Muslims. People from all occupations come for the pilgrimage
where they can discuss their economic problems and chalk out strategies for mutual
benefits, exchange views on economic issues, devise ways of providing financial
assistance to the needy groups, institutions or nations and adopt a common economic
strategy that can benefit all the Muslim countries.
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Terms associated with Hajj:


The Holy Ka’ba:
Ka’ba is a building that stands in the centre of the city of Makkah. The Holy Ka’ba was
the first house of worship on the earth appointed by Allah for His worship. As the Holy
Quran says: “The first house of worship appointed for men was that at Bakkah
(Makkah), full of blessing and guidance for all” (3:96).
It is also called Bait Ullah and Bait-al-Attiq (the ancient house).
It is believed that it was constructed by angels, nearly two thousand years before the
creation of Hazrat Adam. Then it was constructed by Hazrat Adam. Later the Ka’ba
was destroyed by the flood during Hazrat Noah’s time. Then it was reconstructed by
Hazrat Ibrahim and Ismail, as Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran: “And remember
Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the house (with this prayer): “Our Lord
accept this service from us for you are the All Hearing, All Knowing” (2:127) and then
it was again in the time of Holy Prophet. Since those days of Prophet Ibrahim, people
have been coming to the Ka’ba either for a short visit (Umrah) or for the Pilgrimage. It
is the focus of Muslim prayers from all parts of the world. During pilgrimage Muslims
make Tawaf round it seven times and they try to kiss the Black Stone which was
received by Hazrat Ismail from the angel during the rebuilding of Ka’ba.
Miqat:
There are boundary lines of Haram (forbidden) area beyond which no pilgrim can
proceed without Ihram. Holy Prophet appointed these places, such as Zul Hulaifa for
the people of Madinah, Al Juhfa for the people of Syria, Yalamlum for the people of
Yemen etc.
Ihram:
Ihram is an obligatory act of Hajj. It consists of two sheets of white unstitched cloth,
one for the upper part covering the shoulder and other round the waist for the lower
part of the body. After getting cleanliness at the place of Miqat, the pilgrim puts on
Ihram and makes intention of Hajj or Umrah. Then he offers prayers before starting
the journey to Makkah. During the condition of Ihram some conditions must be
followed, such as:
 The footwear should be below the ankle.
 For women Ihram is their ordinary clothes.
 Men must not cover the head while women should not cover their faces.
 To shave, trim hair or nail.
 To indulge in marital relationship.
 To hunt or kill an animal, however harmful animals can be killed.
 To put on stitched clothes, but the women are exempted.
 To use perfume, oil or soap.
Ihram is the declaration of one’s intention for Hajj or Umrah. It symbolizes purity,
renunciation of all evils and brotherhood of all the believers. It also removes signs of
distinction and makes all pilgrims appear equal.
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Talbiyah:
Talbiyah means the proclamation of following words: “Here I am at your service, O
Allah! Here I am at your service. There is no partner with you. Here I am at your
service. All the praises and all blessings belong to you, and all sovereignty is for you,
and there is no partner with you”. It is imperative to proclaim Talbiyah after one enters
the state of Ihram. One should continue repeating Talbiyah till casting of stones at first
Jamarat on 10th of Zul Hajj. It is desirable to pronounce Talbiyah in a loud voice. The
recitation of Talbiyah means that the pilgrim presents himself whole-heartedly before
Allah with no other thought than the Divine encounter.
Tawaf:
Tawaf means going round the Ka’ba. The Holy Quran says: “Then let the complete the
prescribed duties (Manasik-e-Hajj) for them, and perform their vows, and make Tawaf
the Ancient House” (22:29). The Prophet moved around the Ka’ba seven times running
three circuits and walked the remaining four. Then he offered two rakat of salah at the
station of Ibrahim. The Tawaf starts and ends at the Black Stone (Hajr-e-Aswad).
There are several kinds of Tawaf, such as Tawaf-e-Qudoom, Tawaf-e-Wida, Tawaf-e-
Ziyarat, Tawaf-e-Umra and Tawaf-e-Nafal.
Mutaf:
It is the place inside Masjid-e-Haram, and around the Ka’ba on which Tawaf is
performed.
Istilam:
The act of kissing the Hajr-e-Aswad in the beginning of Tawaf is called Istilam. The
palms of both hands are placed on it, with the face between the two palms and the
stone is kissed in such a way that no sound is produced. If it is not possible to kiss the
stone in this manner, it may merely be touched with the right hand and the hand kissed
or if it is not possible, one may raise the palms of the hand towards it and kiss the
palms.
Sayi:
Sayi is walking briskly seven times between Safa and Marwa hills. Sayi is commenced
from Safa and ends at Marwa. The pilgrim should first climb on the Safa hill. It is not
necessary to climb to the top of the hill. He should climb to such a height only as would
afford a view of the Ka’ba. After descending from Safa, the pilgrim should move
towards Marwa and therefore, walk briskly between two hills. Only men are required
to walk briskly. Women may walk at their normal pace. Sayi is performed in the
memory of the Prophet Ibrahim’s wife Hajra and their son Ismail. The Prophet Ibrahim
left his wife and son in barren valley of Faran in Makkah by the command of Allah.
There she ran seven times between these two hills in search of water. While doing so
she left the baby on the ground. It was here that the water gushed out in the form of a
spring near the feet of the baby. The commandment about Sayi is contained in the
Holy Quran: “Indeed! Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever
comes to the house for Hajj or Umrah, there is no sin for him if he makes round
between them”.
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Mina:
It is a plain, which lies between Arafat and Makkah. The pathway into this plain passes
through a hill called Aqabah which is famous in the history of Islam as the place where
the Prophet took the two pledges from the Ansar of Madinah.
Arafat:
This plain is situated at a distance of nine miles from Makkah and about six miles from
Mina. According to tradition, Hazrat Adam and his wife were re-united in this plain after
years of wandering. The Holy Prophet also delivered his last sermon here and
received the final revelation.
Muzdalifah:
It is plain between Mina and Arafat, about six miles from Makkah and three miles from
Mina. In the Holy Quran, this place is called the Sacred Monument and Muslims
celebrate the praises of Allah at the Sacred Monument”.

Rami:
The act of stoning the devil is called Rami. The approved method of doing Rami is to
stand about five or six feet from the stone pillar, hold the pebble with thumb and
forefinger of the right hand and throw each pebble, one after other and while doing so,
the takbeers should be recited.
Jamarat:
The three stone pillars situated in Mina are called Jamarat. It is reported that Satan
tried to deceive and mislead Hazrat Ibrahim at these three places and Hazrat Ibrahim
stoned the devil. In memory of this the devil is symbolically stoned at Mina during Hajj.
It is to show that we reject the devil and obey no one but Allah.
Halq or Qarsr:
Halq means getting the head shaved. Qasr means getting the hair of the head cut or
shortened.
Ayyam-ul-Nahr:
The 10th, 11th and 12th of Zul Hajj during which sacrifice of sheep, goats, cows and
camels is offered are known as Ayyam-ul-Nahr or the Days of sacrifices.
Ayyam-e-Tashriq:
The 11th, 12th and 13th of Zul Hajj are known as Ayyam-e-Tashriq. The pilgrims are
required to stay in the plain of Mina after the sacrifice and perform Rami.
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Biography of Holy Prophet (Life in Makkah)


The conditions of Arabia before the Holy Prophet:
The pre-Islamic period of history is known as the “The period of ignorance”. The main
conditions of Arabia were these.
Religious Conditions:
 The Arabs, before the advent of Islam were mostly idol worshippers. Every tribe
had its own deity; there were about 360 idols in the Holy Kaba at the time of
conquest of Makkah. People from different parts of Arabia used to come to pay
their homage here. Al Habal was the chief of these deities. Al Lat, Al Uzza were
the female deities and were referred to as the “Daughters of Allah”.
 Christianity, Judaism and were also practiced. The Christians and Jews had
distorted their religions. The Christians believed that the Christ was the son of
God. The Jews believed that Azra was the son of God. They had distorted and
modified their books to serve their end.
 Some people were devoted to fire-worship. They built their own shrines to fire.
 Some Arabs worshipped the sun, moon and the stars.
Social Conditions:
 The Arabs had little regard for morals. Might is right was the order of the day.
They were steeped in vices, superstitions and barbarism.
 They were addicted to gambling, drinking, stealing, usury and other unfair trade
practices were common. They indulged in fornication and adultery. The society
was morally corrupt.
 Slavery was common and the master enjoyed the right of life and death over
his slaves.
 The position of women in the Arabian society was so low that they could be
inherited like property or animals. A man could marry, as many women as he
liked, and could divorce them at will.
 The birth of female was regarded as a matter of shame to the family. Some
tribes buried the female infants alive.
Political Conditions:
 There was no settled government and no law in the land. The affairs of each
tribe were governed by its own chief. The chiefs of tribes were chosen because
of their bravery, wealth and wisdom. Disputes among tribes arose over cattle
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pastures, springs of water, horse racing and other trivial matters and disputes
would stretch to many years as the dispute Harb-ul-Basus stretched to ten
years.
Side by side, the Arabs had the qualities of heroism, love for liberty, excellent memory,
hospitality, bravery and eloquence. So in these bad conditions the Holy Prophet was
born as a great reformer and revolutionary person.
Date of birth: The Holy Prophet was born on the 9th or 12th Rabi ul Awwal, 20th April
571AD, after two months of his father’s death, the 50th day of the Year of Elephant (in
which year Abraha had mounted his elephant and led his army in an attempt to storm
Makkah and destroy the Ka’abah).
Name: He was named “Ahmad” by his mother, Amina bint Wahab. The meaning of
Ahmad, the one who praises too much to any other and he was given the name
“Muhammad” by Abdul ul Muttalib, the grandfather of Him, the meaning of Muhammad
is the one who is praised by a lot of people. When somebody questioned Abd ul
Muttalib about it, he said “I have named him so that his name may be praised on the
earth and in the heaven”.
Upbringing of Holy Prophet: First, his mother, Amina bint Wahab suckled Holy
Prophet, second Abu Lahab‘s slave girl, Thuabiya. But there was a custom among the
Arabs to give their suckling infants in charge of Bedouin women, so that the baby can
learn pure Arabic, to grow up in fresh atmosphere far from the city and to get some
natural qualities of villagers like simplicity, bravery etc. So Holy Prophet was given in
charge of Halima Sa’dia of Banu Sa’ad. She loved him very much. Before the arrival
of Holy Prophet in her home, the conditions of Halima Sa’adia was very poor. But his
arrival made a lot of changes for her. As the barren land sprouted grass, and lean
animals came back to them satisfied and full of milk.
For the first two years of his life he stayed with his foster mother. At the end of the two
year term, Hazrat Halima asked his mother to allow him to remain with her a little
longer, which was accepted. So due to this kindness and love, the Holy Prophet
showed great respect for her and her family. He used to call her “my mother”. One day
when she visited to Holy Prophet, he spread out his mantle for her to sit upon as a
token of special respect.
At the age of 4 years:
Holy Prophet and his foster brother were playing with goats outside home in the yard.
Then Hazrat Jibrael appeared and he split his chest. He took out his heart and
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removed a blood clot and said “It was the part of Shaytan” and washed his heart with
Aab e Zam Zam .Then he sewed his chest and went away. His foster brother rushed
to his mother and informed her. She rushed to him and found him with white pale
colour. Holy Prophet informed her complete event .This event is called Shakk-e- Sadr.
This event took place in his life four times;
 When he was four years old.
 When he was ten years old.
 When he was forty years old before receiving prophet hood.
 When he was fifty years old before the journey of Miraj.
These events gave Holy Prophet spiritual power to face the attacks of devil and to
bear the revelation. Later he was given to his own mother for the next supervision.
At the age of 6 years:
When Holy Prophet was six years old, her mother took him to Yasrib (old name of
Madinah) to visit the grave of her husband, Holy Prophet‘s father and also to meet her
relatives. During the return journey from Yasrib, she fell ill and died. Then she was
buried at Abwa. Holy Prophet was brought back to Makkah by Umm-e-Aiman (slave
girl of Abdullah). Then Holy Prophet was given in the custody of his grandfather, Abd
ul Muttalib.
At the age of 8 years:
Hazrat Abd ul Muttalib loved and cared him very much because he was his orphan
grandson. Unfortunately, he also could not last for a long time and died when Holy
Prophet was eight years old.
At the age of 12 years:
After the death of Hazrat Abd-ul-Mutalib, Abu Talib took over the responsibility of
bringing him up as his own son. He loved his nephew more than his own sons. Abu
Talib was not rich person, so he had to attend the herds of camels and goats in order
to earn money. He trained him for trade and business. When Holy Prophet was twelve
years old, he accompanied Abu Talib on a trade journey to Syria. There they met a
Christian monk called Baheera who was expert in Bible. He asked some questions
and Holy Prophet gave him satisfactory answers. Buhaira took him by the hands and
said “This is the chief of the universe; this is the messenger of the Lord of the universe”.
Some people asked how he knew this, he said when he came over the hill all the trees
and stones prostrated before him and they prostrate only before a prophet. He advised
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Abu Talib to take special care of him and go back for fear the Jews may recognize him
and harm him. So when they finished their trading, Abu Talib lost no time in return to
Makkah.
At the age of 15 years:
When Holy Prophet was 15 years old, a local war broke out during the Hajj season
between the tribes of Quraish and Banu Hawazan. According to books of history this
war lasted for four years. Holy Prophet participated in this war but he did not take any
active part in this war. He only collected the arrows thrown by the enemy and handed
over to his uncle Zubair. This war is called Harb-ul-Fujjar.
Reasons for this name:
 Because it was fought during the sacred months of Hajj and this was forbidden
according to their traditions.
 This war became the cause of profanity of Makkah, so it was called battle of
fujjar means battle of sinners.
Wisdoms of his participation:
 This was his first war which showed him the disadvantages, losses of wars. So
he became more lover of peace as his love for peace was shown in Treaty of
Hudaibiah and in other events.
 This war also gave him military experience which was applied later during
battles.
At the age of 19 years: Half-ul-Fazool:
As a result of Harb-ul-Fujjar thousands of lives were lost. When they saw the effects
of war they formed a league or organization. The leader of these people was Zubair
and they made an agreement which is called Half-ul-Fazool due to many fazal in this
agreement. It is also suggested that this alliance is called Half-ul-Fazool (Alliance for
charity) because it was made for a noble cause. This was done in the house of
Abdullah bin Juda’an. The objectives of this agreement were:
 To maintain peace in the region.
 To suppress any violence and injustice.
 To help the poor and travellers.
 Holy Prophet also participated in this league and always used to praise this
agreement.
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At the age of 25 years:


In Makkah there was a rich, respective widow lady whose name was Khadija bint
Khuwalid. She was a great businesswoman who hired men to trade goods for her and
gave them a share of her profits. She was forty years old and twice widowed. She had
two sons and a daughter from her previous marriages. Due to her good character she
was known as Tahira, the pious one. On the other side, Holy Prophet was also given
the title of Al-Sadiq (the truthful) and Al-Amin (the trustworthy).The people of Makkah
had so much faith in his honesty and trustworthiness. So they used to keep their
valuables with him even after the prophet hood they continued to leave their valuables
with him for safe custody. When Hazrat Khadija listened about his fair dealing,
truthfulness and trustworthiness, she offered him to take charge of her business and
go to Syria with caravan of goods. Holy Prophet accepted this offer and went to Syria.
She also sent Maisra (a slave boy) with him. Holy Prophet returned with great profit
and Maisra told her about his fair dealing and honesty. She was much impressed and
made an offer of marriage to him through Nafeesa. Holy Prophet accepted this
proposal after the consultation with his uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Talib delivered the
khutbah of ceremony. Amount of Mahr (endowment) was 20 camels (500 dirham). At
that time Holy Prophet was 25 years old while Hazrat Khadija was 40 years old but
this union proved very successful. She lived with him till her death. She proved herself
a loving wife. Allah blessed the couple with children. She bore him all his children
except Ibrahim. Their sons were two, Qasim and Abdullah (Titles: Tahir and Tayyab)
and four daughters, Zainab, Umm-e-Kalthoom, Ruqqqyas and Fatima. Holy Prophet
always mentioned her with the feeling of great love and respect. This marriage
provided him financial support as Allah said in the Holy Quran “We made you
independent when you were needy”. She died at the age of 65 and was buried in
Makkah.
At the age of thirty five years: Fixing of Black Stone
The Ka’abah is situated at the lowest part in the valley of Faran and always was
flooded by rain water. So the tribes of Quraish found it necessary to rebuild the ka’abah
in order to prevent it from collapse. The task of rebuilding of ka’abah was divided
among the leading families of Makkah and work was done without any dispute. But
when time came to place the black stone or Hajr e Aswad in its proper place, a dispute
arose among the chiefs of Makkah. This contest continued for a number of days.
Everyone wanted the honour of placing of holy stone in its proper place. There was a
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fear of bloodshed. A war was on the verge of breaking out between them. Then a wise,
old man said that the first person to enter the ka’abah the following morning should
decide the issue. His suggestion was accepted by all. Next morning, Holy Prophet
entered the ka’abah first of all. When they saw him, they breathed a sigh of relief and
proclaimed “it is Al Amin, we accept him. it is Muhammad”. Holy prophet called for a
piece of cloth and spread it on the ground. Then he placed the black stone in the
middle of sheet and asked them to hold the four corners of sheet and lift it up together,
when the sheet reached the proper height, he lifted the black stone and laid it in its
proper place with his own hands. In this way, the problem was resolved peacefully by
the wisdom and foresight of holy prophet.
At the age of 40 years (610 AD): Declaration of prophet hood
With the age and growing understanding he became more aware of the corrupt society
and this thing disturbed him greatly. When he was near to forty, he became more and
more fond of solitude and he started to spend his more time into a cave nearby mount,
known as Hira, three miles away from Makkah with the supply of dates, water etc.
There he pondered and meditated over the condition of the people of Makkah.
Because there was unnecessary bloodshed, tribal disputes, oppression of the weak
and helpless people, injustice, idol worshipping and degraded status of women. The
priest and rabbis had corrupted the other religions. He also worshipped there more
and more. On the 12th of Feb, 610 AD, 27th of Ramzan, when he was in the cave of
Hira, Hazrat Jibrael appeared before him in the figure of a man and asked him to read.
This was a sudden and unexpected, he answered him “I cannot read”. He seized
prophet and squeezed him as hard as he could bear and said read. Prophet replied I
cannot read .Second time he squeezed him and said read. Prophet gave the same
answer. Third time he squeezed and said read. Prophet asked “what shall I read?
Then Hazrat Jibrael recited the first five verses of Surah ul Alaq:
“Read! With the name of your Lord, who creates (everything), who creates man from
blood clot? Read! Your Lord is the most generous who teaches by the pen, teaches
man what he knows not”. Muhammad recited these verses after Jibrael. Then he went
out of the cave and heard the same voice saying “O, Muhammad, you are Allah’
messenger and I am Jibrael”. Holy prophet raised his eyes and saw the angel in the
sky above the horizon. He stood quite still until the angel disappeared. After this
experience, he went home fearing on the event and said cover me! And after some
time he narrated this incident to his wife. She comforted him and assured him that no
25

harm could come to a man of his nature and that Allah would protect him from all evils.
Then she took him to her cousin , Warqa bin Nofal , a learned man ,a Christian scholar
who said “by him in whose hands my soul rests ,you are the prophet of this nation and
this was the angel Jibrael who visited Moses , verily ,your people shall call you a liar
,abuse you ,expel you and start war against you”. He became astonished and asked
“will they expel me?” Warqa bin Nofal said, yes. Never has there come a man before
you with a similar message to that which you have come with, however his people
fought him. If I were to live to that day, I shall stand by you and assist you, but he died
shortly thereafter.
Significance of angel in this event:
 The angel was performing the duty which he had previously performed with
other messengers.
 He was the first to alert the prophet to his new career.
 His appearance was a sign that the revelations were truly from God.
 His threefold crushing enabled him to recite the verses of Holy Quran.
Significance of Warqa bin Nofal in this event:
 He was the first to explain the prophet about the significance of this experience
and confirmed that he had been appointed as a prophet of Allah.
 He helped him in realizing that he had been visited by the angel who had
appeared to others.
 This helped the prophet to understand the responsibilities to which he had been
called.
 He wished to be alive at a time when he proclaims his prophet hood.
 He promised to help him when the people will expel him.
Stages of early preaching:
The 1st stage: Privately
When Holy Prophet was 40 years old, he received first revelation and after this
revelation stopped for some time. The Holy Prophet passed this time in restlessness
and anxiety, until one day, he saw angel Jibrael again, in the sky seated on a chair.
The Holy Prophet became frightened and rushed home. He asked Hazrat Khadija to
cover him up. She covered him up, after which he received another revelation which
said:
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“O you, enveloped in mantle, stand up and warn, and pronounce the greatness of your
Lord”.
In obedience to the command of Allah, the Holy Prophet invited his friends and
relatives to the religion of Islam. He preached to them the Oneness of Allah and
warned them of the consequences of following their evil ways. But, he did not, at this
stage, make any public announcement. He confined his message only to those of his
close friends and relatives that he thought would give a favourable response. The first
person to believe in him was his wife, Khadija, who accepted his message without any
hesitation. This followed by the acceptance of Islam by ten years old, Ali, son of Abu
Talib. The first freed slave to accept Islam was Zaid bin Haris. The person to become
a Muslim outside the prophet’ immediate family was his close friend, Hazrat Abu Bakr.
Within a period of three years, while the Holy Prophet was preaching his message in
secret, about forty God- fearing people accepted Islam like Usman, Talha, Zubair,
Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Sa’ad bin Abi Waqas.
 The 2nd stage: Tribe and Family
After some time he received another revelation that said:
“And warn your nearest kinsfolk”.
In order to carry out this command, the Holy Prophet invited his relatives to his house.
They were forty in numbers from Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib. He said to them:
“Allah has ordered me to call you to Him, so who amongst you will help me in this affair
and be my friend, my adviser and my deputy?” No one responded to the message
positively except Ali, who said: “Though I have sore eyes, thin legs and I am young in
age, yet I am ready to support you”.
 The 3rd stage: Open Preaching
Soon afterwards he received another revelation through which the Holy Prophet was
given the order:
“Therefore proclaim openly that which you are commanded”.
Following this command, the Holy Prophet assembled the people of Makkah at the
Safa hill and said to them: “O Quraish, if I were to tell you that a large army has
collected on the other side of this mountain and is ready to attack you, would you
believe me?” They all said that they would, since they had never heard him tell a lie.
But when he asked them to believe in one Allah and his prophet hood, they became
angry and some of them shouted: “You have gone mad”. Abu Lahab, one of his uncle,
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said, “May Allah destroy you. Did you assemble us for this?” After this, all of them
dispersed. The Holy Prophet now started to address the people in public and private
gatherings and on approach routes to Makkah which were used by pilgrims to the Holy
city. His efforts were successful and people started embracing Islam.
Difficulties /Opposition and Persecution by the Quraish:
When Holy Prophet started preaching of Islam openly, the response of the influential
people of Makkah was hostile. They felt that unless they met the new call with stiff
opposition, it was bound to be accepted by a large section of the population. Among
those who took the lead in the opposition were most influential chiefs of the Quraish,
namely Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, Abu Sufyan, Waleed bin Mughaira, Utba bin Rabi and
Umayya bin Khalf.
Persecution for the Holy Prophet:
 The Quraish launched a campaign against the Holy Prophet calling him a mad
man, a poet and a magician. Poems were written to ridicule the prophet.
 Abu Lahab forced his two sons to divorce their wives, Ruqayya and Umm-e-
Kulsum, the prophet’ daughters. When the Prophet’s son, Ibraheem died in
infancy Abu Lahab rejoiced and called the prophet “abtar” a man cut off with no
male offspring.
 His wife Umm-e-Jamil used to put thorns on the path which the prophet was
expected to take, in order to cause physical injury.
 Rubbish and thorny bushes were thrown on the prophet. Once, when he was
praying in the Ka’abah, a Quraish rolled his sheet round his neck and tried to
strangle him. Another time when he was prostrating during prayers, Abu Jahl
placed filth on his back.
 An old woman would throw garbage upon him whenever he passed her way.
One day, when the Holy Prophet did not come across her, inquired and came
to know that she was ill. He went to meet her and asked about her health! She
was so embarrassed and accepted Islam.
 When insults and persecution had no effect on the prophet, the pagans tried
other methods. They offered to collect a large fortune from him, or make him
the king. They even promised to marry him to the fairest girl in the land if he
gave up preaching of Islam. The Holy Prophet turned down all such offers.
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 They approached his uncle, Abu Talib and asked him to prevent his nephew
from preaching of Islam or to be prepared for violence against Muhammad. Holy
Prophet said “If they place the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left
hand, and ask me to stop preaching the word of God to the people, I shall never
accept what they say”. Then the Abu Talib said: “Go and preach what you
please, for by God I will not forsake you”.
 The leaders of Quraish came up with another proposal; that he should worship
their gods and they in return would worship his god. Allah revealed to them,
that there could be no compromise on this and declared, “You have your
religion and I have my religion”.
 Finally, Holy Prophet and his followers were boycotted and forced to live in a
narrow valley outside Makkah for three years. Their condition became so bad
that children cried with hunger, adults fed on boiled leather and leaves of trees
and the valley echoed with the cries of helpless people. They were prevented
from worshipping at the Ka’abah and their means of livelihood were taken away.
 The death of Abu Talib and Hazrat Khadija deprived him of help and protection.
 When he visited to Ta’if, he was rejected and assaulted. They set upon him a
crowed of teenagers to follow him and shout abuses at him. They even threw
stones at him. He was so badly wounded that his shoes were filled with blood.
In this way Holy Prophet was tortured physically, mentally and emotionally but
he remained steadfast and continued his preaching.
Persecution for followers:
The followers of the Prophet also faced severe persecution. They were thrown into
prison, starved and then beaten with sticks. They were exposed to the scorching heat
of the desert sand where they were offered the alternative of worshipping idols or
death. Some of them were died of the effects of the torture, but none renounced his
religion.
 Hazrat Usman was wrapped in a mat of palm leaves by his pagan uncle who
would set fire under him.
 Hazrat Bilal, the Negro was inhumanly tortured by his master Umayyah bin
Khalf. He was tied with a rope and dragged by the street boys on the orders of
his master and he was placed a heavy rock on his chest.
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 Another victim of the Makkan cruelty was Ammar bin Yasir. He and his parents
paid a heavy price of embracing the new faith. Yasir died of repeated torture
and Summyya, Yasir’s wife was killed with a spear by her master Abu Jahl and
thus she became the first woman martyr of Islam.
 Hazrat Suhaib Rumi was tortured to the extent that he lost control over what
he said and repeated anything that his tormenter asked him.
 Hazrat Zunaira was a Roman slave girl who was tortured till she turned to blind.
 Khabbab bin Aratt, a blacksmith who was made to lie on a bed of burning coals.
 Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Talha were also harassed. Once they were tied
up by the same rope, when they were praying, but mysteriously the rope was
untied.
 Some followers were forced to flee to Abyssinia to the protection of the king.
When the Quraish came to know about this migration they went to Abyssinia
and requested the king to return them but due to the speech of Hazrat Jafar,
the king rejected their request.
 Finally, Holy Prophet and his followers were boycotted and forced to live in a
narrow valley outside Makkah for three years. Their condition became so bad
that children cried with hunger, adults fed on boiled leather and leaves of trees
and the valley echoed with the cries of helpless people. They were prevented
from worshipping at the Ka’abah and their means of livelihood were taken
away.
But these, history making noble souls set great examples of patience, steadfastness,
unshaken faith, commitment to their mission, love and devotion to their leader and
unity among themselves.
Q: Explain how their reaction to these difficulties can set an example for
Muslims today?
A: First: They set examples of unshaken faith, steadfastness and commitment to their
mission. They were not deflected from Islam and preaching of Islam even when offered
bribes. The Holy Quran appreciates such believers and called them true believers.
Today’s Muslims are required to strengthen their faith like these.
Second: They also set the examples of patience and tolerance. Today, we are living
in times when people tend to lose their temper on the slightest provocation. We should
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look to the noble examples of the Holy Prophet who would constantly face persecution,
rejection and insults but would remain undeterred
Third: They also set the great examples of forgiveness for their enemies. They did not
take up arms and weapons against them in Makkah. They followed the teaching of the
Holy Quran in the best way as Allah gave them order about forgiveness. Allah said in
the Holy Quran: “(O Prophet,) take forgiveness (as your habit), enjoin virtue, and
ignore the ignorant”. Today’s Muslims are also required to forgive their enemies and
avoid from the habit of taking revenge.
Forth: They remained thoroughly united and disciplined against all odds. They would
neither abandon their faith nor each other. They remained loyal to one another. This
they did because Allah said: “The believers are but a single brotherhood”. Muslims in
the modern world are in the need of promoting such unity, not falling in sectarianism
and to promote strong mutual love and harmony.
Migration of Abyssinia: 615 AD
This event took place in the fifth year of prophet hood, 615 AD. When inhuman
oppression and physical torture of Quraish became unbearable for Muslims, Holy
Prophet instructed these Muslims to immigrate to Abyssinia to seek protection.
Abyssinia was selected because Holy Prophet knew that Asham, who held the title of
Najashi or Negus, was a just and fair ruler of Abyssinia.
First group: In first migration, a group of eleven men and four women secretly left for
Abyssinia. These included Hazrat Usman and his wife Ruqayya, daughter of Holy
Prophet.
Second group: They were followed by another group of seventy nine men and seven
women including Hazrat Jafar, son of Abu Talib.
Delegation: When the Quraish came to know of this, they sent a deputation consisting
of Amr bin Aas and Abdullah bin Abu Rabia with some gifts to the Christian king. The
Quraish delegation reached and made false accusations against them. They
requested to Negus to hand over the emigrants to them. Muslims were brought in the
court of Negus. As a reply to Negus, Hazrat Jafar explained the principles of Islam and
what the Holy Prophet had taught them. He said:
“O king, we were ignorant people who worshipped idols, ate carrion and indulge in
vice. The strong among us used to exterminate the weak. Muhammad who was
already known to us for his nobility, truthfulness and trustworthiness, called us to Islam
and told us to give the worship of idols, to tell the truth, to shun bloodshed, to be
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considerate to neighbours, avoid slandering virtuous women. So we believed in him


and gave up paganism, this is the crime for which people of our own clan became
blood thirsty enemies aiming to compel us to return to our former paganism”.
In reply to the question of Negus about Muslim belief about Hazrat Jesus, Jafar recited
a portion of surah Maryam. After hearing it, Negus said:
“By God; this and the Gospel are the lights of one candle”. Thereafter Najashi returned
the gifts brought by the leaders of Quraish and refused to send them back. So the
mission failed and the Quraish returned totally disappointed.
Significance of migration to Abyssinia:
 The migration to Abyssinia gave the Muslims a chance to carry the message of
Islam out of Arabia.
 The migration convinced the Quraish of the sincerity of the Muslims who were
ready to undergo loss and hardships rather than give up the faith of Islam.
 The migration showed the Muslims that there are places where they could seek
shelter and protection from the persecution of the Quraish.
 This migration gave the idea of a greater migration to Yasrib.
 The migration gave the opportunity to Muslims to act upon the Islamic teaching
easily.
 The migration made the Muslims free from the persecutions by the hands of
Makkans.
Q: why did the people of Makkah pursue these Muslims?
A: The Makkans pursued the emigrants for a number of reasons.
First:
They feared Islam might start growing and flourishing by the efforts of the emigrants.
So, they considered it a dangerous development for their religion. Because they were
addicted to idol worshipping and they were not ready to give them up.
Second:
The migration was considered as a cause of damaging their pride, prestige and social
and political position in Arabia. Because they were the custodians to Ka’ba which was
a source of religious and social prestige. They could not bear any such damage and,
therefore, hurried to Abyssinia to undo the efforts of the Muslims.
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Third:
They also felt their economic interests endangered because due to this migration
many left Makkah and it was source of motivation for others. This idol worshipping was
not only part of their religious rituals but also it brought them huge earnings. So if the
emigrants grew in number, their economy could decline.
The Socio- Economic Boycott: 7th year of Prophet hood, 617 AD
Reasons for this boycott:
When the torment and oppression by the Quraish failed to stem the advancing tide of
Islam, they decided to boycott. The acceptance of Islam by Hamza, the prophet’s uncle
and Umar, son of Khattab, greatly upset the pagans. The successful migration of
Abyssinia also enraged the pagans. So they demanded that the Banu Hashim
withdraw their protection from the Prophet and hand over to them or face a complete
boycott.
Events: This boycott took place in the seventh year of prophet hood 617AD and this
lasted for about three years. All the heads of the Makkah assembled in the Ka’aba and
wrote the “Sanction of Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib”. This agreement was written
by Mansoor bin Ikramah. This was hung onto the wall of Ka’aba. They took an oath
that they would not marry the women of these clans or give any in marriage to them
or sell them anything or buy anything from them.
Abu Talib took the whole Banu Hashim tribe (except Abu Lahab, who disowned his
own tribe) to a small valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah, the mountain pass of
Abu Talib (Shi’b-i-Abi-Talib). These people lived an extremely hard and miserable life.
All the roads leading into the valley were blocked. Only occasionally, some
compassionate Makkans would provide them some food and they would be able to
buy some stocks during the four sacred months. Whatever little they had to eat,
eventually finished and then came a time of extreme difficulty. Their condition became
so bad that children cried with hunger, adults fed on boiled leather and leaves of trees
and the valley echoed with the cries of helpless people. At last, differences began to
surface among the Makkans as some of the kindhearted chiefs, the leader was
Hasham, began to feel sorry and a group of five leaders began to pressurize Abu Jahl
and other die hard Makkans to cancel the cruel and unjust treaty. They held
negotiations within the Sacred Mosque where Abu Talib was also present. He told
them that prophet had been divinely informed that the parchment on which the treaty
was written, had been eaten away by insects except for the word of Allah. Abu Talib
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challenged that if that proved wrong he would give his nephew up to them. A man went
to see the parchment and found the claim of Abu Talib absolutely true. Thus the
boycott was brought to an end by the intervention of Allah himself. The Quraish,
however, remained just as unconvinced as before.
The year of Grief: 619 AD
At the end of the boycott, the prophet had to bear the loss of his two greatest
supporters, Abu Talib and Khadija and the Prophet declared the year 619AD as the
Year of the Grief ( Aam ul Huzn). Both of them had served him greatly in his mission.
Khadija had been his partner in life, mother of his children and had provided undying
support always. Abu Talib had been a father to him before prophet hood and after,
and a strong pillar of support in his mission. He was also responsible for jaiwar,
meaning the tribal protection because of which the Quraish could not hurt the prophet
beyond a certain limit nor take his life. Abu Talib’s death marked the end of this tribal
protection as the new chief of Banu Hashim, Abu Lahab, refused this unconditional
shelter. This protection however was now continued by Mutim Bin Adi, but it was not
a very strong one.
The event of Taif: 10th Year of Prophethood,
After the death of Abu Talib, the Quraish increased their attacks against the Holy
Prophet. So he decided to explore new avenues in his search of get support and
shelter and to take the message of Islam from Makkah to the neighbouring cities. Then
he selected the city of Taif which was situated on a few days journey, southeast of
Makkah, home of the Bani Thaqeef, which was the second largest tribe in Arabia. He
was accompanied by Zaid bin Haris. In Taif the Holy Prophet approached the chiefs
calling upon them to believe in Allah and to support him in his efforts to establish Islam;
but none gave him a favourable response. Instead, they set upon him a crowd of
teenagers to follow him and shout abuses at him. They even threw stones at him. He
was so badly wounded that his shoes were filled with blood. Zaid tried to shield the
Holy Prophet, but he too was badly injured. Retreating from this mob, they took refuge
in an orchard to relax and refresh themselves and nurse their wounds. On the way
back, the angel of mountain offered the Prophet, that the entire population of Taif be
destroyed by squeezing between the two mountains, but he forgave them and said:
“Why should I pray for the destruction of these people? I hope that their posterity will
certainly be among the believers in one Allah” and in 9AH the whole of Taif embraced
Islam.
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The Isra and Mairaj: 10th Year of Prophet hood


On the 27th Rajab, 10th year of prophethood a very unusual event took place. As he
was sleeping and resting inside the Hatim, Jibrael came to him astride a heavenly
creature resembling a horse, named Buraq, upon which the Holy Prophet rode with
him in the skies towards Jerusalem. Within the blink of an eye or even sooner, they
reached the Masjid Al Aqsa (known as the farthest mosque) where the Prophet was
greeted by the past messengers of Allah. Here the Prophet led the entire body of
Allah’s messengers in prayer and also met many of them individually. This was the
first part of his journey and is known as Isra. As Allah said in the Holy Quran;
“Glorious is He Who made his servant travel by night from Al Masjid-ul-Haram to Al
Masjid-ul-Aqsa whose environs we have blessed”.
Then the Prophet ascended the heavens along with Jibrael on the second part on
journey, called Mairaij. The Prophet again rode the Buraq, soon they reached the
lowest heaven. The guardian angel asked Gibrael as to who he was, and who was
with him. When he was informed about their identity he again asked if the prophet had
been sent for. After getting the reply in affirmative the guardian angel said, “Welcome,
his coming is good”.
He met many prophets along the way. As he met Hazrat Adam on first sky, Hazrat
Yahya and Isa on the second sky, Hazrat Yosuf on the third sky, Hazrat Idrees on the
fourth sky, Hazrat Haroon on the fifth sky, Hazrat Mosa on the sixth sky and Hazrat
Ibraheem on the seventh sky. Then he saw paradise and Hell and here he saw some
kinds of chastisement for sinners and Gibrael told about their crimes. Then they finally
reached the Sidra tul Muntaha. Then he went alone in the presence of Allah and
received Divine commandments and gifts. It is said that Allah blessed him 50 daily
prayers then were reduced to 5 because Hazrat Mosa asked him to pray to his lord to
reduce the numbers of prayers. Along with this the Prophet also received last few
verses of surah Al-Baqarah and also a special pardon was granted for the Muslims
Ummah if it was remained secure from the sin of shirk. Then he came back to his
home and the whole event took place in one night.
The next morning the Prophet narrated publicly all the details of both the Isra and
Mairaj phases. The pagans found yet another amusing opportunity to criticize and
ridicule the Prophet and the Muslims. But Hazrat Abu Bakr verified this event without
any confusion and got the title of” “Al-Siddique” which means the testifier of truth.
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Q: Explain the importance of this event to the prophet himself.


A: This event was very important for Holy Prophet as:
First: It occurred at a time when he was facing quite distressing circumstances. He
had lost two vital supporters, Khadija and Abu Talib, had been rejected by the people
of Taif and there was a halt of spreading of Islam in Makkah. In these circumstances
the experience of Miraj brought hope to him as he saw some of Allah’s signs.
Second: This honour marks the especially elevated spiritual status of the Holy Prophet
among all the chosen people of God as he led all the prophets in prayer in Jerusalem.
Third: In order to strengthen his and his people’s bond with Allah, the Prophet was
awarded the gift of five daily prayers whose sole purpose is to remember God as is
mentioned in the Quran “And establish regular prayer in order to remember Me”.
Forth: This event assured him of his closeness with God as he met Him directly and
this gave him spiritual power.
The pledges of Aqabah:
After the visit of Taif of holy prophet, he concentrated more and more on strangers,
who came to Makkah for the pilgrimage.
In the 11th year of prophet hood (620 AD):
Six pilgrims from the tribe of khazraj in Yasrib came to Makkah. Holy Prophet invited
to Islam. In Yasrib there Jewish scholars who had often spoken to the pagans that
prophet soon to be born among the Arabs and when he will come the Jews would
destroy the idol worshippers. So when these men saw Holy Prophet, they recognized
him and they accepted Islam. When they returned to their city they told their people
what they had seen and heard.
In the 12th year of prophet hood :( 621 AD):
Twelve persons came from Yasrib and they met him at the place of Aqabah in the
ground of Mina at night. They accepted Islam and agreed to abstain from idol worship,
cruelty, steeling, committing adultery, killing of children, slandering, disobeying the
prophet, falsehood and to lead a righteous life and to spread Islam. They made a
pledge on these teachings. This is called First Pledge of Aqabah. Hazrat Musab bin
Umair and Hazrat Abdullah bin Makthoom were sent with them to preach Islam to the
residents of that city.
In the 13th year of prophet hood: (622 AD)
A deputation consisting of 75 persons (73 men, 2 women) came the following year
from Yasrib to take the same pledge. They also some pledges such as to listen to and
36

obey to the Prophet, to spend in plenty as well as scarcity, to enjoin good and forbid
evil, fear no one but Allah and defend the Prophet if he needs it. This is called Second
Pledge of Aqabah. The prominent figures in these pledges were: Asa’d bin Zurarah,
Rabi’ bin Malik,Ubada bin Samit, Sa;ad bin Rabi etc. These meetings were organized
by Abbas bin Abd ul Muttalib, the real uncle of Holy Prophet. They invited Holy Prophet
to come to Yasrib as their head and promised to give full support to him and to his
followers because they were aware of the persecutions of Muslims in Makkah and they
knew that the life of Holy Prophet is in danger. Another reason was that 12 chiefs of
Yasrib accepted Islam and they were wishing for dynamic leadership of Holy Prophet.
So they invited Holy Prophet for Yasrib.
Importance of these pledges:
At that time the position of Muslims was very weak. Muslims were persecuted by the
pagans and many of them were killed by them. When Holy Prophet went to Taif, the
people of Taif not only rejected him but also tortured him. Hazrat Khadija and Abu
Talib were great supporters and protectors of Holy Prophet, but after their death he
became support less and helpless and in tribal system it was too much difficult to
survive without any protection. So in these conditions these pledges were very
important for Holy Prophet and his companions. As:
 These pledges gave them a great help, power, support and protection.
 These pledges became the source of spreading of Islam outside Makkah.
 These pledges set the foundations for a Muslim community to live in harmony
and with religious freedom.
 These brought a change to the conditions of the Muslims and allowed Islam to
be established.
 Ideas in the pledges still hold true for today, like the pledge to not kill their
children.
 These pledges encouraged the Muslims and finished their hopelessness as it
showed that all the people and places are not same. There are many people
who are ready to accept Islam and give them full support.
 These pledges became the major cause of Migration of Madinah which was a
great turning point in Islamic revolution.
 These pledges secured the Muslims from the persecutions in Makkah.
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Importance of these pledges for the future Muslim community:


 These pledges set the foundations for a Muslim community to live in harmony
and with religious freedom.
 These brought a change to the conditions of the Muslims and allowed Islam to
be established.
 Ideas in the pledges still hold true for today, like the pledge to not kill their
children.
 These pledges became the major cause of Migration of Madinah which was a
great turning point in Islamic revolution.
Migration to Madinah: 622 AD, 13th of Prophet hood
Reasons for migration:
 The aggressive attitude of the Quraish and their persecution was an important
factor in the migration.
 The successful experience of migration to Abyssinia opened a door for greater
migration.
 The preaching of Islam became standstill because the paganism was so deep
rooted among the Quraish and they were unable to accept any new religion.
 Holy Prophet became defenseless and support less due to the death of Khadija
and Abu Talib. So he decided.
 Holy Prophet had maternal relatives in Madinah, so he had some support there.
 Islam is a universal religion, so it was necessary to spread Islam outside
Makkah. So he migrated.
 Socio- Economic Boycott was another reason which forced Holy Prophet to
think about migration.
 In Yasrib the two tribes of Aus and Khazraj, who had been at war with each
other looked for a strong leader who could establish peace in their land, so they
invited them.
 Some people of Madinah made pledges and invited the prophet to come to
Madinah and assured him their full support.
 The Makkans had made a plan to kill Holy Prophet at Dar ul Nadwah and Allah
wanted to save him, so he received the order from Allah to migrate towards
Madinah.
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Events:
When the unbelievers came to know of growing power of Muslims, they redoubled
their persecution for Holy Prophet and his followers. Therefore Holy Prophet advised
them to emigrate to Yasrib secretly. Then the Quraish held a meeting in the council
hall, Dar un Nadwa. Many leaders were gathered like Utba, Shaiba, Abu Sufyan, Abu
Jahl, Ummaya bin Khalf and Iblees in the form of an old man of Najad. They decided
that one person from each tribe should be selected who would collectively attack the
Holy Prophet and kill him. So the Banu Hashim may not be able to take revenge from
all tribes.
As Allah said in the Holy Quran
“And remember when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you or to kill
you or to get you out, they were plotting while Allah was also planning the wisest plan
too, no doubt, Allah is the best planner”.
The Holy Prophet was informed of this plan by Allah through the angel Jibrael. Holy
Prophet went to the house of Hazrat Abu Bakr and informed him about the permission
for migration. Hazrat Abu Bakr asked if he could go with him and prophet replied in the
positive. After finalizing the plan he returned home to wait for nightfall. The Makkans
had chosen 11 men, one from each tribe to take part in the murder attempt and they
surrounded the house of prophet. Then Holy Prophet asked Hazrat Ali to sleep on his
bed and to return the valuables entrusted to the Holy Prophet by the people of Makkah
and he left the house by reciting the verses of surah Yasin and by throwing the handful
of dust at disbelievers. As Allah said in the Holy Quran
“And we put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and we covered them
up, so they cannot see”. He took Hazrat Abu Bakr, made his way to Yasrib and
reached at the cave of Saur. On reaching the cave, Hazrat Abu Bakr entered the cave
and cleaned it. Then Holy Prophet entered it and laying his head in the lap of Hazrat
Abu Bakr, immediately went to sleep. Meanwhile a snake appeared from a hole,
Hazrat Abu Bakr put his foot on the mouth of the hole and the snake stung it. The pain
was so severe that the tears from Abu Bakr’s eyes fell on the Holy Prophet’ face. Holy
Prophet woke up and on seeing Abu Bakr condition applied his saliva on his foot and
the pain was removed. On the other side, the disbelievers were waiting for the hour
when prophet used to get out for Morning Prayer and near the morning they started
peeping through the holes of the door. They saw that Ali is sleeping, when he rose up
they asked about Holy Prophet but he answered that he had no idea. At this they were
39

stunned. Emergency was declared in Makkah and a prize of 100 camels was
announced for anyone who could capture Abu Bakr or Holy Prophet dead or alive.
Many young men of the Quraish went out in search of them and they came very close
to cave that Hazrat Abu Bakr said to prophet “if anyone of them looks down, he could
find us”.
Holy Quran mentions the answer of Holy Prophet in these words “And he said to his
companion, have no fear, for Allah is with us”. So the disbelievers did not bother to
look inside cave because its entrance was covered with cobwebs and there was a pair
of wild pigeon on the thresh hold. During this stay Abdullah, son of Hazrat Abu Bakr
brought news of the Quraish, Asma bint Abu Bakr brought food for them. After three
days Abdullah bin Ureeqat who was hired as guard came and they continued their
journey. During journey Suraqa bin Malik tried to approach and capture them but his
horse’s legs sank into the ground and he realized that he could not attack. On his
request he was given statement of security and peace. On the way they stopped at
Quba, at a distance of three miles away from Yasrib where he was joined by Hazrat
Ali. Holy Prophet built a mosque which is known Masjid e Quba and it is the first
mosque constructed on the earth. After 14 days stay in Quba, Holy Prophet left for
Yasrib on Friday. On his way, in the quarters of Bani Salim Holy Prophet offered his
first Friday prayer and addressed the people. This was the first Friday address. On
their arrival in Yasrib, Holy Prophet and Hazrat Abu Bakr were greeted with joy by the
people of Yasrib. The girls sang songs to welcome him. Everyone was eager that he
should stay with him. They grabbed the halter of his camel but the Prophet said: “Let
it go its own way. It is under orders”.
Holy Prophet Camel sat at an empty plot belonging to two orphan brothers Sahl and
Suhail. Holy Prophet paid the price for it and built the mosque which is called Masjid-
e- Nabwi. He also built two rooms for his own abode with this mosque. During the
construction of this mosque prophet stayed in the house of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari.
The name of city was changed from Yasrib to Madinah-un- Nabi which was later
shortened to Madinah.
Effects:
 Muslims were weak and unable to defend themselves but after this they
became very strong and safe.
 Islamic calendar was started after the migration.
40

 The Muslims got a separate homeland where they act upon the commandants
of Allah freely and openly.
 Islam spread rapidly in Madinah and outside Madinah.
 Muslims started to live an independent life.
 Muslims displayed extra ordinary brotherhood which is incomparable in the
history of mankind.
 Holy Prophet became the head of the state and the Muslims got political power.
 Muslims had to leave their homes, properties and even in some cases their
wives and children, so they proved that they can sacrifice anything for the sake
of Islam.
 Holy Prophet became able to organize his followers into a well-knit and
disciplined community.
 This migration opened a door of victories and achievements of Islam.
The importance of the Holy Prophet’s experiences in caves:
Cave of Hira:
 The event of beginning of revelation took place in the cave of Hira that not only
changed the lives of people of Arabia but also the history of the world.
 It marked the beginning of Hazrat Muhammad’s prophethood and the spread
of Islam’s universal message.
 It marked the change from polytheism to monotheism.
 It marks the beginning of God’s final guidance for humans, telling them how to
live their lives.
 The first verses revealed to him tell us about Allah, the creator and master of
everything.
 The verses revealed in the cave of Hira shows that Allah himself is man’s
teacher because he said: “Taught man that which he knew not”.
 The verses also mention reading and writing which shows the importance of
knowledge in Islam.
 This experience of the Holy Prophet reveals to us that Hazrat Muhammad was
like any other human being who was scared and frightened after the revelation.
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Cave of Saur:
 The stay in the cave of Saur holds great significant in the history of Islam if it
had not been, both the Holy Prophet and Hazrat Abu Bakr would have been
caught and brutally killed.
 The stay in this cave led to the safe emigration of the Prophet to Madinah and
so it preserved the opportunity for the spread of Islam.
 This shows that Allah protects his chosen people from the evils of this world
and proves that Allah has power and control over everything.
 The Muslims also learnt the spirit of true friendship as shown by Hazrat Abu
Bakr in this cave.
 It shows that meeting force with force is not always the way to success.

 The importance of the incident is such that the Qur’an refers to it.

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