Info on Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

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Prophet Muhammad was human to the marrow of his bones. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, to humanize man - this was the object of his mission. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration.

Muhammad The Prophet (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dawaah/message/727)

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Read also:

§ Prophet Muhammad: The Leader (http://www.islamonline.net/english/IN_DEPTH/mohamed/1424/MANNERS/article20.shtml)

§ The Prophet's Methods for Correcting People's Mistakes (http://63.175.194.25/books/asaleeb/english.html) (E-Book)

§ The Prophet's Contribution to Human Thought (http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/kharitah/article33.shtml)

§ The Finality of Prophethood (http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/misconception/article17.shtml)


§ The Prophet as Educator (http://www.islamonline.net/english/IN_DEPTH/mohamed/1424/MANNERS/article19.shtml)

§ The Prophet’s Patience (http://www.islamonline.net/english/IN_DEPTH/mohamed/1424/MANNERS/article18.shtml)

§ Mohammad's Prophethood: an Analytical View (http://www.ymofmd.com/books/prophethoodanalytical/mproph_chang.htm)

§ The Prophet's Compassion for Children (http://www.islamonline.net/english/IN_DEPTH/mohamed/1424/MANNERS/article17.shtml)

§ The Prophets Were Examples (http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/kharitah/article32.shtml)

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Prophet Muhammad's miracles
By Mohiuddin Nawawi

A number of works have been authored concerning this topic or discussing this topic. Amongst them are: Ibn Taymiyyah's Al-Jawaab-us-Sahih Li Man Baddala Din al-Masih; what was mentioned by Ibn Kathir in Tarikh and az-Zahabi in Tarikh al-Islam; Ibn Hajr in Fath-ul-Bari (6/582). Refer also to Khair-ud-Din Wanili's Mu`jizat al-Mustafa. Consult this for the evidences for what is mentioned in this article.

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) possesses many manifest miracles and signs demonstrating his veracity, reaching thousands and they are well-known. From amongst them is the Holy Qur'aan, the manifest and clear miracle and brilliant proof, falsehood cannot approach it from before it or behind it. It is a revelation from the One Who is All-Wise and Praiseworthy. It incapacitated that the most eloquent of people in the most eloquent of times were unable to produce a single chapter that would be comparable to the Holy Qur'aan. And cannot be able to do it in future even if the whole of creation were to gather for that purpose. Allah the Exalted says:

"Say: If the whole of mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur'aan, they could not produce the like of it, even if they assisted each other." [Al-Israa' 17: 88]

It challenged them to this despite their large numbers, their eloquence and their severe enmity, and it challenges them to this day.

As for the other miracles of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), it is not possible to enumerate them all due to their huge number and renewing and increasing nature. However, I will mention some examples:

* The splitting of the moon,
* Water flowing from between his fingers,

* Increase in the quantity of food and water,
* The glorification of the food,

* The palm tree yearning for him,
* Stones greeting him,

* The talking of the poisoned leg of roasted sheep to him,
* Trees walking towards him,

* Two trees that were far apart, coming together and then parting again,
* The barren and therefore dry sheep giving milk,

* The return of the eye of Hadhrat Qatadah bin an-No`man (Radhi Allaho anho) at its place because of the touch of the hand of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) after it had slipped out,

* His spitting lightly into the eye of Hadhrat Ali (Radhi Allaho anho) when it had become inflamed and its being cured almost immediately,

* His wiping the leg of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Atiq (Radhi Allaho anho) whereupon he was immediately cured,

* His informing of the places of death of the infidels on the Day of Badr by saying, 'This is the place of such polytheists.'
* His informing about the killing of Ubayy bin Khalaf,

* His prediction that a group of his nation would traverse an ocean and Umm Haram would be amongst them and this occurred,

* That all that was drawn together for him of the ends of the earth and displayed to him, would be opened for his nation,

* His prediction that the treasures of Chosroes would be spent by his nation in the Way of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent,

* That he feared for his nation that they would be tempted by the wealth and allurement of this world and that the treasures of the Persians and Romans would be ours and that Suraqah bin Malik would wear the bracelets of Chosroes.

* He informed us that Hadhrat Hasan bin Ali (Radhi Allaho anho) would reconcile between two large warring parties of the Muslims,

* He informed that Hadhrat Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas (Radhi Allaho anho) would live such that nations would benefit by him and others would be harmed,

* He informed that he an-Najashi had died on this particular day, while he was in Ethiopia and that al-Aswad al-`Ansi had been killed on this particular day, while he was in Yemen,

* He predicted that the Muslims would fight the Turks who were described as having small eyes, wide faces and small, chiselled noses and that Yemen, Syria and Iraq would be conquered by the Muslims.

* He informed us that the Muslims would comprise three armies, an army in Syria, and army in Yemen and an army in Iraq,

* He predicted that they would conquer Egypt, a land whose [unit of land measurement] was the Qirat, that they should deal with their people well for they have protection [being Copts] and ties of kinship [through Hajar],

* He informed that Awais al-Qarni (Rahmatullah alaihe) would come to you from the auxiliaries of Yemen, he would be afflicted with leprosy and it would be healed except for the space of a dirham, and he indeed arrived during the rule of Hadhrat Umar (Radhi Allaho anho),

* He informed us that a group of his nation would always be upon the truth,

* He predicted that mankind would become many in number,

* He predicted that the Ansaar would diminish in number and that the Ansaar would not be given their due with regards distribution of wealth and leadership,

* He said that mankind would keep on asking questions until they would say, "Allah created the creation..." [Referring to the Hadith, "The people would continue asking until they say, 'this is Allah Who created everything...but who created Allah?'" (Bukhari and Muslim)]

* He informed us that Ruwayfi` bin Thabit would live a long life,

* He predicted that Hadhrat Ammar bin Yasir (Radhi Allaho anho) would be killed by the transgressing group,

* He foretold that this nation shall divide into sects and that they would fight each other,

* He informed us that a fire would emanate from the land of Hijaz and the likes of this. All of this occurred exactly as the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said it would.

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to Hadhrat Thabit bin Qais (Radhi Allaho anho), "You will live being praised... and you will die as a martyr", and he lived being praised and was martyred at al-Yamamah,

* He said to Hadhrat Usman (Radhi Allaho anho): "He would be afflicted by a severe trial." [The meaning of severe trial is his being imprisoned in his house and his being killed by the transgressors.]

* He said about a person amongst the Muslims who had just fought a severe fight that: "He would be from amongst the denizens of the Fire", and later that person committed suicide,

* Wabisah bin Ma`bad came to the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) in order to ask him about righteousness and sin and before him asking the question, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) asked him, "Have you come to ask about righteousness and sin?"

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to Hadhrat Ali, Hadhrat Zubair and Hadhrat Miqdad (Radhi Allaho anhum): "Go to the garden of Khakh for indeed there is Dha`inah" who has a book with her. [Dha`inah is the woman with whom Hatib bin Abi al-Balta`ah (Radhi Allaho anho) sent a letter to the people of Makkah in order to inform them about the plans of the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) to fight them. It was concerning this that the first verses of Surah Mumtahinah were revealed. The garden of Khakh is a place falling between Makkah and Madinah. Refer to Bukhari [no 3983] and Muslim [no 2494] and Tafsir Ibn Kathir [4/344]]. They found her there but she initially denied having the book and then took it out from within her braids,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaho anho) when Satan had stolen some dates: "Indeed he shall return," and he did,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to his wives, "The most prolific of you in giving charity will be the quickest of you to join me." And it was so. Zaynab bint Jahsh (Radhi Allaho anha) was the most prolific of them in giving charity and was the first to die. [Refer to Sahih Muslim no 2452]
* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to 'Abdullah bin Salaam, "You will remain upon Islam until you die."

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for Hadhrat Anas (Radhi Allaho anho) that his wealth and sons may increase and that he should live a long life, and it was so. He lived for more than one hundred years and none of the Ansaar was richer than him and one hundred and twenty of his children had already been buried before the arrival of al-Hajjaj [to Basrah]. This is detailed further in Sahih Bukhari and others. [Bukhari no 1982]

* He supplicated that Islam be strengthened through Umar bin al-Khattab or Abu Jahl, and Allah strengthened it through Hadhrat Umar (Radhi Allaho anho),

* He supplicated against Suraqah bin Maalik and the feet of Suraqah's horse sank into the earth and he was thrown off, he called out asking for safe conduct and was granted it by the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), then he asked him to make a supplication for him,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated that Allah may remove the feeling of the bitter cold and heat from Hadhrat Ali (Radhi Allaho anho), and so never did he feel cold or hot,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for Hadhrat Huziafah (Radhi Allaho anho), the night that he sent him to spy on the Confederates, and he did not feel the cold until he returned from the mission,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhi Allaho anho) that Allah may grant him understanding of the religion and it was so

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated against Utbah bin Abi Lahb that Allah may cause a dog from amongst his dogs to overcome him. Utbah was then killed by a lion at az-Zarqa`,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for the descent of rain when people asked him to at the time of drought. There was not a single cloud in the sky at that time, and then when he had supplicated, clouds gathered like mountains and it rained until the next Friday. It rained so much that people had to come back and ask him to supplicate and stop the rain, so he supplicated and the rain stopped and they walked out into the glaring sun,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for Hadhrat Abu Talhah (Radhi Allaho anho) and his wife, Hadhrat Umm Sulaim (Radhi Allaho anha) that Allah may bless them in the night they had spent together, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Abdullah, who had nine children and all of them were scholars,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) supplicated for the mother of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaho anho) that she be guided and Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaho anho) left to find her performing the ritual bath because she had accepted Islam. He supplicated for Umm Qais bint Muhsin, the sister of Ukkasha, that she live a long life and we do not know of another woman who lived as long as she did. This was reported by an-Nasa'i the chapter concerning washing the deceased,

* On the Day of Hunain, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) threw a handful of dirt at the disbelievers and said, "May the faces be disfigured", and Allah the Exalted vanquished them, filling their eyes with dirt,

* The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) once went out to one hundred of the Quraish, who were waiting to do something horrible to him and he put dirt on their head and went on his way without being seen by them.

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The Prophet’s life and His Mission in short

This short survey of the twenty three years’ struggle between the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on one hand and the entire community of non believers all over Arabia on the other hand shows that the holy Prophet (pbuh) devoted each and every moment of this life for the cause of Islam i.e. to persuade the people to submit to the will of Allah. He did neither endeavour himself nor did he ask his followers to build up the castles or hoard up the wealth or acquire the kingdom or raise the standard of life in its material sense. His life remained simple throughout i.e. before as well as after the completion of his Mission. He did not live as kings live, although he had undoubtedly become the absolute ruler of the entire Arabia. He used to live in a small muddy house, lie down on rough palm carpets on the floor, take simple meals, do household work, patch up his own clothes and mend the shoes. He used to greet everybody and even the children. There were no servants to attend on him and no Body Guards or any other sign of outward dignity. He collected no assets so much so that on various occasions for days together there was no cooking of food in his house and he and his family simply kept on fasts.

The historians present the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as a spiritual leader, administrator, lawgiver, jurist, warrior, reformer and statesman of outstanding Calibre. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), what ever he did was not on account of any ideology of his own or on basis of some thing borrowed from any body else. His own position was that before his birth his father Abdullah died and when he was hardly six years of age his mother Amnah also passed away, and he was brought up firstly by his grand father Abdul Muttalib and after his death by his uncle Abu Talib. He remained totally unlettered and could neither read nor write. This was the reason that when for the first time the Angel Gibrail asked him to read; he said, “I am unlettered”. But when again the Angel asked him to read, he repeated what the Angel recited. Thus all that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) did was under and in strict obedience to the Commanded of Allah. If he stood up to propagate Islam, it was because Allah asked him to “expound openly what thou art commanded” (15:94) if he fought the battles, it was because Allah asked him to “kill them (i.e. the enemies of Islam) whenever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out and fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah 2:191-193:39). Similarly he did justice to the people because Allah said to him, “surely We have revealed to you with truth so that you may judge between the people by means of what Allah has taught you”(4:105), and “judge between the people by what Allah has revealed”(5:48). In the same manner he lived at Makkah or migrated to Madinah, run the affairs of the state, maintained the family, offered the prayers, kept the fasts, performed the Hajj, distributed the alms, offered the sacrifices or did any other thing because Allah the Almighty Commanded him to do so.This the only thing that has basically worked throughout the life of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is the submission to the will of Allah, and this has been to this extent that, as the Quran says,” he does not (even) speak out of (his own) desire but whatever he says is the word of Allah (53:3-4).

As regard the worldly gains it is worth mentioning that when the last hour of his life in this world approached near, he asked his wife Aisha to “give away to the needy whatever you have in the house”, only five Dirhams were found and were accordingly given away. Thus like all other prophets of Allah he also left no assets at all. In an authentic Tradition noted by Bukhari (ra), he had himself said: “ Surely the Scholars of Islam are heirs to the prophets because the prophets do not leave the assets wealth but of knowledge and the one who acquires knowledge he acquire “Big Wealth”.

The most distinguishing and unique feature of the Mission of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was that in spite of overall opposition and without having the material resources he, under the Command of Allah, all alone stood up to establish the Law of Allah among the people who were totally arrogant and tough in their belief in idolatry and who had no sense of morality, decency, discipline and justice at all, and he did it with this determination that when at the request of the Quresh of Makkah to restrain him from propagation of Islam, His own Uncle Abu Talib said to him: “ O beloved of thy uncle, do not put upon me a burden which I may not be able to bear”, he out rightly said: “O my uncle, if these people bring me the sun and place it in my right hand , and bring me the moon and place it in my left hand, it would not stop me from my Mission until Allah fulfils it for me or I am destroyed in the process”. At another occasion the quresh of Makkah themselves approached him and said: “if you want wealth, we shall make you the riches in the land: if you want power, we shall make you our ruler; if you want a beautiful wife, you can name her and she will be yours; and if some jinn has touched you, we can call best of the sorcerers to cure you”. In reply he said: “I want nothing of these things. I am a servant of Allah. He has sent me to you as an Apostle and revealed to me His Book and commanded me to warn you. So I have given you His Message and no power on earth will stop me from propagating it. If you accept, you will have goodly reward; if you reject, I shall be patient till Allah Himself settles this dispute between us”.

He really proved to be true to his words and firm to his determination. His opponents subjected him to all sorts of curses, tortures, boycott, and conspiracies and ultimately also the armed attacks, but he continued Hiss Mission with complete patience and forbearance, decency and discipline as well as enthusiasm and conviction, and the ultimate success, which he achieved, in his own words, was:

“There in only Allah, he has no equal and no compeer. Today, He has fulfilled His promise; he aided His servants and made them triumph over all His enemies” (Address on the conquest of Makkah)

He also made a reference to this ultimate success in his last sermon to his followers in the following words:
“Satan has despaired pf leading you astray in big things, so beware of obeying him in small things” and further, “listen to me in earnest, worship your God, say your prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in charity, all Muslin, freed or enslaved, have the same rights and the same responsibilities too. None is higher than the other unless he be higher in virtue”.

Finally during his last moments also he said:
“Fear God, I pray you, and may God keep you on the ‘Straight Path’. I entrust you to His Care. I have warned you of the everlasting punishment and given you the tiding of everlasting Bliss”. This is fact was the achievement of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) which was unprecedented in human history, and its importance lies also in that since its accomplishment nearly fourteen hundred years ago nobody on earth could ever succeed in uprooting Islam or finishing up the belief in Allah the Almighty, or even making the slightest change in His Message or mixing it up with falsehood as was done in the case of all previous Books of Islam prevailed all over Arabia during the life time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself, them in the entire Middle East, Persia, and part or Europe in the days of his Caliphs and thereafter the learned Sufis (Mystics) of Islam took up the torch of his Message throughout the world, and world in its original form with millions of its followers in its strict sense.

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Soundvision.com on The Prophet

Peace & Blessings be Upon him
The Prophet and the people who opposed him (http://www.soundvision.com/info/seerah/enemy.asp)
How to make the Prophet Muhammad come alive for your children (http://www.soundvision.com/info/seerah/kids.asp)
The Prophet's last sermon (http://www.soundvision.com/info/hajj/lastsermon.asp)
How the Prophet instilled brotherhood and sisterhood amongst Muslims (http://www.soundvision.com/info/racism/howprophet.asp)
What The Prophet Did in Sajdah (prostration) (http://soundvision.com/info/ramadan/10.sajda.asp)
Poem: If the Prophet visited you
(http://www.soundvision.com/info/seerah/poem.asp)The Prophet's Marriage Sermon (http://www.soundvision.com/Info/weddings/khutba.asp)
Please Stop Abusing the Prophet (http://soundvision.com/info/seerah/abuse.asp) new
How the Prophet celebrated Eid (http://www.soundvision.com/info/eid/sunna.asp)
Life of the Prophet: Read a Seerah book online (http://www.soundvision.com/info/seerah/hameed0.asp)


Products about the Prophet's Life:


Videos about the Prophet
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (http://soundvision.com/info/seerah/muhammad.asp) Video (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=1432-001) DVD (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=7432-001)
Understanding the Seerah (6 video set) (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=110-305)
Peace, War and Alliances in the Prophet's Life (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=110-176)
8 Winning Principles of the Prophet (http://soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-175)
The Prophet's Development of Youth (http://soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-173)
The Prophet's Empowerment of Women (http://soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-174)
Social Service in the Prophet's Life (http://soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-177)
The Prophet and the people around him (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-031)
Authenticity of Hadith & Islamic Law (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-100)
Muhammad (pbuh) the Honest (http://www.soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=110-075)
Opposition to Islam: Yesterday and Today (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=110-081)


Audio Cassettes & CDs about the Prophet
Understanding the Seerah (6 cassettes) (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=213-055)
Understanding the Seerah (6 CD) (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=710-052)
A Treasury of Islamic Tales (7 CD) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=710-050)
A Treasury of Islamic Tales: The Children's Story Library (cassettes) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=211-009)
A Treasury of Islamic Tales (cassettes and books) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=611-015)
An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=213-016)
Gifts from Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=213-015)
In Praise of the Last Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (cassette) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=2166-014)
In Praise of the Last Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (CD) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=7166-014)
Prayers of the Last Prophet (cassette) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=2166-001)
Prayers of the Last Prophet: (cassette and book) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=6166-001)
Prayers of the Last Prophet (CD) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=7166-001)
Prayers of the Last Prophet (CD and book) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=7166-002)
Prophetic Art of communication (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=2166-004)
The Life of the Last Prophet (casette and book) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=6166-002)
The Life of the Last Prophet (cassette)
(http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=2166-005)The Life of the Last Prophet: CD (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=7166-007)
The Prophet's Hands CD (http://soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=710-007)
The Prophet's Hands (cassette) (http://www.soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=213-054)


Books
Stories from the Prophet's Life (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=4361-010)
Stories of the Seerah (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=425-013)
Sunshine at Madinah (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=420-018)
The Life of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=421-051)
When the Moon Split (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=488-029)
A Day With the Prophet
(http://www.soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=420-052)Image of the Prophet Muhammad in the West (http://www.soundvision.com/Shop/pview.asp?Item=420-016)
Muhammad, the Last Prophet (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=425-056)
(http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=4166-001)Prophet's Muhammad's Sermons - Forty Sermons (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=4263-026)
Remembrance and Prayer: The Way of Prophet Muhammad (http://www.soundvision.com/shop/pview.asp?Item=420-020)

Some links on Hadith
The Science of Hadith
(http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/scienceofhadith/brief1/)An introduction to the science of Hadith
(http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Hadith/Ulum/asb2.html) Hadith's authenticity (http://www.islamicvoice.com/2001-07/hadith.htm)

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The Last Prophet

Muhammad, son of Abdullah, Peace & Blessings be upon him
"My choice of Muhammed (peace be upon him) to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels".
Michael Hart in "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History", New York, 1978, p.33.

You must know this Person (p.b.u.h.) Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) (http://whyislam.org/877/Last_Prophet/Last_Sermon.asp)
delivered during the Hajj of Year 632 A.C Prophethood in Islam (http://whyislam.org/877/Last_Prophet/Prophethood.asp)
by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) Prophet's Biography by a Muslim (http://whyislam.org/877/Last_Prophet/Biography_by_Hamidullah.asp)
by Muhammad Hamidullah (Centre Culturel Islamique, Paris, 1969) Prophet's Biography by a Non-Muslim (http://whyislam.org/877/Last_Prophet/Biography_by_Rao.asp)
by Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Head of the Dept. of Philosophy (India) What they say about prophet Muhammad(pbuh) (http://whyislam.org/877/Services/Literature/7.asp)
877-Why-Islam Informational Brochure

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This is Muhammad (flash with sound)
http://www.islamway.com/mohammad/ (http://www.islamway.com/mohammad/)

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PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW) - A Mercy for All Creatures
Mercy for Animals

Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was kind to every living creature and this kindness knew no limits. He was very kind to animals as well. Arabs, like all ignorant and illiterate people, were very unkind to their animals. It was very common in Arabia to put a collar round the neck of a camel, but this practice was stopped on the Prophet's orders. People used to cut pieces of flesh from living animals and cook and eat them. This common practice was forbidded.
It was also forbidden to shear their hair or tails. Prophet Muhammad said that the tail was the brush and fan (of these animals and their hair was their quilt. He also forbade people to keep animals tied to their working equipment for long time and said, “Don’t make the backs of animals your chairs." Animals’ fights were also made unlawful. Another custom was to tie up an animal and practice arrow shooting on it. This was also prohibited.
Once prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) saw a donkey on the road with a brand on its face, and said, “Allah’s curse is on him who branded it." As people had to brand their camels and sheep in order to identify them, they were told to brand them on parts which were not so tender. Anas reported that he went into a herd of sheep and saw Allah's Messenger branding them on the ears.
Once the Prophet was on a journey with his companions and they stopped for rest at a certain place. A bird had laid an egg there. A man took away the egg and the bird began beating her wings in a state of great distress. The Prophet enquired who had hurt her by taking her egg. When the man admitted that he had done that, the Prophet asked him to return the egg to the nest.
A companion who had some baby birds wrapped in a peice of cloth came to the Prophet. On enquiry, he told Prophet Muhammad, " I heard a noise from a bush, went there, saw these chicks, and took them out. When their mother saw what had happened, she began to hover over my head." The Prophet told him to go back and return the chicks.
Once he saw a camel on the road, whose belly had shrunk so much because of extreme hunger that it had become one with its back. He said, " Fear Allah in your treatment to these animals who cannot speak. " Muhammad himself fed animals, tied carriers and milked goats.
Prophet Muhammad ( peace be on him) once told a story to his companions. There was a man who went on a journey and on his way felt very thirsty. He found a well and went down into it and drank water. When he came out of the well he saw a dog who was also very thirsty and was licking the salty ground with his tongue. Thinking that the animal was thirsty like him, he again went down into the well, filled his leather socks with water and gave it to the dog. Allah was so pleased with this action of the man that he granted him Paradise. There is another story about a woman going to Hell who starved her cat to death.
Prophet Muhammad ( peace be on him) was so kind and gentle that he advised his companions to be nice and considerate even while slaughtering animals for food. He asked them to slaughter them with the sharpest weapon, thus causing the minimum pain and suffering to the animal. He also forbade them to sharpen the weapon in front of the animal or when the animal was ready for slaughter, but told them to do these preliminaries before the animal was brought for slaughter.
Prophet Muhammad ( peace be on him ) taught people by word and deed to be kind and polite to everyone. Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet as saying, " A believer is friendly ( and kind). " Ayeshah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, " Allah is gentle and likes gentleness. He gives for gentleness what he does not give for harshness and what He does not give for anything else."
Ayeshah also reported Allah's Messenger as saying, “He who is given his share of gentleness is given from his share of good of this world and the next, but he who is deprived of his share of gentleness is deprived of his share of the good of this world and the next." Abdullah Ibn Masud reported Allah's Messenger as saying, “Shall I not tell you about the man who is kept away, from Hell and from whom Hell is kept away? From the person who is gentle and kind, accessible and of an easy disposition.
Prophet Muhammad, by his own example, had instilled this kind of behaviour in his companions, who, after him, set an example for other people. This is shown by the following incident. It is reported by Abdullah Ibn Jafar that he passed by a grazing feild and saw an Abyssinian slave guarding a herd of goats. A dog came and sat in front of him. He took out a loaf of bread and gave it to the dog, who ate it. Then he gave the second and third loaves of bread to the dog who ate them all. He enquired of the slave how many loaves of bread he got daily from his master. He replied that he got as many as he saw.
At this, he asked why he gave all his bread to the dog. The slave replied that the dog did not belong to that place and must have come hoping for food from a long distance, hence he did not like his effort to be wasted. Abdullah said that he liked his action so much that he bought the slave along with the goats and the grazing field from his master, set him free and give him all the goats and the grazing field. The slave thanked him and prayed for him and gave all the goats and the grazing field in charity and went away.



Source: alinaam.org

[islamirama]

Get the Real Picture of The Prophet Mohamed


Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutallib
Born 570 C.E. (Christian Era); died 633 C.E.


The following is based on books, manuscripts, texts and actual eyewitness accounts, too numerous to mention herein, preserved in original form throughout the centuries by both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Many people today are discussing Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Who was he exactly? What did he teach? Why was he loved so much by some and hated so much by others? Did he live up to his claims? Was he a holy man? Was he a prophet of God? What is the truth about this man?

You be the judge.

First before listing the A-Z (+2) Facts about Muhammad, peace be upon him, let us begin with the very simple historical evidences. Here are the facts as narrated by thousands of people, many of whom knew him personally.
Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutalib (Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, the son of Abdul Mutalib) - Muhammad means "praised one" or "praising one"

Muhammad was born from the lineage of Abraham's oldest son, Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), to the noble tribe of the Quraish who were the leaders of Makkah in those days,.

He never fell into the common practice of his tribesmen to worship statues, idols or man-made "gods."

He believed that God was truly One God, and as such, He was to be worshipped alone, without any other "gods" beside Him.

He held the Name of God in the highest of reverence and never took God's Name in vain or for any vainglorious purpose.

He despised false worship and all of the complexities and degradation to which it leads.

He insisted on keeping the Commandments of Almighty God, just as prophets of old had done in the past.

He never committed adultery, and he forbids others from doing it.

He forbade usury and interest on money lending, as Jesus, peace be upon him, had done centuries before him.

He never gambled and did not allow it.

He never drank alcohol or strong drink; even though it was a very normal thing for people of his time and place.

He did not engage in gossip and used to turn away from hearing anything related to it.

He offered prayers in the manner and direction (toward Jerusalem, until Allah ordered the change toward Makkah) as was prescribed of prophets in the Bible, standing, bowing, kneeling and prostrating as they had done before him.

He fasted for days at a time to be closer to Almighty God and away from the narrowness of worldly attractions.

He taught that Jesus, peace be upon him, was the Immaculate Conception and miracle birth of Mary, and that she was the best creation of Almighty God.

He insisted even to the Jews of Madinah, that Jesus, peace be upon him, was the Messiah, the Christ, the one predicted to come in their Torah (Old Testament).

He said Jesus, peace be upon him, did many miracles by the permission of Almighty God, curing the lepers, restoring sight to the blind and even bringing a dead man back to life.

He stated clearly that Jesus, peace be upon him, was not dead, rather Almighty God had raised him up.

He predicted Jesus, peace be upon him, is going to return again in the Last Days to lead the true believers in a victory over the evil and unrighteous people, and he will destroy the Anti-Christ.

He commanded the payment of charity to the poor and he was the defender and protector of widows, orphans and the wayfarers.

He ordered people to unite with their families and honor the ties of kinship and he restored relationships between family members.

He required his followers to engage only in lawful marriage relationships with women, and forbid sex outside of Almighty God's Ordinance.

He insisted on giving women their proper rights, dowries, inheritance and property.

His patience and humble attitude were exemplary and all who knew him had to admit to these virtues.
A. He never lied, never broke a trust, never bore false witness, he was famous with all the tribes in Makkah and was known as: "Spirit of Truth" (As-Saddiq).

B. He never once engaged in sex outside of marriage, nor did he ever approve of it, even though it was very common at the time.

C. His only relationships with women were in legitimate, contractual marriages with proper witnesses according to law.

D. His relationship to Ayesha was only that of marriage. He did not marry her the first time her father offered her hand to him in marriage. He did not marry her until she reached puberty and could decide for herself. Their relationship is described in every detail by Ayesha herself in the most loving and respectful manner as a match truly made in heaven. Ayesha is considered as one of the highest scholars of Islam and lived out her entire life only having been married to Muhammad, peace be upon him. She never desired any other man, nor did she ever utter a single negative statement against Muhammad, peace be upon him.

E. He forbade any killing until the orders for retaliation came from Allah. Even then the limits were clearly spelled out and only those engaged in active combat against the Muslims or Islam were to be fought in combat. And even then, only according to very strict rules from Allah.

F. Killing any innocent life was forbidden.

G. There was no genocide of Jews. He offered mutual protection and forgiveness to the Jews even after they broke their covenants with him many times. They were not attacked until it was clearly proven they were traitors during time of war and tried to bring down the prophet, peace be upon him, and the Muslims at any cost. Retaliation was only to those Jews who had turned traitor and not others.

H. Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from Allah for those who did so. Prophet, peace be upon him, gave the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was actually considered like a son to him) Zaid ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the slave who was bought by Abu Bakr only for the purpose of freeing him.

I. While there were many attempts of assassination made on Muhammad, peace be upon him, (most famous was the night that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakr escaped to Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of the most famous of his acts of forgiveness and humbleness.

J. Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of prophet hood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Quran, with proper rights and limitations according His Commandments, that any retaliation or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place.

K. Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to His Commands.

L. Cursing and invoking evil actually came to the prophet, peace be upon him, from his enemies, while he would be praying for their guidance. Classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street against him, throwing rocks and a stones at him until his body was bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by the angel Gabriel, if he would give the command, Allah would cause the surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all. Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for them to be guided to worship their Lord alone, without any partners.

M. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, claimed every person who is born is born in a state of ISLAM (submission to God on His Terms in Peace), as a Muslim (MU-Islam means; "one who does ISLAM" i.e.; submits to God's Will and obeys His Commandments). He further stated, God has created each person in the image that is His according to His plan, and their spirit is His. Then as they grow older they begin to distort their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and their own prejudices.

N. Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught his followers to believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus, peace be upon them all, and to believe in them as true prophets, messengers and servants of Almighty Allah. He insisted on ranking all the prophets up at the highest level without any distinction between them, and ordered his followers to say the words, "Peace be upon him" after mentioning their names.

O. He also taught the Torah (Old Testament), Zabur (Psalms) and Enjil (Gospel or New Testament) were originally from the very same source as the Quran, from Allah to the angel Gabriel. He asked the Jews to judge according to their own Book, and they tried to cover up some of it to hide the correct judgment, knowing he, peace be upon him, could not read.

P. He prophesied, predicted and foretold of events to come and they happened as he had said. He even predicted something from the past that would come true in the future, and it has.
The Quran states pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea while chasing after Moses and Allah said He would preserve Pharaoh as a sign for the future. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book, "Bible, Quran and Science" makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been discovered in Egypt and is now on display for all to see.
This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad, peace be upon him, and it came true in the last few decades, many centuries after his death.


Q. There has been more written about the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, than any other person on earth. He has been praised very high even by famous non-Muslims for centuries. One of the first examples we quote from is from the Encyclopedia Britannica, as it confirms:

(regarding Muhammad) ". . . a mass of detail in the early sources shows that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright men."
(Vol. 12)


R. Another impressive tribute to Muhammad, peace be upon him is in the very well written work of Michael H. Hart, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History." He states that the most influential person in all history was Muhammad, peace be upon him, with Jesus second. Examine his actual words:
"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level."
Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, page. 33.


S. While we are reviewing statements from famous non-Muslims about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, consider this:
"Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"
Lamartine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277.


T. And then we read what George Bernard Shaw, a famous writer and non-Muslim says:
"He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness."
(The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)


U. Then we found that K.S. Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian (Hindu) professor of Philosophy, in his booklet "Muhammad the Prophet of Islam" calls him the "perfect model for human life." Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying:
"The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad the Prophet. There is Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Statesman; Muhammad the Orator; Muhammad the Reformer; Muhammad the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad the Judge; Muhammad the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."


V. What should we think about our prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, when someone with the worldly status such as Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad, peace be upon him, says in 'YOUNG INDIA':
"I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life."


W. English author Thomas Carlyle in his 'Heroes and Hero Worship', was simply amazed as to:
"How one man single handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."


X. And Diwan Chand Sharma wrote in "The Prophets of the East":
"Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him"
(D.C. Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12)
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was nothing more or less than a human being, but he was a man with a noble mission, which was to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to teach them the way to honest and upright living based on the commands of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and Messenger of God' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.

Y. Speaking on the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu says:
"It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'... I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother."
(S. Naidu, Ideals of Islam, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169)


Z. In the words of Professor Hurgronje:
"The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." He continues, "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."


Z-2. (we went over the A-Z alphabet) Edward Gibbon and Simon Ockley, on the profession of ISLAM, writes in "History of the Saracen Empires":
"I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, AND MAHOMET, AN APOSTLE OF GOD' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honor of the Prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtues; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion."
(History of the Saracen Empires, London, 1870, p. 54)


Z-3. Wolfgang Goethe, perhaps the greatest European poet ever, wrote about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He said:
"He is a prophet and not a poet and therefore his Koran is to be seen as Divine Law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or entertainment."(Noten und Abhandlungen zum Weststlichen Dvan, WA I, 7, 32)
People do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'gods' out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad, peace be upon him, accomplished. And all his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting mankind for the worship of One God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad, peace be upon him, or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity – but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God.

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

Now it is up to you.

You are a rational thinking, concerned human being. As such, you should already be asking yourself:

"Could these extraordinary, revolutionary and amazing statements, all about this one man, really be true?

What if this is all true?

Now ask yourself the question in light of what we have just discovered about this man; "What do YOU say about Muhammad, peace be upon him?"

Compiled by Yusuf Estes, Former Christian Preacher

Edited and adapted by Khalid Latif, e-tabligue