Who is Muhammad

Who is Muhammad? The people of ancient Arabia were misguided and misled. They disobeyed Allah and worshipped idols. Then Allah Ta'ala favoured mankind by sending them the best creation of Allah; the Master of humankind and jinns; the greatest personality on earth; the beloved of Allah, Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was born in the month of Rabi'al-Awwal in the year, 571 C.E. He was a descendant of Prophet Ismail. His father, Abdullah, died several weeks before his birth. His mother, Amina died during the return journey from Madinah, at a place called Abwa. He was raised by his grandfather, Abdul - Muttalib, until the age of eight. After his grandfather's death, his uncle, Abu Talib, took care of him. Abu Talib treated Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) very kindly. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) would sleep in his uncle's bed and eat with him.

Under the guidance of Abu Talib, Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) began to earn his living as a businessman and a trader. At the age of twelve, he accompanied Abu Talib with a merchant caravan as far as Syria. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was popularly known as 'al-Ameen' (the trustworthy) and 'al-Sadiq' (the truthful) for his good deeds. His name, Muhammad means "the praised one".

After hearing about Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam)'s impressive character, Sayyidatna Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha), a rich merchant, offered Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) money to take some goods for trade to Syria. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) set out for Syria along with Maisarah, a slave of Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha). After the trip, Maisarah told Sayyidatina Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha) all about the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Sayyidatina Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha) was fascinated by Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Therefore, she married him (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) and Sayyidatina Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha) were blessed with two sons and four daughters. Their first son, Qasim died at the age of two while their second son, Abdullah, died during his infancy. Prophet Muhammad's (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) four daughters were Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima (Rady Allahu Anhuma).

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) usually went to a cave in Mount Hira for meditation. Sometimes, he would remain in the cave for a month. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was forty years old when Jibril (peace be upon him) appeared before him and revealed the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq. After the revelation, Sayyidatina Khadija (Rady Allahu Anha) became the first woman to accept Islam.

Jibreel (peace be upon him) visited Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) and revealed ayat over a period of twenty-three years. Sometimes, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) would receive some parts of a chapter or a whole chapter. They were memorized as soon as they were revealed. These verses were collected in a book, known as the Qur'an.

The first few people to accept Islam were his cousin Ali, his servant Zayd ibn Harithah, his friend Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rahdy Allahu Anhum) and his daughters. They accepted Islam by testifying that " There is no deity except Allah. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) is Allah's Messenger".

In the first three years of Prophet Muhammad's (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) mission, forty people accepted Islam. He then began to preach Islam in public. The leaders of the Quraish did not accept the new religion. Some of them tried to bribe Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) with money and power, including an offer to make him a king. But our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) refused to abandon Allah's message. When this did not work, they tried to convince his uncle, Abu Talib, to allow them to kill Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Therefore, his uncle tried to persuade him from preaching. But Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) said " O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep on preaching until Allah makes Islam prevail or I die. "

The tribe of Quraish began to persecute Muslims by beating and torturing them. The first person to die by this means was a Muslim woman called Umm Ammar. Our beloved Prophet, Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was publicly humiliated. They threw dirt on him while he was walking on a street and while he was praying in the Kabah. Despite all these hardships, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was told by Allah Ta'ala to be patient and preach the message of the Qur'an. When the punishment became unbearable for Muslims, the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam), advised them to go to Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

The Quraish made life miserable for Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). They made a ban on contact with the Prophet's (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) family. The ban lasted for three years. After the ban was lifted, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) lost his wife, Sayyidatina Khadijah (Rady Allahu Anha) and his uncle, Abu Talib.

After Sayyidatina Khadijah's death, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) married Sayyidatina Sawdah (Rady Allahu Anha). She was fifty years old. Later, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) married Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha). Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha) was the daughter of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu), a close companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam).

Since his uncle, Abu Talib died; Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) went to Taif, a city south of Makkah, to preach there. But the people of Taif laughed at him. Their children threw stones at our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Jibreel (peace be upo him) visited Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) and suggested that the angels were ready to destroy the town. But Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) refused and prayed for the future generations of Taif to accept Islam.

After the incident at Taif, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) experienced the events of Isra and Mi'raaj. During the event of Isra, Jibreel (peace be upon him) took Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) to Masjid Al-Aqsa, a mosque in Jerusalem, at night. Here, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) lead the other Prophets in prayer. After this, the event of Mi'raaj took place. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was taken to the heavens. It was on this journey that he received the gift of the five daily prayers. He was then taken back to Makkah. When Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) mentioned these events to the people of Makkah, they laughed at him. However, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) described the Masjid al-Aqsa to them and told them that a caravan will be arriving soon. The non-believers were later astonished when this turned out to be true. 

The leaders of Quraish were getting angry at Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam).
They decided to kill him. The leaders chose a young man from each clan of Quraish. These men were responsible for attacking Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Jibreel (may peace be upon him) informed Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) about the plan and instructed him to leave immediately. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) advised Hadrat Ali to sleep in his bed. He then met with Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) and both of them went into hiding in a cave in Mount Thawr. 

The next morning, the men raided the house of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). After finding out that he had left, they set out for the mountains in search of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Abu Karz, a man known for his skills in tracking footprints, followed the tracks of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) to the cave. They examined the cave and noticed that a web had covered it's mouth. They thought that it was impossible for Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) to hide in the cave. So, they departed.

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) spend three nights in the cave. When he was sure that the Quraish had ended their search, he travelled to Madinah. This journey is known as "Hijra". The Islamic calendar begins with this event. Upon the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam), the people of Madinah greeted him with great respect and treated him with hospitality.

After the migration to Madinah, the enemies of Islam increased their attack on Muslims. The Battles of Badr, Uhud and the Allies took place and were fought near Madinah. Many men gave their life for Islam. This resulted in many widowed women and lots of orphaned children. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) married several widows like Sayyidatina Zainab bint Khuzaimah, Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them.. All his wives, especially Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha), reported many ahadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad).

A year after the Battle of the Allies, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) and fifteen hundred Muslims left for Makkah to perform Hajj. On their journey, they were stopped from entering Hudaybiyah. In this city, some negotiations took place that allowed them to come next year. This treaty attracted many people from Arabia. Many people came from different parts of Arabia and accepted Islam.

Two years later, the Quraish violated the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. So, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) marched to Makkah with an army of 10,000 Muslims. Before entering the city, he told the citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his home or in the Kabah, would be safe. The army entered Makkah without fighting and Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) went directly to the Kabah. He thanked Allah, the Almighty for allowing the entry to Makkah. He then pointed at each idol and recited this verse from the Qur'an, "Truth has come and falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear." One by one the idols fell down. Thus, the Kabah was cleaned. Next, he forgave the leaders of Quraish and the people of Makkah. The people of Makkah then accepted Islam, including the enemies of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Within a year, almost the of whole Arabia had accepted Islam. 

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) performed his first and last pilgrimage during the tenth year after Hijra. 120,000 men and women performed pilgrimage with him. He received the last revelation during this pilgrimage.Two months later, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) fell sick and after several days left his earthly existence on Monday, 12th Rabi al-Awwal in Madinah. He was 63 years old.

Our beloved Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) lived a very simple and modest life, even though he could have lived like a king. He (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) and his family used to go without cooked meals for several days at a time, eating dates and dried bread. During the day, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was the busiest man, he performed his duties as the head of state and a family man. He was the most devoted man during the night. He (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) used to spend one to two- thirds of every night in prayer and meditation. Prophet Muhammad's (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) possessions consisted of mats, jugs and other simple things.

At the end of his mission, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was blessed with several followers. Thousands prayed with him and listened to his sermon. Hundreds of sahaba (companions) would find time to be with him during the five daily prayers. They used to seek his advice for their everyday problems. Among them were Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq, Hadrat Umar, Hadrat Uthman, Hadrat Ali, Imam Hassan, Imam Hussain and many others, Rady Allahu Anhum.

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) had a beautiful appearance. His sweat was more fragrant then musk and his perspiration shone like pearls. He (Sallallahu'Alaihi wa Sallam) talked so clearly that someone could count the number of words he spoke. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) never struck anybody with his hand, but he did fight for Islam. He (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) used to forgive his enemies and release prisoners of war.

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was the last Prophet of Allah. All sincere Muslims try to follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Many Muslim scholars have composed qasidas in praise of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Rasulallah (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) favours upon his Ummah are unlimited. Our Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) said, " You do not have (complete) Imaan until I am more beloved to you than your father, children and the rest of mankind."

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) is the connection between Muslims and Allah. We can never get close to Allah unless our hearts are filled with the love of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). I hope I've to the best of my ability, answered the question, "Who is Muhammad s.a.w".

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Science & Faith

One of the more popular aspects of thei'jaaz (the miraculous nature) of the Qur'aanin these times concerns its comments on aspects of science that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his people could not have known about. There are a number of books written about this topic, perhaps the most popular being Maurice Bucaille's The Bible, Qur'an, and Science1 It should be remembered however, that the Qur'aan is not meant to be a book primarily devoted to a discussion of 'science', but rather a book that is meant for the guidance of mankind. As such, any references to subjects of a scientific nature are typically brief and not very descriptive. The i'jaaz, however appears in the fact that even in these limited descriptions, the Qur'aan conforms exactly to modern science, and imparts knowledge that was unknown during the lifetime of theProphet (peace be upon him). These descriptions are free from retroactive ideas that plagued humanity from the earliest of times, such as the concept that the Earth is stationary, and all the other planets and stars rotate around it.

There are numerous examples of such verses, such as the description of the formation of human life. The sperm of man is referred to as a 'mixture of liquids' (76:2), since the sperm is composed of various secretions from the testicles, the seminal vesicles, the prostate and other glands. From the literally millions of sperms produced and ejaculated, only one sperm is actually used in the fertilization process - a very small quantity. This is referred to in a number of verses by the word 'nutfah' (75:37) which signifies a small quantity of mixed fluid. the sperm then hoins the female egg and forms the zygote. This occurs in the mother's womb, a 'safe lodging' (23:13). (see Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 - Web Ed.). ...

During the delivery process, the passage of the baby from the mother's womb to the outside world occurs through the birth canal. Typically, this canal is extremely narrow and tight. However, shortly before the birth, certain changes occur, including the release of certain hormones, the contractions of the uterus, and the breakage of the 'bag of water' surrounding the baby, all of which contribute to making the canal loose. This is referred to in 80:20, "then We made the passage (though the birth canal) easy."

Perhaps the best way to appreciate the beauty of the above verses is to see pictures of the human embryo as it goes through the various stages of development...(see Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 - Web Ed)

The vivid yet simple descriptions given in these verses (i.e. 22:5) were unknown to the people of the Prophet's time, demonstrating the i'jaaz of the Qur'aan in Science.

Other facts that are given in the Qur'aan include the description of the formation of milk (16:66), the notion of orbits for the planets (21:33 and 36:40), and the description of the water cycle (15:22, 35:9 and more). Every verse that discusses nature and the creation falls into this category. In many verses, Allah Himself commands mankind to ponder over the creation, and mentions these as an indication of His Existence and Power. (3:190-191)

One final note on the concept of science as an i'jaaz of the Qur'aan: There can never be a real contradictions between the Qur'aan and the Laws of Allah concerning the creation (i.e. actual science). The Qur'aan is the Book of Allah, and since it is from Allah "there is no doubt in it" (2:1)

Likewise, the laws that govern the creation are also from Allah. What is studied as 'science', on the other hand, is the attempt by man to understand the creation and laws ofAllah. Therefore it is possible fro a scientific assumption to be incorrect, and this is clearly demonstrated by historically scientific 'facts' as the Earth being flat, or the orbiting of the Sun around the Earth. These concepts were believed to in so strongly by the 'scientists' of their time that, on occasion, those who opposed them were harassed and even killed. Yet, later scientists discovered the inaccuracy of these concepts.

Therefore, when there is a conflict between the meaning of a clear, explicit verse (meaning qat'ee ad-dalaalah) of the Qur'aan and 'modern' science. a Muslim must take the verse of the Qur'aan - without hesitation - over any scientific 'fact'. A rejection of such a verse, or even the apparent meaning of such a verse, would be tantamount to a rejection ofAllah's knowledge. For example, the theory of evolution is, for the most part, agreed upon by the majority of non-Muslim scholars. Whether there is strong proof to back up the theory or not is irrelevant - the Qur'aan is clear that Allah created Adam from His own Hands, and "From him He created his mate, and from these two He spread forth many men and women" (4:1)

Therefore a Muslim can never believe in the theory that men are descendants of apes, no matter what "proof" might seem to exist.2 Neither is it allowed, as some Muslim rationalists have done, to try to interpret clear Qur'aanic texts to suit modern theories. Following the above example, to try to interpret the story of the creation of Adam and Eve as actually having been the creation of some Neanderthal neo-human species is almost as blasphemous as rejecting the verse in the first place!

It is possible, however, for there to be an apparent conflict between a verse and a scientific fact, when no such conflict exists. This occurs when some scholars take one of the possible linguistic meanings of a vers, such that this meaning conforms with the verse, but is not the only meaning that may be derived from it (basically, the verse is dhannee ad-dalaalah). For example some scholars have understood certain verses of the Qur'aan (e.g., "And it is He who has spread out the Earth" (13:3), and (15:9)) to indicate that the Earth is flat, since the phrase 'madd' occurs, which means 'to spread out'. However, this verse is not explicit in stating taht the Earth is flat, and to conclude this from the above verse requires a degree of interpretation. Since there exists clear proof that the Earth is not flat, this interpretation must be rejected. The meaning of the verse, therefore, is that Allah has created this Earth as a very vast place for mankind, and not that the Earth is flat (This principle may also apply to the verse 'baynas sulbi wat taraaib" in soorah At-Taariqreferring to semen and interpreted as "coming forth from between the backbone and the ribs or breastbone" - Web Ed).

Also, it is essential that scientific facts are not read in where they do not exist. Unfortunately, this has become an all too common trend among 'modernistic' Muslims who have specialised in science, but are not very familiar with the interpretation of the Qur'aan.3 Once again, the Qur'aan "...is a book of guidance...and not a book of science, nor a mine of cryptic notes on scientific facts."4

For example, many people interpret the following verse as a prediction of space travel by man:

O assembly of Men and Jinns! If you have opower to pass through the zones of the Heavens and Earth - then pass! But you will never be able to pass them except with authority (from Allah) (55:33)

However, a look at the next verse, and the authentic tafseers of Ibn Katheer and At-Tabaree, will show that this verse is in reference to the jinns listening to the whispers of the angels in the Heaven (or to the Resurrection of the creation on the Day of Judgment), and not to inter-galactic travel!

In conclusion, although the scientific aspect of the Qur'aan is one of the aspects of it's i'jaaz, it must be put in its proper place, and a proper methodology needs to be followed in order to extract examples of such verses. It does more harm than good when certain verses int he Qur'aan are 'bent over backwards,' so as to say, to seek to prove that they contain certain implied scientific facts. One only needs to read works in which this methodology was followed to see how ludicrous the conclusions are. (For example, Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa (d. 1935), one of the founders of the 'Modernist' movement, claimed that the 'Jinns' that theQur'aan was referring to actually alluded to the discovery of disease-arraying microbes!) When such facts are clear and explicit from the verse, they should be mentioned (such as the examples quoted above - and in this book, inshaa-allah), but when they go against the intent and meaning of the verse, they should be abandoned.

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The Way To Achieve Happiness

It is the nature of every person to seek happiness. Some people strive to seek material happiness in this world away from religion, thinking that this is the true happiness. But this kind of happiness will be succeeded by pain and sorrow at the Day of Judgment, and its people will know that their striving led them only to misery and not happiness.

While others know that the true way to happiness is to obey God and follow His religion. For them the pleasures and riches of the world are of little consequence. When this happiness penetrates and fills the heart of the believer he does in fact live in this world as if he were in Paradise. Those are the people who find true happiness in this world.

What kind of happiness could be greater than that of someone who humbles himself to God, worships Him, strives for His pleasure, and strives to enter Paradise and have salvation from Hellfire?

The believer lives with such a sweetness in his heart that if the masters of the earth knew of it, they would fight him to death to take it from him. God has said:

 Whoever does right, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will make him live a good life, and We will award them their reward for the best of what they used to do. (Quran, 16:97)

Happiness is in the good life mentioned in this verse, that even the rich disbelievers cannot find, despite the money they have. That is why we are not surprise when we know that many among them committed suicide.

To reach true happiness, we need to know what is the purpose of our life, how to reach success in the hereafter, and to fulfill the requirements of reaching this success by following the commands of God and His true religion.

We know much about Mars, Earth, moon, stars, and galaxies, thanks to the century of knowledge. But how much we know about our eternal life after death and how to reach success in the hereafter?

People need to eat every day to supply their bodies with energy and to keep themselves healthy. If they stop eating for a period of time, diseases will sneak up upon them and overtake them, and perhaps even kill them. Similarly, people also need food of another kind, food for the spirit and heart. It is unfortunate that while people are careful never to forget to feed their bodies, they do not show the same concern for the health of their souls and hearts. The heart needs food as the body does. The diseases of the body and the debilitating effects they have are not more dangerous than the diseases of the heart and soul.

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Holy War. Paradoxical don't you think?

The Arabic word Jihad literally means "holy struggle". It is not holy war. War is war. No war can be holy. The blood of humans is holy and sacred. The Quran says unjust killing of one man means the killing of the whole mankind. What is just killing and what is unjust killing. When some body kills a man without any reason or justification it is unjust killing. When the judge gives the capital punishment to this murderer and issues the order of his death, it is a just killing. Similarly, when a war is thrust upon you and you become the victim of persecution and aggression, you are permitted to defend yourselves and kill the invaders or perpetrators. There are some Muslims who believe in Jihad in the name of aversion and conversion. They have aggressive attitude. Such extremists divide the world in to two blocs. The House of Peace (Darus Salam) and the House of War (Darul Harab). Wherever there is no Islam as a code of system of life it is Hose of war and we should crusade for the enforcement of Islamic way of life and change it in to the House of peace. Such ideology has created immense problems for the Muslims world over. 

In Islam Jihad is of three types. The struggle by Tongue; the struggle by Pen and the struggle by Sword. So far as religion is concerned the Quran time and again announces peaceful preaching through exhortation, love, logic, mercy and example. No where the Quran has said that the people of other faiths should be killed or forcibly converted. In Sura Al-Nahl in verse 125 the Quran says; "Invite (all) to the way of Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious; For thy Lord knoweth best, who has strayed from His path, and who receive guidance." The Jihad by Tongue and Pen means that you preach your ideas and ideology with logic and love. Do not hurt others feelings. Do not sow the seeds of hatred and discord in the name of God. The Quran announces the whole of humankind as one community. We are the members of one human family. Believers are human beings. God sent prophets with books not with swords and guns. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad gave us law and code of life. All preached brotherhood, justice, freedom, equality and peace. The prophets were the greatest champions of human rights. They boldly revolted against the tyrants, oppressors and aggressors. 

Jihad by sword is only permissible when you are attacked. It is unfortunate that Islam is being branded as the religion of extremists, fascists, fundamentalists and terrorists. A few days ago some non-Muslim emailed me. He wrote; "Islam is the religion of terrorism and Muhammad was a terrorist." Why he wrote this? How he came to such a conclusion? First; he has neither studied Islam nor the life of the Prophet of Islam. Second he has read or seen the terrorist activities of some Muslim hard liners and extremists. Partly he is correct and partly he is incorrect. The Quran about mischief mongers and the enemies of peace candidly in Sura "The Cow"; "when it is said to them; ‘make not mischief on the earth'. They say; ‘we are only ones that put things right'. Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realize it not" (2:11-12). The serious, objective and rational study of the Quran testifies this verity that Islam strongly condemns bloodshed and aggression. It is a religion of peace. The Meccans attacked Muhammad thrice. The battle of Badr; the battle of Uhad and the battle of Trench are solid proofs of the fact that the Muslims of Medina were assaulted by the idolaters of Mecca under the command of Abu Suffyan. When the Meccans breached the Treaty of Hudabiyya, then the Prophet of Islam moved to Mecca and without bloodshed conquered it. Had he been a terrorist or an aggressor he would have ruthlessly killed his enemies. The people who had tortured him and had turned him out from his native place would have also been wiped off. On the contrary what he did. He announced general amnesty. In the words of Quran he said; "Today No vengeance" – Pardon for all. Mercy for all. When his deadliest enemy Abu Suffyan accompanied by the uncle of the Prophet, Hazrat Abbas came and sought mercy and pardon, the Prophet forgave him. Besides it is on record that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) never wielded sword or carried sword. He never killed anyone in his life. The Quran says about the Prophet: "we have not but sent you as a mercy for all the worlds". How such a man can be regarded as a terrorist? Here I must admit that some people are involved in terrorist activities. They are killing Muslims and non-Muslims in the name of religion. They are sectarian terrorists. They are suicide bombers. They have bean brainwashed. They believe in extremism. Such elements must be condemned. Jihad is not offensive. The Quran in Sura "The Cow" says; "Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors".(2:190). The Islamic concept of Jihad has some basic human modest rules. It is written in the books of Bukhari and Muslim that Prophet Muhammad had strictly prohibited the killing of non combatants, elderly persons, children, women, handicapped and ailing ones. Book of Sunan Abe Dawud and Book of Muwatta mention that Prophet strictly prohibited Khalid Walid not to kill women and civilians. The civilian life must not be disturbed. The holy places of prayers must not be attacked. Islam rejects terrorism. When the Quran in Sura "The Cow" announces; "There is no compulsion in religion", then how forcibly one can ask others for conversion? Jihad is a war against aggressors and transgressors. To fight for wealth, nationalism, territory, honor, race or class is not Jihad. The brief definition of terrorism is that it is a form of warfare in which innocent people are specifically targeted in order to instill fear in a society. Hence, terrorism is against Islamic principles. In Sura "The women" it is clearly mentioned that Jihad is only and only against terrorists and aggressors. It is not against peaceful civilians of any country, creed, clan or class. Let us all respect each other's ideas and ideologies. Let inter-faith dialogue be encouraged. The spirit of co-ordination and co-existence is the spirit of Islam. The extremists and terrorists must be either educated or eliminated. The coming centuries must see divinity through humanity. Humanity must be our message and mission. The monarchs, the dictators, the tyrants, the despots and the transgressor must be eliminated, not the innocent, docile and defenseless civilians of any faith. Nobody can be permitted to spill the blood of any human in the name of faith or crusade.

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“Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty"

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.” [Sahīh Muslim (911)]
Some people who seek to be pious tend to underrate the value of beauty. They fail to recognize that beauty is an Islamic value. Allah intended for His Creation to contain beauty.

Allah says: “And He created the cattle for you; you have in them warm clothing and (many) advantages, and of them do you eat. And you have a sense of pride and beauty in them as ye drive them home in the evening, and as ye lead them forth to pasture in the morning.” [Sūrah al-Nahl: 5-6]

He says: “And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use as an ornament for show; and He has created (other) things of which you have no knowledge.” [Sūrah al-Nahl: 8]

Elsewhere in the Qur’ān, Allah speaks about the beauty of the heavens, the stars, of gardens and myriad other things.

Beauty stands in opposition to ugliness. Allah is beautiful in His essence, in His names and attributes, and in His actions. This is why the greatest of all pleasures in Paradise is to look upon Allah’s countenance. Allah says: “That day will faces be resplendent, looking to their Lord” [Sūrah al-Qiyāmah: 22-23]

Allah refers to His names as being beautiful: “Allah's are the most beautiful names.” [Sūrah al-A`rāf: 180]

Likewise, His actions are beautiful. They are always within the context of His beneficence and grace, or His justice and wisdom. His actions are never in vain, never unjust, and never superfluous. “Perfected is the Word of your Lord in truth and justice.” [Sūrah al-An`ām: 115]

Allah created everything with proficiency and He created the human being in the best of forms.

The beauty that exists in Creation – on land and at sea and in the heavens – attests to Allah’s beauty as well as His power. He who created beauty is most entitled to beauty. And indeed Paradise is adorned with beauty beyond imagining.

Allah’s beauty is also beyond our imagining. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) beseeched Allah with the following prayer: “I unable to extol all of Your praises. You are as You have extolled Yourself.” [Sahīh Muslim (486)]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said: “His is a veil of light. If He were to remove it, the glory of His countenance would ignite everything of Creation as He looks upon it.” [Sahīh Muslim (179)]

Our faith in Allah’s beauty strengthens our connection with our Lord. It increases our love for Him and our longing to return to Him. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to offer the following prayer: “I ask of You the joy of looking on Your noble countenance and of my longing to be with You.” [Sunan al-Nasā’ī (1305)]

Our faith in Allah’s beauty should also encourage us to concern ourselves with our appearance, dress, and decorum, as well as with the beauty of our words and deeds. This is something that Allah wants from us.

Someone once approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: “What if someone likes that his clothing and his shoes are beautiful?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Allah loves to see the affects of His grace upon His servant.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī (2819)]

The Prophet’s Companions, following the example that the Prophet set for them, took care of their appearance.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty,” this means that Allah blesses us for the beauty that we bring about through our good efforts. He loves beauty in us, just as He loves us to be possessed knowledge, generosity, clemency and purity.

We have already mentioned that beauty is among the purposes of Allah’s Creation.

Allah says: “Is not He (best) Who created the heavens and the Earth, and sends down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to spring forth beautiful orchards, whose trees it never has been yours to cause to grow?” [Sūrah al-Naml: 60]

“Surely We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in works.” [Sūrah al-Kahf: 7]

“Know you (all), that the life of this world is but play, amusement, and embellishment.” [Sūrah al-Hadīd: 20]

Allah had given His prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) half of all human beauty. [Sahīh Muslim (162)] Likewise, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was blessed with a bright complexion and a handsome face, not to mention the beauty of his character as seen in his politeness, humility, patience, kindness and forbearance even with those who actively opposed him and the religion of Islam.

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