|
Attention: Year 2009 is here
Wishing a very Happy New Year to all members of FFI. Our new and improved site is ready. To visit main site, click at faithfreedom.org and to visit our new forum, click at forum09.faithfreedom.org and register again. Do not worry about your old forum posts and PM, everything is saved here till 31st December, 2008 for future references.
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ixolite
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 12939
Location: land of pork and beer
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| yeezevee wrote: |
Freely Down Loadable Books On Islam and Mohammad from Islamioc Point of View
http://www.islammessage.com/books/e/Bookslist.htm
there are 430 books on web that can de downloaded and one should carefully read and disect them in an objective way..
with best regards
yeezevee |
I tried a few links of that and all were dead links. 
_________________
</islam>
"Never argue with idiots. They bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Goldthwait H. Dorr |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| ixolite: I tried a few links of that and all were dead links. |
dear ixolite, you are write these guys at that link move thing so fast, it is hard to track them.., the link now is
http://www.islaam.com/Display.aspx?id=11
for e.g, here is a book on Mr. Prophet., so down load quickly, otherwise link will be dead..
| Quote: |
PROPHET MOHAMMAD'S MANNER OF PERFORMING PRAYERS (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
By His Eminence
SHEIKH ABDUL AZIZ IBN ABDULLAH IBN BAZ
Printed & Published by
PRESIDENCY OF ISLAMIC RESEARCHES IFTA AND PROPAGATION
PRINTING AND TRANSLATION AGENCY RIYADH,
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Wakf (Endowment) Gratif
1413 H, 1992 AD
All praise be to Allah alone, and may His peace and blessings be upon His messenger and bondsman our Prophet Mohammed, his family and his companions.
The objective of this concise pamphlet is to explain how prophet Mohammed (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform his prayers. I would like to present this explanation to every male and female Muslim so that they may strive to take up the Prophet's manner in performing their prayers as a model for them.
It was narrated by Al Bukhari that Prophet Mohammed (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had said: "Perform your prayers in the same manner you had seen me doing."
Therefore, here is the explanation for the Prophet's manner of prayer:
(1) To perform completely the ablution, adopting the method commanded by Allah in the Quran: "O ye who believe, when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows, rub your heads(with water) and (wash) your feet to the ankles."(S )
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: "Prayer without ablution is invalid."
(2) To turn one's face and whole body towards the Ka'aba, The Holy House at Makkah, intending by heart to perform the prayer which he wants to fulfill, whether it is an obligatory prayer or a supererogatory prayer, the worshipper in all cases, should not pronounce his intention openly, because neither the Prophet nor his companions used to utter the intention for prayer. Thus, pronouncing the intention for prayer in audible voice is a heresy and an illicit action. Whether the individual be an Imam or performs his prayer individually, he should make (A Sutra) i.e. a curtain for his prayer. Directing the face towards the Qibla (The Ka'aba at Makkah) is an imperative condition for every prayer. However, there are few exceptions for this rule explained in authoritative books for whom who wish to refer.
(3) To pronounce "Takbirat Al Ihram" that is to say "Allahu Akbar" celebrating by that the greatness of Allah and looking meanwhile, downwards to the place where he will prostrate.
(4) To raise one's hands up to the level of the shoulders or near to the lobes of his ears, while pronouncing "Takbirat Al Ihram".
(5) To put one's right hand over his left hand and left wrist, and put them both over his chest, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do.
(6) It is advisable that the worshipper recite this opening supplication saying: "Allahumma bald bayni wa bayena khatayaya kama boadta bayena al mashriki wal maghribi, Allahumma naqqiniy min khatayaya kama yonaqa al thawbo alabyndo min aldans... Allahumma igysilniy min khatayaya bilmai wathalgi walbarad."
This supplication means: "O Allah, separate me from my sins as You have separated the east and west. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as the white rope is cleansed from dirt. O Allah, wash off my sins with water, snow and hail."
Or, may say instead:
"Sobhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika wa~abaraka Ismoka wata'la jaddoka wala ilaha ghayroka"
"Praise and glory be to Allah. Blessed be Your Name, exalted be Your Majesty and Glory. There is no god but You."
Or he may say any other supplications which the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to say in his prayers. It is better to recite these supplications alternately, the first one in the morning prayer "Fajr", the second in the noon prayer "Zuhr", each one by turn, in conformity with what the Prophet used to do.
After reciting the opening supplication, the worshipper says:
"Aouzo billahi min al shaytani r ragim”
Which means:
"I seek protection of Allah against the accursed Satan."
Then says:
"Bism illahi Rahmani Raheem"
Which means:
"In the name of Allah, the All Merciful, the All Compassionate."
and recites the Fatiha (The opening Sura of the glorious Quran).
Prophet Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Prayer without reciting the Fatiha is invalid".
The worshipper should say "A'meen" after reciting the Fatiha loudly if the prayer is said loudly, and whisper it in inaudible prayers. To be in conformity with the traditions of the Prophet, the worshipper is advised to recite verses from medium size Suras of the Quran in the Zuhr (noon), Asr (late afternoon), and Isha (night) prayers. As for the Fajr (morning) prayer, the worshipper is advised to recite a passage from the long Suras of the Quran. He has the choice in Maghrib prayer (Evening prayer) either to recite passages from the long Suras or from the short Suras 6 of the Quran.
(7) Then, the worshipper bows in "Ruku" raising his hands up to the level of his shoulders or ears while saying "Allahu Akbar" "Allah is Great" then bends down, making his head and back on one level and putting his hands with the fingers spread on his knees.
The worshipper should feel serenity and tranquillity while bowing, he should say thrice at least:
"Subhana Rabbiayl A'zim"
Which means:
"Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty."
It is advisable to say while bowing in addition to that:
"Subhanak Allahumma Rabbana wa bi hamdika, Allahumma Ighfir liy"
Which means:
"Glory be to Thee, O Allah, and I praise Thee, forgive me my sins."
( To raise one's head up from bowing, raising one's hands to the level of his shoulders or ears, saying, in case of being Imam or praying alone:
"Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah"
Which means:
"Allah listens to him who praises Him"
While resuming the standing position, he should say:
"Rabbana wa laka al hamdu hamdan katheera'n tayyiban mobarakan feehiy mil'a ssamawati wa mila alardhi wa mil'a ma baynahoma wa mil'a ma Shita min shiyin ba'ad"
This supplication means:
"Our Lord, praise be fore Thee only, praises plentiful and blessed as to fill the heavens, the earth, what in between, and fill that which will please Thee besides them."
But if the worshipper is a follower, and led in his prayer by the Imam he should say when rising up “Rabbana wa lake alhamd...” etc.
It is advisable for the Imam, the follower, or who prays alone to add also:
"You Allah who deserve all praises and all glory, your praising is the best and most true of whatever Your servant can say, we all are Your servants, Our Lord, no one can ever deprive aught of what You have bestowed and no one can ever give aught of what You have deprived."
The worshipper is advised to put his hands on his chest, as he had done before he bowed. Both Wa'il Ibn Haggar and Sahl Ibn Sai'yd reported that this was the manner of the Prophet when he used to raise his head up after bowing.
(9) To prostrate saying "Allahu Akbar" "Allah is Great". He should touch the ground with his knees before touching it with his hands, if that is possible to him. If not, he is permitted to touch the ground by his hand before his knees. His fingers and toes should be directed towards the Qibla Makkah, and his hands should be stretched, and the fingers close together and not separated. In prostration, the worshipper should use these seven organs: The forehead, the nose, both hands, both knees and the internal parts of the toes.
These seven organs should touch the ground. Then the worshipper should say thrice or more:
"Subhana Rabbiyal A'ala"
Which means:
"Glorified is my Lord, the Exalted."
It is advisable to say:
"Subhanaka Allahuma Rabbana wa bi hamdika, Allahuma Ighfir liy."
This means:
"Glory be to Thee, Our Lord, and I praise Thee. Our Lord, forgive me my sins."
It is recommendable for the worshipper to exceed more and more in supplications and ask for more from his Lord, because the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said (which means):
"As for bowing "Ruku" you should glorify your Lord during performing it, as for prostration, you should do your best to supplicate and ask for more from Him, because your supplications during prostration are more worthy to be accepted."
The worshipper should ask his Lord for prosperity both in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. Whether it is an obligatory prayer or an optional prayer, the worshipper, while prostrating, should neither bring his hands close to his sides, nor stick his abdomen to his thighs, or his thighs to his legs. The worshipper's arms should be raised up from the ground because the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, prohibited putting the arms and stretching them on the ground, ordering that "adjust your prostration, keep straight in it, and stretch not your hands on the ground as dogs do."
(10) He should raise his head from prostration saying: "Allahu Akbar" and lays his left foot flat on the ground and sits upon it, keeping his right foot erected, his hands on his thighs and knees, and says:
"O my Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, provide me with your blessings and console me."
The worshipper should feel tranquillity during this pause.
(11) To prostrate again saying "Allahu Akbar" and repeating during his prostration what he did and said in the first prostration.
(12) Then the worshipper raises his head saying "Allahu Akbar" taking a pause similar to the pause between the two prostration; this is called "the pause for rest." It is recommended for the worshipper to do such a pause, but there is no sin if he desists from it. Then the worshipper rises up and stands supporting on his knees, or on the ground if he cannot support himself on the knees, reads the Fatihah (The opening Sura of the glorious Quran) and some other verses of the Quran and do as just as he did in the first Rakaah (unit of prayer). Those who pray behind the Imam should not compete with him in the prayer actions as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said (which means):
The Imam is to be followed, if he says: "Allahu Akbar" which means "Allah is Great" then say the same after him. If he bows in "Ruku" bow after him. If he says "Samia l lahu liman hamidah" which means "Allah hears him who praises Him", then say: "Rabbana wa laka l hamd" which means "Our Lord! All praises are for Thee"; and if he prostrates, then prostrate after him". (Bukhari V:1 P.37)
(13) If the prayer consists of two Rakaat (two units of prayer) as the morning prayer "Fajr", Feast prayer "Eid", or the Friday prayer "Jumu'a", the worshipper sits after the second prostration, with his right foot erect, sitting on his left foot laid down, putting his right hand on his right thigh, all his fingers close fisted save the index finger which he uses to point out as a sign for his monotheistic belief, and his left hand is put on his left thigh. There is nothing in the way, if the worshipper keeps both the little and ring fingers closed, while rounding his thumb and middle finger in a ring shape, and uses his index finger to point out as a sign for his monotheistic belief. It has been related that the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, had practiced both of these ways, thus, it is advisable for the worshipper to perform the first way once and the other on the second time.
The worshipper reads the Tashahud while sitting and says:
"Al tahiyatu lilahi wasalawatu watayibatu Assalamu alayha ayuha n nabiyu wa rahmat u llahi wa barakatuhu. Assalamu alayina wa ala ibadi l lahi s salalihiyn. Ashadu ala ilaha ila lahu wa ashadu anna Muhammadan abdoho wa raswuloh. Allahuma salliy ala Muhammad wa ala aali Muhamad, kama salayata ala Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahim. Inaka Hamidon Majid. Wa barik ala Mohammad wa ala aali Muhammad kama barkta ala Ibrahima wa aali Ibrahima. Inaka Hamidon Majid."
This means:
"Greetings, prayers and the good things of life belong to Allah. Peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be on you, O Prophet. May peace be upon us and on the devout slaves of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Mohammed is His slave and messenger. O Allah, bless Mohammed and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and his family. You are the Most Praised, The Most glorious. O Allah, bestow Your grace on Mohammed and his family as You bestwoed it on lbrahim and his family. You are the Most Praised, The Most glorious."
After reciting the Tashahud, the worshipper asks Allah's protection from four evils, he should say:
"My Lord, I ask your protection from torment of the Hell, torment of the grave the trials in life time and after death, and from the impostor Antichrist." The worshipper may ask Allah for prosperity in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, supplicate Allah to bestow His favors on his parents and other Muslims. He could do this in both obligatory and optional prayers. It has been reported by Ibn Massoud that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, taught him how to recite the Tashahud and told him that the worshipper should invoke Allah and ask Him for the more beloved wishes which he likes, or, as it has been related in other wordings, the worshipper should ask Allah for whatever he wishes. In this manner, the servant can ask Allah for all the prosperity of this worldly life and the life to come.
The worshipper terminates his prayer by turning his face to the right saying: "As salamu alai kum wa rahmatu Allah" and to the left saying this salutation which means "Peace and mercy of Allah be on you."
(14) In case of a three Rakaat prayer (prayer consisting of three units) as that of Maghrib prayer, (evening prayer), or a four Rakaat prayer like that of noon prayer (Zuhr), Asr prayer (late afternoon prayer) or, Isha prayer (night prayer), the worshipper stands up after reciting the Tashahud according to the manner stated before, and raises his hands up to the level of his shoulders saying (Allahu Akbar). The worshipper puts his hands over his chest as it had been explained before, and recites only the Fatiha. There is no objection if he adds to the Fatiha some other verses of the Quran while performing the third or fourth Rakaat (units of prayer) of noon prayer (Zuhr), because this was stated to be one of the manners adopted by the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, according to the tradition reported by Abi Saied.
After the third Rakaah of Maghrib prayer (evening prayer), and the fourth Rakaah of Zuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon) and Isha (night) prayers, the worshipper recites the Tashahud and terminates his prayers by saying: "Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah" while turning first to the right, and second to the left as it has been explained before.
It is not an obligatory duty, but it is a recommendable prophetic tradition to invoke Allah after terminating the prayer by asking Him forgiveness thrice and saying before turning one's face towards his followers if he is the Imam: "O Allah, Thou art peace and from Thee is peace, Thou art blessed, O possessor of Glory and Honour."
It is advisable for the worshipper to say:
"There is no god but Allah. He is the One. He has no partner. His is the dominion and to Him alone is the praise. He has power over all things. O Lord, none may withhold what You have given and none may give what You have withheld and the riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee. There is no might or power except by the support of Allah, There is no god but Allah and we do not worship but Him alone. To Him alone belong all bounties, to Him alone belong all grace, and to Him worthy praise is accorded. There is no god but Allah, to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though the unbelievers may detest it."
It is also advisable to the worshipper to extol Allah 33 times by saying (Subhana Allah). Praise Him by saying (Al Hamdu El Allah) 33 times also by saying "Allahu Akbar" and the worshipper completes his supplications to be one hundred by saying once: "There is no god but Allah. He is the One. He has no partner. His is the dominion and to Him alone is the praise. He has power over all things."
The worshipper adds to that the recitation of the verse of the Throne "Ayat Al Kursiy", Surat Al Ikhlas, Surat El Falaq, and Surat Al Nas. It is recommendable to recite these Suras thrice after the Fajr prayer (Morning prayer), and the Maghrib prayer (evening prayer) because this was reported to be one of the traditions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. As it had been stated before, all these after prayer supplications are optional and not obligatory.
Every Muslim, whether be male or female, is recommended to pray 12 Rakaat of supererogatory prayers every day: four of these Rakaat (units of prayers) are before noon prayer, two after it, two after Maghrib prayer, two after Isha (night) prayer and two before the morning prayer These supererogatory prayers are called (Rawatib) which means: "Certain supererogatory exercises of optional prayers." The Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be on him, preserved the performance of these optional prayers wherever he settled. During his travels, he used to practice the two optional Rakaat before the morning prayer and also the Witr prayer (after the Isha prayer).
There is no objection to perform these optional prayers in the mosque, but it is better to perform it at home, because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said "The best of the prayers are those which are furfilled at one's own home, with exception to obligatory prayers which should be performed in congregation at the mosque."
Observance of fulfilling these optional prayers is a means for gaining admission to paradise. The Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said (which means): "Whoever prays optionally twelve Rakoat every one day and night, Allah will reward him by an established dwelling in the paradise. "
It is also advisable to the Muslim to pray four optional Rakaat before Asr prayer (afternoon prayer), two before Maghrib prayer (evening prayer), and two before Isha prayer (night prayer), because this manner was reported to be one of the traditions of the Prophet. Allah, the Almighty says: "Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar" (33:21).
And the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said (which means): "Perform your prayer in the same manner as you had seen me doing." '
Allah is He Who is Able to render us success and prosperity, and may Allah give His blessings and peace to our Prophet Mohammed son of Abdellah, his family, his companions and whoever follows his way till doomsday. |
I will delete all that book soon..
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ixolite
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 12939
Location: land of pork and beer
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| dear ixolite, you are write these guys at that link move thing so fast, it is hard to track them.., the link now is |
thanks, downloaded them 
_________________
</islam>
"Never argue with idiots. They bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Goldthwait H. Dorr |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
THE LIFE OF MAHOMET. VOLUME II.
| Quote: |
WITH INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS ON THE ORIGINAL SOURCES FOR THE BIOGRAPHY OF MAHOMET, AND ON THE PRE-ISLAMITE HISTORY OF ARABIA
BY WILLIAM MUIR, ESQ.,
Bengal Civil Service. |
http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Books/Muir/Life2/index.htm
| Quote: |
She is charmed with Mahomet
she heard; but there was a charm in the dark and pensive eye, in the noble features, and in the graceful form of her assiduous agent, as he stood before her, which pleased her even more than her good fortune. The comely widow was now forty years of age, she had been twice married, and had borne two sons and a daughter. Yet she cast a fond eye upon that thoughtful youth of five-and-twenty; nor when he departed, could she dismiss him from her thoughts26.
25 Her house is still shown in the Zockack al Hajar, a little to the north-east of the Kaaba. It is called Moulad Sitna Fatima; or the birthplace of Fatimi.
26 The above account of the journey to Syria is chiefly from the Katib al Wackidi. Tabari has a tradition that Mahomet traded on account of Khadija, in company with another man, to Habasha, a market in the Tehama. The place is erroneously
page 22
Description of Khadija
Khadija was a Coreishite lady, distinguished by birth, as well as by fortune. Her father Khuweilid was the grandson of Asad27, and Asad was the grandson of Cussei. Khuweilid commanded in the Sacrilegious War a considerable section of the Coreish, and so did his nephew Othman, son of Huweirith. Her substance, whether inherited or acquired through her former marriages, was very considerable; and, through hired agents, she had increased it largely by mercantile speculation. To the blessings of affluence, she added the more important endowments of discretion, virtue, and an affectionate heart; and, though now mellowed by a more than middle age, she retained a fair and attractive countenance. The chief men of the Coreish were not insensible to these charms, and many sought her in marriage; but choosing rather to live on in dignified and independent widowhood, she rejected all their offers. The tender emotions excited by the visit of Mahomet soon overpowered her resolution. The servant Meisara continued to sound in her not unwilling ears the praises of his fellow-traveller. At last her love became irresistible, and she resolved in a discreet and cautious named by Weil, Havasha, (p.34). This, however, is not well supported. had there been really any such journey, we should have heard a great deal more about it, considering the mature period of Mahomet's life at which it is said to have occurred. |
Read all about Mr. Mohammad in that link
yeezevee
Last edited by yeezevee on Wed May 16, 2007 11:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
ISLAM MUHAMMAD AND THE Quran., By: Dr. Labib Mikhail
| Quote: |
MUHAMMAD
Introduction
Chapter 1
Muhammad’s Roots and His First Marriage
Arabian Society in Muhammad’s Time
Muhammad’s First Marriage
Chapter 2
Muhammad’s Call
Analysis Of Muhammad’s Call
Was the Spirit Really the Angel Gabriel?
Muhammad’s Call Was Not Like the Call Of Moses Or Jesus
Muhammad Does Not Pass the Test Of A True Prophet
Chapter 3
Muhammad’s Wives
Muhammad Married A Six Year Old Child Muhammad Married His Daughter-in-Law
Analysis of Muhammad’s Marriage to His Daughter-in-Law
Jesus Is the Best Example
Chapter 4
Muhammad’s Migration To Al-Madina
The Meccans Rejected Muhammad
The Migration
Chapter 5
Muhammad’s Battles
Muhammad Convinces His Followers to Fight
The Sword Of Islam Goes Forth
Chapter 6
Muhammad’s Death
Muhammad’s Death Compared To That Of Moses |
Good te learnt about Mr. mohammd from islamic point of View..
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A Freely downloadble pdf file
How Greek Science Passed to the Arabs By De Lacy OLeary 1949
http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.pdf
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
silent_rage
Joined: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 467
Location: in a dusty library
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
This may have already been posted but here it is.
Thomson/Gale Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
It's over 875 pages! And it looks good! It is also 29 megs.
I found alot of good stuff at archive<dot>org.
I don't know why it is freely available for download. It may
have came off of a CD-ROM. They may take it take it down
when they realize it is there. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The Penalties for Apostasy in Islam
http://www.light-of-life.com/eng/ilaw/
'Abdurrahmani'l-Djaziri
| Quote: |
According to the Four Schools of Islamic Law
From 'Abdurrahmani'l-Djaziri's Kitabul'l-fiqh 'ala'l-madhahibi'l-'arba'a (Vol. 5, pp. 422-440)
(Translated from the Arabic)
First Arabic Edition (Cairo): 1934;
Eighth Arabic Edition (Cairo): 1987;
First English Edition (Villach): 1997 |
That is what is call as REAL ISLAM right from Muhammad's BOOK..
free book to read
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Free E-book by shabana -India
with best
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The Seven Phases of Prophet Muhammad's Life.. Dr. Javeed Akhter., I guess Bangladesh(??)
Editor's Note:
| Quote: |
Dr. Javeed Akhter's book is unique because he delves deep into the psyche of the Prophet (S) and the actual physical manifestations of his thought processes during the different stages of his life. Also, it is invaluable for those who study the prophet Muhammad's (S) life, to shift paradigms and think about the events and decisions in his life in terms of stages of development, instead of merely a string of seemingly non-cohesive, random happenings. Unlike other biographies of the Prophet (S), Akhter, with the deeply personal and human passion characteristic of a true historian, creates not merely a visceral materialization of the Prophet (S), but also a very clear intellectual one.
Clearly, it is near impossible for anyone to fairly describe the reach and significance, the struggles and ultimate success of the prophet Muhammad's (S) life. Dr. Akhter, however, offers a fresh perspective on the Prophet's life, and hence, his view is integral to the continued dialectic about the Prophet (S). One of the most stunning portrayals of the prophet Muhammad (S) I have ever found, and which this book, though through a different style, captures in full, is seen through a verse by the poet Sharaf ad-Din al-Busiri who wrote in praise of the Prophet:
"Like a flower in tenderness, and like the full moon in glory, and like the ocean in generosity, and like time in grand intentions..."
Sabreen Akhter |
http://www.ispi-usa.org/muhammad/muhammad6.html
| Quote: |
Table of Contents
-
Foreword: Dr. John O Voll
-
Editor's Note: Sabreen Akhter
-
Acknowledgments
-
Objectives of the Review
-
Attitudes towards Prophet Muhammad
-
I. The Seeker of Truth
-
II. The Recipient of the Mantle of Prophethood/ The Warner and the Exhorter
-
III. The Stoic Optimist
-
IV. The Pluralistic Leader
-
V. The Courageous Yet Reluctant Warrior
-
VI. The Statesman par excellence and the Teacher
-
VII. The Compassionate Ruler and Spiritual Leader
-
Does this essay cover any new ground?
-
Appendices
-
The Sources for This Essay |
Excrepts from Attitudes towards the Prophet Muhammad (S):
The two extremes.
| Quote: |
Denigration, vilification and Worse
In Karen Armstrong's book, Muhammad: A Biography, a marvelous job has been done of documenting and analyzing Western attitudes toward Muhammad (S). The following is a brief summary of the chapter titled "Muhammad the Enemy" in her book. The rise of Islam was a political threat, and a religious catastrophe to the Christian world of that time. Muhammad (S) was immediately labeled as the antichrist, the great pretender, whose reign would herald the Last Days.
The prevalent view was that the antichrist would establish his rule in the temple of Jerusalem and mislead many of the Christians with plausible doctrines. In the Christian mind Muhammad (S) appeared to fit the prophecy of the antichrist perfectly. In a fear-ridden fantasy, Muhammad (S) was portrayed by the Christians as an impostor, a charlatan, a lecher, and Islam was portrayed as the religion of the sword. This fictional portrait of "muslim" (synonym for devil) persisted at a popular level for a long time. Islam also raised a troubling theological question for the Christians: Where was the need for Islam and how could God allow this "impious faith" to prosper when He had already given the world a chance for salvation through His grace and the vicarious atonement of Christ?
| Quote: |
| By the end of the eleventh century, as Europe was beginning to rise, the wars of Reconquista had begun. In 1085, Alfonso VI conquered Toledo back from the Muslims, and in 1095, Pope Urban II (1088-1099) summoned the knights of Europe to liberate the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem and proclaimed the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. Songs written at the time of the Crusades show the depth of ignorance about Islam. Muslims were depicted as "idol worshippers," bowing down before a trinity of "Apollo (the ancient Greek and roman god of prophecy, poetry, and music sometimes identified with the god of light and truth or sun), Tervagant (French word for a violent and overbearing fictional deity attributed to Muslims; it's English derivative termagant means quarrelsome or shrewish), and Mahomet!" |
In 1099 when the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem, Muslims were brutally massacred. The official words used to describe them were "filth" and "vermin." At a time when the positive myths of King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Charlemagne were evolving in the West, the negative myth of "muslim" the enemy was already firmly established. The creation of an evil myth may have been necessary in order to define the myth of the "noble" Christians. Walter Lippmann, the notable columnist and social scientist, speculates that we tend to define "self" by first stereotyping "the other." Hence Islam became the despised reaction to benevolent Christianity.
Muhammad (S) was claimed to have concocted miracles like that of the "white-bull," which terrorized the population and finally appeared with the Qur'an between its horns. One explanation given for the divine revelations he was receiving was that they were the result of epilepsy. Another story tells of a heretical monk named Sergius who presumably taught Muhammad (S) a distorted version of Christianity.
The stereotyping was not confined to Muhammad (S) and the Muslims. At the same time, Christians evolved terrifying fantasies about Jews who were allegedly killing children and mixing their blood with Passover bread. In fact, the first Crusaders began their journey to Jerusalem by massacring Jewish communities along the Rhine valley. In the Lateran councils in 1179 and 1215, Muslims and Jews were linked together as common enemies. They were to wear distinctive clothing and not to appear on the streets during Christian festivals or hold public office. This type of early branding can be seen later in history during the Second World War.
Early in the 14th century Pope Clement V (1305-14) declared the Islamic presence on Christian soil as an insult to God inciting further waves of violence and hatred. In 1492, Ferdinand and and Isabella conquered Granada and Spanish Muslims were given a choice of either conversion to Catholicism or deportation from their native land. Those who converted to Catholicism were nevertheless persecuted as crypto- Muslims for many years.
There were signs of a schizophrenic attitude towards Muslims at the time. In Dante's "Inferno," Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) are in limbo with the virtuous pagans like Euclid, Ptolemy, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, while Muhammad (S) himself is in the eighth circle of the hell with the schismatics.
In the sixteenth century, Luther saw the Pope and the Catholic Church as the real enemies of true Christianity. This, according to Luther, had allowed the Christians to be open to Islam. Many of the Christians including Luther continued to see Islam as a failed version of Christianity.
At the end of the seventeenth century, and the early eighteenth century, during the Renaissance period (the age of Enlightenment), the Bibliotheque Orientale written by Barthelmy d'Herrbelot, appeared with the following disappointing description under the entry "Mahomet."
"This is the famous impostor Mahomet, author and founder of a heresy, which has taken on the name of religion, which we call Mohammadanism"... surely not an enlightened description of Muhammad (S).
In the next century relatively fair interpretations of Islam started appearing in the West. In 1708, Simon Ockley, the well-known English Arabist, published the first balanced book, History of the Saracens, that gave a just account of the history and spread of Islam. In 1734, George Sale published a fairly accurate translation of the Qur'an titled The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed.... However, he appended to this translation, a highly vituperative essay titled A Life of Mohammed. In this essay he wrote " when the character of Mohammed is attentively surveyed----it is so shocking that it is a wonder that the country of his nativity has not been buried in oblivion. Any country would have blushed to produce such a monster."
During this century, another "fantasy" about the Prophet began to emerge. According to this new fantasy, Muhammad (S) was a great military hero not unlike Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, who had made up the religion to become the master of the world. Needless to stay it fed into the stereotype of Islam as a militant religion.
At the end of the eighteenth century, Edward Gibbon, the greatest English historian of his time and author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-1788) , which praised the monotheism of Islam and started giving the Muslim venture its proper place in history. Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) , Scottish essayist, historian, and an influential social critic defended the Prophet in On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and Heroic in History, but dismissed the Qur'an as the most "wearisome, confused jumble, crude, incondite; endless iterations, long windedness, entanglement, ---- insupportable stupidity in short."
The "colonial spirit," driven by a belief in racial superiority, and a mission to civilize the barbaric native inhabitants of the conquered territories, characterized the nineteenth century. During the French Revolution, Islam continued to be seen as "the opposite of us." In the Qur'an, the European authors during the French Revolution concluded, there was "neither a principle for civilization nor a mandate that can elevate character."
In the nineteenth century Washington Irving (1783-1859), one of America's more admired writers of fiction and folklore was fascinated by Prophet Muhammad's (S) persona and wrote a biography of him. Irving became interested in Islam when he arrived in Spain as diplomatic representative of the U.S. during the winter of 1823. From entries in his diary we learn that Irving spent at times whole days writing the legend of "Mahomet". In 1831 he submitted a complete manuscript for publication that because of disagreements with the publisher remained unpublished until 1849.
The self-righteous, intolerant, Crusader mentality of the twelfth century, which regarded Muslims as a hated enemy and Muhammad (S) as an impostor, continued into the twentieth century. When the British General, Edmond Allenby arrived in Jerusalem in 1917 he announced "Now, the Crusades are over". Similarly demonstrating the animus of Christianity against Islam, the French commander Gouravd on arrival to Damascus in 1920, immediately marched to Saladin 's (Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi) tomb and cried, "Nous revenous, Salladin."(We have returned O Saladin!).
Although European Christendom harbored many myths about Muhammad (S), and continued to regard Muslims as their enemy, the Muslim world itself was relatively unaware of the extent of Christian prejudice and animosity toward them until just 200 years ago (the Crusades had a relatively local impact upon Muslims). After all, the Qur'an had taught the Muslims to respect the Jews and Christians as the "People of the Book". They assumed incorrectly that this sentiment would be automatically reciprocated.
Initially, as the Muslims started realizing the extent of this prejudice, their feelings were mixed; there was a great admiration for Western liberalism (most notable Muslim intellectuals in the past century or two were liberal), as well as increasing sense of dismay at being the targets of unjustified stereotyping. As the "double standards" and "selective morality" of the West became more widely evident, more recently during the political and religious conflicts in Palestine, Bosnia, Kosova and Chechnya, much of the initial goodwill towards it was lost.
The West continues to generate new stereotypes of the Muslims, such as the oil rich sheik of the '70's, the fanatical Ayatollah of the 1980's, and the religion which kills creativity and freedom of speech, after the Rushdie affair. Some scholars continue to publish prejudicial essays and books on Muhammad (S) and the Muslims.
There is a refreshing trend of a growing number of scholars, however, who are making an honest and non-prejudicial attempt at understanding Islam. They are generally objective, fair and empathetic in their writings. These include, Louis Massignon, H.A.R. Gibb, Henri Corbin, Marshall G.S. Hodgson, william G. Milward, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Annmarie Schimmel, Ralph Braibanti, John L Esposito, John O Voll, Yvonne Haddad, Karen Armstrong, and many others. Although they remain a minority, they represent a historically significant phenomenon.
The Other Extreme: Near Deification
As the West distorted the image of Muhammad (S), it experienced a different transformation in parts of the Muslim world acquiring a cosmic status. Wilfred Cantwell Smith's observation describes quite accurately the attitude of many Muslims toward Muhammad (S) when he says, "Muslims will allow attacks on Allah. There are atheists, atheistic publications, and rationalistic societies. But to disparage Muhammad (S) will provoke from even the most 'liberal' sections of the community, a reaction of blazing vehemence."
| Quote: |
The Qur'an itself is quite clear about the role of the Prophet. He is neither a divine presence nor an angel, but a human being and a Messenger:
"-Say: Glory to my Lord! I am aught but a man, sent as a Messenger." (Qur'an 17: 93)
"They ask thee, 'When is this Hour (the Day of Judgment) to happen?' Of which you speak so often? (Say) Its time is known only to thy Lord- thou art but a warner to those who pay heed.". (Qur'an 79: 42-45.) |
Yet, among many works of devotional writings and poetry, the Prophet's persona became nearly divine. The religion of Allah (Din of Allah), in a way, was seemingly replaced by the religion of Muhammad (S) (Din of Muhammad (S)). The veneration extends even to the preservation and periodic of viewing of relics like the Prophet's hair. (For example a well-known shrine in Kashmir is called the Hadrat Bal Masjid: Mosque of the Prophet's hair). This excessive veneration may be understood better by a typical quote from a renowned Persian poet, Mawlana Nur ad-Din Abd ar-Rahman Jami (1414-1492).
"The sky became curved because of prostration before Muhammad The ocean is only a water bubble from Muhammad's generosity. The moon is a reflection of Muhammad's beauty. Musk is a little whiff from Muhammad's mole and tresses."
As Annmarie Schimmel observes with uncommon insight, this type of veneration of great religious leaders is understandable and not uncommon. She further elucidates that "the charisma of a true religious leader can be better recognized from such legends (legends crystallized around a nucleus of factual material) than from dry facts of his life" .
Although the love, affection, respect and loyalty for him is genuine and passionate and touching to behold, some Muslims don't realize that in their acts of excessive veneration, they come dangerously close to deification.
Paradoxically, these attitudes negate both the Qur'an and Muhammad's (S) intent as to how he should be remembered. Muhammad's (S) hope was that he would be remembered as the final Messenger of the Lord almighty, the Warner, the Teacher, the Exhorter and the Exemplar par excellence, but not someone to be hero worshipped or deified: a subtle but important distinction. His greatest attribute may have been that he was unafraid to be a human. He appeared to be conscious of the fact that to deify a person is to create an excuse not to emulate him or aspire to reach the standards of excellence set by that individual, thus violating the fundamental expectation that his example would be followed. |
A good book to read on Muhammad's life through South Asian Muslim Point of view...Free on line...read the rest of the book at the link..
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The Seven Phases of Prophet Muhammad's Life.. Dr. Javeed Akhter., I guess Bangladesh(??) PART-11
The Original references will be useful to read ...
| Quote: |
Primary Sources
1. Qur'an as a source of the Sirah
The Qur'an itself provides the most interesting and objective source of the Prophet's Sirah. He is mentioned directly only four times (in contrast, the name Musa (Moses) appears one hundred and twenty seven times and Isa (Jesus) twenty five times). However, the entire Qur'an, in a way, is addressed to him. Multiple indirect references to events in the Prophet's life and mission abound. Most fascinating of all, is that the Qur'an is occasionally critical of the Prophet and gently chides him. A striking example is in the Surat 'Abasa.
"(The Prophet) frowned and turned away Because there came to him the blind man However, what could tell thee but perchance that he might grow (in spiritual understanding) Or that he might receive admonition and the teachings profit him? As to the one who regards himself as self-sufficient To him dost thou attend? Though it is no blame to thee if he grows not (in spiritual understanding) But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly And with fear in his heart Of him wast thou unmindful! By no means (shouldst it be so)! For it is indeed a message of instruction". (Qur'an 80: 1-11)
I have tried to include many but not all of these Qur'anic references to Muhammad's (S) life.
2. Ibn Ishaq (born AH 85/died AH 151)
This is the major source of Muhammad's (S) life. There were at least seven other attempts at documenting Sirah. None of them survived. 'Uqbah's (55- 141 AH) Sirah of the Prophet, which was one of those seven books was endorsed by Malik ibn Anas ,Idris al- Shafi'i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, did not survive.
A pupil of Ibn Ishaq made two copies of his manuscript. One reached Ibn Hisham (d. 218 A.H). His edited version is the main source of most biographies. The English translation is by Alfred Guillaumme, The Life of Muhammad.
Was Ibn Ishaq trustworthy? He appears to be very careful in his writings. When in doubt, he frequently precedes a statement by the word "Za'ama" (he alleged). Another indication of his attempt at remaining objective is the use of the phrase, "fi ma dhukira la" (remembered or mentioned). Another phrase he uses often is "fi ma balaghni" (came to my knowledge); (The account of Mi'raj is everywhere hedged with terms suggesting reservations and caution. After quoting both types of traditions that support "physical" or "spiritual" journeys, he makes the observation that it is immaterial whether the experience was real or visionary! Another phrase used is "Allah knows best."
Ibn Hisham, the Editor
A philologist of some repute, Ibn Hisham made useful and critical observations on the "poetry" cited in the Sirah and annotated it. However, he also appears to have abbreviated and sometimes even altered the original work. His over all contribution to Ibn Ishaq's original work is considered by most to be useful. Paradoxically Ibn Ishaq's biography of the Prophet is commonly referred to as "The Biography of the Prophet compiled by Ibn Hisham".
3. Ibn Jarar at-Tabari (d.923)
Another important source book frequently quoted is Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarar at-Tabari. This work called the Tarikh ar-Rusul wa al- Muluk {History of Prophets and Kings}, is one of the monumental pieces of work compiled by the author.
Secondary Sources
1. Ali, Ameer. The Spirit of Islam: A History of the Evolution and Ideals of Islam with a Life of the Prophet. Amplified and revised, London: Chattos and Windus, 1964.
2. Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. Harper: San Francisco, 1992.
3. Andrae, Tor. Mohammed: the Man and His Faith. Translated from German by Theophil Menzel, New York, N.Y: Barnes and Noble, 1957.
4. Azam, Leila and Aisha Governor. The Life Of The Prophet Muhammad. London: Islamic Texts Society, 1985.
5. Azzam, Abdul Rahman. The Eternal Message of Muhammad. Translated from Arabic by Ceaser E. Farah; with an introduction by Vincent Sheean.New York: Devin-Adair Co., 1964.
6. Ghazi, Abidullah. The Life of Perfection. Skokie, IL: IQRA' International Educational Foundation, 1997.
7. Haykal, Muhammad Husayn. Life of Muhammad. Translated from Arabic by Isma'il Ragi al-Faruqi. Indianapolis, Indiana; American Trust Publications, 1976.
8. Irwing, Washington. The Life of Mahomet. London: J.M. Dent and sons, and New York: E.P. Dutton and Co., 1911.
9. Kelly, Marjorie. Islam. The Religious and Political Life of a World Community. New York: Praegers Publishers, 1984.
10. Lewis, Bernard. "Gibbon on Muhammad". In Daedalus, vol.105, no.3 (summer 1976): Pp.89-101.
11. Lings, Martin. Muhammad; his life based on the earliest sources. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International, 1983
12. Nadwi, Syed Abul Hasan Ali. Muhammad; The Last Prophet: A Model for All Time.Leicester.U.K: IslamicAcademy, 1993.
13. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Muhammad Man Of God. Chicago.IL: Kazi Publications, 1995.
14. Numani, Muhammad Shibli. "Allamah Shibli's Sirat an-Nabi". Translated from Urdu by Fazlur Rahman. Karachi: Pakistan Historical Society, 1970.
15. Peters, F E. Muhammad and the origins of Islam. Albany, New York:State University of New York Press,1994.
16. Raza, Ali Musa. Muhammad in the Qur'an. Lahore: Ashraf Printing Press, 1982.
17. Salahi, M.A. Muhammad: Man and Prophet, A Complete Study of the Life of the Prophet of Islam. Shaftesbury, Dorset: Rockport, Massachusetts, Brisbane, Queensland: Element, 1995.
18. Schimmel, Annmarie. And Muhammad is His Messenger. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1985.
19. Von Denffer, Ahmad. A Day with the Prophet. Leicester, U.K: The Islamic Foundation, 1979.
20. Watt, William Montgomery. Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman. London: Oxford University Press, 1961
21. Zakariya, Rafiq. Muhammad and the Qur'an. London: Penguin Group, 1991. |
yeezevee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yeezevee
Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 17109
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Earliest Books and Sources on Muhammad
Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
| Quote: |
Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
I. DEFINITION OF SEERAH:
Literal meaning: Seerah is a word of Arabic language whose plural is seer. Actually this word is taken from saar, seren or mseerahn which are used in the meaning of walking. may be this is the reason that good repute is also referred to as hasan-alseerah
The word seerah is also used in the meaning of distance, as the meaning of alsiyara is voyage. Again the word seerah is also used to tell the doings of earlier people. According to another Arabic dictionary Taj-ul-uroos al-seerah means way to doing something.
Two other Arabic dictionaries Almuajam Alazam and Msbah-ul-Lughat give these meanings of the word seerah:
1. To leave - to depart
2. Way to doing something
3. Appearance
4. Sunnah
5. Way of living
6. Habit
7. Story - tales of earlier people
According to Dr. Sayad Abdullah the meaning of word seerah is not only limited to sunnah, way of living or appearance but it also includes the internal personality, important achievements and life histories of big personalities. Professor Usman Yourish presents this aaya of Quran to describe the meaning of seerah:
“O prophet, tell the people to stroll on the earth to see what is the end of people who denied”.
And he says that the word seer means to look for solid and positive realities with complete focus, to think profoundly and to build ones personality with good conduct and deeds. So the seerah is a collection of rules and actions of a chaste and virtuous person.
Figurative meaning: We have described the literal meaning of seerah but the actual use of this word is to describe the life history, behavior and habits of the prophet Muhammad SAW. The earlier books of seerah were called maghazi so in the meaning of seerah included the description of prophet Muhammad’s maghazi and afterwards his life histories description also included. Maghazi are those wars in which prophet Muhammad participated himself, and accordingly maghazi not only encircled the ghazwat but it also covered the whole life of prophet and all the incidents of the age of prophet.
Difference between Seerah and Biography
Biography is another word that is usually thought to be the synonym of seerah, but in fact there is a minute difference between these two. There are many definitions of biography, for example, dictionary of world literature by Joseph T. Shelly says that biography is a description of the ideas and doings of a person from his birth till his death, i.e. it is a picture of a person’s personality, a tale of his external attitude and internal feelings. And biography is that type of history that is not about human groups or casts but about a single person.
In contrast to this, seerah is an ideal picture of a person life story, which is free of all types of misdeeds and wrongdoing. The prophet of Islam SAW is at the height of human goodness, and although his seerah is composition of accounts of his life yet this seerah is superior and attractive from all aspects. This is why it is wrong to think seerah as a biography.
[uSeerah and History[/u]
In Islamic disciplines seerah is said to be a semi-historical and semi-biographical subject, and there is no doubt that Muslim’s historical art has impressions from the art of seerah writing. The evolution of art of history writing and the art of seerah writing of Arabs took place along with one another. The art of seerah writing gave very solid grounds for the development of the art of history writing. But we should not ignore the fact that there is some difference between history and seerah writing. The topics of history normally include empire, nations or era, and accordingly personalities can also be discussed. On the other hand the seerah writer selects the person as a topic and secondarily he discusses the empire or era.
Seerah and Hadith
The literal meaning of hadith is to copy a news or information. And in its figurative meaning its that sentence that is said by the prophet Muhammad SAW.
Difference between hadith and seerah is that while writing seerah special attention is given to the timings of the events, while in hadith there are some parts of the events of prophet Muhammad’s life but these are without any order or organization. Anyhow there is no doubt that the most authentic material about seerah is found in the books of hadith. Although in some places seerah writers did not took care of the sequence of rawayat as done by hadith writers, and this is why in the eyes of most people hadith is authentic rather then seerah.
II. SOURCES OF SEERAH
The important sources of seerah of Prophet Muhammad SAW are:
1. The Holy Quran
2. Books of Hadith
3. Books of maghazi
4. Books of history
5. Books of tafseer
6. Books of asma’a alrijal
7. Books of shuma’l
8. Books of Dala’l
9. Books of aasaar and akhbar
10. Ma’asrana poetry
1. The Holy Quran
The holy Quran is the basic source of the seerah. In this divine book the important parts of the Prophet Muhammad’s seerah are present. His early life, the orphaned times, poverty, financial relaxation in youth, search of the Truth, selection for being a prophet, revelation, his call towards Islam, opposition of kuffar, spread of Islam, meraj, migration to Habsha, migration to madina, important ghazwat, his family life and his behavior and habits – all these can be found in Quran. Sir William Muir has said “there is no exaggeration in the statement that Quran contains all the basic facts required to know the seerah or the earlier times of Islam, and all the researchable parts of Muhammad SAW life can be judged by this book. So we can find facts about all the religious belief of Prophet Muhammad, his personal life and his public affairs in this book with authentication. Quran is a mirror that reflects the seerah and the character of Muhammad SAW. This is why this was popular like a phrase that the seerah of prophet Muhammad SAW was Quran”.
Professor Sayad Nawab Ali writes that “This (Quran) first source of maghazi and seerah was saved by writing and learning by heart, in the early life 23 years of prophet’s life. And after one year of his death Abu Bakar RA compiled the complete Quran as one book. And Usman RA sent its 6 copies to balad-e-islamiya in 25 A.H. This was the Quran that was studied by the muslims who did saw the Prophet Muhammad SAW with their own eyes.
The Quran on one hand describes some important aspects of prophet Muhammad’s life and on the other hand it also discusses some events of his life. It also counts some features of his character. All this is not as arranged as it is in the books of seerah and history, but its simple and beautiful, and is always conveying some ethical lesson. The prophet was sent to a specific county, in a specific time and in a specific society, but the message that was given to you in the form of Quran was for the whole world, for all times and for all societies. The teaching of Quran is for the whole mankind and the prophet who was given Quran represents the best way of acting upon these teachings. Allah the almighty says that the seerah of the prophet Muhammad SAW is the best that can be followed by all believers.
The first image that Quran gives about the prophet Muhammad SAW is the image of a great messenger a messenger whose news was given through divine messages in earlier times. Quran has given him different names like Muhammad, Ahmad, Muzamil, Mudassir, Nabi-e-ummi, Hadi, Shahid, Mubashir, Noor, Rehmatul-almeen, Rasool-e-sadiq, beloved of Allah and appreciated by angels. But his most favorite attribute in the light of Quran is his being human and being the prophet of Allah. And this proves that his actual position was of a human being who was given the designation of the prophet.
The Quran gives clear reflections of prophet Muhammad’s life in Makka and in Madina. Here is a list that shows that where in Quran what events are talked about.
Event
Surah : Ayah
Financial relaxation in youth
93 : 6-8
Caste life before he was given prophethood
29:48
His search for reality
93:7
Prophethood
3:164
Revelation
96:1-5
Call towards Islam in Makka
57
Opposition of Quraish and their torture
6:33-35
Problems in the way of Islam
6:106-107
The event of Meraj
17:1
Migration of muslims towards habsha
16:41
The plan of murder of prophet
8:30
Migration to Madina
9:40
Construction of masjid-e-quba
9:108
Ghazwa-e-Badar
3:123
Ghazwa-e-Uhad
3:121-175
Ghazwa-e-Ahzab
33:9-20
Ghazwa-e-Hunain
9:25-26
Ghazwa-e-Tabook
9:92-106,117-123
Bait-e-Rizwan
48:18,19
The agreement of Hudabiya
48:2-27
Fatah-e-Makka
17:81
Hijja-tul-wida
5:3
And this is not all. Quran also contains some glimpses about his married life, his social contacts, his character and his habits.
Married life
33:2-51
Social contacts
Several aaya of Al-Imran and Al-Ahzab
Character
Several aaya of Tooba, Al-Imran and Al-Ahzab
Behavior and conduct
Several aaya of Tooba, Al-Imran and Al-Ahzab
The special position of wives of prophet
33:30-34
The event of Tehreem
66:3-5
Nikah of Zainab RA with Zaid RA, divorce and marriage to the prophet.
33:37
Prophet’s more attention to the leaders of Makka and ignorance from the blind companion
80:1-16
Quran also takes a momentary view of the prophets heartiest friends and his wickedest enemies. Its talks about Abu Baker RA as the companion of Soor without mentioning his name and also talk about Lahab and his wife. A complete soorah is given the name after him, who did his best to give the Allah’s messenger pain and distress. The Quran gives both of these the news of there bad consequences. (Al-Lahab 111:1 - 5)
Similarly Quran also talks about the father of Khalid bin Walid whose name was Walid bin Gughaira. He was wealthy, greedy, power loving and proud person. He denied the divine book and used to call it a result of magic. He spent his days and nights in the opposition of the prophet SAW. Quran do not mention his name but he is given the news of hell.
So the conclusion is that there is no aspect of the prophet’s life which Quran ignores. Moulana Abul Kalam Azad writes “if all the books about history of Islam are lost and only Quran lives, even then the character of the prophet could be known. Quran will the the world that who was the prophet who was given this Quran, where was he born, what was the condition of his nation, what life did he spend, what did he did with the world and what the world did with him. How was his social life and how was his personal life. How was his days spent and how did he used to spend his nights. How much life did he got. What important events occurred in his life. And when the time came that he left the world, what was the condition of this world”.
Almost the same opinion is given by Sayad Abul Al’a Mududi. He writes “if all the collection of books about seerah is lost that is compiled by the Islamic scholars, not only a single page is left which could tell about the prophet Muhammad and only the Book of Allah is left, then it could answer all the questions about the person who brought Quran, that could arise in the mind of a student.
2. Books of Hadith
After Quran the major source of seerah of the prophet Muhammad SAW are hadith, whose number of narrators reach more then one lakh. Hadith writers compiled these books after much effors, struggle and endeavor, and hence provided such a remarkable sources for seerah whose example cant be found.
The prophet Muhammad SAW himself wanted that his sayings should reach ummah in their right form. It is said that when he used to talk, he used to utter words slowly and clearly, so that the listeners could understand completely your point of view, and could also remember your sayings. He used to repeate important points three times, so that those stay in the minds of the listeners. He also urged the that his sayings should be told to those who dint listened. There are some hadith in this respect like:
“Those who are present should take these to those who are not”.
“You listen from me, others will listen from you, and rest will listen form them”.
“Allah will make his face fresh, who listened to my words, and remembered those, and even told those who did not heard”.
He also instructed that the hadith should always be verified.
“The person who will relate any false words with me, he should keep in mind that his place is in hell”.
Sayad Suleman Nadwi writes “the people who used to take the responsibility of writing the riwayat about prophet’s sayings, doings, and daily routine are called Rawiyan-e-Hadith, or muhaditheen or Arbab-e-Seer. These include companion’s of prophet Muhammad, Tabiyeen, Taba-Tabiyeen, and some people from the 4th century A.H. When all the details about the prophet’s sayings and doings were recorded, then all the details i.e. history of life, character etc about these narrators was also recorded. The number of such people reach about one 100,000. The details about these is collected in Asma-Arijaal.
Editing of books of Hadith
The formal editing of the books of hadith started in the rein of Umer bin Abdul Aziz (died 101 .H). but this fact is proved that some companions started collecting the prophet’s saying personally. In the beginning the prophet was worried that the hadith may mix with the Quran so he allowed only the writing of Quran. But afterwards when a big portion of Quran was revealed and many companions learned it by heart, then he permitted the writing of hadith.
The booklets of hadith that were formulated in the life of prophet are not now present in the same form, but they became the part of some later books. For example Imam Tarimzi narrates from Saad bin Abada Ansari RA that he had collected some hadith in a booklet. It is said his son uses to narrate hadith from this booklet. Ammam Bukhari says that this booklet was copied from the book of Abdullah bin Abi Aoffa who wrote it with his own hands. Jabbir bin Abdullah also contained a booklet of hadith.
Here I give a list and a brief description of the booklets and the books of Hadith.
Saheefa-e-Sdiqa
This was the most popular booklet of the times of prophet that was compiled by Abdullah bin Umro bin Alaas.
Saheefa-e-Hammam bin Munabba
Abbu Huraira RA also compiled many booklets of hadith but most of them were lost. Just one was left that is narrated by one of the students of Abbu Huraira RA, whose name was Hamman bin Munabba. This booklet is known by his name.
Kitab-ul-Assar
Ammam abu Hanifa was a great faqeeh, but he also contributed his services for the compilation of hadith. His reference work is said to be Kitab-ul-Asaar.
Mo’ta’
After Kitab-ul-Asaar, the most important collection of hadith is Mo’ta’, compiled by Imam Malik bin Ans (93A.H – 179A.H.). Meaning of Mo’ta’ is decorated. Thus this book is a collection of butiful ahadith of prophet Muhammad.
Masnad Ahmad Bin Jumbal
This is the biggest collection of hadith. It contains about 40,000 Ahadith.
Sahah Sitta
These are the six books that are said to be the best collection of hadith. These books that are popular with the name of there compilers
1. Bukhari
2. Muslim
3. Abu Daood
4. Nisaai
5. Tarimzi
6. Ibn majja
The previous collections were compiled with only one objective. i.e. to save the ahadith. They were not arranged and also contained hadith whose validity was doubtful. These books arranged the ahadith with specific topics and removed the hadith whose validity was unproven.
Different Collections
Some scholars selected some of hadith from other books and arranged them in new collections. Some of these are as under.
1. Msabeeh-al-sunnah
2. Mashkah almsabeeh
3. Jama almsaneed wa alqaab
4. Beher almsaneed
3. Books of Maghazi
Another important source of seerah of prophet Muhammad is those books that were formulated by the people of earlier times. Magazi’s actual meaning is wars but its figurative meaning is those wars in which the propher Muhammad SAW participated himself. Magahzi should have contained only the description of the wars in which the prophet participated but afterwards this word also covered the whole life of prophet. This is why the books about prophet’s life are called maghazi as well as seerah.
Similar to the books of ahadith the books of seerah and maghazi were also started formulating in the times of Umer bin Abdulaziz but its earlier traces are also found in the previous times. Prior to the foremost writers of seerah for example Ibn-Ishaq we find some scholars form tabiyeen and taba-tabiyeen who compiled some books of seerah and maghazi. Although those books are lost with the passage of time but their refferences can be found in the books of later times. These are
q Abban bin Usman
q Urwah bin Alzubair
q Sharjeel bin Saad
q Wahab bin Munaba
q Abdullah bin Abbi Bakar
q Asim bin Umer Katada
q Ibn-e-Shahab Zahry
q Abu-ul-Aswad Muhammad bin Abdul Rehman
q Muammar Suleman bin Sulman
q Muamir bin Rashid
q Abu Masher bin Alsindi
q Moosa bin uqba.
Aban Bin Usman
The first to formulate books on maghazi and seerah was Aban bin Usman who was the son of the third Caliph Usman bin Afaan. He was popular as the scholar of hadith, fiqh, and maghazi. Being the son of Usman RA he had the facility to know about he prophet’s life with authentication. So it is told that he composed the first book of maghazi, which was narrated by Mughaira bin Abdul Rehman.
Urwah bin Alzubair
Urwah bin Alzubair bin Aluloom (23-97A.H) was also a major scholar of maghazi and hadith. No part of the book of Abaan bin Usman’s maghazi reached us but some segments of the maghazi written by Urwah bin Alzubair can be found in the books of seerah. His own book “Almaghazi” can not be found anymore. Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, Waqadi, Tibri and Ibn Sayad Alnaar copied contents from the maghazi written by Urwah bin Alzubair in there own books. These are the narration that has reached us about the prophet Muhammad SAW. Urwah bin Zubair has also included some improtant events of prophet’s life along with the details of ghazwat, e.g. the situation at the time of revelation and migration to habsha.
Urwah had close relations with the family of prophet. His father Zubair bin Alowam was one of the ashra mubashra. Asma bin Abu Bakar was your mother and Aisha RA was his auntie. So he used to ask questions from his father, mother and auntie and collected information about the prophet SAW. This is the reason that the valuable information is found in his book which was not accessed by other tabiyeen.
Wahab bin Munaba
Another important writer of maghazi is Wahab bin Munaba, who was the native of southern Arabia but was Iranian . He had great interest in the religious books and narration of Judaism and Christianity. His brother Hamaam bin Munaba’s writings are referred in the books of hadith. Wahab bin Munaba narrates his writings from Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira RA, and Jabir RA but the hadith writers has taken his narration very less often. For example bukhari has taken only one hadith form him.
Asim bin Umer
Asim bin Umer bin Qatada Al-Ansari (dead 120 AH) was also a popular tabiyee. According to Ibn-e-Saad he was ordered by Umer bin Abdul Aziz to stay in the mosque of Damascus and to teach people about the maghazi. So he obeyed this order. It is said that if after some time he came back to his home in Madina and continued teaching maghazi.
Muhammad bin Ishaq met Asim bin Umer in Madina and until he stayed there he continuously attended the lessons of Asim bin Umer. This is why he has copied some parts from the maghazi of Asim bin Umer in his book. Other then Ibn Ishaq, alwaqadi has also copied many narrations form Asim bin Umer. His most narrations are about the prophet’s life in Makka, and the earlier days of Islam.
Sharjeel bin Saad
Sharjeel bin Saad (died 123 AH) was a freed slave, and belonged to the southern Arabia but his most of the time was spend in Madina. It is said that he had a life of more then hundred years. Those companions of prophet form which he has taken the narrations include Zaid bin Harris, Abu Huraira, and abu Saeed Alhazry. Like Asim bin Umair he also had great interest in seerah and maghazi. There is also a chance that he had taken the material for maghazi from Urwah bin Alzubair.
Ibn-e-Shahab Zahry
Muhammad bin Ubaid bin Shahab Alzahry (51 – 124 AH) was a great tabyiee. He was specially popular for writing and editing hadith, tafseer, fiqh, history and maghazi. He spend his earlier times in Madina and took the benefit from the company of Aban bin Usman, Urwah bin Zubair, Saeed bin Almseeb, Ali bin Husain etc.
Ammam Zahri was requested to write a book on seerah by Khalid bin Abdullah Alqusra. Zahri fulfilled this request heartily. That book is now not present but its references are found in the later books of seerah.
Muhammad bin Ishaq
Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Ysaar bin Kayar (85 – 151AH) was the first seerah writer whose book “Kitab Almaghazi” has reached us with most of its part in its original form. It is his popularity that dint let the attention go to people prior to him. His book is popular with the names like “Kitab Almaghazi wa alseer” and “ Kitaab alseerah wa almubtada wal maghazi”. Most part of this book is saved by Abn Hashaam in his book “Seeraht-e-Rasool”.
Muhammad bin Ishaq was also born in Mwali family. His father Ishaq bin Yassar and his uncle Moosa bin Yassar also had very deep interest in hadith. Ishaq was the student of Urwah bin zubair. So he had the facility to extract seerah from hadith. Muhammad bin Ishaq kept contact with Madina’s popular tabiyeen, Asim bin Umer, Abdullh bin Abi Bakkar and Ibn Shahaab Zahri. So most of the hadith in his book was from these three. He took benefit from 114 teacher amongst which more then hundred were form Madina. Similarly the number of his students were also very huge, amongst which fifteen students narrated his book. The most authentic narration is by salma bin alafzal.
Ibn Hashaam
Abu Muhammad Abdul Malik bin Hashaam bin Ayoob Al hamery (died 213 or 218 AH) will live forever due to his remarkable book “Seeraht-e-Rasool Allah”, because this book had the pride to reach us completely in its original form. This book is in fact a better version of the book by Ibn Ishaq.
Waqadi
Waqadi enjoyed the company of popular hadith writers like Malik bin Anas, Muammar bin Rashid, Abu Muashar Alsindi, and Abi Jahreeh. He was also interested in fiqh, hadith, maghazi and history.
These are the four books of Waqadi that are about seerah
1. Tareekh al Maghazi wal Mabas
2. Azwaj Alnabi
3. Wafat Alnabi
4. Alseerah.
There are some other books by Waqadi that are basically about history but contains many imortant seerah topics.
Other writers:
There are countless other writers who contributed in the seerah writing. Names of some are given here:
q Abu Maasher Alsindi
q Mutamar Suleman bin Tarkhan
q Muhammad bin Saad
Some important books:
q Sharaf Almustafa by Hafiz Abu Saeed Abdulmalik
q Seerah Ibn Abdulber by Ammam Abu Umer Yousaf bin Abdulbar
q Alrwooz Alanaf by Qasim Abdulrehman
q Sharaf Almustafa by Hafiz Abdulrehman ibn Jozi
q Seerah ibn Abi Tay by Yahya bin Hameeda
q Seerah Gazroni by Sheikh Zaheer-ud-din Ali
q Khalish Alseer by Muhib al deen Ahmad
q Seerah Damyaty by Hafiz Abdul Momen Aldmiyaty
q Seerah Khalati by Alauldeen Bin Muhammad Alkhallati
q Ayoon Alasar by Abu Fattah bin Muhammad
4. Books of history
Another important source of seerah is the books of Islamic history. Basically these are not the books of seerah but these are the description of happenings and events about Islamic world’s leaders, important personalities and Muslim countries. But while describing all this they also talk about the founder of Islam, his life, his achievements and his deeds. In these books of history the biography of Prophet Muhammad is described, somewhere briefly and somewhere in detail. In the old books of history some narrations are those that are similar to those that are found in books of maghazi. But some are those that are found explicitly in the books of history only. This is why these books are considered as an important source of seerah. There are many books written about Islamic history but regarding seerah of the prophet Muhammad SAW most important are those which describe a lot about prophet’s personality. Some description of such books follows.
The earliest people who wrote books about Islamic history are Abu Maasher Alsindhee (died 170 AH), Waqadi (died 207 AH) and Madayeene (died 225AH). Abu Maasher had great interest in history along with seerah and maghazi, but unfortunately we lost his book about history along with his other books. Some parts of his books were saved in the books of Tibree.
Ibn Nadeem has talked bout twenty seven books that are written by Waqadi. These books are about different aspects of Islamic history, but one book “Kitab Alkabeer” is most important. This book contains events that occurred till 179 AH. This book is also not found any more but some parts of it are copied in the book of Tibree. Other then this there is another book of Waqadi named “Kitab Altabqaat” which contains seerah of the prophet and some history about prophet’s companions and Tabeyeen. A large portion of this book is saved by Ibn saad in his book “Tabqaat ul kabeer”.
Madayeene is another popular historian, who wrote seerah and maghazi. He also wrote about the history of Abaasies. Ibn Nadeem says that the number of books by Madayeene is about 245
Some other books and names of their writers are as under:
q Tabqat al kabeer by Muhammad Ibn Saar (died 230 AH)
q Tareekh Sagheer-o-Kabeer by Amman Bukhari (died 256 AH)
q Kitab Al Maarraf by Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muslim (213 – 270 AH)
q Tareekh-e-Yaqoobi by Ahmen bin abi Yaqoob (died 284 AH)
q Tareekh-e-Tibree by Abu Jaffer Muhammad bin Jareer Al Tibree (235 – 310 AH)
q Tareekh Ibn Abe Kazeema by Ahmad bin Abi Kazeema (205 – 299 AH)
q Tambeeh wa Ashraf by Abu Alhassan bin Alhusain bin Ali Almasoodi (died 345 AH)
q Almuntzim by Abu Alfarah Abdulrehman ibn Jozi (510 – 597 AH)
q Tareekh Al kamil by Az Aldeen Ali bin Muhammad Aljazree(555 – 630AH)
q Tareekh Abu Alfida by Amad-udeen Abu Alfida Ismaeel bin Ali (672 – 732 AH)
q Tareekh Alislam by Shams-addeen Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad Almaroof beh allama Zehby (673 – 748 AH)
q Al badaiya and Alnhaya by Ibn Kaseer (710 – 774 AH)
q Tareekh Ibn Khaldoon by Abu Zaid Abdul Rehman bin Muhammad bin Khaldoon Almaghrabi (732 – 808 AH)
q Amraaa Alasmaa by Ahmen bin Ali Taqi Aldeen Almaqrezi (776 – 845 AH)
5. Books of Tafseer
Another important source of seerah is books of tafseer, written for the clarification of Quran. The Quran is the best source to know about prophet’s seerah. When those parts of Quran are described in detail that refers to life of Prophet Muhammad, many aspects of seerah are also discussed. These tafaseer also prove to be very informative when we want to know that what were the times, reasons and places when these ayaah of Quran were reavealed. This is why the books of tafaseer are said to be a precious fountain for the knowledge of seerah
The tafseer writing started in the times of companions of prophet Muhammad SAW. The companions, who were mufasireen, were not many in number but there narrations are important because whatever they said was what they heard from the prophet directly or indirectly.
Amman Jallal Adeen Syoty writes that among the companions of prophet ten were popular as muffasirs which are
q Abu Bakar RA
q Umer RA
q Usman RA
q Ali RA (the four caliphs)
q Abdullah bin Masood RA
q Abdullah bin Abbas RA
q Abye bin Kaab RA
q Zaid bin Sabit RA
q Abu Mosa Ashery RA
q Abdullah bin Zubair RA
Other then these some other companions are also known for the tafseer of Quran although their number is comparatively less. The following names are very important in this respect
q Anas bin Malik RA
q Abu Huraira RA
q Abdullah bin Umer RA
q Jabbir bin Abdullah RA
q Abdullah bin Umro Alaas
q Ayisha Sadeeqa RA
Tafaseer of times of Sahaba
The most populer of the tafseer of times of sahaba is “Tafseer Ibn Abaas” by Abdullah bin Abaas (died 76 AH)
The second important tafseer is by Abye bin Kab Ansari (died 19 AH)
No one wrote any complete tafseer of Quran in the times of sahaba. The proper work on writing tafaseer was started in the second century AH.
Tafaseer in the times of Tabaeen and afterwards:
Tabiaeen were the people who learned form sahaba. And taba tabyeen were those who learned for the tabeyeen. Much work on writing tafseer was done in there times.
6. Books of Asma-Alrajaal
Another source of seerah is the books that are present in numbers of hundreds and thousands, which are developed by the historian with a great effort and struggle. The life history of the prophet is describe by the Sahaba and these narrations were heard and noted by tabiyeen, so it was important to collect information about these sahaba and tabiyeen. According to Mulana Shiblee Naumani “It was important to find out that the person who came in silsila-e-riwayatt, who were thay, what did they used to do?, what were there daily routines? How was there repute? How was there memory? Were they educated? - hundreds of hadith writters spend their lives for this task. They went to each cities, met the narraters, lived with then and find out each detail about them. Those who were not present in that time, the information about those was asked from the people who used to live with them. As a result an art was born with the help of which now we can know the life histories of about more then 100,000 people”.
The books in which these life histories were collected were said to be Alasma Alrijaal. It is said that the one who begin this art was Shaba bin Hajaaj and the one who first ever wrote a book like these was Yahya bin saeed.
A brief list of these book follows:
q Tabqat Alkubra by AlIbn Saad
q Tawareekh by Ammam Bukhari
q Kitaab Al jarah wal Tadeel by Allama Ahmad bin Abdullah Alajly
q Astiyab fe Maarfa Al ashaab by Hafiz Abu Umro Yosab bin Abdulber
q Alkamal fe Maarfa Al rijaal by Hafiz Abdul Ghani bin Abdul Wahid
q Asad Alghaba Fe Maarata Alashaab by Allama Ibn Aseer
q Tehzeeb Alkamaal Fe Maarfa Alrijaal by Hafiz Jamal Ad-deen
q Mezaan Alaatadal fe Naqad Alrijaal by Ammam Zehbi
q Tehzeeb Altehzeeb by Ibn-e-hajar Asqalani
7. Books of Shuma’l
Another source of seerah are the books that are written by the appearance of prophet Muhammad, his habits, his daily routine and his lifestyle. All these topics are also discussed in some books of hadith but in some books only such topics are chosen to be discussed.
Kitab Al-Shuma’l by Ammam Tarimzi is the first book on this topic. Similarly “Kitab-ul Shiffa” by Qazi Ayaaz Undlisi is said to be the biggest book of Shuma’l.
8. Books of Dala’l
These are the books about the miracles and the spiritual achievements of prophet. Sayed Sulaman Nadwi has written about numerous such books which are about some specific aspect of the prophet’s life. For example
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Ibn – Qattada
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Abu Ishaq Harbi
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Ammam Abo Bakkar Baqeeha
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Abo Inam Isfahani
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Ammam Mastaghfari
q Dla’l Alnaboowa by Abu Qasim Ismail Isfahani
and
q Khasaes Alkubra by Amam Sayooti which is the most authentic book on this topic.
Some people have made miracles of Prophet Muhammad SAW as the topic of there book. In this respect the best book ever written was by Allama Jallal-ud-Deen Balqeeni who was teacher of Ammam Sayooti. The name of the book was “Mujazaat – Alnabi SAW”.
9. Books of Asaar and Akhbaar
Another sources of seerah are those books that are written about the circumstances of Madia and Makka. In these book, along with the state of affairs of these cities, many details about the prophet’s life, and the sacred location related to prophet was also included. These book act as are preview of situations that occurred in the life of prophet. Their writers are appreciable because they have done a lengthy research for collection of data about the ancient cities, the tribes that were living there and their way of life.
The oldest book written in this respect is “Akhbar-e-Madina” by Allama Azraqi. This book is said to be very authenticated source for information about the cities. Sayed Suleman Nadwi has mentioned some names of books which are
q Akbar-e-Madina by Ummer bin Shabba
q Akbar-e-Makka by Fakahee
q Akbar-e-Madina by Ibn-eZabala.
10. Ma’asrana poetry
Another source of information about prophet’s life is the poetry that was done for admiration of the prophet’s personality. The popular poets who wrote about prophet at that time were:
q Abu Talib
q Aasha
q Kaab bin Zaheer
q Ahsaan bin Sabit
q Abdullah bin rooha
q Abdullah bin Zubraa
q Kaab bin Malik
q Fazala Laishi
q Abaas bin Mardaas
It is said that there is no poet who dint wrote any stanza about the prophet Muhammad SAW. This is confirmed when we look at the poetry done by the 4 caliphs, and prophet’s other close relatives. But the poetry that is helpful in knowing seerah is done by the people whose names are mentioned above. |
TO BE EDITED .. yeezeve |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
brainout
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 811
Location: Not here, notify off
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| yeezevee wrote: |
In This remarkable book published in 1922 Andre Servier
writes
| Quote: |
| “France needs a Musulman[TS1] policy inspired by realities and not by received opinions and legends”. |
Indeed it Sounds like a comment on the recent riots of France. The book is “Islam and the Psychology of the Musulman” by Andre Servier has long been forgotten, until it was scanned.
(Translated by A. S. Moss-Blundell, with a preface by Louis Bertrand; Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York; 1924)
experts from it
| Quote: |
“Islam is Christianity adapted to Arab mentality, or, more exactly, it is all that the unimaginative brain of a Bedouin, obstinately faithful to ancestral practices, has been able to assimilate of the Christian doctrines. Lacking the gift of imagination, the Bedouin copies, and in copying he distorts the original. Thus Musulman law is only the Roman Code revised and corrected by Arabs; in the same way Musulman science is nothing but Greek science interpreted by the Arab brain; and again, Musulman architecture is merely a distorted imitation of the Byzantine style.” (Servier, page 61)
| Quote: |
| The people who resulted as Bedouins live a nomadic and predatory live style, with intense loyalties to families and tribes, and almost complete inability to deal with the future (conceptual range) and creativity. Theirs is close to an aconceptual existence, dominated by impulsivity, emotionality, and progress through looting, versus productivity. |
.......... The conquering hordes had come from a geographical area devoid of civilization--the Arabian peninsula. The Arabs overwhelmed civilized “neighbors” by means of sheer physical force and barbarity. Those whom they conquered were always much more civilized than these barbarian Muslims, whose primary interests were physical loot, carnality, and the joy of bloodshed using raw power--Bedouin values and virtues sanctioned by Islam...........
| Quote: |
| However, the conquering Arabs kept making the same mistakes. They forced conversion to Islam on the conquered peoples; then, they themselves grew soft through their internalization of the fruits of civilization from those whom they had conquered. The conquered peoples, once converted, became utterly equal to the Muslims, as Islam dictates. The conquered peoples always set about conquering their conquerors, who grew softer and softer. Also, the early Muslims, with their Bedouin psychology, turned on each other continuously with intrigue after intrigue, On the other hand, the conquered peoples, now equal to the Arabs, just grew stronger, threatening the future of Islam. Something would have to be done to save Islam. |
Before the process of ossification of Islamia really took hold,these early Muslim Arabs delighted with the inventions, discoveries, arts and sciences, and publications they had looted from the civilizations they conquered. These civilizations had been heavily enculturated through exposure to centuries of Latin, Greek, and certain other civilizations. Syria, Persia, and India were reservoirs of those cultures, and were plundered by the Islamists who moved in to take from them.
| Quote: |
| the fact is that Islamists have invented absolutely nothing in their entire history, other than Islam, and yet they have received misattribution after misattribution from many ignorant sources, which have alleged Islamia to have been a high civilization, along the lines of the Arabian Nights (even this was Persian, not Arab). Medievalists mistakenly gave the Islamists credit for the knowledge passed to them from Muslim writings, not realizing that these materials did not originate with Muslims, but had simply been appropriated from others. |
Later on, in a backlash to Christianity, some Europeans went out of their way to praise Islam for its “high civilization,” as a means of putting Christendom in a bad light. To this day, many people, some of whom ought to know better, still misattribute the status of civilization and culture to Islamic society. Muslims copied, and usually not accurately. What original work they did do became selected histories and writings about grammar. Everything else they attempted to originate has been as universally inferior as it has been scarce.
...............
| Quote: |
| “To sum up: the Arab has borrowed everything from other nations, literature, art, science, and even his religious ideas. He has passed it all through the sieve of his own narrow mind, and being incapable of rising to high philosophic conceptions, he has distorted, mutilated and desiccated everything. This destructive influence explains the decadence of Musulman nations and their powerlessness to break away from barbarism…” |
There is a good reason for that inferiority. Inferiority in all intellectual spheres is the spawn of Islam. Wherever Islam takes hold, human progress stops, then regresses to a basal level, where it stays. Quoting Servier, “After a century of Arab domination, there is a complete annihilation of all intellectual culture.” (p 11)
Under the Umayyad caliphates, Islamic civilization came close to existing, but when the Abbasside caliphates displaced the Umayyads, Islamia began its terminal decline and fall. Its high water mark ended in 846 A.D. with the death of the last Umayyad caliph, Wathiq. Thereafter, very decadent, if not fundamentalist, Abbasside rulers took over.
........................
| Quote: |
Servier summarizes (pp 182-183) the end of the Umayyads:
“Islam owed them much; it was they who built up its power. Free from fanaticism, they had left some liberty to the vanquished peoples, and thus in Syria, in Egypt and in Spain, they had allowed Greco-Latin civilization to put forth new flowers. The… [Umayyads], instructed and polished by the Syrians, were to some extent and possibly unconsciously, the heirs and successors of the Byzantine Emperors. As such, they deserve some recognition. With their successors, the Abbassides, there begins the reaction of narrow fanaticism against liberty of conscience; the reign of blind piety and persecution; it is also the reaction of the Arab spirit, coarse and ignorant, against Greco-Latin culture.” |
.......Arab scholars scrutinized Medina-style Islam particularly, the type most fundamental and closest to Muhammad’s preachings, found it wanting as well as an obstacle to the exercise of thought and discovery. Sages ridiculed Islam in favor of freedom of thought and expression because Islam was so utterly backward and rigid...............
| Quote: |
| From the mid-9th century to its end, caliphs and clerics established shari’a, and shari’a became the immutable and unquestionable law of Islamia. This was done to stop the disintegration and impending demise of Islam. Doing this ossified Islamia because it was enforced by sword. Philosophers, scientists, and artists were put to death unless they shut up and posed no further threat to the Medina-style Islam which all had to adopt. |
Within three generations, most progress in Islamia became a thing of the past. Progress slowed until by the time of the Ottomans, no one could remember the old days. And so it has been for at least half of a millennium and will become so for the rest of the world if Islam achieves the power it seeks.
“Islam was not a torch, as has been claimed, but an extinguisher. Conceived in a barbarous brain for the use of a barbarous people, it was—and it remains—incapable of adapting itself to civilization. Wherever it has dominated, it has broken the impulse towards progress and checked the evolution of society.”
....................
| Quote: |
| the key role of Muslim women in establishing and maintaining the rigidity of Islam by their effects on the young. Islam keeps women suppressed, repressed, and ignorant, but it requires that they raise the children. These same women literally brainwash children during their most formative years, until formal Islamic education finishes off these kids in ignorance and illiteracy to keep them and the Islamic subculture utterly stagnant. |
Human minds must be thoroughly deformed in childhood for Islam to work as it does. Islam not only closes minds, it welds them shut.
| Quote: |
| “The deadening influence of Islam is well demonstrated by the way in which the Musulman comports himself at different stages of his life. In his early childhood, when the religion has not as yet impregnated his brain, he shows a very lively intelligence and remarkably open mind, accessible to ideas of every kind; but, in proportion as he grows up, and as, through the system of his education, Islam lays hold of him and envelops him, his brain seems to shut up, his judgment to become atrophied, and his intelligence to be stricken by paralysis and irremediable degeneration.” |
.......................
| Quote: |
| “Islam is a doctrine of death, inasmuch as the spiritual not being separated from the temporal, and every manifestation of activity being subjected to dogmatic law, it formally forbids any change, any evolution, any progress. It condemns all believers to live, to think, and to act as lived, thought and acted the Musulmans of the second century of the Hegira [8th century A.D.], when the law of Islam and its interpretation were definitely fixed. |
“In the history of the nations, Islam,........ Individuals under Arab rule have only been able to contribute to the advance of civilization in so far as they did not conform to the Musulman dogma, but they relapsed into Arab barbarism as soon as they were obliged to make a complete submission to these dogmas.......
| Quote: |
| “Islamized nations, who have not succeeded in freeing themselves from Musulman tutelage, have been stricken with intellectual paralysis and decadence. They will only escape as they succeed in withdrawing themselves from the control of Musulman law.” |
....... |
read it all at http://fomi.no/English/Musulmanbook.htm
with best regards
yeezevee |
That link is now broken, no longer exists. But I found another link which has the Servier book in both French and English, here..
Seems like a really important book to read and tell Muslims to read. That it's in French also would be very helpful to North African Muslims and some in Asia. Even I can read the French (with a dictionary), so that makes the book more accessible.
_________________
"Relax, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.
Youtube vids on why Islam is bad: click here.
Prejudice eisegetes, but wisdom exegetes. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
