The Life of Muhammadﷺ, The Madinan Period, Volume 1
by Imam Anwar Al_Awlaki.
اَلْحَمْدُ لله وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلى سَيِّدِنَامحمد وَعَلَى اَلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيْمًا كَثِيْراَّ
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي۝وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي۝وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِيْ ۝يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِيِ۝
We talked last evening about the covenant, this document that is drawn up by Rasool Allah ﷺ
to govern the relationships of the different peoples of Madina.
I've mentioned that you had Arabs who were polytheists and Muslims and then you have the Jewish tribes, of Madina.
A few comments on the covenant, states the
اُمَّهْ وَاحِدَّةْ دُوْنَ النَّاس
It says that the believers are,
أمة واحدة دون الناس,
which is believers are allies to one another, excluding others.
So, here you have the faith based community an Ummah(امة) established on faith,
which was a novel concept to the Arabs who used to base everything on the relationship of blood.
So now, Rasool Allah ﷺ is coming up with this concept of, "We are brothers because we are believers".
And not only we are brothers, but we're brothers excluding everyone else,
there's a special bond just because of us, being a Muslim.
And that was a statement made in the document.
So, this might be one explanation of the reason, why you find that there were many orders, given by Rasool Allah ﷺ
to distinguish the Muslims from the Jews, for example.
Now obviously, everything in Islam was distinguishing it, from the pagan worshipping, religion of Arabia.
But since there are some commonalities between the Muslims and the People of the Scripture,
Rasool Allah ﷺ didn't want that to overflow.
He wanted the Muslims to keep a distinct identity.
So, you'd find that there are many Ahadith(احاديث)
in which Rasool Allah ﷺ was ordering or instructing the Muslims to be different than the Jews of Madina.
For example, you had the Jews of Madina did not pray in leather socks,
so Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
صَلُّوْ بِالْخِفَافِ فَاِنَّ الْيَهُوْدَ لَا يُصَلُّوْنَ بِالْخِفَافْ
The Yahood(يهود) of Madina would not dye with Hinnah(حنا),
so Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
اُصْبُغوْا الشَيْب بالْحِنَّا
Dye your hair with Hinnah(حناء) and this is for men.
When Rasool Allah ﷺ came into Madina, he saw that the Jews would fast on the 10th of Muharram(محرم), Aashoora(عاشوره),
so he asked, he inquired for the reason.
The response was that this was the day in which Allahسبحانه وتعالى saved Musa عليه السّلام from Firaun(فرعون).
Rasool Allah ﷺ said:
نَحْنُ اَوْلَآ بِمُوْسَى مِنْهُمْ
Musa(موسى) belongs to us more than he belongs to them.
Musa(موسى) was abeliever, so we are part of him and he is part of us.
Therefore, we should fast on this day.
And Rasool Allah ﷺ started the tradition of fasting on the 10th of Muharram(محرم), which is called Aashooraa(عاشوره).
However, before he passed away ﷺ, he said;
لئن عشت إلى قابل لأصومن التاسع
If I live until next year, I'm also going to fast the ninth of Muharram(محرم).
So, rather than only fast the 10th, he was going to first the ninth and the 10th
to distinguish the Muslims from the Jews, who would only fast the tenth.
Second comment on this document.
This document was establishing the authority of Rasool Allah ﷺ, who just walked in as a guest.
Rasool Allah ﷺ came into Madina, he was invited there.
But Rasool Allah ﷺ was there to be followed.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says that, any messenger that we send, We send them to be obeyed and followed.
So, Rasool Allah ﷺ was to be followed by the people.
And he was establishing, his authority by the will of Allahعَزّوجَلّ, through various means.
One of them was this covenant.
By the way, the four projects that Rasool Allah ﷺ started with in Madina,
I don't know, if I mentioned them before, but the four projects were;
Number one, the Masjid(مسجد)
that was number one, the first thing Rasool Allah ﷺ did when he wentinto Madina, was build the Masjid(مسجد).
Number two,
establishing the Brotherhood between Al-Muhajireen(المهاجرين) and Al-Ansaar(الأنْصَار).
Number three, this covenant.
Number four, the establishment of the Muslim army.
All of these four were consolidating the foundations of this newly formed Islamic State,
and it was consolidating the authority of Rasool Allah ﷺ,
the one sent by Allahعَزّوجَلّ to bring the people out of darkness to light.
So in the document, it says;
وَاِنَّكُمْ مَااخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ شَئٍ فَاِنَّ مَرَدَّه’ اِلَى اللهِ ، وَاِلَى محمد
It says; Any matter in which you disagree, must be referred to Allah Al-Mighty and glorious is He and to Muhammadﷺ,
the only name mentioned in this document of an individual is that of Muhammadﷺ.
Any matter of dispute that occurs between the Jews and the Arabs or the Arabs among themselves.
Any matter of dispute that occurs between a citizen of Madina and an outsider,
All of these matter, need to be referred to Allah and the Messenger of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
So, this is establishing the rule of Allahعَزّوجَلّ in Madina,
the governance of the book of Allahعَزّوجَلّ, and the Sunnah(سنة) of Muhammadﷺ.
And this was agreed upon by everyone in Madina, the Muslims and the non Muslims, Arabs or Jews alike.
Third comment,
the relationship between the Muslims and the Jews.
It is clear from this covenant that Rasool Allah ﷺ was extending ahand of tolerance towards the People of the Book.
You'd find that this document considers the Jews to be citizens of Madina, citizens of the Islamic State.
They were granted religious freedom and state protection.
They were allowed to worship according to their teachings.
And number two, it was responsibility of the Muslim state to protect them.
They were also required, on the other hand to support the Muslims against any enemy that attacke Madina.
They were also required to give sincere counsel to the Muslim state
and never conspire against it, or to withhold information which was important to the security of the Muslim state.
And also they were not allowed to leave from Madina without the permission of Rasool Allah ﷺ.
And they had to refer to Muhammadﷺ in any dispute that might arise between the Jews and the Muslims.
So, this is how it started.
This is how therelationship between the Muslims and the Jews started.
However, from there on, it was always downhill.
And the reason is, as we will see through these talks
was the response of the Jews to the Muslim presence in Madina.
But from the side of Rasool Allah ﷺ, this is how, he approached it,
this is how he, dealt with the Yahood(يهود), in the early days of his immigration to Madina,
he considered them to be citizens of the Islamic State, and he offered them protection and he gave them equal rights.
The fourth comment establishing the sanctity of Madina.
Makkah was considered to be Haram(حرم) by the Arabs, Haram(حرم) is a sanctuary, it was Holy.
Now Rasool Allah ﷺ is doing the same with Madina.
It says in the document;
اِنَّ يَثْرِبْ حَرَامٌ جَوْفُهَا لِاَهْلِ هَذِہ الصَّحِيْفة
The center of Yasrib(يثرب) is a sanctuary for everyone, in this covenant.
And this includes not cutting down trees, they're not allowed to hunt,
and they're not allowed to fight within the boundaries of this area or carry weapons.
So, these are a few comments regarding this covenant.
Some of the Sahabah, were held back from Hijrah(هجرة), so they came after Rasool Allah ﷺ,
the majority made Hijrah(هجرة) before Rasool Allah ﷺ did,
but some of them were held back such as Sohaib Ar-Roomiرضي الله عنه.
Sohaib(صهيب), when he decided that he's going to leave Makkah, he had some wealth.
Sohaib Ar-Roomi(صهيب الرومي) was imprisoned by the Romans in one of the wars between the Romans and the Arabs,
they took him as a prisoner and they enslaved him.
So, he grew up among the Romans and he acquired their language.
So, he had this accent when he would talk Arabic.
And then he was sold from one owner to another, from one slavemaster to the next.
And he ended up in the hands of Abdullah Bin Jada'an(عبدالله بن جدعان).
Abdullah Bin Jada'an(عبدالله بن جدعان) was a wealthy man in Makkah.
And he freed Sohaib(صهيب).
Sohaib(صهيب) was bright and intelligent and active.
So, he started the business and he acquired wealth.
When he wanted to make Hijrah(هجرة), he covered his wealth, dig up hole for it and hide it somewhere and he left.
So, some of the men of Quraish(قُرَيْشْ) pursued him.
And they told him, You came to us as a poverty stricken beggar.
With us, you grew wealthy and acquired status.
And now you wantto take yourself and your money away,
In the name of Allah, By Allah, we will not allow this to happen.
You came to us broke.
And now you're wealthy, you want to take your wealth and leave us.
So, Sohaib(صهيب) said what if I ransom myself and give you my Wealth, they said then we'll allow you to go.
In another narration, when he saw them following him, he drew out 40 arrows,
and he said, I'm gonna stick each one of these, in one of you.
And after I run out of arrows, I'm going to draw out my sword and then you'll know that I am a man.
I have left money in this particular place, you can go and take it and let me go.
And they agreed to let him leave.
This story of Sohaib(صهيب) represents an immigrant, who went into Makkah.
He was an immigrant, who went to Makkah, he was a foreigner, he settled there,
he gained status and made money.
But when he wanted to leave for the sake of Allah, they didn't allow him to leave.
Probably Muslims living in the West can take heed, of the story of Sohaibرضي الله عنه.
The Muhajireen(مهاجرين), who moved from Makkah to Madina, They were feeling homesick.
And they wanted to go back to Makkah.
Back it says that Bilal(بلال) used to say; May Allah curse Utba Bin Rabiyah(عتبة بن ربيعة)
and Shaibah Bin Rabiyah(شيبة بن ربيعة) and Ummayyah Bin Khalaf(امية بن خلف) who have driven us out of Makkah to this land of diseases.
Madina had swampy land
and because of this, you had a lot of Allah Ho Alam(الله اعلم) it was malaria or what kind of diseases, but they would catch a fever.
And Madina was famous about this.
People who would go there would catch a fever.
Some scholars today say that it might have been malaria because of the stagnant water that was in these swamps.
So, Ayeshaرضي الله عنها said that my father and Bilal(بلال) and Aamir Bin Fuhairah(عامربن فهيره) catch this fever,
So I went to visit them.
So I said, Oh my father, How are you?
And he didn't respond back, He was just reciting lines of poetry.
She went to Bilal(بلال) and said; Bilal(بلال), How are you? Same thing.
Aamir Bin Fuhairah(عامربن فهيره) same thing.
Ayesha(عائشه) said these men don't know what they're saying.
And she went to Rasool Allah ﷺ and told him about what Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) was saying and what Bilal(بلال) was saying,
reciting these lines of poetry, I could read you some of them.
What Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) and Bilal(بلال) were saying
For example, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه would say;
Every man might arise among his family, Yet his death be closer than his sandal fangs.
So, he was talking about death, thinking that he might die because of this fever.
While Aamir Bin Fuhairah(عامربن فهيره) was saying, I have found death before tasting it,
a coward has his demise right above him,
Every man fights hard with all his power as a bull protects its skin with its horns.
And Bilalرضي الله عنه would say O, how happy I would be to spend the night in a valley covered with fresh grass and verdure.
Will I ever again descend to magenta waters or see Shamaan Tufail(شمان طفيل),
Shamaan Tufail(شمان طفيل), are two mountains in Makkah.
All of these men were homesick they wanted to go back to Makkah.
Bilal(بلال) as I said was saying O Allah curse Utba Bin Rabiyah(عتبة بن ربيعة), Shaibah Bin Rabiyah(شيبة بن ربيعة)
and Ummayyah Bin Khalaf(امية بن خلف) alike for them having forced us out into the land of pestilence.
Now if you've experienced being a foreigner in a land.
I'm not saying tourists, having a feeling of being a tourist is different,
I am saying you're driven out of your home, you're forced out of your home
and you're living in a place that you didn't really choose to go to.
You were forced to go there, it's a horrible feeling.
And add to that you become sick and your family are not around and there's nobody to take care of you.
So, Rasool Allah ﷺ was feeling very sorry for the Sahabah رضي الله عنهم.
And when Ayesha(عائشه) came to her husband, Rasool Allah ﷺ and told him about the condition of Bilal(بلال)
and Aamir Bin Fuhairah(عامربن فهيره) and her father Abu Bakr(ابو بكر).
Rasool Allah ﷺ, he said;
اَللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إلَيْنَا الْمَدِيْنَّهْ كَحُبِّنَا مَكَهْ اَوْ اَشَدْ،
اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيْ مُدِّنَا وَصاعِّنَا وانْقُلْ حُمَّاهَا إلى الجُحْفَةِ
O Allah make us love Madina, like we love Makkah or more
and make it healthy and bless for us our food and drive out the fever of Madina to Al-Juhfah(ألجحفه),
Al-Juhfah(ألجحفه) is another place.
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله), due to the blessing of the Dua(دُعَا) of Rasool Allah ﷺ
the Muhajireen(مهاجرين) ended up loving Madina more than anywhere else on the face of the earth.
In fact, when they opened Makkah, Did any one of them choose to move back to Makkah?
Where did Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) chose to stay.?
In Madina,
Umar(عُمَر) remained in Madina, Uthman(عثمان) remained in Madina, Bilal(بلال) didn't go back to Makkah.
Because of the Dua(دُعَا) of Rasool Allah ﷺ, they ended loving Madina more than anywhere else.
And Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله), everyone who, has faith in his heart would love Madina.
Until this day, there's a special feeling that a believer has when they go to the town, to the city of Rasool Allah ﷺ.
You know when you go into Makkah, you have this feeling of magnificence.
You know when you're driving through the streets of Makkah for the first time
and then you end up seeing the huge pillars of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam(مسجد الحرام),
you feel the greatness in magnificence of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam(مسجد الحرام).
But when you go to Madina, which is flat unlike Makkah, which is mountainous, which is flat,
and you see Al-Masjid Al-Nabwi(مسجدالنبوي) from the distance, you have a different feeling.
It's not the feeling of the magnificence of the place it's feeling of tranquility, you feel at peace.
It's a beloved place to any believer.
This was due to the Barakah(بركة) of Dua(دُعَا) of Rasool Allah ﷺ.
Who was the first newborn in Madina, Asma Bint Abi Bakrرضي الله عنها, she says;
When I emigrated, I was at term.
When I came to Madina, I stayed in Qubaa(قباء) and gave birth to him there, Abdullah Bin Zubair(عبدالله بن زبير).
She then took him to Rasool Allah ﷺ and placed, the newborn in his lap.
Rasool Allah ﷺ called for a date, which he chew.
And then he placed the date, the chewed paste, He placed it in the mouth of Abdullah Bin Zubair(عبدالله بن زبير).
So, Asma'a(اسماءبنت زبير) says, so the first thing that entered the baby's stomach was from the mouth of Rasool Allah ﷺ.
And then he prayed for him and blessed him.
She say she was the first baby born in Islam, and this is in Bukhari(ألبخاري).
Notice here, she said; Not the first baby born in Madina, she said the first baby born in Islam.
So, The Sahabah considered that the beginning of Islam was in Madina,
because that was the beginning of the Islamic State,
as if the whole period of 13 years in Makkah was a preparation for that.
So she didn't say the first child born after Hijrah(هجرة) or the first child born in Madina,
this was the first child born in Islam.
Islam only became complete, when the Muslims lived as a Muslim society in a Muslim state, ruled by the law of Allahعَزّوجَلّ,
so this tells you that we are missing a lot.
The most knowledgeable Rabbi in Madina was Abdullah Bin Salam رضي الله عنه.
When he heard of the coming of Rasool Allah ﷺ, he decided to go and meet him.
So, he went to meet Muhammadﷺ.
In one narration, in the narration of Imam Ahmad(إمام أحمد), Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) says;
"When I saw the face of Rasool Allah ﷺ, I knew this was not the face of a liar,
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله) truth shines out, of the face of Muhammadﷺ
In this narration in Bukhari(بخاريْ) and also Al-Bayhaqi(ألبيهقي) narrates it,
Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) wants to test Muhammadﷺ.
These were Rabbis scholars, they had signs for the upcoming prophet.
So he said, I'm going to ask you about three things that only a prophet knows about.
Number one, what is the first sign of the Day of Judgment.?
Number two, What is the finest food that the people of Paradise would eat?
And number three, what caused the child to resemble his father or his mother?
Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
جِبْرِيْلْ اَخْبَرَنِيْ بِهَا آنِفًا
Jibreel(جِبْرِيْل) told me the answers to your questions a short while ago.
Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) said, Jibreel(جِبْرِيْل)is our enemy among the angels.
So they had some angels who were friends, and some angels, who were enemies.
Rasool Allah ﷺ recited the Ayah(آية) in Surat-Ul-Bakara(سورة البقرة)
that whoever takes Jibreel(جِبْرِيْل) or the angels as an enemy than Allahعَزّوجَلّ is an enemy of the disbelievers.
You cannot pick and choose among the angels.
All of the angels are created by Allahعَزّوجَلّ, loyal to Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
And there is no angel that you should consider an enemy and an angel that is considered friend.
So, Rasool Allah ﷺ is correcting this mistake in Aqeedah(عقيده), that Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) had.
And then he proceeded to answer the questions of Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام).
He said regarding the signs of the Day of Judgment.
The first will be a fire that comes at people from the east and leads them to the west.
As for the prime food of Paradise eaten by those that are there, That is a whale's liver.
Now a whale's liver might not be our favorite dish in Duniyah(دُنِيَّا).
However, things in Jannah(جنة) are different.
So, what we might not be fascinated with in Duniyah(دُنِيَّا) could be a special treat, on the Day of Judgment,
the answer to the third question,
And if the male's liquid proceeds, that of the female, he will resemble the child,
while if the females liquid proceeds that of the male, she will resemble the child.
And this is scientifically proven now that the child resembles the Father,
If the genes of the Father are dominant,
while the child will resemble the mother, If the genes of the mother are the dominant ones.
And This is what Rasool Allah ﷺ is saying the liquid of the father and the liquid of the mother,
because these genes are carried through a liquid on both sides.
The sperm of the man carries the genes from the Father and the egg of the mother is also carried through a liquid.
Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) said; I testify that there is no God but Allah, and that you are the messenger of Allah.
So, he believed he said, these are the answers and no one would know this except if he is a messenger of Allah,
so he became a Muslim, but then he said.
And This is in the narration of Al-Bukhari(بخاريْ).
But The Jews are a people of liars.
If they learn of my acceptance of Islam before you ask them about me, they will lie to you.
So, Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام) went into hiding,
While Muhammadﷺ invited the leaders of the Jews to come and visit him,
so they came in and Muhammadﷺ asked him about Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام).
What do you say about Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن السلام).? They said;
He is our leader, and the son of our leader.
He is the most learned man among us, and the son of our most learned man.
So, that was their opinion of him.
He's the most learned and his father was the most learned.
And he's our leader and his father was our leader.
So, Rasool Allah ﷺ told Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن سلام) to come out of hiding.
He came and he said;
O Jews fear Allah, By Allah other than whom there is none.
You certainly know that he is the Messenger of Allah, and that he brings you the truth.
By the way, before this Rasool Allah ﷺ, when he heard that they said that this is our leader and the son of our leader,
Rasool Allah ﷺ asked them;
What would you say if you accept Islam?
They said, God forbid, he will never become a Muslim.
So, now when they came out of hiding and told them that you need to become Muslim, they said;
You are the worst of us and the son of the worst of us,
on the spot, they changed their opinion about Abdullah Bin Salamرضي الله عنه.
And he knew them well and that's why he said,
You need to hear what they say about me before they know, I have became a Muslim.
So, you can see why the relationship between the Muslims and the Yahood(يهود) was deteriorating,
it was because such incidents the refusal of the Yahood(يهود) to accept Muhammadﷺ, to accept the religion of truth,
and the plotting that was happening behind the scenes against the newly formed Islamic State.
Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه says that, and this narration is authentic,
that when Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن سلام), Thalaba Bin Thaiya(ثعلبة بن سعية),
Usaid Bin Thaiya(أسيد بن سعية), Asad Bin Ubaid(اسد بن عبيد) and some other Jews became Muslim.
And he said they became true Muslim and they were sincere in their Islam.
He said the other rabbis of the Jews and the disbelievers said;
These people who have followed the religion of Muhammadﷺ are the most evil among us,
because if they were righteous they wouldn't have left the religion of their forefathers.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ revealed the Ayaat(آيات) from Surah(سورة) of Al-Imran(العمران) verse 113, to Verse 115.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says
لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ
مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ
يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ۝
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ
وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ
وَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ۝
وَمَا يَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَنْ يُكْفَرُوهُ ۗ
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ۝
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says, they are not all the same, meaning the People of the Book are not all the same.
Among the People of the Book is a community standing in obedience, reciting the verses of Allah,
during periods of the night and prostrating in prayer,
They believe in Allah and the last day, and they enjoin and what is right and forbid what is wrong,
and hasten to do good deeds.
And those are among the righteous, and whatever good they do.
Never will it be removed from them, and Allah is knowing of the righteous.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ is saying that not all of the people of the book are disbelievers.
Some of them did accept Islam, such as Abdullah Bin Salam(عبدالله بن سلام), and the ones with him.
And Allah praises these and says that these are people who enjoin good forbid evil and hasten to do good deeds.
So, these Ayaat(آيات) were revealed in praise of the People of the Book who became Muslim,
and these Ayaat(آيات) would apply to any Christian or any Jews who becomes Muslim.
And for these, they would end up getting credit for their early years of believing in the old scripture.
They get double the reward as, is mentioned.
A very important event occurred about 14 months into the Hijrah(هجرة) of Rasool Allah ﷺ
and that was the change of the Qibla(قبله).
In Makkah Rasool Allah ﷺ would pray towards Jerusalem.
But he would have Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه) between him and Jerusalem.
So, he would be facing and Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه), and also facing Jerusalem
But now when he is in Madina, Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه) is the opposite direction of Jerusalem.
So, when he was praying, his back was towards Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه)
Rasool Allah ﷺ wanted to face Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه).
But he didn't dare to ask Allahعَزّوجَلّ about it.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ revealed Ayaat(آيات) in which the Muslims were told to now face the Qibla(قبله) of Ibrahimعليه السّلام,
to face Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه).
Rasool Allah ﷺ prayed towards the new Qibla(قبله)
And one of the Sahabah, who was with him, went back to his people,
who were a few miles out of Madina.
And he found them praying Asr(عصر) towards Jerusalem,
so he told them while they were in Salah(صلاة).
He told them, I testify, I bear witness that I just prayed with Rasool Allah ﷺ towards Makkah.
So, they turned in their Salah(صلاة) to face the new Qibla(قبله)
that shows you the obedience that, they had to Rasool Allah ﷺ.
And also the trust that they had among them, they immediately turned in their Salah(صلاة) and faced the new Qibla(قبله).
But this event didn't pass without causing controversy.
In fact, it was a very controversial event.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ revealed over 40 Ayaat(آيات) of Surat Ul Baqara(سورة البقرة) dealing with this incident alone.
Ibn Al-Qayyim says, this was a test from Allahعَزّوجَلّ for the people.
He said it was a test for the Mushrikeen(مشركين) because the Mushrikeen(مشركين) said;
he has reverted back to our Qibla(قبله), because Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه) was the Qibla(قبله) of the pagan worshippers of Arabia.
He has reverted back to our Qibla(قبله) and he will revert back to our religion.
Just as he reverted back to our Qibla(قبله), he's also going to revert back to our religion.
Ibn Al-Qayyim(ابن القيم) says, it was a test for the hypocrites, who said, Muhammadﷺ doesn't know what to do, and he changes his mind.
It was a test from Allahعَزّوجَلّ for the Jews, who said, he has left the Qibla(قبله) of the Ambiyaa(أنبياء), before him.
And that shows you that Muhammadﷺ is not a prophet of Allah,
they consider that Jerusalem was the Qibla(قبله) of the Ambiyaa(أنبياء).
And it was a test for the believers,
to see if they would stand firm on the orders of Rasool Allah ﷺ and change the Qibla(قبله) with him or not.
So, it was a trial from Allahعَزّوجَلّ for all of these four groups.
We'll recite some of the Ayaat(آيات) revealed.
The foolish among the people will say, what has turned them away from their Qibla(قبله), which they used to face.
And Al-Bara'a Bin Aazib(ألبرآء بن عازب) in an authentic narration says that the foolish among the people, refers to Al-Yahood(أليهود).
سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ
قُلْ لِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ
يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ۝
The foolish among the people will say, what has turned them away from their Qibla(قبله), which they used to face.
Say, to Allah belongs the east and the west, He guides whom, He wills to a straight path.
Who's the One, Who created Al-Ka'aba(اَلْكَعْبَه), Makkah, Who was the One, Who created Jerusalem?
It all belongs to Allahعَزّوجَلّ,
to Allah belongs the east and the west, therefore, it is up to Allahعَزّوجَلّ to choose which Qibla(قبله) you face.
Everything belongs to Him.
So, He has the authority to tell you, where to pray.
Because, the Jews were saying, Allah cannot change His mind,
Either the first Qibla(قبله) was right or the second Qibla(قبله) was right,
if the first Qibla(قبله) was right, then your prayers now, are not accepted.
And if the second Qibla(قبله) is right, then your old prayers are not accepted.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ respond by this Ayah(آية).
And then the next Ayah(آية) says
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ
لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ
And thus, We have made you a median community, Umaat-U-Wasat( أمة وسط)
that you will be witnesses over the people
and the messenger will be a witness over you.
So, Ibn Kathir(اِبْنِ كَثِيْر) comments on this and says;
likewise we have made you the best of nations, the very essence of the world,
The most noble of all groups, the most honorable of the ancient and the high born,
so that you may be witnesses on Judgment Day against those, who have combined against you.
And so that they may give testimony, On that day, to your great virtue.
Then Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ
وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ
And we did not make the Qibla(قبله), which you used to face,
except that we might make evident, who would follow the messenger, from who would turn back on his heels.
So, it was a test.
And Indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided, it was difficult to change the Qibla(قبله).
But it was easy for the ones whom Allah has guided,
and never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith.
See, because the Jews said, what about the Muslims who died facing the old Qibla(قبله),
that means all of their efforts is wasted.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ says,
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ۝
Allah will not waste your efforts, indeed Allah is to the people kind and merciful.
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ
فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ
وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ
وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ
وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ۝
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ ۚ
وَمَا أَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ ۚ
وَمَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ ۚ
وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ۝
We have certainly seen the turning of your face O Muhammad(محمد) towards the heavens,
تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ
he wanted the Qibla(قبله) to change,
and we will surely turn you to a Qibla(قبله), with which you will be pleased.
So, turn your face towards Al-Masjid Al-Haraam(المسجدالحرام)
and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it.
Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture will know that it is the truth from their Lord and Allah is not unaware of what they do.
And If you brought to those who are given the Scripture, every sign,
they would not follow your Qibla(قبله), nor will you be a follower of their Qibla(قبله),
nor would they be followers of one another's Qibla(قبله).
So, If you were to follow their desires, after what has come to you of knowledge,
indeed you would then be among the wrong doers.
Anybody who follows the People of the Book today, after he has already known the truth,
He will be among the wrongdoers.
Then Allah says,
those to whom we gave the scripture know him, Muhammad(محمد),
as they know their own sons, but indeed a party of them conceal the truth, while they know it.
The truth is from your Lord, so never be among the doubters.
For each religious following is a prayer direction toward which it faces.
So raise to all that is good, wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth for judgment all together.
Indeed Allah is over all things competent.
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ ۖ
وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ۝
الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ۝
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا ۖ
فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ
أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا ۚ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ۝
وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۖ
وَإِنَّهُ لَلْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ۝
وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ
وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ
لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ
فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ۝
So, from wherever you go out for prayer, O Muhammad(محمد), Turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haraam(المسجدالحرام)
And Indeed, it is the truth from your Lord.
And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
And from wherever you go out for prayer, Turn your face towards Al-Masjid Al-Haraam(المسجد الحرام),
it is repeating the order again.
And wherever you believers may be turn your faces toward it,
in order that the people will not have any argument against you.
Except for those of them who commit wrong, so fear them not but fear Me.
This is an important concept here.
People might blame you for doing some things which are Islamic, which you know, are the truth.
In every age and time people pick on some things in Islam.
You know, in one age, they're going to say, Well, Islam is oppression to women,
in another age, they will say, Islam is giving too much rights for women.
It changes in one point of time that people will say, Islam is religion of violence.
Islam is this, Islam is that,
Allahعَزّوجَلّ is telling you, fear them not but fear Me.
Do what Allahعَزّوجَلّ wants from you, that is what counts,
do what Allah wants from you and forget about what the people are going to say.
So, fear them not but fear Me, and it is so, I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided.
Every new order that comes from Allah is a favor from Allah.
This was the incident of the changing of Al-Qibla(ألقبله), which was very controversial in its time,
and it was a test, it was a test for all the people,
just as you know everything else is a test from Allahعَزّوجَلّ to see if we will pass or fail,
if we will accept it or not how strong is our faith in Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
Rasool Allah ﷺ was developing the economical system of the new Islamic state,
so he designated an area next to Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi(المسجدالنبوي) to be the Madina marketplace,
the central market of Madina.
Rasool Allah ﷺ devoted this space to be a market and he said;
هَذَا سُوْقُكُمْ فَلَاِ ينتقصن وَلَا يُضْرَبَنَّ عَلَيْهِ خَرَاجْ
This is your marketplace.
So
وَلَا يُضْرَبَنَّ عَلَيْهِ خَرَاجْ
if I'm going to translate it, it's going to mean, no taxes should be levied on it.
So, it was a tax free market, because Kharaaj(خراج) is money that is taken by the government on the merchandise.
So, it was a tax free market, Rasool Allah ﷺ did not want to fix any prices.
Once the prices were skyrocketing.
So the Sahabah came to Rasool Allah ﷺ and said; We want you to fix the prices, the items are becoming very expensive.
Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
اِنَّ الله هوَ الْمُسَعرْ
Allah is the One, Who sets the prices, I don't want to interfere.
It was a supply and demand thing.
According to the supply and demand, the prices will go up and down,
Allah is the one who gives Rizq(رزق) and Allah is the one who set the prices, I'm not going to involve in that.
So, this shows you the freedom that Islam has given to the Islamic economical system,
that does not place restrictions on the flow of money and how people would buy and sell in their trade.
Finally, the ruling of fasting, was in the second year of Hijrah(هجرة),
now we're getting into the second year of Hijrah(هجرة), events that happen then.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ revealed the Ayah(آية) Surat Ul Bakarah(سورة البقرة).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ۝
O, you who have believed decreed upon you is fasting, as it was decreed upon those before you,
that you might become righteous.
So, the purpose or the wisdom behind, fasting is Taqwaa(تقوى).
So, that you may become righteous.
We're still within the first two years of Hijrah(هجرة).
We're talking about events that happened during that time span.
Rasool Allah ﷺ, also married Ayeshaرضي الله عنها during that time,
or actually I should say the consummation of the marriage to Ayesha(عائشه) occurred in that time.
The actual marriage itself happened towards the end of his time in Makkah, when she was six years old.
And the marriage was consummated when she was nine, and that was when he was already in Madina.
Now, I'm sure that the listeners would notice the ages here.
Marriage happening at the age of six and then the marriage is consummated at the age of nine.
She's quite young.
And obviously this is one of the issues that the some of the orientalist take against Islam, against the prophet of Allahعَزّوجَلّ,
they say I mean, look at your Prophet, he married a child.
I did talk about this issue, when we were covering the Makkah period.
I talked about the marriages of Rasool Allah ﷺ in general and the wisdom behind them.
The wisdom behind him, Marrying Ayesha(عائشه) at this young age,
the wisdom of him marrying more than one wife, actually more than the limit of four, that is binding on the rest of the Ummah(امة).
So, you can refer back to that my talks on the Makkah period.
I just want to add one point here.
That Rasool Allah ﷺ was 54 years old, when he married Ayesha(عائشه).
But he was young, even though he was 54 years old.
When Rasool Allah ﷺ met with the delegation that was coming from the tribe of Rabiyah(ربيعه).
At the time, he was about 50 years old, that was when he was still in Makkah.
The head of the tribe, he went back to his people and said;
لَوْ اَخَذْتُّ هَذَالْفَتَى لَاكلْتُ بِه الْعَرَبْ
If I take with me, this Fattah(فتى), now Fattah(فتى) means young man.
So even though Rasool Allah ﷺ was already a man of 50 years old,
This man was calling him, a young man.
That was because of the strength and the activeness and Rasool Allah ﷺ was vigorous and strong.
And his age didn't really show on him.
So, he was saying that he's a Fattah(فتى).
And then he said;
لَاكلْتُ بِهِ الْعَرَبْ
I'm going to eat the Arabs with him.
Because he saw that he's a leader, he's a strong man.
Another incident, Anas Ibn Malik(انس ابن مالك), when he was narrating to us part of the story of Hijrah(هجرة).
He said;
وَكَانَ اَبُو بَكْرشَيْخٌ يُعْرَفْ وَكَانَ رَسُوْلْ صَلَى الله عَلَيْه وَسَلم شَابُ لَّا يُعْرَفْ
He said: Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) was a Shaikh(شيخ),
Shaikh(شيخ) is an old man, a senior or an elder person, is called a Shaikh(شيخ).
So, Anas Ibn Malik(انس ابن مالك) was saying that Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) was a Shaikh(شيخ).
While Rasool Allah ﷺ was a young man.
And we talked about this, we said that Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) because of his traveling people used to know him,
in terms of his face, while Rasool Allah ﷺ people didn't recognize his face
even though he was the most known man of the Arabs at the time because of his Da'wah(دعوة).
Everybody was talking about him, but they didn't really see him, so they didn't recognize him.
So, when Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) and Rasool Allah ﷺ would traveling in the desert, in the journey of Hijrah(هجرة).
People would come and greet Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) And they would ask him; Who is this man next to you?
So, Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) would say, he is a guide, he's showing me my path.
But The reason, why I'm bringing this up again is the wording of Anas Ibn Malik(انس ابن مالك), he said,
that Abu Bakr(ابو بكر) was an old man, who was known while Rasool Allah ﷺ was a young man, who wasn't known.
Ibn Hajar Al-Askalani(ابن حجرالعسقلاني) comments on this and he says,
Abu Bakr(ابو بكر), his age showed on him.
So, the way he looked was according to his age, he didn't look younger or older.
While Rasool Allah ﷺ seemed or appeared to be a young man, even though he was older than Abu Bakr As-Siddiqueرضي الله عنه.
We know that Rasool Allah ﷺ was two years older than Abu Bakr As-Siddiqueرضي الله عنه.
So, this is one point that I wanted to add regarding the marriage to Ayeshaرضي الله عنها.
We know from the Sunnah(سنة) that Rasool Allah ﷺ used to race Ayesha(عائشه).
When they would travel, they would run and he would compete with her.
Ayesha(عائشه) said that, when we first got married, I would run faster than him.
But then later on, when I was getting heavier,
Rasool Allah ﷺ would win against me and he would say;
هَذِهِ بِتِلْكَ
This is a tit for tat, sort of to say.
You won last time, This time I won.
So, Rasool Allah ﷺ was very strong, very active, very healthy,
Allahعَزّوجَلّ has given him the strength that is needed to perform this most important and most difficult duty of all,
and that is being the messenger of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
The next section, we're going to move into, start talking about the Ghazawaat(غزوات) of Rasool Allah ﷺ, The battles.
But before that, I want to make word or state a few issues regarding the issue of Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله) in general.
It is important to comment on this issue specifically because during the 10 years of Madina,
Rasool Allah ﷺ has participated himself in 19 battles.
And He has sent out in addition to that, over 55, expeditions in which he wasn't part of.
So, if we add all of these together, we come to over 70 battles within the time span of 10 years.
So, we're talking about an average of seven per year.
So, such a thing that took so much time from Rasool Allah ﷺ and the Sahabah, we need to comment on it.
You know, keep in mind that one battle takes some time to prepare,
I mean, it take a few months to finance and mobilize and organize the army and then to send it out
and the time, they spend on traveling and the time they spend coming back.
So, this was a huge burden on the newly formed Islamic State.
So, such a thing that took so much time from Rasool Allah ﷺ and was devoted so much energy.
The question is, why?
How come?
The second reason is, because this issue is becoming so controversial today.
And we hear all of these different opinions thrown back and forth on what Jihad(جهاد) really means and what's intended by it.
What are the objectives of it? What is the wisdom behind it?
So, since we'll be talking about the Ghazawaat(غزوات) of Rasool Allah ﷺ for quite a while,
since it dominates the books of Seerah, specially in the Madina era.
We need to make some comments on this issue before that.
So, What does it mean and what's the wisdom behind it?
The word Jihad(جهاد) itself means struggle,
it comes from the word Juhud(جهد) which is effort, exerting effort.
So, the linguistic meaning of the word is to exert effort, or to struggle.
This word then later on, carried the specific Islamic meaning.
You know, there are words in the Arabic language that had a linguistic meaning, but then Islam gave a new meaning to those words.
For example, the word Salah(صلاة) in Arabic, originally means supplication,
but it carried the new meaning, and that is prayer.
So now, when you say Salah(صلاة), let's go and make Salah(صلاة).
I don't think anybody will ask you, Do you mean the literal meaning of the word?
Or do you mean the linguistic meaning of the word? Or do you mean the Islamic meaning of the word.?
That's it. This word now is a terminology in Islam.
Same thing with Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله), it carried the new meaning, and that is to fight the enemies of Allahعَزّوجَلّ,
who object to His religion.
And this is the definition given by the four Madhahib(مذاهب) it is to fight in the path of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
So it carried on this new meaning.
And this is what it means, if we mentioned the word unqualified.
Dear brothers and sisters, every war, absolutely every war is an act of injustice, and is evil,
with the exception of fighting in the path of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
So, every war, every bloodshed, is evil.
With this exception,
the exception is that the only war that is allowed, is fighting in the path of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
And the evidence for that is in Ayah(آية) in Qur'an, in Surat Un Nissah(سورة النساء), Verse 76, Allahعَزّوجَلّ says,
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says, those who believe fight in the cause of Allah,
and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghoot(طاغوت)
So, Allah is saying that there are two types of war, One war is fought for Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
And one war is fight for Taghoot(طاغوت)
and the meaning of Taghoot(طاغوت) is false objects of worship.
Or it could mean those transgressors, who asserpt the divine right of govern ship.
So, Allah is saying that the believers are fighting for Allah, And that is a reward able act, and it's an acceptable act.
And those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghoot(طاغوت),
it doesn't matter what did they state the objective of their fighting is, it is evil, Allah says; it is evil.
Whether it is war of aggression, a war of imperialism, a war of colonialism,
a war for one race to dominate another, or one ethnic group to dominate another,
whether it is fought under the pretext of spreading democracy,
whether it is fought under the pretext of freeing such and such people from oppression, or dictatorship, It is all evil.
And the only war that is designated as righteous is if it is fought under the banner of,
لا اله الا الله
that's all.
So, it's important to state this principle first,
because you hear some people say that Islam promotes violence, and Islam promotes holy war and Islam promotes war.
That's not true.
Islam is against all types of war, all types of bloodshed, all types of aggression,
except if it's done for the sake of Allah, Who created us, the One, Who has the right to tell us what is right and what is wrong.
You see, Allah created everything.
Therefore, He is the only One, Who has the right to designate, what is right and what is wrong.
What carries preference over others.
For example, the days of the week are seven, they're all equal.
There is no difference between Friday and Saturday and Sunday and other days, from a scientific point of view,
they're all the same.
However, Allah has told us that Jum'ah(جمعه) is preferred over the rest of the days of the week.
Since Allahعَزّوجَلّ is the One, Who created these days, he has the right to tell us which one is better.
There's no difference between Ramadhan(رمضان) and the rest of the month of the year in terms of the solar system,
or the rotation of the moon or the sun doesn't make Ramadhan(رمضان) any different than any other month,
they're all the same, they're all equal.
However, Allahعَزّوجَلّ has designated Ramadhan(رمضان) to be the most preferred month of the year.
Allah has chosen the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah(ذوالحجة) to be the best days of the year
in terms of the reward of the effort of good deeds done within those first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah(ذوالحجة),
just as he has designated the last 10 nights of Ramadhan(رمضان) to be the most reward able nights of the year.
And then out of those 10 nights, he shows the odd nights to be the best.
And out of the odd nights he chose, Laila Tul-Qadr(ليلة القدر) to be the best night of the year.
So,
يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ
Allahعَزّوجَلّ creates everything, and then he chooses out of His creation, what is given a preferable status over the rest.
So, it is something that only Allah has a right to do.
Same thing with war, it is all evil except what Allah designates as good.
So, What's the purpose of Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله).?
It is to free the people from servitude to one another, to becoming servants of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
So, rather than us being servants to a creation, whether that creation is a human being or a rock
or an idol, or a celestial body.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ wants us to be servants of Him.
So, that's actually freeing us from servitude to others, who are not divine to being servants of Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
And it is to bring the people under the blessed rule of Islam,
whether they become Muslim or not.
Because we know that there is
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ
People are not forced to become Muslim.
However, they have more of a chance of becoming Muslim, if they live under the rule of Islam.
And that's why Rasool Allah ﷺ says in the Hadith(حديث)
عَجِبَ رَبُّنَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَقْتَادُوْنَ اِلَى الْجَنَّةِ فِى السلاسلْ
Allahعَزّوجَلّ is amazed by people, who are dragged into Jannah(جنة) in chains.
One of the scholars, who commented on this Hadith(حديث) said,
the meaning of this Hadith(حديث) is that these people are dragged into Islam, even though they don't want it,
and that becomes a reason for them to enter into Jannah(جنة).
People are not interested in hearing about religion in general,
you know, people want to hear about how to make money.
If you announced that there's going to be a lecture about Islam, you make this announcement to non Muslims,
people are not going to show up.
Or if they do show up, you don't really get a huge response
But if you make an announcement that everybody who shows up will get a coupon $50 people are going to flood to the lecture hall.
And there's not going to be enough seats for them.
Why because you're offering them $50.
This is not only with non Muslims, I mean, even with Muslims,
people don't show up for Salaat-Ul-Fajr(صلاة الفجر) you know, the Masjid(مسجد) is packed for Jum'ah(جمعه).
But then for Salaat-Ul-Fajr(صلاة الفجر) you have a fraction of those let's say 10%.
However, if we make an announcement that anybody who shows up for Fajr(فجر) will get a $20 bill, everybody will come.
The neighbors are going to show up, everybody's going to come people from far away are going to show up.
And they're going to crowd the Masajid(مساجد).
Why because you're offering them $20.
So, people are not interested in hearing about religion
and that's why, when Rasool Allah ﷺ first made his announcement in Makkah,
that he's a prophet and he gathered the people of Quraish(قُرَيْشْ) and He made it seem very urgent and it is urgent.
He was calling Wa Subhaa(واصباحا), and this is the call, this is like dialing 911, it's emergency.
That was how Rasool Allah ﷺ gathered the people and then he told them;
اِنِّيْ نَذِيْرٌلَّكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ اَلِيْمَ
I'm warning you a severe punishment from Allah.
What did Abu Lahab(ابو لهب) say,
تَبَّ لَّكَ اَلِهَذَا جَمَعْتَنَا
May evil befall you, Is this why you gathered us!
Abu Lahab(ابو لهب) was upset because he closed his shop and came to listen to Muhammadﷺ
and he thought that it was something serious, according to him.
And it turned out to be preaching about religion and it was very upset about it.
That's when the Ayaat(آيات) were revealed
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ۝
And then Allah says;
مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ۝
What will his wealth do for him.
This wealth which was keeping him away from Islam, which was preventing him from listening to the message,
which made him upset because Rasool Allah ﷺ, gathered them.
This wealth, what will it do for him on the Day of Judgment, nothing.
In fact, it will be the reason for his demise.
So, when the Sahabah fought في سبيل الله and brought the people under the rule of Islam,
then they were listening.
Now they were listening because the Sahabah رضي الله عنهم were ruling over them.
So, they had some authority, to give the people Da'wah(دعوة) and the people were listening very attentively,
because now it's coming from the government.
It's not coming from a preacher, preaching on the corner of the street or in the marketplace,
holding a loudspeaker and people are just walking by closing their ears.
Now it's coming from a place of authority, and that's when the people entered into Islam in multi folds.
In the beginning, when Rasool Allah ﷺ was giving Da'wah(دعوة) in Makkah, only a few people were interested.
However, when Rasool Allah ﷺ established the Islamic State.
Now the tribes were listening, other nations were listening, and they were taking it serious.
And that's when people started becoming Muslim in thousands.
Rasool Allah ﷺ for 13 years and Makkah.
How many followers did he have 100, 200, 300.?
However, in Madina, they were growing by the thousands every year.
So, when Fath Makkah(فتح مكه), Rasool Allah ﷺ had an army of 12,000 or 10,000,
and in Hajjah Tul Widaa(حجة الوداع) Ninety thousand(90,000).
And when he passed away the ones who prayed Salah Tul Janazah(صلاة الجنازه) on him are over 114,000.
So, you can see how the numbers were growing, because now there was authority.
So, what are the stages that Jihad went through?
Ibn Al-Qayyim(إبن القيم) says in Za'ad Al-Ma'ad(ذاد المعاد)
وَكَانَ الجِهَادُ مُحَرَّمًا، ثُمَّ مَأذُوْنًا بِهْ،
ثُمَّ مَأْمُوْرًا بِهْ لِمَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِالقِتَالٍ،
ثُمَّ مَأْمُوْرًا بِهِ لِجَمِيْعِ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ
Ibn Al-Qayyim(إبن القيم) says; In the beginning, Jihad(جهاد) was not allowed.
It was prohibited, Muslims were not allowed to fight.
Rasool Allah ﷺ says,
اِصْبِرُوْ فَاِنِّيْ لَمْ اُؤمَرْ بِقِتَالْ
Be patient because I'm not given permission to fight.
So, In the beginning it was patients which is called Kaff Ul Yadd(كف اليد).
The second stage, he said,
ثُمَّ مَأذُوْنًا بِهْ
And then it was allowed, merely allowed.
So, it's just allowed it was not instructed not commanded not obligated, it was allowed.
And that is when Allahعَزّوجَلّ reveal the Ayah
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ۝
This is Surat Ul Hajj(سورة الحج) verse 39
Permission to fight has been given to those, who are being fought because they were wronged.
And indeed Allah is competent to give them victory.
So, here you have permission, was given to them.
Now, the following stage, As Ibn Al-Qayyim(ابن القيم) says is;
ثُمَّ مَأْمُوْرًا بِهْ لِمَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِقِتَالٍ
And then they were commanded to fight the ones, who fight them.
So, this was the third stage.
And the Ayah(آية) for that is 190 Surat Tul Baqarah(سورة البقره),
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ۝
Fight in the way of Allah, those who fight you but do not transgress,
indeed Allah does not like the transgressors.
So, here you only fight the ones who transgress against you.
And then the final stage
and this was the stage that represents the final law of Allahعَزّوجَلّ, which applies to the Ummah(امة).
And that is, as Ibn Al-Qayyim(ابن القيم) says,
ثُمَّ مَأْمُوْرًا بِهِ لِجَمِيْعِ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ
And then the Messenger of Allah was instructed to fight all the disbelievers.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً ۚ
And fight against the disbelievers collectively, as they fight against you collectively.
And that is you know, also the Hadith(حديث) which is Mutawatir(متواتر).
which is narrated by Al-Bukhari(البخاريْ), Muslim(مسلم) and others and narrated by over 20 Sahabah(صحابى) of Rasool Allah ﷺ.
أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوْا أَنْ لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمدًا رَّسُوْلَ الله،
وَيُقِيْمُوا الصَّلَاةَ، وَيُؤتُوا الزَّكَاةَ، فَإِنْ فَعَلُوْا ذَلِكَ عَصَمُوْا مِنِّيْ دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ
اِلَّابِحَقِّهَا وَحِسَابَهُمْ عَلَى الله
I was instructed to fight the people until they testify that there is no God but Allah,
and that I'm the Messenger of Allah, to establish Salah(صلاة), to pay Zakah(زكاة),
if they do that, they have protected their blood and their wealth and Allah will hold them accountable for their actions or deeds.
So, these are the four stages that Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله) went through.
So, What are the objectives of it?
Why was Rasool Allah ﷺ fighting.?
Some Ayaat(آيات) in Qur'an give us the, or tell us the objectives of fighting Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله).
The first is the promotion of Islam.
That's the first objective, the promotion of Islam.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says,
وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلَّهِ ۚ
So, until all the religion is for Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
The second objective, the protection of rituals and worship places,
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says: Indeed Allah defends those who have believed indeed Allah does not like everyone treacherous, and ungrateful.
Permission to fight has been given to those who are being fought, because they are wronged,
and indeed Allah is competent to give them victory.
They are those who have been evicted from their homes without right, only because they say Our Lord is Allah.
And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others,
There would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is much mentioned.
And Allah will surely support those who support Him, Indeed Allah is powerful and Exalted in Might.
And they are those, who, if we give them authority in the land, establish prayer, and give Zakah(زكواة)
and enjoin, what is right and forbid what is wrong.
And to Allah belongs the outcome of all matters.
So notice here Allahعَزّوجَلّ is saying, and were it not that Allah checks the people, some, by means of others.
There would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques.
People are checked by fighting, this is called Sunnat-Ul-Mudafiah(سنت المدافعة).
This is a law of Allahعَزّوجَلّ, that has governed the lives of men.
If it wasn't for this fighting churches would have been demolished, synagogues would have been demolished, and mosques.
We might have the question,
Why? Why mentioned synagogues and churches.?
We're talking about Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله)
The reason is, we are not the first nation to fight in the path of Allah,
The First Nation to fight in the path of Allah were the children of Israel(اسرائيل).
fighting the path of Allah was not prescribed on Sayyedina Saleh(سيدنا صالح) and his people,
Sayyedina Hood(سيدنا هود) and his people, Nooh(نوح) and his people.
With those Ambiyaa(أنبِيَاء), Allahعَزّوجَلّ will destroy their enemy through a miraculous act.
And they didn't have to involve in fighting themselves.
The First Nation to fight in the path of Allah, are the children of Israel(اسرائيل), the followers of Musaعليه السّلام.
So, because of them being an Ummah(امة) of Jihad(جهاد), synagogues were protected, and churches were protected
and mosques are protected because the Ummah(امة) of Muhammadﷺ are also practicing this act of worship.
The third objective, protecting the world from corruption.
So, rather than fighting Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله), being a cause of corruption, it is a protection for the world, it prevents corruption.
See the Ayaat(آيات) of Allah straighten out the misconceptions that we have.
It clears them because Shaytan(شيطان) is causing us to misunderstand reality,
he makes us think that good is evil and evil is good.
He has that ability of deceiving.
I mean, that's the whole point of him being the devil is, to deceive people
and to make Al-Maroof(معروف) Munkar(منكر), and Munkar(منكر) Maroof(معروف).
So, the Ayaat(آيات) of Qur'an undo the corruption that has caused in our minds because of the Waswash(وسوسه) of Shaytan(شيطان).
The Ayaat(آيات) of Qur'an, cleanse our hearts from the corruption that is caused by the media,
and by the false authority that exists on Earth.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ is telling us that Jihad(جهاد) Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله), actually limits the corruption that exists on land.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ۝
And, if it were not for Allah checking some people by means of others, The Earth would have been corrupted,
but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds.
The fourth objective is to test for mankind it's a trial.
Our existence in this world, as we have been mentioning, is a test from Allahعَزّوجَلّ.
And fighting in His path is part of that test.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَانْتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ ۗ
That is the command. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them himself.
But he ordered armed struggle to test some of you by means of others.
So, armed struggle is a test for the believers.
And it's a test for the disbelievers.
It's a test for the believers because it tests their patience, it tests their sacrifice.
The ultimate sacrifice that a believer could give to Allahعَزّوجَلّ is to sacrifice his soul and his wealth.
It's a test of whether you fear Allahعَزّوجَلّ more than the creation, or the you fear the creation more than Allah.
So, it tests a lot of what is called Amaal-Al-Quloob(اعمال القلوب), the deeds of the heart.
We might have a lot of diseases in our hearts.
But these diseases don't show up, until we are involved in this act of worship then these diseases show up.
So for example, many of the Munafiqeen(منافقين) blended very well in the society.
They were only exposed in the Battle of Badr(بدر) and in the Battle of Uhud(اُحَد) and the sequence of battles that followed that.
And that's why Allahعَزّوجَلّ says about them.
أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ
Don't they see that, they are being tested every year once or twice,
because of the average of the Ghazawaat(غزوات) of Rasool Allah ﷺ, per year where one or two.
So, their hypocrisy was showing up, in these battles because that's the ultimate test.
Number five, to punish and humiliate the enemies of Allahعَزّوجَلّ,
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says,
وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَمِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ
وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ
وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ۝
And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war,
by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy
and others besides them whom you do not know, but whom Allah knows.
And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah, will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.
This is Surat-Ul-Anfaal(أنفال) Verse 60.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ also says in Surat-Tut-Tobah(سورة التوبة), verse 14 and 15
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنْصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ َ
وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ
وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۝
Fight them, Allah will punish them, by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them
and satisfy the breasts of believing people and remove the fury in their hearts
and Allah turns in forgiveness to whom He wills, and Allah is knowing and Wise.
And Allahعَزّوجَلّ says in Surat-Tul-Anfal(سورة الأنفال) verse 17 and 18,
that is so and also that Allah will weaken the plot of the disbelievers.
So, fighting Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله) will weaken the plot of the disbelievers.
The beginning of the Ayah(آية) says; and you did not kill them but it was Allah, who kill them.
And you threw not or Muhammad(محمد) when you threw, but it was Allah who threw,
that He might test the believers with a good test.
Indeed Allah is hearing and knowing, that is so, and also that Allah will weaken the plot of the disbelievers.
The sixth objective is the exposing of the hypocrites and we talked about this a bit.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ says; Allah would not leave the believers in that state you are in presently, until he separates the evil from the good.
So, the way the separation happens is by fighting Fee-Sabeel-Lillah(فِي سَبيل الله)
these Ayaat(آيات) were revealed after Ghawat-Uhud(غزواة احد)
because Abdullah Bin Ubaye(عبدالله بن ابئ), withdrew with one third of the army.
This is verse 179, in Surat-Al-Imran(سورة العمران).
The seventh objective, it is a defense against the aggression of the enemies of Allah,
who planned to transgress against the Ummah(أمة).
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ says;
فَقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا تُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا نَفْسَكَ ۚ
وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ
عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ
وَاللَّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا وَأَشَدُّ تَنْكِيلًا۝
So, fight O Muhammad(محمد) in the cause of Allah, you're not held responsible except for yourself,
and encourage the believers to join you,
that perhaps Allah will restrain the military might of those who disbelieve.
And Allah is greater in Might and stronger in punishment.
So, Allahعَزّوجَلّ did not say that Da'wah(دعوة) will restrain the military might of those, who disbelieve.
He didn't say that involving in dialogue or discourse will weaken the military might of those who disbelieve.
Allahعَزّوجَلّ said that the way to weaken the military might of those who disbelieve is to fight.
وَصَلَّى الله عَلى سَيَّدِنَا محمد وَعَلى اَلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيْمًا كَثِيْرًاَ