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| It is a law of Allah SWT that whenever misguidance spreads and ignorance becomes rampant; whenever the weak are oppressed and people get stuck in the mire of Kufr and Shirk, then to guide the people to the straight path and to adorn the world with justice, Allah SWT sends His Prophets. This has happened in every age. These divine personages kept delivering the message of Allah SWT to His people until the our Master, the leader of all Prophets, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) graced the world with His presence. There will not be any prophet after Him. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) declared His Prophethood at the age of 40 years of age, although has been a Prophet when Prophet Adam (Peace be upon him) was in the throes of creation, as given in this Hadith of Jame’ Tirmidhi, Vol 2, Pg No: 202: Translation: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) entreated: O Prophet of Allah! When did Prophethood (Nubuwwah) become Wajib for you? The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) replied: I was a Prophet even when Adam (Peace be upon him) was between soul and body.” With the declaration of Prophethood, just and honest people started gathering around Him and started attaining the honor of being His companions (Sahabah). Even those who did not embrace Islam acknowledged His honesty, upright character, excellence, superiority and all other distinguishing attributes of His. As Almighty Allah SWT created Him free of all shortcomings and defects, He SWT named Him as “Muhammad” (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and included this name in His Kalima. Every aspect of His life and character testifies to the truth of Tauheed (Oneness of Allah SWT) and is the proof of Islam. For this reason, in the Holy Quran, Allah SWT swears by life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death. Surah Hajr (15:72). By the command of Allah SWT, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) presented His blessed life as the proof of Islam. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Say: If Allah had so willed I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. I dwelt among you a whole lifetime before it (came to me). Have ye then no sense? Surah Younus (10:16) |
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| From the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to His passing away into the presence of Allah SWT, all aspects of His life, His personality, His miracles, the conditions of His life, His sayings, etc. are termed as Seerah. To understand Islam and to act upon it, it is necessary for every Muslim to be aware of the matchless character of its founder. Allah SWT has decreed His acts and deeds to be the Shariah (the Islamic code of life) because He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) decrees pure things as permissible (Halal) and impure things as prohibited (Haraam). Allah SWT has made the personality and the character of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as the most perfect model for the entire humanity and has made it a source of guidance. Allah SWT has declared the Seerah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as a beacon of guidance and that to follow the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is to follow Him. Whoso obeyeth the messenger hath obeyed Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them. Surah Nisa (4:80) Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much. Surah Ahzaab (21:21) Those who follow the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), eternal blessings and never-ending ni’mah are their reward. Before the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the world was seeped into the darkness of Kufr and Shirk. Ignorance had spread in the world, oppression, massacres and bloodshed had reached its peak. Ignorance was such that the birth of a girl was considered inauspicious and unfortunate, and girls used to be buried alive. The whole society was plagued with usury, gambling, drinking, immodesty and adultery. People used to worship idols which they themselves created. Immodesty was such that the Tawaf of the Ka’aba was done in the nude. People used to draw swords on trivial matters and the resulting wars would themselves continue for centuries. In short all that was bad and ugly was rampant. At this time to remove the people from the darkness of Kufr and Shirk, to raise them from the mires of dishonor to the summits of honor, to dispel the darkness of ignorance and light the fire of ‘Irfan (knowledge of Allah SWT) and to illuminate the whole world, Allah SWT sent Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) with the mantle of Prophethood to be the Guide and Master of the whole creation. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the last to come among all the Prophets, although His Noor (radiance) was created even before the beginning of the creation, as the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Translation: The thing, which was first created by Allah SWT is My Noor. The universally accepted Muhaddith (Hadith-Expert) Hadhrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has declared this Hadith as Sahih (well-authenticated).
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Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him) asked the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam): My mother and father are for You, O Prophet of Allah, please tell me what did Allah SWT create first? He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: O Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him) Allah SWT first created the Noor of your Prophet. By the will of Allah, that Noor went where it pleased. At that time, neither the Lauh (the protected tablet) was there nor the Qalam (the Divine pen); neither heaven was there nor hell, neither the sky nor earth, neither the sun nor moon and neither Jinns nor humans.” (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No; 89: Seerat Halbiya, Vol 1, Pg No: 31)
Allah SWT blessed this Noor as He pleased. When that Noor entered Prophet Adam (Peace be upon him), it made the angels to prostrate before him. This Noor entered Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Nooh and sanctified all of them. It was transferred from pure backs into wombs. Then through the Bani Hashim, it shone in the forehead of Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib. When the Arabs suffered a drought or famine, they would pray using Abdul Muttalib as a Wasilah (means) and through the blessings of that Noor, rain would be granted and the drought, famine etc. would be removed. (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 155)
Before the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), a person by name Abraha who was the king of Yemen came to Makkah with his army of horses and elephants with the intention of destroying the Ka’aba. He seized the camels of the people of Makkah. When Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib came to know of this, he went to Abraha to talk to him. On seeing an awe-inspiring personality before him, in spite of himself, Abraha got up to greet Abdul Muttalib. Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib told him to return the camels and other livestock which he had seized. The king said: You are the leader of Quraish. I thought you would talk to me about the Ka’aba. Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib said: I am the owner of the camels and the livestock, I have come to take them. The owner of the Ka’aba will Himself protect the Ka’aba. When Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib arrived, the head-elephant of Abraha who was named Mahmud, saw the Noor of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in his forehead and prostrated before him, although that elephant had never prostrated to anybody. After that, the elephant spoke in eloquent Arabic: O Abdul Muttalib! My Salaam to the Noor which is in you.”
Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib took his camels and told the Makkans to take their camels and leave Makkah. Then he took some people from his family, went to the Ka’aba and prayed there. Then he climbed a mountain and waited. At that moment the Noor in his forehead shone in such a manner that the Ka’aba was illuminated. Upon this he said: O people! Rest assured! Now help will arrive. Arrangements for your safety have been completed.” (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 160)
Here Abraha with his powerful army advanced towards the Ka’aba. Without any apparent reason the head-elephant Mahmud settled on the ground and would not get up under any circumstances. Suddenly the wrath of Allah SWT descended on them in the form of Ababeel. They had 3 pebbles in the their beaks and claws. They would drop one pebble on one rider. That pebble would enter the head of the rider and exit from his feet. No one was left alive. (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 164, Subul ul huda war rashad, Vol 1, Pg No: 215)
The Noor was passed on from Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib to Hadhrat Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him). Whenever any Jew came to Makkah, he/she would cry out on seeing the blessed face of Hadhrat Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him): O people! This is not the Noor of Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him), this is the Noor of Muhammad bin Abdullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Whenever Hadhrat Abdullah sat under a bare tree, it would burst into bloom and shade him with its branches. Whenever he stood on bare land, grass would shoot forth from it.
At the age of 24 years, Hadhrat Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him) was married to Hadhrat Amina bint Wahb (May Allah be well pleased with him). In the month of Rajab, the night preceding Friday, Hadhrat Amina was entrusted with the Noor. (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 196)
A crier called out in the heavens and the earth: Verily, the Noor which was hidden and concealed through which the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is going to arrive has settled in the womb of His blessed mother. After completing the period of pregnancy, it is going to grace this earthly world. That night all the animals of Quraish spoke up: By the lord of the Ka’aba, tonight the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has arrived…” (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 202, 203)
In this period, whenever the mother of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would walk, the stones on which she would step would melt like wax. When she would go to fetch water from a well, she would not need to draw it, the water itself would rise and start flowing.
Two months into the pregnancy, Hadhrat Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him) went on a business tour. While returning, at Madina, after an illness of a month, he passed away in the tribe of Bani Najjar and was buried in durre nabigha. He was 25 years old. (Subul ul huda war rashad, Vol 1, Pg No: 231)
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Many signs were expressed at the time of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Milad. Some of them are:
- At the time of Milad, such a Noor issued forth from Hadhrat Amina (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the mansions of Syria could be seen. (Musnad Ahmad, Vol 5, Pg No: 112, Hadith No: 16836)
- The idols in the Ka’aba fell flat on their faces.
- The palaces of Khosrau shook and their towers fell.
- A river named Buhaira dried up.
- A holy fire of Persia was extinguished. This had never happened before.
- Hadhrat Hawwa, Hadhrat Asiya and Hadhrat Maryam (Peace be upon them) came along with the damsels of heaven to meet Hadhrat Amina (May Allah be well pleased with him). (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 210)
- Angels shaded the house of Hadhrat Amina (May Allah be well pleased with him) with their wings. (Khasais Kubra, Vol 1, Pg No 48)
- The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) performed a Sajdah as soon as he arrived. His index finger was pointing towards the sky. (Seerat Halbiya, Vol 1, Pg No: 54)
- A voice was heard: “Tour Him across the east and west and the oceans so that the whole creation, angels, fishes etc have the privilege of seeing Him with the realization of His name and His attributes. (Khasais Kubra, Vol 1, Pg No: 48; Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 212)
- On Monday, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) declared His Prophethood on this day, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) started the Hijrah on this day and on this day He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) passed away into the presence of Allah SWT. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived circumcised and with His umbilical cord cut. (Seerat Halbiya, Vol 1, Pg No: 53)
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Fifty-five days after the incident of Abraha, in the city of Makkah, on the 12th of Rabe’e ul Awwal, which comes to the 20th of April, at the crack of dawn, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived in this world. His Noor illuminated the world for posterity and the happiness descended over the world.
The animals of jungle congratulated each other on His Milad. For 3 days the Ka’aba swayed out of ecstasy.
Abdul Muttalib (May Allah be well pleased with him) saw it. On that day, there was a special radiance in this world. There was surge of happiness everywhere. On that day the angels were ordered to open all the doors of the skies and the heavens and to gather on the earth. All the devils were imprisoned. All the idols fell on their faces. The holy fire of Persia got extinguished. An earthquake shook the palaces of the Khosrau. A river called sawa suddenly dried up. (Khasais Kubra, Vol 1, Pg No: 47)Why all these arrangements? Because that Master is coming whose arrival was awaited by everybody. The earlier Prophets used to give glad tidings of His arrival. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the prayer of Hadhrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and the greeting of Hadhrat Isa (Peace be upon him). Prophet Moosa (Peace be upon him) wished to be in His Ummah. To celebrate the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 3 flags were set up, one in the east, one in the west and one on the Ka’aba. (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 211)
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Hadhrat Amina (May Allah be well pleased with her) says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived performing a Sajdah. At the time of His arrival, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) declared very eloquently:
Translation: Allah SWT has commanded me to offer Salaat.
The Pure Prophet arrived in this world to clean the world of the filth of Kufr and shirk. His mother states about Him that when He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived, there was not even a smudge on Him. (Mawahib Ladunniya, Vol 1, Pg No: 220). Fragrance issued forth from His body and He had arrived circumcised and with “Surma” under His eyes. (Seerat Halbiya, Vol 1, Pg No: 53)
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When other babies are born, they cry, but the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived reciting the Kalima and performing the Sajdah and giving the whole world glad tidings of happiness. No sooner than He performed a Sajdah that the whole earth became worthy of prostration. For the earlier Ummah, it was the rule that whenever they wanted to pray, they could pray only in special places. Apart from that special place, they could not pray anywhere else. When the Great Flood came in the time of Prophet Nooh (Peace be upon him), the whole earth was washed, but even then it did not become pure, but the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) only had to step onto this earth that the whole earth not only became pure but purifying. The earlier Ummah did not have Tayammum, but because of the blessings of the feet of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the earth became so pure that if any follower of the Prophet does not get water, then he/she can perform Tayammum.
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The month of the Milad of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is Rabe’e ul Awwal. The reason for selecting this month of the Milad of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is that the word of “Rabe’e” means spring. When this month of spring comes, the barren lands become alive, bare trees become green again. The lost glory of the gardens flowers is restored. Grass again starts growing in dried land. In the same way by sending the beloved Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the Lord Almighty is indicating thus: O people! This Prophet who has arrived grants life to dead hearts, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) frees those who are under the yoke of oppression and persecution, He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) beautifies the hearts of the people with love and grants the sweet taste of Iman, He fills the heedless hearts with the remembrance of Allah SWT. Until now, the clouds of sorrow were there, now the One who would share their sorrows has come. Till today, the devils used to ascend the skies and pass on whatever they heard to the sorcerers and they to the populace. Now after the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), shuhab thaqib have been installed on the skies. Now no one can ascend the skies.
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It is human nature that when a person is hurt or in some sorrow or hears about somebody’s sorrow, then even that person’s face shows his/her gloomy emotions. In the same way, when a person sees a beautiful scene or is granted a ni’mah (bounty), that person’s face showcases his/her joy.
That person mentions it to everybody. There is no pressure on that person to do so, nor does anyone consider it unreasonable. When the gain of a small worldly ni’mah elicits such natural joy, even though this world and everything in it is transitory and temporary, then the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the greatest possible ni’mah. All other ni’mah, whether they are of this world or of the hereafter (aakhirah) are only through the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), how much should we express our happiness and joy on this occasion?
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