A Source of Eternal Inspiration and Guidance.

After the Sept. 11 attacks against the US, some sections of
the US media have been carrying on a campaign of
vilification against Islam and its Prophet (peace be upon
him). Sad as it is, we should not ignore the brighter side
of the picture. This brighter side is that more and more
people in the West are now evincing a keen interest to know
more about Islam and its Prophet. This is especially
welcome because most of the misunderstandings and the
resultant hatred among nations and communities are a result
of ignorance. The real problem, as I see it, is not clash
of civilizations but our ignorance of civilizations other
than ours.

We, Muslims, are not entirely blameless on this score. We
have not made any serious effort to explain to others what
Islam and its Prophet stand for. Not many non-Muslims know
how the Prophet welded a strong nation out of warring
Arabian tribes based on a message of peace and brotherhood.

The Prophet was born on Rabiul Awwal 12. His birth took
place in a modest house in Makkah on a Monday in the Year
of the Elephant, which corresponds to 571 C.E. Both his
father, Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib, and mother, Amina bint
Wahab, were well-known people. The Prophet never knew his
father, who had died in the months before his birth. It was
left to his grandfather to name him Muhammad.

It is incumbent upon Muslims to know the teachings of the
Prophet and to abide by the Qur’an, which was revealed to
him. They should emulate his behavior and realize the
importance of tawhid (monotheism) with which he began his
message, as shown in Allah’s direction in the Qur’an: “Say
(Muhammad), I pray unto Allah only, and I ascribe to Him no
partner.” (Surah Al-Jinn 72:20).

The Prophet Muhammad is the role model for every Muslim. We
should follow his guidance in all things, large and small.
Almighty Allah has blessed this Ummah by preserving the
Sunnah and Sirah of His messenger. Despite the passage of
time, both remain as though we are seeing and hearing them
today. They provide a living example of the life of the
Prophet. They also instill love and respect for him in the
hearts of Muslims. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Indeed in the
Messenger of Allah, you have a good example to follow.”
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 33:21).

The world is passing through a very dangerous period. Wars,
famine, hunger and disease are ravaging parts of the globe.
Even in the so-called advanced societies, life is far from
trouble-free. We find violence in schools and on the
streets, depression, poverty, dysfunctional families and a
host of other problems that appear to be proliferating
instead of showing any signs of abating.

To make matters worse, there is a crisis of identity in the
Muslim world. While social problems are few thanks to our
strong family values, there is a growing indifference to
other challenges that confront us. The terrorist bombings
in Riyadh this month,Spain,Balli and the earlier ones
should serve as a wake-up call. Intolerance is a rising
menace. So are extremism and obscurantism.

We are in the habit of blaming others for our own ills. As
a people we are not given to soul-searching or
introspection. We have failed to question why we are in
this position.

What have we done to alleviate our own suffering? We grovel
in mortification and wallow in self-pity, unable to muster
the courage to call a spade a spade and find solutions to
our problems. We don’t have to imitate others. The life of
the Prophet Muhammad is itself a beacon of light — a light
of guidance that, if only we follow it, will lead us to
safety. Those muslims who are in prominent positions in
society should lead by example, for it would be disastrous
if they lacked true awareness and piety.

If we love the Prophet and believe in his message, then we
have to follow him in everything we do. We must leave
behind anything that is abominable — all that is indecent,
whether in speech or in action. If an injustice is done to
you, respond with a kind act by forgiving the one who
wronged you. Do not take revenge; vengeance is the province
of Allah. Free yourself by forgiving others and working to
strengthen your relationships.

The Prophet has taught us how we should treat the less
privileged among us. He never tired of urging us to help
the weak, the needy and women. Work hard and share with
other workers, even if your work is digging in the ground
or removing rubble; and be happy in carrying out the tasks
you are performing to show your humility.

Do not use abusive or rude language, even in jest. Do not
direct evil deeds at any of your brothers or sisters. Let
politeness and propriety in speech be your way of life. Be
merciful to people and to animals. Be unafraid to speak the
truth, even if it is against you.

We must have role models. Let us seek them from people
around us but never forget the one God has sent as a
Messenger. Of all the prophets, there is none whose life
has been as open to scrutiny as that of the Prophet
Muhammad.

We owe it to ourselves to learn everything about him. Can
there be a more ennobling experience than to follow the
example of a man who was sent by God as an example for the
entire humanity?

A High Standard of Piety and Commitment.

Some of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
are well known. Their names are often mentioned, and their
service to Islam is cited as an example for new
generations. Others are not well known, but they might have
been exemplary in their strength of faith, conduct, piety
and commitment to Islam. We get to know these from one or
two Hadiths or reports that reveal particular aspects of
their characters.

One of the companions was better known by his nickname Abu
Qursafah, following the Arab custom of calling a man as the
father of his eldest son. He is rarely mentioned by his own
name, which is Jandarah ibn Khayshanah. We learn something
of Abu Qursafah’s piety from the following report related
by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad on the authority of
Bilal ibn Kaab, who says: “Ibraheem ibn Adham, Abd al-Aziz
ibn Qarir, Musa ibn Yasar and myself visited Yahya ibn
Hassan in his village. He served us with food, but Musa did
not eat because he was fasting. Yahya said: ‘A companion of
the Prophet from the Kinanah called Abu Qursafah led us in
prayer in this mosque for 40 years, and he always fasted on
alternate days. A son was born to my father, and he invited
him to a meal on his day of fasting. He came and broke his
fast.’ Ibraheem stood up and covered him with his own coat.
Musa then ate.”

This report shows that it is not only appropriate, but also
desirable that a person who is fasting voluntarily should
end his fast if he is invited to a function, or indeed if
he is with a group of people and their host offers them
food. It is wrong to stay fasting when the others are
eating. This means that acknowledging his host’s kindness
and returning it by eating takes precedence over continuing
one’s voluntary fast.

There is no doubt that the person concerned will gain a
reward from God for his intention to fast, and will also be
rewarded for his friendly manner to his host. This is the
reason why Abu Qursafah, a companion of the Prophet who
used to fast on alternate days, shared in the meal when he
was invited to a dinner on his fasting day.

His granddaughter, Azzah bint Iyad ibn Abu Qursafah,
reports that one of her grandfather’s sons was taken
prisoner by the Byzantines. At every prayer time, Abu
Qursafah would stand on top of the wall of the city of
Asqalan and shout to his son by name saying that it was
time for prayer. His son would hear him every time although
they were separated by hundreds of miles. This report is
related by Al-Tabarani, with a chain of transmission that
gives it an authentic grade. We are not surprised that this
should be the case because God is able to accomplish His
purpose. Since Abu Qursafah was aware that his voice would
not be heard at such a distance, he trusted to God to
communicate his message to his son. God responded by
granting his wish which is expressed with complete trust
and faith.

It is not surprising to learn of Abu Qursafah’s unshakable
faith. He was a firm believer ever since he embraced Islam
as a young lad. His granddaughter reports that she heard
her grandfather speaking about how he became a Muslim: “I
was an orphan child living with my mother and my maternal
aunt, and I had a few sheep which I took to graze. My aunt
often told me not to go near the Prophet so that he would
not lead me astray. But when I reached the grazing area, I
often left my sheep and went to the Prophet listening to
him.

In the evening I would go home, but my sheep would have no
milk. My aunt questioned me about my dry sheep and I
protested that I did not know the reason for their having
no milk. One day I heard him saying: ‘My people! Immigrate
for God’s cause and hold fast to Islam. Immigration does
not stop as long as jihad continues.’ I continued to
frequent his place and listen to him until I embraced
Islam, pledged my loyalty to him and shook hands with him.
I told him about my aunt and my sheep. The Prophet said to
me to bring my sheep to him. When I brought them, he wiped
their backs and their breasts, praying that God blesses
their produce.

They soon were full of fat and milk. When I went home to my
aunt and she looked at them, she said: ‘Always graze like
this, son.’ I said to her: ‘I simply went to the same place
I have been going every day. But I will tell you my news. I
went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and embraced Islam.
I told her about him and what he taught. Both my mother and
my aunt asked me to take them to him. All three of us went
to see him together, and my mother and aunt embraced Islam,
pledged their loyalty to the Prophet and shook hands.”
(Related by Al-Tabarani with an authentic chain of
transmission).

This report indicates how people were afraid of going near
the Prophet because they heard the unbelievers’ propaganda
accusing him of leading people astray. Yet when they
realized what he taught, they were impressed and were soon
ready to accept Islam. This happened with different people
at different times.

It also tells us how the Prophet was kind to everyone. He
did not put pressure on anyone to accept the faith until
that person was ready. Abu Qursafah, a young lad at the
time, went to listen to him time after time, abandoning his
sheep, and the Prophet giving him time to think and make up
his mind.

When he was ready, he declared his belief and pledged
himself to the Prophet as one of his followers.

The Hadith also tells us that Muslims used to put their
personal problems to the Prophet hoping for help. Abu
Qursafah complains to him about his aunt and the problem he
was having as a result of abandoning his sheep so as to
listen to him. The Prophet takes the necessary action, and
prays God to bless the sheep and their produce.

Every prayer the Prophet said was answered in the most
perfect way, which was a sign serving to reassure his
companions. As the lad goes home, his sheep were full of
milk, and he uses the occasion to tell his mother and his
aunt about Islam. Soon they follow his suit and embrace
Islam.









___________________________________________________________
How much mail storage do you get for free?  Yahoo! Mail
gives you 6MB! Get Yahoo! Mail http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~