Proposal of Mubahila

After exchange of views on several issues, the delegation did not seem to be willing to accept the observations about the incorrect beliefs of Christianity and the logical explanations proving the incorrectness of their beliefs. At that time Allah send down the famous Ayat-e-Mubahila of the Quran:

Glorious Quran Chapter 3 Verse 61:

And unto him who disputeth with thee therein after the knowledge hath come unto thee, Say! (O\" Our Apostle Muhammad!) (Unto them) come ye, let us summon our sons, and (ye summon) your sons, and (we summon) our women and (ye) your women, and (we summon) ourselves and then let us invoke the curse of God on the liars!

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) recited this Ayat and invited them for Mubahila - praying to God to destroy and banish the liars.

Mubahila became necessary since the Christian delegation was adamant to accept the truth. After some hesitations the delegations asked to be given one day to reconsider their options and then accepted to have the Mubahila after two days. In their consultations among themselves, the grand Bishop Abu Harisa told his companions that if tomorrow, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brings his companions and his tribesmen and military might with him for Mubahila then they should accept the challenge without fear but if he brings only the members of his family, then never accept the challenge.

Whom did the Prophet (pbuh ) take with him?

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) selected a place close to Medina for the Mubahila which was then cleaned and prepared by Salman Farsi and the next day the Christian delegation reached the designated place. A number of muhajirren and ansaar also gathered at the site. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took with him Imam Hassan (a.s), Imam Hussein (a.s), Bibi Fatimah (s.a) and Imam Ali (a.s) and headed towards the site in a manner that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was leading the group holding Imam Hassan (a.s) and Imam Hussein (a.s) and Bibi Fatima (s.a.) was behind him and Imam Ali (a.s) was behind Bibi Fatima (s.a).

Saad bin Abi Waqas relates that when the Ayat-e-Mubahila was sent down, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) called Imam Ali (a.s), Bibi Fatimah (s.a), Imam Hassan (a.s) and Imam Hussein (a.s) and said \’O my Allah, these are my Ahl-ul-Bayt\’. (Sahih Muslim, Vol.2, Page 287).

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sat down under a tree with these weighty personalities and said that when I pray to God, you all should say \'Ameen\'.

When the Christian delegation saw a woman, two children and only one man with the Prophet (pbuh), they got scared and worried and Abu Harisa said \’O my Christian friends, I am seeing such bright faces that if they pray that God move this mountain from its place then the mountain will be moved. I warn you do not have Mubahila with them or you all will be destroyed and banished.\’

The Christian delegation was still amazed and frightened when the brother of Abu Harisa, Karz ibn-e-Alqama stated that \’O my fellows, it appears that Muhammad (pbuh) is the same last apostle and prophet that has been mentioned in our sacred books. We should not have Mubahila with them because anyone who had Mubahila with the prophets in the past as well were destroyed. Look around you and observe that the signs of your destruction are appearing.\’ When they looked around, they observed that the entire atmosphere had changed and it appeared that a furious storm is in offing.

Result of the Mubahila

Witnessing this, they backed off from the contest and requested that their friendship be accepted. Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) accepted their request and asked Imam Ali(a.s) to write the agreement according to which they Najran tribes accepted to pay \'Jazia\' and live under the protection of the Muslims.

Source:duas.org

 

The 24th of Zil-Hajj marks the anniversary of the auspicious occasion of Eid Mubahila. This is the day of victory of Muslims over Christians. The event of Mubahila occurred in the 10th of Hijrah.

Najran was a fertile land located in the Northern mountainous region of Yemen about 20 Kms from Sanaa. About 40,000 Christians inhabited the land divided into 73 small towns. They were idol worshipers historically just like the Arabs but a priest named Femeon, a constructor by profession, preached Christianity in the area of Najran and soon all the population converted to Christianity and Najran became a powerful center of activities of Christians. They also constructed a church and named it \'Kaba-e-Najran\'. They prayed and offered various offerings there which resulted in an annual income of about two hundred thousand Dinars which was used for the priest who lived and studied there.

After the conquest of Mecca when Islam started spreading rapidly and the warring groups came under the flag of Islam, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) starting sending emissaries to the tribes who had not yet accepted Islam. In 10 A.H. a similar message was sent to the Christians of Najran and they were offered either to accept the teachings of Islam or live in the protection of Muslims and give \'Jazia\' - a kind of fee for protection services. When the Bishop of Najran received this message, he invited all the scholars and influential people of Najran and asked them to think and find a solution to this situation. This news spread rapidly among the masses and some people got infuriated as well but the Bishop of Najran pacified them and advised them to be mindful of the military might of the Islamic regime and try to find a peaceful solution.

Christian mission heads to Medina

After deliberations, it was finally decided to send a mission to Medina and have a dialog with the Muslims. A 14 member delegation headed by Aqib Saidawar and Abu Harisa started off for Mecca. Abu Harisa was considered as the greatest Bishop and scholar of the Christian world at that time and Aqib Sadawar was the biggest strategist and negotiator of the time. When the delegation reached Medina, the people got impressed by their lavish dressing and pomp and show since it was the first time that a mission had arrived in such a manner.

When they entered the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) looked at the precious stones, gold and silk clothes that they were wearing and turned away his face and did not pay any attention to them. After a while when no one noticed their pomp and show, they got out of the Al-Masjid al-Nabawiand met Usman and Ubaid-ur-Rehman outside and asked them as to why they were invited by the Muslims and then treated in this manner. Usman mentioned that he did not have a clue about that but if they consult Imam Ali(a.s), he would be able to tell them what was going on. They took the delegation with them and arrived at the house of Imam Ali (a.s) and mentioned about the whole incidence to him.

Imam Ali (a.s) said to the delegation that they were wearing dresses of silk and ornaments of gold which depicted their superior mentality and that they should take them off and dress simply.

Only then the Prophet (pbuh) would allow them to visit him and entertain them. when they followed the instructions of Imam Ali (a.s), they were allowed to visit the Prophet Muohammad(pbuh) after the Prayers of Asar and have discussions with him.

Source: duas.org

When writing about the greatness of a personality, one needs a gold standard with which to compare the strengths and weaknesses of that individual. However, if that person is herself the gold standard, then it makes it impossible to adequately describe her greatness. Hazrat Fatimah (s.a) was such a personality. Her merits are unmatched by any woman known in history and Allah himself testifies in the Qur’an about her purity and piety.

The rest of the text in the next page...(ادامه مطلب)

 

 ادامه مطلب...

We also learn from Fatimah (A.S.), in her advanced missionary awareness and position, that she was someone who rebelled against her personal needs, however simple, for the sake of her missionary ambitions; she was someone who prioritized in favour of principles over the self. This is what we need to learn, for many of us - men and women alike - fall down when it comes to a choice between the needs of the principle and the needs of the self; we too often choose the self, and may even make a principle of service to the self.

 

Fatimah al-Zahra (A.S.) was unique in all her behaviour and deeds, even in her sorrow for her beloved, especially during her separation from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

Historians tell us that, when she went to him as he was dying, she embraced him and he whispered something in her ear which made her weep. Then, when he whispered something that made her laugh, she was asked:

 

'How quickly (your) laughing after weeping?!' She said: 'I shall not reveal the Messenger of Allah's secret in his life.' So, when she was asked about this after his death, she said: 'He whispered in my ear first that he was going to meet his Lord and that his soul was announced to him (his death), so I wept; then he whispered in my ear again that I was going to be the first of his family to go after him, so I laughed!'

 

Where else would you find a young woman, whatever her love for her father, become happy when he tells her that she is going to be the first to die after him?

 

What relationship deeper could be than this, and what unity of spirit could be stronger?

Source: alhassanain.com

Another narration by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak states: 'The Messenger of Allah used, when he came back from a battle or journey, to come to the mosque and pray two rak'as to thank Allah..... then would enter to (the house of) Fatimah, then he would come to his wives'.

This meant that Fatimah (A.S.) held the prime place in the relationships between the Prophet (S.A.W.) and other people, including his wives.

 

In the same book, al-Mustadrak, al-Hakim also narrated: 'The Prophet (S.A.W.), when he used to travel, the last person he would see was Fatimah.'

Thus her image would stay in his mind, and the kindness and emotion, with which she used to embrace him, would stay with him in his travel and his memory, to comfort him.

 

Al-Hakim added: 'And when he returned from a journey, the first person he would see would be Fatimah.'

 

Historians have said that the Prophet (S.A.W.) did not accept that Fatimah (A.S.) became separated from him even after her marriage and, therefore, did not accept that she lived in a house far away from him, so she lived in the house next to his so that he could enter into her house directly from his.

In al-Isti'ab we read: ''Ayshah was asked: who was the most beloved person to the Messenger of Allah? She replied: Fatimah. I asked: and amongst men? She said: her husband...'

 

This is an important witness by 'Ayshah for Fatimah and Ali (A.S.).

 

There are many stories from her life which tell how she used to study her father's thoughts to know what he liked and disliked, what opened up his heart and what closed it. An example of this was when he (S.A.W.) came back from a journey and entered her house, looked around a little, then left. Quickly she knew that something bothered the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.). She thought about it and realized that on the door of her house was a curtain and that she had two bracelets in her hands; she took the curtain down and took off the bracelets and sent them with her sons and said: 'Say greetings to my father and say to him: we have not introduced anything after you except this, it is for you to do with them what you like.'

 

When the Prophet (S.A.W.) heard this, his expression relaxed. He was moved by this generous, wonderful, spiritual gesture by his daughter, and this thoughtful response, and gave these things to the poor, saying: 'She did this! May her father be sacrificed for her! May her father be sacrificed for her! May her father be sacrificed for her! What have the family of Muhammad (S.A.W.) to do with life: they have been created for the hereafter!'

 

This is what every girl with a mission should learn, when her father is a man of missionary affiliations and responsibilities; as too should every woman with someone who has a missionary dimension in his life: she should learn not to get too engrossed with her own affairs, but to open herself up to the responsibilities of her father, husband, brother or son so as to join with him in the dynamic movement of responsibility, and not to add to the burdens to his responsibility. For we see many great men, past and present, become burdened by the people who are around them: while when they think in a missionary manner, those around them think only of themselves.

To be continued ...

Source: alhassanain.com

Fatimah (A.S.) was the only woman connecting Prophethood and Imamate and was the link between the two. She was the daughter of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the wife of the first Imam (A.S.) and the mother of the rest of the Imams (A.S.) who descended from her and her husband Ali (A.S.). Allah singled her out with this virtue and peculiarity because she was the most perfect and highest example in purity, sanctity, worship, asceticism and morals.

 

Al-Kawthar

According to some Qur"an commentaries (tafsir), when the Quraysh (tribe) said that the Prophet (PBUH) had no offspring, the chapter of al-Kawthar was revealed: "Verily We have given thee the Kawthar (Abundance). So pray thou unto thy Lord! And offer sacrifice. Verily, thy enemy shall be the one cut off (in his progeny)." (Qur"an 108:1-3)

"We have given you al-Kawthar" means we have given you the abundant good, which shall last throughout your life and after it; therefore, turn your face unto your Lord in prayer, as mention of your name shall never end and your offspring shall never perish; it is those standing against you who are more deserving of this description.

 

This revelation was given against the backdrop of the pronouncements by some of the Quraysh"s most scurrilous men - such as al-"As bin Wa"il, Abu Jahl, "Uqbah bin Abi Mu"ayt and Ka"b bin al-Ashraf - that the Prophet (PBUH) was cut off from male children, after the death of his son al-Qasim. Hence, it is clear that the abundant good - al-Kawthar - was pointing to the abundant offspring which the Prophet (PBUH) would have through his daughter Fatimah (A.S.), and that this was a reply to those people and their effort to weaken the Prophet"s spirits.

Supporting our interpretation, al-Tabataba"i, in al-Mizan commentary, said: "Without that, the words "Verily, thy enemy shall be the one cut off" would be useless."

to be continued ...

Source: alhassanain.com

Devotedness

Fatimah (A.S) devoted herself to Allah and resorted to Him totally in all of her affairs. This was clear in her dua’a.

Her dua’a on turning to Allah

Fatimah (A.S) often supplicated Allah with this dua’a,

“O Allah, by Your knowing of the unseen and Your power over the creation, make me live if You know that life is better to me, and make me die if You know that death is better to me.

O Allah, I ask You for loyalty, and for the fear of You in pleasure and in anger, and for economy in wealth and poverty.

O Allah, I ask You for incessant bliss, and ask You for ceaseless delight, and ask You for satisfaction with fate, and ask You for a good life after death, and ask You for the looking at Your Face, and the eagerness to Your meeting without a harming distress or a dark sedition.

O Allah, adorn us with adornment of faith, and make us guided and guides, O You the Lord of the worlds!”

Her dua’a on resorting to Allah

She recited in this dua’a,

“O Allah, make me satisfied with what You have given to me, honor me and give me good health as long as You make me live, forgive me and have mercy on me when You make me die.

O Allah, do not afflict me with asking for what You have not determined for me, and whatever You have determined for me make it easy and accessible.

O Allah, reward my parents for me and whoever has done me a favor with the best of reward.

O Allah, take me to what You have created me for, do not make me busy with what You have already secured to me, do not punish me while I ask You to forgive me, and do not deprive me while I beg You.

O Allah, make me humble to myself, make Your standing great to me, and inspire me with Your obedience and the doing of what pleases You and avoiding what displeases You, O You the most Merciful of the merciful.”

 

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Taken from the book called: THE LIFE OF FATIMAH AL-ZAHRA'

 

Source:coiradio.com

Chastity and veiling

Fatimah (A.S) was the highest example in chastity, honor, and veiling for all Muslim women.

Imam Ali (A.S) said, ‘Once, a blind man asked permission to visit Fatimah (A.S), but she asked him to stay behind a screen. The messenger of Allah (A.S) asked Fatimah (A.S), ‘Why did you screen him though he is blind and could not see you?’

She said, ‘He could not see me, but I could see him.’

The Prophet (A.S) said, ‘I witness that you are a part from me.’

Once, Imam Ali (A.S) asked Fatimah (A.S), ‘When is woman closer to her Lord?’

She said, ‘When she keeps to her house…’

Imam Ali (A.S) offered her answer to the Prophet (A.S) who said, ‘She is true. Fatimah is a part from me.’

Veil is beauty and honor for woman. Whenever woman adorns herself with chastity, she will be in a highest position and most honorable rank besides gaining admiration of the all. But if woman is unveiled and unchaste, she will be worthless in the society and no one will appreciate her. The veil and chastity of Fatimah (A.S) is a high example that every woman who wants to live regardable and honorable in the society.

Deep faith

Definitely, no one can suspect the unequaled faith and worship of Fatimah (A.S). She spent most of her days and nights in worshipping.

Imam Hassan (A.S) said, ‘some night, I saw my mother Fatimah (A.S) in her mihrab bow and prostrate (offer prayers) until the light of morning appeared. I heard her praying Allah for the believing men and the believing women and mentioning them by the name. She prayed Allah for them too much, but without praying for herself. I said to her, ‘Why do you not pray Allah for yourself mother?’

She said, ‘O my son, the neighbor (first) and then the house…’

Al-Hassan al-Basri said about Fatimah (A.S), ‘No one in the umma worshipped Allah more than Fatimah (A.S). She offered prayers in the night until her feet swelled.’

It was transmitted from Fatimah (A.S) her saying, ‘Whoever raises his true worship to Allah, Allah will send down to him the best of his benefit.’

Fatimah (A.S) assigned the last hours of the day of Fridays for Allah the Almighty. In the last ten days of Ramadhan, Fatimah (A.S) spent all the night in worshipping and supplicating, and she encouraged all those in her house to spend the night in worshipping and supplicating. Her feet swelled because of her long standing before Allah the Almighty.

 Taken from the book called: THE LIFE OF FATIMAH AL-ZAHRA'

Source:coiradio.com

Charity to the poor

Fatimah (A.S) was charitable and too kind to the poor and the deprived. She, her husband, and her two sons were meant by these Qur’anic verses, (And they give food out of love for Him to the poor, the orphan, and the captive. We only feed you for Allah’s sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks. 76:8-9).

Fatimah (A.S) milled wheat and barley for her poor neighbors who were unable to do that. She carried water to her weak neighbors who could not get water.

On the night of her wedding, Fatimah (A.S) had a new dress on. When she knew that a young woman from the Ansar[1] could not find a dress to put on, she took off the dress of her wedding and gave it to that young woman. Fatimah (A.S) turned away from every material pleasure and preferred the satisfaction of Allah to everything. Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said,

‘Once, the messenger of Allah (A.S) led us in offering the Asr (afternoon) Prayer, and when he offered the nafila (a supererogatory prayer), he sat in the qibla and people sat around him. A very old man came complaining of hunger and saying, ‘O prophet of Allah, I am hungry. Feed me! And I am naked (have no clothes). Clothe me!’

The Prophet (A.S) asked the old man to go to the house of his (the Prophet) daughter Fatimah (A.S). The old nomad man went to Fatimah’s house and from behind the door he greeted her and said, ‘O daughter of Muhammad, I am naked and hungry. Would you please comfort me, may Allah have mercy on you?’

Fatimah (A.S) herself was in neediness, and she found nothing to give to the man except a sheepskin that her sons al-Hassan and al-Hussein slept on. The old man did not like it and he gave it back to her. Then, Fatimah (A.S) took a necklace, which was a present from her cousin Fatimah bint Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, off her neck and gave it to the man.

The old man took the necklace and went back to the Prophet (A.S) saying to him, ‘Fatimah gave me this necklace and said to me, ‘Sell it! May Allah recompense you with good for it.’

The Prophet (A.S) cried and said, ‘And how does Allah not recompense you with good for it while the daughter of Muhammad, the principal of the daughters of Adam, has given it to you?’

Ammar bin Yasir asked the Prophet (A.S), ‘O messenger of Allah, do you permit me to buy this necklace?’

The Prophet (A.S) said, ‘Buy it, Ammar! If the human beings and the jinn participate in it, Allah will not punish them with Fire.’

Ammar said, ‘O Sheikh (old man), how much is the necklace?’

The old man said, ‘I sell it for a meal of bread and meat, a Yemeni garment that I cover my private parts and offer prayer for my Lord with, and a dinar that takes me to my family.’

Ammar said to him, ‘I give you twenty dinars, two hundred dirhams, a Yemeni garment, my camel to take you to your family, and a meal of wheat bread and meat.’

The old man said, ‘O man, how generous you are!’ He left delightedly saying, ‘O Allah, there is no god but You. O Allah, give Fatimah what no eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard of.’

Ammar perfumed the necklace with musk, enveloped it in Yemeni garment, and gave it one of his slaves saying to him, ‘Take this necklace to the messenger of Allah (A.S) and you will be his.’

When the slave took the necklace to the Prophet (A.S), the Prophet (A.S) asked him to take it to Fatimah (A.S) who took it and set the slave free. The slave smiled. Fatimah (A.S) asked him what made him smile and he said:

‘What made me smile was the great blessing of this necklace. It satiated a hungry one, clothed a naked one, made a poor one rich, freed a slave, and then returned to its owner.’

 

 

 

Taken from the book called: THE LIFE OF FATIMAH AL-ZAHRA'

Source:coiradio.com

Hazrat Fatimah (A.S) was different from all women in her high qualities and noble characteristics that took her to the highest rank of virtue and perfection. She was an example of her father’s morals and mentality. She resembled him in his deep faith in Allah the Almighty, asceticism, and refraining from pleasures of this life. Here, we talk about some of Fatimah’s characteristics:

Infallibility

Fatimah (A.S) was infallible, and this is an indisputable fact. Allah had purified her from every sin and every defect, and endowed her with all virtues to make her an example for all the women of the world. She was an ideal example in faith, worship, chastity, purity, charity, and kindness to the poor and the deprived.

Proofs on her infallibility

1. The verse of purification; Allah has said, (Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying. 33:33).

The People of the House (the Ahl-ul-Bayt) were Ali, Fatimah, Imam Hassan, and Imam Hussein (A.S).

The verse clearly proves the infallibility and purity of these persons from every sin and vices. Allah had chosen these people to be examples for His people and guides to His obedience and pleasances. It is impossible for Allah to give sinners or guilty people this gift.

Infallibility, in its concept, definitely would not be far from the Ahl-ul-Bayt (A.S) who were the centers of knowledge and wisdom in Islam. For forty years, I have researched and written books on them, but I could find a slip neither in their sayings nor in their doings. Even their enemies, who were full of grudge against them, did not mention any fault or any bit of deviation about them.

Imam Ali (A.S.) says, ‘By Allah, if I am given the seven districts with all that under their skies to disobey Allah in bran of a grain of barley that I deprive it of a mouth of a locust, I will never do.’

 

2. The Prophet (A.S) made his entire nation, through his repeated sayings, know that Fatimah (A.S) was a part from him, and that whatever pleased her would please him and whatever displeased her would displease him. That she was a part from the Prophet (A.S) means that she was infallible since the Prophet (A.S) was infallible.

3. The true traditions that were transmitted from the Prophet (A.S.) confirmed that Allah would be pleased for the pleasure of Fatimah (A.S) and would be displeased for her displeasure. These traditions mean that Fatimah (A.S) had reached a degree of faith and piety that would take her to the same rank of the infallible prophets who sincerely obeyed Allah and knew Him as He was.

4. The Prophet (A.S.) compared his progeny to the Book of Allah as in the mutawatir (successive) tradition of “ath-Thaqalayn”, and since the Book of Allah is infallible from any falseness, so are the Ahl-ul-Bayt (A.S); otherwise, the Prophet (A.S) would not compare them to the Book of Allah.

Fatimah (A.S) was at the head of the pure progeny of the Prophet (A.S) and was the mother of all the infallible imams (except Imam Ali) whom Allah had purified from all uncleanness.

 

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Taken from the book called: THE LIFE OF FATIMAH AL-ZAHRA'

Source:coiradio.com