Part of Ramadan events and lessons (series completed)
· Lesson 2 of 31
Ramadan events and lessons | Episode (2) | The sending of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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Summary of the Book:
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*Ramadan: Events and Lessons*
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The Commission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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Time: Ramadan
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Year 1 of the Prophetic Mission
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Corresponding to 610 CE
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Before the advent of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the world
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was groaning under the heavy weight of pre-Islamic ignorance (Jahiliyyah),
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which confined minds and human life within narrow, suffocating molds,
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far removed from the broad horizons of knowledge needed to understand life, the purpose of its people,
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and their ultimate destiny thereafter.
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Consequently, false objects of worship became the focus of this intellectual foolishness—
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a foolishness that knew no bounds.
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As the poet said:
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"I came while people were in chaos; whenever you pass by them,
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you find them bowing before an idol infatuated with another idol.
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The earth was filled with injustice, subjugated
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to every tyrant among creation who sat in judgment."
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Thus, because the mind of Jahiliyyah
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was trapped within that dark abyss,
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it was unable to reach the radiant horizons
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that would illuminate the various aspects of life.
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It remained submerged in deep gloom and layers of darkness,
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until Allah permitted those heavy veils to be lifted
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and those narrow, captive minds to be liberated
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through the sending of Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
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Prior to the occurrence of that momentous event,
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Allah specially prepared His noble servant:
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the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge in the Cave of Hira,
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away from the murky atmosphere of Mecca.
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In that remote solitude, he found
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an environment characterized by mental clarity
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and enveloped in spiritual loftiness.
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These frequent retreats
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to that distant sanctuary,
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far removed from the clamor of city life and human dwellings, allowed him
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to let his fertile mind wander freely
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throughout this vast universe.
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He would contemplate the magnificent creation of Allah Almighty
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and read, upon the mournful face of life,
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its desperate need to be illuminated by the light of Truth.
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From that elevated spot,
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the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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looked down upon Mecca and the entirety of existence,
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witnessing misguidance spreading its tent ropes in every direction.
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He yearned for an era of guidance
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that would erase those manifestations that diverged
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from the path of truth and justice.
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It was in the Cave of Hira
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that the psychological and spiritual preparation took place
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for the Prophet of the End Times.
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Thus, the heart of Muhammad, who was a prophet before
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and a messenger after, became
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fit to receive heavenly revelation,
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connect with the highest angelic realm,
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and bear that immense responsibility
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with which he would confront the diverse forces of misguidance
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arrayed against his straight path
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wherever he turned.
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While he was in his safe haven,
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his pure thoughts contemplating all that surrounded him,
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the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him)
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came to him without any prior warning
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to put him at ease;
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he startled him by arriving at night
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in a deserted place, with no companion or confidant.
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He demanded that he read,
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and immediately following this event,
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he set forth to mankind and jinn as a Prophet and Messenger.
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Let us now turn to Umm 'Abdullah,
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As-Siddiqah, daughter of As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with her),
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to relate to us this monumental event—
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from the cave to the house,
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and from the house to Waraqah ibn Nawfal (may Allah have mercy on him).
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On the authority of 'A'ishah, Mother of the Believers, who said:
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"The very first form of revelation to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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was divine revelation in the form of
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true, righteous dreams during sleep.
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He would not see a dream
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except that it came to pass clearly like the break of dawn.
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Then, seclusion was made dear to him.
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He used to go to the Cave of Hira
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to practice *tahanuth* therein—
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she said:
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and *tahanuth* means worship—
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for a number of nights,
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before returning to his family and provisioning himself for another stay.
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He would then return to Khadijah
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and provision himself for a similar period,
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until the Truth suddenly came upon him
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while he was in the Cave of Hira.
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The Angel came to him
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and said:
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'Read!'
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied:
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'I am not one who reads.'
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He said:
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'So he took hold of me and pressed me tightly until I was utterly exhausted.
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Then he released me and said:
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"Read!"
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I replied:
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"I am not one who reads."
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So he took hold of me and pressed me a second time
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until I was utterly exhausted.
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Then he released me and said:
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"Read!"
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I replied:
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"I am not one who reads."
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So he took hold of me and pressed me a third time
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until I was utterly exhausted.
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Then he released me and said:
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“Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,” (96:1)
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“Createth man from a clot.” (96:2)
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﴿Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous,
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Who taught by the pen...﴾'
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“Teacheth man that which he knew not.” (96:5)
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned with those verses, his heart trembling violently,
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until he entered upon Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her)
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and said: 'Cover me! Cover me!'
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So they covered him until his fear had subsided.
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He then spoke to Khadijah and informed her of what had happened, saying:
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'I truly feared for myself.'
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Khadijah replied: 'Never!
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By Allah, Allah will never humiliate you!
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For you maintain family ties,
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bear the burdens of the weary,
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provide for the destitute,
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honor the guest,
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and assist those afflicted by calamity in the cause of truth.'
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Khadijah then set out with him
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until she brought him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza,
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the cousin of Khadijah.
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He was a man who had embraced Christianity during the period of Jahiliyyah
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and used to write in Hebrew script;
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he would write from the Gospel in Hebrew whatever Allah willed that he write.
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He was an advanced elderly man who had lost his sight.
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Khadijah said to him:
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'O cousin,
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listen to the son of your brother.'
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Waraqah said to him:
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'O son of my brother, what do you see?'
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So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed him
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of what he had seen.
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Waraqah said to him:
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'This is the Archangel Namus whom Allah sent down upon Moses!
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Oh, how I wish I were a young man during your mission!
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How I wish I were alive when your people expel you!'
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked:
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'Will they really expel me?'
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He replied: 'Yes.
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Never has a man brought the likes of what you have brought
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except that he was met with hostility and enmity.
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And if your day should reach me,
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I will support you with a mighty victory.'
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Shortly thereafter, Waraqah passed away,
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and the divine revelation temporarily ceased."
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In this narrative, we observe several key lessons:
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First:
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The profound impact of a wise wife who reassures her husband,
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calms his fears,
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and fortifies his resolve with comforting and reassuring words
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in moments of terror and alarm.
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In this lies a tremendous virtue of Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her).
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Ibn Ishaq stated:
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"Khadijah was the first to believe in Allah and His Messenger
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and to affirm the truth of what he brought.
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Through her, Allah lightened the burden of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him);
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whenever he heard something distressing—such as rejection or denial—that grieved him,
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Allah would grant him relief through her when he returned to her.
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She would steadfastly support him, lighten his burden, affirm his truthfulness,
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and make the hostility of the people seem easy to bear—may Allah have mercy on her."
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Second:
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Drawing optimism from a bright past
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to illuminate the horizons of the future
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whenever they are clouded by the dark realities of the present.
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Third:
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The importance of turning to elders renowned for knowledge, wisdom, and experience
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during times of severe calamity and complex trials.
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Fourth:
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The news of the Prophet's commission and its related signs
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were passed down among generations acquainted with previous prophecies,
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who longed to belong to his era and be among his supporters.
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Such was the condition of Waraqah ibn Nawfal and those like him.
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Fifth:
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With these wholesome words, sincere feelings,
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and prior authentic faith,
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Waraqah ibn Nawfal believed in the prophethood of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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even before the Messenger turned outward to call the people.
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Al-Hakim reported in his *Mustadrak* on the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:
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"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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'Do not revile Waraqah ibn Nawfal,
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for I have indeed seen that he possesses one or two gardens in Paradise.'"
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The Date of the Prophetic Event:
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Scholars unanimously agree that the commission of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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occurred on a Monday,
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based on the hadith of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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"He was asked about fasting on Mondays,
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and he replied: 'That is the day on which I was born, and the day on which I was commissioned as a Prophet—or on which revelation was sent down to me.'"
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As for the month of his commission,
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some scholars have differed regarding it.
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Ibn al-Qayyim said:
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"There is no disagreement that his commissioning, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, took place on a Monday,
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but there is disagreement regarding the month of his commissioning. It was said
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that it was on the eighth of Rabi' al-Awwal,
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in the forty-first year from the Year of the Elephant,
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which is the view of the majority.
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And it was said,
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rather, that it took place in Ramadan."
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Those who held this view cited as evidence the words of Allah Almighty:
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“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (2:185)
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He said:
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"The very first way Allah Almighty honored him with his prophethood
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was that He revealed the Qur'an to him."
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A group of scholars inclined toward this view as well,
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among them Yahya al-Sarsari,
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who says in his nuniyyah ode:
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"And when forty years came upon him, there shone forth
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the sun of prophethood from him in Ramadan."
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What appears to be the most sound view, and Allah knows best,
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is that the time of the revelation of the Qur'an to him
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was the very time of his prophethood and his commissioning to mankind;
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and it was previously mentioned that the stronger view is that this was in Ramadan.
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Some scholars have explicitly stated this as well.
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Ibn Hisham said:
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"Until, when the month arrived in which Allah Almighty willed
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to bestow upon him the honor He intended for him,
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in the year in which Allah Almighty commissioned him—
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that month being the month of Ramadan—
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the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went out to Hira',
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just as he used to go out for his devotional retreat.
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Until, when the night arrived in which Allah honored him with His message
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and showed mercy to the servants through it,
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Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him by the command of Allah Almighty."
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And 'Atiyyah Muhammad Salim said:
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"It has become widely known among people that he was made a prophet with 'Iqra'',
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and was sent as a messenger with 'al-Muddaththir'.
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Yet the very meaning of messengership is already present in this surah,
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because, as we previously explained, reciting in the name of your Lord
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signifies that he was sent by his Lord to those to whom he recites.
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Thus, it contains the affirmation of messengership from the very beginning of the revelation."
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Lessons from the event of the advent of prophethood:
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First:
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Prophethood is a manifestation of the mercy of Allah Almighty toward His servants,
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for He loves that they be guided to the path of truth;
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therefore, He sent to them His noble messengers
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as bearers of glad tidings and warners.
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It is thus a blessing,
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and being grateful to Allah for it
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is accomplished by following the one who brought it, peace and blessings be upon him.
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Second:
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Monumental tasks require immense psychological and physical preparation,
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just as arduous work requires prior training.
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Third:
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Natural fear of terrifying things
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does not breach the fortress of Tawhid and faith.
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Fourth:
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A righteous spouse and a righteous friend
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are the finest aid in soothing terror
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and assisting in carrying out great undertakings.
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Fifth:
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Teaching and instruction
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may require repetition and firmness,
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so that knowledge becomes firmly rooted
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and the learner is trained in endurance, patience, and bearing hardships.