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Post by Ummati on Apr 27, 2011 21:34:17 GMT 5
A Beautiful Description..
of the greatest man to ever live
Muhammad, peace be upon him, a man who lived among his people with such high moral character they called him al Saadiq and al-Amîn - the Truthful, the Trustworthy.
The Prophet’s unique physical appearance, his high character and willingness to sacrifice for others, are often at the essence of any description of him. According to the narrations from his Companions he can be described in the following words:
Muhammad was imposing and majestic. His face was luminous like a full moon.
He was taller than medium but not excessive in height. He had wavy hair, which he parted and it never went beyond his shoulders. He was light-skinned with a high brow. He had full eyebrows and a small space between them. His beard was full, his eyes black. His physique was supple and lithe, with a full chest and broad shoulders. When he walked, he was determined and his pace was as if he was walking down hill.
He was decisive and whole-hearted in everything he did, so intent on the task at hand that he never looked over his shoulder, even if his cloak got caught in a thorny bush.
When he spoke he was always brief and reflective. He spoke when he saw benefit and spent long periods in silent contemplation. His speech was comprehensive being neither wordy nor abrupt. He had a mild temperament and was never harsh nor cruel, coarse nor rude. He expressed gratitude for everything given to him no matter how insignificant. When he spoke, his companions lowered their heads as if birds were perched upon them. When he was silent, they felt free to speak. He never criticized food or praised it excessively. He never swore, nor did he find fault in people. He did not flatter people but praised them when appropriate.
When he did turn to speak to somebody, he used to swing his entire body around and address them full face. When he shook hands, he was never the first to withdraw his own.
People entered his gatherings as seekers and left enlightened. He would ask about his companions when they were absent often making inquiries about people’s needs. He never stood nor sat without mentioning the name of God. He never reserved a special place for himself in a gathering and sat where space was provided. He gave each of those who sat with him such full attention that everyone felt that he was the most important person in that gathering. Voices were never raised in his presence. The aged were respected for their age and the young were shown compassion for their youth.
His wives and Companions spoke of his humour and cheerfulness. He said once, “I joke but always tell the truth.”
His wife Aisha said, “he was always making us laugh in the house.” One of his names is ad-dahhak - the smiling one.
Once an old woman asked him if she would enter paradise and he replied, “Old people don’t go to heaven!” The woman was crestfallen with the answer he had provided, to which he added with a smile, “You shall enter paradise in the prime of your youth.”
And once a gruff desert Bedouin came into the mosque and prayed out loud saying, “O God forgive me and Muhammad and don’t forgive anyone else.” Hearing this the Prophet laughed and said to him, “You are limiting the vast mercy of God.”
He died on the same day he was born, in the same house he had lived in for ten years in Medina, on a small bed made of leather stuffed with palm fibres, in the arms of his beloved wife Aishah.
His dying words were, “Treat your women well, and do not oppress your servants, the prayer, the prayer, don’t be neglectful of the prayer. O God, my highest companion, O highest companion.”
Muhammad exemplifies the strong and profound relationship that each human being ought to have with his Creator, his fellow human beings, and the world around him. May Almighty God and His angels and all His creation bless him and greet him with the salutations of peace!
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younus
Junior Member
Posts: 41 
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Post by younus on May 29, 2011 21:59:03 GMT 5
WHY?
We have often heard from our parents stories from their childhood that seem completely fantastic to us. The endless number of miles that they had to walk to get to school or the fact that they were given one pencil to use for the entire year and the unbelievable trouble that they would get into if they lost that one pencil! More fantastic than those stories of struggle and frugality were the times that we were informed about the degree of respect that they had for their parents. How they were not allowed to speak in the presence of most elders and the thought of talking back to a mother, or father, or grandparent never crossed their minds. Disobeying an adult, even a neighbor, was a punishable offence at home and completely unacceptable socially.
The stories seem so fantastic because the majority of parents now days seem to spend their time negotiating with their children and are plagued by the “why?” questions. On every little thing the kids seem to roll their eyes and ask: Why do I have to do my school work? Why do I have to do the dishes? Why do I have to make my bed? Why can’t I play on the Xbox for 20 hours straight? Why do I have to listen to you? But why? A question that got someone into eternal trouble when he asked, “Bow down! But why? I am better than him.”
Parents seem to be sweating under the blaze of these interrogating questions even as their homes and their hearts shake to the sound of slamming doors. This attitude of disrespect becomes truly dangerous when it is brought to compliance on religious matters. Then the question becomes why do I have to pray? Why do I have to fast? Why can’t I wear the super tight skinny jeans? The questions are sometimes driven by a sincere desire to understand and sometimes they are used as tools to chip away at the patience of the worn out parents. Some parents repeatedly buckle under the pressure of society that their child seems to have on his/her side.
Apart from teaching the ritual aspects of the religion, it is our responsibility to inculcate in our youth the love of Allah and His Messenger. The ability to obey Allah and carry out His commands comes only if this love is foremost in the heart. It cannot be created by bombarding them with lists of haram (forbidden) and halal (permissible) that they disregard because in the greater society almost everything is permissible.
“. . . But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else) . . .” (Qur’an 2:165)
Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Qur’an 3:31)
It is difficult to convey this emotion of love and reverence to a generation that is essentially being taught that respect to any authority figure is ‘un-cool.’ In order to reach across this generation gap we need to couch these terms in language and place them in contexts that they can relate to. For example in most well known commentaries of Surah Al-‘Asr a quote from Imam Razi is mentioned. Imam Razi has cited a scholar as saying, “I understood the meaning of Surah AI-`Asr from an ice-seller, who was calling aloud for the attention of the people repeatedly in the bazar: ‘Have mercy on the one whose wealth is melting away!’ Hearing what he was crying I said to myself: this then is the meaning of Wal- asr-i innal-insana la-fi khusr-in.
Abdullaah ibn Hishaam said: “We were with the Prophet ﷺ (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab. ‘Umar said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are dearer to me than everything except my own self.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘No (that is not right), by the One in Whose hand is my soul, until I am dearer to you than your own self.’ ‘Umar said to him, ‘Now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Now (you are right), O ‘Umar.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 6632)
This ideal of a profound love where Rasulallah ﷺ is more beloved than even one’s own self was something that Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu (May Allah be pleased with him) initially found difficult to grasp. But at the Prophet’s gentle reminder he agreed that indeed he loved Rasulallah ﷺ more than he loved himself. Contrast this with the attitude of the Muslims today. There are those who take their reverence too far so as to almost deify him and then there are others who are completely apathetic towards his personality. There are those of our youth masha’Allah (God has willed it) whose hearts are imbued with the love of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (Glorified is He) and his Messenger ﷺ and, insha’Allah (God willing), we pray that Allah (swt) keeps them on guidance and they can lead us in the future. But there are others who flippantly pass judgment on his character or relegate him to a time 1400 years ago even though Allah (swt) called him a Mercy to all of Mankind. They make snide, disrespectful remarks about his family life as if they have the right to do so even though Allah (swt) warned the believers that were with him that the slightest hint of disrespect to the Messenger ﷺ could destroy their deeds:
O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not. (Qur’an 49:2)
We are on the treacherous path of life and we are constantly losing our footing. The danger is not that we will fall to a certain death in some valley but the fear is that we will fall in the eternally blazing pit of hellfire. The Prophet ﷺ is the person who reaches out to save us. He has no selfish motives, no greed for recompense and no desire for gratitude. His only concern was to convey the message that Allah (swt) had entrusted him with so that he could save us from the hellfire. This was his one consuming concern even as he suffered persecution at the hands of his own people and was driven out of his beloved city. Allah (swt) comforts him with the words:
Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers. (Qur’an 26:3)
I used the word “us” because he spoke of you and me to his companions:
Anas bin Malik (ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “I wish that I could meet my brothers.” The Sahabah (companions of the Prophet ﷺ ) asked: “Aren’t we your brothers?” He replied: “You are my Companions, but my brothers are those who will believe in me without having seen me.”
(This version is found in Musnad Ahmad)
He worried about us when he was on this earth and he will worry about us on the Day of Judgment when the people will plead with the Prophets to intercede so that the accounting can begin. Every other Prophet will cry ‘nafsi, nafsi’ (‘myself, myself’), only Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ will say ‘ummati, ummati’ (‘my people, my people’).
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those that refuse.”
Those who were with him (the Sahabah) said, “And who will refuse?”
He ﷺ said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me will have refused.” (Bukhari)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is still reaching for us as we travel through the slippery slopes of our existence. His words, deeds and his character, which were the embodiment of the teachings of the Qur’an, beckon to us through the ages. Maybe the ‘why’ question that we should be asking ourselves is, “Why do I not love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ more than I love myself? He cared so deeply for my well-being why am I not willing to sacrifice anything in his obedience? Why do I brush aside his example and clutch at the straws of culture and fashion as if they are going to save me from the fire? The truly fantastic thing is that salvation is within our reach and we are saying, “It’s ok, I don’t wish to be saved.”
May Allah (swt) fill our hearts with the love of Allah and his Messenger ﷺ and make us worthy of his company in Paradise.www.suhaibwebb.com/ |
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Post by Ummati on May 31, 2011 17:36:26 GMT 5
My Beloved Prophet
There was a time in my youth,
When Islam was only a custom.
They said "say La Ilaha Illa Allah,..
And pray, you'll go to Heaven."
Ah, how simple, no struggle in this,
Just a word, and simple act.
Thereafter I'm absorbed in this world again,
With my 'assured' place in Paradise intact.
But this was not to be my fate
For ALLAH chose to guide my heart.
I learnt of a man who struggled so hard
When his mission was from the start.
The story of someone who had morals,
Spoke gently, kindness he knew.
Never fearing to say what's right,
His conviction in ISLAM was true.
The touch of his hand was as soft as silk
To comfort a crying child.
To mend his clothes, or do the chores,
Never complaining, he always smiled.
A living he made with his bare hands,
The same that held his mighty sword.
Valor shone from the edge of his blade,
His smell was always of musk,
And cleanliness he kept at his best.
Stark contrast with the heroes of today,
Who stink of beer and sweat.
He held the hands of his companions.
Unashamed to play with many children.
So modest, so humble, a perfect example,
That strangers could not recognise him.
His eyes slept little for nights were precious,
His prayers he treasured much greater.
To pray Tahajjud in the depths of night,
Seeking forgiveness, and nearness to his Creator.
He broke his tooth for me at Uhud,
And bled for me at Ta'if.
He cried for me, tears of concern,
Just so I could have this belief.
His enemies admired his teachings,
Uniting every religion, every clan.
Till ISLAM came to every corner of the world,
O, but indeed he was only a man.
To own a house, or build his wealth
Was not his main priority.
To establish ISLAM was more essential,
To bring us under a Higher Authority.
Don't you want him to plea for your case,
When before ALLAH-The Judge-you stand?
Don't you wish to be around his fountain,
A burning desire to drink from his hand?
So I love him more than all creation,
My Leader, my Humble Prophet.
Muhammad (SAWS) was a mercy to all mankind,
And to me, he is my Beloved!
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Post by Ummati on Jun 8, 2011 20:42:20 GMT 5
Narrated Anas: The Prophet said "None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind." (Al-Bukhari 1.14)
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Post by abdAllah on Jun 22, 2011 16:32:37 GMT 5
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Post by Ummati on Jul 31, 2011 16:04:19 GMT 5
 If you are rich, follow the merchant of Makkah.
If you are poor, look at the prisoner of the Shi’abe Abi Taalib.
If you are a king, study the life of the ruler of Arabia.
If you are a subject, look at the Quraishi.
If you are a conqueror, look at the conqueror of Badr, Hunayn & Makkah.
If you are defeated, take lesson from the battle of Uhud.
If you are a teacher, look at the holy teacher in the school of Suffah.
If you are a pupil, look at him, who sat before Jibra’eel (A.S.).
If you are a preacher of the gospel of truth, look at the prophet of Makkah.
If you are successful, watch him preach on the pulpit of Madinah.
If you are wishing to be a prosperous business man, look at him who owned the lands of Bani Nazeer, Khaybar and Fadak.
If you are an orphan, do not forget the child of Abdullah and Aaminah.
If you are a young man read the life of Makkah’s shepherd.
If you are a husband, do not forget the husband of hadrat Khadija and Aisha (R.A.).
If you are a father, watch the father of hadrat Faatima (R.A.) and the grand father of Hasan (R.A.) and Hussain (R.A.).
In short whatever you might be, unto the blessed Prophet peace be upon him; is your guidance <3 |
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Post by NabiKaAashiq on Aug 31, 2011 21:13:54 GMT 5
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Post by Ummati on Aug 17, 2012 20:57:28 GMT 5
A SERIES ON THE GREATEST MAN TO HAVE EVER LIVED
(PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAH SUBHANAHU WA TA'ALA BE UPON HIM)
DAY 1 (of 30): Life of The Messenger (peace be upon him)
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Post by Ummati on Mar 16, 2013 13:13:22 GMT 5
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