Seven Shaded By Allah

Narrated Abu Huraitah (RA): The Prophet (SAW) said, "Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His.

1. two people who love each other for the sake of Allah!
2. A fair ruler.
3. Youth who spent his life in worship of Allah.
4. One whose heart is attached to the masjid.
5. A man who is seduced by a woman of beauty and power, but says "I fear Allah."
6. One who gives charity in secret, that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.
7. One who remembers Allah privately and his eyes tear up.

The Tafsir of Surah Qul ya Ayuuhal-Kafirun

-Revealed in Makkah

The Recitation of these Surahs in the Optional Prayers

-The Messenger of Allah (saw) recited this surah (Al-Kafirun) in the two rakahs of optional prayer in the Morning prayer. It was recorded that Ibn Umar said, “I watched the Prophet (saw) twenty-four or twenty-five times reciting in the two Rakahs before the morning prayer and the two Rakahs after the sunset prayer, ‘O Al-Kafirun, He is Allah one’”.

-“I worship not that which you worship”, means statues and rival gods.

-“Nor will you worship whom I worship”, meaning you do not follow the commands of Allah and His Legislation in His worship. Rather, you have invented something out of the promptings of you own souls. As Allah says, “They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the guidance from their Lord!”

-“To you be your religion” means disbelief, and “and to me my religion” means Islam

Seerah Session Eight: The First Stage

Strife in the Way of the Call

Three Years of Secret Call

Since Makkah was well known for being the center of idolatry, the call to Islam in the beginning was limited.

The Early Converts

The Prophet (saw) started his mission from home to his close associates. Everyone he called quickly accepted Islam and these people are known as the early converts in Islamic literature. Khadijah(raa), the Prophet’s wife, the Mother of believers, was the first to enter the fold of Islam followed by his freed slave Zaid (pbuh). Next was his very close friend, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (pbuh). Abu Bakr proved to be the most energetic and excited convert to Islam. He was wealthy, obliging, mild and upright. He started inviting whom ever he felt confidence into Islam. Some men that were converted with Abu Bakr’s efforts were Uthman, Az-Zubair, Abdur-Rahman, Sa’d, and Talhah.

The Prophet (saw) used to meet and teach the new converts the religion in privacy, because the call to Islam was still running on an individual and secret basis. The verses of the Qur’an that were revealed at this time were short but quite fascinating rhythms. The central topic was about purifying their souls and falling prey to deceptive glamour of life.

As-Salat (the prayer)

Obligatory prayer was established twice a day, in the morning before sunrise and after sunset. Gabriel (as) taught him (saw) how to perform wudu (abulation).

The Quraishites learn about the Call

They paid little attention to is since the Prophet (saw) was not assaulting their religion nor speaking about their gods. For a full three years, Muhammad (saw) had been teaching a narrow circle. But the time had come to preach openly. The revelation came down giving Allah’s messenger (saw) the duty to publicize Islam to the people and confront them, and invalidate their falsehood, and crush their idolatrous practices.

Tafsir of Surat An-Nasr

-Revealed in Madinah
-equivalent to one-fourth of the Qur'an
-last surah of the Qur'an to be revealed
-this surah informs the completion of the life of Allah's Messenger(saw)
-The Messenger of Allah(saw) used to say often in his bowing and prostration, "Glory to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You, O Allah, forgive me."
-The Arabs were waiting for the conquest of Makkah before they would accept Islam. Thus, two years passed after the conquest of Makkah, and they entered into the religion of Allah in crowds.

Seerah Session Seven: Life in Makkah

In the Cave of Hira
When Prophet Muhammad (saw) was almost forty years old, he was used to passing long hours in retirements meditating ad speculating over all aspects of creation around him in a cave named Hira. It was only 2 miles away from Makkah. He used to devote most of his time, and Ramadan in particular, t worship and meditation on the universe around him.

Gabriel (as) brings down the Revelation
When he was forty, the peak of one's life, signs of Prophet hood started to appear. Among these signs were that the stones in Makkah would greet him with Salam. He would note have a dream except that it would become reality. In Ramadan, in his third year of solitude in the cave of Hira, Allah's Will desired His mercy to flow on earth and Muhammad (saw) was honored with Prophethood. The angel came to him and said, "Recite." "I cannot recite, and then the angel took him (saw) and embraced him tightly and then let me go and repeated the order, 'Recite', and he repeated that he couldn't. The angel then squeezed him (saw) and let go until he(saw) was exhausted. He repeated the same thing again, and then said "Read, In the Name of your Lord. Who has created (all that exists), has created man from a clot. Read! and your Lord is the Most Generous.'[96:1-3]

The Prophet (saw) repeated these verses, and was trembling with fear. He came back to his wife Khadijah(raa) and said "Cover me!" and told her about what happened. She tried to soothe him by saying that Allah will never disgrace him.

Interruption of Revelation
It was reported that the Revelation paused for a few days, while the Prophet(saw) was in some sort of depression along with astonishment and confusing. He tried to throw himself off of high mountains several times. But everytime he would go to throw himself off the mountain, Gabriel(saw) would appear before him and say that he was Allah's Messenger. Once this was heard his(saw) heart would calm down.

Once more, Gabriel brings Allah's Revelation
The Revelation consisted of 2 categories of clearly explained responsibilities:
Conveying and Warning: This was the first of his duties as Allah said: "Arise and warn!" Meaning that he is to warn the people against the punishment of Allah if they do not revert from their worshipping other than Allah.
Adhering to the Commands of Allah himself: This was the other duty, as Allah said: "And you Lord magnify!", meaning revere Him alone, without partners. "And your garments purify!", meaning do not worship Allah in a filthy state, "And keep away from Ar-Rujz(the idols)!", "And give not a thing in order to have more, and be patient for the sake of your Lord."

Some details pertinent to the successive stages of Revelation
The First: The period of true vision.
The Second: What the angel invisibly cast in the Prophet's mind and heart, without being seen.
The Third: The angel used to visit Allah's Messenger(saw) in the form of a human being and would speak to him directly.
The Fourth: on the The angel came to him like the toll of a bell and this was the most difficult form because the angel used to seize him firmly and sweat would stream form his forehead evencoolest day.
The Fifth: The Prophet(saw) saw the angel in his actual form. The angel would reveal to him what Allah had ordered him to reveal.
The Sixth: What Allah himself revealed to him in heave, when he ascended to heaven and received Allah's order for Salat.
The Seventh: Allah's words to His Messenger(saw) at first hand without the mediation of an angel.

Seerah Session Six: 40 Yrs Prior to Prophethood

Bahirah, the Monk
When Allah's Messenger (saw) was 12 years old, he went on a journey to Syria with his uncle. When they reached their destination, a monk, named Bahirah, who never met them before, or knew anything about them, recognized the Prophet (saw) and said while taking his hand, "This is the master of all humans. Allah will send him with a Message which will be mercy to all beings." When Abu Talib asked how he knew that, he replied, "When you appeared from the direction of Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never do except for a Prophet. I can also recognize him by the seal of Prophet hood which is below his shoulder, like an apple."

The 'Sacrilegious' Wars
When he (saw) was 20 years old, the 'sacrilegious' wars broke out between the tribes. In one of those battles, the prophet (saw) assisted his uncles. His efforts were confined to picking up arrows of the enemy when they fell and handing them over to his uncles.

Muhammad's Early Occupation
Muhammad (saw) had no particular job at his youth, but he was reported to have worked as a shepherd. At the age of 25, he went to Syria as a merchant for Khadijah(raa), daughter of Khuwalid. She was a business-woman of great honor and fortune. When she(raa) was told of Muhammad's (saw) truthfulness and great honest, and kind manners, she offered him money to go do business for him.

His Marriage to Khadijah
When he returned, Khadijah noticed that he made a lot of profits and blessings. She disclosed her wish to marry him to her friend, who immediately went to Muhammad (saw) to inform him. He agreed and they were married.

A Summary of Muhammad's Biography before Commissioning of the Prophet hood
His long silence helped in his habit of meditation and deep investigation into the truth. He shunned superstitious activities and kept himself aloof of drinking wine, eating meat slaughtered on stone altars, or attending idolatrous festivals. Allah's guidance and care, no doubts, detached him from all evil practices.

Tafsir of Surah Tabbat

Revealed in Makkah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!
2. His wealth and his children will not benefit him!
3. He will enter a Fire full of flames!
4. And his wife too, who carries wood.
5. In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.

The Reason for the Revelation of this Surah
The Prophet (saw) cried out one day, "O people, come at once! If I told you all that the enemy was going to attack you in the morning, or in the evening, would you all believe me?" They replied, "Yes." Abu Lahab said "Have you gathered us for this? May you perish!" Thus Allah revealed the first line. Abu Lahab was the prophet's (saw) uncle.
Another day, Abu Lahab said, "Even if what my nephew says is true, I will save myself from the painful tornment on the Day of Judgement with my wealth and my children", thus Allah revealed the second line.

The Destiny of Umm Jamil, the Wife of Abu Lahab
She was supportive of her husband in his disbelief, rejection and therefore, she will help administer his punishment in the fire of hell on the Day of Judgement, hence the fourth line. Masad refers to rope made of fibers.

A Story of Abu Lahab's Wife harming the Messenger of Allah (saw)
When the first line of this surah was revealed, Umm Jamil came out wailing, and she had a stone in her hand and went to hit the prophet (saw). He (saw) was in a masjid and she heard of him and went looking. When the prophet (saw) heard of this, he recited some of the Qur'an as a protection for himself, and he was invisible. And when she went there and looked around, she did not find him....cool right?

Ok, next time, inshaAllah, the Tafsir of Surah Nasr.

Seerah Session Five: His Birth and Childhood

His Birth:

Muhammad (saw) was born in the Bani Hashim section of Makkah on Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi ul-Awwal, the same year of the Eelphant incident. It was reported that there were some significant signs that accompanied his birth, fourteen balconies of Kisra's (a ruler) palace collapsed, the Magians' sacred fire went out and some churches on Lake Sawa sank down and collapsed. After Abdul-Muttalib, his grandfather, found out of the birth, he came right away and carried him to Al-Kabah, prayed to Allah and thanked Him. He called the baby Muahammad, a name not then common among the Arabs. The first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuwaibah, the freed slave of Abu Lahab.

His Childhood:

The Prophet (saw) was later entrusted to Halimah bint Abi Dhuaib. Muahmmad (saw) had several foster brothers and sisters. Muhammad (saw) stayed with Halimah for two years until he did not need the suckling anymore. The Prophet (saw) satyed with them until he was about 4 or 5 years old. Then Gabriel came down, opened his chest and took out the heart, he then extracted a blood-clot out of it and said: " That was the part of Satan in thee." And then he washed it with water from the ZamZam. After that the heart was joined together and restored into place. The kids came running to his mother and his nurse and said that Muhammad (saw) was murdered, when they rushed in, they found him to be ok, and that only his face was white.

After this event, Halimah was worried about the boy and returned him to his mother, whom he stayed with until he was six. Aminah decided to visit her husband's grave and spent a month there. She was making her way back to Makkah, when on the route, she suffered a severe illness and died in Abwa on the road between Makkah and Madinah.

Abdul-Muttalib, his compassionate gradfather, brought the boy to Makkah. When Muhammad (saw) was 8 years, 2 months, and 10 days old, his gradfather Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. Now, his uncle, Al-Muttalib was in charge of him.

99 Names of Allah (swt): Al-Mutakabbir

The Greatest
God alone is the ultimate Truth,
so that all that men invoke instead
of Him is sheer falsehood; and because
God alone is exalted, truly great!