The Unstoppable Prophet ﷺ

 

 What does it truly mean to be a determined Ummah?

In this Lecture, Dr. Omar Suleiman reflects on the legacy of the Prophets — from Nuh (AS) to Ibrahim (AS), Musa (AS) to Isa (AS), and our beloved Muhammad ﷺ — and how they never settled for survival alone. They carried the mission. They never compromised. From the defiance of Gaza to the silence of global powers, this Lecture is a reminder: our strength lies not just in patience, but in purpose.

How to See the Prophet ﷺ in a Dream | Barzakh | Other Side Ep.5 | Dr. Omar Suleiman | Ramadan Series

 

Do you wish to see the Prophet ﷺ in your dream? 

What would it be like to see his smile, hear his voice, and be in his presence? The Prophet ﷺ continues to appear in the dreams of the faithful. From the woman in Gaza who foresaw tragedy, to scholars and warriors who received his reassurance, these visions have carried the ummah through generations. But you don’t need to have lived with him to connect with him.

Why Did Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) praise the Christian King as 'Just King'

Another clip from Dr. Yasir Qadhi's lecture about Muslims living in non-Muslim countries and what did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mean when he called Negus a 'Just King'.

The actual date of birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

I intentionally did not want to write about this in Rabi-ul-Awwal because I did not want to hurt anyones feeling. The fact is that it has to be said. A lot of Muslims celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). First, there is no Islamic basis for this celebration. The second is that the data it's celebrated on is the 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal. There is a lot of controversy around this date.

The only mention of this date is in the book of Ibn Ishaq but it is mentioned without any chain of narrators. There are other dates like 2nd, 8th, 10th, 17th & 22nd that have a lot more backing.

So why is this date so popular. Below is a talk by Saikh Yasir Qadhi on this topic. Here is an article on this topic.

I got into Masjid Nabawi in Madina!

"Defending Muhammad in Modernity" - SherAli Tareen

Ramadan Gems by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan

Very nice new lectures from Brother Nouman in South Africa. We think everyone should listen to them as they are really basic stuff all Muslims should know. The playlist of lectures is embedded below. There are only 19 lectures though.

Did the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Seek knowledge even in China” ?

Pic source

There is a famous Hadith where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Seek Knowledge Even Onto China". There are various discussion fora where this is discussed if it's genuine, weak or fabricated. We won't go into details here but just want to mention other Hadiths that talk about seeking knowledge. Here are some of them:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 74

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who treads a path in search of knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God…” - Riyadh us-Saleheen, 245

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A servant of God will remain standing on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his (time on earth) and how he used it; about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth and from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body and how he used it." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 148

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Knowledge from which no benefit is derived is like a treasure out of which nothing is spent in the cause of God." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 108

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 422

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Acquire knowledge and impart it to the people." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 107

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, God will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge. The inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and (even) the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave (no monetary inheritance), they leave only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion. - Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1631

Source: Knowledge

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl: "The Importance of the Prophet Muhammad."

Jewish Woman Wanted To See Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

I'm reading this wonderful scholar's book 'The first Muslim' at the moment and would very much reccomend it.

How to Understand Prophetic Speech by Jonathan Brown

When a Priest Recognized the Prophethood of Muhammad

Waraqa ibn Nafal was one of the most well-known Arab Christians living in Mecca during the 7th century. He had converted to Christianity from paganism. Historical accounts tell us that Nafal was a Nestorian priest, a respected man, and scholar of Christianity. In terms of his scholarly background, a Hadith (Bukhari) states that Nafal “… would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write.” It has also been reported by Block that Nafal may have been an Ebionite. The Ebionites, Block writes, “stressed the humanity of Jesus and the oneness of God, a Christology not likely to have elicited a negative response from the Qur’an.”

So how exactly is Nafal connected to Muhammad? After receiving the first Qur’anic revelation on Mount Hira, Prophet Muhammad returned home in disarray and confusion to Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife and the cousin of Nafal. Khadija proceeded to bring her husband to Nafal, who told them both that Muhammad had met Gabriel, the angel of revelation, just as Gabriel had visited Moses centuries earlier. A Hadith describes the encounter between Prophet Muhammad and Nafal:

“… The Prophet returned to Khadija while his heart was beating rapidly. She took him to Waraqa ibn Nafal who was a Christian convert and used to read the Gospel in Arabic. Waraqa asked (the Prophet), ‘What do you see?’ When he told him, Waraqa said, ‘This is the same angel whom Allah sent to the Prophet Moses. Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly.”

Nafal eventually emerged as a keen supporter of Prophet Muhammad. As a Christian, he encouraged Muhammad to spread his monotheistic message, which suggests that Nafal indeed believe in the Prophet’s leadership and moral character. Oxford Islamic Studies notes that “according to tradition, [Nafal] assured Muhammad that his call to prophecy and message were genuinely from God. [Nafal] acknowledged that Muhammad’s recitation was identical to the revelation given to Moses.”

Some scholars describe Nafal as a “believer” or “Muslim” because he accepted Muhammad as a prophet of God. This very topic of Christians recognizing the prophethood of Muhammad is something that I tried to unpack in a previous article. Other scholars posit that Nafal had a significant influence on the development of Prophet Muhammad’s religious views. Katz, for example, claims that Muhammad had probably met Nafal long before his marriage to Khadija. According to Katz, Prophet Muhammad likely had at least 15 years of opportunity of religious discussions with Nafal, a man who knew the scriptures.

Nafal is an interesting case for analysis because, as Block notes, the Qur’an did not refute his Christian theology. This is a similar argument that I made in claiming that a Christian, such as myself, can recognize Muhammad as a prophet of God. The approach that Nafal adopted towards Muhammad and Islam reminds me of a few passages from the Bible, particularly in the Book of Matthew. In this Book, Jesus tells his disciples to be “People of Peace” and encourages them to find worthy people who are open, hospitable, and knowledgable. Fortunately, Nafal found Muhammad. Their relations give us an imperative historical friendship that shatters the myth that Christianity and Islam are incompatible entities.

Source

The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday: Are We Able to Rejoice?

The Quran advises: “‘Let them rejoice at God’s bounty and mercy; it is better than all they accumulate.’” It also mentions in regards to the Prophet Muhammad: “It was only as a mercy that We sent you [Prophet] to all people”.

As Muslims around the world celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, I find myself asking: how can people whose hearts are filled with deep sadness truly rejoice? From Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Burma, Afghanistan, Sudan—the list goes on—people are suffering; many mothers are weeping bitterly over children they have lost.

Is there any room left in people’s hearts for joy after all this tragedy? 

I’ve found that there is some light in the darkness that engulfs us. The Prophet was born into a world that was witness to great persecution and maltreatment. His birth signalled an end to that era with a message relevant for all human beings. In this there is hope for us today.

The internal change he brought about in the human soul is what strikes me most about the Prophet. He altered the perception that people had about fellow human beings. In a society like pre-Islamic Arabia this was a phenomenal undertaking. One event in his life sticks out in particular as a demonstration of this mission.

The Prophet was once walking along the road with a group of his companions when a woman with a mental condition stopped him and asked to speak to him alone. He responded by saying: “I am at your service, O mother of so and so” which was an affectionate way to address someone in that culture. He then requested that she choose a street in which they could converse. She was overjoyed and rushed to a nearby street. The Prophet followed her while the Companions stood watching this whole episode. He sat on the ground in front of the woman while she explained her problems, making hand gestures to clarify her point. He spoke to her with gentleness and compassion, answered her questions and then returned to his Companions and they continued on their way.

The Prophet looked at this world through the eye of mercy. His mercy was harmonious with the correct etiquette in mixing and living among people and interacting with them. These are universal human qualities that we, and others, should strive to attain.

One of the Prophet’s customs was to stand outside the mosque after the dawn prayer and meet the poor and destitute. They would bring water containers with them to the mosque in the hope of having the Prophet bless their water. To please them, he would still bless the water by placing his fingers in it, despite the severe winter cold of Madina.

If a slave-girl of Madina came to him and took him by the hand to accompany her while she ran her errands he would go along with her without taking his hand away. If he met a man and spoke to him, he would not be the first to turn his face away. If they shook hands he would not be the first to take his hand away. If he was sitting with a group of people he was never once seen putting his knees in front of the person he was sitting with.”

We know this about the Prophet because his actions were witnessed by his companion and assistant, Anas. In the ten years that Anas served the Prophet, he described his experience with these words: “I was in the service of the Prophet for ten years and he never once insulted me, struck me, scolded me or frowned at me. He never once commanded me to do something and then rebuked me if I was slow to do it. If one of the members of his household rebuked me, he would say: “Leave him, for had something been destined to happen, it would have happened.” He added: “He never once rebuked me for doing something wrong.”

The Prophet’s wife Aisha said of him: “There was no one better in character than the Prophet; whenever one of his Companions or one of the members of his household called him, he would answer by saying: ‘At your service.’” 

The Quran described him as having “a tremendous character”.

The absolute failure of our communicating, mixing and interacting with each other is a common factor in the upheavals sweeping societies in the east and west. Perfecting our dealings with each other is a remedy for the tumultuous circumstances, turmoil and calamity that we see present around us.  This is the universal lesson that the Prophet taught.

Source

What did the final days of the Prophet (S)'s life look like ~Abdul Nasir Jangda

Assassination Attempt on the Prophet (The Superstars) - Omar Suleiman - Quran Weekly

A Muslim student is asked to draw Prophet Muhammad…his response is breathtakingly beautiful (video)

Did Prophet Muhammad Warn Us of ISIS?

 

In separate attacks last week, ISIS terrorists killed 39 tourists at a beach resort in Tunisia, and close to 30 worshipers at a Shia Mosque in Kuwait. The onslaught came shortly after the group called on its militant Jihadi sympathizers to expand operations in the month of Ramadan.

ISIS has demonstrated an unflinching determination to take out anyone who dares to disagree with it. Its members have slaughtered Yazidis and Christians, but the vast majority of its victims have been Muslims who resist it and refuse to acknowledge its authority. ISIS has even executed Sunni clerics who refused to swear allegiance to it, and Muslim women who did not submit to its worldview.

This feature is shared across all terrorist groups operating in the name of Islam. The vast majority of the victims of the Taliban, for instance, are also Muslims. Hundreds of Shia Muslims have been killed just in the last few years. And I have lost many close friends in similar attacks on the Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and even in America.

So when some anti-Islam critics keep doggedly associating the faith of us Muslims with the acts of our tormentors, we call them out for their insensitivity.

Source

The Women Who Guard the Prophet's Mosque

 

To be in the city of the Prophet is a blessing in itself, but to be there during Ramadan, that is a whole other story. Women surround me as I make my way towards the gates of Masjid-E-Nabawi (The Mosque of the Prophet Muhammed P.B.U.H), stopping a few feet from the doors to remove their shoes. They then line up, holding their bags out for inspection.

At the entrance of each gate are two women covered in black from head to toe. They stand tall, even wearing black gloves. Nothing can be seen of them except their eyes. One by one, they look through the contents of each bag. I see one taking out a bar of chocolate, stating that food isn't allowed in the mosque, while another confiscates a juice box. They toss items aside, relentless, and usher worshippers -- including myself -- into the mosque.

They are called Mursheeda, "those who guide." They aren't just security guards; they are scholars of Islam, women with a purpose. While some worshippers may not even pay attention to them, others have had their fair share of unpleasant encounters with the Mursheeda. These women are stern, and they have to be. Thousands pour in and out of the mosque around the clock, and they are essential to establishing crowd control.

The Mursheeda aren't all necessarily employees of the mosque; some are volunteers. They stand tall, scattered throughout the mosque on the lookout for any suspicious or illicit activity. I see a woman using her cell phone to take a picture of the beautiful interior. Almost immediately, I see a Mursheeda moving towards her. She takes the phone, deletes the picture, hands it back to her and walks off without explanation.

Even inside the mosque, I note that the faces of the Mursheeda are covered. It is because women may take pictures of them and show them to their husbands, brothers, or even worse, upload them on social media. This is why cell phones with cameras are not permitted in the holy mosque. The Mursheeda are extremely devout Muslims, and apart from other women, only show their faces to immediate male family members.

They are striking, even though they can hardly be seen. It's in the way they stand, with a greater purpose. They are the guardians of the Mosque of Muhammed P.B.U.H, the greatest man to have ever lived, according to Islam. I note how one has a perfect winged liner, and catch a glimpse of a sparkly watch on the wrist of another. It reminds me that beneath their stern demeanor, their rigid backs and strict voices, they are also simply women.

I see two other Mursheeda guiding women towards seating areas. "Yallah baji," one says loudly, motioning as traffic police would, towards two elderly Pakistani women who seem overwhelmed by the crowd. 'Yallah' roughly translates to 'come on' in Arabic, while 'baji' is an Urdu word used to address older women. It intrigues me, their use of multiple languages. "Asseyez-vous," I hear another instruct, telling a group of women to sit down in French. I later learn that the mosque employs women of a number of different nationalities including, but not limited to, Pakistani, Turkish, Egyptian, Algerian and Moroccan. The mosque attracts people from the world over, so it is essential to hire employees who speak different languages.

Each member of this carefully-selected force of women must fulfill two requirements. She must live in Medinah, and she must be able to speak Arabic fluently. If you look closely, you will note that the Mursheeda can be distinguished by one of two things, either a pink card stuck to the front of their burqas, or a green and white seal on their sleeves. A Mursheeda with a pink card is in training, and is currently serving as a member of the guard. A Mursheeda with a seal on her sleeve has completed her training and is at a higher rank. She is an Islamic scholar, and can be approached with regard to any religious questions you may have.

Masjid-E-Nabawi is anything but simply a mosque. It includes a number of offices, a lost and found, a library, a clinic and a school specializing in the teaching of the holy Quran. Most importantly, it is the resting place of the Prophet Muhammed P.B.U.H, who I have come to visit and pay my respects to. These women have led me to him, and for this they shall be greatly rewarded.

Source

Abdelrahman Murphy - The Prophetic Art of Healing Hearts

The Love of the Prophet (PBUH) - Imam Suhaib Webb