Part 19

1) The Messenger of Allah # felt honoured for being able to participate in an alliance that was formed on the basis of establishing justice, which shows that justice has an absolute and not a relative value; or in other words, no matter who it is that is carrying out justice, the act itself deserves to be praised.

2) The Fudool Alliance was like an oasis within the darkness of pre-Islamic ignorance. That the Fudool alliance was formed

') Saheeh As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah by Ibraaheem Al-‘Alee (pg. 59), and AlAlbaanee, may Allah have mercy on him, ruled it to be authentic.

1 As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam (1/134), and Figh-us-Seerah by AlGhadbaan (pg. 102).

proves that, just because evil pervades a given society, it does not mean that that society is completely void of virtuous acts and deeds. Makkan society was an ignorant society; within it, all of the following evils were rampant: the worship of idols, base manners, wrongdoing, fornication, and usury. Nonetheless, within the ranks of Makkan society were some men of noble breeding and character, men who despised evil and wrongdoing. This reality should provide an important lesson for Du’aat (callers to Islam) who live in societies wherein Islam is not applied or is being fought against.

3) No matter what form it takes, wrongdoing is unacceptable. It doesn’t matter whether the person being wronged is a Muslim or a non-Muslim, a pious man or a sinner, a rich man or a poor man; whoever he is, others in society must come to his help.

4) Itis permissible to form an alliance with non-Muslims if justice is being served in the process; in fact, doing so is a part of enjoining good and forbidding evil. Allah 3% says:

“O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the Symbols of Allah, nor of the Sacred Month, nor of the animals brought for the sacrifice , nor the garlanded people of animals, etc. [Marked by the garlands on their necks made from the outer part of the treestems (of Makkah) for their security], nor the people coming to the Sacred House (Makkah), seeking the Bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when you finish the Ihram (of Hajj or ‘Umrah), you may hunt, and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al-Masjid-al-Haraam (at Makkah) lead you to

transgression (and hostility on your part). Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety) ; but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.” (Qur'an 5: 2)

5) It is permissible for Muslims to form alliances that are similar in intent and content to the Fudool Alliance because they establish a goal that is recognized by and encouraged in the Shariah; however, in doing so, Muslims must take into consideration what is best for Islam and for Muslims in the short term and in the long run. The Prophet #% said, “And were I to be invited by it in Islam, I would answer it,” which means that even after the advent of Islam, the Prophet # was prepared to participate in the Fudool Alliance or one that had similar aims and objectives.

6) A Muslim must strive to have a positive effect on society, to be a person who is remembered for the positive influence he has on the events that take place during his lifetime. Even prior to receiving revelation for the first time, the Prophet #% was known for his many positive contributions to society, to the degree that everyone in the Quraish called him by the name, ‘Al Ameen’ - “The Trustworthy One.” People’s hearts were attracted to him when he was still at a very young age, and that attraction, in addition to love, continued to grow throughout his entire life, but especially during the years of his Prophethood.

The Prophet’s #2 Marriage To Khadeejah %, And Some Important Events That Took lace Prior To Prophethood

The Prophet’s Marriage To Khadeejah &

Both her previous husbands having died, Khadeejah bint Khuwailid 4 was a widow. She was known for her noble character, and the people of the Quraish would call her, “The Pure and Chaste One.” She % was also very wealthy; she would engage men to do business on her behalf. After she heard about the truthfulness and trustworthiness of Muhammad #8, she proposed that he do business for her in Ash-Sham, promising to give him more than she gave to any other man who did business for her. He # agreed and left Makkah in the company of Maisarah, Khadijah’s servant. When Muhammad # reached AshSham, he sold the merchandise he had with him, and with the proceeds purchased other merchandise. When all was said and done, he had made a lot of profit for Khadeejah %; and she felt that her wealth was blessed then more so than ever before.

Other than the commission he earned, the Prophet # benefited greatly from the journey. Since he was headed northwards, he passed by Al-Madeenah, the city to which he would later migrate and make the stronghold of his nation. He also passed by many lands throughout which Islam was soon to spread; therefore, the

knowledge he gained from the journey was certainly of some value to him later on in his life. Also, his trip led to his marriage to Khadijah %. Throughout the trip, Maisarah witnessed the wonderful character, nobility, and truthfulness of the Prophet #; in addition to that, Khadijah % experienced hitherto unparalleled blessings in her wealth. Based upon these reasons, she had a heart to heart discussion with her close friend Nafeesah bint Munabbah, telling her about the positive feelings she was having about the Prophet #¢. Nafeesah went to the Prophet # and proposed to him on behalf of Khadeejah %. The Prophet #% was pleased with the proposal, but he nonetheless first went to his uncles to seek their advice; they all agreed that he should marry her. And why shouldn’t he marry her, for she was the noblest woman among the Quraish; after her last husband had died, almost every Makkan chieftain proposed to her, and she refused them all. And so shortly thereafter the Messenger of Allah 2 married her. She % was the first woman that the Messenger of Allah #8 married, and he didn’t marry any other woman until she died. She gave birth to two of the Prophet's sons and four daughters. The two sons were Al-Qaasim and ‘Abdullah - the latter of the two was also known by the names of At-Taahir and At-Tayyibb.

Around the age that he was able to mount a riding animal, AlQasim died. As for Abdullah, he died as a child, prior to the beginning of his father’s Prophethood. The Prophet's daughters were Zainab %, Ruqayyah %, Unun Khultoom %, and Fatimah %. They all embraced Islam, married, and migrated to AlMadeenah. When the Prophet ## married Khadeejah %, he was twenty-five years old and she was forty.

1) Trustworthiness and truthfulness are the two most important qualities of a successful businessman. They were the very two qualities that prompted Khadeejah % to ask the Prophet # to do business on her behalf. Consequently, Allah #¢ opened many doors of goodness for her.

2) Business was one of the means through which Allah % provided sustenance for the Messenger of Allah # prior to his Prophethood. Later on his life, the Prophet # said that, if a Muslim businessman is both trustworthy and truthful, then he will be resurrected among the Prophets, the truthful ones, and the martyrs. Business is an ideal occupation for a Muslim, fora businessman is not a slave to others; he does not always have to succumb to the whims and desires of an employer. And it is not he who needs people, but it is people who need him.

3) Allah a decreed for the Prophet #% to marry the ideal wife, Khadeejah %, a wife that was both a suitable companion and a trusted counselor and helper. Khadeejah helped the Prophet #8 during difficult times, and participated alongside him in spreading the message of Islam.

One who invites others to the teachings of Islam is especially in need of a pious and good wife. Outside of the home, his days are filled with struggle, and he faces constant opposition from the enemies of Islam. He therefore is in dire need, within the home, of a partner who will comfort him and provide him with the strength and encouragement he needs to fulfill his religious duties.

4) The Prophet #% tasted the bitterness of losing his sons, just as previously in life, he # tasted the bitterness of losing his parents. It was from the wisdom of Allah # that none of his sons lived past their childhood. With the death of the Prophet’s sons, no one could then be tempted because of them, in terms of loving them to an extreme level and claiming Prophethood for them. Furthermore, the early deaths of the Prophet's children should serve as a comfort for those who aren’t blessed with sons, and for those who are blessed with sons but lose them at a very early age.

The death of the Prophet's children was a form of tribulation, and as the Prophet #% made it clear, no one is tested more severely than the Prophets 3%. It was as if Allah $ wanted for

sadness and sensitivity to be part of the Prophet's existence, for men who become leaders of nations turn to tyranny when their hearts are made hard through a selfish and comfortable lifestyle. As for a leader who has experienced hardships and tests in life, and endures them with patience and forbearance, he is likely to then show compassion and sympathy to others who are afflicted with hardships.

5) The story of the Prophet's marriage to Khadeejah % should make it clear to a Muslim that the Prophet #% was not concerned with achieving the maximum level of physical pleasures that men commonly strive for. Had he #% been preoccupied with that, he # would have, as other young men do, sought the hand of a woman who was younger than Khadeejah % or at least one who was not older than him. In choosing Khadeejah % as a wife, the Prophet #@ showed that he #4 was primarily concerned with her nobility and character; after all, she was known in preIslamic days as “The Pure and Chaste One.”

6) The Prophet's married life with Khadeejah % refutes the claims of those of Islam’s enemies who think that the topic of the Prophet's marriages provides them with a lethal weapon with which they can attack Islam. When they talk about the Prophet #8, they paint the picture of a man who was obsessed with satisfying his lusts and desires. But in reality, nothing was further from the truth. Up until the age of 25, the Prophet 2 lived a chaste life not within the confines of a puritan society, but within a society that was replete with evil and ignorance, a society wherein one was free to have romantic and sexual encounters with as many women as one desired. Then when the Prophet #% did decide to marry, he # married a woman who was almost twice his age. During the next 15 years of his life, there was no Shariah or set of laws to forbid him from engaging in extra-marital affairs, as did other members of the Quraish, yet he #% remained faithful to Khadeejah #, without even looking at any other woman, though there were many other women that were available.