Part 3

In Reminder of the Prophet (#)

\ ’ 7 HEN OUR PROPHET (38) saw His people entrenched in every form of polytheism, he fled from their midst

to the Arab desert, seeking retreat in a secluded area at the

cave of Hira’ where he sought purity and quiet contemplation. But, his seclusion was then interrupted (by Angel Jibra’il (a/ayhi

as-salam)), requesting the silent worshipper to break his silence, by commanding him to

tai “recite” [al‘Alag 96: 1]

However, the tongue of the incapacitated human uttered, ‘I am not one who can recite.’ All the while the state of the Prophet curiously speaks for itself, saying, yesterday, I was just a child in the lap of Halimah’, and following the death of my father I was assigned to the guardianship of my uncle Aba Talib. [This encounter] made him suffer from a fever, so he asked (his wife) to

' Halimah al-Sa’diyyah; the wet-nurse of the Prophet (3) who breastfed him.

In Reminder of the Prophet (#8)

be covered and wrapped (in a blanket), but then the eerie apparition returned, addressing the one laid down (i.e. the Prophet), calling him by appellation,

Onesies “O you who wraps himself [in clothing}” [al-Muzzammil 73: 1}

Verily, you are the best from among all kinds of fruits, so get up from your bed; O you who carries on his back the burden to go forth and say [the word of truth], O you upon whom the gift of

“arise and warn others” [akMudathtbir 74: 2)

has been bestowed. O you for whom non-sentient creatures and non-living objects moved; the trunk of a tree yearned for him, the wolf spoke to him, the stones in his hand glorified Allah, and the mountain shook with agitation [when he stood on it]; all of these creations expressed their longing for him, each in its very own language.

His people (i.e. the disbelievers of Quraysh’) were struck with astonishment of the high honour that had been bestowed upon him, and so with resentful tongues they uttered,

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“Why was this Qur’an not sent down upon a great man

from [one of] the two cities?”

2 The most famous and honourable Arab tribe to which the Prophet (38) belonged.

SEEDS OF ADMONISHMENT AND REFORM

Destiny in return responded, why do you show surprise and raise objection to a palm-tree raised high in the sky, which originated from nothing more than a seed?!

“Did We not create you from a liquid disdained” [2/-Mursalat 77: 20]

Thenceforth, the severity of the disease of enviousness (in their hearts) caused their hearts to be sick so they perceived him [the Prophet (48)] with a jaundiced eye that distorted to them his (noble) reality, saying, he is a madman!

O Muhammad (#8), the encompassing of beauty, what they falsely attribute to you is not the colour of your countenance, but rather the impression of their jaundice; for you are, ultimately beautiful and entirely perfect, as significant as the centerpiece in a necklace, and the adornment of time. Your greatness over the other Prophets is like the greatness of the sun compated to the moon, as the ocean compared to raindrops, and as heaven compared to earth. You are their leader and light, and their message revolves around you. You are the axis of their orbit, the center of their dune, the centerpiece of their necklace, the inscription on their gemstone, the main verse of their poem, the sun of their morn, the crescent of their night, the pearl of their castles, and the solidity of their endeavors. The creation is mere images, the Prophets are their hearts, and our Prophet, Muhammad (#8), is the mystic of these hearts.

In Reminder of the Prophet (#8)

When he was taken on the Night Journey (i.e. a/-Jsra’)’, he was carried to the Masjid of a/-Agsd where the worshippers amongst Prophets came out of their cloisters, and he lead them in prayer, for he is indeed the peerless hermit. If Misa (‘a/ayhi as-salam) and ‘Isa (‘alayhi as-salam) were alive [in his time], ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab* (radiyAllabu ‘anhu) will still be told, “refrain from it” - for there is no need to light a lamp when the sun shines [meaning the guidance he was sent with superseded and surpassed what the previous Prophets had been given].

He was sent with the merciful and gracious religion that made the legislations ordained upon previous Prophets look as (difficult as) fasting the month of Ramadan in comparison to which his revealed religion is like (as easy and joyful as celebrating) the day of Yd. Paradise and Hell were shown to him, and so he realised the cure before preparing the medicine. When the sword of,

> al-lsrd’ is Arabic title of the trip he made from Makkah to Jerusalem over-

* “Umar bin al-Khattab: Aba Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab ibn Nufayl al-Qurashi al-‘Adawi, the second Rightly Guided Khalifab and one of the ten promised Paradise. He accepted Islam five yeats before the Hijrab and his acceptance was a great victory for the Muslims. He witnessed every battle that the Prophet (38) witnessed. He was martyred in the year 23H.

> ‘The author refers to the hadith when ‘Umar copied part of the Torah in Arabic then brought it to the Prophet, and began to read it to him. As he read, the Prophet’s (38) face changed colour, One of the men of the Ansar said, ‘Woe to you Ibn Al-Khattab! Can you not see the face of the Messenger of Allah?” Thereupon, the Prophet (3) said, “Do not ask the People of the Book about anything for they will not guide you when they have gone astray. (If yon listen to them) You will either disbelieve in what is right or believe in what is false, By Allah, if Prophet Misa had been alive today, he would have been obliged ta follow me,”” {Al-Hafiz Ibn Haj said that one of its narrators is Jabir Al-Ju’fi and he is weak in narrating]

SEEDS OF ADMONISHMENT AND REFORM

“Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood”

broke the dawn of the night of Ascension (a/-Mi‘rg)’, the Angels had thought that Allah’s Signs were exclusive to the inhabitants of Heaven, but they had not to wait long until they witnessed the Sign of the earth having risen. Indeed, there is no wonderment when Angels rise and ascend for they are winged creatures, but the surprise and wonder is when a wingless body whose very nature necessitates its attachment to earth rises and ascends. On that night, Angel Jibra’il was the guide [of the Prophet] to success but when he arrived at a place to which even he had no access to, he realised that truthfulness was gracious so he said [addressing the Prophet (#8)]; (I leave you) here with your Lord.

He found that he was by himself in close proximity to his Lord; thereupon, the awe of veneration and glorification which left the corporeal tongue [of his nature] at a loss for words caused him to utter,

“I cannot count the praises that are due to You.””

The overawing magnificence of the Lord would have burnt him had not the coolness of the water sprays of “Peace be upon you” saved him. On the Day of Judgment, Miisa (‘a/ayhi as-salam) is his

6 Te refers to the Night Journey where he was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem then ascended from there to heaven,

7 Reported by Muslim #489.

In Reminder of the Prophet (38)

companion, ‘Isa (‘alayhi as-salam) is his guardian, and Ibrahim (‘alayhi as-salam) is the commander in chief of his soldiers, while the state of Adam (‘alayhi as-salam) will tacitly say, you are the son of my image and the father of my meaning [meaning: you are my son as your image is derived from mine, but metaphysically it is as if you were my father.)

Prophet Adam (‘a/ayhi as-salam)

EWARE OF SINS for they brought forth humiliation to the forefather of mankind after he had enjoyed the glory of His commanding the Angels to

and it is what made him leave the comfort of “dwell you and your wife, in Paradise” . {al-Bagarah 2: 35}

From the moment Adam (‘a/ayhi as-salam) was captivated by his desire; he fell and his sorrow became long-lasting; thenceforth, those of his offspring who are rational (i.e. pious) are in grief (whenever they commit a sin) whereas those of his offspring who become captive to their desires are in a state of humiliation. Indeed, the most intense darkness is that which is preceded by light, the most deleterious kind of abandonment is that preceded by

Prophet Adam (‘alayhi as-salam)

close ties, and the most severe emotional suffering of a lover is when [his beloved] is remembered. It is indeed a surprise how humans were born unable to walk, yet afterwards they manage to walk into sins.

It is surprising how Jibra’ll (‘a/ayhi as-salam) prostrated to mankind at the beginning but afterwards he is the one to drag them by their foreheads, while the haggard one begs him, “be gentle!”

All grief lies in the remembrance and longing of the days that have passed by and ended, when Adam (‘alayhi as-salam) had been close to his Lord; the tongue of his state says, woe to me, and the heart exclaims, relieve my longing! How many distressing incidents did he post in secret that only the heart knows of the contents of which are ruefulness and conceal regret.

The aching breaths of Adam (‘a/ayhi as-salam) statted burning him when [Allah said],

and would have overcome him had he not been saved by the water of

ale ols “He accepted his repentance” [a/-Baqarah 2: 37|

Every time he saw Angels descending from heaven [to earth

where he was sent down] he was reminded of the joy of his stay in Paradise, and so his eyes would immediately start shedding tears

SEEDS OF ADMONISHMENT AND REFORM

to lessen his grief. Seeing his earthly possessions always reminded him of what he had been granted in Paradise, and the ensuing sorrow would almost make his hope turn into despair. Thereafter, he mounted the back of hope and started his journey to the land of Mina (i.e. Makkah), and had he not been inspired with the words [of repentance] he would have perished.'

Iwonder at the worries of the son of Adam (‘alayhi as-salim); he does not have the relief of his sorrow, the creatures of earth cannot comprehend what he utters and the Angels of heaven still have the remnants from

“will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood” [a/-Bagarah 2: 30)