The Jurisprudence of the Prophetic Biography: The 30^th lesson-Monday, 13/03/2006- “The Importance of Knowing and Studying the Biography from all its Aspects” for his Imminence Mohammad Ratib Al-Nabulsi

         All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds and blessings upon his messenger Mohammad the true in his promise, the honest. Oh Allah, there is no knowledge that we acquire but the knowledge you taught us, you are the most Knowing, most Wise. Oh Allah, teach us what is beneficial for us and make benefit of what you teach us and increase our knowledge. Oh Allah, show us the truth in its essentials and bestow upon us to follow it; show us the untrue as faulty and bestow upon us to avoid it and make us among those who hear the speech and follow the best of it. Enter us with your mercy amongst your righteous people. Release us from the darkness of ignorance and delusions to the lights of knowledge and science. Get us from the mud of sensuous to the gardens of being close.

The Power of Intellect

Dear honorable brothers, it should be obvious to you that Allah Almighty has entrusted on human being this power of intellect which requires you to search for the truth which means that you are among the human beings that Allah has honored. Allah Almighty says:

70. We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation.                Surah 17. Isra', The Night Journey, Children Of Israel

So, unless you fulfill this search, you will fall from this sublime rank that Allah has honored you as a human being with. Therefore, coming to a house of Allah to know your honorable self and to be on the top of humanity is a kind of search. The prophet-peace be upon him- says:

“Ask Allah for the Waseela for me, for it is a rank in paradise that should not be but for one of His servants and I hope it will be me.”               Narrated by Al-Nissa’i from Abd-Allah Ibn Omar-may Allah be pleased with both of them.

And we say after Adhan: “Oh Allah, Owner of this perfect call, and Owner of this prayer to be performed, bestow prophet Mohammad Waseela (a place in Paradise) and Fadeelah (a rank or place above all creations) and send him upon a praised platform (this is where he will stand and ask Allah to judge people after people stay waiting for so long) which you have promised him, verily, You never fail in Your promise.” Because Mohammad-peace be upon him-is the master of the human beings and Allah has made him ideal for us to follow, therefore it is a must for all of us to know the biography of the prophet-peace be upon him. Allah says:

21. Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct)                       Surah 33. The Clans, The Coalition, The Combined Forces

So how can the prophet be a good pattern if we do not know his biography? There is a jurisprudential principle that states: “what does not complete the Fardh unless it is done, becomes a Furdh; and what does not complete the Wajib unless it is done, becomes a Wajib;and what does not complete the Sunnah unless it is done it becomes Sunnah.

Therefore, each order in the holy Quran implies a must and Allah says:

7...So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah. for Allah is strict in Punishment.                                                            Surah 59. Exile, Banishment

So to know the Sunnah of the prophet is an obligatory mission for each one of us. Allah says:

128. Now hath come unto you an Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.   Surah 9. Repentance, Dispensation

So, how can the prophet be a good pattern unless we know his biography?

Believe me dear brothers, if there were neither a holy book nor Sunnah, the biography of the prophet-peace be upon him- in all its aspects and dimensions would be a substitute for the book and the Sunnah. But the practical biography of the prophet is direct in deduction. That is when a person says a word, this word can be explained in various directions; but if a person does an action, this action will be understood as is. Another example is that if a man lectures you about the Hijab, his words may not imply that covering the face is part of the things to be covered or not. But if you see him with his wife who covers her face then it needs no further explanations that this is his absolute practical opinion.

The practical biography is the real application for the Quran

Some scholars said that the practical biography of the prophet-peace be upon him-is the closest way to understand the Holy Quran than the Messenger’s sayings. Allah says:

8. And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right        Surah 91. The Sun

It may occur to one’s mind that Allah has created the sin within the human being- Allah forbids if we mean this meaning-but the verse means that Allah has created man kind’s instinct in a high standard level that it realizes that it made a mistake/sin without any need for a teacher to tell it so. It is a self-alert sensor within you as an inspiration from Allah to distinguish between the good and the bad. So the verse always needs interpretations. Allah says:

39. Nay, they charge with falsehood that whose knowledge they cannot compass, even before the elucidation thereof hath reached them                                                                                       Surah 10. Jonah

And He says:

13. If We had so willed, We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance but the Word from Me will come true, "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together." Surah 32. The Prostration, Worship, Adoration

The “if” condition will check the given condition, so if it is true, it will execute the statements within the first set of braces (from '{' to the next '}'). If the condition is not true, it will check the next condition and so on. If no given condition is true, the 'else' statements are executed.

We should ask the people of knowledge of the Holy Quran about this verse. Allah says:

43….We granted inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message                                                            Surah 16. The Bee

What does this verse mean? Human being tries to blame others for his own mistakes, therefore, any negative thing in his life will be projected on “the divine destiny” and it is “Allah’s will for me to be bad”. This is a true word used to mean something wrong.

The verse means that if you claim that I- Allah- force you to commit sins and it is My destiny for you, then you are wrong. And if I force you on something, abolishing your choice or commandment and taking your freedom away it wouldn’t be but to force you to go on a straight way

((We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance)). This is the true meaning. You should not claim wrongly that your mistakes and sins are from Allah’s enforcement to you ((but the Word from Me will come true, "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together)) that means I will judge you very strictly on what you commit from sins and wrong deeds and accusing your Lord of this kind of enforcement.

Therefore, the Quran verses need elaborations and interpretations unlike the actions that show obviously the real meaning. This is why we need to study such issues in jurisprudence of the prophetic biography, Fiqh al-Sira.

Dear brothers, Ibn Abbas narrated in Immam Ahmad Musnad about explaining this verse:

80. Say: "O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."

                                            Surah 17. Isra', The Night Journey, Children Of Israel

That “when the prophet peace be upon him was in Mecca, he was ordered to migrate to Meddina and this verse was revealed to him.”The words of Allah are inimitable and one of its inimitability is in its brevity. So the word ((Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour))means that the heroism is not in entering something in a true manner but to exit that thing in the same true manner as well((and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour)

So Muawya Bin Abi-Sufian once met one of the smartest Arabs who is Amr Bin Al-Asse and he aked him: “Oh Amr, What level of smartness have you reached?” Amr answered: “By Allah, I have not entered any matter that I could not get out from it.” Muawya said: “You are not a smart person; by Allah, I have never entered any matter that needs me to get out from it.” This is a higher level of smartness.

Another example of ((Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour)) is that if you plan for a perfect marital life in your house before marriage: make my wife wear the Hijab and raise my children to obey Allah; but when you truly get involved with the marital life and your wife asks you to do something that disobeys Allah you follow her and you say there is nothing that we can do. You entered by the gate of true but did not exit by the same truth. Another man says that he will establish a hospital to cure the poor and needy people, but once he becomes wealthy and recognizes the value of money the patients will have a heart attack from the bill and fees that they have to pay for the hospital. These examples show that you have entered in a true entrance but you have not completed the exit truthfully.

My dear brothers believe it or not, the way to reach the top is very difficult for it has obstacles, rocks, dust, heat and a lot of effort; but the way from top to bottom is very easy for it is slippery and filled with agony. Therefore, heroism is not to reach the top, but to stay on it. This is why we see prophet Mohammad-peace be upon him-when he opened Mecca, he entered it lowering his head, even the tip of his turban was about to reach the neck of his camel as humbleness to Allah Almighty. This is a good example of the “true entrance and exist”.

Let’s look at the victory of the prophet–peace be upon him-with his companions in Badr Battle. Allah says:

123. Allah had helped you at Badr, when ye were a contemptible little force                           Surah 3. The Family Of 'Imran, The House Of 'Imran

But they were defeated in Hunain Battle because they were arrogant and they said: “we will not be defeated because we are many”. Allah says:

25. Assuredly Allah did help you in many battle-fields and on the day of Hunain: Behold! your great numbers elated you, but they availed you naught: the land, for all that it is wide, did constrain you, and ye turned back in retreat.                                                 Surah 9. Repentance, Dispensation

And the same applies in the prophet saying: “Twelve thousand would not be defeated because they are few.”

Important Moral                                                                                           

An important lesson that you need to keep and remember every day and even every hour is that if you say “Allah”, He will handle you; but if you say “I” Allah will abandon you. You are not honorable than the prophet’s companions who sold their lives for the sake of Allah; nevertheless, they were defeated. So when you are proud of yourself, money, fame or family, Allah will abandon you. On the other hand, if you show your poverty and weakness to Allah, He will help you.

There are certain words that you say if you want to apply for a job, do any project, meet an important person or in any difficult situation you say: “Oh, Allah, I have cleared myself from my might, strength and knowledge and asked refuge in Your might, strength, and knowledge, for You are the Powerfull and Strong” and this is the meaning of Allah’s saying ordering the prophet to migrate: ((O my Lord! Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour, and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me).

The Departure of the prophet to Thawr Cave accompanied with Abu Bakr: Lessons and Morals

The prophet left his house-which was surrounded by the non-believers planning to kill him-to Thawr Cave. But before the prophet left, he put Ali Bin Aby Talib dressed in his clothes in his bed and asked him to deliver a message to Abu Bakr to follow. The prophet penetrated the siege of the non-believers without their notice. Abu Bakr went to the prophet’s house and he called to wake him up: “Oh, messenger of Allah.” But Ali-who was sleeping in the prophet’s bed-told Abu Bakr that the prophet had left to Maimoon Well where they are supposed to meet. The prophet and Abu Bakr met and went to the cave and Ali was in the prophet’s bed covering his head with the gown. The non-believers threw stones at Ali as they did with the prophet and he would be curling from side to side. When the daylight broke, Ali uncovered his face and the non-believers were stunned to see that it was not the prophet, so they said to him “You are a mean person-because they expected that the prophet was in the house- because we used to throw your friend-meaning the prophet- and he was not hurt but when we threw you, you were changing from side to side and we were questioning about that.”

As a reminder, there is a question that may come to one’s mind: why did the one who traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a flash could not travel from Mecca to Medina? The answer is that because he is our lead.

When Omar Bin Alkhattab-may Allah be pleased with him- migrated, he went during the day light by the knowledge of all the others. He said:  Let him he whoever wants his mother to lose him and his child to become an orphan, follow me to that valley. Is this because Omar was braver than the prophet? The answer is definitely no. Omar is not a legislative person but the prophet is. The prophet wants us to learn to take all the precautions and then to rely on Allah as if we do not have anything of the precautions. So Abu Bakr ordered Amr Bin Fuhaira to lead both of them-the prophet and Abu Bakr-to the cave to serve them and help them during the migration. Moreover, Abu Bakr took all his money and fortune to put it under the command of the prophet peace and blessing be upon him.

The Believer status among the way of Power, Wealth, Knowledge and Position

Dear brothers, money, position, knowledge are all means of power. The prophet says: “the strong believer is better and closer to Allah than the weak believer.” Because the strong believer helps you but the weak one needs help. It should be understood that we do not underestimate the weak believer. In this regard there is an important comment that should be added which is: if the way to power and position is clear according to the way of Allah, then you must be in that position because the chances of good deeds for the strong are not obtainable for the weak. The strong person can give a right, abolish untrue, or remove enormity with a signature. But the weak can be removed from his job with a signature from his employee. So, if Power is according to the way of Allah, then you must be in that position, but if it is on the expense of your religion, principals and values, then being weak is an honor.

Therefore, noble targets need noble means, unlike the enemies’ idea that aim justifies the means. Muslims should first follow the way of Allah to reach their goal. So if you were wealthy according to the way of Allah, then you can establish a hospital, orphanage, or Islamic institution. You can do good deeds to protect your honor and to obtain Allah’s pleasure.

A scholar says “I pity those who are attached to this worldly life for they came to it and went out from it without tasting the best taste of it which is doing good deeds.” Oh Allah, night is not delight unless I was calling you and day is not delight unless I serve Your slaves.

By Allah dear brothers, those brothers who are on the way of Allah and He gave them the chance to serve Him by spreading Islam or to defend it are on the top happiness. Therefore, noble aims should have noble means.

When the prophet’s son-in-law was still an non-believer, his goods were captured on the way back to Mecca and he was put in captive. His wife who was in Medina asked forgiveness to him and the prophet accepted. So he was told that according to the system, if you become Muslim, then all the money and goods belong to the people who capture you because they are gains. The answer was very amazing that I can not forget. He said: “By Allah, I would not start my Islam with this. Therefore, he went back to Mecca, returned all the money to its people and he acquitted himself from everything that belongs to the people of Mecca then he declared his Islam. Asma Bint Abu-Bakr said that the amount of money that he had was about 5000-6000 Dirham.

         By Allah brothers, if the wealthy people know the high levels of Paradise they can reach if they spend their money, they will not hesitate a moment to spend for the sake of Allah. It is mentioned in the tradition that the soul of the dead person hovers above the coffin calling the family: “Oh, my family and my sons let not the worldly life play with you as it did to me. I collected and spent money in halal and haram means so happiness for you and misery for me.”

          And it is also mentioned in the tradition “Allah Almighty will question a wealthy person saying to him: Oh, my servant, what did you do with the money I gave you? He will answer: Oh my Lord, I did not spend anything for your sake because I feared that my kids will be poor after my death. So Allah will reply: Didn’t you know that I am the Provider and the Powerful. What you feared upon your kids had happened. And Allah will ask another person who had been given money-wealthy: Oh my servant, what did you do with the money I gave you? He will answer, Oh my Lord, I spent my money on every needy and poor for I am sure that you are the Provider, the Keeper and the most Merciful. Allah will reply: Oh my servant, I am the Provider and Keeper for your children after you.”

Important Warning

Abu Hurairah reports that the prophet –peace be upon him said, “verily a man strives in the obedience of Allah for sixty years and then death draws upon them whilst they harmed others in regards to Wasiyah-legacy- thus making the Hellfire binding upon themselves.” Some people do not want to give the females anything from his fortune after his death and he only gives the males inspired by the devil that if you give anything of the wealth to the females, your fortune will go to a strange man or families. Is this man wiser than Allah? The messenger himself was not given the authority to distribute the money of the heritage. Allah Almighty handled this matter in the Holy Quran.

The Prophet’s stay in the cave taking all the safety precautions

The prophet-peace be upon him with Abu Bakr stayed in the cave for three nights that the disbelievers could follow their foot-prints to the cave and I mentioned the wisdom of Allah for allowing the disbelievers to reach the cave and that is a lesson for all that although the prophet made all the precautions but he did not rely on them but on Allah.

The Western world took all the precautions and depended heavily on them till they thought those precautions are everything so they fell in atheism. However, the Eastern world did not take any precautions claiming that they rely totally on Allah but this is not relying rather it is disavowal from the responsibility so they were sinners.

Taking Precautions is Competence of Relying

If you check your vehicle completely, the oil, breaks, wheels, and you think that no accident should occur because you checked everything then you are mistaken for you only depended on the precautions you took. But the believer believes that though he took all the precautions, he is still in the hand of Allah if He wants to teach this person a lesson, then he will cancel all the precautions that he took. So if you are wise, you should take all the precautions that keep you safe and after that you depend on Allah by asking Him to preserve, protect and lead you to success. It is easier not to take any precaution and claim that you are depend on Allah. But heroism is to take all the reasons of precaution and then to depend on Allah as if you have not prepared anything and this is the hardest case because it needs a good knowledge and true belief.

Dear brothers, the Islamic world is suffering because it is expecting a miracle to occur to help them. A miracle will not happen because they haven’t prepared themselves or weapons to fight their enemy which Allah has ordered them to prepare. So it is better for us to take precautions for Allah to handle us.

A man said once that he will amend the problems of the whole world- the five continents-in ten years. The ten years past and he could not do anything. Then he decided to amend his country in five years and again the five years past and he could not do anything. Then he said I will amend my house in one year but again he could not do anything. At last he decided to amend himself first before amending the others and he read what Allah says: 11… Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).   Surah 13. The Thunder

Doing the easy good deeds

Dear brothers, there is a very important issue that I raised here that I do not say that it is exaggeration: in the recent hard circumstances that we live and the obstacles that surrounds us and the declaration of a third world war on the Islamic world from all over the world you can do a million task without being asked or questioned. Can’t you be honest, chaste, master your work, take good care of your family, raise your children, watch your health. All these tasks are required from you and it does not cause any problem or questioning. But Satan hovers around to restrain you from doing all the things that you do and pushes you to do what you can not do and this is one of the tricks of Satan and this is the problem.

So they say “if you do your requirements of what you posses as Allah’s orders and directions, He will handle the things that you do not posses.” Now what do you own? You have yourself, your family and your job. If each Muslim applied Islamic laws on himself, family and job then everything will be amended. Allah says: 286. On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear                   Surah 2. The Cow

So what you wish for is beyond what all the Islamic countries can not do. Neglecting what you are able to do and interfering on what you can not do is from Satan. Moreover, to appoint yourself as a guardian for the Muslims, to evaluate them and categorize them into non-believers or heresiarchs according to your own judgment is also from Satan. Move on and work and always remember what the prophet said to our mother Khadija when the revelation started coming to the prophet and she asked him to have some rest. He –peace be upon him-said: “the time of sleeping has gone, Oh Khadija”. And we should say the same to ourselves. It is time to work because the time of speech has gone. The other party wants to impoverish, misguide, ruin, humiliate and eliminate and extinct us.

                              And all praise is due to Allah