“Mencuci mata” sudah menjadi kebiasaan dan budaya banyak orang terutama di kalangan para muda. Nongkrong di pinggir jalan untuk “mencuci mata”, menikmati pemandangan alam yang indah dan penuh pesona sudah menjadi adat sebagian orang. Namun yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah alam apakah yang sedemikian indahnya sehingga menjadikan para pemuda begitu banyak yang tertarik dan terkadang mereka nongkrong hingga berjam-jam? Ternyata alam tersebut adalah wajah manis para wanita. Apalagi sampai terlontar dari sebagian mereka pemahaman bahwa memandang wajah manis para wanita merupakan ibadah dengan dalih, “Saya tidaklah memandang wajah para wanita karena sesuatu (hawa nafsu), namun jika saya melihat mereka saya berkata, “Maha sucilah Allah, Pencipta Yang Paling Baik”[1]
Ini jelas merupakan racun syaithan yang telah merasuk dalam jiwa-jiwa sebagian kaum muslimin. Pada hakekatnya istilah yang mereka gunakan (cuci mata) merupakan istilah yang telah dihembuskan syaithan pada mereka. Istilah yang benar adalah “Ngotori mata”.
Kebiasaan yang sudah merebak seantero dunia ini memang sulit untuk ditinggalkan. Bukan cuma orang awam saja yang sulit untuk meninggalkannya bahkan betapa banyak ahli ibadah yang terjerumus ke dalam praktek “ngotori mata” ini. Masalahnya alam yang menjadi fokus pandangan sangatlah indah dan dorongan dari dalam jiwa untuk menikmati pesona alam itupun sangat besar.
Oleh karena itu penulis mencoba untuk memaparkan beberapa perkara yang berkaitan dengan hukum pandangan, semoga bermanfaat bagi penulis khususnya dan juga bagi saudara-saudaraku para pembaca yang budiman.
Fadhilah menjaga pandangan
Menjaga pandangan mata dari memandang hal-hal yang diharamkan oleh Allah merupakan akhlak yang mulia, bahkan Rasulullah r menjamin masuk surga bagi orang-orang yang salah satu dari sifat-sifat mereka dalah menjaga pandangan.
Abu Umamah berkata,”Saya mendengar Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda:
اُكْفُلُوا لِي بِسِتٍ أَكْفُلْ لَكُمْ بِالْجَنَّةِ, إِذَا حَدَّثَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلاَ يَكْذِبْ, وَ إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ فَلاَ يَخُنْ, وَ إِذَا وَعَدَ فَلاَ يُخْلِفْ, غُضُّوْا أَبْصَارَكُمْ, وَكُفُّوْا أَيْدِيَكُمْ, وَاحْفَظُوْا فُرُوْجَكُمْ
“Berilah jaminan padaku enam perkara, maka aku jamin bagi kalian surga. Jika salah seorang kalian berkata maka janganlah berdusta, dan jika diberi amanah janganlah berkhianat, dan jika dia berjanji janganlah menyelisihinya, dan tundukkanlah pandangan kalian, cegahlah tangan-tangan kalian (dari menyakiti orang lain), dan jagalah kemaluan kalian.”[2]
Bahkan orang jahiliyahpun mengetahui bahwa menjaga pandangan adalah akhlak yang mulia. Berkata ‘Antarah bin Syaddad seorang penyair di zaman jahiliyah:
وَأَغُضُّ طَرْفِي مَا بَادَتْ لِي جَارَتِي حَتَّى يُوَارِيَ جَارَتِي مَأْوَاهَا
“Dan akupun terus menundukkan pandanganku tatkala tampak istri tetanggaku sampai masuklah dia ke rumahnya”[3]
Syaikh Abdurrazzaq bin Abdilmuhsin Al-'Abbad –Hafidzohumulloh- berkata,”Inilah salah satu akhlak mulia yang dipraktekkan oleh orang pada zaman jahiliyah, namun yang sangat memprihatinkan justru kaum muslimin di zaman sekarang meninggalkannya.”
Menjaga pandangan di zaman sekarang ini sangatlah sulit
Menjaga pandangan dari hal-hal yang dilarang memang perkara yang sangat sulit apalagi di zaman sekarang ini. Hal-hal yang diharamkan untuk dipandang hampir ada disetiap tempat, di pasar, di rumah sakit, di pesawat, bahkan di tempat-tempat ibadah. Majalah-majalah, koran-koran, televisi (ditambah lagi dengan adanya parabola), gedung-gedung bioskop penuh dengan gambar-gambar seronok dan porno alias para wanita yang berpenampilan vulgar. Wallahul Musta’an…
Bagaimana para lelaki tidak terjebak dengan para wanita yang aslinya merupakan keindahan kemudian bertambah keindahannya tatkala para wanita tersebut menghiasi diri mereka dengan alat-alat kecantikan, dan lebih bertambah lagi keindahannya jika yang menghiasi adalah syaithan yang memang ahli dalam menghiasi para wanita. Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam berkata
المَرْأَةُ عَوْرَةٌ فَإِذَا خَرَجَتْ اسْتَشْرَفَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ
“Wanita adalah aurat, jika ia keluar maka syaitan memandangnya”[4]
Berkata Al-Mubarokfuuri, “Yaitu syaitan menghiasi wanita pada pandangan para lelaki, dan dikatakan (juga) maksudnya adalah syaitan melihat wanita untuk menyesatkannya dan (kemudian) menyesatkan para lelaki dengan memanfaatkan wanita tersebut sebagai sarana…”[5]
Diantara penyebab terjangkitinya banyak orang dengan penyakit ini, bahkan menimpa para penuntut ilmu, karena sebagian mereka telah dibisiki syaithan bahwasanya memandang wanita tidaklah mengapa jika tidak diiringi syahwat. Atau ada yang sudah mengetahui bahwasanya hal ini adalah dosa namun masih juga menyepelekannya. Yang perlu digaris bawahi adalah banyak sekali orang yang terjangkit penyakit ini dan mereka terus dan sering melakukannya dengan tanpa merasa berdosa sedikitpun, atau minimalnya mereka tetap meremehkan hal ini, padahal ada sebuah kaedah penting yang telah kita ketahui bersama yaitu
لاَ صَغِيْرَةَ مَعَ الإصْرَار
Tidak lagi disebut dosa kecil jika (perbuatan maksiat itu) dilakukan terus menerus.[6]
credit to hazwan marzuk iwho sent me this note
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Satans Meeting
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said,"we can't keep Muslims from going to the Mosque.""We can't keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Allah and his messangerMuhammad.""Once they gain that connection with Allah, our power over them is broken.""So let them go to their mosques; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Allah and His messanger Muhammas.""This is what i want you to do," said the devil:"Distract them from gaining hold of their Allah and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!""How shall we do this?" his demons shouted."Keep them busy in non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered."Tempt them to spend, spend,spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.""Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.""Keep them from spending time with their children.""As their families fragment soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!""Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear that still, small voice.""Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly.""This will jam their minds and break that union with Allah and his messanger Muhammad.""Fill the coffee tabies wih magazines and nwspapers.""Pour their minds with the news 2 hours a day.""Invade their driving moments with billboards.""Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweeptakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.""Keep skinny, beautiful models of the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives.""Keep th wives too tired to love thier husbands at night."Give them headaches too!"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere,""That will fragment their family quickly!""Give them story books to distract them from teaching their children the real menaing of salat.""Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on Allah's creation. Send them amusement parks sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. "Keep them busy, busy, busy!""And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled conscience.""Crwod their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Allah.""Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.""It will work!", "It will work!"It was quite a pan! The demons went eargerly to their assignments causing Muslims everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.Having little time for their Allah or their families.Having no time to tell others about the power of Allah, and his messanger Muhammad to change their lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been succssful in his schemes?You be the judge!!! Does "BUSY" mean:
B-Being
U-Under
S-satan's
Y-yoke?
Monday, November 29, 2010
القذف هو أسوأ من القتل
Dari Hudzaifah bin al-Yaman ra, dia berkata : “Aku mendengar Rasulullah saw bersabda :
“Berbagai fitnah akan dibentangkan kepada hati seperti anyaman tikar, satu benang demi satu benang. Mana-mana hati yang berhasil dirasuki fitnah itu, maka ia akan meninggalkan titik hitam. Manakala hati yang berhasil menolaknya, maka ia akan meninggalkan titik putih. Sehingga hati itu terbelah dua, hati putih seperti batu karang, yang tidak akan goyah oleh fitnah apapun selama langit dan bumi masih tegak. Sedangkan yang lainnya hati hitam seperti warna yang sangat putih terletak dalam warna hitam, ia seperti kuali terbalik, ia tidak mengenal kema’rufan dan tidak pula menolak kemungkaran, kecuali apa-apa yang bersesuaian dengan keinginan hawa nafsunya.”
(Riwayat Muslim)
Boleh jadi hati memiliki kesediaan menerima fitnah, akan tetapi pada keadaan lapang dan nyaman, ia tidak terlihat, sedangkan ketika masalah-masalah syubhat menyertainya dan goncangan lain ikut pula menerpanya, maka fitnah kesesatan tersebut akan terbuka dan terlihat masuk pada dirinya.
Para ulama mengumpamakan hal ini dengan seorang yang berpenyakit dada. Bila cuaca sedang jernih dan baik, maka pernafasannya lancar dan bagus. Namun apabila angin datang seraya menghembuskan debu, maka dia akan terengah-engah. Nafasnya sesak, seakan-akan tercekik.
Atau keadaannya seperti kolam yang tenang airnya sedangkan dasarnya terdapat endapan lumpur, lalu dilemparkan sebuah batu kecil ke dalamnya, maka kalom itu akan terlihat keruh, padahal anda mengiranya bersih.
Sedangkan kolam yang benar-benar bersih, bila ada batu yang dilemparkan ke dalamnya akan membuat kolam itu terlihat semakin indah, kerana akan menimbulkan gelembung-gelembung bulat seperti bayangan dahan-dahan hijau.
Perhatikanlah pengaruh batu fitnah yang jatuh ke dalam hati. Ia telah mencorakkannya. Janganlah anda tertipu oleh permukaan air tenang yang mengelabui. Janganlah anda menolak gambaran orang yang terkena fitnah bagaikan kuali terbalik. Kerana betapa banyak orang yang pada mulanya baik namun akhirnya mati dalam keadaan meninggalkan solat.
Naik turunnya iman~ (The vulnerability of iman)
Assalamualaykum warrahmatullahiwabarakatuh
Jika kita termasuk orang yang diberikan petunjuk olehNya, tentu akan merasakan nikmatnya mempunyai iman. Dan selain merasakan nikmatnya, juga tentu akan merasakan risaunya ketika iman itu sedang turun, serta merasakan betapa Allah sedang menguji keimanan kita.
Allah berfirman : "(yaitu) orang-orang yang beriman dan hati mereka manjadi tenteram dengan mengingat Allah. Ingatlah, hanya dengan mengingati Allah-lah hati menjadi tenteram” (QS 13 Ar-Rad 28)
Hati kita yang beriman senantiasa akan di bolak-balik oleh Allah sebagai ujian buat kita. Oleh karena itu kita selalu harus menjaga iman ini tetap ada di hati.
Dalam sebuah hadis disabdakan bahwa al-iimanu yazid wa laa yankus. Iman itu kadang bertambah, kadang berkurang, kadang naik, kadang turun. Aku coba merefleksikan iman itu dalam sebuah grafik seperti di bawah ini :
Jika kita termasuk orang yang diberikan petunjuk olehNya, tentu akan merasakan nikmatnya mempunyai iman. Dan selain merasakan nikmatnya, juga tentu akan merasakan risaunya ketika iman itu sedang turun, serta merasakan betapa Allah sedang menguji keimanan kita.
Allah berfirman : "(yaitu) orang-orang yang beriman dan hati mereka manjadi tenteram dengan mengingat Allah. Ingatlah, hanya dengan mengingati Allah-lah hati menjadi tenteram” (QS 13 Ar-Rad 28)
Hati kita yang beriman senantiasa akan di bolak-balik oleh Allah sebagai ujian buat kita. Oleh karena itu kita selalu harus menjaga iman ini tetap ada di hati.
Dalam sebuah hadis disabdakan bahwa al-iimanu yazid wa laa yankus. Iman itu kadang bertambah, kadang berkurang, kadang naik, kadang turun. Aku coba merefleksikan iman itu dalam sebuah grafik seperti di bawah ini :
Iman Pertama, turun dan naik berada dalam posisi sama. Naik dan turun hampir sama besar dan cepatnya. Keimanan seperti ini memungkinkan seseorang mendapatkan khusnul khatimah (baik di akhir), bila Allah berkenan mencabut nyawanya pada saat iman sedang naik. Namun bila Allah mencabut nyawanya pada saat imannya turun, maka ia akan mendapatkan su'ul khatimah (jelek di akhir)
Iman Kedua, naiknya sedikit, tapi mudah turun secara drastis. Orang yang memiliki keimanan seperti ini, kemungkinan besar akan meninggal dalam kondisi su'ul khatimah. Wallahualam
Iman Ketiga, naiknya cepat, tapi lambat turunnya dan sedikit. Orang dengan iman konstruktif seperti ini, ketika ketaatannya naik, ia akan merasakan betapa lezatnya keimanan. Namun saat ia terjatuh pada kemaksiatan, ia akan resah dan ingin segera meninggalkan kemaksiatan tersebut.
Iman Kedua, naiknya sedikit, tapi mudah turun secara drastis. Orang yang memiliki keimanan seperti ini, kemungkinan besar akan meninggal dalam kondisi su'ul khatimah. Wallahualam
Iman Ketiga, naiknya cepat, tapi lambat turunnya dan sedikit. Orang dengan iman konstruktif seperti ini, ketika ketaatannya naik, ia akan merasakan betapa lezatnya keimanan. Namun saat ia terjatuh pada kemaksiatan, ia akan resah dan ingin segera meninggalkan kemaksiatan tersebut.
Yaa muqollibal quluub tsabbit qolbiy ‘alaa diinika wa’ala thoo’atika”..wahai yang membolak-balikkan hati, teguhkanlah hatiku untuk tetap konsisten dalam dien-Mu dan dalam menta’ati-Mu.
Pertanyaannya, bagaimana cara mempertahankan sikap iman ini?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
What is meant by Islam?
What is Allah?
Allah is the name for God in Arabic. Allah is also known by his attributes, like The Compassionate, the Merciful, the Loving. Although we use the English pronoun ‘He’ to refer to God, in Islam and in the Arabic language, Allah is a neutral term.
How did Islam originate?
In seventh century Arabia, when society was gripped by idolatry, the divide between rich and poor was growing, and the Arab tribal system was thriving, Muhammad received a revelation that would transform society both within the Arabian peninsula and significantly in other parts of the world. Christianity and Judaism also originated in the Middle East, and the Prophet made clear that far from bringing a new message, he was in fact calling people back to the one true God and to the way of life people had left. The revelations he received corrected distortions that had crept into earlier revelation and called all to return to the ‘Straight Path’ of Islam.
What are the five pillars of Islam?
Belief in one God, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage. These form the foundation of faith for every Muslim.
The basic declaration of belief, or Shahada is, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." Declaring this is all that is required of a person who wishes to embrace Islam.
Prayer, or Salah is the performing of the five daily prayers, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sundown, and nightfall.
Alms, or Zakah, is obligatory on every Muslim as a tax to benefit the poor and needy. Every adult Muslim must contribute a 2.5% of his or her wealth (not income) each year.
Fasting, or Sawm which takes place in the month of Ramadan, involves self discipline and humility through abstention from food, drink and sex from dawn to sunset. It encourages a sense of empathy with those who go hungry around the world and to give charity. It is a time to focus on spiritual nourishment and refinement of character. It ends with the celebration of Eid-ul Fitr.
Pilgrimage, or Hajj, is to be performed once in a Muslim’s lifetime to the first House of God, the Kabah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims dress simply in white garments to symbolise the equality of humankind. At least two million Muslims go to perform Hajj in the final month of the Islamic calendar each year. The end of Hajj is marked by the second of two major Muslim festivals, Eid-ul Adha.
What is the Quran?
The Quran, Arabic for ‘recitation’ or ‘reading’, is the scripture of Muslims. They believe that the word of God was revealed through the Angel Gabriel over a period of twenty three years to Muhammad, who died illiterate. He neither authored nor edited the Quran, Muslims believe it is the eternal, literal word of God, preserved and collated in a divinely commanded order.
The Quran was written down during the Prophet’s lifetime in the seventh century by twenty nine scribes who would record the revelations on palm rasps and animal skin. Many of the Prophet’s companions would memorise the entire Quran with the Prophet.
The 114 chapters of the Quran speak of the majesty of God, His creation of mankind and life, of the Life Hereafter and the stories of Prophets. The Quran calls for social and religious reform, and places great emphasis on social justice – the rights of women, orphans, the equality of humankind, and moral and ethical principles to govern all aspects of life.
What are Hadith?
Hadiths are a collection of sayings and actions by the Prophet Muhammad, which were well documented verbal reports by his companions. There are thousands of hadiths from which have been derived the Sunnah, or the Prophet’s way of life. They cover all aspects of living: how to be a good neighbour, how to refrain from slander, how to mourn and even how to maintain personal hygiene. Muslims seek to emulate the Prophetic example in their daily lives as much as possible.
What is the Kabah?
This building is the most sacred space in the Muslim world. It sits in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is considered the first house built for the worship of the one God. First built by Adam, the first man and prophet, it was destroyed by floods, but later rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael. By the time of the Prophet Muhammad, it has fallen under pagan Arab rule and used as a shrine for their 360 idols. Muhammad restored the Kabah to its original worship of one God.
How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism?
Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all monotheistic faiths worshipping one God. All share common beliefs in prophets and divine revelation. All stress moral rights and responsibilities, and accountability on the Day of Judgment leading to reward or punishment in the afterlife. Each faith emphasises its covenant with God, through Moses for Judaism, Jesus for Christianity and Muhammad for Islam. Islam recognises the validity of Judaism and Christianity and expresses respect for the prophets mentioned in their Scriptures as they are also mentioned in the Quran. Muslims believe in Moses, and Jesus, but they do not believe Jesus as the son of God, rather he was a Prophet born in a miracle birth to Mary. The Quran even mentions the Virgin Mary more often than the Bible, demonstrating the high-regard that Judeo-Christian figures have in Islam.
Muslims see the message of Islam as superseding all earlier revelations. They believe the Quran is the complete word of God and that Muhammad is the final Messenger and seal of the prophets. While Muslims respect much of the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms, they believe that they have been changed by man over the centuries.
What does Islam say about violence?
The value of life is sacred in Islam, to violate it goes categorically against its principles. The Quran states “If anyone murders an (innocent) person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the whole of humanity” [5:32]. It is not permitted for Muslims to kill or oppress another. The Quran says, ‘Help one another in benevolence and piety, and help not one another in sin and transgression’ [5:2] “Allah loves not the aggressors” [2:190].
What is Jihad?
Often mistranslated as ‘holy war’ jihad is an all encompassing terms that literally means ‘to strive, or struggle’. Within Islam, its context is to strive in the path of God as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. Jihad pertains to the difficulty and complexity of leading a good life, struggling against the evil in oneself and to become virtuous and moral, to perform good actions and to contribute to the betterment of society. It is distressing that today a violent minority have abused the word jihad and have thus distorted its true meaning.
What is the meaning of life in Islam?
Life is a sacred trust from God and a human is a trustee who should handle the trust with honesty and skill, and with mindfulness of God. When God gives life He endows the human being with unique qualities and abilities, and charges the human with certain obligations. God means to help humankind fulfil the purpose of life and realise the goal of existence: to seek the pleasure of God in order to have eternal pleasure in the afterlife.
"Live in this world as if you are a traveller or a wayfarer" is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad. Life may be likened to a journey starting from a certain point and ending at a certain destination. It is a transitory stage, an introduction to the eternal life in the Hereafter.
According to Islamic teaching, the best use of life is to live it according to the guidance of God and perform good deeds in order to ensure a place in Paradise. As life is a means to an ultimate end, Islam has laid down a comprehensive system of principles and regulations on how to lead it. Muslims believe that we all belong to God and to Him is our final return. Life, therefore, is a complete circle and death is a doorway that leads to the true eternal existence.
What is the status of women in Islam?
The Quran states that men and women were created to be equal parts of a pair [51:49] and that their relationship is one of love and mercy such that they are like garments to one another. The revelation of the Quran elevated the status of women throughout society via numerous means: abolishing the status of women as property, allowing them to retain their maiden name after marriage, furnishing them the right to vote – thirteen centuries before women attained the right to vote in the UK, and the right to inheritance and owning property and businesses.
In Islam, education, social and political participation is a duty on both women and men. Early Islamic history saw the rise of Muslim women as scholars, politicians, businesswomen, jurists and doctors at a time when Europe still regarded women as a commodity.
Some verses of the Quran have been quoted to suggest gender discrimination, but there is a clear distinction to be drawn between verses that respond to specific social and cultural contexts and those that represent universal principles. A common area of confusion is the stipulation regarding polygamy, which actually restricted the practice rather than encouraging it at a time when Arabs in seventh century society married many women and being monogamous was not the norm, "if you will not be able to deal justly [with them, marry] only one" [4:3]. It may be noted here that today more than 99% of Muslim marriages are monogamous, polygamy being the exception rather than the rule.
What is hijab?
Hijab is another source of interest and has been victim to much criticism and debate. Modesty in Islam is something that is stressed for both sexes, "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and say to the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty" [24:30–31]. Hijab literally means ‘veil’, ‘covering’ or, barrier’, while the Arabic word ‘khimar’ refers to the head scarf, however hijab has come to take on the meaning of a Muslim woman’s head-dress. Hijab symbolises many things: religious devotion, discipline, respect, identity and modesty. It is viewed by many Muslim women as another part of their ‘ibadah’ or worship of God since worship in Islam can be seen in a holistic sense, for example, giving charity or helping a neighbour is also seen as acts of worship.
What is Shariah?
Shariah covers all laws and governance pertaining to a Muslim’s life. The Arabic word literally refers to a waterway that leads to a main water source. Just as following all laws and principles set out by Islam, Muslims ultimately submit to the will of God, the source of life. Shariah is a framework that governs interactions between the individual and God, and between human beings. Both have public and private dimensions and both give Islam a prominent role on Muslim community life. Shariah is only applied to Muslims and not to people of other faiths and beliefs.
Does Islam promote race equality?
The Islamic civilisation nurtured genuine social equality irrespective of colour or race. During his final sermon, Prophet Muhammad said, All men are from Adam, and Adam is from clay. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a white person over a black person except in God-consciousness. These principles were implemented throughout daily life: in the mosques people of all colours and races met to pray shoulder to shoulder, they worked together in government and academia.
Among the closest companions of the Prophet was the former Abyssinian slave, Bilal who became the first man to call people to prayer, the first muezzin. Prophet Muhammad had ordered him to scale the Kabah on the day of the peaceful conquest of Mecca to call people to prayer. That this man could stand with the divine sanctuary under his feet was a declaration that piety transcends all things and it sent a powerful message to all that racism has no place in Islam.
How did Islam contribute to the field of medicine?
Medical science made extraordinary progress during the Islamic civilisation and formed much of the basis of western healthcare today. Muslim experts pioneered in all areas of medicine including surgery, anatomy, ophthalmology, pharmacology, and physiology. The great Translation movement which began in the ninth century initiated under the Caliph Mamun in Baghdad, led to thousands of Greek works by Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Ptolemy and Galen being translated into Arabic, and this knowledge was later transferred to Europe. Medical texts were not only translated, but their concepts and methods were further developed by the Muslims who pioneered in medical progress. Ibn Sina who was born in the tenth century, known as Avicenna in Europe, became renowned for his magnum opus, the cannon of Medicine – an encyclopaedia covering all aspects of medical practice which was used in the universities of Montpellier and Louvain as late as the seventeenth century. The thirteenth century medic Ibn Nafis discovered pulmonary circulation in contradiction to Galen’s view that blood was continually being made and used up, nearly four centuries before William Harvey announced his discovery that blood circulated around the body in 1616.
What is the relationship between science and Islam?
Scientific discovery and learning flourished under Islamic civilisations for centuries. The remarkable leap in science between the eighth and twelfth centuries was known as the Golden Age of Islam. Today many words from the Arabic language enter the sciences, words like alchemy, algebra, algorithm and alkali. Muslims pioneered in fields of astronomy, mathematics, physics. Muslim astronomers established large observatories and produced highly sophisticated and accurate devices such as the astrolabe which was used in navigation through celestial calculation.
Quranic verses allude to scientific phenomena, like the cosmology: "And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit. ‘(God is) the one who created the night, the day, the sun and the moon. Each one is travelling in an orbit with its own motion" [21: 33], and to embryology: "We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed" [22:5].
Islam is not at odds with science that has been soundly established, and it is clear that the sciences have enjoyed a thriving development under the Islamic ethos enjoining the pursuit of knowledge and learning.
Allah is the name for God in Arabic. Allah is also known by his attributes, like The Compassionate, the Merciful, the Loving. Although we use the English pronoun ‘He’ to refer to God, in Islam and in the Arabic language, Allah is a neutral term.
How did Islam originate?
In seventh century Arabia, when society was gripped by idolatry, the divide between rich and poor was growing, and the Arab tribal system was thriving, Muhammad received a revelation that would transform society both within the Arabian peninsula and significantly in other parts of the world. Christianity and Judaism also originated in the Middle East, and the Prophet made clear that far from bringing a new message, he was in fact calling people back to the one true God and to the way of life people had left. The revelations he received corrected distortions that had crept into earlier revelation and called all to return to the ‘Straight Path’ of Islam.
What are the five pillars of Islam?
Belief in one God, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage. These form the foundation of faith for every Muslim.
The basic declaration of belief, or Shahada is, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." Declaring this is all that is required of a person who wishes to embrace Islam.
Prayer, or Salah is the performing of the five daily prayers, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sundown, and nightfall.
Alms, or Zakah, is obligatory on every Muslim as a tax to benefit the poor and needy. Every adult Muslim must contribute a 2.5% of his or her wealth (not income) each year.
Fasting, or Sawm which takes place in the month of Ramadan, involves self discipline and humility through abstention from food, drink and sex from dawn to sunset. It encourages a sense of empathy with those who go hungry around the world and to give charity. It is a time to focus on spiritual nourishment and refinement of character. It ends with the celebration of Eid-ul Fitr.
Pilgrimage, or Hajj, is to be performed once in a Muslim’s lifetime to the first House of God, the Kabah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims dress simply in white garments to symbolise the equality of humankind. At least two million Muslims go to perform Hajj in the final month of the Islamic calendar each year. The end of Hajj is marked by the second of two major Muslim festivals, Eid-ul Adha.
What is the Quran?
The Quran, Arabic for ‘recitation’ or ‘reading’, is the scripture of Muslims. They believe that the word of God was revealed through the Angel Gabriel over a period of twenty three years to Muhammad, who died illiterate. He neither authored nor edited the Quran, Muslims believe it is the eternal, literal word of God, preserved and collated in a divinely commanded order.
The Quran was written down during the Prophet’s lifetime in the seventh century by twenty nine scribes who would record the revelations on palm rasps and animal skin. Many of the Prophet’s companions would memorise the entire Quran with the Prophet.
The 114 chapters of the Quran speak of the majesty of God, His creation of mankind and life, of the Life Hereafter and the stories of Prophets. The Quran calls for social and religious reform, and places great emphasis on social justice – the rights of women, orphans, the equality of humankind, and moral and ethical principles to govern all aspects of life.
What are Hadith?
Hadiths are a collection of sayings and actions by the Prophet Muhammad, which were well documented verbal reports by his companions. There are thousands of hadiths from which have been derived the Sunnah, or the Prophet’s way of life. They cover all aspects of living: how to be a good neighbour, how to refrain from slander, how to mourn and even how to maintain personal hygiene. Muslims seek to emulate the Prophetic example in their daily lives as much as possible.
What is the Kabah?
This building is the most sacred space in the Muslim world. It sits in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is considered the first house built for the worship of the one God. First built by Adam, the first man and prophet, it was destroyed by floods, but later rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael. By the time of the Prophet Muhammad, it has fallen under pagan Arab rule and used as a shrine for their 360 idols. Muhammad restored the Kabah to its original worship of one God.
How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism?
Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all monotheistic faiths worshipping one God. All share common beliefs in prophets and divine revelation. All stress moral rights and responsibilities, and accountability on the Day of Judgment leading to reward or punishment in the afterlife. Each faith emphasises its covenant with God, through Moses for Judaism, Jesus for Christianity and Muhammad for Islam. Islam recognises the validity of Judaism and Christianity and expresses respect for the prophets mentioned in their Scriptures as they are also mentioned in the Quran. Muslims believe in Moses, and Jesus, but they do not believe Jesus as the son of God, rather he was a Prophet born in a miracle birth to Mary. The Quran even mentions the Virgin Mary more often than the Bible, demonstrating the high-regard that Judeo-Christian figures have in Islam.
Muslims see the message of Islam as superseding all earlier revelations. They believe the Quran is the complete word of God and that Muhammad is the final Messenger and seal of the prophets. While Muslims respect much of the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms, they believe that they have been changed by man over the centuries.
What does Islam say about violence?
The value of life is sacred in Islam, to violate it goes categorically against its principles. The Quran states “If anyone murders an (innocent) person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the whole of humanity” [5:32]. It is not permitted for Muslims to kill or oppress another. The Quran says, ‘Help one another in benevolence and piety, and help not one another in sin and transgression’ [5:2] “Allah loves not the aggressors” [2:190].
What is Jihad?
Often mistranslated as ‘holy war’ jihad is an all encompassing terms that literally means ‘to strive, or struggle’. Within Islam, its context is to strive in the path of God as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. Jihad pertains to the difficulty and complexity of leading a good life, struggling against the evil in oneself and to become virtuous and moral, to perform good actions and to contribute to the betterment of society. It is distressing that today a violent minority have abused the word jihad and have thus distorted its true meaning.
What is the meaning of life in Islam?
Life is a sacred trust from God and a human is a trustee who should handle the trust with honesty and skill, and with mindfulness of God. When God gives life He endows the human being with unique qualities and abilities, and charges the human with certain obligations. God means to help humankind fulfil the purpose of life and realise the goal of existence: to seek the pleasure of God in order to have eternal pleasure in the afterlife.
"Live in this world as if you are a traveller or a wayfarer" is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad. Life may be likened to a journey starting from a certain point and ending at a certain destination. It is a transitory stage, an introduction to the eternal life in the Hereafter.
According to Islamic teaching, the best use of life is to live it according to the guidance of God and perform good deeds in order to ensure a place in Paradise. As life is a means to an ultimate end, Islam has laid down a comprehensive system of principles and regulations on how to lead it. Muslims believe that we all belong to God and to Him is our final return. Life, therefore, is a complete circle and death is a doorway that leads to the true eternal existence.
What is the status of women in Islam?
The Quran states that men and women were created to be equal parts of a pair [51:49] and that their relationship is one of love and mercy such that they are like garments to one another. The revelation of the Quran elevated the status of women throughout society via numerous means: abolishing the status of women as property, allowing them to retain their maiden name after marriage, furnishing them the right to vote – thirteen centuries before women attained the right to vote in the UK, and the right to inheritance and owning property and businesses.
In Islam, education, social and political participation is a duty on both women and men. Early Islamic history saw the rise of Muslim women as scholars, politicians, businesswomen, jurists and doctors at a time when Europe still regarded women as a commodity.
Some verses of the Quran have been quoted to suggest gender discrimination, but there is a clear distinction to be drawn between verses that respond to specific social and cultural contexts and those that represent universal principles. A common area of confusion is the stipulation regarding polygamy, which actually restricted the practice rather than encouraging it at a time when Arabs in seventh century society married many women and being monogamous was not the norm, "if you will not be able to deal justly [with them, marry] only one" [4:3]. It may be noted here that today more than 99% of Muslim marriages are monogamous, polygamy being the exception rather than the rule.
What is hijab?
Hijab is another source of interest and has been victim to much criticism and debate. Modesty in Islam is something that is stressed for both sexes, "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and say to the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty" [24:30–31]. Hijab literally means ‘veil’, ‘covering’ or, barrier’, while the Arabic word ‘khimar’ refers to the head scarf, however hijab has come to take on the meaning of a Muslim woman’s head-dress. Hijab symbolises many things: religious devotion, discipline, respect, identity and modesty. It is viewed by many Muslim women as another part of their ‘ibadah’ or worship of God since worship in Islam can be seen in a holistic sense, for example, giving charity or helping a neighbour is also seen as acts of worship.
What is Shariah?
Shariah covers all laws and governance pertaining to a Muslim’s life. The Arabic word literally refers to a waterway that leads to a main water source. Just as following all laws and principles set out by Islam, Muslims ultimately submit to the will of God, the source of life. Shariah is a framework that governs interactions between the individual and God, and between human beings. Both have public and private dimensions and both give Islam a prominent role on Muslim community life. Shariah is only applied to Muslims and not to people of other faiths and beliefs.
Does Islam promote race equality?
The Islamic civilisation nurtured genuine social equality irrespective of colour or race. During his final sermon, Prophet Muhammad said, All men are from Adam, and Adam is from clay. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a white person over a black person except in God-consciousness. These principles were implemented throughout daily life: in the mosques people of all colours and races met to pray shoulder to shoulder, they worked together in government and academia.
Among the closest companions of the Prophet was the former Abyssinian slave, Bilal who became the first man to call people to prayer, the first muezzin. Prophet Muhammad had ordered him to scale the Kabah on the day of the peaceful conquest of Mecca to call people to prayer. That this man could stand with the divine sanctuary under his feet was a declaration that piety transcends all things and it sent a powerful message to all that racism has no place in Islam.
How did Islam contribute to the field of medicine?
Medical science made extraordinary progress during the Islamic civilisation and formed much of the basis of western healthcare today. Muslim experts pioneered in all areas of medicine including surgery, anatomy, ophthalmology, pharmacology, and physiology. The great Translation movement which began in the ninth century initiated under the Caliph Mamun in Baghdad, led to thousands of Greek works by Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Ptolemy and Galen being translated into Arabic, and this knowledge was later transferred to Europe. Medical texts were not only translated, but their concepts and methods were further developed by the Muslims who pioneered in medical progress. Ibn Sina who was born in the tenth century, known as Avicenna in Europe, became renowned for his magnum opus, the cannon of Medicine – an encyclopaedia covering all aspects of medical practice which was used in the universities of Montpellier and Louvain as late as the seventeenth century. The thirteenth century medic Ibn Nafis discovered pulmonary circulation in contradiction to Galen’s view that blood was continually being made and used up, nearly four centuries before William Harvey announced his discovery that blood circulated around the body in 1616.
What is the relationship between science and Islam?
Scientific discovery and learning flourished under Islamic civilisations for centuries. The remarkable leap in science between the eighth and twelfth centuries was known as the Golden Age of Islam. Today many words from the Arabic language enter the sciences, words like alchemy, algebra, algorithm and alkali. Muslims pioneered in fields of astronomy, mathematics, physics. Muslim astronomers established large observatories and produced highly sophisticated and accurate devices such as the astrolabe which was used in navigation through celestial calculation.
Quranic verses allude to scientific phenomena, like the cosmology: "And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit. ‘(God is) the one who created the night, the day, the sun and the moon. Each one is travelling in an orbit with its own motion" [21: 33], and to embryology: "We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed" [22:5].
Islam is not at odds with science that has been soundly established, and it is clear that the sciences have enjoyed a thriving development under the Islamic ethos enjoining the pursuit of knowledge and learning.
Who are Muslims?
How many Muslims are there in the world?
There are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, living in majority populations in 56 countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Niger, Egypt and Turkey. There are also significant Muslim populations living in India, China and Russia. In sharp contrast to popular assumption, only 20 percent of the global number of Muslims is of Arab origin. There are an estimated two million living in Britain.
Are all Muslims the same?
There is an extraordinary diversity of Muslim cultures stretching from North Africa to Southeast Asia and from Europe to Latin America. There are many Muslim interpretations of Islam that has invoked different schools of theology and law, along with a rich tradition of mysticism commonly known as Sufism. While this diversity exists, there is one underlying unity of belief that binds all Muslims together – the belief in the oneness of God and of his final Messenger, Muhammad.
What do Muslims believe?
The basis of the Islamic faith is the belief in One God (Allah, the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler and Judge of the universe), His prophets such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus, concluding with the last Prophet, Muhammad. Muslims believe in angels, in the books of revelation (Torah, Gospel), the Day of Judgement, in God’s Will, and in Heaven and Hell. Together, these beliefs constitute the seven articles of faith.
Muslims regard Christians and Jews as the ‘People of the Book’, believers who received, through prophets, revelation in the form of scriptures or revealed books from God. Islam, commonly perceived as the ‘youngest’ of the monotheistic religions, is from the Muslim point of view, the original as well as the final revelation of God. The Quran says, “He established for you the same religion as that which He established for Noah, that which We have sent to you as an inspiration through Abraham, Moses and Jesus, namely that you should remain steadfast and make no divisions within it.” [Quran, Chapter 42, Verse 13] Muslims believe that the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel served the purpose of correcting the human error that had become part of the belief systems of Judaism and Christianity.
There are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, living in majority populations in 56 countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Niger, Egypt and Turkey. There are also significant Muslim populations living in India, China and Russia. In sharp contrast to popular assumption, only 20 percent of the global number of Muslims is of Arab origin. There are an estimated two million living in Britain.
Are all Muslims the same?
There is an extraordinary diversity of Muslim cultures stretching from North Africa to Southeast Asia and from Europe to Latin America. There are many Muslim interpretations of Islam that has invoked different schools of theology and law, along with a rich tradition of mysticism commonly known as Sufism. While this diversity exists, there is one underlying unity of belief that binds all Muslims together – the belief in the oneness of God and of his final Messenger, Muhammad.
What do Muslims believe?
The basis of the Islamic faith is the belief in One God (Allah, the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler and Judge of the universe), His prophets such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus, concluding with the last Prophet, Muhammad. Muslims believe in angels, in the books of revelation (Torah, Gospel), the Day of Judgement, in God’s Will, and in Heaven and Hell. Together, these beliefs constitute the seven articles of faith.
Muslims regard Christians and Jews as the ‘People of the Book’, believers who received, through prophets, revelation in the form of scriptures or revealed books from God. Islam, commonly perceived as the ‘youngest’ of the monotheistic religions, is from the Muslim point of view, the original as well as the final revelation of God. The Quran says, “He established for you the same religion as that which He established for Noah, that which We have sent to you as an inspiration through Abraham, Moses and Jesus, namely that you should remain steadfast and make no divisions within it.” [Quran, Chapter 42, Verse 13] Muslims believe that the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel served the purpose of correcting the human error that had become part of the belief systems of Judaism and Christianity.
Who is Muhammad?
The orphan
Muhammad was born in 570 in Mecca, modern day Saudi Arabia, to a single mother whose husband died before she gave birth. Muhammad was of noble blood, and it was the custom for those children of higher social standing to have a wet nurse. A Bedouin woman named Halima cared for him, and took him into the harsh desert to live with her people. For such a young child it was a challenging environment. But it was here that Muhammad would develop his first close connection with nature, and spend most of his time in solitude contemplating the world around him.
He returned to his mother, Amina, who took him to visit his father’s grave, but on the return journey she fell dangerously ill. Muhammad was barely six years old when he faced the loss of another parent. Later his own experience would help him to encourage compassion for orphans, telling his companions that kindness shown to parentless children would grant them Paradise.
The shepherd and the businessman
Muhammad went to live with his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, and spent two happy years with him, until he died when Muhammad was eight years old. Again he had to face emotional and physical upheaval, moving to live with his uncle Abu Talib. As a young boy, Muhammad earned his living as a shepherd, a role he was later to speak about with fondness: “All the prophets of God were shepherds”. Later he would become renowned for his honest dealing with people in business and trade.
The husband
A wealthy businesswoman named Khadijah requested Muhammad’s expertise in negotiating a business venture for her. When she heard of how he secured more than she expected, she was impressed and made enquiries about his character. On hearing the accounts of his generous and noble nature, she sent a proposal to the 25 year old man. Khadijah was a widow some fifteen years older than Muhammad, and had children from two previous marriages; she was intelligent, independent and kind. Muhammad accepted her offer. Khadijah and Muhammad’s marriage was a happy and harmonious one: they consulted, supported and cared for each other in equal measure. She was his first love, the first he turned to for support, and the first to acknowledge his prophethood. They had four daughters together who they cherished, and two sons, but they tragically both died in infancy.
The Revelation
Muhammad had always treated those around him with honour, kindness and respect. Yet he was troubled. Troubled by the injustices he saw around him of backward tribal practices – of female infanticide, of oppression of the vulnerable and of inequality. He had distanced himself from ignorance, superstition and the practice of idol worship. He often retreated to a cave on the mountain of Hira to reflect, wondering what he could do to change such deep-rooted customs.
It was now 610, Muhammad was only aged forty but at a point in his life where he had already faced great sorrows: losing both his parents at an early age, his grandfather and two young sons. One night, when he again went to the secluded cave to be alone with his thoughts, he encountered an experience that would dramatically change his life, his society and the wider world.
“Read!” a voice called out him. It was the angel Gabriel. Muhammad was frightened but responded he could not read – he was indeed illiterate. Again Gabriel commanded him to read, and a third time said “Read! In the name of your Sustainer. He who taught man by the pen that which he did not know.” Following this divine visitation, Muhammad went immediately to the only person he could relate what had happened and find solace in, his wife. Shaking, and fearing he had been possessed, Khadijah wrapped him in a covering and comforted him. This was the first of many revelations that would come to him over a period of twenty three years.
The Message
God had chosen Muhammad as his final messenger, the last in a line of many prophets before him, like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus. All had brought the message of worshipping One God, of enjoining good and forbidding bad. But this message had become corrupted by men, and the moment had come once more to bring people back towards the truth. The Quran emphasised the belief in the Oneness of God, related the creation of the heavens and the earth, stories of past prophets, the equality and sanctity of humanity, and the etiquettes of human behaviour.
Trials
Muhammad had a great task ahead of him. In preaching God’s word, he would come face to face with rejection, abuse, humiliation and even banishment from his own people. He had to overturn his society’s backward practices, instructing them to embrace a set of universal principles that would unite all the tribes, provide a benchmark for justice, would eradicate racism, encourage them in acts of charity, protect those the vulnerable, abolish the rigid class system, raise the status of women to an honoured position, and bring everyone back to the belief in one God.
But the leading tribe of the Meccans, the Quraysh, were staunch in their opposition. Muhammad had a small group of companions who believed in his message, and these supporters would be targeted by the Quraysh who embarked on a campaign of torture. The first to die for Islam was a woman named Sumayyah, who after enduring the cruelty inflicted on her, was finally stabbed to death. She is a woman held in high esteem by Muslims for her steadfastness and strength of character, and one of the few guaranteed Paradise.
Refuge
It was now 615 and the situation for the Muslims had not improved. Muhammad heard of a just and compassionate ruler in Abyssinia, a Christian king who might offer refuge for the Muslims and sent 100 Muslim men and women to be placed under the king’s protection. Muhammad did not hesitate to turn to those of other faiths for their protection, he trusted and worked with others who had moral standing and dealt with justice no matter what their faith or background. His own uncle, Abu Talib, who he loved and respected greatly was not a Muslim, but he offered invaluable support to his nephew.
Exile
The Quraysh, unable to break this small but growing band of Muslims, who were growing in number by the day, resorted to banishing them, forbidding any tribes to help them. Tribes depended on each other for sustenance, trade and protection in the harsh desert environment, so this embargo would mean starvation, deprivation and vulnerability. The embargo went on for three years, during which Muhammad and his companions retreated to the valleys surrounding Mecca to live a very difficult life. The ban was finally lifted, but it had taken its toll on the Prophet’s beloved wife, Khadijah. She died soon afterwards in a year known as The Year of Sorrow.
Muhammad’s grief was deep. He had lost his strongest supporter and confidante, the mother of his children. The same year, his uncle, who had been his protector, died in 620. Yet his mission was far from over, and he had the duty to continue his message and to protect those who had gathered around him. He thought of moving the Muslims far away from the relentless oppression of the Quraysh.
Night Journey
Every prophet has his miracle, and it is said that the Quran was Muhammad’s miracle. Yet the Night Journey joins the many miraculous stories about prophets before him – of Jesus’ birth, of Jonah and the Whale, of Moses’ parting of the Red Sea.
Two years after the death of Khadijah, one evening Muhammad fell asleep by the Kabah and was awoken by the angel Gabriel who showed him a white, winged horse. They both mounted and began the journey to Jerusalem where he met a group of prophets; amongst them were Abraham and Moses. Muhammad led them in prayer at the Temple Mount. Then Muhammad again mounted the winged creature with Gabriel and went on a journey that transcended time and space through the seven heavens. It was at the highest level that he received instructions for the five daily prayers.
Muhammad had been was profoundly affected by this spiritual and physical journey, seeing the wonders of the heavens, and meeting the brotherhood of prophets. Yet it was also a trial – when Muhammad recounted his experience, it left him open to more insults and jeers. Yet the lesson remained that true faith meant belief in the unseen and in the miracles of God.
Marriages
It was the norm in Arabia for men to take many wives, but Muhammad remained monogamous to his first wife Khadijah throughout their marriage. A year after her death, he was encouraged to marry again. His subsequent marriages were formed for various reasons: to form alliances with other tribes in order to secure the for survival of the Muslim community, to protect those who were threatened because of their faith, and to cement friendships. Many of his wives were widows with children, or divorcees. Aishah was the daughter of his closest friend Abu Bakr. Her marriage to Muhammad was arranged when she was very young, but their marriage was not consummated until she entered puberty. Aishah had an incredible intellect, and she became a respected scholar and was skilled in medical knowledge. She spoke of Muhammad’s kindness and generosity to all his wives, a quality that he insisted upon from every husband to their spouse.
Migration
The number of Muslims was growing, and along with it grew the need to live free of tyranny. Many people had embraced Islam in the city of Medina, some 200 miles from Mecca. Muhammad decided his companions should relocate to where they would enjoy the freedom of religious expression and the confidence of a being a real community. Agreements were made with the Jews of Medina, and all lived in protection, liberty and coexistence.
Conflict
The move was a blow to the pride of the Quraysh who still tormented the few Muslims who remained in Mecca. In addition to their persecution, they confiscated all their property and belongings to show Muhammad that he had not won. Incensed by news of this, Muhammad organised expeditions on Meccan caravans in order to take compensation. He also sent missions to find out information of the Quraysh’s plots – he knew that an attack was likely. Yet one mission resulted in the death of a Quraysh leader despite Muhammad’s clear instruction that no conflict was to take place. A clash was imminent.
For the past thirteen years until this point, the Muslims were instructed in passive resistance, but a revelation now gave permission to fight those who oppressed them and had driven them from their homes.
Muhammad had set off with over three hundred Muslims to intercept a caravan in order to take more goods in compensation, but the Quraysh found out about his plans and sent a thousand-strong army. The Muslims were not prepared for war, but they were determined to face their enemies. They won an incredible victory in what came to be known as the Battle of Badr.
The conflict was not at an end however, and more wars took place between the Quraysh, their allies and the Muslims, the latter suffering many losses. Muhammad now had military and political power, sending a strong message that he and his people would not be trampled upon any further. As his influence increased, so too did attempts to assassinate him.
Conquest
After years of hostility, power shifted towards Muhammad and the Muslims, and a treaty was finally agreed between the Quraysh and Muhammad, but this was violated by the former and Muhammad marched on Mecca in 630. But he took Mecca without bloodshed, peaceably and with dignity. Muhammad was in a position of power to seek revenge on those who had tortured and persecuted the Muslims, but he did not abuse his power, choosing instead to conquer Mecca with profound humility. His great mercy and compassion deeply impressed the tribes of Mecca, and a great number embraced Islam.
The Farewell Pilgrimage
Muhammad, accompanied by one hundred thousand of his companions, performed the final pilgrimage of his life to the Kabah in Mecca. Standing on what is known as the Mount of Mercy, he delivered his last speech with messages that would resound through time. He spoke of the equality of humankind, of women’s rights, of fraternity, of doing good, of never oppressing anyone, of human rights and justice.
Final breath
Soon after the farewell sermon, Muhammad fell very ill with a fever which weakened him greatly. Though frail, he led his last prayer in the mosque in Medina, and repeated again and again that the poor and the vulnerable must be treated well. His final moments were with his wife Aishah. He rested his head in her lap while she stroked his head. Suddenly she felt his head become heavier. He had breathed his last breath.
He died in 632 aged sixty three.
Legacy
Muhammad caused a revolution in the space of twenty three years, shaping the course of history the effects of which we still see today. His commitment to the enduring values of justice, freedom, fraternity, charity and equality carried a universal message. What began as a small band of followers in seventh century Arabia has now grown to a global community of 1.5 billion, a fifth of the world’s population.
Muslims everywhere model their own lives on his behaviour, from prayer to politics, personal hygiene to community involvement. This one man continues to inspire millions of lives fourteen centuries after he lived.
Muhammad was born in 570 in Mecca, modern day Saudi Arabia, to a single mother whose husband died before she gave birth. Muhammad was of noble blood, and it was the custom for those children of higher social standing to have a wet nurse. A Bedouin woman named Halima cared for him, and took him into the harsh desert to live with her people. For such a young child it was a challenging environment. But it was here that Muhammad would develop his first close connection with nature, and spend most of his time in solitude contemplating the world around him.
He returned to his mother, Amina, who took him to visit his father’s grave, but on the return journey she fell dangerously ill. Muhammad was barely six years old when he faced the loss of another parent. Later his own experience would help him to encourage compassion for orphans, telling his companions that kindness shown to parentless children would grant them Paradise.
The shepherd and the businessman
Muhammad went to live with his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, and spent two happy years with him, until he died when Muhammad was eight years old. Again he had to face emotional and physical upheaval, moving to live with his uncle Abu Talib. As a young boy, Muhammad earned his living as a shepherd, a role he was later to speak about with fondness: “All the prophets of God were shepherds”. Later he would become renowned for his honest dealing with people in business and trade.
The husband
A wealthy businesswoman named Khadijah requested Muhammad’s expertise in negotiating a business venture for her. When she heard of how he secured more than she expected, she was impressed and made enquiries about his character. On hearing the accounts of his generous and noble nature, she sent a proposal to the 25 year old man. Khadijah was a widow some fifteen years older than Muhammad, and had children from two previous marriages; she was intelligent, independent and kind. Muhammad accepted her offer. Khadijah and Muhammad’s marriage was a happy and harmonious one: they consulted, supported and cared for each other in equal measure. She was his first love, the first he turned to for support, and the first to acknowledge his prophethood. They had four daughters together who they cherished, and two sons, but they tragically both died in infancy.
The Revelation
Muhammad had always treated those around him with honour, kindness and respect. Yet he was troubled. Troubled by the injustices he saw around him of backward tribal practices – of female infanticide, of oppression of the vulnerable and of inequality. He had distanced himself from ignorance, superstition and the practice of idol worship. He often retreated to a cave on the mountain of Hira to reflect, wondering what he could do to change such deep-rooted customs.
It was now 610, Muhammad was only aged forty but at a point in his life where he had already faced great sorrows: losing both his parents at an early age, his grandfather and two young sons. One night, when he again went to the secluded cave to be alone with his thoughts, he encountered an experience that would dramatically change his life, his society and the wider world.
“Read!” a voice called out him. It was the angel Gabriel. Muhammad was frightened but responded he could not read – he was indeed illiterate. Again Gabriel commanded him to read, and a third time said “Read! In the name of your Sustainer. He who taught man by the pen that which he did not know.” Following this divine visitation, Muhammad went immediately to the only person he could relate what had happened and find solace in, his wife. Shaking, and fearing he had been possessed, Khadijah wrapped him in a covering and comforted him. This was the first of many revelations that would come to him over a period of twenty three years.
The Message
God had chosen Muhammad as his final messenger, the last in a line of many prophets before him, like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus. All had brought the message of worshipping One God, of enjoining good and forbidding bad. But this message had become corrupted by men, and the moment had come once more to bring people back towards the truth. The Quran emphasised the belief in the Oneness of God, related the creation of the heavens and the earth, stories of past prophets, the equality and sanctity of humanity, and the etiquettes of human behaviour.
Trials
Muhammad had a great task ahead of him. In preaching God’s word, he would come face to face with rejection, abuse, humiliation and even banishment from his own people. He had to overturn his society’s backward practices, instructing them to embrace a set of universal principles that would unite all the tribes, provide a benchmark for justice, would eradicate racism, encourage them in acts of charity, protect those the vulnerable, abolish the rigid class system, raise the status of women to an honoured position, and bring everyone back to the belief in one God.
But the leading tribe of the Meccans, the Quraysh, were staunch in their opposition. Muhammad had a small group of companions who believed in his message, and these supporters would be targeted by the Quraysh who embarked on a campaign of torture. The first to die for Islam was a woman named Sumayyah, who after enduring the cruelty inflicted on her, was finally stabbed to death. She is a woman held in high esteem by Muslims for her steadfastness and strength of character, and one of the few guaranteed Paradise.
Refuge
It was now 615 and the situation for the Muslims had not improved. Muhammad heard of a just and compassionate ruler in Abyssinia, a Christian king who might offer refuge for the Muslims and sent 100 Muslim men and women to be placed under the king’s protection. Muhammad did not hesitate to turn to those of other faiths for their protection, he trusted and worked with others who had moral standing and dealt with justice no matter what their faith or background. His own uncle, Abu Talib, who he loved and respected greatly was not a Muslim, but he offered invaluable support to his nephew.
Exile
The Quraysh, unable to break this small but growing band of Muslims, who were growing in number by the day, resorted to banishing them, forbidding any tribes to help them. Tribes depended on each other for sustenance, trade and protection in the harsh desert environment, so this embargo would mean starvation, deprivation and vulnerability. The embargo went on for three years, during which Muhammad and his companions retreated to the valleys surrounding Mecca to live a very difficult life. The ban was finally lifted, but it had taken its toll on the Prophet’s beloved wife, Khadijah. She died soon afterwards in a year known as The Year of Sorrow.
Muhammad’s grief was deep. He had lost his strongest supporter and confidante, the mother of his children. The same year, his uncle, who had been his protector, died in 620. Yet his mission was far from over, and he had the duty to continue his message and to protect those who had gathered around him. He thought of moving the Muslims far away from the relentless oppression of the Quraysh.
Night Journey
Every prophet has his miracle, and it is said that the Quran was Muhammad’s miracle. Yet the Night Journey joins the many miraculous stories about prophets before him – of Jesus’ birth, of Jonah and the Whale, of Moses’ parting of the Red Sea.
Two years after the death of Khadijah, one evening Muhammad fell asleep by the Kabah and was awoken by the angel Gabriel who showed him a white, winged horse. They both mounted and began the journey to Jerusalem where he met a group of prophets; amongst them were Abraham and Moses. Muhammad led them in prayer at the Temple Mount. Then Muhammad again mounted the winged creature with Gabriel and went on a journey that transcended time and space through the seven heavens. It was at the highest level that he received instructions for the five daily prayers.
Muhammad had been was profoundly affected by this spiritual and physical journey, seeing the wonders of the heavens, and meeting the brotherhood of prophets. Yet it was also a trial – when Muhammad recounted his experience, it left him open to more insults and jeers. Yet the lesson remained that true faith meant belief in the unseen and in the miracles of God.
Marriages
It was the norm in Arabia for men to take many wives, but Muhammad remained monogamous to his first wife Khadijah throughout their marriage. A year after her death, he was encouraged to marry again. His subsequent marriages were formed for various reasons: to form alliances with other tribes in order to secure the for survival of the Muslim community, to protect those who were threatened because of their faith, and to cement friendships. Many of his wives were widows with children, or divorcees. Aishah was the daughter of his closest friend Abu Bakr. Her marriage to Muhammad was arranged when she was very young, but their marriage was not consummated until she entered puberty. Aishah had an incredible intellect, and she became a respected scholar and was skilled in medical knowledge. She spoke of Muhammad’s kindness and generosity to all his wives, a quality that he insisted upon from every husband to their spouse.
Migration
The number of Muslims was growing, and along with it grew the need to live free of tyranny. Many people had embraced Islam in the city of Medina, some 200 miles from Mecca. Muhammad decided his companions should relocate to where they would enjoy the freedom of religious expression and the confidence of a being a real community. Agreements were made with the Jews of Medina, and all lived in protection, liberty and coexistence.
Conflict
The move was a blow to the pride of the Quraysh who still tormented the few Muslims who remained in Mecca. In addition to their persecution, they confiscated all their property and belongings to show Muhammad that he had not won. Incensed by news of this, Muhammad organised expeditions on Meccan caravans in order to take compensation. He also sent missions to find out information of the Quraysh’s plots – he knew that an attack was likely. Yet one mission resulted in the death of a Quraysh leader despite Muhammad’s clear instruction that no conflict was to take place. A clash was imminent.
For the past thirteen years until this point, the Muslims were instructed in passive resistance, but a revelation now gave permission to fight those who oppressed them and had driven them from their homes.
Muhammad had set off with over three hundred Muslims to intercept a caravan in order to take more goods in compensation, but the Quraysh found out about his plans and sent a thousand-strong army. The Muslims were not prepared for war, but they were determined to face their enemies. They won an incredible victory in what came to be known as the Battle of Badr.
The conflict was not at an end however, and more wars took place between the Quraysh, their allies and the Muslims, the latter suffering many losses. Muhammad now had military and political power, sending a strong message that he and his people would not be trampled upon any further. As his influence increased, so too did attempts to assassinate him.
Conquest
After years of hostility, power shifted towards Muhammad and the Muslims, and a treaty was finally agreed between the Quraysh and Muhammad, but this was violated by the former and Muhammad marched on Mecca in 630. But he took Mecca without bloodshed, peaceably and with dignity. Muhammad was in a position of power to seek revenge on those who had tortured and persecuted the Muslims, but he did not abuse his power, choosing instead to conquer Mecca with profound humility. His great mercy and compassion deeply impressed the tribes of Mecca, and a great number embraced Islam.
The Farewell Pilgrimage
Muhammad, accompanied by one hundred thousand of his companions, performed the final pilgrimage of his life to the Kabah in Mecca. Standing on what is known as the Mount of Mercy, he delivered his last speech with messages that would resound through time. He spoke of the equality of humankind, of women’s rights, of fraternity, of doing good, of never oppressing anyone, of human rights and justice.
Final breath
Soon after the farewell sermon, Muhammad fell very ill with a fever which weakened him greatly. Though frail, he led his last prayer in the mosque in Medina, and repeated again and again that the poor and the vulnerable must be treated well. His final moments were with his wife Aishah. He rested his head in her lap while she stroked his head. Suddenly she felt his head become heavier. He had breathed his last breath.
He died in 632 aged sixty three.
Legacy
Muhammad caused a revolution in the space of twenty three years, shaping the course of history the effects of which we still see today. His commitment to the enduring values of justice, freedom, fraternity, charity and equality carried a universal message. What began as a small band of followers in seventh century Arabia has now grown to a global community of 1.5 billion, a fifth of the world’s population.
Muslims everywhere model their own lives on his behaviour, from prayer to politics, personal hygiene to community involvement. This one man continues to inspire millions of lives fourteen centuries after he lived.
Animal Welfare by Muhammad.
“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being,” Muhammad said. His compassion for animals is mentioned in several sources. On discovering a companion had caused distress to a bird by taking her young, Muhammad ordered him to return them at once; whilst reading the Quran a cat fell asleep on his robe, but rather than disturb it, he cut off a portion and walked on. He even reprimanded those who sat idly on their camels and horses with the warning: “Do not treat the backs of animals as chairs”.
In medieval times, historian Gustave le Bon writes, animals enjoyed a ‘paradise’ in the Muslim world. Trusts were solely devoted to sick and vulnerable creatures. In eighteenth century Cairo, Muslims set up bread and water foundations for dogs. In Damascus, a municipal area was dedicated to ageing horses where they could pasture in dignity until the end of their lives, which continued until the twentieth century.
From the start of an animal’s life to its end, there were clear rules on maintaining its welfare. Muhammad advised people to take the life of an animal only for food, and to be as humane as possible urging that the creature should not see the blade and should not be killed in front of other animals.
Mercy to animals goes hand in hand with faith as Muhammad’s words articulate, “He who takes pity even on a sparrow and spares its life, God will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgement”. This ethic is still alive today. Animal welfare institutions thrive in Muslim countries like Qatar, Malaysia and Pakistan.
In medieval times, historian Gustave le Bon writes, animals enjoyed a ‘paradise’ in the Muslim world. Trusts were solely devoted to sick and vulnerable creatures. In eighteenth century Cairo, Muslims set up bread and water foundations for dogs. In Damascus, a municipal area was dedicated to ageing horses where they could pasture in dignity until the end of their lives, which continued until the twentieth century.
From the start of an animal’s life to its end, there were clear rules on maintaining its welfare. Muhammad advised people to take the life of an animal only for food, and to be as humane as possible urging that the creature should not see the blade and should not be killed in front of other animals.
Mercy to animals goes hand in hand with faith as Muhammad’s words articulate, “He who takes pity even on a sparrow and spares its life, God will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgement”. This ethic is still alive today. Animal welfare institutions thrive in Muslim countries like Qatar, Malaysia and Pakistan.
cinta syahid
Dalam kebanyakan surat-surat yang dikirimkan oleh Rasulullah SAW kepada beberapa orang raja adalah bertujuan supaya mereka memeluk agama Islam, salah seorang di antaranya ialah raja Busra, surat kepada raja ini di hantar oleh Haris bin Umar Azdi ra. Sewaktu membawa surat ketika Haris bin Umar ra. sampai di Mauta beliau telah dibunuh oleh Sharabbil Ghassani, yakni salah seorang gabenor Kaisar. Pembunuhan ini adalah bertentangan dengan semua undang-undang kesusilaan di antara suku-suku, sebab Haris bin Umar ra. adalah utusan untuk menyampaikan surat.
Rasulullah SAW sangat dukacita atas kematian Haris, lalu baginda mengumpulkan seramai 3000 pejuang yang gagah berani untuk menentang musuh yang jahat itu. Rasulullah SAW, melantik Zaid bin Harthah sebagai ketua pasukan. Kemudian Baginda SAW, bersabda kepada para pejuang yang akan ke medan pertempuran: “Sekiranya Zaid terbunuh maka Jaafar bin Abi Talib hendaklah mengetuai pasukan dan jika Jaafar juga terbunuh maka Abdullah bin Rawahah hendaklah mengetuai pasukan. Dan sekiranva Abdullah juga terbunuh maka bolehlah kamu semua memilih seorang ketua di kalangan kamu orang yang kamu kehendaki.” Seorang Yahudi yang kebetulan berada di situ berkata: “Pasti ketiga-tiga mereka ini akan terkorban kerana ini adalah lumrah sebagimana para-para Nabi yang terdahulunya selalu meramalkan.”
Sebelum tentera Islam berangkat menuju ke medan pertempuran, Rasulullah SAW memberikan sehelai bendera putih yang diperbuat sendiri oleh baginda SAW kepada Zaid. Rasulullah SAW menemani tentera-tentera Islam beberapa langkah di luar Kota Madinah dan baginda berdoa: “Semoga Allah SWT akan mengembalikan kamu semua dengan selamat dan memperolehi kejayaan. Semoga Allah memelihara kamu semua dari segala kejahatan.”
Setelah Rasulullah SAW selesai berdoa, Abdullah bin Rawahah menyampaikan tiga rangkap syair yang bermaksud: “Aku hanya mengiginkan keampunan terhadap segala dosa-dosaku dansebilah pedang untuk menyebabkan darah-darah merahku memancarkeluar seperti air yang mengalir keluar dari mata air.Atau sebilah tombak untuk menembusi masuk keliang hatiku dan isi perutku.Dan ketika insan-insan melalui di tepi kuburku, mereka akan berkata:Semoga engkau telah gugur kerana Allah.... berjaya dan makmur.Engkau sesungguhnya insan yang berjaya dan makmur.” Di pihak musuh pula ketuanya yang bernama Sarjil, telah mengetahui mengenai persediaan tentera Islam, Sarjil mengumpulkan 100,000 tentera yang lengkap dengan alat kelengkapan perang untuk menghadapi serangan tentera Islam. Ketika, Sarjil dan bala tenteranya hendak mara, ia mendapat berita bahawa Kaisar sendiri sedang mara dengan satu batalion tentera yang terdiri dari 100,000 orang untuk menolong Sarjil. Apabila berita ini sampai kepada para sahabat yang sedang dalam perjalanan untuk berperang dengan pihak musuh, mereka merasa ragu-ragu dan mereka berfikir samada mara atau pun tidak untuk menentang musuh Islam yang berjumlah 200,000 orang itu. Atau mereka mengirim utusan kepada Rasulullah SAW untuk mendapatkan nasihat.
Dalam ragu-ragu itu Abdullah bin Rawahah dengan penuh semangat pejuang berkata dengan suara yang lantang: “Wahai para sahabatku, apakah yang membimbangkan kamu semua. Apakah tujuan sebenar kamu semua datang kesini? Bukankah kamu semua datang kesini untuk mati syahid. Kita sebagai pejuang-pejuang Islam tidak pernah memperjuangkan tenaga kita dengan kekuatan senjata dan kekuatan bilangan tentera. Perjuangan kita adalah semata-mata kerana Islam yang telah dimuliakan oleh Allah SWT ke atas setiap kita pejuang-pejuang agamaNya. Kita hendaklah mempastikan salah satu antara dua: Kemenangan atau syahid.”
Apabila para sahabat yang lain mendengar kata-kata semangat dari Abdullah bin Rawahah, maka para sahabat pun bertekad untuk bertemu dengan tentera-tentera Kristian di medan peperangan Mauta.
Apabila sampai di medan pertempuran, Zaid ra. menggenggam bendera di tangan dan mengarahkan tugas bagi menghadapi pertempuran, maka berlakulah pertempuran yang sengit di antara tentera Islam dengan tentera Kristian. Dalam pertempuran yang sedang rancak berjalan itu, saudara lelaki Sarjil mati dan Sarjil sendiri melarikan diri dan bersembunyi di dalam sebuah kubu.
Sarjil telah mengirim berita kepada Kaisar tentang masalahnya dan meminta bantuan tentera, maka Kaisar pun menghantar tenteranya yang gagah berani seramai 200,000 untuk membantu Sarjil. Tentera Islam tetap bertarung dengan semangat jihad walaupun angka tentera musuh jauh berbeza dari tentara Islam yang cuma 3000 orang sahaja. Dalam pertempuran yang sengit itu maka syahidlah Zaid ketua panglima tentera Islam.
Jaafar ra. mengambil alih sebagai ketua dan menggenggam bendera, beliau dengan sengaja melumpuhkan kaki kudanya agar beliau tidak dapat meninggalkan medan pertempuran jika datang perasaannya untuk meninggalkan medan pertempuran. Dalam peperangan yang sedang rancak berjalan itu Jaafar membaca beberapa ungkapan syair: “Wahai manusia! Betapakah indahnya syurga.Dan betapa gembiranya tentang kehampirannya!Kecelakaan orang-orang Rom berada di dalam genggaman tangan, aku mesti hapuskan mereka semua.”Dengan memegang bendera Islam yang berkibaran di sebelah tangan dan sebelah tangan lagi memegang pedang beliau terus meluru ke arah musuh. Sewaktu meluru tangan kanan beliau yang memegang bendera telah ditetak, beliau dengan segera memegang bendera dengan tangan kiri, tetapi tangan kiri beliau juga ditetak, beliau tetap memegang kuat dengan menggigit bendera dengan bantuan kedua belah bahunya yang telah kudung. Darah mengalir seperti air paip. Datanglah musuh dari arah belakang lalu menetak Jaafar ra. sehingga terbelah dua, dan syahidlah Jaafar ra. Umur Jaafar ra. ketika itu ialah 33 tahun.
Abdullah bin Umar ra. menceritakan, “Ketika kami mengangkat beliau keluar dari medan pertempuran. Kami dapat mengira bahawa terdapat 90 liang luka di badan beliau.”
Sewaktu Jaafar ra. terbunuh Abdullah bin Rawahah sedang makan daging di penjuru medan peperangan. Beliau sudah tiga hari kelaparan. Sebaik sahaja beliau mendengar berita tentang kematian Jaafar. Dengan segera beliau mencampakkan daging dengan berkata “Abdullah kamu ini asyik sibuk dengan makan, sedangkan Jaafar telah sampai ke syurga.”
Tanpa membuang masa Abdullah bin Rawahah terus mencapai bendera dan meluru ke arah musuh. Dalam pertempuran anak-anak jarinya banyak yang parah dan banyak yang tergantung dengan isi. Beliau meletakkan anak-anak jarinya ke bawah lalu dipijak dengan kaki dan ditarik sehingga jari-jarinya bercerai dari tangannya.
Kemudian beliau terus mara dan beliau berhenti sebentar dan memikirkan tentera Islam yang sedikit berbandingkan tentera musuh yang ramai. Dalam tengah berangan-angan itu dia tersentak dan berkata ia dalam hatinya: “Wahai hati, apa yang menyebabkan kamu memikirkan demikian?” Adakah kerana cinta kepada isteriku? Kalau begitu aku ceraikan kamu pada saat ini juga. Adakah kerana hamba-hamba? Kalau begitu aku bebaskan mereka semua. Adakah kerana kebun? Kalau begitu aku berikan sebagai sedekah.”
Oleh kerana keletihan dan kelaparan, beliau turun dari kudanya, sementara sepupunya datang membawa sekeping daging kepadanya dengan berkata: “Kamu tidak dapat tidur dan makan kerana kelaparanmu selama tiga hari.”Apabila Abdullah hendak mengambil daging tersebut, beliau mendengar laungan musuh di salah satu sudut medan pertempuran, beliau melemparkan daging tersebut. Dengan pedang yang terhunus beliau meluru ke arah musuh dan berjuang sehingga beliau syahid di medan pertempuran itu
Rasulullah SAW sangat dukacita atas kematian Haris, lalu baginda mengumpulkan seramai 3000 pejuang yang gagah berani untuk menentang musuh yang jahat itu. Rasulullah SAW, melantik Zaid bin Harthah sebagai ketua pasukan. Kemudian Baginda SAW, bersabda kepada para pejuang yang akan ke medan pertempuran: “Sekiranya Zaid terbunuh maka Jaafar bin Abi Talib hendaklah mengetuai pasukan dan jika Jaafar juga terbunuh maka Abdullah bin Rawahah hendaklah mengetuai pasukan. Dan sekiranva Abdullah juga terbunuh maka bolehlah kamu semua memilih seorang ketua di kalangan kamu orang yang kamu kehendaki.” Seorang Yahudi yang kebetulan berada di situ berkata: “Pasti ketiga-tiga mereka ini akan terkorban kerana ini adalah lumrah sebagimana para-para Nabi yang terdahulunya selalu meramalkan.”
Sebelum tentera Islam berangkat menuju ke medan pertempuran, Rasulullah SAW memberikan sehelai bendera putih yang diperbuat sendiri oleh baginda SAW kepada Zaid. Rasulullah SAW menemani tentera-tentera Islam beberapa langkah di luar Kota Madinah dan baginda berdoa: “Semoga Allah SWT akan mengembalikan kamu semua dengan selamat dan memperolehi kejayaan. Semoga Allah memelihara kamu semua dari segala kejahatan.”
Setelah Rasulullah SAW selesai berdoa, Abdullah bin Rawahah menyampaikan tiga rangkap syair yang bermaksud: “Aku hanya mengiginkan keampunan terhadap segala dosa-dosaku dansebilah pedang untuk menyebabkan darah-darah merahku memancarkeluar seperti air yang mengalir keluar dari mata air.Atau sebilah tombak untuk menembusi masuk keliang hatiku dan isi perutku.Dan ketika insan-insan melalui di tepi kuburku, mereka akan berkata:Semoga engkau telah gugur kerana Allah.... berjaya dan makmur.Engkau sesungguhnya insan yang berjaya dan makmur.” Di pihak musuh pula ketuanya yang bernama Sarjil, telah mengetahui mengenai persediaan tentera Islam, Sarjil mengumpulkan 100,000 tentera yang lengkap dengan alat kelengkapan perang untuk menghadapi serangan tentera Islam. Ketika, Sarjil dan bala tenteranya hendak mara, ia mendapat berita bahawa Kaisar sendiri sedang mara dengan satu batalion tentera yang terdiri dari 100,000 orang untuk menolong Sarjil. Apabila berita ini sampai kepada para sahabat yang sedang dalam perjalanan untuk berperang dengan pihak musuh, mereka merasa ragu-ragu dan mereka berfikir samada mara atau pun tidak untuk menentang musuh Islam yang berjumlah 200,000 orang itu. Atau mereka mengirim utusan kepada Rasulullah SAW untuk mendapatkan nasihat.
Dalam ragu-ragu itu Abdullah bin Rawahah dengan penuh semangat pejuang berkata dengan suara yang lantang: “Wahai para sahabatku, apakah yang membimbangkan kamu semua. Apakah tujuan sebenar kamu semua datang kesini? Bukankah kamu semua datang kesini untuk mati syahid. Kita sebagai pejuang-pejuang Islam tidak pernah memperjuangkan tenaga kita dengan kekuatan senjata dan kekuatan bilangan tentera. Perjuangan kita adalah semata-mata kerana Islam yang telah dimuliakan oleh Allah SWT ke atas setiap kita pejuang-pejuang agamaNya. Kita hendaklah mempastikan salah satu antara dua: Kemenangan atau syahid.”
Apabila para sahabat yang lain mendengar kata-kata semangat dari Abdullah bin Rawahah, maka para sahabat pun bertekad untuk bertemu dengan tentera-tentera Kristian di medan peperangan Mauta.
Apabila sampai di medan pertempuran, Zaid ra. menggenggam bendera di tangan dan mengarahkan tugas bagi menghadapi pertempuran, maka berlakulah pertempuran yang sengit di antara tentera Islam dengan tentera Kristian. Dalam pertempuran yang sedang rancak berjalan itu, saudara lelaki Sarjil mati dan Sarjil sendiri melarikan diri dan bersembunyi di dalam sebuah kubu.
Sarjil telah mengirim berita kepada Kaisar tentang masalahnya dan meminta bantuan tentera, maka Kaisar pun menghantar tenteranya yang gagah berani seramai 200,000 untuk membantu Sarjil. Tentera Islam tetap bertarung dengan semangat jihad walaupun angka tentera musuh jauh berbeza dari tentara Islam yang cuma 3000 orang sahaja. Dalam pertempuran yang sengit itu maka syahidlah Zaid ketua panglima tentera Islam.
Jaafar ra. mengambil alih sebagai ketua dan menggenggam bendera, beliau dengan sengaja melumpuhkan kaki kudanya agar beliau tidak dapat meninggalkan medan pertempuran jika datang perasaannya untuk meninggalkan medan pertempuran. Dalam peperangan yang sedang rancak berjalan itu Jaafar membaca beberapa ungkapan syair: “Wahai manusia! Betapakah indahnya syurga.Dan betapa gembiranya tentang kehampirannya!Kecelakaan orang-orang Rom berada di dalam genggaman tangan, aku mesti hapuskan mereka semua.”Dengan memegang bendera Islam yang berkibaran di sebelah tangan dan sebelah tangan lagi memegang pedang beliau terus meluru ke arah musuh. Sewaktu meluru tangan kanan beliau yang memegang bendera telah ditetak, beliau dengan segera memegang bendera dengan tangan kiri, tetapi tangan kiri beliau juga ditetak, beliau tetap memegang kuat dengan menggigit bendera dengan bantuan kedua belah bahunya yang telah kudung. Darah mengalir seperti air paip. Datanglah musuh dari arah belakang lalu menetak Jaafar ra. sehingga terbelah dua, dan syahidlah Jaafar ra. Umur Jaafar ra. ketika itu ialah 33 tahun.
Abdullah bin Umar ra. menceritakan, “Ketika kami mengangkat beliau keluar dari medan pertempuran. Kami dapat mengira bahawa terdapat 90 liang luka di badan beliau.”
Sewaktu Jaafar ra. terbunuh Abdullah bin Rawahah sedang makan daging di penjuru medan peperangan. Beliau sudah tiga hari kelaparan. Sebaik sahaja beliau mendengar berita tentang kematian Jaafar. Dengan segera beliau mencampakkan daging dengan berkata “Abdullah kamu ini asyik sibuk dengan makan, sedangkan Jaafar telah sampai ke syurga.”
Tanpa membuang masa Abdullah bin Rawahah terus mencapai bendera dan meluru ke arah musuh. Dalam pertempuran anak-anak jarinya banyak yang parah dan banyak yang tergantung dengan isi. Beliau meletakkan anak-anak jarinya ke bawah lalu dipijak dengan kaki dan ditarik sehingga jari-jarinya bercerai dari tangannya.
Kemudian beliau terus mara dan beliau berhenti sebentar dan memikirkan tentera Islam yang sedikit berbandingkan tentera musuh yang ramai. Dalam tengah berangan-angan itu dia tersentak dan berkata ia dalam hatinya: “Wahai hati, apa yang menyebabkan kamu memikirkan demikian?” Adakah kerana cinta kepada isteriku? Kalau begitu aku ceraikan kamu pada saat ini juga. Adakah kerana hamba-hamba? Kalau begitu aku bebaskan mereka semua. Adakah kerana kebun? Kalau begitu aku berikan sebagai sedekah.”
Oleh kerana keletihan dan kelaparan, beliau turun dari kudanya, sementara sepupunya datang membawa sekeping daging kepadanya dengan berkata: “Kamu tidak dapat tidur dan makan kerana kelaparanmu selama tiga hari.”Apabila Abdullah hendak mengambil daging tersebut, beliau mendengar laungan musuh di salah satu sudut medan pertempuran, beliau melemparkan daging tersebut. Dengan pedang yang terhunus beliau meluru ke arah musuh dan berjuang sehingga beliau syahid di medan pertempuran itu
tanda2 kematian seseorang
100 hari sebelum kematian:
Ini adalah tanda pertama dari Allah kepada hambanya dan hanya akan disedari oleh mereka-mereka yang dikehendakinya. Walaubagaimanapun semua orang Islam akan mendapat tanda ini cuma sama ada mereka sedar atau tidak sahaja. Tanda ini akan berlaku lazimnya selepas waktu Asar. Seluruh tubuh iaitu dari hujung rambut sehingga ke hujung kaki akan mengalami getaran atau seakan-akan mengigil.
40 hari sebelum kematian:
Tanda ini juga akan berlaku sesudah waktu Asar. Bahagian pusat kita akan berdenyut-denyut. Pada ketika ini daun yang tertulis nama kita akan gugur dari pokok yang letaknya di atas Arasy Allah. Maka malaikat maut akan mengambil daun tersebut dan mula membuat persediaannya ke atas kita antaranya ialah ia akan mula mengikuti kita sepanjang masa. Akan terjadi malaikat maut ini akan memperlihatkan wajahnya sekilas lalu dan jika ini terjadi, mereka yang terpilih akan merasakan seakan-akan bingung seketika.
7 hari sebelum kematian:
Adapun tanda ini akan diberikan hanya kepada mereka yang diuji dengan musibah kesakitan di mana orang sakit yang tidak makan secara tiba- tiba ianya berselera untuk makan.
3 hari sebelum kematian:
Pada ketika ini akan terasa denyutan di bahagian tengah dahi kita iaitu di antara dahi kanan dan kiri. Jika tanda ini dapat dikesan maka berpuasalah kita selepas itu supaya perut kita tidak mengandungi banyak najis dan ini akan memudahkan urusan orang yang akan memandikan kita nanti. Ketika ini juga mata hitam kita tidak akan bersinar lagi dan bagi orang yang sakit hidungnya akan perlahan-lahan jatuh dan ini dapat dikesan jika kita melihatnya dari bahagian sisi. Telinganya akan layu dimana bahagian hujungnya akan beransur-ansur masuk ke dalam. Telapak kakinya yang terlunjur akan perlahan-lahan jatuh ke depan dan sukar ditegakkan.
1 hari sebelum kematian:
Akan berlaku sesudah waktu Asar di mana kita akan merasakan satu denyutan di sebelah belakang iaitu di kawasan ubun-ubun di mana ini menandakan kita tidak akan sempat untuk menemui waktu Asar keesokan harinya.
Tanda akhir sebelum kematian:
Akan berlaku keadaan di mana kita akan merasakan satu keadaan sejuk di bahagian pusat dan ianya akan turun ke pinggang dan seterusnya akan naik ke bahagian halkum. Ketika ini hendaklah kita terus mengucap kalimah syahadah dan berdiam diri dan menantikan kedatangan malaikat maut untuk menjemput kita kembali kepada Allah yang telah menghidupkan kita dan sekarang akan mematikan pula.
Kubur/liang lahat Setiap Hari Menyeru kepada Manusia Sebanyak 5 Kali.
1. Aku rumah yang terpencil, maka akan senang dengan selalu membaca Al-Quran.
2. Aku rumah yang gelap, maka terangilah aku dengan selalu sholat malam.
3. Aku rumah yang penuh tanah dan debu, bawalah amal soleh yang menjadi hamparan.
4. Aku rumah ular berbisa, maka bawalah amalan Bismillah sebagai penawarnya.
5. Aku rumah pertanyaan Munkar dan Nankir, maka banyaklah bacaan Laa illaa ha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah?supaya kamu dapat menjawabnya.
sumber : Tausyiahislamiyyah
Ini adalah tanda pertama dari Allah kepada hambanya dan hanya akan disedari oleh mereka-mereka yang dikehendakinya. Walaubagaimanapun semua orang Islam akan mendapat tanda ini cuma sama ada mereka sedar atau tidak sahaja. Tanda ini akan berlaku lazimnya selepas waktu Asar. Seluruh tubuh iaitu dari hujung rambut sehingga ke hujung kaki akan mengalami getaran atau seakan-akan mengigil.
40 hari sebelum kematian:
Tanda ini juga akan berlaku sesudah waktu Asar. Bahagian pusat kita akan berdenyut-denyut. Pada ketika ini daun yang tertulis nama kita akan gugur dari pokok yang letaknya di atas Arasy Allah. Maka malaikat maut akan mengambil daun tersebut dan mula membuat persediaannya ke atas kita antaranya ialah ia akan mula mengikuti kita sepanjang masa. Akan terjadi malaikat maut ini akan memperlihatkan wajahnya sekilas lalu dan jika ini terjadi, mereka yang terpilih akan merasakan seakan-akan bingung seketika.
7 hari sebelum kematian:
Adapun tanda ini akan diberikan hanya kepada mereka yang diuji dengan musibah kesakitan di mana orang sakit yang tidak makan secara tiba- tiba ianya berselera untuk makan.
3 hari sebelum kematian:
Pada ketika ini akan terasa denyutan di bahagian tengah dahi kita iaitu di antara dahi kanan dan kiri. Jika tanda ini dapat dikesan maka berpuasalah kita selepas itu supaya perut kita tidak mengandungi banyak najis dan ini akan memudahkan urusan orang yang akan memandikan kita nanti. Ketika ini juga mata hitam kita tidak akan bersinar lagi dan bagi orang yang sakit hidungnya akan perlahan-lahan jatuh dan ini dapat dikesan jika kita melihatnya dari bahagian sisi. Telinganya akan layu dimana bahagian hujungnya akan beransur-ansur masuk ke dalam. Telapak kakinya yang terlunjur akan perlahan-lahan jatuh ke depan dan sukar ditegakkan.
1 hari sebelum kematian:
Akan berlaku sesudah waktu Asar di mana kita akan merasakan satu denyutan di sebelah belakang iaitu di kawasan ubun-ubun di mana ini menandakan kita tidak akan sempat untuk menemui waktu Asar keesokan harinya.
Tanda akhir sebelum kematian:
Akan berlaku keadaan di mana kita akan merasakan satu keadaan sejuk di bahagian pusat dan ianya akan turun ke pinggang dan seterusnya akan naik ke bahagian halkum. Ketika ini hendaklah kita terus mengucap kalimah syahadah dan berdiam diri dan menantikan kedatangan malaikat maut untuk menjemput kita kembali kepada Allah yang telah menghidupkan kita dan sekarang akan mematikan pula.
Kubur/liang lahat Setiap Hari Menyeru kepada Manusia Sebanyak 5 Kali.
1. Aku rumah yang terpencil, maka akan senang dengan selalu membaca Al-Quran.
2. Aku rumah yang gelap, maka terangilah aku dengan selalu sholat malam.
3. Aku rumah yang penuh tanah dan debu, bawalah amal soleh yang menjadi hamparan.
4. Aku rumah ular berbisa, maka bawalah amalan Bismillah sebagai penawarnya.
5. Aku rumah pertanyaan Munkar dan Nankir, maka banyaklah bacaan Laa illaa ha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah?supaya kamu dapat menjawabnya.
sumber : Tausyiahislamiyyah
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