ALLAH PRAISES HIS PROPHET MUHAMMAD Part 1 Extracted from The Cure SAHIH-SHEFA by Supreme Justice Abulfadl Eyad, died (1123CE - Islamic Year 544H) Reported by Grand Muhaddith Habib Hafiz Abdullah Ben Sadek Revised by Muhaddith Abdullah Talidi An adaptation by Servant of Hadith, Shaykh Ahmad Darwish (Arabic) Khadeijah A. Stephens (English) Siti Nadriyah (Indonesian) Copyright © 1984-2011 Allah.com Muhammad.com. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy – Guidelines Allah praises His Prophet Muhammad The praising of Allah for His Prophet Muhammad and his exalted status in both sayings and deeds: The Imam, Hafiz, Abulfadl, may Allah be pleased with him, opens his great work of Prophet Muhammad's biography with an introduction saying: Praise be to Allah who is alone in possessing His most splendid Name, and is the Owner of unconquerable might… Anyone who has picked up a book, large or small, about Prophet Muhammad cannot fail to have recognized the exalted status in which Allah beholds him. Nor yet can they fail to recognize how Allah blessed him with a multiplicity of virtues, excellent qualities and characteristics. To try to do justice to his immense worth would exhaust both tongue and pen. One catches a glimpse of the exalted status in which Allah beholds His Prophet in the Holy Koran where one witnesses His praise of his character and morality, and reads of the instruction of Allah to His worshipers to hold tightly to him and obey his commands. Allah in His overwhelming bounty bestows honor on him, prefers him, praises him and rewards him with the greatest reward. Allah is overwhelmingly bountiful in the beginning and in the life to come. All praise is due to Him in this world and in the Everlasting Life. Allah presented the Prophet to His creation and made him the most perfect human being and distinguished him amongst other fine attributes, with the most beautiful qualities and noble opinions. Allah supported His Prophet with miracles that held people in wonderment. He gave him clear proofs, and honored him, all of which his contemporaries and Companions witnessed and the generation that came after him indisputably knew. This blessed knowledge with its light was passed down in trusted hands and through which we are indeed blessed with the light of the Prophet . May Allah praise and venerate our Master Muhammad and grant him perfect peace in abundance. The Companion, Anas narrated the story of how the winged heavenly mount by the name of Burak was bridled and saddled for the Prophet to ride on his miraculous Night Journey, shied away from him. The Archangel Gabriel asked Burak why he behaved in such a manner saying, "Do you do this to Muhammad? No one more honored by Allah than he has ever ridden you.” Upon hearing these words Burak broke out in a sweat. The Prophet’s Exalted Status with Allah The following contains some of the clearest Koranic verses that speak of the Prophet depicting the high esteem and praise of Allah for him together with the excellence of his qualities. The Prophet's praiseworthiness and excellent qualities: Allah says, "Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from your own" (9:128). In this verse Allah informs the believers, Arabs, the people of Mecca and peoples of the world that He sent to them from their own selves a Messenger. A Messenger of whom they were sure and already known to them as being both truthful and trustworthy and because he was one of them that he was sure to give them good counsel. Each tribe of Arabia was linked to him either through kinship or ancestry and he was by far their most noble and excellent kinsman. Abbas' son, as well as many others, said this is the meaning of the words of Allah, "except the love of the (Prophet's) relatives" (42:23). He is the most noble, highest and most excellent of them. And this is the highest of praise. In the same verse Allah attributes to his Prophet various praiseworthy qualities and He praises the Prophet's eagerness to guide people to Islam as well as his sincere concern for the harm that afflicts them not only in this life but also in the Everlasting Life. It is also an insight to the kindness and mercy the Prophet showed to those who believed him. A knowledgeable person draws one's attention to the fact that, Allah honored him with two of His own Names – Rauf, Gentle and Raheem, Merciful. Allah says, "Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from your own, he grieves for your suffering, and is anxious about you, and is gentle, merciful to the believers." (9:128). He also says, "If it was not for the bounty of Allah to you and His Mercy, and Allah is the Gentle, the Most Merciful." (24:20) In the chapter Al-Imran Allah says, 'Allah has surely been gracious to the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves' (3:164). Allah also says, 'It is He who has raised among the illiterate (Arabs), a Messenger from themselves,' (62.2). Again, in another verse Allah says, 'As We have sent among you a Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) from yourselves,' (2:151) Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, explained that the words of Allah 'from your own' refers to the Prophet’s lineage, relationship by marriage or descent and that from the time of Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, there was neither an adulterer nor fornicator in his lineage, all were officially married. The Sending of the Prophet as Mercy for the World Referring to the verse, "Whosoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he has obeyed Allah" (4:80). Jafar, the son of Muhammad said, "Allah is aware that His creation is incapable of pure obedience to Him so He informed us in this sequence – the Messenger, then Allah – so it would be realized one would never be able to aspire to the achievement of pure obedience to Him. Therefore, between Allah and mankind He placed one of their own, adorning him with His own attributes of Compassion and Mercy. He made him a truthful ambassador for all creation and decreed that when a person obeys the Prophet he is in fact obeying Allah, and when someone complies with him, they are also complying with Allah." Abu Bakr, Tahir's son, explained the verse, "We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds" (21:107) as meaning Allah endowed Prophet Muhammad with mercy so that his very being was mercy and all his qualities and attributes were a mercy to all creation. When a person is touched by any portion of his mercy he is saved in both worlds from every hateful matter and reaches everything that is loved. Reflect upon the words of Allah who said, "We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds." Abu Bakr, Tahir's son further explained that the Prophet's life and death were a mercy, because the Prophet said, "My life is good for you and my death is good for you" (reported in Musnad Ahmad and according to Sahih Muslim's criteria). Prophet Muhammad also said, "When Allah decrees mercy for a nation He takes its Prophet to Him before them, and causes him to be the one to go ahead in order to prepare for them the way." (Reported in Sahih Muslim in the Chapter of Virtue). As-Samakandi further elaborated on, "as a mercy to all the worlds" saying it refers to both mankind and jinn, and that it has also been explained as being for all of creation. For believers he is indeed a mercy as he is their guide. As for the hypocrites he was also a mercy to them because he granted them security by not killing them, rather, he deferred their punishment by imposing a fine. When it came to those who did not believe he was also merciful by deferring their punishment. Abbas' son commented, "He is a mercy to both believers and unbelievers. In the case of the unbelievers they were saved from the punishment that came to other communities who belied their prophet." Allah named Prophet Muhammad "Light" in the Koran Allah refers to His Prophet in the Koran as a light, "A light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book" (5:15). He also says, "O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and to bear warning; a caller to Allah by His permission and as a light shedding lamp" (33:45-46). The Seeing of the Light of the Prophet during his birth by Lady Aminah, Mother of the Prophet, by Darwish: Sairia, Al Irbad's son, said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Indeed, I am the worshipper of Allah, and the Seal of the prophets since Adam was set in clay. I will inform you about this: I am the supplication of my father Abraham, the glad tidings of Jesus, and the vision of my mother and as such, the mothers of the prophets see – and know that the mother of the Messenger of Allah saw as she gave birth to me, a light emitting from her that lit the palaces of Syria, till she saw them." Narrated by Ahmad son of Hanbal, Bazar and Al Byhaqi who judged it to be authentic as did ibn Hibban, Al Hakim and confirmed by Hafiz ibn Hajar. Reported by Hafiz Abdullah Bin Siddique Al Ghumari, may Allah have mercy on them. (Shaykh Darwish added: this hadith negates the opinion of those who consider Lady Aminah to be merely among the people of an upright nature before Islam, and as such their "charity" is sent back to them. This prophetic saying is proof that she is the first among the close friends of Allah (awlia) in Islam, and that she is the honorable mother of the family of the Prophet's house, since she saw with the eye of the close friends of Allah (awlia). Such high ranking status is referenced in the Divine hadith, "I will be his sight with which he sees". This means that she saw the palaces not with her regular eyesight but with her son's light . Therefore, she endowed him with her best honor and milk, and he lit her before lighting the world. Grammatically, the Prophet referred to himself as the second person with his mother and bore witness that she saw the whole light, whereas others only heard about the event thereafter. The Prophet honored her and called her "Mother of the Messenger of Allah". Her light, honor and happiness was inherited by Lady Khadijah then her daughter Lady Fatima, may Allah be pleased with them. Hafiz ibn Kathir in his Sahih (authentic) Seerah reported that Lady Aminah also saw the same light when she conceived the Prophet. He also mentioned in the same reference the blessing of the Prophet. Before his death, Shaykh Al Bani adhered to this and abandoned the Wahabi sect. Shaykh Al Bani became highly critical of the professed belief of the major Wahabi clerics - ibn Baz and Twigry - who maintain a similarity between human beings and Allah. This is, in brief, the blessing of Allah to us of the understanding of this hadith. It is the undisputable authentic reference to the light of the Prophethood and no one should consider the false narration that says, "O Jabir, the first creation by Allah is the light of your Prophet" which its fabricator claimed to be reported in the Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq. There is no such saying in that reference or anywhere else, it is totally false Regarding the tomb of Lady Aminah your attention is drawn to the fact that many years later during the march to the Battle of Uhud, Hind wife of Abu Sufyan called upon the hierarchy of the Koraysh to ravage the tomb of Lady Aminah. Even though the hatred of the Koraysh for the Prophet was great, they thought that such an act would be a despicable thing to do and the tribes of Arabia would be repulsed by their action, the stain of which would never be wiped out and it was a door they did not want to open. (In recent years, the Wahabi sect did not match the ethics of unbelievers of Mecca. They disrespected the tombs of the Prophet’s mother Lady Aminah, Lady Khadijah and the household of the Prophet and his Companions in the Baqia and elsewhere, and leveled them thereby making them unrecognizable. The graves are now unknown and unmarked. However, it is ironic the Wahabis have built management offices in Mecca and Medina which display the names and designated titles of their elite personnel on the door. Also, they have also demolished many significant Islamic neighborhoods such as Hudaybiyah and replaced them with secular names. Nowadays, many Islamic structures or places have been demolished and replaced by New York style buildings. The only thing that remains the same in Mecca is Ka’bah). The Expanding of the Chest of the Prophet Giving him the Status of Forgiveness and the Status of Being Protected From Sin Allah, the Almighty also says, "Have We not expanded your chest for you" (94:1) 'Expanded' means to widen, immense, and the word 'chest' in this verse refers to his heart. Abbas' son explained that Allah expanded the Prophet’s chest with the light of Islam, whereas Sahl At-Tustori said it means with the light of the message. Hasan Al Basri said that Allah filled it with judgment and knowledge. In the verses that follow, Allah says, 'and relieved you of your burden that weighed down your back' (94:2-8). Both Al Mawardi and As Sulami are of the opinion that the meaning refers to the Message that weighed down upon his back before the Prophet delivered it. It has also been said by As-Samakandi to mean Allah protected the Prophet from sin otherwise sins would have burdened his back. The chapter continues, 'Have We not raised your remembrance?' (94:4). This verse has been explained by Yahya, Adam's son as the bestowal of the Prophethood upon Muhammad. And it was said, "When I, (Allah) am mentioned, you are mentioned with Me in the proclamation: 'there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'" Also it was said it is regarding raising his name as mentioned and repeated in each Call to Prayer. It is now very clear that these words of Allah confirm the enormity of the favor He bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad together with the exalted rank the Prophet has before Him together with his honorable position. Allah expanded his chest to belief and guidance, making it wide enough to contain both the knowledge and wisdom. Allah protected His Prophet from the burden of everything contemptible in "The Age of Ignorance" (Jahiliyya) by making them repugnant to him, giving victory to His Religion over all previous Religions. The weighty responsibility of the message, and Prophethood was lightened for him by Allah, so that he was able to present the entrusted message sent down to him to mankind. Again, Allah stresses the Prophet's superlative position, his tremendous rank, and great prominence by raising his name in the company of His Own Name. Of this Katada said, "Allah exalted his fame in the world, and in the Everlasting Life. There is no witness, nor yet one who offers the prayer who does not say, 'There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'" Abu Sayeid Al Khudri narrated that the Prophet said, "Gabriel came to me and said, 'My Lord and your Lord says: Do you know how I have raised your name? When My Name is mentioned, he is mentioned with Me." Allah says, "Obey Allah and His Messenger" (3:32) and "Believers, believe in Allah and His Messenger" (4:136). Here it is evident that obedience to Allah is connected to our being obedient to His Prophet and notice how his name is mentioned alongside with the Name of Allah. Note how Allah added the Prophet after Him with the word "and". It is evident and stresses the importance of the Prophet’s favored, prominent status that was not bestowed upon any of the other prophets or messengers of Allah. Huthaifa informs us that the Prophet said, "No one should say, 'What Allah wills and (wa) so-and-so wills,' rather one should say, 'What Allah wills" and thereafter say, 'then so-and-so wills." At a gathering in which the Prophet was present, someone spoke saying, "Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whosever disobeys them both …" Whereupon the Prophet stopped him and said, "What a bad speaker you are, get up" or, in another rendering "leave". This was because of his joining Allah and His Prophet by using a dual pronoun. Abu Sulayman commented it was because, "He disliked the two names being joined together in that way because of the implication of equality." Whereas there is another opinion that what the Prophet disliked was the person stopping at 'whosever disobeys them both.' However, Abu Sulayman's statement is considered to be more correct because it is in compliance with another authentic prophetic saying which reads, "Whosoever disobeys them has erred," without pausing after "… whosoever disobeys them." Allah says, "Allah, and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet" (33:56). Some have commented whether or not the word "praise" refers to Allah and His angels. Some hold it permissible to refer to both whereas it is forbidden by others on account of the notion of partnership. They consider the pronoun refers to the angels alone and conclude that the verse means "Allah praises and venerates the Prophet, and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet." The Messenger of Allah is the one who came with the truth and believed it The consensus of Islamic scholars upon the verse of Allah that reads, "And he who comes with the truth, and confirms it those are they who surely fear Allah. They shall have whatever they want with their Lord, that is the recompense of the good-doers," (39:33-34) refers to Prophet Muhammad who brought the truth. Another scholar added, "It is he who confirmed it." The Arabic word in the verse is read in two ways. One of its meanings is 'spoke the truth' and refers to the Prophet and the other meaning 'confirmed it' refers to believers. Amongst other commentaries it is said that the word "confirmed" refers to Abu Bakr or Ali. Mujahid said explaining the words of Allah, "and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah" (13:28) are in reference to Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. The Prophet , a Witness Over All Mankind Allah says, "O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and to bear warning, a caller to Allah by His permission and as a light shedding lamp" (33:45-46). It is learned from these verses that Allah blessed His Prophet with every noble rank and praiseworthy quality and that by conveying the Message He made him a witness of his nation which was one of his special, praiseworthy qualities. The Prophet is the one who brought the good news for all people who obey him, and warned those who opposed the Message he delivered. The Message the Prophet delivered called to the Oneness of Allah, and that it is Allah alone who must be worshiped. Allah described His Prophet as a "light shedding lamp" with which he guides to the truth. Ata, Yasar's son met Abdullah, Amr's son, who was the son of Al As and asked him to described the Messenger of Allah . He said, "Indeed, by Allah some of the characteristics described in the Koran are found in the Torah that reads, 'O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings and to be a warner, and a refuge for the illiterate. You are My worshipper and My Messenger, I will name you the one upon whom people rely. You will be neither ill mannered nor vulgar, nor will you shout in the market place or repay evil with evil, rather, you will pardon and forgive. Allah will not cause him to die until the crooked religion (Judaism also Christianity) has been straightened by him and they declare 'There is no god except Allah!' Through him, eyes that were blind, ears that were deaf and hearts which were covered will be opened." A similar narration is reported by Abdullah, Shalom’s son and Ka'b Al Ahbar. In the Koran Allah tells us, "And to those who shall follow the Messenger – the Unlettered Prophet (Muhammad) whom they shall find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel. He will order kindness upon them and forbid them to do evil. He will make good things lawful to them and prohibit all that is foul. He will relieve them of their burdens and of the shackles that had weighed upon them. Those who believe in him and honor him, those who aid him and follow the light sent forth with him shall surely prosper.' Say, 'O mankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all. His is the kingdom in the heavens and the earth. There is no god except He. He revives and causes to die. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His Words. Follow him in order that you are guided.'" (7:157-158) Allah also says, "It was by the Mercy of Allah that you (Prophet Muhammad) dealt so leniently with them. Had you been hardhearted, they would have surely deserted you. Therefore ask forgiveness for them. Take counsel with them in the matter and when you are resolved, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who trust" (3:159) As-Samakandi commented upon this verse saying, "Allah reminds them that, He made His Messenger merciful, compassionate and lenient to believers. If he had been harsh, and spoken to them sternly, they would have deserted him. But Allah made him generous, tolerant, kind and gentle." Abul Hasan Al Qabisi explained the verse, "And so We have made you a median nation, in order that you will be a witness above people, and that the Messenger be a witness above you" (2:143) saying, "Allah makes the excellence of our Prophet very clear and also the excellence of his nation." "And in this so that the Messenger can be a witness for you and in order that you be witnesses against mankind" (22:78) and, "How then shall it be when We bring forward from every nation a witness, and bring you (Prophet Muhammad) to witness against those!" (4:41) By "median nation" Allah means a nation that is both balanced and good. The meaning of the verses is that Allah chose and preferred the nation of Prophet Muhammad by making them an excellent, balanced nation so that they could be witnesses against the nations of previous prophets. And that, the Messenger will be a truthful witness over his nation. Allah's kindness and gentleness to the Prophet Allah said, "Allah has pardoned you. Why did you give them leave (to stay behind) until it was clear to you which of them was truthful and knew those who lied?" (9:43). Abu Muhammad Mekki said, "This is an introductory phrase, meaning Allah makes you good and gives you honor." Awn, Abdullah's son draws one's attention saying, "In this verse Allah tells the Prophet about pardoning before speaking of the advice." As-Samakandi reported that he had heard the verse explained as, "Allah has saved you, why did you give them permission?" Had Allah addressed him first with the question, "why did you give them permission" it would have been very hard on the Prophet and the heart of the Prophet would have been affected in a way that it might almost have burst, from these words. But instead, Allah in His Mercy first told him of the status of pardoning, so that his heart remained tranquil, and it was then that He said to him, "Why did you give them leave until it was clear to you which of them was truthful and knew those who lied?" It is easy for all to understand and recognize that this is yet another demonstration of the honored status in which the Prophet is held by Allah and that he is the subject of the kindness of Allah. If the depth of this kindness were to be known to us our hearts would undoubtedly burst. (From this we learn) a Muslim should strive hard and try to achieve the ethics and manners outlined in the Koran, not only in words, but also in action, search and communication. Such manners and ethics are the basis of true knowledge and the path of acceptable behavior in both Religion and in one's everyday affairs. When one supplicates to the Lord of all lords, the One who blesses each and every one of us - and is not in need of a single thing - one should not fail to remember the extraordinary kindness of Allah. The benefits of this verse should not be overlooked, they should be well heeded. Notice how Allah begins by first honoring the Prophet then gently draws attention to the advice. There is pleasure in the intimacy of the pardoning before the advice. Allah says, "And if We had not fortified you, you would have been very slightly inclining towards them" (17:74). This verse demonstrates the greatest possible concern Allah has for His Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Previous prophets were admonished, whereas Prophet Muhammad was gently advised, thereby the gentle advice became more effective and a greater indication of the love Allah. This is also a demonstration of the greatest possible care Allah has for His Prophet . Pay attention to they way in which Allah begins by expressing His fortification and security to His Prophet before mentioning His gentle advice lest he had a very slight inclination so that the Prophet did not dwell on it. His innocence remained intact whilst being gently advised so that he was not vulnerable on account of the gentle advising, his honor and security were not put at risk. Allah Honors His Prophet : Bearing Witness to his Honesty and Comforts him with His Kindness This is applicable to the verse, "We know what they say saddens you. It is not you that they belie; but the harmdoers deny the verses of Allah" (6:33). Ali said that this verse was sent down when Abu Jahl said, "We do not call you a liar. We say that what you have brought is a lie." It has also been narrated that the Prophet was saddened when his tribesmen belied him whereupon the Archangel Gabriel, peace be upon him, visited him and asked, "What saddens you?" to which he replied, 'My tribesmen belie me." Gabriel then informed him, "They know you are telling the truth." Thereafter Allah sent down this verse. This verse is full of kindness and gently consoles the Prophet . It also affirms that he is indeed held to be truthful by all in both word and belief, and that it is not him they belie, rather it is the Words of Allah. Even before he was called to the Prophethood, all and sundry knew him to be trustworthy. With the sending down of this verse his sadness that others had turned to think he was a liar was removed. After this consolation, Allah censures those who belie by referring to them as harmdoers saying, "but the harmdoers belie the verses of Allah" (6:33). Allah did not permit His Prophet to be dishonored and classifies the deniers on account of their denial of His signs as being arrogant. One should realize that belying arises when a person has knowledge of something but chooses to deny it. Allah makes this very clear in the verse, "They denied them unjustly out of pride, though their souls acknowledged them" (27:14). In another verse Allah further consoles His beloved Prophet and causes him to rejoice because he knows the help of Allah will come. Allah says, "Messengers indeed were belied before you, yet they became patient with that which they were belied and were hurt until Our help came to them" (6:34). It is also of note that Allah addresses all His other noble prophets and messengers by their name, saying for example, "O Adam", "O Noah' "O Abraham", "O Moses" "O David," "O Jesus". "O Zachariah", and "O John" however, amongst, the distinguishing qualities of the Prophet one finds the kindness and honoring of Allah to His last Prophet as He addresses Prophet Muhammad with titles such as "O Messenger" (Al-Ma'ida 5:67), "O Prophet" (33:45), "O Wrapped" (73:1), "O Cloaked" (74:1). Allah swears to the immense value of the Prophet Allah says, "By your life, they wandered blindly in their bedazzlement" (15:72). There is a consensus of scholastic opinion in this verse that Allah swore by the life span of Prophet Muhammad and means, "By your continuation, O Muhammad" and that it also bears the meaning, "By your life." This is yet another indication of the great respect and honor in which Allah appraises Prophet Muhammad . Abbas' son explained, "Allah did not create any soul more honored than that of Muhammad , and I have never heard of an oath taken by Allah on the life of anyone else." In the chapter Yaseen, Allah says, "Yaseen, by the Wise Koran, you (Prophet Muhammad) are truly among the Messengers sent upon a Straight Path. (36:1-4) To verify the Messengership of the Prophet and to bear witness to the truth of his guidance Allah swears in His Book that Prophet Muhammad is indeed one of the Messengers, a Messenger entrusted to deliver His Revelation to His worshipers and that indeed he is on the Straight Path. An-Naqqasah said, "Allah did not swear by any of His Prophets in His Book that they were Messengers except for Muhammad ." On the other hand, we are reminded that the Prophet said, "I am the master of the children of Adam, and that is not being boastful." The Swearing of Allah by the Country in which His Prophet Resides Allah says, "No, I swear by this country and you are a lodger in this country" (90:1-2). The explanation of "No, I swear by this country" is that the usage of the word "No" is both what it says and its opposite, in other words, "If you are not living in it, after having left it then I do not swear by it", and its opposite, "I swear by it when you, O Muhammad, are living in it, or, whatever you do in it is lawful". It has also been explained that the word "country" refers to Mecca. Al Wasiti explained the verse as meaning that Allah swears by this country, the country which He honored and blessed, as it is there that the Prophet lives and it is there that he will be buried. However, the first interpretation of the two meanings is considered to be more accurate because the chapter was revealed in Mecca and it was there that he lodged and Allah refers to him saying, ”and you are a lodger in this country" (90:2). Ata's son says something similar when commenting on the words, "by this safe country" (95:2). He explained, "Allah made it a safe place because the Prophet was there and his presence is the cause of security wherever he is." Of the verse, "and by the giver of birth, and whom he fathered" (90:3) it has been said that this refers to Adam and consequently a general statement. Some are of the opinion that it refers to Abraham and his sons, which in turn leads to Prophet Muhammad's lineage. In either event, the chapter swears by Prophet Muhammad in two places. The oath of Allah confirming the Prophet Swearing of Allah by the Mid-Morning and Night that He has Neither Abandoned nor Dislikes the Prophet In the chapter "Mid-Morning" Allah says, "By the mid-morning, and by the night when it covers, your Lord has not forsaken you (Prophet Muhammad), nor does He hate you. The Last shall be better for you than the First. Your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied. Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? Did He not find you a wanderer so He guided you? Did He not find you poor and suffice you? Do not oppress the orphan, nor drive away the one who asks. But tell of the favors of your Lord!" (Chapter 93). There is a difference of opinion regarding the circumstances relating to the revelation of this chapter. There are those who are of the opinion that it was revealed at a time when, for an excusable status, the Prophet , did not offer his customary prayer during the night. Others are of the opinion that it was revealed when an unbelieving woman (the wife of Abu Jahl) spread rumors, or when the unbelievers started to pass derogatory remarks during a period when the Revelation was less frequent in its sending. It further demonstrates the absolute assurance of the honor in which Allah appraises His beloved Prophet together with His praising and the care He has for him which is made evident in six different ways: First of all, the opening verses of this chapter, "By the mid-morning, and by the night when it covers," is amongst one of the highest forms of esteem Allah gave His Prophet . Secondly, Allah clarifies his situation, and favors saying, "your Lord has not forsaken you (Prophet Muhammad), nor does He hate you." In other words, Allah had not abandoned him, and He makes it very clear that He does not neglect him. It has also been said that, Allah did not neglect him after choosing him, neither did He dislike him. Thirdly, note the words, "The last shall be better for you than the first" Isaac's son explained the meaning of this verse to be that when the Prophet returned to Allah his honor became even greater than the honor given to him in this world. Sahl At-Tustori said that it refers to the intercession granted to the Prophet and the praiseworthy station Allah has reserved especially for him in the Everlasting Life, which is greater than he was given in this life. Fourthly, from the verse, "your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied" we learn not only of his honor in this world and in the Everlasting Life but the happiness and blessings in both. Isaac's son explained it saying, "Allah will satisfy him by sending relief in this world and also reward him in the Everlasting life. The Prophet will be given the Pool adjacent to Kawthar, the grand right of intercession and the praised status." Referring to this verse, a member of the Prophet's family (Lady Ayesha) said, "The Koran contains no other verse that has more hope than this one and we know that the Messenger of Allah will not be satisfied if any of his nation enters the Fire." Fifthly, in the verses, "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? Did He not find you a wanderer so He guided you? Did He not find you poor and suffice you?" our attention is drawn to the blessings bestowed upon the Prophet by Allah together with His favors, which include, the guidance of people through him, or his guidance. The Prophet had no property, yet Allah enriched him. It has been said that, it refers to the contentment and wealth Allah placed in his heart. The Prophet was an orphan but his uncle took care of him and it was with him that he found shelter. It has also been explained as meaning that the Prophet found shelter with Allah and that the meaning of "orphan" is that there was no other like him and Allah sheltered him. As for the verses "Did He not find you a wanderer so He guided you? Did He not find you poor and suffice you? Do not oppress the orphan," Allah reminds His Prophet of these blessings and that even before Allah called him to the prophethood, He never neglected him either when he was a young orphan or when he was poor. Rather, Allah called him to the prophethood and had neither abandoned him nor disliked him. How could Allah do so after He had chosen him! Sixthly, in this verse Allah tells Prophet Muhammad "But tell of the favors of your Lord!" to announce the blessings given to him by Allah and to be thankful for the honor He bestowed upon him. This verse is also applicable to his nation in that they tell of the favors given to them by Allah and that this is both special to the Prophet and general to them.