THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME WITH PROPHET MUHAMMAD THE PROPHET OF ALLAH 008 The Prophethood by Khadeijah A. Stephens Copyright © 1984-2012 by Allah.com Muhammad.com Mosque.com Khadeijah A. Stephens Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem The Prophethood The Cave of Mount Hira Just outside Mecca lies a mountain called Mount Hira and it was there that Muhammad would often retreat to one of its caves to contemplate and worship Allah alone through the means of meditation. The formal way in which his ancestors, Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, had worshipped was long forgotten and he knew no other way of worship. During the month of Ramadan, it had become Muhammad’s custom to make a special retreat to the cave taking with him some water and dates for his provision. When Khadijah thought his provisions might be getting low, she would, despite the fact she was no longer young and the slopes leading to the cave were steep, go there to bring him fresh supplies. The affairs Muhammad observed in Mecca troubled him deeply, but most of all he abhorred the increased worship of the idols placed in and around Ka'bah, for he had never been an idolater. He directed his worship to the One and only God, Allah, who created and creates all things. Read in the Name of your Lord Muhammad was just over forty, and the month of Ramadan had come around again, so he made his way once again up to the cave. It was there during his retreat, on the night of Monday 21st Ramadan, (10th August, 610 CE) that Allah sent the Arch Angel Gabriel to him. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was completely overwhelmed when Gabriel appeared, and he tried to look away, but no matter which direction he turned his face, the angel filled the horizon. Then the angel spoke, commanding him to read. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) had never learned to read and respectfully replied, "I cannot read" whereupon Gabriel took him, pressed him firmly to himself, and commanded him again to read. Once again the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) respectfully replied saying, "I cannot read." Gabriel took the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) yet again and pressed him firmly to himself but this time when he released him, he commanded him saying, "Read in the Name of your Lord who created, created the human from a (blood) clot. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught the human what he did not know." Koran Chapter 96 verses 1-5 and so the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) recited the words exactly as the angel had taught him. The verses he had been given were indelibly written deep into his very being and Gabriel departed. From this verse our attention is drawn to the way in which Allah introduced Himself to His Prophet and His creation of the human being and also His attribute of generosity. Thereafter the verse refers to knowledge and the way in which to preserve it. In reflection one remembers that the first prophet of Allah, Prophet Adam, was taught the names of everything in creation whereas Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa salaam), the last of all the prophet’s was introduced to the Name of Allah. The event was of tremendous proportion and consumed his thoughts but at the same time he was anxious about the bearing the responsibility and his role. The Prophet and Lady Khadijah Visit Warakah In haste, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), left the cave and made his way as his heart beat faster down the mountainside to his home. As soon as he saw Lady Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, he exclaimed with respect in plurality, "Zammiluni, Zammiluni “ meaning “You all, cover me, cover me!” Lady Khadijah had never seen him like this before and he told her of his experience in the cave and then of his thoughts. Lady Khadijah tried her best to comfort, and reassure him, and told him that Allah would never disappoint him because he was not only good to his family, but to those in need. She reminded him that he always spoke the truth and whenever asked he would comfort and help people solve their problems and then furthermore, that he was always hospitable. Lady Khadijah had an elderly cousin by the name of Warakah, Nawfal's son who was knowledgeable of the Scriptures. He had studied both the Torah and the original Gospel and became a Nazarene many years before, but now his sight had failed and blindness had overtaken him. So she suggested that they should go to him, tell him exactly what had happened, and ask his authoritative opinion. Warakah, like a handful of other people knowledgeable of the Scriptures, felt sure from their learning that the time was imminent for the coming of the last Prophet of Allah. He remembered the prophecy of Jesus, peace be upon him, to his disciples: "But now I go my way to God who sent me, and none of you asketh me, "Whither goest thou?' But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter (Prophet Muhammad) will not come unto you; but if I depart, he will be sent unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of its lack of righteousness, and judgment. Nevertheless when he, the Spirit of Truth (Gabriel) is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he (Prophet Muhammad) shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." Bible, New Testament John 58:80-82 and so Warakah listened intently to the events the Holy Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) described. Warakah had no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), had been chosen to be the last Prophet of Allah and informed him that the angel who appeared to him was the same one who had visited Prophet Moses and that it was none other than the Arch Angel Gabriel. Warakah told the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) how much he wished he could have been a youth when the order came from Allah for him to preach His Message, and warned that he would have to migrate from Mecca. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was surprised by Warakah's comment and asked, "Will I have to migrate?" Warakah confirmed what he had said saying, "Yes, there has never been a man who brought what you are going to come with that has not been the target of his enemies, but if I am alive when your time comes, I will be your strong supporter." A few weeks later Warakah passed away. The Revelation, Rank of the Prophets, Messengers and the Arch Angel Gabriel The night before Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) received the first revelation in the cave, Allah sent the Holy Koran from the protected tablet "Al Lawh Al Muhfuz" to be lodged in the lower heavens in the House of Honor. It was there that it remained until Allah commanded its verses and chapters to be sent down at their predetermined time. The Revelation of the Holy Koran took place over a period of twenty-three years, sometimes with long intervals between their sending. Allah refers to this great event in Chapter 97 of the Koran: "We sent this (the Holy Koran) down on the Night of Honor. What could let you know what the Night of Honor is! The Night of Honor is better than a thousand months, in that the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend by the permission of their Lord upon every command. Peace it is, till the break of dawn." A thousand months is equal to 83 years which is the span of a life time. What is meant is that if one spends the Night of Honor praying and asking Allah for forgiveness he/she is receiving a reward equal to his own life span. Allah refers to the event again in the Koran, Chapter 2 verse 185 "The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Koran was sent down, a guidance for people, and clear verses of guidance and the criterion ..." Until the advent of Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) each prophet had been sent for their own specific nation -- they were not sent to save the whole of humanity. In one of his sermons Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, spoke of his own particular mission which is recorded in the New Testament, "He answered, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel." (Bible, New Testament, Matthew 24 40:15), in other words, the sincere Jews who were trying to follow the true teachings of Moses but found it difficult to do so on account of the corrupt teachings of erring rabbis who better served and feared their secular masters rather than their Creator. The mission of Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was not to be restricted to the Arab nation but instead it was for all nations of the world. He was sent with a Book, -- Al Koran -- that Allah, in His Mercy has promised to protect from any form of corruption. "It is We who sent down the Koran, and We watch over (protect) it." Koran Chapter 15 verse 9 Before the prophets were sent to their respective nations, each took a covenant with Allah: "'And when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets: ‘That I have given you of the Book and Wisdom. Then there shall come to you a Messenger (Muhammad) confirming what is with you, you shall believe in him, and you shall support him, to be victorious, do you agree and take My load on this?' They answered: 'We do agree.' Allah said: 'Then bear witness, and I will be with you among the witnesses.'" Koran Chapter 3 verse 81 The rank of the Arch Angel Gabriel is that of the highest of all angels. It is he who received the honor of delivering the Scriptures to all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, from the time of Adam up until Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. He also visited Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus, to bring her the news of her miraculous conception. Peace be upon all the prophets and their righteous families. Adel’s son reported that Gabriel visited Prophet Adam twelve times, Prophet Idris four times, Prophet Noah fifty times, Prophet Job three times, Prophet Moses four hundred times, Prophet Jesus ten times - thrice when he was young and seven times after he reached the age of maturity - and that he visited Prophet Muhammad on twenty-four thousand occasions during which time he delivered the Divine Revelation, the Koran that contains 6236 verses as well as many prophetic quotations. We also know that Gabriel visited Lady Hagar and her son Prophet Ishmael at least once when Gabriel struck his feet on the ground and the waters of Zamzam started to flow, and at least once to Prophet Joseph when he was thrown into the well by his brothers. Peace be upon all the prophets. The Miraculous Koran When Allah intended His special miracles to be demonstrated by His Prophets, He created something similar, yet clearly superior to the highly acclaimed skills of that day. To all but the proud, the miracles He sent were clearly recognizable and accepted as such by practitioner and layman alike. For example, during the time of Moses and Pharaoh, sorcery and magic had reached its highest peak. To prove to Pharaoh and his nation that Prophet Moses had been sent with the truth, Allah caused the staff of Moses, to turn into a serpent and devour the magical snakes of the sorcerers. When the sorcerers saw the miracle they surrendered immediately to the truth, knowing well that the miracle was a reality whereas their skills were nothing other than skilled trickery. Another example is that of the miracles given to Jesus. Prophet Jesus was sent at a time when the art of healing had reached an extremely high level. Among the healing miracles Allah permitted him was that he might raise the dead and heal the sick from incurable diseases. Physician and layman alike witnessed these miracles and knew that they were not the skills of a skillful physician, rather they were divine, holy miracles given to Jesus by his Creator. Earlier, we spoke of the pride Arabs took in their language and of the prestigious rank of a poet within their tribe. At no time in the history of Arabia had the science of language been greater or more eloquent. Annual poetry competitions were held in Mecca and elsewhere in Arabia to which people flocked just to listen to the beauty of the language and perhaps partake. Although Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was given many great miracles, the greatest miracle given to him was the Holy Koran, for its composition, grammar, eloquence, and finery surpasses the work of any author or poet. One might well bear in mind that whereas the miracles given to previous prophets during their time appeared they no longer remain today, whereas, the Arabic Koran remains for all time and is protected by Allah from any alteration. Allah issues a challenge in the Koran for anyone to compose a chapter, or even just a verse of the same quality and beauty to those in His Koran and at the same time warns that no one will ever be able to do so. In His Mercy, Allah has promised to keep the Arabic Koran free from alteration or corruption. The miracle of the Koran was and still is apparent to all whose ego does not resist. "If you are in doubt of what We have sent down to Our worshipper (Prophet Muhammad), produce a chapter comparable to it. Call upon your helpers, other than Allah, to assist you, if you are true. But if you fail, as you are sure to fail, then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is of people and stones prepared for the unbelievers." Koran Chapter 2 verses 23:24 Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was also given miracles both similar and superior to those of Prophets Jesus and Moses, peace be upon them. The Early Revelations and Allah Makes Known the Greatness of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) Not long after the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) received the first verses of the Revelation when he became a Prophet, he received another. This time it was a single letter with a mystical meaning. Later on during the Revelations the Prophet received other mystical letters. The next time Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) received verses they included a Divine Oath of reassurance, these verses were also preceded by one of those mystical letters, the letter "nuun". "Nuun. By the Pen and that (the angels) write, you are not, because of the favor of your Lord, mad. Indeed, there is an unfailing wage for you. Surely, you (Prophet Muhammad) are of a great morality ..." Koran Chapter 68 verses 1 - 4 There was to be an interval of approximately ten days between these last verses and the sending down of the next, whereupon the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) became concerned. Lady Khadijah tried her best to console and reassure him, but now that Warakah had passed away there was no one else except her to turn to. Then, the much awaited Revelation resumed once more and again it contained a Divine Oath that laid to rest his concern and comforted both his heart and soul. It was in this Revelation that he received the order to preach and to tell of the favors of his Lord. "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!" Koran, Chapter 93 This verse demonstrates the absolute assurance of the honor in which Allah appraises His beloved Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, together with His praising and the care He has for him which is made evident in several 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, praise and peace be upon him. Secondly, Allah clarifies his situation and allays Prophet Muhammad’s fear 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. Thirdly, 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. 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, praise and peace be upon him, will not be satisfied if any of his nation enters the Fire." Fourthly, 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 Prophet Muhammad by Allah together with His favors, which include, the guidance of people through him, or his guidance. He had no property, yet Allah enriched him. It has been said that, it refers to the contentment and wealth He placed in his heart. He 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 he 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, praise and peace be upon him, 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, He called him to the Prophethood and had neither abandoned him nor disliked him. How could He do so after He had chosen him! Fifthly, in this verse Allah tells Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, "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 and this is both special to the Prophet and general to them. The Prophethood 008 Back Cover The Cave of Mount Hira Read in the Name of your Lord The Prophet and Lady Khadijah Visit Warakah The Revelation, Rank of the Prophets, Messengers and the Arch Angel Gabriel The Miraculous Koran The Early Revelations and Allah Makes Known the Greatness of Prophet Muhammad