NOTE

This document contains major key points from each module’s notes. It may contain mistakes but overall
in sha Allah it will be a good brush up for the course.
 ISER 102

Module 1/30

Muqawwimaat Ilmiyyah.

Session Coverage:

1. AL MABADI AL ASHARAH
2. OBJECTIVES OF STUDYING THE SEERAH
3. LEARNING OUTCOMES OF STUDYING THE SEERAH

Session Objective:

Understand w/ proficiency the introductory segment of this branch of knowledge.

1. Al Mabadi Al Asharah (The Ten Components). This was a scientific formulation established at an
unknown date. It can be found in introductory parts of various Uloom in the writings of the early
scholars when they’d do write about the Sharia sciences. 10 components of the science being
studied. This concept’s present formulation is credited to a 13th century Hijri scholar
Muhammad bin Ali al-Sabban. Al Mabadi Al Ashara are traced to his poetry.
If you have good understanding of Al Mabadi Al Ashara, you’ll have a good understanding of the
science in a holistic way. You must measure your knowledge from all the ten components. There
is no sequential order for the ten things.
However, the instructor has given his order in the picture below:
1. Al-Ismu (The Scientific Name): As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah (This is the most comprehensive
and widely accepted name of the science of the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬life). Al Maghazi, Ash-Shamail,
Al Manaqib are other names of this science. The latter names (i.e., names other than As-
Seerah An-Nabawiyyah) aren’t inclusive of all topics in the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬life.
Qasas/Qissa: Scholars use this term for lives of the previous prophets but the term ‘Seerah’
isn’t frowned upon when used for other prophets and has been used by some scholars.
2. Al-Haddu (The definition): Linguistic (lughawi) and Techincal (istilahi). When scholars
mention Al Haddu, they look at lughawi and istilahi aspects. There are 3 denotations of the
lughawi aspect according to Imam Az Zabidi’s encyclopedic dictionary. Only 2 of them are
our concern: manner/way of conduct and a physical state of an essence. Istilahi, it means a
chronological narrative description of the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬life (Al Haddu Al Istilahi).
3. Al-Maudoo (Theme/Domain of Research): A historical event surrounding the Prophet’s ‫ﷺ‬
life. The domain of research is only the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬life.
4. Al Istimdad (Sources): All the information about the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬is based either on
established source or unestablished source. Established source: Quran, Authentic Unbroken
(Musnad) Hadiths and Tawatur narrations. Ilm us-Seerah is a branch of the science of
hadith. Unestablished source: Any unverified narration (daif, munkar, fabricated, etc).
Imam Ahmad said that three types of compilations are unestablished: Al Maghazi, Al
Malahim, At-Tafsir. These 3 are widely filled with unestablished narrations.
Note:
Though the established source is the agreed-upon basis among the scholars, there is a bit
of flexibility –as adopted by some scholars-- on some historical accounts, even if they lack
historical tawātur, because of their popularity with conditions that they are not
reprehensible and bear no legal implications. In these type of accounts, strict adherence
to scientific verification based on hadīthic methodology is not very necessary. Likewise,
 there are some scholars who accept some accounts generally due to their relative
popularity, even if they do not fulfil the stipulated hadīthic verification conditions out
rightly. It is important for students to note that the methodology I subscribed to in this
course is the agreed-upon methodology based on established evidences with some
flexibility on few unestablished accounts that bear no legal implications and are not
directly ascribed to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. As a result, students might find some issues –based on
scientific verification-- strange to their previous knowledge on Prophetic Biography.

5. Nisbah (Attribution): Relationship b/w the science and remaining body of Sharia sciences.
Sciences are divided into Uqad (fundamental sciences) and Mula (non-fundamental
sciences). Seerah is from the non-fundamental sciences (Mula).
6. Hukm Shari (Sharia Ruling): Any direct or inferred text-based decision of the Lawgiver. The
ruling on studying the science is called its Hukm Shari. For As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah, the
Hukm Shari isn’t obligatory but rather recommended.
7. Al-Wadi’ (Proponent) – There is no proponent of seerah in the first Muslim generation since
the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was among them. But from second generation onwards, there were
narrators of the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬biography just like hadiths: Urwa, Zuhri. First surviving
compilation was by Ibn Ishaq (d. 151 AH). Compilers: Al Waqidi (d. 207 AH). Ibn Hibban. Ibn
Hazm Al Andalusi. Ibn Abdul Barr.
8. Al-Fadl (Virtue): Knowledge.
9. Benefit: Different from Virtue. Benefit. What one is Gaining from knowledge.
10. Al Masail (Scientific Issues).

Objectives of Study has two types:

1. Personality Development Objectives
Embodying the prophetic model. Taking him as a standard of behavior. The seerah shouldn’t be
studied for amusement sake.
2. Scientific Objectives
Gain exposure to chronological analysis. Historiographical and descriptive skill. Knowing the
scientific arrangement of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Where to start teaching the seerah. General Islamic
history. Etcetera.

Learning Outcomes of Studying the Seerah:

1. Achieve proficiency in teaching seerah to others.

2. Internalization of the prophetic values and ethics.
3. Ability to unlearn and correct misunderstandings.

MODULE 2/30:

The Arabs, Arabia and Mecca.

Coverage

1. Arabs
Arabic is the language of the Quran. But Islam is for everyone, universally. Primordial origin: Adam
and Eve. Secondary origin: direct ancestors, groups (Arabs, Caucasian, etcetera) (disputable).

Reasons for diversity in creation:

a. The creation is from Allah’s signs: beauty and diversity.

b. Mutual familiarity.

Arabs are Semitic people with common origin and language from a particular land. Ibn Faris, a 4th
century scholar of Arabic mentions that Arab (Ayn, Ra and Ba) semantic ‘clarity of expression’ (al-
ibaana al-ifsaa). The meaning of Ayn, Ra and Ba indicates Arabs having a relationship with clarity of
language.

‘Arab’ doesn’t mean barren land. This definition can’t be confirmed.

Arabs have been called ‘Arabs’ since the dawn of history.

Arabs’ Categorization (Opinions):

Opinion 1:

a. Al Arab al- Baidah (Extinct Arabs). It is claimed they’re Ad and Thamud. But there’s no evidence
that they were Arabs.
b. Al Arab al-Aribah (Pure Arabs): Clearly descendants of Qahtan but Qahtan’s ancestry itself
cannot be verified/established.
c. Al Arab al-Mustaribah (Arabized Arabs): Descendants of Prophet Ismail ‫ﷺ‬. Also known as
Adnani Arabs.

Opinion 2:

a. Al Arab al-Baidah (Extinct Arabs)

b. Al Arab al-Baqiyah (Existing Arabs): Jurhumites and descendants of Ismail ‫ﷺ‬. They (Al Arab al
Baqiyah) are both Qahtani and Adnani according to this opinion. (Strong Opinion)

The origins of Arabs can be traced to Jurhumites moving to Mecca. There is no difference of opinion
that the Adnani Arabs are descendants of Prophet Ismail. The issue is who the Qahtani Arabs are.
One opinion said they’re a separate category of Arabs. The correct opinion is that Qahtanis are also
descendants of Ismail. The tribe of Aslam is agreed to be a Qahtani clan. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬saw some
of the Aslam and called them ‘Bani Ismail,’ indicating clearly that they were Ismail’s descendants.
2. Language
The ancient Jurhumites taught Arabic to Ismail (an Arabized Arab), the father of both Adnanis
and Qahtanis. Jurhumites settled in Mecca. The dialect of the Qureshi tribe is regarded as the
purest of all dialects. The Quran was revealed in the Qureshi dialect. Uthman bin Affan said to
Zaid bin Thabit to write in the Qureshi dialect.
3. Native geography
Ardul Arab (Land of the Arabs). Jazeeratul Arab (Arabian Island). Shibhu Jazeeratul Arab (Arabian
Peninsula).
Arabia is mostly desert. It has mountains, surrounded by water on all fronts but north.
West – Red Sea
 South – Arabian Sea
East – Persian/Arabian Gulf
North – Iraq/Syria

Five Provinces:
a. Yemen
b. At-Tihama
c. An-Najd
d. Hejaz
e. Al Arud

Saudi, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Emirates are Jazeeratul Arab.

Some scholars differ on some locations in North if they are part of Arabia or not.

Brief Highlight of Mecca: Aka Becca. Surrounded by mountains. Najara fortress. Home to the
Kaaba (the first House of Allah’s Worship in human history) and Zamzam well.

The foundation of Kaaba was still there. Ismail and Ibrahim REBUILT the Kaaba. Ibrahim raised
the foundations of the Sacred House.

4. Mecca: brief highlights

Objectives:

For proper historical context.

Module 3/10:

Pre-Islamic Arabia/Period of Ignorance (Jahiliya)

Prevailing Political and Economic conditions of pre-Islamic Arabia.

Traits of Jahiliya and its meaning:

Jahiliyah = gerund. Ascribing Ignorance (linguistic). Unenlightened values prior to Islam.

Jahiliyah = Ignorance + Misguidance (these 2 elements are in all definitions of Jahiliya)

We can extend the meaning of Jahiliya to other unenlightened un-Islamic values.

600 BC – 610 CE: The period of Jahiliya in our discussion

Jahiliya Ammah = General Jahiliya (generic unenlightened values. it ended with Muhammad’s ‫ ﷺ‬advent)

Jahiliya Khassah = Unenlightened values that remained with specific individuals in specific periods after
the advent of Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

The categorization of Jahiliya is to mark distinct the impact of Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

Not all pre-Islamic actions are Jahiliya. Any definition of Jahiliya must have ignorance and misguidance.
In order for an act to be declared Jahili, it must meet characteristics.

The core objective of Islamic Message is to eliminate all forms of Jahiliya.

If someone from Pre-Islamic era had done good deed which is considered good in Islam, then such a
person will be rewarded.

Prevailing Political Conditions in Pre-Islamic Arabia (Mecca in Particular):

By political meaning social relationships, authority and government model, legislation and
administration of public affairs.

Dividing based on political policies Two divisions:

1. Northern Arabia: Nabatean, Lakhmids, Ghassanids, Kinda were kingdoms in North Arabia. The
political condition was similar to South Arabia. A sort of constitutional monarchy.

2. Southern Arabia: Hadramaut, Sheba, Himyarite kingdoms in South Arabia. It was suggested by
some historians that all these kingdoms had federalism despite being more polarized towards
hereditary monarchy. It could be said that Sheba was a consultative/constitutional monarchy.
Sheba mentions a council since she says ‘O Eminent Ones.’

Note: There are historical uncertainties here.

In whole of Arabia, with the exception of Mecca, constitutional monarchy was prevalent.

Mecca:
Qusay bin Kilab (7th descendant of Adnan in Arabized Arabs). The earliest traceable source for
Mecca’s political conditions can be traced to Qusay who fought the Khuzaa tribe.
Qusay battled Khuzaa and became leader of Mecca and unified the Qureshi tribes. He also
established Dar an-Nadwah (consultation house for Qureshi chiefs).
Dar an-Nadwah started as a consultative autocracy. After Qusay’s demise, it gradually became a
confederation. In other words, tribes enjoyed autonomy in taking decisions. Tribal customs
prevailed. Based on desires, tribal customs, etcetera the Pre-Islamic Arabs ruled.

Arabia: Consultative Monarchy

Mecca: Consultative Autocracy/Confederation

Qusay established administrative functions: As-Sadana (attendance to Kaaba, supervising

pilgrims, etc). As-Siqaya (water provision for pilgrims – Banu Hashim), Ar-Rifada (putting halal
sources for Allah’s House – Banu Hashim, later passed to Abu Talib), Ar-Raaya (protection of war
banner called Iqaab – Bani Abdul Dar), Kiyada (business caravans/convoys of Quresh – Banu
Abdul Shams, later passed to Abu Sufyaan).

Economic State:
Production, Consumption and Management of wealth, goods and services. Historical sources
show that Pre-Islamic Arabia was known for different economic activities due to its strategic
position.

Major economic activities: pastoral farming and trading.

Syria, summer. Yemen, winter.

Trade was a signature of Arab life then.

There were markets: some were perpetual and some were seasonal.
Notable markets: Ukaz, Majanna, Zul Majas.
Ibn Abbas says: Ukaz wa Majanna wa Zul Maja

Ukaz also served as an exhibition. Arabic scholars say that Ukaz was much more than a
marketplace. It was a showground of talent and much more.

There were a lot of unlawful transactions. mulāsamah, al-ḥaṣah, and ḥabal al-ḥabalah
Mulasamah: a blind transaction where the buyer is meant to buy whatever he touches, maybe
the content is hidden or not.

Al Hasah: a situation where the buyer cast a pebble at a set of commodities and the target
commodity is the one to buy, maybe good or bad. This is also used when buying land.

Habal al-Habalah: a transaction that involves buying the unborn livestock in the womb. This is
the one of the forms, it has other forms. All these jāhiliyyah dealings are prohibited in Islam
because they bear marks of deceit, gambling, uncertainty, and cheat. Their details are treated in
fiqh.

Module 4:

Pre-Islamic religion: doctrinal, devotional and ethical values.

Monotheism is default (according to a hadith Qudsi) via monotheistic intelligence and continuous
prophetic revelations.

Arabized Arabs (Ishmaelite) transitioned from Hanifiyyah to shirk due to gradual disappearance
of monotheistic intelligence.
The Pagan Arabs didn’t believe in the Last Day.

Popular idols: Hubal, Al-Lath, Al Uzza, Al Manath, Dhul Khalasa (Yemeni Kaaba), Isaf and Naila.

Kufr, Shirk, Tasyib (dedication of particular featured camels to idols such that others are
prevented from eating/riding such camels, freely graze for their gods).
Khurafat: Superstitions (e.g. angels are Allah’s daughters, falling star = death of a person, etc).
Kihana (divination): consultation of Jinn and horoscopy.
 Istiqsam: picking from azlam (fortune arrows).

Classification of Arabs:
1. Badu (nomad) and Hadr (city Arabs)
2. Elites and commoners

Traits of Arabs:

a. Ill treatment of slaves.

b. Racism/Tribalism
c. Dislike of baby girls
d. Discrimination of women (inheritance, zina like marriage, shighar marriage, dowry, prostitution,
two blood sisters, tabarruj, alcoholism, gambling)

Module 5:

Traits of Islam:

i. Rabbaniyah (divine)
ii. Shumuliyyah (comprehensiveness)
iii. Alamiyyah (Universality)
iv. Abadiyyah (Eternality)

Rabbaniyah is to all previous revelations, the remaining three traits are only for Islam.

Recited revelation: Quran

Non-recited revelation: Sunnah, Hikma, Prophet’s decision, Obedience to Prophet

Prophetic miracles: Ayah, Mujizat, Dalail an-Nubuwwah

General miracles: solar system, humans, animals, etc (facilitate monotheistic intelligence)

Prophets and their miracles are specific miracles.

Module 6:

Pre-prophethood stage, prophethood stage.

Arab custom and Islam both attach significance to lineage. Hifz an-Nasl is a goal of Sharia.

nasab being male-oriented is because a child’s attribution is fundamentally to the father customarily and
sharī’ah-wise.

Studying lineage is b/w obligatory and recommended.

Claiming other lineage, renouncing lineage, defamation of other’s lineage are all sins.

Apart from worldly honor, lineage has no role in the hereafter.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was born on Monday (according to a hadith of Abu Qatadah), Rabi al Awwal, the Year of
Elephant. 20th/21st April 571 CE.

Mecca being birthplace is via tawatur.

Details of his aqiqah aren’t established.

Thuwayba, slave of Abu Lahab was likely the first wet nurse and afterwards, he was given to Halima (foster
mother).

The story of Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬as a young boy w/ Abu Talib seeking rain during drought is unreliable.

The hadith of Bahira the Monk is munkar (unrecognized).

Module 7

Al Fijar means: mutual injustice.

Aka Sacrilegious war. Prophet’s participation is chainless and lack historical tawatur.

Qureshi vs Qays Aylan

After the war, Hilf al Mutayyabin occurred, an alliance made.

Some say Hilf Al Fudul occurred before Aam al-Feel and after Al Fijar, it was renewed as Hilf al-Mutayyabin.

Historical tawatur that he ‫ ﷺ‬was a merchant for Khadija.

Khadija: 25, 28, 35, 40.

Qasim, Abdullah, Umm Kulthum, Fatima, Zaynab, Ruqayya.

There are Conflicting Reasons for Rebuilding Kaaba:

i. Roofless, wrecked ship in Jeddah from Rome to Abyssinia

ii. After point i, the remaining stories are munkar (unrecognized):
a. Snake coming out from the wall of Kaba scaring people from demolishing it
b. Sending of a big eagle like bird that attacked the snake.
iii. A more reliable story: flood in Mecca that swept everything within its valley, the Qureshi tribe
demolished the remaining part and rebuilt it.
iv. It is alleged the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was 35 when Kaba was rebuilt.
 v. The hadith that mentions ‘A comer in white garment came to me and said: Cover up.’ Ibn
Abbas saying that this is the first experienced thing of prophethood is false and in opposition
to the authentic hadith of Aisha.
vi. The story of Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬coming and resolving is authentic and he put the Black Stone on
a cloth and they all held and placed it.

Isaf and Naila were two idols touched by pagans during tawaf. Zaid bin Haritha was told by the Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬to not touch Isaf and Naila. Zaid touched it again and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: ‘Have you not been
prohibited?’

Zaid said regarding the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬: ‘By Allah Who honored him and revealed unto him, he never
touches any idol till he was honored with the revelation.’

The word Hums is generally used to refer to the Qureshi but in specific usage, it refers to
adherence of Hanifiya. Jubayr ibn Mutim said: ‘he must be among the hums’ referring to the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

Fairly weak hadith:

“I never intend anything among the practices of the people of jāhiliyyah except twice. And in each
situation, Allah did avert it from me. Then, I never intend anything of such till Allah honoured me
with the message.”

Module 8

Prior to Islam, two people: People of the Book and pagans. Both groups had extremism and deviation.
Allah says to People of the Book to not commit excess in their religion. They took their monks and rabbis
as lords besides God.

And Allah indeed looked at the people of the earth and detested them all --both Arabs and non-Arabs-
- except remnants among the People of the Scripture. Then Allah said: “[O Muhammad], I have raised
you [as a messenger] to test you and make you as a test”

Advocators: Pure pagan advocates.

Non-Aligned Detesters: avoided majority of Pre-Islamic values. E.g. Uthman and Abu Bakr.
Umayyah ibn Abi As-Salt, a pre-Islamic poet. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: ‘He was almost a Muslim.’ Some say he
died before and some say he died after prophethood.

Monotheists:

a. Muwahhidun Mahdiyyun
b. Muwahhidun Fitriyyun: Zaid bin Amr, Amr ibn Abasa, Abu Dharr al-Ghifary, Salman al-Farsi,
Asma bint Abi Bakr said regarding Zaid bin Amr: “I saw Zayd bn ‘Amr bn Nufayl standing with his back on
the wall of Ka’bah saying: “O Quraysh, none of you is on the religion of Ibrāhīm ( ) save me.” Zaid would
also help female newborns.

“He will be resurrected on the day of qiyāmah alone as a ummah between Me and ‘Īsā.”

Module 9:

Nubuwwah: transmission of divine message from Allah to a logical creature through specific channels.

Channels: Wahy, behind a partition, angelic messengers

Allah can combine the channels for specific prophets.

True dreams are for mubashiraat. Prophethood terminated with Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬but mubashiraat didn’t.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬chose khalwah (seclusion).

21st Ramadan 610 CE – First revelation

Side note: women covering heads always is false.

Prophet intending to throw himself from a mountain is mudraj (added by narrator).

Module 10:

Dawah:

1. Daiee (preacher)
2. Mad’uwwu (the one being preached)
3. Mad’uwwu ilayhi (message)
4. Tariq wa uslub (methodology)
5. Ghayah (purpose)

A Daiee is either chosen by Allah or is descriptively qualified.

Ubudiyya: I’tiqaadiyyaat and Amaliyyaat (ibadha, muamalaat, siyasah shariyyah, adab shariyyah)

Pause in revelation was perhaps due to cooling off the severity of its delivery.

Surah al-Mudatthir being the first revelation is a mistake on part of the narrator of a hadith.

Nidharah (warning against evil: ‘arise and warn’) takes precedence over basharah (enjoining good).
Abandonment of falsehood is a very imp step to embrace ubudiyyah.

Meccan stage: secret and open stages.

Another classification: pre-persecution and persecution stages.

 Module 11

The natural rule of every essence that is characterized by growth is to manifest gradually. Pre-
Persecution stage: Historically, nothing is known specifically about this stage in terms of events
and period it covers.

1. Fanaticism for pre-Islamic values

2. No prophethood claimant previously

Hadith of Amr ibn Abasa, and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬asking Abu Dharr al-Ghifari to keep it secret show the
earliness of the pre-persecution stage. Both Amr bin Abasa and Abu Dharr hadiths show that the Qureshi
were hostile. A narration by Al Waqidi’s narration states that hostility was due to the Prophet expressing
faults in their idols.

1 year, 3 years, 4 years – how long was the pre-persecution stage, all 3 opinions are inauthentic.

Afif al-Kindi seeing Ali, Khadija and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬praying at the Kaaba is weak. But Salah wasn’t totally
forgotten by the Arabs.

1st Muslim was Abu Bakr, Khadija, Ali according to three opinions. in sha Allah, Khadija was the first.

Early Muslims: Zaid ibn Haritha, Bilal, Sad bin Abi Waqqas, Suhayb bin Sinan, Al Miqdad bin al-Aswad, Amr
bin Abasa, Abu Dharr, Yasir, Ammar, Sumayya, Ibn Masud, ‘Uthmān bn ‘Affān, Az-Zubayr bn Al-‘Awwām,
‘Abdur-Rahman bn ‘Awf, Talhah bn ‘Ubaydullah, Khabbāb bn Al-Aratt.

Module 12

Objectives of public stage:

1. Extensive conveyance
2. Testing believers

Ibn Abbas narrates the most thorough narration of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬climbing Mount Safa and giving dawah.

The hadith of hosting feast and giving dawah and Ali supporting is a munkar hadith.

First initiative taken by the Qureshi to stop Islam was a soft approach relatively.

Technically weak and munkar (unrecognized) hadith: “O my uncle, even if they were to put the sun on
my right hand, and the moon on my left hand for me to forsake this matter…”

The Qureshi agreeing to alternate worshipping Allah and idols is weak.

Some requested signs were granted and some were denied. The āyāt they were denied are those they
requested with covenant to believe in Muhammad.

Module 13
The first set of Muslims to declare [publicly] their Islam were seven:
1. the Prophet – Abu Talib
2. Abu Bakr, - tribe
3. ‘Ammār,
4. the mother Sumayyah,
5. Suhayb,
6. Bilāl,
7. Al-Miqdād
2-7 were persecuted more.
Early Muslims were severely persecuted. But there are many unverified and weak reports regarding the
magnitude of punishment and hostility the Quraysh unleashed on the weak Muslims.

“Is Al-Lāt and Al-‘Uzzā your God other than Allah?” They would respond [out of duress]: “Yes.” It became
worst till if a dung beetle craw by them, they would ask them: “Is this dung beetle your God other than
Allah?! They would respond [out of duress]: “Yes.” This narration is very weak because the teacher of
Ibn Isḥāq, Ḥakīm bn Jubayr is a matrūk (completely unreliable narrator) and narration of someone like
him cannot be repaired.

Qureshi approaching Abu Talib and asking him to take Umarah ibn al-Walid and give Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is
baseless.

Some of the details regarding this hijrah cannot be verified. Firstly, there is no authentic account
regarding the specific timing this hijrah took place. Popular opinion according to Al Waqidi is Rajab of 5th
year of prophethood.

Numbers of the emigrants and their names cannot be established.

Suggestions made in respect to this are not based on established evidences at all.
Ibn Masud’s narration that there were about 80 men is weak.
The claim that the hijrah to Abyssinia was twice cannot be verified as well.

Main events of Hijra to Abyssinia are in Umm Salamah’s narration:

a. Najashi gave refuge and was good to Muslims
b. Abdullah bin Abi Rabia and Amr ibn al-As were sent by Qureshi and they were responded to by
Jafar in the presence of the Najashi. Abdullah and Amr returned disappointed
c. At the tail of this report, it was said that some of the emigrant Muslims, thereafter, returned
back to Makkah while others remained. I found this part of the narration to be strange and
equally incoherent.

The idolaters prostrated but that in 5th year of prophethood is unestablished. Considering the principle
that “the basis of two different events is unrelatedness until it is established by sound unambiguous
evidence” is fundamentally strong enough to argue that binding the two events together to make a story
is logically wrong and historically unsafe.

Iyad, Ibn Kathir, Razi, Ibn Khuzaymah, Bayhaqi rejected the story of Satanic Verses.
'Naṣb al-majānīq li-nasfi qiṣṣah al-gharānīq' – Albani’s book.

i. All isnads are fabricated.

ii. Conflict with impeccability of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
 iii. Logically toxic and reprehensible
iv. Surah an-Najm was revealed in Mecca and al-Hajj in Medina. So, it illogical to say the āyah
of discussion was revealed in Makkah without any evidence of exemption. So, it does not add
up to say that the latter is the sabab an-nuzūl of the former.
Ubayd bin Jahsh reverting to Christianity and As Sakran bin Amr’s hypocrisy is inauthentic

Module 14:
Persecution resulted two things:
a. Increased steadfastness
b. Increased conversions

Examples of persecution:
a. Not reciting too loudly to avoid idolaters cursing the Quran.
b. Amr bin Al-As said to Urwa about the worst thing the Qureshi did to the Prophet:
Uqba bin Abi Muayt put robe on the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬neck and started to strangle him. Abu Bakr
appeared and helped out.
c. Eminent Qureshis gathered by Hijr Ismail, made oaths with Al-Lat, Al Uzza and Al Manat to kill
the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Fatima got the info of this and rushed to the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and told him. The Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬took handful of sand and threw it at them. Ibn Abbas said all who were touched by this sand were
killed in Badr.
Details of Umar and Hamza accepting Islam are not very strongly established. Al-As bin Wail claimed
Umar under his protection.

Module 15: Revision of Modules 1-14

Module 16:

Valley of Bani Kinanah: Al Muhassab. The place where the Qureshi made mutual oath on disbelief to
boycott Bani al-Muttalib and Bani Hashim socially and economically.

Zuhri’s idraj: No marriage and business until they handed over the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

Detials of event in terms of the period of boycott, pact of aggression, cancellation of oath of boycott. None
of these is established.

Al Mutim bin Adiy ended the Qureshi boycott.

The story of final negotiation w/ Abu Talib when he was sick is not established.

Perseverance is catered by two:

a. Psychological preparedness
b. Exhortation on patience and piety.

Module 17
 Regarding calling the year of Abu Talib’s and Khadija’s death as Year of Gried, “lā mushāḥḥata
fi al-isṭilāḥ” (meaning: ordinarily, nomenclature should not be a cause for debate). With
condition that it is neither repulsive nor violating any sharī’ah evidence.

Al-‘Awshin in his investigative work ‘Mā shā’a wa lam yathbut min as-sīrah an-nabawiyyah’ proved
that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬did NOT give this year a name unlike what some biographers have said.

Year/Month/Date of the two deaths is unverified. Popular suggestion: 10th year of prophethood.
Abu Talib aka Abdul Manaf.
Regarding Abu Talib’s death, nothing is known except via the hadith of Ali.

Khadija died shortly after Abu Talib.

The Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬marriage to Sawda and Aisha occurred in late 10th or early 11th year of
prophethood. That is, less than a year after Khadija.

Module 18:

“The Quraysh never cease to be restraint against me until the demise of Abu Ṭālib.”
1. Pouring a camel’s intestinal waste on the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. He ‫ ﷺ‬made dua against Amr bin Hisham (Abu
Jahl), Utba bin Rabia, Shaybah bin Rabia, Al Walid bin Utbah, Umayya bin Khalaf, Uqba bin Abi
Muayt and Umara bin al-Walid.
Ibn Masud said that all the aforementioned people died in Badr.

5 authentically established popular blasphemers: Al-Walīd bn Al-Mughirah, Al-‘As bn Wā’il, Al-

Aswad bn Al-Muṭṭalib, Al-Aswad bn Abd Yagūth, and Al-Hārith bn Aṭ-Ṭulāṭalah.

The details of their punishment aren’t established since all narrations are mursal

A wild animal snatching Lahab whilst on a trip to Syria is unestablished.

If it can be established that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬went to Taif, it could perhaps be deduced that it was for dawah.
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬going to Taif in Shawwal in the 10th year of prophethood is a very weak hadith.

Fabricated aspects of the story:

a. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬begging Taif elites from not informing the Qureshi.
b. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬being stoned and Zaid bin Haritha acting as a barricade.
c. Seeking refuge in a garden belonging to the 2 sons of Rabia and meeting Addas, a Christian slave.

The popularity of this story could have granted it tawatur but it doesn’t meet the requirements of tawatur.
Maybe the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬never visited Taif in the first place. Probably, he ‫ ﷺ‬met a Taif elite on Aqabah.
Perhaps the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was turned down by this Taif elite and the Qureshi humiliated him.
The Prophet never going to Taif is more probable from evidence pov.

Two huge opposing mountains of Mecca: Abu Qubays and Qu’ayqi’ān.

The story of Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬encountering Jinn on way back from Taif is mixed up. The Jinn meeting occurred
as a separate event in Mecca according to Ibn Masud.

Module 19:

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was supposed to utilize every viable opportunity to preach. He ‫ ﷺ‬sought an enabling
environment for establishing an organized outreach and sought alliances with tribal leaders.

According to Al Waqidi, reaching to tribal leaders began in 4th prophetic year.

When the Prophet was preaching, Abu Lahab was following him w/ pebbles causing ankles and hamstrings
of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to bleed.

No established evidence regarding the number of tribes the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬approached.

Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham: no specific number but mention 4 tribes (Kinda, Banu Kalb, Banu Hanifa and Banu
Amir)

Al Waqidi: 15 tribes

Weak hadith (in wording):

“O you people, profess that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah so that you can
prosper, [have control over the Arabs and make the non-Arabs subjugated to you. And if you believe,
you shall be the kings in Paradise].” He also added another baseless story that if they disputed and
rebuked him, he ( ) would reply with supplication saying: “O Allah, if you wished they would never be
like this.”

Suwayd bin As-Samit (Medinan poet) meeting the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, even if it’s true, the details are amplified.
A genealogical discourse b/w Abu Bakr and one Daghfal, and the meeting of Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬w/ Mafruq b. Amr
is unverified.

Iyas bin Muadh showed interest in Islam. He was an Aws member.

Details (in numbers and names) of the first batch of Ansar (the Helpers) that embraced Islam are not
established by any musnad narration.

Fairly weak isnad: “Deliberateness is from Allah, and hastiness (i.e., rashness) is from Shayṭān.”

Module 20:

Al-Isra literally means: journey in a night with or w/o someone.

Al Miraj: any tool for ascension, or a place ascended to.

Technically Al-Isra is the night journey Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬embarked on w/ Gabriel from Masjid al-Haram to
Masjid al-Aqsa, and from there to the seven heavents.

Al Miraj technically is what the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬ascended with to the seventh heaven. Aka Buraq.

Thus, it is sufficient to name the Journey Al-Isra w/o Al Miraj.

No single musnad authentic regarding the time of this special event.

Bayhaqi in his Dalail an-Nubuwwah w/ a good isnad from Zuhry: “The Messenger of Allah ( ) was taken
on the night journey to Al-Maqdis one year before he migrated to Madinah.” Though this narration is
mursal, it is the one close to being the historical fact.”

Details of the journey are narrated through many routes of Sahaba, some are weak, inauthentic and some
are authentic. For details check Al Albani’s work Al-Isrā wa al-mi’rāj wa dhikr aḥādīthihimā wa takhrījihā
wa bayān ṣaḥiḥihā.

The hadith of Anas bin Malik on this journey is comprehensive and authentic.

The Details:

a. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was lying down in his house in a slumber state, the roof of his house opened and
Gabriel descended.
b. Gabriel washed the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬heart w/ Zamzam water.
c. Poured a golden bowl filled with faith and wisdom in his ‫ ﷺ‬chest.
d. He ‫ ﷺ‬was given the Buraq (white, bigger than donkey smaller than mule, eyesight per second)
e. The only established event is the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬seeing Moses offering Salah at Mount Nebo.
f. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬staked the Buraq to a hole Gabriel pierced on a rock. This was the place where
Prophets would stake their animals.
g. He ‫ ﷺ‬offered two units of Salah and came out.
h. Wine and Milk was presented and he ‫ ﷺ‬chose milk.
i. 1st sky – Adam. 2nd sky – Jesus and John. 3rd sky – Yusuf. 4th sky – Idris. 5th sky – Aaron.
6th sky – Moses. 7th sky – Ibrahim backing Al Bait Al Mamur
j. Sidra al-Muntaha (The Lote Tree) – its leaf size resembles the ear of an elephant and fruit size
resembles a clay jar from Hajar. 4 rivers flow from its trunk: Nile, Euphrates, and two hidden rivers.
k. 50 prayers were mandated. Negotiations, back n forth b/w Moses and the Prophet and Allah
reduced it to 5 prayers per day.

The details of return from the Night Journey aren’t established. The path of Sharik b. Abdullah in Bukhari
indicates that Gabriel said: ‘Descend in the Name of Allah. Then he ‫ ﷺ‬woke up in Masjid al-Haram.’ This
hadith isn’t authentic. It is likely that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬returned via the same means to go.
The stories of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬drinking water of merhcants, praying in Madyan, Bethlehem, etc and all this
is inauthentic.

“After the Isrā and waking up in the morning in Makkah, I became so worried because I know people
will [definitely] belied me.”

Abu Jahl brought people to Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬. Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬described Al-Maqdis on request since some
of them had seen Al Maqdis. “As for the description, he is correct.”

The hadith of Abu Bakr saying ‘if he said so, it is the truth’ is weak.

Module 21

Principle: In Islam, establishing the purpose of sharī’ah-related matters must be denotatively or

connotatively textual.

Three Inferred Established Purposes of the Night Journey:

a. Seeing Allah’s signs. (Most significant reason according to Ibn Ashur)
i. He ‫ ﷺ‬saw Gabriel in original form w/ 600 wings in green color.
ii. Seeing the Lote Tree
b. Experience behind-the-veil revelation mode
c. Institution of Salah
Four infants who spoke: Jesus, Companion of Jurayj, the witness for Yusuf, infant of the
hairdresser to Pharaoh’s daughter.

The reason Allah chose the time of Isrā to institute ṣalāh is not textually known.
Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬said: “Information [about something] does not equate the seeing.”

Lesson from the Isrā is that asking of reasonable and relevant questions moderately and avoidance of the
opposite is a good ethic.
Module 22

Bay’ah or mubāya’ah-- is simply a verbal or written binding commitment to fulfil a mutually agreed
provisions (i.e., terms and conditions) that are ma’rūf (legally classified right act) between two or more
parties.

Prophet’s pledge: religious and political. Religious pledge: obedience to worship rituals and irshad.
Political pledge: sam’ wa ta’ah.
Religious pledge can’t be given to anyone after the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.
Details of pledge rulings are found in Fiqh books that deal with siyasah shariyyah.

First Aqaba Pledge:

Al Waqidi and Ibn Ishaq say the first pledge occurred a year after the Islam of the first batch of the Ansar.
But no established evidence in this regard.

Elite heads from Madinah Muslims on a particular night of ‘Aqabah had a pledge –which is regarded as the
first-- with the Prophet ( ) surrounded by a group of his companions:
 i. No shirk
ii. No theft
iii. No murder
iv. No zina
v. No killing of children
vi. No lying
vii. No disobeying good instruction
“Whosoever fulfil [the pledge] among you, has his reward with Allah. But whosoever breach any of
these and got punished in this life, it will be a form of kafārah (expiation) to him. And if he breaches
any of these and is covered by Allah, his case is to Allah; if He wishes, he will pardon him; and if He
wishes, he will punish him.”

Note: the claim of two pledges of ‘Aqabah is not justifiable, and its existence only resides within the
additional information narrated by Ibn Isḥāq as against the majority. Some use the narration of Jabir as a
reference to 2nd Aqaba Pledge. No evidence that the pledge mentioned by Jabir is different from the first
pledge mentioned by Ubadah ibn As-Samit.

The first pledge was more religious than political.

The 2nd pledge, if authentic, was a mix of religious and political.

As for the details of the seventy men –or seventy-three according to Ibn Isḥāq-- who witnessed the pledge,
only the names of few of them can be established by evidences. The attempt by Ibn Isḥāq to list their names
and tribes is nothing but a mere assumption.

Al Abbas attending the Pledge is very strange.

The Qureshi knowing the pledge and pursuing and catching Sad bin Ubadah being punished and then saved
by Mutim bin Adi & Al Harith bin Umayya is not reliable.

Medina: Waqim (East) and Al-Wabarah (West) volcanoes at Medina.

Mount Uhud and Sila in the North.
Mount Ayr in Southwest
Aqiq valley (southwest) has wells w/ fresh water.
A slope towards the coast of the Red Sea.
Scope of agriculture in Medina > Mecca

Al Nabawiyyah
Al Munawwarah
Medina was a confederation w/o any designated ruler. Tribes had relative autonomy.
Economy was mostly controlled by Jews.

Module 23
Hijra: geographical relocation due to a reason (linguistic).

From land of disbelief to a land of Islam (technical). This definition is not fully representative of hijrah.

The relocation from a land of religious oppression and persecution against the Muslims to another land of
tolerance where safety of religion/faith is guaranteed.

Hijrah is wajib if you’re persecuted and only excused if lack ability.

Suhayb gave up his wealth for Hijra by directing the Qureshi oppressors to his wealth.
‘Suhaib profited, Suhayb profited.’ The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said.

If one has done hijra, he can’t return to his home city even if it becomes religiously friendly. Such a thing
is a sin called ta’aarub. But for Hajj or for worldly necessities, it is conditionally allowed.

“A muhājir can only stay three days [extra] in Makkah after the completion of hajj rituals.”

“I saw in the dream that I emigrated from Makkah to a land of date palms. Then, I thought it is a
reference to either Al-Yamāmah or Hajar. However, it come to be Madinah, Yathrib.”

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his companions didn’t immediately migrate to Medina but after a divine directive.

Musab bin Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum were first Emigrants to reach Medina.
Musab bin Umayr being sent w/ 12 representatives and all that story is not based on musnad narration.

Very Weak Narration: “Any of these three cities you emigrate to is your place of hijrah: Madinah or
Bahrain or Qinnasrin.” Al Albani graded it fabricated.

Ibn Ishaq mentioning that permission to fight was given after the Aqabah pledge is wrong since the verse
was revealed in Medina.

Emigrants:
1. Persecuted Meccans
2. Abyssinians
3. Muslims from Elsewhere

1. Musab bin Umayr, Ibn Umm Maktum (teachers of Quran)

2. Bilal, Sad and Ammar b. Yasir
3. Umar w/ 20 companions
Ibn Ishaq claims that emigration began a year before Aqabah, and that Abu Salamah was the first emigrant
to Medina. These two claims aren’t supported by any valid evidence.

Another unestablished story: Umar publicized his hijrah and dared anyone among the Quraysh idolaters to
stop him. The majority of the remaining Muslims in Makkah who were capable emigrated to Madinah
ahead of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

The Emigrants first settled in Al Usba (a place in Al Quba) and their Imam was Salim (mawla of Abu
Huzaifa – most knowledgeable of Quran among them).

Module 24
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was forced to leave Mecca (according to Waraqa, his ‫ ﷺ‬statement ‘If I wasn’t evicted, I
wouldn’t have left) and according to other evidences, he was directed by Allah to leave Mecca.

The conflict is variational not oppositional.

Eviction to the Quraysh idolaters is a sort of linguistic allegory (majāz mursal). The Qureshi were the
primary factor that made the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his companions emigrate. Allah’s instruction was a divine
provision and the overriding factor.
The Qureshi plotting against the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, the details of such plots is not established by any authentic
evidence. But Ibn Ishaq via Ibn Abbas narrates a background:
i. Qureshi gathered in Dar an-Nadwa (Congress House)
ii. On the scheduled day, Iblis appeared in form of a man from Najd
iii. After discussion they agreed to kill the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬together to absolve blame on a particular
individual
iv. Ibn Ishaq added that Gabriel informed the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to not spend the night on his regular bed.
So, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬asked Ali to take his place and assured him safety.
v. Weak addition by Ibn Ishaq: When they were planning to assassinate the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, Allah
veiled him ‫ ﷺ‬from being seen by them. He ‫ ﷺ‬started dust on their heads whilst recititng Surah
Yasin till he reached the ninth verse.
vi. There are other mursal narrations from ‘Urwah bn Az-Zubayr and his student Az-Zuhriy that
the Quraysh idolaters plotted against the Prophet ( ), they did not amplify the story with
strange and unrecognized contents as did Ibn Isḥāq.

Story of Migration:
Abu Bakr approached the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬seeking permission to leave for Medina.
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬told Abu Bakr to hold on since he ‫ ﷺ‬was expecting permission from Allah to do the Hijra
in Abu Bakr’s company.
Abu Bakr prepared two camels feeding them Acacia leaves for four months.
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬got permission so he went to Abu Bakr’s house covering his head and requested to meet in
private. Abu Bakr assured no one was spying so the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬opened to him that he was granted
permission. Abu Bakr asked the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬if he wanted his companionship and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬affirmative.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬took one camel only on a price when Abu Bakr offered him one camel.
Mother Aisha and Asma prepared provisions. Asma cut a piece from her girdle and tie the mouth of the
sack with it, thus named Zaat an-Nitaqayn.

Abdullah bin Urayqit was employed and was given the camels and they agreed to meet up in the Cave of
Mount Thawr after three nights.

Mount Thawr – 4km south of Masjid al-Haram, southern Mecca.

Abdullah bin Abu Bakr would pass the night with them in the Cave. In the day he’d gather Qureshi plots
and convey them in the night.

Amr bin Fuhayrah, mawla of Abu Bakr, would bring some sheep to milk from after Isha, pass the night
there and leave at nautical dawn w/o other herders noticing them.

Meanwhile, the Qureshi were making plots. They put a bounty of a diyah (blood money) on the two of them
for whoever could apprehend or kill them.

The idolaters came to the cave in search but Allah aided the Prophet and they couldn’t find him.
The story of cobwebs, pigeons, etc is all unfounded.

In the morning of the 3rd day, Abdullah bin Urayqit came w/ camels as scheduled. They set in the company
of Amr bin Fuhayrah and Abdullah bin Urayqit. They took the route by the coast in lower Mecca.
They travelled the whole day nonstop because they were being trailed and they continued the next day till
around midday when the road was free and they sighted a long rock with shade and they rested there.
Abu Bakr levelled the ground and spread his fur on it for the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to sleep. When the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was
asleep, a young herder of sheep passing by was requested by Abu Bakr to milk a sheep. The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
drank milk till Abu Bakr was satisfied.

The journey then resumed. Abu Bakr was a frequent traveler to Syria. Whenever someone asked him about
the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, Abu Bakr would say ‘This man is my guide.’

The news of bounty reached Bani Mudlij where Suraqa b. Jushum lived. Suraqa chased them by following
their trail. When he got close, his horse would stumble. He cast out his fortune stick that indicated
unfavorable. But Suraqa still kept going forward and when he came close, Abu Bakr started looking back
and again out of fear but the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬never looked back, he was only reciting the Quran.

Suraqa’s horse’s forearms sunk in sand and he fell from the horse. Suraqa pleaded to let him go on condition
that he’d blind their track. He used the fortune stick which came unfavorable again.

Finally, Suraqa called them in safety and they halted. Suraqa could feel a divine protection covering the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Then Suraqa briefed them about the Qureshi plots, gave provisions, but they didn’t take/ask him
for anything except to cover their path.

On Suraqa’s request, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬gave him a document of protection written by Amr bin Fuhayrah on a
leather skin.

Module 25
The news of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬migrating spread in Medina and they were in anticipation. The people would
turn out early everyday by the southern lava field border. Only the afternoon heat would make them return
back. According to Urwa in a mursal narration, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬arrived on a Monday night in Rabi al-Awwal.

When they were close to entering Medina, they laid over at the bordering southern lava field close to Quba.
Aka Harrah Quba aka Harrah Shayran.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬send someone to Abu Umamah Al-Ansary: Asad bin Zurara (one of the nuqaba), seeking
permission of the Ansar before entering Medina.

At the same time, a Jew from the top of a fortress sighted the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his comrades and shouted
their arrival. The whole city started loudly saying: “The Prophet of Allah has arrived.”

About 500 people trooped out to receive them. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬took the right direction till he reached a
quarter of Bani Amr bin Awf and lodged there.

The next day, people en masse came to see the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. They mistook him as Abu Bakr because the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was silent and Abu Bakr was receiving people, They recognized the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬when Abu Bakr
shaded him from the sun.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬remained in Amr bin Awf quarters for 14 days.

“I have not seen a day more illuminated and beautiful than the day the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬arrived Medina.”
– Anas bin Malik
“I have never seen the People of Medina more joyous over anything like the way they did during the
arrival of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.” – Bara ibn Azib

“The Abyssinians played with their weapons.” – Anas bin Malik.

Young girls were playing tambourine and singing when the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬passed by the quarter of
Bani An-Najjar.

“ṭala’a al-badr ‘alaynā…” – no sanad for this song being played.

Building a Mosque was one of the earliest tasks by the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬in Medina. Prior to this Masjid, there is
no authentic report that indicates the places of Salah. No erected structure for Salah prior to this.

After 14 nights in Amr b. Awf quarter, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬sent for Bani An-Najjar. They came w/ their swords
(loyalty). The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬rode his riding camel w/ Abu Bakr in the company of Bani An-Najjar till
reaching the courtyard of Abu Ayyub.

“The Prophet ‫[ ﷺ‬after arriving in Madinah] loved to observe ṣalāh anywhere it met him and used to pray
in the sheep pen. Thereafter, he instructed that a Masjid be built. So, he sent for a meeting with some
elites of Bani An-Najjār

“O Bani An-Najjār, name your price to me on this your garden.” They replied: “No. By Allah, we do
not intend its price except from Allah (i.e., we are donating it for the sake of Allah).” After the land has
been secured legally, the construction phase started thereafter.

The land had graves of idolaters, ruins and date palms. The graves were exhumed, the ruins were levelled
and the date palms were cut down and arranged in a frontal direction of the Masjid. Stones were used to
make door jambs.

“As they were conveying stones for the building, they were chanting poems along with the Prophet ( )
saying: “O Allah, there is no reward [like] that of the hereafter; so, assist the Anṣār and the Muhājirūn.””

The land belonging to two orphans Suhayl and Sahl (who were under the custody of Asad b. Zurara) and
the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬refused to take the land for free. All this is in oppositional conflict to authentic hadiths.

“The Masjid during the time of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was built with bricks, the roof was made of date leaves
rachides, and its columns were made of date palm’s wood.” Abu Bakr didn’t make changes, Umar did.
So, did Uthman rebuilt the walls with masonry stones and gypsum, the columns with masonry stones, and
the roof with teak wood.

The Masjid was a temporary lodge for poor aka Ahlus Suffah (people of Shaded Place).

Companions of Ahlus Suffah:

1. Al-‘Irbād bn As-Sāriyah,
2. Abu Hurayrah,
3. Wathīlah bn Al-Asqa’,
4. Ṭikhfah bn Qays
Religious emigration has dual rewards whereas normal emigration has no confirmed rewards or at best
only a worldly reward. Homesickness and missing native place is fine.

Medina was met as a land of epidemic. Bilal and Abu Bakr got sick.
“O Allah, put your curse on Shaybah bn Rabī’ah, ‘Utbah bn Rabī’ah, and Umayyah bn Khalaf for
evicting us from our land to a land of epidemic.”

“O Allah, make Madinah beloved to us like our love for Makkah or even more. Make it healthy,
bless for us its Sā’iy and Mudd (i.e., their measuring containers), and move its fever away to Al-
Juḥfah.”

Module 26:

Medina was founded on brotherhood and piety.

Brotherhood: Linguistic definition

A relationship of mutual solidarity, support, and friendship between two or more individuals tied together
by a common source, interest, or values.

Islamic definition: It engulfs the linguistic definition and goes beyond.

Familial, Native, Religious.
More than one type of brotherhoods can exist.

“O you believers, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief
over belief. And whosoever takes them as allies among you are those who are the wrongdoers.”

Brotherhood must comply w/ two conditions:

1. No Sharia ruling is violated (whether detailed or aggregative).
2. No support of evil (munkar).
Brotherhood in Islam is built on the principle: (And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not
cooperate in sin and aggression).

“You will not enter Paradise until you have faith [in Allah], and you will not have faith until you love
yourselves [mutually]…”

Those who establish true brotherhood will be among the benefactors from the shade of Allah, when there
will be no shade except His.

al-ikhā’u or al-muā’khāh (i.e., establishment of brotherhood between people) adopted by the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
according to authentic narration is through casting of lot:
i. Qadar oriented
ii. Free from perceived biasness

“The habitation of the Muhājirūn were shared to the Anṣār based on lot outcomes…”
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would pair them together based on the lot outcomes.

Brotherhood b/w Emigrants & Helpers was via verbal agreement. The hadith that mentions a document that
established brotherhood and mutual payment of blood money, etcetera is weak.

Ibn Isḥāq listed plenty names of the companions that the Prophet ( ) paired together. This list is baseless
and w/o any isnad.
Abdul Rahman ibn Awf was directed to the Qaynuqa market by Sad b. Ar-Rabi.
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬summoned the Anṣār for the purpose of dividing part of Bahrain –after the conquest-- for
them. But the Anṣār were only willing to accept that if similar thing would be given to the Muhājirūn
In short, the establishment of brotherhood between the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār was a game changer in
the social and political atmosphere of Madinah.

Module 27:
Three groups in Medina:
Idolaters, Jews and Muslims.

Frictions b/w Ansar & Muhajirun were systematically controlled by establishing brotherhood.
The Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬religious + political control of Medina was met with envy and resistance from Jews &
idolaters. Their elites felt threatened. Jews were to soon lose their economic influence over Aws and Khazraj
The Medina idolaters felt loss of political authority.

Usamah bin Zaid was riding a donkey w/ the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬who was intending to visit Sad b. Ubadah in the
quarters of Bani al-Harith b. al-Khazraj before the Battle of Badr. Enroute they passed by a group of
Muslims, Jews and idolaters. Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was among them (as an idolater at the time).

When the dust caused by the riding animal covered the people, Ibn Salool said: “Don’t disperse dust on us”
whilst covering his nose.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was doing dawah and Ibn Salool said: “O gentleman, nothing is good as your speech; if
what you are saying is truth, do not disturb us in our assembly with it. Return to your house and whosoever
comes to you, relate it to him.”

Abdullah b. Rawahah replied: “In fact O Messenger of Allah come to us with it in our assemblies, we love
that.”

Some discord happened among the three groups during this back n forth. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬then went to Sad
bin Ubadah and mentioned about what happened.

Sad said:
“O Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬, pardon him and overlook. By the One who revealed the Book to you Allah has
come with the truth He sent you with, the people of Medina had previously planned to crown and turban
him [as a leader]; but when Allah rejected that with the truth you are sent with, he was angered by that; that
is why he did what you witnessed. Then, the Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬pardoned him.”

Usama bin Zaid said: “The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his companions continue to pardon the idolaters and the People
of Scripture, and exercise patience over their harm, as Allah commanded them.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬continued the soft approach till he was later given permission to deal w/ them. When the
oppressors were killed in Badr, Ibn Salool felt the need to hypocritically give allegiance.

The followers of Ibn Salool metamorphosed into Hypocrites. The challenge was Jews and Hypocrites.

Virtually all biographers mention that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬established a Sahifa containing socio-political
principles for internal harmony b/w all interest groups in Medina.
Most biographers say the Sahifa was established in the early period of Prophet’s arrival in Medina. But
according to Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham, it could be indicated that the Sahifa was made prior to establishing
brotherhood b/w Emigrants & Helpers. However, the contents clearly indicate that it was after jihad started.

Sahifa’s authenticity is highly questionable since there is no single authentic musnad narration.
In fact, some have suggested that, if at all there was a ‘Ṣaḥīfah’, the content as we have it is a fabrication.
Ibn Ishaq mentioned contents w/o any established evidence.

Mursal narration + matruk narrator

Bayhaqi mentions with a very weak isnad from Ibn Ishaq that he found a sahifa attached to a document on
sadaqa w/ the family of Umar.

There is one musnad narration though some regard it mursal written b/w Muslims and Jews after
the assassination of Kab b. al-Ashraf. The theme of the document is centered on the necessity of the
Jews to stop fuelling social instability and treason in Medina.

That there was nothing as ‘Charter of Islamic Alliance’ between the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār as alleged by
biographers.

There was a pact between the Jews and the State of Medina. But its contents aren’t authentically
established. Timing of this pact is also unknown. Perhaps it was after Badr since biographers assert
it was after Badr that Kab b. al-Ashraf was assassinated.

Module 28

Ibadah/Ubudiyya: is simply a cringing submissiveness by an individual to an object, consciously or

unconsciously. (Linguistically)
Abd: submissive individual
Mabud: object being submitted to

Cause of servility: unrivalled love for the Mabud, dominating greatness.

“Wretched is he the servant of Dīnār, Dirham and garment. If he is given, he will be pleased; and if
he is denied, he will not be pleased”

Islamically, the definition of ‘ibādah does deviate from the linguistic meaning, only that necessary
fundamental elements are included.

Ibn Taymiyya’s definition: “Al-‘Ibādah is a comprehensive noun for whatever Allah loves and pleases
with of speeches and actions, hidden or apparent.”

Ibn al-Qayyim: “dedication of utmost love and submission to Allah alone.”

‘ibādah of Allah is the dedication of sincere legislated obedience –doctrinal or applicative-- to Him by
soul and body, out of utmost love and exaltation.

If utmost love and exaltation are missing, it is not true ibadah.

And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allāh as equals [because] they love them
as they [should] love Allāh. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allāh

In a journey, it is naturally assumed that the target location or thing has a significant overriding benefits.

Tawhid/Yaqeen have two benefits:

1. Removal of all doubts
2. Firm faith
Module 29
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬Al Uswa Al Shariyya.

It is not related to those customary practices that are peculiar to the Arabs or general worldly affairs not
restricted by religious limiting parameters.

“If anything [you do] is about your worldly practice [without religious restriction], it is your business
for you know better; but if it is a religious matter, then, it should be referred to me.”

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬himself uses 33:21 to rebuke violations of his Sunnah

Sad bin Hisham divorced his wife, went to Medina to sell his estate to fund himself for Jihad. When Sad
met some of the Companions, they told him that there were six individuals who intended the same but were
prohibited by the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

Examples of Companions’ emulating the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬:

Umar bin al-Khattab: “I know you are indeed a mere stone. Had it not been that I saw my beloved ‫ ﷺ‬touched
and kissed you, I would not have done the same.”

Ibn ‘Umar does not used to observe nawāfil in journey because the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬does not used to do the same.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬had great character: Khuluq Azeem

“Indeed, the character of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬is the Qur’an.” – Aisha

“I was raised to perfect noble characters.” – Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬

1. Truthfulness:
“Indeed, truthfulness leads to righteousness…”
He was Al-Amin
2. Gentleness:
“Gentleness will not be in something except it beautifies it; and it will be removed from something
except it disgraces it.”
3. Patience + Perseverance
4. Empathy + Foresightedness:
“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is
what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind
and merciful.” (9:128)

“No servant [of Allah] is oppressed with any oppression then he overlooked it for the sake of
Allah except that Allah strengthens his victory with it”
 5. Gratefulness

Ideal Preacher Traits:

1. Consistency & Steadfastness:
“The most consistent, even if it is little.”
“Hasten to do whatever will benefit you; seek help in Allah; and do not be weak”
2. Gradation in Nurturing:
“We grew up [in the company of] the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as youths. So, we learnt faith before learning
the Quran. Thereafter, we learnt the Quran and it increased us in faith.”
3. Effective Leadership