Good Example of Islamic Marriage

When Faatimah (Radhiallaahu Anha) reached the age of fifteen, proposals for her marriage began to come from high and responsible families. But the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) remained irresponsive.

Ali (Radhiallaahu Anhu), who was 21 at the time, says: It occurred to me that I should go and make a formal proposal, but then I thought, 'How could this be accomplished, for I possess nothing.' At last, encouraged by the Prophet's kindness, I went to him and expressed my intention to marry Faatima (Radhiyallaahu Anha). The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was extremely pleased and asked, 'Ali! Do you possess anything to give her in Mahr?' I replied, 'Apart from a horse and an armour I possess nothing.'

The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'A soldier must, of course, have his horse. Go and sell away your armour.'

So, Ali (Radhiallaahu Anhu) went and sold his armour to Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) for 480 Dirham and presented it to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). Bilaal (Radhiallaahu Anhu) was ordered by the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) to bring some perfume and a few other things and Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) was sent to call Abu Bakr, Uthmaan, Talhah, Zubayr with some companions from the Ansaar (Radhiallaahu Anhum).

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Prophet Ibrahim - The Father of the Prophets

The birth of a Great Prophet
Ibrahim was born in a house of idolaters, in the kingdom of Babylon. His father Aazar was a well known idol sculptor that his people worshipped. As a young child, Ibrahim used to watch his father sculpting these idols from stones or wood. When his father was done with them, Ibrahim would use them as toys, riding on their backs, and kicking them at times. Then after a while, he would see these same statues in the temple, and people prostrating in front of them! Ibrahim asked his father: "Why do you take these toys to the temple?" His father said: "They are statues that represent our gods. We worship them, we ask favors from them, and we offer them presents." Ibrahim's mind rejected this idea, and he felt a repulsion towards the idols.

In search for the Truth
Time went by, and Ibrahim became a young man. He still could not believe that his people were worshipping the statues. He laughed whenever he saw them entering the temple, lowering their heads, silently offering the statues the best of their food, crying and asking forgiveness from them. He started feeling angry towards his people, who could not realize that these are only stones that could neither benefit nor harm them. They could not be gods, they have no power. God is Greater than what his people were worshipping, Most Powerful, Most Magnificent. One could not find Him sitting on a table in a temple!

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The Man From Mecca

"It’s always good to come home," Muhammad mused as the caravan plodded closer to Mecca. He was barely 20, but already he had traveled to such distant centers as Jerusalem, Damascus, and Aleppo. Ever since he was big enough to ride a camel, his uncle had taken him on the great yearly trade caravans that journeyed 1000 miles or more northward to Syria and nearly as far southward to Yemen. But Arabia was Muhammad’s home, and paganism the religion of his people.

Nothing made that more obvious than did the Ka ‘bah, Mecca’s massive stone shrine. Fifty feet high and nearly 40 feet square, it housed one idol for each day of the year. Some said it had been built by Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the Garden. Others claimed that Abraham and Ishmael had built it.

As the sanctuary of Allah, the supreme god of the Arabs, it attracted pilgrims from all over Arabia. Theyc ame to kiss or touch the smooth black stone that glistened in the southeastern corner – a stone said to have been given to Ishmael by the angel Gabriel, and set into the building by Abraham’s own hands.

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The Step Daughter

In the time of Prophet Yahya, there was a king whose ageing wife was starting to become anxious, thinking that she will soon be divorced for a younger, prettier woman (and therefore lose the wealth she one day planned to inherit). To combat this threat, she decided that her younger daughter (of a prior husband) be married off to the king as his new wife. So, to carry out this arrangement, she summoned Hadrat Yahya to her court and explained to him what she wished to do. The prophet refused to comply with this order and said before leaving, “This type of marriage is impermissible.” This instilled great enmity in the queen’s heart for Hadrat Yahya, and from that day onwards, she began to plot too the killing of the prophet.

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Rukaana the Wrestler

Rukaana was a very wealthy, strong and undefeated wrestler of the Banu Hashim who grazed goats in the valley of Adm. He once saw the Holy Prophet walking by and approached him, saying, “Muhammad! You’re the one who’s been insulting our gods Laat & Uzza and has been proclaiming the greatness of Allah alone! If I wasn’t family, I would’ve killed you; but I challenge you to a wrestling contest instead! You call out to Allah and I’ll call out to my gods, and we’ll see which one of them is the most powerful.” The Holy Prophet replied, “If we have to wrestle, then so be it. I’m ready.”

This answer surprised Rukaana. Nevertheless, he stood up in pride to face the Messenger…and was swiftly brought down to the ground by him in just one move (the first time anyone had ever defeated him)! After the Holy Prophet sat on his chest, the  ashamed Rukaana exclaimed, “Get off my chest and give me one more chance. Maybe Laat & Uzza weren’t paying attention to me.” Rasulullah agreed, and after standing up and facing Rukaana a second time, he again effortlessly brought the wrestler to the ground (!), prompting Rukaana to say, “Maybe Laat and Uzza are angry with me today while your Lord assists you. Give me one more chance. This time I’m sure they’ll assist me.”

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The Story of Julaybib

His name was unusual and incomplete. Julaybib means "small grown" being the diminutive form of the word "Jalbab." The name is an indication that Julaybib was small and short, even of dwarf-like stature. More than that, he is described as being "damim" which means ugly, deformed, or of repulsive appearance. Even more disturbing, for the society in which he lived, Julaybib's lineage was not known. There is no record of who his mother of his father was or to what tribe he belonged. This was a grave disability in the society in which he lived. Julaybib could not expect any compassion or help, any protection or support from a society that placed a great deal of importance on family and tribal connections. In this regard, all that was known of him was that he was an Arab and that, as far as the new community of Islam was concerned, he was one of the Ansar. Perhaps he belonged to one of the outlying tribes beyond Madinah and had drifted into the city or he could have even been from among the Ansar of the city itself.

The disabilities under which Julaybib lived would have been enough to have him ridiculed and shunned in any society and in fact he was prohibited by one person, a certain Abu Barzah of the Aslam tribe, from entering his home. He once told his wife: "Do not let Julaybib enter among you. If he does, I shall certainly do (something terrible to him)." Probably because he was teased and scoffed at in the company of men, Julaybib used to take refuge in the company of women. Was there any hope of Julaybib being treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope of his finding emotional satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope of his enjoying the relationships which others take for granted? And in the society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet, was he so insignificant as to be overlooked in the preoccupation with the great affairs of the state and in the supreme issues of life and survival which constantly engaged the attention of the Prophet?

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Abu Qilaaba Al-Jurmiyy (rahimahullaah)

Narrated Imaam Al-Awzaa'ee from Abdullaah ibn Muhammad who said: "One day I set out to the shore on patrol; and those days we were stationed at Al 'Arish [A town in N. Egypt], thus when I came to the end of the shore, I saw a small tent [at a distance in the desert] so I set out for it.

Inside it there was a man who had lost his hands, and had lost his legs, and his sight and hearing had become heavy due to the affliction he had – thus there was not anything [more realistically] beneficial to him than his tongue.

And he was saying: 'O, Allaah enable [and facilitate] for me that I praise and thank You, the praise which equates thanking You for the blessings which You have bestowed on me and gave me excellence to many more of whom You created."

So I [was amazed and] said to myself: 'By Allaah, I have to approach this man and ask him, from among the favours and blessings; what does he really have!? [While he is in this state!]  Why is he saying these words? Does he have understanding, or knowledge of what he is saying!? Or is it just desires!?'

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The Interesting Dream of the Prophet SAW

Allah's Apostle very often used to ask his companions, "Did anyone of you see a dream?" So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah wished to tell.

One morning the Prophet said,
"Last night two persons came to me (in a dream) and woke me up and said to me, 'Proceed!'
I set out with them and we came across a man Lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man's head, injuring it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and took it back. By the time he reached the man, his head returned to the normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, 'Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said, 'Proceed!'

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The Mother of Ishmael

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583:

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'ba under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:

'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37) Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).

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How Amr b. Abasa Embraced Islam

Sahih MUslim Book 004, Number 1812:

'Amr b. 'Abasa Sulami reported: I in the state of the Ignorance (before embracing Islam) used to think that the people were in error and they were not on anything (which may be called the right path) and worshipped the idols. In the meanwhile I heard of a man in Mecca who was giving news (on the basis of his prophetic knowledge) ; so I sat on my ride and went to him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was at that time hiding as his people had made life hard for him. I adopted a friendly attitude (towards the Meccans and thus managed) to enter Mecca and go to him (the Holy Prophet) and

I said to him: Who are you? He said: I am a Prophet (of Allah).

I again said: Who is a Prophet? He said: (I am a Prophet in the sense that) I have been sent by Allah.

I said: What is that which you have been sent with? He said: I have been sent to join ties of relationship (with kindness and affection), to break the Idols, and to proclaim the oneness of Allah (in a manner that) nothing is to be associated with Him.

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The Sinful of the Ummah

Samurah Bin Jundub radi’allahu anhu reported that one day, after the Fajr prayer, the prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told his companions:

Last night i saw (in a dream) two men come to me, hold me by both my hands, and say “Come with us”. I went with them, and they took me to a sacred land. We came upon a man lying flat on his back (on the ground). Another man, standing over him with a boulder in his hand would hurl the boulder upon his head, causing his head to split open. The boulder would then roll away and the standing man would go and retrieve it. By the time he returned with it to him, his head would be restored as it was before, and he would hurl the boulder again at him. I said to my two companions, “May Allah be exalted! Who are these two?” They said, “Come, come!”

We proceeded until we came upon a man lying on his back. Another man, standing over him with an iron hook, he would approach him from one side and rip open his face from the corner of the mouth to the back of the head, from the nose to the back of the head and from the eye to the back of the head. He would then move to the other side and do what he did on the first side (of the face). As soon as he finished with that side, the first side would be restored as it was before, and he would move to it and do as he did the first time. I said, “May Allah be exalted! Who are these two?” They said, “Come, come!”

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For The Sake Of Allah Only

During the time of Prophet Musa, there was a pious man, who used to pray day and night on the roof of his house. One day some people came and told him that there was a garden where a tree was being worshipped by a group of people. On hearing this the pious man picked up an axe and went to that tree with the intention of cutting and uprooting it altogether.

Satan (the Devil) came to him in the form of an old man and asked: "What are you aiming to do?" The pious man explained what was happening and his intention to cut the tree. Satan said: "What have you to do with it? If God wished the tree to be cut, he would have sent his Prophet to do it."

The pious man did not listen. The two went on arguing and quarrelling till they came to blows. He managed to knock the Satan down on the floor and sat on him, aiming at cutting his throat. The Satan begged him for pardon and release saying, "Let me suggest you one thing which would help you in this world as well as in the next world. I shall pay you two dinars everyday. You can pay partly to the poor and partly spend for your own self. Leave this tree uncut till God commanded whether it was right or wrong to cut it."

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