dr:mohamed eldondity
المدير
عدد المساهمات : 145
نقاط : 444
تاريخ التسجيل : 11/08/2009
 |  موضوع: @LIFE STORY OF MOHAMED PBUH PART 14 @THE YEAR OF SORROW  الخميس سبتمبر 10, 2009 9:55 am | |
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The Year of Sorrow
The Prophet (pbuh) and his followers went back to a normal
way of life but the years of hardship had made Khadijah very
weak. She became ill and soon afterwards she died. Thus, the
Prophet (pbuh) lost his beloved wife and friend, the first
person to accept Islam and support him. She had been a
refuge from all his troubles and, through her good-
heartedness, the best company in his suffering. He had loved
her very much. This happened in 619 A.D., the year which
became known as the 'Year of Sorrow'. Soon after this, the
Prophet Muhammad's uncle and protector, Abu Talib, also
died. Abu Talib had been one of the most respected men in
Mecca-one of the elders of Quraysh. Even though he had never
been a follower of Islam, he had protected the Prophet (pbuh)
against his enemies. Not only was this a sad occasion for the
Prophet (pbuh) but also a dangerous one. According to Arab
custom anyone who is under the protection of another is safe
so long as his protector lives. Now, with the death of his uncle,
the Prophet's protection was gone.
The Prophet's enemies rejoiced to see him so sad, without a
wife to console and comfort him, and without his uncle to
protect him. They began to treat him worse than ever before.
Even small children insulted him. One young man actually
threw some filth on the Prophet's head, but the Prophet (pbuh)
went home without making anything of it. When one of his
daughters rushed, weeping, to wash it away, he comforted her
saying, 'Do not weep my little girl, for Allah will protect your
father.' Abu Talib had been the Prophet's last tie with Quraysh
and the Prophet (pbuh) now felt that Islam could make no
further progress in Mecca because the hearts of Quraysh were
closed against him. He decided, therefore, to travel to Ta'if
where he hoped to find support. He walked all the way to the
town, which was seventy kilometers away. There he spoke in
all the places where people gathered, but no one listened to
him. He met the leaders of the three most important tribes but
they would not listen either. Not only did they take no notice
of what he said, but they laughed at him and ordered their
slaves to insult him and pelt him with stones.
Sadly, the Prophet (pbuh) left the city and found a quiet place
near a wall on the edge of town where he could be alone. There he
prayed to Allah in these words: “ O Allah, to Thee I complain of my
weakness, helplessness and lowliness before men. 0 Most Merciful,
Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my Lord. To whom
wouldst Thou leave my fate? To a stranger who insults me or to an
enemy to whom Thou hast given power over me? If Thou art not
angry with me, I care not what happens to me. Thy favor alone is
my objective. I take refuge in the Light of Thy countenance by
which the darkness is illumined and on which this world and the
other depend, lest Thy anger descend upon me or Thy wrath light
upon me. It is for Thee to be satisfied until Thou art well pleased.
There is no power and no might save through Thee.” The wall near
which the Prophet (pbuh) was sitting belonged to a garden owned
by two brothers. When they heard his prayer, they were very sorry
for him and sent one of their slaves to him with a dish filled with
grapes. Before he began to eat, the Prophet (pbuh) said 'Bismillah'-
'In the Name of Allah.' The servant, whose name was ‘Addas, was
very surprised at these words, which he had never heard before. 'By
Allah', said ‘Addas, 'this is not the way the people of this country
speak.' 'Then from what country do you come, 'Addas, and what is
your religion?' asked the Prophet (pbuh). 'I am a Christian from the
Assyrian town of Nineveh', he replied. 'From the town of that good
man Jonah, son of Matta', added the Prophet 'How do you know
about him?' asked ‘Addas. 'He is my brother-he was a Prophet and I
am a Prophet', answered the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). ‘Addas
bent down and kissed the Prophet's head, his hands and his feet,
because now he saw that he was truly a Prophet. The Prophet
(pbuh) then walked back to Mecca. He was now able to put up with
everything patiently for he knew that Allah would never leave him.
His journey to Ta'if had not been in vain for ‘Addas, the Christian,
had become a Muslim, and this was to he the beginning of great
changes.
The Night Journey And The Ascent To Heaven
One night as the Prophet (pbuh) lay sleeping in the same
spot where 'Abd al-Muttalib used to sleep, next to the Ka’bah,
he was woken by the Archangel Gabriel. Later the Prophet
(pbuh) described what happened: 'I sat up and he took hold of
my arm. I stood beside him and he brought me to the door of
the mosque where there was a white animal for me to ride.'
The Prophet (pbuh) told of how he mounted the animal
and, with the Archangel Gabriel at his side, was transported
from Mecca to the mosque called al-Aqsa, in far away
Jerusalem. There the Prophet (pbuh) found Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus among a group of Prophets. The Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) acted as their leader, or imam, in prayer.
Then he was brought two jugs, one containing wine and the
other milk. He chose the milk and refused the wine. At this,
the Archangel Gabriel said, 'You have been rightly guided to
the fitrah, the true nature of man, and so will your people be,
Muhammad. Wine is forbidden to you. The Prophet (pbuh) also
related how they passed through Heaven's gates and saw
countless angels. Among them was Malik, the Keeper of Hell,
who never smiles. Malik stepped forward and showed the
Prophet (pbuh) a view of Hell and the terrible plight of those
who suffer in that place. Then the Prophet (pbuh) was taken
up by the angels, through the seven Heavens, one by one
Along the way he again saw Jesus, Moses, and Abraham, and
the Prophet (pbuh) said that he had never seen a man more
like himself than Abraham. He also saw John, called Yahya in
Arabic, Joseph or Yusef, Enoch, that is Idris, and Aaron. At last
he reached the Lote Tree of the Uttermost, the sidrat al-
muntaha where no Prophet had been before. Here the Prophet
(pbuh) received Revelation of what Muslims believe.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
“The Messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed
unto him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one
believes in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His
Messengers-We make no distinction between any of His
messengers-and they say: We hear, and we obey.
Grant us Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the
homecoming”. (Koran ii.285) , Then he was taken into the
Light of the Divine Presence of Allah, and was instructed that
Muslims should pray fifty times a day. The Prophet (pbuh)
recalled: “ On my way back I passed by Moses and what a
good friend to you he was! He asked me how many prayers
had I been ordained to perform. When I told him fifty, he said,
'Prayer is a serious matter and your people are weak, so go
back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce the number for you
and your community.' I did so and He took away ten. Again I
passed by Moses and he said the same again; and so it went
on until only five prayers for the whole day and night were
left. Moses again gave me the same advice. I replied that I
had been back to my Lord and asked him to reduce the
number until I was ashamed, and I would not do it again. He
of you who performs the five prayers faithfully, will have the
reward of fifty prayers.
On the morning following these events and the Prophet's
return to Mecca, he told Quraysh what had happened. Most of
them said, 'By God! This is ridiculous! A caravan takes a
month to go to Syria and a month to return! Can you do that
long journey in a single night?' Even many Muslims were
amazed by this and wanted the Prophet (pbuh) to explain.
Some ran with the news to Abu Bakr who said, 'By Allah, if
Muhammad (pbuh) himself has said so, then it is true.
Remember, the Prophet tells us that the word of Allah comes
to him directly from heaven to earth at any hour by day or
night, and we believe him.
Isn't that a greater miracle than what you are now
doubting?' Then Abu Bakr went to the mosque and listened to
the Prophet's detailed description of Jerusalem. He
commented, 'You tell the truth, 0 Prophet of Allah!' From then
on, Abu Bakr was honored with the title 'al-Siddiq’, which
means 'he who gives his word to support the truth'. Others
also began to believe the Prophet's story when he went on to
describe two caravans he had seen on his way back to Mecca.
He told the doubters where he had seen the caravans, what
they were carrying and when they would arrive in Mecca. All
that the Prophet (pbuh) had said was born out when the
caravans arrived at the time he said they would, carrying all
that he had described.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
“Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night from the
Holy Mosque to the Far distant place of worship, the
Neighborhood which We have blessed, that We might show
him some of Our signs, He, only He is the All-hearing, the All-
seeing”. (Koran xvii:1)
By the Star when it setteth, Your comrade is not astray,
neither deceived, Nor does he speak of his (own) desire. This
is naught but a revelation revealed, Taught him by one mighty
in power, very strong; he stood poised, being on the
uppermost horizon, Then drew near and came down, two
bows'-length away, or nearer, Then revealed to His servant
that which He revealed. His heart lies not of what he saw;
What, will you then dispute with him what he sees? Indeed, he
saw him yet another time By the Lote- Tree of the utmost
Boundary Near which is the Garden of Abode When there
covered the Lote- Tree that which covered; his eye turne not
aside, nor yet was overbold. Verily, he saw one of the greatest
signs of his Lord.(Koran liii:1-18)
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