RayOfHope 2007-05

The Ray of Hope

Jumada I 1428

May-June 2007

A Journal By The Students Of Darul Uloom Sabeelus Salam, Hyderabad, India

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_____________________________________________________________________________ Vol.2 No.1 Jumada I, 1428 A.H. May-June 2007 PATRON: MAULAANAA MUFTI HASSAN AL QASMI Under the supervision of: Maulaanaa Sirajul Huda Sb Nadvi Azhari Editor: Shamsul Islam Sub-Editor: Zaheerul Haq Nadvi C O N T E N T S 1

Editorial: Nine mothers of the believers

Shamsul Islam

2

2

Ml Rizwan Al Qasmi: life and contributions

Zaheerul Haq Nadwi

6

3

A brief account of the Prophet's wives

Qutbuddin Qasmi

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4

Hadith On Death-Bed

Shadab Anwar

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The Ray of Hope

Jumada I 1428

May-June 2007

Editorial

NINE MOTHERS OF THE BELIEVERS: WHY?

By Shamsul Islam A noted Arab writer and analyst Professor Abbas Mahmood Al Aqqad says: "No argument in favour of Prophet Muhammad's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) veracity in his mission can be as compelling as his exemplary domestic life and noble conduct with his wives." 1 0F

Sounds strange! But if we go through an objective, unbiased account of Prophet Muhammad's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) domestic life, we can easily figure out the logic behind it. For this purpose, let us have a cursory look at the circumstances that led to the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) marriages.

Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her), daughter of Khuwailid, was our Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) first wife whom he married at a young age of 25. Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her) was 40 and twice-widowed at that time. The twenty-five years that the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) lived with her was quite a long time, yet the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never ever considered a second marriage. His love and affection for her did not subside even after her death and he would fondly remember her every now and then before his other noble wives.

Sauda, daughter of Zam'a, and her husband Sakran Bin Amr (May Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Ethiopia (then called Habsha) abandoning all their estates and properties at Makka. A hearsay that the non-believers of Makka had embraced Islam saw them on their road back home three months later.

However Sauda reached the hostile city of Makka alone without Sakran who passed away on the return journey. The aging Sauda had no one to take care of her and few were interested in marrying an old widow of heavy, tall frame. But the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got to know of her troubles and decided to honour the sacrifices she had made for Islam. She was exalted to be the Mother of the Believers 2.

1F

Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) had done more favours to the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with his companionship as also with his wealth. Naturally, the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was keen to return his favour to every possible extent. And in that society where marrying a minor was as acceptable as wedding an adult, the greatest show of kindness that one could conceive of was offering oneself to become the other's son-in-law. So the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proposed to marry his six years old daughter. Our hindsight tells us that but for Aisha, several chapters of Islamic Law pertaining to domestic life would have remained incomplete.

1 2

Paighambar e Akhlaq o Insaniyat by Maulana Abdullah Abbas Nadwi, page 78.

Honorific title for the noble wives of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

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Umar bin Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him), whose virtues were surpassed only by Abu Bakr's complained to the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that Abu Bakr and Usman (May Allah be pleased with them) would not have his recently widowed daughter Hafsa (May Allah be pleased with her) for wife.

"Someone nobler than the two may marry her,"2 the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) consoled his aggrieved companion. Who could be that "someone" but the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself?

In the early days, the Muslims of Madina were an impoverished lot. So when Abdullah Bin Jahsh was martyred in the Battle of Badr, none of the noble companions of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were in a position to look after his wife Zainab Bint Khuzaima and provide her maintenance. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself came forward to bear her expenses bestowing on her the enviable status of the Mother of the Believers.

Taking cue from the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) deed, Abu Bakr and Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) proposed to Umme Salma Hind bint Umaiyya when her spouse died of injuries sustained in the Battle of Uhud. Twenty-six years old Umme Salma excused herself due to her advancing age. When the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proposed to her, she explained her difficulties in accepting the proposal, viz. her declining age, her orphaned offspring, her touchiness: the very reasons behind the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) offer. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied that he was much older and that the maintenance of her offspring was now his responsibility. As for her temper, no cure could be as effective as keeping the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) company.

Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allah be pleased with her) was the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cousin, being the maternal grand daughter of Abdul Muttalib (Prophet's paternal grandfather). She looked up to the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) not only as an elderly family-member but also as a loving guardian. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) suggested to her to marry Zaid Bin Haritha, Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) freed slave and adopted son. Zainab complied in spite of her personal disinclination. But the two could not make an amiable couple and Zaid subsequently divorced her. This misfortune had befallen Zainab on account of the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advice, so the Prophet decided to recompense her in an apt manner. And thus she was the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) seventh wife.

Juwairia was the daughter of a chieftain of the Banu Al Mustalaq tribe, Harith Bin Abu Zirar.

Her husband, Musafih Bin Safwan Mustalaqi, was killed in a battle against Muslims in 5 A.H. She was taken prisoner along with scores of others by the Muslims. Her Muslim master agreed to free her on payment of a specified sum, in accordance with the prevalent custom. As she had no money with her, she approached the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), a byword for magnanimity, asking for help. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proved more generous than she expected as he married her after getting her freed. This also proved to be a boon for her entire tribe as all the slaves of

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her tribe were freed by the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet) who considered it a discourtesy to enslave an in-law of the Prophet (i.e., the relations of the Prophet's wife, Juwairia).

The daughter of Abu Sufyan, an arch-enemy of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), had left the company of her relations and friends and migrated to Ethiopia (Habsha) along with her husband, Ubaidullah bin Jahsh just for the sake of safeguarding her faith. But her husband died there and she was left alone, helpless, hapless, in a far-away land where the poor, migrant Muslims had no means to take care of her; and if she had decided to return to her Pagan father, she would have been, God forbid, forced into Heathendom. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got the news of the tragedy and demanded from the Najashi, the King of Ethiopia, to marry the stranded woman, if she agreed, to him, so that she could get her maintenance with her head held high. That was Umme Habeeba Ramla.

Among the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) several wives, was another widow Safiya Israiliya, daughter of Huyai Bin Akhtab who was a chieftain of the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza. When she was taken a prisoner after the Battle of Khaibar, the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave her the option of returning to her family-members or, if she wished, she could be the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wife. The wise lady whom some women taunted for her short height proved that she was not short of wisdom, being the least inclined to reject this blessing. On the other hand, the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) secretly wished that this might soften the hearts of the malevolent Jews.

When the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) visited his birth-place after seven-long years, he proposed to a distant relation Maimoona Bint Harith who was a Muslim widow exposed to hatred and cruelty from the Pagans of Makka. The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to her rescue and she was no more at mercy of the malicious Unbelievers, rather she stood exalted as the Mother of the Believers.

Thus we see that there were many considerations involved in the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) decision to go for polygamy and if there was anything that was never in his mind, it was the physical attributes of these ladies, all of whom but one were widows. The lesson that we get from this brief account of his marriages is that it was the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) altruism that led to this number of his noble wives and that not even once in his life was he dictated by his corporeal instincts.

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Ml Rizwan Al Qasmi: Life And Contributions

By Zaheerul Haq Nadwi There are so many people who have lived in this world. But some have been intelligent and extraordinary. Such people live in the memories of the coming generations and continue to teach them and guide them. Maulana Muhammad Rizwan Al Qasmi was one of them.

He was born on 11th July, 1944 in the village Bhagrathpur, dist Darbhanga, Bihar. After studying at his village, he got enrolled in Jamia Rahmania, Munger, Bihar. Then he went to Uttar Pradesh for higher studies. There he got his Fazeelat (Master's degree in Theology) in 1967 from the greatest Islamic university of Asia, Darul Uloom Deoband, Saharanpur district. After this, he took admission in the course of Ikhtisaas Fi Uloomil Quran (Specialization in Quranic Sciences) and wrote a dissertation on the subject of "The System of Life as Laid Out by the Holy Quran" in the same university.

Then he came to Hyderabad as Imam and Khateeb (preacher) of Masjid Amira, located on the upmarket Abids Road in the hub of the Old City of Hyderabad. He would lead the five times prayer and teach Tafsir (Commentary of the Holy Quran) after the Zuhar prayer. After the Asr prayer, he would explain to the devout namazis (the ones who say their prayers regularly) the meanings and implications of Hadith (the Sayings of the Noble Prophet). His fascinating and lucid explanations of the Islamic subjects would have his audience absorbed. Perhaps this was the reason why many people would come to his mosque passing over nearer mosques.

A few years later he decided to establish a seminary to expand the scope of Islamic education. He wanted more and more children and teenagers to know their religion, their God and their Prophet. That was the year 1972 when Darul Uloom Sabeelus Salam came into existence at Masjid Mian Mishk, Purana Pul, Hyderabad. He served as its Rector all his life. His able leadership and diverse talents saw the seminary progress from a small makeshift maktab (primary school) with only two staff (other than him) to a large seminary in a sprawling campus covering 42 acres and having the services of over seventy teaching and non-teaching staff.

Maulana was also a great scholar, prolific writer and erudite analyst. He edited an Islamic quarterly journal Safa and a fortnightly newspaper Qirtas-o-Qalam. He also wrote for the popular daily of Hyderabad, Siasat, on religious, spiritual, social, political and literary subjects. He would answer the questions of readers which mainly related to Islam in the newspaper's weekly column Aap Ke Sawaal (Your Questions). His association with the daily lasted for nearly three decades. Maulana also wrote many popular and useful books, which bear testimony to his command over Urdu prose and his extensive study of its poetry as also his deep knowledge of a wide range of theological and secular subjects. Some of his widely-acclaimed books are as follows: 1. Charaag-e-Raah (The Lamp of the Street) 2. Baatein Unki Yaad Rahengee (His Sayings Will Be Remembered) 3. Deeni Madaris Aur Asr-e-Haazir (Religious Seminaries and the Contemporary World 4. Jaraaim: Marz Aur Ilaaj (Crimes: The disease and Its Therapy) 5. Asr-e-Haazir Ke Fiqhi Masaail (The Juridical Issues of the Cotemporary World) 6. Asrar-e- Hayaat (The Secrets of Life)

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7. Mataa-e-Qalam (The Wealth of Pen) Maulana also took deep interest in the social and political affairs of the community. He was associated with many organizations which worked for the uplift of the Muslim community in different spheres of life. He was the founder member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board – the only organization that represents all the sections and ideologies within the Muslim community. As an active member of its Working Committee, Maulana played an important part in running the Imarat-e- Sharia of Bihar and Orissa, which is well-known for its commendable role in safeguarding the religious identity of Mulims in the two states as also for its efforts towards the social and economic progress of the community.

He also served as the founding member and member of Working Committee of an important socio-political organization, All India Milli Council.

He was attached to various regional and national academic bodies as well. He served as the VicePresident of Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) Academy founded by the late Qazi Mujahidul Islam Qasmi for debates and discussions on contemporary Islamic issues. He was a member of the historic Islamic university, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow as he was the founder member of the Al Ma'had Al Aali Li Tadreebil Qaza Wal Ifta (Higher Institute for Training in Islamic Judicature and Law).

He went on with his diverse responsibilities, always working and thinking over various issues of concern to the larger community, with utmost patience and tenacity. But his death, on the other hand, was too hasty, not allowing him enough time to complete his jobs. It approached him at a relatively young age of 60 when even his hair had not turned white. And he left for his heavenly abode after lying in coma for thirty days on account of brain-hemorrhage. The intensive care and professional treatment that he got at Care Hospital, Hyderabad, could not save this charismatic leader, formidable administrator, great thinker, prolific writer, brilliant academic and a repository of Islamic sciences. May his grave be illuminated and his rank be raised in the Heaven.

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The Ray of Hope

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May-June 2007

A Brief Account Of The Prophet's Wives

By Qutbuddin Qasmi Age at the Year of Year of Time of Marriage Death Marriage

Serial No.

Name

Father's Name

Former Husband

1

Khadija

Khuwailid

40

2

Sauda

Zam'a

Abu Haala Bin Zurara Tameemi Sakran Bin Amr

3

Aisha

Abu Bakr

_

6

4

Hafsa

Umar Bin Khattab

21

5

Zainab

Khuzaima

Khunais Bin Huzafa Sahmi Abdullah Bin Jahsh

6

Umme Salma Hind

Umaiyya

26

7

Zainab

Jahsh

Abu Salma Bin Abdul Asad Makhzoomi Zaid Bin Haritha

8

Juwairia

Harith Bin Nazr

20

9

Abu Sufyan

10

Umme Habeeba Ramla Safiya

Musafih Bin Safwan Mustalaqi Ubaidullah Bin Jahsh

_

11

Maimoona

Kinana Bin Ar Rabee' Bin Abul Huqaiq Abu Rahm Bin Abdul Uzza

Huyai Bin Akhtab

Harith

_

30

35

37

_

Mean age at the time of marriage: 28 years § § § § § § § § § §

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28 Before Hijrah 3 Before Hijrah

3 Before Hijrah 54 After Hijrah

3 Before Hijrah 3 After Hijrah 4 After Hijrah 4 After Hijrah

57 After Hijrah 45 After Hijrah 4 After Hijrah 62 After Hijrah

5 After Hijrah 5 After Hijrah 6 After Hijrah 7 After Hijrah

20 After Hijrah 50 After Hijrah 44 After Hijrah 50 After Hijrah

7 After Hijrah

51 After Hijrah

The Ray of Hope

Jumada I 1428

May-June 2007

Hadith on Death-Bed

By Shadab Anwar Imam Ahmed relates an event that took place a couple of decades after Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) death (11 A.H.). Hazrat Saoban (May Allah be pleased with him), freed slave of the Prophet, fell sick in Himas which was then governed by Abdullah Bin Qurt Azdi. The governor did not come to visit him.

A person belonging to the Kula'ee tribe came to enquire after Hazrat's health. Hazrat Saoban asked him if he could write. He replied in the affirmative. The ailing Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet) asked him to write to the governor Abdullah Bin Qurt on his behalf: "If there was an aide of Hazrat Moosa or Hazrat Isa (peace be upon them) in your times, you should have visited him." Hazrat Saoban then folded the letter and asked the writer to take it to the governor. The man went away and handed over the letter to the governor.

The governor on reading the letter stood up at once, apprehension marked clearly on his face.

The people around him were at a loss, murmuring among themselves: "What has happened? Has some disaster taken place?" The governor came to Hazrat's house, entered his room and sat there for a while.

Then he got up to take his leave. But catching hold of his robe, Hazrat Saoban (May Allah be pleased with him) asked him to sit back in order that he (Hazrat) might narrate to him a Hadith (Saying of the Holy Prophet) that he himself had heard from the Messenger. The governor complied. Hazrat narrated: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, 'From amongst my Ummah (community of followers), there will be seventy thousand devout persons who will enter the Paradise without any reckoning or punishment, and with every thousand among them there will be another seventy thousand.'"

(Tafseer Ibne Kathir, Vol. 1, page 370)

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