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Notes for o’ LeveL

Islamiyat
Session: 2025-2026

Class: O2

Compiled by:
Hafiz Muhammad Usman
Lecturer Chenab College Jhang
Mailing Address: [email protected]
Mobile No: 0333-6725057, 0312-0325057
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Index

Page
S. No Topics
No

Passages from the Holy Quran

1 4
11 to 15

Biography of the Holy Prophet

2 12
(Peace Be Upon Him)

3 History and Importance of the Holy Quran 27

Hadiths of the Holy Prophet

4 45
(Peace Be Upon Him)

5 History and Importance of Hadiths 61

6 Four Caliphs of Islam 83

7 Jihad 131

8 First Islamic Community 134

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Passages from the Holy Quran

Allah’s relationship with His Messengers:

11

The main theme (s) of this passage:

These verses are from Surah Al-Baqarah, a Madni surah. The theme in this passage
is the relationship of Allah with His Messengers. It focuses on the very first
messenger, Hazrat Adam and his early life. It teaches that Hazrat Adam was created
as Allah’s representative on earth and he was granted knowledge from Allah
Almighty that made him superior to even angels. Another teaching is that if a person
accepts his mistake after committing any wrong, he can be forgiven. It also highlights
Allah’s grace and mercy as He taught Adam how to pray for forgiveness. These were
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the following words: “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls; if you forgive us not and
bestow upon us your mercy, we shall certainly be lost”.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

This passage is very important in the lives of Muslims as it verifies the Muslim belief
in the Prophets which is one of the articles of faith. Its importance can be judged by
this that humans are guided here the main purpose of their creation. By this
passage, the Muslims learn to resist Satan and his evils in their daily lives as he has
been trying to trap mankind since the creation of Hazrat Adam. As Allah said in the
Holy Quran: “O children of Adam! Let not devil put you to a trial, just as he got your
two ancestors removed from paradise”. Muslims understand through this passage
that it is quite possible they err but if they repent, forgiveness awaits them from their
merciful God. This passage also informs the Muslims that Allah puts all humans
through test including his messengers so, they should be ready for it.

The main theme (s) of this passage:

This passage is from Surah Al-An’am which is a late Makki surah and this is about
the relationship of Allah Almighty with His Messengers. These verses describe
Hazrat Ibrahim’s attempt that how he guided the people to recognize Allah Almighty
by the marvels of nature and not to worship these celestial bodies because these are
the creations of Allah Almighty and obedient of Him. As Allah Almighty said in surah
Yaseen: “Neither it is for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outpace the
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day. Each one is floating in an orbit”. So Hazrat Ibrahim rejected the Polytheism that
was the hallmark of the society around him and declared Shahadah openly. Same
message is conveyed in surah Fussilat: “Among His signs are night, and the day,
and the sun and the moon. Adore not the sun and moon, but adore Allah, who
created them”.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

This passage contains a significant message that should be applied in Muslim’s live
as it guides the Muslims to select always a logical approach to make people
understand the reality of Islamic beliefs and practices. Muslims learn from this
passage that it is neither the shinning of the sun nor the shimmering of the moon that
enables them to be worshipped but it is Allah Almighty who has made such beautiful
heavenly bodies and He alone deserves to be worshipped. The theme encourages
Muslims to observe the marvels of nature and recognize their creator. It also verifies
that all the Messengers preached the universal message of Tauheed so we should
believe in the Oneness of Allah and equally respect all Messengers.

The main theme (s) of this passage:

This is a Madni surah whose title Maidah means “a heavenly spread”. Another
important fact about this surah is that it contains the last and concluding revelation of
the Holy Quran. The theme in this passage is the relationship of Allah with His
Messengers. The Messengers of Allah were blessed with special powers and
protection from Him. The theme elaborates on the different miracles and protection
that Prophet Hazrat Isa got from Allah Almighty. They called him a magician and
slandered the pure and virtuous lady Maryam, his mother. But Allah was with Hazrat
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Isa and restrained the Jews attempt to harm and crucify him as Allah said in the Holy
Quran: “But they killed him not, nor crucified him”. The word “by my leave” are
repeated with each miracle to emphasize the fact that they arose, not out of the
power or will of Hazrat Isa but by the will and power of Allah Almighty.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

This passage is very important for Muslims today as it guides the Muslims that
Hazrat Isa was the messenger of Allah not the son of Him as Allah addresses him by
saying “son of Maryam”. This passage also informs the Muslims that Allah puts all
humans through tests and trials including his messengers so, they should be ready
for it. This passage verifies the Muslim belief in the Prophets which is one of the
articles of faith. The passage strengthens the faith of Muslims that Allah always
helps and protects His obedient people as the Prophets were helped and supported
by Him in different ways. The passage also encourages the Muslims about the
people who are ill-wisher of the prophets and their messages will not be succeeded.
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The main theme (s) of this passage:

This surah was revealed during the early period at Makkah, when the revelation was
suspended for a time in the initial stage of prophet hood. This led to distress and
anxiety on the part of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and for him it was a period
of darkness, a spiritual night. Surah Al-Duha, meaning daybreak or the morning light,
was revealed to dispel this gloom and bring a message of hope to the Prophet just
as the morning light dispels the dark of the night. Theme of this surah shows Allah’s
special care and concern for his chosen people especially in times of crises and
difficulty. Allah puts his Messengers into a variety of tests only to bring them closer to
him and thus strengthen their faith. In case of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
, these difficulties began with his blessed birth, that he was already orphaned. But
Allah made special arrangements for him. In childhood, he was given special love
and care from his paternal family. When he began to work, he was married to a rich
lady who presented all her wealth at his services and his quest for the ultimate truth
was granted by awarding of prophet hood. So, he was also asked to show kindness
to the orphans and those who ask for knowledge.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

The oaths in this surah reflects the importance of the surah and Allah’s love with the
Holy Prophet. The passage strengthens the faith of the Muslims in prophets and
increases love for the beloved of Allah. It also reminds the Muslims that if they follow
the footsteps of the Prophets, they can also get much help from Allah. This also
develops the concept that He does not abandon His prophets and pious people at
any stage of their lives and guides the believers that they should never lose hope in
hardships and difficulties as the Holy Quran says: “So, verily with every difficulty
there is a relief”.
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The main theme (s) of this passage:

This surah was revealed at Makkah during the early stages, when the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) was enduring extremely difficult conditions. The disbelieving
Quraish especially Al-A’s bin Wa’il used to taunt him for not having any male
progeny as his sons had died in infancy: “now he is abtar (cut off from the root
means he will be cut off from his community). The revelation of Surah Al-Kawthar at
this point confirmed Allah’s support for His Messenger, and promised eternal reward.
As Kawthar means abundance of Allah’s blessings and favours to him in this world
as well as in hereafter. Kawthar is also a river in heaven, which Allah has granted to
him. It told the prophet to remember Allah through regular prayer and to develop the
spirit of sacrifice so that he could continuously strengthen his bond with Allah and to
get constant divine support.

The importance of this theme in a Muslim’s life today:

The passage contains a significant message that should be applied in Muslim’s lives.
It guides us how Allah helped the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in difficult times
and if Muslims follow the footsteps of the prophet, they can also get such help from
Allah. The passage gives hope and courage amidst the distress caused by the
remarks passed by the disbelievers. This passage is a reminder for Muslims that if
their prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not spared then how they
can be spared by opposition, so they should be ready for it. The importance of this
passage can be judged by this fact that those who opposed and tormented the
Prophet were the ones who lost in this life and the hereafter, whereas the Prophets’
name lives on through his message. His followers are all over the world and His
lineage continued through his daughter, Hazrat Fatima and her children.

Small references related to different themes

Small references related to Allah in Himself

Passage no: 1 Surah Al Baqarah (2.255)

1. The Only God: “There is no God but He”.

2. Immortal: Al Hayy (the living)
3. Controller of all the things: Al Qayyoom (the all sustaining)
4. Owner of everything: “His are all the things in the heaven and on the earth”.
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5. Having perfect knowledge: “He knows what is before or after or behind

them”.
6. Complete authority: “His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth”.
Passage no: 2 Surah Al-Anaam (6.101-103)

1. Badee: Means he who creates without any raw materials to start with. “To
Him is the primal origin of the heavens and the earth”.
2. Alone without family: “How can He have a son when He has no consort”.
3. The only creator: “There is no god but He, the creator of all the things”.
4. Incomprehensible (not able to be understood): “No vision can grasp Him but
His grasp is over all vision”.
Passage no: 3 Surah Fussilat (41.37)

1. Manager of all the things: “Among His signs are the night and the day, and
the sun and the moon”.
2. Only worthy of worship: “Adore not the sun and the moon but adore Allah
who created them”.
Passage no: 4 Surah Al-Shoora (42.5-6)

1. Ownership: “To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth”.
2. Forgiveness: “Surely Allah alone is the oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Passage no: 5 Surah Al-Ikhlas (112)

1. Al-Samad:(He who doesn’t need anyone rather everyone is in need of him)

“Say He is Allah, the one and only, Allah, the eternal, absolute”.
2. Having no offspring: “He does not beget, nor is He begotten”.
3. Unique: “And there in none like Him”.
Small references related to Allah’s relationship with His created worlds
Passage no: 6 Surah Al-Fatiha (1)

1. Cherisher: “Praise to be Allah, the cherisher and the sustainer of the worlds”.
2. Most merciful: Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem (the most beneficent, the most
merciful)
3. Just: “The master of the Day of Judgement”.
4. Guide: “Show us the straightway”.
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Passage no: 7 Surah Al-Baqarah (2.21-22)

1. Provider of countless blessings: “Who had the earth your couch, and the
heavens your canopy, and sent down rain from the heavens and by it brought
forth fruits for your sustenance”.
Passage no: 8 Surah Al-Alaq (96.1-5)

1. Making insignificant very significant: “Created man out of a clot of

congealed blood”.
2. Giver of knowledge: “He who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not
know”.
3. Most bountiful: “Proclaim! Your Lord is so bountiful”.
Passage no: 9 Surah Al-Zilzal (99)

1. Warner: “On that day will men proceed in companied sorted out, to be shown
their deeds”.
2. Just: “Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And
anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it!”
Passage no: 10 Surah Al-Naas (114)

1. Protector: “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind. The king of mankind.
The God of mankind”.
Small references related to Allah’s relationship with His Messengers

Passage no: 11 Surah Al-Baqarah (2.30-37)

1. Creator: “Behold, your Lord said to angels, “I will create a vicegerent on

earth”.
2. Giver of knowledge: “And He taught Adam the names of all things.
3. Forgiver: “Then Adam learnt from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord
turned towards him, for He is often-returning, most merciful”.
4. Utmost respect for Hazrat Adam: “And behold, we said to the angels: ‘Bow
down to Adam’.
Passage no: 12 Surah Al-Anaam (6. 75-79)

1. Powerful: “So also did we show Abraham the power and the laws of the
heavens and the earth, so that he might have certainty”.
2. Guide: “Unless my God guides me, I will surely be among those who go
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astray”.
3. Creator: “I have set my face firmly and truly towards Him who created the
heavens and the earth”.
Passage no: 13 Surah Al-Maidah (5. 110)

1. Powerful: “Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so that you spoke
to the people in childhood as well as in maturity etc.
2. Guide: “Behold I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel”
3. Complete Authority: “By My leave” Hazrat Isa said with all miracles.
4. Protector: “I restrained the Children of Israel from you”.
Passage no: 14 Surah Al-Zuha (93)

1. Helper: “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?”
2. Guide: “And He found you wandering, so He you guidance”.
3. Pleasure for Prophets: “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He
displeased”.
4. Giver of glad tidings: “And truly the hereafter will be better for you than the
present”.
5. Blessings towards Prophets: “But tell about the bounties of your Lord”.
Passage no: 15 Surah Al-Kawthar (108)

1. Abundance of blessings: “To you have we granted abundance”.

2. End of Prophet’s enemies: “For he hates you, he will be cut off”.

Biography of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)

Relationship of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) with Jews

In early days of migration to Madinah:

There were three Jewish tribes in Madinah, Banu Qainqa, Banu Nazir and Banu
Quraizah. Banu Qainqa was mainly goldsmiths and other two tribes were
agriculturists. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was quite aware of the
importance of the Jews in Madinah and was hopeful of winning them over through
peaceful invitation to Islam, which had many things in common with the Jews and the
Christians as they were declared by the Quran as the Ahl e kitab (the people of
book). With this hope, he included them in the Charter of Madinah and they were
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declared as a single community or Ummah, complete religious freedom was granted

to them and they were given equal rights. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
tried his best to make them friend but the Jews gradually distanced with themselves
from him and they always remained hostile towards him.

• Banu Qainqa: 624 AD,2 AH

The Muslim community, under Holy Prophet, had established a Constitution of

Madinah, which included terms of mutual cooperation and protection among
various tribes, including Jewish tribes. The Banu Qaynuqa violated this
agreement by engaging in hostile actions against the Muslims. They exhibited
hostility towards Muslims, including mocking and belittling the Muslim faith and
community. One incident involved the public humiliation of a Muslim woman,
which led to a violent confrontation. This confrontation underscored the growing
animosity. When the matter was brought to the Holy Prophet, he raised an army
and laid siege to Banu Qainqa’s residences. The siege lasted for 15 days and
finally the Jews surrendered. They were forced to leave Madinah taking their
wives and children within three days. They migrated to Syria.

• Banu Nazir: 4 AH, 625 AD

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) met with some of the companions at Banu
Nazir’s settlements regarding the payment of blood money to Banu Amir. They
asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was
divinely informed of their design to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the
wall, so he left for Madinah. The Prophet went to Mosque and told his companions
about this. Then he sent an ultimatum asking them to leave Madinah within 15 days.
Upon their resistance, the Prophet laid siege to their strongholds. After 15 days siege
they began to leave Madinah for Khyber.

• Banu Quraizah: 5 AH, 627 AD

During the battle of Ahzab, they held negotiations with the Quraish and this greatly
endangered the Muslims who were on the defensive situation. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) was, therefore, compelled to take serious action against them.
After the battle was over, the Prophet marched with his army towards them and laid
a siege to them. The siege lasted for a month, so they decided to surrender. After
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this, the Jews of Banu Quraiza demanded that their fate should be decided by Saad
bin Muaz. He decided the fate by the Law of Torah, so all the men about 700 were
put to death, their women and children were enslaved and their property was
confiscated.

• Khyber Expedition: 7 AH, 629 AD

Most of the Jews expelled from Madinah took shelter at Khyber. Here they began to
plot against the Muslims in cooperation with the tribes. So later the Khyber was also
conquered and they were allowed to remain there by contributing a half share of their
produce to the Islamic government.

Relationship of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) with Hypocrites:

The hypocrites who had apparently accepted the faith but were the enemies of Islam
from the core of their hearts. The Holy Quran mentioned them as “Those whose
heart is diseased” (5:51).

Beginning of Hypocrisy: Before the arrival of the Prophet in Madinah, Abdullah bin
Ubayy of Khazraj tribe had gained prominence and he strong wished to become the
chief of the Madinite politics with the help of his Jewish allies. He was therefore,
greatly perturbed over the arrival and subsequent rise of the prophet. He
continuously intrigued with the chiefs of Makkah to wage war against the Muslims.
Some of their conspiracies are mentioned here.

• These hypocrites, mainly during the first five years of the Hijrah, were
engaged in weakening the prophet’s position by verbal arguments and
criticizing the Quran, especially some of the most recent revelations.
• In the battle of Uhad the hypocrite party tried to find excuses of not
participating in the battle and their leader deserted the Muslim army with his
300 men.
• They made lame excuses and deserted Muslims when they were in need of
help in the battle of Trench and tried to help the people of Makkah.
• After the battle of Trench, their leader was in secret contact with the Jews who
had been exiled from Madinah, to inform them of the movement of the
Muslims.
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• Abdullah bin Ubayy even made a malignant effort by scandalizing the

Prophet’s wife Ayesha until her innocence was declared by the Quranic
verses.
• Abdullah bin Ubayy built a mosque outside Madinah, where, he used to hold
meetings against the Holy Prophet. When Allah revealed verses against this
house of conspiracy, which the hypocrites called a mosque, it was demolished
and burnt by the order of the Holy Prophet. Soon after the Tabuk Expedition,
Abdullah fell ill and died. With his death, many of the hypocrites repented and
turned to the genuine faith.
• The attitude of the Prophet towards the hypocrites was not very strict,
although Allah had identified them all to the Prophet and this, he had shared
with his close companion Huzaifa bin Yaman. The major reason was that if he
had taken punitive action against them his repute might have been damaged
for turning against his own people. So, he acted in a wise way to let
hypocrites die their own death.

Muslim State and their relations with other states:

The guiding principles about the foreign policy of a Muslim state were laid down by
the Holy Quran, implemented by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) between 622
AD and 632 AD and finalized by the Rightly Guided Caliphs from 632 AD to 661 AD.

Basic Rules:

• The international relations of a Muslim state are based upon respect for other
people’s interests and rights of life, honour and property. As Allah said: “And
indeed we have honoured the Children of Adam”.
• The foreign relations of Muslim states with other states are based upon justice
both in peace and war. As Allah said: “And let not the enmity and hatred of
others make you avoid justice”.
• The Islamic state has been enjoined to follow the terms of the agreement. As
Allah said: O you who believe! Fulfill your obligations”.
• Muslims are instructed to give full freedom of religion and their places of
worship should be protected by Islamic state. As Allah said: “There is no
compulsion in Islam”.
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• Muslims are instructed not to mutilate dead bodies, not to destroy crops and
fruit trees, houses and of worship, not to kill women, children and old people
and not to torture war prisoners.

Examples from Holy Prophet’s life:

During a period of ten years in Madinah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had
to fight several wars with the unbelievers of Makkah. The number of unbelievers
killed in these wars was over two hundred. This was an example for contemporary
rulers to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was a
symbol of peace, so, he signed a ten years truce with the blood thirsty enemies,
which is called “Treaty of Hudaibiyah” in 6 AH. He did so, even though the
circumstances as well as the terms of treaty were apparently not in favour of his
fellow Muslims.

In 10 AH, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) invited the Christians of Najran to
Islam. A delegation visited Madinah for discussions but declined to accept Islam.
Instead of invoking Mubahala (mutual prayer for judgment), they opted for a peace
treaty. The terms of treaty were the following;

• The Christians of Najran were allowed to practice their religion freely without
any coercion to accept Islam.
• The Muslims guaranteed the safety of the lives, properties, and places of
worship of the Najran Christians.
• The Christians agreed to pay an annual tax (jizya) in exchange for protection
and exemption from military service.
• The Christians pledged not to ally with any enemies of the Muslim state or
take part in any actions against Muslims.
• The Najran Christians retained autonomy in managing their internal religious
and communal affairs.
• Any disputes between the Muslims and the Christians of Najran would be
resolved peacefully, with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) or his
representatives acting as arbitrators.

Hazrat Abu Bakr: During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr, when the place of Hira,
in Iraq fell to the Muslim army, the Muslim commander, Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed
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signed the famous treaty of Hira. In this treaty, the following rights were given to
them.

• The people of Hira were allowed to practice their religion freely. They were not
forced to convert to Islam but were expected to respect the Islamic rule and
maintain peaceful coexistence with the Muslim community.
• In return for recognizing the authority of the Muslim state, the people of Hira
were guaranteed protection from external threats, including attacks from the
Byzantine and Persian empires.
• The Muslims ensured their safety and security, as long as they fulfilled their
obligations under the treaty.
• The people of Hira were allowed to manage their internal affairs
independently, as long as they did not oppose the Muslim authority. Their
local governance system and traditions were respected, and they were not
forced to change their way of life, except in matters relating to the Islamic
state’s interests.
• The people of Hira were required to pay the jizyah (a tax imposed on non-
Muslims) in exchange for protection and the benefits of living under the
Muslim rule. This tax was a form of financial contribution to the Islamic state,
which helped maintain security and support the Muslim army, which protected
them from external threats.
• This treaty allowed them to continue their prosperity without interference, as
long as they adhered to the terms of the treaty.

Hazrat Umar:

The rights and protections granted to the people of Jerusalem during the caliphate of
Hazrat Umar are outlined in what is known as the Treaty of Jerusalem or The Pact of
Umar. This treaty was established after the city of Jerusalem surrendered to the
Muslim forces in 15 AH during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar.

• The people of Jerusalem, both Christians and Jews, were guaranteed the
right to practice their religion freely. They were allowed to continue their
religious practices without interference from the Muslim rulers, ensuring that
they could worship according to their beliefs.
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• Hazrat Umar and the Muslim forces pledged to protect the lives and
properties of the residents of Jerusalem.
• The places of worship, including churches and synagogues, were to be
preserved. There would be no forced conversions or destruction of religious
symbols.
• The Muslims would protect the city from any external threats or attacks,
ensuring the safety of its inhabitants.
• The inhabitants of Jerusalem, especially the non-Muslim population (mainly
Christians and Jews), were required to pay the jizyah, a tax imposed on non-
Muslims living under Muslim rule. This tax was in exchange for protection and
the right to practice their faith freely. The amount of jizyah was fixed and
reasonable, depending on the individual's ability to pay.
• One of the key terms of the pact was that the people of Jerusalem were not
forced to embrace Islam. They were allowed to continue practicing their own
religion without fear of persecution.
• The local Christians were allowed to continue governing their internal affairs,
with the condition that they would adhere to the overall governance of the
Muslim rulers.
• There was no imposition of Islamic law on the Christian community, but they
were expected to respect the Muslim rule.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as a Model of Excellence

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the greatest reformer in the entire history
of the world. He was blessed with the attributes of mercy, tolerance, forgiveness,
love, compassion, truthfulness, piety, righteousness and steadfastness to the degree
of perfection. The Quran bears witness to these great qualities of the Prophet at
many places. As Allah said: “And you stand on an exalted standard of character”.
Some of his qualities are mentioned below.

• Honesty and Truthfulness:

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) proved by his examples that he was the most
honest and truthful person, and all the people of Makkah acknowledged this fact.
Due to his honest and fair dealings with people, he came to be known as Al Sadiq
and Al Amin (the truthful and trustworthy). When he was told to preach Islam openly,
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he gathered the Quraish near the mount of Safa and asked them: “O Quraish! If I say
that an army is advancing on you from behind the mountain, would you believe me?”
They all replied! Yes, because, we have never heard you tell a lie”. Even Abu Jahl,
his bitterest enemy often said: “Muhammad, I do not say that you are a liar, but what
you say I do not think right”. Abu Sufyan, the chief of the Quraish accepted his
truthfulness in the court of Roman king that he had never told a lie. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) practiced honestly and truthfulness in his life and preached it to
others.

• Mercy and forgiveness of the Holy Prophet

He set several examples of forgiveness and amnesty in his life. The Holy Quran
endorses this fact as: “We sent you not but as a mercy for all the creations”. (21:107)
Throughout his life he faced utmost and worst kind of opposition and inhuman
persecution but he would never curse his enemies. An old woman would throw
garbage upon him whenever he passed her way. One day, when the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) did not come across her, inquired and came to know that she
was ill. He went to meet her and asked about her health! She was so embarrassed
and accepted Islam. Similarly, the event of Taif and the conquest of Makkah are
clear examples of his mercy and forgiveness.

• Steadfastness and patient perseverance

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was tortured and teased both physically and
mentally but he remained unshaken in his faith. He was mocked by his own uncle
Abu Lahab and other Makkan chiefs, over the death of his son and this saddened
him but his faith was bound to be strengthened. The Quraish approached the uncle
of the Prophet, Abu Talib and asked him to pressurize his nephew to abandon his
mission. The Prophet reply, however, was even more frustrating for them when he
said: “O my uncle! If they place the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left
hand, and ask me to stop preaching the word of God to the people, I shall never
accept what they say until God has made me victorious or I perish therein”. The
Quraish changed their strategy and sent Utbah bin Rabiah to negotiate with the
Prophet and offer him marvelous worldly attractions, chiefdom of Makkah, immense
wealth or marriage with the most beautiful woman. Utbah, too, was disappointed
when the Prophet flatly refused all the offers. Then he had to bear the hardships of
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Shi’b of Abu Talib for three years and gave the best examples of steadfastness and
patience.

• Dynamic leadership and superb administration

Another wonderful quality of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was his
leadership and administration. He remained calm yet steadfast in the hostile
environs of Makkah and then he established his worth as a successful and strong
leader at Madinah. He, for example, managed to unite the mutually hostile tribes of
Aus and Khazraj on the one hand and the Muslims and the Jews on the other. He
established a new kind of brotherhood between the Muhajireen and Ansar. His great
success was to foil the attempt of the allies to win over the Jews of Banu Quraiza
during the siege of Madinah in 5 AH. In spite of his own genius, he was in the habit
of consulting his Shoora, the body of his advisors, on all important occasions. The
Prophet took special care of the rights and protection of the non-Muslim citizens of
the Republic of Madinah. They were never forcibly recruited in the Muslim army and
they just they had to pay a nominal tax in return for the security provided to them by
the Muslim government. The Prophet set several examples of dispensing justice
without any prejudice or discrimination. The Holy Prophet, in many instances, gave
strong rulings even against some of the noted companions.

• Humbleness (Humility):

The life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is full of examples humblesness
and humility. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would not think of himself as above
the other companions, like a king, and would take part in all the tasks the rest of the
community would, like digging the Trench in battle despite his hunger, or taking part
in the building of the mosque in Madinah. He would take part in household chores,
like cleaning and mending his garments, milking the goats, etc., and would not
expect others to do it for him. He would sit on the floor and eat, saying, “I am only a
servant, I eat like a servant or a slave eats, and I sit as any servant sits.” When the
Prophet entered Makka after the conquest, he did not enter with a big display of
victory; rather he was riding at the back of the army remembering and thanking God.
He was so hunched over that his beard was touching the back of his animal. Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) treated everyone equally. Whether they were rich or
poor, slave or free, he greeted them with warmth and respect. He never considered
 21

himself above others and was always approachable. He would sit on the floor, eat
with his companions, and would never seek to elevate himself in status. He did not
boast about his accomplishments or talk about his status. He always referred to
himself as a servant of Allah. When the people praised the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him), he would often direct the praise towards Allah. He never sought or
expected recognition. For example, when someone praised him, he responded, “Do
not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of
Mary.”

• Justice and Fairness:

The life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is a profound embodiment of
justice, demonstrated in every aspect of his words and actions. He did not treat
those he knew or was related to differently to those who were strangers. Once, a
noble woman of Makhzum Fatimah bint al-Aswad committed theft. Her relatives tried
to intercede on her behalf. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) called the people
saying: “What destroyed your predecessors was just that when a person of rank
among them committed a theft (or any crime), they left him alone, but when a weak
one of their number committed a theft (or any crime), they inflicted the prescribed
punishment on him. I swear by Allah that if Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, should
steal, I would have her hand cut off.” Many Jews of Madinah brought their affairs and
problems to him, knowing that he would always be fair. In administering justice, he
made no distinction between believers and non-believers, friends and foes, high and
low. When a Jewish man came to demand back the money the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) owed him, he grabbed the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) by the
collar. Hazrat Umar got angry at the Jew, but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
smiled. He asked for the debt to be repaid and extra given due to the harsh
treatment by Hazrat Umar. The Prophet was just in his treatment of his wives. He
treated them equally and fairly, providing for them according to their needs, and
never showed preference to one over the others. He would visit each wife in turn and
divide his time equally between them. Hazrat Usama bin Zaid, a young companion of
the Holy Prophet, was appointed as the commander of an army towards Syria near
his demise that included many prominent companions. One of the soldiers in his
army, who was a Muslim, killed a non-Muslim during a battle. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) was very angry when he heard about the incident, stating that
 22

the man had recited the Shahada (the declaration of faith) to escape being killed.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) questioned the soldier, “Did you kill him after
he said, ‘There is no god but Allah?’” The soldier tried to justify his actions, but the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of justice and mercy,
warning that such an action would lead to severe consequences in the Hereafter.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) showed fairness to people of all faiths.
During his time in Madinah, he established a constitution, known as the Constitution
of Madinah, which outlined the rights and duties of all citizens, including Muslims,
Jews, and other non-Muslims. He ensured their protection, freedom of religion, and
participation in the community. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) always
ensured that the poor, the weak, and the marginalized in society received fair
treatment. He would listen to their concerns and take action on their behalf. He was
particularly attentive to the needs of orphans, women, and slaves, emphasizing their
rights and ensuring they were treated with respect and dignity.

• Generosity:

Generosity is giving freely without expecting anything in return. The life of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) is a shining example of unparalleled generosity. He
showed generosity by different ways like generosity with enemies, in food etc, in
knowledge and prayers. Abdullah ibn Ubayy, one of the hypocrites, was an enemy of
Islam, yet on his death the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for him and
gave his own shirt to enshroud Abdullah’s body. He would never refuse the beggar,
would feed the poor and hungry, going hungry himself. He would give away his
possessions and money. He never turned down anyone who asked him for
something, and once a person asked for the clothes he was wearing, the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) took off his garment and handed it to the man. Once,
70 000 dirhams were brought to him and he laid them on the floor and gave them out
until they were all finished. A woman once came to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) with a bowl of dates. He didn’t hesitate to share the dates with others present,
even though he was hungry himself, demonstrating that he prioritized the needs of
others over his own. He was most generous in Ramadan. When he returned a debt,
he gave more than what he owed. He was generous with his prayers, praying for
those who hurt him rather than asking for their destruction such as at the time of
 23

event of Taif and conquest of Makkah. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
shared his knowledge with anyone who sought it, regardless of their social status.
His teachings have been passed down through generations, benefiting millions
worldwide.

• Simplicity:

Simplicity is living with few things and not being extravagant even when you have the
chance. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would do things with his own hands,
rather than asking others to do it for him, such as milking his goats, patching his
clothes, mending his shoes. He worked on the construction of the mosque and
digging the trench at battle. He did not like the companions to stand up for him when
he entered. He would eat as others ate, and sit on the floor as others sat. He would
take his meals with slaves and people from any class of society. He would eat very
little. He would sleep on a simple mattress on the floor without home comforts or
decorations. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) wore simple clothes, often made of
rough fabric. He did not seek luxury or adornment and preferred clothing that was
functional rather than fancy. He is reported to have said, "The best of clothes are
those which are simple." Holy Prophet's meals were very simple. Holy Prophet’s
simplicity extended to his actions and interactions. He would greet everyone equally,
whether they were rich or poor, young or old.
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) Attitude towards non-Muslims and enemies:

• The teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) are based and aimed
at promoting universal brotherhood, peace and love. He showed very kind,
sympathetic, forgiving, cooperative and humble attitude towards non-Muslims.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not encourage any kind or degree of
compulsion towards the non-Muslim subjects living in a Muslim state. As the
Quran clearly says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion”.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) took special care of the rights and
protection of the non-Muslim citizens of Madina. He said: “Whoever
committed any excess against a non-Muslim or used force against him
unjustly, I will advocate against such a Muslim on the Final Day”.
• In the treaty of Madinah, the Prophet set a great example of complete
religious and civic freedom and liberty to the non-Muslims of Madinah and
declared as the Jews and the Muslims as one unit and Ummah. They were
 24

given equal political and cultural rights, autonomy, they would fight with the
Muslims against the enemy of the community and have the same
responsibilities in war as others.
• The Prophet was always fair in his dealings with the non-Muslims, e.g. when a
Muslim and non-Muslim were having a dispute, the Prophet sided with the
non-Muslim as it was the just thing to do.
• The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) imposed a special tax (Jizya) upon the
non-Muslims living under a Muslim ruler who was responsible for protecting
the life, honour and property of the non-Muslims. But women, children and
poor people were exempted from Jizya and there were several other incidents
of exemption.
• Throughout thirteen years of Makkan life as a messenger he was abused,
taunted, mocked and tortured but he never cursed anybody on a single
occasion and instead he would always pray for the guidance of his enemies.
The exemplary demonstration of this was on his visit to Taif where a gang of
hooligans tortured him so much that his body began to bleed profusely. When
Hazrat Jibrael asked him if his enemies should be crushed by the command
of God, his reply was a humble prayer for the mischievous people of Taif. He
said: “Why should I pray for the destruction of these people? I hope that their
posterity will certainly be among the believers in one Allah”
• The prisoners of the battle of Badr were treated also serves as an example to
follow. The prisoners were all treated politely and kindly and those who could
afford to pay ransom money were released soon. The poor, the weak and the
elderly were freed while some of the educated captives were released after
each of them had taught ten Muslims at Madinah.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) put a complete ban on the inhuman and
heinous practice of mutilation of the dead bodies of the enemy’s soldiers,
which was prevalent among the pre-Islamic Arabs. The Prophet even forgave
Hinda who had mutilated the body of his beloved uncle Hazrat Hamza in the
battle of Uhad as well as his assassin Wahshi bin Harb.
• One night an unbeliever was a guest of the Holy Prophet. One by one, he
drank the milk of all the goats, but the Prophet did not show any sign of anger
or dislike. Next day, impressed by the Prophet’s behavior, he embraced Islam.
 25

• Hazrat Abu Huraira’s mother who lived with him in Madinah, was an
unbeliever. She used to abuse the Prophet, about which Abu Huraira
complained to him, but he prayed for her.
• The leader of hypocrites Abdullah bin Ubay and his followers embraced Islam
but were not true Muslims. This behavior at the time of the battle of Uhad and
other occasions was damaging to Islam, but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) always treated them with kindness.
• The Jews were very hostile towards Muslims but the Prophet was kind to
them. Once, the funeral of a Jew was passing by the Prophet and he stood up
as a mark of respect.
• The unbelievers of Makkah made his life miserable, compelling him to leave
the town and subjected him to the worst kinds of torture. But when Makkah
was conquered, he forgave every injury inflicted upon him and proclaimed a
general pardon for everyone. He announced: “Today, there is no blame on
you, there will be no punishment; go, all of you are free”.

Holy Prophet’s attitude towards Mothers:

The Holy Quran says: “Worship none but Him and do well to your parents”. This
shows that after the worship of Allah the noblest deed is to serve parents.

But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) accorded an exalted status to mothers.
He summed up all the Islamic teachings about the status of mothers by saying:

“Paradise lies under the feet of mothers”.

This special status was given to mothers because of their sufferings and endurance
during the pregnancy period and upbringing of the children. The Holy Quran
mentions the pains suffered by a mother in this verse:

“And we have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents; his mother bears him in
weakness upon weakness”.

For the same reason the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in an incident thrice
insisted on serving one’s mother and only the fourth time he told the questioner to
serve his father.
 26

The Holy Prophet’s own kind treatment towards his foster mother Halima is
wonderful example. He used to call her “My mother”.

The Prophet had a foster sister Sheema (daughter of Halima). When she was
captured in Hunain, he released her immediately and upon hearing that she was his
sister, the entire clan of Banu Sa’d was freed by the companions of the Holy
Prophet.

Holy Prophet’s attitude towards wives:

It was the custom in Arabia that women were not given any right, people used to
marry as many women as they could afford and at their will, they used to divorce
them and were treated inhumanely. But Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave
them full rights.

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) raised the status of women equal to the status of
man in matters of rights and said in his last sermon: “O people you have rights over
your wives and your wives have rights over you and treat them with kindness”.

The Holy Quran says: “They (women) have the rights against them (man) according
to what is equitable”.

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) repeatedly instructed the believers to be kind to
their wives. In a Hadith he said: “The most perfect believers are the best in conduct
and the best of you are those who are best to their wives”.

On the other side the Prophet said: “The one who treats his wife unjustly will come
on the Day of Judgement half of his body paralyzed”. It shows that we must be
careful in regard to the rights of women.

Women were also ensured a due share in the property left by their deceased
husbands and parents. Islamic law even granted the right to seek divorce by a
woman from her husband through Khula.

A Muslim husband is required to be caring, loving and considerate towards his wife
and the wife should in return reciprocate her husband’s love by taking full care of his
needs.

The way the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) treated his wives can be assessed
by the fact that he would send gifts to the family and friends of Khadija even after
she had passed away.
 27

Holy Prophet’s attitude towards daughters:

According to Islamic teachings, daughters are considered the blessings in the house.
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The one who brings up two daughters,
feeds them, educate them and gets married is sure to enter paradise”. This shows
that bringing up daughters has a great reward.

Before Islam, the daughters were considered as an insult and they were buried alive
at the time of their birth but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) put a stop to the
burying of the daughters alive. As the Holy Quran says: “And when the girl-child that
was buried alive will be asked, for what sin she was killed?”.

When his daughter was born Hazrat Fatima, he said “Fatima is a piece of my heart
the one who annoys Fatima annoys me and the one who pleases her pleases me”.
This shows that daughters must be given preference as they love their parents more
than the sons.

Holy Quran has also fixed an amount for the daughters in inheritance from the
deceased parents. This shows that Islam gives financial rights to woman.

History and Importance of Holy Quran

Introduction of Holy Quran and Revelation from 610 AD to 632 AD

The Holy Quran is the last book of the revealed books of Allah. It was sent down to
His last messenger Muhammad by the angel Jibrael between the years 610 AD to
632 AD. The word Quran is mentioned frequently in the book itself. According to
scholars, it has fifty-five other names such as, Al Furqan (Distinction between truth
and falsehood), Al Noor (The light), Al Shifa (The healing), Al Huda (The guidance).

First Revelation: On the 12th of Feb, 610 AD, 27th of Ramzan, when he was in the
cave of Hira, Hazrat Jibrael appeared before him in the figure of a man and asked
him to read. This was a sudden and unexpected, he answered him “I cannot read”.
He seized prophet and squeezed him as hard as he could bear and said read.
Prophet replied I cannot read. Second time he squeezed him and said read. Prophet
gave the same answer. Third time he squeezed and said read. Prophet asked “what
shall I read? Then Hazrat Jibrael recited the first five verses of Surah ul Alaq: “Read!
With the name of your Lord, who creates (everything), who creates man from blood
 28

clot? Read! Your Lord is the most generous who teaches by the pen, teaches man
what he knows not”.
Methods of Revelation: The Arabic word for revelation is Wahi which means to
inform secretly. The revelation would reach the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in
different ways on different occasions. As Allah Almighty said in Surah Shoora, “It is
not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him except through
revelation, or from behind a veil, or that a messenger (an angel) be sent to him who
reveals to him by Allah’s leave whatever He wishes. He is All-High, Most Wise”.

• Dreams: The Holy Prophet’s dreams are called Ru’yat ul Sadiqah or true
dreams; meaning whatever Allah Almighty showed him in his dreams was
Divine Truth and message from Allah Almighty as Surah Al-Falaq and Surah
Al-Naas were given to him in his dream.
• Hazrat Jibrael: The arch angel would usually bring him the message of Allah
Almighty. This too was in different ways:
• The angel Jibrael was coming in the form of a man and just giving him the
revelation as he came in the form of Hazrat Dihya Khalifa Kalbi and it was the
easiest way of receiving revelation.
• The angel Jibrael brought the revelation and appeared as he was, without
having taken on the shape of a man. But this has happened only thrice in his
entire lifetime. First of all, it was when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
had himself wished to see him in his real form and shape. The second time, it
was in the Mi’raj (the Ascent to Heaven), and the third time it was at Ajyad in
Makkah during the very early days of Prophethood.
• Hazrat Jibrael brought revelation without appearing physically in any form
whatsoever, let some words of the message fall into his heart. This is
technically known as (nafth fi al-rau; blowing into the heart).
• The angel Jibrael bringing it without being seen but with an accompanying
loud sound like the ringing of a bell and bees buzzing which was basically the
sound of the fluttering of the angels’ wings. This was the most intense on the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and resulted in the kind of different effects
such as feeling extremely weighty, tired, breathing heavy, and feeling
incredibly tired. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It comes to
me sometimes as the ringing of a bell and this is hardest on me”. Hazrat
 29

Ayesha said: “When wahi came to him, his breath would seem to stop, the
radiant face would change turning pale like the branch of a date palm, the
front teeth would shiver from cold and he would perspire so much that its
drops would roll like pearls”. On occasions, so much intensity would be
generated in this state of wahi that the animal he would be riding at that time
would sit down, wilting under his weight. Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit reported: I
was sitting near the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) when revelation came
to him. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) became calm, and his thigh
rested on mine. By Allah, I never felt anything heavier than his thigh. When
the revelation ended, he became normal. Sometimes, others could also hear
a soft sound during the revelation.
• Direct Conversation: Another mode is distinguished by a direct, not
intermediary two-way conversation with Allah Almighty. This honour was
bestowed upon the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) only once, that is, in Mi’raj,
while awake.

Surah Nasr was the last surah, which was revealed completely. The last revelation
came to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the plain of Arafat, which
completed the revelation the revelation as it said “This day have I perfected your
religion for you, for you completed my favors upon you and have chosen Islam as
your religion”.

Surah: The Quran is divided into 114 chapters, each of which is called surah which
means a degree or step, by which we climb up. The surahs are of different lengths,
the longest one is Surah Baqarah, while Surah Kausar is the shortest. Each surah
begins with Tasmiyah with the exception of ninth, Surah Taubah.

Makki surahs: (86) The surahs which were revealed to the Prophet during the
Makkan phase of his mission, from 610 AD to 622 AD are called Makki. These
surahs are generally brief; consist of basic principles and beliefs such as oneness of
Allah and events relating to the past communities. The language was used very
strong.

Madni surahs: (28) The surahs which were revealed during Madinan phase, from
622 AD to 632 AD are called Madni. Madni surahs are lengthy and consist of social
duties and obligations.
 30

Ruku: All the surahs, with the exception of the last thirty-five are divided into
sections which is called Ruku, each section generally dealing with one subject.

Ayat: The surahs are made up of ayaat which means signs because every sentence
of the Holy Quran shows the path of success of both worlds.

Juz or Parah: For the purpose of recitation, the Quran is divided into thirty equal
parts, each of these being again sub divided into four equal parts.

Manzil: This division is made for the completion of its recital in seven days.

Significance of Holy Quran

The Holy Quran is the special gift of Allah to mankind. Its significance and purposes
are the following:

• Its purpose is to guide the humanity to the straight path, to awake human
conscience and to enlighten the human mind.
• Its instructions are aimed at the general welfare of human being.
• It helps them to understand their God and allow them to connect to Him.
• It is the only book which guides Muslims in their every walk of life such as
social, economic, religious etc.
• It makes the mankind very close to Him by following its teachings.
• It gives the full and perfect answer of all the questions which we have in our
minds such as creator, purpose of creation etc.
• It gives us the way of perfect and successful life.
• Allah has enlightened the whole world by revealing the Holy Quran and turned
the ungodly world back to Allah.

Need of Prophets in preaching the revelation

Allah always sent revelations through the prophets due to some reasons such as;

• They could preach the revelations practically because only a human can give
the practical demonstrations, so Allah chose the prophets for this.
• Allah sent prophets to different nations in different languages because they
could speak the native language so it was easy for the people to understand
the revelation.
 31

• All the messengers first convinced people through their character and moral
example as many people converted to Islam because Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) never lied and never deceived any person.

The nature of prophet hood from Holy Prophet’s first experience of revelation

• This first experience showed that Allah chooses a person for prophet hood to
whom he wills without informing or giving any warning to him. That is why the
Prophet was shocked and confused on the sudden appearance of the arch
angel Jibrail.
• This experience showed that Prophet Hood is not an institution that can be
attained through penance and prayers. It is an extremely rare gift that Allah
gives to whom He wills. As Allah said: “He does send down His angels with
inspiration of His command to such of His servants as He pleases” (16:2).
• This experience showed that Allah does not depend on anything he can make
prophet at any age or time as he made Hazrat Isa his prophet at the time of
his birth and Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at the age of forty.
• This experience showed that receiving revelation is not easy that is why
Hazrat Jibrael squeezed him and transferred the divine light to bear the
revelation.
• The Holy Prophet’s reaction during his first meeting with Hazrat Jibrael can be
compared to Prophet Musa’s experience. When Hazrat Musa saw a small
glimpse of Allah’s glory on the mountain, it turned to dust, and Hazrat Musa
fainted. The Quran says: “When his Lord revealed His glory on the mount, He
made it as dust, and Musa fell unconscious.”

Characteristics of Holy Quran

The Holy Quran has many different distinguishing qualities, such as:

• The preservation of other scriptures was the duty of their respective followers,
but they changed them for their worldly purposes. When Allah revealed the
Holy Quran, Allah took the responsibility of preserving whatever is contained
in it. The following verse testifies to this:
“Indeed, we have sent down this Quran and we must surely are its guardians”.
• The revelation sent to each prophet was intended for the guidance of his own
nation, but the Holy Quran was sent for the whole mankind. As Allah said:
 32

“The month of Ramzan in which was revealed the Quran, guidance for whole
mankind”.
• The other scriptures were revealed for a specific time of period, but the Holy
Quran is the guidance for the whole mankind till the Day of Judgment. Its
teachings apply to all times, conditions and requirements of mankind.
• The Holy Quran is not contained on some warnings and advices like the other
books, but also it is a complete code of life. The Quran give the guidance in
every field of life.
• It is the actual word of Allah and it is beyond human imagination to produce
anything like it. Some of the greatest enemies and masters of Arabic
language tried their best but remained failed. The Quran says: “If the whole of
mankind and Jinns were to gather to produce the like of this Quran, they could
not produce the like, even if they backed up each other with help and
support”.
• The Holy Quran is a complete and comprehensive book, clearly defining the
permitted and forbidden, the lawful and the unlawful as the Quran itself says:
“Nothing have we omitted from the book”. Similarly, Allah says: “And we have
sent down to you a book explaining all things”.
• One of individualities of Holy Quran is in its wisdom there is a moving force
that provokes the mind and stirs as it is proved from the preaching of Islam.

Compilation of Holy Quran

The unchanged text of the Holy Quran through fourteen centuries is a divine miracle.
Corruption and changes have never touched the Quran because Allah said: “We
have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and we will assuredly guard it from
corruption”.

Compilation of Holy Quran during the Prophet’s life

Writing: Whenever, a revelation was received by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) he would call one of his writers and say to him: “Write this verse in the chapter
where such and such verses occur”. He would then ask him to read what he had
written. This was to ensure perfect accuracy. These writers are called Scribes.
These were always near the prophet to ensure the revelations were written down at
early point. At Madinah, about forty companions are believed to have acted as
 33

scribes for the Holy Quran, such as Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman,
Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit.
The Quran was written on thin and flat tablets of stone, wood, branches of palm
trees, bones of camels and goats, skin of animals and other pieces of leather. The
arrangement of the verses and surahs was done by the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) himself with the help of angel Jibraeel. The proof for written scriptures is
as Hazrat Umar found his sister reading the Quranic text from parchments and Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) said that reading the Quran earns a believer twice as
much reward as reciting it from memory.

Memorization:

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to ask his companions to memorize the
verses in order to recite them in their daily prayers. It was the practice of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) to recite loudly the text of the Quran, revealed so far,
every year, during the month of Ramzan and the companions used to compare their
memory of Holy Quran with the version of the Holy Prophet. In last year of his life, a
few months before his death, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) read out the
complete text of the Quran twice. In this way, the whole Quran was memorized and
brought in written form, but it was not in one book or copy.

Compilation of Holy Quran during the period of Hazrat Abu Bakr

During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr some people declared themselves to be
prophets and among them was Musailmah. Hazrat Abu Bakr waged a war against
him and many companions who had committed the Holy Quran to memory were
martyred in that battle, known as the battle of Yamamah. Hazrat Umar suggested to
Hazrat Abu Bakr that the Holy Quran should be compiled so none of the revelation
would be lost. Hazrat Abu Bakr hesitated, saying “How dare I do something the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) did not do?”, but Hazrat Umar convinced him of the
need. Hazrat Abu Bakr then called Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit, one of the Holy Prophet’s
secretaries, and said to him to go and find all the fragments of the Holy Quran and
assemble it together. Hazrat Zaid also hesitated but Hazrat Abu Bakr convinced him
of the need. Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit applied the following criteria:

• The verse he received first of all used to check with his own memory because
he was a strong hafiz.
 34

• Then he used to check with his writing because he had the whole of the Holy
Quran written with him.
• Then the verse was given to all the scribes who were strong huffaz for
verification.
• Then it was given to the Caliph for verification, as he was hafiz.
• Then the presenter of the verse was asked to give two witnesses, those who
have seen him writing in the presence of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) and checked by him.

Then the verse was accepted and written in a copy. This criterion was applied so
that there should not be any mistake and nothing should be added in the Holy Quran
because many hypocrites wanted their man-made verses to be included in it. Theses
sheets remained with Hazrat Abu Bakr. After his death, these sheets were given to
Hazrat Umar and then were transferred to the daughter of Hazrat Umar and wife of
Holy Prophet, Hazrat Hafsah for the safety.

Compilation of Holy Quran during the period of Hazrat Uthman

As Islamic state expanded, people in various places recited the Quran in their local
accent and there arose a possibility of confusion and misunderstanding. The need
for final collection of the Quran arose when General Huzaifah bin Yaman reported
this problem to the caliph during to the observation in the battle of Armenia and
Azerbaijan and asked him to make a unified text. To avoid this problem from arising
in the future, the Caliph Uthman obtained sheets from Hazrat Hafsah and ordered for
the preparation of one standard version of the Holy Quran. He appointed Hazrat Zaid
bin Thabit along with three other knowledgeable Muslims Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair,
Saad bin Aas and Abd ul Rahman bin Haris, who assisted to make copies of the
Quran from the original text. They were told to follow the dialect of the Quraish in
case of differences over the language, as the Holy Quran had been revealed in that
dialect. Copies were prepared and these were checked with the original. These
authoritative copies were sent to different parts of the Islamic state; Kufa, Basra,
Damascus Makkah etc. Two original copies from Uthman’s time still exist today, one
at Istanbul and the second at Tashkent. Due to this great service Hazrat Uthman is
known as Jami-ul-Quran. This means that he brought the Muslims around to a
uniform reading and writing of the Quran. The Quran that it is being read and written
today, is the same as in the early period of Islam.
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Need of compilation:

• The Holy Quran was revealed as a guide to whole of the mankind so it was
necessary to preserve its original text for the coming generations.
• If the Quran was not compiled then it would have been lost and the coming
generations would have been deprived of its precious teachings.
• If the Quran was not compiled then Islam would have lost its significance
because the Holy Quran is the only source of guidance in every aspect of life.
• If the Quran was not compiled then coming generations would have
differences and there would have been many disputes over the Holy Quran.
• The compilation of Holy Quran would allow Muslims to have access to Quran
at all times and places without any change.
• The compilation of Holy Quran ensures a standard copy.
• This compiled copy lessens the likelihood of it being reproduced with
mistakes.
• The compiled copy suggests unity between Muslims, e.g. they use the same
book, they read in its original language even if that language is not their own.
• The compiled copy can be carried by individuals and referred to with ease.

Relationship between Holy Quran and Hadith:

The Holy Quran is the basic source of Islamic law as it is God’s words and gives
guidance in our entire life. It is the most perfect book without any fault. It is
unchanged and unquestionable. The Hadith means the sayings, actions and silence
approved of the Holy Prophet; it is the second source of Islamic law. Both the Quran
and Hadith are collectively taken as the primary sources of Islamic Law as together.
As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said in his last sermon “And I leave with
you two things. If you hold fast by them both, you will never be misguided, the Book
of Allah and Sunnah of the prophet”. The Hadith is the practical demonstration of the
Quran as companion asked Hazrat Aysha about the morals of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him), She said: “His moral was the Holy Quran”. This thing shows
that Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) never did anything, which was against
Quranic teachings.

Allah has ordered many times in the Holy Quran to follow the both as Allah says:
“And obey Allah and obey the messenger”. Similarly, Allah said: “He, who obeys the
 36

Apostle, obeys Allah” because the Prophet did not speak of his own desire. As in
surah Najm, Allah said: “Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only an inspiration
that is inspired”. Actually, Hadith gives full teachings of what the Quran states in brief
or where it is silent. As the verse says: “We have sent down the Quran to you O
Muhammad so that you may explain to mankind what has been revealed to them”.
Now some examples are given below.

Examples of explanation:

• The Holy Quran says: “Establish prayer” but it does not give the method,
prohibition and obligatory acts. It is Hadith which explains everything in detail
as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself inspired about it; “Offer
your prayers as you see me offering”. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
gave the rule about prayers; "There is no prayer for the one who does not
recite the opening chapter of the Qur'an (Al-Fatiha)."
• The Quran commands “Hajj is duty man owe to Allah those who can afford
the journey”. But it does not tell the whole method, obligatory acts, times,
places and manners of Hajj, now it is Hadith which explains in detail about
these. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) him guided about it; "Take
from me your rituals of Hajj.” Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave the
rules about Ihram; "Do not cut your hair or nails, and do not engage in marital
relations while in Ihram." “Hajj is halting at Arafat”.
• The Quran commands many times to give Zakat as Allah said; "And establish
prayer and give Zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves,
you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing." But Hadith
explains and tells in detail that on which zakat is levied, its time when it is
given and the fixed amount that is given. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) guided; "No Zakat is due on wealth until one year has passed on it."
• The Holy Quran mentioned about usury that it is forbidden as Allah said;
"Allah has made trade lawful and usury (Riba) unlawful." But the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) gave the details of it: "Riba is the surplus that is
received in a transaction without giving anything in return."
• The Holy Quran described the punishment of thief in short as told in the Holy
Quran; "For the thief, whether male or female, cut off their hands as a
punishment for what they have done. This is a punishment from Allah, and
 37

He is powerful and wise." But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
explained it: “If he steals cut off his hand, if he steals again cut off his foot, it
he steals again cut off his hand, and if he steals again cut off his foot”.

Examples of those teachings where the Holy Quran is silent:

• The Holy Quran describes that pork is unclean therefore unlawful for the
Muslims. As Allah Almighty said; "Prohibited to you (for food) are: dead meat,
blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of
other than Allah”. The Quran tells only one animal as unlawful but all the other
animals are declared unlawful by the Hadith as he said “All the animals having
attacked teeth and all the birds having attacking claws are unlawful (haram).
• The division of inheritance is clearly stated in the Quran as Allah Said; "Allah
instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share
of two females. But leaving of wealth for the non-Muslim relatives is not
mentioned but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said “A Muslim may not
inherit from a non-Muslim, nor a non-Muslim inherit from a Muslim”.

The use of Holy Quran in legal thinking:

The Holy Quran constitutes the foundation of Islamic Law and is therefore most
reliable source. All other sources must be in conformity with the Quranic injunctions.

Allah said: “Whomsoever desired guidance from any other except the Quran, shall
go astray”.

The Quranic law is perpetual and everlasting. It does not change with the passage of
time. It is complete and final because no aspect of human life has been left without
guidance and nothing more is needed to supplement all that provided by it. The
Quran says: “Nothing have we omitted from the Book”, and said: “We have sent
down to you a book explaining all things”.

The Quranic law deals with beliefs, morality, worship, civil transactions, punishment
for intentional injury to the human body, property and honour; murder; breach of
public peace such as robbery; offences against religion such as nonpayment of
Zakat; against indecency; adultery; use of intoxication; gambling and offences
against the established government such as rebellion.
 38

Some teachings of the Holy Quran are as below:

Religious teachings: “And be steadfast in prayer, practice charity”. Allah said:

“Pilgrimage there is a duty man owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey”.

Economic teachings: “Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury”. “Give full
measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight”.

Moral teachings: “And swell not your cheek for pride at men nor walk with insolence
through the earth, for Allah loves not any arrogant boaster”. “Help one another in
righteousness and piety, but help not one another in sin and transgression”.

Legal teachings: “The woman and man guilty of adultery, flog each of them with a
hundred stripes”.

Political teachings: “Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and those charged with
authority among you”.

Domestic teachings: “And they (women) have rights over them (husbands) similar
to those of their husbands to over them to what is reasonable, but men have a
degree over them”.

Judicial teachings: “We have sent down to you the book in truth so that you may
judge between men, as guided by God”.

Ijma (Consensus)

Meaning of ijma: It is third source of Islamic law. Ijma comes from jamun or jama’at
meaning collecting or gathering or unanimity. In the terminology of the religion, ijma
means a consensus of the companions of the Prophet or Muslim jurists (Mujtahid) of
a particular age on a question of law.

Use of Ijma:

• The Holy Quran is the primary source of law.

• Holy Quran’s teachings are extended by the prophet’s Sunnah.
• Ijma is the third source of law and it will be effective when the Holy Quran and
Hadith are silent on any new Islamic issue.
• Ijma must be according to laws of Quran and Hadith.
• Ijma must not be against the fundamental teachings of Islam.
 39

The need of Ijma: There are many instances in which no clear parable is available
in the Quran or Sunnah. The Holy Quran came across countless situations and
through divine guidance was able to clarify many issues. As time passed and
mankind underwent many social and technological changes, many new questions
began to be raised. A typical example is the issue of a test tube baby or genetic
engineering, which did not exist at the time of the Holy Prophet. These posed certain
questions that needed practical solutions. So Ijma is the consensus of the scholars
dealing with such issues.

Holy Quran and Ijma: We trace the roots of ijma from the Quranic commandments
of “consulting each other” which was regularly practiced by the Prophet while making
important decisions. The Holy Quran instructs the Holy Prophet: “And consult them
in affairs (of moment)”. Some other verses are as below:

“He who opposed the messenger even after guidance has become manifest to him
and follow some path other than the believers. We will turn him over to whatever he
has turned (himself). We will make him enter Hell”. (4:115)

Hadith and Ijma: “If anything comes to you for decision, decide according to the
book of Allah. If anything comes to you which is not in the book of Allah, then look to
the Sunnah of the Prophet, then look to what people unanimously agree upon”.

In reply to Hazrat Ali as to how to proceed in cases when there was no definite
direction in the Holy Quran or the Sunnah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is
reported to have said: “Gather together the righteous from among my community
and decide the matter by their counsel and do not decide it by any man’s opinion”.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “My community will never agree
unanimously on an error”.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A segment of my community will
always remain firm on the truth, and those who dispute them or attempt to harm
them will not be able to inflict any harm upon them, until the command of Allah (i.e.,
the Day of Judgment) comes, and they will remain in that condition."

“Avoid the branching path and keep to the general community”.

“The hand of Allah is with the community”.

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Importance of Ijma for Muslims:

• Ijma gives guidance at a time when primary sources are silent.

• Ijma unites the Muslims on their important issues and removes the
differences.
• Ijma makes complicated matters easy to follow.
• Ijma in not limited to any community or time but it can be done anywhere and
anytime so it will continue as the source of law till the end.
• Ijma makes the Muslims able to follow the teaching of Islam forever because
the Muslim scholars unanimously decide the new issues in the light of Holy
Quran and Sunnah.

Kinds of Ijma: There are some kinds of Ijma:

• Ijma of the companions of Holy Prophet: This is most important form of

Ijma. The agreed upon principle is that the Ijma of any one can be reversed or
amended by one who is equal or greater than him. So, the Ijma of
companions is valid for all times to come, and this is an invariable source of
Islamic law. Some examples of this Ijma are the edition of second Azan in the
Friday prayer, Taraweeh prayers in twenty raka’at and compilation of Holy
Quran.
• Ijma of Imams: These are the elite of the scholars of the Muslim ummah like
Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Sahafa’i, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad bin
Humble. Their grasp over theology was the best after the companions.
Example of their ijma include the issue of the missing (lost) individual, i.e.
what should be the maximum missing period for a person before he could be
considered declared dead.
• Ijma of the Scholars: Due to the blessing of Allah, all the time there are
some greatest scholars which deserve to solve some difficult issues in the
light of Islamic teachings. Example of this includes the permission of contract
a marriage ceremony via telephone and prayer timings for those living in the
North and South Poles. But this form of Ijma is not binding on all the Muslims
and could be revised or changed according to the demand of time and
circumstances.
• Ijma of Local Muslim Community: The member of a Muslim community may
also conduct of Ijma on the issues that pertain to them as individuals. For
 41

example, the timings for Salat-ul-Eid and the amount of Sadaqat-ul-Fitr may
be fixed by the local community though it must be within the time range
specified by the Holy Prophet. But this form of Ijma is not binding on all the
Muslims and can be revised or changed.

Other kinds of Ijma:

• Ijma-e-Sarih
• Ijma-e-Sukooti

Ijma-e-Sarih

Ijma-e-Sarih (Explicit Consensus) refers to a clear and direct agreement among all
scholars of a particular era on a specific issue in Islamic law. In this case, each jurist
explicitly expresses their opinion, and there is no disagreement among them. It is
considered the strongest form of consensus in Islamic jurisprudence

Ijma-e-Sukooti

It takes place when some mujtahid, one or more, give a legal opinion with regard
to specific rule about a particular legal issue, then the rest of them are informed
of this opinion and they keep silent and they neither acknowledge it nor object to
it.

Examples of Ijma:

• Ijma came into practice soon after the demise of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) as all the Muslims unanimously agreed to elect Hazrat Abu Bakr as
a caliph of the Islamic state.
• The Holy Quran was not compiled in the book form during the life of Holy
Prophet. After his demise, on the suggestion of Hazrat Umar and by the
unanimous decision of companions, it was compiled in a book form.
• The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed taraweeh only three or four
times in congregation in his lifetime. He refrained from continuing so that it
would not become obligatory for my ummah. It was later during the reign of
caliph Hazrat Umar that the system of congregation of taraweeh was added
after Isha prayer with the consultation of all the companions.
 42

• During the time of the Holy Prophet, there was only one Azan for Jum’a. But
during the reign of the caliph Hazrat Uthman, Madinah expanded and the
Azan could not be heard. So, with the ijma of companions it was decided that
another call should be given.
• A Muslim woman is not permitted to marry a non-Muslim man.
• A man cannot be married to both a woman and her aunt or niece at the same
time.
• If there are no brothers or sisters from the same mother and father, then the
father's side siblings will get their share.

Qiyas (Analogy)

Meaning: Qiyas is the fourth source of Islamic law. It means to measure or to make
two things equal. In Islamic terminology it means applying the original law of the
Quran and Sunnah to a new sharaiah issue on the basis of common reasons.

All Muslim jurists exclusively agree that each shariah law has a reason or a cause for
it. Therefore, they try to find out the reason for every law then they apply the same
law on a new shariah issue if it has the common reasons.

Holy Quran and Qiyas: Allah has enjoined upon us to use our brains and
reasoning. As Allah said: “Take warning O you with eyes”. (59:2)

“As for these examples we cite them for mankind but none will grasp their meaning
save the wise”.

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and Qiyas: When Hazrat Muaz was appointed
as the governor of Yemen, then he asked: “How are you going to decide cases?”
Muaz answered: “By what is in the Book of Allah”. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) asked: “And if you do not find anything therein to guide you?” He said: “I will
decide in the way the prophet has been doing”. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) enquired, “But if you do not find any precedent from me, what then?” “I will do
my best by exercising my judgement”, Muaz replied. The Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) was overjoyed and thanked Allah for granting him such brilliant students,
whose answers brought him complete satisfaction.
 43

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) told to Hazrat Abu Musa Ashari: “Judge upon the
Book of Allah, if you do not find in it what you need, upon the Sunnah of the Prophet
and if you do find in that also, then use your personal opinion”.

Qualities of Mujtahid:

There are certain conditions for a person to exercise Qiyas. Such as:

• That person has to be a Mujtahid or doctor of law with command over the
Quranic and Sunnah matters and
• That person must be an expert of Arabic language.
• He must have sound memory and enjoy good repute as a pious person.
• He must have good knowledge of history in contemporary matters.

The use of Qiyas:

• The Qiyas is the source of law which is subordinate and subsidiary to the
Quran, Hadith and ijma.
• The Qiyas must be according to the basic principles of Islam.
• The aim of Qiyas is not to alter any Quranic or Sunnah law or text (nass).
• Its reasoning should be easily comprehended by human intellect.
• It must be applied only when there is no solution to the matter in the Quran or
in Hadith.
• It must not be against the contents of the Quran or the principles of Islam.

Elements of Qiyas: There are main four elements of Qiyas.

• Asl, which is the Quranic law.

• Far, which is the new shariah issue?
• Illah, it is the linking cause which links the current issue with the law of Quran.
• Hukum, the rule arrived at by analogy.

Examples of Qiyas:

• Holy Quran has declared consumption of wine unlawful, the reason behind
the prohibition of wine is intoxication which is quite clear. Then they apply the
same law on the new drugs if they have the same reason. Drugs like opium,
LSD, Heroin etc are declared unlawful because they have the same reasons
 44

as they are highly intoxicant. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Every
intoxicant is Khmar, so every intoxicant is Haram”.
• The verse says: “O believers when the call is heard for the Friday prayer
hasten unto the remembrance of Allah and leave trading”. It prohibits all sorts
of business on Friday prayer from Azan till prayer, the reason behind is that it
hinders from offering Friday prayer; now this verse not only prohibits business
but all that hinders from Friday prayer, like games or getting married in the
time of Friday prayer.
• According to a tradition, reported by Hazrat Ayesha, that if flour dries on the
nails and water has not reached any portion to that nail, Wuzu would not have
been considered to have taken place. Going by this tradition, with the
application of nail polish, Wuzu would be incomplete, as the nails remain dry.

Rejection of Qiyas by some scholars: There are some scholars like Ibn Hazm
Zahiri, who have rejected Qiyas. Their arguments can be summarized as given
below:

• Qiyas is a human attempt. It is personal reasoning and therefore outcome is

not the Islamic law.
• Qiyas has no evidence for it and therefore is not a source of Islamic law.
• The Illah (reason) behind a rule can be from the mind; therefore, it should not
have any authenticity.
• There are many chances of mistakes in Qiyas.
• Different scholars have different opinions and it might divide the Muslim
Ummah.

But these are their doubts and Qiyas can be proved as a source of Islamic law
easily.
 45

Hadiths of the Holy Prophet

Main teachings:

The Hadith discusses that religion is hinged upon sincerity in beliefs and actions.
Sincerity to Allah is to believe in Him wholeheartedly with all his attributes as the sole
creator and master and with an earnest desire to obey all his commands and to
worship him only. As Allah said in the Holy Quran: “And we have ordered them
nothing but they worship Allah and be sincere in their religion”. Sincerity to Allah’s
book means that it should be sincerely believed as a revelation from Allah. Its
knowledge should be acquired and spread. It should be read and understood and all
its commands should be carried out faithfully. Sincerity for the messenger signifies
that his prophet hood must be affirmed with perfect sincerity of heart. The Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) should be respected and loved. He should be obeyed
and followed in all affairs of life. For leaders and rulers, it implies that they should be
respected and obeyed and given full support and co-operation in all those affairs
which they conduct according to the teachings of Islam. Sincerity towards fellow
beings means to behave in an open and straightforward manner with them. Their life,
honour and property should be protected and every possible help and service should
be extended to them.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we must be sincere in our beliefs and actions. We
should be sincere toward Allah by cleansing our heart from all impurities like
associating anything with him. We should be sincere with the Holy Quran by applying
its teachings in practical life. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) must be
considered as model of excellence. We must provide full support to lawful policies of
our leaders. But when the rulers deviate from the path of righteousness, they should
be advised and admonished and efforts must be done to bring them to the right path
as Hazrat Abu Bakr said in his first speech as caliph: “Help me if I am in the right, set
me right if I am in the wrong”. We must be source of benefits for others and well-
wisher of the public as Ansar showed sincerity to emigrants at the time of migration
 46

Main teachings:

The Hadith emphasizes fraternity and brother hood. It stresses on having same likes
and dislikes because Muslim brother hood has been established by Allah Himself. As
Allah said in the Holy Quran: “Believers are a single brother hood”. If there are
devoid of good feelings and affection for each other, it would mean that the reality of
faith has not dawned upon them. The arrogance and selfish attitude are not the
characteristics of a true believer. Care for others is a sign of sincere belief and
perfect Muslim. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best among
people is the one who is a source of benefit to the people”. For attaining the true
state of faith, it is essential that man should be genuinely interested in the welfare of
his brothers.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of Hadith, we should have the spirit of sacrifice and be ready to
give preference to the need of others over our own as the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) did himself. Muslims must always respond to the needs of others as care
for them is a constituent part of faith for which we will be rewarded. As the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “You cannot enter paradise unless you are
believers and you cannot be true believer unless there is reciprocal love among you”.
We should try to emulate the example of the Ansar of Madinah who readily shared
all their belongings with their Muhajrin brothers. We have observed similar acts of
nobility and generosity very recently. Muslims, extended monetary and physical aid
to the victims of the horrible flood of September, 2014 in Pakistan.

Main teachings:

This Hadith highlights three important facets of our lives. First, to speak wisely,
speak the truth, and never hurt with careless remarks. It is better to be silent than to
 47

speak out of turn and irresponsibly. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand people are safe”. The second aspect is
about living in a community and caring for one’s neighbours. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) loved his neighbours, helped them and even worked for them
with his own hands. So great was the emphasis laid by him on the rights of
neighbours that the companions began to feel that the neighbours would also be
made rightful heirs to the property of the deceased. The third aspect is of generosity
and hospitality towards guests. Regarding guests, we have been advised to
welcome them in our house, speak to them with a smiling face and extend every kind
of hospitality to them.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should behave towards others, neighbours and
guests very well. We must use our tongue effectively not to harm others or to make
someone feel bad or cause distress. We should treat the neighbours generously as
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “The one who fills his stomach and
leaves his neighbours hungry is not a complete Muslim”. This shows that we must
care for our neighbours as it is the integral part of faith. We should not disturb our
neighbours by making noise or playing loud music and should also care even for the
non-Muslim neighbours. We must be hospitable, helpful, noble and considerate to
anyone who visits us. Guidance, protection and shelter must be provided to guests
because guests are the source of blessings of Allah.

Main teachings:

This Hadith very clearly outlines the basic requirements of being a good Muslim. Of
course, one may do as much as one can to gain Allah’s pleasure, but it also shows
that Allah does not burden mankind with the impossible. The importance of prayer,
fasting are highlighted here as pillars of faith. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) described the same theme on another occasion: “Observe your prayers five
times, fast during the month of Ramzan……you will enter your Lord’s paradise”. The
 48

meaning of “treat as lawful what is lawful and as forbidden what is forbidden” is to

know, respect and follow the laws of Allah without tampering with them. So, in this
Hadith the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has given the guaranty of Paradise to
those who have guaranteed the performance of these religious obligations.
According to this Hadith, avoidance from unlawful things is necessary to all Muslims.
As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The flesh grown by forbidden
provision shall not enter paradise”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we must stick to our main obligations in life if we
want to get the pleasure of Allah and paradise. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) said about prayers: “Prayer is the key to paradise”. We must keep fast in the
month of Ramazan without the care of hot weather. We must be obedient to Allah
throughout our life. Besides follow the principle of Islam we must be conscious of
what is allowed and not allowed in Islam at all times. We must adopt the lawful
means to earn our livelihood as we should be fair in our trading and refrain from
interest as the Holy Quran has instructed about it: “But Allah permitted trade and
forbidden usury (interest, Riba)”.

Main teachings:

In this Hadith the vast concept of charity has been discussed. According to the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) the charity is not only the giving money, goods to the
poor and deserving, but also the charity (Sadaqa) stands for any act of kindness
towards fellow humans even the smallest, for the sake of achieving Allah’s pleasure.
This Hadith highlights the importance of good deeds, no matter how great or small.
As Allah said in surah Zilzal: “Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of
good see it”. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) also motivated us to show
gratitude to Him for his blessings in their bodies like joints etc. This Hadith also
showed the importance of helping the other people in the eyes of Allah.
 49

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should be entirely a source of benefit and
comfort to others as it is considered as act of worship, which we have to perform in
our everyday life. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best among
you is the person who is the source of benefit for others”. We must help the weak
members of society as the poor, weak, too old, the blind and paralyzed because they
really deserve our help and support. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself
carried the load of an old woman to her destination. We should go to mosque on foot
for performing prayers. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There is for
every step towards mosque a degree of reward for you”. We must remove hurtful
things from path for safe journey of people.

Main teachings:

For the growth and stability of a model society, Islam has made arrangements for the
eradication of wickedness and ill manners. Islam has made obligatory act for every
Muslim to see that the moral health of the community does not deteriorate and
whenever there is any sign of decadence in any quarter, it should be checked. As
the Holy Quran said: “You are the best community ever raised for humanity, you bid
the desirable, forbid the disgusting and believe in Allah”. According to the main
Hadith, those who can check it with force, that is the power of the government, must
do so. As Hazrat Abu Bakr took active action against the false prophets, those who
refused to pay Zakat etc. The other people should try to sweep it out by preaching
and persuasion. As the Holy Quran says: “Call to the way of your lord with wisdom
and beautiful admonition and argue with them ways that are best”. If it is not possible
then at least have feelings of resentment for it.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should not tolerate any evil in the society as it
shakes the foundation of them. The evil can be in the shape of corruption, favoritism,
bribery and terrorism. These are the evil acts which have unfortunately shaken our
 50

Pakistani society. We have to fight a lot to sweep it out. We must assist the one who
is victim of tyranny, injustice, and wrong doing and must try to stop the one who is
committing it. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Take hold of the
hands of a Muslim from doing wrong”. To reduce the crime rates in Pakistan we must
introduce Islamic punishments which will definitely reduce the level of crimes in
society. Similarly, the personal example is also necessary while encouraging others
to refrain from sins.

Main teachings:

This Hadith clearly describes the importance of Jihad and the importance of those
people of who strive in the way of Allah. Striving hard in Allah’s way with his person
means taking part in warfare or qital to safeguard the faith and remove oppression
and aggression against mankind. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Paradise is under the shadow of swords”. Similarly, the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: “The warrior in the path of Allah is equal to the man who observes
fasting regularly, stands before Allah in worship and recites the verses of Allah, not
resting from tiredness through fasting and worship”. The other category of jihad is to
use one’s wealth, property in Allah’s way. According to Holy Quran such kind of
people are the true believers. Similarly, fighting against one’s evil desire is
considered in Islam as greatest jihad. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“The greatest jihad is to fight against the evil passion of one self”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should be ready to sacrifice our time, money
and even life, if need be, in the path of Allah. We must maintain our military power
and strength against disbelievers to make their devil plans and devices ineffective
and defend their attacks. We must donate for the uplift, betterment and integrity of
Muslim nation. We should raise monetary funds for useful projects like preaching of
Islam. As the history of true believers is full of examples of it. On the occasion of
Tabuk expedition almost all of the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
 51

him) contributed something for the sake of Allah and then participated personally in
the battle against the unbelievers.

Main teachings:

This Hadith clarifies the concept of martyrdom. Actually, the prophet’s companions
wanted martyrdom so he explained that not only those who are killed in the way of
Allah are martyred but by Allah’s will and special grace, those Muslims who die of
these diseases like Plague, Cholera and natural death are also martyred if they are
righteous and pious Muslims. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says:
“Whoever sincerely desires the rank of martyrdom gets the rank of martyrdom even if
he is not killed”. Diseases and other hardships are in fact blessings in disguise.
Muslims are tested with difficulties and if they keep themselves on the right path,
they are rewarded with blessings. It should however be remembered that these
types of deaths, no doubt, merit the reward of a martyr, but they stand no
comparison to that reward to which one is slain on the battlefield fighting for the sake
of Allah.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith Muslims should make the true intention for getting
the exalted status of martyrdom and Muslims should lead a life of purity, sincerity
and devotion to cause of Islam. We should die as true followers of Islam so we can
be counted as martyred even though we are not fighting in the way of Allah.
Similarly, all the calamities, difficulties and diseases should be faced with full
patience, persistence and with the hope of reward. Once, Hazrat Anas bin Malik
asked a companion about the cause of death of certain person. She answered that
he had died of Plague. To this, Hazrat Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said
that death by Plague is a martyrdom for a Muslim.
 52

Main teachings:

This Hadith stresses the dignity of labour. According to Islam the earning of one’s
livelihood through labour is a great duty on all the Muslims and it is a commendable
practice. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “To earn a clean living, is
also a duty next to obligatory duties of faith”. The Prophets of the past also earned
their livelihood through their own work. The seeking of lawful sustenance by Muslims
has been designated as a form of worship by the Holy Prophet. That is why the
Prophet said: “One who earns his livelihood by the sweat of his brow is a friend of
Allah”. Dependence of any able person on someone for a livelihood is a sin and a
disgraceful humiliation. All kinds of work and hard labour are respected in an Islamic
society. Therefore, Islam has strongly prohibited illegal means of earning such as
bribery, charging interest on loans, theft, gambling, corruption, black marketing,
smuggling etc.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should take responsibility to earn our livelihood
with our own hands. We must support ourselves and our family through our hard
work. We should not be dependent on others like the parents in young age because
it does not promote self-sufficiency. We should be honest to our duties,
responsibilities and be loyal to our professions. We must shun all illegal means of
livelihood because these lead to Hell. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“The flesh that has been sustained by unlawful earnings will not enter paradise, it is
more suitable to Hell”. We must avoid begging that is the negation of self-esteem

Main teachings:

This Hadith clearly explains the importance of Huquq-ul-Ibad, which are as important
as Huquq-Ullah. Efforts for care, support, and welfare of the needy people have
been regarded equivalent to Jihad. Although only the words “widow and poor” have
 53

been mentioned, they cover the whole range of indigent, invalid, and the needy
people in a community. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have
said: “He who fulfills the need of any of my people to please him, as pleased me and
he who has pleased me, pleases Allah and he who pleases Allah, will be brought by
Him into Paradise”. It made clear that worship is not restricted as to prayers and
fasting only but covers every good deed for the mankind as the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “The best among you is the one who is a source of benefit to the
people”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should show generosity to help the poor and
needy in all possible ways so that they should be able to live happy and a peaceful
life. We should provide social and economic support to widow. We must provide her
safe life. We are to arrange education for her children. We are to arrange second
marriage if she desires. The Prophet was a staunch supporter of the weak and the
oppressed. As when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) found the woman who
used to throw filthy things upon him, but when she got sickness and became needy,
he went to her house and helped her in every way. We must provide basic
necessities of life to poor. We must help the poor physically and financially because
it is the only source of gaining the pleasure of Allah.

Main teachings:

This Hadith encourages the Muslims to look after and support the orphans as it
mentions the closeness of the caretaker of orphans with the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) in paradise. The same theme has been given in another Hadith: “The
person who took care of an orphan and shared his food and drink with him, Allah will
allow him to enter paradise”. Nice upbringing of orphan includes kind treatment,
imparting good education, training of manners, protection of his heritance and
consideration like own children. Hazrat Muhammad was himself an orphan whose
father passed away before his birth and his mother died when he was just six years
old. Allah in his grace protected the prophet and raised him to a status of honour and
glory. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized about it many
 54

times. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best Muslim house is that
in which an orphan is well treated and the worst Muslim house is that in which an
orphan is ill-treated”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should look after the orphans if we want to get
closeness of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in paradise. We should help
them because they are less fortune who seriously need our help and support. We
must treat orphans humanely and kindly. We must provide them basic necessities of
life like food, shelter and clothing. Orphans must be considered like own children.
Good education and training must be assured by the guardians. Guardians must
avoid eating up his properties. About this, the Holy Quran says, “Those who unjustly
eat up the properties of orphans, eat up fire into their bodies”.

Main teachings:

This Hadith gives a complete code of conduct for those who are entrusted with the
work of government and in a broader sense to all such people who are in a position
to guide and advise other people. These people are required to work for the good of
the people. They are instructed to be gentle to people and they are forbidden to do
anything which might cause aversion. Mildness, kindness and gentleness make
subordinates sincere and loyal to authorities. Authorities are required to put others at
ease. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Your best rulers are those
whom you love and they love you”. Similarly, all the religious leaders are required
that the preaching, sermons, religious discourse, and moral advice should
concentrate on such things as may be helpful to people and incline them towards
gaining religious knowledge.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should deal the people in a polite way. We
must bring comforts and reliefs for the people. Hardships for the humanity must be
 55

avoided. Equality, justice, moderation, leniency develops good news for the people.
Tyranny, harshness, injustice, strictness generates hatred. The rulers must treat
every member of the community equally without any favoritism. Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) as a ruler of Madinah treated every member of the society equally
even the non-Muslims, it teaches that minorities in Pakistan should be fairly treated.
Unfortunately, Pakistani society is suffering because they are not following social
teachings of Islam. If the rulers of Pakistan want their subjects to love them than they
should control the prices of the necessities of life, so that every member should be
able to live a happy and peaceful life.

Main teachings:

This Hadith recommends special care for learner of the Holy Quran to keep it fresh
and well memorized. The Holy Quran is the foundation of our religion and the main
source of all Islamic teachings. It seeks to guide man in all spheres of life material
and spiritual. It is the most sacred treasure for a Muslim and he should, therefore,
not let it slip out of his mind. The example of ‘tethered camels’ is given in this Hadith
because if the camels are not supervised and are let loose, they stray away and get
lost. Similarly, if the Holy Quran once read and then overlooked, it slips away from
the reader’s mind. In another similar Hadith of the Holy Prophet, it is said: “Keep
refreshing your knowledge of the Holy Quran, for I swear by him in whose hands my
soul is that is the more liable to escape than camels which are tethered”. Similarly for
the preservation of Holy Quran, the Prophet motivated for reciting and teaching. As
he said: “The best among you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we must recite Holy Quran regularly. We must
recite it in daily prayers. Recitation in Taraweeh prayers in month of Ramazan is the
most effective way of keeping hold of Holy Quran. We must teach Holy Quran which
is another way to keep it fresh. We can also keep hold of Quran by having group
discussions. This would increase our knowledge about the teachings of Islam and
 56

Holy Quran. By following these measures, we can keep the Holy Quran fresh and
well memorized.

Main teachings:

In this Hadith, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) explains the principles under
which trade, i.e. buying and selling, should be conducted. Business should be
conducted under the principles of honesty, fairness and kindness. Good dealing,
reasonable profit, perfect measurement and giving full detail of items to customer is
a kind approach of seller to consumer. As Allah described the basic principle in
dealing in the Holy Quran: “Give full measure when you measure and weigh with a
balance that is straight”. Similarly, the consumer should be sympathetic while buying
the things and be careful about the profit of the shopkeeper. Both are advised to be
considerate towards each other. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Those
business men who show the attitude of mildness and forbearance in dealings, Allah
has decreed for them paradise”. The Hadith also instructs to be kind and
sympathetic while getting money back from others.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should show positive attitude and mercy when
we hold any transaction and earn lawfully as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
himself did in his life. We should do business honestly, avoid deceiving, cheating and
interest as the Holy Quran says: “Woe to those who do not keep their measures
straight”. Allah curses those who cheat others in business dealings. While doing
business we must not hide defects in goods, must not take false oaths and charge
the reasonable profit on goods. We must care the borrower’s conditions while getting
money back from it. If the borrower is poor and can’t give money in time, we should
reschedule the time and if we forgive the borrower, it would be considered as a
charity.
 57

Main teachings:

The Hadith declares the most deserving of the special mercy of Allah are those kind
hearted people who have love and sympathy for his creatures. The command to
show kindness to those who are on earth includes people of all religions and
nationalities. Allah loves His creation and doesn’t allow anyone to be harsh as He
Himself is not harsh or unfair to anyone. To deserve his mercy, one must show it to
his creation. Hazrat Abu Hurairah relates that he heard the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) say: “The attribute of kindness is not taken away from the heart of anyone
except the ill-fated”. Similarly, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “All Allah’s
creations are His family, and he is the most beloved of Allah who does well to His
family”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we must become source of benefits and comforts
for others. We should exercise mercy by feeding poor, forgiving others and attending
the needs of the other people. Muslims should not show a selfish attitude to others
and show kindness as it is an outstanding quality of the true believer. We should act
like a single body as it is described in Hadith. We should not only show mercy to
fellow beings but even the enemies as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did in
the incident of Taif, that he stopped the angel to destroy the town. We must feed the
pets in our house properly. Domestic servants in our houses must properly and
kindly be treated. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) set many examples of
mercy as once he was beaten by unbelievers and was wiping the blood from his
face, but he was supplicating: “O Allah, forgive my people because they know not”

Main teachings:

This Hadith compares the Muslims to a human body; when one part of it is in pain,
the entire body feels uncomfortable. Muslims are like a body means they are bonded
 58

by the strong fabric of common faith and followers of same prophet. The Holy Quran
stresses in several places the significance of fraternity among Muslims: “The
believers are but a single brotherhood”. In the last sermon of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) spoke about brotherhood in the following words: “A Muslim is a
brother of another Muslim and they form one brotherhood”. Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) also said: “One believer is to another like the bricks of a building, each
one is holding and supporting the other”. Islam rejects the division of Muslim Ummah
on the basis of race, colour, language and geographical boundaries. If all Muslims
treat each other like a single body then many social problems will be solved.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

We can put these teachings into action by caring about all Muslims of the world. We
must share the pain of fellow Muslims and help them. Now a days Muslims are
suffering from floods and earthquakes so we should help these shelter less victims
as the Ansar helped their Muhajrin brothers at the time of migration to Madinah. We
must promote healthy relationship of love, brotherhood, fraternity, peace and
coordination with others without discrimination of race, colour and language. As our
Muslims are facing problems and hardships in Kashmir, Iraq and Afghanistan, we
must feel their pains and try to help them.

Main teachings:

The Hadith describes modesty as a basic instrument, which plays a vital role in the
character building of Muslims. Modesty is a force which prevents a believer from
falling prey to urges of indecency and obscenity. It protects him from all evils
prohibited by Islam. The moral teachings of Islam are meant to awaken and
encourage this feeling of modesty in human nature. Modesty is of fundamental
significance in Islam. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Every religion
has a distinctive quality and the distinctive quality of Islam is modesty”. The Prophet
also said: “Modesty is part of faith and faith is in Paradise and indecency is from evil
and evil is in Hell”. Faith and modesty are so closely related to each other that either
both will be present in an individual or community or none of the two would be
present. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Modesty and faith are
companions when one is taken away, the other follows it”.
 59

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should surrender completely in front of Allah
and Prophet. We should practice modesty towards other member of society by
fulfilling the rights of others and by avoiding from speaking rudely, use of foul
language, backbiting, insulting or acting dishonesty. We should always speak politely
and nicely even to the non-Muslims and should work for the betterment of society.
We should observe modesty by adopting simplicity. We can carry out modesty by
shunning all evils. We should save our private life and mind from evil thoughts
because Allah knows everything.

Main teachings:

The Hadith confirms the view that the believers, in whose hearts there was even the
least amount of faith, will be rewarded with Paradise and in the case of sinful
Muslims, eventually be taken out of Hell after being punished for their evil deeds. A
mustard seed is very tiny but Allah is so merciful that even this insignificant amount
of faith will be rewarded. Similarly, pride is the offspring of conceit and this is the very
negation of faith. Faith inculcates in man the spirit of humility and submission to
truth; whereas, pride is the expression of vanity which is one of the greatest hurdles
in the path of truth, virtue and righteousness shown by Islam. The Holy Quran
informs us that Iblis refused to obey the command of Allah because of pride and was
thrown out of Heaven.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we must develop firm faith with full conviction. We
should refresh our faith by repeating the first Kalima time to time. Similarly, we
should always adopt the attitude of humility. To treat each other humbly, leniently,
and lovingly is understood as humility. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) set an
unparallel example of humility; he never made difference between himself and others
including poor and weak. He did every work with his own hands which shows his
 60

humble character. It teaches us that we should adopt the utmost quality of humility if
we want to enter Paradise.

Main teachings:

This Hadith tells the difference in the attitude of a believer and unbeliever. The main
feature of prisoner’s life is that he is not free to do whatever he likes. He has to carry
out other people’s commands in whatever he does. Likewise, the believer is bound
by ethical restrictions, Islamic rules, a set of beliefs and practices and prohibited
lines. Another characteristic is that the prisoner does not feel attached to the prison
and never considers it his home. He is always eager to get out of it. Likewise, the
believer never sees this world as his home, but as a temporary dwelling full of trials
until he reaches his final home of Paradise. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “Live in this world as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer”. On the other
hand, for the unbeliever, this life and this world are heaven, because he does not
believe in life after death. He lives in this world without any concept of accountability
and hence indulges in sins and the gratifications of his desires. That is why the world
is his paradise.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the application of this Hadith, we should not live only for worldly gains because
life in this world is for very short time and should prefer hereafter over this world,
which is eternal. We should make hereafter the main object of our life because the
comforts and luxuries of this world will come to an end one day. We should never be
indulged in any act which displeases Allah. The Hadith says: “Whosoever loves the
world damages his hereafter and whosoever loves the hereafter shall damage this
world so you prefer what is ever lasting to what is transitory”. So, we should not be
too much lost in this material world that we might damage our hereafter. We must
follow the defined restrictions of Islam. We must submit all desires to the will of God
and Prophet.
 61

Main teachings:

This Hadith tells the criteria on the basis of which, Allah judges a person. Allah does
not give us favours because of our physical form, figure or wealth but he sees our
heart, mind and actions. Rewards and punishments are also given on the basis of
motives and intentions as the Hadith says: “Actions are judged by intentions”. This
Hadith emphasizes on the intentions and sincerity behind actions. All the good deeds
are worthless if are not performed with sincere intentions. Similarly, it tells us that
worldly possessions, power and wealth, or high status will never impress Allah as it
is stated in the Holy Quran: “Verily the most honoured of you in sight of Allah is he
who is the most righteous of you”.

How can we put these teachings into actions?

For the applications of this Hadith, we must be sincere Muslims and be true to our
religion. We must give importance to good conduct and not the possessions. We
must be more concerned in acting with sincerity and genuine intentions. We should
not do the good deeds to show off otherwise our good deeds will become worthless
no matter how valuable they are. We must do every good deed for the pleasure of
Allah. We should not give importance to appearance, wealth etc. As the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) gave importance to the actions rather than appearance
such as Hazrat Bilal who was Negro and poor, but he was appointed as the caller to
the prayers.

History and Importance of Hadith

Difference between Hadith and Sunnah:

Hadith: Hadith literally means a story or a report, talk, conversation, represents an

account of what happened. But in Islamic terminology Hadith means the sayings, the
doings (actions) and the silent (Tacit) approval of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
is called Hadith. Hadith can be divided into three parts:

Hadith Quoly: The sayings of the Holy Prophet.

Hadith Fi’ely: The actions of the Holy Prophet.

 62

Hadith-e-Taqreery: Something that happened in front of the Holy Prophet (peace be

upon him) and he kept quiet, showing his tacit approval. The Hadith is also known as
Tradition.

Sunnah: The word Sunnah literally means a practice, a way, or a course, a rule, a
mode or mode of life, a precedent, or a custom. In the Islamic terminology the
Sunnah means the doings and practices of the Holy Prophet. The Sunnah also
refers to religious duties namely that which is recommended although not obligatory.
Briefly, the Sunnah is what was practised by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
and Hadiths are the records of what was said and practised by the Holy Prophet.

Difference between Hadith Nabawi and Hadith Qudsi:

Hadith Nabawi: A Hadith that contains words that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) himself spoke is called Hadith Nabawi.

Hadith Qudsi: A Hadith that contains words from Allah is called Hadith Qudsi. For
example: “Allah says, ‘Fasting is for Me and I shall certainly compensate it’, is called
Hadith Qudsi. Some more examples are these; “O son of Adam, as long as you call
upon Me and ask of Me, I will forgive you for what you have done, and I will not
mind”. "My mercy overcomes My wrath." Hadith Qudsi is not the part of Holy Quran,
yet this is recognized as the most important kind of Hadith because this provides
guidance on the important Islamic laws. This Hadith is known as the Divine Hadith.

The relationship between Holy Quran and Hadith:

The Holy Quran is the basic source of Islamic law as it is God’s words and gives
guidance in our entire life. It is the most perfect book without any fault. It is
unchanged and unquestionable. The Hadith literally means the sayings, actions and
silence approved of the Holy Prophet; it is the second source of Islamic law. Both the
Quran and Hadith are collectively taken as the primary sources of Islamic Law as
together. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said in his last sermon “And I
leave with you two things. If you hold fast by them both, you will never be misguided,
the Book of Allah and Sunnah of the prophet”. The Hadith is the practical
demonstration of the Quran as companion asked Hazrat Aysha about the morals of
the Holy Prophet. She said: “His moral was the Holy Quran”. This thing shows that
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) never did anything, which was against Quranic
teachings.
 63

Allah ha/s ordered many times in the Holy Quran to follow the both as Allah says:
“And obey Allah and obey the messenger”. Similarly, Allah said: “He, who obeys the
Apostle, obeys Allah” because the Prophet did not speak of his own desire. As in
surah Najm, Allah said: “Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only an inspiration
that is inspired”. Actually, Hadith gives full teachings of what the Quran states in brief
or where it is silent. As the verse says: “We have sent down the Quran to you O
Muhammad so that you may explain to mankind what has been revealed to them”.
Now some examples are given below.

Examples of explanation:

• The Holy Quran says: “Establish prayer” but it does not give the method,
prohibition and obligatory acts. It is Hadith which explains everything in detail
as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself inspired about it; “Offer
your prayers as you see me offering”. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
gave the rule about prayers; "There is no prayer for the one who does not
recite the opening chapter of the Qur'an (Al-Fatiha)."
• The Quran commands “Hajj is duty man owe to Allah those who can afford
the journey”. But it does not tell the whole method, obligatory acts, times,
places and manners of Hajj, now it is Hadith which explains in detail about
these. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) him guided about it; "Take
from me your rituals of Hajj”. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave the rule
about Iharam; "Do not cut your hair or nails, and do not engage in marital
relations while in Ihram."
• The Quran commands many times to give Zakat as Allah said; "And establish
prayer and give Zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves,
you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing." But Hadith
explains and tells in detail that on which zakat is levied, its time when it is
given and the fixed amount that is given. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) guided; "No Zakat is due on wealth until one year has passed on it."
• The Holy Quran mentioned about usury that it is forbidden as Allah said;
"Allah has made trade lawful and usury (Riba) unlawful." But the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) gave the details of it: "Riba is the surplus that is
received in a transaction without giving anything in return."
 64

• The Holy Quran described the punishment of thief in short as told in the Holy
Quran; "For the thief, whether male or female, cut off their hands as a
punishment for what they have done. This is a punishment from Allah, and
He is powerful and wise." But the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
explained it: “If he steals cut off his hand, if he steals again cut off his foot, it
he steals again cut off his hand, and if he steals again cut off his foot”.

Examples of those teachings where the Holy Quran is silent:

• The Holy Quran describes that pork is unclean therefore unlawful for the
Muslims. As Allah Almighty said; "Prohibited to you (for food) are: dead meat,
blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of
other than Allah”. The Quran tells only one animal as unlawful but all the other
animals are declared unlawful by the Hadith as he said “All the animals having
attacked teeth and all the birds having attacking claws are unlawful (haram).
• The division of inheritance is clearly stated in the Quran as Allah Said; "Allah
instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share
of two females. But leaving of wealth for the non-Muslim relatives is not
mentioned but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said “A Muslim may not
inherit from a non-Muslim, nor a non-Muslim inherit from a Muslim”.

Parts of Hadith: For the purpose of verification and study, a Hadith is basically
divided into two parts, Sanad and the Matn, its text.

Sanad: The first part of Hadith is called Sanad. The basic meaning of Sanad is
support and it its terminology, it is the list of authorities who narrated the Hadith from
the Holy Prophet. These authorities are also called Narrators, Transmitters and
Muhaddisin.

Importance of Sanad:

• The Sanad allows scholars to trace the reliability of each narrator in the chain.
By examining the biographies, character, memory, and accuracy of the
narrators, scholars can assess whether the Hadith is authentic (Sahih), weak
(Da'if), or fabricated (Mawdu'). A strong, unbroken Sanad with trustworthy
narrators adds credibility to the Hadith.
 65

• The Sanad system is established to protect the authenticity of Islamic

teachings. By relying on an unbroken chain of narrators, scholars ensured
that the Prophet's words and actions were accurately transmitted over
generations.
• The reliance on a chain of narrators acted as a safeguard against the creation
of false or fabricated Hadiths.

In short, the Sanad plays a pivotal role in preserving the authenticity of the Hadiths,
preventing the spread of false narrations, and ensuring that the teachings of Islam
remain accurate across generations. Therefore, it is said; “if there is no sanad,
anyone can claim anything”.

Matn: The second of Hadith is called the Matn. The word Matn which means the text
itself of a work. This is the actual sayings of the Holy Prophet. The Matn is all above
what Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, did or approved the actions of others.

Example: Yahya narrated from Malik who narrated from Nafae who narrated from
Abdullah bin Umar that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who misses
the Asr prayer is as if he lost his family and property”. (Muwatta Imam Malik)

So, in this Hadith, the series of the names from Yahya to Abdullah bin Umar is called
the Sanad and the statement of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is called the
Matn.

The authenticity of Sanad: Hadith researchers developed Ilm ul Hadith to check

their authenticity. Within Ilm ul Hadith were many branches like the Asma ul Rijal
which studied the lives in great detail of the narrators. Checks were made on both
the transmitters of Hadiths and the text of the Hadiths. Some rules are given below
to check the authenticity of Sanad.

• All the narrators must be of sound mind, very strong memory, must not have
the habit of forgetting.
• All the narrators must be honest, trustworthy.
• Each narrator must know the narrator before him and also the narrator after
him.
• The first narrator in the chain must be the companion of the Holy Prophet.
 66

• There must be no gap or weakness in the chain. It means the chain must be
unbroken and continuous.
• Every narrator must be a sane Muslim who has never committed a major sin
and is known to avoid even the minor ones.
• The narrator must be true Muslim and he must never have been accused of
making false statement. As Imam Bukhari went to Persia for getting Hadith
from a Muslim and when he saw that he was prompting his horse by showing
it an empty barrel of food in order to get it inside its premises. So, Imam
Bukhari returned and said when he was deceiving his horse how he can be
fair to me.
• Every narrator must be careful and must have shown responsibility in the
narration or writing of the Hadith.
• The name, nickname, title, parentage and occupation of the narrator should
be known so his entire biography can be investigated.
• If a narrator referred his Hadith to a narrator, the two should have lived in the
same period and must have met each other.

The authenticity of Matn: The authenticity of any Matn can be checked in the

Following way:

• The Matn must be according to the Quranic teachings and must not go
against Quran in any way.
• It must not go against the main teaching of Islam.
• It must not go against the teachings of the reliable Hadith.
• It must be in the pure Arabic without any grammatical mistake and must be in
the Arabic style.
• The Matn must agree with common sense and what is reasonable.
• It should not give precise details of events that occurred after the Prophet’s
demise.
• It should not contain expressions uncharacteristic of the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) and other prophets.
• It should not praise any individual or place.
• It should not mention the dates of any specific event, and should not go
against any historical fact.
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• It must not give high rewards for minor deeds and severe punishment for
minor sins or crimes.

Kinds of Hadith on the basis of Validity or Invalidity of Hadith:

There are main four kinds of Hadith.

Sahih (The Most Authentic Hadith): The Hadith that passes all the tests and can
be regarded without question as coming from the Prophet. There should be no
weakness both in the chain of transmitters and the Matn. Example of Sahih Hadith
is; "Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to
what they intended." This Hadith is widely cited and is considered Sahih because it
has a strong, unbroken chain of narrators (Sanad) and was transmitted by reliable
narrators.

Hassan (The Strong/Approved/Good): The Hadith in which some doubts are

raising about their authenticity. This is similar to the Sahih Hadith except that its
narrators or some of its narrators are found defective in memory in comparison with
those of the Sahih Hadith. Example of Hassan Hadith is "Whoever relieves a
believer's distress in this world, Allah will relieve his distress on the Day of
Judgment." The narrator in this chain who has been identified as weak is Al-Hasan
al-Basri, who is sometimes regarded with a slight issue in terms of memory and
reliability when narrating from certain sources. Although Al-Hasan al-Basri is
generally considered trustworthy, his narrations were sometimes scrutinized due to
concerns about his memory. Because of this, the Hadith is not classified as Sahih
(authentic) but is accepted as Hasan (good).

Da’if (The Weak): The Hadith in which many questions raise about their authenticity.
If any of the narrator in the isnad was known to have been a liar or have a weak
memory or was known to have not met the one he was supposed to be narrating
from than the Hadith is regarded as weak. Example of Da’if Hadith is; "Whoever
recites Surah Al-Ikhlas 100 times, Allah will forgive his sins, even if they are as much
as the foam of the sea." This Hadith is classified as weak (Da'if) because of
problems in its chain of narration. One of the narrators, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaiba, has
been questioned by some scholars regarding his reliability and memory. While
reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas is highly virtuous, this specific Hadith is weak, meaning it is
not strong enough to be used as an established practice or rule in Islamic teachings.
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Scholars generally do not rely on weak Hadiths for legal or theological matters, but
such narrations may still be used for encouragement or general spiritual advice when
they do not contradict authentic sources.

Mau’do (The Fabricated): Sometimes the Hadiths were fabricated; sayings and
doings were attributed to the Prophet which he had not said or done and cannot be
used to prove any point of law. Example of this kind of Hadith is; "Whoever recites
Surah Al-Fatiha seven times before going to sleep, Allah will grant him protection
from all harm." This Hadith is considered Mawdu' because it is falsely attributed to
the Holy Prophet. The chain of narrators in this Hadith includes individuals who were
known for fabricating narrations. The content itself is not consistent with the
authentic teachings of Islam, and there is no proof in the Quran or the authentic
Hadith collections that such a specific benefit is promised in this manner.

Kinds of Hadith on the basis of Strength of Narrators:

Mutawatir: It is Hadith reported by a large number of people in different times whose

agreement on lie becomes in conceivable. It is very authentic Hadith and its status is
equal to the verse of Holy Quran. So, the rejection of this Hadith is considered as
Kufr. Example of this Hadith is; "Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his
place in the Hellfire." This Hadith is considered Mutawatir because it has been
narrated by such a large number of reliable narrators in every generation from the
time of the Prophet Holy (peace be upon him) until it was compiled into Hadith
collections. The chain of narrators is so extensive that there is no possibility of it
being fabricate

Ahad (single or isolated): Hadith Ahad refers to a Hadith that is reported by a

limited number of narrators at each level of its chain (Sanad), and it does not meet
the criteria of Mutawatir (which requires a large number of narrators at each level).
Subdivisions of Ahad:

Mashhur (well known): The Hadith which is narrated by three or more than three
narrators at every stage is called Mushhur Hadith. Example of this Hadith is; "None
of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." This
Hadith is classified as Mashhur because it has been widely reported by multiple
narrators and is well-known in Islamic tradition. It is not a Mutawatir Hadith, which
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would require an even larger number of narrators at each level, but it is still
commonly cited and recognized across Islamic scholarship.

Aziz (strong or corroborative): The Hadith which is narrated by two narrators in all
ages, is called Aziz Hadith. Example of this Hadith is; "Whosoever performs wudu
and does it well, his sins will fall from his body, even from under his nails." This
Hadith is considered Aziz because it has a chain of narrators that is strong but only
includes two narrators at each level of the chain, making it distinctive in its structure.
It is reported by a small number of narrators compared to Mutawatir Hadiths but is
still accepted as authentic due to the reliability of the narrators involved.

Ghreeb (rare or unfamiliar): The Hadith which is narrated by a single narrator at

any particular time, is called Ghreeb Hadith. Example of this Hadith is; "The strong
person is not the one who is able to overpower others in wrestling, but the strong
person is the one who controls himself when he is angry." This Hadith is classified as
Gharib because it is reported by a single narrator at a particular point in the chain of
transmission, making it rare compared to other types of Hadiths. While the Hadith
itself is accepted as authentic (Sahih), it is considered Gharib because of the limited
number of narrators in the chain.

Advantages of different categories of Hadiths: It is very important to know the

different categories of Hadiths because the authentic Hadiths can form the basis of
Islamic teachings and Muslims can follow according to their level of authenticity. The
authentic Hadiths unite Muslims and make the Islamic teachings easy whereas the
Daif Hadiths may lead to conflicts and may give the wrong teachings. So, it is
necessary to have different categories to Hadiths to be aware of which one is
authentic and which one is weak.

Compilation of Hadiths:

During the life of Holy Prophet:

The Hadiths of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were preserved during the life of
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in different ways. Such as:

Memorization: Arabs had excellent memories and they were known to learn by
heart countless verses of their poets and their tribal histories. Similarly, they used to
learn the Hadiths of Holy Prophet. There are a number of traditions which show that
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the companions of the Prophet were greatly encouraged by Him, for memorizing the
Hadiths. As the Holy Prophet: “May Allah give freshness to a servant who hears my
saying, keep it in memory and preserves it and communicates it”. Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) also warned his companions about care in the Hadiths as he
said; "Whoever intentionally lies about me, let them prepare their place in Hell." The
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had also a unique method of teaching to make
memorizing and understanding easy: he would repeat important things more than
once. A party of students called Ashab-e-Suffah lived in the mosque itself and was
learning the verses of Holy Quran and the Hadiths of Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him). One of them was Hazrat Abu Hurairah. He complained to the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) about forgetting things, and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) prayed for him. As a result of this prayer, he never forgot anything afterward. He
narrated more Hadiths than any other companion. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: "O Abu Huraira, you are a vessel of knowledge."

Writing: Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed that the Quran be written
down from the very beginning because every word of it is divine revelation, leaving
no room for substitution, even with synonymous words. Whenever a verse was
revealed, the Prophet would ensure people memorized it and would call a scribe to
write it down. In contrast, the words of Hadith were not miracles but the meanings
and interpretations being inspired to his blessed heart. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) would then convey these meanings in his own words, which could vary
according to the context and need. Additionally, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) had complete trust in the memory and retention abilities of his people. For this
reason, the systematic writing of Hadith was not deemed necessary in the early days
of Islam. However, it was made clear that anyone who knowingly attributed false
statements to the Prophet would secure their place in Hell. Moreover, If the
companions had recorded every detail of the Prophet's daily conversations, actions,
and sayings, it would have resulted in an extensive and voluminous collection of
writings, which would have been challenging for the people of that time to manage.
This was also a fact that at that time literacy was rare, and the number of people who
could read and write was limited. Moreover, there was a scarcity of writing materials.
People wrote the Quran on palm branches, tree leaves, shoulder bones of camels
and goats, animal hides, wooden boards, and thin stones. There was also a concern
that the companions might mix up the Quran and Hadith, as both were in Arabic.
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However, after some time, when such issues no longer remained and the Prophet
(peace be upon him) was confident that the companions would no longer confuse
the Quran with Hadith, he then allowed them to write down Hadith as well. Hazrat
Abu Hurairah said that one of the companions told him of his inability to remember
what he heard from him. His reply was that he should seek help of his right hand i.e,
write it down. Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin A’as was the great writer of Hadiths, he
said; I used to write down whatever I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) to memorize it. However, the Quraysh stopped me, saying, "You write
down everything you hear, even though the Messenger of Allah is a human being
who speaks in anger as well as in happiness." Upon hearing this, I stopped writing
and mentioned it to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He pointed to his blessed
mouth with his finger and said, "Write! By the One in whose hand my soul is, nothing
comes out of this except the truth." Not only the Holy Prophet’s personal sayings and
actions were written and preserved, but also all the treaties made with various tribes
during the time of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) , and the letters sent to different
rulers for inviting them for Islam, were also written by the companions and preserved
like the Treaty of Madinah, the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, and the letters to the King of
Rome, the King of Persia, the King of Abyssinia and other rulers.

The age of Companions: (11-100 AH)

After the Holy Prophet’s death, the companions assumed both religious and political
leadership in the community. For example, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas in Makkah,
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud in Kufa, and Hazrat Salman Farsi in Isfahan had the
responsibility of teaching the new generations of Muslims and new converts about
the religion and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. The study of Hadiths began as a
practical effort to gather, arrange, and verify the sayings, actions, and approvals
attributed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to ensure their authenticity and
accuracy. The younger Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) played
a key role as the most active collectors and transmitters of Hadiths, preserving his
teachings for future generations. Hazrat Abu Hurairah narrated 5374 Hadiths, which
were written by his student Humam bin Munabbah and collected in the Sahifa
Sahiha. Hazrat Abdallah bin Umar was 23 years old when the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) died but is the second largest source of Hadiths, narrating 2630
Hadiths, Hazrat Anas bin Malik narrated 2286 Hadiths, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas
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narrated 1660 Hadiths. Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin A’as narrated almost 1000
Hadiths, which were collected in the Sahifa Sadiqa. Though narrators like Hazrat
Abdullah bin Abbas and Hazrat Abu Hurairah knew the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) for a short period of time they gathered their vast volumes of Hadiths by
seeking them out from the senior Companions. The Holy Prophet’s wives were also
a great source of Hadiths. Hazrat Ayesha was gifted with a great memory and not
only narrated 2,210 Hadiths but was known for her careful attention to their
accuracy. She criticized weak or poorly remembered narrations and played a key
role in preserving Islamic teachings. Companions like Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat
Umar, Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali they did not record many Hadiths. Instead, they
preserved the teachings through their actions as they became the caliphs after the
demise of the Holy Prophet. But after their caliphate, it became important to compile
the Prophetic Hadiths due to some reasons such as;

• The Qura’nic teachings cannot be properly followed without the support of

Hadiths, such as those related to prayers, zakat, and other important
practices. Therefore, it was essential to preserve this treasure of knowledge.
• Future generations could use the Holy Prophet’s example to clarify and
resolve questions and disputes.
• The increasing number of people accepting Islam needed guidance on the
Islamic way of life and wanted to follow the pattern of conduct set by the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him).
• The close companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were also
passing away due to age or wars, and a need was felt to preserve the Hadiths
of the Holy Prophet.
• Some dishonest and greedy individuals fabricated false Hadiths, attributing
them to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), in order to gain personal
benefits. This led to the need for the compilation and verification of authentic
Hadiths.
• Islamic jurisprudence was developing rapidly and needed a compiled
collection of authentic Hadiths as a source material.
• To correct mistakes in Hadiths caused by memory errors or forgetfulness, it
was important to compile them.
• The command to follow the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is given in the
Holy Qur’an and it could be done by the preserving of them.
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• There was no single main collection of Hadiths, so students had to visit

companions to learn them. Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah even travelled from
Makkah to Syria to hear just one Hadith.

So, the Umayyad Khalifa, Hazrat Umar bin Abd-ul-Aziz who ruled towards the
close of the first century of Hijra, was the first person who wrote to governor of
Madinah, Qazi Abu Bakr Al Hazmi and other governors of state to collect Hadiths
from every possible person and compile them. A number of scholars played a
vital role in the compilation of Hadiths. One of the prominent figures in this effort
was Imam Zuhri whose collection (Musnad by Imam Zuhri) is considered very
important in the collection of Hadiths. Imam Zuhri, along with other scholars,
worked diligently to gather authentic narrations and preserve the teachings of the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Their efforts contributed significantly to the
preservation and later compilation of Hadith collections.

The age of followers of the companions (Tab’eyin 101-200 AH)

This is the age of the followers of the companions of the Prophet. They took the
matter earnestly and spared no pain in collecting traditions from different centers of
learning. The important works of this period were carried out by: Hazrat Abdullah bin
Mubarak, Hazrat Abu Bakr Rabi, Imam Makhool. During this period, the traditions of
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were not only collected, but the verdicts and
sayings of his companions were also carefully compiled due to certain reasons such
as;

• The companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were the first
generation of Muslims who directly received and witnessed the teachings of
the Holy Prophet. Since they had firsthand experience, their reports about the
Holy Prophet’s life, actions, and teachings were considered reliable sources of
knowledge.
• After the death of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), the companions
played a key role in preserving and spreading Islam. They were responsible
for transmitting the Holy Prophet’s teachings to the wider Muslim community.
Their sayings and actions helped establish the context in which the Holy
Prophet’s message was understood and implemented.
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• The companions' actions, decisions, and reflections often helped clarify how
the Holy Prophet’s teachings were applied in different situations.
• Many companions, especially those who were close to the Holy Prophet, such
as Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat Ali, and others,
were regarded as sources of knowledge in their own right. Their opinions and
actions were considered authoritative and influential in shaping Islamic law
and social norms.

The outstanding works of this period were:

• Al Mutta by Imam Malik bin Anas.

• Kitab ul Aathar by Imam Abu Hanifa.
• Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal.
• Al Jami by Saeed bin Musayyib.

The age of followers of followers (Taba Tabeyin 200-300 AH)

This was the golden age of traditions. Hadith literature flourished under the laborious
and critical research of the traditionists of that time. Principles were laid down to
differentiate a Sahih Hadith from a fabricated one as the knowledge of Asma ul Rijal
(biographies of the narrators), Jarh o Ta’deel (criticizing and praising). In this period,
not only unwritten traditions were collected but also written traditions were
rearranged in different chapters and under various topics.

Six authentic books of traditions (Sahah-e-Sitta) were written. They are the most
reliable books of all the books on traditions. Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan
Abu Dawood, Sunan Nisai, Jami Tirmizi, Sunan ibn Maja.

Sahih Bukhari: It was written by Muhammad bin Abdullah Ismail Al Bukhari (194-
256). He had a sharp retentive memory. He learned Hadiths from a very early age.
He travelled throughout the Muslim world nearly forty years for the collection of
Hadiths. He went to meet every traditionist. His Sahih is the next to Quran in
authenticity and is most reliable and original. All the other works are based on this.
He selected nearly 7275 out of 600,000 traditions (including repetitions). Without
repetitions, the number is about 2,360. Sahih Bukhari is divided into 97 books
(kutub) or chapters (abwab), covering various aspects of faith, worship, ethics, laws,
and daily life. Each Hadith includes a detailed chain of narrators (isnad), ensuring its
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reliability. He did not accept any tradition unless all the narrators were reliable and
until there was a proof that one reporter met another. Imam Bukhari said that he
wrote his book Sahih al-Bukhari in Masjid al-Haram. Before writing any Hadith, he
would pray two rakat of Istikhara to seek Allah's guidance. Only after being sure of
the Hadith's authenticity, he included it in his book. That is why it took 16 years to
complete this book.

Sahih Muslim: It was written by Abul Hussain Muslim bin Hajjaj (204-261 AH). He
was born in Nishapur (present-day Iran). He was a student of many great scholars
and traveled widely in pursuit of Hadiths. He devoted his life to the collection,
verification, and preservation of authentic Hadiths. Sahih Muslim contains around
7,500 Hadiths out of 300,000 including repetitions. Without repetitions, there are
approximately 4,000 unique Hadiths. The Hadiths in Sahih Muslim are divided into
58 books (or chapters), covering a wide range of topics including theology,
jurisprudence, ethics, rituals, and the Prophet’s biography. The collection includes
sayings, actions, and approvals of the Holy Prophet, as well as those of his
companions, providing a detailed understanding of Islamic practices. It is considered
next to Bukhari in accuracy and authenticity. Any tradition accepted by both Bukhari
and Muslim has been termed as Agreed Upon and both Hadith books are called
Sahihain. According to some scholar Sahih Muslim is somewhat superior to Bukhari
in details of arrangement to traditions.

Sunan Abu Dawood: Sunan Abu Dawood is one of the six major books of Hadith. It
was compiled by Abu Dawood Sulaiman bin Ash’ath Sajistani (202-275 AH). He was
a great scholar of Hadith who traveled extensively across the Muslim world to collect
authentic narrations. He was known for his expertise in Hadith sciences and his deep
understanding of Islamic jurisprudence. He was also a teacher of Imam al-Tirmizi
and Imam al-Nasa’i, two other compilers of major Hadith collections. He wrote many
books on traditions and Islamic laws. His Sunan is the most important and is
considered by most jurists and traditionists to be the next to the Sahihain. This
collection focuses on Hadiths related to Islamic laws and practical life. It is
particularly useful for scholars and students of Islamic law. It consists of 4800
traditions selected out of 500,000 and it took twenty years to complete his book. The
book is divided into 35 books (kutub) or chapters, covering topics such as
Purification (Tahara), Prayer (Salah), Fasting, Marriage, Trade, Hudood
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(Punishments), and more. It includes authentic (sahih), good (hasan), and some
weak (da'if) Hadiths, as Imam Abu Dawood wanted to present a comprehensive
guide to legal issues, leaving it to scholars to assess their validity. It also addresses
unique issues and rare Hadiths that are not found in other collections.

Jami Tirmizi: It is one of the six major books of Hadith. It is written by Abu Isa
Muhammad bin Isa (209-279 AH). He travelled a great deal in search of Hadiths,
visiting the great centres of Islamic learning, where he was able to associate with
eminent traditionists such as Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim and others. Imam Tirmizi
was not just a compiler but also a muhaddith (scholar of Hadith) and a faqih (jurist).
His deep understanding of Islamic jurisprudence shines through his analysis of
Hadith. His work has been accepted by the jurists as the basis of Islamic law. The
book contains approximately 3,963 Hadiths and these are divided into 50 chapters.
This book is given two titles; Al-Jami which highlights its comprehensive coverage of
various topics such as; Ahkam (Rulings), Adab (Etiquettes), Zuhd (Asceticism),
Tafsir (Interpretation of Holy Quran), Aqaid (Beliefs), Sirah (Biography of the Holy
Prophet). Second title is “Sunan” which are the books of Hadiths in which the Hadiths
are arranged according to the chapters of Fiqh (Shari’ah). He was the first to identify
the narrators of traditions by their names, surnames, and titles to remove the
confusion about narrators. Unlike Imam Bukhari or Imam Muslim, who strictly include
only Sahih narrations, Imam Tirmizi includes Hassan and da’if narrations for
educational purposes, with commentary to guide readers.

Sunan Nasai: It is one of the six major collections of Hadith in Islam, known as
Sihah-e-Sitta (The Six Books). It was written by Ahmad bin Shoaib from Nasa in
present-day Turkmenistan (214-303 AH). He was a renowned scholar of Hadith who
studied under the leading scholars of his time. He travelled widely in search of
Hadiths and was considered as the leading traditionist of his day. He was extremely
rigorous in accepting Hadith, often regarded as stricter than Imam Abu Dawood or
Imam Tirmizi. His expertise in Hadith criticism earned him great respect. This book is
often referred to as “Al-Mujtaba" or "Sunan Al-Sughra". It is smaller than Al-Sunan al-
Kubra, which contains many more narrations. It contains 5,758 Hadith organized into
51 books (chapters). Each chapter deals with a specific topic, including Purification
(Taharah), Prayer (Salah), Zakah, Fasting (Sawm), Marriage (Nikah), and Trade
(Bay'), among others. This book is often praised for its focus on fiqh-related
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(jurisprudence) narrations and is considered superior in authenticity to Sunan Abu

Dawood and Jami' at-Tirmizi. It is a critical text for students and scholars of Islamic
studies.

Sunan Ibn Maja: It is one of the six major collections of Hadith in Islam, known as
Sihah-e-Sitta (The Six Books). It was written by Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Yazid
from Qazveen (Iran) (209-273 AH). He visited important centres like Makkah,
Madinah, Baghdad and studied under great traditionists of his day. His book consists
of 4,341 narrations (Hadith) of which a significant number are related to
jurisprudence (fiqh), rituals, and theology. Like other collections in the Sunan genre,
it covers a wide range of topics including purification, prayer, fasting, hajj, marriage,
inheritance, and more. In this book, many of Hadiths are categorized as Hasan
(good) and some classified as weak (Da'if). One of the distinguishing features of
Sunan Ibn Majah is that it includes numerous Hadiths not found in other major
collections, the authenticity of which has been questioned by some scholars. It
includes many narrations about the virtues of actions (fada'il), such as the benefits of
specific deeds and the qualities of certain individuals, including the companions of
the Holy Prophet.

Types of Hadith books: The followings are the main Hadith books.

Al-Jami: It refers to a comprehensive compilation that gathers a wide range of

Hadiths. It contains Hadiths concerning: Siyar (biography of Holy Prophet), Adab
(social behaviour), Aqaid (Beliefs), Tafseer (Interpretation of Holy Quran), Zuhd
(Asceticism), Ahkam (Rulings). Sahih Al-Bukhari and Jami Tirmizi are the best
examples of this kind of Hadith book.

Al-Musnad: A Musnad is a type of Hadith collection in which the Hadiths are

organized according to the name of the companion of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) who transmitted the Hadith. The compiler of a Musnad Hadith collection
has several possible ways to organize the narrations, depending on the approach
and focus of the work. Some common methods of organization include:
By the Rightly Guided Caliphs: In this arrangement, the Hadiths are grouped by
the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, who were the Holy Prophet’ s (peace be upon him)
closest companions and the leaders of Ummah. This method emphasizes the crucial
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role played by these companions in preserving and transmitting the Holy Prophet's
teachings.
By the First Acceptors of Islam: Another method involves categorizing narrations
based on the companions who embraced Islam in its early days. This organization
gives information about the early converts and highlights their contributions for Holy
Prophet’s words and actions.
By Region: Some Musnad collections may organize narrations according to the
geographical regions from which the companions hailed. For instance, companions
from Makkah, Madinah, Kufa, or Basra. This approach can reveal regional
differences in how Hadiths were shared and show the views of different areas in
early Islam.
Alphabetical Order: In some instances, a Musnad may use an alphabetical system
to categorize the companions by their names. This method makes it easier for
readers to find Hadiths transmitted by specific companions quickly.
Importance: These books are prepared irrespective of their themes. These books
help to know the authenticity of Hadith because they are narrated by a particular
companion that is why this book is called Musnad means supported. These books
are very useful if anyone is interested in learning the views attributed to a specific
companion. These books are very useful if any Hadith is related to any companion
and we want to verify it. For example, the Musnad of Imam Ahmad bin Hamble,
Musnad of Zaid bin Ali etc.

Al-Musannaf: In these books Hadiths (sayings and actions of the Holy Prophet) and
Athar (sayings and actions of the companions) are arranged according to their
themes and topics irrespective of first narrator. The main chapters (Kutub) are
divided into subchapters (Abwab) such as main chapter is Al-Salah and subchapters
are ablution, times of prayers etc. Such collections were previously called
• Abwab due to division of Hadiths into chapters and sub chapters
• Al-Musannaf which means “divided up” because it divides the Hadiths
according to their themes.
• New name is Al-Sunan due to arrangements of Hadiths according to books of
law (Shari’ah).
Importance:
• Scholars can easily access narrations related to specific legal or social issues
like purification, marriage, trade, or inheritance.
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• These books include Prophetic Hadiths as well as sayings and practices of

the Companions and Tabi'un, offering a broader perspective on Islamic
teachings.
• These books preserve the practices and rulings of the early Muslim
community, showing how Islamic law developed.
• Jurists use Musannaf books to derive rulings and understand different
opinions in Islamic jurisprudence.
The Sihah-e-Sitta are the best examples of Musannaf collections, Musannaf Abdul
Razzaq, Musannaf Ibn Shaiba etc.
Major teachings about individual life of a Muslim:

The aspects of an individual life which receive focus in these traditions are as
follows:

Sincerity: These Hadiths teach that a Muslim should be an embodiment of sincerity.

He should be sincere to Allah, his prophet, his book, the leaders of the Muslims and
to the common people. As Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Religion is
sincerity, we said: to whom? The Prophet said: “To Allah, His books, His messenger,
the leaders of the Muslims, and to their common people”.

Fulfillment of obligations: These Hadiths tell us that the Muslim must fulfill the
pillars of Islam. The performance of these obligations is a sign of true Muslim. So,
Muslims must perform these fundamental practices. A man asked the Messenger of
Allah do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramazan, treat as
lawful that what is lawful and treat as forbidden that what is forbidden and do nothing
further, I shall enter Paradise; He said; yes.

Sacrifice: A Muslim sacrifices his comforts and pleasures for Allah’s sake and if
necessary, he lays down his life as well in His path. It was said: O Messenger of
Allah, who is the most excellent of men? The Messenger of Allah said: “The believer
who strives hard in the way of Allah with his person and his property”.

Hard work: Hard work should be an ornament of a believer. The very act of work,
physical or mental, is worship in the sight of Allah. A man who works and earns his
livelihood by the sweat of his brow is dear to Allah. As the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) said about the value of hardworking: “No one eats better food than that
which he eats out of the work of his hand”.
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Recitation of the Holy Quran: A believer is required to act according to the

injunctions contained in the Holy Quran. It is possible only when he recites the
Quran, understands it and ponders over it. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “He who studies the Holy Quran is like the owner of tethered camel. If he
attends to them, he will keep hold of them, but if he lets them loose, they will go
away”.

Modesty: Modesty and shame are qualities which carry great merit in the divine
court. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) motivated for it too much, as he said:
“Modesty produces nothing but good”.

Purification of heart: Every Muslim is required to make his heart pure from pride
and arrogance. Pride is a sign of sinful person and this sin leads the Muslim to hell.
As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who has in his heart as much
pride as a grain of mustard seed will not enter Paradise”.

Behaviour about Lawful things: Muslims are required to treat as lawful that which
is lawful and treat as unlawful that which is forbidden and earn livelihood in a lawful
manner. A man asked the Messenger of Allah do you think that if I perform the
obligatory prayers, fast in Ramazan, treat as lawful that what is lawful and treat as
forbidden that what is forbidden and do nothing further, I shall enter Paradise; He
said; yes.

Attitude towards this World: In these Hadiths Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
has told us that a true Muslim remembers that his ultimate destination is the
hereafter and so he will not indulge in this world too much. Because of this belief, he
or she is like a traveller who is not truly at ease until the journey ends. Unlike a
disbeliever considers this to be his only life, and loves it to make it as comfortable as
possible. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The world is the believer's
prison and the unbelievable Paradise”.

Main teachings of the Hadiths regarding life in community:

Some of the selected Hadiths deal with the guiding principles concerning life in
community. These are as follows:

Brotherhood: All the Muslims are brothers to each other in society. Deceiving,
hating and harming others go against the nature and spirit of Islam. The Holy
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Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The believers are like a single man, if his eye is
affected, he is affected, and if his head is affected, he is all affected”.

Manners of conversation: This brief summary of traditions teaches us to speak well

and truth. No lies should be employed to entertain others or to get in the good books
of others. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Let him who believes in Allah
and the last day either speak good or keep silent”.

Human rights: The champion of human rights, Islam enjoins us to observe human
rights: the rights of parents, children, spouse, the poor, etc. An ideal person believes
and devotes his life to the welfare to others. Fulfillment of human rights is not just an
optional matter for a Muslim rather it is compulsory for him. As the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “Let him who believes in Allah and the last day be
generous to his neighbour and let him who believe in Allah and the last day be
generous to his guest”.

Charity: Helping out others, Muslims or non-Muslims, has been stressed in this
collection of traditions. Giving a good piece of advice, teaching and talking to others
with a smile on face, all these are considered as a charity. As the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said; “To act justly between two people is a charity, to help a
man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto is a charity,
a good word is a charity”.

Attitude towards Neighbours: The Muslims are also required in these Hadiths to
be kind and helper towards neighbours. Many Hadiths have been made a great
stress on the rights of neighbours. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Let him
who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbour”.

Guidance for Rulers: These Hadiths tell us the rulers should be kind for their
people and make every effort to win their hearts. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
sent Hazrat Abu Musa and Hazrat Muaz bin Jabal to Yemen, and he sent each of
them to govern a part, then he said; “Be gentle and do not be hard and cause
rejoicing and do not alienate”.

Eradication of evil: The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) commands the Muslims
to work for the good of humans to turn society into a beautiful paradise on earth, a
believer must engage in struggle for elimination of mischief, tyranny and violence
from the face of the earth. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
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“Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he is
not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so, then with his
heart, and that is the weakest of faith”.

Help for others: In this collection of Hadiths the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
has inspired us to help the poor, widow, orphans and other people. He also told the
great reward for those people. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I and
the man who brings up an orphan will be in a paradise like this and he appointed
with his two fingers, the index finger and the middle one”.

Preference for others: In these Hadiths, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) also
gave a golden rule to Muslims that they should be ready to put his brothers before
his own self in ordinary and routine matters of daily life. As he made it the sign of
true believer. He said: “None of you believes until he wants for his brother what he
wants for himself”.

Mercy: Following in the footsteps of his Prophet, a Muslim deals with everyone with
a pure, soft tender and sound heart. Seeking revenge or behaving arrogantly cannot
be expected of noble believer. As the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “God
will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others”.
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Four Caliphs of Islam

Caliphate period of Hazrat Abu Bakr

(11 AH to 13 AH, 632 AD to 634 AD)

Introduction:
Hazrat Abu Bakr was born in 573 AD in the clan of Banu Tamim, the branch of
Quraish. His pre-Islamic name was Abdul Ka’ba. After his conversion to Islam the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) named him Abdullah and later awarded him such
great titles as Siddique (the Truthful) and Ateeq (the one freed from the Fire). His
father’s name was Uthman. He led a pious and pure life even before his conversion
and remained away from the corrupt practices of the pre-Islamic Makkan society. In
young age, he adopted the profession of a cloth merchant and became one of the
richest men of Makkah. He remained the friend of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) right from his childhood and after the acceptance of Islam he became the
closest companion as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If I were able to
choose a friend on earth, I would choose Abu Bakr”.
Services of Hazrat Abu Bakr during the Prophet’s life:

• He was the first adult, free male person from outside the family of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) to become a Muslim without any hesitation. As
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I have never invited anyone to
Islam that he not showed reluctance and hesitation except Abu Bakr. He did
not delay when I invited him and he was not irresolute”.
• After accepting the new faith, Hazrat Abu Bakr devoted his life, energies and
wealth to preach Islam. Prominent companions like, Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat
Talha, Hazrat Zubair, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah, Hazrat Sa’ad bin Waqas and
Hazrat Abd-ur-Rahman bin Auf were said to have been brought to the fold of
Islam by him.
• For three years after the advent of Islam, Muslims kept their faith secret. In
613 the Prophet received a revelation to call the people to Islam openly. The
first public address of inviting people to offer allegiance to the Prophet’s
message was delivered by Hazrat Abu Bakr. At this the unruly youths of the
Quraish rushed at him and beat him till he fainted.
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• Hazrat Abu Bakr also bought and set free many slaves including Bilal,
Lubaina, Amir, Zunnira.
• Hazrat Abu Bakr gave his daughter Hazrat Ayesha in marriage to the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) which further strengthened their friendship.
• In the year 620 Hazrat Abu Bakr was the first person to testify to the
Messenger’s event of Miraj. According to the traditions, he was given the title
Al-Siddique (Testifier to the truth).
• He accompanied the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the social boycott
where he suffered a lot for the cause of Islam.
• Hazrat Abu Bakr accompanied the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) during
his migration to Madinah and is referred to in the Holy Quran as “the second
of the two” in the cave of Saur.
• Abu Bakr’s daughter, Hazrat Asma provided them with food while his son
Abdullah kept them aware of the movement of the enemy.
• When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) purchase a plot of land for the
construction of a mosque, Hazrat Abu Bakr paid its cost.
• In the battle of Badr, Hazrat Abu Bakr acted as a bodyguard of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) and he was in charge of the right wing of the
troops.
• In the battle of Uhad he negated the rumour of the Holy Prophet’s death and
acted as a shield for the Holy Prophet.
• When the Treaty of Hudaibiya was signed and some of the companions were
critical of the terms of the treaty, Hazrat Abu Bakr supported the Holy Prophet.
• When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) asked for contributions for
Tabuk Expedition, Hazrat Abu Bakr donated all that he had, saying, that for
him and his family, Allah and His Prophet are enough.
• In 631AD, the Prophet sent a delegation from Madinah of three hundred
Muslims in order to perform the pilgrimage as the leader of the delegates. Abu
Bakr had thus the honour of being the first Amir-ul-Hajj in the history of Islam.
• Hazrat Abu Bakr led the daily prayers during the last days of the Holy
Prophet’s illness on his instruction.
• Due to his services of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “I have repaid the favours of all of you except Abu Bakr that I pray
to Allah to repay him on the Day of Judgement.
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• At the time of demise of the Holy Prophet, he consoled the Muslims when
they were in grief with words: “Men, if anyone worships Muhammad,
Muhammad is dead: if anyone worships Allah, Allah is alive, immortal.

Appointment as the Caliph:

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not nominate a successor. After his death the
ansar gathered in Saqifah-i-Bani Sa’ad to discuss the appointment of a caliph where
they were joined by Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar and other eminent Muhajrin,
Hazrat Ali was not present at this meeting as he was busy with the preparations of
the final rites of the Prophet. It was discussed in the meeting that the caliph was to
be from the Ansar, or the Quraysh (Muhajrin). The Ansar wanted a caliph from
amongst them in view of their sacrifices for Islam, but Hazrat Abu Bakr argued that
the Arabs would not agree on any Amir other than a person from the Quraysh, at
which point the Ansar suggested the option of electing two Amirs, one from the
Quraysh and one from the Ansar, to which Hazrat Umar objected saying it would
cause confusion in the umma. Hazrat Ubayda bin Jarra addressed the Ansar at this
point and said, ‘O Ansar! You were the first to uphold Islam do not be the first to sow
the seeds of dissension in it.’ Then Ansar immediately withdrew their claim. Hazrat
Abu Bakr suggested the name of Hazrat Ubayda bin Jarrah and Hazrat Umar held
the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr and pledged his allegiance. On seeing this people from
all sides rushed to pledge their loyalty to Hazrat Abu Bakr and a general pledge was
taken the next day. Due to some unique services of Hazrat Abu Bakr, he was elected
as the caliph unanimously. The next day, his election was publicly confirmed in the
Mosque of the Prophet. He took the title “Khalifa-tul-Rasul-Allah” (Successor of the
Messenger of Allah). On that day, 33,000 companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) pledged their allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr. After the assuming this
office, he gave another memorable speech which reflected his humility. He said: “O
people! I have been elected as your trustee although I am not better than anyone of
you. If I am right, obey me. If I am misguided, set me right. The weakest among you
is strong in my eyes until I grant him his rights. The strongest among you is weak in
my eyes until he fulfills the rights of others. I ask you to obey me as long as l obey
Allah and His Prophet. If I disobey Allah and His Prophet, you are free to disobey
me”.
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Difficulties faced by Hazrat Abu Bakr due his caliphate:

Hazrat Abu Bakr was elected as a caliph in 11AH/632 AD and remained till13AH/634
AD. After the demise of the Holy Prophet, he faced very serious challenges to the
Islamic empire but he dealt with them with an iron hand.

(1) Expedition to Syria:

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself had deputed Hazrat Usamah bin Zaid
to lead a campaign towards Syria to confront the Romans while he was in a state of
illness, so that the death of his father Hazrat Zaid could be avenged and to stop the
revolts. The army was about to leave for the expedition when the news of the demise
of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) reached them which forced them to
postpone the campaign. After the election as a Khalifa, Hazrat Abu Bakr considered
the completion of this task his first priority. However, some companions were of the
opinion that the expedition should be postponed because troops were needed to
fight against internal rebellions. Moreover, some companions argued that Usamah
was inexperienced and so the command of the army should be given to someone
else. But Hazrat Abu Bakr refused to change the decision and said he could never
alter the decision taken by the Holy Prophet. Hazrat Abu Bakr then directed the army
to depart on its mission. He bade farewell to the army and addressed them in the
following terms: “Do not kill children, women or old men. Do not cut down any trees
wherein there is food for men and beasts. Do not molest the monks in the churches”.
By the grace of God, the army led by Hazrat Usamah bin Zaid attacked the Syrians
and after only forty days arrived in Madinah with the news of victory and immense
booty. It secured the safety of the frontier with the Byzantines and averted the threat
of any attack from them. This victory greatly strengthened the Muslims and made it
clear to all non-Muslims and rebels that they would not be given a moment's
opportunity to destroy the Islamic state. This demoralized the rebels.

• Apostasy movement (Ridda):

It was a critical situation when, after the demise of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him), some of the people rose in revolt against the authorities at Madinah and
renounced Islam. Hazrat Abu Bakr faced the situation very calmly. Without any delay
he launched an expedition against this movement. After collecting the troops at
Madinah, he divided them into eleven battalions. He chose eleven experience
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commanders and assigned each a different campaign to crush these revolts. He sent
each battalion to different parts of Arabia. He instructed each commander to first
invite each tribe to Islam. If any refused to comply, they were to be attacked. Some
of the tribes accepted Islam but others were stubborn and were dealt with harshly.
All the campaigns were successful and Hazrat Abu Bakr was able to re-establish
peace throughout the Peninsula.

• Refusal to pay Zakat:

There were many tribes like Ghatfan, Murra and Asad that accepted Islam after the
conquest of Makkah. Their loyalty to Islam was based on diplomacy, not true faith.
They saw Islam as a personal agreement with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him), which ended when he passed away. These tribes sent representatives to
Hazrat Abu Bakr, saying their agreement with Islam was over after the Prophet's
death. They asked for a new agreement with the Madina authorities. They agreed to
stay friendly but did not want to pay zakat. They were further instigated by the false
prophet Tulayha. Hazrat Abu Bakr called a meeting of the Majlis-e-Shura and asked
for advice. Most of the companions suggested waiting because of the ongoing wars
against false prophets and other major revolts. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr was
determined to act firmly and quickly to set an example for others. He argued that
zakat being a fundamental injunction of Islam, had to be paid and he declared, "I
swear by Allah, I will fight alone if no one supports me against anyone who refuses
even a single goat kid due as zakat." When Hazrat Abu Bakr refused to exempt
some tribes from paying Zakat, they abandoned Islam. In 632 AD, these tribes
prepared to attack the Muslims. The provincial governors also sent reports to caliph
about the rebels in their provinces and the lack of zakat collection. Hazrat Abu Bakr
with great courage, gave appropriate instructions to all the governors and sent letters
to the tribal chiefs. He ordered a group of young men to stay alert in front of the
Prophet's mosque in Madinah. He also assigned Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Zubair, Hazrat
Talha, and others to patrol around Madinah and keep watch. They were instructed to
immediately inform him if any tribe attacked Madinah. At the place of Abrak, the tribe
of Abs and at the place of Zulqissa, the tribe of Ziban had gathered, and similarly,
the tribes of Banu Asad and Banu Kinana were also involved. When the people of
Ziban learned that there were very few people left in Madinah, they united and
attacked the city. However, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Zubair, Hazrat Talha halted the
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attackers outside Madinah and sent the news to Hazrat Abu Bakr. Muslims went out
under the command of Hazrat Abu Bakr and defeated them, forcing the attackers to
retreat and flee. After this victory, many tribes sent representatives to Madinah,
pledged their allegiance, and agreed to pay Zakat.

• False prophets:

In the last days of the Holy Prophet’s life some opportunists and misguided people
arose to claim prophet hood. They were greedy people who wanted to acquire the
respect and dignity which they had witnessed in the time of the Holy Prophet. When
Hazrat Abu Bakr was elected as the Khalifa they started their preaching openly to
achieve their worldly ends. These dummy prophets claimed themselves to be
prophets and gathered a large number of people around themselves. Among these
false prophets were Musailmah, Aswad Aansi, Tulaiha and Sajjah (a woman).

i. Al-Aswad Ansi:

He was the leader of the Ans tribe in Yemen. His real name was Abhala bin Kaab.
His dark complexion earned him the title Al-Aswad means the black man, and he
was also known as the veiled prophet as he covered his face to create a mystery
about himself. In the later years of the prophet’s life, Al-Aswad claimed to have
received divine guidance and inspiration, and he used tricks to convince the people
of his miracles. After collecting a large army, he rose in open opposition to Islam and
invaded Najran and most of Yemen. An expedition was organized and led by Firuz, a
Persian Muslim who succeeded in killing al-Aswad. However, learning of the
Prophet’s demise, al-Aswad’s followers regrouped and revolted under a man called
Qais ibn Abd Yaaghus; they were defeated by Firuz and subsequently surrendered
along with their leader.

ii. Tulayha:

He was a wealthy leader of the Bani Asad tribe in north Arabia. He was a renowned
warrior who initially opposed the Muslims. In 630 AD, he converted to Islam, but
shortly afterwards he rebelled and proclaimed himself as a prophet. Many tribes
accepted his “prophet hood” and combined to raise a strong force against Islam.
Khalid bin Walid was sent to quell this revolt and at the battle of Buzakha in 632,
Tulayha was defeated. Many tribes supporting him surrendered, but Tulayha
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escaped to Syria. Later, when Syria was conquered by the Muslims, he converted to
Islam once again, and subsequently fought alongside the Muslims in the battles of
Jalula, Qadsiyah, and Nihawand.

iii. Sajjah bint Haris:

She was an Arab Christian from the tribe of Taghlib and after the death of Hazrat
Muhammad, when many of her tribe accepted Islam, she declared herself as a
prophet. She collected a force of 4000 to march on Madinah, but learning of
Tulayha’s defeat by Khalid bin Walid, Sajjah dropped her plans. She then sought the
help of Musailmah, another self-proclaimed prophet, and reached an agreement with
him to face Khalid. Subsequently, Sajjah married Musailmah and accepted his
prophet hood. After a stay of three days, she left him and joined her army. When she
saw that Hazrat Khalid bin Walid was advancing towards the Banu Tamim, and they
came face to face, she fled upon seeing Hazrat Khalid bin Walid's army. She then
reached her tribe at the place of Jazira and lived a life of obscurity. When Muslims
conquered Iraq, she became a Muslim along with other members of her tribe.

iv. Musailmah Kazab:

Known as Musailmah bin Habib, he belonged to the large and influential tribe, Banu
Hanifa, in the Yemen. Musailmah was wealthy and powerful and he used influence
to misguide people and declared himself a prophet during Hazrat Muhammad’s
lifetime. He even wrote a letter to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) about his
prophet hood and said, "In prophethood, both you and I are partners, so half of the
Quraysh's land will belong to me and the other half will remain yours." So, the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed him as an “Arch liar”. Musailmah also
abolished the injunctions of the Quran, making the forbidden permissible and the
obligatory dispensable, and succeeded in gaining a large following among his
people. After the death of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Musailmah
challenged Hazrart Abu Bakr’s caliphate.

Battle of Yamamah:

In December 632, was the significant event that decided Musailmah’s fate. He was in
command of an army of 40,000 bedouins, some of whom did not believe in his
claims but had joined the force only to support their tribe. Hazrat Abu Bakr had first
sent Ikrimah, ignoring the caliph’s orders he launched an attack without waiting for
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Shurahbil and was beaten back. On reaching Yamama, Shurahbil attacked

Musailmah on his own and was beaten back, then Hazrat Abu Bakr sent a large
force of 13000 under the command of Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed. The Muslim army
faced a massive force of Musailmah's followers. The two armies met near the garden
of Yamamah, where the battle unfolded in fierce fighting. Musailmah's forces initially
had the upper hand, and the Muslims were pushed back. The battle became intense,
with both sides suffering heavy casualties. But Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed, known for
his military genius, reorganized the Muslim forces, reinforcing their lines and
launching counterattacks. His leadership and tactics were crucial in turning the tide
of the battle. Eventually, Musailmah was killed by Wahshi al Harb who killed Hazrat
Hamza in the battle of Uhad before his conversion to Islam. Musailmah’s army
scattered and 17000 of enemies were killed. Many prominent Muslims and Huffaz
those who had memorized the Quran also lost their lives in this battle. So bloody was
this battle that it came to be known as the Battle of the Garden of Death.

Expansion of the Islamic Empire, main battles and conquests in caliphate

period of Hazrat Abu Bakr:

The Arabian Peninsula was surrounded by the two great Empires of that time. On its
northeastern side was the border of Persian Empire (Sassanid) while the northern
part of the Peninsula was bordered by the Byzantine Empire (the eastern Roman
Empire). These were the two superpowers of at that time. Hazrat Abu Bakr fought
many battles against them and spread Islam over there. Some of the main battles
are given below.

Conquest of Persia:

Battle of Chains (Kazima): 633AD

In 633 AD, a Muslim army of 18,000 under Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed met a huge
Persian force at Kazima under the command of Hurmuz. Khalid bin Walid offered
them the three options, accept Islam, or pay the Jizya or be ready to fight. These
conditions had been laid down by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself.
The Persians chose to fight. Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed divided his army into three
parts. One part was commanded by Adi bin Hatim, another by Qa’qa’ bin Amr and
the third part was kept under his own command. These three commanders
approached the Iranian army from different directions. Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed was
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the first to step into the battlefield and called for Hurmuz to face him. The two fought
and eventually Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed slammed him to the ground so forcefully
that he could not move. He climbed onto his chest, decapitated him, and threw his
head aside. After this, the general battle began, and within a short time, the Iranian
army fled the battlefield. In this battle, a part of the Iranian forces had chained
themselves to prevent fleeing in the face of the Arabs, but even so, they had to break
the chains and run. Muslims won the battle and the Persians suffered a humiliating
defeat. Thousands of them, were killed and thousands were taken captives.

Battle of Mazar: 633AD

After winning the Battle of Kazima, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid and his army moved
deeper into Iraq. The Persian army, led by Qarin, crossed the Tigris River at Mazar
and stopped there. The soldiers who had escaped from Kazima joined them. When
Hazrat Khalid bin Walid reached Mazar, he learned about the Persian army. Both
armies were there and a battle took place, and many of the enemy's chief
commanders, such as Qarin, Anushjan, and Qubad, were killed. The Iranians left
behind thirty thousand corpses on the battlefield and fled. While fleeing, many
drowned in the river, and many were captured. After this battle, Hazrat Khalid bin
Walid, without causing any harm to the people of the region, made them agree to
pay Jizya and appointed an Islamic governor there. Hazrat Saeed bin Numan was
sent to Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr with the fifth part of the booty and the news of
victory. The people of that region felt that they had escaped from Hell and entered
Paradise.,

Battle of Dalaja: 633AD

After the defeat of the Persians at Mazar, the Persian Emperor, Ardashair, he sent a
force to confront the Muslims, under the command of "Andrazghar." Behind him,
Ardashair dispatched Bahman Jadwiya with another army. On the way, many other
Persian people joined them, and after crossing river Euphrates, they established
their camp at Walaja. Upon receiving the news, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid sent his
forces. The Muslim army faced the Persian forces in a fierce confrontation. The
battle took place in the month of Safar in13 AH. Hazrat Khalid bin Walid divided his
forces into different sections. When the Persian armies began to retreat, Hazrat
Khalid’s forces surrounded them from both the front and back. The battlefield turned
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into a slaughterhouse for the Persians and the bulk of the Persian army was
annihilated. Afterward, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid advised the remaining people and
treated them with kindness. He did not kill anyone and invited the people to pay
Jizyah and accept the status of "Dhimmis" (protected subjects of the Islamic state).
The people accepted this offer. This was the third consecutive victory of the Muslims
over Persian which established the superiority of the Muslims army.

Battle of Uleis:

In the Battle of Dalajah, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid had killed a few Christians who had
assisted the Persians. This angered their fellow countrymen, and they sought
revenge. They gathered many people at the place called Uleis and appointed Abdul-
Aswad Ajli as their leader. Meanwhile, Ardashair ordered Bahman Jadwiya to lead
his army to Uleis and unite with the forces there to face the Muslims. Bahman
Jadwiya sent his envoy, Jaban, ahead to stir up enthusiasm among the people for
war. Jaban instructed them not to engage with the enemy until his arrival, unless the
enemy attacked first. Bahman Jadwiya went to Ardshair to see him and seek more
advices. However, the emperor, Ardshair was ill and Bahman Jadwiya spent time
tending to his care. When Jaban reached Uleis, the people expressed a desire to
eat. However, Jaban cautioned them, saying, "Khalid is a wise man, and he won't
give us much time." Despite this, the people started eating. In the meantime, Hazrat
Khalid bin Walid prepared for the attack and the people had to abandon their meal
and fight. The battle began fiercely, and the enemies were defeated. Seventy
thousand of the enemy soldiers were killed in this battle and the Muslims got
immense booty that was sent to capital.

Treaty of Hira 633 AD

Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, upon reaching near Hira, sent a portion of his army into the
city and stationed an officer at every palace to besiege its inhabitants. These officers
first invited the people to accept Islam and gave them a day to consider. However,
the people of Hira refused to embrace Islam and stood firm on their stance.
Consequently, the Muslims initiated a battle against them. The inhabitants of Hira
retaliated by throwing stones at the Muslims, while the Companions responded with
a barrage of arrows, clearing the tops of the walls and escalating the fight. After
some time, a group from Hira expressed a desire to meet with Hazrat Khalid bin
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Walid. Among them, the first to approach was Amr bin Abdul Maseeh bin Qais.
Hazrat Khalid bin Walid presented them with three options: to embrace Islam, to
accept the payment of Jizya (a tax), or to engage in battle. These individuals chose
to make peace with Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, thus avoiding further conflict.

In this treaty, the following rights were given to them.

• The people of Hira were allowed to practice their religion freely. They were not
forced to convert to Islam but were expected to respect the Islamic rule and
maintain peaceful coexistence with the Muslim community.
• In return for recognizing the authority of the Muslim state, the people of Hira
were guaranteed protection from external threats, including attacks from the
Byzantine and Persian empires.
• The Muslims ensured their safety and security, as long as they fulfilled their
obligations under the treaty.
• The people of Hira were allowed to manage their internal affairs
independently, as long as they did not oppose the Muslim authority. Their
local governance system and traditions were respected, and they were not
forced to change their way of life, except in matters relating to the Islamic
state’s interests.
• The people of Hira were required to pay the jizyah of 2 lacs (a tax imposed on
non-Muslims) in exchange for protection and the benefits of living under the
Muslim rule. This tax was a form of financial contribution to the Islamic state,
which helped maintain security and support the Muslim army, which protected
them from external threats.
• This treaty allowed them to continue their prosperity without interference, as
long as they adhered to the terms of the treaty.

Conquest of Hira was a crucial step in the early Islamic campaigns that shaped the
expansion of the Muslim Empire in Iraq and the surrounding regions.

Battle of Anbar (Battle of Zat-ul-Ayoun): In 633 CE, Hazrat Khalid besieged the
fortified city of Anbar in Iraq. Utilizing archers, the Muslim forces targeted the city's
defenders, leading to numerous eye injuries among the enemy, which earned the
battle its name, "Zat-ul-Ayoun" (Battle of the Eyes). The Persian governor, Shirzad,
ultimately surrendered, and the Muslims gained control of this strategic location.
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Battle of Ain-ul-Tamr: Following the victory at Anbar, Hazrat Khalid advanced to

Ain-ul-Tamr, a town west of Anbar. There, he confronted a combined force of
Sasanian troops and Arab Christian auxiliaries. Employing swift tactics, Khalid
captured the Arab Christian leader, Aqqa ibn Qays ibn Bashir, causing the opposing
forces to collapse. The town was subsequently seized by the Muslims, further
weakening Sasanian influence in the region.

Battle of Daumat-ul-Jandal: In August 633 CE, Hazrat Khalid responded to a call

for assistance from the Muslim commander Iyad ibn Ghanm, who was facing
resistance from rebel Arab tribes at Daumat-ul-Jandal (modern-day Al-Jawf, Saudi
Arabia). Khalid's arrival turned the tide, leading to a decisive Muslim victory and the
re-establishment of control over this vital trade hub.

Conquest of Roman Empire (Byzantines): 634 AD

After securing peace with the Iranians, the Islamic state turned its attention to Syria
to address threats from the Byzantine Empire and its ally, the Ghassanid Arab tribes.
The Byzantines had shown hostility by collaborating with Bedouin tribes near the
Syrian border, raising concerns about potential attacks on Madinah. To counter this,
Caliph Abu Bakr organized a significant military campaign aimed at expanding
Islamic territories and diminishing Byzantine influence. Byzantines began to conspire
against the Muslims in co-operation with the Bedouin tribes on the Syrian border.
Hazrat Abu Bakr raised a big army and divided it into four forces. Each force was put
under the command of an experienced general. They marched towards different
direction. Abu Ubaidah marched to Hims; Amr bin Aas to Palestine; Yazid bin Sufyan
to Damascus; Shurahbil to Jorden and later Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed was sent as
supreme commander. The total number of Muslim armies was almost 46000.
Heraclius also sent many great warriors like Tazaruq, Jarjah, Raqis and Rafeeqa
with the army of almost 250,000. When the Muslims reached near Syria and saw the
enemy, they were terrified. Upon this, Hazrat Khalid bin Walid gathered the entire
army and explained to them that an Amir (main commander) should be appointed,
and together they should fight against the Syrians. Everyone agreed to this. Hazrat
Khalid bin Walid, who was appointed as the commander of all the armies, divided his
army into many units, numbering between 36 and 40, and planned attacks on the
enemy from different directions.
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Battle of Basra: When Hazrat Khalid bin Walid reached Basra, Abu Ubaidah,
Shurahbil, and Yazid bin Abi Sufyan were already present there. Together, they laid
siege to Basra. Jarjah, who was commander came out of his army and stood
between the two ranks, calling out for Hazrat Khalid bin Walid. Hazrat Khalid bin
Walid stepped forward and stood between the two ranks, engaging in a conversation
with Jarjah. As a result of this conversation, Hazrat Khalid invited Jarjah to accept
Islam, and he embraced Islam. While Jarjah was returning with the Muslims, the
Romans launched an attack, during which Jarjah was martyred. The battle continued
and as a result, the people of Basra were forced to agree to pay jizya. This was the
first city in the region of Syria to be conquered during the era of Caliph Hazrat Abu
Bakr.

Battle of Ajnadayn: Afte the conquest of Basra, all these leaders set out for
Palestine to assist Hazrat Amr bin Al-A’s. When the Romans learned of the Muslims'
arrival, they gathered at Ajnadayn, where their commander was Tazarak, the brother
of Heraclius. When Hazrat Amr bin Al-A’s received news of the arrival of all these
leaders, he joined them at Ajnadayn to confront the Romans and Muslim army was
almost 40000. A fierce battle began as the two sides clashed, and the fighting
intensified. A large number of Muslims were martyred in the battle, but ultimately, the
Muslims were granted victory.

Battle of Damascus: Afte the conquest of Ajnadayn, Hazrat Khalid moved towards
Damascus. For two to three days, skirmishes continued. The Muslims emerged
victorious, and the enemy was defeated, retreating into their fortress. They then
requested a truce, but Hazrat Khalid made a condition that they will pay jizya to the
Muslims. However, the enemy later prepared for war again. Another confrontation
took place, and once more, the Muslims were successful, with the enemy suffering a
decisive defeat by the will of Allah. In these battles 3000 Muslims were martyred
while on the other side almost 1 lac and 30 thousand people were killed.

Death of Hazrat Abu Bakr: 634 AD, 13 AH

After an illness of two weeks, Abu Bakr passed away. He was sixty-three at the time.
He was buried by the side of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Before his death he said, "Do not use new cloth to cover my dead body. The sheet of
cloth I have on will do for me. Wash it clean."
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"But this is too old and worn, father," said his daughter Ayesha.
"This old and worn sheet will do for me," he replied.
This parting wish was acted upon. The second wish of the dying Caliphs was, "Sell
my land and pay back in the public treasury all the money I got as my salary." This
was also done.

Policies and Services of Hazrat Abu Bakr as a caliph:

Democracy:

Hazrat Abu Bakr provided the foundation for a democratic welfare state. He used to
discuss all the important issues with the prominent companions of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) and took all decision in the light of their consensus. It was due
to this reason that he did not let these great companions out of Madinah.

Establishment of a Centralized Leadership:

Hazrat Abu Bakr centralized authority under the Caliphate, replacing the tribal
leadership of the Arabs with a unified Islamic governance. He appointed governors
(Amirs) for different regions, who would ensure the implementation of Islamic laws
and maintain order.

Consolidation of Newly Conquered Lands:

Hazrat Abu Bakr focused on securing Iraq, Syria, and Egypt by leading military
campaigns and implementing governance policies to integrate these regions into the
expanding Islamic state. He established legal courts and local administration to
manage these newly conquered territories effectively.

Welfare of the masses:

He divided the state into different provinces so that the benefits of the masses might
be looked after in a more efficient way. He appointed an Amil (Governor) in every
province who performed all duties honestly.

System of accountability:

Hazrat Abu Bakr fully understood that the rulers rule according to their own will if
they have no fear of accountability. He not only offered his own self for accountability
but also remained firm in the case of his officers.
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System of Islamic punishments:

He was very merciful and kind. He used to forgive those who sought forgiveness but
took hard steps against the criminals and punished them according to the way of
Shariah as he announced the punishment of 40 lashes for drinking wine.

Promoting Unity Among Muslims:

Hazrat Abu Bakr was instrumental in uniting the Muslim community after the death of
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He prioritized collaboration among different
factions and tribes, fostering a sense of collective identity and shared purpose. His
efforts ensured that the Muslim community remained strong and resilient during the
early years of expansion.

Distribution of wealth:

In the first year of his caliphate, Hazrat Abu Bakr distributed all the savings of the
revenue among the people at the rate of 10 dirham per head. The next year the
revenue increased and Hazrat Abu Bakr distributed it at the rate of 20 dirhams per
head. When a man among the Muslims argued saying that the caliph did not see any
difference between those prominent companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) and those who had just embraced Islam, he said, “Piety and being God-
fearing is another thing. It is not related to wealth”.

Doctrines of warfare:

Hazrat Abu Bakr used to give some important instructions to his commanders, such
as:

• Do not disturb saints and worshippers of other religion.

• Do not kill women, old men, children, and those who are not fighting with you.
• Do not cut flowering trees. Do not destroy gardens.
• Do not ruin any populated place.
• Do not kill goats, camels and cattle besides what you need to eat.
• Be honest in distribution of booty.
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Correction of nonsense:

Any new custom and rite which was not Islamic but considered to be Islamic was
forbidden by Hazrat Abu Bakr. As once on the occasion of Hajj a woman from
Ahmas tribe was found performing Hajj in complete silence, he said “There is no
place in Islam for this nonsense”.

Rights of minorities:

During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) the non-Muslims
enjoyed the protection of the Islamic state. Hazrat Abu Bakr also gave the same
rights to the non-Muslims of the conquered territories during his caliphate. He
addressed the people of Hirah in these words: “Their temples and places of worship
should not be destructed and their castles in which they used to protect themselves
against enemies should not be harmed in any way”.

Struggle against seditions and intrigues:

To crush the conspiracies and seditions against the Muslim Government, Hazrat Abu
Bakr had to fight several battles during his reign. He uprooted and eradicated all the
false and dummy prophets to prevent confusion, chaos and to keep peace and
prosperity in the Islamic state.

Caliphate period of Hazrat Umar

(13 AH to 23 AH, 634 AD to 644 AD)

Introduction:
Hazrat Umar, son of Khattab, belonged to Banu Adi, was born in Makkah twelve or
thirteen years after the birth of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) and Umar had a common ancestor in Ka’ab. Umar was taught reading and
writing by his father who was an educated and well to do merchant of Makkah. Umar
was very learned, intelligent and studious. He was a poet and a very good orator. He
was strong and powerful and was fond of archery, horse riding and wrestling. He
was also a successful trader and had visited many countries in connection with his
business. He was an idol-worshipper. When Hazrat Muhammad declared that he
was the prophet of Allah, Hazrat Umar and his father became enemies of the Holy
Prophet.
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Conversion to Islam:
In the 6th year of Prophethood, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed to
Allah to strengthen Islam by giving him Umar. His prayer was in these words “O
Allah help Islam with Umar bin Khattab or Amr bin Hasham (Abu Jahl). One day
Umar set out from his house with the intention of killing the Holy Prophet. On the
way, he was informed by Hazrat Sa’ad bin Waqas that his sister, Fatimah and her
husband, Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid had embraced Islam. Infuriated, Umar changed his
course and went to the house of his sister, who was reading the Holy Quran loudly.
This enraged Umar so much that he attacked his sister and her husband. On Umar’s
insistence, his sister recited some verses from Surah Taha. The words of the Holy
Quran softened his heart and tears began to fall from his eyes. He then proceeded to
the house where the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was busy in religious
discourse with his followers. He recited the Kalima and became a Muslim and he
was 40th Muslim in Makkah except the emigrants. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) embraced Umar, who was now an entirely changed person. He earned the title
al-Farooq who distinguishes between right and wrong.
Appointment as the Caliph:

The first caliph, Abu Bakr, on his death bed, issued instructions for the appointment
of Umar as the second caliph of Islam. The entire community wholeheartedly
accepted this desire and made alliance on Umar’s hand. Hazrat Umar changed the
title of the Khalifa tur Rasulillah (Successor of the Prophet) to the Amir ul Momineen
(commander of the believers). He remained caliph of Islam from 13AH to 23AH (634
to 644AD).

Services of Hazrat Umar during Prophet’s life:

• The conversion of Hazrat Umar to Islam boosted the Muslim’s morale and
gave them some protection against the Quraish. One Muslim said, “We could
not pray at Ka’bah until he became a Muslim”.
• He migrated to Yasrib openly as he hung his sword, put on his bow, took
spears with him and came out of his house waving his spear. Then he
performed Twaf, offered his prayer at Makam e Ibrahim and then made a
public announcement of his migration and called out that anyone, who wanted
his children orphaned, his wife widowed and make his parents weep, should
try to stop him from doing so. But nobody dared come in his way.
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• He participated in the battle of Badr and fought bravely in the way of Allah.
• He participated in the battle of Uhad and made the defensive ring around the
Prophet.
• He also took part in battle of Trench and dug the trench with full devotion.
• He was one of the participants in Treaty of Hudaibiyah and was not ready to
accept the terms of this treaty as it seemed to him a most humiliating one on
the part of Muslims. But at last, he had to submit to the will of Prophet
because the Prophet decided it with Allah’s permission.
• He also participated in battle of Khyber and conquest of Makkah.
• He played an important role in the battle of Hunain and remained steadfast in
the time of early defeat.
• He placed half of his wealth at the disposal of the Prophet for the Tabuk
Expedition.
• He was constantly in attendance on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
and was one of his most trusted companions and advisers.
• He was one of the closest friends as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
married his daughter Hafsa.
• He was one of the Katibeen-e-Wahi (the scribes of revelation).

Policies and Services of Hazrat Umar as a caliph:

• Democracy:

Hazrat Umar promoted the importance of consultation of the prominent companions

of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as he said “There is no concept of Khilafat
without mutual consultation”. He divided the department of consultancy into two
important bodies.

▪ Majlis-e-Shoora:

This committee consisted of a chosen number of the prominent companions of the

Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and was supposed to be consulted in all
important matters.

• Majlis-e-Aam:

This committee consisted of the Muhajirin and the Ansar and the heads of other
tribes. This committee was consulted by the Khalifa on only particular occasions.
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Both the committees had the privilege of independent counseling in favour or against
any matter or any person. So, the spirit of independence, freedom and liberty was
highly exercised in the light of the teaching of Islam.

• Censorship:

Hazrat Umar believed in the strict laws of censorship and accountability. He

considered this system above family status or personal importance. Whenever he
appointed an Amil (Governor) or other administrations for the provinces or towns, he
used to take an oath and appoint them under these conditions.

• They would never use a Turkish horse to ride.

• They were prohibited to wear light or silken clothes.
• Have no guards on the doors. This means no use of unnecessary service.
• Always keeping their door open for the needy to ensure easy approach for the
poor and the needy.
• The treasury was counted before and after the duration of the service of every
person.

• Judiciary:

There was an effective system of equality. He was the first person in history, who
separated judiciary and executive powers and appointed learned and able, educated
judges. Disputes were decided in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Ijma and
Qiyas were utilized at the time of dire need.

• Establishment of police department:

To provide the safety of life, honour and property, Hazrat Umar established the
police department. Along with the improvement of law and order the police did much
for the establishment of a peaceful society.

• Construction of jails:

Hazrat Umar was the first one who constructed jails all over the empire even on the
district level. He purchased Safwan’s house and constructed a jail there. He founded
some punishments, physical and financial.
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• Irrigation Department:

He fulfilled the need of irrigation throughout the empire by construction canals. The
canal of Musa, canal of Sa’ad are some of the examples.

• Expansion of Bait-ul-Mall:

The Bait-ul-Mall was established in Madinah by Hazrat Abu Bakr, but Hazrat Umar
expanded it on provincial level. He got buildings, constructed and appointed
administrators to run the financial system of country. Hazrat Abdullah bin Arqam was
the administrator of the central Bait-ul-Mall.

• Establishment of the Diwan System:

Diwan (Registrar) was introduced under Hazrat Umar’s administration to keep official
records of military personnel, officials, and state resources. The Diwan system
helped in tracking salaries, allocating resources, paying stipends, and organizing the
administrative structure efficiently.

• Taxation and Revenue Collection:

Hazrat Umar introduced a fair taxation system which included Zakat, Jizya (tax on
non-Muslims), and Kharaj (land tax). His goal was to ensure economic stability while
protecting the poor and redistributing wealth for the betterment of the community.

• Military Department:

He established this department on the advice of Hazrat Waleed bin Hisham in 15

A.H. The employees of the military were paid salaries and their children were
awarded stipends (money). He reorganized the military into divisions and appointed
experienced generals to lead the armies, such as Hazrat Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and
Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah. He established a volunteer force as well and they
were paid special allowances. He got cantonments constructed in Madinah, Basra,
Kufa, Egypt etc.

• Census and Population Management:

Hazrat Umar conducted censuses to keep track of population numbers, land use,
tax-paying citizens, and military obligations. This helped in better resource allocation
and planning for the expanding Islamic state.
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• Administrative advancement:

He built new buildings to accommodate the government offices. He constructed

highways, bridges, mosques and inns for travelers. He also laid the foundation of the
new cities like Kufa, Basra, Fustat, Musal, etc.

• Education Department:

He generalized and promoted the spread of education throughout the empire. He got
five thousand new mosques constructed for the purpose of education. Many
companions were appointed to deliver lectures on the teaching of Holy Quran in
different areas.

• Rights of the minorities:

The system of justice by any ruler is judged by the conduct of the ruler towards the
minorities. He provided safety of life, property and honour to the minorities. He
established guidelines for the integration of conquered territories into the Islamic
empire, ensuring the fair treatment of non-Muslims living under Islamic rule. Once he
saw a beggar who was a Jew; and he declared a stipend for him. When he
conquered the Bait-ul-Muqaddas, he made this law that no one will be allowed to live
in their churches and the churches will not be demolished either.

• Administrative units of the empire:

The Muslim empire was divided into eight provinces. Each province was governed
by a Governor (Amil). Meer Munshi was the superintendent of the regional office and
helped manage local affairs and communication. Sahib-ul-Kharaj was the collector,
who looked after tax collection and land revenue. Sahib-e-Bait-ul-Mall was the
treasurer, in charge of handling the empire’s wealth and finances. Qazi-ul-Quzat was
the chief justice, and Qazis were judges who made sure justice was served
according to Islamic law in the provinces. These officials worked together to ensure
the smooth running of the province.

Services towards religion:

It was Hazrat Umar whose efforts caused thousands of tribes to embrace Islam. He
played an important role in the compilation of the Holy Quran. He appointed huffaz,
muazzins to implement the teachings of Islam and fixed salaries for them. He
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expanded the mosque of the Prophet; he purchased next houses except the houses
of the “Mothers of the Faithful” and made the part of the mosque. Similarly, he
expanded the Masjid-ul-Haram and walled it to distinguish it from other places and
sites.

Expansion of the Islamic Empire, main battles and conquests in

caliphate period of Hazrat Umar:

Peaceful environment which was created after the removal of all the internal and
external problems by Hazrat Abu Bakr provided opportunity to Hazrat Umar for
expansion of Islamic state outside Arabia.

Conquest of Persia:

Battle of Bridge (Jasr): 634 AD, 13 AH

When the Persians were defeated at Namarraq in 634, they sent another army to
take revenge from the Muslims. Muslim leader was Hazrat Abu Ubaidullah bin
Masud Thaqfi accompanied by Muthanna Shaybani with 9000 army and non-
Muslims commander was Rustam with the army of 4000 and later this was
increased. Both the armies encamped on the banks of Euphrates. An old bridge
across an irrigation canal lay between both armies. The Muslim commander decided
to fight across the river against the will of leaders like Muthanna. When they crossed
the river through a boat bridge, they discovered that the new conditions did not suit
them. The Persian army was walled by elephants and Arab horses had never seen
elephants so they got terrified and the Muslim army disorganized. The Persian
archers devastated the Muslim ranks. Muslims dismounted and engaged in fighting
with swords. Many were trampled upon by the elephants including Hazrat Abu
Ubaidullah bin Masud Thaqfi. At this point a soldier cut off the ropes of the bridge to
stop Muslim soldiers from fleeing the battle. When the Muslim commanders got
martyred, the Muslim army lost heart and ran towards the bridge. Muslim leader
Muthanna held back the enemy and the army crossed the river. The Muslims had to
bear the loss of 6000 men, two thousand got martyred, two thousand got drowned
and about two thousand ran away to Madinah and other areas of Arabia.
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Battle of Buwaib: November, 635 AD, Ramzan 14AH

When Hazrat Umar was informed about the disaster of the battle of Jasr, he
collected a large army and sent against them under the command of Muthanna
Shaybani. He was seriously wounded in the former battle but effectively inspired his
men from his sick bed. On the other side, Persians had also gathered a strong army
under the command of Mehran who was considered an expert in the Arabian way of
wars. The Muslims invited the Persians to cross the river and they accepted it. The
number of Muslim armies was a little more than 20,000 while the Persians (Iranians)
several times larger in number, were estimated as two hundred thousand. A fierce
battle took place. Muslims fought desperately and after a grim fight, the Persians
were defeated. They could not find the way to cross the river Euphrates because the
bridge built by them was destroyed by the Muslims. There was a total disorder in the
Persian army. The commander of the army, Mehran was slain in this battle and
more than a hundred thousand men lost their lives in the field. As a result of
this victory, the southern Iraq fell into Muslim hands.

Battle of Qadisiya: November, 637 AD, Safar 15 AH

When Hazrat Umar came to know that the Persians were preparing for war against
the Muslim state on a vast level with the intention of recapturing the lost territories
and destroying the Muslims completely he declared jihad all over the land. Hazrat
Sa’ad bin Waqas was chosen as a commander at this time with the army of 30,000
to 40,000 and was instructed to encamp at a place called Qadisiya. A three-month
stand-off happened with small fights near border villages. The Muslims won these
fights. During this time, some Persian soldiers left their side and joined the Muslims.
Hazrat Sa’ad sent an envoy to the Persian king Yazdigard inviting him to accept
Islam. He turned them out and this ill treatment at the hands of Persian king caused
the situation to worsen. The Persian army which was 80,000 to 120,000, at once
attacked the Muslim army under the command of their great hero, Rustam. As
Hazrat Sa’ad was ill he directed the operation from his sick bed. A fierce fight
continued for three days with no gain. The Persians fought very bravely but were
eventually defeated by the Muslims. Rustam, their commander, tried to run away but
was killed. Seeing their slain Commander, the Persians started fleeing for their lives.
Thousands of Persians were slain. Hazrat Sa’ad followed them to Babal, where they
hid. After two months, the Muslims captured Mada’in, the Persian capital. The
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emperor, his family, and nobles ran away. Two thirds of the Persian army was killed
and the Muslims lost a fifth of their men in this battle. This battle was very important
in Islamic history. It broke the power of the Persian Empire. Many people in the
conquered areas accepted Islam. After this victory, the land between the Euphrates
and Tigris rivers came under Muslim control. Hazrat Umar received the news with
great joy. The Muslims gained immense booty which was distributed among the
troops according to the Islamic law and a fifth portion was dispatched to the Baitul
Mal.

Battle of Nihawand: 642 AD, 21 AH

After the battle of Madain and Jalula, there was peace all over Persia but after some
months the Persians united against the Muslims and arose in rebellion. The Persian
emperor Yezdegird wanted to regain control of Mesopotamia (Iraq). He gathered a
large army at Nihawand to fight the Muslims. The number of Persian troops was
almost 150,000 under the command of Mardan Shah. When Hazrat Umar learned
about this, he sent letters to Kufa and Basra, ordering Muslim armies to assemble.
The Muslim forces marched toward Nihawand. One group was stationed near the
border of Faris and Isfahan to block Persian reinforcements from the south. The
Muslim army, with 30,000 soldiers, was much smaller than the Persian army. Both
sides had volunteers who had missed the Battle of Qadissiya and wanted to prove
themselves. The Persians fortified themselves near a ravine and dug trenches. The
Muslims tried several times to draw them out but failed. The Persians only left their
fortified positions when it suited them. Seeing this, Hazrat Noman bin Muqrin called
all the leaders in his tent and took opinion for the fight with everyone. Everyone liked
the opinion of Hazrat Taliha bin Khalid, and the Islamic army, according to it,
withdrew six miles away from the city and the Hazrat Qa'qaa’ attacked the city by
conducting a little troop. The Iranians saw this little army attacked and fell with great
enthusiasm. Hazrat Qa'qaa’ started back fighting the Iranians. In celebration of the
conquest, the Persians advanced relentlessly, suppressing this small group until they
moved far ahead of their trenches and came within the reach of the Muslim army. At
this point, Hazrat Noman bin Muqrin and his companions launched a unified attack
with the entire Muslim army, shouting the Takbeer. As a result, the Persian army fled
in utter chaos and disarray. The ground became slippery with blood, and Hazrat
Noman bin Muqrin was thrown off his horse and killed. Despite this, the Muslims kept
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advancing. The Persians panicked and started retreating. In the dark, many Persians
got lost and fell into the ravine. The Muslim victory was decisive, and nearby towns
quickly surrendered after the battle. The Persian king fled and at last was killed
during the caliphate period of Hazrat Usman. This victory was called Fath ul Futuh
(Victory of Victories) because it was so important. After the battle, the chief Persian
priest led the negotiations. He offered the Muslims a large number of gems left by
the king for emergencies in exchange for sparing the lives of the people. After this
victory, Caliph Hazrat Umar ordered the conquest of other Persian provinces. By the
next year, the Muslims had conquered Isfahan, Khorasan, Rayy, Faris, and the
Sindh region. This victory made the Muslim Empire stronger and richer. It secured
the eastern frontiers and spread Muslim influence further east and west.

Battles against Romans:

The Battle of Fahl: 13 AH

When the Muslims concluded their campaign at Ajnadayn, they moved towards Fahl,
located in Jordan, because the Romans had regrouped there after retreating. The
Muslims remained under the leadership of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid. When the
Romans reached Baisan, they broke the dams of its canals. The soil in the area was
saline, turning the land into a marsh. Unaware of the Romans' strategy, the Muslim
forces found themselves stuck in the swamp when they arrived, facing severe
hardship. However, Allah granted them safety and delivered them from this
predicament. Subsequently, the Muslims advanced toward the Romans, and a battle
ensued at Fahl. The Romans were defeated, and the Muslims entered Fahl
victoriously. This event occurred six months after the caliphate of Hazrat Umar
began.

Fall of Damascus: 635 AD, 14 AH

The well-known commander Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed organized the siege and
captured Damascus, a city known for its wealth and culture. The Syrians were
hoping for reinforcement from the Byzantine (commonly called as Roman) emperor,
Heraclius but it did not happen and the Muslims occupied the city.
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Battle of Yarmuk: 15 AH, 636 AD

When the reports on fall of Damascus and defeat at Fihl were given to Heraclius, he
became very furious. He sent a strong army of 260,000 men at the Golan Heights
against the Muslims under the command of Theodorus. In the beginning, the
command was in the hand of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid but during the battle
he received the letter of Hazrat Umar deposing him from the post of Commander-in-
Chief. Hazrat Umar appointed Abu 'Ubaidah bin Jarrah as the Commander-in-Chief.
Under the command of Abu Ubaidah, the Muslim army consisting of forty thousand
men faced the Byzantine army encamped in the valley of Yarmuk. There was
negotiation between the two armies and the Byzantine commander offered a heavy
amount of money to the Muslims to leave Syria which was at once turned down.
Before the main Battle of Yarmuk, smaller fights lasted for about a month. The
Muslims tricked the Byzantines by pretending to retreat and ambushed them in
rough terrain. The Byzantine cavalry got separated from the infantry, allowing the
Muslims to attack effectively. A dust storm confused the Byzantines, and their main
army was trapped in rugged valleys. Hazrat Khalid attacked the Byzantine camp at
Yaqusa, crushing their last hope. Rumours that Christian Arabs had joined the
Muslims further demoralized the Byzantines. The Muslim army suffered relatively
fewer losses despite being outnumbered. Estimates suggest around 4,000 to 5,000
Muslim soldiers were martyred. Estimates indicate that tens of thousands of
Byzantine soldiers were killed, with numbers ranging between 40,000 to 70,000. The
defeat at Yarmuk was a disaster for the Byzantines, while the Muslims used this
victory to capture other cities in Syria.

Siege of Jerusalem: 637 AD, 16 AH

After the victory of Yarmuk, the Muslim army under the command of Hazrat Amr bin
Aas advanced and laid siege of Jerusalem in November 636 AD. The siege
remained for six months but they remained fail to conquer it. The Muslim commander
wrote a letter to Abu Ubaidah for reinforcement. When the Christians came to know
that Muslims are reinforced, they lost heart and accepted to surrender on the
condition that the Khalifa himself must come to sign the treaty. Hazrat Umar
appointed Hazrat Ali as his deputy and went to Jerusalem with his slave. They were
having one camel on which each of them rode by turn. When Hazrat Umar was
entering Jerusalem, it happened to be the slave's turn to ride on the camel. Though
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the slave offered his turn to the "Khalifah" but Hazrat Umar refused and remarked:
"The honour of Islam (i.e., being Muslim) is enough for all of us." He entered
Jerusalem holding the rope of the camel on which his slave was riding. His clothes
were dirty and there were several patches on them. Then Hazrat Umar signed the
treaty under which the inhabitants of Jerusalem were granted complete security of
their life and property. Their places of worship were secured and remained intact. All
the people were allowed to follow their religion freely. The gates of the city were then
opened and the Muslims entered the Jerusalem in April 637 AD. Hazrat Umar visited
the city. The time of the "Salat" had reached. The Christians allowed the Muslims to
perform Salat in the big Church but Hazrat Umar declined to do so that it might not
be an excuse for the future generations to take over the Church from them. He
offered the Salat with the Muslims on the steps of the Church. Even then he gave in
writing to the bishop that the steps would never be used for congregational prayers
or for the Adhan in future. In this way his conduct therefore sets an example of
simplicity, humility, a respect for all faiths, and freedom for all the people to practice
their own religion, protection for their places of worship and tolerance.

• The conquest of Egypt:

Conquest of Fustat: After the conquest of Jerusalem Hazrat Amr bin Aas got
permission to proceed to Egypt and sent Zubair bim Alawam with an army of 4000
men, he entered Egypt and conquered some towns and then laid a siege to Fustat.
After some months of siege Fustat was conquered.

Fall of Alexandria: 641 AD, 20 AH

After the victory of Fusat, the Muslims reached under the command of Amr bin Aas
to Alexandria to crush them but found the Egyptian army fortified. They were 50000
in number while the Muslim army consisted to 12000. The Egyptians were hopeful of
help of Heraclius. But when the news of the death of Heraclius came and the
Muslims were now sure that the possibility of reinforcement was very feeble.
Therefore, they intensified the attack. At last, the Muslims conquered Alexandria and
became the masters of Egypt.
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Death of Hazrat Umar: 644 AD, 23 AH

Hazrat Umar was martyred by Abu Lulu Firoz, a Persian slave, on 3rd November
644 AD. Abu Lulu was from Nihawand and was captured during the Battle of
Nihawand. He was a slave of Hazrat Mughirah and was upset with a decision of
Hazrat Umar about taxation. Abu Lulo Firoz openly threatened to kill Hazrat Umar.
Certain companions recommended that Firoz be arrested, but refused to do so.
Hazrat Umar had no bodyguards, nor a protocol. One day, while he was leading the
prayer, Firoz stabbed him with a poisoned dagger. He also killed several other
worshippers as he tried to escape. Finally caught, he slit his own throat with his own
dagger. This is characteristic of Hazrat Umar’s total impartiality and refusal to allow
concessions. He was stern about the correct observance of all regulations. Hazrat
Umar’s fearless attitude portrays his strong belief in Allah as the giver and taker of
life. This incident also reflects his simple lifestyle. He was buried near the Prophet,
which shows he was held in high honour in the first Muslim community.

Golden period of Hazrat Umar

The period of Hazrat Umar's caliphate undoubtedly is the "Golden Age" of Islam in
every respect. He was a man of extraordinary genius who not only molded the
destiny of the nation but made history of his own. He followed the footsteps of the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to the fullest extent. It was Umar under whose
rule Islam became a world power and within ten years of his glorious rule, the whole
of the Persian Empire, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and a part of Turkey came under the
banner of Islam and the nations entered the fold of Islam.

He was not only a conqueror but also an exemplary administrator who originated an
efficient system of administration, and thus he was the real founder of political
system of Islam. Hazrat Umar Initiated 41 good practices during his period, which
were based upon the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. These are
known as "Awliat-e-Umar (the Initiations of Umar). He enforced Divine Law
(Shari'ah) as the code of a newly formed International Islamic State; he safeguarded
the internal safety by introducing the police force: he gave stipends to the poor; he
constructed cantonments and forts for the safety of Islamic armies; he founded new
cities for the growth of Islamic culture and civilization; he improved agriculture and
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economics of the Islamic State; he founded the educational system in an Islamic

State;
Hazrat Umar (R.A.) was the pioneer of modern civilization to form a state based
upon the Islamic democratic system, the system which was incorporated in the West
as late as 19th and 20th centuries. He was the greatest democratic administrator
whose example is unparalleled not only in the history of Islam but also in the history
of modern civilization. As an administrator, a Muslim writer says, "he remained a
model for all great Muslim rulers during the whole Islamic history.
Muslims and non-Muslims were treated alike. Although the Arab peninsula was
declared to be purely an Islamic State, his attitude towards the non-Muslims was
very tolerant. He allowed the Jews and the Christians, living in the Peninsula, to stay
there if they so wished and nobody would interfere in their religious affairs. To those
who desired to migrate he ensured safe journey up to the borders. Hazrat Umar
(R.A.) also gave compensation for their properties and other facilities.

For the first time in the history of Islam, Islamic calendar was introduced in the
present form by Hazrat Umar (R.A.). Thus, we see that Hazrat Umar’s period was
the Golden Age of the Islamic history when Islam was practiced in its true form. The
words of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) are very true about him:

“If there were to be a prophet after me, he would have been Umar bin Khattab”

Caliphate period of Hazrat Uthman

(23 to 35 AH, 644 to 656 AD)

Introduction:

Hazrat Uthman was born in Makkah in 573 A.C. His patronymic name was "Abu
Amr" and father's name was "Affan bin Abul-As". He was known by the name
"Uthman bin ‘Affan". He belonged to a noble family of Quraish in Makkah. His
ancestral pedigree joins with that of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in Abd
Manaf. He was from the "Umayyah" family of Quraish, which was a well reputed and
honourable family of Makkah during the pre-Islamic days. In the famous battle of
"Fujjar" the Commander-in-Chief of the Quraish army, Harb bin Umayyah was from
the same family. The descendants of this family are known as "Banu Umayyah" or
"Umawwin". Hazrat Uthman was one of the few persons of Makkah who knew
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reading and writing. When he grew up, he started business in cloth which made him
very rich. He used his money in good ways and always helped the poor. Hazrat
Uthman was a soft natured and kind hearted man. He did not hesitate to spend any
amount of money on seeing a man in trouble in order to remove his misery. For his
noble qualities the Makkans had great respect for him.

Acceptance of Islam:

Hazrat Uthman accepted Islam when Abu Bakr preached to him. He was one of
those Muslims who accepted Islam in its very early days as it is said that he was the
third male convert. Though "Banu Hashim" (the Holy Prophet's family) was rival to
"Banu Umayyah" (Hazrat Uthman's family), and the latter was in power at that time,
yet Uthman did not hesitate to acknowledge the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad.
This was one of the reasons why Quraishi leaders, belonging to Banu Umayyah (like
Abu Sufyan) were opposing the Holy Prophet. Thus, acceptance of Islam in such a
position shows the clear-mindedness of Hazrat Uthman. When he accepted Islam,
the Quraish who once loved Uthman became his enemies. Even his relatives like
Hakam (one of his uncles) began to rebuke him and chastised him severely.

Services during the life of Holy Prophet:

He was a very prominent Muslim to serve Islam by all means.

• He was the one of the early converts.

• He experienced persecution for his faith by the hands of his uncle Hakam.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him his second daughter, Ruqqayya,
in marriage to Hazrat Uthman. After her death the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) gave his third daughter, Umm e Kalthoom. Thus, he came to be
known as Zun Nurain, the possessor of two lights. Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) was so pleased with him that after the death of this daughter, he
would say that had he any other daughter, he would have given her in
marriage to Uthman.
• When the life in Makkah became hard for the Muslims, he went to the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) and sought permission to take refuge in
Abyssinia along with other Muslims. The permission was granted. Hazrat
Uthman and his wife crossed the Red Sea with other Muslims and migrated to
Abyssinia. At the time of his migration the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
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remarked: "Uthman is the first man of my Ummah to migrate (for sake of

Allah) with his family."
• He participated in almost all the battles with the non-believers in which the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had also taken part, except "Badr" due to
sickness of his wife and by the order of Holy Prophet.
• At the time of the "Treaty of Hudaibiyah" he was sent to Makkah to negotiate
with the non-believers. Then the Muslims were wrongly informed about his
murder by the non-believers of Mecca. It is for this reason that the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) (sought a pledge by the Muslims to fight with
the non-believers in revenge of his murder. That pledge is known as "Bai'at al-
Ridwan" (the Pledge of Ridwan). For Uthman’s pledge, the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) put his left hand (representing Uthman's hand) on his
right hand.
• When the Muhajirin (Emigrants) from Makkah came to Madinahh, they had
great difficulty in getting drinking water. Hazrat Uthman bought a well named
"bi’r-i-Rumah” from a Jew for twenty thousand dirhams for free use of
Muslims. That was the first trust ever made in the history of Islam. The Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him the glad tidings of Paradise for this
act.
• When the number of Muslims increased, the Prophet's mosque became too
small to accommodate the increasing population, it was Uthman who
responded to the Prophet's call and bought land for its extension.
• When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) went to the expedition of Tabuk,
Hazrat Uthman bore the expenses for one third Islamic army (i.e., about
10,000 men). He also gave one thousand camels, fifty horses and one
thousand Dinars (gold coins) to support the rest of the army. The Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked on this, "Nothing will do any harm to
Uthman from this day, whatever he does."
• Hazrat Uthman was one of the scribes of the “Wahy" (Revelation) and also
used to write other documents (letters and messages etc.) of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him)
• At the time of the election of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Uthman was present in
the Assembly Hall of Madinah. During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr and
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'Umar, he was a member of the "Shura" (Advisory Council). He occupied a

prominent position in the affairs of the Islamic State during that time.
Hazrat Uthman elected as the third caliph:
Before his death, Hazrat ‘Umar appointed a panel of six men to select a "Khalifah"
from amongst themselves and then seek his approval through Bai'at (Pledge of
loyalty) by Muslim Public. He also instructed them to make the nomination within
three days. The panel included Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Sa'd bin Abi
Waqqas, Hazrat Talha, Hazrat Zubair and Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf as the
members. The panel could not arrive at any decision even after long meetings. Then,
Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf proposed somebody to withdraw his name in order to
decide the matter. When he got no response, he withdrew his own name. The
remaining members agreed that he could take a decision. He consulted each
member individually except Hazrat Talha who was not present at Madinah. It so
happened that Hazrat Uthman proposed 'Ali's name and Hazrat 'Ali proposed Hazrat
Uthman's name for the post of Khalifah. But Hazrat Zubair and Hazrat Sa'ad were
more in favour of Hazrat Uthman than Hazrat ‘Ali. After more consultations with other
companions and thinking over the problems during the third night, Hazrat ‘Abdur
Rahman bin ‘Auf gave his decision in the morning of the fourth day in favour of
Hazrat Uthman. First of all, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf took Bai'at at the hands of
Hazrat Uthman and then all the Muslims present in the mosque followed suit and
took Bai'at (pledge of loyalty) at the hands of Hazrat Uthman. In this way, Hazrat
Uthman was declared to be the third Khalifah. When Hazrat Talha returned to
Madinah, Hazrat Uthman requested him either to accept the post of "Khalifah" as he
was among the persons proposed by Hazrat ‘Umar for the post or to acknowledge
him as Khalifah by taking Bai'at. Hazrat Talha declined to be the Khalifah and took
pledge of loyalty at his hand, saying "How can I object to your being the Khalifah
when all the Muslims have agreed upon you."

Services as a caliph:

Hazrat Uthman was respected for his wisdom, generosity, and strong administrative
skills, which helped him govern the vast Caliphate effectively.
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• Increased Government Control:

He strengthened the central government’s authority over garrison cities, ensuring

better administration and financial management.

• Financial Reforms:

He added 100 dirhams to annual stipends as a popular move and increased the
allowances paid to people by 25% by improving tax collection.

• New Financial Administrators:

To separate military and financial responsibilities, he appointed financial

administrators to manage tax revenue instead of provincial governors.

• Permanent Secretariat:

He set up a secretariat to handle administrative matters, placing his cousin Marwan

in charge.

• Market Regulation:

As Makkah and Madina grew, he introduced a salaried ‘Inspector of Markets’, a key

economic role in Islamic states.

• Public Works and Infrastructure:

He funded embankments to protect houses in Madina from floods and expanded

clean water supply for the growing population.

• Support for the Poor:

He purchased land and built markets, using the rent collected from them to support
the poor.
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• State-Owned Herds and Grazing Lands:

He used treasury funds to buy land for grazing state-owned horses and camels,
ensuring proper care and feeding.

• Development of Stables and Guesthouses:

Once grazing areas were properly established, he built state stables and
guesthouses for travelers and pilgrims.

• Communication System:

He continued using messengers and travelers to ensure smooth communication

across the vast empire.

• Expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah:

Recognizing the growing number of worshippers, Caliph Uthman extended the

Grand Mosque in 647 AD to accommodate more pilgrims.

• Development of Jeddah as Makkah's Port:

Around 647 AD, Uthman designated Jeddah as the official port for Makkah,
enhancing the city's prominence and facilitating the arrival of pilgrims and goods.

• Land Acquisition Policies:

He lifted restrictions on the sale and purchase of agricultural lands in conquered

territories, promoting trade and economic growth.

• Consultancy:

He maintained Majlis-e-Shoora (Council of Consultation) and all affairs of the state

were settled by this council.

• Use of Public Treasury:

Uthman permitted individuals to take loans from the public treasury, facilitating
economic activities.
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• Relaxation of Austere Measures:

Departing from the stringent policies of his predecessor, Hazrat Umar, Uthman
allowed for a more lenient approach in governance, including accepting and
permitting gifts, which contributed to economic prosperity during his reign.

• Administrative changes:

He brought some administrative changes in some areas. He combined some

provinces and districts which had harmony of culture and traditions. Jordon and
Palestine were united into one province named Syria.

• Strict accountability:

Hazrat Uthman kept strict watch over the governors and other administrators. In
spite of his plainness and simplicity he was very strict in the affairs of state and
accountability. Hazrat Sa’ad bin Waqas drew money from the Bait ul Mall and did not
return, therefore, Hazrat Uthman deposed him.

• Establishment of naval forces:

Hazrat Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan, the governor of Syria, with the permission of
Khalifah established naval forces and defeated the Romans who had total control
over the seas and conquered Cyprus and Rodes.

• Religious services:

Hazrat Anas bin Malik said that Huzaifa bin Yaman came to Hazrat Uthman after
having led the Syrians along with the Iraqis in the conquest of Arminia and
Azerbaijan. Being alarmed at their differences in the reading the Holy Quran, he said
to him “commander of the faithful, set these people right before they disagree about
the book in the manner of the Jews and the Christians. Hazrat Uthman at once sent
a message to Hazrat Hafsa to send the copy of Quran and with the help of Hazrat
Zaid, Abdullah bin Zubair, Sa’ad bin Aas and Abdul ur Rahman bin Harih made more
copies and sent them all over the empire. He chose the Quraish dialect. He ordered
other copies to be burnt. It was a great work and he was called Jame-ul- Quran.
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• Roman invasion of Alexandria: 25 AH

In the year 25 A.H. (645 A.C) there was a big rebellion in Alexandria, and in 26 A.H.,
the Roman army took possession of the city after a fight with the Muslims. Hearing
this Hazrat Uthman directed Amr bin al Aas to crush the rebellion and beat back the
Roman invasion. Hazrat Amr again attacked the city and drove the Romans out, and
recovered the port city of Alexandria

• Conquest of Armenia: 25 AH

Hazrat Mu'awiyah sent an army to Armenia to face the Romans. The Islamic army
was under the command of Habib bin Muslimah. He occupied some of the forts but
Constans II sent a huge army of 80,000 men to face the Muslims. Seeing the
situation, Hazrat Mu'awiya wrote a letter to Hazrat Uthman for reinforcement. So an
army of eight thousand men under the command of Salman bin Rabi'ah was sent to
Armenia. The two armies conquered the whole region of Armenia after defeating the
Roman forces.

• Administration of Iran and conquest of Afghanistan: 27 AH

The whole of the Persian Empire was conquered during the time of Hazrat 'Umar
and the Persian Emperor, Yazdigard had ultimately fled to Balkh (a place in
Afghanistan). After the death of Hazrat Umar, the exiled Emperor tried to instigate a
rebellion in the frontier region of the Empire against the Islamic rule. To crush this
rebellion Hazrat Uthman appointed Hazrat Ubaidullah bin Ma'mar but he was not
successful and was martyred in a battle. Then Hazrat Uthman asked 'Abdullah bin
'Amir, the newly appointed governor to deal with the rebels. He crushed the rebellion
and conquered some more parts like Gazna, Herat and Kabul. He also took over
Balkh, thus the whole of Afghanistan was conquered. Then he took over Samarkand,
Tashkent, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (all these places are now parts of the
U.S.S.R)

• Conquest of North Africa: 26 AH, 647 AD

Conquest of Tripoli:

When Hazrat Abdullah bin Sa’ad was appointed as a full-rank governor of Egypt, he
took permission from the caliph to advance into the northern territory.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Sa’ad received permission from the caliph to penetrate deep into
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North Africa. He went with an army to conquer Tripoli, the main Byzantine fort of
North Africa at that time. Hazrat Uthman also sent a reinforcement from Madinah
which included men like Hazrat Hasan, Husain, Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin
Zubair, Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-Aas, and Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr etc. After
some fight the inhabitants of Tripoli agreed to enter into a settlement and promised
to pay "Jizya" annually.

Conquest of Subetula:

From Tripoli the Muslim forces marched to Subetula the capital of North Africa. All
told the Muslim forces numbered 30,000. The forces of Gregory were twice the
strength of the Muslim force. The two forces clashed outside Subetula. The war
dragged on for several days without leading to any tangible result. Gregory had a
daughter Sabiyya renowned for her beauty and bravery. Gregory announced that
whosoever killed Abdullah bin Sa'ad, the Commander of the Muslim forces, would be
married to Sabiyya as his reward, and would be declared as the heir to the Crown.
This declaration caused some anxiety among the Muslims and Abdullah bin Sa'ad
fearing for his life remained confined to his camp. One day Abdullah bin Zubair saw
Abdullah bin Sa'ad in his camp, and advised him to make a counter declaration to
the effect that whosoever killed Gregory would be married to Sabiyya the daughter of
Gregory. This counter declaration became a cause of great concern in the camp of
Gregory. A few days passed, and still the stalemate continued. Then Abdullah bin
Zubair with the help of a Berber came to know of a secret way to the camp of
Gregory. He decided to take the bold step of penetrating to the camp of Gregory and
killing him. He ordered a regiment of the cavalry to follow him, and remain at striking
distance. According to plan, Abdullah bin Zubair managed to reach the camp of
Gregory, and before anyone could realize what had happened, he severed the head
of Gregory when the forces of Gregory rushed to get hold of Abdullah, the Muslims
cavalry rushed at the force of Gregory and made mincemeat out of them. The battle
of Subetula was won by the Muslims. After the battle of Subetula the people of North
Africa sued for peace. They agreed to pay an annual tribute. Instead of annexing
North Africa, the Muslims preferred to make North Africa a vassal state. When the
stipulated amount of the tribute was paid, the Muslim forces withdrew to Barqa. True
to the declaration, Sabiyya the beautiful daughter of Gregory was awarded to
Abdullah bin Zubair. In this battle immense booty fell into the hands of the Muslims.
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When the booty was distributed according to the prescribed formula, the share of
each warrior came to as much as 3,000 dinars. This battle is called Harb-ul-
Ebadalah due to many Abdullah. Similarly, many other areas were conquered during
his caliphate period like Antalya, Cyprus, Hamdan, Azerbaijan, Libya, Tunisia,
Algeria, Morocco etc.

Causes of the revolts against Hazrat Uthman:

The last four years of Hazrat Uthman’s caliphate were full of intrigues, conspiracies
and revolts. The reasons for revolts are:

• Vastness of the Islamic empire

The Muslims were ruling from Afghanistan to Morocco. Hundreds of nations came
under them in which many those who had been dynastic and monarchical. They did
not accept Islam from the core of their hearts and had been waiting for a chance to
spread anarchy. So due to the vastness of Islamic empire they got a chance to take
active part against the caliph.

• The loss of the prominent companions

The models of piety and sacrifice, the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) had either traveled to their heavenly homes or had grown old. The next
generation had not gone through the same difficulties for their religion and could not
develop those qualities and character which their fathers had.

• Conspiracies of Jews

The Jews who had lost their religious and social importance and had been expelled,
first from Madinah and then from Khyber for their conspiracies, were nursing
grievances against Muslims. They were waiting for an opportunity to destroy Islam.
Some of them were expelled from Basra and Kufa. It only worsened the situation.

• Jealousy of Quraish

The rivalry and jealousy among the Quraish themselves i.e., between the
Hashemites and the Umayyads weakened the power of Caliph Uthman. It became
one of the main causes of revolts.
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• Conspiracy of Abdullah bin Saba

Abdullah bin Saba, a clever Yemenite Jew who had accepted Islam only for self-
interest and to destroy peace of the Islamic state, took the leading part in the
agitation against Hazrat Uthman. He was having a number of followers who had
accepted Islam only to create disharmony among the Muslims. He invented quite a
few beliefs and started to preach them. He based his beliefs upon the love of the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family. After Madinah, he went to Basra,
Kufa, Damascus and Egypt and prepared his force against the caliph of Muslims. It
was his propaganda that Muslims began to differ in religious matters.

• Softness of Hazrat Uthman

Hazrat Umar was very strict in administration and never let any administrator or
governor make a breach in the application of the system of Islam. But Hazrat
Uthman was kind enough to overlook the minor faults of the appointed Amils,
provincial heads as well as the new converts. They took an advantage of the
situation and rebelled against him.

• Charges against Hazrat Uthman

The mischievous people got together against him and prepared a list of false
accusations against him. The intention of these people was nothing except harming
the Muslim empire and making the Muslims weak. The accusations were all fictitious
and void of any facts, were as follow:

➢ The first allegation was that Hazrat Uthman had deposed prominent
companions of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) from governorship like Abu
Musa Asha’ari and had appointed inefficient relatives of his own on those
posts.
➢ Unreasonable expenditure of Bait-ul-Mall. As he decided to allocate to his
governors the wealth amassed in the campaigns, rather than divide it between
the fighting men themselves as the granting of a fifth of the war booty to an
individual, his cousin Marwan bin Hakam.
➢ Some companions of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) i.e. Hazrat Abu Zar
Ghaffari, Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud were treated with disrespect and exiled.
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➢ All the collections of the Holy revelation except the chosen collection of Hazrat
Zaid bin Sabit were burnt.
➢ He provided a vast land area to his dear ones.
➢ Bad attitude towards the Egyptian delegation.

Hazrat Uthman gave a convincing reply to each of the charges in the presence of the
Holy Prophet’s companions. So, all they became satisfied and accepted his
explanation.

Martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman:

The rebels from Egypt, Kufa and Basra marched towards Madinah demanding to
depose the Khalifa due to some false accusations against Hazrat Uthman and their
governors. Some prominent companions advised them to go back because the
Caliph Uthman had agreed to remove some of the governors. So, they were pacified
and went back but they returned to Madinah after four days shouting for revenge.
According to them the reason was that they had intercepted an order of the Khalifa
to the governor of Egypt to kill the leaders of the force to death when they returned
home. Hazrat Uthman swore that he had not passed any such order. But the rebels
insisted that Hazrat Uthman should abdicate or he should be deposed. Hazrat
Uthman refused to abdicate after which the rebels besieged the Khalifa in his house.
They did not allow food and water to reach him. Hazrat Ali deputed his sons, Hassan
and Hussain, Zubair sent his son Abdullah to protect Hazrat Uthman. Some
companions who were successful in reaching Hazrat Uthman during the siege,
wanted to help him and fight the rebels or send for troops to fight them. But Hazrat
Uthman refused and said that he did not want to shed Muslim blood. The siege
lasted for forty days when some of the rebels jumped into his house. They
mercilessly killed while he was reciting the Holy Quran. The Khalifa’s wife, Naila tried
to save her husband, but was pushed away and her fingers were cut off. This tragic
event took place on Friday, the 18th Zil Hajj, 35 AH. He was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi
in Madinah.
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Caliphate period of Hazrat Ali

(35 AH to 40AH, 656AD to 661AD)

Name and Parentage:

Hazrat Ali was born almost thirty years after the birth of the Holy Prophet. He
belonged the most respectable family of Quraish, the Banu Hashim. His father Abu
Talib was the real uncle of the Holy Prophet, who brought him up after the death of
the Holy Prophet's grandfather. Hazrat Ali’s mother was Fatimah bint Asad, who
belonged to Banu Hashim. Hazrat Ali’s patronymic name was "Abul Hasan". The
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him another name, "Abu Turab" which was
most liked by Hazrat Ali. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) took Hazrat Ali in
his childhood from his father, Abu Talib, and brought up him like his own son.

Acceptance of Islam:

When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) started preaching of Islam, Hazrat Ali
was about ten years old. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) disclosed his
mission before Ali and he accepted it immediately, thus he became the first child to
enter the folds of Islam. When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) started to
preach openly, he invited all of his family members to a feast and announced his
mission before them. Nobody listened to him, but young Ali stood up and spoke.
"Though my eyes are sore, my legs are thin and I am the youngest of all those
present here yet I will stand by you, 0 Messenger of Allah." Hearing this all the
leaders of Quraish laughed but Hazrat Ali proved his words to be true after
supporting the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in his mission from the beginning
till the end.

Services of Hazrat Ali during the life of Holy Prophet:

• Acceptance of Islam

He was one of the early converts to Islam and the first child to become a Muslim.

• Night of Hijra

The night when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was migrating to Madinah, his
house was surrounded by the bloodthirsty tribesmen, who had plotted to assassinate
him. They were ready to kill any person who came out of the house. In such a
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situation, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Hazrat Ali (R.A.) to sleep in
his bed. He followed the command gladly and immediately jumped in the bed.

• Returning of the valuables

Although the Makkans did not accept his mission, they considered the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) the most trustworthy man of Mecca and continued keeping their
trusts (cash and gold etc.) with him. It was Hazrat Ali to whom the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) gave the deposits and valuables to return to the owners, when
he was leaving Makkah for Madina. Hazrat Ali migrated to Madinah after returning
the deposits.
• Marriage with Prophet’s daughter
Hazrat Ali was very close to the Holy Prophet, and the closeness was changed to a
permanent relationship when he married his most beloved daughter, Hazrat Fatimah
to Hazrat Ali and he became the Prophet’ son in law.
• Progeny of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
Hazrat Ali also had the distinguished honour that the progeny of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) continued through Hazrat Ali’s sons from Fatimah namely
Hazrat Hasan and Husain (R.A.). The two children were the most beloved of the
Holy Prophet.
• Paired with the Prophet
There is a great sign of his closeness to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that
he was paired with the Prophet when Ansar and Muhajrin were paired.
• Battle of Badr
In the first battle of Islam at Badr, he was holding the flag of Islamic army. When
three famous warriors of Quraish challenged the Muslims, according to Arab
tradition, Hazrat Ali along with Hazrat Hamzah and Abu Ubaidah accepted the
challenge. He killed his opponent, Walid only with one thrust of his sword and cut
him in two pieces. Then he helped Hazrat Abu Ubaidah to kill the next Quraishi
warrior.
• Battle of Uhad
In the battle of Uhud when Hazrat Mus'ab bin ‘Umair, the bearer of the Islamic
standard, was martyred, it was Hazrat Ali who held it up. Seeing this one of the non-
believers, Abu Saad challenged him. Hazrat Ali attacked him and he fell down on the
ground naked. Hazrat Ali felt pity on him and left him in that condition.
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• Battle of Trench
In the battle of the Trench, all-Arabia fame warrior, Abdood challenged the Muslims
after jumping on his horse across the trench. Nobody dared to accept his challenge
except Hazrat Ali. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) warned Ali about Abdood
but Hazrat Ali insisted on going and fighting with him. Then the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) gave him his famous sword "Dhulfiqar" and put a turban on his head
before he went to fight with Abdood. A few minutes later people saw Abdood’s head
was cut off from his body by Hazrat Ali.
• Treaty of Hudaibiyah
When the people of Makkah became ready for treaty, so the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) called Hazrat Ali to write this treaty.
• The title of Asadullah
In the battle of Khyber against Jews, the Muslims tried to conquer the strongest
Jewish fort, Qumus, but were not successful in the beginning. Then the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said, "I will give the command and the standard tomorrow to
such a brave person who loves Allah and His Prophet and whom Allah and His
Prophet love. Everybody was desiring to be that fortunate man. The next morning
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) called Ali who was sick and his eyes were
sore. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) applied his finger, wet with his saliva,
over the eyes of Ali and they were cured immediately. Then he gave the standard,
and advised him. "First of all, call them towards Islam. Even if one man is guided
towards Islam because of you, it would be better than red camels. Following the
advice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) Hazrat Ali invited the Jews towards
Islam. Instead of accepting the right path they sent their commander Marhab, the
great warrior of Arabia and one of the bravest men of his time. He challenged Hazrat
Ali to fight. Hazrat Ali accepted the challenge and slew him in one attack. So, due to
his bravery he was given this title means the lion of Allah.
• Tabuk Expedition
When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) went to the expedition of Tabuk in 9
A.H, He left Hazrat Ali in charge of Madinah. On this some hypocrites remarked that
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not like Hazrat Ali. On this the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked, "You are in the same position in relation to
me as Aaron (Haroon) was with relation to Moses”.
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• Hazrat Ali the great scholar of Islam

Hazrat Ali was not only a great warrior but a great scholar as well. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said about him, I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate."
He was one of the great jurists among the Companions.
• Burial of Holy Prophet
He was the great companion of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who washed and
buried the Prophet’s body in the grave.

Appointed of Hazrat Ali as the fourth caliph of Islam:

After the assassination of Hazrat Uthman, the insurgents (rebels) virtually controlled
the Capital and Madinah remained without any proper government for three days.
Afterwards the insurgents approached Hazrat Ali to be the caliph. Hazrat Ali first
declined to bear the responsibility of this great office and he wanted to approach
Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair to select the caliph. He wanted to take pledge of
loyalty (Bai'at) at the hands of any of these two gentlemen. But at the end, he
decided to put the matter before Muslim public in the Mosque of the Holy Prophet.
Most of the Companions in Madinah considered him, to be the fittest person for
"Khilafat" He then agreed to take the responsibility and gave his consent. On 21st
Dhul-Hijjah 35 A.H. pledge of loyalty took place at the hands of Hazrat Ali. First of all,
the leading insurgents took the pledge of loyalty on his hands, followed by the
general public, at Madinah. Hazrat Talha and Zubair did not want to take a pledge
(Bai'at) until the case of Hazrat Uthman assassination was decided. However, they
took the pledge of loyalty at Hazrat Ali’s hands, on the condition: "You have to decide
matters according to the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah and would punish the guilty
according to Islamic Law." Hazrat Ali agreed to their conditions. The majority of the
Muslims in Madinah took pledge at the hands of Hazrat Ali.

Main activities of Hazrat Ali during his caliphate

• Dismissal of governors

In the opinion of Hazrat Ali the governors appointed by Hazrat Uthman were
basically responsible for all the events. They did not pay much attention to check the
subversive activities of the insurgents. So, he dismissed all the governors appointed
by Hadrat Uthman. One of them was Hazrat Muawiya.
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• Battle of camel: 35 AH, 656 AD

After the assassination of Hazrat Uthman, some members of his family went to
Hazrat Aysha, who was in Mecca to perform the Hajj. They and a number of
Medinites informed her about the tragedy while she was on her way from Mecca to
Madinah after the Hajj. Hearing the news of assassination of Hazrat Uthman she
returned to Mecca and appealed to the people over there to avenge the death of
Hazrat Uthman Hundreds of people including the governor of Mecca came out at
Hazrat Ayesha's call.

In the meantime, Hazrat Talha and Zubair demanded Hazrat Ali to punish the
assassins. He told them, "Please wait. I will do my duty as soon as conditions allow
me." Hazrat Talha and Zubair were not satisfied with Hazrat Ali’s reply and they
began to oppose his polices as they wanted urgent steps against insurgents and left
Madinah for Mecca to join Hazrat Ayesha. When Hazrat Ayesha was about to march
to Madina, proposals came to visit Basrah first. She decided to go to Basrah and it
was occupied by Hazrat Ayesha and her supporters. The capture of Basrah by
Hazrat Ayesha made the situation very grave. The Islamic state was really on the
verge of serious civil war. Hazrat Ali never wanted to start war against the Muslims
but the internal situation at that time compelled him to do so. War was unavoidable.
He decided to march on to Basrah with the army of 10000. The two sides met near
Basraand attempted to settle their differences peacefully. But extremist supporters
among them provoked a fight and this grew into a battle around the camel which
carried Hazrat Aysha's litter. Hazrat Talha and Zubair were killed, after the defeat;
Hazrat Aysha was conducted back to Madinah, with the escort due to being a wife of
the Holy Prophet. The battle ended in favour of Hazrat Ali and he appointed a new
governor for Basra.

• Change of Capital

Hazrat Ali was very much grieved on seeing the disrespect of the "Haram"
(Forbidden Place) of Madinah when the insurgents laid siege to the late Khalifah's
house and then assassinated him. He wanted to change the Capital to save Madinah
from future political disturbance. After staying for a few days at Basrah, Hazrat Ali
went to Kufa. There he was given a warm welcome. He got more supporters at Kufa
and thought it to be a more suitable place as the Capital of his Khilafat. Therefore, in
Rajab 36 A.H., he decided to transfer the capital from Madinah to Kufa.
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• Battle of Siffin: 37 AH, 657 AD

There was a clash between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Muawiya because Hazrat
Muawiyah refused to take Baiyat to Hazrat Ali on the grounds that the murder of
Hazrat Uthman be first avenged and Qisas be announced. So, they both prepared
their armies. Hazrat Ali army was 80000 and Hazrat Muawiya army was slightly
smaller and they met at Siffin in 657AD. Negotiations began and went on for many
months but failed and fierce fighting started. Fighting remained for several days with
loss of lives on both sides. Hazrat Ali’s army, being superior in strength, began to
gain ground and Hazrat Muawiya began to retreat. Hazrat Muawiya’s soldiers
brought the combat to a halt by tying pages of the Quran to their spearheads to stop
the war and decide the outcome by referring to the Quran. A section of Hazrat Ali’s
army refused to fight on and he was forced to agree on a truce. According to the
terms of the truce the disputes about the caliphate was to be referred to two
arbitrators, one from each side, which was scheduled to meet in six-month time.
Hazrat Ali appointed Abu Musa Ashari and Hazrat Muawiya appointed Amr bin Aas.
An agreement was signed that both the arbitrators would decide matters in the light
of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. Hazrat Ali left for Kufa with a
heavy heart. At this moment a sect called Kharijites means separatists or out goers,
emerged in the ranks of the Muslims.

• Battle of Nahrawan: 37 AH, 658 AD

Kharijites who were involved in the murder of Hazrat Uthman because they were the
ones who revolted against him. They were the same people who had conspired
against Islamic unity and had caused the war of camel. They were so cunning that
they fought in the army of Hazrat Ali but in their hearts they wanted differences to
arise among the Muslims. When Hazrat Ali decided for arbitration, they argued that
they wanted to fight against Hazrat Muawiya despite the agreement. When Hazrat
Ali refused to accept their demand, they separated themselves. These Kharijies
gathered at Nahrawan and had started creating problems. So Hazrat Ali marched
towards them. The Kharijites fought desperately but were outnumbered by the force
of caliph. Hazrat Ali inflicted a crushing defeat on them. Out of four thousand
Kharijites only a few dozen managed to escape, the rest were killed.
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Services and policies of Hazrat Ali:

Hazrat Ali ruled the Muslim empire for about five years. The sudden emergence of
difficulties compelled him to divert his attention towards the internal problems of the
Muslim state and he proved himself a great successful ruler. Some policies are such
as:

• Continuity of Hazrat Umar’s administration:

He continued the way of administration adopted by Hazrat Umar. Once the Jews of
Najran requested to go back to Hijaz from where Hazrat Umar had exiled them, but
Hazrat Ali refused by saying, “Who can be more accurate in decision making than
Hazrat Umar”.

• Watch over governors:

Hazrat Ali used to watch over the governors of different provinces strictly. While
appointing a governor, he would advise him in a strict manner. He appointed Hazrat
Kaab bin Malik to keep a watch over the governors and advised him to advance in a
group and check the behavior of the governors towards the people.

• Sympathy with the masses:

The attitude of Hazrat Ali towards the masses was very kind and sympathetic. He
took great care of the poor, the needy and gave them money from Bait-ul-Mall. He
increased revenues on a large scale and helped them.

• Attitude towards Minorities:

He treated the non-Muslims inhabitants very kindly and he instructed the state
officials to treat them well. During the days of the mischievous activities in Iran, he
treated them so kindly that the Iranians used to say, “By God Ali has refreshed the
era of Nausherwan”.

• Military Establishments:

He was the greatest warrior in the Islamic history and the most experienced in
warfare. He built military posts on the borders of Syria, which provided defense
against Hazrat Muawiyah when he attacked Iraq. Likewise, he built castles for the
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safety of the women and children in Iran which protected them in the days of revolt in
Iran. He built a bridge on the Euphrates for war purposes.

• Doctrine of warfare:

At the end of the battles of camel he announced:

• The fleeing must not be pursued.

• The wounded must not be trampled under horse feet.
• One who disarms himself will be forgiven.
• No spoils of war.

• Dispensation of Justice:

He was very particular about the dispensation of justice and never distinguished
between a Muslim and a non-Muslim. He himself once appeared before the Qazi and
accepted a decision given by him against the caliph Ali himself.

Martyrdom of Hazrat Ali:

After the battle of Nahrawan, the Kharijites had become bitter enemies of Hazrat Ali
and wanted to take revenge for their friends who were killed in the battle. In 40AH,
some of the Kharijites assembled in Makkah and decided to kill Hazrat Ali, Hazrat
Muawiya and Hazrat Amr bin Aas simultaneously. Hazrat Muawiyah escaped, Hazrat
Amr was injured while Hazrat Ali who was leading the Morning Prayer in the mosque
at Kufa, Ibn Muljim attacked him with a poisoned sword. So, he became serious
injured but he advised that usual revenge be taken against him. He also advised to
feed him with good food and let him sleep in a comfortable bed. He said, “If I remain
alive, I shall decide forgiveness or qisas and if I die then he should be killed only.
The wounds proved fatal and the fourth caliph of Islam died on the 21 st of Ramzan
40 AH. This event showed the strong faith of Hazrat Ali in Allah, his simple lifestyle
as he, too, like Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Uthman, was attacked unguarded and
unprotected.
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Jihad

Introduction

Jihad is one of the most discussed yet often misunderstood concepts in Islam. The
term "Jihad" originates from the Arabic word "Juhd," which means "to strive" or "to
struggle." In the Islamic context, Jihad is the noble struggle in the way of Allah,
encompassing self-improvement, spreading truth, and combating injustice. It is not
limited to warfare but includes all forms of struggle to uphold righteousness and
eliminate evil.

Types of Jihad:

Jihad is classified into two main categories:

1. Jihad against selfish desires:

2. Jihad against Satan:
1. Jihad bil-Nafs (Struggle Against the Own Evil Desires)

The first power to obstruct man from total submission to Allah Almighty is the selfish
desires. These desires are always active in his heart and mind and he has to remain
all the time vigilant to keep them under control. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (Peace
be upon him) has declared that Jihad against selfish desires is Jihad-e-Akbar (The
greatest struggle) because it is the fundamental form of jihad. If a person can
succeed in this struggle, they will be able to undertake all other forms of jihad. The
second reason is that this jihad is continuous and everlasting, every moment
requires battling against one's evil desires. It is a lifelong struggle, making it the
greatest jihad. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched a military unit to
the battlefront for defense. Upon their return, he said to them, 'Blessed are the
people who have performed the Lesser Jihad (Jihad-e-Asghar), but the Greater
Jihad (Jihad-e-Akbar) has yet to come.' When asked, 'O Prophet, what is the Greater
Jihad?' he replied, 'It is the struggle against one's self (Jihad Bil-Nafs). Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “The real Mujahid (Striver) is that who fights against his
own evil desires”.
2. Jihad against Satan: After overpowering one's self, it is necessary to resist Satan
and his agents who always pursue one to accept their domination. This Jihad is
classified into many categories.
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1. Jihad bil- ‘Ilm:

It means to struggle through knowledge and in Islamic terminology acquiring

knowledge, teaching and enlightening others, combating ignorance and
misinformation and using knowledge for the betterment of society and ethical
advancement is called Jihad Bil ‘llm. "So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive
against them with it (the Qur’an) a great striving. Allah Almighty said in the Holy
Quran: "So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive against them with it (the Qur’an) a
great striving (Jihad-e-Kabeer)." As the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
"Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."

This kind also has two more subdivisions.

i. Jihad bil-Lisan (Struggle by the Tongue)

Jihad bil Lisan refers to spreading knowledge through speech and verbal
communication. It involves using one's voice to spread knowledge, defend the truth,
and call people toward moral and ethical behavior by speeches, debates, dialogues.
As Allah Almighty said: "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful
preaching and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." Holy
Prophet (Peace be upon him) motivated for this kind of Jihad by these words,
“Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is not able
to, then with his tongue. And if he is not able to, then with his heart – and that is the
weakest of faith." Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) also said: "The best jihad is to
speak a word of truth in front of a tyrannical ruler."

ii. Jihad bil-Qalam (Struggle by the Pen)

It means to use our power of writing against Satan like writing books, articles etc for
spreading knowledge, propagating Islamic teachings and writing against oppression,
injustice, and immorality in society. Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "The ink
of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr." Many scholars
throughout Islamic history, such as Imam Al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyyah, and
Muhammad Iqbal, engaged in Jihad bil Qalam by writing extensively on theology,
philosophy, and societal issues.
2. Jihad al-Mal (Struggle by Wealth)

It means using one's wealth to support Islamic causes, such as aiding the poor,
funding religious education, assisting those fighting in defense of Islam, or
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contributing to the construction of mosques and charitable institutions. It is

considered an essential form of jihad, particularly for those who may not be able to
participate physically in Jihad bil-sayf (armed struggle). Allah motivated it with these
words: "Go forth, whether it is easy or hard for you, and strive with your wealth and
your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you know it." Holy Prophet
(Peace be upon him) was asked that who is best person? He said: “Who strives hard
in the way of Allah with his person and his property."

3. Jihad bil-Sayf (Struggle by the Sword)/ Jihad bil-Yad, Qital, Armed Jihad

It refers to armed struggle or physical combat in the context of defending Islam,

Muslims, or oppressed people and to remove tyranny, injustice from the world when
peaceful means are insufficient. There are two kinds of this Jihad.

1. Defensive Jihad.

2. Offensive Jihad.

Defensive Jihad: If any non-Muslim power attacks a Muslim country the Muslims of
that country are under obligation to carry out Jehad for the protection of their din,
faith, life, property and honour like the battle of Uhad, battle of Ahzab etc. As Allah
Almighty said: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress.
Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors."

Offensive Jihad: Engaging in battle under legitimate leadership to remove

oppression and establish justice, as was done in campaigns like Tabuk and all the
battles against the Romans and Persians in the era of Four Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Allah Almighty said in the Holy Quran: "And fight them until there is no more
persecution (fitnah) and religion is entirely for Allah.”

Rules of warfare:

Islam establishes clear rules of conduct for warfare: such as

• It must be conducted under the command of an independent Islamic state.

• Muslims must not initiate hostilities.
• Women, children, the elderly, and the sick must not be harmed.
• Fruit-bearing trees must not be cut down.
• Edible animals must not be killed unnecessarily.
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• Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship must not be

destroyed.
• Captives should be treated with kindness, provided with proper food and
clothing.
• The bodies of the fallen shall not be mutilated or disfigured.
• Treaties must be honored and fulfilled.
• The booty shall not be stolen.
• Ambassadors shall not be harmed or mistreated.
• No unjustifiable aggression shall be made against any nation.

First Islamic Community

Mothers of the Faithful

The wives of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) are called “Mothers of the
Faithful or Ummahat-ul-Muminin. They did not remarry after the death of the
Prophet. As the Holy Quran has mentioned their status: His wives are their mothers”.
Their names are as below.

i. Hazrat Khadija
ii. Hazrat Sawda
iii. Hazrat Ayesha
iv. Hazrat Hafsa
v. Hazrat Zainab bint Khuzaima
vi. Hazrat Umm-e-Salma
vii. Hazrat Zainab bint Jahsh
viii. Hazrat Juwairiyah
ix. Hazrat Ramlah (Umm-e-Habiba)
x. Hazrat Safiya
xi. Hazrat Maimunah
Hazrat Khadija

Her early life: Hazrat Khadija, also known as Tahira, or the pure was the daughter
of Khauwalid bin Asad and Fatima. Her father who was a successful businessman
and a chief of family had left her a large fortune. She had been married to Abu Hala
and was the mother of two sons (Hala and Hind). As such Hazrat Khadija was also
known as Umm-e-Hind. After the death of her first husband she was married to
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Ateeq, who died leaving her a widow again. She had a daughter from him who was
named Hindah. After the death of her father in the battle of Fujjar, Hazrat Khadija
needed the services of an honest person to manage her trade. So, she heard about
Hazrat Muhammad as Sadiq and Ameen, and requested him to take her
merchandise to Syria accompanied by her slave Maisra. When the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) returned with a double profit, Maisra told all that he observed in
Muhammad. She was much impressed and made an offer of marriage to him
through Nafeesa. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted this proposal after the
consultation with his uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Talib delivered the khutbah of ceremony.
Amount of Mahr (endowment) was 20 camels (500 dirham). At that time Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) was 25 years old while Hazrat Khadija was 40 years
old but the couple led a very happy and successful life. All of the children of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) (except Ibraheem) were born of her means four
daughters and two sons.

Services for Islam:

Marriage with Hazrat Khadija opened a new chapter in the life of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) as it brought him emotional and financial stability.

• Hazrat Khadija gave him time to meditate and worship the Lord of the
universe.
• After the first revelation when he came back home shaken from the
experience, she comforted him saying that Allah would not disgrace him as he
helped the widows and looked after the orphans and the needy.
• She took him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufil who further assured him that he
was ordained by Allah to be His messenger
• She was the first person to accept Islam without any hesitation, which helped
him in its early years.
• She also suffered for his cause and accompanied him in the social boycott.
• When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was tortured, Quraish made fun
of his religion, and he lost hope but Hazrat Khadija used to console, comfort
and encourage him at all times of hardships.
• She always stood by the Prophet’s side through all the thick and thin times,
which helped to strengthen his stand against oppositions.
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• Hazrat Khadija placed all her wealth at the disposal, so that he did not have to
worry about financial matters as the Holy Quran acknowledged this in surah
Al-Dhuha: “We made you independent when you were needy”.
• In 619 AD, at the age of 65, soon after the socio-economic boycott ended,
Hazrat Khadija died. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was so saddened
by this loss that he termed the year as the “Year of grief” (Aam-ul-Huzn). His
words about her were, “She believed in me when others disbelieved, and
confirmed my truthfulness when others called me a liar”
On another occasion, he said: “Ayesha! Khadija’s love was given to me by
Allah; never did Allah give me a better wife than Khadija”.
Hazrat Sawdah:

Her early life:

Her name was Sawdah bint Zama’a and her mother’s name was Shamoos. She
belonged to a famous Quraish tribe, Amr bin Lvee. Before her marriage with the Holy
Prophet, she was married to Sakran, a distant relative of her. She and her husband
accepted Islam during the days of its inception and participated in the second
migration to Abyssinia by the Muslims. They returned to Makkah after many years
and she was left alone when her husband died in Makkah. As she was the only
Muslim in her family which had turned against her, she needed help and protection.
After the death of Hazrat Khadija, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) too felt
greatly disturbed and lonely. For him the upbringing of his children was an important
issue. Under these circumstances, Hazrat Khaulah suggested to the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) to get married to Hazrat Sawdah. She went to the father of
Hazrat Sawdah with a marriage proposal on behalf of the Holy Prophet, which he
accepted. The marriage took place in the month of Ramazan in the tenth year of
prophethood. So, she became the 2nd wife of the Holy Prophet. In marrying this lady,
the Prophet had the consideration that an early convert to Islam may be helped and
honoured.

Her services for Islam:

• She did not have any children by Hazrat Muhammad, but she had a son
named Abd-ur-Rahman, by the former husband who was martyred in the
battle of Jalula.
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• When the Prophet divided his time equally among all his wives according to
the command of the justice enjoined by the Holy Quran, Hazrat Sawdah gave
up her turn in favour of Hazrat Ayesha.
• She migrated to Madinah in the first year of the Hijrat.
• Her dwelling and Hazrat Ayesha were the first to be built in the mosque.
• She also had another merit to her credit; she offered Hajj in the company of
the Holy Prophet.
• There are five traditions quoted by her, one of which is also mentioned in
Sahih Bukhari.
She died in the 22nd year of the Hijrat towards the end of the khalifat of Hazrat Umar.
She was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.

Hazrat Ayesha

Her early life:

Her name Ayesha bint Abu Bakr, title was Siddiqah and Humairah and surname was
Umm-e-Abdullah. Her mother’s name was Hazrat Umm-e-Romaan. She was born in
the month of Shawwal, four years after the proclamation of the Prophethood and for
this reason she used to say that she found her parents Muslims since her birth. She
was taught by her parents and became a well-educated lady from an early age.
Shortly before migration to Madinah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) married
her. At the time of marriage was ten years old. On attaining maturity, her marriage
was solemnized in Madinah. It was her first marriage.

Her services for Islam:

• Hazrat Ayesha was a very chaste wife of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) that her chastity has been described in the Holy Quran.
• She also became the cause of easiness for Muslims as the verse of earth
purification was revealed at an incident to her which was the losing of her
necklace.
• In the battle of Uhad, she served water to the wounded.
• She also accompanied the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in several
battles as well as the Farewell Hajj.
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• During the last sickness, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) decided to
remain in the apartment of Hazrat Ayesha, so she had the honour to nurse
him and comfort him in his last moment.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) breathed his last in her lap and her
apartment and there he was buried.
• She lived rest of her life in the same apartment where the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) was buried, this shows her love for him.
• Hazrat Ayesha was a very learned lady, who composed most of the private
life of the Holy Prophet.
• She also narrated about 2210 Hadiths of the Holy Prophet.
• She had an excellent memory that she became the source of knowledge for
the companions even the senior companions used to consult her for important
issues.
• Hazrat Abu Musa said: “We never faced any difficulty on which when we
enquired from Hazrat Ayesha and did not get information relating to it”.
• She enjoyed a distinctive position as an interpreter of religious issues and a
jurist of Sunnah and Shariah as Imam Zuhri said: “If the knowledge of all men
and the wives of the Prophet were put together, the knowledge of Ayesha
would exceed it all”.
• She remained a leading figure in the community after the Prophet’s death.
• She was disagreed with Hazrat Ali she sided with Hazrat Talha and Hazrat
Zubair. After they were killed at the battle of the camel she retired and lived
quietly in Madinah.
She passed away at the age of seventy-three in 58 AH and was buried in Jannat-ul-
Baqi in Madinah.

Hazrat Hafsa:

Her early life:

Her name was Hafsa bint Umar and mother name was Zainab. She was the sister of
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar. She was born five years before the proclamation of
prophethood by Hazrat Muhammad. She was first married to Khunais. Hazrat Hafsa
became a Muslim along with her parents and her husband. Both were the earliest
converts to Islam who faced persecution and torture so they first migrated to
Abyssinia and then to Madinah. Khunais took part in the battle of Badr in which he
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was martyred, leaving no issue. After the prescribed period of Iddat was over, the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) expressed his desire to marry Hazrat Hafsa with
a view to strengthening his ties with Hazrat Umar and his tribe. So, she became the
fourth wife of the Holy Prophet.

Services for Islam:

• Her knowledge of religious matter was very sound.

• Her thirst for knowledge ranks second to Hazrat Ayesha.
• She spent much of her time in reading and writing.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had instructed her in religion and other
related topics and as a result she became a teacher, guide and an authority
on complicated matters.
• She narrated at least 60 traditions which she heard from the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) and her father.
• She memorized the Holy Quran by heart.
• She lived with the Prophet for eight years.
• She was involved in the honey incident. This occurred when the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) spent extra time with one of his wives likely Hazrat
Zainab bint Jahsh, after she offered him a honey drink. Out of friendly
jealousy, Hazrat Ayesha and Hazrat Hafsa, agreed to tell the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) that his breath smelled unusual after consuming the
honey hoping to discourage him from spending extra time there. To please
them, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) vowed not to eat it again. In
response, Allah revealed Surah At-Tahrim (66:1-5), admonishing the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) for forbidding something lawful to please his
wives.
• The first copy of the Quran, which was prepared in the caliphate of Hazrat
Abu Bakr, was kept with her for safe custody after the martyrdom of her father
and this copy became very famous with her name and known as Mushaf-e-
Hafsa. This shows her important position in the eyes of the companions.
• Later on, the Holy Quran was standardized from the copy of Hazrat Hafsa and
this shows her significant role in the standardization of the Holy Quran.
• She took great care to preserve Quran and save it from corruption.
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She died in 45 AD and was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi, at the time of her death she
asked her brother Abdullah to distribute all her wealth to the poor and needy.

Hazrat Umm-e-Salama:

Her early life:

Her real name was Hind. She was the daughter of Abu Umayya of the Makhzoom
tribe. Hazrat Umm-e-Salama husband was Hazrat Abdullah. She was known Umm-
e-Salama because of her son Salama. Both husband and wife were among the first
persons to accept Islam. They were persecuted and suffered a lot. They migrated to
Abyssinia. When they heard that the persecutions had stopped, they returned to
Makkah. Later they decided to migrate to Madinah, but her family stopped her.
Hazrat Abu Salma left her behind and migrated, she joined him a year later. Hazrat
Abu Salma was mortally wounded in the battle of Badr and died after a long illness.
She was a modest and faithful woman, and used to wonder how she could ever find
a husband better than Hazrat Abu Salma. Then the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) proposed her and married her in 626 AD.

‫اللھم اجرنی فی مصیبتی واخلف لی خیرا منھا‬

Her services for Islam:

• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) loved her very much and the other wives
often used her as their spokesperson.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) consulted her in some matters such as at
the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, the Muslims were greatly disappointed.
Hazrat Umm-e-Salama suggested to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
about the advisability of shaving his head and offering sacrifices.
• She accompanied the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the conquest of
Khyber as well as the final Pilgrimage.
• She was also wise and learned woman and used to instruct Muslim women in
religious matters.
• She narrated about 378 Hadiths of the Holy Prophet.
• Her style of recitation was like the Holy Prophet.
• About her knowledge, the historians say: “The wives of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) were treasuries of the knowledge but Hazrat Ayesha and
Hazrat Umm-e-Salama had no equal”.
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She died last among all the mothers of faithful in 63 AD at the age of 84 and was
buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi in Madinah.

Hazrat Abu Talib:

His early life:

He was the uncle of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and father of Hazrat Ali.
After the death of Abdul Muttalib, Abu Talib was given the charge of Rifadha or
collection of an annual poor-tax from the Quraish in order to entertain the poor
pilgrims. He was a highly respected noble of the Quraish. On the death of Abdul
Muttalib, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) came under the care of his loving
uncle Abu Talib at about the age of 8 years.

Services for Islam:

• He loved him both as a father and mother. He gave precedence to

Muhammad over his own sons. This care and protection have been
mentioned in the Holy Quran in these words: “Did He not find you an orphan
and give you shelter and care”.
• In the beginning the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was entrusted with the
tending of the goats and sheep in the neighbouring hills and later he
accompanied him in trade visits to Syria and other places. These journeys
helped the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to observe and assimilate the
experiences in trading, meeting the varied characters and seeing the culture
of different countries.
• He was very conscious when he heard from Bahira to protect him from the
Jews. So, he gave the Prophet Clan Protection and it was withdrawn after he
died.
• Abu Talib played an important role in Muhammad’s marriage with Khadija.
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted the proposal after the
consultation with his uncle and Abu Talib made all the arrangements.
• When a delegation of the most influential people of Makkah went to Abu Talib
asking him to stop his nephew from speaking ill of their religion or to hand him
over them. So, he called the Prophet and explained his difficulty. Then the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O my uncle! If they place the sun on
my right hand and the moon on my left to renounce my work, I would not stop
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until Allah fulfills it for me, or destroys me in the process”. Then Abu Talib said
to his nephew: “You may go and do whatever you like. I will never withdraw
my protection from you and will never let you down”.
• When the Makkans imposed a social boycott on the Banu Hashim it was Abu
Talib who took the whole clan to his gorge outside Makkah. This was known
as the Shi’b-e-Abi Talib and the Banu Hashim stayed there for about three
years. So, he suffered a lot.
• Due to his services the year in which Abu Talib died is called by the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) “the year of grief” (Aam-ul-Huzn).
• After the death of Abu Talib, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had no
official to grant him shelter and the Quraish dared to plan an assassination of
the Prophet, something they wouldn’t have dared in Abu Talib’s lifetime. So,
the Prophet had to leave Makkah and migrate to Madinah.
Hazrat Bilal:

Introduction: His complete name was Hazrat Bilal bin Rabah. He was the slave of
Umayyah bin Khalf. He was among the earliest group of people, who attracted by the
teachings of Holy Prophet. He embraced Islam after Hazrat Abu Bakr. Once when
Hazrat Abu Bakr saw Hazrat Bilal being tortured, he purchased him from his master
and set him free.

Services for Islam:

• He suffered many cruelties at the hands of pagans upon his conversion, but
displayed remarkable self-control and patience.
• His master was the greatest tormentor. He would make him lie on the
scorching sand of the desert with a huge stone on his chest so that he could
not move. He would then ask him to renounce Islam. But even under such
torment, he would say: Ahad, Ahad (Allah is one, Allah is one).
• After migration to Madinah, when the system of call to prayers by azan was
introduced, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) chose him to deliver the
azan from Masjid-e-Nabawi. Therefore, he was called the first muezzin of
Islam and the Prophet’s muezzin.
• He was a very courageous warrior. He took part in almost all the battles
fought during the life of the Holy Prophet.
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• In the battle of Badr, he fought bravely and killed his former master who used
t torture him mercilessly in Makkah.
• After the conquest of Makkah, he had the honour of calling out the azan from
the roof of the Kaba.
• He was entrusted with the public treasury by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) because of his honesty and integrity.
• After the death of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) he requested to Hazrat
Abu Bakr to relieve him of the duty because he could not bear the absence of
his prophet and would burst into tears.
• During the caliphate of Hazrat Umar, he accompanied Hazrat Abu Ubaidah on
the campaign to Syria.
• Hazrat Umar always used to say: “Hazrat Abu Bakr is that man who set our
leader free and he always called him as my master even during the time of his
caliphate. This shows the significance of him amongst the companions of the
Holy Prophet.
During the last phase of his life, he disassociated himself from public life and passed
his days in isolation. He died in about 18 AH and is buried in Damascus, where now
a mosque marks his grave.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I heard the footsteps of Bilal in
Paradise”.

Two grandsons of the Holy Prophet:

Hazrat Hassan:

His early life:

He was the son of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima and the elder of the two grandsons
of the Holy Prophet. He belonged to Banu Hashim tribe. He was born in Madinah on
the 1st of Ramazan. Soon after the birth, the Prophet named him Hassan, the
beautiful one. He is also known as “Shabbar” which in the Hebrew language means
handsome. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) performed his rituals of Aqiqa on the
7th day. He slaughtered two rams and donated silver equal to the weight of his hair.
He was brought up under an ideal atmosphere of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) and his parents. When he was eight years old, the Holy Prophet (peace be
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upon him) passed away and after six months his mother also passed away. The
remaining years of his childhood were spent under the guidance of his father.

Services for Islam:

• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make him sit by his side and used
to teach him Holy Quran, which he memorized.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) loved him very much once he said: “O
Allah I love him so I beseech you to love him”. This shows the importance of
Hazrat Hassan in the eyes of Holy Prophet.
• When Hazrat Usman was besieged and the supply of food and water was
stopped, Hazrat Hassan risked his own life and used to bring food and water
for him. In his attempt to save him, he sustained several injuries.
• During the caliphate of his father, he stood by his side in the battles of Camel
and Siffin.
• After the death of Hazrat Ali, he saved the Muslims from another civil war by
handing over the caliphate to Hazrat Muawiyah, who belonged to Umayyah
tribe.
• He signed the peace treaties with Hazrat Muawiyah to save the Muslims from
fighting each other because Umayyad wanted to get the seat of caliphate.
• His sacrifice was also prophesied by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
who said: “This leader-son of mine will bring reconciliation between two major
groups of the Muslims”.
Death:

He settled in Madinah due to constant threat from Umayyad and finally He died in
the year 670 AD, mysteriously and many believe that Umayyads had conspired his
death by enticing his wife Jadan to poison him to secure power as he was
considered the main obstacle in their way. He was buried in Madinah.

Hazrat Hussain:

His early life:

Hazrat Hussain was born to Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima on Thursday, the 3 rd
Shaban in the fourth year of the Hijrat. At the time of his birth, the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) was out of Madinah on an expedition. Immediately after his
birth, Hazrat Fatima became ill and the baby was given to Umm-e-Fazl for nursing.
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According to Hazrat Anas: “There was no one resembling the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) more than Hussain”. He was a great source of joy to his grandfather,
who is reported to have said: “Hussain belongs to me and I to him. May Allah love
him who loves Hussain”.

Sacrifice for Islam:

In 60 AH after the death of Hazrat Muawiyah, his son Yazid succeeded him as the
next ruler. Hazrat Hussain refused to take the oath of allegiance to him, as he was
not a suitable person for this seat. So, he left Madinah for Makkah as he did not want
bloodshed. The people of Kufa asked him to come there where they will take oath of
allegiance to him and make him caliph. He sent his cousin Hazrat Muslim bin Aqeel
to assess the situation, who was received with warm welcome by the people of Kufa,
and they assured him their support. He told Hazrat Hussain about their good
treatment. Therefore, he left along with his family to Kufa but the situation became
worse as his cousin was assassinated. People deserted Hazrat Hussain that he was
left with his family and only 72 his supporters against 4000 strong army. Yazid’s
forces intercepted and forced him to stay at Karbala, besieged them and cut off the
water supply. The fierce battle took place in which the followers of him were
martyred. So, on 10th of Muharram 61 AH, 680 AD, Hazrat Hussain sacrificed his life
in the way of truth.

Lessons for Muslims in his sacrifice:

• The tragedy of the death of Hazrat Hussain carries a lesson as he could have
saved himself, his friends and family by giving allegiance to Yazid, but he
stood firm to his principles and ultimately sacrificed himself.
• Hazrat Hussain had the support of only a small band of people, yet he won an
everlasting victory over the forces of evils.
• Hazrat Hussain initiated war against evil and refused to take the oath of
allegiance to that authority. It shows that Muslims should never submit to any
authority which goes against the Divine Law.
• He was very regular in his prayers and performed optional worship
passionately. This could be assessed from the fact that he spent the last night
of his life in Karbala worshipping his Lord.
• In spite of being helplessly besieged by the enemy along with members of his
family, relatives and friends, but he did not give up his principles of truth and
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did not surrender to unjust rule. Thus, he lived, fought and sacrificed his life
for truth and righteousness.
Due to strong qualities of both, they were praised by the Holy Prophet.

As he said: “O Allah I am kind to them; you also be merciful upon them”.

“Hassan and Hussain are my fragrance in this world”.

“Hassan and Hussain are leaders of the youth in Paradise”.

Hazrat Zaid bin Sabit:

His introduction:

Hazrat Zaid bin Sabit was the principal scribe of the Holy Prophet. He belonged to
the Khazraj tribe. He had accepted Islam before the Holy Prophet’s migration to
Madinah. He was eleven years old when he accepted Islam.

Services for Islam:

• Hazrat Zaid bin Sabit was one of the Ahl-e-Suffah, spending all of his time in
the company of the Prophet.

• Due to his sharp memory and extraordinary intelligence, the messenger of

Allah chose him for special tasks such as the writing down of the Holy Quran
and thus he was counted amongst the senior most of the scribes of the
revelation.
• He also had most of the Quran with him in written form.
• He memorized the Quran with such grace that even the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him) used to ask him to recite it.
• He also served as the secretary of the Messenger of Allah until he passed
away.
• Bestowed with gift of mastery over languages, the Messenger of Allah
instructed him to learn Hebrew, Persian and Coptic languages and he
became a scholar of the Torah and Injil.
• He wanted to participate in the battle of Badr but the Prophet did not allow
him due to his young age.
• He was an active participant in the battle of Uhad, in the battle of Trench as
well as other battles.
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• He narrated 92 Hadiths from the Holy Prophet.

• Hazrat Abu Bakr retained his position as a scribe and included him in his
Shoora (Advisory Council).
• He participated in the battles against the false prophets and was injured in the
battle of Yamama against Musailma the liar.
• He was appointed the head of the team that began the compilation of the Holy
Quran during the reign of Hazrat Abu Bakr.
• He also served as scribe to the second caliph who appointed him the Qazi of
Madinah and member of Shoora.
• Whenever Hazrat Umar left Madinah, Hazrat Zaid was appointed as acting
caliph.
• During the reign of Hazrat Usman it was decided that a standard manuscript
of the Holy Quran be prepared. So, he was the part of that team.
• Hazrat Usman also appointed him as the head of the Bait-ul-Maal.
He died at the age of 56 in about 45 AH. He is called “Rahber-e-Umma” (Guide of
the Ummah). When Hazrat Zaid died, Hazrat Abu Hurairah said: Today, the scholar
of this Ummah has died.

Hazrat Abu Sufyan:

His early life:

• His name was Sakhr bin Harb and was born ten years before the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Quraishite tribe of Banu Umayya and was
the chief of his own clan Abd Shams.
• Abu Sufyan, like his kinsmen, opposed the Holy Prophet, though he was not
as active in his enmity as others.
• He was basically a trader and amassed a great fortune during his journeys to
Syria and Yemen.
• It was on the return of one of these journeys in 2 AH when he feared an attack
by the Muslims at Madinah. He sent for military help to Makkah, which
resulted in the battle of Badr.
• When in the battle of Badr many of the leaders of the Quraish were killed, Abu
Sufyan was elected as their leader.
• He lost his father-in-law (Utba) and son (Hanzalah) in the battle of Badr.
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• He led Makkan army in the battle of Uhad and after it he vowed to fight again
and the next time, they met at the battle of Trench but failed to impress his
countrymen in any of these.
• Due to this fact, he withdrew from open opposition against the Muslims and
this charge was given to Ikrama bin Abu Jahl and others. Hence, he was not
involved in the Treaty of Hudaibiyah.
• When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a letter to the emperor of
Rome, at that time Abu Sufyan was doing business there. Heraclius called
him, he spoke very high of the Prophet which deeply impressed the king. This
shows his great truthfulness.
• He tried to renew the Treaty of Hudaibiyah when it was breached by the allies
of Quraish.
• He privately accepted Islam before the Conquest of Makkah.
• At the time of Conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
made his house a place of security for the Quraish.
Services for Islam:

• He took part in the battle of Hunain and the siege of Taif, where he fought
gallantly alongside the Holy Prophet, losing one of his eyes in the combat.
• He participated also in the battle of Yarmuk, though not in actual combat as
he was nearly 70.
• His other eye was also blinded in this war.
• His daughter Ramla (Umm-e-Habiba) is amongst the mothers of the faithful.
• He related over a hundred Hadiths of the Holy Prophet.
He died at the age of 83 in 32 AH, 653 AD.

Hazrat Hamza:

His early life:

Hazrat Hamza, the son of Abdul Muttalib was the uncle of the Holy Prophet. He was
born about four years before the Holy Prophet’s birth. He was also foster brother of
the Holy Prophet, having been suckled by Thuwaybah. He was a respected warrior
in the Banu Hashim. Hazrat Hamza was very fond of wrestling and hunting and
excellent in the arts of swordsmanship and archery. Once he heard from someone
that Abu Jahl has abused his nephew, so he rushed to the Kaba where Abu Jahl was
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sitting and struck him with his bow on the head and said I believe in his religion
whom you oppose, so he accepted Islam.

Services for Islam:

• His conversion, like Hazrat Umar’s, was morale boosting for the Muslims
because of his merit and respect as a warrior and strong person of Makkah.
• After accepting Islam, he became a source of support for the Holy Prophet.
• After his acceptance of Islam, he gave up hunting and wrestling and devoted
his time and energy to the cause of Islam.
• At the time of migration, he also migrated to Madinah with other Muslims.
• In the second year of Hijrat the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) sent thirty
men to check the caravan of the unbelievers of Makkah under the command
of Hazrat Hamza so he had the honour of being entrusted with the banner of
Islam for the first time in Islamic history.
• During the battle of Badr, he killed many unbelievers including their great
warriors including Hind’s father Utba.
• In the battle of Uhad, Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufyan deputed Wahshi bin Harb,
a slave of Hinda, to kill Hazrat Hamza in return for his freedom and a
handsome reward to take revenge of her father. After the martyrdom of Hazrat
Hamza by Wahsi, Hinda cut out the liver from his body and tried to chew it.
Then she cut off the nose and ears of the dead body and made a necklace of
them.
• The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) led the funeral prayers for all the
martyrs of Uhad including Hazrat Hamza and gave him the title of “Chief of
the Martyrs”.
Hazrat Amina bint Wahab:

She was the mother of the Holy Prophet. She was married to the Holy Prophet’s
father Abdullah a few months before the Year of Elephant. Throughout her
pregnancy she spoke of an inner light. In a vision, she was told to name her child
“Ahmad”. She loved him very much, and believed that she had been granted a
blessed child.

When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was about six, she took him along to
visit her family in Yasrib for a few months, as well as her husband’s grave. These
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were perhaps the happiest days of his childhood. Forty-seven years later when he
migrated to Madinah, he would recall how he used to play with other children, and
how he learnt to swim in the Banu Najjar. On the way back, she died and was buried
at Abwa, perhaps the grave of her husband had rekindled a grief that overcame her.
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to visit her grave and wept there.

Hazrat Halima Sadia:

She belonged to the Banu Sa’d clan of the Hawazin tribe; hence her title was
“Sadia”. The Banu Sa’d was known for the purity of Arabic language. According to
the custom of the rich Makkan families, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was
entrusted to Halima, his foster mother. This was a source of good fortune for her as
the barren land sprouted grass and the lean animals came back to them satisfied
and full of milk. She asked to keep the Prophet for longer than the initial two-year
period which was accepted by his mother. Then she was shaken by the story of the
two angels who came to clean the Prophet’s heart, after which she returned the
Prophet to his mother at the age of 6 years. There, the harsh climate with open and
fresh air toughened the physique of the Holy Prophet. Moreover, he got familiar with
pure and refined Arabic language. As he would later say proudly; “Verily I am the
most perfect Arab amongst you, my descent is from the Quraish and my dialect is
that of the Banu Sa’d”. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) always expressed his
love and respect for Halima, during his later years by calling her as “My mother”.
Even when he was married, he used to help her financially. One day when she
came, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) spread his cloak for her to sit on. She
passed away while he was at Madinah, but he used to pay great respect to her
daughter, Sheema, who was also his foster sister.

Ten Blessed Companions: (Ashra Mubashara)

They were known by this name because they got the good news of heaven in their
lifetime. They were the earliest convert and the close companions of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) who supported him physically and financially for his
mission throughout his life. These are;

• Hazrat Abu Bakr

• Hazrat Umar
• Hazrat Usman
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• Hazrat Ali
• Hazrat Talha
• Hazrat Zubair
• Hazrat Abu Ubaida
• Hazrat Abd-ur-Rahman
• Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqas
• Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid
Hazrat Talha:

His introduction:

Hazrat Talha was a grand nephew of Hazrat Abu Bakr. He was born twenty-five
years before Hijrat. He belonged to the family of Quraish. He accepted Islam at the
invitation of Hazrat Abu Bakr and was amongst the earliest converts.

Services for Islam:

• After the acceptance of Islam, he suffered many persecutions by the pagans

but he bore all these patiently.
• He was very brave person and took part in all the battles, except the battle of
Badr, as he had been sent by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) on a
mission outside Madinah.
• He saved the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the battle of
Uhad, making his own body a shield to protect him from the swords and
spears of his attackers. While saving the Prophet received 70 wounds and
lost two of his fingers. For his bravery, he earned the title of “Living Martyr” as
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whosoever is pleased to see a
martyr on the surface of the earth, let him look at Talha bin Ubaidullah”.
• He was present at the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah.
• His bravery resulted in victory for the Muslims in the battle of Hunain.
• He also helped the Muslims by providing financial aid during different battles
as he got the titles Talha al-Khair (Talha the benevolent) and Talha al- Fayyaz
(the generous) by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at the time of Tabuk
Expedition.
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• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself arranged his marriage with his
sister-in-law, Hamnah bint Jahash. This shows his closeness with the
Prophet.
• During the caliphate of both Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar, he was a
member of the Islamic Council and advised them on problems of the state.
• Talha was one of the six companions who were chosen by Hazrat Umar to be
appointed as caliph after his death. He was not present at the time of election,
but swore allegiance to Hazrat Usman after returning to Madinah.
• He disagreed with Hazrat Ali over the delay of punishment to Hazrat Usman’s
assassins.
• Hazrat Talha was martyred in the caliphate of Hazrat Ali by the rebels.
Hazrat Zubair:

Introduction:

He belonged to the clan of Banu Asad and was the nephew of Hazrat Khadija. He
embraced Islam at the age of 14 years. According to traditions, he was the fifth
person who recognized Hazrat Muhammad as the prophet.

Services for Islam:

• When he accepted Islam, his uncle became his enemy. He would wrap him in
a mattress and light a fire around him. In this condition, when he would choke
of smoke, his uncle would ask him to give up the faith. “No never”, Zubair
would reply him firmly.
• Once a rumour was spread in Makkah that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) had been apprehended by the pagans and this enraged him so much
that he took out his sword and rushed to rescue the Prophet. The rumour was
false and when the Prophet came to know about this, he prayed for him and
for his sword.
• He migrated twice, first to Abyssinia and then to Madinah.
• He participated in all the battles and expeditions and in the battle of Badr he
was wearing a yellow turban and seeing this the Prophet said that even the
angels were descending in the form of Zubair.
• At Madinah, he spied for the Muslims and brought the news of Banu Quraiza.
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• Seeing his readiness to help, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Every Prophet has a helper and my helper is Zubair”.
• After the death of the Prophet, Zubair led a life of almost total seclusion but
continued his support for Islam and its armies whenever needed.
• He was included in the Electoral Committee of six companions nominated by
Hazrat Umar before his death.
• The sad event of Hazrat Zubair’s killing occurred in the battle of the Camel in
36 AH/ 656 AD.
• The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had given him the title of “Disciple of
the Messenger of Allah”.
Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed:

His early life:

He was the younger son of Waleed bin MugHira, the senior chieftain of Banu
Makhzum, and arch enemy of the Holy Prophet. He was born 31 years before the
Hijrat (about 591 AD). He sided with his father and strongly opposed Islam although
his elder brother, Waleed bin Waleed was an early convert. He learned lancing,
horse riding and wrestling during his childhood and grew up to be a brave warrior.
He was active in many wars against the Muslims, especially after his father was
killed in the battle of Badr. During the battle of Uhad, he changed the tide of the
battle when he attacked the Muslim force from behind them, thus changing their
victory into almost a defeat. He embraced Islam six months before the conquest of
Makkah and he was heartily welcomed by the Holy Prophet.

Services for Islam:

• He boosted the Muslim morale due to his acceptance and his bravery,
leadership and combat skills instilled fear in the hearts of the enemies of
Islam.
• During the battle of Muta after the martyrdom of three commanders, Hazrat
Khalid bin Waleed took over and Allah gave victory to the Muslims at his
hand. He fought so bravely that nine swords were broken at his hands. So,
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him the title of “Saifullah” (sword
of Allah).
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• During the conquest of Makkah, he was appointed as leader of one of the four
squadrons into which the Prophet divided his army.
• He served gallantly in all the battles as a commander of the cavalry with the
Prophet.
• During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr he was able to subdue the Apostasy
movement and suppress the false prophets.
• He played a crucial role in expanding the Muslim empire to the Persian and
Byzantine lands.
• During the reign of Hazrat Umar he continued his victorious march till the
battle of Yarmuk.
• When he was removed from his post as commander, he requested to be
allowed to serve as an ordinary soldier. This shows his humility and devotion
to Islam.
• He also narrated about 150 Hadiths of the Holy Prophet.
• He died at the age of sixty in 21 AH after having fought in 300 battles.
• His military strategies still today are taught in war schools around the world.
Daughters of the Holy Prophet:

Hazrat Zainab:

Introduction:

She was the eldest daughter of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his wife
Hazrat Khadija and was born in Makkah ten years before he was granted the
Prophethood. She was married to her mother’s nephew Abul Aas.

Services for Islam:

She embraced Islam, but was left in Makkah when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) migrated to Madinah. Her husband was not a Muslim and fought against the
Muslims in the battle of Badr. He was brought as a captive before the Holy Prophet.
For this reason, Hazrat Zainab sent a necklace that had been given to her by her
mother. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) returned the necklace and released
Aas on the condition that he would send Zainab to Madinah. Upon reaching Makkah,
he prepared her to set on for her journey to Madinah in company of his brother.
When the unbelievers of Makkah learnt of this journey they followed and attacked
the small company. An infidel wounded her with a spear at which she fell from her
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camel while being pregnant and she reached Madinah in a critical condition and at
last she died in 8 AH due to this injury. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) performed
her funeral prayer. She had two children, a son named Ali and a daughter Umama,
who in later years, became the second wife of Hazrat Ali after the death of Hazrat
Fatima.

Hazrat Ruqayya:

Introduction: She was the second daughter of the Prophet. She was born three
years after the birth of Hazrat Zainab. She was married to Utba, son of Abu Lahab.

Services for Islam:

• When the prophet declared his mission, Abu Lahab became his enemy and
asked his son to divorce her, which he did and then she was married to
Hazrat Usman.
• Both of them migrated to Abyssinia where she gave birth to a son, Abdullah,
who died when he was six years old.
• About their migration the Prophet said: “Usman is the third one, after Hazrat
Ibrahim and Hazrat Lut, who has migrated along with his family”.
• They came back to Makkah in the tenth year of Prophethood and a few years
later, she migrated to Madinah with her husband.
• She fell ill on the eve of the battle of Badr and therefore the Prophet, directed
Hazrat Usman to remain at her service and not to join the battle. She was
suffering from Chickenpox. Hazrat Usman served her well but she died of her
illness. When Hazrat Zaid brought the news of victory in the battle, Hazrat
Usman was preparing to bury the body of Hazrat Ruqayya. The Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) led her funeral prayers.
Hazrat Umm-e-Kulsoom:

Introduction:

She was the third daughter of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who was born
in the sixth year before the Prophethood. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
named her Umayya but she was popularly known as Umm-e-Kulsoom. Like her
sister, she was also engaged, before the proclamation of Prophethood, with Utaiba,
the younger son of Abu Lahab.
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Services for Islam:

• During their three years of imprisonment in the Shib-e-Abi Talib, when the
Quraish boycotted the Muslims. She also along with her family shared this
hard time of sufferings.
• She also participated in migration to Madinah and endured all the hardships of
migration courageously.
• She was married to Hazrat Usman after the death of her elder sister.
Therefore, Hazrat Usman was also known as Zun-Norain (the possessor of
two lights). She had no child and passed away in 9 AH.
• The Prophet was much grieved on her death, because she was the fifth child
of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who had died in his life.
• Hazrat Anas said: “He was sitting near her grave and tears trickled down from
his eyes”.
Hazrat Fatima:

Introduction:

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) youngest daughter was Hazrat Fatima who
was born five years before Prophethood. She is known as “Zahra” or the shining
one. She had the distinction of being the only child of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) who remained alive till her old age and whose linage flourished. She was
married to the Prophet’s cousin, Hazrat Ali who did not marry another woman during
her lifetime. She had three sons, Hassan, Hussain, Mohsin and two daughters,
Umm-e-Kulsoom and Zainab.

Services for Islam:

• She bore great sufferings for the cause of Islam as she faced confinement in
Shib-e-Abi Talib along with her family.
• She also participated in the migration to Madinah.
• She narrated 18 Hadiths from the Holy Prophet.
• Hazrat Fatima would often be near her father during his stressful moments.
• When the people of Makkah threw dirt at him, she would wash his head.
• She washed his clothes when his uncle Abu Lahab threw sheep’s entrails on
him while he was praying in the Kaba.
• In the battle of Uhad she tended to his wounds.
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• During the last days of Holy Prophet’s illness, she visited the Prophet. Then
he whispered something into her ear that made her cry. He again whispered
something to her after which she smiled. Later, when someone asked her the
reason of her weeping and smiling, she said that she had wept because the
Prophet told her about his impending death, but when he told her that she
would be the first one from his family to join him in Paradise, she smiled.
• She died in 11 AH, just six months after her father’s death and according to
different writers, she never smiled after the death of her father and would say,
“So many pains came my way that if they had befallen on days, the days
would have turned into nights”.
• Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had great love for her as he said, “Fatima
is a part of me, whoever hurts her, hurts me and whoever holds malice
against her, holds malice against me”.