All things must end, and so does this journey to discover the essence of the Prophet Muhammad. I hope that you have enjoyed the Blogging For The Prophet series, as have I in writing and posting them. For those who missed our previous announcement, the series is a 1 article per hour blogging marathon in commemoration of the day of birth of the Prophet Muhammad, which has now ended at this very hour.
Readers may refer to the series at this link to reflect upon the character of this wonderful and honourable man.
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The Prophet(P), after confirming all the reports of the attack and subsequent events, marched to Makkah with an army consisting of three thousand Muslims of Medinah and Muslims from other Arab communities that joined him on the way totaling ten thousand Muslims. Before entering the city he sent word to citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his home, or in Abu Sufyan’s home, or in the Kaa’bah would be safe. “Who enters the house of Abu Sufyan will be safe, who lays down arms will be safe, who locks his door will be safe.”
The army entered Makkah without fighting and the Prophet went directly to the Kaa’bah. He magnified Allah for the triumphant entry in the Holy city. The Prophet pointed at each idol with a stick he had in his hand and said, “Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear.” (Qur’an, 17:81). And one by one the idols fell down. The Ka’bah was then cleansed by the removal of all three hundred sixty idols, and it was restored to its pristine status for the worship of One True God (as built by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail).
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The Prophet married Umm Salamah(R) in 626 A.D. Her husband had died of wounds inflicted in the Battle of Uhud (625 CE). When the Prophet(P) asked her for marriage, she replied: “O Messenger of God, I suffer from three shortcomings. I am a very jealous woman, and I am afraid this might cause me to do things that you dislike. Secondly, I am an old woman. Finally, I have many children.” The Prophet answered: “Regarding your jealousy, I pray to God to remove it from you. As for your age, we are similar in age. As for the children, your children are mine.” Thus it was that she agreed to marry the Prophet(P). The Prophet’s marriage contract with Ummul Habibah(R) was solemnized, by proxy, by Negus, King of Abyssinia, in 628 A.D.
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Soon after the event of Isra’ and Mi’raaj, the time of the hajj, the Arab clans from the whole of Arabia came to Makkah. Among them were the men from Yathrib. The Prophet s.a.w expounded his Message to them and 6 of them became Muslims. They commend his message as from Allah and promised to proclaim it when the returned to their city. A year later, in the 12th year of the Prophethood of Muhammad(P), they met again in secret at Awabah. This is the place where they made a bai’at (pledge) on the fundamentals of Islam; that they will not take no other gods beside Allah, they would not steal, they will not commit adultery, they will not kill their children, they will not slander and they will not disobey the Prophet(P). This pledge is called Bai’atul Aqabatil Ula (The First Pledge of Aqabah) or is also known as Bai’atun Nisa.
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When the persecution became unbearable for most Muslims, the Prophet(P) advised them in the fifth year of his mission (615 CE) to emigrate to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) where Ashabah (Negus, a Coptic Christian) was the ruler. Eighty people, not counting the small children, emigrated in small groups to avoid detection. No sooner had they left the Arabian coastline, the leaders of Quraish discovered their flight. They decided to not leave these Muslims in peace, and immediately sent two of their envoys to Negus to bring all of them back. However, Negus allowed them to stay under his protection after he investigated Muslim belief and heard the revelations about `Eesa and Maryam (peace be upon them both), which appears in Chapter 19, entitled Sura’ Maryam (Mary), of the Qur’an. The emigrants were allowed freedom of worship in Abyssinia.
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