1

2Al-Quran, Al-HAdith 03

From The Shadow of Tree 04

Treasured Teachings 07

The Prophets Mosque 10

Miracles of Nabi 11

Beloved Habib 15

Some Cheerful Moments 16

Sleeping on the right side 19

Bestowed with Grace 22

Views of Non Muslims 23

Short & Effective 28

The Dew Drop 31

The Straight Path 32

Some moments of His Holy Life 34

The kind Attitude 37

Your Mails 39

3And who obeys Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad ), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq ), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are! (Surah An-Nisa-69)

Prophet said: What I have forbidden you, stay away from. What I have ordered you [to

do], do as much of it as you can. Verily, the people before you were destroyed only because of

their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets.

(Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from

the torment of the Fire (Al- Baqarah : 201)

)201 : (

4Taif is a fertile green area around Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It has plenty of fruit gardens and a pleasant climate.The people of the tribe of Bani Sakeef used to relax under the shadow of fruit trees in the Taif area. From the travellers of Mecca passing by, they used to hear reports about the mission of Prophet Muhammad . They came to learn from them how truthful, trustworthy and kind the Prophet of Islam was. They also came to know that among women Hazrat Khadija, the Prophets wife and among the men Hazrat Ali the Prophets cousin and son-in-law were the first to declare faith and accept Islam.They were also informed that the followers of the Prophet were still very few. That majority of the people from the tribe of Quraish did not yet accept Islam and were opposing the spread of the religion. They had even offered Prophet Muhammad bribes of large sums of money and high post if he would stop preaching against idol worship.One day when the people were resting under the shadow of fruit trees, they received news that Abu Talib, his uncle had come and told the Prophet O my Nephew! the leaders of Quarish say that whatever wealth you demand they are willing to give provided you abandon the teaching of Islam.The Quraish tried again by sending Ataba to persuade the Prophet and offered everything that he would wish to have. In reply the Prophet recited this verse from the Holy Quran:Say: I am only a man like you, it is revealed unto me that your God is but one God. Therefore, whoever desires to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and not join any

one in the service of his Lord. (18:10)Ataba was very moved

5to hear this and returned to the Quraish saying, From Muhammad I have heard words which did not at all sound like a poem nor witchcraft! He advised the Quraish to leave him on his own and added: Muhammad grew up among you and has always been most trustworthy and of good character. Now that he has come out with a message of one God, it is not fair to accuse him of witchcraft or lying. Do not molest him and let us see what will happen!Thus the Prophet of Islam went on preaching the message of one God and persuaded people to abandon the worship of Idols. On the other hand, the people of Quraish continued to interfere and oppress him and the new followers of Islam.They asked everyone to boycott and not to have any dealings with them. They wrote the following orders on the skin of a sheep and hung it on the door of Kaaba in Mecca.Do not buy or sell to Muslims.Do not salute the Muslims nor speak to them.Do not give or take daughters in marriage from any Muslim. Do not have any dealing with them.Thus the people of Quraish went on oppressing and torturing the Prophet and his followers. They would throw dirt on him when he walked on the streets of Mecca.One day Prophet Muhammad secretly went out of Taif to convey the message of Islam to the people there. But the leaders of that place laughed and jeered at the Prophet. They were always intoxicated by drinking wine made from the grapes. The Prophet was persuading them to leave this bad habit and was saying that drinking wine has no benefit, it makes man senseless, it badly affects health and more so, it draws man far away from God.That day, the Prophet having conveyed to the people of Taif what he wished to about Islam, decided to return to Mecca. But on the way the children threw stones and laughed at him, When he managed to be rid of them, he took shelter and rested under the shadow of a grape tree. He raised his face toward the sky and said:Oh God! I complain to Thee for my inability.Oh God! I pray to Thee to lead these people to the right path.Oh God! You are the Forgiver and Kind.Incidentally Atba and his brother Shaiba were in the same garden. On hearing this prayer of the Prophet, they felt sorry.They called their servant Adas and gave him a plate full of sweet grapes and asked him to deliver them to the Prophet so that he may recover from fatigue.Adas took the plate of grapes and presented it to the Prophet. Before he started eating the grapes, the Prophet said Bismillah (in the name of one God).Adas was an Iraqi Arab. On hearing this, he began to wonder and asked what are these words. I have never heard them before!

Prophet Muhammad asked, Where are you from?

Adas replied, I have come from Nainawa (a region in Iraq

presently known as Kerbala.The Prophet asked, Have

you heard of the Prophet Yunus?Adas said, Yes! Yunus was a Prophet.

But why have you mentioned his name to me?

The Prophet replied, I, like Yunus, also am a Prophet and have come from the One

God for the guidance of mankind.Adas had already heard before of the truthfulness and trustworthiness of Prophet Muhammad . Now he became attracted towards him because of his kindness and good character. With tearful eyes he

said: Oh Muhammad I put my faith in your Prophethood, because no one

would be willing to face such torture and trouble unless he was on the right path and had

come to lead others on the path!This is how Adas, a pagan unbelieving Arab accepted

the religion of Islam whilst under the shadow of a grape tree and joined the Islamic brotherhood.Thus Islam spread gradually,

not with compulsion or at the point of a sword, but through noble character and kindness of Prophet

Muhammad .

6

7STRONG:

The strong person is not the good wrestler. Rather,the strong person is the one who controls himself when he is angry.(Sahih al-Bukhari)

ALLAH EXPIATES:

No fatigue, disease, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress befalls a Muslim - not even the prick he receives from a thorn - except that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

UNLAWFUL:

Ibn Masud reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Shall I tell you who is unlawful for the Fire - or the one for whom the Fire is unlawful? It is unlawful for everyone who is easy, flexible, modest and

uncomplicated.(Tirmizi)

8SEAT IN HELL:

Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said then let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire! (Sahih al-Bukhari)

EXAMPLE OF A BELIEVER:

The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind quietens down, the plant becomes straight again... (Sahih al-Bukhari)

PLANT A TREE:

If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

FOR SERVING ANIMALS:

A man felt very thirsty while he was on the way, there he came across a well. He went down the well, quenched his thirst and came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself, This dog is suffering from thirst as I did. So, he went down the well again, filled his shoe with water, held it with his mouth and watered the dog. Allah appreciated him for that deed and forgave him. The Companions said, O Allahs Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals? He replied: There is a reward for serving any living being. (Sahih al- Bukhari)

WHO FILLS HIS STOMACH:

Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath. (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

9

10

With lightness of foot the gentle camel came fearing to jolt the Prophet holding its rein. With grace it had moved over the hot dessert sand obeying the touch of its kind masters hand.A cloud had shadowed them all along the way and shielded them from the fierce suns rays. As they reached Medina children raced to his side and the Prophet dismounted, patting his ride.

Where shall we build the Mosque, in haste they enquired as the Prophet released his camel that was happy yet tired. Be patient, he said In a moment you will see where the camel takes its rest thats the place it will be.As the camel sat down in a very blessed place happiness spread over everyones face they knew where they must build at last and brought wood and palms very fast.A fine, yet humble Mosque stood upon the site and the Prophet worshiped there day and night. He thanked Allah for the safety of his ride, for the camel that had carried him and those by his side

11

M

The Miracle in Wedding Dinner:Anas b. Malik narrates:During the feast on the occasion of the Prophets marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh, my mother, Umm Sulaym said to me:O Anas! The prophet Muhammad is going to marry today. I think they do not have any food. Bring that oil here! I brought it. My mum prepared a dish called hays by mixinging pure Madinah dates only enough for the apostle of Allah and his wife with oil in an earthenware pot.O Anas! Take this dish to the Apostle of Allah and say to Him: My mum has sent this to you. She is sending her kindest regards to you. Say to the apostle of Allah that this is a small and insufficient gift from us for you.I took it to the apostle of Allah and said:My mum is sending her kindest regards to you. This is a small and insufficient gift from us for youHe said to me: Put it there! I put it on the empty place between Him and the wall. He also said:Go and invite Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali!. He also told to me to invite many people among from His companions. I was amazed by his inviting many people for such little food. However, I found it inappropriate not to obey his order and invited them all. He said to me:Invite anyone who is present at the mosque! I did so. I went to the mosque and

said to all of the people who were there either praying or sleeping:Go to the wedding dinner of the apostle of Allah! They came. Finally, everyone filled the prophets room and anteroom. He asked me:Is there anyone left in the mosque?answered him No! He asked me again:Look! Invite whomever you encounter on your way! I invited. He asked:

(Sent by: Jawairiya Sadozai, D G Khan)

12

Is there anyone left in the mosque?I answered him No! He asked me again:Look! Invite whomever you encounter on your way! I invited. He asked:Is there anyone who was left behind?I answered, No, O the apostle of Allah. The rooms and the table were filled. He said to me:Bring the dish here! I brought the dish and put it in front of Him.The Prophet said: Make circles of ten. He placed his blessed hand on that little amount of food, uttered supplications, and told them to help themselves. All of them ate and were fully satisfied. Afterwards, the Prophet said to me :Remove the food! I removed it. However I could not tell if there was more food when I put it down on the table or when I removed it. I brought the dish at the side of the prophets wife. Then, I went to my mum and told her what had happened in astonishment. She said,Do not be amazed! If the apostle of Allah had wanted all Medina folk to come and eat from that food, all would have eaten and been fully satisfied. It was informed that the number of the people who went there and ate from the food was about three hundred.

The increase of Jabir b. Abdullahs crops of date enough for paying his debts:The father of Jabir, Abdullah b. Amr b. Haram was martyred in the battle of Uhud and left behind six daughters along with a high loan. Abdullah b. Amr had two groves with some date trees but these were not enough to pay for his debts. The offer of reducing the debts was not accepted by the creditors, and another offer for delaying the repay of debts was also rejected by them. For this reason, Jabir came to the prophet Muhammad and said:O Apostle of Allah! As you know my father Abdullah was martyred in the battle of Uhud. He left many debts behind. The creditors did not accept the total crops of the dates in the grove! and Jabir asked him to talk with the creditor, who was a Jew, and become an intermediary for help.The apostle of Allah asked the Jew to take all the crops of the date grove in return for Jabirs debts. However, the Jew did not accept it.The Apostle of Allah talked with the Jew again. He asked him to delay Jabirs debt owed to him. The Jew did not accept this, either. The prophet Muhammads offer as repaying some of his debt that year and the rest in the following year was not accepted by the Jew, either. He also insisted that all of the dates to be given in return for his debt must be of good quality.The following day, the apostle of Allah along with Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar went to the date grove of Hazrat

Jabir and prayed for blessing. He told Jabir:

13

Go! Pick the dates and classify them: Inform me after putting one side the Ajwa (the good kind) and on the other side Azq- Zayd (ripe ones).After Hazrat Jabir fulfilled his order, the apostle of Allah came. Hazrat Jabir had invited the creditors, too.. They came to his grove with donkeys and sacks. Jabir was ready to take the risk of buying good kind of dates from another place in order to pay the debts of his father.The apostle of Allah circumambulated around the largest pile of dates three times. After sitting near or in middle of the dates, he said to Hazrat Jabir by showing the creditors:Give them what they want by weighing the dates!Jabir paid his debt the creditors completely by weighing one by one. When he looked at the remaining crops, it looked as if there was no decrease! Jabir, who had been thinking to return back to his daughters side without having any dates but having paid back his fathers debts, had now a total of seventeen loads of camels with dates!

A Handful of Dates Feeds the Islamic Army:The daughter of Bashir b. Sad, the sister of Numan b. Bashir narrates:Amra bint Rawaha, my mother called me. She gave me two handfuls of dates and said to me, Go and take this food to your father and Abdullah b. Rawaha, your uncle. On the way, I met the Messenger of Allah and asked him where father and uncle were. The Messenger of Allah said,O young girl! Come here! What is that with you?I said,O Messenger of Allah! They are dates. Mum sent them to my father and my uncle so that they would eat them.He said, Bring them to me.I poured the dates into the hands of the Messenger of Allah. They did not fill his hands. He wanted a tablecloth to be brought. They brought it and lad it on the ground. He put the dates on the tablecloth and scattered them. Then he said to the people around,Come here and eat! Call the Companions who are digging the trench. The people of the trench came and started to eat. As they ate the dates, the dates increased.

Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the

Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets,

And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.

( Al-Ahzab : 40 )

15

Beloved Habib The best example of Allahs MercyDays pass to the sound of your praiseCounting the days till we can behold your blessed face

Beloved Nabi The upholder of justice, maintainer of MercyWhat was it like that day, how did it feelStoned at Taif, yet you did not weepThey ignored the message yet you did not grieve

Beloved Habib The face of patience as life passed you bywhen confusion rose inside, by your side you found your wifeTo nurture your children to safeguard from miserya loyal companion through worries and anxiety

Beloved Habib Just one chance to sit in your companyTo behold a face full of radiance and MercyTo be in your presence just once, I ask from the AlmightyHands raised to the heavens, Ya Allah let your habib love me

Beloved Nabi When you breathed your last, did you make duaa for me?For the lost among your ummah, wretched souls are weWill we drink from the fountain, are we really worthy?Will you smile upon seeing us, your ummati?Will you be there on the last day beloved NabiSo that into Jannah we can gain entry...?

16

WHO WILL BUY THIS SLAVE:Hazrat Anas says: A villager named Zaher bin Haram used to bring good from his village to sell them in Madinah. He also used to bring some rural gifts for Prophet Muhammad . In return Prophet Muhammad also gave him some gifts made in Madinah.He was a pious man, an Arab but African like personality. Prophet Muhammad had respect and love for him and use to say He is my rural friend, and I am his urban friend.Once, Prophet Muhammad saw him selling his goods in market. He quietly came from behind so that Zaher bin Haram could not see him, and to surprise him, He suddenly embraced him from behind. Zaher said, Who is that? Free me. But when he realized that he is Prophet Muhammad , he tried to remain like that for more time (to have blessings).The Prophet jokingly asked his companions, Who will purchase this slave?. Laughing and still in Prophets grip, Zaher said, O messenger of Allah! you will be in loss (because due to my poor personality, no one will give you a good price).Prophet Muhammad said, (No Zaher), even if people dont give you due respect, but for Allah you are priceless and invaluable.(Ahmad, Mishkaat)

YOU ATE TOO MUCH DATES:Once Prophet Muhammad , Hazrat Ali and few other companions were eating dates from a big plate. Prophet Muhammad by way of jest put the seeds in front of Hazrat Ali. When all finished eating, there were no seeds in front of Prophet Muhammad , but a heap in front of Hazrat Ali .Prophet Muhammad feigned surprise and asked, O Ali, you ate so many dates? Hazrat Ali humbly replied, O messenger of Allah! Today i realized that you eat dates with the seeds.

17

CAMELS CALF:Hazrat Anas says: Once a man begged Prophet Muhammad for a camel for conveyance purpose. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) was in jolly mood, so He said, Yes i will give you, but a calf (baby camel). That person could not understand and got surprised and said, O messenger of Allah! what I will do with a calf of a camel? (means how can i ride a calf). Prophet Muhammad said Every camel is the calf of a camel (means even after getting matured for riding, it remains a child of camel)(Tirmizi, Abo Dawood)

NO HEAVEN FOR OLD PEOPLE:Hazrat Anas Radhi-Allahu-Anhu says: Once an old lady asked Prophet Muhammad to pray for her, so that Allah may bless her with heaven. Prophet said, No old lady will enter heaven. She was shocked, begin crying and asked, Why old women will not enter heaven?Prophet Muhammad said, Did not you read the verse of Quran which says. Women of heaven will be of young age.(Mean all people who died old will be made young first, then will enter heaven.)

COME ALONG WITH YOUR FULL BODY:Hazrat Auf bin Maalik Ashari Radhi-Allahu-Anhu says: During the journey of Tabook, I went to meet Prophet Muhammad when He was relaxing in a leather tent. I greeted Him (said Salam), He replied. Then I asked permission to meet him. He gave me permission. then I asked, Shall i come inside tent along with my full body?Prophet Muhammad said, Yes, come along with your full body. So i entered the tent.Hazrat Usman bin Abo Ataka says, the leather tent in which Prophet Muhammad was relaxing was too small. Hence Hazrat Auf Said, Shall I come along with full body?Hazrat AufRadhi-Allahu-Anhu only by leaning inside tent, could have talked to Prophet Muhammad , but both were in jolly mood, hence talked in terms of full and half body.(Abo Dawood)

ONE WITH TWO EARS:Hazrat Anas Radhi-Allahu-Anhu says: Once (in a pleasant mood), Prophet Muhammad called me as O one with two ears!.(Because Hazrat Anas Radhi-Allahu-Anhu use to hear what ever Prophet Muhammad said very carefully)

(Abu-Dawood, Tirmazi)

DONT IGNORE ME IN PEACE TIME:Hazrat Nomaan bin Basheer Radhi-Allahu-Anhu says, Once Hazrat Abo Bakar went to the house of Prophet Muhammad and sought permission to enter. But while standing at the door he heard a loud noice of his daughter, Hazrat ayesha Radhi-Allahu-Anhu, who was arguing with Prophet Muhammad , Because of which Hazrat Abo Bakar became angry and when Prophet Muhammad allowed him to enter, first he raised his hand to slap his daughter, but the Prophet Muhammad intervened and saved her. When Hazrat Abo Bakar Radhi-Allahu-Anhu could not punish her, in anger he left the house and did not see them both for some days (because of anger on his daughter and being ashamed of expressing his anger in front of the Prophet).Then again, Hazrat Abo bakar went to the house of Prophet Muhammad and sought permission to enter. After getting permission when he came inside, he saw Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat Ayesha Radhi-Allahu-Anhu in pleasant mood. He addressed them, Include me in your peace, as you included me in your war.Prophet Muhammad said of course we did, of course we did.(Abu-Dawood, Tirmazi)

WE ARE EVEN NOW:Hazrat Aisha Radhi-Allahu-Anhu narrates: Once the Prophet and I were on a journey. I was thin back then and not fat. The Prophet told the people around him:Go ahead. We will catch you. When we were left behind far enough he told me:Lets race!We raced and I won. He did not mention it again.Thenl I gained some weight. Meanwhile I completely forgot about this incident. During another journey he told the people around him to go ahead. When they went far away, he said to me, Lets race! This time he won and started to laugh saying we are even now.

18

19

There are numerous hadiths reported the sleeping position of our beloved prophet.

For example, Al-Bara ibn Azib said, When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless

him and grant him peace, used to retire to his bed, he would lie on his right side and

then say, O Allah, I surrender my soul to You and I turn my face to You and I entrust

my affair to You and I seek Your support with hope and fear of You. There is no

refuge from You but to You. I have believed in Your Book which You sent down and

Your Prophet whom You sent. [al-Bukhari]

In another hadith Aisha said, The Prophet , may Allah bless him and grant him

peace, used to pray eleven rakats at night. When it was dawn,

he would pray two quick rakats and then lie on his right side until

the muadhdhin came and gave the adhan. [Agreed upon]

We know that lying down can be on the back, on the abdomen,

on the left or right side.Sleeping On The Right SideWHAT DOES SCIENCE SAYS?Sent by: Asma Mushtaq, Birmingham

20

Which of these positions is the best for the

functioning of the organs?

When lying on the abdomen will make a

person feels a short of breath as the

backbones mass prevents the chest

from contracting and then relaxing

during inhalation and exhalation.

Moreover this position leads to an

obligatory bending in the neck

vertebraes. Also, the contact of the

reproductive organs with the bed

leads to masturbation.

The resulting respiratory crisis results in

brain and heart fatigue as well. An Australian researcher noticed the

increase in the likelihood of babies sudden death when they sleep on their stomach

compared to those who sleep on one of the sides. It is inimitable that these modern

studies agree with what our prophet said as narrated by Abu Huraira (May Allah

be pleased with him): When the prophet saw a man lying on his front, He said

(Allah and his prophet dislike this position in lying) (Reported by Al-Tirmdhi).

Another Hadith is the one narrated by Abu Umama (May Allah be pleased with him)

he said: When the Prophet passed a man sleeping on his front in the mosque

he hit him with his feet and said: wake up and seat as this is a diabolic sleep

Lying on the back, on the other hand, causes the respiration to be through the

mouth. The mouth opens up when lying on back as the inferior jaw relax. However,

the nose is the one prepared for respiration, as it contains hairs and mucous that act

to purify the air entering during inspiration, and as it has dense blood vessels that

make the entering air warmer.

Respiration through the mouth then makes the person prone to colds,

especially in the winter, and also to gum dryness and its resulting

inflammation. As well as it evokes potential situations of

dissemble excess or gumic hugely. So these

positions the jaw and

21

and its resulting inflammation. As well as it evokes potential situations of dissemble

excess or gumic hugely. So these positions the jaw and uvula oppose the wideness

of nose and prevents current of breath. So snoring will increase.

Moreover, in this case, the person wakes up with an abnormal white layer covering

his tongue and an undesirable mouth odour. Sleeping on the left side is not favoured

either, as the heart would be then under the pressure of the right lung, the biggest of

the two lungs, and this would affect its contraction especially if the person is old. The

full stomach which itself is under the pressure of the heaviest organ in the digestive

tract, the liver, which delays its emptying, would also impose a pressure on the

heart.

A group of experiments done by Galteh and Butseh found that the passage of food

from the stomach to the intestines takes from 2.5 to 4.5 hours if a person is sleeping

on the right side whereas its takes 5 to 8 hours if he is sleeping on the left side.

Sleeping on the right side is the correct

position as the left lung is smaller

than the right one and the pressure

on the heart would therefore be less,

the liver would not be suspended,

and the stomach would be on it and

so emptying its contents would

be quicker.

22

Although I never saw his face So beautiful bestowed with graceMy heart just yearns to be like himAlthough I never saw his faceThe Sunnah of the Prophet I will embracePrayers and blessings I pour onto himAlthough I never saw his face

He loved the children and the old Gave his heart to every soulNursed the sick and served the poorFed the hungry at his doorLoved the creatures tame and wildComforted the orphan childBid men peace, cared for the youthAllahs Messenger in truthSo with devotion I do read His life of which I try to leadNo deed is mine except is hisAlthough I never saw his face

Muhammad is his blessed nameCalled for Tawhid when he cameHe was honest, very kindGreatest teacher to mankindBrought us guidance so completeTaught us how to pray and eatAlways practised what he knewNever strayed from what is trueWhile in the sunnah youll recall Are detailed teachings for us allAnd no more Prophets there will beFor hes the final one you seeHis life he was prepared to giveAt Uhud, Badr, TaifBrought to us holy QuranVery heart of our IslamOn the plains of ArafatGave last sermon for UmmahPassed away in MadinahLived only to worship Allah

Although I never saw his faceSo beautiful bestowed with grace

My heart just yearns to be like himAlthough I never saw his face!

23

MAHATMA GANDHI:I wanted to know the best of the life of the one who holds today an undisputed sways over the hearts of millions of mankind I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won the place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the prophets biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.

SIR GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (The Genuine Islam Vol.No.8, 1936):I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I believe if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring mush

needed peace and happiness. I have studied him the wonderful

man and in my opinion for from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the savior of Humanity. I have prophesied about the faith of Mohammad that it would be acceptable the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.

THOMAS CARLYLE (Heros and Heros Worship):The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round his man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to ourselves only How one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades A silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest. He was to kindle the world; the worlds Maker had ordered so.

ALPHONSE DE LaMARTAINE:If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous man created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.

LEO TOLSTOY:Muhammad has always been standing higher than the Christianity. He does not consider God as a human being and never makes himself equal to God. Muslims worship nothing except God and Muhammad is his messenger. There is not any mystery and secret in it.

D.G. HOGARTH:Serious or trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which millions observe this day with conscious memory. No one regarded by any section of the human race as perfect Man has ever been imitated so minutely. The conduct of the founder of Christianity gas not governed the ordinary life of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion has left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim apostle.

STANLEY LANE-POOLE (Table Talk of the Prophet):He was the most famous protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who described him would say, I have never seen his like either before or after. He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke

it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he

24

25

spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said.

SAROJINI NAIDU- INDIAN POETESS (S. Naidu, Ideals of Islam, Speeches and Writings, Madaras, 1918):It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: God Alone is Great

EDWARD GIBBON and SIMON OCKLAY (History of the Saracen Empire, London, 1980, p. 54):It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder, the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and Mahomet the Apostle of God, is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.

REV. BASWORTH SMITH (Mohammed and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p. 92):He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretentions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right Divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.

26

27

28

BE HAPPY: (Sent by: Aqsa Ali, India)When I was growing up, money was always an issue. I saw my parents toiling away at their jobs for decades trying to make enough to pay for the mortgage and feed three kids. My

parents never complained and seemed happy even though we didnt have a lot.

Im now the age my parents were when they started out. Unlike them, I dont have any mouths to feed, I dont have a mortgage to pay, and I fortunately

have a job with a better than average salary. From an outsiders perspective I should be very happy, but in fact

Im not. Heres why.Money is a funny thing. You think that by having it youll be happy. Once you start making some and realize its not making you happy, you think maybe its because you dont have enough. So you trade

your time for money, sometimes working at a job you dont even like to make more money.

As time goes on you realize youve been spending more and more time at work. Family and friends wonder why

you dont call them anymore. As you climb up the corporate ladder you feel more stress and anxiety than you did before. You find you dont sleep so well

anymore. You find the stress that accompanies the work more than what you bargained for. Also, the cost of keeping up with the lifestyle is starting to add up and youre not making as much as you thought you would be. Meanwhile, youre worried about losing the few friends you have because youre earning more money than they are. Coworkers think you have it all and that you must be happy. If only that were true.Only you can control your happiness, money cant buy that for you.

SHORT & EFFECTIVE

29

THE BEST TASTE: (Sent by: Umm-e-Zaman, Hong Kong)I was visiting my hometown with my youngest daughter. Since we had gone there after a few years, we decided to visit our favorite eatery.This was a fast food restaurant, resplendent with all sorts of confectionery items. Anyone coming here could not resist tasting one of the many mouth-watering delicacies.As we neared the shop window to decide which item we would taste first, I noticed a not-so-well-to-do woman eying the displayed goodies. She looked at all the counters longingly, and then moved away.I understood that she was unable to buy and relish the food due to lack of enough cash. I decided to give her a treat of the same items we had ordered.Before going to our table, I went to the woman who sat at the far end, having a cup of tea. I placed the plateful of savouries before her. When she found out the plate was for her, she thanked me profusely with tears shining in her eyes and a wobbling smile on her countenance.I was thankful I had been instrumental in fulfilling someones one small desire. As for our treat, it tasted even better that day than it had ever before.

WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT: (Sent by: A Sister, New Jersey)It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman, in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry and that he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs, and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.On exam it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redressed his wound. While taking care of him, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctors appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I

then

30

inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for awhile and was a victim of Alzheimers Disease.As we talked and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, and hadnt recognized him in five years. I was surprised, and asked him, And you still go every morning, even though she doesnt know who you are? He smiled and patted my hand and said, She doesnt know me, but I still know who she is.

EVERY BUCKET COUNTS: (Sent by: Ameena Khan, Luton.UK)Once day, having learned that the King of Fez was hunting lions in the neighbourhood, they decided to invite him and his court, and killed a number of sheep in his honour. The sovereign had dinner and went to bed. Wishing to show

their generosity, they placed a huge goatskin bottle before his door and agreed to fill it up with milk for the royal breakfast.The villagers all had to milk their goats and then each of them

had to tip his bucket into the container. Given its great size, each of them said to himself that he might just as well dilute his milk with a good quantity of water without anyone noticing.To the extent that, in the morning, such a thin liquid was poured out for the king and his court that it had no taste than the taste of meanness and greed.

THE FENCE: (Sent by: Mahvish Hassan, Lucknow.India )There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.Finally the day came when the boy didnt lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It wont matter how many times you say Im sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

31

As the sun rose, a dew drop became aware of its surroundings. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight and throwing it back out. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very content. Around it were other dew drops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves round about. The dew drop was sure that it was the best, the most special

dew drop of them all.Ah, it was good to be a dew drop.

The wind rose and the plant began to shake, tipping the leaf. Terror gripped the dew drop as gravity pulled it towards the edge of the leaf, towards the unknown. Why? Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change?

Why? Why?The dew drop reached the edge of the leaf. It was terrified, certain that it would be smashed into a thousand pieces below, sure that

this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried

desperately to do whatever it could to cling to the leaf, but it was no use.

Finally, it let go, surrendering to the pull of gravity. Down, down it fell. Below there seemed to be a mirror. A reflection of itself seemed to be coming up to meet the dew drop. Closer and closer they came

together until finally...And then the fear transformed into deep joy as the tiny dew drop merged with the vastness that was the pond. Now the

dew drop was no more, but it was not destroyed.It had become one with the whole.

32

He Rasulallah once drew a line, The man so great so sublime.

And he said, This is my Path All other trails obtain Allahs Wrath.

And again he drew some more lines joining that line, A devil sitting on each of these, calling people to join.

So people, never jaywalk leaving the True Way. If you do, your own soul you betray.

Such an easy and clear path he showed, The Mercy of Allah on which is bestowed.

So dear people why should one stray? When the road to success is before us lay.

This Straight Path of Prophet is our only way, All other alleys, short cuts, trails etc. goes astray.

Hold on with your molar teeth on this path was his advice, Only fools ignore it, and the one that heeds is wise.

33

34

THE HOLY PROPHET AND THE SOUR GRAPESOne day a poor man brought a bunch of grapes to the holy prophet Muhammad as a gift. The holy prophet ate one, two, three and then the whole bunch of grapes by himself. He did not offer grapes to anyone present. The poor man who brought those grapes was very pleased and left. One of the companions asked, O prophet of Allah ! How come you ate all the grapes by yourself and did not offer to any one of us present? The holy Prophet smiled and said, I ate all the grapes by myself because the grapes were sour. If I would have offered you, you might have made funny faces and that would have hurt the feelings of that poor man. I thought to myself that its better that I eat all of them cheerfully and please the poor man. I did not want to hurt the feelings of that poor man. Such were the manners of this most noble prophet of Allah.

SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB Just as the Prophet , and his companions landed from their rides, and laid the loads down, it was decided that they would sacrifice a lamb for dinner.One of the companions volunteered: I will sacrifice the lamb.Another: I will skin it.Third: I will cook it.Fourth: I will....The Prophet : I will gather the wood from the desert.The group: O Messenger of Allah, it is not becoming of you to discomfort yourself as such. You rest. We will be honored to do all this on our own.The Prophet : I know that you are eager to do it all, but Allah isnt pleased with the slave who distinguishes between himself and his companions, and considers himself better than others.Then he went to the desert, and gathered some wood, and brought it to the group.

THE HUMBLE ONEOne day Prophet Muhammad was going somewhere at noon and it was too hot in the desert when He an old woman carrying her luggage on her head. Prophet Muhammad helped her and took the luggage from the woman and carried it

for her..Prophet Muhammad asked

Sent by: Momina Ilyas, Bahawlpur)

35

the woman that where she was going and why? She said that I am leaving this town as I have heard that a magician named Muhammad is in town.

As Holy Prophet Muhammad was very patient and kind, He didnt say a word and kept listening. The old lady kept complaining that why she was leaving the town.In short the basic reason of her to leave the town was her misconception about Muhammad , who was walking beside her and she didnt knew it.

While walking with the Holy Prophet , that old women noticed that this young man have a brightness on his smiling and humble face. And she also noticed that His sweat is perfumed. She was very impressed.

When they reached the destination, Muhammad put down the bag and was about to leave when the old woman said,O, kind person! At least tell me your name!. Prophet Muhammad replied,I am the person because of whom you left the town.The old lady was amazed to listen that and said that such a kind, helping and true person can never be wrong and therefore she also accepted Islam..

HELPING HANDOnce Muhammad saw a slave grinding some grain on a grinding mill driven by hand. As he ground the grains he was crying. On seeing this Prophet became anxious. He asked the slave the reason why he was weeping. The slave said, I am sick. I cannot grind the grain. My master is very cruel and he will beat me if I cannot finish my job. At this, the Prophet stepped forward and ground the rest of the grain saying, Always call me if you have any grain to grind. I will do it for you.Another time, the Prophet saw an old man walking and trembling under the weight of water which he carried in a leather jacket. The old man walked a few steps and rested a bit. Seeing this, the Prophet took the load and carried it to his place.

THE MAN WHO WANTED TO SELL HIS CAMELOne day the holy Prophet of Allah was going somewhere when he met a man selling a camel. The holy Prophet liked the camel and bought it at an agreed price. The holy Prophet did not have money on him at the time so he asked the camel dealer to follow him up to his home and he would pay him his due. The man agreed. As they were going, another man approached and asked the camel dealer if he was selling his camel and for how much. He said that he had already sold the camel to the holy Prophet for such an amount. This man offered him better price and he agreed to sale the camel to him. The holy Prophet said to the camel dealer that since he had already sold the camel to him, it was wrong to break the agreement just like that. The man denied making any agreement. Whilst all this was going on, the passers by stopped

and wondered as to what was going on. The Apostle of Allah

36

explained exactly what happened. Companions: O Prophet of Allah, do you have any witnesses to support your claim? Holy Prophet : No. We have no witnesses as there was no one present when the agreement was made. Companions: Sorry, we dont think we can help you. How can we be sure who is telling the truth and who is lying? A very close companion of the holy Prophet happened to pass by and saw the holy Prophet surrounded by the people. On inquiring about it, came to know what happened.Companion: The Prophet of Allah is telling the truth and the camel dealer is lying. The holy Prophet : But you were not present when the agreement was made. So how can you judge without being there? Companion: O Prophet of Allah, you said that there is Allah and we believed you, even though we havent seen Him. You told us that Quran was the word of Allah and we believed you. You told us about angels, heaven and hell and we believed you, even though we havent seen all these things. How is it possible that you would lie about such petty thing?

TYING THE CAMEL The caravan had been traveling for few hours now. Signs of fatigue were obvious on their faces. They arrived at a point and stopped. The Prophet who was also in the caravan, stopped the camel, and landed. Prior to anything, they were in search of water to prepare for prayer.The Prophet also started searching for water. But soon, returned to his camel, without saying anything to anyone. The companions were surprised that the Prophet had ordered stopping here, and now perhaps he would like to move again? Eyes and ears were awaiting his order. But the surprise of the group increased as they saw him approach his camel, and tied its knees, and returned back in search of water.Noises were raised from every corner:O Prophet of Allah! Why didnt you order us to do this for you, and insteadyou put yourself in discomfort? We would have proudly done that service for you.The Prophet responded: Never seek others help in your affairs, dont lean on others, even if it is a small piece of Miswak (the wood used for brushing teeth).

37

She thought till late at midnight and finally decided how to take revenge from him.

She could not sleep all night, because she was too eager to take revenge for the

idols she worshiped. Even before the first ray of sunlight had entered her window,

she was busy sweeping her house. She saved all the garbage in a basket, placed it

on the roof of her house and proudly looked at it for a while, then with an impatient

look on her face, she looked at the street that she lived on, and thought, No one has

ever seen him angry. Everybody will praise me when they will see him shouting at

me and getting mad. They will laugh at him and make fun of him. She looked at the

basket again and grinned.

Meanwhile, she heard footsteps, announcing the approach of the end of her waiting.

Finally my prey has arrived, she thought, as she saw a man dressed in clean, white

clothes coming that way. She picked up the basket in her hands and threw all the

garbage on him when he passed by. Much to the womans disappointment,

he did not say anything and continued on his way.

She did the same the following day thinking, Maybe

this time I will be able to annoy him. But he

was too gentle to shout

38

at a woman. She misinterpreted his attitude as fear and decided to repeat the same

mischief everyday in order to keep him frightened, so that he might stop preaching

the Oneness of God.

This gentleman whom the woman hated so much was Muhammad , the last

prophet of Allah Almighty. He did not want to disappoint the woman and so continued

to walk down the street everyday, instead of picking an alternate route, and prayed

for the woman to recognize the Truth.

One day, the Holy Prophet Muhammad did not find the woman to be on the roof

of her house with the basket. This worried him, because he thought something must

have happened to her for not being over there. So he knocked at the door. Who

is it? asked a feeble voice. Muhammad bin Abdullah, was the reply, can I come

in? The woman feared, I am sick, and too weak to fight or talk back, therefore

Muhammad has come to take revenge for what I have been doing to him. But the

permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she allowed him in.

Muhammad entered the house and told the woman that not finding her on the

roof had worried him and he thus wanted to inquire about her health. On finding

out how ill she was, he gently asked if she needed any help. Hypnotized by the

affectionate tone in the Holy Prophets blessed voice, she forgot all fear and

asked for some water. He kindly gave her some in a utensil and prayed for her

health, while she quenched her thirst. This made her feel very guilty for being so

cruel to him in the past and she apologized for her mean behavior. He forgave her

and came to her house everyday to clean it, to feed her and to pray for her, till she

was on her feet again. The kind attitude of the Holy Prophet inspired her into the

recognition of the Truth, and his prayers were answered in the form of yet another

addition into the growing number of Muslims.

39

Assalam u alaikum!

Hope every body will be fine there at. I am Yumna from Bradford, England. I visit

Darsequran.com everyday. I love this website. I really appreciate efforts of your

whole team. Payam-e-Haya is my favourite magazine among online ones. A relative

of mine told me about this mag. Since then, I have reading it. Hajj Issue was really

an impressive issue. I have also sent some poems for Seerat0un-Nabi Special issue.

Hope you will publish them. (Yumna-Bradford, England)

Wa alaikum u slam!

Beta! Your peoms were really awesome. One of them is published in this issue.

Jazakillah for your so much long letter and kind prayers. Sorry we can not publish

your whole letter here. May Allah bless you too!

Editor.

Assalam u Alaikum!

My name is Hafsa and I am 12 years old. I love your mag and i wish it come after

every month. I have downloaded its all issues in my pc.

Wa alaikum u Salam! Beta we are happy to read from such young and excited

reader. Thank you for your love and keep us in your prayers! (Hafsa Amjad-

Rajhistan, India)

Editor.

40