Ismail ibn Musa Menk Lessons from the Pre Hijrah Era within Makkah
By Mufti Menk | 2026-01-12T06:25:45.22069+00:00 | Topic: Quran
120 Lessons from the Pre-Hijrah Era within Makkah
By Mufti Menk
Opening and Introduction
As-salāmu alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillāh, all praise is indeed due to the Almighty, the Creator, the Nourisher, the Cherisher, the Sustainer, the Provider, the Protector, the Curer, the One in whose hands lies control of every aspect of existence and everything in existence. Wa-ṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ῾alá ‘Abdullāhi wa-Rasūlihi Muḥammad wa-'alá alihi wa-așḥābihi ajmaʻin. We send blessings and salutations upon all the messengers that were sent from the beginning.
The messenger Muḥammad, peace be upon him, his companions, and all those who struggled and strove over the centuries in a way that the goodness has come to us. May the Almighty bless them and bless everyone of us and grant everyone of us goodness.
The Character of the Prophet Before Prophethood
Known as As-Şādiq Al-Amīn
My beloved brothers and sisters, if we were to look at the time when the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had received revelation from the Almighty, we would come to realize that he was already chosen by Allah and he was so concerned about the well-being of this community of his that we've just heard moments ago were involved in some of the worst crimes.
The most ugly scenarios that one would have seen were those from Makkah Al-Mukarramah in a period known as the period of ignorance. And so he was an honorable man known as As-Şādiq Al-Amin (الصادق الأمين), the most truthful, the most honest. How many of us are known as honest, trustworthy, and truthful? That's a question I always ask myself.
Learning from the Prophet's Character
If I want to be a follower of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, learn more about his seerah. And the seerah here refers to his entire life. I need to ask myself, what have I learned from this? It's not good enough to just have the facts of history.
Many of us would know a lot about the history. But we've never thought about putting it into our lives or we've never thought about where we fit in. So if he was known as honest, trustworthy, believe me, today we have a difficulty with being honest and trustworthy.
Our own spouses no longer trust us. Why? Because we have a problem. Our family members don't trust us. Our communities don't trust us. When you see a Muslim businessman, people tell you, be careful. It should not be the case.
The Foundation of Trustworthiness
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, prior to prophethood was already known as the trustworthy. It was something that the Almighty had kept, so that the day he came to declare that none was to be worshipped besides the Maker alone, they would not be able to accuse him of being a liar. He was never known as a liar.
If he did not lie about money matters, and materialistic items of this world, why would he lie about that from the heavens?
The Beginning of Revelation
Meditation in Cave Hira
So, one day as he was sitting and meditating, introspecting, thinking of what was going on, thinking of how solutions could be made possible for these people of Mecca, who were his own people, Quraysh, etc. Something happened. Something huge happened.
It was not the first time he went up into the mount, into the cave of Hira. He had been there many times. And he used to worry and have a concern about the evil that was taking place.
I pause again. How many of us are concerned about the evil that is taking place? Or are we a part of that evil? That's a good question. Sometimes we are part of the problem.
The Importance of Good Company
We need to ask ourselves, here is a man, the best of creation, the most noble of all messengers of the Almighty, and even prior to prophethood he was already concerned about the solutions to the problems that were being faced by the people. I think it should encourage myself and yourselves to think about solutions to problems that people are facing. No matter what those problems are, you need to introspect, you need to think, you need to discuss, you need to talk, you need to have a set of friends who are brilliant people because Muhammad, peace be upon him, had beautiful friends even prior to prophethood.
He had people like Abū Bakr Aş-Şiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, who was also known as a person who never ever indulged in that which was intoxicating. That's just one example. He was also truthful, he was also an upright business person.
Choosing the Right Company
He was young, subhān Allah. How many of us would be proud of the type of people we mix with, we interact with. Sometimes we interact with people simply because they're wealthy, but they have nothing besides the wealth.
Sometimes we interact with people simply because they're good looking, they have nothing besides looks. We need to ask ourselves when the Almighty has blessed us, would we be the best of friends for others? And I know some people ask me sometimes, they say, well you know what, I don't know if I'm in good company, if I'm in bad company or if they're in good company.
Say for example, I'm trying to lead a good life, I'm trying to be honest, I'm trying to be trustworthy, and honesty begins with honesty towards your maker, by worshipping him alone.
And then people say, well all these others who want to be my friends, sometimes they may have qualities, habits that are not that grand. So am I in bad company or are they in good company? Simple answer is, you have to look at who is impacting upon whom. If their bad qualities are being eradicated bit by bit, then they are in good company.
And if your good qualities and good habits are being eradicated bit by bit, then you're in bad company. As simple as that.
The Prophet's Marriage to Khadijah
Working for Khadijah
The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him had such a powerful impact upon people, that when he did some work for a lady, for a woman, known as Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, at that time she was not a Muslim, Islam had not yet come about in that region, and she was so impressed by his honesty, by his uprightness, by his skills of business.
Subhān Allah, imagine being employed by a woman, mā shā' Allah, tabārak Allah. I think when people look at us as Muslims, and some strict Muslims don't even realize that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him himself was actually working for a female at a certain stage, subhān Allah. It's got to do with how you deal with the opposite sex.
It needs to be respectful, it needs to be polite, it needs to be good, it needs to be based on that which is upright. And that's exactly what it was.
The Proposal and Marriage
So, she decided to do something very, very unique. What was it? According to the bulk of narrations, she was 40 years old at the time, and he was just 25. Imagine 15 years younger than her, and she tried something. What was it? She sent out a, what we would term proposal somehow, that she wanted to marry this man.
People say, astaghfirullāh, may Allah forgive us. People say, Muhammad peace be upon him was a womanizer, a'ūdhu billāh. I will prove to you within the next two days that that is the furthest from the truth.
Here he is, 25 years old, at the peak of his youth basically, just out of his teens into the 20s, and there is a woman 40 years old, and she is saying, I'd like to marry this man. Thought about it, and guess what? He agreed. He agreed, he married her.
She was the only spouse he had until she passed away. Subhān Allah.
The First Revelation
The Call to Read
Now I want to take you right up to the prophethood itself. When he was seated in this cave, and each one of us should be introspecting, our own condition. Every day you need to have spent the day better than the previous day. In every aspect of spending the day, better than the previous day.
And every day you need to think about how tomorrow can be better than that particular day. Then you are a true believer. But if your days are equal, you can do much better. You can do much more to improve yourself. In the same way, when we have a business, or when we have a salary, we would not like to see that salary remain the same. We want to see an improvement.
We don't want to see our business go down or be the same. We want to see it go up. We should also want to see our relationship with our maker improve and not go backwards.
So the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as he is in this cave, Allahsubḥānahū wa taʻālá sends the archangel Jibril, Gabriel, may peace be on him. Jibrīl´alayhi as-salām comes to the prophet, peace be upon him, and instructs him with an instruction, (اقْرَأْ - Iqra') - "Read."
The Unlettered Prophet
Now it was the plan of the almighty that the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was unlettered. Unlettered meaning, he didn't recognize the letters, he didn't read or write. That doesn't mean he was not educated. He was the most highly educated.
Didn't I tell you moments ago that he was a successful businessman, one of the best. Subhān Allah. Today people would probably study for 30, 40 years and keep on studying. And still they might not have even the slightest of understanding in certain topics. But the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, he had knowledge of absolutely everything. After nubuwwah, everything was given to him by Allah after prophethood. Prior to prophethood, Allah had blessed him in so many ways.
The First Verses Revealed
Here he is, şallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, listening to this angel that had come to him saying, (اقْرَأْ - Iqra') - "read." And he says, (مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئ - Ma ana bi-qāri') - "I am not a reader."
Mā ana bi-qāri'. He was not proud to admit that I'm not a qāri', I'm not a reader. So the revelation comes again, read. And he says it for the second time, I'm not a reader. Where is the setting? It is in Makkah, the cave of Hira. The prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is receiving the first of revelation.
He's told to read twice. And twice he replies, I'm not a reader. The third time he's told to read and the verses are revealed. And these verses are so powerful. Jibril, 'alayhi as-salām, actually embraces him so tight that he felt that he was being choked.
"Read in the name of your Lord who has created. Created man from a clinging substance."
The Power of Allah's Name
I want to pause there for a moment before I continue about prophethood. My brothers, my sisters, nothing is impossible for the Almighty. In the name of your Lord, everything is possible. Don't underestimate the power of your Maker. No matter what you're going through in life. No matter what you would like to achieve. Seek the help of your Maker. In the name of your Lord.
And at the same time, the capacity that that Maker has given you, utilize it to try to achieve what you want. I promise you the Almighty will open your doors if it is written for you. Don't give up hope in the mercy of the Almighty.
Here is a man being honest, saying, I'm not a reader. And the Almighty is telling him through revelation, by the name of your Lord. If you take the name of your Lord, you will go beyond the readers, those who read.
Modern Technology and Values
The Misuse of Knowledge and Technology
What is there in reading and writing if you have not benefited from it? What is there in being computer literate if you're only using it for pornography? And if you're only using it for harm, for robbery, for cheating, for deceiving, for stealing, etc. For spying. What was the point of becoming computer literate? I'd rather be one who does not know much but who is honest, trustworthy, developed character, conduct.
I might have learned through different means. The same would apply to our mobile gadgets. Many of us are interested in the latest, subhān Allah. We're interested in that which is such that if we had something today and tomorrow morning the same company came up with one notch higher, our hearts would sink, subhān Allah.
The Trap of Materialism
I know of people who have the absolute latest and they even show it to you. Here's the latest. Moments later, when there is one notch higher, they're depressed. Depressed to the degree that, you know what, I need that one. Fair enough, you want the latest but have you benefited from it? What do you do with your gadgets? What do you do with what Allah has blessed you with?
I wouldn't mind the older people who don't even know how to use a phone but they're such a pleasure to speak with. How many of us speak to our family members and we can put our phones aside.
Family Time and Technology
Look at the lessons we're drawing. And the reason why we have to do this is, technology has advanced and in the same way, they might have gone through something in their times, they did not compromise what was right. They didn't. They made sure that they did it.
I want to encourage all my brothers and sisters, whether you're a child, a father, a mother, a spouse, whoever you are, however you fit into your family, put aside your devices when it comes to the meals. Prohibit them on the table. Get together and eat at least once a day together as a family. It is more valuable than you can imagine.
You have a family. That family was blessed or you were blessed by Allah subḥānahū wa taʻālá by being given them. Ask those who don't have that. And yet, whole day we're on our phones, we come to the table, we're eating, one hand the phone, the other hand, I've seen young people mastering the art of operating a mobile device with one hand, subhān Allah, one hand. And the thumb is moving like you don't even know, even without looking at it, they're typing, they're doing things, mā shā' Allah, tabārak Allah. It's about time we put limits, and we knew where and when to use that phone, and how much to operate it.
The Prophet's Return to Khadijah
Seeking Comfort and Support
So, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is given revelation, and like I said, he's being honest. It's not easy to say, I know nothing about this phone. Today, when we're in the age of technology, and these mobile devices are becoming so sophisticated, that I was told recently that a time will come, when the
radiological departments of a lot of hospitals will be redundant, because you'd be able to do your scans and everything else with your mobile device.
Imagine the scan, you put it onto your belly, and a little while later you can tell, oh wow, it's a boy, can you see? Subhān Allah. Wow. I'm not trying to undermine those who are radiologists, but I'm telling you what the reality is. Subhān Allah. Life has changed. You remember something called post offices before? We used to write letters, now it's called snail mail. And you know what? If they didn't update, they became redundant completely. They had to start doing different things.
The First Person He Turned To
So here is the Prophet, peace be upon him, he's just achieved revelation, and the first words came down, the first verses came down, and he was at the top of the mount, and at the same time, because of him being hugged so tight, embraced so to speak, he rushed down that mountain, where did he go? He wanted to relate this most important event in his life to someone.
He wanted to relate it to someone. Who do I go to? Think about it, every one of us here. If you had something extremely important, that just happened to you, who would you relate it to? Who would be the first person you thought of? Where would you go? Many of us, we would not go to our spouses. They would be the last people to know. The world has changed, right? And if we did go to our spouses, they'd probably say, you deserve it. Yeah. You know, didn't they scare you to death or something? That's what we would say, subhān Allah. That's how we have actually degraded ourselves.
The Example of Marital Relations
Whereas, if we were true followers of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, we would learn something from the fact that as he ran down, the first person he embraced was this wife of his, 15 years older, senior. He had all his children from her besides one. All of them were from her. Subhān Allah.
And he comes down, he says (زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي - (Zammilūnī, zammilūnī) - "Cover me, cover me." You know, give me that hug. I need a tight hug. Subhān Allah. I've just translated it into our language, right? How many of us, when we feel that we need some form of reassurance, we would go to our spouse and say, give me that hug, subhān Allah. Subhān Allah.
I don't want to actually harp on how we have become. But I'm sure each one of us knows we have a lot of work to do. How close are you to your spouse? Make an effort. Many men and even women try to impress those whom they're not even related to and their own spouses are looking out for any form of attention and it's not coming. Subhān Allah. And we call ourselves Muslim. We call ourselves followers of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. What an insult we are sometimes. You have to work hard on your relations. You have to work very very hard if you would like to truly be a follower of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Khadijah's Response and Support
So he comes to Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, radiyallāhu ῾anhã. He embraces her. He relates what happened. You know what she says? She knows the man is such a brilliant man. He's honest, he's trustworthy, he helps people, he fulfills his duty, more than the duty. He looks after the widows and the orphans.
She says, (كَلَّا وَاللهِ لَا يُخْزِيكَ اللهُ أَبَدًا - (Kalla wallāhi lā yukhzīka Allāhu abadā) - "Nay, never, by Allah! Allah will never disgrace you." You know why? You're such a good man. Wow. Many men out here tonight, can your spouses say you're such a good man? Wow. Would they say you're such a good man? And if they did, I think it would not be unless you were present there saying, yeah, talk about me. Yeah, let's hear what you got to say. Very good man, really excellent, lovely person, etc. Why? Because you're standing there. Would your spouse be able to say you're a good man in your absence?
The Hadith on Being Good to Family
If that is the case, the same messenger tells us (خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي - (Khayrukum khayrukum li-ahlihi wa-ana khayrukum li-ahlī) - "The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family." (Tirmidhi 3895)
The term ahl starts off with wife, and then it goes on to your family members. So if you are the best to your family members, you are said to be the best of all of us. And then he caps that by saying, and I'm the best, from all of you to my family. Wow. That's what the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said.
Waraqah's Prophecy
Consultation with Waraqah
You see this? Beginning of nubuwwah, the wife says, Allah will never let you down, because you're a good man. You fulfill all of the good things. You look after widows and orphans, you look after the neighbors, you reach out to your family, etc. If you don't do any evil, how can Allah let you down?
And she took him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who was a cousin of hers. And what did he say? He was a man who had knowledge of the scriptures. And he says, after asking questions, he says a few things. I will mention one or two of them. He said, that is the same angel that came to the prophets before you like Jesus and Moses, etc. And now the angel has come to you. And I wish I was there the day you will be sent and instructed to give that message and convey it. Okay.
The Prophecy of Persecution
And then he says, a day will come when your people will drive you out. When your people will drive you out of your city. And he was surprised. He says, how and why will they drive me out of my city?
But he made mention of the fact that whenever you have come and been chosen by the Almighty for something, there has to be persecution. Because that is your test. Are you truthful? Are you not?
"Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: 'We believe,' and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make known those who are true, and will certainly make known those who are liars."
Wow. In order to distinguish the truthful from those who are not truthful. Those who are liars.
Steadfastness in the Face of Opposition
So, this man being chosen by Allah and he's being told you are going to be persecuted, but he was loved by his people prior to that. How many of us when we choose to do the right thing, we are not prepared to take a little bit of flack. We'll give it up.
Nowadays we'd rather give up what is just and right in order not to be stressed with what people have to say about us. I just need to fit in. I remember a young relative of mine telling me that I am inspired by being appropriately dressed and being upright, but all my friends and my family members, etc. meaning the others, young my age, they are so so into the latest in terms of fashion and design and they don't mind compromising what is right and wrong in order for them to fit in with the latest trends.
And I said, you know what? You need to remain steadfast upon what the Almighty has placed in your heart and you will be a leader. I promise you years passed and this young relative of mine became a leader, became someone who is considered a role model amongst the same circle of friends.
Had she given up what she considered correct because of what they were all saying, everyone would have lost. This is why when the Almighty has blessed you with guidance, with goodness, with morality, with uprightness, when He's placed in your heart the flicker of that Iman, the faith and the conviction, don't give it up. Smile. Be the best behaved person. Be polite. Be absolutely brilliant in your character and conduct, but be upright at the same time. No need to give up what is right, just because you want to fit in.
The First Public Declaration
The Call from Mount Safa
The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam was told, you're gonna be driven out. Anyway, now let's move ahead. If you look at Makkah at that time, they loved the Prophet, they had a problem in the period of ignorance with the black stone and with Hilf al-Fudūl, where there was a businessman who had come from outside who was cheated by the people and they all got together in order to promise that they will
fulfill the rights of those who come from afar when they come in for some reason and they will stand up for justice. They had involved Muhammad peace be upon him in solving those matters, even though he was young.
But now when he called the people up later on, Mount Şafā, he called his family members, come along. He called the others, come along. Part of the tribesmen, come along. And then he says, my beloved tribesmen, this is the Mount Şafā, if I were to tell you that there is an enemy on the other side of the mountain, the reason why he said that is because they were down, they couldn't see the other side, but he was on the top, he could see the other side.
If I were to tell you there is an enemy behind here, would you believe me? They said, indeed we would, because obviously you're a truthful man.
The Warning Message
He says, well I want to tell you that there is a day of reckoning that is coming.
Inni nadhīrun lakum bayna yaday 'adhābin shadīd) - "I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." (Quran 34:46)
There needs to be change. We need to worship the Almighty alone and stop every form of zulm, every form of oppression, and that which is wrong.
Abu Lahab's Reaction
They looked at him, from amongst them were the wealthy, the cronies, the others, everyone else, and they said, is this what you have gathered us here for? (أَلِهُذَا جَمَعْتَنَا - (Ali-hādhā jamaʻtanā) - "Is it for this you have gathered us?"
One of his uncles whose name was Abū Lahab, he gets up and he says (تَبَّا لَّكَ يَا مُحَمَّد - (Tabban laka yā Muhammad) - "Woe to you, O Muhammad!" Is this why you gathered us here? To tell us this, whatever you're calling us towards? And you know what? They refused to listen.
The Lesson of Accepting Correction
Now I pause for another moment. My brothers, my sisters, when we are going wrong in our lives, how many of us would thank a person who corrects us? How many of us would thank people who tell us what's right and wrong? My brother, you're going wrong. My sister, I don't think you should do this. My brother, improve your attitude. The way you're speaking to the people who work for you is unacceptable.
And they would say, you're telling me? Who do you think you are? It's not that. Improve yourself. Are you not a follower of this blessed Prophet Muhammad? Peace be upon him. Well, if you are, then correct yourself. Humble yourself. No matter who you are, accept correction.
I can take you back to the story of Abraham, the Prophet Ibrāhīm alayhi as-salām. As young as he was, he was correcting his father, and the father was too arrogant. He says, who are you? I will throw you into the fire. Look at the warnings. Just because he did not want to take advice from his young son.
How many of us, when our children tell us, mom, you're going wrong. Dad, what you've done is wrong. We say, shut up. Astaghfirullāh. A word that doesn't even sound, from my mouth, anything positive. Mā shā' Allah. It doesn't sound good. Keep quiet. Get lost, etc. We say that to our own kids. When they have a point, you just swore huge swear words, and your son is saying, hey, your daughter is telling you, hey, please don't do that. And you say, who are you? Why? May Allahsubḥānahū wa taʻālá grant us a deep understanding.
The First Believers
The Close Circle Accepts Islam
These people refused to listen to Muhammadsallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam, but the flicker of iman was in the hearts of a few. Those who knew the Prophet, peace be upon him, ‘Alī ibn Abī Țālib radiyallahu 'anhu, what a great companion of the Prophet, a cousin of the Prophet, a young boy at the time, he accepted the dīn.
I want to show you something very interesting. The close circle of this man, Muhammad, peace be upon him, immediately believed that what he is saying is the truth, because he's never lied. Who was the first one? Khadijah. The same lady, Khuwaylid radiyallāhu ῾anhã, the mother of the believers. May Allah bless her. She accepted immediately, I know my husband, I know him very well. He's an honest man. If he says it's blue, it's blue. If he says it's green, it's green. He's not going to lie.
With us, those closest to us actually know how bad we are. That's how it is. Let's change that. Come on, change it today by the will of Allah. Make it within your resolution for tonight that I'm going to change the way people look at me for the sake of Allah. They must look at me and say, honest person, upright, lovely, dedicated, far from sin and evil. A family man, a good man, etc. A lovely lady, concentrating on what benefits rather than what is harmful, etc.
Ali and Abu Bakr Accept Islam
So, the next, 'Alī ibn Abī Țālib radiyallāhu anhu, he was young, he was brought up by the Prophet, peace be upon him, he lived with him for a time. He says, I believe, yes, you're a messenger of Allah. I believe there is none worthy of worship besides Allah. And I believe that you're the messenger, indeed.
Who was then next from among the men? The first was Abū Bakr Aş-Şiddīq radiyallāhu 'anhu, what a great man. His name was actually 'Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān. That was the name of Abū Bakr. But his kuniya was Abū Bakr. And his father was known as Abū Quhāfah. So Abū Bakr ibn Abī Quhāfah, but his real name was 'Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān radiyallāhu 'anhu.
This man 'Abdullāh was the friend of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for years. When he came up with prophethood, immediately ‘Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān radiyallāhu 'anhu accepted it, immediately. If you're saying this, correct. I'm with you. And he went to his own friends, he says, you know, Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a messenger of Allah. And he started convincing them one after the other, and they came through.
The Power of Good Friendship
You know the ten who are given glad tidings of paradise, at the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, a lot of them were actually introduced to Islam by Abū Bakr Aş-Şiddīq radiyallāhu 'anhu. They were part of the same clique. They were part of the same friendship.
How many of us, when we do something upright, we phone our friends, listen, there's a good deed to be done, we'd like you to contribute, and let's come through. The ten of us, I'm sure we can handle this, we'll manage it on our own. Good deed. If that's the case, well done. Your friendship will come to fruit, in shā' Allah. Not only in this world, but even in the hereafter. But, if that friendship is only when you're going to hang out doing the wrong things, and I don't want to mention the wrong, because it's so much. Then what's the benefit of the friendship? Let that friendship be of benefit as well. Let it be of goodness, not just evil.
This is the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. His best friends were the ones who were closest to him, even after he received this beautiful prophethood.
The Period of Persecution
The Beginning of Hardship
Thereafter comes the period of persecutions. So now, there was a bit of a shock. Around Mecca, there is a man challenging everyone. He wants to change the religion of our forefathers. Who is he? He is Muhammad, the son of ‘Abdullāh. They said, but he was a good man. He was a really good man.
You know, when Şāliḥ, peace be upon him, came up with the message to the people, they said, O Şāliḥ, before you came up to us, telling us to worship God Almighty alone, we had a lot of hope in you. You were a good guy. We knew or we thought you were going to be one of the successful of our community. And then you came up with revelation, and you lost the plot. Astaghfirullāh.
That's what they told Şāliḥ. Similar, they told Muhammad, peace be upon him. What are you coming? What do you want? Are you after money? Are you after women? Are you after power, authority? And the same questions are asked today.
The Motivation Behind Good Deeds
When people do something nice, sometimes they're after something. It's only those who believe, that have sincerity, they're doing it for the Almighty. I always tell people, when I am taught to do good as a Muslim, I am taught to do good to those who deserve goodness. But more than that, to those who don't even deserve it. I don't do good to people because they've done good to me alone. But I do good to people, even if they've not done good to me. And even if they've done bad to me, simply because the Almighty loves those who do good.
And I want to be from amongst them. Haven't we heard in revelation,
"(Inna Allāha yuhibbu al-muhsinīn) - "Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good."
(Wallāhu yuhibbu al-muḥsinīn) - "And Allah loves those who do good."
So do good because Allah loves those who do good. You don't have to do good tit for tat. They did good, I do good. I do good because they deserve good. No, a winner is he or she, who can do good to those who do bad. Wow! This is Muhammad. This is his message, sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam.
The Story of Bilal's Persecution
They began persecutions one after the other. We know the story of Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ, how they had to... Astaghfirullāh. What they did to him. I don't even want to go through all of that. In the sun, the heat of the desert. And they dragged him with rocks in order to persecute him, punish him. You want to follow that man? We're gonna punish you.
He didn't give up. (أحد، أحد - Ahad Ahad) - "One, One." He continued saying, I believe in the one God, my Maker. No one else. I'm not going to worship anything and anyone else. You worship your Maker alone. That is what Islam says. Whoever created me is the only one who deserves that my head goes on the ground five times a day. For him and him alone. No one else.
The Pure Message of Islam
The beauty was, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was not calling towards himself. He was calling towards Allah. To this day, when you hear scholars, when you hear preachers, when you hear people who are calling you towards religion, if they are calling you towards themselves, they are at a loss. They are wrong. But if they are calling you towards the Almighty, and getting closer to your Maker, then they are indeed giving you a message. They are messengers of the messenger. They are doing the right thing. So don't be fooled by one who is calling you towards himself. Because he wants to be popular and famous. But rather, one who is calling you to worship Allah and Allah alone. That was the message of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
The Strength of Early Muslims
When they persecuted Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ, radiyallāhu 'anhu, he didn't give up. Whoever they persecuted at the time, they did not give up. Today, mā shā' Allah, today, we have a minimum of two shahāda. People already declared their faith by the will of Allahsubḥānahū wa taʻālá here. Here, tonight. And I want to tell you something interesting about it.
When people enter the fold of Islam today, I pray for them more than ever before because this is a time on the globe where it is not easy to be a Muslim. But they are coming into Islam. And I have seen people who are born Muslim, who do not value that religion.
Allah's Promise of Replacement
And Allah says it clearly
(Wa-in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum thumma lā yakūnū amthālakum) - "And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you."
When you see people who are born Muslim turn away from the goodness of that religion, I have been to the rural areas of Africa where I've seen people more keen on Islam than anywhere else on the globe. I've been to parts of northern Nigeria, and we know that when you hear Nigeria, people quickly hold their pockets. Right? It's unfortunate because that is wrong. It might just be a small group of people. But in actual fact, if you knew the people from the north and the people from a lot of the poorer nations, they are actually more connected to the Almighty than a lot of us, myself included.
The Dedication of Simple Believers
I've been brought to tears when I've seen how they learn the Quran without even having a mushaf. They learn on parchments. They write it on slates and on pieces of wood to this day. And we are sitting here giving up our faith slowly but surely. Giving it up to what? The pressure. Of what? Materialism, modernization, everything else.
You can be as modern as you want, you can have the most sophisticated living ever, but don't give up your connection with Allah. You can have the best car, the most luxury of homes. You can have millions in your bank account. That does not make you a person who is into the dunya. But it just is your test. Is all of that going to bring you closer to Allah? Or is it going to take you away from Allah? If it takes you away from your maker, you have lost. And if it takes you closer to your maker, you have won.
Don't Give Up Your Faith
So Muhammad, peace be upon him, persecutions began, they did not give up. How many of us, because of what people think of us, we give up? We'll give up our hijāb, we'll give up our salāh, we'll give up our... what is right and wrong, we won't read șalāh, we won't even read the Quran, we won't want to be seen
with anything. Even our name, you have a beautiful name. Instead of saying it, you've just chosen a small little nickname, and you like to give it because you don't even want to come across as a Muslim.
The Airport Prayer Experience
I remember once I was in Switzerland, and we were at the airport, and there was no room to read salāh. And my father was with me, and we decided to read șalāh in one corner. And I felt a little bit uneasy, but I knew this had to happen for the sake of Allah, because I wanted to look for a prayer room, but I didn't find it, and the time was running out. So I decided, you know what, we decided that we're gonna read salāh here, and we have to read qaşr anyway, a shortened șalāh, and we will go.
So, (الله أَكْبَر - Allahu Akbar), and we quickly started, and you'll be surprised, people started watching, and people gathered, and people actually asked us questions when we were done. What just happened there? Etc. And it was such an opportunity, I saw an elderly Caucasian lady who stopped, and she said, that was the most wonderful thing I've ever seen.
And I said, astaghfirullāh to myself, I said, oh Allah, forgive me, a moment ago I thought that I shouldn't be doing this, and look at these people, you have shown them the way we worship in a way that was unique, subhān Allah. And I wouldn't be surprised if later on, one or two of them might have shown a deeper interest in Islam. My aim and idea is not to convert people, no, that is in the hands of the Almighty.
The True Character of Muslims
But they have to know at least that we're good human beings, we spread goodness and peace, and we want to develop our character and conduct. We will be kind to Muslim, non-Muslim, to humankind and beyond, even to the other creatures of the Almighty. We believe that people have entered paradise because they were kind to an animal like a dog. Wow! What do you think being kind to another human being is going to get you to, if that thing got someone to paradise? May Allahsubḥānahū wa taʻālá grant us forgiveness.
So my brothers and sisters, without being persecuted, we're ready to give up our faith. Those with proper persecution, some of them were executed as well, they did not give up their faith. They didn't. They kept it. What a lesson we learn. Brothers and sisters, don't give up what you stand for. Don't give up your faith, in the face of whatever challenges you may have. Don't give up your maker.
The Value of Faith - The Diamond Analogy
Yes, it's beautiful, it's lovely. We have a gift of the Almighty. The problem is, it's only those who understand that this is a gift, who would be able to preserve it.
Imagine, imagine being given a stone, and being told, you know what? Go and sell this. And you don't know it's a diamond. And you take it to a butcher. The butcher will say, I don't need this. Right? Take it away. You take it then to a carpenter, he'll probably say, you know what? If you want me to dispose of the stone, pay me and then I'll take it for you.
It's only when you take it to the jeweler, and he sees that this is 10 million riyal, for example, he will close his whole store, and bring you in, and welcome you, and offer you tea and drinks, and everything else, and give you some perfume, and tell you, can I make an offer? Wow! And if you say no, he will say, listen, word of advice, don't walk out on the street alone, you need a few bodyguards. Wow! Because he's the only guy who has recognized that what you have is something worth millions.
The problem with us, we are just like those butchers and carpenters who don't know much about diamonds. Learn to understand that what you have is more valuable than any diamond. It's the dīn, it's the religion, it's the following of Muhammad peace be upon him. But you need to learn because we don't want those who have a warped understanding of the faith to overtake our understanding of it, and to make us people who begin to hate more than we love.
The Religion of Love and Peace
It's a religion of love, it's a religion of peace, it's a religion of tolerance. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him taught us how to spread the word because he spread it in the most beautiful way. He was so tolerant in the Meccan period of people who harmed him such that after a time they had to declare, wow, this man is indeed something else. He's a messenger. So many such stories.
Let me take you to something very interesting. And obviously I'm not able to cover every aspect of this Meccan period, but I'm going to take you through some of the aspects and draw lessons for us in our own lives. We spoke about persecution, we spoke about how the Prophet peace be upon him and his companions were persecuted, but they didn't give up. They did not give up. Imagine giving up. Your goodness stops the day you give up.
The Boycott
Three Years of Hardship
But there was something beyond mere persecution. There was a boycott. That boycott, entire Banū Hāshim was boycotted by Quraysh, their own people boycotted them. What must happen? No food, no drink, no one comes, no one goes. Why? Just because we're right. That's why. It happened for three whole years from the seventh year of Prophethood all the way down to the tenth year.
They didn't have food, they didn't have drink. The companions say that, you know what? We ate the leaves of the trees, but we didn't give up our faith. We were determined that, you know what? We're going to come out of this much stronger than we went into it.
The Test of Patience
They prayed to Allah, not for one day. These were the companions of the most blessed, the most loved unto Allah. Here is a Prophet, we believe he's the most loved unto the Almighty. Why is he going through such persecution for years on end? And they're praying and praying and calling out to Allah. And they're not seeing the result of it in front of them. But they knew that when the time is right, it's going to happen. And when it happens, we will emerge the most victorious.
So, if you open the books of the seerah, you will find that there was a parchment, an agreement, that Quraysh had made with one another in order to boycott the Muslims in a place known as Shiʻb Abī Țālib. And they hung that in the Kaaba, the most sacred house in existence. A day came when ants had actually eaten up that whole parchment. When they went, they saw the parchment is eaten. That's the day the boycott ended, three years later.
The Victory After Patience
Three years later, they emerged from there victorious. There is a lesson for that, or from that for every one of us. When people treat you in such a way, you can only emerge victorious. You need to be patient. We call out to the Almighty one day, two days, five days, one year, and we say, I called out to Allah, He's not answering me. And you know, now I'm just gonna be an atheist.
There was a brother three days ago, sent me an email. He said, you know, I'm suffering with this disease. May Allah give him cure. Say, Āmīn. And may Allah grant cure to all those who are sick and ill from amongst us and from the ummah and humanity at large. Say, Āmīn.
So my brothers and sisters, this guy comes, sends me an email saying, you know what, I'm suffering this disease. I've been calling out to the Almighty for a long time. I've been a good person. Now, I'm considering being an atheist because Allah is not coming to my help. How long? Not even a year. I replied saying, my brother, I know of atheists who have diseases bigger than yours. And they're turning to Allah. Subhān Allah. Look at that. Subhān Allah. It's a test of the Almighty. Don't lose faith.
Keep Calling Upon Allah
Keep it going. We call out to Allah one day, two days, then we give up. We call out for five days, ten days, one year, two years, we give up. Keep calling out. When the day is right, the time is right, what you want will be given to you on a golden platter. By the will of Allah. Do you believe? Yes. Well, then keep on going. Keep on praying. Keep on trying. If it's not coming, perhaps the Almighty knows that it's not the right time or it might not be the right thing.
But my brothers and sisters, take a look. At the three years they were praying, they kept on praying. They asked Allah. They suffered. No food, no drink. They ate the leaves. They started licking or chewing on the hides of the animals. The hides. The skin of the animals. They didn't complain. No one told Muhammad
peace be upon him, you know what? We're with you and we're losing. So now we're going away. Nobody. They took it. What's the lesson? Keep praying. Keep having hope in the mercy of Allah. Don't give up.
The Year of Sadness (ʻĀm al-Huzn)
Multiple Losses
Thereafter the Prophet (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم - sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam) suffered in the tenth year, ʻĀm al-Huzn (عَامُ الْحُزْنِ - "The Year of Sadness.") They came out of what? This hiṣār. They came out of the boycott. Three years later. And he lost his most beloved. Who was that? His wife. His wife Khadījah bint Khuwaylid. radiya Allāhu anhā.
The support. The pillar. The one who gave him every form of support he needed at the time. The one who gave him his children. Besides one. Ibrāhīm was from Māriyah. radiya Allāhu 'anhā al-Qibțiyyah. He was sad. One thing happened. Persecutions. Another thing happened. The boycotts. A third thing happened. I just lost my wife. A fourth thing happened. I lost my uncle. Who was a pillar of support as well. Abū Țālib.
The Death of Abu Talib
I lost him. It was a sad year. Abū Țālib had not accepted Islam. But he was a pillar of strength. He didn't allow. He did not allow the people of Mecca to harm his nephew. Not at all. Hijrah did not take place until after the death of Abū Țālib. When he was there, he was standing as a leader of Quraysh. He would not allow anyone to take the name of his nephew in a negative way. But he passed away.
Life is a Test
Why? Why would Allah do this to the most beloved? Because life is a test. And Allah wants every one of us to know that in your life, you'll have one thing negative, two things negative, three things negative, four things negative. Do not come and say, Someone's done black magic on me. It's not always the case with us.
Yes, I do acknowledge that there is a rise in that. I do acknowledge that people are doing certain things that they're not supposed to do. I do acknowledge that it does exist. But 99 times out of 100, the difficulties we have are not connected to superstition at all. Everyone's going through problem. People say, I have financial difficulty. Tell me who doesn't. I met a wealthy man three weeks ago. Very wealthy. He told me, business is no longer as it was. I said, just thank Allah. Thank Allah. That's it. It doesn't mean anything has happened or hasn't happened. In terms of superstition.
The Journey to Taif
Seeking New Audiences
Here is the Prophet, peace be upon him. He lost his wife. He was sad. He lost his uncle. He was sad. He
decided, you know what? I need to spread this message of Allah. Let me go further. Moments ago we heard Omar Isa deliver a beautiful song about the incident of Ta'if. What happened in Ta'if? The Prophet, peace be upon him, decided, let me go to Ta'if. If the people of Mecca are not listening, perhaps the people of Ta'if might hear.
Rejection and Persecution
It was worse. When he went to Țā'if, they didn't just reject. No, they rejected together with throwing stones and chasing and making the most blessed droplets of blood ever to exist actually bleed. And thereafter, the angels come and say, if you ask us to crush them, they will be crushed. If you ask us to bring the two mountains together, they will be brought together.
What would you do? A guy from down the road who's been disturbing you with his motor vehicle and a big noise every night when you're trying to sleep. Imagine for a moment an angel came to you and said, we can crush him. You say, crush him and his father. That's how far we've gone from the sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him. May Allah forgive us.
The Prophet's Mercy and Hope
But the Prophet, peace be upon him, he told the angels, no, if Allah hasn't guided them, perhaps He will guide their offspring. Have hope. Look at the hope he has. He has hope that the next generation, and Allah showed him already. It wasn't even the next generation. Those guys themselves sometime later accepted Islam, a lot of them. Today go to Țā'if, Muslimīn, mā shā' Allah. Hope. A lot of us don't have that determination, that hope.
The Famous Dua at Taif
On top of that, he raises his hands in order to pray. I can just imagine, I picture it all the time. You know the angels are listening to the duʻā' when you make a duʻā'. And I can imagine the Prophet, peace be upon him, the most blessed to tread this earth, the most loved by the Almighty, and he says, O Allah. And imagine everyone's listening now. All the angels are listening. He says, Allāhumma, O Allah, I'm complaining to you.
I can just imagine, I'm just imagining myself, that the angels are listening to this complaint of the Prophet. Who are you complaining about? What are you complaining about? We will deal with it here and now. But guess what he complained about? O Allah, I'm complaining to you about myself. I'm weak. Look, I'm so weak. I've come to Țā'if and these people are not even listening to what I have to say. Subhān Allah.
Self-Reflection vs Blaming Others
I'm complaining about myself, not about everyone else. Many of us, when we have a problem, we blame everyone else. But we never blame ourselves. We don't even want to look at whether we are part of the
problem. Like I said at the beginning of this talk. Subḥān Allah. So the Almighty is teaching us through the lessons that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, left for us. But we call ourselves the Muslims. We call ourselves people close to the Prophet. But we're far away from this beautiful life that he led, even with hardship.
Gratitude in Hardship
If you think you have hardship, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had greater hardship, but he was thankful. His companions had greater hardship, but they were thankful. And trust me, I want to prove to you that a day will come when the Almighty will shower some blessings in the midst of those hardships. Life is a struggle, but now and again you go on a holiday, you enjoyed it, right? Life is a struggle, but now and again you have a good day, a happy day, a lovely occasion, a memory. Subhān Allah. Life is a struggle, but now and again you might have a child, you're blessed with, may Allah grant us all good families. You might be blessed with something great, you might have a bonus somewhere, you might have found a good job, something happens.
So these good things are intertwined in those things that seem negative to us.
The Night Journey and Ascension (Isrā' wal-Miʻrāj)
Allah's Gift After Hardship
I want to tell you something that was powerful, that Allah blessed the Prophet, peace be upon him, with. I already spoke to you about persecutions, spoke to you about the boycott, spoke to you about the loss of his wife, spoke to you about the loss of his uncle, spoke to you about Țā'if, it was known as ʻĀm al-Huzn (عَامُ الْحُزْنِ - the year of sadness). For who? For the most beloved unto Allah. And then Allah says, we want to give you a gift.
(Subhāna alladhī asrā bi-ʻabdihi laylan mina al-masjidi al-ḥarāmi ilā al-masjidi al-aqṣā) - "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa."
The Almighty took the messenger, peace be upon him, in body and soul, miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem all the way up to the seven heavens and he saw Jannah, Jahannam, he met with Allah according to some narrations and he saw and met with all the messengers in these heavens one after the other and he came down back to his bedding in a short space of time and that is known as the Isra' and the Miʻrāj.
The Miracle is Possible
Allah blessed him with such a great gift and we believe it happened you know today or was it last night I was talking to someone about Isrā' and Miʻrāj and he was telling me you know scientific evidence now
Abu Bakr's Faith (As-Siddiq)
And the people started saying things this is impossible, how could it have happened they went back to this man Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān do you remember who is ‘Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān anyone can you say it loudly Mã shā' Allah, Abū Bakr Aş-Şiddīq his name was ‘Abdullāh ibn 'Uthmān the prophet peace be upon him had come down the kuffār of Quraysh started telling the people do you believe this they asked Abū Bakr Abū Bakr radiyallāhu 'anhu obviously he knew that this is impossible for it to happen to any human but when he was told your friend is claiming this he said if my friend is claiming this then I believe that it definitely happened he became known as Aş-Şiddīq (الصديق) - "The Truthful" from that day on amazing the messenger peace be upon him.
Conclusion and Final Lessons
Personal Miracles and Blessings
So that's the last point I want to mention for today before we in shā' Allah we'll continue tomorrow by the will of Allah subhānahū wa taʻālá and that point is my brothers, my sisters you will go through hardship you will go through difficulty in your lives but the almighty will bless you with a lot of goodness he will show you miracles in your own personal private lives he will bless you in a million ways he will give you offspring he will give you offspring who will make you happy he will give you even if you don't have offspring he will give you something else he will give you a lot people are looking for spouses the almighty may he bless you with spouses who will be the coolness of your eyes I didn't hear a loud āmīn there mā shā' Allah that was now very loud I wonder what all the married men were saying āmīn for mā shā' Allah may Allah subḥānahū wa taʻālá bless you may Allah grant you goodness.
The Joy of Children
And when we have offspring subḥān Allah it brings the coolness of our eyes especially when we see them grow excitement subḥān Allah they go to school you know my friend Ghāzī Mannāī he was so excited to inform me about his daughter having graduated Al-Anūd mā shā' Allah and when he told us I could see the love in his eyes I could see subhān Allah and I'm telling myself these are the gifts of Allah that we need to appreciate all our children we congratulate them we are happy upon their graduation upon their happiness.
The Ultimate Graduation
But I want to tell you the reality the day we graduate with Jannah that is the day we will truly be happy may the almighty bless every one of us with paradise may Allah subḥānahū wa taʻālá grant us all the love that he has kept the special love that he has kept for us and may Allah subḥānahū wa taʻālá bless you all.
Aqūlu qawlī hādhā wa șallallāhu wa sallama wa bāraka alā nabiyyinā Muḥammad wa-s-salāmu 'alaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh.