Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

SERMON 1

In this sermon, he recalls the creation of the earth and sky and the birth of Adam:

Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim (to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so, whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the depths of understanding cannot reach; He, for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made firm the shaking earth with rocks.

 the foremost in religion is the acknowledgment of Him. The perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him. The perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness. The perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure. The perfection of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from the attribute. Thus, whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognizes His like. Who recognizes His like regards Him as two. Who regards Him as two recognizes parts for Him; and who recognizes parts for Him mistakes Him; and who mistakes Him points at Him; and who points at Him admits limitations for Him; and who admits limitations for Him numbers Him.

 Whoever said in what is He, held that He is contained; and whoever said on what is He held He is not on something else. He is a Being but not through phenomenon of coming into being. He Exists but not of non-Existence. He is with everything but not in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements and instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at from among His creation. He is only One, such that there is none with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss in his absence.

Creation of the Universe

He initiated creation and commenced it originally, without undergoing reflection, without making use of any experiment, without innovating any movement, and without experiencing any mental aspiration. He allotted all things their times, put together their variations, gave them their properties and determined their features. He knew them before creating them, fully realizing their limits and confines and appreciated their propensities and intricacies.

 When the Almighty created the openings of the atmosphere, expanse of firmament and strata of winds, He allowed water, whose waves were stormy and whose surges leapt one over the other, to flow onto it. He loaded dashing winds and breaking typhoons, ordered them to shed it back (as rain), gave the wind control over the vigor of the rain, and acquainted it with its limitations. The wind blew under it while water flowed furiously over it.

 Then, the Almighty created forth wind and made its movement sterile, perpetuated its position, intensified its motion and spread it far and wide. Then He ordered the wind to raise deep waters and to intensify the waves of the oceans. So the wind churned the water like the churning of curd and pushed it fiercely into the firmament, throwing its front position on therear while the stationary position flowed till its level was raised and the surface was full of foam. Then Almighty raised the foam to the open wind and vast firmament and made therefrom Theseven skies. He made the lower one as a stationary surge and the upper one as protective ceiling and high edifice without any pole to support it or nail to hold it together. Then He decorated them with stars and the light of meteors and hung in it the shining sun and effulgent moon under therevolving sky, moving the ceiling and rotating firmament.

Creation of the Angels

Then He created the openings between the high skies and filled them with all classes of His angels. Some of them are in prostration and do not rise. Others are in kneeling positions and do not stand u, p. Some of them are in array and do not leave their position. Others are extolling Allah and do not get tired. The sleep of the eye or the slip of wit or languor of the body or effect of forgetfulness does not effect them.

Among them are those who work as trusted bearers of His message, those who serve, speaking tongues for His prophets and those who carry His orders and injunctions. Among them are the protectors of His creatures and guards of the doors of the gardens of Paradise. Among them are those whose steps are fixed on earth but their necks protrude into the skies. Their limbs are out on all sides, their shoulders are in accord with the columns of the Divine Throne, their eyes are cast down before it, they have spread their wings down under it and they have rendered between themselves and all else curtains of honor and screens of power. They do not think of their Creator through image, do not impute created attributes to Him, do not confine Him within abodes and do not point at Him through illustrations.

Creation of Adam

Allah collected clay from hard, soft, sweet and sour earth, which He moistened with water till it became pure and kneaded it with moisture till it became gluey. From it He carved an image with curves, joints, limbs and segments. He solidified it till it dried up for a fixed time and a known duration. Then He blew into it out of His Spirit whereupon it took the pattern of a human being with a mind that governed him, intelligence which he made use of, limbs that served him, organs that changed his position, sagacity that differentiated between truth and untruth, tastes and smells, colors and species. He was a mixture of clays of different colors, cohesive materials, divergent contradictories and differing properties like heat, cold, softness and hardness.

Then Allah asked the angels to fulfill His promise with them and to accomplish the pledge of His injunction to them by acknowledging Him through prostration to Him and submission to His honored position. So Allah said: A Prostrate to Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). (Holy Qur’an, 2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116). Self-importance withheld him and vice overcame him. So that he took pride in his own creation with fire and treated the creation of clay contemptuously. So Allah allowed him time in order to let him fully deserve His wrath, and to complete (man’s) test and to fulfill the promise (He had made to Satan). Thus, He said: A Verily you have been allowed time till the known Day(Holy Qur’an, 15:38, 38:81).

Thereafter, Allah placed Adam (–) in a house where He made his life and his stay safe, and He cautioned him of Iblis and his enmity. Then his enemy (Iblis) envied Adam’s abiding in Paradise and his contacts with the virtuous. So he changed his conviction into wavering and determination into weakness. He thus converted his happiness into fear and his prestige into shame. Then Allah offered to Adam (–) the chance to repent, taught him words of His Mercy, promised him return to His Paradise and sent him down to the place of trial and procreation of Progeny.

Allah Chooses His Prophets

From Adam’s progeny, Allah chose prophets and took their pledge for His revelation and for carrying His message as their trust. Throughout the course of time many people perverted Allah’s trust with them and ignored His position and took associates along with Him. Satan turned them away from knowing Allah and kept them aloof from His worship. Then Allah sent His Messengers and a series of His prophets toward people to get them to fulfill the pledges of His creation, to recall His bounties to them, to exhort them by preaching, to unveil before them the hidden virtues of wisdom and to show them the signs of His Omnipotence. Of these signs He showed the sky which is raised over them, the earth that is placed beneath them, a means of livelihood to sustain, death that makes them die, ailments that turn them old and incidents that successively betake them.

Allah never allowed His creation to remain without a Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  deputed by Him, or a book sent down from Him or a binding argument or a standing plea. These Messengers were such that they did not feel little because of smallness of their number or the largeness of the number of their falsifiers. Among them was either a predecessor who would name the one to follow or the follower who had been introduced by the predecessor.

The Prophet) hood of Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household)

In this way, ages passed by and times rolled on. Fathers passed away while sons took their places till Allah deputed Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household) as His Prophet, in fulfilllment of His promise and in completion of His Prophethood. Muhammed’s pledge had been taken from the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  s, his traits of character were well reputed and his birth was honorable. The people of the earth at this time were divided in different parties, their aims were separate and ways were diverse. They either loved Allah and His creation or twisted His Names or turned to those other than Him. Through Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household), Allah guided them out of wrong and with his efforts took them out of ignorance.

Then Allah chose Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household) to meet Him, selected him for His own nearness, regarded him too dignified to remain in this world and decided to remove him from this place of trial. So He drew him towards Himself with honor. Allah may shower His blessing on him and his progeny.

The Holy Qur’an and the Sunna

But the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  left among you the same that other Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  s left among their people, as Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  s do not leave their people intentionally (in the dark) without a clear path and a standing ensign. He left the Book of your Creator clarifying its permission and prohibitions, its obligations and discretion, its repealing injunctions and therepealed ones, its permissible matters and compulsory ones, its particulars and the general ones, its lessons and illustrations, its long and the short ones, its clear and obscure ones, detailing its abbreviations and clarifying its obscurities.

In it there are some verses whose knowledge1 is obligatory and others whose ignorance by the people is permissible. It also contains what appears to be obligatory according to the Book2 but its repeal is signified by the Prophet’s action (Sunna) or that which appears compulsory according to the Prophet’s action but the Book allows not following it. Or there are those which are obligatory in a given time but not so after that time. Its prohibitions also differ. Some are major ones for which there exists the threat of fire (Hell), and others are minor ones for which there are prospects of forgiveness. There are also those of which a small portion is also acceptable (to Allah) but they are capable of being expanded.

In this very sermon, he spoke about Hajj

Allah has made obligatory upon you the pilgrimage (hajj) to His sacred House which is the turning point for the people who go to it as beasts or pigeons go towards spring water. Allah the glorified made it a sign of their supplication before His Greatness and their acknowledgment of His Dignity. He selected from among His creation those, who on listening to His call, responded to it and testified to His word. They stood in the position of His Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  s and resembled His angels who surround the Divine Throne securing all the benefits of performing His worship and hastening towards His promised forgiveness. Allah the glorified made it (His sacred House) an emblem for Islam and an object of respect for those who turn to it. He made obligatory its pilgrimage and laid down its claim for which He held you responsible to discharge it. Thus, Allah the glorified said:

.Allah (purely) for Allah, is incumbent upon mankind, the

pilgrimage to the House, for those who can afford to journey thither.

And whoever denieth then verily, Allah is Self-sufficiently independent of the Worlds (Holy Qur’an, 3:96).

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1. A The foremost in religion (din ) is His knowledge. the literal meaning of din is obedience, and its popular sense is a code. Whether the literal sense is taken or the popular one, in either case, if the mind is devoid of any conception of Divinity, there would be no question of obedience, nor of following any code; because when there is no aim there is no point in advancing towards it. Where there is no object in view there is no sense in making efforts to achieve it. Nevertheless, when the nature and guiding faculty of man bring him in contact with a superior Authority and his taste for obedience and impulse of submission subjugates him before a Deity, he finds himself bound by certain limitations as against abject freedom of activity. These very limitations are din (Religion) whose point of commencement is knowledge of Allah and acknowledgment of His Being.

After pointing out the essentials of the Divine knowledge Amir, al-Mu’minin has described its important constituents and conditions. He holds those stages of such knowledge which people generally regard as the point of highest approach to be insufficient. He says that its first stage is that with the natural sense of search for the unknown and the guidance of conscience or on hearing from the followers of religions an image of the Unseen Being known as Allah is formed in the mind. This image, in fact, is the forerunner of the obligation to thinking and reflection and to seeking His knowledge. But those who love idleness, or are under pressure of environment, do not undertake this search despite the creation of such an image and the image fails to get testified. In this case they remain deprived of the Divine knowledge. Since access to the stage of testifying after the formation of image is by volition, they deserve to be questioned about it. But one who is moved by the power of this image goes further and considers thinking and reflection necessary. In this way one reaches the next stage in the attainment of the Divine knowledge, namely to search for the Creator through diversification of the creation and species of creatures. This is because every picture is a solid and inflexible guide to the existence of its painter and every effect to the action of its cause. When he casts his glance around himself he does not find a single thing which might have come into existence without the act of a maker so much so that he does not find the sign of a footstep without a walker nor a construction without a builder. How can he comprehend that this blue sky with the sun and the moon in its expanse and the earth with the exuberance of its grass and flowers could have come into existence without the action of a Creator? Therefore, after observing all that exists in the world and theregulated system of the entire creation no one can help but conclude that there is a Creator for this world of diversities because existence cannot come out of non-existence, nor can existence sprout forth from nothingness.

The Holy Qur’an has pointed to this reasoning thus: A .What?! about Allah is there any doubt, the Originator of the heavens and the earth? . (14:10)

But this stage would also be insufficient if this testimony in favor of Allah is tarnished by belief in the divinity of some other deity.

The third stage is that His existence should be acknowledged along with belief in Unity and Oneness. Without this the testimony to Allah’s existence cannot be complete because if more gods are believed in, He would not be One. Whereas it is necessary that He should be One. The reason is that in case of more than one god the question would arise whether one of them created all this creation or all of them together. If one of them created it there should be some difference to distinguish him, otherwise, he would be accorded preferential position without reason, which is unacceptable to the mind. If all have created it collectively then the position has only two forms; either he cannot perform his functions without the assistance of others or he is above the need for their assistance. The first case means he is incapable and in need of others while the other case means that there are several regular performers of a single act and the fallacy of both has already been shown. If we assume that all the gods performed the act of creation by dividing it among themselves, all the creation would not bear the same relationship towards the creator. This is because each creature will bear relationship only to its own creator whereas every creature should have one and the same relationship to all creators. This is because all the creation should have one and the same relationship to all the creators as all the created in their capacity to accept effect and all the creators in their capacity to produce effect should be similar. In short there is no way but to acknowledge Him as One because to believe in numerous creators allows no possibility of the existence of any other thing, and destruction proves implicit for the earth, the sky and everything in creation. Allah the glorified has expressed his argument in the following words:

Had there been in the heavens and the earth [other]) gods except Allah, they both (the heavens and the earth would have been) in disorder . (Holy Qur’an, 21:22).

The fourth stage is that Allah should be regarded free of all defects and deficiencies, devoid of body, form, illustration, similarity, position of place or time, motion, stillness, incapability and ignorance. This is because there can be no deficiency or defect in the perfect Being nor can anyone be deemed like Him because all these attributes bring down a being from the high position of the Creator to the low position of the created. That is why along with Unity, Allah has held purity from deficiency of equal importance.

Say: He (Allah) is One (alone). Allah, the needless. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him . (Holy Qur’an, 112:1-4).

Vision perceives Him not, and He perceives (all) vision; He is the Subtle, the All-aware . (Holy Qur’an, 6:104).

So coin ye not any similitudes to Allah; verily Allah knows (everything) and ye know not . (Holy Qur’an, 16:74).

.Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him; and He (alone) is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing. (Holy Qur’an, 42:11)

The fifth stage of completing His Knowledge is that attributes should not be put on Him from outside lest there be duality in His Oneness. Deviating from its proper connotation, Unity may fall into the labyrinth of one-in-three and three-in-one, because His Being is not a combination of essence and form so that attributes may cling to Him like the smell of the flowers or brightness in the stars. Rather, He is the fountainhead of all attributes and needs no medium for manifestation of His perfect Attributes. If He is named Omniscient it is because the signs of his knowledge are manifest. If He is called Omnipotent it is because every particle points to His Omnipotence and Activity. If the power to listen or to see is attributed to him, it is because the cohesion of the entire creation and its administration cannot be done without hearing or seeing. But the existence of these attributes in Him cannot be held in the same way as in the creation. He should be capable to know only after He acquires knowledge or He should be powerful and strong only after energy runs into His limbs because taking attributes as separate from His Being would connote duality and where there is duality unity disappears. That is how Amir al-Mu’minin has rejected the idea of attributes being in addition to His Being, presented Unity in its true significance, and did not allow Unity to be tainted with stains of multiplicity. This does not mean that adjectives cannot at all be attributed to Him. This would be giving support to those who are groping in the dark abyss of negativism, although every nook and corner in the entire Existence is brimming with His attributes and every particle of creation stands witness that He has knowledge, He is powerful, He hears and He sees. He nurtures under His care and allows growth under His mercy. The intention is that for Him, nothing can be suggested to serve as an adjunct to Him, because His Self includes attributes and His attributes connote His Self. Let us learn this very theme in the words of Imam Abu A Abdillah Ja’far ibn Muhammed as-Sadiq (–) comparing it with the belief in Unity adopted by other religions and then appreciate who is the exponent of the true concept of Unity.

The Imam says the following:

Our Lord, the Glorified, the Magnificent One, has knowledge of Himself even though there was nothing to know, sight of Himself even though there is nothing to behold, hearing of Himself even though there is nothing to hear, and Potency of Himself even though there is nothing under His Potency. When He created the things and the object of knowledge came into existence, His knowledge became related to the known, hearing related to the heard, sight related to Theseen, and potency related to its object. (at-Tawhid by ash-Sheikh as-Saduq, p.139)

This is the belief over which the Imams of the Prophet’s family are unanimous, but the majority group has adopted a different course by creating the idea of differentiation between His Self and Attributes. ash-Shahristani says on , p. 42 of his bookKitab al-Milal wal-Nihal :

According to Abul-Hasan al-Ash’ari Allah knows through (the attribute of) knowledge, is Powerful through activity, speaks through speech, hears through hearing and sees through sight.

If we regard attributes distinct from Self in this manner there would be two alternatives; either the attributes must have existed in Him or they must have occurred later. In the first case we have to recognize as many eternal objects as the attributes which all will share with Him in being eternal, but A Allah is above that which people deem Him to have equals. In The second case, in addition to subjecting Him to the alternations, it would also mean that before the acquiring of the attributes He was neither scient, nor powerful, nor hearer nor beholder and this runs counter to the basic tenet of Islam.

.Allah has decreed trade lawful and has forbidden interest. (Holy Qur’an, 2:275)

And when you have finished the prayer remember Allah standing, and sitting, and reacting, and when ye are secure (from danger) establish prayer . (Holy Qur’an, 4:103).

O ye men! Eat of what is in the earth lawful and good and follow not the foot-steps of Satan; for verily he is an open enemy unto you . (Holy Qur’an, 2:168).

(And) say thou: I am only a man like you, it is revealed unto me that your god is but one Allah, therefore whosoever desireth to meet his Master, let him do good deeds, and associate none in the worship of his Master. (Holy Qur’an, 18:110).

What?! Enjoin ye upon the people righteousness and ye forget your own selves? Yet ye read the scripture? What?! Do ye not understand ? (Holy Qur’an, 2:44)

2. About the Holy Qur’an Amir al-Mu’minin says that it contains description of the permitted and forbidden acts such as A Allah has allowed sale and purchase but prohibited usury.

It clarifies obligatory and optional acts such as A when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah rising, sitting or lying and when you feel safe (from the enemy) then say the prayers (as usual). (4:104)

Here prayer is obligatory while other forms of remembering (Allah) are optional. It has repealing and repealed verses such as about the period of seclusion after the husband’s death A four months and ten days or therepealed one such as A till one year without going out which shows that this period of seclusion should be one year. In particular places it permits the forbidden such as A whoever is compelled without being willfully wrongful or a transgressor, commits no sins.

It has positive injunctions such A One should not add anyone with Allah in worship. It has particular and general injunctions. Particular is the one where the word shows generality but Thesense is limited such as A I have made you superior over worlds. O Banu Isra’il.

Here, the meaning of A worlds is confined to that particular time, although the word is general in its literal meaning. The general injunction is one which is extensive in meaning such as A Allah has knowledge of everything. It has lessons and illustrations such as A Allah caught him in the punishment of this world and the next and there is a lesson in it.

ASo Allah seized him, with the chastisement in the hereafter, and the life before (it) (Holy Qur’an. 79:25)

AVerily in this there is a lesson unto him who feareth  (Allah). (Holy Qur’an, 79:26)

A A kind word and pardon is better than charity that is  followed by injury, and verily Allah is Self-sufficient, the  Most forbearing . (Holy Qur’an, 2:263)

A And remember when We made a covenant with you and

raised the A Tur’ (the Mountain) above you (saying), A Hold ye fastto  that which We have bestowed upon you with the strength (of determination) and remember that which is therein so that you may guard (yourself) against evil. (Holy Qur’an, 2:63)

ASo we made it a lesson for (those of) their own times and for those (of their posterity) who came after them and an exhortation unto those who guard (themselves) against evil . (Holy Qur’an, 2:66)

AHe it is Who fashioneth you in the wombs (of your mothers) as He liketh; There is no god but He, the All-mighty, the All-wise . (Holy Qur’an, 3:5)

AObedience and a fair word; but when the affair is determined, then if they are true to Allah, it would certainly be better for them . (Holy Qur’an, 47:21)

AO those who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; and do not straiten them in order that ye may take a part of what ye have given, unless they are guilty of manifest lewdness; but deal kindly with them, and if ye hate them, it may be that ye hate a thing while Allah has placed in it abundant good . (Holy Qur’an, 4:19)

ASay thou (unto the people of the Book), A Dispute ye with us about Allah; whereas He is our Master and your Master, and for  us are our deeds and for you are your deeds; to Him (Alone) we are (exclusively) loyal ? (Holy Qur’an, 2:139)

A There is a lesson in it for him who fears Allah, and illustrations such as A The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain which grows seven ears each one of which bears hundred grains. It has unspecific and specific verses. Unspecific is one which has no limitation on specification such as A Recall when Moses told his people A Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow. A

Specific is one where denotation is limited as Allah says that A the cow should be such that it has neither been used for ploughing nor for irrigation fields. There is clarity and obscurity in it. The clarity is that which has no intricacy such as A Verily Allah has sway over everything, while the obscurity is whose meaning has complication such as A the Merciful (Allah) occupies the throne, whose apparent meaning gives the impressions as if Allah is bodily sitting on the Throne although the intention is to press His authority and control. In it there are brief injunctions such as A establish prayer and those of deep meanings such as the verses about which says the following:

A That the sense if not known except to Allah and those immersed in knowledge. Then Amir al-Mu’minin dilates upon this theme in a different style says that there are some things in it which are necessary to know, such as A So know that there is no god but Allah and there are others which are not necessary to know such as A aleef laam meem etc. It has also injunctions which have been repealed by the Prophet’s actions such as A As for your women who commit adultery get four male witnesses and if four witnesses do appear shut such women in the house till death ends their life. This punishment was current in early Islam but was later replaced by stoning in the case of married women. In it there are some injunctions which repealed the Prophet’s actions such as A Turn your face towards Masjid al-harm by which the injunction for facing Bayt al-Maqdis was repealed. It also contains injunctions which are obligatory only at a particular time was repealed. It also contains injunctions which are obligatory only at a particular time after which their obligation ends, such as A when the call for prayer is made on Friday then hasten towards remembrance of Allah. It has also indicated grades of prohibitions as the division of sins into light and serious onesClight such as A Tel the believers to lower their eye and serious ones such as A whoever kills a believer willfully his award is to remain in Hell for ever. It also contains injunctions where a little performance is enough but there is scope for further performance such as A Read the Holy Qur’an as much as you easily can.

Verily your Master, certainly is He the All-mighty, the All-merciful. (Holy Qur’an, 26:9)

Say thou (O Our Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household) ) unto the believer men that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; verily Allah is All-aware of what (all) ye do. (Holy Qur’an, 24:30)

Not equal are those of the believers who sit (holding back) other than those hurt, and those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their selves (lives). Allah has raised the strivers with their wealth and selves (lives), in rank above those sitting (holding back) ; Unto all (in faith) Allah has promised good: but those who strive, He has distinguished above those who sit (holding [by]) a great recompense. (Holy Qur’an, 4:95)

Verily, thy Master knowest that thou standest up (in the Night Prayer) night two-third of the night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, and a group of those with thee; and Allah measureth (well) the night and the day; Knoweth He that never can ye take (correct) account of it, so turneth He unto you (mercifully), so recite ye whatever be easy (in the prayers) to be read of the Holy Qur’an; Knoweth He that there may be among you sick, and others traveling in the earth seeking of the grace of Allah, and others fighting in the way of Allah, so recite ye as much as it can easily be done of it, and establish ye the (regular) prayers, and pay ye the (prescribed) poor-rate, and offer ye unto Allah a goodly loan; and whatsoever of good ye send on before hand for yourselves, ye will (surely) find it with Allah, that is the best and the greatest recompense; and seek ye the forgiveness of Allah; Verily, Allah if Oft-forgiving, the Most Merciful. (Holy Qur’an, 73:20)

SERMON 2

Delivered on return from Siffin before proclamation of Prophethood

I praise Allah seeking completion of His Blessing, submitting to His Glory and expecting safety from committing His sins. I invoke His help being in need of His Sufficiency (of protection). He whom He guides does not get astray. He with whom He is hostile gets no protection. He whom He supports does not remain needy. Praise is most weighty of all that is weighed and the most valuable of all that is treasured.

I stand witness that there is no god but Allah the One. He has no like. My testimony has been tested in its frankness and its essence shall store it facing the tribulations that overtake us because it is the foundation stone of Belief (iman) and the first step toward good actions and the Divine pleasure. It is the means to keep Satan away.

I also stand witness that Muhammed is the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household) Allah sent him with the illustrious religion, effective emblem, written Book,1 effulgent light, sparkling gleam and decisive in junctions in order to dispel doubts, present clear proofs, administer warning through signs and to warn of punishments. At that time people had fallen in vices whereby the rope of religion had been broken, the pillars of belief had been shaken, principles had been desecrated, system had become topsy turvy, openings were narrow, passage was dark, guidance was unknown and darkness prevailed.

Allah was being disobeyed, Satan was given support and Belief had been forsaken. As a result the pillars of religion fell down, its traces could not be discerned, its passages had been destroyed and its streets had fallen into decay. People obeyed Satan and tread his paths. They sought water from his watering places. Through them Satan’s emblems flew and his standard was raised in vices which trampled the people under their hoofs and treaded upon them with their feet. The vices stood on their toes (in full stature) and the people immersed in them were strayed, perplexed, ignorant and seduced as though in a good house2 with bad neighbors. Instead of sleep they had wakefulness and for antinomy they had tears in the eyes. They were a land where the learned were in bridle (keeping their mouths shut) while the ignorant were honored.

In the same sermon, Amir al-Mu’minin referred to Ahl al-Bayt (–) (the Household of the Holy Prophet  (†)) as follows:

They are the trustees of His secrets, shelter for His affairs, source of knowledge about Him, center of His wisdom, valleys for His books and mountains of His religion. With them alah straightened the bend of religion’s back and removed the trembling of its limbs.

In the same sermon, he spoke about the hypocrites thus:

They sowed vices, watered them with deception and harvested destruction. Non in the Islamic community can be taken at par with the Progeny3 of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  (Ale Muhammed (P.B.U.H. and His Holy Household) ). One who was under their obligation cannot be matched with them. They are the foundation of religion and the pillar of belief. The forward runner has to turn back to them while the follower has to overtake them. They possess the chief characteristics for vicegerency. In their favor exists the will and succession (of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  ). This is the time when right has returned to its owner and diverted to its center of return.

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1. The Preserved Record.

2. Good House means A Mecca’ while the bad neighbors mean the A unbelievers of Quraish.

3. About the Progeny of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  Amir al-Mu’minin has said htat no person in the world can be brought at par with them, nor can anyone be deemed their equal in sublimity, because the world is over laden with their obligations and has been able to secure eternal blessings only through their guidance. They are the corner stone and foundation of religion and the sustenance for its life and survival. They are such strong pillars of knowledge and belief that they can turn away the stormy flow of doubt and suspicion. They are such middle course among the paths of excess and backwardness that if some one goes far toward excess and exaggeration or falls behind then unless he comes back or steps forward to that middle course, he cannot be on the path of Islam. They possess all the characteristics which give the superiority in the right for vicegerency and leadership. Consequently, no one else in theumma enjoys the right of patronage and guardianship. That is why the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  declared them his vicegerents and successors. About will and succession the commentator ibn Abul-Hadid, the Mu’tazilite scholar, writes that there can be no doubt about the vicegerency of Amir al-Mu’minin but succession cannot imply succession in position although the Shi’ite sect has so interpreted it. It rather implies succession of learning. Now, if according to him succession is taken to imply succession in learning even he does no seem to succeed in achieving his object, because even by this interpretation the right of succeeding the Prophet (P.B.U.H. and His Household)  does not devolve on any other person. When ist is agreed that learning is the most essential requirement of khalifah (caliphate) because the most important of functions of the Prophet’s Caliph consist of dispensation of justice, solving problems of religious laws, clarifying intricacies and administration of religious penalties. If these functions are taken away from the prophet’s deputy, his position will come down to that of a worldly ruler. He cannot be regarded as the pivot of religious authority. Therefore, either we should keep governmental authority separate from Prophet’s vicegerency or accept the successor of the Prophet’s knowledge to suit that position.

The interpretation of ibn Abul-Hadid could be acceptable if Amir al-Mu’minin had uttered this sentence alone, but observing that it was uttered soon after Ali’s (–) recognition as Caliph and just after it the sentence A Right has returned to its owner exists, this interpretation of his seems baseless. Rather, the Prophet’s will cannot imply any other will except that for vicegerency and caliphate and succession would imply not succession in property nor in knowledge because this was not an occasion to mention it here. But, it must mean the succession in the right leadership which stood proved as from Allah not only on the ground of kinship, but on the ground of qualities of perfection.

Mecca the honored town

It may be useful to talk in brief about Mecca because it was the country where Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) was born and brought up, and where he announced his immortal mission in which but a group of slaves and weak people there believed whereas the chiefs and wealthy people resisted and fought with all weapons.

The talk about the Prophet (a.s.) and the study of his life require us to talk about Mecca and the cultural, ideological, and economic life of its people for I think it is from the requirements of the study on the Prophet (a.s.).

Other names of Mecca

For its importance to people, Mecca was named with some other names such as:

1. Ummol Qura (mother of villages)

Allah the Almighty has called it so in the Holy Qur'an when saying, (that you may warn the Mother of Villages and those around her).[1] It has been called so because it was the most important city.[2] In another place in the Qur'an, Allah has said, (And thus have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an, that you may warn the Mother of Villages and those around it).[3]

2. Al-Balad al-Ameen (the safe country)

It has been called so in the Holy Qur'an that Allah says, (I swear by the fig and the olive, and Mount Sinai, and this land of security).[4]

3. Becca

It was called so because it exhausted the arrogants if they disbelieved in it unjustly.[5] Allah says in the Qur'an, (Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Becca, blessed and a guidance for the nations).[6]

4. The Inviolable House

Mecca has been honored and called “the Inviolable House” that Allah made a Qibla for all people. It is narrated that this House (the Kaaba) had been built before Adam (a.s.). Abul Waleed al-Azraqi narrated a tradition from Imam Zaynol Aabidin (a.s.) that he said, “Allah the Almighty has sent his angels and said: Build Me a building in the earth like the House (in the Heaven) in form and size. Allah has ordered all those in the earth from His creatures to circumambulate it as the inhabitants of the Heavens circumambulate the much-frequented House (in the Heaven), and this was before the creation of Adam.”[7]

The one who built this house (the Kaaba) and made it a center for worshipping Allah was Prophet Abraham (a.s.) and his son Prophet Ishmael (a.s.). It was the first House in the earth that had been taken as a place of worshipping Allah. Allah has said, (Most surely the first house appointed for mankind is the one at Becca, blessed and a guidance for people).[8]

It is the most honored House that Allah has glorified and said about, (And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security, and: Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing-place (for prayer) of Abraham. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael saying: Purify My House for those who visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves).[9]

Abraham (a.s.) asked Allah to grant Mecca security and endow its people with fruits. Allah has said, (And when Abraham prayed: My Lord, make this a region of security and bestow upon its people fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day).[10] Allah has imposed on His people the pilgrimage to this glorified House by saying, (and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon people for the sake of Allah, (upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it).[11] Mecca has other names, as well, mentioned in the lexicons that one can refer to.

Its locality

Mecca extends from the west to the east in a distance of about three kilometers long and nearly half of that wide in a valley inclining from the north to the south between two mountain chains that are about to join each other in the east, west, and the south; that is to say the three gates of Mecca. Therefore, a comer cannot see its buildings except when he is at its gates. The north mountain chain consists of the mountain of al-Falaj (al-Falaq) in the west, and then the mountains of Qay’aqan, al-Hindi, La’la’, and Kada’ at the top of Mecca where the Prophet (a.s.) entered Mecca at conquering it. The south mountain chain consists of the mountain of Abu Hadeedah to the west, then Kada’, then Abu Qubays to the east of these two mountains, and then Khandamah. From the Kaaba, you can see the versants of these mountains full of houses and buildings in series until the bottom of the valley.[12]

Mecca lies in a barren valley surrounded by black mountains with no water source except the well of Zamzam and the water that is brought from other places. We shall talk about the economic life of Mecca in a coming chapter.

Mecca is the most beloved place to the Prophet

Mecca was the most beloved country to the Prophet (a.s.). In the year of the Conquest (of Mecca), he stopped when throwing the stones during the ritual of the hajj and said, “By Allah, you (Mecca) are the best of Allah’s land, and you are the most beloved of Allah’s land to me. If I was not forced to go out (of Mecca), I would not go out. It was not violable to anyone before me, and it shall not be violable to anyone after me. It was not violable to me except for a short time of a day, and then it is inviolable. Its trees should not be cut (during the Ihram in the hajj), its grass should not be mowed, and its lost things should not be picked except by their seeking owners.” Some man said, “O messenger of Allah, except al-Ithkhir because it is for our houses and our graves.” The Prophet (a.s.) said, “Except al-Ithkhir.” Then he said, “Whoever is patient with the hot of Mecca for an hour the Hell will be far from him for a distance of (travel of) one hundred years, and the Paradise will be near to him for two hundred years.”[13]

The Prophet glorifies the Kaaba

The Prophet (a.s.) sanctified the Inviolable House (the Kaaba) and glorified it so highly. Once, he was in the mosque. He turned towards the House and said addressing it, “I know that Allah the Almighty has not put a house in the earth more beloved to Him than you, and there is no country in the earth more beloved to me than you. I had not left you willingly, but those, who were unbelievers, forced me to leave.”[14]

The Prophet (a.s.) took great care of the Inviolable House, loved it too much, and made it the most holy place of worship in the earth.

The Prophet puts the Rock in its place

The tribe of Quraysh rebuilt the Kaaba after it had been destroyed. Aa’id bin Imran bin Makhzum, who was the Prophet’s (maternal) uncle, advanced and said to Quraysh, ‘O people of Quraysh, do not put (spend) in building it from your gains except good (well-gotten property). Let no dowry of a prostitute, money of usury, or an oppression against any one of people be included in it (the Kaaba).’

The clans of Quraysh began building the House. When they reached to the place of the Black Rock, the clans disagreed on putting it in its place. Each clan wanted to put it in its place to gain the honor and pride of that. The dispute grew and they were about to fight each other. Abu Umayya bin al-Mugheerah, who was from the obeyed notables of Quraysh, suggested, ‘Let the arbitrator between you on what you are disputing for be the first one who will enter from the gate of Bani Shayba…’ They all accepted his suggestion and saw that it would put an end to their dispute. The first one who entered from the gate of Bani Shayba was Muhammad (who was not prophet yet). They all cried out, ‘This is Muhammad the trustworthy…we accept his judgment…’

They told the Prophet (a.s.) what happened, and he solved the problem in a way that satisfied all of the clans. He asked them to bring a garment and said to them, ‘Let every clan of you hold a side of the garment and you all will participate in this virtue.’ They lifted the Black Rock in this way and the Prophet (a.s.) received it from them and put it in its place. The people of Quraysh admired this behavior of the Prophet (a.s.) that kept them safe from fighting each other.

The first who lived in Mecca

The first ones who lived in Mecca were Hagar and her son Ishmael (a.s.). Prophet Abraham (a.s.) took them there. At that time, the tribes of Jurhum passed by Mecca. They suffered thirst. One of them saw some birds hovering in that land and felt that there was water in that place. He told the caravan who hurried towards that place and found a spring, which was the well of Zamzam, and saw a woman with her child. They asked her to permit them to stay beside the well and she permitted them.

Ishmael was the guardian over the affairs of the Kaaba and other affairs of Mecca. When he died and was buried beside his mother Hagar, his son Nabit undertook the affairs of the House. After him, the tribes of Jurhum overcame the guardianship of the Kaaba and the affairs of Mecca. At the time of Jurhum, the tribe of Khuza’ah emigrated to Mecca and a war broke out between them and the tribe of Jurhum. Khuza’ah won the war and seized the emirate over the Kaaba from Jurhum.

The tribe of Khuza’ah ruled in Mecca and managed the affairs of the Kaaba for about three hundred years or more. Then, the tribes of Quraysh attacked them and seized Mecca from them after a war. The guardianship over the Kaaba and the emirate of Mecca became in the hands of Quraysh until the advent of Islam. Quraysh dug many wells and established some projects to improve the economic life in Mecca. Qussay (Prophet Muhammad’s great grandfather) assumed the emirate and established in his house a building and called it “Dar an-Nadwa; club or council” which we shall talk about soon.

The cultural life

That which dominated among some tribes of Mecca was the keeping of rights and assuring the benefits of strangers and the weak, and therefore two foundations were founded:

Dar an-Nadwa

It was like a parliament of nowadays. It was established by Qussay who made its door at the Mosque of the Kaaba. The people of Quraysh met there to deliberate with each other about the affairs of the town and the Inviolable House. The system of Dar an-Nadwa did not permit anyone under forty years to attend its meetings. It grew stronger and had importance among the Arabs. It was a center for deciding disputes and disagreements. Qussay entrusted the responsibility of Dar an-Nadwa to his son Abd Manaf.[15]

Hilf al-Fudhool (alliance of virtues)

The Alliance of al-Fudhool was one of the most important events in Mecca. It was founded to help the weak and keep the rights of strangers and minorities that lived in Mecca. It was a matter of pride for the people of Mecca and for the Arabs all because of its noble values. This alliance was established in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an. The Prophet (a.s.) reached it and he said about it, ‘I witnessed in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an the Alliance of al-Fudhool, and if I am invited to it in Islam, I will respond.’

It is worth mentioning that once a dispute took place between Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) and al-Waleed bin Utba bin Abu Sufyan who was the emir over Medina appointed by Mo’awiya. Al-Waleed wronged Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) who said, ‘I swear by Allah, that either you treat me justly or I will take my sword and rise in the mosque of the messenger of Allah and then I will call for the Alliance of al-Fudhool.’ Ibn az-Zubayr was present. He said, ‘And I swear by Allah, that if al-Husayn called for it, I would respond to him until he would be treated fairly or we would die.’ Al-Musawwir bin Makhrama az-Zuhri and Abdurrahman bin Uthman bin Abdullah at-Tamimi said the same. When al-Waleed heard that, he submitted and gave back Imam al-Husayn’s right.’[16]

The religious life

Idolatry was dominant in Mecca which was a fort for this belief that resulted from ignorance and shallow thinking. From the very devoted ones to the idols was Abu Sufyan the chief of the Umayyad family and one of the heads of Quraysh. He was very terrified when he saw the Prophet (a.s.) circumambulate the Kaaba and recite the hymn of Islam “Labaykallahumma labayk…”

He was very terrified and he cried out, ‘Exalt Hubal!’[17]

The Prophet (a.s.) replied to him, ‘O Abu Sufyan, Allah is more Exalted and more Glorious.’

More than three hundred idols were hung on the walls of the Kaaba. The people of Quraysh absolutely believed in those idols.

Who denied the idols

Some people of bright reason denied and mocked at the idols. The following are some of them:

1. Umru’ ul-Qayss

Umru’ ul-Qayss was one of the most famous poets in the pre-Islamic age. When his father was killed, he went to avenge on the killers. He went to an idol called Thul Khalasah that the Arabs sanctified. He sought what was best by arrows near the idol whether to fight against the killers of his father or not. It was negative for three times. He gathered the arrows, broke them, and hit the face of the idol with them. He abused and mocked at the idol and said, ‘If your father was killed, you would not let me free!’[18] Then, he went to avenge his father.

2. Ghawi bin Abdul Uzza

One day, he passed by an idol called Suwa’ and saw two foxes eat before it and then go up and urinate over its head. That scene provoked doubts inside him. He mocked at the idols and recited, “Is he a god that foxes urinate on his head?!

He is low on whom foxes urinate!”[19]

3. Zayd bin Umar

Zayd bin Umar scorned idolatry and thought that the worshipping of idols was as degrading of reason.

4. A nomad man

Once, a Bedouin with his camels passed by the shore of Jeddah. There was an idol called Sa’d. He came with his camels to the idol that it might bless them. When the camels saw the bloods of sacrifices on the idol, they ran away here and there. The Bedouin took a stone, threw the idol with it, and said, ‘May Allah not bless you as god! You startle my camels.’ Then he tried his best until he gathered his camels again. He left while reciting,

“We have come to Sa’d that he may reunite us,

but he scattered us; so we are not from Sa’d.

Surely Sa’d is but a rock on the earth,

who can call neither for deviation nor guidance.”[20]

5. Khuza’a bin Abd

Khuza’a bin Abd al-Muzani was the custodian of the idol of the tribe of Muzayna that was called Nahm. He apostatized the idol and went to the Prophet (a.s.) to be a Muslim.

6. Abdurrahman

When Abdurrahman bin Abi Sabrah reached the advent of the Prophet (a.s.), he went to an idol called Faras and destroyed it. Then he went to the Prophet (a.s.) and became a Muslim.

The belief of the Hashemites

The certain thing is that the Hashemite family believed in the religion of Prophet Abraham (a.s.) and they did not worship idols. Imam Ali (a.s.) said,

‘By Allah, neither my father, my grandfather Abdul Muttalib, Abd Manaf, nor Hashim had ever worshipped an idol. They worshipped Allah and were offering prayers towards the House (the Kaaba) due to the religion of Abraham and were keeping to it…’[21]

This shows that the Hashemite family believed in monotheism and was not deviant from the straight path of Allah.

The Prophet destroys the idols

Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) destroyed the idols in the Kaaba as his grandfather Prophet Abraham (as.) had done before. This was before his being sent to people as prophet. Imam Ali (a.s.) narrated,

“The Prophet (a.s.) and I went until we arrived in the Kaaba. The messenger of Allah asked me to sit down and he mounted on my shoulders. When I wanted to get up, he noticed a weakness in me. He dismounted and he himself sat down for me and asked me to mount on his shoulders. I mounted on his shoulders and he got up. I imagined that if I wanted, I would reach the horizon of the heaven. I went up the House and there was on it an idol of brass or copper. I began moving it right and left, from behind and from before until I could pluck it out. The messenger of Allah (a.s.) asked me to throw it down and I did. It broke into pieces as pots break. Then I got down. The messenger of Allah (a.s.) and I hastened back until we hid among houses for fear that someone of people might see us.”[22]

When Allah granted the great conquest over Mecca to His prophet, there were three hundred idols or more hung on the walls of the Kaaba which the tribes of Quraysh worshipped away from Allah. Among their famous idols there were Na’ilah, Asaf, Manaf, Thul Khalasah, Thul Kuna, Thul Sharaf, al-Uqaysar, Nahm, Sameer, and others.[23]

The master of those idols was Hubal which was the god of Abu Sufyan; Mo’awiya’s father and Yazid’s grandfather. It was made of copper and tied with iron pegs on the wall of the Kaaba. Imam Ali (a.s.) got upon the Prophet’s shoulders, plucked this idol out, and threw it to the ground while the Prophet (a.s.) was reciting this verse (And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing)).[24] Then, Imam Ali (a.s.) threw down the rest of idols and thus the Kaaba was purified[25] of those filths hung on the walls and taken as gods by Quraysh.

The economic life

Mecca was a stage for lively commercial activities. It had many commercial caravans and great capitals were used in speculation. The caravans of Mecca brought from Yemen the products of India, the silk of China, and the textiles of Aden, besides gold nuggets from Africa, and cotton, linen, silk, and colored clothes from Syria and Egypt. Weapons, grains, and oils were also imported from Syria. Profits reached one hundred percent in these trades.[26]

The people of Quraysh had two commercial journeys a year; one to Yemen in winter because it was warm, and the other to Sham in summer because it was cool. Without these two commercial journeys, the people of Quraysh could not live in Mecca which was safe from enemies because it had the Inviolable House of Allah.

Al-Kalbi, the historian says, ‘The first one who brought wheat from Sham was Hashim bin Abd Manaf (the Prophet’s grandfather).’

In Mecca, there were some very wealthy people among whom was Khadeeja (the Prophet’s wife). She invested her capitals in trade. The Prophet (a.s.) (before prophethood) worked with her monies in trade and got great profits. We shall talk about this in a coming chapter.

Abu Jahl’s mother had a shop of perfumes, Hind (Mo’awiya’s mother) sold goods for the tribe of Kalb in Syria,[27] and Abu Sufyan himself was the leader of the commercial caravans of Mecca.

Anyhow, Mecca was a commercial center and most of its merchants practiced usury in their dealings. Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib was one of the usurers. He had great wealth from this way. From the very wealthy people of Mecca was Abdullah bin Jad’an at-Tamimi, some Umayyad families, al-Waleed bin al-Mugheerah al-Makhzumi, Abdullah the father of Umar bin Abi Rabee’ah the poet, and others. The wealthy class lived at utmost ease and luxury and had tens of slaves whereas great masses of the inhabitants of Mecca lived wretchedly.

The social life

The most prominent Arab families that lived in Mecca were the Hashemite family and the Umayyad family. The natures and morals of these two families were too different. We refer in brief here to the natures of both.

The Hashemites

The Hashemites were famous for honor, succor, and high morals, and they were ideal examples of all perfect characteristics that mankind would pride on especially the Prophet’s family that was a gift from Allah’s mercy.

The Alawid[28] tree, since the dawn of its history until now, did not fruit but what benefited people. The Alawids undertook the interests of the wronged and the oppressed and all human rights. They did their best in the way of Allah, and they spread good and mercy among all people.

The Umayyads

The dominant morals of the Umayyads were oppression, selfishness, and aggression against people. Their defects, sins, and bad characteristics had blackened the face of history. Their souls were full of grudge and enmity against the Hashemites. They resisted Islam and strove to put out the light of the Islamic mission since its beginning. They stood against the Prophet (a.s.) and led armies to fight and do away with him, but Allah the Almighty repelled and abased them and supported His messenger against them.

The Umayyads bore malice and enmity against the Hashemites men and women. Historians mention that once Lady Aatikah bint Abdul Muttalib saw in sleep a vision that terrified her. She went to her brother al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib. She told her vision to him and said, ‘I fear that evil and calamity may afflict your people. Keep secret what I shall tell you…’

She told, ‘I saw a rider coming on a camel until he stopped at al-Abtah (mountain) and began shouting loudly: O people of perfidy, come on to your deaths! He said that three times. I saw that people crowded around him…then he took a rock and threw it. It dropped and when it reached the foot of the mountain, it broke into pieces. No house from the houses of Mecca remained except that a piece from that rock entered into it…’

Al-Abbas was terrified by that dream and he could not conceal it. He spread it among people. The news reached the Umayyads among whom there was Abu Jahl. They began mocking. Abu Jahl went to al-Abbas and said to him mockingly, ‘O bani[29] Abdul Muttalib, are you not satisfied that your men prophesy that now your women began prophesying?’

The vision of Aatikah came true that abasement and destruction afflicted the people of Quraysh. The battle of Badr took place and the tribe of Quraysh was defeated disgracefully. Killing, sorrow, and mourning entered all their houses.

Great personalities and glories

The origins that the Master of all creation Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) had branched from were the greatest of all human beings and nonesuch in purity, chastity, loftiness, and perfection among all that Allah has created.

Al-Mawardi says, ‘He (the Prophet) is from a lineage of noble fathers. No one among them is mean, but all of them are leading masters. The nobility of lineage and the purity of birth are from the conditions of prophethood.’[1]

The history of the Prophet’s glorious family is full of virtues and nobilities. This family had undertaken the social services to people, and what increased its honor and high position was the Prophet (a.s.) who had had all virtues of this world.

The Prophet (a.s.) was not the pride of Adnan[2] and the glory of the Hashemites only, but also he was and is the pride, the glory, and the honor of the humanity throughout all the stages of history. It was he who had built the civilization of man and caused springs of knowledge and wisdom to gush out in the earth. Here, we talk in brief about some pillars of this great family:

Hashim

His name was Amr, and he was called Amr ul-Ula (Amr of highness) for his exalted position and high standing. Also, he and his brothers were called “aqdah an-nidhar” meaning “gold”, and called “the protectors” for their generosity, honor, and leadership over the Arabs. As an example on his generosity is that when once Quraysh suffered a terrible famine, Hashim went to Sham, bought quantities of flour and cakes, and brought them to Mecca. He crumbled and sopped bread and cakes and slaughtered a camel. He offered the food to people until they became satiate. Therefore, he was called Hashim.[3] He also was called “Abul Battha’-father of the plain” and “Sayyid al-Battha’-master of the plain”.

He was at the top of honor and loftiness. Historian says that he satisfied the needs of wayfarers, gave rights to their people, protected the frightened, and these are the noblest qualities. When the month of Thul Hajja came, he made a speech before the people of Mecca encouraging them to serve the hajjis who came to the Kaaba. He said,

“O people of Quraysh, you are masters of the Arabs, the best of them in notability, the greatest in reason, and the noblest in lineages.

O people of Quraysh, you are neighbors of the House of Allah. He has honored you with His guardianship and favored you with His neighborhood away from the rest of the offspring of Ishmael. The visitors of Allah come to you to glorify His House and so they are your guests, and the worthiest to entertain the guests of Allah are you. Entertain His guests and the visitors of His House! By the Lord of this Building, if I had money enough for that, I would not ask you to that. I will take out of my lawful property, which no kinship has been deserted in, not been obtained by oppression, and not included any unlawful bit. Let whoever of you, who likes to do that, do that. I ask you by the sanctity of this House that let no anyone of you spend from his property on the entertainment of the visitors of the House of Allah except lawful money that has not been obtained wrongfully, and no kinship has been deserted by it, and has not been obtained by force.”[4]

This speech shows Hashim’s deep faith in Allah and his precaution in avoiding properties that are taken wrongfully. When Allah chose him to His neighborhood (made him die), he died while with a calm soul, pure, and unpolluted with the sins of the pre-Islamic era.

Abdul Muttalib

From the pillars of honor and pride of the Arabs was the noble master Abdul Muttalib. He was one of the noblest young men in his youth, and in his old age was the most notable one; therefore, he was called “Shaybatul Hamd-the old man of praise” because of the people’s much praise and gratefulness to him”.[5]

Abdul Muttalib’s faith

Abdul Muttalib was on the religion of his great grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He did not worship an idol, but he worshipped Allah the Almighty. The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Abdul Muttalib did not gamble, nor did he worship idols or eat from what was slain for idols. He often said: I am on the religion of my father Abraham”.[6]

Surely, he had deep faith in Allah that some sayings and too much poetry were transmitted from him showing his true faith. He said, “No unjust one leaves this life until he will be avenged on and afflicted with punishment.” He also said, “By Allah, behind (after) this house (life) there is a house where a good doer is rewarded for his good doing and a bad doer is punished for his bad doing.”[7]

These verses are ascribed to him,

“All people blame the time,

whereas our time has no defect except us.

We blame our time but the defect is in us,

And if the time can speak,

It will dispraise us.

A wolf does not eat a wolf’s flesh,

While we eat each other openly.”[8]

Entrusting the hospitality of the pilgrims to him

The hospitality and the watering of the pilgrims, who came to the Kaaba, were entrusted to Abdul Muttalib and he suffered too much in gathering water. He gathered it from rain and other sources and put it into leather basins to offer it generously to the pilgrims of Allah’s House.

It is very odd that the orientalist (Margolios) says, “Abdul Muttalib sold water to pilgrims and got great profits from that...”

Lutfi Jum’ah refutes him saying, “It is clear that Margolios compares the matter to some countries of Western Europe where generosity has no value except in rare cases. So, he cannot imagine that someone may offer his properties liberally except rarely. In most of Europe, no one can have a sip of water with no price, and the same is said about food. Margolios’s mind cannot imagine that Abdul Muttalib carried water and offered dates and raisins for the pilgrims as a means of approaching Allah the Almighty and entertaining the pilgrims…”[9]

Restoring the well of Zamzam

From the famous charismata of Abdul Muttalib in history, was his restoring of Zamzam Well after it had been buried for centuries, and the people of Mecca did not know its place. Abdul Muttalib uncovered it and refreshed life for the inhabitants of Mecca after they were suffering the bitterness of thirst.

Some historians say that the reason of the disappearance of Zamzam Well was that Mudhadh bin Amr al-Jurhumi, who lived about three hundred years before Abdul Muttalib, had involved in a war with his enemies that led to his defeat. He was certain that his enemies would drive him away from Mecca; therefore, he thought of depriving them of water. He hid his precious properties and gold in the well and buried the well and covered all its signs, and then he fled to Yemen. Sands accumulated over the well until it disappeared. The inhabitants of Mecca were obliged to dig many wells in the valleys of Mecca. Abdu Shams dug a well called Tuwa. Hashim dug a well and called it Bathr, and he allowed people to make use of it freely. Umayya dug a well and called it al-Hafr, but he monopolized it for himself. And the tribes of Mecca dug wells for themselves.[10]

However, Yaqut al-Hamawi, the historian, says that rains flooded the well of Zamzam and no one could find its place.[11]

Abdul Muttalib’s vision

Abdul Muttalib suffered too much in gathering water to offer it to the guests of Allah. Mecca faced a rainless year, and that was too heavy for Abdul Muttalib who felt pain for the pilgrims that they might be affected by the shortage of water. While he was in bed, he heard in sleep that someone ordered him to dig Tayyibah, or Barrah, or al-Madhmunah (names of wells). He saw the vision for three nights, but he was worried to reveal his vision that Harb bin Umayya and the men of Makhzoom might mock at him. Once again, the caller (in sleep) ordered him to re-dig the well of Zamzam and defined to him its place. Abdul Muttalib remembered that it was the very well that was at the time of his grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He carried out what the caller had ordered him (in the dream) to do. He took with him his son al-Harith, and they both made great efforts to remove the sands accumulated on the well. While digging, he found two gold gazelles, swords, and precious armors that belonged to Mudhadh al-Jurhami who had hid them in the well before his fleeing to Yemen. This news spread among the people of Quraysh. Some of them rose to ask Abdul Muttalib to let them have shares in that treasure, but some others said it was to be Abdul Muttalib’s. There was a dispute between the two parties, but Abdul Muttalib settled the arguments by determining to spend the treasure on the Kaaba and thus he was admired and glorified by the people of Quraysh.

After no long, water began gushing out and it flowed over the land to enliven Mecca, water its thirsty inhabitants, and refresh the economic life there. The news spread here and there like light, and all people; men and women, old and young, hurried to see that great achievement while Abdul Muttalib’s soul was full of joy and delight for that great conquest that provided the pilgrims of the Kaaba and the inhabitants of Mecca with the essence of life. His mention was raised high and all people everywhere praised his favor.

Abdul Muttalib’s vow

Abdul Muttalib met difficulties when searching for the well of Zamzam, the bitterest of which was the mocking of Quraysh at him and then their dispute with him on the treasure that he found. He felt that that was because of his weakness and the little children he had. Therefore, he vowed to Allah that if he would have ten children and when they would be adults, he would slaughter one of them at the Kaaba for the sake of Allah as his grandfather Abraham (a.s.) had done when he had finished building the Kaaba. And indeed, Allah endowed him with ten males; al-Harith, az-Zubayr, Hajl, Dhirar, al-Muqawwam, Abu Lahab, al-Abbas, Hamza, Abu Talib, and Abdullah, and some females; Safiyyah, Wabrah, Aatikah, Umm Hakeem, (Ajbahah), and Arwa.

Abdul Muttalib’s wish came true and he had ten males. Then, he had to fulfill his vow. He gathered his sons and told them about his vow. They all submitted and showed their obedience to their father. He chose by lot and it was Abdullah, the Prophet’s father and the most beloved to his father, who was to be slaughtered. Abdul Muttalib took Abdullah to the Kaaba to slaughter him there. The people of Quraysh hasten to him saying, “By Allah, you should not slaughter him. O Abul Harith, if you do, it shall be a custom followed by your people, and every man will bring his son to slaughter him here.”[12]

Abdul Muttalib said, “I have promised my Lord and I will fulfill what I have promised Him…”

Some other men tried to convince him to change his determination. They asked him to go to a diviner in Khaybar and to do whatever the diviner would tell him. Abdul Muttalib responded to them and went to the diviner. The diviner asked, “How much is the blood money among you?”

Abdul Muttalib said, “Ten camels (for a man).”

The diviner said, “Go back to your country and then offer a sacrifice for your man (Abdullah). Offer ten camels and draw lots on him and on the camels. If the lots fall on your man, then add other ten camels, and so on until your Lord will be pleased. When the lots fall on the camels, then you slaughter them and so your Lord will be pleased and your man will be saved…”

Abdul Muttalib went back to Mecca. He draws the lots on his son and camels, and in the tenth time the lots fell on the camels. People glorified Allah and cried out, “O Abdul Muttalib, your Lord is pleased.” Abdul Muttalib ordered one hundred camels to be slaughtered between the Safa and the Marwa,[13] and ordered a caller to call the people of Mecca to come to take some meat and they hurried from everywhere.[14]

Abdullah was saved from slaughter as his grandfather Ishmael had been saved before.

His care for the Prophet

Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) was born at the time of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. His father and mother died and he was adopted by his grandfather who looked after him with great love and kindness. The grandfather was certain that his grandson would be an important man in the future. Monks and others told him of that. He himself took much care of him and was too kind and loyal to him. He preferred him to all his sons and other grandsons.

Abdul Muttalib was cautious and worried about his grandson whose mention would fill the world and who would bring to them a great glory and immortal mention until the last day of life…Abdul Muttalib felt that his inevitable end was near, and he recommended his son Abu Talib saying to him,

“O Abu Talib, be a keeper to this lonely one who has not smelt his father’s scent or tasted his mother’s kindness. Be careful to regard him as your liver to your body, for I have left all my children and entrusted him to you. Support him with your tongue, hand, and money, for, by Allah, he will be a master over you and will have what no one of my fathers has had…”

Then he asked Abu Talib, “Do you accept my recommendation?”

Abu Talib said, “Yes, I accept your recommendation and Allah is the witness on that.”

Abdul Muttalib felt relieved from that burden oppressing him, and he said to Abu Talib, “Now, death is made light to me.” Then, he began kissing him (the Prophet) and saying, “I have not seen anyone more scented or more beautiful than you.”

Towards the High Companion

After this recommendation, Abdul Muttalib lived no long and soon he breathed his last. By his death, a bright page of nobility and honor was folded and Mecca was upset by this sad news, because people lost the reformer who was too loving and kind to them…he was escorted to his last abode by great masses and his funerals were so splendid.

It is worth mentioning that the Prophet (a.s.) was eight years old when his grandfather Abdul Muttalib died.[15] The Prophet (a.s.) was brought up in this family that had inherited nobility, honor, and magnanimity, and were accustomed to goodness, kindness, and charity.

Mecca the honored town

It may be useful to talk in brief about Mecca because it was the country where Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) was born and brought up, and where he announced his immortal mission in which but a group of slaves and weak people there believed whereas the chiefs and wealthy people resisted and fought with all weapons.

The talk about the Prophet (a.s.) and the study of his life require us to talk about Mecca and the cultural, ideological, and economic life of its people for I think it is from the requirements of the study on the Prophet (a.s.).

Other names of Mecca

For its importance to people, Mecca was named with some other names such as:

1. Ummol Qura (mother of villages)

Allah the Almighty has called it so in the Holy Qur'an when saying, (that you may warn the Mother of Villages and those around her).[1] It has been called so because it was the most important city.[2] In another place in the Qur'an, Allah has said, (And thus have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an, that you may warn the Mother of Villages and those around it).[3]

2. Al-Balad al-Ameen (the safe country)

It has been called so in the Holy Qur'an that Allah says, (I swear by the fig and the olive, and Mount Sinai, and this land of security).[4]

3. Becca

It was called so because it exhausted the arrogants if they disbelieved in it unjustly.[5] Allah says in the Qur'an, (Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Becca, blessed and a guidance for the nations).[6]

4. The Inviolable House

Mecca has been honored and called “the Inviolable House” that Allah made a Qibla for all people. It is narrated that this House (the Kaaba) had been built before Adam (a.s.). Abul Waleed al-Azraqi narrated a tradition from Imam Zaynol Aabidin (a.s.) that he said, “Allah the Almighty has sent his angels and said: Build Me a building in the earth like the House (in the Heaven) in form and size. Allah has ordered all those in the earth from His creatures to circumambulate it as the inhabitants of the Heavens circumambulate the much-frequented House (in the Heaven), and this was before the creation of Adam.”[7]

The one who built this house (the Kaaba) and made it a center for worshipping Allah was Prophet Abraham (a.s.) and his son Prophet Ishmael (a.s.). It was the first House in the earth that had been taken as a place of worshipping Allah. Allah has said, (Most surely the first house appointed for mankind is the one at Becca, blessed and a guidance for people).[8]

It is the most honored House that Allah has glorified and said about, (And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of) security, and: Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing-place (for prayer) of Abraham. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael saying: Purify My House for those who visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves).[9]

Abraham (a.s.) asked Allah to grant Mecca security and endow its people with fruits. Allah has said, (And when Abraham prayed: My Lord, make this a region of security and bestow upon its people fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day).[10] Allah has imposed on His people the pilgrimage to this glorified House by saying, (and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon people for the sake of Allah, (upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it).[11] Mecca has other names, as well, mentioned in the lexicons that one can refer to.

Its locality

Mecca extends from the west to the east in a distance of about three kilometers long and nearly half of that wide in a valley inclining from the north to the south between two mountain chains that are about to join each other in the east, west, and the south; that is to say the three gates of Mecca. Therefore, a comer cannot see its buildings except when he is at its gates. The north mountain chain consists of the mountain of al-Falaj (al-Falaq) in the west, and then the mountains of Qay’aqan, al-Hindi, La’la’, and Kada’ at the top of Mecca where the Prophet (a.s.) entered Mecca at conquering it. The south mountain chain consists of the mountain of Abu Hadeedah to the west, then Kada’, then Abu Qubays to the east of these two mountains, and then Khandamah. From the Kaaba, you can see the versants of these mountains full of houses and buildings in series until the bottom of the valley.[12]

Mecca lies in a barren valley surrounded by black mountains with no water source except the well of Zamzam and the water that is brought from other places. We shall talk about the economic life of Mecca in a coming chapter.

Mecca is the most beloved place to the Prophet

Mecca was the most beloved country to the Prophet (a.s.). In the year of the Conquest (of Mecca), he stopped when throwing the stones during the ritual of the hajj and said, “By Allah, you (Mecca) are the best of Allah’s land, and you are the most beloved of Allah’s land to me. If I was not forced to go out (of Mecca), I would not go out. It was not violable to anyone before me, and it shall not be violable to anyone after me. It was not violable to me except for a short time of a day, and then it is inviolable. Its trees should not be cut (during the Ihram in the hajj), its grass should not be mowed, and its lost things should not be picked except by their seeking owners.” Some man said, “O messenger of Allah, except al-Ithkhir because it is for our houses and our graves.” The Prophet (a.s.) said, “Except al-Ithkhir.” Then he said, “Whoever is patient with the hot of Mecca for an hour the Hell will be far from him for a distance of (travel of) one hundred years, and the Paradise will be near to him for two hundred years.”[13]

The Prophet glorifies the Kaaba

The Prophet (a.s.) sanctified the Inviolable House (the Kaaba) and glorified it so highly. Once, he was in the mosque. He turned towards the House and said addressing it, “I know that Allah the Almighty has not put a house in the earth more beloved to Him than you, and there is no country in the earth more beloved to me than you. I had not left you willingly, but those, who were unbelievers, forced me to leave.”[14]

The Prophet (a.s.) took great care of the Inviolable House, loved it too much, and made it the most holy place of worship in the earth.

The Prophet puts the Rock in its place

The tribe of Quraysh rebuilt the Kaaba after it had been destroyed. Aa’id bin Imran bin Makhzum, who was the Prophet’s (maternal) uncle, advanced and said to Quraysh, ‘O people of Quraysh, do not put (spend) in building it from your gains except good (well-gotten property). Let no dowry of a prostitute, money of usury, or an oppression against any one of people be included in it (the Kaaba).’

The clans of Quraysh began building the House. When they reached to the place of the Black Rock, the clans disagreed on putting it in its place. Each clan wanted to put it in its place to gain the honor and pride of that. The dispute grew and they were about to fight each other. Abu Umayya bin al-Mugheerah, who was from the obeyed notables of Quraysh, suggested, ‘Let the arbitrator between you on what you are disputing for be the first one who will enter from the gate of Bani Shayba…’ They all accepted his suggestion and saw that it would put an end to their dispute. The first one who entered from the gate of Bani Shayba was Muhammad (who was not prophet yet). They all cried out, ‘This is Muhammad the trustworthy…we accept his judgment…’

They told the Prophet (a.s.) what happened, and he solved the problem in a way that satisfied all of the clans. He asked them to bring a garment and said to them, ‘Let every clan of you hold a side of the garment and you all will participate in this virtue.’ They lifted the Black Rock in this way and the Prophet (a.s.) received it from them and put it in its place. The people of Quraysh admired this behavior of the Prophet (a.s.) that kept them safe from fighting each other.

The first who lived in Mecca

The first ones who lived in Mecca were Hagar and her son Ishmael (a.s.). Prophet Abraham (a.s.) took them there. At that time, the tribes of Jurhum passed by Mecca. They suffered thirst. One of them saw some birds hovering in that land and felt that there was water in that place. He told the caravan who hurried towards that place and found a spring, which was the well of Zamzam, and saw a woman with her child. They asked her to permit them to stay beside the well and she permitted them.

Ishmael was the guardian over the affairs of the Kaaba and other affairs of Mecca. When he died and was buried beside his mother Hagar, his son Nabit undertook the affairs of the House. After him, the tribes of Jurhum overcame the guardianship of the Kaaba and the affairs of Mecca. At the time of Jurhum, the tribe of Khuza’ah emigrated to Mecca and a war broke out between them and the tribe of Jurhum. Khuza’ah won the war and seized the emirate over the Kaaba from Jurhum.

The tribe of Khuza’ah ruled in Mecca and managed the affairs of the Kaaba for about three hundred years or more. Then, the tribes of Quraysh attacked them and seized Mecca from them after a war. The guardianship over the Kaaba and the emirate of Mecca became in the hands of Quraysh until the advent of Islam. Quraysh dug many wells and established some projects to improve the economic life in Mecca. Qussay (Prophet Muhammad’s great grandfather) assumed the emirate and established in his house a building and called it “Dar an-Nadwa; club or council” which we shall talk about soon.

The cultural life

That which dominated among some tribes of Mecca was the keeping of rights and assuring the benefits of strangers and the weak, and therefore two foundations were founded:

Dar an-Nadwa

It was like a parliament of nowadays. It was established by Qussay who made its door at the Mosque of the Kaaba. The people of Quraysh met there to deliberate with each other about the affairs of the town and the Inviolable House. The system of Dar an-Nadwa did not permit anyone under forty years to attend its meetings. It grew stronger and had importance among the Arabs. It was a center for deciding disputes and disagreements. Qussay entrusted the responsibility of Dar an-Nadwa to his son Abd Manaf.[15]

Hilf al-Fudhool (alliance of virtues)

The Alliance of al-Fudhool was one of the most important events in Mecca. It was founded to help the weak and keep the rights of strangers and minorities that lived in Mecca. It was a matter of pride for the people of Mecca and for the Arabs all because of its noble values. This alliance was established in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an. The Prophet (a.s.) reached it and he said about it, ‘I witnessed in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an the Alliance of al-Fudhool, and if I am invited to it in Islam, I will respond.’

It is worth mentioning that once a dispute took place between Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) and al-Waleed bin Utba bin Abu Sufyan who was the emir over Medina appointed by Mo’awiya. Al-Waleed wronged Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) who said, ‘I swear by Allah, that either you treat me justly or I will take my sword and rise in the mosque of the messenger of Allah and then I will call for the Alliance of al-Fudhool.’ Ibn az-Zubayr was present. He said, ‘And I swear by Allah, that if al-Husayn called for it, I would respond to him until he would be treated fairly or we would die.’ Al-Musawwir bin Makhrama az-Zuhri and Abdurrahman bin Uthman bin Abdullah at-Tamimi said the same. When al-Waleed heard that, he submitted and gave back Imam al-Husayn’s right.’[16]

The religious life

Idolatry was dominant in Mecca which was a fort for this belief that resulted from ignorance and shallow thinking. From the very devoted ones to the idols was Abu Sufyan the chief of the Umayyad family and one of the heads of Quraysh. He was very terrified when he saw the Prophet (a.s.) circumambulate the Kaaba and recite the hymn of Islam “Labaykallahumma labayk…”

He was very terrified and he cried out, ‘Exalt Hubal!’[17]

The Prophet (a.s.) replied to him, ‘O Abu Sufyan, Allah is more Exalted and more Glorious.’

More than three hundred idols were hung on the walls of the Kaaba. The people of Quraysh absolutely believed in those idols.

Who denied the idols

Some people of bright reason denied and mocked at the idols. The following are some of them:

1. Umru’ ul-Qayss

Umru’ ul-Qayss was one of the most famous poets in the pre-Islamic age. When his father was killed, he went to avenge on the killers. He went to an idol called Thul Khalasah that the Arabs sanctified. He sought what was best by arrows near the idol whether to fight against the killers of his father or not. It was negative for three times. He gathered the arrows, broke them, and hit the face of the idol with them. He abused and mocked at the idol and said, ‘If your father was killed, you would not let me free!’[18] Then, he went to avenge his father.

2. Ghawi bin Abdul Uzza

One day, he passed by an idol called Suwa’ and saw two foxes eat before it and then go up and urinate over its head. That scene provoked doubts inside him. He mocked at the idols and recited, “Is he a god that foxes urinate on his head?!

He is low on whom foxes urinate!”[19]

3. Zayd bin Umar

Zayd bin Umar scorned idolatry and thought that the worshipping of idols was as degrading of reason.

4. A nomad man

Once, a Bedouin with his camels passed by the shore of Jeddah. There was an idol called Sa’d. He came with his camels to the idol that it might bless them. When the camels saw the bloods of sacrifices on the idol, they ran away here and there. The Bedouin took a stone, threw the idol with it, and said, ‘May Allah not bless you as god! You startle my camels.’ Then he tried his best until he gathered his camels again. He left while reciting,

“We have come to Sa’d that he may reunite us,

but he scattered us; so we are not from Sa’d.

Surely Sa’d is but a rock on the earth,

who can call neither for deviation nor guidance.”[20]

5. Khuza’a bin Abd

Khuza’a bin Abd al-Muzani was the custodian of the idol of the tribe of Muzayna that was called Nahm. He apostatized the idol and went to the Prophet (a.s.) to be a Muslim.

6. Abdurrahman

When Abdurrahman bin Abi Sabrah reached the advent of the Prophet (a.s.), he went to an idol called Faras and destroyed it. Then he went to the Prophet (a.s.) and became a Muslim.

The belief of the Hashemites

The certain thing is that the Hashemite family believed in the religion of Prophet Abraham (a.s.) and they did not worship idols. Imam Ali (a.s.) said,

‘By Allah, neither my father, my grandfather Abdul Muttalib, Abd Manaf, nor Hashim had ever worshipped an idol. They worshipped Allah and were offering prayers towards the House (the Kaaba) due to the religion of Abraham and were keeping to it…’[21]

This shows that the Hashemite family believed in monotheism and was not deviant from the straight path of Allah.

The Prophet destroys the idols

Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) destroyed the idols in the Kaaba as his grandfather Prophet Abraham (as.) had done before. This was before his being sent to people as prophet. Imam Ali (a.s.) narrated,

“The Prophet (a.s.) and I went until we arrived in the Kaaba. The messenger of Allah asked me to sit down and he mounted on my shoulders. When I wanted to get up, he noticed a weakness in me. He dismounted and he himself sat down for me and asked me to mount on his shoulders. I mounted on his shoulders and he got up. I imagined that if I wanted, I would reach the horizon of the heaven. I went up the House and there was on it an idol of brass or copper. I began moving it right and left, from behind and from before until I could pluck it out. The messenger of Allah (a.s.) asked me to throw it down and I did. It broke into pieces as pots break. Then I got down. The messenger of Allah (a.s.) and I hastened back until we hid among houses for fear that someone of people might see us.”[22]

When Allah granted the great conquest over Mecca to His prophet, there were three hundred idols or more hung on the walls of the Kaaba which the tribes of Quraysh worshipped away from Allah. Among their famous idols there were Na’ilah, Asaf, Manaf, Thul Khalasah, Thul Kuna, Thul Sharaf, al-Uqaysar, Nahm, Sameer, and others.[23]

The master of those idols was Hubal which was the god of Abu Sufyan; Mo’awiya’s father and Yazid’s grandfather. It was made of copper and tied with iron pegs on the wall of the Kaaba. Imam Ali (a.s.) got upon the Prophet’s shoulders, plucked this idol out, and threw it to the ground while the Prophet (a.s.) was reciting this verse (And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing)).[24] Then, Imam Ali (a.s.) threw down the rest of idols and thus the Kaaba was purified[25] of those filths hung on the walls and taken as gods by Quraysh.

The economic life

Mecca was a stage for lively commercial activities. It had many commercial caravans and great capitals were used in speculation. The caravans of Mecca brought from Yemen the products of India, the silk of China, and the textiles of Aden, besides gold nuggets from Africa, and cotton, linen, silk, and colored clothes from Syria and Egypt. Weapons, grains, and oils were also imported from Syria. Profits reached one hundred percent in these trades.[26]

The people of Quraysh had two commercial journeys a year; one to Yemen in winter because it was warm, and the other to Sham in summer because it was cool. Without these two commercial journeys, the people of Quraysh could not live in Mecca which was safe from enemies because it had the Inviolable House of Allah.

Al-Kalbi, the historian says, ‘The first one who brought wheat from Sham was Hashim bin Abd Manaf (the Prophet’s grandfather).’

In Mecca, there were some very wealthy people among whom was Khadeeja (the Prophet’s wife). She invested her capitals in trade. The Prophet (a.s.) (before prophethood) worked with her monies in trade and got great profits. We shall talk about this in a coming chapter.

Abu Jahl’s mother had a shop of perfumes, Hind (Mo’awiya’s mother) sold goods for the tribe of Kalb in Syria,[27] and Abu Sufyan himself was the leader of the commercial caravans of Mecca.

Anyhow, Mecca was a commercial center and most of its merchants practiced usury in their dealings. Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib was one of the usurers. He had great wealth from this way. From the very wealthy people of Mecca was Abdullah bin Jad’an at-Tamimi, some Umayyad families, al-Waleed bin al-Mugheerah al-Makhzumi, Abdullah the father of Umar bin Abi Rabee’ah the poet, and others. The wealthy class lived at utmost ease and luxury and had tens of slaves whereas great masses of the inhabitants of Mecca lived wretchedly.

The social life

The most prominent Arab families that lived in Mecca were the Hashemite family and the Umayyad family. The natures and morals of these two families were too different. We refer in brief here to the natures of both.

The Hashemites

The Hashemites were famous for honor, succor, and high morals, and they were ideal examples of all perfect characteristics that mankind would pride on especially the Prophet’s family that was a gift from Allah’s mercy.

The Alawid[28] tree, since the dawn of its history until now, did not fruit but what benefited people. The Alawids undertook the interests of the wronged and the oppressed and all human rights. They did their best in the way of Allah, and they spread good and mercy among all people.

The Umayyads

The dominant morals of the Umayyads were oppression, selfishness, and aggression against people. Their defects, sins, and bad characteristics had blackened the face of history. Their souls were full of grudge and enmity against the Hashemites. They resisted Islam and strove to put out the light of the Islamic mission since its beginning. They stood against the Prophet (a.s.) and led armies to fight and do away with him, but Allah the Almighty repelled and abased them and supported His messenger against them.

The Umayyads bore malice and enmity against the Hashemites men and women. Historians mention that once Lady Aatikah bint Abdul Muttalib saw in sleep a vision that terrified her. She went to her brother al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib. She told her vision to him and said, ‘I fear that evil and calamity may afflict your people. Keep secret what I shall tell you…’

She told, ‘I saw a rider coming on a camel until he stopped at al-Abtah (mountain) and began shouting loudly: O people of perfidy, come on to your deaths! He said that three times. I saw that people crowded around him…then he took a rock and threw it. It dropped and when it reached the foot of the mountain, it broke into pieces. No house from the houses of Mecca remained except that a piece from that rock entered into it…’

Al-Abbas was terrified by that dream and he could not conceal it. He spread it among people. The news reached the Umayyads among whom there was Abu Jahl. They began mocking. Abu Jahl went to al-Abbas and said to him mockingly, ‘O bani[29] Abdul Muttalib, are you not satisfied that your men prophesy that now your women began prophesying?’

The vision of Aatikah came true that abasement and destruction afflicted the people of Quraysh. The battle of Badr took place and the tribe of Quraysh was defeated disgracefully. Killing, sorrow, and mourning entered all their houses.

Great personalities and glories

The origins that the Master of all creation Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) had branched from were the greatest of all human beings and nonesuch in purity, chastity, loftiness, and perfection among all that Allah has created.

Al-Mawardi says, ‘He (the Prophet) is from a lineage of noble fathers. No one among them is mean, but all of them are leading masters. The nobility of lineage and the purity of birth are from the conditions of prophethood.’[1]

The history of the Prophet’s glorious family is full of virtues and nobilities. This family had undertaken the social services to people, and what increased its honor and high position was the Prophet (a.s.) who had had all virtues of this world.

The Prophet (a.s.) was not the pride of Adnan[2] and the glory of the Hashemites only, but also he was and is the pride, the glory, and the honor of the humanity throughout all the stages of history. It was he who had built the civilization of man and caused springs of knowledge and wisdom to gush out in the earth. Here, we talk in brief about some pillars of this great family:

Hashim

His name was Amr, and he was called Amr ul-Ula (Amr of highness) for his exalted position and high standing. Also, he and his brothers were called “aqdah an-nidhar” meaning “gold”, and called “the protectors” for their generosity, honor, and leadership over the Arabs. As an example on his generosity is that when once Quraysh suffered a terrible famine, Hashim went to Sham, bought quantities of flour and cakes, and brought them to Mecca. He crumbled and sopped bread and cakes and slaughtered a camel. He offered the food to people until they became satiate. Therefore, he was called Hashim.[3] He also was called “Abul Battha’-father of the plain” and “Sayyid al-Battha’-master of the plain”.

He was at the top of honor and loftiness. Historian says that he satisfied the needs of wayfarers, gave rights to their people, protected the frightened, and these are the noblest qualities. When the month of Thul Hajja came, he made a speech before the people of Mecca encouraging them to serve the hajjis who came to the Kaaba. He said,

“O people of Quraysh, you are masters of the Arabs, the best of them in notability, the greatest in reason, and the noblest in lineages.

O people of Quraysh, you are neighbors of the House of Allah. He has honored you with His guardianship and favored you with His neighborhood away from the rest of the offspring of Ishmael. The visitors of Allah come to you to glorify His House and so they are your guests, and the worthiest to entertain the guests of Allah are you. Entertain His guests and the visitors of His House! By the Lord of this Building, if I had money enough for that, I would not ask you to that. I will take out of my lawful property, which no kinship has been deserted in, not been obtained by oppression, and not included any unlawful bit. Let whoever of you, who likes to do that, do that. I ask you by the sanctity of this House that let no anyone of you spend from his property on the entertainment of the visitors of the House of Allah except lawful money that has not been obtained wrongfully, and no kinship has been deserted by it, and has not been obtained by force.”[4]

This speech shows Hashim’s deep faith in Allah and his precaution in avoiding properties that are taken wrongfully. When Allah chose him to His neighborhood (made him die), he died while with a calm soul, pure, and unpolluted with the sins of the pre-Islamic era.

Abdul Muttalib

From the pillars of honor and pride of the Arabs was the noble master Abdul Muttalib. He was one of the noblest young men in his youth, and in his old age was the most notable one; therefore, he was called “Shaybatul Hamd-the old man of praise” because of the people’s much praise and gratefulness to him”.[5]

Abdul Muttalib’s faith

Abdul Muttalib was on the religion of his great grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He did not worship an idol, but he worshipped Allah the Almighty. The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Abdul Muttalib did not gamble, nor did he worship idols or eat from what was slain for idols. He often said: I am on the religion of my father Abraham”.[6]

Surely, he had deep faith in Allah that some sayings and too much poetry were transmitted from him showing his true faith. He said, “No unjust one leaves this life until he will be avenged on and afflicted with punishment.” He also said, “By Allah, behind (after) this house (life) there is a house where a good doer is rewarded for his good doing and a bad doer is punished for his bad doing.”[7]

These verses are ascribed to him,

“All people blame the time,

whereas our time has no defect except us.

We blame our time but the defect is in us,

And if the time can speak,

It will dispraise us.

A wolf does not eat a wolf’s flesh,

While we eat each other openly.”[8]

Entrusting the hospitality of the pilgrims to him

The hospitality and the watering of the pilgrims, who came to the Kaaba, were entrusted to Abdul Muttalib and he suffered too much in gathering water. He gathered it from rain and other sources and put it into leather basins to offer it generously to the pilgrims of Allah’s House.

It is very odd that the orientalist (Margolios) says, “Abdul Muttalib sold water to pilgrims and got great profits from that...”

Lutfi Jum’ah refutes him saying, “It is clear that Margolios compares the matter to some countries of Western Europe where generosity has no value except in rare cases. So, he cannot imagine that someone may offer his properties liberally except rarely. In most of Europe, no one can have a sip of water with no price, and the same is said about food. Margolios’s mind cannot imagine that Abdul Muttalib carried water and offered dates and raisins for the pilgrims as a means of approaching Allah the Almighty and entertaining the pilgrims…”[9]

Restoring the well of Zamzam

From the famous charismata of Abdul Muttalib in history, was his restoring of Zamzam Well after it had been buried for centuries, and the people of Mecca did not know its place. Abdul Muttalib uncovered it and refreshed life for the inhabitants of Mecca after they were suffering the bitterness of thirst.

Some historians say that the reason of the disappearance of Zamzam Well was that Mudhadh bin Amr al-Jurhumi, who lived about three hundred years before Abdul Muttalib, had involved in a war with his enemies that led to his defeat. He was certain that his enemies would drive him away from Mecca; therefore, he thought of depriving them of water. He hid his precious properties and gold in the well and buried the well and covered all its signs, and then he fled to Yemen. Sands accumulated over the well until it disappeared. The inhabitants of Mecca were obliged to dig many wells in the valleys of Mecca. Abdu Shams dug a well called Tuwa. Hashim dug a well and called it Bathr, and he allowed people to make use of it freely. Umayya dug a well and called it al-Hafr, but he monopolized it for himself. And the tribes of Mecca dug wells for themselves.[10]

However, Yaqut al-Hamawi, the historian, says that rains flooded the well of Zamzam and no one could find its place.[11]

Abdul Muttalib’s vision

Abdul Muttalib suffered too much in gathering water to offer it to the guests of Allah. Mecca faced a rainless year, and that was too heavy for Abdul Muttalib who felt pain for the pilgrims that they might be affected by the shortage of water. While he was in bed, he heard in sleep that someone ordered him to dig Tayyibah, or Barrah, or al-Madhmunah (names of wells). He saw the vision for three nights, but he was worried to reveal his vision that Harb bin Umayya and the men of Makhzoom might mock at him. Once again, the caller (in sleep) ordered him to re-dig the well of Zamzam and defined to him its place. Abdul Muttalib remembered that it was the very well that was at the time of his grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He carried out what the caller had ordered him (in the dream) to do. He took with him his son al-Harith, and they both made great efforts to remove the sands accumulated on the well. While digging, he found two gold gazelles, swords, and precious armors that belonged to Mudhadh al-Jurhami who had hid them in the well before his fleeing to Yemen. This news spread among the people of Quraysh. Some of them rose to ask Abdul Muttalib to let them have shares in that treasure, but some others said it was to be Abdul Muttalib’s. There was a dispute between the two parties, but Abdul Muttalib settled the arguments by determining to spend the treasure on the Kaaba and thus he was admired and glorified by the people of Quraysh.

After no long, water began gushing out and it flowed over the land to enliven Mecca, water its thirsty inhabitants, and refresh the economic life there. The news spread here and there like light, and all people; men and women, old and young, hurried to see that great achievement while Abdul Muttalib’s soul was full of joy and delight for that great conquest that provided the pilgrims of the Kaaba and the inhabitants of Mecca with the essence of life. His mention was raised high and all people everywhere praised his favor.

Abdul Muttalib’s vow

Abdul Muttalib met difficulties when searching for the well of Zamzam, the bitterest of which was the mocking of Quraysh at him and then their dispute with him on the treasure that he found. He felt that that was because of his weakness and the little children he had. Therefore, he vowed to Allah that if he would have ten children and when they would be adults, he would slaughter one of them at the Kaaba for the sake of Allah as his grandfather Abraham (a.s.) had done when he had finished building the Kaaba. And indeed, Allah endowed him with ten males; al-Harith, az-Zubayr, Hajl, Dhirar, al-Muqawwam, Abu Lahab, al-Abbas, Hamza, Abu Talib, and Abdullah, and some females; Safiyyah, Wabrah, Aatikah, Umm Hakeem, (Ajbahah), and Arwa.

Abdul Muttalib’s wish came true and he had ten males. Then, he had to fulfill his vow. He gathered his sons and told them about his vow. They all submitted and showed their obedience to their father. He chose by lot and it was Abdullah, the Prophet’s father and the most beloved to his father, who was to be slaughtered. Abdul Muttalib took Abdullah to the Kaaba to slaughter him there. The people of Quraysh hasten to him saying, “By Allah, you should not slaughter him. O Abul Harith, if you do, it shall be a custom followed by your people, and every man will bring his son to slaughter him here.”[12]

Abdul Muttalib said, “I have promised my Lord and I will fulfill what I have promised Him…”

Some other men tried to convince him to change his determination. They asked him to go to a diviner in Khaybar and to do whatever the diviner would tell him. Abdul Muttalib responded to them and went to the diviner. The diviner asked, “How much is the blood money among you?”

Abdul Muttalib said, “Ten camels (for a man).”

The diviner said, “Go back to your country and then offer a sacrifice for your man (Abdullah). Offer ten camels and draw lots on him and on the camels. If the lots fall on your man, then add other ten camels, and so on until your Lord will be pleased. When the lots fall on the camels, then you slaughter them and so your Lord will be pleased and your man will be saved…”

Abdul Muttalib went back to Mecca. He draws the lots on his son and camels, and in the tenth time the lots fell on the camels. People glorified Allah and cried out, “O Abdul Muttalib, your Lord is pleased.” Abdul Muttalib ordered one hundred camels to be slaughtered between the Safa and the Marwa,[13] and ordered a caller to call the people of Mecca to come to take some meat and they hurried from everywhere.[14]

Abdullah was saved from slaughter as his grandfather Ishmael had been saved before.

His care for the Prophet

Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) was born at the time of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. His father and mother died and he was adopted by his grandfather who looked after him with great love and kindness. The grandfather was certain that his grandson would be an important man in the future. Monks and others told him of that. He himself took much care of him and was too kind and loyal to him. He preferred him to all his sons and other grandsons.

Abdul Muttalib was cautious and worried about his grandson whose mention would fill the world and who would bring to them a great glory and immortal mention until the last day of life…Abdul Muttalib felt that his inevitable end was near, and he recommended his son Abu Talib saying to him,

“O Abu Talib, be a keeper to this lonely one who has not smelt his father’s scent or tasted his mother’s kindness. Be careful to regard him as your liver to your body, for I have left all my children and entrusted him to you. Support him with your tongue, hand, and money, for, by Allah, he will be a master over you and will have what no one of my fathers has had…”

Then he asked Abu Talib, “Do you accept my recommendation?”

Abu Talib said, “Yes, I accept your recommendation and Allah is the witness on that.”

Abdul Muttalib felt relieved from that burden oppressing him, and he said to Abu Talib, “Now, death is made light to me.” Then, he began kissing him (the Prophet) and saying, “I have not seen anyone more scented or more beautiful than you.”

Towards the High Companion

After this recommendation, Abdul Muttalib lived no long and soon he breathed his last. By his death, a bright page of nobility and honor was folded and Mecca was upset by this sad news, because people lost the reformer who was too loving and kind to them…he was escorted to his last abode by great masses and his funerals were so splendid.

It is worth mentioning that the Prophet (a.s.) was eight years old when his grandfather Abdul Muttalib died.[15] The Prophet (a.s.) was brought up in this family that had inherited nobility, honor, and magnanimity, and were accustomed to goodness, kindness, and charity.