The Condition of the World when the Prophet Muhammad was sent to Mankind (3/4)

Ibn Kathir said: ‘Allah The Most High said to His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad: ‘Say O Muhammad “O Mankind” this message is for the red (white) people, the black people, the Arabs and non-Arabs. “Verily I have been sent as a Messenger to all of you” i.e. to all of you, this is from the nobility, honor and greatness of the Prophet Muhammad , and that he is the last of the Prophets, and he has been sent to all the people, Allah says:

 “Say Allah is the Witness between me and you all, and verily this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn you all and whomsoever it reaches.” (Surah al An’am 6:19)

And Allah says:

“But those of the sects from the Jews, Christians and Non-Muslims that reject the Qur’an, the Fire is their appointed and promised meeting-place…” (Surah Hud 11:17)

And Allah says:

 “Say to those who were given the Scripture from the Jews and Christians and to those illiterate Arab pagans: ‘Do you all submit yourselves to Allah in Islam?” If they do so, then verily they are rightly guided, but if they turn away than know that your duty is only to convey the divine message…” (Surah al Imran 3:20)

The Qur’anic verses and prophetic narrations containing this meaning are many, and this is something that is necessary to have knowledge about within the religion of Islam-that is to know that the Prophet Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger sent to all of mankind.

Allah the Most Gracious made him the last of the Prophets which there are no Prophets after him, as Allah mentions:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your people, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets, and Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Surah al Ahzab 33:40)

Then Ibn Kathir said: ‘This verse is evidence that there is no prophet after Muhammad. So if there is no prophet after him then this is all the more reason for there not being a messenger after him. This is because the status of messengerhood is more specific than prophethood. For verily every messenger is a prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger. This is what came in all of the various narrations of the Prophet on the authority of numerous companions.’[1]

The Prophet set out on his mission calling people to Allah’s religion with wisdom and fine preaching, he debated with the people using the best of manners. He continued propagating this message day and night, publicly and privately. Nothing could dissuade him from his mission, nor ward him off.

However, the affair of being a messenger -and he was not the first messenger- is that few people believe in them and the majority of them disbelieve in them and what they call to. The Prophet Muhammad would present himself and go out to see the different tribes during the seasonal festivals and holidays. The Prophet himself as well as whoever was with him would be hurt, offended and harassed in the worst types of ways. Allah says in the Qur’an:

 “And that was Allah’s way with those who passed away of old” (Surah al Ahzab 33:62)

Until it came to the point where the Prophet’s companions were forced to leave their homeland, so the Prophet Muhammad suggested that whoever had the ability that they should migrate to Ethiopia. Some of them who had the ability made the migration while others stayed in Makkah. The Prophet Muhammad was eventually compelled to migrate to al Madinah where some of al Madinah’s residents believed in him and others did not. The residents of al Madinah were honored with the Prophet’s invitation and gladly accepted it.

Certainly, leaving your homeland where you used to rest your head, and traversed the many streets is definitely not something easy to do. No doubt that this is something painful, saddening, and depressing which definitely wrings the heart with pain. The statement of the Prophet Muhammad can describe to us the pain and distress which he experienced, when he said on the authority of Abdullah ibn Adee’ ibnil Hamraa’a when he said:

‘I saw the Messenger of Allah standing upon ‘al-Hazwarah’[2] and he said: “I swear by Allah, that verily you (Makkah) are the best of Allah’s lands, and the most beloved land to Allah, if I wasn’t forced and compelled to leave you (Makkah) I would never have left.”[3]

In another narration which at Tirmidthi, Ibn Hibban, at Tabaraani and al Hakim mentioned on the authority of Ibn Abaas he said: the Messenger of Allah said:

 “There is no better city than you (Makkah), and most beloved to me (to Allah), If it wasn’t for the fact that my people forced me to leave, I wouldn’t have resided in any other place besides you (Makkah).”[4]

At Tirmidthi said about this narration: it is a ‘hasan ghareeb’ narration from this route. Al Hakim[5] said: the chain of narration is authentic, and adh Dhahabee agreed with him in this.

Ibn Hajar al Asqalaani said: ‘this is an authentic narration, the scholars of hadeeth have mentioned it in their books, and at Tirmidthi, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibaan and others said it is authentic.[6]

The Prophet Muhammad and those of his companions who had the ability migrated to al Madinah. However, disbelief and the people of disbelief did not approve nor agree with this nor would they be satisfied with the prevalence and spreading of Islam amongst Allah’s servants. So the Prophet was compelled to go out on war campaigns and battles in which Allah aided his combatants and defeated the disbelieving parties all by Himself. Then the day came for the Conquest of Makkah- the same city that the Prophet was driven out of (Makkah)-the Prophet and his Companions entered and conquered, all due to the aid and victory that Allah bestowed upon them. This is in agreement to Allah’s statement:

“Verily, He (Allah) who has given you the Qur’an will surely bring you back to ‘Ma’aad’ (Place of return, Makkah)” (Surah al Qasas 28:85)

After that the people started entering Allah’s religion in enormous crowds, as Allah mentions:

“When there comes the Help of Allah and the conquest of Makkah-And you see that the people enter Allah’s religion in crowds. So glorify with the praises of you Lord and ask for His forgiveness. Verily He is the One who accepts the repentance and forgives.” (Surah an Nasr 110:1-3)

 

(Continued)

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[1] Tafsir Ibn Kathir 3/665

[2] A market in Makkah, and it is now part of the Masjid al Haram after the expansions.

[3] This wording is for Tirmidthi 5/723, Book of Manaaqib, Chapter: Virtues of Makkah #3925 and Abdur Razaaq as San’aani narrated it in his ‘Musanaf’ 5/270, , and Ahmed in his Musnad with three chains of narration 4/305, and Abdu ibn Humaid relating from the book ‘Shifaa’a al Garam’ 1/74 . The chain of narration is authentic

[4] Jami at Tirmidthi, The Book of Manaqib, Chapter: The Virtues of Makkah #3926, 5/723, and ‘Mawaarid ath Tham’aan pg. 253. In one narration it mentions: ‘most loved to Me’ and another narration mentions most loved to Allah’

[5] (TN) He is Abu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nisaburi was a scholar of hadeeth and one of the most knowledgeable people of his time. He was frequently referred to as the "Imam of the Muhaddithin" or the "Muhaddith of Khorasan. He died 403 hijri. He authored his book called ‘al Mustadrak’ in which he claimed all the ahadeeth in it were authentic according to the conditions of either Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim or both of them. Imam Adh-Dha’habi made an abridged version of the collection named Talkhis al-Mustadrak where he commented on its authenticity.

[6] Fathul Baari 3/67