Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) Meaning of Seerah • Root letters: ر-ى-س • Lexical Meaning: Walking, Journey • Technical Meaning: Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) Importance of the Seerah ()سيرة • Love for the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) • A role model to be followed individually and collectively • The most perfect human being Michael H. Hart • In the Book – The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History “My choice of Muhammad (S.A.W) to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.” Early Expansion of Islam in the time of the Prophet (S.A.W), Rashidun Caliphate and Umayyad Caliphate Seerah of the Prophet (S.A.W) • Three Sections: – Historical Context: From Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) – Life of the Prophet (S.A.W): From birth to the beginning of revelation – Life of the Prophet (S.A.W): From the beginning of revelation to the migration – Life of the Prophet (S.A.W): From the migration to Demise of the Prophet (S.A.W) Descendants of Ibrahim (A.S) Hajira Ibrahim (A.S) Isma‘il (A.S) Bani Isma‘il Sara Is’haq (A.S) Bani Israel Islam is linked with the tradition of Ibrahim (A.S) يم ْ اط ُم ٍ ص َر ِ قُ ْل ِإنَّ ِني هَدَا ِني َر ِبي ِإلَ ٰى َ ست َ ِق ٍيم ِدينًا ِقيَ ًًما ِملَّةَ ِإب َْرا ِه ْ ان ِم َن الْ ًُم ين َ ش ِر ِك َ َح ِنيفًا ۚ َو َما َك Say: Lo! As for me, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the tradition of Ibrahim, the upright, who was no idolater. (Al-An‘am: 161) Islam is the Religion of Submission ُ ِإذْ قَا َل لَهُ َربُّهُ أَ ْس ِل ْم قَا َل أَ ْسلَ ًْم ين َ ب ْال َعالَ ًِم ِ ت ِل َر When his (Ibrahim’s) Lord said to him: Surrender! he said: I have surrendered to the Lord of the Worlds. [Surah al-Baqara: 131] ت فَأَت َ ًَّم ُه َّن قَا َل ِإنِي َجا ِعلُ َك ٍ يم َربُّهُ ِب َك ِل ًَما َ َو ِإ ِذ ا ْبتَلَ ٰى ِإب َْرا ِه ع ْه ِدي ِ َِّللن َ اس ِإ َما ًما قَا َل َو ِم ْن ذُ ِريَّ ِتي قَا َل ََل َينَا ُل َّ ال ين َ ظا ِل ًِم And (remember) when his Lord tried Ibrahim with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed you a leader for mankind. (Ibrahim) said: And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My covenant does not include wrongdoers. (Al-Baqara: 124) Revoking the Religion of the Forefathers َّ َو ِإذَا ِقي َل لَ ُه ْم تَعَالَ ْوا ِإلَ ٰى َما أَنْزَ َل علَيْ ِه آبَا َءنَا ۚ أ َ َولَ ْو ْ ول قَالُوا َح ُ الر َّ َّللاُ َو ِإلَى َ سبُنَا َما َو َجدْنَا ِ س ون َ َك َ ان آبَا ُؤهُ ْم ََل يَعْلَ ًُم َ ُون شَيْئًا َو ََل يَ ْهتَد When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah has revealed and come to the Rasool." They reply: "Sufficient for us are the ways on which we found our forefathers." What! Even though their forefathers knew nothing and were not rightly guided? [Surah al-Ma’ida: 104] Prayer of Ibrahim (A.S) ْ ض َح ِنيفًا َو َما أَنَا ِم َن الْ ًُم ُ ِإ ِني َو َّج ْه ين َ ش ِر ِك ِ س ًَم َاو َّ ي ِللَّ ِذي فَطَ َر ال َ ات َو ْاْل َ ْر َ ت َو ْج ِه As far as I am concerned, I will turn my face, being upright, to Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, and I am not one of the mushrikin." [Surah: Al-An‘aam: 79] Ibrahim (A.S) thrown in the Fire ين َ اع ِل ِ َص ُروا آ ِل َهتَكُ ْم ِإ ْن كُنْت ُ ْم ف ُ ْقَالُوا َح ِرقُوهُ َوان يم ُ قُلْنَا يَا ن َ س ََل ًما َ َار كُو ِني بَ ْردًا َو َ علَ ٰى ِإب َْرا ِه They cried, "Burn him alive and avenge your gods, if you want to take any action." When they threw him in the fire, We commanded, "O fire! Be cool and comfortable for Ibrahim." [Surah al-Anbiya: 68, 69] The Great Sacrifice ت ِ َي ِإ ِني أ َ َر ٰى ِفي الْ ًَمن َِام أ َ ِني أَذْبَ ُح َك فَانْظُ ْر َماذَا ت َ َر ٰى ۚ قَا َل يَا أَب َّ فَلَ ًَّما بَلَ َغ َمعَهُ ال َّ َي قَا َل يَا بُن َ س ْع َّ ست َ ِجدُنِي ِإ ْن شَا َء ين َ صا ِب ِر َّ َّللاُ ِم َن ال َ افْعَ ْل َما ت ُ ْؤ َم ُر When he reached the age to work with him, Ibrahim said to him: "O my son! I have seen a vision that I should offer you as a sacrifice, now tell me what is your view." He replied: "O my father! Do as you are commanded: you will find me, if Allah so wills, of the patient." [Surah al-Saaffaat: 102] ع ِظ ٍيم َ ْح ٍ َوفَدَيْنَاهُ ِب ِذب We ransomed his son for a great sacrifice. [Surah al-Saaffaat: 107] Ibrahim (A.S)’s Migration • Ibrahim (A.S) migrated from Iraq to Syria and Egypt • Time-period: Around 1850 BCE The Prayer of Ibrahim (A.S) ُ ْسكَن َ ص ََلة ْ َ َربَّنَا ِإ ِني أ َّ ع ِعنْدَ بَيْ ِت َك الْ ًُم َح َّر ِم َربَّنَا ِليُ ِقي ًُموا ال ٍ ت ِم ْن ذُ ِريَّ ِتي ِب َوا ٍد غَي ِْر ِذي زَ ْر ْ َات لَعَلَّ ُه ْم ي ون ْ َف ِ ار ُزقْ ُه ْم ِم َن الث َّ ًَم َر َ شكُ ُر ْ اس ت َ ْه ِوي ِإلَيْ ِه ْم َو ِ َّاجعَ ْل أَفْئِدَة ً ِم َن الن Our Rabb! I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House. Our Rabb! I have done this in the hope that they would establish Salah, therefore, turn the hearts of the people toward them and provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. [Al-Ibrahim: 37] Inhabitation of Makkah • The Well of Zamzam • Arrival of the Jurhum ( )جرهمTribe • Political and religious leadership of Makkah Construction of the Ka‘ba س ًِمي ُع الْعَ ِلي ُم ْ ْت َو ِإ ِ اعدَ ِم َن الْبَي َّ ت ال َ ْاعي ُل َربَّنَا تَقَبَّ ْل ِمنَّا ِإنَّ َك أَن ِ س ًَم ِ َو ِإذْ يَ ْرفَ ُع ِإب َْرا ِهي ُم الْقَ َو Ibrahim and Isma`il raised the foundations of the House and dedicated it by saying: "Accept this from us, O Rabb, You are the one who hears all and knows all. [Surah al-Baqara: 127] Ka‘ba: The First Place of Worship ين َ اركًا َوهُدًى ِللْعَالَ ًِم ِ َّض َع ِللن ِ ِإ َّن أ َ َّو َل بَيْتٍ ُو َ َاس لَلَّ ِذي ِببَكَّةَ ُمب Undoubtedly the first House for the worship of Allah ever built for mankind is the one at Bakka (Makkah), a blessed site and a guidance for all the worlds. [Surah Aal-Imran: 96]
