WYOMING COUNCIL FOR THE
HUMANITIES
Presents a Humanities Forum on the topic of
AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM
FOR THE EQUALITY STATE
SETH WARD
University of Wyoming
May 18, 2006, 7:00 p.m.
Star Valley Historical Society
School District Office
222 East 4th Avenue
Afton, Wyoming
Thanks to local co-sponsor Star Valley Historical Society,
Larry Call, President
Thanks also to Jeremy Weight and to Allen Turner of
Turnerville and Laramie
It is also my pleasure to recognize the Board of Directors of
the WCH
Laurie Latta, President, Pinedale
Kathleen Urban, President-Elect, Cheyenne
Anne Bluemel, Secretary, Kemmerer
Emma Hansen, Treasurer, Cody
Audrey Shalinsky, Past President, Laramie
Dennis Coelho, At-Large, Cheyenne
Louis Espinoza, At-Large, Rawlins
Randy Adams, Torrington
Susan Cannon, Big Horn
Andi Clifford, Riverton
Connie Coca, Laramie
Carol Deering, Riverton
John Gallinger, Jackson
Anne Gardetto, Torrington
Joanne Garnett, Casper
Carol Jones, Sundance
John Kambutu, Casper
Kyle Smith, Worland
Sy Thickman, Sheridan
With special thanks to Victoria Sherry, WCH office.
“HADITH OF GABRIEL”
Al-Bukhari, Sahih. The Book of Faith (Kitab AlIman)
Chapter 1: Book 001, Number 0001:
Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were
sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be
upon him) when there appeared before us a man
dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily
black. There were no signs of travel on him. None
amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the
Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt before him
placed his palms on his thighs and said:
Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam (submission to
God).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god
but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe
the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the
(House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the
expense of) the journey.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he
would put the question and then he would himself
verify the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith).
He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your
faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His
Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm
your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan
(performance of good deeds).
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah
as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see
Him, He, verily, sees you.
He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about
the hour (of the Doom).
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is
asked knows no more than the one who is
inquiring (about it).
He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its
indications.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl
will give birth to her mistress and master, that
you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds
vying with one another in the construction of
magnificent buildings.
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he
(the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him
(the Holy Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to
me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I
replied: Allah and His Apostle knows best. He (the
Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel).
He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of
religion.
An Introduction to Islam
Islam is the religion of about one fifth of the world's
people, and is often considered the fastest growing
religion in America. A brief presentation on Islam
should examine its practices and beliefs, its Scripture
and its spirituality, its phenomenal growth in
America and the political and religious goals which
motivate activist adherents in the Middle East and
elsewhere. Muslims define the meaning of Islam as
submission to Allah's will. A believer is a "Muslim,"
the religion is "Islam." "Muslim" or "Islamic" are
adjectives, for example, "Islamic practices" or
"Muslim beliefs."
Believing/ Behaving/Belonging
Allah/ Qur’an and Muhammad/ Ummah
The Practice and Theology of Islam: Five Pillars
and Six Beliefs.
1. Shahada: Testimony that there is no God but God/
Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
2. Salat: Prayer five times a day--Noon, late
afternoon, evening, night, dawn. [Prayer Times:
http://www.islamicity.com/PrayerTimes/prayertimes.asp?region=namerica]
3. Zakat: alms from one's wealth.
4. Sawm:Fasting during Ramadan.
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime.
Six beliefs: God, Angels, Prophets, Books,
Judgement, Decree.

Muhammad: Muhammad lived approx. 570-632;
First Revelation: about 610. Emigration from Mecca
to Medina: 622. "Farewell" Pilgrimage to Mecca, 632.
Muhammad's practice (“sunnah”) is known from
the Hadith: Muhammad's act, word, silence.
Qur'an: 114 chapters, Meccan and Madinan.
Sermonic not narrative. Stories of Prophets, support
for poor. Legal material ususally Medinan. Uthmanic
Recension. God's uncreated Speech. Qur’an
memorized in Arabic.
Law: shari’a. “revealed law” fiqh “jurisprudence” fatwa
“response/legal opinion” mufti “one eligible to give
a response.” Four sources of Law: Qur’an, sunna,
qiyas (analogy), ijma’ (consensus).
Religious Calendar: Fridays-Jum‘a (gathering for
prayer), not Sabbath; Ramadan and ‘Id al-Fitr,
Pilgrimage and ‘Id al-Adha. Shia: ‘Ashura and
Arba‘in. http://moonsighting.com/2005usa.html
Caliphate: Muhammad’s successors (khalifa
“caliph”) were Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman.
Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah married his cousin
‘Ali, who was the fourth Caliph. Succession dispute
underlies divergence between Sunnis and Shi’is; Ali’s
descendants are the Shi‘i imams. Caliphal title Amir
al-Mu’minin “Commander of the Faithful.” Rarely had
real power after 9th century. Umayyads 661-750,
Abbasids in Iraq 750-1258, continue in Cairo to
1517, Ottoman Caliphate ended 1924.
Islam in America: 1000 Mosques in 1994
Immigrant/African American Arab, Middle East
(Turkish/Persian), African, South Asian, East Asian.
Students, esp. University / Community / Prison
The First Chapter of the Qur'an:
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the
Compassionate! Praise belongs to God, the Lord of
the Worlds. The All Merciful, the Compassionate,
Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee only do we
serve, to Thee alone do we pray for help. Guide us
on the Straight Path. The Path of those whom Thou
has graced; Not of those against whom Thou art
wrathful, nor of those who are astray.
Qur’an
[2.190] And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight
with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does
not love those who exceed the limits. [2.191] And kill them
wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence
they drove you out, and persecution is severer than
slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred
Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight
you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the
unbelievers…. [2.193] And fight with them until there is no
persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if
they desist, then there should be no hostility except
against the oppressors.
[2.256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right
way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore,
whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah
he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall
not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. (“No
compulsion” verse)
[5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the
Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and
whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely
he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust
people. [5.52] But you will see those in whose hearts is a
disease hastening towards them, saying: We fear lest a
calamity should befall us; but it may be that Allah will bring
the victory or a punishment from Himself, so that they shall
be regretting on account of what they hid in their souls.
[5.82] Certainly you will find the most violent of people in
enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those
who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest
in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say:
We are Christians; this is because there are priests and
monks among them and because they do not behave
proudly.
[9.5] So when the sacred months have passed away, then
slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them
captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every
ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay
the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful.(The Sword verse)
[9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the
latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle
have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those
who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in
acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of
subjection. [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of
Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of
Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the
saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy
them; how they are turned away! [9.31] They have taken
their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides
Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Mariam and they
were enjoined that they should serve one God only, there
is no god but He; far from His glory be what they set up
(with Him).
Significant Dates in Islamic History
570-632 Muhammad
570 “Day of the Elephant”
Traditional date for Muhammad’s birth
595 Muhammad marries Khadija
610 First Revelation
622 Hijra and Year One of the
Islamic Calendar
624 The Battle of Badr – Muslims
defeat the Quraysh
630 Pilgrimage to Mecca
632 According to tradition, final
pilgrimage; Muhammad’s death.
632-661 "Righteous Caliphs"
632-32 Abu Bakr
634-644 Umar
644-656 Uthman
656-661 "Caliphate of Ali," better
characterized as 1st Civil War
656 Battle of the Camel
657 Conflict at Siffin settled through
arbitration
661-750 Umayyad Dynasty
680 Death of Muhammad's
grandson Husayn; start of classical
Shi’ism
697 Islamicate reforms in coinage,
government
711 Muslims reach Spain and the
Indus River in what is now Pakistan
750-1258 Abbasid Caliphate
762 Founding of Baghdad
c. 800 Harun al-Rashid (immortalized
in the Thousand and One Nights)
813-833 Al-Ma’mun (AH 198-215)
By the 10th Century the Caliph is no longer a
unified political leader; separate Caliphates
under various religious leaders appear.
909 Fatimids (Shi’ite faction) proclaim a
Caliphate in Tunisia
929 Umayyad Al-Nasr proclaims
himself Caliph in Spain
945 Buyids enter Baghdad, leader
proclaimed Amir al-Umara Mu’izz alDawla.
969 Founding of Cairo by Fatimids
971 Al-Azhar (university) founded in
Cairo
1050 Traditional conversion to Islam of
Mandingo King in Mali (in Africa)
1055 Seljuks enter Baghdad, ending
Buyid dynasty.
1071 Battle of Manzikert; Seljuk Turks
begin to enter Anatolia (modern day
Turkey)
1085 Fall of Toledo – Catholics retake
Spain
1099 Catholic Crusaders capture
Jerusalem
1175-1203 Muhammad Ghori expands
Islamic rule in India
1171 Saladin ends Fatimid Dynasty.
1187 Battle of Hittin; within two years
the Muslims retake Jerusalem
Latter Middle Ages
1250 Mamluk Sultanate established in
Egypt
1258 Mongols conquer Baghdad;
brief introduction of Buddhism
in Persia
1291 End of Christian control of Acre,
return of Islam to dominance throughout
the Holy Land
1297 Conversion of Il-Khan to Islam;
Islam once again dominant in
Persia
1345 First Ottoman campaigns in
Europe: 1389 1st Battle of Kosovo.
Ottoman Rise and Fall,
“Gunpowder Empires”
1453 Muhammad II conquers
Constantinople for the
Ottomans
1492 Muslims expelled from Spain
1517 Ottomans conquer Egypt
1575 Height of Ottoman Empire,
which now includes parts of Asia,
Europe, and Africa
1699 Treaty of Carlewitz
1700's Rise of Wahhabi movement to
reform Islam (separatist Sunni sect)
The Modern Era
1798 Napoleon invades Egypt
(expelled in 1801 by combined
Ottoman and British troops)
1805 Muhammad Ali establishes an
independent Islamic state in Egypt
1917 Ottoman Empire ends after
World War I
1924
Caliphate abolished in
Turkey (severing “last link” to the divine
polity founded by Muhammad)
1928 Muslim Brotherhood founded
(Sunni reform movement)
1948-49, 1956, 1967, 1973 ArabIsraeli Wars
1979 (=Hijra Year 1400), Islamic
(Shi’ite) Revolution in Iran led by
Ayatollah Khomeini; Russian invasion
of Afghanistan, Sadat’s Peace Plan,
(1978: Orientalism)
Country Name,Total Pop., %, No. of Muslims
http://islamicweb.com/?folder=begin&file=population (w/editing
of format and sorting)
Indonesia
India
China
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nigeria
Iran
Turkey
206,611,600
952,107,694
1,210,004,956
129,275,660
123,062,800
103,912,489
66,094,264
62,484,478
Egypt
Ethiopia
Morocco
63,575,107
57,171,662
29,779,156
Algeria
Sudan
Russia
Afghanistan
29,183,032
31,547,543
148,178,487
22,664,136
Iraq
Uzbekistan
Saudi Arabia
21,422,292
23,418,381
19,409,058
Tanzania
Syria
Yemen
Philippines
Malaysia
United States
29,058,470
15,608,648
13,483,178
74,480,848
19,962,893
266,476,278
Somalia
9,639,151
Cote d'Ivoire
Tunisia
Mali
Kazakhstan
14,762,445
9,019,687
9,653,261
16,916,463
95
14
11
97
85
75
99
99.
8
94
65
98.
7
99
85
18
10
0
97
88
10
0
65
90
99
14
52
3.7
5
10
0
60
98
90
51.
196,281,020
133,295,077
133,100,545
125,397,390
104,603,380
77,934,367
65,433,321
62,359,509
59,760,601
37,161,580
29,392,027
28,891,202
26,815,412
26,672,127
22,664,136
20,779,623
20,608,175
19,409,058
18,888,006
14,047,783
13,348,346
10,427,319
10,380,704
9,992,860
9,639,151
8,857,467
8,839,293
8,687,935
8,661,229
Senegal
Kenya
9,092,749
28,176,686
Niger
Thailand
Cameroon
Uganda
Azerbaijan
9,113,001
58,851,357
14,261,557
20,158,176
7,676,953
Guinea
Chad
Libya
7,411,981
6,976,845
5,445,436
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Mozambique
Tajikistan
Zaire
Burma
Romania
France
Jordan
Turkmenistan
Kyrgyzstan
10,623,323
17,698,271
17,877,927
5,916,373
46,498,539
45,975,625
21,657,162
58,317,450
4,212,152
4,149,283
4,529,648
Malawi
Sierra Leone
United Arab E.
Germany
Eritrea
Madagascar
Lebanon
Angola
9,452,844
4,793,121
3,057,337
83,536,115
3,427,883
13,670,507
3,776,317
10,342,899
Togo
Albania
4,570,530
3,249,136
Mauritania
2,336,048
2
95 8,638,112
29. 8,312,122
5
91 8,292,831
14 8,239,190
55 7,843,856
36 7,256,943
93. 7,170,274
4
95 7,041,382
85 5,930,318
10 5,445,436
0
50 5,311,662
30 5,309,481
29 5,184,599
85 5,028,917
10 4,649,854
10 4,597,563
20 4,331,432
7
4,082,222
95 4,001,544
87 3,609,876
76. 3,447,062
1
35 3,308,495
65 3,115,529
96 2,935,044
3.4 2,840,228
80 2,742,306
20 2,734,101
70 2,643,422
25 2,585,725
%
55 2,513,792
75 2,436,852
%
10 2,336,048
Oman
2,186,548
Serbia/Monteneg
Central African R
Kuwait
Zimbabwe
Sri Lanka
United Kingdom
Zambia
Japan
10,614,558
3,274,426
1,950,047
11,271,314
18,553,074
58,489,975
9,159,072
125,449,70
3
Bulgaria
8,612,757
Burundi
5,943,057
Gambia
1,204,984
West Bank
1,427,741
Bosnia/Herzegov. 2,656,240
Brazil
162,661,21
4
Gaza Strip
923,940
Nepal
Benin
South Africa
22,094,033
5,709,529
41,743,459
Guinea-Bissau
Israel
Argentina
Liberia
Macedonia
Bahrain
1,151,330
5,421,995
34,672,997
2,109,789
2,104,035
590,042
Singapore
Italy
Georgia
Qatar
3,396,924
57,460,274
5,219,810
547,761
Comoros
Netherlands
569,237
15,568,034
0
10
0
19
55
89
15
9
2.7
15
1
14
20
90
75
40
0.6
2,186,548
2,016,766
1,800,934
1,735,542
1,690,697
1,669,777
1,579,229
1,373,861
1,254,497
1,205,786
1,188,611
1,084,486
1,070,806
1,062,496
1,000,000
98. 911,929
7
4
883,761
15 856,429
834,869
2
70 805,931
14 759,079
2
693,460
30 632,937
30 631,211
10 590,042
0
17 577,477
1
574,603
11 574,179
10 547,761
0
86 489,544
3
467,041
Djibouti
Canada
427,642
28,820,671
401,983
400,000
1,970,781
299,939
10,538,594
1,272,385
679,198
436,418
10,861,218
431,282
94
1.4
8
2.0
9
15
3.6
10
0
33
10
0
19.
5
10
63
1.5
12
20
25
1
25
Australia
18,260,863
Congo
Sweden
Maldives
2,527,841
9,800,000
270,758
Cyprus
Western Sahara
744,609
222,631
Mauritius
1,140,256
Lesotho
Brunei
Greece
Trinidad &Tobago
Reunion
Suriname
Cambodia
Equatorial
Guinea
Guyana
Panama
Swaziland
Mongolia
Mayotte
Bhutan
Fiji
Namibia
Botswana
Rwanda
Norway
Hong Kong
Croatia
Malta
Slovenia
Gabon
712,091
2,655,094
998,730
2,496,617
100,838
1,822,625
782,381
1,677,243
1,477,630
6,853,359
4,438,547
6,305,413
5,004,112
375,576
1,951,443
1,172,798
15
4
10
4
99
5
11
5
5
1
1.5
1
1.2
14
1
1
106,814
106,204
99,873
99,865
99,830
91,131
86,062
83,862
73,882
68,534
66,578
63,054
60,049
52,581
19,514
11,728
382,000
379,176
320,000
270,758
245,721
222,631
222,350
197,078
188,962
158,079
152,686
135,840
109,105
108,612
107,821
Aruba
Gibraltar
Cocos (Keeling)
Is.
Christmas Island
Antigua and
Barbuda
67,794
28,765
609
5
8
57
3,390
2,301
347
813
65,647
10 81
n/a
http://www.Adherents.com/ has the best information of this type; each statistic is
referenced as to its source. I believe that the Islamicweb figures reflect the
situation 1995-1999. Often the exact numbers given in this list reflect projections
based on guesses about the percent of a total population that is Muslim, rather than
an accurate count of a Muslim population.
THE QUR’AN ON TEMPLE, ISRAEL, JEWS AND
CHRISTIANS
SURAH 5 And remember when Moses said unto his
people: O My People: Remember the bounties of God
upon you when he raised prophets among you and
made you kings and gave you what he hath not given to
anyone else among the peoples. O my people, Enter the
Holy Land (al-ard al-muqaddasah) which God has
assigned you (kataba ‘allahu lakum) and turn not your
backs. (5:20-21)
SURAH 17: The Children of Israel
[17.1] Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a
night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of
which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show
to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the
Seeing. [17.2] And We gave Musa the Book and made it a
guidance to the children of Israel, saying: Do not take a
protector besides Me; [17.3] The offspring of those whom
We bore with Nuh; surely he was a grateful servant. [17.4]
And We had made known to the children of Israel in the
Book: Most certainly you will make mischief in the land
twice, and most certainly you will behave insolently with
great insolence. [17.5] So when the promise for the first
of the two came, We sent over you Our servants, of
mighty prowess, so they went to and fro among the
houses, and it was a promise to be accomplished. [17.6]
Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them,
and aided you with wealth and children and made you a
numerous band. [17.7] If you do good, you will do good
for your own souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for
them. So when the second promise came (We raised
another people) that they may bring you to grief and
that they may enter the Temple as they entered it the
first time, and that they might destroy whatever they
gained ascendancy over with utter destruction. [17.8] It
may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, and if
you again return We too will return, and We have made
hell a prison for the unbelievers.
[17.102] He said: Truly you know that none but the Lord of
the heavens and the earth has sent down these as clear
proof and most surely I believe you, O Pharoah, to be given
From Islamic Tradition: Stories of Muhammad
over to perdition. [17.103] So he desired to destroy them out
of the earth, but We drowned him and those with him all
together; [17.104] And We said to the Israelites after him:
Dwell in the land: and when the promise of the next life shall
come to pass, we will bring you both together in judgment.
[17.110] Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Beneficent
God; whichever you call upon, He has the best names; and
do not utter your prayer with a very raised voice nor be
silent with regard to it, and seek a way between these.
[17.111] And say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has not
taken a son and Who has not a partner in the kingdom, and
Who has not a helper to save Him from disgrace; and
proclaim His greatness magnifying (Him).
Surah 7: [7.128] Musa [Moses] said to his people: Ask help
from Allah and be patient; surely the land is Allah's; He
causes such of His servants to inherit it as He pleases, and
the end is for those who guard (against evil). [7.129] They
said: We have been persecuted before you came to us and
since you have come to us. He said: It may be that your
Lord will destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the
land, then He will see how you act…. [7.132] And they said:
Whatever sign you may bring to us to charm us with it-- we
will not believe in you. [7.133] Therefore We sent upon them
widespread death, and the locusts and the lice and the frog
and the blood, clear signs; but they behaved haughtily and
they were a guilty people. [7.134] And when the plague fell
upon them, they said: O Musa! pray for us to your Lord as
He has promised with you, if you remove the plague from
us, we will certainly believe in you and we will certainly send
away with you the children of Israel. [7.135] But when We
removed the plague from them till a term which they should
attain lo! they broke (the promise). [7.136] Therefore We
inflicted retribution on them and drowned them in the sea
because they rejected Our signs and were heedless of
them. [7.137] And We made the people who were
deemed weak to inherit the eastern lands and the
western ones which We had blessed; and the good
word of your Lord was fulfilled in the children of Israel
because they bore up (sufferings) patiently; and We
utterly destroyed what Pharoah and his people had
wrought and what they built.
Seth Ward, University of Wyoming
THE FIRST REVELATION
Narrated 'Aisha: (the mother of the faithful believers)
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to
Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which
came true like bright day light, and then the love of
seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in
seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship
(Allah alone) continuously for many days before his
desire to see his family. He used to take with him the
journey food for the stay and then come back to (his
wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till
suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was
in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked
him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how
to read.
The Prophet added, "The angel caught me (forcefully)
and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any
more. He then released me and again asked me to read
and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon
he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I
could not bear it any more. He then released me and
again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not
know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon
he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and
then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your
Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man
from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most
Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allah's Apostle
returned with the Inspiration and with his heart
beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint
Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They
covered him till his fear was over and after that he
told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear
that something may happen to me." Khadija replied,
"Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You
keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the
poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously
and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."
Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa
bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the
PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to
write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write
from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished
him to write. He was an old man and had lost his
eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story
of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my
nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle
described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is
the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel)
whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young
and could live up to the time when your people would
turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive
me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said,
"Anyone (man) who came with something similar to
what you have brought was treated with hostility; and
if I should remain alive till the day when you will be
turned out then I would support you strongly." But
after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine
Inspiration was also paused for a while.
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari while talking
about the period of pause in revelation reporting the
speech of the Prophet "While I was walking, all of a
sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and
saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of
Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I
got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap
me (in blankets).' And then Allah revealed the
following Holy Verses (of Quran):
'O you (i.e. Muhammad)!
Arise and warn (the
Punishment),... up to 'and
After this the revelation
frequently and regularly."
wrapped up in garments!'
people against Allah's
desert the idols.' (74.1-5)
started coming strongly,
NIGHT JOURNEY TO HEAVEN, AND PRAYER
MADE OBLIGATORY
It is narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I
was brought al-Buraq Who is an animal white and
long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule,
who would place his hoof a distance equal to the
range of version. I mounted it and came to the Temple
(Bait Maqdis in Jerusalem), then tethered it to the ring
used by the prophets. I entered the mosque and prayed
two rak'ahs in it, and then came out and Gabriel
brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I
chose the milk, and Gabriel said: You have chosen the
natural thing. Then he took me to heaven. Gabriel
then asked the (gate of heaven) to be opened and he
was asked who he was. He replied: Gabriel. He was
again asked: Who is with you? He (Gabriel) said:
Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent for?
Gabriel replied: He has indeed been sent for. And (the
door of the heaven) was opened for us and lo! we saw
Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for my good.
Then we ascended to the second heaven. Gabriel
(peace be upon him) (asked the door of heaven to be
opened), and he was asked who he was. He answered:
Gabriel; and was again asked: Who is with you? He
replied: Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent
for? He replied: He has indeed been sent for. The gate
was opened. When I entered 'Isa b. Maryam and
Yahya b. Zakariya (peace be upon both of them),
cousins from the maternal side. welcomed me and
prayed for my good Then I was taken to the third
heaven and Gabriel asked for the opening (of the
door). He was asked: Who are you? He replied:
Gabriel. He was (again) asked: Who is with you? He
replied Muhammad (may peace be upon him). It was
said: Has he been sent for? He replied He has indeed
been sent for. (The gate) was opened for us and I saw
Yusuf (peace of Allah be upon him) who had been
given half of (world) beauty. He welcomed me prayed
for my well-being. Then he ascended with us to the
fourth heaven. Gabriel (peace be upon him) asked for
the (gate) to be opened, and it was said: Who is he?
He replied: Gabriel. It was (again) said: Who is with
you? He said: Muhammad. It was said: Has he been
sent for? He replied: He has indeed been sent for. The
(gate) was opened for us, and lo! Idris was there. He
welcomed me and prayed for my well-being (About
him) Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, has said:"
We elevated him (Idris) to the exalted position"
(Qur'an xix. 57). Then he ascended with us to the fifth
heaven and Gabriel asked for the (gate) to be opened.
It was said: Who is he? He replied Gabriel. It was
(again) said: Who is with thee? He replied:
Muhammad. It was said Has he been sent for? He
replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was
opened for us and then I was with Harun (Aaronpeace of Allah be upon him). He welcomed me prayed
for my well-being. Then I was taken to the sixth
heaven. Gabriel (peace be upon him) asked for the
door to be opened. It was said: Who is he? He replied:
Gabriel. It was said: Who is with thee? He replied:
Muhammad. It was said: Has he been sent for? He
replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was
opened for us and there I was with Musa (Moses
peace be upon him) He welcomed me and prayed for
my well-being. Then I was taken up to the seventh
heaven. Gabriel asked the (gate) to be opened. It was
said: Who is he? He said: Gabriel It was said. Who is
with thee? He replied: Muhammad (may peace be
upon him.) It was said: Has he been sent for? He
replied: He has indeed been sent for. (The gate) was
opened for us and there I found Ibrahim (Abraham
peace be upon him) reclining against the Bait-ulMa'mur and there enter into it seventy thousand angels
every day, never to visit (this place) again. Then I was
taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha whose leaves were like
elephant ears and its fruit like big earthenware vessels.
And when it was covered by the Command of Allah,
it underwent such a change that none amongst the
creation has the power to praise its beauty.
Then Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made
obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and night.
Then I went down to Moses (peace be upon him) and
he said: What has your Lord enjoined upon your
Ummah? I said: Fifty prayers. He said: Return to thy
Lord and beg for reduction (in the number of prayers),
for your community shallnot be able to bear this
burden. as I have put to test the children of Isra'il and
tried them (and found them too weak to bear such a
heavy burden). He (the Holy Prophet) said: I went
back to my Lord and said: My Lord, make things
lighter for my Ummah. (The Lord) reduced five
prayers for me. I went down to Moses and said. (The
Lord) reduced five (prayers) for me, He said: Verily
thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden;
return to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.
I then kept going back and forth between my Lord
Blessed and Exalted and Moses, till He said: There are
five prayers every day and night. O Muhammad, each
being credited as ten, so that makes fifty prayers. He
who intends to do a good deed and does not do it will
have a good deed recorded for him; and if he does it,
it will be recorded for him as ten; whereas he who
intends to do an evil deed and does not do, it will not
be recorded for him; and if he does it, only one evil
deed will be recorded. I then came down and when I
came to Moses and informed him, he said: Go back to
thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. Upon
this the Messenger of Allah remarked: I returned to
my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah
as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see
Him, He, verily, sees you.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.
html
He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the
hour (of the Doom).
“HADITH OF GABRIEL”
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked
knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about
it).
Al-Bukhari, Sahih. The Book of Faith (Kitab AlIman)
Chapter 1: Book 001, Number 0001:
Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were
sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be
upon him) when there appeared before us a man
dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily
black. There were no signs of travel on him. None
amongst us recognized him.
At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him)
He knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs
and said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam
(submission to God).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: AlIslam implies that you testify that there is no god but
Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,
and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast
of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if
you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the
journey.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he
would put the question and then he would himself
verify the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith).
He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your
faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His
Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm
your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan
(performance of good deeds).
He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will
give birth to her mistress and master, that you will
find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one
another in the construction of magnificent buildings.
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he
(the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him
(the Holy Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to
me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I
replied: Allah and His Apostle knows best. He (the
Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel).
He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of
religion.