MUHAMMAD3

the Last Prophet A model for all time

Sayyed Abul Hasan 'Ali Nadwi

UK ISLAM) C ACADEMY

© UK Islamic Academy, 1993, 1995, 1999,2003,2006,2009

ISBN 1 872531 10 5 (PB) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

General Editor: Iqbal Ahmad Azami

Published by UK Islamic Academy 147 Mere Road Leicester LES SGQ United Kingdom Website: www.ukiabooks.com E-mail: [email protected]

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Typeset: Arrow Photoset Cover Design: S. Nakhooda lllustration: J. Russell

Contents page Foreword

5

Preface .

7

The Age of Ignorance .

11

Before Prophethood .

15

After Prophethood

29

In Madinah

....

65

The Decisive Battle of Badr .

73

The Battle of U hud . .

83

The Battle of the Ditch.

99

The Expedition Againstthe Banu Qurayzah

109

The Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

..

115

Inviting the Kings and Rulers to Islam.

123

The EXj1edition to Khaybar

127

The Expedition to Mu'tah .

137

The Conquest of Makkah

141

The Battle of Hunayn

155

. .

3

The Expedition ofTa'if

159

The Tabuk Expedition.

165

The Year of Delegations.

171

The Farewell Hajj ....

173

The Death of the Messenger of Allah

179

The Prophet's Character and Qualities.

191

Workbook

193

.

Transliteration Table Glossary

205

207

.

Names/Kunyahs/Epithets and Titles

211

Communities, Tribes, Clans and Families

214

Places

.

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215

Foreword All the Prophets were chosen by Allah to guide mankind to the Divine Path. They faced many difficulties and suffered severe hardships in their efforts to call their erring people to obey and worship the One God, Allah. This book is the last in a series of stories about these Prophets. It portrays a vivid picture of the life and times of Muhammad, the last Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).lt has been written in a style attractive to young people by the renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Sayyed Abul Hasan 'Ali Nadwi, one of the greatest living authorities on Islam, whose works provide material for the text books used in schools and colleges throughout the Arab and Muslim world. This translation has been prepared especially for young English-speaking Muslims who wish to benefit from the scholarship usually found in Arabic or Urdu publications. MUHAMMAD, the Last Prophet is based on the Holy Qur'an and contemporary accounts of events taking place during that period. It offers an authentic account of the early call to Islam, the impact of which is still reverberating around the world. It is hoped that the reader will appreciate this opportunity to examine Islam from a historical perspective and to understand why it remains so relevant to life today.

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My thanks are due to Sis. Aisha Bewley, Sis. Umm Ayman, my daughters Su'ad, Shifa' and my other children for their help in producing this book. May Allah accept this effort and make it a source of inspiration and guidance for all.

Iqbal Ahmad Azami

Leicester, England RabT' al-Awwal 1414 A.H. August 1993

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Preface Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds and peace be upon the exalted Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, and upon all his family and Compan ions and those who follow them with sincerity until the Day of Judgement. No words can express the praise and gratitude lowe to Allah Almighty or describe my happiness as I write this preface to the last book in the series Stories of the Prophets. Allah has prolonged my life and blessed me with success in completing this book devoted to the life of the last Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). A period of thirty years lapsed between writing the story of the Prophet Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) and the section which begins with the story of the Prophet Shu'avb and ends with the story of the Prophet 'Isa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings be upon them). No one can be certain of continued life and it was only through Divine kindness and favour that I was able to write about the life of the Prophet specifically for children. Having dedicated myself to the task of writing this book I managed to finish it in a short time. Then I began a definitive work on the life of the Prophet. This small book formed the basis for the larger book, completed at the beginning of Shawwal, 1396 A.H. produced by Dar ash-Shuruq in leddah under the title, as-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah and published in Cairo

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in Rabi' al-Awwal, 1398 A.H. (April 1977 C.E.). It has also been translated into English and published by The Academy of Islamic Research & Publications, Lucknow, India, entitled Muhammad, Rasulullah). I have based my work on a summary of as-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hisham, one of the oldest books on the life of the Prophet still in existence. It has had a great effect on the hearts and souls of generations of believers. I have also rei ied on ancient Sirah sources and the celebrated books of as-Sihah in hadith. As I did not set out to write an academic treatise I have refrained from constantly specifying my sources. The book has been written for enthusiastic young people, not for university scholarship, so references are confined to texts and variants. My large and comprehensive book on the Sirah will meet their needs for theological arguments and contemporary stud ies. By the power of Almighty Allah, this present work comes in between the Sirah written for adults and the books published for children. It can be studied by adolescents or read by non-academics, in their madrasahs, libraries and homes. It will also be useful to non-Muslims and can be translated into other languages. It contains the core and summary of the Siret), the wonders and facts of various events, the background to the Islamic call, and the conquests and victories associated with it. Above all, this book wi II provide the student with a welcome environment in which he or she will find guidance to last a lifetime. It provides the light to illuminate the pathway, the spiritual weapons needed for defence against secularism and satanic influences and the message to carry into the future. Finally, I praise Allah for the successful conclusion of this work. I thank Him for His gifts and blessings and I ask Him to accept my efforts. I pray that this book will help the

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Muslim youth of today to overcome the thorny thickets which obstruct their path. Allah is the One who guides to the right path whomever He wants.

Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

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