The Life of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) - 2

Twenty years before prophethood, Muhammad, may peace be upon him, participated in the Alliance. Twenty years after the prophethood he said, “I was present at the house of Abdullah bin Jud‘an at the time of the Alliance. I will not go back on it, even if I were to be given hundred red camels. Even after Islam has been established, I shall still be in favour of such treaty.’

During that period, there were other social treaties as well. Banu Abd al-Dar and his colleagues once gathered in the precincts of Kabah and vowed that they would not leave each other in time of need and they would not hand over anyone to other groups. Muhammad, may peace be upon him, did not rescind these treaties. However, he supported them. He even said that such treaties of mutual understanding and reconciliation have been further strengthened after the advent of Islam. Before the prophethood, Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was engaged in trading. Abdullah bin Abi al-Hamsa said:

“I had transacted some business with Muhammad, may peace be upon him, in those days and owed him money. I asked him to wait till I brought the required sum. When I reached home, I completely forgot about it. I remembered three days later and rushed to the spot where I had left Muhammad, may peace be upon him. He was there waiting for me.”

He did not upbraid me. All he said was ‘You caused me a great deal of inconvenience. I have been waiting for you here for the last three days.’ (Ibn Ishaq)

Abdullah bin Saib said that during the days of Ignorance, he was a partner in trade with Muhammad, may peace be upon him. Much later he went to Madinah and met him. Muhammad, may peace be upon him, said, “Do you recognise me?” He said, “Indeed, you were my partner in trade. And what a wonderful partner you were! You never indulged in deceit or quarrels.”

Even before his prophethood, Muhammad used to shun polytheism, idolatry and rude behaviour. During his second journey to Syria, a dispute arose between Muhammad and a man in the course of a transaction. The man said:

“I will accept your words if you swear in the names of Lat and Uzza. (The two of three main idols worshipped in Makkah, mentioned in the Quran 53:19-20). 

Muhammad replied:

‘I have never sworn in the name of Lat or Uzza till today. Whenever I come by chance upon Lat or Uzza, I avoid them and carry on.”

With reference to such incidents, Ibn Hisham has rightly concluded that:

“The Messenger of God entered his adulthood as if God was protecting and watching over him. And He kept him safe from the evils of the time because, He wanted to confer on him honour and prophethood. Thus he reached a position of supremacy over all the men of his tribe. Of all of them, he was the best behaved. He was the noblest among them by his lineage and was the best neighbour. He was unparalleled in forbearance. He was honest in what he said, and the most trustworthy. He refrained from misconduct. Ultimately, he began to be called Al-Amin (the trustworthy) in Makkah.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham)

With his marriage with the wealthy Khadijah, Muhammad had access to all her wealth and property, he could expand his business as much as he desired. He had every opportunity to lead a successful and comfortable life. But with the passing of years he became less and less interested in business and devoted more and more of his time to the search of truth by means of reflection and meditation, instead of trying to establish himself in his society he took to the desert. He would often go to mount Hira, three miles from Makkah. He stayed there in the cave lost in thoughts for hours. When his supply of food and water were exhausted, he returned home for provisions and went back to the solitude of nature for prayer and meditations. He sought answers to the mysteries of life. What is man’s true role in life? What does the Lord require of us, as His servants? From where man comes and where will he go after death? It was to find answers to these perplexing questions that he betook himself to the stillness of the desert. With all these questions in mind, worldly gain and loss, comfort and distress did not concern him. He urgently wanted the answer to these important questions of truth. For nothing less than the truth could satisfy his soul. This phase of Muhammad’s life is referred to in the Quran in this verse.

“Did He not find you wandering and guide you?” (93:7).

He spent the whole of the month of Ramadan in the Cave of Hira. Finally after spending six long months in the cave, God turned in mercy to His Prophet, to guide him to the path of truth. At the age of 40, on February 12, 610 A.D., the Prophet was sitting all alone in his Cave. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in human form, bringing the first message from God. These words form part of the beginning of the ninety sixth chapter of the Quran. The Prophet’s quest had finally been rewarded. God granted him guidance and chose him as His Prophet. 

 The angel said to him “Read.”

The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.”

Then Muhammad felt that his body was being squeezed hard. Then the angel released him and repeated the same command. Again Muhammad replied that he did not know how to recite. Then the angel again squeezed him and then released him for the third time and said: Read!”

Then a change came over him and he was able to repeat the divine words. Then Gabriel revealed to him the chapter Al-Alaq.

“Recite in the name of your Lord, who created; who created man from a clot of blood; Recite, and your Lord is the most Gracious. It is He who has taught man by the pen that which he did not know.” (96:1-5)

Muhammad recited these verses repeating them after the angel. Then he found that these words were written on his heart (Ibn Ishaq).

The Prophet trembled in fear of what he had seen and heard in the cave. The revelation was totally a new experience for him. He set off for his house immediately after the disappearance of the angel.

On reaching home the Prophet asked Khadijah to wrap him in blankets. He was shivering from high fever. When he calmed down, he related the whole incident to her.

 Khadijah, being very kind and understanding tried her best to assure him.

She said:

“By Him who dominates Khadijah’s soul, I pray and I hope that you will be the Prophet of this nation. By God, He will not let you down. You are kind to your relations. You speak the truth, you help the poor and bear their burden, you honour guests and help those in distress. Surely God will never let you fail.”

Khadijah then suggested that they should go and consult her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who had become a Christian hermit.

Waraqa heard the whole account from Muhammad and said:

“I am sure the angel that descended on Moses has descended on you. You will be abused, and you will be pursued. I wish I could be alive to give you my support when your people will turn you out.”

“Will they turn me out?” The Prophet found this difficult to believe. Waraqa replied that people have always turned against those who are recipients of God’s messages.

The Prophet’s wife Khadijah was the first convert to Islam. When the news of Muhammad’s prophethood reached a freed slave, Zayd who was 30 years of age, and his cousin Ali, who was about eleven, both declared their faith in Islam. Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s friend from childhood, was out of town. On his return he heard of the new experience of the Prophet. People said to him that his friend had taken leave of his senses, believing that angels brought him messages from God. But Abu Bakr trusted the Prophet completely. Not for one moment did he doubt his veracity. He immediately went to meet the Prophet to find out the truth for himself. Abu Bakr asked the Prophet whether an angel had really descended upon him from God and had given him a message. The Prophet said “Yes,” and without a moment’s hesitation Abu Bakr professed his faith. He did not require any arguments to be convinced that he was telling the truth.

This small group of the Faithful were the first believers of Islam. In the first stage, the Prophet was asked to spread the message of Islam quietly to avoid arousing any hostility. Abu Bakr, being an influential merchant, was able to bring some of his friends, also rich merchants, into the fold of Islam. But the majority of the conversions took place among the weak and the poor. 

The Life Of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)

THE Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, was born in Makkah in 570 A.D. in the tribe of Quraysh and died at the age of 63 in 632 A.D. in Madinah. The year of his birth is known among the Arabs as the year of the Elephant (Aam al-Fil) referring to the campaign of Abraham, an Abyssinian ruler, who had come to Makkah to destroy Kabah. Makkah was then inhabited mainly by the tribe of Quraysh. In those times, this tribe enjoyed great prestige all over Arabia and the neighbouring countries, for Makkah was a flourishing trade and religious centre.

Muhammad was still in his mother’s womb when his father, Abdullah, died. After his birth, Amine, his mother, sent the baby to Abdul Mutely, his grandfather, who was in Kabah at that time. The grandfather was overjoyed at the news, for he loved Abdullah, Muhammad’s father, very much. The grandfather gave him the name “Muhammad”, meaning “the praised one.” As was the practice of the Makkah nobility, he was handed over to a wet nurse, Kalimah al-Sadly, who belonged to the Banu Sad tribe. This custom is still practiced among Makkah aristocracy.

Kalimah nursed Muhammad for two years and a few months. She said that when he stayed with them, her family received all kinds of unaccustomed blessings. Having nursed so many children before, she noticed something ‘different’ or ‘extraordinary’ about the infant Muhammad. These observations are recorded in detail by some biographers such as Al-Walid, Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham.

Two years later, after the child had been weaned, Kalimah brought him back to his mother. But Makkah at that time was stricken with an epidemic, so Amine asked her to take him back to live in the pure air of the desert.

Thus Muhammad remained in the charge of Kalimah until the age of five. He learned Arabic in its purest form from this tribe. Muhammad used to tell his companions, “I am the most Arab among you, for I am of the tribe of Quraysh and I have been brought up among the tribe of Banu Sad bin Bakr.

Muhammad returned to his mother after five years of desert life. Then Amine took him to Madinah to meet her uncles, the Banu al-Ajar. She was accompanied by Umm Layman, her servant, on that trip. After a stay of a month in Bathrobe, Amine was on her way back to Makkah, when passing through a village called Abash, she fell ill and died there. She was buried in Abash. It fell to Umm Layman to bring Muhammad back to Makkah.

Therefore, the orphan Muhammad was taken care of by his grandfather Abdul Mutely, chief of the clan of Banu Hashim. He looked after him with great affection. As leader of the Quraysh, he used to sit on a cushion in Kabah, whenever Muhammad joined him, he was allowed to sit on that cushion. If anyone tried to stop him, his grandfather would say, “Leave him alone. By God, he is very important.” (Ibn Hisham) Abdul Mutely died when Muhammad was eight years old.  Now the guardianship of Muhammad passed to Abu Talib, his uncle, who was a merchant. Once when Abu Talib was preparing to go to Syria on a trading journey, Muhammad expressed a keen desire to accompany him. Though he was very young to undertake such a difficult journey, Abu Talib was so full of affection for him that he could not refuse, and agreed to take him on the journey.

Their trade caravan halted in the city of Bursa in Syria. There was a Christian monk by the name of Bah rah living there in a monastery. He had read in the ancient books about the emergence of an Arab prophet. He recognised in Muhammad the signs of prophethood. He knew at once that he was the boy who had been destined to become the last of the prophets.

The monk invited the whole caravan to his monastery and asked Abu Talib, “In what way are you related to this child?” He said, “He is my son.” Bah rah said, “It cannot be. His father should not be alive.” Then Abu Talib informed him that his father was no longer alive. Bah rah advised him to return with his nephew immediately and to protect him from enemies. He said, “By God, if he is recognised, he will surely be harmed.”

Ibn Ishaq writes, “Muhammad entered his adulthood as if God Himself was protecting him from the widespread evils of the period of ignorance.” By this time he was well-known in Makkah for his good morals, gentle disposition and sincerity. In fact, he was called Al-Amin (trustworthy) and As-Sadiq (truthful) by his compatriots.  When Muhammad was twenty-five, a rich 40-year old widow, Khadijah bent Khuwaylid of the Quraysh tribe, entrusted him with the management of her business. She used to employ men to engage in trading on her behalf, and rewarded them with a share of the profits. Muhammad was so honest in all his dealings that she was deeply impressed by his virtues and expressed her desire to marry him. After consultations with his uncle, Muhammad accepted the proposal of marriage. Khadijah became his first wife and during her lifetime he had no other wife. With the exception of Ibrahim, who died in infancy, all his children were born to Khadijah. All his sons died in infancy. Of the daughters, Ruqaiyyah, Zaynab, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah lived long enough to accept Islam and migrate to Madinah with the Prophet.

When Muhammad was twenty-five, the Quraysh decided to rebuild the Kabah after a sudden flood had shaken its foundations and cracked its walls. The old structure was demolished and the new construction began. When the walls rose from the ground and the time came to place the famous Black Stone (Hajr al-Aswad) in its place on the east wall, a dispute arose among the clans as to who would have the honour of laying it in place. Each clan wanted to have the honour of placing the stone for itself. This dispute almost led to a civil war. No peaceful solution seemed possible.

At this critical juncture Abu Umayyah, son of Mughirah al- Makhzumi said to the Makkans, “Put it off till tomorrow, the man who enters the Kabah first of all in the morning will be our arbitrator in this dispute.” Everybody liked the idea. Men from different tribes ran to the Kabah before dawn next morning. Each one tried to be the first to enter the House of God. But the first one to pass through the gate was Muhammad. On seeing him they all said, “There goes al-Amin. We shall agree with his verdict.” Then he was asked to give his decision on the matter. He took a sheet of cloth and spread it on the ground, and placed the Black Stone in the middle of it and then he asked the chiefs of all tribes to hold different ends of the sheet and lift it up. They carried the stone to the site of construction. Then Muhammad picked up the stone from the sheet and set it in place. Thus a bloody clash was averted and the dispute resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.

The life of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, before prophethood has been recorded in detail in several books. However, the following events are worth mentioning. A covenant known as the Alliance of Fudul (Hilf al-Fudul) had been entered into by three men, Fadal bin Fadalah, Fadal bin Vida and Fadal bin Harith. This was to ensure that no oppressor ever lived in Makkah. (Sirat ibn Hisham)

This Alliance ceased to exist after the death of its architects. Muhammad was 15 years of age when a civil war broke out involving the tribes of Quraysh and Qais. It is known as the Fijar War. In view of the widespread disturbances some people thought of reviving the Alliance of Fudul, to restore tribal harmony and ensure peaceful co-existence. It happened that a trader from Yemen sold some of his goods to Aaas bin Wail, but he was not paid in full. He composed couplets narrating his misfortune and pleading for justice. This touched the pride of the Makkans, who gathered at the house of Abdullah bin Jud‘an at the instance of Zubayr ibn Abd al Muttalib.

After consultations, it was decreed that the Alliance of Fudul should be renewed. Everyone agreed to support the cause of the oppressed, whether or not they belonged to Makkah. They also resolved to force the oppressor to give the oppressed their rightful dues. 

Arabia Before Islam - 3 (The Characteristics of the Arab People)

Islam emerged in a region known as Hijaz, inhabited by the descendants of Ismael and Banu Kinanah. These people had access only to limited resources, limited habitable area, cattle, pasture and oases. Everything was in short supply. So they could afford to lead an extremely simple life.

Due to these constraints they often waged war, sometimes to take possession of the limited reservoirs of water and pastures. Nevertheless, these Bedouins had noble human qualities. For they lived very far from the artificial world of civilization. The atmosphere of nature served as a vast school of nature for them. They never led the artificial life of the cities and their life was devoid of all formalities. This extremely simple, austere life made them realists.

All this was responsible for producing in them the qualities which the Arabs call al muruuwah, manliness, which meant to them acknowledging the truth, speaking nothing but the truth, fulfilling promises, honouring obligations, supporting the oppressed, boldness, noble character, patience, generosity and hospitality. When this high level of humanity was combined with the truth of Islam, they were enabled to perform great feats. It was this truth which has been thus expressed in a hadith:

“Those who were good people in the days of ignorance will also be good people during Islam.”

In ancient Arabia despite their battles, wars, conflicts and tensions, their vows of revenge, which went on for generation after generation, their mentality, their thinking, their aptitude for acknowledging the truth were fully preserved.

For instance, once in ancient Makkah two groups: were ready to fight. At this juncture, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb intervened and said to them: “If you waged a war so many people would be killed belonging to both the groups. So should I not tell you something better?” They agreed with him. Then Abu Sufyan said: “What has passed has passed, now you must make peace.” Both the parties accepted his advice there and then and made peace. This was in spite of the fact that there were people who used to go on fighting for as long even as 50 years to avenge a murder or an insult or any injustice done to them.

Due to the paucity of economic resources, there were people who indulged in looting. But even these people were of a noble character. Once a Bedouin wanted to robe a woman who was all alone in her tent decked with jewellery. But he did not enter the tent. He stood at the door and commanded her to take off all her jewellery and hand it over to him.

While the woman was taking off her jewellery, the man stood at the door with his back towards it, so that he did not catch sight of the woman while she was taking off her jewellery.

These Arabs had not been idol worshippers since ancient times. Idolatry was only a later introduction into their lives through foreign influence. The idols were imported into Arabia. So there was no ideology behind this idol worship. It was thus of a superficial nature, having no deep ideological or philosophical root. For instance, once an Arab wanted to take revenge for his father. So he went to an idol called Dhul Khalasa for divining arrows. But the answer that came from the idol was not in the affirmative. This enraged the Arab and, addressing the idol, he uttered these words: O Dhul Khalasa, had your father been killed you would never have uttered this falsehood that the oppressor should not be punished.”

Similarly, another Arab led his camels to his idol Sad in order to seek its blessing. It was a tall idol, and was covered in blood due to the sacrifices made to it. On seeing this sight, the camels were frightened and ran away. When the Arab saw the flight of his camels, he hit the idol with a stone, abusing him:

“May God destroy you. I had come to seek your blessings and you made my camels run away.” 

 Of these ancient Arabs there were a sizeable number who were known as Hanif. These people were truth seekers and they shunned idolatry. They lived an aloof, social life. They used to say:

“O, God, I do not know how You should be worshipped. Had I known, I would have certainly worshipped you in that manner.”

These circumstances of the ancient Arabs and their moral qualities had a close affinity with Islam. These people true in nature, were as if potential converts of Islam. Therefore when the Prophet of Islam began his preaching in 610, these Hanifs took no time in responding to his call and became his devoted companions, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Qahafa being one of those Hunafa. What distinguished the Arabs from others was that they could not afford to reject a truth when it had become clear to them. That is why in the initial stage of the Prophet’s call, due to some misunderstanding, a number of them turned against the Prophet Muhammad. But when finally they learned that what the Prophet was telling them was nothing but the truth, they took no time in entering the fold of Islam. There are a number of incidents in the books of Seerah to this effect.

Thus the sending of the Final Prophet was not without reason. It was a well-planned decision of God which He in His Own knowledge decreed. These Arabs were the living people who were selected by God to lend full support to His final Prophet, so that he might fulfill the divine mission.  

Arabia Before Islam - 2 (Makkah)

When Hajira’s infant son started crying for water she ran desperately between the hills of Safa and Marwah in search of water. She ran seven times when finally she discovered a spring of water gushing from the ground by the side of her son. It was this spring which is known as Zamzam. Makkah is founded at this spring spot of Zamzam.

Both Makkah and Madinah were, and still are, islands in a sea of desert. These towns were initially inhabited by the descendants of the nomads, who still retained many of the desert born habits of their ancestors.

Situated in a valley, Makkah is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is a desert, with no vegetation, no date-palms.

There are some fertile spots in the desert, which are called oases. There are also springs of water here and there, although grass and palm trees grow. These springs of water are scattered all over the desert. Large as well as small clans settle around the oases.

Makkah since ancient times was an important centre for the caravans coming from the south with valuable merchandise. They brought gold, precious stones and spices from Africa to Yemen. From here it was taken to the markets of Syria, Egypt and many other places on the backs of camels.

The merchants travelled in caravans for the sake of safety. For in those days caravans were an easy target. Since these caravans passed through vast stretches of uninhabited deserts, it was easy for plunderers to rob them of all their merchandise.

At Makkah agriculture not being possible, the city thrived on commerce. Makkah became an important trading centre because of the Sanctuary – the Kabah, to visit which people came from places far and near. Its geographical position was very good from the point of view of trade, it being situated at the crossroads of the routes from Yemen to Syria and Abyssinia to Arabia. So the nomads came to Makkah from all sides. By the 6th century, Arab traders had become very influential and controlled the trade from Yemen to Syria. Taif was also an important commercial centre but Makkah was more important because of the Kabah.

So Makkah became a religious as well as a financial centre. By the time the Prophet conquered Makkah, we find many influential traders who were adept at doing business with different parts of the world. Although Yemen was the most advanced province in the Arabian Peninsula because of its water resources and sound administration, Makkah being a religious centre wielded greater influence on this account. Makkah, a focal point of pilgrimage dating back to the origin of Arab history, owed its status to the Kabah, which had been built by Ibrahim and Ismail.

Everyone observed its holy months for religious reasons as well as on account of the special position it enjoyed with regard to trade, being the capital of the peninsula.

The Arabs of the North are considered Arab al mustaribah, “Arabized Arabs.” The Qahtanis of the South are considered Arab al Mutaarribah, or tribes resulting from mixing with the Arab al Aribah, original, or true Arabs. From the Qahtanis descend the Arabs of ancient South Arabia, or “Himyarite” Kingdoms. The completely “true Arabs”, descendants of Aram, son of Shem, son of Noah, are called the Arab al baidah, “the lost Arabs”, their identity having been submerged in that of other peoples.

The progeny of Ismail were known as Mustariba, or naturalised Arabs, and they greatly multiplied. They were divided into many tribes and clans. The Quraysh, the largest tribe, descending from the Kinanah and Ismail, had several clans. They were settled in Makkah by an ancestor of renown called Qusayy, who displaced the previous inhabitants, the Khuzaah. The clans who lived in the vicinity of the Kabah were considered most honourable. These were called Quraysh al Bitah (the Quraysh of the Hollow).

The location of Makkah on important caravan routes across the Peninsula, and the prestige of the Kabah in the age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) gave it great advantages as a trading city. This is why the Quraysh became one of the richest and most powerful tribes. This, together with their descent from the Kinanah and Ismail, gave them claims to an aristocratic pre-eminence.

The Prophet Muhammad was of the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh, who lived in the vicinity of the Kabah and enjoyed great honour and prestige in Arabia. These clans were divided into families. Besides these Arabs there were also Christian and Jews who lived in Arabia. A large number of their population lived in Madinah.

In Arabia there are two different geographical types of soil markedly different from one another – the oasis and the desert. The inhabitants of Arabia naturally fall into two main groups: nomadic and settled people. The city dwellers settled in one place and lived on cultivation because they knew how to till the land and grow corn. They engaged in commerce not only within their own country, but also abroad. But the Bedouins, being nomads, disliked the idea of a settled life and wandered from place to place with their families and belongings. Prof. Hitti in his book the History of the Arabs, writes: “The Bedouin is no gypsy roaming aimlessly for the sake of roaming. He represents the best adaptation of human life to desert conditions.” (p. 23)

They lived in tents and possessed goats, camels and horses. They were continually on the move in search of pastures and when they halted temporarily they lived in tents or camps. They engaged for economic reasons in horse-breeding, hunting, camel raising, etc. They thought that these were the only occupations worthy of a man. They disliked agriculture, trade and commerce. In the desert the basic unit of life is not the state but the tribe. The Bedouins attach the greatest importance to total freedom for the individual as well as the tribe, but this was not the case with the city-dwellers. They attached importance not only to freedom but also to peace, security and prosperity. Another feature of tribal life, is the belief in absolute equality. All the members of the tribe are treated equally. This is because of the influence of the desert, with the freedom of its vast limitless expanses. If they had any injustice forced upon them, which they could not bear or confront, they left behind their pasture and moved on to another place where there would be no injustice—only freedom and equality. In times of conflict, they depended upon the sword. It was considered as a pre-requisite for the individual to be able to defend himself and his tribe.  

The nomadic life is based upon stockbreeding, especially the breeding of camels. There is some rain in the winter season and then some vegetation comes up in the low-lying areas. These areas become a paradise for camels, as they provide the best pasture, but with the coming of summer the pasture vanishes. Then the nomads move on in search of other green areas in order to feed themselves as well as their camels. Then there are some wells, which provide water for the camels. The milk of the camels is the diet of the nomads along with dates, which are obtained from the oases. Cereals are not easily available. Only the rich can afford them. The oases that are found in Madinah are near the mountains. So there the date crop is grown. And in Taif, which has very fertile soil, cereals are grown. Madinah has the largest of the oases.

Ibrahim was the first to teach them the worship of one God. The Arabs followed the religion of Ibrahim for some generations, but their later generations tended to deviate from the straight path shown to them by Ibrahim and became idolators. At the time of the birth of the Prophet, the whole of Arabia had taken to idolatry. Some of the tribes worshipped stars and planets, some stone idols, and, thus the Kabah, which had been built for the worship of God became a centre of idolatry. It housed 360 idols, one for each day of the year. Hubal was the most honoured. Carved in red stone, it held seven arrows in its hand. Among the Arabs lots were drawn to decide all important matters. 

The Quraysh were the most influential tribe in Makkah. Most of them were engaged in trade, and some of them were great traders. The name Quraysh is derived from a word which means to trade.

Since the Quraysh was the largest and most powerful tribe in Makkah, its chief was the most influential man in Makkah. 

Arabia Before Islam - 1

WITH an area of 1,20,000 square miles the land of Arabia is the largest peninsula in the world. It has the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Adan to the south-east and the rivers Euphrates and Tigris and the Persian Gulf to the north-east. It thus occupies a unique position. It is situated in Asia, yet only the narrow Red Sea divides it from Africa and by just passing through the Suez Canal, one reaches the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. It is thus at the centre of three continents, yet it is apart from all of them.

Arabia being a very hot and dry country, one third of it is desert. It is strange that a land surrounded by water on three sides, and with only a narrow strip of land to the north, has practically no river of its own, except for small streams here and there, which soon dry up in the hot desert.

Rain too is scarce. The rains come in torrents in spring, but the water does not stay. It is lost in the sand as quickly as it comes. There being no dependable rainy reason, which is necessary for agriculture, this vast land, about a thousand kilometres wide and about the same in length, is neither fertile nor cultivable.

Yemen, the original home of the Semites, is the only exception, in that it is fertile and enjoys a rainy season. Besides this, the rest of the peninsula consists of barren valleys and deserts. Due to the lack of vegetation, life here can be only that of the desert. The camel, the only means of transportation is indispensable, for a desert life demands continuous movement. The desert dwellers must continually go in search of pastures, which are scarce and thin, and soon cropped bare. The pastures turn green around spring, watered by springs which form in the wake of occasional rainfalls. In such an infertile country where no agriculture has ever been possible, the only produce is dates. In the context of this civilization, Yemen has always been very developed in terms of agriculture. Showing great intelligence the Yemenis invented ways of saving rain water from running down to the sea so that artificial irrigation could be carried out. Moreover, they built the famous dam of Maarib by changing the natural course of the water. This water is gathered in a 400 meter wide valley between two mountains by constructing a dam with gates at the narrowest point in the valley.

Then this water is divided into many streams and spread over a wide area of plains. It is almost like the Nile in the dam area in Upper Egypt. In this way they have contrived to have a controlled distribution of their water. The fertility of their land has gone on increasing and the people of Yemen have become very prosperous. 

Hadiths: On Sleeping Through the Prayer

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id Ibn Al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, travelled by night in the way back from Khaybar. Towards the end of the night he stopped for a rest and told Bilal to stay awake to keep watch for the Subh prayer. The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions slept. Bilal stayed on guard as long as was decreed for him and then he leant against his riding camel facing the direction of the dawn and sleep overcame him and neither he nor the Messenger of Allah nor any of the party woke up until the sun's rays had struck them. 

    The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, was alarmed. Bilal excuses himself, saying, "Messenger of Allah! The One who took yourself was the One who took myself." The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the party to move on and so they roused their mounts and rode a short distance. The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered Bilal to give the Iqama and then led them in the subh prayer. When he had finished he said, "Anyone who forgets a prayer should pray should pray it when he remembers. Allah the Blessed and Exalted says in his book, 'Establish the prayer to remember Me.' "

2.  Yahya related to me from Malik that Zayd Ibn Aslam said, "The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped for a rest one night on the way to Makka and appointed Bilal to wake them up for the prayer. Bilal slept and everyone else slept and none of them woke up until the sun had risen. When they did wake up they were all alarmed. The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to ride out of the valley, saying that there was a shaytan in it. So, they rode out of the valley and the Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to dismount and do Wudu and he told Bilal either to call the prayer or to give the iqama.  

     The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, then led them in the prayer. Noticing their uneasiness, he went to them and said, "O people! Allah seized our spirits (arwah) and if He had wished He would have returned them to us at a time other than this. So if you sleep through the time for prayer or forget it and then are anxious about it, pray it as if you were praying it in its time.' The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to Abu Bakr and said, 'Shaytan came to Bilal when he was standing in prayer and made him lie down and lulled him to sleep like a small boy.' The Messenger of Allah, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, then called Bilal and told him the same as he had told Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr declared, 'I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.' "

Hadiths: Catching A Raka'ah of the Prayer

1. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Hurayra used to say, "Whoever catches the ruku has caught the Sajdah and whoever misses the recitation of the umm al-Qur'an has missed much good."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah Ibn Umar Ibn Al-Khattab used to say, "If the ruku has passed you by, so has the Sajdah."

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama Ibn Abd ar-Rahman from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger if Allah, May Allab bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever catches a rak'a of the prayer has caught the prayer."