Holy Prophet Muhammad
(Peace be upon him and his family)
The ancestry of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is traced to Ishmael (Ismail) and Abraham (Ibrahim). The study of Jambur, Taurat, Inzil and Qur’an helps us to understand existing genealogy link between Jews, Christians and Arabs. It further helps us to understand and reconcile circumstances, historic developments, and much of the current world events in the light of the prophetic teachings of these divine books from heaven.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) represents an exhaustive embodiment of God’s Message that he communicated in order to deliver the human race from the swamp of darkness and polytheism to the paradise of peace, light and monotheism.
The Arabian Peninsula is enclosed in the west by the Red Sea and Sinai, in the east by the Arabian Gulf, in the south by the Arabian Sea, which is an extension of the Indian Ocean, and in the north by old Syria and part of Iraq. The area is estimated between a million and a million and a quarter square miles.
Thanks to its geographical position, the peninsula has always maintained great importance. Considering its internal setting, it is mostly deserts and sandy places, which has rendered it inaccessible to foreigners and invaders, and allowed its people complete liberty and independence.
Its external setting, on the other hand, caused it to be the centre of the old world and provided it with sea and land links with most nations at the time. Thanks to this strategic position the Arabian Peninsula had become the centre for trade, culture, religion and art.
The Arab kinfolks have been divided according to lineage into three groups:
Perishing Arabs: The ancient Arabs, of whose history little is known, and of who were ‘Ad, Thamûd, Tasam, Jadis, Emlaq, and others;
Qahtanian Arabs: Who originated from the progeny of Ya’rub bin Yashjub bin Qahtan;
Ishmael’s Arabs: Having originated from the progeny of Ishmael they are also known to have been being called Ishmaeliya or Ismailia Arabs. They go back in ancestry to their great grandfather Abraham or Ibrahim (peace be upon him and his family), the world’s first monotheist. Excavations from a town called "Ar" near Kufa on the west bank of the Euphrates in Iraq have brought to light great details of the town and Abraham’s family, and the prevalent religions and social circumstances. (Tafheem-ul-Qur'an, 1/553)
Ancestry of Holy Prophet
Historians trace the genealogy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) from Ismail, the son of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him and his family). Ismail was born in 1910 B.C. and Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in 571 CE. Therefore, the time elapsed between these two personages was almost 2480 years. During this period, there were seventy generations from Ismail to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The most ancient and authentic of all the traditions of Arabia have been acknowledged without the least hesitation that the Ka’ba at Mecca had been constructed in 19th century BC by Abraham (peace be upon him and his family), who was assisted in his work by his son Ismail. At the time of its erection, the Ka’ba remained in possession of Ismail, after whose death his descendants became the supreme guardians of the sacred house. His descendants for the most part, migrated to different portions of the peninsula.
Ka‘ba, the structure and its immediate precincts in Mecca that also house a large mosque are referred to in the Qur’an and subsequently in Muslim tradition as the House of God (bayt Allah) and the sacred Mosque (masjid al har’am). The Ka‘ba is the point of orientation for Muslims when they pray, and it is also the focal point of the Pilgrimage (Hajj) as well as the umra (minor pilgrimage). The Hajj takes place over a fixed period in the prescribed month, whereas the umra may be undertaken at any other time.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was forced to leave Mecca as a result of the opposition he encountered because of his preaching, and his claim to be the messenger of a new revelation. He migrated to Medina in 622 CE, but he subsequently negotiated to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca with his followers.
In 629 CE, Mecca submitted to him, and he was able to enter the town peacefully and purge the Ka‘ba of its idols, restoring it to its original role as the symbol of a monotheistic faith and affirming its place as the site of the Hajj, which became established as a major pilgrimage practice of the new faith of Islam. He also linked the Ka‘ba to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him and his family), who, with his son Ismail, is also believed to have established a place of worship there. According to Muslim tradition, it is also the location of the first ever place of worship. The formalised practices for the Hajj were also instituted by the Prophet, thereby linking the Ka‘ba to other nearby centres to constitute the totality of pilgrimage rituals. An irregular cube-like structure, the Ka‘ba itself measures approximately fifteen meters in height, ten meters in length and twelve meters in width. Its four corners are generally aligned with the four points of the compass. On one of the corners, set in a silver bezel, is the Black Stone (al hajar al aswad), which is believed to be of miraculous and ancient origin. Pilgrims customarily kiss or touch it, and they also begin the circling (tawaf) of the Ka‘ba during the pilgrimage from this point.
The Ka‘ba is generally covered with a black silk covering embroidered with Qur’anic verses, called a kiswa, which is replaced annually, a practice that originated during medieval Muslim history. It has one entrance and the interior is empty, but it is customarily cleansed and swept in a ritual that precedes the Hajj.
The maqam (station) of Abraham (peace be upon him and his family) is located just outside of the Ka‘ba. The Muslim tradition records, God instructed Abraham (peace be upon him and his family) to establish the Ka‘ba as a place of worship. In the vicinity, just east of the Ka‘ba, is also found the well of Zamzam, which carries forward the linkage with the Abrahamic traditions in which the well sprang forth by God’s grace in response to the fervent prayers of Ismail. Its water is now circulated through a modern system of pipes and made available to pilgrims as is ancient Muslim custom.
The symbolism and significance of the Ka‘ba are evoked in Muslim mystical tradition in which it plays a cosmic role as the center of the earth. Although the Ka‘ba serves as the qibla (direction for prayer), Muslims also traditionally bury the departed facing the Ka‘ba.
The Ka‘ba, situated in Mecca, is one of the most significant structures for Muslims. Throughout the world, it is the point of orientation for the daily ritual prayers of Muslims and is also the focal point of the Pilgrimage (hajj). According to Muslim tradition, it is also the location of the first ever place of worship.
Ishmael had twelve sons from the daughter of Mudad, whose names were Nabet, Qidar, Edbael, Mebsham, Mishma’, Duma, Micha, Hudud, Yetma, Yetour, Nafis and Qidman, and who ultimately formed twelve tribes inhabiting Makkah and trading between Yemen, geographical Syria and Egypt. Later on, these tribes spread all over, and even outside, the peninsula. All their tidings went into oblivion except for the descendants of Nabet and Qidar.
The Nabeteans – sons of Nabet – established a flourishing civilization in the north of Hijaz, they instituted a powerful government which spread out its domain over all neighbouring tribes, and made Petra their capital. Nobody dared challenge their authority until the Romans came and managed to eliminate their kingdom. After extensive research and painstaking investigation, Mr. Sulaiman An-Nadwi came to the conclusion that the Ghassanide kings, along with the Aws and Khazraj were not likely to be Qahtanians but rather Nabeteans. (Tareekh Ard Al-Qur'an 2/78-86)
The progeny of Qidar spread over the Arabian province of Hijaz. Again, it is agreed among the Arabs that Adnan, to whom Prophet Muhammad traced his descent, was also a scion of Ismail in about the fortieth generations. Further down, in the ninth descent from Adnan, there followed Nadzr bin Kinana. Another descent in the genealogical scale and then comes in the ninth place, one, Qassi by name. The supreme charge of the sacred Ka’ba then fell into the hands of Qassi in due course. Qassi established a consultative body, its meetings were held in the Ka’ba for decisions to be taken with regard to war, trade, tribal affairs etc. Qassi collected the scattered tribe, which gave him the title of Quraysh, the word is derived from taqreish means one who brings together to the clans. Qassi died probably in 480 CE, and from him the charge of the Ka’ba descended to his eldest son, Abdul, from whom the chief offices held by him were transferred to his brother, Abd Munaf.
The principal offices in connection with the Ka’ba were five altogether: Sicaya and Rifada, the exclusive privilege of supply water and food to the pilgrims; Kiyada, the command of the army in time of war; Siva, the right of becoming standard bearer; Hijaba, the guardianship of the Ka’ba, and, Nadwa, the right of presidency of the council. After the death of Abd Munaf, a family division arose among his sons, on which account the offices were divided in the following order: Hashim was invested with the charge of Sicaya and Rifada, while the descendants of Abdul retained the custody of the Ka’ba, the presidency of the council and the right of becoming standard bearer.
When Hashim was installed to the offices, he was proved a capable and generous. He married a girl from his own family and she gave birth to his son, Asad, who in due course became the maternal grandfather of Ali bin Abu Talib, as Asad's daughter, Fatima bint Asad was Ali's mother. Hashim's second marriage actualised with a girl of Banu Najjar being noble from both sides. She gave birth to a son, called Abdul Muttalib, who later rose to be a man of great nobility and fame. Hashim died in 510 CE, who left his dignities to his elder brother, Almutallib, after whom his nephew, Abdul Muttalib, the son of Hashim, succeeded to his paternal offices.
Birth
The Zamzam, which is a well at present in Ka’ba, was a small rill of water flowing from one of the neighbouring hills, it being the same fountain which Ismail had discovered in the desert and settled. After a time, however, the water ceased gushing from its mountain source, and the little stream completely dried up. A considerable time afterwards, Abdul Muttalib had a well dug on the very spot where the spring originally was in extant. Abdul Muttalib died in the height of his glory and left indelible marks of his greatness. Abdullah was one of the sons of Abdul Muttalib, who married to Amina bint Wahab. To this noble couple was born Muhammad, but before he was born his revered father died while on a journey.
Under the rocks of the Abu Kobeis, that rises eastward of Mecca over the narrow valley, stood the house of Amina, the birthplace of her only son. On the morning of Monday, 12th Rabbi ul Awal 52 years before ME, April 22, 571 CE, a grandson was born to Abdul Muttalib, who named him Muhammad (the extolled one).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Allâh selected Ishmael from the sons of Abraham, Kinana from the sons of Ishmael, Quraish from the sons of Kinana, Hashim from the sons of Quraish and He selected me from the sons of Hashim." (Muslim 2/245; Tirmidhi 2/201)
"To the Arab nation" writes Thomas Carlyle in "Heroes and Hero-Worship" (London, 1850, p. 101), "it was as a birth from darkness into light; Arabia first became alive by means of it. The Arabs, a poor shepherd nation, roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world; a Holy Prophet was sent down to them with a word they could believe."
John William Draper also writes in "History of the Intellectual Development of Europe" (London, 1875, 1st vol., p. 329) that, "Four years after the death of Justinian, 571 CE, was born at Mecca, in Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race." According to "The Life of Mahomet" (London, 1930, p. 171) by Dermenghem, "Muhammad appeared on the scene at one of the darkest periods in all history, when all the civilizations, from Merovingian Gaul to India, were falling to ruin or were in a state of troubled gestation."
Early Childhood
Mecca, also known as Umm al-Qura (mother of towns), about forty miles from the Red Sea, lay in an arid valley, embosomed with torrid rocks. The air was heavy in Mecca and all about and around Mecca was desert, whose air was limpid. For this reason, it was a custom among the Arab gentry and nobility that the mother did not nurse their children. They would give their suckling infants into the charge of Bedouin women shortly after birth to suckle and nourish them. Abdul Muttalib assigned his grandson into the nursing care of Halima al-Sadiyyah, the daughter of Abu Dhuayb, belonging to the clan of Sa'd, near Mount Taif, situated to the east of Mecca. Having nurtured the little Muhammad for a period of five years, the nurse Halima gave him back to his mother, Amina, who also died after one year. Henceforward, Abdul Muttalib was both mother and father to the orphaned child. But this was not to be for long either. The elderly man died when Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was eight. Abdul Muttalib had already entrusted the guardianship of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) to his son, Abu Talib (father of Aly), who discharged the trust kindly and faithfully. His care and affection for Muhammad (peace be upon him and family) equalled that of Abdul Muttalib. He made him rest and eat by his side, and go with him wherever he walked. Tor Andrae writes in "Mohammed the Man and his Faith" (London, 1936, p. 48) that, "It is said of Abu Talib that he loved Muhammad greatly. He would not sleep unless the lad was at his side, and he never cared to go out without him. He noticed also that a blessing accompanied the future prophet. When Muhammad was not present, Abu Talib's family could not eat." This tender treatment was continued until his nephew emerged from childhood. In the twelfth year of age, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) travelled with his uncle in a trade-caravan to Syria. It was during this journey that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is said to have met a Christian anchorite, called Bahira. On seeing the boy, Bahira could discern in his face, marks of the future greatness and he advised Abu Talib to take good care of him, for he would some day be the recipient of Divine Call.
Marriage
Khadija bint Khuwaylid, a high placed widow had acquired in pre-Islamic days, by her virtue the titles of Tahira (the virtuous) and Sayeda i Quraysh (the pure of the Quraysh), and hearing of the righteousness of Muhammad, entrusted to him the sole charge of her business. The personal attributes and moral grace in Muhammad attracted the attention and won the admiration of Khadija. So honestly Muhammad did transact the widow's trade that she caused a proposal of marriage, which met the approval of Abu Talib. Thus he married, at the age of twenty-five, to a widow, fifteen years older than him. Khadija gave birth to Fatima Zahra, Prophet’s daughter and only surviving child, later to be the wife of Aly.
Beginning of the Revelation
After his marriage, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) would frequently take a provision of dates and cat meal for food and retire for days into a cave he had found at the top of a cone-shaped mountain, called Hira, some three miles from Mecca. He used to spend night after night in that solitary cave far away from all the worldly turmoil. Many traditions concerning his temperament recall that his character was reflective of the shared impulses and that he was receptive to spiritual experience. Muhammad prayed ardently, opening his whole heart to his Creator his soul longed to meet. He became so fully absorbed in the ecstacy of his devotion that he would remain for days in the mountain cavern. Often his beloved wife brought him food.
This went on for a considerable length of time, till at last, in his fortieth year, a great unseen was revealed to him. The light of God was fully reflected in Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). He had reached the stage of self-elevation when duality becomes non-existent and only eternity remains.
The earliest sources relate that the moon on that day of the eve of Ramadan enwrapped Hira. The birds were still in their nests and not a sound or movement disturbed this heavy quiet. It was though as everything was pegged to its place and nothing existed save the heavens and the earth. A few roaming shepherds had seen Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) go there. Now there was no one else, only the sky and the earth and the crescent moon between them, rising sometimes aloft and sinking to the edge of the horizon. Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) came home from Hira on that morning, strangely engrossed, his great eyes dilated in wonder. After a while, he spoke thus to wife Khadija, "A strange vision appeared to me in the cave of Hira tonight. The vision said, `I am the angel Gabriel, sent by God.' Then he asked me to read. `I am unlettered', I said. Upon this he clasped me to his bosom and held me firmly. Then he let me go and asked me to read. I gave the same answer. He clasped me once again, and asked once again to read. And embracing me the third time, he chanted, `Read! In the name of thy Lord, Who created; He created man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the most bounteous, who teacheth by the pen, teacheth man that which he knew not.’
“Suddenly the words came alive to me." Khadija was worried at first, but soon regained her composure and comforted him. "Fear not, my noble one", she said, "but rejoice. God will not forsake you in this affair nor expose you to shame. For you are good and kind and truthful. You are hospitable to the passing stranger; you aid and comfort the poor and the lonely, and support the virtuous in righteous deeds."
This night in the holy month of Ramadan when Qur’an is believed to have been first sent from one of the reserved heavens (Lo’h Mahfuz) to earth, has come to stay with the Muslims as Lailtul Qad’r (the night of blessings and dignity). This night is blessed and auspicious and to describe the importance of this night God has devoted a special verse in Qur’an: “Lailtul Qad’r is better than a thousand months.” (97:3)
Waraqa bin Naufal was Khadija's cousin. Weary of idolatry was on the look-out for a true faith and had at length embraced Christianity. Probably Khadija had heard him talk of the appearance of the promised Prophet, the Comforter whose advent had been foretold by Jesus Christ. As soon as she found Muhammad called to that office, she took him to her cousin, out of sympathy, of course, for the latter who had lost his eyesight and was unable to move. No sooner did Waraqa hear what inspiration Muhammad had received and how, then he spontaneously exclaimed: "This is the very angel Gabriel that God sent down to Moses." Hence, the foremost to profess faith in the truth of Muhammad's mission was his wife Khadija.
Edith Holland writes in "The Story of Mohammed" (London, 1914, p. 18) that, "It was in the desert that Abraham, journeying by the guidance of the stars, came to the knowledge of all-powerful God, far above the vain idols of man's imaginings. Moses, during his long sojourn in the wilderness, never doubted the near presence of a mighty God, a sure help in time of trouble. In later years the Prophet of Arabia, wandering among the barren hills of his native lands, saw in the wonders of nature sure signs of the greatness of the Creator, and there came upon him the conviction that "God is One, the Eternal", that there is none like unto Him."
Cessation of revelation
After the first revelation, Gabriel did not visit Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) for some time. This is known as the period of ‘fatrat al-wahy’ or the cessation of revelation.
At length, there came an end to the period of cessation. To Muhammad, the period looked unusually long; for it was a period of separation from one he loved with all his heart. The number of Muslims continued to grow and the conversion of some prominent men from among the Quraysh added to the strength of the small brotherhood. At the outset, the opposition of the Meccans to the message of Islam took the form of sneering and jeering at Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). They did not attach much importance to the mission, thinking that it would die out in due course. It was treated with contempt and indifference, unworthy of any serious attention.
First three years, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) kept his missionary activities on a low profile. This period of Muhammad's (peace be upon him and his family) life is one of the noblest and greatest pages of human history. To those who did harm him, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) prayed for guidance, for liberation from the yoke of vile paganism. The more they persecuted, the more patience and resolve Muhammad showed in his mission. One must not forget the deep rooted faith of the small number of Muslims at a time when the new religion was not even complete and the Holy Qur’an was not yet fully revealed.
In the fourth year, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) received a divine command to preach his mission to the public. In compliance, he invited his kinsmen to a ceremony (majlis) exclusively arranged for them.
At the ceremony (majlis) Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) addressed the participants: "Friends and Kinsmen! I hereby declare that I have brought unto you a blessing in this world and in the world to come. I do not think there could be anyone else throughout the whole of Arabia, to come out with a better and more precious offer towards this nation than that of mine. I am commanded by my Lord to invite you all towards Him. Tell me! Who amongst you will come forward to help me and to be my vicegerent? The spell of hush prevailing over the audience was broken by impatient courage of Aly, son of Hazrat Abu Talib, cousin of Muhammad who responded with enthusiasm and said, "O Prophet of God! I am the youngest of all here, yet I offer myself to stand by you and to share all your burdens and have the great privilege of being your vicegerent." Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) caused Aly to sit down. Again he put the question to the assemblage. All remained silent but Aly rose for a second time to repeat his fidelity, and was again ordered to sit down. When Muhammad repeated the same question to the congregation the third time and got no response, Aly again stood up and repeated his fidelity upon which Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) remarked, "You are my brother, my collateral and vicegerent."
Miraj: The night journey
A night journey (isra) (Qur’an 17:1), in the life of Prophet Muhammad when the Holy Prophet is taken up through the seven heavens to the divine throne, the Miraj description is elaborated in the Hadith and Sira (The accounts of Muhammad), and collated with the key passages on Muhammad’s reception of the divine word (Qur’an 53, 94, 99). Muhammad is taken on a night journey from the precinct of the bayt al-har’am (the sacred house, Kaba) to the bayt al-muqaddas (the house of sanctity). From there he is taken up through the seven heavens and is greeted by, and in effect validated by, the previous prophets who now occupy those heavens (Adam, Noah, Aaron, Moses, Abraham, and Jesus). At the culmination he sees the lote tree of the furthest boundary, the divine throne (arsh), the “house of life” (al-bayt al-mamur – the celestial counterpart to the Kaba), and receives the divinely ordained prayers for his community.
Ghadir I Khumm Sermon: Succession to the Authority and legacy of Muhammad
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) while returning with his 110,000 followers from his last pilgrimage known in history as ‘Hajjat ul Wida’ on the 18th of Zil Hajj, 8 ME in 632 CE, three months before his demise, announced that he had received an important revelation from Allah, and made a halt at the place called Ghadir Khumm to give his last sermon (Khutba i Ghadir).
The Holy Prophet began his sermon thus:
In the name of Allah, the most Benificient, the most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah who is sublime in his authority, magnanimous in his dominance. He knows everything. He is praised always and forever glorified and has no end. He begins and he repeats, and to him every matter is referred.
Allah is the creator of everything. He maintains with his power the earth and the heavens. He is holy and praised, the Lord of the angels and of the spirits. He is generous, clement, and patient. His mercy encompasses everything, dominates everything, and subdues everything. Nothing is like him. He initiates the creation from nothing; He is everlasting, living, sustaining in the truth; there is no God but He, the Omnipotent, the Wise One.
I testify that he is Allah, the one whose light overwhelms eternity. He affects his will without consulting anyone; there is no partner with him in his decisions. He shaped what he made without following a pre-existing model, and he created all without receiving help from anyone, and doing so neither exhausted him nor frustrated his designs. He said ‘be created’ and so it was, and he initiated, and it became visible. So he is Allah, the one and only God, the one who does whatever he does extremely well. He is the just one who never oppresses. He is the most holy to whom all affairs are referred.
I further testify that Allah places planets in their orbit. He controls the movements of the sun and of the moon, each circle till a certain time. He makes the night follow the day and the day follows the night, seeking it incessantly.
He is independent and none can ever be his equal. He is One God, the glorified Lord. His word is the law. He knows, so he takes account. He causes death and gives life. He withholds and he gives. The domain belongs to him and so does all the praise. In his hand is all goodness.
I testify that I am his servant, and I bear witness that he is my lord. I convey what he reveals to me. He has informed me that if I do not convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of Aly in truth, I will not have conveyed His Message at all, and He, the praised and the exalted one, has guaranteed me to protect me from the (evil) people, and he is Allah, the one who suffices the sublime. He has just revealed to me the following (verse):
O Prophet! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to Aly), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall protect you from (evil) people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people. (Qur'an, 5:67)
Three times did Gabriel command me on behalf of the peace, my Lord, who is the source of all peace, to thus make a stand in order to inform everyone, black and white, that: Aly ibn Abu Talib is my brother, Wasi, and successor over my nation and the Imam after me, the one whose status to me is like that of Aaron to Moses except there will be no prophet after me, and he is your master next only to Allah and to His Messenger, and Allah has already revealed to me the same in one of the fixed verses of his book saying, "Your Master is Allah and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay zakat even as they bow down" (Qur'an, 5:55), and, Aly ibn Abu Talib is the one who keeps up prayers, who pays zakat even as he bows down, seeking to please Allah, the sublime on each and every occasion.
Allah insisted that I should convey what he has just revealed to me in honor of Aly.
Muslims! Comprehend (the implications of) what I have just said, and again do comprehend it, and be (further) informed that Allah has installed him (Aly) as your Imam, obligating the muhajirin and the ansar and those who follow them in goodness to obey him, and so must everyone who lives in the desert or in the city, who is a non-Arab or an Arab, who is a free man or a slave, who is young or old, white or black, and so should everyone who believes in His Unity. His decree shall be carried out. His (Aly's) word is binding; his command is obligating; blessed with mercy is whoever follows him and believes in him, for Allah has already forgiven whoever listens to and obeys him.
This is the last stand I make in such a situation; so, listen and obey, and submit to the command of Allah, your Lord, for Allah, the exalted and the sublime one, is your Master and Lord, next to him is me his Messenger and Prophet and after me Aly is your Imam according to the command of Allah, your Lord, and after Aly, the lmams from among my progeny, the offspring from his loin till the day you meet Allah and His Messenger.
Prefer him (Aly) over all others! There is no knowledge except that Allah has divulged it to me, and all the knowledge I have learned I have divulged to Aly, and there is no knowledge (that I know) except that I divulged it to Aly, and he is ‘Imam i Mubin’ (the manifest Imam) whom Allah mentions in Sura Yasin: "and everything we have computed is vested in (the knowledge of) the manifest Imam"
Muslims! Do not abandon him. He is the one who guides to righteousness and who acts according to it. He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; none preceded him as such. And he is the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah and who was in the company of the Messenger of Allah while no other man was. He is the first to offer prayers and the first to worship Allah with me.
Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has preferred him, and accept him, for Allah has appointed him (as your Imam). He is the Imam appointed by Allah.
Muslims! All past prophets and messengers conveyed the glad tiding of my advent, and I, by Allah, am the seal of the prophets.
Prefer Aly (over all others), for he is the very best of all people after me, males or females, so long as Allah sends down his sustenance, so long as there are beings. He (Aly) is janb-Allah mentioned in the book of Allah, the sublime one.
Muslims! Study the Qur'an and comprehend its verses, look into its fixed verses and do not follow what is similar thereof, for by Allah, none shall explain to you what it forbids you from doing, nor clarify its exegesis, other than the one whose hand I am taking and whom I am lifting to me, so that I may enable you to understand that: whoever among you takes me as his master, this, Aly is his master, and he is Aly ibn Abu Talib, my brother and Wasi, and his appointment as your Imam is from Allah, the sublime, the exalted one, a commandment which he revealed to me.
Muslims! Aly and the good ones from among my offspring from his loin are as good the weight as the Qur’an and each one of them informs you of and agrees with the other. They shall never part till they meet me at the Pool (of Kawthar). They are the trustees of Allah over his creation, the rulers on his earth.
Indeed now I have performed my duty and conveyed the ‘message’. Indeed you have heard what I have said and explained. Indeed Allah, the exalted one and the sublime, has said, and so have I on behalf of Allah, the exalted one and the sublime, that there is no Ameerul Mu'mineen (Commander of the Faithful) save this brother of mine; no authority over a believer is permissible after me except to him.
Then the Prophet patted Aly's arm, lifting him up on the same level of the pulpit where he was seated. The Prophet then raised his hands to the heavens in supplication.
The Prophet continued his sermon thus:
Muslims! This is Aly my brother, Wasi (the successor), the one who comprehends my knowledge, my successor over my nation, over everyone who believes in me. He is the one entrusted with explaining the Book of Allah, and the one who invites people to his path. He is Ameerul Mu'mineen, the successor of the Messenger of Allah, the man assigned by Allah to guide. Allah says, "My word shall not be changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants" (Qur'an, 50.29), and by Your Command, O Lord, do I (submit and) say, O Allah! Befriend whoever befriends him (Aly) and support whoever supports him and abandon whoever abandons him.
Muslims! Here is Aly, the one who has supported me more than anyone else among you, the one who most deserves my gratitude, the one who is closest of all of you to me and the one who is the very dearest to me.
He is the one who supports the religion of Allah, who argues on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. He is the pious, the pure, and the guide.
Each prophet's progeny is from his own loin whereas mine is from the loin of Aly, the Ameerul Mu’mineen. I have sought Allah to be my witness and have conveyed his ‘message’ to you, and the Messenger is obligated only to clearly convey (his message).
The NUR from Allah, the exalted one and the sublime, flows through me, then through Aly ibn Abu Talib, and then through the progeny to descend from him.
I warn you that I am the Messenger of Allah; Aly is surely the one described with perseverance and gratitude, then after him are my offspring from his loin.
I am calling for it to be an Imamat and a succession confined to my offspring through Aly till the Day of Judgment, and I have conveyed only what I have been commanded (by my Lord) to convey to everyone present or absent and everyone who has witnessed or who has not, who is already born or is yet to be born; therefore, let those present here convey it to those who are absent, and let the parents convey it to their children, and so on till the Day of Judgment.
Muslims! You should listen to the orders of Aly so that you may be safe, and you should obey him so that you may be rightly guided. Do not do what he forbids you from doing so that you may acquire wisdom. Agree with him, and do not let your paths be different from his. I am Sirat al-Mustaqim (the Straight Path) of Allah whom he commanded you to follow, and after me it is Aly then my offspring from his loin, the Imams of Guidance, they guide to the truth and act accordingly.
I had, indeed, sworn allegiance to Allah, and Aly had sworn allegiance to me, and I on behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime require you to swear the oath of allegiance to him: "Surely those who swear (the oath of) allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; therefore, whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills his covenant with Allah, he will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an,48:10).
He is the one whom Allah, the exalted and the sublime, appointed for you after me as the custodian of his creation. He is from me and I am from him, and he and those who will succeed him from my progeny shall inform you of anything you ask them about, and they shall clarify whatever you do not know.
I was ordered (by my Lord) to take your oath of allegiance and to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought you from Allah, the exalted one and the sublime, with regard to Aly Ameerul Mu'mineen and to the wasis after him who are from me (from his loin), a standing Imamat whose seal is till the Day he meets Allah who decrees and who judges.
I never refrained from informing you of everything permissible or prohibitive; so, do remember this and safeguard it and advise each other to do likewise; do not alter it; do not substitute it with something else.
I am now repeating what I have already said: Uphold the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin righteousness and forbid abomination.
The peak of enjoining righteousness is to resort to my speech and to convey it to whoever did not attend it and to order him on my behalf to accept it and to (likewise) order him not to violate it, for it is an order from Allah, the exalted and the sublime, and there is no knowledge of enjoining righteousness nor prohibiting abomination except that it is with Imam.
The Qur'an informs you that the Imams after him are his (Aly's) descendants, and I have already informed you that they are from me and from him, for Allah says in his book, " And he made it a word to continue in his posterity so that they may return " (Qur'an, 43:28) while I have said: "You shall not stray as long as you uphold both of them (simultaneously)."
You are more numerous than (it is practical) to shake hands with me all at the same time, and Allah, the exalted and the sublime, commanded me to require you to confirm what authority I have vested upon Aly Ameerul Mu'mineen and to whoever succeeds him of the Imams from me and from him, since I have just informed you that my offspring are from his loin.
You, therefore say in one voice: "We accept and we are bound by what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and yours with regard to our Imam Aly Ameerul Mu'mineen, and to the Imams, your sons from his loin. We swear the oath of allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, with our souls, with our tongues, with our hands. According to it shall we live, and according to it shall we die, and according to it shall we be resurrected. We shall not alter anything or substitute anything with another, nor shall we doubt nor deny nor suspect, nor shall we violate our covenant nor abrogate the pledge.
Again, say what I have just said to you, and greet Aly with the title of "Ameerul Mu'mineen" and say: "We hear, and we obey, O Lord! Your forgiveness (do we seek), and to you is the eventual course" (Qur'an, 2:285), and say: "All praise is due to Allah who guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had it not been for Allah who guided us" (Qur'an, 7:43).
O Lord! Forgive the believers through what I have conveyed.
O Lord! You revealed a verse in honor of Aly and in its explanation and to effect your own appointment of him this very day did you say, "Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed my blessings upon you, and I have approved Islam for your religion." (Qur'an, 5:3)
Companionship on High: Continuity of Nur (the light)
Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was seriously taken ill for several days. At noon on Monday, 12th Rabi ul Awal 8, 11 June, 632, whilst praying earnestly in whisper, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) took to the "blessed companionship on high." His life was sanctified from first to last to the service of God and humanity.
Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) brought a message which taught man to worship and obey God only, and seek help from Him alone. His message of universal brotherhood covers all the aspects of human life, including peace and tolerance, rights and justice, knowledge and freedom, gender equity, interfaith harmony and philanthropy. Edward Gibbon writes in "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" (London, 1848)
At the time when Holy Prophet breathed his last, Aly was with him at the bed side. Aly performed and honored the final rites. Aly buried him in the grave dug out in the room.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) left behind him two weighty things, Qur’an and the rope of Allah – the Imamat of Aly - the inheritor of the Prophet's authority, and the trustee of his legacy for the believers to follow jointly till the day of resurrection.
References
Holy Quran 2:164; 3:190-191; 30:22; 51:20-21.
Holy Quran 2:143; 2: 256; 109:2-7; 16:125; 49:13; 107:1-7; 42:40, 43.
Tabari (d. 310/922) in "Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l Muluk" (ed. de Goeje, Leiden, 1879-1901, 2nd vol., p. 63) and Ibn Sa'd (d. 230/845) in "Kitab at-Tabaqat" (ed. E. Sachau, Leiden, 1905, 1st vol., p. 171)
Jalaal ad-Deen al-Sayyuti, Kitaab Al-Itqaan, Vol. 1, p. 31.
Al-Majlisi, Bihaar.al-Anwaar, Vol. 21, pp. 360-90, Vol. 37, pp. 111-235, and Vol. 41, p. 228.He Quotes book alby al-Tibrisi (vol.2)
Al-Bldaaya wal Nihaaya, Vol. 5, p. 208. Badee' al-Ma'aani, p. 75
Tareekh Baghdad, V01. 1, p. 411 and V01. 8, p. 290.
Tareekh Dimashq, Vol. 5, p. 210.
Ibn al-Jawziyya, Tadh'kirat al-Khawaas, pp. 18-20.
Ibn al-Sa'ud's Tafseer, Vol. 8, p. 292.
Al-Tibari, Tafseer al-Qur'an, Vol. 3, p. 428 and Vol. 6, p. 46.
Al-Fakhr al-Razi, Al-Tafseer al-Kabeer, Vol. 3, p. 636.
Al-Tamhid fi USool al-Deen, p. 171.
Tayseer al-Wusul, Vol. 1, p. 122.
Ghiyaath ad-Din ibn Hammaam, Tareekh Habib al-Siyar, V01. 1, p. 144.
Al-Maqrizi, Khutat, p. 223.
Al-Sayyuti, Al-Durr al-Manthur, Vol. 2, pp. 259, 298.
Thakhaa'ir al-'Uqba, p. 68.
Ruh al-Ma'aani, Vol. 2, p. 348.
Mohibb al-Tabal-;, AI.Riyadh al-r:adhirah, Vol. 2, p.169.
Al-Siraaj al-Munir, Vol. 4, p. 364.
Al-Hakim, Al-Seera al-Halabiyya, Vol. 3, p. 302.
Shar'h al-Mawaahib, V01. 7, p. 13.
Ibn Hajar al-' Asqalaani, Al-Sawaa'iq al-Muhriqa, p. 26.
Ibn al-Badriq, Al-'Umda, p. 52.
Badr ad-Deen, 'Umdat al-Qari fi Shar'h al-Bukhari, V01. 8, p. 584.
Al-Ghadeer, V01. 2, p. 57.
Sharafud-Deen al-Musawi, AI-Fusul al-Muhimma, pp. 25-27.
Fadha 'il al-Sahaaba, p. 272.
Faydh al-Ghadeer, V01. 6, p. 218.
Kashf al-Ghumma, p. 94.
Kifaayat al- Taalib, pp. 17, 28.
Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummaal, Vol. 6, p. 397.
Imam Ibn Hanbal, Mus'nad, V01. 4, p. 281.
Mishkaat al-Masabeeh, p. 272.
Mushkil al-aathaar, Vol. 3, p. 196.
Mataalib al-Su'ul, p. 16.
Muftah al-Najaat, p. 216.
Al-Shahristaani, AI-Milal wal Nihal, V 01. 1, p. 220.
Al-Khawarizmi, Manaaqib, pp. 80, 94.
Ibn al-Maghaazli, Manaaqib, p. 232.
Al-Qastalani, Al-Mawaahib, Vol. 2, p. 13.
Al-Samhudi, Wafaa' al-Wafaa', Vol. 2, p. 173.
Al-Qanduzi, Yanabi al-Mawadda, p. 120.
Early Muslim Spirituality and Mysticism by Sells, Michael. In Muslim Almanac, Gale Group.
Nanji Azim, Ka’ba, Medieval Islamic Civilization An Encyclopaedia, 2006.
Bianchi. Robert. Events of God: Pilgrimage and politics in Islamic World. Oxford. UK: Oxford University Press 2004.
Kamal Ahmed. The Sacred Journey: The Pilgrimage to Mecca. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pierce, 1961.
Excerpts from: Aga Khan:Fatimid Imam Caliph, written and edited by Anwar Merchant, (C) 2007 Fatimid Heritage Foundation, forthcoming.
His Highness Aga Khan Fatimid Imam Caliph, founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), today 30th January 2008 met with Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), for discussions on joint collaboration between the ADB and AKDN. The meeting preceded the signing of an agreement aimed at expanding the partnership between the two institutions.
And as Pakistan is going through anxious moments, Fatimid Heritage Foundation, Geneva Peace Development Centre and Mountain Girls Education Development Program have endorsed full confidence in the leadership of Excellency President Musharraf. We believe President Musharraf has been historically delivering his best, both for Pakistan and world community so to speak about civil society and democracy, women emancipation and good governance, theological and political consensus, freedom of expression and media support, independence of judiciary, indigenous rule of people and global peace.