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Rabiul Awwal: The Month of Revival

The following is the draft translation of an article in Tamil:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا (45) وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner, and as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light (Siraajan-Munir).” [TMQ 33:45-46]

The month of Rabiul Awwal has special significance in the history of Islam. The birth and the death of our beloved Prophet (saw) happened in this month and the hijrah of Prophet (saw) to Madina to establish the Islamic state which changed the course of history also took place in this month. By scrutinizing these incidents we have lot of things to follow especially in our age of decline. Let us go deep into what they are,

Birth of Prophet (saw)

This is the month in which our beloved Prophet (saw) born (9 or 12 of Rabiul Awwal) who liberated the people from darkness (days of jahilliyah) to the light of Islam. We are the best nation because we are the ummah of Mohammed (saw) who was the master of messengers and we have one degree higher grade than other nations, because Allah(swt) says,

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al ma’roof and forbid al munkar, and you believe in Allah…” [TMQ 3:110]

Allah (swt) praises us as khaira ummah, but we are obliged to think about our current situation and also think about our ancestors actions by which they retained the capacity of khaira ummah. By the plan of kuffar, now we are so fragmented and weakened but it is not a barrier for us to become the leading nation once again, if we work hard in the path of our Prophet (saw) then Allah (swt) will definitely grant us victory. Allah (swt) says,

وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior(in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers” [TMQ 3 : 139]

The Islamic ummah are obliged to love their Prophet (saw) more than their life and it is directly linked to the Iman. So we must have the power (sultan) to protect the honour of our Prophet Mohammed (saw) at any cost. Allah (swt) says,

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ

“The Prophet is closer to believers than their ownselves and his wives are their (believers) mothers” [TMQ 33:6]

Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«لا يؤمن عبد حتى أكون أحب إليه من أهله وماله والناس أجمعين»

“None of you can believe until I become more beloved to him than his family, wealth and all the people.” (Agreed upon).

But in our days Taghoots are insulting, dishonouring our beloved Prophet (saw) and the one who dishonour our Prophet (saw) is given protection and support by the enemies of Islam, who always fear about the rise of Islam again. All these incidents show us our humiliated situation because we are in a state of unable to protect the honour of our beloved Prophet (saw). But in the past, the one who tried to insult our Prophet (saw) was terrified by the single authority of all Muslims i.e. the Khilafah state. These all are due to one factor, the Khilafah which acted as shield to protect the honour of Islam, our Prophet and Muslims in the past but now we are without that shield, that’s why we are facing several problems. Because of these things Muslims around the world are yearning for the return of such leadership. Allah (swt) says:

وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“… But honour, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger, and to the believers…” [TMQ 63:8]

Sadly Muslims of today follow the Prophet (saw) only in 'spiritual' matters, but Islam is not only a spiritual matter, it is an ideology (deen). So we should renounce such a declined thought and emulate Prophet (saw) in all of our actions especially in politics to change our current state of decline. We see Muslims today restrict themselves only to celebrate Meelad of Prophet (saw) in this month but we should also follow him (saw) as the best politician of the world, because he (saw) is the role model for us in all of our actions not only in spiritual actions. Allah (swt) says,

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much” [TMQ 33:21]

Lessons from the Hijrah

The Prophet (saw) made hijrah to Madina and he (saw) reached there on Friday 12th of Rabiul Awwal. From the very first day he (saw) established the authority for Islam. That’s why hijrah marked as the happiest moment for the Muslims. In the period of Makkah, the Prophet (saw) strove hard to establish the authority for Islam but this result was not achieved, then next he (saw) tried to seek nusrah (support) from the tribes who lived outskirts of Makkah they refused. In the month of hajj Prophet (saw) met the tribes of Aus and kazraj from Yathrib. They replied in a positive manner to the call and support for Islam. They gave first pledge of al aqaba. Then Prophet (saw) sent Musab ibn Umayr (ra) to them to call and to teach Islam and to gather public opinion in favour of Islam. In Madina the message of Islam reached every single household and many embraced Islam. Then Musab (ra) returned with 75 men from Aus and Kazraj with great victory in the next hajj. They gave second pledge of al aqaba which served as a basis for the Prophet (saw) to establish the Islamic authority in Madina. By the result of this pledge, Muslims who had the capability migrated to Madina first. Then the Prophet (saw) by the permission of Allah (swt) made hijrah to Madina accompanied with Abu bakr (ra). The Muslims of Makkah sacrificed more for the hijrah but at the end they attained a great victory by establishing an entity for Islam in madina. Thus hijrah marked as a turning point for Muslims because afterwards Muslims progressed day by day to a leading nation.

But sadly many Muslims today describe the hijrah as a sad event and compare the hijrah to the situation of refugees and run a way to protect their lives. These all are due to the many so called scholars of our age, they are influenced by the orientalist writers of the history of Prophet (saw) whom always distort the image of Islam. These so called scholars distort the image of Islam directly and indirectly by spreading these kinds of biased history written by Westerners. We should always refer to the authenticated seerah of Prophet (saw) written by the scholars of Islam and act upon that. This is because sunnah is not only following the verbal speech of the Prophet (saw) but also following other kind of actions which Prophet (saw) did in his lifetime. Emulating each and every obligatory action of the Prophet (saw) from his seerah will only lead us to the path of revival and able us to liberate mankind from darkness to the light of Islam.

Allah (swt) also obliges us to unite and work for the superiority of His deen. Allah (swt) says

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ

“And those who disbelieve are allies to one another ,(and) if you (Muslims of the whole world collectively) do not do so (i.e become allies, as one united block with one khalifah- chief muslim ruler for the whole muslim world to make victorious Allah’s religion of Islamic monotheism ), there will be fitnah (wars, battles, polytheism, etc) and oppression on earth, and a great mischief and corruption (appearance of polytheism)” [TMQ8:73]

Death of Prophet (saw) and the actions of Sahaba

The Prophet (saw) died on Monday, 12th of Rabiul Awwal. Instead of burying Prophet (saw) the Sahaba (companions) did certain actions which give us a lesson to learn and act. Generally if a Muslim dies, it is obligatory for Muslims to bury him as soon as possible a. But the Sahaba did not bury the Prophet (saw) immediately; rather they involved themselves seriously in selecting the Khalifah for Muslims, who is the one to take care of the affairs of the Muslims. For this they gathered in the courtyard of bani Saida and after the discussion of two days they came to a conclusion that Abu bakr (ra) should be their Khalifah. After appointing the Khalifah, the Sahaba’s then made preparation for the burial of Prophet (saw). By their actions we come to know the importance of appointing an Imam for the Muslims within three days and it should be dealt as life or death issue like the Sahaba did. But now we are living without an Imam who takes care of the affairs of the ummah for more than eight decades. So all the problems we face today is due to the one reason that is we forget the issue which was dealt by the sahaba’s as life or death issue i.e. the Khilafah. We will definitely revive by establishing the Khilafah rashidah, if we have firm belief in Allah (swt) and follow the sunnah of Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) said as narrated in the Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal:

«تكونُ النّبُوة فيكمّ ما شاءَ اللهُ أن تكون، ثمّ يرْفَعَها إذا شاءَ أن يرْفعُها. ثُمّ تكونُ خِلافةً على مِنهاج النبوَّة، فتكونُ ما شاءَ اللهُ أنْ تكونَ، ثُمّ يرْفعُها. إذا شاءَ الله أنْ يرفعَها. ثُمّ تكونُ مُلْكاً عاضّاً، فيكونُ ما شاءَ الله أنْ يكونَ، ثُمّ يرفعُها إذا شاءَ أنْ يرفعَها، ثُمّ تكونُ مُلْكاً جَبريَّةً، فتكونُ ما شاءَ الله أنْ تكون، ثُمّ يرفعُها إذا شاءَ أنْ يرفعَها. ثُمّ تكونُ خِلافةً على مِنهاج النُّبُوَّة، ثم سكت»

"The Prophethood will last among you till Allah wishes it to last, and then Allah will raise it up. Afterwards there will be a Khilafah according to the way of the prophethood so long as Allah wishes it to last, and then Allah will raise it up if He wished. Afterwards there will be an oppressive rule, and it will last so long as Allah wishes it to last, and then Allah will raise it up if He wished. Afterwards there will be a compulsory rule, and it will last as long as Allah wishes it to last, and then Allah will raise it up if He wished. Afterwards there will be a Khilafah according to the way of the Prophethood.” [Ahmad]

The above quoted hadeeth give us information about the matter which will happen in near future by the will of Allah (swt). So Muslims are obliged to work for the return of Khilafah on the sunnah of Prophet (saw). If we do so then Allah (swt) will grant us victory.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ

“O you who believe!Answer (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when He calls you to that which gives you life.” [TMQ 8:24]

Abu Faraj

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