Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq,
Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) exclusive
companion and greatest supporter.

Bismillahir'Rahmanir'Rahim

He was the first man who believed in Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) and the first one who did
so unhesitatingly, also he is the first of the ten who were promised Paradise, and first of the Prophet’s Community to enter Paradise.

Alone among the Prophet Mohammad's Companions, Abu Bakr led the Community in prayer in the lifetime of the Prophet. The latter used to call him "The Most Truthful" (al-Siddîq) and "Allah’s Freedman from the Fire" (`Atîq Allâh min al-nâr). When the Koraysh tribe confronted the Prophet(PBUH)after the Night Journey, they turned to Abu Bakr and said: "Do you believe what he said, that he went last night to the Hallowed House and came back before morning?" He replied: "If he said it, then I believe him, yes, and I do believe him regarding what is farther than that. I believe the news of heaven he brings, whether in the space of a morning or in that of an evening journey." And that was the reason Abu Bakr was named al-Siddîq: the Very Truthful, the One Who Never Lies.

`Umar Ibn Al Khattab, another one of Prophet Mohammad's companions, said: "Abu Bakr’s faith outweighs the faith of the entire Umma (The Muslim Nation)." This is confirmed by the following Hadith:

The Prophet asked:"Did any of you see anything in his dream?" A man said to the Prophet (PBUH): "O Messenger of Allah, I saw in my dream as if a balance came down from the heaven in which you were weighed against Abu Bakr and outweighed him, then Abu Bakr was weighed against `Umar and outweighed him, then `Umar was weighed against `Uthman and outweighed him, then the balance was raised up." This displeased the Prophet(PBUH) who said: "Successorship of prophethood! Then Allah shall give kingship to whomever He will."

`Umar also said: "The best of this Community after its Prophet is Abu Bakr." `Ali named him and `Umar, the two Sheikhs of Islam of the Community and said: "The best of this Community after its Prophet(PBUH) are Abu Bakr and `Umar," "The most courageous of people is Abu Bakr," and "The greatest in reward among people for the volumes of the Qur’an is Abu Bakr, for he was the first of those who gathered the Qur’an between two covers." He was also the first to name it Mus'haf.

The Prophet confirmed his high rank in many of his sayings, among them when he (PBUH) said:

"Allah gave one of His servants a choice between this world and what He has with Him, and that servant chose what Allah has with Him." Abu Bakr wept profusely and we wondered why he wept, since the Prophet had told of a servant that was given a choice. The Prophet himself was that servant, as Abu Bakr later told us. The Prophet continued: "Among those most dedicated to me in his companionship and property is Abu Bakr. If I were to take an intimate friend other than my Lord, I would take Abu Bakr. But what binds us is the brotherhood of Islam and its love. Let no door [of the Prophet’s mosque] remain open except Abu Bakr’s.

"Allah praised Abu Bakr above the rest of the Prophet's companions by saying: "Those who spent and fought before the victory are not upon a level (with the rest of you)."

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Poison for the body

Bismillahir'Rahmanir'Rahim

Two people in the time of the Prophet s.w.a. came to him. Listen well-this is for us.

Those Sahaba came to the Prophets.w.a. in the morning with stomach-aches. They said “Ya Rasulallah, we cannot sleep.” Our stomachs are aching, and you are the best doctor. Give us a cure.

He said, “There is no cure except to vomit what you have eaten.” Today when you eat something and have a stomach-ache, your doctor will give you a pill. The Prophet s.w.a could have given them some prophetic medicine, but instead he said “No,” because for that kind of sickness there is no medicine-but the only thing you can do is to reject it completely and discard it, because it is poisonous for your system. Your whole system is going to be completely crippled by it-like these two companions who were unable to move.

Many diseases we have and that we think come from normal sickness actually are spiritual in nature. Diseases do not only come from normal sickness. They come back to us as manifestations of different bad manners and negative energy that we are spreading.

You see this room here? A lot of negative energy is here. Who is it coming from? From the people who are here. I am positive that at least 80% of the people here have sickness similar to these two companions who came to the Prophet s.w.a. The Prophet s.w.a. said, “You have to take it out;” you have to reject it completely. How do you remove this characteristic? There is no way to take it out! As soon as it goes to the stomach, it is going through the whole body.

A family is like one body. A community is like one body. A nation also is like one body. And now the globalization-the whole world is one body. So to improve our situation, we begin first with the family. If one part of the body is aching, the whole body will ache, and fever will come. For instance, if you have hay fever your whole body will ache. Prophet s.w.a. said, “Vomit now!” They said, “We did not eat anything” He said “No, you did eat raw flesh!” 80% of those sitting here are in the same position as those men, having eaten raw flesh. What is that raw meat? The flesh or your brothers and sisters whom you have been backbiting.

He said, “You have been backbiting the flesh of your brother and sister.” They said, “Yes, Ya Rasulallah (Messenger of Allah). We spoke badly about the family.” The relationship between those backbiting and the victim of that backbiting was not so good, so they were talking about them. How is it your business to do so? Who are you to speak about them? What is your relationship to interfere in their business?

Prophet s.w.a. said, “Reject it from your system.” So they took their fingers and vomited. Raw meat came out. Look at this miracle of Prophet s.w.a. He turned this event into a miracle, to give them the physical taste of their actions.

This is not a fictitious story. It is real. The Prophet made it real, to show them that this is a real issue in our life today. They vomited meat-vomiting, vomiting, and vomiting, and then when they were relaxed, Prophet s.w.a. said, “This is not to be repeated.”

Backbiting poisons the whole body. How much are we backbiting and poisoning our bodies today, interfering in things that are not our business? Your business is your wife and your child or children. For each of us, this business is to look after his own family, not to look at his neighbour.

Taken from “Keys to the divine Kingdom by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani”

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Hazrat Aaisha r.a

Aaisha
Beloved Wife of
The Prophet s.w.a.

Bismillahir'Rahmanir'Rahim

The Life of Aaisha is a wonderful Illustration that a Muslim woman can be a scholar and a teacher. Aaisha exerted a Powerful influence in the early Islamic community and provided many others with inspiration and leadership. Her talks are still read in literature courses, her legal pronouncements are studied in law schools, and her life and works have been examined by students of Muslim history for nearly 1,400 years.

In her early childhood Aaisha was brought up by her father, Abu Bakr, a man of wide knowledge and the closet friend of the Prophet s.w.a. in her youth, Aaisha was known for her striking beauty and her extraordinary memory.

Aaisha married the prophet s.w.a. in 624 C.E, during the second year after the migration to Madinah, when she was about 14 or 15 years old. This was considered a normal age for marriage at that time. Before and after her wedding, Aaisha maintained a natural gaiety and innocence. She was not overawed by her marriage to the Messenger of God, Whom all his companions, including her own mother and father, treated with a level of love and reverence they gave to no one else. As his wife and close companions, she acquired from the Prophet s.w.a. great depths of knowledge and insight.

Aaisha was generous and patient. The entire Prophet’s household suffered poverty and hunger for long periods. For many days, no cooking fire was lit in their sparsely furnished house, and they would live on dates and water. Poverty did not cause Aaisha distress or humiliation, and when wealth did come, it did not affect her simple lifestyle. She would habitually give to the poor whatever she had and never leave anything for the next day.

During his final illness, the Prophet s.w.a. went to Aaisha’s apartment. He lay there on a couch with his head resting on her breast or on her lap. Gradually his head grew heavier upon her breast, as he quietly passed away. He was buried in the floor of Aaisha’s room near the couch where he had been lying during his illness.

Aaisha lived for almost 50 years after the passing away of the Prophet s.w.a. She had been his wife for nearly a decade. Much of his time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the Qur’an and the hadith. Aaisha became a hafiz, one who memorized the entire Qur’an. She was one of four persons who transmitted more than two thousand hadith. Many of these pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of the Prophet’s s.w.a. life, which only someone in Aaisha’s position could have witnessed.

Aaisha was knowledgeable in law, mathematics, medicine, and poetry. Scholars regard her as one of the earliest legal experts of Islam along with the caliphs Umar and Ali. The Prophet s.w.a. Referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported to have said: “Learn a portion of your religion from this lady.”

Aaisha also took an active part in education and social reform. She trained many boys and girls, and her house became an Islamic academy. As a teacher she had a clear persuasive manner of speech. One of the early Muslim said, “I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali up to this day, but I have not heard speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aaisha.”

Aaisha was the most respected woman of her time. Men and women came from far and wide benefit from her great knowledge. She died in the year 680 C.E. and was buried beside other companions of the Prophet s.w.a.

Taken from “The wisdom of Islam” by Robert Frager, Ph.D.

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