Maulid Prophet Muhammad's Birthday

Maulid (Mawlid) is the birthday celebration of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) and is celebrated by Muslims as Eid-e Milad. Prophet Muhammad was born Arabia in the city of Mecca on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, which was Monday the 20th day of April, 571 A.C. This falls on Saturday May 25, 2002 and fell on June 4th last year (2001). This is also his death anniversary. The occasion is celebrated by remembering the favors bestowed on the ummah (community), the first is the revelation of the Holy Quran with its instructions, the second, the institution of an Everliving Guide who would advise the mu'mins (believers) according to the needs of the time. This is why Ismailis are called Ibn'ul Waqt (children of the time) as they are guided by the Imam of the time, Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al Hussayni Hazar Imam (salwaat), His Highness the Aga Khan. He is the 49th Imam descended from the Holy Prophet's daughter, Fatima and Hazrat Ali (a.s.). For Shia Muslims, this occasion is of even more import and full of symbolism as this was also his death anniversary and, therefore, it endorses the Hablillah (Rope of Imamat) wherein Prophet Muhammad had chosen Hazrat Ali as his successor at Ghadhir-u Khumm. What I am trying to say is that, this more than a coincidence. Prophet Muhammad's birthday coincided with his physical passing as was ordained by God. Hazrat Ali took over the spiritual reins from him and this chain has continued to the present. In every jomma (period of Imamat) the previous Imam appoints the following Imam and even though the previous Imam passes away physically, which could be a day of mourning, the ummah rejoices at the installation of the new Imam as the Covenant (promise of the Light of Allah) continues.

Regarding this, Mowlana Sultan Mahomed Shah (a.s.) said in one of his sermons:

We (the Imams) change the physical bodies in the world but our Noor (Divine Light) is eternal and comes from the very beginning. You should therefore take it as one Noor. The Noor (Light of Allah) is ever present, only the names are different. The Throne of the Imamat of Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) continues on and will remain till the Day of Judgment." (source: Ilm, Vol. 3, No. 2 - November 1977 pg 22)

The Eid-e Milad and Eid-e Gadhir are two very important celebrations for Shia Muslims. On this day every year, believers gather to recite special prayers for thanksgiving to Allah for sending Prophet Muhammad as a mercy to all nations, and speeches and lectures are made about the seerat (life) and instructions of the Holy Prophet. Poetry in the form of naats are recited and after the prayers, sweets are distributed and perfume is sprinkled or applied on everyone. The ladies and children gather for the mehndi (henna) application and everyone wears beautiful clothes for the occasion. Children get money or gifts and in East Africa we used to go to a fete, Eid Mela (fun fair) organized on this occasion by community members and we could ride on the swing merry-go round on which as children we had great fun.

In countries with Muslim concentration, the celebrations go on for the first twelve days of the month called Barah Wafah (twelve days before passing) and there are conferences and mehfils (gatherings) everyday.

Our beloved Prophet offers humanity a perfect example in all facets of life. The Holy Quran declares: "Verily, you have in the messenger of Allah, a most beautiful model (Uswa al-Hassanah)." Laqad kana lakum fee rasooli Allahi oswatun hasanatun Quran 33:21

Prophet Muhammad lived among his people and taught them about the belief in one God, ethics in everyday life and the importance of education in leading an exemplary life. In this regard, some of his famous sayings are "Seek knowledge even unto China", "acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it performs an act of piety; he who speaks of knowledge, praises God: he who seeks it, adores God." He also declared: "The ink of the scholar is more precious than the blood of the martyr."

Mowlana Sultan Mahomed Shah stressed this message of Prophet Muhammad and maintained that Islam by its very nature was dynamic and not rigid and spiritual faith should advance with along with material progress. In his Message to the World of Islam. he said:

"Formalism and verbal interpretation of the teachings of the Prophet are in absolute contradiction with his whole life history. We must accept his Divine Message as the channel of our union with the 'Absolute' and the 'Infinite' and once our spiritual faith is firmly established, fearlessly go forward by self sacrifice, by courage and by application to raise the scientific, the economic, the political and the social position of Muslims to a place of equality with Christian Europe and America.

"Our social customs, our daily work, our constant efforts, must be tuned up, must be brought into line with the highest form of possible civilization. At its greatest period Islam was at the head of science, was at the head of knowledge, was in the advance line of political, philosophical and literary thought."

Addressing the Seerat Conference, our beloved Mowlana Hazar Imam advised the Muslim World to make the Prophet's life the beacon light for achieving a truly modern and dynamic Islamic society. He said:

"The Holy Prophet's life gives us every fundamental guideline that we require to resolve the problem as successfully as our human minds and intellects can visualize. His example of integrity, loyalty, honesty, generosity, both of means and of time his solicitude for the poor, the weak and the sick, his steadfastness in friendship, his humility in success, his magnanimity in victory, his simplicity, his wisdom in conceiving new solutions for problems which could not be solved by traditional methods, without affecting the fundamental concepts of Islam, surely, all these are foundations which correctly understood and sincerely interpreted, must enable us to conceive what should be a truly modern and dynamic Islamic society in the years ahead."

His life and achievements are so wonderful and expansive that I cannot cover them in this short article and for this reason, I urge you to peruse the links at the bottom of this page for more material.

The following excerpts have been provided by my good friend, Courtney Kirshner, who encouraged me to get this article up even though I missed the birthday deadline this year. They are taken from Annemarie Schimmel's Mystical Dimensions of Islam:

"As early as the late eleventh century, and generally from the twelfth century on, the veneration of the Prophet assumed a visible form in the celebration of the maulid, his birthday, on 12 Rabi' ul-awwal, the third month of the Muslim lunar year. This day is still celebrated in the Muslim world. The number of poems written for this festive occasion in all Islamic languages is beyond reckoning. From the easter end of the Muslim world to the west the maulid is a wonderful occasion for the pious to show their warm love of the Prophet in songs, poems, and prayers." Page 216

The next material is from Schimmel's book "And Muhammad is His Messenger" it has a whole chapter devoted to this topic!

"It seems that the tendency to celebrate the memory of Muhammad's birthday on a larger and more festive scale emerged first in Egypt during the Fatimid Era (969-1171). This is logical, for the Fatimids claim to be the Prophet's decendants through his daughter Fatima. The Egyptian historian Maqrizi (d.1442) basing his account on Fatimid sources. It was apparently an occasion in which mainly scholars and the religious establishment participated. They listened to sermons, and sweets, particularly honey, the Prophet's favorite, were distributed; the poor received alms." page 145

The earliest Arabic sources, basing their claims on Koranic epithets like sirajun munir, a 'shining lamp,' tell that a light radiated from Amina's womb with the arrival of the newborn Proghet. Hassan ibn Thabit [poet, contemporary of Muhammad who joined him in Medina and eulogized important events in the Muslim community] sings in his dirge for Muhammad that his mother Amina of blessed memory had born him in a happy hour in which there went forth "a light which illuminated the world"

It is not surprising that this spiritual light was soon given material reality in the accounts of the Prophet's birth, as can be seen first in Ibn Sa'd's historical work in the ninth century. Yunus Emre [turkish sunni poet d.1321] sings like numerous poets in his succession in Turkey, Iran, and India:

"The world was all submersed in light
In the night of Muhammad's birth." page 149-150

"The first comprehensive work about the Prophet's birth, as far as one knows, was composed by the Andalusian author Ibn Dihya, who had participated in the festive maulid in Arbela in 1207. Written in prose with a concluding poetical economium , his work has the characteristic title Kitab at-tanwir fi maulid as-siraj al-munir (The Book of Illumination about the Birth of the Luminous Lamp), in which the light-mysticism associated with Muhammad is evident. Two Hanabilites, Ibn al-Jauzi and, a century and half later, Ibn Kathir, devoted treatises to the maulid. Poetical works about this important event were also composed relatively early." page 152

"Ibn al-Jauzi, without doubt a serious, critical theologian of Hanbalite persuasion and not a mystical poet - wrote in his maulid book, which is the first of this kind:

When Muhammad was born, angels proclaimed with high and low voices. Gabriel came with the good tidings, and the Throne trembled. The houris came out of their castles, and fragrance spread. Ridwan [the keeper of the gates of Paradise] was addressed: "Adorn the highest Paradise, remove the curtain from the Palace, send a flock of birds from the birds of Eden to Amina's dwelling place that they may drip a pearl each form their beaks," And when Muhammad was born, Amina saw a light, which illuminated the palaces of Bostra. The angels surrounded her and spread out their wings. The rows of angels, singing praise, descended and filled hill and dale." page 150

"It is also important to remember that Muhammad was born free from all bodily impurities." page 152

"The conviction that a maulud [song of the Prophet's birth] has a blessing power is not peculiar to Turkish Muslims. Its baraka is acknowledged everywhere in the Muslim world...From the Middle Ages onward it was believed that the recitation of the maulud would grant the listeners not only worldly but also heavenly reward." page 255-256

Muslims Profiles: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

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

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-Siddiq) and "Allah's Freedman from the Fire" (`Attq Allah min al-nar). 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-Siddiq: 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)."

Main sources: Al-Nawawi, Tahdhib al-Asma' wa al-Lughat 2:181-182; Abu Nu`aym, Hilya al-Awliya' 1:62-72 #1; al-Dhahabi, Siyar A`lam al-Nubala' 1-2:467-508 #2.

Source: Al Jazeera.com

Muslims Profiles: Ibn Khaldun

IBN KHALDUN, Wali al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman b. Mohamed b. Mohamed b. Abi Bakr Mohamed b. al-Hassan (732-84/1332-82), one of the most prominent figures of Arab-Muslim culture.

He is universally recognized as the founder and father of Sociology and Sciences of History. He is best known for his famous 'Muqaddimah,' (Prolegomena).

His life is divided into three parts, the first of which (20 years) was occupied by his childhood and education, the second (23 years) by the continuation of his studies and by political adventures, and the third (31 years) by his life as a scholar, teacher and magistrate. The first two periods were spent in the Muslim West and the third was divided between the Maghrib and Egypt.

Khaldun was born in Tunisia in 1332 C.E., where he received his early education and where, still in his teens, he entered the service of the Egyptian ruler Sultan Barquq. His thirst for advanced knowledge and a better academic setting soon made him leave this service and migrate to Fez. This was followed by a long period of unrest marked by contemporary political rivalries affecting his career.

This phase also included a three year refuge in a small village Qalat Ibn Salama in Algeria, which provided him with the opportunity to write Muqaddimah, the first volume of his world history that gave him an immortal place among historians, sociologists and philosophers.

The uncertainty of his career still continued, with Egypt becoming his final abode where he spent his last 24 years. Here he lived a life of fame and respect, marked by his appointment as the Chief Malakite Judge and lecturing at the Al-Azhar University, but people started to envy which resulted in his removal from his high judicial office.

Ibn Khaldun's chief contribution lies in the fields of philosophy, history and sociology. He sought to write a world history preambled by a first volume aimed at an analysis of historical events. This volume, commonly known as 'Muqaddimah' or 'Prolegomena', was based on Ibn Khaldun's unique approach and original contribution and became a masterpiece in literature on philosophy of history and sociology.

By this work, Ibn Khaldun aimed at identifying psychological, economic, environmental and social facts that contribute to the advancement of human civilization and the currents of history. In this context, he analyzed the dynamics of group relationships and showed how group-feelings, al-'Asabiyya, give rise to the ascent of a new civilisation and political power and how, later on, its diffusion into a more general civilization invites the advent of a still new 'Asabiyya in its pristine form. He identified an almost rhythmic repetition of rise and fall in human civilization, and analyzed factors contributing to it.

Unlike most earlier writers interpreting history largely in a political context, Ibn Khaldun's emphasised environmental, sociological, psychological and economic factors governing the apparent events. This revolutionized the science of history and also laid the foundation of Umraniyat (Sociology).

Apart from the 'Muqaddimah' that became an important independent book even during the lifetime of the author, the other volumes of his world history Kitab al-I'bar deal with the history of Arabs, contemporary Muslim rulers, contemporary European rulers, ancient history of Arabs, Jews, Greeks, Romans, Persians, etc., Islamic History, Egyptian history and North-African history, especially that of Berbers and tribes living in the adjoining areas. The last volume deals largely with the events of his own life and is known as Al-Tasrif. This initiated a new analytical tradition in the art of writing autobiography.

Ibn Khaldun's great contributions in history, philosophy of history, sociology, political science and education have remained dominant and significant ever since his life. His books have been translated into many languages, both in the East and the West, and have inspired other figures to develop these sciences and add to them.

Source: ummah.net

Muslims Profiles: Ibn Batuta

He is Abu Abdullah Mohamed, known as IBN BATUTA, the greatest of Muslim travelers, was born at Tangier in 1304. He entered on his travels at twenty-one (1325) and closed them in 1355. No other medieval traveler is known to have journeyed so extensively like Ibn Batuta did.


In an attempt to rediscover the contributions of Muslims in fields such as science, medicine, engineering, architecture and astronomy, we will try to shed more light on the life and travellings of Ibn Batuta, the great Muslim traveler. This will encourage contemporary young Muslims to strive in these fields and not think that major success is beyond their reach.

Ibn Batuta, one of the most remarkable travelers of all time, visited China sixty years after Marco Polo and in fact traveled 75,000 miles, much more than Marco Polo. Yet Batuta is never mentioned in geography books used in Muslim countries, let alone those in the West. Ibn Batuta's contribution in geography is unquestionably as great as that of any geographer yet the accounts of his travels are not easily accessible except to the specialist. The omission of reference to Ibn Batuta's contribution in geography books is not an isolated example. All great Muslims whether historians, doctors, astronomers, scientists or chemists suffer the same fate.

The narratives of Ibn Batuta cover various aspects of life in Bengal. He provides a geographical account of some important places he visited, such as Sudkawan, 'a vast city on the coast of the great sea', Habank 'one of the most glorious and beautiful cities', Sunarkawan, 'a very inaccessible city'. He has given accounts of some rivers he traversed, such as the Ganga (Padma), Jun (Jumna) and Nahr ul-azraq (Surma). The traveller was enamored of the picturesque landscape, the greenery and beautiful fields, water-wheels, gardens and villages on both banks of the Surma, and comments that passing through villages and orchards was like going through a mart.

Ibn-Batuta provides some information on the political history beginning from the time of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud till the assumption of sovereignty by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah and Alaauddin Ali shah. His narratives include information on the life of Sheikh Shah Jalal (R), influence of sufi saints on both Muslims and non-Muslims, existence of slavery in Bengal, practice of magic and witchcraft by the people of Kamarupa, abundance of food grains and cheap prices of commodities of daily use. He refers to the brisk internal and external trade of this region.

Ibn Batuta noticed marketplaces on the banks of the rivers and innumerable boats carrying men and merchandise. He has mentioned the practice of beating drums from every boat on the river as a signal for identifying inland merchant boats and for detecting stranger boats as a safeguard against piracy. He also mentions the sea-borne trade-links of Sonargaon with China, Java and Maldives. In view of the abundance of the necessaries of life and its soothing scenery on one hand, and the wet atmosphere and oppressive vapour bath on the other, the traveller justifies the attitude of foreigners who call Bangladesh a dozakh-i-pur az n'imat, which means an inferno full of gifts.

Ibn Batuta began by traversing the coast of the Mediterranean from Tangier to Alexandria, finding time to marry two wives on the road. He stayed in Cairo for a while, and an unsuccessful attempt to reach Mecca from Aidhab on the west coast of the Red Sea, he visited Palestine, Aleppo and Damascus. He then made the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, traveling thence to Basra, and across the mountains of Khuzestan to Isfahan, thence to Shiraz and back to Kufa and Baghdad. After an excursion to Mosul and Diarbekr, he made the Hajj a second time, and stayed in Mecca for three years.

Afterwards Ibn Batuta sailed down the Red Sea to Aden (then a place of great trade). Then he continued his journey down the African coast, visiting Mombassa and Quiloa (Kilwa) together with other places. Returning north he passed by the chief cities of Oman to New Ormuz (Hurmuz), which had about 15 years, before, c. 1315, been transferred to its famous island-site from the mainland (Old Ormuz). After visiting other parts of the gulf he crossed the breadth of Arabia to Mecca, making the Hajj (Pilgrimage) for the third time. Crossing the Red Sea, he made a journey of great hardship to Syene and thence along the Nile to Cairo. After this, traveling through Syria, he made a circuit among the petty Turkish states into which Asia Minor was divided after the fall of the kingdom of Rum (Iconium).

He now crossed the Black Sea to Kaffa. His next stop was Kipchak (the Mongol khanate of Russia), and joined the camp of the reigning khan Mohamed Uzbeg, from whom the great and heterogeneous Uzbeg race is perhaps named.

Among other places he visited was Boighar, he witnessed the shortness of the summer night, and desired to continue his travels north into the band of Darkness (in the extreme north of Russia).

Returning to the court of Uzbeg, at Sarai on the Volga, he crossed the steppes to Khwarizm and Bukhara; thence through Khurasan and Kabul, and over the Hindu Kush (to which he gives that name, its first occurrence).

Ibn Batuta was the only medieval traveler who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time. The mere extent of his travels is estimated at no less than 75,000 miles, a figure which is not likely to have been surpassed before the age of steam.

Source: 1911encyclopedia.org

Muslims Profiles: Ibn Sina

Ibn Sina, known as the 'doctor of doctors', was born in 370/980 in Afshana, his mother's home, near Bukhara.

His native language was Persian. His father, an official of the Samanid administration, had him very carefully educated at Bukhara. Ibn Sina is known in the West as Avicenna. He displayed exceptional intellectual prowess as a child and at the age of ten was already proficient in the Qur'an and the Arabic classics. During the next six years he devoted himself to Muslim Jurisprudence, Philosophy and Natural Science and studied Logic, Euclid, and the Almeagest. His intellectual independence was served by an extraordinary intelligence and memory, which allowed him to surpass his teachers at the age of fourteen.

He then shifted his attention to Medicine at the age of 17 years and found it, as described by him, "not difficult". He did, however, find difficulty in understanding Aristotle's Metaphysics, which he grasped only with the help of al-Farabi's commentary. Having cured the prince of khurasan of a severe illness, he was allowed to make use of the splendid library of the Samanid princes. At the age of eighteen he had mastered all the then known sciences. His subsequent progress was due only to his personal judgment.

He became a reputable physician at the age of 18 and was summoned to attend the Samani ruler Nuh ibn Mansur (reigned 976-997 C.E.), who, in gratitude for Ibn Sina's services, allowed him to use the royal library, and there he found as many rare and unique books as he wanted. His training through contact with life was at least equal to his development in intellectual speculation. At the age of twenty-one he wrote his first philosophical book.

The death of his father forced him to enter the administration in order to earn his living. His judgment was swiftly appreciated. Having consulted him on medical matters, the princes had recourse to him also in matters of politics. He was a minister several times, his advice being always listened to and appreciated; but people started to envy him, and he was sometimes persecuted by his enemies and sometimes coveted by princes opposing those to whom he wished to remain loyal. He took flight and was obliged to hide on several occasions, earning his living by medical consultations.

He then moved to Ray, near modern Teheran and established a busy medical practice. When Ray was besieged, Ibn Sina fled to Hamadan where he cured Prince Shamsud-Dawala of colic and was made Prime Minister. A mutiny of soldiers against him caused his dismissal and imprisonment, but subsequently the Prince, being again attacked by the colic, summoned him back, apologized and reinstated him! His life at this time was very tiring: during the day he was busy with the Prince's services, while a great deal of the night was passed in lecturing and dictating notes for his books. Students would gather in his house and read parts of his two great books.

Following the death of the prince, Ibn Sina fled to Isfahan after a few brushes with the law, including a period in prison. He spent his final years in the services of the ruler of the city, Ala al-Daula whom he advised on scientific and literary matters and accompanied on military campaigns.

His friends advised him to slow down and take life in moderation, but this wasn't his character and so he rejected their advice. "I prefer a short life with width to a narrow one with length", he used to say.

Al-Qifti states that Ibn Sina completed 21 major and 24 minor works on philosophy, medicine, theology, geometry, astronomy and the like. Another source (Brockelmann) attributes 99 books to Ibn Sina comprising 16 on medicine, 68 on theology and metaphysics 11 on astronomy and four on verse. Most of these were in Arabic; but in his native Persian he wrote a large manual on philosophical science entitled Danish-naama-i-Alai and a small treatise on the pulse.

Among Ibn Sina's scientific works, the leading two are the Kitab al-Shifa (Book of Healing), a philosophical encyclopaedia based upon Aristotelian traditions and the al-Qanun al-Tibb which represents the final categorisation of Greco-Arabian thoughts on Medicine.

Of Ibn Sina's 16 medical works, eight are versified treatises on such matter as the 25 signs indicating the fatal termination of illnesses, hygienic precepts, proved remedies, anatomical memoranda etc. Amongst his prose works, after the great Qanun, the treatise on cardiac drugs, of which the British Museum possesses several fine manuscripts, is probably the most important, but it remains unpublished.

The most famous and most important of Ibn Sina's works is the Qanun. It recognizes the contagious nature of phthisis (tuberculosis of the lung) and the spread of disease by water and soil. It gives a scientific diagnosis of ankylostomiasis and attributes the condition to an intestinal worm. The Qanun points out the importance of dietetics and how far the environment can affect the health and the surgical use of oral anaesthetics. Ibn Sina advised surgeons to treat cancer in its earliest stages, ensuring the removal of all the diseased tissue. The Qanun's materia medica considers some 760 drugs, explaining their application and effectiveness. He recommended the testing of a new drug on animals and humans prior to general use.

Ibn Sina stressed the close relationship between emotions and the physical condition and felt that music had a definite physical and psychological effect on patients.

The Arabic text of the Qanun was published in Rome in 1593 and was therefore one of the earliest Arabic books to see print. It was translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century. This 'Canon', with its encyclopedic content, its systematic arrangement and philosophical plan, soon worked its way into a position of pre-eminence in the medical literature of the age displacing the works of Galen, al-Razi and al-Majusi, and becoming the text book for medical education in the schools of Europe.

In the museum at Bukhara, there are displays showing many of Ibn Sina's writings, surgical instruments from the period and paintings of patients undergoing treatment. An impressive monument to the life and works of the man who became known as the 'doctor of doctors' still stands outside Bukhara museum and his portrait hangs in the Hall of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Paris.

Ibn Sina got imprisoned, escaped, lived for fourteen years in relative peace at the court of Isfahan and died at Hamadan, during an expedition of the prince 'Ala' al-Dawla, in 428/1037. He was buried there; and a monument was erected to him to celebrate the (hidhri) millenary of his birth.

Source: ummah.net

Muslims Profiles: Aly Ibn Abi Taleb

Aly Ibn Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) was the cousin of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as well as his son-in-law, as he was the husband of Al Sayeda Fatima the daughter Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

He embraced Islam at the age of nine, to be the first boy to accept Islam.

Once Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) told him:

"You [Aly] are my brother in this world and the next."

How Did Aly Embrace Islam?

One night Aly saw the Prophet (PBUH) and his wife Al Sayeda Khadijah bowing and prostrating. He asked Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) about what were they doing. The Prophet told him that they were praying to Allah The Most High and that he also should accept Islam and start praying. Aly said that he would first like to ask his father about it. Aly didn't sleep that night, and in the morning he went to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "When God created me He did not consult my father, so why should I consult my father in order to serve God?" and he testified that there is no god but Allah, and that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah (accepted Islam).

When the Divine command came, "And warn thy nearest relatives" [The Holy Qur'an 26:214], Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) invited his relatives for a meal. After they finished, he addressed them and asked, "Who will join me in the cause of God?" At first nobody answered, and then Aly Ibn Abi Taleb stood up saying "I am the youngest of all present here, "My eyes trouble me because they are sore and my legs are thin and weak, but I shall join you and help you in whatever way I can." The rest started laughing.

During the difficult wars in Mecca, Aly stood by these words and faced all the hardships to which the Muslims were subjected. He slept in the bed of the Prophet (PBUH) when the Quraysh tribe plotted to murder Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He was the one who Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) trusted, although he was young at that time.

Aly has a special place in Prophet Mohammad's heart, to the extent that he called Aly by many fond names. Once the Prophet knew that Aly and his daughter Fatima had a fight, he went looking for Aly and found him sleeping in the dust. He brushed off Aly's clothes and said fondly, "Wake up, Abu Turab (Father of Dust)."

Ali was known for his bravery. He took participated in most of the battles that were waged against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Islam in general. It is said that in the Battle of Uhud Aly (May Allah be pleased with him) received more than sixteen wounds. The Prophet gave him the title of 'Asadullah' ('Lion of God').

Aly's Knowledge:

Aly's modesty, austerity, piety, deep knowledge of the Qur'an and his wisdom gave him great distinction among the Prophet's Companions. Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman used to consult him frequently during their caliphates. Many times Omar had made him his vice-regent at Madinah when he was away.

Aly was also a great scholar of Arabic literature and pioneered in the field of grammar and rhetoric. His speeches, sermons and letters stood as models of literary expression for generations afterward. Many of his wise and epigrammatic sayings have been preserved. Moreover Aly had a rich and versatile personality. In spite of his talents and achievements, he was a modest and humble man. Once during his caliphate when he was going about the marketplace, a man stood up in respect and followed him. "Do not do it," said Aly. "Such manners are a temptation for a ruler and a disgrace for the ruled." He and his wife Fatima (Daughter of Prophet Mohammad 'PBUH') lived extremely simple and austere life, yet they never asked for help. Aly's plain, austere style of living did not change even when he was ruler over a vast domain.

His Migration:

Ibn Is'haq said:

"And (Aly) was the last of the Muslims to arrive in Madinah because the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered Aly to stay behind and sleep in his bed (in order to deceive the pagan Arabs of the Quraysh and delay their pursuit of the Prophet (PBUH).

The Virtues of Aly:

The companion Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

"On the day of The Battle of Khaibar, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Tomorrow I will give this flag to a man through whose hands Allah will give us victory. He loves Allah and His Messenger, and he is loved by Allah and His Messenger."

People remained that night wondering who is going to take(the flag. In the morning the people went to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and every one of them was hopeful to receive (the flag).

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "Where is Aly Ibn Abi Talib?" It was said: "O Messenger of Allah he is suffering from eye trouble." He said: "Send for him." Aly was brought and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) spat in his eye and invoked good upon him and Aly was cured. Then the Prophet (PBUH) gave him the flag. Aly said: "I will fight them until they become like us."

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"Proceed and do not hurry. When you enter their territory, call them to embrace Islam and inform them of Allah's rights which they should observe, for by Allah, even if a single man is led on the right path (of Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nice red camels."

Aly's Assassination:

A fanatical group called Kharijites claimed that neither Aly, the Caliph, nor Mu'awiya, the ruler of Syria, nor Amr bin al-Aas, the ruler of Egypt, were worthy of rule. In fact, they went so far as to say that the true caliphate came to an end with Omar and that Muslims should live without any ruler over them except God. They vowed to kill all three rulers, and assassins were dispatched in three directions.

The assassins who were deputed to kill Mu'awiya and Amr did not succeed and were captured and executed, but Ibn-e-Muljim, the assassin who was commissioned to kill Aly Ibn Abi Taleb, succeeded in his mission. One morning while Aly was praying in a mosque, Ibn-e-Muljim stabbed him with a poisoned knife. On the 20th of Ramadan, 40 A.H. died the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam, Aly Ibn Abi Taleb. May God Most High be pleased with him and grant to him His eternal reward.

Source: Muslim Students Association

Muslims Profiles: Uthman Ibn Affan

Uthman Ibn Affan was born seven years after Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He comes from the Umayyad branch of the Quraysh tribe.

He learned to read and write at an early age, and then became a successful well-known merchant.

Uthman had been famous for his honesty and frankness even before embracing Islam. He and Abu Bakr (another companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) were close friends, and it was through Abu Bakr's help that Uthman embraced Islam at the age of fourteen. Uthman was the fourth person to enter into Islam.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said about Uthman:

"Every Prophet has an assistant, and my assistant will be Othman."

Some years later Uthman married Prophet Mohammad's daughter, Al Sayeda Ruqayya may Allah be pleased with her. In spite of his wealth and position, never stopped plotting against him as a result of embracing Islam and he was forced to immigrate to Ethiopia. Some time later he returned to Mecca but soon migrated to Medina with the other Muslims.

In Medina his business again began to flourish and he regained his former prosperity. Uthman was also well-known for his limitless generosity. On various occasions he spent a great portion of his wealth for the welfare of the Muslims, for charity and for providing the Muslim armies with needed equipments. That is why he came to be known as 'Ghani' meaning 'Generous.'

Just before the Battle of Badr Uthman's wife, Ruqayya, got seriously ill, and he was excused by the Prophet (PBUH) from participating in the battle. The illness of Ruqayya proved fatal and she died, Othman married Al Sayeda Um Kulthoom (May Allah be pleased with her), another daughter of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Because he had the high privilege of having two daughters of the Prophet as wives Othman was known as 'The One with the Two Lights.' When Um Kulthoom died Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"If I had third daughter I would wed you to her (also)."

Uthman Ibn Affan was an honest, mild, generous and very kindly man, well-known especially for his modesty and his piety. He often spent part of the night in prayer, fasted every second or third day, performed hajj every year, and supported and cared for the needy of the whole Islamic community. In spite of his wealth, he lived a very simple life and slept on bare sand in the courtyard of Prophet Mohammad's mosque. He was one of the ten companions that were given the good tidings of paradise during their lifetimes.

The Virtues of Othman:

The Companion Abu Musa Al-Ash'aree narrated:

"I performed ablution in my house and then went out and said: 'Today I shall stick to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) all this day of mine (in his service).' I went to the Mosque and asked about the Prophet (PBUH). They said: 'He has gone in this direction.' So I followed his way, asking about him till he entered a place called The Well of Aris. I sat at its gate made of date-palm leaves till the Prophet (PBUH) performed ablution. Then I went up to him and saw him sitting at the well of Aris at the middle of its edge with his legs uncovered, hanging in the well. I greeted him, went back, and sat at the gate. I said: 'Today I will be the gatekeeper of the Prophet (PBUH).'

Abu Bakr came and pushed the gate. I asked: 'Who is it?' He said: 'Abu Bakr.' I told him to wait, and then I went in and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Abu Bakr asks permission to enter.' He said: 'Admit him and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise.' So I went out and said to Abu Bakr: 'Come in, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gives you the glad tidings that you will be in Paradise.' Abu Bakr entered and sat on the right side of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the built edge of the well as the Prophet (PBUH) did and uncovered his legs and he praised Allah.

I returned and sat (at the gate). I had left my brother performing ablution and he intended to follow me. So I said to myself: 'If Allah wants good for (my brother) He will bring him here.'

Suddenly somebody moved the door. I asked: 'Who is it?' He said: ' Umar ibn Al-Khattab.' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: 'Admit him and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise.' So I did, and he (Umar) entered and sat beside the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the built edge of the well on the left side and hung his legs in the well.

I returned (to the gate) and said (to myself): 'If Allah wants good for (my brother), He will bring him here.' Somebody came and moved the door. I asked: 'Who is it?' He replied: ' Uthman Ibn Affan.' I asked him to wait and informed the Prophet (PBUH). He said: 'Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall him.' So I went to him and said: 'Come in. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gives you the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall you.' Uthman then came in and found that the built edge of the well was occupied, so he sat opposite to the Prophet (PBUH) on the other side."

The Companion Anas ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

The Prophet (PBUH) Once climbed mount Uhud with Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman. The mountain shook with them. The Prophet (PBUH) said (to the mountain):

"Be firm O Uhud! For on you there are no more than a Prophet and a Siddeeq and two martyrs."

Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) provided two hundred camels for the impoverished army of the Muslims complete with saddle blankets and reins. Moreover he distributed thousands of dinars (currency at that time) for the welfare of Islam.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"O Uthman! Allah has forgiven you your previous sins as well as your future sins, what you have hidden, as well as what you have made public and whatever is until the Day of Judgment."

Uthman bought the land adjacent to Prophet Mohammad's mosque in order to expand the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

The son of Omar (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

"The mosque during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was built of adobes, its roof of the leaves of date-palms and its pillars of the stems of date-palms. Abu Bakr did not alter it. Umar expanded it on the same pattern as it was in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) by using adobes leaves of date-palms, and changing the pillars into wooden ones. Uthman changed it by expanding it to a great extent and built its walls with engraved stones and lime and made its pillars of engraved stones and its roof of teak wood."

Aicha (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was reclining in his house with his legs uncovered. Abu Bakr asked permission to enter and he permitted him to enter while he was in that state and they began talking. Then Omar asked permission to enter and he permitted him to enter while he was in the same state and they began talking. Then Uthman asked permission to enter and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sat up and adjusted his clothes and then he (Uthman) entered and they began talking. When they departed, I (Aicha) said: "(When) Abu Bakr and Umar entered you did not become enlivened and you did not (change your) state, (but) when Uthman entered, you sat up and adjusted your clothing." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied: "Should I not be bashful in front of one who the angels are bashful in front of?"

Uthman's Caliphate:

During Uthman's rule the characteristics of Abu Bakr's and Omar's caliphates - impartial justice for all, mild and humane policies, striving in the path of God, and the expansion of Islam - continued. During Uthman's rule the Muslim kingdom extended in the west to Morocco, in the east to Afghanistan, and in the north to Armenia and Azerbaijan. During his caliphate a navy was organized, administrative divisions of the state were revised, and many public projects were expanded and completed.

Uthman ruled for twelve years. The first six years Muslims enjoyed internal peace and tranquility, but during the second half of his caliphate a rebellion arose. The Jews and the Magians, taking advantage of dissatisfaction among the people, began plotting against Uthman.

It may seem surprising that a ruler of such vast territories, whose armies were matchless, was unable to deal with these rebels. If Othman had wished, the rebellion could have been crushed at the very moment it began. But he was reluctant to be the first to shed the blood of Muslims, however rebellious they might be. He preferred to solve it in a peaceful way and tried to persuade them with kindness and generosity. He well remembered hearing the Prophet (peace be on him) say:

"Once the sword is unsheathed among my followers, it will not be sheathed until the Last Day."

The rebels demanded that he resign and some of the Companions advised him to do so. He would gladly have followed this course of action, but again he was bound by the promise he had given to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). "Perhaps God will clothe you with a shirt, Uthman" the Prophet (PBUH) had told him once, "and if the people want you to take it off, do not take it off for them." Uthman said to a well-wisher on a day when his house was surrounded by the rebels, "God's Messenger made a covenant with me and I shall show endurance in adhering to it."

Uthman's Assassination:

After a long siege, the rebels broke into Uthman's house and murdered him. When the first assassin's sword struck Othman, he was reciting the verse,

"So if they believe in what you believe, then they would be guided, but if they turn away the are averse to the Truth, and God is sufficient to deal with them, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing" Qur'an (2:137)

Uthman died on the afternoon of Friday, 17 Zul Hijja, 35 A.H. / June 656 A.C. He was eighty-four years old.

Source: Muslim Students Association