Brief History of Islam

Origins
Islam was gradually revealed to humanity by a number of earlier
prophets, but the final and complete revelation of the faith was made
through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the 7th century CE.
Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in 570.
He was a deeply spiritual man, and often spent time in meditation on Mount Hira.
One night in 610 he was meditating in a cave on the mountain when he
was visited by the angel Jibreel who ordered him to "recite". After
some difficulty Muhammad (pbuh) found that he was reciting words which
he came to understand were the words of God.
During the rest of his life Muhammad (pbuh) continued to receive these
revelations. The words were remembered and recorded, and form the text
of the Holy Qu'ran, the Muslim scripture.
Preaching
Realising that God had chosen him as his messenger Muhammad began to
preach what God had revealed to him.
The simple and clear-cut message of Islam, that there is no God but
Allah, and that life should be lived in complete submission to the
will of Allah, was attractive to many people, and they flocked to hear
it.
The Hijrah
Muhammad's (pbuh) popularity was seen as threatening by the people in
power in Mecca, and Muhammad (pbuh) took his followers on a journey
from Mecca to Medina in 622.
This journey is called the Hijrah (migration) and the event was seen
as so important for Islam that 622 is the year in which the Islamic
calendar begins.
The Return to Mecca
7 years late Muhammad (pbuh) had gained so many followers that he was
able to return to Mecca and conquer it.
From this time on he was generally accepted as the true final Prophet
of God (pbuh).
Muhammad continued to lead his community both spiritually and in
earthly matters until his death in 632.

The Trade of Sincere Muslims

There is no doubt that the reward of Allaah The Almighty is better and
more lasting than any worldly benefit. Allaah, the Exalted, Says )what
means(:}But what is with Allaah is better and more lasting for those
who have believed and upon their Lord rely.{]Quran 42: 36[
Indeed, one's good deeds are generously rewarded by Allaah The
Almighty; He Says )what means(:}And whatever good you put forward for
yourselves – you will find it with Allaah. It is better and greater in
reward.{]Quran 73:20[
Herein lies the great importance of seeking the reward of Allaah The
Almighty. What exactly do we mean by that?
There are various types and meanings of hoping for the reward of
Allaah The Almighty, including:
Seeking the reward of Allaah The Almighty when carrying out acts of
obedience for His sake
If one recalls the great meaning of hoping for the reward of Allaah
The Almighty while performing acts of obedience, this would ward off
ill thoughts such as indulging in ostentation, seeking reputation and
fame or the praise and attention of people, and other manifestations
of grave diseases of the heart that render deeds worthless or reduce
their rewards. Such a Muslim has restricted his main concern;
conversely, the Muslim whose sole aim is to attain the satisfaction of
Allaah The Exalted with these deeds and hopes for His reward will be
rewarded generously. The Prophetsaid:"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of
faith and hoping for reward from Allaah The Exalted will have his past
sins forgiven for him."
Abu Hurayrahnarrated that the Prophetsaid:"Whoever follows the funeral
procession of a Muslim out of faith and hoping to attain the reward of
Allaah and remains with it till the funeral prayer is offered and the
burial ceremonies are over, will return with a reward of two Qirats;
each of which is like the size of )the Mount( Uhud."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
In addition, the Muslim man is rewarded for providing for his family
)although it is obligatory for the man to provide for his family, he
will be rewarded for it as if he was offering this money for charity,
if his intention is seeking the reward of Allaah The Exalted(. The
Prophetsaid:"When the Muslim spends something on his family seeking a
reward for it from Allaah, it is counted for him as
charity."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Do you see how many rewards one can gain by offering one's acts of
obedience seeking the reward of Allaah The Almighty?
Among the meanings of seeking the reward of Allaah The Almighty is
hoping for His reward when afflicted with calamites and hardship
Allaah The Almighty has praised such pious people who endure calamites
and hardship, seeking the reward of Allaah The Exalted and has
promised them His mercy, guidance and abundant rewards. Allaah The
Exalted Says )what means(:}Who, when disaster strikes them, say,
"Indeed we belong to Allaah, and indeed to Him we will return." *
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy.
And it is those who are the ]rightly[ guided.{]Quran 2:156-157[
Undeniably, people, whether believers or disbelievers, are afflicted
by many calamites and adversities in this life; yet the believers
endure them hoping for the reward of Allaah The Almighty. Indeed, both
believers and disbelievers suffer from losing loved ones and
relatives, yet there is a great difference between the believers and
disbelievers in this regard, i.e. the believers hope for the reward of
Allaah The Exalted by enduring such misfortunes and hardships
patiently.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And do not weaken in pursuit of
the enemy. If you should be suffering, so are they suffering as you
are suffering, but you expect from Allaah that which they expect not.
And Allaah is ever Knowing and Wise.{]Quran 3:104[
Regarding the compensation of those who endure calamites and
hardships, hoping for the reward of Allaah The Almighty, the
Prophetsaid:"Allaah The Exalted does not have a reward other than
Paradise for the believing slave who remains patient for His sake when
losing his dearest person from among the inhabitants of the world."
Furthermore, Umm Salamahsaid that she heard the Prophetsaying:"There
is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and says what Allaah has
enjoined, 'Verily to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return. O
Allaah, reward me for my affliction and compensate me with what is
better', but Allaah will compensate him with something better."
Umm Salamahadded that when Abu Salamahdied, she said, "Who among the
Muslims is better than Abu Salamah, the first household to migrate to
join the Prophet?" When she uttered these very words, Allaah The
Almighty compensated her with marrying the Prophet. ]Muslim[
Moreover, our righteous predecessors used to question all their deeds
and intentions, renewing their good and sincere intentions and
advising each other to endure calamites in the hope of reward from
Allaah The Almighty.
Al-Faarooq 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaabused to say, "O people, carry out your
righteous deeds seeking the reward from Allaah The Exalted, for
whoever does so will be rewarded for his good deeds and for his
seeking the reward of Allaah The Exalted."
In addition, when the Banu Al-Haarith ibn 'Aamir wanted to kill
Khubayb ibn 'Adiyyhe did not care about his fate at their hands.
Before his death, he said, "Why should I fear death when it will
eventually seize me, and when what I truly fear is to become fuel for
Hell fire? Hence, as long as I die as a believer in the cause of
Allaah, it does not matter to me how it happens."
So, offer your acts of worship and obedience for the sake of Allaah
The Almighty seeking reward from Him, and endure calamities and
hardships, hoping for His reward; indeed, Allaah The Almighty will
compensate you for that with inner tranquilly, serenity, and strength,
Aim high and multiply your rewards.

Staying Steadfast in Turbulent Times

Steadfastness in faith has been mentioned on more than one occasion in
the Noble Quran and the Sunnah )Prophetic tradition(. Allaah The
Exalted, enjoined the Muslims to be upright in their religion,
praising the steadfast people and promising them generous rewards.
For instance, Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}So remain on a
right course as you have been commanded, ]you[ and those who have
turned back with you ]to Allaah[, and do not transgress. Indeed, He is
Seeing of what you do.{]Quran 11:112[
Allaah The Exalted also Says )what means(:}Indeed, those who have
said: "Our Lord is Allaah" and then remained on a right course – the
angels will descend upon them, ]saying[, "Do not fear and do not
grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were
promised.{]Quran 41:30[
In addition, Sufyaan ibn 'Abdullaahonce asked the Prophetto tell him
some concise words about Islam so that he would not need to ask anyone
else. The Prophetsaid:"Say, 'I believe in Allaah and then hold on
firmly to the straight path.'"
The Prophetsaid:")Try to( keep to the straight path although you will
not be able to do so completely; and know that the best of your deeds
is prayer, and only a )true( believer maintains his ablution."
The meaning of uprightness:
Being upright in religion means adopting a moderate approach in
showing obedience to Allaah The Almighty, abiding by His Sharee'ah
)Islamic law( and remaining on the right path regarding His Oneness.
Hence, being upright in religion means adhering to the orders of
Allaah The Almighty in terms of His Oneness, devoting all acts of
worship sincerely to Him only, as well as observing refined manners
and the Islamic moral code in one's relationships with other people
and in all one's deeds.
Uprightness is the path to salvation:
Scholars clarified that being upright in religion means being
straightness; the Arabic word 'Mustaqeem' means straight, without any
curves. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And, ]moreover[, this
is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow ]other[
ways, for you will be separated from His way.{]Quran 6:153[
Uprightness and the allies of Allaah The Almighty:
Prominent scholars defined uprightness differently, yet all the
definitions share the same meaning:
1- When Abu Bakrwas asked about uprightness, he answered, "It means
not to associate partners with Allaah."
2- 'Umardefined it as follows, "To be upright in following the orders
of Allaah The Exalted and avoiding the prohibitions and not to elude
others like a fox."
3- 'Uthmaansaid in this regard, "Uprightness means devotion to Allaah;
offering all acts of worship with full sincerity to Allaah."
4- 'Alidefined uprightness as follows, "It means carrying out the
obligatory acts of worship".
5- Al-Hasan Al-Basrisaid, "Upright people are those who adhere to the
commands of Allaah The Exalted, follow His straight path, obey Him and
shun disobedience."
6- jMuaahidsaid, "Upright people are those who adhere to the testimony
that none is truly worthy of worship but Allaah until they die."
7- Ibn Zayd and Qataadahboth, said, "Uprightness means adhering to
obedience of Allah The Exalted."
8- Sufyaan Ath-Thawrisaid that the upright person is the one whose
deeds are in accordance with his words.
9- Ar-Rabee' ibn Khuthaymsaid, "Uprightness means turning away from
everything and everyone but Allaah The Exalted."
10- Al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyaadhsaid, "Uprightness is disinterest in the
mortal life, while seeking the immortal one."
11- Ibn Taymiyyahsaid, "Uprightness means to hold fast to loving
Allaah The Exalted and fulfilling the meaning of servitude to Him
without turning away from Him."
12- Imaam Al-Harawisaid, "Striving hard in following the commands of
Allaah moderately."
The fruits of uprightness:
1. Happiness in this life.
2. The descent of the angels of mercy on upright people.
3. The angels of mercy would bring them glad tidings in their graves
that they will be granted firmness.
4. At the time of Resurrection.
5. Entering Paradise, the abode of dignity that will last forever;
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}No fatigue will touch them
therein, nor from it will they ]ever[ be removed.{]Quran15:48[

The believer does not curse

When the Prophet,, guided the one who was seeking salvation to control
his tongue, this was an indication of the grave dangers of the tongue,
particularly when one gives it free rein. Getting used to abusing and
cursing is one of the greatest dangers of the tongue. Many people
think too lightly of this and therefore curse their children,
transportation, those who contradict their views, and even those with
whom they are joking. Hence, we will state some of what was reported
in warning against the dangers of cursing and making a habit of this.
The Meaning and Dangers of Cursing
Cursing means the deprivation and exclusion of goodness or of the
Mercy of Allaah The Almighty, and this can never be the habit of the
believers. The Prophet,, said,"The believer does not slander, curse,
or speak in an obscene or foul manner."In aHadeethon the authority of
Abu Hurayrahthe Prophet,, said:"It does not befit a man of truth to be
a curser."
Cursing a Believer is a Great Crime
Cursing a believer is a great crime that a Muslim should never dare to
commit. To illustrate the enormity of this crime, it is enough to
mention theHadeethwhere the Prophet,, said:"Cursing a believer is like
killing him."Commenting on thisHadeeth, An-Nawawisaid,"According to
the apparent meaning of the Hadeeth, both killing and cursing are
equal in prohibition, however, killing is graver."Other scholars
said,"Cursing a believer is like killing him with respect to
prohibition, guilt and deprivation. This is because cursing is
deprivation of the mercy of Allaah The Almighty, and killing is
deprivation of life."
Beware of the Rebounding of the Curse!
When a person curses something that does not deserve to be cursed, the
curse rebounds and comes back onto him, even if that which is cursed
is the subjugated wind. In aHadeethon the authority of 'Abdullaah Ibn
'Abbaasit was mentioned that the wind blew away a man's outer garment
and, thereupon, he cursed the wind. The Prophet,, said to him:"Do not
curse the wind because it is commanded ]by Allaah to blow[. Whoever
curses something and it does not deserve the curse, the curse will
turn back upon him."
Do Not Curse an Animal or a Mount
People often think of this as something trivial and they curse animals
as well as their means of transport. Such people are heedless of the
fact that doing so, they themselves mix with cursed things. It was
narrated that the Prophet,, was on a journey on which there was also a
woman from theAnsaarriding a she-camel. The she-camel annoyed her and
so she cursed it. Having heard her, the Messenger of Allaah,,
said:"Take off the load on its back and set it free because it is
cursed."'
Cursing a Specific Person
According to the consensus of the scholars, cursing is prohibited.
Imaam An-Nawawisaid,
There is a consensus among the scholars that cursing is prohibited.
Linguistically, cursing means to deprive or expel. In the Sharee'ah,
it means deprivation of the Mercy of Allaah The Exalted. For a person
whose status and end are not decisively known, it is not permissible
to deprive him of the Mercy of Allaah The Almighty. Therefore, they
]the scholars[ have said, 'It is not permissible to curse a specific
person, whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever, unless there is a
Sharee'ah text that tells us that a specific person died or will die
as a disbeliever, like Abu Jahl and Satan; and it is impermissible to
curse a mount. However, cursing by general description is permitted
such as cursing women who artificially lengthen their hair or those
who have their hair artificially lengthened for them, women who tattoo
or have themselves tattooed, the two parties of a Riba ]interest[
transaction, those who produce images, evildoers, oppressors,
disbelievers and those who misappropriate the limits of their land.
This is general cursing that does not specify someone in particular.
Cursing is from the Gravest of the Grave Major Sins
The MuslimUmmah)nation( has been afflicted by some of its youth who
joke with each other only by sending curses and abuse, as they
recklessly curse fathers and mothers. They do this despite the fact
that this is one of the grave major sins as the Prophet,, said:"One of
the gravest of grave major sins is when a person abuses his
parents."It was then asked,"O Messenger of Allaah, is it possible that
one could abuse his own parents?"The Prophet,, replied:"Yes, when he
abuses the father or mother of another person and the latter returns
the insult."
Parents are the cause behind one's existence in this life and so they
should not be harmed, even by as little as being shown the signs of
tedium and annoyance in front of them by using the word "uff".
Therefore, what about those who curse their parents? These people are
in fact committing a grave major sin and deserve the supplication of
the Prophet,, against them as in theHadeethwhere he said,"May Allaah
curse the one who slaughters for the sake of anything other than
Allaah, the one who shelters a man who causes mischief upon the earth,
and the one who curses his parents."
Purify Your Tongue from Cursing
If cursing is dangerous, obscene and offensive to that extent, then
the believer, who seeks salvation on the Day when neither wealth nor
children will be of benefit to him, must refine and purify his tongue
from this disaster. He should recall the prohibition of the Prophet,,
in theHadeethwhere he said:"Do not curse one another invoking the
curse of Allaah, the wrath of Allaah, or the fire of Hell."
We ask Allaah The Almighty to purify our tongues, hearts and bodies
from everything that stirs His wrath.