I’m your host, Mr. Rashid. Welcome to another episode of Islam and focus. Today we have our 36th program dealing with Muhammad, the last messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him. Today is our third segment on the dealing with the birth in the early childhood of Muhammad. I’m very happy to have joining me on the program. Dr. Jamal Badawi of St. Mary’s University brother Jamal Assalamualaikum, on
last week’s program. Very interesting. I wonder perhaps I could have you very quickly highlight the main points that we touched on for those people who didn’t have enough misinformation? Sure. First of all, we discussed the importance or significance of the name getting to the Prophet Mohammed after his birth, and how does that relate to other famous names for him, especially the name
which was not to our knowledge given to anyone before him. And we connected that with the prophecies about his Advent.
We also discuss some of those who say that the Prophet might have took the name for himself or adopted that name, to show that he is the one who was foretold in previous scriptures which admits any way that
he was prophesied to come. But the main question that was raised, if a person of that magnitude with the name of Mohammed was foretold then which Mohammed in history meet this requirement, except the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. we described also how, after his verse, the nursing or cycling mothers came to pick infants. And then finally, Halima took him as an orphan, even though she was reluctant at the beginning, and we described again, why she was reluctant. And also we described the reason why this custom of having another woman Second, the influence was prominent among some of the northern tribes in Mecca.
Finally, we said that he stayed with Halima for about two years. And then he went that she went back to take him to his mother and she tried to get her permission to stay
longer with her. And then we said that the luckily the mothers agreed, and that was because Halina actually noted a great deal of blessing with the stale infant hammered peace be upon him with her. But he said that shortly after he returned back with Halina, an event took place known as the splitting of the chest, which made Halima very scared, so she returned him to his mother, and under pressure from Hammonds mother. Halima finally had to give her the reason or tell her what, what happened. And finally, we said that stamina is the mother of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him reacted confidently and you know, she simply said that fears about my child, he will have a great
future
for this situation, compared to be a life threatening situation. What would explain or what made Mohammed’s mother so confident that there wasn’t anything that was adrift here? Well, as she thought Halima the suckling mother
said that I saw when I got pregnant with him, as if light has come out of me, which enlightened the palaces in Basra, Basra is, you know, in the way it was Syria, parts of Syria,
which might have been assembled, of course, that his face would spread. And ultimately, that part of the world would come under, you know, standard, cruel, and so they become Muslim as an action. And then, Amina also said that when I got pregnant with Muhammad peace be upon him, he said that the pregnancy was
quite easy. It wasn’t difficult at all, as she you know, she wanted from people around her.
And then she said, even as soon as he was born,
he fell with his hand on the ground and his head raised towards heaven.
And she said, as a result of that, that there should be no fear for my son that Satan would touch him in any way. And she told Halima, that you can go now in peace and she kept Prophet Mohammed with her. And what that story of course, describes something which is quite unusual. But that
fact should not be sufficient reason to reject the story or report as somebody’s interested and as some of those who followed the path of orientalist like Dr. heiken that we discussed before, also alluded
The story is another classic example.
of
authentic reports which are rejected by some people in the name of being scientific and objective.
Which is neither objective actually, nor scientific. If we look at it more correctly, it is a rejection which is based largely on personal likes and dislikes of the author. And that’s not a good reason to reject something which is established historically.
And philology useful usually looking at these objections on this report, could leave me a comment on some of these objections when it appears to me that at the heart of objections to this report,
is an attitude of rejection of anything that we find difficult to explain with the normal means of science or what is known to us customarily. And that’s kind of the approach we have discussed with criticism in some previous programs. So I’m just making really a cross reference at this point.
Now on the question of the splitting of the testament, but that particular report, Dr. Hackett, for example, take this as a typical of the kind of claimed objectivity, scientific approach. He raises two specific objections. One, he said that, how could we depend on a story which is narrated by some child who is a little over two years old, referring to the age of peace be upon him when this incident took place. And secondly, says that some people
think that this report this particular module, some people think that this report is weak in nation. Now, we are going to show that reading that neither of these objections really is justifiable. One of the good references that addressed that issue in some detail, perhaps a little notably more than others, is a book in Arabic by Dr. Shalini, from the Academy of research in the famous University. It’s called Basha in the word Fatima.
And he was kind enough to give me as a president a copy of his book while visiting with him
recently, so he touches on that issue, when it shows that really, this kind of afflictions are not scholastically speaking, and then they’re not justified, right. But I understand that this book, unfortunately, is not available in English at the present time, perhaps, for the benefit of those who don’t have a good command of the Arabic, we could have you just give us a summary of of these replies to some of the objections that we just discussed. Sure, I’d be glad to. First of all, let me deal first with the question,
the witness who witnessed or narrated the story. Now, the fact that he says that the there was only a child was a little over two years when I read that story.
It’s not really a good objection, because we know from our own experience, you and I are both parents and lots of parents who know that they could be quite possible when you have children about the age of two or little over, who are sharp enough, talkative enough, and are able to describe such an event and the event was sent to white, two men in white clothes, canes, they put me on the ground, they split my chest, they did this. I mean, it’s a description of something that any child can can give description. And according to historians, like if Nicosia and New Jersey, they say that, aside from the fact even that any child at that age can vividly describe what happened.
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was reported that as soon as he reached even the age of two, he was really
relatively early maturity, he was a good sized
child, so he could communicate very easily. But does that mean even that prophet Muhammad peace be upon him as a small child was the only person who noted What happened to him? The answer to that is known, because in various historical reports, it says that other children were playing with him, especially his brother from Sakhalin, the son of Halima, they also saw it. And as one scholar say that if you look at the children raised in the desert, they are more trustworthy or more upright or more in terms of their natural intelligence and observation. They’re really quite vague in describing what they saw. So they also reported that but more importantly, there’s another
type of witness because the story is narrated historically, also,
on the flank of Halima, and others. And Halina herself said at least that her son came to her and said, watch some Hamlet, Mr. Deacon, somebody opened his chest and so on. And she heard back and she reported that she saw the face of the Prophet face of 100 was pain.
And this is a witness of war.
She and her husband actually, they went and wanted the change in the profit.
On the other hand, what is even more relevant and important, which has been overlooked by Dr. Hagen, and others who followed the same path is that the very same story of splitting the chest and cleaning the heart, we’ve come to the symbolism or meaning of that letter. It happened more than once in the lifetime of the Prophet. So it happened first in the age of a little over two.
According to narrations, and ignition, and hacking and others. It happened also when the Prophet was a little over 10 years old while playing in the desert as a young boy. And he described that he says, I heard some talk on top of my head, somebody speaking from above. And then all of a sudden, I saw two persons
whose faces I’ve never seen the like, who had clothing on them, the like of which I have never seen before. And they said they, one of them said,
Is he the one he said, yes, that I said yesterday, came and walked towards him. Each one of them helped him from the arm, but he said, I didn’t feel the touch of the whole thing. And then one of them said to the other, lay him down on the ground. So he made me without
her without time, very easy, simple. And then he said, split his his chest, so he opened up my chest, without any blood without any pain. And then he said that one or the other, take away, grudge jealousy from his heart. So he took something like a small thing, and he threw it away. And then he said to him, put mercy and compassion that’s in his heart. So he said, he puts something that looks to me, as opposed to him like silver.
And then he said, he just touched my toe. And he said, Now you can go and be safe and protected.
Another incident happened with the Prophet one adult while he was half asleep near the cabin that is narrated in the most pathetic references about Hades, in both Bukhari and Muslim. It happened also in his house, the night of Mirage, or the journey and night, essentially, my genuine assumption in which debris attention to Gabrielle himself actually washed his heart. And he said he poured this wisdom and faith. Well, we can conclude from this that the idea or claim that the whole story is simply based on one incident, narrated by a child was a little over two years old, is not really justifiable, is a lot more to it than what he claimed. Yes. I’ve dealt dealt quite effectively with
the issue of witnesses. What about the the question or the objections that are raised as to the authenticity of the other report? Well, to begin with, I think we have to remember that
as we mentioned before, one cannot simply make a general criticism and say, oh, but that surely must be an authentic because there are criteria there are certain guidelines to judge whether the historical report really is strong and authenticity or not. And as far as that goes, this isn’t by Hegel and others it is not justified by others.
First of all, the reports was not only mentioned the one difference, we find differences to that in Bukhari, and Muslim in other books of hobbies like tirmidhi and certainly a dairyman, and hacking, in addition to other books, the most authentic references on the biography of the Prophet peace be up and him like evolution, we find it also in me Cassia and Edna Josie, we find it in Altai, happy in our de asuci and shiny.
So highly, all of these references have narrated the story in one form or the other, and the story is not in conflict, actually, the narration in all of those references seem to be confirming to confirm each other.
That’s why dr shall be mentioned before refers to a specialist in the sciences of hobbies that the sciences of verification of generated what and how do we know that Dr. Mohammed Abu Bakr in his book is yet another way of sooner that’s again, unfortunately still in Arabic, in which
Dr. Abu Shaka is a specialist in that field. Say that the claim that the story is weak and authenticity is a source of loose genuine
critique. And it is a critique of
A report that has been already verified and judged as authentic by people who are specialists in the field.
People who are known to have expertise in the science of criticism and evaluation of the text and duration of the various reports. And then he said that if a person wants to criticize them, if you wanted to show that they were wrong, it is not enough to say, Well, I think that this story is rather weak, he would have to assure the technical reasons as they did. They had technical reasons to judge the report as authentic. So he had to negate on technical grounds, the authenticity of the report, he has to show for example, in what sense, the narrator should not be trusted or the authenticity should be invalid. In fact, he goes on and I’m not going into greater detail issues of
technicalities, but in the same book by Dr. Abu Shaka, especially on pages 209 and 2010. He discusses also some particular issues to show that those critiques are people who are rather weak in the sciences have had these essences of reports and narration and verification of the course. So one would not accept the criticism really, as a scholarly criticism, there have been no reason on a scholastic basis to reject the authenticity. So the authenticity is there, the witness is much more than a witness.
But of course, if we come to the fact that it is unusual, one that applies to all profits, it just like somebody who says, No, I don’t wish to believe that Jesus peace be upon him to the blind, or the lepers or brought the dead to life by the permission of God, because it doesn’t sound reasonable, it violates the science and laws of nature. This report has been consistent. If it’s proven to be authentic, then there’s no reason to reject it on that basis, alone.
But if you’ve dealt quite effectively with provided ample reasons about the authenticity of the report, however, I think a lot of the question, and I’m sure a question is probably in the minds of many of our viewers, particularly those who are not Muslim, but they relate to the question of significance of the report. And I think the chest is spreading the chest, I’m sure this must have a lot of people comment on the story essentially deals with an issue of purification.
But as Dr. shalabi also explained, this is a special kind of purification. Because, as humans, purification, in the physical sense is known to us washing and cleaning, we know that in the physical sense. And as humans also, symbolically, purification is also known to us, it doesn’t require a particular splitting of the chest. Because as long as me and Alberta say that, if even
can be taken away by an operation to clean the heart is
no problem at all, you can just make operation secret, especially especially
easy to get the evil out of the most evil person just through a simple operation. And if they were recovered, we have the means to do. But the question here really is that
it’s quite possible, of course, we can say that God could have purified the heart and soul of Prophet Muhammad peace, weapon and any other prophet for that matter, without any act that sounded or look to people as a physical act of purification. But he continues to say that the prophets are not like us. Yes, they are human beings, they are living on Earth, but they constant close contact and connection with God with their kids. They grow up they are brought up under his supervision under his special probation. And that reminded me actually with one verse in the Quran defending the Prophet Moses,
especially in Surah, number 20, verses 39 and 40. See, when it was not God telling Moosa or Moses that you may be created, under my eyes or under my supervision, if it was fanatically Nestle, I need you for my service. So prophets are prepared from the moment of their birth for the particular role that they’re going to play. Now, the, it is quite possible again, like I said that the incident to show the physical form in front of people or that act of symbolically, if you want to call it purification,
is very significant, because it might be like assigned to people in the look, that child will be different. Anticipate something that’s going to happen in the future that gets repeated. So that’s when the Prophet comes at the age of 40, for example, and say, God sent me God, God, that to me, at least there will be some background issue science. Yes, that seemed to lead to accepting
His credential as a prophet, Amanda Sookie in his book called an 11 letter, Nia, he says that even though the characters disappear from him, was pure, inward, yes. But people had no human beings had no access to find out, that inner purity of the heart and soul of the public just can’t see it, you can’t,
you know, detect it. And that’s aside from his character, but the inner purity is not as clear
as otherwise the case would be. So he says that this story as if God wanted people to see even in a more visible way, how the profit is clean, inside and outside. And as
he puts it in a nice way, also, it seems as if it is a sort of indication that his heart now will not be influenced by the waves, even now, we can be ready and tune in for the waves of goodness in preparation for carrying the revelation in the message of God to make
sure there are probably some cynics who might raise the question that, based on some remarks, this was not the first time that purification took place. There were other instances that you talked about earlier. How come Why was repeated wasn’t the first process enough?
Yes, right. No, it’s perfect. Question. That’s what these programs are intended to deal with. You see, the, the repetition of that symbolic and physical also has a symbolic meaning. But of course, it has physical manifestation that people do the soul of that purification, as Dr shall indicate, took place at certain times with this kind of purification needs to be emphasized, or purity. For example, it happened in the infancy that’s about the age of two. And then it happened again, in boyhood, about the age of 10. For example, another time when it happened was before the my journey of ascension to heaven. But again, to meet with God, to receive revelation directly from him in some
form,
is an ominous
kind of meeting just like when you could find yourself before meeting him. So it sounded also like something which is more fitting for those incidents. On the other hand, it is not it is not it also that every time this happened, there is something a little different about what is taken from the heart and what’s put into the heart. That refers to more qualities.
Taking away bad qualities and good qualities put into that, for example, in the first incidence,
you know, they simply
didn’t say first what they took, obviously, as if you took something out, presumably the share of Satan, for example, that Satan would have no influence.
The second time it happened when he was a young boy.
The engine was stealing the other take away grudge, and jealousy or envy, envy in the bad sense, negative sense and put
mercy, compassion
before His ascension to heaven, to be able to bear
receiving the revelation and command of God, beyond even what he could proceed
as merited and Muslim. It says fill his heart with wisdom and faith. Look at this wisdom and faith very decently for the night Ascension journey.
Another interesting remark that Dr. Salah generates from Dr. Moody who used to be the rector of Azhar. And he said that when people refer to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Sometimes they refer to a verse in Surah 18, verse 110, the last verses
in that verse, the first part says,
another shalom is local say, oh, Mohammed, I am a human immortal, like you. But he says, some people stop at that and don’t read the second half, which says, you have a God reveals to me. And he said that some people seem to go to one extreme or the other. Some people take the second half of the verse, you have a Godly wisdom. And they try to over glorifying the prophet to the point of almost presenting him as something different than human, something in between humanity and divinity, which is absolutely wrong. And usually this is not a trend at all in Muslim.
But he says there are those also who read the first part of the Sora that the Prophet is a human and most of them stop at that. Well, why not combine both of them? And this is the difficulty that Dr. Shelby noted with orientalist. They want to deal with
Great, yes is a human, but they want to tell you anything that relates to mystery, anything that relates to American, anything that relates to an act of honoring the profits on the part of God through this process like purification. So enter tality I think the repetition is quite meaningful in a number of ways as she tried to explain
fascinating, interesting discussion of the period. The cycling
program asked you if there are enough time to develop a following but are there other major events in the life of Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him after he was returned to this mother? Okay. Some scholars actually historians believe that when he was returned a little over two years and half history he went and spent quite a bit of time once in a while intimately with Halima is his nursing mother. But it is said that he was returned finally, at the age of about five years old to his mother.
One year later, another tragedy happened in the life of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. His mother took him to visit her relatives in a job in yet which is now Medina, in Arabia, taking with her have servants, a woman by the name of payment or the mother of a man. Some historian said that one purpose also was to take him to visit the grave of his father who died as we said before, on his check.
Some of the earlier the historians think that this trip or visit was not just a few days, it was at least a month, or perhaps even a few months. On the way back.
Amina the mother of Prophet Muhammad died in a place called of work between Mecca and Medina, but closer to to Medina. And the Prophet Muhammad returned back with the servant of his mother. Amen. Crying, course, very grim, as more fathers now as his father died when he was in the womb of his mother, and now his mother died when he’s only six years old. As soon as he came back, his grandfather
took custody of him
who would have to develop this point perhaps a bit further in our program mission various the program, Jamal will thank you all for being our guest today and watching the program and invite you back next week we will continue our discussion of the life of Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon
