Be unto you. Welcome to another episode of Islam and focus. I’m your host Hamad Rashid. Today we have our 39th program in our series dealing with Muhammad, the last messenger of Allah. Today was our second segment or a second program, commenting on Mohammed, his youth are very pleased to have joining me as the guest on today’s program as usual. Dr. Jamal Badawi of St. Mary’s University brother Jamal assalamu aleikum wa alaykum, Sam, we always take a few minutes at the top of the program to summarize and highlight the main points in the previous week’s program. Could I ask you to very quickly to summarize last week’s program, certainly we began to deal with the life of
Muhammad peace be upon him as a youth.
We examined his involvement in trade on a very small scale. We also mentioned his travel with his uncle at the age of 12, or 13, to Syria on a trade caravan. But the most important part really is to describe some of the things that happened when he was seen by a Christian monk in the city of Basra. That’s in Syria. And that after he talked with the prophet and saw him, he recognized from his description that this was the long awaited prophet. And of course, he want his uncle to look after him.
We also examined his behavior as a youth, indicating that first of all, he never participated in any of the idol worship or other religious rites of the pagan people. Among his his own, he refused to eat the meat which was dedicated to to the items. In addition to that, he did not indulge in what young people in that age indulge in his moral integrity and chestatee was obviously beyond any question. And we ended last time by indicating that there were only even two occasions when he just thought even of going to a party with us. In both cases, which were successive nights. He slept on the way and woke up only with the sunrise in the morning for this sunshine, which means that there
was some intervention really to keep him away from even any possibility of indulging, like, do you
think a lot of people might be curious to know what if any lessons might be learned from the start? When the obvious thing about it is that it’s a strange how, in both successive nights when he thought, he has to go and attend the party, that he fell asleep on the way and just wake up the next morning, that shows that it was not really by chance that there was intervention, and he himself said that God actually kept him away from it. And this is very important not only to commit him from sins, but to come out to protect them from committing sins, but to protect him even from participating in any activity, like the use parties of his time, which might have possibly suspected
to lead the sin or encourage it.
I know that many of the so called parties might appear to be innocent on the surface. But we all know from our human experience that it is through these parties that people are introduced for the first time to smoking, drinking, or maybe other worse, Stevens, even younger ones.
I must say also that the neck or abstention, voluntary abstention of the Prophet from participating in this activity, while being still fully youth was not because he was abnormal, not because he was lacking in the normal instinct that the US had in this age. Because if he wish, then he would not qualify to speak with authority about sexual morality. And this is abnormal, people would not even listen to what he says because he’s abnormal. He was fully normal, like any other us, but it was this voluntary control and abstention and they help the divine help after all, to keep the pure.
It must be possibly an indication of the preparation or his preparation to play his role as a prophet and a messenger so that his behavior becomes the embodiment of of what he teaches in terms of uprightness, and chastity and the reputation. In fact, this he echoed this when, in one of his sayings, he says that among the seven categories of people who will get most of the mercy of God or have put the under the shadow of protection of God in the Day of Judgment, he says, a young man or woman, a youth who started his or her life in obedience to God to give this purity. I must add one more point is that
I believe that this example or lesson is not only relevant in general for his position, and preparation as a prophet. I believe that the story or the incident seemed to have some relevance.
About or to the upbringing of youth in general. And more particularly even the upbringing of youth in societies, which are not a majority Muslims, like in the Western societies, for example, white Muslims reside. That’s a very interesting point. I’d like to pick up on that, perhaps and have you comment a little bit more in detail as to how you believe that and so could you perhaps explain, sure. To begin with the profits in in the Muslim belief, whether its Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, or Jesus, or Moses or any others are believed to be pure. They are humans, but they are pure as humans, they are immune from committing sins, but they are not immune as human beings from at least
feeling that desire like everybody else feel towards their basic needs, especially in the age of adolescence, which is normally
and if even the prophets are not immune from at least feeling or desiring things, as you can tell from that story. It follows from that, that the youth, whether they are Muslim or otherwise,
who are not also immune are definitely under severe psychological pressures, to satisfy the human needs, you know, but they do not, on the other hand, possess this protection that God has given especially to his profits being the example for mankind. And as such, I believe that parents who wish to help their
adult or elder children, the youth, to remain chaste and forthright, they should do that with the spirit of understanding with the spirit of love, trying to inculcate in their hearts, not just do’s and don’ts as a taboo, but to inculcate in their hearts, the love of God, and that the self policing that they do to please get them to live a righteous life. Parents have the responsibility also to listen to the complaints, the problems of their youth, they should be patient to listen to their suffering, or difficulties, develop good communication with them, to encourage them to be frank with them.
This is very important, in order to help us go through this very critical stage in their lives, which might determine their attitudes for a long time to come.
This also, I believe, means that parents have the responsibility to try and purify the environment at home
and around them from unnecessary, you know, temptations and pressures which might lead to evil such as you know, drinking, drug abuse, sexual license, and so on. I know that this is a very difficult thing. It’s an uphill struggle, especially in the West, where the atmosphere does not only accepted or tolerated, sometimes even condone it, I would say in some cases even encourage it. In some cases, we find even religious leaders who are supposed to guide people are more or less falling into this or concerning in some cases. But there are a number of things I believe, since you asked about more concrete suggestions. There are a number of humble suggestions I came up with, from my humble
experience traveling and talking with people in Muslim communities in the West in particular,
is that first of all, the parents should give a good example, at home, in terms of their Islamic city, their behaviors, that obedience to Allah, keeping away from the evens, or other things that has been forbidden.
It is obvious that a parent cannot tell his child, keep your regular prayers if he’s not praying, he cannot tell him, No, don’t take drugs and he’s drinking alcohol at home. He cannot tell his child you know, follow the good characters of a Muslim while the parents are not demonstrating what they are talking about. Secondly, it would be useful also to try even though it’s a difficult job, to try to cleanse the household from morally producing elements in decent magazines and in decent TV shows or radio programs and so on, just to benefit from these four things. Because again, you can’t tell a child be chaste if the parent themselves are watching all kinds of soap opera out other
type of indecent shows from the standard perspective.
A third element perhaps is that the Muslim community should try to establish good and close social relationship among themselves, not just on the basis of nationalistic or ethnic lines but on the basis of Islamic city and cooperating to live an Islamic life. This way, the children would be able to find
a positive peer pressure peer pressure for good rather than peer pressure for evil would be very useful.
They try to live in homes that are reasonably close so that the children can find others to play with facilitating communication among themselves. And perhaps it would be very useful if this homes centered around the mosque. Just like in the days of the Prophet and the traditional Muslim city, the mosque is the center of the try to buy homes or move close or rent nearby attempts a great deal. Firstly, I believe also the Muslim communities in different areas in the Western countries have a special responsibility to develop their unity, given the fact that they come from a variety of ethnic and national backgrounds,
that they should go above all of those ethnic distinctions to cooperate together as men and women.
Immigrants or people who are residents of the country are born here to provide an atmosphere which is conducive enough for their own lives as Muslims and the upbringing of their children, not on the argument of who knows best about Islam and which culture should predominate. It’s not domination of culture, it should be really domination of their way of life as Muslims Above all, and perhaps the most important thing that could be done on a community level is the full time Islamic schools. Yes, this has been spreading, and they must be in North America, for example, today, something like 30, full time Islamic schools. Obviously, this could be a much better atmosphere for raising the
children, if they are really on through Islamic lines. And that could provide a solution for lots of that suffering and pressures on the youth fifthly. Muslims in any particular country, they should also as a unit, like Muslims in America, for example, or other countries, as a nation should try to coordinate their activities together,
come up with some programs that might be useful across the board in different cities in different places. All of these, I believe, are very useful and very conducive, by way of concrete application of that episode, in the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. One more thing I might add here, according to Dr. Survey, also, he said that we can learn another lesson from these incidents where the Prophet about to go to these parties. And that is to say that if a young person is raised without blemish, about his character, or her character, of course, that would be quite conducive, if they are really active in communicating the Word of God to others, it’s much more effective than
when they have
fallen into that, of course, repentance is there and the production is there. But of course, if there’s some sort of purity, it helps a great deal in an effective role in that respect as a role models for the other youth a very interesting perspective. So brother Jamal, that’s why I asked you if there are any other significant events in the life of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them as a youth, which are worth noting or commenting on at this point, when in addition to you know, the shepherding that you talked about the limits skilled trade, there was one incident that of course, when should also expose because it happened and he participated in that. It is known as how to bid
fish out
in English would be something like sacrilegious word. Yes. And the reason it was called the sacrilegious word is that it took place in one of the sacred months, where even before Islam, the Arabs knew that this was second month that you should not, you know, fight in those months.
The war broke according to admission because of some kind of dispute that has risen, that one man killed another from another tribe.
For example, the person from Ghana and he killed the man from Howards End from Nigeria, and Arabia. And then after he killed him, he took refuge in the fortress of highbush.
Now, that is a usual desert pattern here is that the family of the murdered person would come to demand retribution.
But instead of, you know, settlement in terms of ransom or something of that nature, the war broke between both parties. Now, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was involved in that because both kwinana and kurush the tribal the Prophet, were in conflict against pace another tribe.
Historian say that this fighting or this war, while it continued, they say between three to four years, the actual days of fighting were fine.
Supposedly that says, the clan of Hashem the clan of the Prophet was involved, of course, and the head of the clan at that time, was as the bear who was one of the unconscious
of the Prophet.
Now he took Prophet Mohammed with him who was an boy and was come to the age, and both as severe as well as the other uncle, the guardian of the Prophet at that time,
so that Muhammad was too young, really to fight.
So they allowed him just to help them by collecting the enemy arrows, which missed their mark. And just to give it back to to his ankles.
However, according to some reports, also it is said that in one of the battles were kurush, and its allies were really in great danger. They allowed him to participate as a bowl man, and they later on, praised his courage and valor in defending his people.
While the age of the Prophet at that time is a matter of difference, some put it at 10, some at 20, the most authentic, perhaps the evolution, the most famous, an ancient work, put his age at between 14 to 15. I believe that this is the more accurate because the reports or the reports actually said that he was too young to be allowed to fight. So 20 is big enough to find is that he was still a teenager, a young teenager. The The interesting thing, brother habit about this fight, is that one time they kept fighting, and then they agreed that we would assume the fight next year, and they determined that place. So next year, we’ll need to continue fighting in the discord because
and then the next year, they came in the face as promised. But just before they started fighting game, one of the elderly said, Why don’t we make some kind of, you know, solution to that problem. And we pay a ransom for those who work and the idea was accepted, and the war ended. So you know, these people were strange, they quit. And the second month, especially after this, they could meet and talk to each other and eat with each other, so long as the sacraments are there, but they often start.
But in any case, this was accentuated the feeling that was among some Arabs at that time, that perhaps you need some sort of law, rather than depending on this law of the desert, where every clan take the law. And it said that there should be some system of justice that might help resolve the conflicts like that. And this kind of feeling actually increased much more because of another incident that took place, which gave rise to some sort of pact to deal with those in justices could have been perhaps a common event on describe this other incident that you refer to, could you give us some background and perhaps the the main provisions of the the pack that I could read? Well, it
says that one man who was visiting Mecca, from Yemen, in southern Arabia, he came and he sold some valuable items to a notable man from Mecca by the name of Allah employed in a semi from the clan of Sam.
But this man, the color shape, man,
kept delaying and dragging his heels in paying back the price of those items. Until that Yemenite, podium and eighth fiddle, you know, just to give up, he discovered that he could get his rights from that man just get delayed.
So he went the Yemenite merchant and stood on the slopes of Coinbase. And he started to show it and making a very eloquent appeal to the clan of the Prophet, that they should be justice done to him.
That appeal was quite effective, because it resulted in a number of clans meeting together, especially those clans, we did not have any alliance with the family of that man who did not take him. So they met together. And they
got we’re gathered on the invitation of Azerbaijan, if not democratic, who was one of the again uncles of the Prophet, but they met in another house.
A man by the name of Abdullah ignition iron had a bigger house. So they all met in his house, after they had passed, took a meal. Together, they sat down to discuss you know, what happened and what can be done, to protect the weak and to further justice.
And then finally, they agreed
to sort of nice, this kind of
need for justice by going to the Kaaba and symbolically what they did. They poured some water over the Sacred Stone, the black stone, which is a relic from the days of Abraham possibly before and let the water flow into receptacle, receptacle. And then all of them drank from that waters, symbolically, and they vowed that any act of
oppression is which is committed in Mecca, that they would have to stand together on the side of the weak and vulnerable and oppressed, to do justice to return justice to the noble thing about that back to that same regardless as to whether the oppressed person is from that area or a foreigner, it doesn’t matter, any of this person must be helped. That was really nice. After the mid this, you know, solemnisation effects impact of Cheverly might say, they went to us, the man who did not pay the Yemeni federal, and they forced him, you know, to pay back to the man the price of his goods.
This
was quite helped and facilitated, because the man was not able to was facilitated because other clans, even those who did not participate in that pact did not step into support. This, you know, man, alas, so they, you know, stood by, so he was forced actually to to pay back the price. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him to relive now the event in his life was a party to that pact.
And then the basis of invitation of his uncle, who led that meeting, and he himself even after Islam, after Islam, Prophet Muhammad praised this pact, a great deal, actually, it was reported that he said, I was present in the house of Abdullah administered iron
at so excellent effect, that I would not exchange my part in it for a herd of read comments, read comments were the most valuable thing available. And he says, If now in Islam, I were summoned unto it. I would respond. Yes. So he phrased it as a good act of justice.
Are there any other instances that were aware of where or other occasions in which the this pact was invoked? Yes, some historians also refer For example, to another incident when a man from a tribe called Hassan,
he came to Mecca. And with him, he had his daughter, his daughter happened to be a very beautiful girl. So one man by the name of Nadia hipness, had judge took his daughter from him by force, the man started to seek help in who would help me in that. So people advised him said, All right, this just go and call on or invoke this fact of not had helped before the fact of surely. So he went that the Kaaba, the holy place, and he started to share with you know, all people are all men of the tact of surely are fools come, they all went with him with their swords, just to see, you know, if he needs any help, all came, like when
they asked him, what’s the story, he told them, they went to that man that he and they forced him to release the daughter. So that was another incident that showed this, it seems to be to have worked as at least set up a justice system for the third time.
Is there any significance to the fact that the that the Prophet prays this treaty, even though it was concluded in the pre Islamic days, when to me, it seems to indicate, first of all, that the pre Islamic herbs, in spite of their shortcomings were not all that bad, some people tried to put them in much more negative picture that they were, of course, they would agree worship, and they did, they have more or licensed and drink drank a lot. But it seems also as indicated in one of the earlier programs, that they possessed also some good quality, like the cheerilee, that was reflected in this kind of effect. They had the notion as indicated earlier of helping the weak, oppressed and
vulnerable, even though he may not necessarily be of the residents of Medina, strangers. And I believe that this in itself is a praiseworthy thing. It shows the pure innate nature when it’s in operation in the open atmosphere of the desert. Now, when those people became Muslims,
the same innate, good qualities in them was also reflected in leather lives. Yes.
Courage, fortitude,
resistance of oppression and trying to restore justice and so on. Were very important and crucial in their heavy involvement later on, to do these things as Muslims, removing injustice from Arabia and even removing injustice outside of Arabia when there was this, you know, aggressive intervention from the two tyrannical super power at that time, the Christian and Byzantine Empire’s they were very courageous, and that seems to be a much more valid, analytical approach to explain the speed with which Islam spread and conquered, quote, unquote, this delicate super powers than to say that like so many lightning writers say that this was because of economic reasons.
or because of this or that or fanaticism has nothing to do with this actually this good quality of resistance of oppression that seemed to have equality before Islam, but it worked much better and was channeled in the right direction after they became Muslim.
But I believe also that there is another significance of that pact, yes. Which might even apply to our day, our times it may apply even to Muslims living as minority in many countries in the world today.
As indicated earlier, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said it clearly. He said that if I am invited, even in Islam, to effect like it or to the implication of that fact, I would be willing to receive on
that suggest as Dr. Raja, could this indicate that a Muslim should not be negative in his attitude.
A Muslim should be willing to cooperate with non Muslims in any activity, which is not contrary to Islam. In some cases, it could actually could be even furtherance of the Islamic ideas such as resistance, of oppression, oppression, doing good to society achieving peace, and all of these that are not contradictory. So a Muslim should not say isolate myself because the society is not Muslim majority are not Muslim. In my humble understanding, as indicated earlier, this is very organically connected with the lives of Muslims in Western society, or as a minority in general.
They, there’s nothing wrong that Muslim residents or Muslim citizens in these countries will come from standard background should live with other people, other citizens in the country.
They should be participating, if need be, in demanding certain pieces of legislation or regulation that might curb such evils and societies as pornography indecency and papers or TV programs violence on TV. Violence in stories are very practical issues we hear about the idea of free abortion and all of these all forms of oppression or discrimination on a variety of grounds. There’s nothing wrong at all, yet actually a Muslim would would be fully following the example of the Prophet by participating in this activities which are consistent with his his belief. So this achievement of mutual understanding between followers of different religions, especially in a pluralistic society,
I think it’s something that’s healthy and one should really examine it quite carefully and achieve the good for the maximum number of people. I think that’s addition from my, in my humble understanding, indeed, well, we’ll conclude our program on that note for today by the Jamal. I want to thank you all for watching the program and invite you back next week and we’ll continue our series dealing with Mohammed the last messenger of Islam Assalamu alaikum, peace be unto you
