Seerah

Surah Al-Fath describes the treaty as a manifest victory. It opened the way for the spread of Islam through peace.

About three hundred and sixty idols were removed from around the Kaaba. The sanctuary was restored to the worship of one God.

Surah Al-Anbiya describes the Prophet as a mercy to all the worlds. The description is universal in scope.

The boycott confined Banu Hashim to a valley for about three years. It caused severe hardship before being lifted.

Abu Talib became the Prophet’s guardian and protector. He continued to shield him during the early years of prophethood.

Abdullah bin Ubayy led the hypocrites of Madinah. Surah Al-Munafiqun addresses their conduct.

The Madinan state operated through consultation and written compacts. Rights and duties were defined for all communities.

The Prophet and his companions travelled to perform Umrah. The Quraysh prevented them from entering Makkah.

The Quran calls Badr the Day of Criterion, distinguishing truth from falsehood. Surah Al-Anfal addresses the battle and its aftermath.

Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib, was the Prophet’s father. He died before the Prophet’s birth.

Hazrat Khadija was the Prophet’s first wife and remained his only wife during her lifetime. She supported him from the outset of his mission.

Companions were instructed to treat captives well and share food with them. Several were released without ransom.

The Farewell Pilgrimage occurred in the tenth year after the migration. It was the only Hajj the Prophet performed.

His conduct in trade earned him the titles Al-Ameen and As-Sadiq. This reputation preceded his prophethood.

The archers stationed on the hill left their post believing the battle won. This allowed a cavalry counterattack that reversed the situation.

The adhan was instituted in Madinah following consultation among the companions. Abdullah bin Zaid reported a dream concerning its wording.

Hazrat Aisha narrated a large body of hadith and was a leading scholar. Many rulings concerning family life derive from her narrations.

Estimates place the number of pilgrims at over one hundred thousand. It was the largest gathering of the Prophet’s lifetime.

The monk Bahira met the caravan at Busra and recognised the signs described in earlier scriptures. He advised Abu Talib to protect the boy.

Abdullah died during a trading journey before the Prophet was born. The Prophet was therefore born an orphan.

The Charter of Madinah regulated relations among the city’s communities. It is regarded as an early written constitution.

Bilal bin Rabah endured severe torture and was purchased and freed by Abu Bakr. He later became the first muezzin of Islam.

Hunayn followed soon after Makkah’s conquest in the eighth year. It was fought against the Hawazin and Thaqif tribes.

Isra refers to the night journey to Jerusalem and Miraj to the ascension. The event is mentioned in Surah Al-Isra and Surah An-Najm.

Uthman married Ruqayyah and, after her death, Umm Kulthum. The title Dhun-Nurayn means possessor of two lights.

Khandaq means trench, referring to the defensive ditch dug around Madinah. It is also called the Battle of Ahzab.

Literate prisoners could secure release by teaching Muslim children literacy. The measure reflects the emphasis placed on education.

The expedition to Khaybar was directed against its fortified settlements. It took place in the seventh year after the Hijrah.

These three Jewish tribes lived in and around Madinah. Each was party to the Charter of Madinah.

Ahl-ul-Bayt refers to the Prophet’s household. The Quran addresses them in Surah Al-Ahzab.

The Prophet passed away in the eleventh year after the Hijrah, corresponding to 632 CE. He was about sixty-three years of age.

Musab bin Umair was sent to teach Islam in Yathrib. His efforts contributed greatly to the spread of Islam there.

The Persian ruler Khosrow Parviz tore the letter in anger. The Persian empire was subsequently weakened and conquered.

Masjid Quba was built on the outskirts of Madinah during the Prophet’s brief stay there. It is described as the first mosque founded on piety.

The peace secured at Hudaybiyyah allowed the Prophet to send letters to foreign rulers. Recipients included Heraclius and Khosrow.

Surah Al-Qalam describes the Prophet as being upon an exalted standard of character. Hazrat Aisha described his character as the Quran itself.

The Quraysh fielded around one thousand men at Badr. Despite the disparity the Muslims prevailed.

The Prophet married Khadija at about twenty-five years of age. She was a respected merchant of Makkah.

The Prophet instructed that Abu Bakr lead the prayers. Companions later cited this in discussions of succession.

The Prophet belonged to Banu Hashim, a respected clan of the Quraysh. His grandfather Abdul Muttalib was its leader.

The sermon abolished pre-Islamic usury and blood feuds. It also affirmed the sanctity of life, property and honour.

The general amnesty at Makkah is regarded as a defining example of forgiveness. Former enemies were pardoned.

Bait-ul-Mal was the public treasury for revenues and their distribution. It was developed further under the caliphs.

The Battle of the Trench took place in the fifth year after the Hijrah. The siege ended without a general engagement.

Mutah was fought against Byzantine and allied Arab forces in Syria. It occurred in the eighth year after the Hijrah.

The sermon rejected distinctions of race and lineage. It affirmed that superiority rests on piety alone.

The expedition of Abwa, also called Waddan, is generally identified as the first the Prophet led personally. It took place in the second year after the Hijrah.

The mosque functioned as the hub of the Madinan community. Decisions, teaching and reception of delegations took place there.

Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt, responded with gifts though he did not accept Islam. Maria the Copt was among those sent.

Khalid bin Walid led the cavalry attack from behind the hill at Uhud. He later accepted Islam and became a celebrated Muslim commander.

The Farewell Sermon was delivered in the plain of Arafat. It was addressed to a large assembly of pilgrims.

Muakhat was the formal pairing of migrants with helpers. It provided social and economic support to the newcomers.

The Prophet passed away in the apartment of Hazrat Aisha. He was buried at that same place.

Hilf-ul-Fudul was a pact to assist the wronged in Makkah. The Prophet later said he would still honour such a pact in Islam.

Hamza is called Asadullah, the Lion of Allah, and Sayyid-ush-Shuhada, the Chief of Martyrs. He was martyred at the Battle of Uhud.

Uthman contributed substantially to equipping the army of Tabuk. His generosity was praised by the Prophet.

Men of Yathrib pledged allegiance to the Prophet at Aqabah. The city was later renamed Madinah.

The Tabuk expedition occurred in the ninth year after the Hijrah. It was undertaken in severe heat and hardship.

Bilal was of Abyssinian origin and was enslaved in Makkah. He became the first muezzin of Islam.

Abu Bakr was the first adult free man to accept Islam. Ali was the first among children and Zaid among freed slaves.

The doctrine holds that prophethood concluded with Muhammad. This is derived from Surah Al-Ahzab and numerous hadith.

Suhaib was known as Ar-Rumi due to his upbringing in Byzantine territory. He migrated to Madinah sacrificing his wealth.

About three hundred and thirteen Muslims took part at Badr. They faced a Quraysh force roughly three times larger.

The Prophet declared a general amnesty upon entering Makkah. This is regarded as a defining act of clemency.

The Prophet belonged to the Quraysh, the leading tribe of Makkah. Within it he belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim.

Abu Bakr is called As-Siddiq for immediately affirming the account of the night journey. He was the Prophet’s closest companion.

Abdul Muttalib took charge of the Prophet after Amina’s death. He died about two years later.

The migration to Madinah occurred in 622 CE. It marks the starting point of the Islamic calendar.

Abu Bakr calmed the community by reciting the verse affirming that Muhammad was a messenger who would pass away. His words steadied the Muslims at a critical moment.

A ghazwah is an expedition in which the Prophet took part personally. Expeditions he dispatched without participating are called sariyya.

The Ashara Mubashara are ten companions given glad tidings of paradise during their lifetimes. They include the four caliphs.

Suraqah bin Malik pursued the Prophet for the reward offered by the Quraysh. He later accepted Islam.

Masjid-un-Nabawi was constructed after the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah. It served as mosque, centre of governance and community assembly.

Sumayyah bint Khayyat was the first person martyred for the faith. She was killed under torture in Makkah.

No fighting occurred at Tabuk. The Prophet concluded agreements with local rulers before returning.

The Prophet appointed Usama bin Zaid to lead an expedition toward Syria. Abu Bakr dispatched it after the Prophet’s passing.

Dar-ul-Arqam served as the early meeting place for instruction and prayer. It was located near Mount Safa.

Jafar bin Abi Talib presented the teachings of Islam before the Negus. He also recited verses from Surah Maryam.

This clause was regarded by many companions as disadvantageous. Subsequent events showed it worked to the Muslims’ benefit.

Hazrat Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr. The marriage strengthened ties with his closest companion.

The Farewell Sermon explicitly rejected racial superiority. Piety alone was affirmed as the basis of distinction.

The Aws and Khazraj were the main Arab tribes of Madinah. They had long been in conflict before Islam united them.

They concealed themselves in the cave of Thawr for three nights. The Quraysh search parties failed to find them.

Salman Farsi came from Persia and had searched for the truth before reaching Madinah. He proposed the defensive trench.

Uthman had been sent as an envoy to Makkah and was rumoured killed. The companions pledged to stand firm in response.

The Prophet is buried in Madinah within the precinct of his mosque. The site is visited by pilgrims from around the world.

Ibrahim was born to Maria the Copt in Madinah. He died in infancy.

Jafar is called At-Tayyar, the one who flies, in reference to a report about his reward in paradise. He lost both arms carrying the standard.

The Battle of Badr took place in the second year after the migration. It was the first major armed encounter between the Muslims and the Quraysh.

The Prophet was called Al-Ameen, the Trustworthy, for his honesty. He was also known as As-Sadiq, the Truthful.

The Prophet regularly consulted his companions on matters of policy and war. This established consultation as a governing principle.

Aam-ul-Fil, the Year of the Elephant, refers to Abraha’s failed attack on the Kaaba. The Prophet was born in that year.

Hazrat Fatima married Ali bin Abi Talib. Their sons Hasan and Husayn were the Prophet’s grandsons.

The Farewell Sermon declared these sacred and inviolable. The principle underlies Islamic criminal and civil law.

A group of Muslims migrated to Abyssinia to escape persecution. The Christian ruler Negus granted them protection.

The Muhajirun are those who migrated for the sake of faith. The Quran praises both them and the Ansar.

Umrat-ul-Qada was the compensatory Umrah performed in the seventh year. It fulfilled the terms of the treaty.

The Sunnah comprises the Prophet’s sayings, actions and tacit approvals. It is the second source of Islamic law.

Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet on the migration. The Quran refers to him as the second of the two in the cave.

Hasan and Husayn were the sons of Ali and Fatima. The Prophet expressed particular affection for them.

Surah Al-Ahzab describes the Prophet as an excellent pattern of conduct. This is the basis for following his Sunnah.

Bay’at-ul-Ridwan was the pledge of allegiance taken beneath a tree at Hudaybiyyah. The Quran expresses divine pleasure with those who took it.

Ali slept in the Prophet’s bed to mislead those surrounding the house. He remained behind to return entrusted property.

Muadh bin Jabal was sent to Yemen as governor and teacher. His exchange with the Prophet on judgement is cited in discussions of ijtihad.

Halima Sadia of the Banu Sa’d nursed the Prophet in his infancy. It was customary for Makkan children to be raised in the desert.

The Muslims were caught in an ambush and initially fell back. The Quran mentions that their large numbers availed them nothing.

The sermon stressed obligations toward women and those in one’s care. It instructed kind treatment of servants and dependants.

Umar is titled Al-Farooq, the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood. His acceptance of Islam strengthened the Muslims in Makkah.

Reports establish the seeking of knowledge as an obligation upon every Muslim. Education was encouraged from the earliest period.

Numerous reports stress the rights of neighbours. The Prophet said Jibril continued to counsel him regarding neighbours.

Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor, received the Prophet’s letter. He treated the envoy respectfully though he did not accept Islam.

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was concluded in the sixth year after the migration. It established a truce with the Quraysh.

Ashab-us-Suffah lived on a raised platform in the mosque and devoted themselves to learning. Abu Hurairah was among them.

The Ansar, meaning helpers, were the Muslims of Madinah. They shared their homes and wealth with the migrants.

The Muslims agreed to return that year and perform Umrah the following year. This was fulfilled as Umrat-ul-Qada.

The people of Taif rejected the Prophet’s message and drove him out. He was pelted with stones as he departed.

The city was known as Yathrib before the migration. It was renamed Madinat-un-Nabi.

Uthman married Umm Kulthum after the death of her sister Ruqayyah. This gave him the title Dhun-Nurayn.

The Prophet prohibited harming non-combatants including women, children and the elderly. He also forbade destroying crops and places of worship.

The parties agreed to a ten-year truce. It was broken by the Quraysh before that period elapsed.

The Prophet spent about ten years in Madinah after the Hijrah. He had spent thirteen years preaching in Makkah.

Makkah was conquered in the eighth year after the migration. The city was taken with almost no bloodshed.

The Prophet instructed judges to hear both sides before deciding. This principle became foundational in Islamic judicial procedure.

Suhayl bin Amr negotiated on behalf of the Quraysh. He later accepted Islam after the conquest of Makkah.

The Prophet was born in Makkah in approximately 570 CE. This corresponds to the Year of the Elephant.

Ali bin Abi Talib accepted Islam as a child while living in the Prophet’s household. He was about ten years old.

Amina bint Wahb was the Prophet’s mother. She died when he was about six years old.

Abu Jahl, a leading opponent of Islam, was killed at Badr. His death removed a principal adversary of the Muslims.

Dar-un-Nadwa was the assembly house of the Quraysh in Makkah. Major decisions concerning the city were taken there.

The Quran and Sunnah repeatedly stress the care of orphans and the poor. The Prophet himself had been an orphan.

Hajjat-ul-Wida means the Farewell Pilgrimage. The Prophet passed away a few months afterwards.

The Prophet resolved the dispute over placing the Black Stone during the Kaaba’s reconstruction. He had the clans lift it together on a cloth.

The qiblah was changed in the second year after the migration. The mosque where this occurred is called Masjid Qiblatain.

Fasting in Ramadan became obligatory in the second year after the migration. Zakat was also formalised around this period.

The Hijri calendar begins from the year of the migration. It was formally established during the caliphate of Umar.

The Battle of Uhud took place in the third year after the Hijrah. It followed the Quraysh defeat at Badr.

Zaid bin Thabit was a scribe of revelation and led the compilation efforts. He was chosen for his memory and precision.

Salman Farsi proposed the trench, a tactic known in Persia. The Prophet accepted the suggestion.

The Prophet gave the standard to Ali at Khaybar. The principal fortress was taken under his command.

The charter set out mutual obligations of defence and justice among Madinah’s groups. It recognised the Jewish tribes as part of the community with defined rights.

Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah was called Amin-ul-Ummah by the Prophet. He later commanded armies in Syria.

The five daily prayers were made obligatory during the Miraj. This occurred before the migration to Madinah.

Aam-ul-Wufud refers to the year when numerous tribal delegations came to Madinah. Many tribes accepted Islam during this period.

Khadija provided steadfast support and her wealth to the cause. She was the first to believe in the Prophet’s message.

Zaid bin Harithah was freed and adopted by the Prophet before adoption in that form was discontinued. He is named in Surah Al-Ahzab.

The Prophet established a market governed by Islamic commercial principles. Practices such as fraud and hoarding were prohibited.

Governors, judges and collectors were appointed to regions. This reflects an organised administrative system.

Masjid Qiblatain, the mosque of two qiblahs, marks where the direction changed during prayer. It is located in Madinah.

The Tabi’un are those who met the companions but not the Prophet. They form the second generation of Muslims.

The Prophet was taken from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa. From there he ascended through the heavens.

The Prophet stayed with Abu Ayyub al-Ansari until his own quarters were built. His camel had halted at that location.

The Prophet’s wives are called Ummahat-ul-Mumineen, the Mothers of the Believers. The Quran designates them thus in Surah Al-Ahzab.

The Quraysh breached the terms of Hudaybiyyah by supporting an attack on a Muslim ally. This led to the march on Makkah.

Zaid bin Harithah was the first commander at Mutah and was martyred there. He is the only companion mentioned by name in the Quran.

The Tabuk force is called Jaysh-ul-Usrah, the army of hardship. The expedition took place in difficult conditions.

Tahajjud is the voluntary night prayer. Surah Al-Isra addresses the Prophet concerning it.

The Najran delegation was invited to a mutual invocation of divine judgement. They declined and concluded a treaty instead.

A Sahabi is one who met the Prophet as a believer and died upon faith. The following generation is called Tabi’un.

Seerah is the study of the Prophet’s life and conduct. Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham produced early works in this field.

The instruction to Muadh in Yemen specified taking zakat from the wealthy for the poor. This established the redistributive principle.

Bilal bin Rabah was appointed the first muezzin. His call to prayer became a hallmark of the Madinan community.

The command to warn the nearest kin came in Surah Ash-Shu’ara. The Prophet then addressed the Quraysh from Mount Safa.

The charter established coexistence with defined mutual obligations. It regulated relations among Muslims, Jews and others.

Surah Al-Fath was revealed concerning the treaty and its consequences. It affirms the divine pleasure with the pledge of Ridwan.

The Prophet declared that whoever entered Abu Sufyan’s house would be safe. Abu Sufyan had accepted Islam shortly before the entry.

Abu Hurairah narrated more hadith than any other companion. He spent much time in the Prophet’s company at Suffah.

The Prophet worked in trade, including journeys on behalf of Khadija. He had earlier tended sheep.

Khalid bin Walid took command after Zaid, Jafar and Abdullah bin Rawahah were martyred. He withdrew the army safely.

The Prophet called Khalid bin Walid Saifullah, the Sword of Allah. The title followed his leadership at Mutah.

Aam-ul-Huzn, the Year of Sorrow, marked the deaths of the Prophet’s uncle and wife. Both had been principal sources of support.

The allied tribes assembled a force of around ten thousand. The trench prevented them from entering the city.

The Prophet’s descendants continued through Fatima and her sons Hasan and Husayn. She passed away shortly after her father.

The Prophet was about sixty-three years old at his passing. He had spent twenty-three years in prophethood.

The verse was revealed at Arafat during the Farewell Pilgrimage. It affirms the perfection of the faith.

The Negus, known in Arabic as Najashi, protected the Muslim refugees. He refused Quraysh demands to return them.

The Prophet’s final illness lasted roughly two weeks. Abu Bakr led the prayers during this period.

At the second pledge the people of Yathrib undertook to defend the Prophet. This paved the way for the Hijrah.

Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib was martyred at Uhud. He is honoured as Sayyid-ush-Shuhada.

About ten thousand Muslims marched on Makkah. The overwhelming force contributed to the peaceful surrender of the city.

A severe storm and internal discord broke the siege. The confederates withdrew without a decisive battle.