Prophet Mohamed PBUH - Milad-e-Nabi & life

Discussion on R&R from all regions
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Milad-un-Nabi

This week, Muslims around the world commemorate Milad-un-Nabi, literally meaning the “birth of the Prophet.” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was born in Mecca in the year 570 CE and grew up to be a respected merchant, known for his honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. At the age of 40, he received his first revelation from Allah, marking the commencement of his mission as Allah's last and final messenger.

Prophet Muhammad's life established a paradigm which Muslims have looked to over the past 1400 years. While he led the ummah through the interpretation of faith, his leadership also brought about a new ethical outlook – an Islamic social conscience inspired by Allah's revelation. He emphasised the dignity of humankind through care for the poor and marginalised, the importance of justice and equity in building a peaceful society, and he cultivated a pluralist outlook in which human diversity was valued and cherished.
The Prophet faced considerable social and cultural challenges, given the prevailing norms and customs in Arabia. He was able to overcome these through his own example of tolerance, trustworthiness and compassion, and, above all, because of the manifest justice of the message he delivered. Many Muslims came forward to share their material resources, as well as their time and talent, to help the Prophet stabilise and strengthen the institutions of din and dunya – faith and society.

In observing Milad-un-Nabi , it is timely to revisit Mawlana Hazar Imam's reflections on the relevance of the Prophet's life to modern Islamic society:

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 visualise. 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.
– International Seerat Conference, Karachi, Pakistan, 1976.

https://the.ismaili/our-culture/milad-un-nabi

*******
Aga Khan marks Prophet Muhammed birthday

Kampala. Milad un Nabi, which is being celebrated today, marks the birthday of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him). It falls on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal of the Islamic lunar calendar.

This year’s Milad Lecture and celebration was organised by His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili National Council for Uganda and the occasion started with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and renditions of Naats.

In her opening remarks, Vice President Naznin Jaffer of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili National Council for Uganda welcomed the guests and reflected on the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and his emphasis on seeking knowledge. She talked about “how the Qur’an itself acknowledges that people upon whom wisdom has been bestowed are the recipients of abundant good; they are the exalted ones. Hence Islam’s consistent encouragement to Muslim men and women to seek knowledge wherever it is to be found.”

The Keynote Lecture was delivered by Mr Sohail Muhammad Ali, an Ismaili Muslim scholar from Pakistan, who focused on the role on Knowledge in Islam and emphasised that useful knowledge is necessary for the benefit of self-development and for the progress of humanity. The text of the Quran is replete with verses inviting man to use his intellect. He cited examples of 9th and 10th century Muslim societies which excelled in different fields of knowledge and established vibrant centres of learning such as Dar-ul- Ilm, Al - Azhar University and Al - Qarawiyyan. He also noted that Islam teaches peaceful co-existence and respect for diversity as exemplified by the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The Scholar observed that Islam has put significant emphasis on seeking knowledge and on learning and in Islam seeking knowledge is an obligation on both man and woman.

The Chief Guest Prince Kassim Nakibinge the titular head of the Muslim community in the country, applauded the Ismaili community in Uganda for being peace-loving people and praised His Highness the Aga Khan for his outstanding contributions to Education and other activities in Uganda. He also wisely added that “As already enumerated, Islam is peace and we must have peace with one another and spread it. But first we must embrace it ourselves.”

Several representatives from different faith backgrounds and countries were present to mark this year’s celebration of Milad un Nabi and gathered to contemplate on the Prophet’s life and his attributes of living a life permeated with spirituality yet at the same time actively engage in the service to humankind and quest for knowledge.

In line with the abundant teachings of Islam, which stresses on learning and acquiring knowledge the theme this year was the role of Knowledge.
The Guests were also able to see pictorial showcase of Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan University.

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National ... 4-w0cusmz/
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Happy Birthday, Muhammad

The prophet was an outsider. Just like me.


Excerpt:

I was on my way out of Islam when I made my way with the rush of tens of thousands of pilgrims shuffling from the prayer hall southward toward his tomb. I was headed to atheism. Or Catholicism. I was 18 years old and hadn’t decided which way of life would give me the warmth I felt my faith lacked, and the freedom I believed it denied me.

But I showed up in Medina that summer because I thought I’d give Islam one more chance. I hadn’t expected the moment to mean much to me, because Islam didn’t mean much to me. But there I was, facing the resting place of the prophet, overcome with emotion.

I’d memorized Muhammad’s life story in Sunday school, cramming facts, dates, lineages into my head as if I was preparing for an A.P. exam, a good Muslim like my parents wanted me to be. But it had thus far been so much data — cold, abstract and inhuman.

In Medina I realized I actually believed all the stories about him. That he buried the least loved of his fellow Arabs with his own hands. That he put two of his fingers together and promised that he and the orphan would be that close in the life to come. That he so loved the vulnerable that God loved him in turn.

More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/opin ... dline&te=1

*****
At Least 55 Killed in Bombing of Afghan Religious Gathering

Excerpt:

Witnesses said there were a thousand people inside the hall when the explosion took place. They included clerics and religious scholars along with others who had gathered to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, a national holiday in Afghanistan.

President Ashraf Ghani called the attack “a crime against Islam and humanity” and declared a national day of mourning on Wednesday.

More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/worl ... 3053091121
Last edited by kmaherali on Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
swamidada_1
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Post by swamidada_1 »

The Prophet's Birthday, or Milad un Nabi as it is commonly known in Muslim culture, is celebrated in most of the Muslim countries. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in the third month of the Islamic calendar. The Shias celebrate it on the 17th of the month, the Sunnis celebrate on the 12th of the month, according to the Islamic calendar. The date of this festival varies in the Gregorian calendar.

The celebration of Prophet's birthday is believed to have its origins on the 8th century when the Prophet Muhammad's birth house was converted into a house of prayer by Al-Khayzuran. Al-Khayzuran was the mother of a Abbasid caliph Harun al Rashid. Originally, the festival was celebrated by the Shias. Centuries ago, the day was celebrated with animal sacrifices and huge processions during the day which culminated by a speech by the rulers. Gifts were also offered to those in power.

It was somewhere in the 12th century that the Sunnis adopted this festival, although with a different date. Although the celebration of the festival was met with some resistance in the Sunnis, the festival came to be adopted in large numbers by the 15th century and by the beginning of the 20th century, it began to be observed as a national holiday in many regions of the world.

Ottomans (Sultanat-e-Usmania) ruled Makkah and Madinah and the most of the Muslim world for seven centuries. For seven centuries the Imams of Masjid Al Haraam and Masjid Al Nabawi Sharif used to organize, celebrate and lead the celebrations of Eid Milad un Nabi. Eid Milad un Nabi has always been celebrated throughout the Arabian peninsula before Saudi government was established. In fact, the largest gathering of Eid Milad un Nabi used to be held in Masjid Al Haraam in Makkah. This practice was stopped after the WAHABI revolution in Saudi Arabia.

The Milad un Nabi or Malwid is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the world. For example, in Pakistan, it is celebrated with the raising of the national flag on national monuments followed by a gun salute at dawn. In some other parts of the world, the festival is observed with large processions and a carnival like atmosphere. There is an atmosphere of celebration and people can be seen exchanging gifts and distributing food to the poor. The day is celebrated with the offering of prayers by thousands in mosques and the mosques being decorated with lights. This is a public holiday in most of the Muslim countries.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Celebrating Milad-Un-Nabi through diversity

Unison sounds of young boys from Madrassah Shadiliyah and Husseini Madrassah singing Qasidas filled the hall during the Milad-Un-Nabi (“Maulid”) celebration at Upanga Jamatkhana. The event highlighted the diverse interpretations of Islam by bringing together members and government leaders from all various faiths under one house to commemorate the life of Prophet Mohamed (May Peach Be Upon Him) and the impact of his work on Muslim communities. Celebrating Maulid has been an annual event hosted by the Ismaili community to demonstrate in unison the principles of Islam given the diversity of the larger Muslim Ummah.

The President of Ismaili Council for Tanzania, Amin Lakhani, addressed the interfaith audience on the history of the Ismaili community in Tanzania, the work of Mawlana Hazar Imam in the country, and the gracious support that the Ismaili community has received from the Government.

He explained, “His Highness the Aga Khan’s commitment in Tanzania has been greatly enhanced with the positive support and encouragement from the Government and its leadership. It has always been the view of His Highness that positive development of the society and communities is achieved successfully only when it is a collaborative effort between communities and their government. In this respect, through the leadership of H.E. President Magufuli, Tanzania has seen vast advances in economic development, education, health, water, and sanitation. These are just some amongst many monumental achievements by our government.”

The guest of honor for the evening was Hon. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi – Member of Parliament and Minister of Defense and National Service. During his speech, he congratulated the Ismaili community for being the exemplary Muslims in practicing the teachings of the Prophet. He said, “our Prophet taught us that we should do everything possible to treat our neighbors well, our brothers and the community as a whole. Our colleagues of the Ismaili community are doing many social [services] here for the sake of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.” Dr. Mwinyi further explained that the contributions of the Ismaili Community and His Highness the Aga Khan in health, education, water and other services have helped Tanzania’s at large, which is aligned with the Prophet’s teachings.

In previous events held by the Ismaili Council for Tanzania, past guests during the Milad-Un-Nabi Celebrations include former President of Tanzania - H.E. Aly Hassan Mwinyi; the former Vice President of Tanzania - H.E. Mohamed Gharib Bilal, the former Speaker of the House - H.E. Samuel Sitta (Late); the former Minister of Trade and Industries - H.E. Abdallah Kigoda (Late); His Lordship - the Mayor of Ilala Municipality, Hon. Jerry Silaa; and Second Vice President of Zanzibar, Ambassador Seif Aly Iddi.

Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/tanzania/celebratin ... -diversity
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Milad un Nabi Celebrations in Kampala

Kampala, 3 November 2018- A commemorative Milad in Nabi lecture and dinner was hosted by the National Council of Uganda together with a photo exhibition of Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan University marking this year's Milad un Nabi celebration.

The occasion started with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and renditions of Naats.

Vice President Naznin Jaffer welcomed the guests and reflected on the teachings of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and his emphasis on seeking knowledge. She spoke on how the Qur’an acknowledges that people upon whom wisdom has been bestowed are the recipients of abundant good; they are the exalted ones - hence Islam’s consistent encouragement to Muslim men and women to seek knowledge wherever it is to be found.

The event was attended by a number of external guests including Prince Kassim Nakibinge the titular head of the Muslim community in the country, who applauded the Ismaili community in Uganda for being peace-loving people and praised Mawlana Hazar Imam for his outstanding contributions to Education and other development activities in Uganda. He also wisely added that “As already enumerated, Islam is peace and we must have peace with one another and spread it. But first we must embrace it ourselves”.

Several representatives from different faith backgrounds and countries were also present to mark the celebration and to contemplate on the Prophet’s life and his attributes of living a life permeated with spirituality yet at the same time actively engage in the service to humankind and quest for knowledge.

The Keynote Lecture was delivered by Mr. Suhail Muhammad Ali, an Ismaili Muslim scholar from Pakistan, who emphasised on the role on Knowledge in Islam and stressed that useful knowledge is necessary for the benefit of self-development and for the progress of humanity and cited examples of 9thand 10thcentury Muslim societies which excelled in different fields of knowledge and established vibrant centres of learning such as Dar-ul- Ilm, Al - Azhar University and Al – Qarawiyyan. The Scholar observed that Islam has put significant emphasis on both seeking and sharing knowledge and in Islam seeking knowledge is an obligation on both man and woman.

Kampala, 18 November - Milad un Nabi was also marked by the community when Ismaili young volunteers with the generosity of Donor helped serve hot meals to over 1200 children at several sites including KOFS Kawanda Orphanage near Kawempe; at Kibuli Mosque and the surrounding settlements; and at Bukesa (near the Aga Khan School ground) and Kiseka. This was in line with the notion of social justice which is apparent in the Qur'an and draws a parallel between piety and acts of charity and service.

President Minaz Jamal noted that "Volunteerism and service to society are an integral part of the Ismaili Muslim tradition and opportunities for giving resources and time are an opportunity to significantly improve the communities within which we live and inculcate within the young ones the importance of upholding the Ismaili tradition of volunteerism. - Milad un Nabi is an ideal occasion for the volunteers to participate in such acts of generosity and service. In the past, the our young volunteers have also helped clean streets, helped with serving meals to the less fortunate and have also painted zebra crossings.”

Photos and more:
https://the.ismaili/uganda/milad-un-nabi-celebrations
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Eternal Friend poem for Milad-un-Nabi by Afraaz Mulji
BY ISMAILIMAIL POSTED ON JANUARY 15, 2019
muhammad

Enter! Enter! Enter, into the exalted!

Tap into the prophetic vein!

The divine has entrusted you,

With the revelation of the sacred path towards himself

Your mission will be manifest,

To the people, and those who accept your mission and support your cause will indeed have access to the most sacred space

In the temple of the heart, the mehraj will commence, you will experience the station of no station. O prophet of the people, verily thou art the pilgrimage home, the eternal friend.

May the peace of the almighty be upon you and your people.

~ Afraaz Mulji

Afraaz Mulji – aka Maestro Mi – is a nineteen-year-old multi-instrumentalist and composer born in Tanzania.
ismailimail.blog/2019/01/15/eternal-friend-poem-for-milad-e-nabi-by-afraaz-mulji/
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Live in Sarajevo


Al Madha

https://islamhashtag.com/al-madha-the-s ... h-century/

Spanish 17th Century Mawlid Poem is a devotional poem commemorating the birth (Mawlid) of the Prophet Muhammad from al-Andalus during the Morisco period (1500-1614).

Since adherence to Islam was punishable by burning at the stake during this period of Spanish history, these poems are as much an example of resistance to the Inquistion and an assertion of Andalusi Muslim identity as they are indicative of the love of the Spanish Muslims for the Prophet Muhammad.

This beautiful song is taken from a manuscript found hidden in a false ceiling when a Spanish house was restored in 1882. Written in the 16th century at a time when Muslims had to disguise their identity in Spain after the kingdom of Spain forced the removal of all Jewish and Muslim peoples in 16th century.

Al Firdaus Ensemble & Choir
Vocals: Ali Keeler, Omar Benlamlih & Choir
Lyrics: Unknown
Conductor: Mehmed Bajratarevic

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... AQPMRNydjU
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

YA HABIBAL QOLBI (SABYAN version)

(In praise of the Prophet)

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g_wa06 ... e=youtu.be
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Sadruddin Noorani: Milad-un-Nabi – Birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 12 Rabi al-Awwal, Hijri 1442 – 28th October 2020
BY ISMAILIMAIL POSTED ON OCTOBER 27, 2020

By: Sadruddin Noorani, Chicago, USA

The 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, marks the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Khatam an-Nabiyin (Seal of the Prophets), sallalahu ‘alayhi wa aalehi wa sallam (pbuh). It is celebrated as a joyful occasion, known as Milad un-Nabi or Mawlid al-Nabi, which literally means ‘the birth of the Prophet.’ It is a day of happiness, when we as Ismaili Muslims, along with many Muslims from around the world, reflect on the Prophet’s life, tell stories of the Prophet to the young, and join together in celebrations to express our gratitude and reverence for the Prophet. Milad an-Nabi offers an opportunity for us to draw inspirations from the life of the Prophet for our spiritual and material lives.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) not only brought the Divine message which we have in the Holy Quran, but also his own example as a model for Muslims to live by. His personal attributes and character traits contributed to the success of his mission. His integrity and conviction became a source of inspiration for those who followed him.

Most of the writings that praise the Prophet refer to the Holy Quran, where Allah (swt) commends the character of the Prophet to Muslims. In Surah al-Azhab, Allah says: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for one who has hope in Allah, and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.” 33.21

In other parts of the Quran, the Prophet is referred to with designations such as al-Nadhir, the warner, al Bashir, the giver of glad tidings, and Sirajam Munira, a lamp spreading light. These attributes have inspired many Muslim thinkers and poets, who portrayed the Prophet as an intercessor with God and as the one for whose sake the universe was created.

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the celebrated thirteenth century Persian poet, stated in one of his works: “It is obvious that Muhammad was the origin, for God said to him: ‘Were it not for you, I would have not created the heavens.”

Another example of expression of devotion to the Prophet is the blessings we seek for the Prophet and his family by reciting the Salawat, which is inspired from Surah al Azhab, where Allah says: “Allah and His angels showers blessing on the Prophet: O believers! Ask blessing on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” 33:56

In a famous hadith it is related that Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of God, … tell me of the first thing God created before all things.” The Prophet replied: “O Jabir, the first thing God created was the light of your Prophet from His [own] light.”

This light of Muhammad or Nur-e Muhammadi is understood by many Muslims as a primordial light embodied in every prophet from Hazrat Adam (a.s), to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) himself. Such teachings have often been used to describe Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the perfect mirror through which divine qualities were reflected on all that God has created.

The notion of the Light of Muhammad is present in the teachings of many Sufi and Shi’a communities, including the Ismaili Muslim tradition. Through the notion of Nur-e Muhammadi, we can understand the notion of Nur-e Imamat, as the Imam provides the ta’wil and ta’lim of the message of Allah which was revealed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). In a poetry, attributed to Pir Hassan Kabirdin (1341-1449), son of Pir Sadruddin (1300-1416 A.D), it says: “If you know Nabi Muhammad, you will attain the Imam”

This conveys a similar idea that one may gain true knowledge of the Imam through the teachings of the Prophet.

Image
Photo Source: the.ismaili (official website of Ismaili Muslim community)
As we celebrate Milad an-Nabi, let us reflect upon the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as he was also known as Amin (trustworthy), Sadiq (honest/sincere) and try to follow his teachings in our daily life. Mawlana Hazar Imam (Aga Khan lV) described the Prophet’s noble values in his speech at the Seerat Conference in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 12, 1976 where he said:

“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.” Source: https://www.iis.ac.uk/content/president ... conference

On this auspicious occasion of Eid-e-Milad un-Nabi, let us reaffirm our commitment to the Oneness of God, the values of diversity, pluralism and tolerance, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet himself, and also express our thanksgiving for the blessing of the continuation of divine guidance through the Imam-of-the-Time.

/ismailimail.blog/2020/10/27/sadruddin-noorani-milad-un-nabi-birth-anniversary-of-the-prophet-muhammad-peace-be-upon-him-12-rabi-al-awwal-hijri-1442-28th-october-2020/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ismailimail+%28Ismailimail%29
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Zahe Muqadar

To mark the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi this week, The Ismaili is pleased to present Zahe Muqaddar performed by Karim Javed Alwani. Originally sung by Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi, Zahe Muqaddar is a Na’at written in praise of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his family). This video was recorded in the Garden of Light at the Aga Khan Centre in London. The marble screens in the garden are inscribed with poetry by celebrated Persian poets and extracts from the Qur’an.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fsCpBSLL3U
swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

SAAT SUARAG NA KHULIYA CHHE DUAAR
JISS DIN NABI MUHAMMAD JANAMIYA

Doors of seven heaven opened, the day Prophet Muhammad was born.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Ginans extol the blessed day Prophet Muhammad was born
Posted by Nimira Dewji

In his composition Sat swarg khuliya, Pir Sadr al-Din says:

Jire bhaai re saat sarag naa kaani khuliyaa chhe dwaar
jis din Nabi Muhamed janamiyaa … v 1

Dear brothers, the doors to the seven heavens were opened
on the day Prophet Muhammed was born.
(tr. Ismaili.net)

Image
Angels and the Ka’ba. The Ottomam miniature painting depicts four angels bearing ornate caopies above the Ka’ba, and four other angels riding horseback. Source:The Institute of Ismaili Studies, Faith and Practices in Islamic Traditions Vol 2 p 78

Sayyid Imam Shah says in his composition titled Satveni Moti:

Nabi Muhammad is joog maahe aavyaa
tis-thi chand-roona marag paayaa.

Prophet Muhammad came to the world
Because of him the moonlit path has been found.
(tr Shafique N. Virani)

Pir Hasan Kabirdin, in his 500-verse Anant Akhado says:

Aashaajee Nabi chaale nur-j varse
rakheesar-ne seer chhaay jee
aagal sahu feerastaa chaale hoyshe te husheeyaare … v 398

There are showers of Noor where Nabi walks,
and believers have his protection over them,
and that light will envelope the heads(minds) of devotees
many angels will prevail (over their heads-minds) and consequently the devotees will be intelligent.
(tr. M & Z Kamaluddin)

The Ginan Unch thi aayo by Pir Shams is a lament of the soul’s fate in the material world, and a plea for the intercession of Prophet Muhammad:

Eji Unch thi aayo bande nich kiyun dhiaave,
chaar din rahennaa bande jutth kiyun kamaave;
isare june bande kiaa fal paave … …
bharame mat bhulo bhaai nami chaalo marannaa,
safaaet rasulki safaaet paekambar ki,
jutth sun ddarannaa bhaai jutth sun ddarannaa;
bharame mat bhulore, bhaai nami chaalo marannaa … v1

O brother! You have come from high (an exalted place, then why incline towards the low?
You will live for only four days then why earn the falsity?
What will you gain by this sin?
Do not forget in the illusion of this world; be humble because you will have to die.
(On the Day of Judgement) Prophet Muhammad will intercede.
Fear the falsity and do not forget in the illusion of this world.
Be humble because you will have to die.
(tr. Ismaili.net)

Pir Sadr al-Din also explains in his composition Yara Shafayat Muhammad that Prophet will intercede on the Day of Judgement and the believer will earn an abode in Heaven:

Yaaraa shafayat Muhammad karshe
moman bahesht lahandaa…v 1

O friend! Prophet Muhammad will intercede
and believers will attain Paradise.
(tr. M & Z Kamaluddin, Ginan Central, University of Saskatchewan)

Pir Sadr al-Din teaches in his composition Alaf nirala:

Eji Bujore bhaai chhatra konn tannaan
chhatra Mahamad Mustafaa tannaa ji… v 10

Through whom is the care and protection?
Know, O Brothers! The care and protection is through Nabi Muhammad Mustafa (the Chosen).
(tr. Ismaili.net)

Sayyid Saleh says:
Ye mithaa naam Muhammad ka suno maaraa munivaraa.….v 1

O brother! Listen to the sweet name of Muhammad.
(tr. M & Z Kamaluddin Ginan Central University of Saskatchewan)

Annemarie Schimel notes:
“Since the name is part, and a very important part indeed, of a thing or person, it carries baraka, blessing power, with it, and when someone is endowed with special power or occupies a particularly lofty rank, his name too can work in a mysterious way on people who are given the same name … ” (And Muhammad is His Messenger p 117).

Yunus Emre’s invocation written ca. 1300 says:

“Please pray for us on Doomsday –
Your name is beautiful, you are beautiful, Muhammad!…”
Cited in And Muhammad is His Messenger, p 117

Further reading: The Prophet Unveiled: What the Qur’an Says About Muhammad at Ismailignosis

https://nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2020/ ... -was-born/
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

ITREB Tanzania: Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet

Video:

https://tv.ismaili/watch/itreb-tanzania ... he-prophet

Milad-un-Nabi, also known as Mawlid, is a significant day of celebration for Muslims around the world as it is Prophet Muhammad's birthday. This program by ITREB Tanzania shares a meaningful journey to commemorate our beloved Prophet: Pre-primary and primary students share their learnings from the Ta’lim curriculum, ECDC students will complement these learnings by showing us how they apply these ethics and values in their everyday lives today, secondary students will share how traditional Mawlid is celebrated in Zanzibar, and concluding with a reflection on the life of the Prophet by a STEP teacher.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Image
The annual Milad Un Nabi lecture to commemorate the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) can be viewed virtually via Ismaili TV
swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

The Last Prophet

Tag Archives: Barm Uttar Khand
September 3, 2014
The Prophecies about Prophet Muhammad (s) in Hindu scriptures
In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
As the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.a.) was to bring a universal religion for the whole mankind, and as that religion was to continue up to the end of the world, all Prophets in all religions of the world had informed their followers of his advent, and told them to accept his religion without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. In many instances, they also gave the details of his personal and family life so that the people might easily recognize him.

Barm Uttar Khand

Barm Uttar Khand is a book of Hindu religion. Late Abdu ‘r-Rahman Chishti (11th century of Hijra) translated it into Urdu, in his ‘ Mir’ atu ‘ l – Makhlu – q ýt ‘ .According to that book, the famous Hindu avatar, Mahadev told his wife, Parbati, all the events of the future, while they were on the mountain, Kailash Parbat, and Bishist Muni, his disciple, wrote it down. The relevant parts are translated here from Muqaddamah Anwaru’l-Qur’an (by late Maulana Sayyid Rahat Husain Gopalpuri) pp.40-43. Mahadevji says:-

“After six thousand years, the Almighty (God) will create a wonderful person among the children of Adam in Mundarne, which is between the seas.1 …….O Parbati, he will be from the loin of Kant Bunjh; 2 and he (Abdullah) will have the piety and knowledge of God like a river; so (from that river) will emerge a pearl. And the name of his wife will be ‘Sank Rakhiya ‘ 3

And he (i.e. Abdullah) will have read three books; and he will leave the fourth book after reading only: ‘Alif Lam Mim’… … O Parbati, he (i.e. Abdullah) will be a chief in his tribe; people from all villages will come to his door and will follow him. (Abdullah’s son) will have no fear of the creatures; he will be very brave and having the knowledge of Allah, and his name will be ‘Mahamat’.

People will be astonished to see his style… … And he will not worship as the people of his tribe will be worshipping and he will tell the people that “I have been told by that Almighty and Only One (God) not to indulge in such senseless worship; and I am not turning but to Allah; therefore, you should follow me.”4

O Parbati, Mahamat will teach his own shari’at to all the creatures, by abrogating all ways of worship and all previous shari’ats; and he will try to make all people follow him. Gradually, countless people will come into his religion, and many of them will reach God. And as people use our Sakh era, likewise, upto the end of Kaljug (the last era) people will use the era of Mahamat.5

.. … O Parbati, after him (after the death of Muhammad’s son) the Almighty who has none like Him, will give a daughter 6 to Mahamat who will be better than 1000 sons, and she will be very beautiful and matchless, and very perfect in the worship of God.

Never shall she utter any wrong, and she will be protected from every sin—big or small; and through her father she will reach nearer to God. That Almighty (God) will give two sons7 to the daughter of Mahamat, both will be handsome and beloved of God, strong, having the knowledge God, courageous, brave and matchless in the …of virtuous deeds. And the Almighty will not create, after them, any human being having such perfection in hidden and known virtues.

The same two sons of Mahamat will be his successors; and they will have numerous children; and they will bring people into the religion of Mahamat day by day by their true arguments; and they will illuminate the religion of Mahamat. And Mahamat will love them more than all his people, even more than his own daughter. And these two sons will be perfect in the religion of Mahamat; they will not do any work for their own pleasure, and all their utterances and deeds will be for the pleasure of the Almighty.

O Parbati, a few years after the death of Mahamat, some evil man will unjustly murder these grandsons of Mahamat without any cause; just for the sake of worldly greed; the whole world will become ‘headless’ by their death. Their killers will be ‘ Maliksh’ (atheists), cursed in both worlds; they will have no love for Mahamat and will never get deliverance from ‘ Nark’ (i.e. Hell).

But in appearance, they will remain in the religion of Mahamat, and gradually others also will follow them, and stubbornly will do many deeds against the way of Mahamat and his sons. Only a few people will remain on the path of Mahamat. Majority will follow the path of those who killed the sons of Mahamat; yet in appearance they will be called the followers of Mahamat; and in the last days of k aljug (last era) there will be many of those hypocrites and will create disturbance in the whole world.”

After that Mahadevji explains the appearance of Imam Mahdi; coming of Quiyamat and arrival into Paradise of Bibi Fatima together with her followers.

Kalki Puran
In many holy books of Hindus, mention has been made of coming of ten Avatars . So far nine have come and tenth is awaited by Hindus. The name which is ascribed to this tenth Avatar is ”Kalki Avatar ” (Kalki Prophet).
Description and symptoms, which are found in the books exactly correspond with those of Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a)

Kalki Puran is one of the holy books of the Hindus. It is written in this book that the reason why this Prophet will be known as “Kalki” Avatar, is that he will remove Kalki (rust and darkness) from the hearts of the people, and will prevail over all the artifices of the evil people.
It is also written that people of his community will be worshippers of God.

The name of the father of Kalki Prophet is written as “Vishnuais” a combination of two words, Vishnu (God) and ais (Servant): both put together mean “Servant of God”. This is the meaning of Abdullah, the name of the father of Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a.).

The name of Kalki Prophet’s mother is “Somti” which means “Trustworthy”. And the name of Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w.a.) mother was Amina, which also means “Trustworthy”.

Further it is written that Kalki Prophet will have three brothers named Kavi, Samati, and Parak.

(1) “Kavi” means ‘wise’ and same is the meaning of ‘Aqeel’.

(2) “Samat” means ‘Knowledge’ and same is the meaning of ‘Ja’far’.

(3) “Parak” means “One who commands high position” and same is the meaning of ‘Ali’.

Aqeel, Ja’far and Ali were three (cousin) brothers of Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a.)

The birth-place of Kalki Prophet is mentioned as “Shambhal Nagari”— a name given to the Hijaz in Arabia. “Shambhal” means, “Sand” and “Shambhal Nagri” means a country of sand or “desert” which fits Arabian peninsula perfectly.

Regarding Kalki Prophet, it is also written that he will worship in cave. It is well known in Islamic world that Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a.) got his first “Revelation” in the cave of mount Hira – a desert hill and his chosen place of retreat near Mecca.

Further in “Kalki Puran”, it is written that he will receive education through “Prash Ram” which means “Soul of God.” It is well known by all Muslims that it was the Angel Gabriel who brought the first “revelation” to Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a.) in the cave of the mount Hira. Gabriel i.e. Jibra’il is called “Ar-Ruh-al-Amin” (The Trustworthy Spirit) in Islam.

Further it is written that Kalki Prophet will marry the daughter of the king of Shambhal Deep. Thus Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) married the wealthiest woman of Arab, named Khadijah.
It is also written that Kalki Prophet will migrate to the hills of North. Thus on the command of God, Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.a) had to migrate from Mecca to Medina which is in the North.

From Kalki Avatar
17 years after the first appearance in 1970, of my book, Pandit Vedaprakash Upadhyai, a Bengali Brahmin of Allahabad University, published his book ‘Kalki Avatar’. In that book he declared that the description of the “awaited” leader and guide Kalki Avatar, fits only to the Prophet Muhammad of Arabia. His views were endorsed by eight other eminent Pandits.

He mentions the Purans and gives its interpretation. We give here a gist of his descriptions:

1. Kalki Avatar will be the last Messenger of God, and will appear for the guidance of the whole world. (It is selfexplaining.)

2. He will be born on an isle. (Arabia is surrounded on three sides by the sea.)

3. His father’s name is Vishnubhagat. (Vishnu = God; Bhagat = devotee or slave; Vishnubagat = Slave of God = ‘Abdullah.)

4. His mother’s name is Sumaani. (Sumaani = Peace = Aminah.)

5. His staple food will be dates and olives. (Exactly.)

6. He will be the most honest and truthful person. (As-Sadiq al-Amin = the Prophet’s well-known attributes.)

7. He will be born in an honourable clan. (The Quraysh and especially the Bani Hashim were the most honourable tribe and clan.)

8. God will teach him through His messenger in a cave. (The first revelation was brought to him by Jibra’il in the cave of Hira.)

9. God will give him a very speedy horse to travel the whole world and the seven skies. (It indicates Buraq and Ascension—Mir’aj.)

10. He will be an excellent horse-rider and swordsman. (No need to comment.)

The Arab peninsula is surrounded on 3 sides by the sea.
2. Kant Bunjh’ means ‘Servant of God, which, in Arabic becomes “Abdullah”. Abdullah was the name of the father of the Holy Prophet.
3. Sank Rakhiya’ means ‘Peaceful’ which in Arabic is ‘Amina.’ Name of the mother of the Holy Prophet was ‘Amina.’
4. Compare it with the ayat of the Qur’ãn: “Say: I am commanded to worship God, and not to join partners with Him. Unto Him do I call, and unto Him is my return.” (13:36)
5. i.e. era of Hijra.
6. Fatimah, the lady of Paradise, the Chief of all the women.
7. Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Husain (a.s.).

Ref: Mir’atu ‘ l -Makhlýqat, by late Molvi Abdu ‘r-Rahman Chishti of India.This book was written in 1041 Hijri (=1631-32 C.E.). It contains translations from relevant parts of the sacred books of Hinduism.

https://ourprophetmuhammad.wordpress.co ... tar-khand/
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Post by kmaherali »

"Mustafa" (SAWS) - The Chosen One

Maqam Station has released its second original piece "Mustafa" (SAWS) - The Chosen One, featuring talented artist Kashif Din who has also previously presented on Coke Studio. Kashif, in his warm, melodious voice, has soulfully invoked the name of our beloved Prophet (SAWS).

Kashif hails from beautiful Hunza, Pakistan. This piece has been composed and produced by the multi award-winning team of Farhan Shah and Shahid Rehman (Udan Khatola).

"Maqam Station" is a separate and independently run music initiative by JollyGul.com, spearheaded by award-winning composer / singer Farhan Shah and Executive Producer Irfan S. Ali.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wfhFZTWTbc
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Post by kmaherali »

Mere Dil Mein Hai Yaad-e-Muhammad

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK3L4haMaVI

This week, The Ismaili is pleased to present the naat Mere Dil Mein Hai Yaad-e-Muhammad. Naats are songs or poems expressing devotion to the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his family), and are commonly performed in some parts of the Muslim world during the month of Ramadan.
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Post by kmaherali »

Qaseeda Burda Shareef

Ode of the Mantle


Talented reciters and musicians from the Pakistan Jamat led by Nizar Noorallah - NsN Production present a wonderful rendition of the famous and one of the most widely recited poems in the world - Qaseeda Burda Shareef.

Qaseeda Burda Shareef is a thirteenth-century ode of praise for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) composed by the eminent Sufi mystic Imam al-Busiri of Egypt. It is entirely in praise of the Prophet, who is said to have been praised ceaselessly by the afflicted poet, to the point that the Prophet appeared in a dream and wrapped him in a mantle or cloak; and in the morning the poet discovered that God had cured him.

The full Qaseeda Burda Shareef poem is divided into 10 chapters and 160 verses all rhyming with each other. The poem has been translated into multiple languages and is recited by Muslims on special occasions all over the world.

We are presenting selected verses of Qaseeda Burda Shareef, including a couple of verses recited in Urdu, all with lyrics and translations.

Enjoy!

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58vWyuoA8P8
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Post by kmaherali »

"Hasbi Rabbi" (Cover) - Fatimah Kassam

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFH-tWztskg

Fatimah Kassam gives us a wonderful rendition of Sami Yusuf's version of "Hasbi Rabbi". This is a very popular Naat and this specific version is composed in 4 languages - English, Urdu, Turkish and Arabic.

Sami Yusuf is an Iranian-born British Muslim singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and humanitarian of Azerbaijani descent.

Fatimah Kassam lives in Bristish Columbia, has studied genetics, microbiology, radiation therapy / oncology and medical sciences at 3 different universities in Canada and works in this field. She has an absolute passion for music and for performing. Fatimah has been very generous with her time during the pandemic, helping keep the Jamat upbeat with her ebullient online presence on various programs.

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"Hasbi Rabbi"
(Cover)
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Post by kmaherali »

PM Imran announces formation of Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen Authority

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday announced the formation of the Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen Authority that would be responsible for researching how best to disseminate lessons from the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to the masses.

The prime minister was addressing the Ashra-e-Rehmat-ul-Lil-Aalamin (PBUH) conference in Islamabad to kick off the ten-day celebration period till the 13th of Rabiul Awwal. He said the new authority would be composed of scholars who would be tasked with researching how to spread the Prophet's (PBUH) teachings among children and adults and make it relevant to their lives.

"I will be the patron myself but we have started searching for a person who has written books of tafsir, has great command [over religion] and is a scholar for the chairman.

"There will be an international advisory board above him on which we will bring the Muslim world's top scholars — we have looked at many names and are approaching them as well," the prime minister said.

He said Islam was a religion of peace and humanity and the West did not understand it so the authority would also be tasked with explaining Islam to the world. "When they educate the world about the Prophet's (PBUH) life, people will understand that Islam is a religion of humanity," the premier added.

The scholars in the authority would be also be charged with monitoring the schools' curriculum and how the course on the Holy Prophet's (PBUH) biography was being taught and whether any changes were required to improve it.

"Side-by-side we will teach other religions as well such as Hindu[ism] and Sikh[ism] because all religions talk about humanity so we would want all of them to be aware of their religion."

Additionally, the board of scholars would also be responsible for carrying out and promoting research in universities such as the causes behind the sudden ascent of Muslims after Islam's arrival. The prime minister outlined other aspects of research as well such as analysing the strengths and weaknesses of Western culture.

"Research should be conducted on topics such as whether our divorces have increased and what is the impact of this," he said.

Similarly, the premier said that a scholar would be responsible for monitoring the media as well, including all mediums from print to social media. "We cannot stop but we can provide alternatives," he added.

The prime minister also specifically emphasised upon the importance of cartoons, saying that presently, cartoons being shown to children were "a form of indoctrination and alien culture".

"We cannot stop them but we should make our own cartoons to teach our children about our culture," he stressed.

Societies with declining morals
Prime MInister Imran said any society whose morals were on the decline could not rise.

"Analyse the rise and fall of empires, when they decline, first their morals decline and then financial destruction follows," he said.

The premier said social ills such as corruption and stealing public money could not stop until the society at large objected to them.

He noted that the Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) panel had found that the real reason for poverty in developing countries was "leaders stealing money [and stashing it] abroad".

"The biggest reason of poverty in a country is when its money goes abroad," he said, adding that no society could progress where there was corruption.

The prime minister also stressed the importance of justice in society, pointing out that the Prophet (PBUH) had not brought mercy for solely Muslims but the entire world.

"He gave the measure of leadership that a leader brings people together and does not divide them by spreading hate [...] Islam was a universal message to collect humanity, not divide it."

The prime minister said that justice liberated weak people in society and protected them from the powerful. "Look at the most prosperous countries in the world and they have rule of law," he added.

On education, the prime minister said the Prophet (PBUH) had generated a perception among the people about the importance of knowledge.

"Education was given priority over money. Education not just for men but women and everyone — this is a great misunderstanding [that women should not be educated] that some narrow-minded people unfortunately create," the premier said.

The prime minister said the country could not prosper until the Prophet's (PBUH) teachings and actions were not followed because some elements had crept in which were stopping it from doing so.

He said it was important to work on the youth's upbringing, explaining that they would combat the moral decline of the country.

On the topic of immorality in society, the prime minister lamented that when he had asked the inspector general of police about what crimes were on the rise, he had replied that sexual crimes such as rapes and child abuse were.

He said he had followed the issue and sent a deputy inspector general of police to Kasur after the "horrifying" reports from the city. "I was pained at the report he gave me [about] the level they have reached," the prime minister said.

The premier called for society to collectively tackle the issue of sexual crimes, adding that scholars also had a "great responsibility" to play in the issue.

"This is why I am coming back [to that] there is only one solution for this. Our whole nation loves the Prophet (PBUH) but we are not following the orders in the Holy Quran to follow his life."

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PM Imran asks Western govts to outlaw disrespect for Prophet on lines of Holocaust

https://www.dawn.com/news/1651217/pm-im ... -authority
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Post by kmaherali »

‘The Name of Muhammad is Sweet’: Meetha Muhammad Naam: Ginan Rendition by Huzur Mukhi Ehteshaam Alee

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ctfyXk_Sg&t=34s
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Post by swamidada »

There is a whole host of scholars and general Muslims who "celebrate" the Prophet's birthday (Sunnis and Shia alike). And there is nothing wrong in recognizing your own birthday.

The Prophet Muhammad recognized his own birthday and fasted on that day in recognition. So it is in fact Sunnah to fast on your own birthday.

For children to have a day about themselves, a day where you can indulge them, give them what they want, make food that they like, invite their friends, is not wrong.

What all scholars would agree upon is this: Whether it is the Prophet's birthday or our own birthdays, we cannot obsess over them or make them so ritualistic that it becomes part of our "religion." Similar to pre-wedding parties: the Prophet encouraged women to have some light song amongst themselves, but for us to have to do that for every wedding and prioritize that becomes a form of bid'ah. And bid'ah, or innovation, is haram.
There is no such verse from the Holy Quran nor from the Sunnah which forbids celebrating birthdays

https://www.quora.com/Are-Muslims-allow ... -birthdays#:
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Re: Prophet Mohamed PBUH - Milad-e-Nabi & life

Post by kmaherali »

Salatullah Salamullah (Naat) - H Ahmed

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCVpA5rDx6k

Salatullah Salamullah
Naat

H Ahmed presents a Naat in Bengali "Salatullah Salamullah". Music composition is also done by H Ahmed and lyrics written by Saif Siraj

Naat is poetry in praise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The practice is popular in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India and is commonly recited in Bengali, Punjabi or Urdu.

JollyGul is presenting this new Bengali Naat "Salatullah Salamullah" with lyrics and English translation.
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Re: Prophet Mohamed PBUH - Milad-e-Nabi & life

Post by kmaherali »

Essays on Prophet Muhammad by Participants in a Competition (1962): Compiled by Kamrudin Rashid
BY ISMAILIMAIL POSTED ON APRIL 4, 2022

With Imam’s grace and blessings, in 1962, I was the first prize winner of an essay competition on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) organized by the Ismailia Provincial Library of Kisumu, Kenya. I have developed an interest in writing from my youth and have contributed many articles to various institutional periodicals, newsletters etc.

The essay competition and my being the winner prompted me to compile a booklet of the winning essays and again, with Imam’s grace and blessings, the booklet was published by then Ismailia Association for Tanzania in 1967.

Image

Cover page of Ismaili Prakash Magazine. Image provided by contributor

Download here...

ismailimail.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/essays-on-prophet-muhammad-and-islam-by-kamrudin-a-rashid-1.pdf
kmaherali
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"Tu Kuja Man Kuja" (Cover) - Saleem Ali

Post by kmaherali »

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwxpj5Bh2N8

Tu Kuja Man Kuja
Where are You? Where am I?
(Mine is a lowly station, and yours exalted beyond imagination)

Saleem Ali presents a popular and captivating qawwali "Tu Kuja Man Kuja" .

"Tu Kuja Man Kuja" (Where are You? Where am I?) is a qawwali originally performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It was composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan himself and written by Muzaffar Warsi. In 2016, the song was covered by Rafaqat Ali Khan and Shiraz Uppal during Coke Studio Season 9.

Saleem Ali lives in Calgary and loves to sing, hike, bike and ski. He is very dedicated to serving and entertaining the Ismaili community through his singing. Saleem is always very generous with his time through his Facebook and Zoom live shows for seniors.
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Zahe Muqaddar

Post by kmaherali »

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The Ismaili is pleased to present Zahe Muqaddar, a rendition of the famous Naat performed by Fitoor. Initially read by Waheed Zafar Qasmi and written by Yusuf Qadeeri, this Naat is a tribute to The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPJvxqdAYuM
kmaherali
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Mind Blowing Prophecies of Muhammad

Post by kmaherali »

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZIqd_-1Zus

This video covers the amazing predictions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Purely from a stand point of basic probability, for someone to accurately guess about such future events, which span across multiple nations in different time periods, many of which were outside the sphere of Muslim influence, to give so many predictions without making a single mistake, is utterly impossible. It's a powerful argument for his genuine Prophethood and inspiration by God.

This video is based on the book "The Forbidden Prophecies". To learn more about the amazing predictions of Prophet Muhammad, you can order a free hard copy here: https://onereason.org/product/forbidden ... cies-book/

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This is a truly unique publication that will take you on a journey through history, putting the claims of the most popular prophets, oracles, and soothsayers to the test by scrutinising their predictions. You will see that there is one very special individual who stands out above all others when it comes to knowledge of the unseen. His ancient prophecies not only impact every human being alive today, but they also map out the major world-changing events on the horizon.

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Accurate Predictions: A Sign of True Prophethood
March 27, 2016 mm by Many Prophets One Message

Many people make the claim that they can predict the future. Astrologists, clairvoyants and numerous religious scriptures put forward prophecies about the future. Is there any way that we can distinguish true prophets from the many liars and frauds that are out there? We can do so by analysing the nature of their prophecies. The predictions of false prophets are often vague in nature. This characteristic makes it easy for their followers to claim a fulfilment of prophecy when the inevitable happens – eventually something, somewhere, will occur which bears enough of a similarity to the prophecy that it will seem like the prophecy was an accurate prediction.

Only genuine prophets of God, those who receive information from God, the One who has complete knowledge of the future, can make numerous predictions and get it right every time. This is the key difference between a false prophet and a true one. With this in mind we are now going to analyse the predictions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him:

1. Arab Bedouins Prophecy.

From millennium past there are two types of Arabs, city dwellers and Bedouins. The former make up the majority and live in ancient cities like Damascus, Cairo and Baghdad. Bedouins are nomads, they travel through the vast deserts and are constantly on the move. Even during the Golden Age of Islam when the Arabs were the richest and most learned people on earth, Bedouins remained in virtually the same state they had been for thousands of years, poor, uneducated and cut off from rest of the world. As recently as the 1940’s the English explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger was travelling through these Bedouin areas and documented their condition:


As I listened I thought once again how precarious was the existence of the Bedu. Their way of life naturally made them fatalists; so much was beyond their control. It was impossible for them to provide for a morrow when everything depended on a chance fall of rain or when raiders, sickness, or any one of a hundred chance happenings might at any time leave them destitute, or end their lives. They did what they could, and no people were more self-reliant, but if things went wrong they accepted their fate without bitterness, and with dignity as the will of God. [1]
Yet Prophet Muhammad foretold that these Arab Bedouins of his region would one day compete in the construction of tall buildings:


“Now, tell me of the Last Hour,” asked the man.
The Prophet replied, “The one asked knows no more of it than the one asking.”

“Then tell me about its signs,” said the man.

The Prophet replied, “That you see barefoot, unclothed Bedouins competing in the construction of tall buildings.” [2]

When Prophet Muhammad was asked about the “Last Hour” (meaning the approach of the Day of Judgement), notice the detailed response he gives: a specific people, the poor Arab Bedouins of the region, were identified. Prophet Muhammad could have easily played it safe by using more general language such as “you see competition in the construction of tall buildings…” which of course would be flexible enough to be applied to anyone in the world. Today we find in the Arabian Peninsula that a particular group of Arabs, the Bedouins who used to be impoverished herders of camels and sheep until the mid-twentieth century, are now competing to build the tallest tower blocks. How did this change happen seemingly overnight? How did one of the poorest people on earth who literally wore rags, become the wealthiest nations on earth? One thing made this rapid change possible, something upon which the modern world would revolve around perhaps more than any other, the discovery of black gold, oil. The seemingly empty deserts of the Bedouins had it in abundance. The Bedouins went from camels to Cadillacs in a generation!

Today one of the highest concentrations of tall buildings in the world is in the Arabian peninsula, specifically the areas in which Bedouin Arabs lived. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is the world’s tallest man-made structure at 828 metres. A short time after it was completed, a rival family in Saudi Arabia announced that they would build a taller one (1,000 metres) the Kingdom Tower and are literally competing with each other over who can build the world’s tallest building:

Buildings

What would motivate Prophet Muhammad to even make such a prediction? If he was going to make up such a prophecy it would make more sense to relate this prophecy to the superpowers of his time: Rome, Persia or even China who (unlike the Arabs) already had a tendency to construct extravagant buildings and palaces. For example, the Hagia Sophia cathedral was built by a Roman emperor in 537 CE, the century before Muhammad, and it remained the world’s largest building for nearly a thousand years. Furthermore, the immense detail that Prophet Muhammad provided in this prophecy is very revealing. Frauds, those who falsely claim to be able to predict the future, typically make their predictions general and ambiguous in nature so that they can be applied to multiple situations. The more general and ambiguous the prophecy, the greater the chance that something, somewhere, will eventually occur that bears enough of a resemblance that it will seem like the prophecy was an accurate prediction. Prophet Muhammad could have made a prediction such as “you will see the construction of tall buildings”. Such a prediction uses very general descriptions that are flexible enough to be applied to anyone in the world. By comparison, the prophecy that Prophet Muhammad did make is filled with lots of very specific details. He gave a clear context for the building construction, that of competition. He also identified who the builders would be, the Arab Bedouins, by describing some unique distinguishing features such as their physical appearance (“barefoot and unclothed”) and their way of life (“Bedouins”). We can see that such a prophecy contains multiple variables, each of which is very detailed and must be fulfilled in a very specific manner, which strictly limits how the event could happen.

The construction of tall buildings among the Arab Bedouins has even reached Mecca, Muhammad’s city of birth. The last few decades have seen a massive surge in building construction in Mecca. The famous Mecca Clock Tower is currently the third tallest building in the world:

Mecca clock tower

The Companions of Prophet Muhammad also understood his prophecy to be a reference to buildings of vast heights. “They said: So when you see in Mecca that channels have been dug and its buildings reach the tops of the mountains, then know that the hour has cast its shadow over you” [3]. In order for such construction to be possible, many of Mecca’s ancient mountains have been demolished in order to make room for the tall buildings that have sprung up. Amazingly, this is also something that Prophet Muhammad foretold; he said that mountains will one day be moved from their places: “The Hour will not be established until mountains are moved from their places” [4]. This tremendous feat of demolishing entire mountains has only been possible in the twentieth century with the advent of technology such as explosives. Thanks to these modern technical advances, mountains can now be blasted into rubble in order to make room for massive city infrastructure such as buildings and highways.

Prophet Muhammad himself did not like Muslims to be involved in trying to unnecessarily increase in wealth. Indeed he often warned of its dangers and how it would corrupt his nation. He did not like or promote the construction of extravagant buildings. He was a simple man who lived in a simple house and wanted other Muslims to maintain that simplicity. That is what he taught and how he lived. If he wanted to “will” this prophecy to become true, he would have encouraged the Arabs to build tall buildings and perhaps start off trying to do that himself! In fact the Qur’an itself discourages such behaviour: “Do you build on every height a monument? Vain is it that you do. And you make strong fortresses as if you were to live forever?” [26:128-129]

2. Byzantine comeback against Persia.


The Byzantine and Persian Empire were two leading super powers in the seventh century. In the year 602 CE, the world watched on as they went to all-out war. From the beginning, the Persian war machine overwhelmed the Byzantines who were facing internal rebellion and thus were at a disadvantage. After a series of devastating losses, the Byzantines couldn’t stop the Persian onslaught. Then the unthinkable happened, the city of Jerusalem, which was the heart of Christianity, was captured and desecrated by the Persians. The True Cross, a relic which Christians believe was the actual cross that Jesus was crucified on, was stolen and taken back to Persia. The Byzantines were Christian and the loss of Jerusalem was a major psychological blow for them. The war between the two empires was not just purely a political or economically motivated one, there was a religious element to it. The world was one in which Christianity and Zoroastrianism were opposed to one another.

This great loss of the Byzantine Christians to the Persians made the idol worshippers of Arabia happy and they used this incident to mock the Muslims. Muhammad’s close companion Ibn Abbas noted at the time: “The idolaters wanted the Persians to prevail over the Byzantines, because they were idol worshippers, and the Muslims wanted the Byzantines to prevail over the Persians, because they were people of the Book (Christians)” [5]. In response to these losses, Muhammad received some new revelation. The Qur’an made the following bold prediction:


The Byzantines have been defeated in a nearby land. They will reverse their defeat with a victory, within three to nine years. The whole matter rests with God before and after victory. [30:2-4]
The Qur’an prophesied that within 9 years the whole situation would be completely reversed with a Byzantine victory over the Persians. This prophecy was revealed in the year 615 CE when the Persians had completed their conquest of Syria [6]. This prediction of a Byzantine victory is the exact opposite of what political commentators would have predicted at the time, because the Byzantine Empire was badly losing and on the verge collapse. The Historian Edward Gibbon highlights the unlikelihood of the prophecy coming true:


Placed on the verge of the two great empires of the East, Mahomet [Muhammad] observed with secret joy the progress of their mutual destruction; and in the midst of the Persian triumphs, he ventured to foretell, that before many years should elapse, victory should again return to the banners of the Romans. At the time when this prediction is said to have been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant from its accomplishment, since the first twelve years of Heraclius announced the approaching dissolution of the empire. [7]
Even after Muhammad received revelation about a Byzantine victory, the situation for the Byzantines remained precarious. At one point, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius considered moving the Government that was based in the capital Constantinople to Carthage in Africa [8]. However, Persian conquests continued and they went on to defeat the Byzantines in Egypt and take over that province. As the Byzantines conceded territory they lost much needed tax revenues, and to add to their misery a plague broke out in 619 CE, which further damaged their tax revenues. After conquering Egypt, the Persian emperor Khosrow sent Heraclius the following letter:


Khosrow, greatest of Gods, and master of the earth, to Heraclius, his vile and insensate slave. Why do you still refuse to submit to our rule, and call yourself a king? Have I not destroyed the Greeks? You say that you trust in your God. Why has he not delivered out of my hand Caesarea, Jerusalem, and Alexandria? And shall I not also destroy Constantinople? But I will pardon your faults if you submit to me, and come hither with your wife and children; and I will give you lands, vineyards, and olive groves, and look upon you with a kindly aspect. Do not deceive yourself with vain hope in that Christ, who was not able to save himself from the Jews, who killed him by nailing him to a cross. Even if you take refuge in the depths of the sea, I will stretch out my hand and take you, whether you will or no. [9]
The situation for the Byzantines got so bad that according to the seventh century Armenian historian Sebeos, when the Persians reached Chalcedon, a city close to Constantinople which was the very heart of the Byzantine Empire, Heraclius had agreed to stand down and was ready to become a client of the Persian emperor [10].

Even though the Byzantine Empire was very far from a victory, in the year 622 CE, just 7 years after the Qur’an made its bold prediction, they started a counter attack. The Persians had set up an ambush in Cappadocia in modern day Turkey. This backfired when it was pre-emptively discovered by Heraclius, so he lured the Persians into a trap and crushed them. This unexpected turn of events caught the Persians off guard and thus began of a series of attacks by the Byzantines in which they recovered their prestige and their lands. In 624 CE, exactly 9 years after the Qur’an made its prophecy, the Byzantines had managed to avenge Jerusalem. They invaded the Persian heartland, defeated their army and then destroyed the famous Persian fire temple of Takht-i-Suleiman. Just as the desecration of Jerusalem and the theft of the True Cross was a psychological blow to the Christians, the destruction of the fire temple sent shock waves through Persia. Theophanes, a ninth century Byzantine historian, expressed his astonishment at this reversal of fortunes:


The Romans captured their (Persians’) camp and all their gear. They raised their hands on high and thanked God; they also eagerly prayed for the Emperor, who led them well. For before they had never thought to see Persian dust; now they had found and plundered their still pitch tents. Who could have expected the invincible Persian race ever to show its back to the Romans? [11]
The prophecy came true in exactly the time frame that the Qur’an stipulated. There are so many ways in which this prophecy could have gone wrong if Muhammad was guessing. For example, if the Byzantines started their counter attack in year 625 rather than 622 then the fulfilment of the prophecy would have been outside of the 3 to 9 year time frame. If Muhammad was guessing then he would have said that the Persians will win as that was the trend at the time. Why would he risk the Qur’an’s reputation by claiming that a Byzantine battlefield victory would happen in such a short time?

3. The defeat of Rome and the conquest of Persia.

One of the greatest hardships to befall Prophet Muhammad was the Battle of the Trench. In the year 627 CE, a coalition army of pagan Arabs, numbering 10,000 men, attacked the only Muslim city in the world at the time, Medina. This was a good opportunity for the enemies of Islam to wipe out Muslims from the face of the earth. The Muslims were outnumbered three to one, and for two whole weeks they were under siege. The Qur’an vividly describes the dire situation faced by the Muslims:


They massed against you from above and below; your eyes rolled [with fear], your hearts rose into your throats, and you thought [ill] thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken. [33:10-11]
Shortly before the battle commenced, whilst the Muslims were digging a trench around the city of Medina in preparation for the impending attack, when they were facing impossible odds and were staring in the face of certain defeat, Prophet Muhammad made a bold prediction:


Al-Bara said: On the Day of Al-Khandaq (the trench) there stood out a rock too immune for our spades to break up. We therefore went to see God’s Messenger for advice. He took the spade, and said: “In the Name of God” Then he struck it saying: “God is Most Great, I have been given the keys of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria). By God, I can see its red palaces at the moment;” on the second strike he said: “God is Most Great, I have been given Persia. By God, I can now see the white palace of Madain;” and for the third time he struck the rock saying: “In the Name of God,” shattering the rest of the rock, and he said: “God is Most Great, I have been given the keys of Yemen. By God, I can see the gates of San’a while I am in my place.” [12]
Prophet Muhammad made the astonishing claim that the Muslims would not only take the lands of Yemen and Greater Syria, much of which was under the occupation of the Roman empire, but that they would also defeat the mighty Persian empire, one of world’s great superpowers. In another prediction, Muhammad even specified the exact Persian king who would be defeated, the king Kisra:


The Messenger of God said, “I swear by the Being who controls my life! God shall bring this [i.e. Islam] to such completion that a veiled woman shall leave from Heera [a place in modern Iraq] all alone and perform Tawaf of the Ka’abah without the need of having someone accompany her. Without doubt, the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz shall also be conquered.”
In astonishment, Adi bin Hatim said, “The treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz?”

“Yes,” replied the Messenger of God, “The treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz.” [13]

Notice the reaction of Adi bin Hatim, a companion of Prophet Muhammad. He reacted with absolute astonishment about the prediction of the conquest of Persia. This is because such statements by Prophet Muhammad were made at a time when no one could imagine that a small Muslim city state, under siege by the pagan Arabs, would reach such heights of power and strength. It’s important to appreciate just how large and powerful the empires of Rome and Persia were at the time. The Roman empire stretched from Europe to North Africa. The Persian empire was also large, with its capital Ctesiphon one of the biggest cities in the world. By comparison, the Muslims were dwarfed both in terms of numbers and territory. They were much less experienced in war and lacked the advanced weaponry and tactics of their opponents. Professor of Islamic History Carole Hillenbrand highlights the military superiority of the Persians over the Muslims:


Much ink has been spilt on the phenomenon of the Islamic conquest, but few firm conclusions can be drawn…It seems unlikely that the Arabs possessed military superiority over their opponents. Certainly, they had no secret weapon, no new techniques. Indeed, in some military spheres they were inexperienced; they allegedly learned siege warfare, for example, from the Persians. They were also unfamiliar with how to fight naval engagements. [14]
Yet within just a decade of Prophet Muhammad’s death, all these events came true. They were witnessed by the very companions of Prophet Muhammad who heard him make these prophecies. What is amazing is that after the death of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims attacked both of these militantly superior imperial empires simultaneously. Even though the Romans and Persians were rivals and had been competing for territory for over a century before Prophet Muhammad, because of their losses to the Muslims they joined forces and fought side by side against the Muslim army in a decisive battle at Firaz in modern day Iran. One hundred thousand Persians, Romans, and Christian Arabs fought against a less experienced, less equipped force of 20,000 Muslims [15]. Muslims defeated this coalition and went on to conquer all of Syria, Persia, and Yemen, just as Prophet Muhammad foretold.

What are the odds that the Muslims, who were small in number and lacked economic, military and political strength, could topple these superpowers of the world in such a short span of time? This is so improbable that it is like someone in our day and age making the claim that a small country, with a population of only a few tens of thousands of people and minimal economic and military strength, will topple the super powers of today such as the United States and Russia. The astonishing way that the Muslims defeated the superpowers captured the world by surprise, as historian Barnaby Rogerson explains:


You have to remember, that the two great superpowers were the Byzantine empire [Eastern Roman empire] and Sassanid Persia, they were the dominant powers. If you’re putting it in a modern parlance it’s a bit like the Eskimos taking on the United States of America and Russia. [16]
No rational person would conceive of such a possibility, and if Muhammad were guessing then he would have been risking his reputation as a Prophet by gambling on such unlikely predictions coming true. This sentiment is echoed by historians who cannot explain how Islam became such a dominant force so quickly. Professor of Byzantine studies Andrew Louth wrote: “The speed with which the eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire succumbed to the Arabs remains to be explained by historians.” [17]

4. Spread of sexual immorality.

Prophet Muhammad revealed that the day would come when sexual immorality would become so normalised that it would be carried out in public: “The Hour will not be established until people fornicate with each other in the road just as donkeys fornicate.” [18] Today we live in a world where we are bombarded with explicit sexual imagery in TV, film, and advertising. With the advent of the internet, pornography is readily available at any time and any place. In fact, people have been arrested for having sex in public places. What is amazing is that we’ve already seen that Prophet Muhammad foretold that Islam is going to spread far and wide, so this situation of public sexual immorality is the exact opposite of what one would expect because Islam as a religion places great emphasis on modesty. For example, Islam teaches that both men and women should lower their gaze from strangers in order to safeguard from falling into temptation and sin. The reality of today, where Islam is widespread and public sexual immorality is rampant, is in fact paradoxical and therefore not an easy prediction to make if one is guessing.

We must also take into account that at the time of Prophet Muhammad, people were generally modest; this was the case with both Muslims and the non-Muslims including the Jews and Christians. With the conversion of the pagan Roman empire to Christianity in the fourth century, the subsequent spread of Christianity throughout Europe, and the Catholic Church enforcing strict standards of public morality and decency, much of the Western world had become conservative before Prophet Muhammad was born. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church regulated all matters relating to sex very carefully. Many influential members of the Church even saw sex and other pleasurable experiences within the confines of marriage as evil and a source of sin, unless marital relations were undertaken expressly and consciously to conceive a child [19]. A big transformation also took place in seventh century Arabia. In Pre-Islamic Arabia, public indecency was not uncommon, for example we know that the pagan Arabs used to perform religious pilgrimages while in a completely naked state. This all ended with the coming of Islam which forbade such practices. With both the East and the West being largely conservative as a result of the spread of Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam, this prediction of widespread sexual immorality by Prophet Muhammad went completely against the tide of morality that was sweeping the world during him time. The current situation in the world is unprecedented, never in the history of mankind has sexual immorality been on such a large scale. It is the now the norm, just as Prophet Muhammad predicted. An interesting side point is that Prophet Muhammad described the consequences of widespread sexual immorality: “Never does sexual perversion become widespread and publicly known in certain people without them being overtaken by disease that never happened to their ancestors who came before them” [20]. The increase of sexual immorality has seen the emergence of previously unheard of diseases such as AIDS, just as Prophet Muhammad warned.

5. A world steeped in interest.

Prophet Muhammad claimed that interest would one day become so dominant that even those who try to avoid it will not be able to avoid being impacted by it:


The Messenger of God said, “A time will come upon mankind when they will consume interest.” They said to him, “Is that all of the people?” The Prophet said, “Whoever does not take from it will be afflicted by its dust.” [21]
This clearly describes the state of the world economy today. As Prophet Muhammad predicted, in the modern world it is virtually impossible to avoid dealing with, or at the very least being impacted by, interest. Just think about how many people have interest-bearing bank accounts, buy things using credit cards and are only able to afford to purchase a home through an interest-based mortgage. Even if one somehow manages to avoid dealing in interest directly, almost every aspect of our lives is impacted by it. Virtually every country in the world, even those considered to be wealthy, is drowning in interest-based debt. The United States, for example, is currently wrestling with a debt of trillions of dollars. Central banks influence the purchasing power of our money, and the financial system even suffered a global collapse in 2008 because of the widespread practice of buying and selling interest-based financial debt. This was a disaster which has plunged the world into economic turmoil, the consequences of which will be felt for generations to come.

What makes Prophet Muhammad’s prediction amazing is that the financial state of the world over the last century is unique in history. At the time of Prophet Muhammad, finance was based on commodities with intrinsic value, such as gold and silver coins. Gold and silver have been used as the most common form of currency throughout history. In many languages, such as Spanish and French, the word for silver is still directly related to the word for money. Even with the advent of paper money, there was still a dependence on gold and silver. Initially, paper money was backed by gold and silver. Every paper note that people possessed could be redeemed for gold at the bank on demand. In 1933, the United States abandoned the world Gold Exchange Standard system, bringing to an end the existing world monetary system. The paper money that people held in their hands was no longer backed by physical gold. Under this new global monetary system, money only has value because governments say it does. Unlike gold and silver, modern paper money is intrinsically valueless. Consequently, we now have a system where banks can print as much money as they wish as they no longer have the restriction of being tied to physical reserves of gold. Under the current system money is literally conjured out of thin air. Since banks can now print money on demand, it means that they can lend more money which in turn results in the creation of more interest-based debt.

We are living in a time that can only be considered monetary chaos, as our entire monetary system, as it now stands, is based on nothing but debt. Every physical coin and paper note has to be borrowed into existence. With the old system of gold and silver there is a natural order to money, as its value increases and decreases in accordance with the supply and demand of the precious metals. Under the current system, banks can produce as much paper money as they like, and so the supply of this form of money is entirely elastic, it is entirely flexible. In summary, modern finance is a debt and interest based system that is unique in history. The use of paper money with no intrinsic value, along with the massive debt and interest that it has resulted in, is a phenomenon of modern finance and not something that could have been easily guessed by Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago. Now this is not to say that the concept of interest did not exist at all in seventh century Arabia, we know that it did because the Qur’an strictly prohibits believers from practising it: “…they say, ‘Trade is [just] like interest.’ But God has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with God. But whoever returns to [dealing in interest] – those are the companions of the Fire…” [2:275] Moreover, the practice of interest was also prohibited in the Christian world. The Roman Catholic Church had by the fourth century prohibited the taking of interest by the clergy; a rule which they extended in the fifth century to the laity. In the eighth century it was even declared a criminal offence [22]. So Prophet Muhammad’s prediction that it would come to dominate the world was in no way a forgone conclusion. In fact, it must have seemed strange to his companions, since Prophet Muhammad had also predicted that Islam, which strictly forbids interest, would dominate over all religions and reach as far as the East and West. The fact that this prophecy was preserved by his companions shows the complete faith and trust that they had in what he said, and that it would come to pass, however unlikely it may have seemed to them.

6. Rulership of the Muslims through history.

In the following prediction, Prophet Muhammad foretold who would govern the Muslim lands after his death:




Now you may be thinking that these are just “self-fulfilling” prophecies, they caused themselves to come true. Let’s look at an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Imagine that someone starts a rumour that a particular bank will go bust. If this person is influential enough, then customers of that bank might take their statement seriously and, out of fear for their savings, withdraw all their money from the bank, in turn causing the bank to go bust. Can this be considered a genuine prophecy? It cannot, because the claim itself was the catalyst for the bank going bust; it caused itself to come true. With Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy about the rulership of the Muslims, the contention then is that Muslims arranged their own rule through history in order to coincide with, and fulfil, the predictions of Prophet Muhammad in order to make it appear like he could predict the future. But this is highly improbable given that the rule of Muslims, since the time of Prophet Muhammad up to the present day, has been tied to chaotic and unpredictable events throughout history. The political landscape of the Muslims has been shaped by world-changing events outside of their control, such as foreign invasions, crusades, colonialism, the First and Second World Wars, and so on.

7. Prevalence of writing and increase in ignorance.

Many of us take for granted the abundance of books that are available in the modern age. However, the majority of people in history have never even held a book in their hands. One reason is the lack of education as most people used to be illiterate so there was not a big demand for books. Another reason is scarcity; books were difficult and expensive to produce because each copy had to be written manually by hand. This has been the norm for most of human history, and seventh century Arabia was no different. Prophet Muhammad was born into a society in which very few people could read or write. It is estimated that the number of people who were literate in his locality of Western Saudi Arabia did not exceed seventeen [24]. Prophet Muhammad himself could not read or write. There were even whole societies that didn’t have any books, they didn’t write anything down because they only had an oral language.

Against this backdrop, Prophet Muhammad made the prediction that writing will one day become prevalent among mankind:


Ahead of the Hour, people will only greet those whom they know; trade will become so widespread that a woman will help her husband in his trade; ties of kinship will be severed; people will bear false witness and conceal true testimony; and the pen will prevail. [25]
This prediction by Prophet Muhammad is in fact loaded with accurate prophecies. The statement “people will only greet those whom they know” has been fulfilled by the advent of densely populated cities of the modern age where it is common for people not to speak to their neighbours [26]. The statement “a woman will help her husband in his trade” has been fulfilled by women entering the workforce in large numbers, especially in Western societies [27]. The statement that “ties of kinship will be severed” has been fulfilled by the breakdown of traditional family values. Such values, which have long been the fabric of society, are now broken [28]. One symptom of this is the increasing number of old people who are put into care homes by their families. It has also been fulfilled by the breakdown of community values; one symptom of which is the whole philosophy of liberalism that has swept the majority of the ‘modern’ world, a philosophy that is based on individualism and individual rights over the rights of a community. For the sake of this section, we will focus in detail on the statement that “the pen will prevail”. The Arabic word used by Prophet Muhammad for pen is ‘qalam’ which also carries the wider meaning of writing, or anything that is written down in general [29]. This perfectly describes our world today in which it is the norm for people to read and write and there is an abundance of books, newspapers and magazines. This has only been made possible thanks to fifteenth century technological advances such as printing that took place over 800 years after Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy. For the first time in history, written materials could be produced in vast quantities. The increased efficiency of book production brought with it a decrease in prices and a subsequent increase in book consumption as they were now affordable to the masses. To put this into perspective, the fifteenth century saw about the same number of manuscripts printed in Europe as had been produced by hand during the entire preceding fourteen centuries [30]. With the advent of the internet, writing is spreading even more. Anybody with a computer or smart phone now has access to millions of books with just the click of a finger. It’s quite powerful that Prophet Muhammad, who could neither read nor write, prophesied the spread of reading and writing.

It’s important to point out that book production, and knowledge in general, has not always been on the increase as time goes on. From the sixth century, the Catholic Church made a concerted effort to protect and bolster its position of dominance and power. It closed institutes of philosophy, banned books and suppressed any scientific thought that threatened its own Biblical outlook of the world. The masses were forbidden from owning the Bible and authors were even burnt alive for writing books that opposed the Catholic Church’s religious doctrines. The ancient Greek chronicler John Malalas recorded: “During the consulship of Decius [529 CE], the Emperor issued a decree and sent it to Athens ordering that no one should teach philosophy nor interpret the laws” [31]. As a result, Europe entered into a 1,000 year period of intellectual slumber. Thus the “lights went out” on rational thinking and Europe entered the Dark Ages. Indeed, Europe’s creative energies and inventiveness are acknowledged much later, only from the dawn of the “scientific revolution” in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In addition to predicting that writing would become prevalent, Prophet Muhammad also foretold that another sign of the end of the world would be that “ignorance will become widespread and there will be much killing” [32]. Here Prophet Muhammad stated that there will be widespread ignorance and evil acts such as killing. The twentieth century is without question the bloodiest century in history, far worse in terms of global devastation than any previous era. While fatality statistics vary, the First and Second World Wars alone have seen estimates of total deaths ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million. We have also witnessed mass genocides that have sadly resulted in the deaths of tens of millions. As time goes on, mankind continues to develop weapons with greater potential for death and destruction. The twentieth century saw the development of atomic weapons as well as their use on civilian populations. There are now nuclear weapons capable of destroying entire cities, with governments having stockpiled enough nukes to destroy the entire earth multiple times over. This is despite the fact that the masses can read and have access to more education and learning than at any other time in history. We have a strange situation of knowledge being more readily available to mankind and yet killing being rampant. Both these predictions by Muhammad are, when taken together, quite paradoxical. If Prophet Muhammad were guessing then he would have predicted an increase in writing and decrease in ignorance due to mankind’s enlightenment. But he actually predicted two opposites, this paradoxical situation of writing being prevalent and evil acts such as killing being widespread. The historian Niall Ferguson notes this paradox of our modern age:


Why? What made the twentieth century, and particularly the fifty years from 1904 until 1953, so bloody? That this era was exceptionally violent may seem paradoxical. After all, the hundred years after 1900 were a time of unparalleled progress. [33]
8. The greening of Arabia’s deserts.
Prophet Muhammad made a bold prediction about the state of the land of the Arabs:


The Hour will not begin until the land of the Arabs once again becomes meadows and rivers. [34]
This narration anticipated the greening of Arabia’s extensive dry desert environment. As recently as 1986, there was little to no agricultural activity in the region. However, over the last 30 years these deserts have been transformed to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables thanks to techniques such as centre pivot irrigation. This is a process that pumps water to the surface from deep underground reserves, some of which date back to the last ice age 20,000 years ago. This fossil water is distributed via large feeds and results in circles of green irrigated vegetation. The diameters of these irrigated crop circles range from a few hundred metres to as wide as 3 kilometres (1.9 miles).

This series of photographs taken by astronauts on the International Space Station present an almost surreal view of abundant green fields of the Wadi As-Sirhan Basin in the midst of a barren desert in Northern Saudi Arabia:

Green deserts map

Now put yourself in the position of a person living in seventh century Saudi Arabia. This region hosts some of the most extensive sand and gravel deserts in the world with rainfall that averages just 10 to 20 centimetres per year. To put this into context, some parts of the United Kingdom average over four hundred centimetres per year. Could anyone inhabiting such a harsh environment ever rationally conceive of the possibility that one day there would be a plentiful supply of water and abundant crops? Muhammad stood to gain nothing by making such an outrageous prediction, moreover it was no light matter, as it gave his enemies a reason to mock and undermine him as a Prophet. But this was important information that had to be conveyed, for it is a sign of the closeness of the End Times and therefore of immense benefit to the generations who would follow after him. Prophet Muhammad did not fear the mockery of men, for he was not speaking from his whims; he had no doubt that the prophecy would transpire as this was inspiration from the heavens. Today this prophecy is unfolding before our very eyes, and is only possible thanks to ancient reserves of water buried deep beneath the desert sands, as well as modern advancements in irrigation technology to mine that water. This is technology that could not have been imagined by Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago.

This prophecy also makes a claim about the ancient past. Note the words of Prophet Muhammad:


“…the land of the Arabs once again becomes meadows and rivers”
By saying “once again” he is implying that at one stage in their history, the deserts were lush with vegetation and life and that they will be returning to this former state. Geologists now know that the Arabian Peninsula was indeed once filled with meadows and rivers in ancient times. Modern archaeological discoveries have uncovered a number of fossils which confirm this. Michael Petraglia is Professor of Human Evolution and Prehistory, Senior Research Fellow and the Co-Director of the Centre for Asian Archaeology, Art & Culture, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford. He was asked: “What has the team unearthed about the ancient environment of Saudi Arabia?” He replied:


One of the first things that we did was remote sensing. We looked at satellite images for example, and found that there are literally thousands of ancient rivers that crisscrossed Saudi Arabia. We also now count 10,000 ancient lakes. The most amazing thing, to me, are the fossil finds. They say something about the kinds of animals that could migrate into Arabia. We have fossils of elephants; these were gigantic creatures, much larger than the African elephant. Amazingly, we also have hippos. These finds tell you something of how wet it really was. Because hippos cannot survive in very arid and dry situations, so the environment had to be green for them to survive. So, there were surely lots of lakes and rivers all across Arabia, and there was plenty of grass with vegetation for these animals to consume. [35]
So not only did this prophecy correctly predict the greening of Arabia in the future, it also conforms to modern archaeological discoveries and conclusions about Arabia’s ancient, pre-Islamic past. There are so many ways that Prophet Muhammad could have been wrong, for example he could have claimed that “God will bless Arabia with greenery and rivers for the first time”. Or, he could have made an easier claim that would have seemed more logical to people at the time such as “Arabia will always remain dry and barren”. His ancient prediction about the past and the future cannot be explained naturalistically as he did not have access to modern technology that helped discover the history and future of Arabia’s geology.

9. The rapid spread of Islam and the decline of the Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad foretold that the Islamic civilisation would reach every corner of the world: “God folded the earth for me, and I saw its east and west, and the dominion of my nation will reach as far as the earth was folded for me” [36]

In this prophecy, Prophet Muhammad made the claim that Islam would spread to the far reaches of the earth. It’s important to understand the context in which this prediction was made. Not only were the Arabs surrounded by their enemies, which as we’ve already seen included the super powers of the world, but they also had the additional internal challenge of disunity due to tribalism. Prior to Islam, it was not uncommon for one Arab tribe to go to war with another over the smallest of disputes. Blood feuds were regular occurrences between tribes and often lasted generations.

History bears witness to the fact that Islam spread rapidly, both East and West, to reach as far as Spain and parts of China within a generation, just as Muhammad boldly foretold. At the time, this was a geographic expansion the likes of which the world had never witnessed. The Islamic empire was the largest the world had ever seen, a fulfilment of Prophet Muhammad’s prediction as well as the promise that God made to the Muslims in the Qur’an:


God has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. [24:55]
To put this into perspective, let’s compare the other Abrahamic faiths, Judaism and Christianity. During their early histories, both religions were mainly concentrated in Palestine and its surrounding areas. There were pockets of followers in other lands, but their early expansion was restrained by the pagan nations that surrounded them. On multiple occasions, the entire Jewish people were taken into captivity by their enemies. Christianity was a small, persecuted religion for hundreds of years until the pagan Roman Empire adopted Christianity as a state religion in the fourth century after Jesus.

Now it’s not unusual for new civilisations to emerge, dominate for a period of time and then decline or even disappear entirely. It’s also not uncommon for divided and dispersed tribes to unite under a charismatic leader and then conquer vast lands. The Mongols are a good example, their empire emerged after Islam, and at their peak in the thirteenth century they controlled the largest continuous land empire in human history. The difference however, is that unlike the Islamic empire, the Mongol empire collapsed within a century.

We have analysed accurate predictions that Muhammad made in regard to Islam’s toppling of superpowers and global expansion. Muhammad not only informed us about the spectacular rise of the Muslims, he also foretold their decline:


“The nations will call each other and set upon you, just as diners set upon food.” It was said: “Will it be because of our small number that day?” He said: “Rather, on that day you will be many, but you will be like foam, like the foam on the river. And God will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will throw weakness into your hearts.” Someone said: “O Messenger of God! What is this weakness?” He said: “Love of the world and the hatred for death.” [37]
Here we can see that Prophet Muhammad prophesied the dire circumstances in which the Muslims would find themselves. He said the day would come when Muslims will be large in number but in such a state of weakness that other nations will invite one another to set upon them. The analogy of Muslims being eaten as a meal was given, which emphasises just how helpless they will become. The cause of this weakness is said to be the love of the world and hatred for death. This means that Muslims would one day come to love the material world to the point where they become complacent in their religion, neglecting their obligations and forgetting about the eternal hereafter.

This prediction accurately describes the radical turn of events that took place in the Muslim world in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Prior to this, the Muslim lands had grown to be some of the most powerful in the world. From the time of the death of Muhammad until the nineteenth century, the Muslims had large empires which were economically, politically, militarily, technologically and educationally far ahead of most of the world. In the nineteenth and twentieth century the unthinkable happened, nearly all of the Muslim world from Indonesia in the far east to Libya in the far west was occupied, colonised, and militarily defeated by non-Muslim nations. Russia had annexed the Caucuses; France controlled Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia; Great Britain occupied Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Mughal India; the Dutch controlled Malaysia and Indonesia. Of the 50 Muslim countries that exist today, only a few survived occupation and the ones that did were still subject to colonial masters. This is despite the large number of Muslims that existed at the time. In the early twentieth century, there were an estimated 200 million Muslims, representing 12.5% of the world’s population [38]. But their considerable numbers could do nothing to prevent the defeat, the non-Muslim nations came, divided, conquered, and invited each other to take the Muslim lands, just as Prophet Muhammad foretold.

If we reflect on this prediction, it is quite counter-intuitive. Recall the reaction of the companion who heard Prophet Muhammad make the prediction, this person remarked “Will it be because of our small number that day?” The companion made the natural assumption that the weak state of the Muslims would be due to their small numbers, because large numbers are typically associated with strength. If this prediction was guesswork, then it would have made more sense to state that the Muslims would be diminished in number and that would be the cause of their weakness. Yet Prophet Muhammad predicted the exact opposite, a paradoxical situation of the Muslims being vast in number but very weak, and it came true. Another interesting aspect of this prediction is the psychology behind it. During Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime, Islam was not yet a world superpower and had not yet toppled other superpowers like Persia. So if Prophet Muhammad was a liar who was out to deceive people into thinking he was a Prophet, he would surely have only said very positive things about the Muslims of the future, such as “you will be invincible” or “your enemies will never defeat you”. Such a positive outlook of the future would make people want to join his religion and be his followers. Indeed, it’s human nature to want to be successful. So for Muhammad to make such a frank statement about how bleak the future would become not only shows that he was a speaker of truth, but also that his companions transmitted everything he said, regardless of whether it was good or bad, encouraging or embarrassing.

In summary, we’ve seen how Muhammad accurately foretold not only the spectacular rise of the Islamic empire as a world superpower, but also the subsequent political and military decline of the Muslims despite their large numbers. Historically speaking, when religions lose their influence on the world stage in such a way, it is usually followed by a stagnation or decline in the number of their followers. This is to be expected, as it is human nature to want to be associated with success. Yet Muhammad foretold the exact opposite with regards to the religion of Islam, he said that it will continue to grow in terms of the number of followers, to the extent that it will eventually enter every household: “This matter will certainly reach every place touched by the night and day. God will not leave a house or residence except that God will cause this religion to enter it” [39]. Today we are witnessing this very prophecy unfold before our eyes. Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in the world, with nearly one in four people on earth being a Muslim. It is forecast to be the world’s largest religion by the year 2070 [40]. This is despite Islam being constantly attacked by the media, the colonisation of Muslim lands, and many wars that have been waged in the Muslim world.

10. The name ‘Muhammad’.

Even the name ‘Muhammad’ has prophetic implications. It’s an Arabic word that means ‘the praised one’. The Qur’an states that Prophet Muhammad’s remembrance will be raised: “We elevated your mention for you” [94:4]. Since this verse was revealed over 1,400 years ago, the truth is that Muhammad has been, and continues to be, the most praised person in history. Not a second goes by without a minaret somewhere in the world publicly proclaiming the time for prayer and saying, “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God”. Every time his name is mentioned, Muslims say with great reverence and love “peace and blessings be upon him”. There is no other human being in history that has been praised in this way constantly, every second of every day and every night, without stoppage, for over 1,400 years. Moreover, instead of his mentioning going down over time, which is what we find in most cases with people who become famous, it actually increases over time, as the Muslim population grows. The name ‘Muhammad’ is regularly the most popular baby’s name in the world [41]. This is despite the fact that Prophet Muhammad never encouraged Muslims to adopt his name, in fact he said that the best names are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman (which mean “servant of God” and “servant of the Most Merciful” respectively) [42]. Prophet Muhammad is also the most followed person in the world. This is not a following that is superficial, as Muslims around the world eat, drink, sleep, wash, dress, walk, talk, pray, fast, and give charity exactly like he did.

CONCLUSION

Muhammad made numerous prophecies about the future which have either been fulfilled or are transpiring before our eyes today. Purely from probability, it is impossible to accurately guess such events, spanning multiple nations and different time periods, many of which were outside of the sphere of influence of Muslims, without making a single mistake. This should leave us in no doubt that he was inspired by something that is far more knowledgeable and powerful than human beings. The Qur’an affirms this when it reveals where Muhammad got his knowledge from: “Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say [anything] of [his own] desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by one mighty in Power.” [53:2-5] The Qur’an reveals that Muhammad was inspired by God Himself, who has knowledge of all things. The Qur’an further tells us that only God’s knowledge is perfect and free of error: “And if it were from any other than God, they would have found in it many a discrepancy” [4:82]. This is one reason why Muslims have no doubt about the existence of God, because only He could have inspired Muhammad with such flawless insight into the unseen.



https://www.manyprophetsonemessage.com/ ... ophethood/
kmaherali
Posts: 25107
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

"Kalma" (Naat) - Amin Mawani

Post by kmaherali »

Naat

Amin Mawani presents a naat with poetry written by Saqib Banarasi and composition by Vithal Rao.

Naat is poetry in praise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The practice is popular in South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan and India).

The composer Pandit Vithal Rao (1929 – 2015) was a renowned Indian vocalist. He is considered to have been one of the last few maestros of 'Ghazals' and was the last court singer of the Last Nizam of Hyderabad. He is popular for singing ghazals written by Hyderabad writers, Urdu as well as Hindi ghazals.

Amin Mawani is a disciple of the late Vithal Rao and learned the art of singing ghazals from him.

Waqas Ali and his team have done the music production for this naat which has been recorded with music and presented in a video format for the first time.

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Kalma
Naat

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C703IUh8oSM
kmaherali
Posts: 25107
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Salaam | GoDaddy India presents Bhoomi 2022

Post by kmaherali »

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3zfLpHXufg

Salaam is a devotional song in praise of the Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w) and his greatness, at the onset to his birth anniversary - Eid E Milad.

This track is a collaboration between #AyishaAbdulBasith and #SalimSulaiman, releasing as a curtain raiser for GoDaddy presents Bhoomi 2022, powered by Moha and Adda52.

Bhoomi started 20 years ago and it follows the successful grand chapter of Bhoomi 2021. Salim-Sulaiman bring together more than 25 different musicians across India bringing authenticity to the musical influences in styles, melodies and lyrics across our own ‘Bhoomi.’
kmaherali
Posts: 25107
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Did Muhammad REALLY Marry a Child? Why Oxford Historian Joshua Little Says HELL NO!!!

Post by kmaherali »

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxGxNACSOzo

The latest historical-critical scholarship reveals that the Prophet Muhammad did NOT marry Aisha when she was only 9 years old. It's time to put an end to this Islamophobic talking point!
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