OUR PROPHET
(SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) 
IS OUR HONOR

Shaikh Abul Hasan Al Nadwi   

I do not know when I first heard of Makkah al Mukarramah and Madinah al Munawwarah. Like all Muslim children, I was brought up in an environment in which Hijaz (Arabia) and Makkah al Mukarramah and Madinah al Munawwarah were household words. I, distinctly, remember people saying the names of these two cities together as if these were the same. When they took the name of one of them, they generally mentioned that of the other as well. I, thus, came to imagine that Makkah al Mukarramah and Madinah al Munawwarah were not two different places, but one, and learnt to appreciate the difference only as I grew up. It then became clear that these were two different towns separated from each other by over 300 kilometers.

In my childhood, I heard people talking about Arabia and the two towns with the same fervor and enthusiasm as they did about paradise and its joys and comforts, and it was from that time that I was seized with the desire to attain paradise and visit Arabia.

Soon, I realised that it was not possible for anyone to see paradise during his lifetime but he could, of course, go to Arabia. Parties of Hajis (pilgrims) were visiting it regularly. So, why could I also not make a visit to that ‘Paradise of Faith’?

Days rolled by and I grew in age. My old eagerness was revived when I read books on the life of the Holy Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) and studied the history of Islam, and the urge to perform the Hajj and make the pilgrimage to Makkah al Mukarramah and Madinah al Munawwarah became so strong that I was never without it.

Then, it so happened that I did reach the place where neither the grass grew nor rivers flowed. Only barren mountains stood on all sides of it like sentinels. Yet, as famous poet has said:

Neither grass grows here nor flowers bloom, Yet even heavens bend themselves low to meet it.

As I saw the apparently unattractive stretch of land, I felt how devoid of scenery that town was. At the same time, however, I thought what a great favor it had bestowed upon mankind. Without it, the wide world would have been nothing more than a golden cage, and man like a prisoner. This was the town that took man out of the narrow confines of the earth and made him acquainted with limitless possibilities of development, and restored to mankind its glory and freedom. It relieved humanity of the heavy load under which it was groaning and broke the fetters unjust rulers and ignorant lawgivers had put around its feet.

As I reflected over what the world would have been without this town, I thought of comparing it with the bigger towns of the world and seeing what would have been the loss of human race and civilization had the latter not come into existence. One by one, all those towns came to my mind, and I felt that they were flourishing merely for the sake of a handful of men and had made no notable contribution to human progress and happiness.

On the contrary, they had been guilty of various sins against man, at various stages of history. For selfish gain, one town had razed the other to the ground, and one country had ravaged the other countries.

Civilization would have been none the poorer without those cities. But without Makkah al Mukarramah, humanity would have certainly remained unblessed with truths, beliefs, ideals and sciences that were its pride today. It was owing to it that the world regained the imperishable wealth of Faith and rediscovered the true knowledge that lay buried under a thick crust of conjecture and speculation. It got back the dignity and nobility that had been trampled under the feet of cruel oppressors. In fact, humanity was reborn at Makkah al Mukarramah, and history turned a new leaf.

But what am I saying? What do I mean when I ask: What would the world have been like had there been no Makkah al Mukarramah? It had remained asleep, until the 6th Century, with its dry mountains and huge sand dunes, even with the House of Ka’aba and the Well of Zam-Zam, while humanity was caught in the clutches of death. Surrounded by its mountains and sand dunes, it went on leading a secluded life as if it had nothing to do with the larger human family, and was not a part of, but apart from the world that lay around it.

I should, therefore, not be enquiring what would have been the state of the world without Makkah al Mukarramah, but without its illustrious son who turned the scales of history and showed a new path to mankind.

As I reflected on it, a few scenes emerged on the landscape of my mind. It appeared as if the leader of the Quraish was circumambulating around the House of Ka’aba, alone and by himself, and people were jeering at him and passing sarcastic remarks, but he was carrying out the circumambulation with supreme indifference to all hostility and opposition.

On finishing the circumam-bulation, he wants to go into the House of Ka’aba, but the key-bearer, Osman bin Talha checks him with a firm hand. The leader of the Quraish bears it too with exemplary fortitude, and says: “O Osman! What will it be like on the day when the key will be in my hand and I will give it to who I please?” “Will all the Quraish be dead on that day?” asks Osman in anger. “No,” he replies and adding, “On that day, they will attain real respect and honor.”

I, then, see the same leader circumambulating around the House of Ka’aba, on the occasion of the Victory of Makkah al Mukarramah, and his Companions who had sacrificed their all for his sake gathering around him like moths. He sends for the keeper of the key, and says to him: “Osman! This is your key. Take it. Today is the day of showing kindness and keeping the promise.”

As history tells, the celebrated son of Makkah al Mukarramah did not only become the owner of the key with which he could open the door of the House of Ka’aba but with him also was the key with which he could open the locks of humanity no seer or philosopher had been able to do till then. It was the Holy Quraan that had been revealed to and the apostleship that had been bestowed on him.

After performing the Hajj, I flew towards Madinah al Munawwarah on the wings of eagerness. The hardships of the way seemed to be a blessing to me, and before my eyes were drawn the soul-stirring image of the earlier traveler whose camel had passed through the same route.

The first thing I did on reaching Madinah al Munawwarah was to offer two Rak’aats of Salaah and express my sincerest gratitude to the Almighty Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) for granting me the good fortune to be there. After that, I betook myself into the ‘presence’ of the Holy Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). How boundless was his favor upon me, really! I could never give thanks to him, as was his due. I offered Durood and Salaam, and affirmed that he had conveyed the Message of the Lord to the world, proved true to the trust He had placed with him, showed the Straight Path to the Ummah, and strove till the last breath of his life in the way of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa).

I then made the salutation to both the trusted friends of his, whose selfless devotion was without a parallel in history. No one had discharged the duties of companionship or fulfilled the obligations of succession as they did.

From the Prophet’s Masjid, I went to Jannat-ul-Baqee’. What a priceless treasure of truth and purity, of love and dedication is buried in this small piece of land! Asleep here are those who had sacrificed the life of this world for the life of futurity. These are the men who willingly abandoned their hearths and homes in the way of faith, and preferred to spend their lives at the feet of the sacred Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) than with friends and relatives. “Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah.” (Al-Ahzaab 33:23)

Thereafter, I visited “Uhud” where the most spectacular drama of love and fealty was staged. It was here that the world saw living models of faith and steadfastness; it was here that it learnt the true significance of courage and constancy.

On reaching there, it seemed that I heard Hadhrat Anas bin Nazr say: “I feel the sweet smell of Paradise coming from the side of Uhud.” Or that on hearing the news of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), Hadhrat Sa’ad bin Mo’aaz was saying: “What is the joy of fighting and Jihad when the Apostle of Allah is no more?” And Hadhrat Anas interjecting: “What is the joy of living after him?”

It was here again that Hadhrat Abu Dujaanah had made his back serve as a shield for the Holy Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). Arrows pierced his flesh, but he flinched not. Hadhrat Syedna Talha in the same way had taken the arrows aimed at the Holy Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) on his hands until the arms were paralysed. Hadhrat Hamzah was killed on this very battlefield and his body was cut to pieces, and Hadhrat Mus’ab bin Omair was martyred 2in such a state that even a shroud could not be provided for him, and he was buried in a blanket, which was so short that if his head was covered, the feet became bare, and if the feet were covered, the head became bare.

Would that Uhud gave something of its treasure to mankind! Would that the world got a small particle of the faith and steadfastness of those glorious times!

Friends say: “You took us to Cairo and acquainted us with its important personalities; you have told us about Damascus and its people, and introduced us with its scholars; you have taken us round the Middle East. Now, tell me something about Hijaz and its distinguished sons.” But what am I to do? To me Hijaz stands only for one man, about whom I can go on talking forever. It is because of him that Hijaz is Hijaz, and the World of Islam is the World of Islam. Our honor, indeed, is by Mustafa’s name! (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam).

Back