How Studying the Prophet's ﷺ Life Will Change Yours | #4 Majalis Ilmiyyah | Sh. Ibrahim & Sh. Tim

So, my brother, the merchant, if you want to learn the correct method of trade, then you should study the Prophet's biography. My brother, the husband, if you want to be a righteous husband, then you should study the Prophet's biography. And you, our sister, the wife, you should study the Prophet's biography. He did not leave out anything, small or large, in the Prophet's movements and stillness, peace and blessings be upon him, without recording it. One of the orientalists said, " Muhammad was born in light." What does it mean to be born in light? His biography, peace and blessings be upon him, was written in all its details during his life, peace and blessings be upon him. Many people, many Muslims, deal with the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as if it were historical events. This is incorrect. And why wasn't the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, paved with miracles all the time? Rather, it was full of trials and human striving. "Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who is not]? Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?' Only those of understanding will remember." All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions. As for after the sheikh of the profm, may God protect him and preserve him and protect him and preserve him. PhD in sciences in de anders the supervised a large number of masters and doctoral thes and participated in various research and review and the has a particular attention not just to the sciences but to the of the messengers, may God bless him and grant him peace. to follow and that should be an encouragement to all of our brothers and sisters to make an effort with the Arabic language and to try to learn as much as they can. Subtitles are here for you and we are going to begin, God willing, with our first question. Our esteemed Sheikh, may God reward you and bless you. We begin our discussion, Sheikh, by asking about the nature of the biography (Sira) and some of the differences between it and other related sciences such as Sunnah, history, and others. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the leader of the Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, the best of prayers and the most complete of peace. Indeed, my brother Muhammad, this is a question that may seem broad, but I will try to be concise. The biography, in its original sense as a singular noun not attached to the Prophetic tradition, when we say biography, is the following of the life of a person or a group, understanding their way of life, and forming a complete picture of all aspects of their lives. This is the general meaning of the word biography. As for the Prophetic biography, it refers to the narration of the news of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and everything related to his life, from his birth to his death, peace and blessings be upon him. In addition, it includes everything that preceded his birth, such as the portents, glad tidings, and signs of his impending birth, peace and blessings be upon him, and what followed his death afterward. Therefore, we observe that the biography of every person is from birth to death, except for the biography of the Beloved Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which began before his birth and continued afterward. His death was a period of time, and some biographers make the biographies of the Caliphs entirely dependent on the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, because the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs after me; cling to it firmly.” This is the last hadith of the Messenger of God. Now, the other part of your question, Your Eminence, is about the difference between the Prophet’s biography and related sciences. Firstly, the biography is related to the military expeditions (maghazi), it is related to Islamic history, and it is related to the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Let’s begin with the difference between the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the military expeditions. What is meant by military expeditions? In Arabic, the word “maghazi” is the plural of “maghaza” or “ghazah,” which means a military expedition. I will point out the difference between a military expedition and a battle shortly. So, what is a military expedition? Let’s be precise. It is when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, intends to fight the disbelievers, either personally or by his command, peace and blessings be upon him, in their own land or the land they came to. He may not intend to fight them in their own land, as happened in Uhud and Badr. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not go to the Quraysh in Mecca, but rather he intended to fight them in their own land. This is the meaning of the term "ghazwa" (raid/expedition) based on this definition. The difference between the Prophet's biography (sirah) is that the Prophet's biography is broader, encompassing everything related to the life of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. The battles, however, deal specifically with the battles and campaigns. This is the only difference between the biography and the battles. Before moving on to the difference between the biography and history, I would like to draw my brothers' attention to the subtle distinction between a battle and a campaign. Some consider a battle to be one in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, participated, and a campaign to be one in which he did not. The correct understanding is that a battle is any fighting in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, personally participated or went out at his command. Therefore, the Battle of Mu'tah, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not personally participate, is considered a battle until Usama was sent, even though it occurred after the death of the Messenger of God, because it was at his command, and thus it is considered a battle. As for the battle that occurred without his command, such as the Battle of Yarmouk and other battles, these are the immortal battles of Islam. Regarding the difference between the Prophet's biography and history, let us understand what history is. History is the history of the Islamic nation from the time of the Prophet's mission. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, before his mission—some include this period in Islamic history, while others exclude it. Those who exclude it argue that they are writing the history of the Muslim community, starting from the Prophet's mission and continuing to the period in which the author is writing. For example, Imam al- Dhahabi's history extends to the year of Imam al-Dhahabi's death, and Sheikh Mahmoud Shaker's history extends to the year of his death or the year he wrote his work. However, to be clear, history also includes the period between the Prophet's birth, peace and blessings be upon him, and his mission, to complete the picture. Therefore, we find that history is broader than biography (sira) because it encompasses the life of the Prophet and the lives of others, perhaps even up to our present day. This is the difference between history and biography. Now, regarding the difference—and this is a very important and precise point— between biography and Sunnah, I say to my brothers: there is a general and specific relationship between biography and Sunnah. What does "specific" mean? It means that one is broader than the other in one respect, and the other is broader than the former in another respect. Biography and Sunnah share some aspects and differ in others. They share in describing his character and demonstrating the signs of his prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him. God, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, his miracles and so on. Both the biography and the Sunnah share in this. As for the Sunnah, it is unique in explaining the hadiths that contain rulings, such as hadiths on beliefs, such as hadiths on what is permissible and forbidden, as well as admonitory hadiths that are not related to events. Pay attention, Sheikh, we have admonitory hadiths that are related to events, so they are from the biography. But we are talking about admonitory hadiths that are not related to historical events. And what is unique about the biography? By stating the locations of the raids, the preparations for the raids, the names of the commanders, and other such matters that are not related to rulings or admonitions, I believe I have answered your question, Your Eminence, regarding the difference between the biography and other sciences, in a concise manner. May God Almighty grant us a meeting in which we can explain in more detail, God willing. May God reward you and bless you. If our sheikh is referring to the naming of some books as "Maghazi" (raids), such as the book of al-Waqidi and the book of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from what category does the mention of Maghazi (raids) fall? The name Maghazi, despite its focus on raids and related matters, is used by some scholars to refer to the entire biography in general. This is a case of using the specific to refer to the general. They use it, and this is a known fact, there is no problem with it. They said Maghazi, meaning the entire biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as you mentioned. So, the Maghazi of al-Waqidi, the Maghazi of Musa ibn Uqba, the Maghazi of Muhammad ibn Ishaq—these are all books of biography, but they called them Maghazi for the reason I mentioned to you, using the part to refer to the whole. Yes, may God reward you and bless you, our sheikh. What prompted Your Eminence, I appreciate your dedication of your time and attention to the Prophet's biography specifically, among many other sciences. In truth, my brother, I am generally interested in the science of Hadith. I have authored numerous works on the defects of Hadith, as well as works related to the two Sahihs ( Bukhari and Muslim), and works on the sciences of Hadith. Why have I given the biography this particular attention? Truly, whoever immerses themselves in the atmosphere of the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace, feels as though they are living alongside the Prophet himself. Yes, indeed, sometimes we read Prophetic Hadiths in Bukhari or Muslim, but we read them as texts. Pay attention to the difference between textual reading and applied reading; they are entirely different. Applied reading, I mean when you read the text in light of the event that occurred, gives you a completely different impression. You feel as though you are living the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Another matter that motivated my interest in the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace, is an important one that we may address later, but it concerns the issue of judging the texts of the biography. The issue of judging the texts of the biography is one where, in truth, there is much to be said. This means there was significant disagreement and back-and-forth, which led to conflict. Therefore, I felt it advisable and appropriate to dedicate a large portion of my time to it. The reason is that we shouldn't introduce into the Prophet's biography what doesn't belong to it, and we should remove what does, in order to preserve it. The third issue that motivated me to focus on the Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him) is the incorrect way many people approach it. Many, many people, many Muslims, treat the Prophet's biography as merely historical events. This is incorrect. Historical events, my brother, can be found in history books, whether in Islamic history books or others. The Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him) should never be considered history. I will give you an example after I finish this discussion. We cannot approach the Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him) in isolation from its jurisprudence. That's why I taught the subject of the jurisprudence of the Prophet's biography at Imam University for a long time. I focused on this jurisprudence, and that's why I taught my students by mentioning the incident first, and sometimes letting them read it themselves. But my teaching focused on the benefits, gems, and lessons that can be derived from it. We benefit from it through the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which, excuse me, I mean, we have recorded in your blessed academy lengthy episodes about these lessons and their great benefits. Therefore, I believe that approaching the biography in this way is obligatory for us Muslims. I mean, let me give you an example. Someone who specializes in history said, "It is not permissible for you, students of Hadith and scholars of Hadith, to study the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The biography of the Prophet is history." I said to him, "Are you sure?" He said, "Yes." I said to him, "Okay, I will ask you a question." [He clears his throat.] "You are not a specialist in Hadith, so you consider the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to be history?" He said, " Yes." I said to him, "Okay, there is a story that is well-known among the general public, which is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on the Night Journey—excuse me, on the Hijra— they mention that when he entered the cave, two doves and a spider built its web at the mouth of the cave. It is well-known." He said, " Yes." I said to him, "What is your opinion of this story?" He said, "This is very well-known and famous." I said to him, "This is not proven. This is not proven. How do you know whether it is proven or not? Only a specialist in the science of Hadith knows. Therefore, it is not permissible." My dear brother, dealing with the Prophet's biography in such a superficial way is wrong. We must know the authentic and reliable events of his life, or at least what is acceptable. Otherwise, things that didn't happen will be inserted into his biography. For example, the story of the cave—people think this was a miracle of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. We say no. The greatest miracle is that God, Blessed and Exalted is He, protected His Prophet when his enemies' feet touched the entrance of the cave without any obstacles, yet He still turned them back. This is the true honor. If I were to come to a cave with only a dove's nest and spiderwebs, I would go in. There is no great honor in that for our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The true honor is in the words of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He: "What do you think of two, when God is the third of them?" He turned his enemies back from the mouth of the cave, and there was nothing to prevent it. This, my dear brother, is the true protection and the great honor for our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. May God reward you and bless you. I have a question that I believe relates to your words, may God reward you: Why is the Prophet's biography distinguished as the clearest historical account? And the most well-documented among all the prophets, and perhaps we can add the great ones as well. Yes, the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, is distinguished by its clarity and comprehensiveness. I will mention, if you permit, a set of characteristics of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, but only after I answer your question, if you wish. May God reward you, Sheikh. Now, the characteristic of clarity, the characteristic of comprehensiveness [sighs]. This characteristic was not possessed by any prophet before Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, nor by anyone after our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. His biography, peace and blessings be upon him, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, was written in all its details during his lifetime, peace and blessings be upon him. I do not mean writing in the sense of recording, meaning that it was placed in books. No, because the biography is recorded, as we will explain later, in stages. I say the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was understood and preserved during his lifetime, peace and blessings be upon him. Nothing, small or large, of the Prophet's movements and stillness was left out except recorded. Then it was preserved and transmitted using the highest methods of preservation known to humankind. For this reason, we say the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is distinguished by this clarity, distinguished by this light. What was one of the orientalists saying? Muhammad was born in light. What does it mean to be born in light? Every part of his life is known. Come to any other prophet. You don't know much about the prophets of God, peace be upon them. Of course, they are all highly esteemed and respected, and we hold them in the highest regard. God forbid that we should diminish any of them. We believe in all of God's messengers and prophets, the righteous ones, who are the elite of His creation and the best of His servants, without a doubt. But if we wanted to learn about them, we would only find what the Quran or the Sunnah tells us, and that's just a few simple things. As for the Prophet's biography, ask about any aspect of it, and you will find, my brother, the Prophet's horses—meaning his camels, their names, his swords, his clothes—everything, big and small, was known. Imagine, even the horses and their names! The reason for this clarity in the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, is that God Almighty made it part of His preservation of His Quran: "Indeed, We have sent down a reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian." Because, as we will see, the biography is the practical application of the Prophet's Sunnah and the Quran of our Lord. Glory be to Him, the Most High, and this we will explain, God willing. God Almighty made this part of His preservation of His Qur’an. Secondly, you will not find, Sheikh Muhammad, a people who love anyone as much as the companions of Muhammad love Muhammad. Amr ibn Suhayl, at the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when he came to make peace, wanting to make peace with the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, so the Prophet would not spit a drop of spit except that it would fall into the palm of one of them, may God be pleased with them all, and he would rub it on his face and body, seeking blessings from his relics. This seeking of blessings is only permissible with regard to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. And in reality, nothing remains of his relics. It is permissible to seek blessings from the relics of the Prophet, but this means what some Sufis and others show. This is Satan playing on them. Nothing remains of the relics of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. I mean, they used to take the sweat of the Prophet. He woke up one day, and I think Umm Sulaym took his sweat, may God be pleased with her. He said, “What are you doing?” She said, "Yes, O Messenger of God, we will put it in our perfume." Imagine the extent of their love for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Amr ibn Suhayl said, "I have never seen anyone love anyone as much as the companions of Muhammad loved Muhammad." They loved the Prophet so much that they memorized every little detail, every single thing, to the point that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was dead—I think one of them came to Abu Hurairah and said, "Is it true that your Prophet has died? Forgive me for asking, but I want to know if it is true that your Prophet has died, even though he taught you the proper way to cleanse yourself after relieving yourself." He replied, " Yes, by God, our Prophet did not die without giving us some knowledge from every bird in the sky that flapped its wings." And they memorized all of that. For this reason, my dear brother, we find that the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is characterized by this clarity. I don't know if you would allow me to mention some of the very important characteristics of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, from my point of view. There are a number of characteristics; I will mention some of them. The first, and very important, characteristic is the documentation of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, which is based on authenticated narrations. The connection to the trustworthy and reliable narrators from the generation of the Companions, then the generation of the Followers, then their followers, until it was written down. What does this matter need? Any kind of clarification? Therefore, if you permit, let's make it a question, and this is very important. In my estimation, the writing based on this means this great method that humanity has never known the like of. Here I want to clarify something. Some of the Companions, brother Muhammad, had long lives and deaths, such as Abu al-Tufayl, Amir ibn Wathila, who died in 110 AH, Mahmud ibn al-Rabi, who died in 99 AH, Abdullah ibn Bishr al-Mazini, who died in 96 AH, and Anas ibn Malik, who died in 93 AH. This is a benefit. Many people think that Anas was the last of the Companions to die. No, there were three others who died after him. What does this mean? These Companions preserved the biography of the Prophet, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace. When they preserved it, the Followers came after them and passed it on to them. So there was never a gap between the writing down and what? And between the narrations, there was a gap between these people, and then there were a number of the Companions, may God be pleased with them, who had a great interest in the Prophet's biography, such as Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas, al-Bara' ibn al-Azib, and others among the Companions. They were interested in the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and they would teach it to their companions and students. That is why al-Zuhri said, "The knowledge of the biography and the battles is the knowledge of religion and the world." And the early generations, may God be pleased with them, would teach the story from the biography as they taught the verse from the Quran. This is something very great, one of the characteristics of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him: early documentation. Yes, early documentation. You might ask me, how is it early documentation? Yes, the biography was documented, my brother, during the time of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. And we will mention some details about this documentation. The documentation was very early for the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, because the biography has two types of documentation: documentation mixed with the Sunnah, and independent documentation. This was done during the life of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. Among the characteristics of the biography is what we have indicated. Clarity is one of the characteristics of the exemplary biography. The biography serves as a model for us. Another characteristic is that it recounts the life of a prophet to whom revelation was sent. Furthermore, it is universal, applicable to all of creation and all people. These are some of its characteristics, and if I were to delve into the details, it would take too long. I will suffice with this and apologize for the length. May God reward you, Sheikh. There is a question that I believe many people are eager to know the answer to: Can it be said that all the events of the biography are authentic and preserved? Sheikh, yes, I have previously mentioned to you one of the reasons that motivated me to study the Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him). Perhaps I can make a small contribution, a humble servant's contribution, to preserving the Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him), so that nothing is added to it that does not belong, and nothing is omitted from it that does. Now, we should rephrase the question: Are all the events of the Prophet's biography (peace and blessings be upon him) authentic? If you mean the events of the biography recorded in books—books of battles, books of biography, history books, and books of Sunnah— then this is not the Sunnah itself. Here, things that are not part of it have been added, such as fabrications, lies, and so on. And so on. If the intention is to refer to the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace, which is supported by the established principles of the religion and the objectives of Islamic law, then we say yes, this is undoubtedly true. We will now turn to the methodologies for judging the events of the Prophet's biography. These methodologies, in truth, show us how to distinguish the authentic from the inauthentic. Based on this, my brother Muhammad, the answer to this question is that there are events in the books compiled on the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace, that are not part of the biography at all. For example, it is mentioned that Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, incited Wahshi to kill Hamza. The truth is, this statement requires scrutiny and detailed explanation, and it does not exist. Yes, this does not exist. Rather, it was his master who incited him and told him to kill Hamza because he had killed his uncle, Tu'aim. So, the point, may God bless you, is that these stories and the like are not authentically attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and are not established. Therefore, we say that not everything written in the books of biography is entirely authentic. There is what is authentic and what is inauthentic. This requires scholars to carefully sift through these books to separate the authentic from the inauthentic. There are some efforts being made in this regard, and perhaps we will mention... Some of it, yes, may God reward you and bless you. Since you spoke about the methodologies for judging the events of the Prophet's biography, it is appropriate to ask you about the methodologies of writing on the Prophet's biography and whether there are any deviant methodologies in this regard. Yes, there are generally four methodologies for writing on the Prophet's biography. First, the methodology of the hadith scholars. When these hadith scholars wanted to write on the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, they applied the rules of hadith authentication and weakening, so their books were among the most authentic. However, the strict application of the rules of hadith, the rules of isnad (chain of narration), and the study of narrators may have caused some of these books to lose some of their distinctive characteristics. The second methodology is that of the chroniclers and historians. In truth, this methodology, unfortunately, opened the door for things that did not belong to it to enter, and this is a problem. The third methodology of writing is a mixture between the methodology of the hadith scholars and the methodology of the historians, as if it were a middle ground between these two methodologies. It appears that I am not saying that this is the most correct methodology. I am not saying that this is the most correct methodology, but a student of knowledge should not neglect these books if he wants to learn about the events of the Prophet's biography. He should begin He writes the books of the hadith scholars, then he writes any of these books that contain this confusion, then he moves on to perhaps some events, taking them from history books, of course according to a methodology that we will explain. The last of these methodologies is the thematic methodology. What is the thematic methodology? It is that he comes to one topic from the biography and writes a whole book about it, for example, the journey of Isra and Mi’raj, or the journey of the Prophet’s migration. He only limits himself to this topic. This is the methodology. As for the second part of the question, which is: Are there deviant methodologies? The answer is yes. Writing on the Prophet's biography has witnessed several deviant methodologies. The first is the methodology of the Orientalists. It is perhaps no secret that these are scholars from the West who came to the East, many of whom were not well- intentioned. Indeed, most of them were paving the way for the colonization of Muslim lands. To be fair, some of these Orientalists wrote with animosity, some with a degree of ignorance, and some with a degree of fairness. Nevertheless, this methodology is never reliable because it failed to distinguish between the good and the bad. The second deviant methodology is that of Westernization. These are Muslims who went to Western countries and returned laden with their ideas, then sought to apply these deviant ideas to the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They produced shameful works on it. We seek refuge in God from such misguidance. The third methodology—and here I urge the viewers to pay attention—is that of the reformist school, spearheaded by Jamal al-Din Afghani, then Muhammad Abduh, and then Muhammad Rashid Rida. However, Muhammad Rashid... Rida abandoned this approach and followed the methodology of the Ahl al-Hadith after he traveled to the Hijaz and was influenced by the scholars of the Kingdom. This is the problem here, that Jamal al- Din al-Afghani and others have acceptance, but they also, I don't know if they were deceived or what, I don't know, but they were very influenced by Freemasonry and so on. So we ask God Almighty for safety and well-being. This influence of Freemasonry, and they, I mean, we are not talking about their bad intentions, and perhaps they saw that as a kind of reform, so they entered into the biography of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and they wrote about it with this influence, so the writings were very bad from the deviant methodologies, the methodology of the Rafidites and others from the people of innovation, such as the Kharijites and the Murji'ah and other such sects that deviated from the path of the Ahl al- Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. Yes, may God reward you, our Sheikh, what are the basic sources from which we derive the details of the life of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace ? The truth is that there are many sources. The first of these sources is the Book of God, because the Holy Quran tells us about some events that happened to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Look at what happened in the Battle of Badr; you will find it in the Book of God, the Almighty. The same applies to Hunayn and Uhud; all of that is mentioned. So, the first source is the Book of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and it is undoubtedly the most authentic. Secondly, there are the books of Sunnah, the books of the Prophetic Sunnah. My brother Muhammad, I beg your pardon, but I will now answer your question about the recording of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him. I say that the recording of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, went through three stages. The first stage was memorization. The Companions, may God be pleased with them all, memorized the events of the Prophet's biography, and many of these events remained preserved in their hearts for a period of time. Then they were transmitted from the Companions to the Successors, and I will explain to you after this stage the stage of writing mixed with the Sunnah. Now, go to the book of Bukhari, go to the book of Muslim, go to many of the books of Sunnah; you will find in them— complete books, for example, the book of... Now, if you go to... For example, in his book on the Prophet's military expeditions (al-Maghazi), you will find many events that Imam al- Bukhari recorded in his book, and Imam Muslim may also find similar accounts in his Musnad collections and other books. However, the events of the Prophet's biography were initially written alongside the books of Sunnah, intertwined. Later, the stage of independent compilation of these accounts began during the reign of Caliph Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may God be pleased with him). This was because some of the senior Companions, such as Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, and al-Bara', were deeply interested in the Prophet's biography. This interest was passed on to their students, and it was this interest that was documented during the reign of Mu'awiyah (may God be pleased with him). Therefore, we can say that this is the second source for books on the Prophet's biography. Then we come to the books on the military expeditions and independent biographies, such as the accounts of Ibn Ishaq, al-Waqidi, Musa ibn Uqba, and others. The truth is that the books on the military expeditions went through two stages, as I mentioned earlier. The first stage was that they were not entirely separate; rather, they included material from both the Sunnah and the Prophet's biography. Then, independent compilation began, as we mentioned, the fourth source. The books of proofs of the Prophet's prophethood (peace and blessings be upon him) contain many events from his biography. For example, Al-Faryabi's book on proofs, Ibn Abi Hatim's "Signs of Prophethood," and other books classified in this field. We can also say that the books of proofs went through two phases: the first phase was alongside the Sunnah and its books, and the second phase was independent, as I mentioned earlier. May God reward you. Then there are the historical books related to the recording of the Prophet's biography, such as the history of Imam Al-Dhahabi, the history of Ibn Kathir, and other books connected to the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Other sources include books written about his character, conduct, and virtues (may God's prayers and peace be upon him). These also contained many events from the Prophet's life. Another source is the books on his special characteristics. I will explain what these books mean. The books on special characteristics are those rulings specific to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Books like "Nihayat Al-Sul" (The Ultimate Goal) are written on the special characteristics of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). May God protect you. These are books on This is one aspect, but it contains a significant portion of the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him. If you want to learn more, you must read these books. Among the books that are considered very important sources for the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, are the books of the Companions, such as Ibn Hajar's "Al-Isabah," Ibn Abd al- Barr's book, and others. Books written about the Companions contain many events from the Prophet's life, peace and blessings be upon him, because they had a direct relationship with the Messenger of God. Finally, there are the books on the history of Mecca and Medina. These books, written specifically about the history of Mecca and Medina, also touched upon some events from the Prophet's life, peace and blessings be upon him. May God reward you and bless you, Sheikh. You mentioned the contribution of the Companions, may God be pleased with them, and I wanted to ask you specifically about the Mothers of the Believers and their role in transmitting details of his life, peace and blessings be upon him. A rational Muslim who understands true knowledge must fully understand, my brother Muhammad, that the Mothers of the Believers played a very prominent role in preserving the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him. I will mention many stories about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in his family. I only learned about the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) treatment of his wives, his conduct within his home, how he slept, and the nature of his bed through the Mothers of the Believers. This is part of his biography: how he lay down, how he woke up, and other such events. The Mothers of the Believers and the noble Companions also played a significant role in documenting the Prophet's life. As I mentioned earlier, they left no detail, however small, undocumented in the Prophet's sayings, either memorizing them or writing them down in various books. I have already given you some examples of Companions who were deeply interested in the life of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). May God reward you and bless you, our Sheikh. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived the roles of husband, father, leader, educator, and merchant. How does this comprehensiveness benefit each of us in our various fields of expertise? May God bless you. This is a very important question, consistent with what was previously mentioned: that understanding the Prophet's biography is crucial, and we shouldn't simply focus on its events. How does the Prophet's biography serve us? Peace and blessings be upon him. Regarding this aspect, as a husband, for example, the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace, is very rich with accounts of his interactions with his wives. I will mention one such hadith: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was with Aisha on his day when one of his wives sent him a dish of food he loved. The servant brought it, and Aisha, may God be pleased with her, received it. Out of intense jealousy, she seemed to be saying, "Even on my night, you follow me! Leave it until he comes to you, then feed him this food." The other wife wanted to feed the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, this food. It seems that each of them loved it, and she had her reasons. However, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, out of intense jealousy, struck the dish, causing it to fall to the ground and break. The Prophet came out, and some of his companions were with him. They saw the scene, but he did not reprimand or shout, nor did he do anything. Rather, he went to the food and began to pick it up, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. Your mother is jealous, your mother is jealous." Look at this beautiful character! "It's alright, it's alright. Your mother is jealous, your mother is jealous," until he picked up the food and took it inside. Then he took The same bowl that Aisha had, and it seems it was similar to the bowl of the Mother of the Believers. He gave it to the servant and said, "Don't you dare speak! Be quiet! Keep this a secret!" So, my brother, you are now reading such events from the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. You should learn how to treat your wives now. Another example: you mentioned the merchant. Yes, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, before his prophethood, traded with money from Khadija, may God be pleased with her. When he returned, he gave her double the profits, and she realized that he was truthful and trustworthy, may God be pleased with her and bless him and grant him peace. So she insisted on taking him as her husband. And he was, my brother, generous. How did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, raise his children? Take this example: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was on his pulpit one day, saying, "There is no god but God," when Al- Hasan or Al-Husayn entered, stumbling and getting up. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stopped his sermon, descended from the pulpit, carried him, then ascended the pulpit with him and completed his sermon, "There is no god but God." What mercy is this? How was he with... His companions, my brother, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he went out with his companions, one of them would say, "I'll cook," another, "I'll bring the water," and he would say, "I'll gather the firewood." It was the most difficult task he performed, even though they carried him in their very lives. Yet he never hesitated. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in building the mosque, carried bricks on his blessed stomach. In the trench, he participated with his companions in digging. This is how we learn from the Prophet's life, every little thing and every big thing. So, my brother, the merchant, if you want to achieve your goal, if you want to learn the correct methods of trade, then you should study the Prophet's life. My brother, the husband, if you want to be a righteous husband, then you should study the Prophet's life. And you, our sister, the wife, you should study the Prophet's life. Every person in a profession, every person in their place, if they want to benefit from the Prophet's life, peace and blessings be upon him, in their own affairs, they will find what they seek in the best and most complete way. Yes, may God reward you and bless you. And Sheikh, why wasn't the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, paved with miracles all the time, but rather filled with trials and human effort? My dear brother, I want to begin by... To say what is failure means that those who ask such a question think that the trial that happened to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, may be a sign of failure, and God forbid that it may be a sign that God, Blessed and Exalted is He, has rejected him. This is ignorance, my dear brother. Do you know why? True failure is to be deprived of God's pleasure in this world and His Paradise in the Hereafter. Success is winning His pleasure in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter. This is true success. As for the stumbles that occur in this world, the Quran has explained an excuse for them. If a person is tested by his Lord and is honored and blessed, he says, "My Lord has honored me." But if he is tested and his sustenance is restricted, he says, "My Lord, no!" God Almighty disapproves of this. This is not evidence of love, success, or failure. This is not the true nature of trials in this world. Let me tell you its reality. Listen to what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: " When God loves a servant, He tests him. Whoever accepts it will receive God's pleasure, and whoever fails will incur His wrath." He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: "The most severely tested of people are the prophets, then those most like them, and so on." So why did God Almighty want to test His Prophet? Because He loves him, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Then He wanted to say to all of humanity, " I have been sent to you as a human being. I am but a human being like you." He, peace and blessings be upon him, is a human being like you, and he falls ill. It is true that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, may be victorious and defeated, and many calamities befell him. These trials, my brother Muhammad, raised the status of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and elevated his position in this world before the hereafter. And I conclude my answer to this question by asking you a question: Which is more convincing to the soul, proving the truth with evidence and proof or with a miracle? With proof, O Sheikh, with proof and evidence, with proof and evidence, with miracles is not enough, my brother. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not use miracles to support him except in cases of dire need. Rather, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, called to God with clear insight. He called to God, the Blessed and Exalted, with clear insight. This is the truth. May God protect you. Yes, may God reward you, Sheikh. Since you mentioned failure, how can the Prophet's biography help us in our lives, in dealing with these situations, meaning failure or psychological and social crises? This is the topic within the subject we mentioned, and I say to you, social crises and calamities are described by the words of our Lord: "Say, 'It is from yourselves.' Say, 'It is from yourselves. And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a life of hardship, and We will raise him up on the Day of Resurrection." The Prophet's biography, my dear brother, tells us clearly and plainly that everything that happens to us in our worldly life is due to sins we have committed. Now, why did victory turn into defeat because of disobedience? What is it? The archers' disobedience to the Prophet's command at Hunayn initially led to the defeat of the Muslim army. Because of this disobedience, we will not be defeated today because of your small numbers. On the day of Hunayn, when you were impressed by your large numbers, they availed you nothing, and the earth, vast as it is, became too narrow for you, and you turned back in retreat. But when this disobedience and its consequences were rectified, victory returned in full force. So, my brother, may God bless you, we must first consider these events that befall us in a very important way. They are warnings, and perhaps punishments, and sometimes trials, because God Almighty wants to elevate our status. Some of the righteous predecessors, may God be pleased with them all, said, "By God, I see the effect of my disobedience in the creation of my animal." God Almighty wants to remove the effects of their sins from these people so that they may then be as He, the Exalted, intended. If it is not a punishment, then it is a trial to raise their ranks. This is a second point. If we experience a setback, a social setback or a setback in... Regarding the issues in our lives, or what we see today of truly painful events affecting the Muslim Ummah, we must return to the Prophet's biography to understand that everything that happens to us is due to our failure to follow the methodology of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. My dear brother, now [clears throat], if you were to look at some of the events that occurred in what they call the Arab Spring, which in my estimation is not a spring but rather an autumn or a scorching summer—we ask God for well-being and safety—what happened, Sheikh Muhammad? They deviated from the correct path of the Prophet's method, peace and blessings be upon him. How can God Almighty reform governments if we reform our relationship with God Almighty? God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. God Almighty does not change for us unless we change with Him, Glory be to Him. Based on this, may God guide you and me to His obedience, we see—and God Almighty knows best—that the Prophet's biography focuses on these two aspects. It tells us that what happens to us is within our control and due to our own indulgences. Then it directs us to the solution, which is returning to God, Blessed and Exalted is He. Then perhaps, sometimes, it happens For one of us who is on the right path, who is on a good path, perhaps this is truly a test from God Almighty, who wants to elevate the status of this person. And God knows best. May God reward you and bless you, our Sheikh. What is the difference between emotional love for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and following and emulating his life? Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me." Some Sufis have introduced innovations, perhaps with pure intentions—God knows best. We do not know. Perhaps their intentions are pure, but they have introduced innovations under the pretext of their love for the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. Group remembrance, dancing during this remembrance, and those superstitions they have invented, claiming they do this out of love and closeness to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. This is superficial, emotional love, a mere sentimental love. But true love is as God Almighty said: " Say, [O Muhammad], 'If you should love Allah, then follow me.'" The sign of a servant's love for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and before that for God Almighty, is following him. Here, it is necessary to point out, Sheikh Muhammad, that for any action to be accepted and correct, two conditions must be met. The first condition is sincerity; it must be purely for the sake of God, Blessed and Exalted is He. These Sufis, as I said, perhaps have pure intentions—God knows best. We have not seen their intentions, and therefore we remain silent. The second condition is that this action be in accordance with the way of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. And for it to be in accordance with the way of the Prophet—forgive me for saying this—for it to be in accordance with the way of the Prophet, it must meet certain conditions. There are two branches: First, that it be legitimate in its essence, that it be legitimate in its essence, a prayer, which is the afternoon prayer. Okay, good. If someone comes and says, "I want to pray the afternoon prayer," we say, "Blessed be this, it is legitimate in its essence." Second, that it be legitimate in its manner. If someone wants to pray the afternoon prayer without the middle sitting, we are not talking about forgetfulness, but rather intentionally not sitting the middle sitting and saying, "This is better and this is the best." This person should fear for his religion. He should fear for his religion. If he wants to pray the afternoon prayer, for example, and add a rak'ah to it, it is not permissible because it must be in the manner of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Therefore, we say that many of those who claim superficial love, emotional love, have lost the condition of following. As for those who practice true love, which is included in the aforementioned noble verse, these are the ones who fulfill the two conditions of sincerity and following. Yes, may God reward you, our Sheikh. How do we transform the events of the Prophet's biography from mere information into behaviors and morals that we apply in our homes and work? May God bless you. The truth is, this is a very big question. How do we transform the events of the Prophet's biography? Perhaps I can make it easier for you. If every parent took a book on the Prophet's biography and read a story from his life every day of the week, then after reading, they could have a discussion with their children, spouse, and anyone present: "What can we learn from this? What can we learn? What can we learn?" Then, once they grasped these benefits and gems, they could encourage their application. For example, if they took the incident we mentioned earlier about the Prophet's life with his wife Aisha (may God be pleased with her), and perhaps if the children asked, "How do we understand or what can we learn from this story?" one of them might say, "The Prophet ( peace and blessings be upon him) was always humane and far from anger." Then they could say, "Let's apply this to our lives. What do you think, Muhammad? What do you think, Khalid? What do you think, Zaid, about applying this characteristic, this behavior of the Prophet ( peace and blessings be upon him)—human behavior, the behavior of smiling, for example." Another example is that an Arab man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and pulled him so hard that the garment left a mark on his noble neck. Then he said, "O Muhammad!" Give me some of the wealth of God that you possess. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, smiled at him and ordered that he be given a gift. How do we control our anger? We learn this, my dear brother. I mean, the best way to transform the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him, from mere texts is not to be content with reading it historically, nor to be content with reading it as a narrative. Rather, we read the story, extract its gems, and then try to apply them in our lives. The husband applies it in his home, the merchant in his shop, the teacher in his work, and so on for the doctor, the engineer, and every member of society. If we follow this, we ask God Almighty to help us. So, what is our role in spreading these benefits, these lessons, and these wisdoms through available means, such as the internet and social media? If, for example, there is an imam of a mosque, a doctor, or a teacher, he should spread these gems and lessons. And God knows best. May God bless you, our Sheikh. Perhaps we can conclude with a question. This question may have been asked repeatedly, but we ask it often, about the events that... Today we witness the unfortunate situation of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world and the ease with which hostility is directed at Muslims. Sheikh, I wanted to ask you, although the question may be somewhat repetitive, what can the Prophet’s biography teach us about the correct way to deal with these events? The truth is that anyone who contemplates the life of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, will find that he used to command his companions to live through the stage. What does it mean to live through the stage? My brother, the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was at the beginning of his call, made it a secret call, and his companions used to come to him in the house of Al-Arqam ibn Abi Al- Arqam. Then after that, the matter of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, developed, so he moved from the stage of secrecy to the open, so the Quraysh rose up and revolted against the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his noble companions. The Prophet, during this stage, would pass by his companions who were being tortured, so what would he say to them? Be patient, for your reward is Paradise. He was urging them to be patient, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace. Then after that, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant them peace, when he found that the Quraysh would not accept him, he began to look for other places. So without despair, you are now, meaning in a land, in a country, in a place that is harming you. Yes, at this stage, my dear brother, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to find alternatives for calling to God Almighty. If this path is closed to you, then look for another. For example, if you are prevented from going to mosques, you can still call to God Almighty through these means. And so it is with every aspect of our lives; we can find alternatives. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, moved to a kind of jihad by the tongue— jihad by the tongue. He pressed them, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Then came the Prophetic migration, and after that, the stage of strength began after the Battle of Badr, and victory was for Islam and its people in that battle. So, firstly, we live through this stage. Secondly, the Prophetic biography teaches us never to forget our oppressed brothers, especially when we have no material support for them. I say yes, the Prophetic biography teaches us that support is not only material. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The example of the believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion is like that of a single body; if one part of it is afflicted, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.” This is something the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, applied, as in the story of Ra’l and Dhakwan when they were killed. The seventy reciters (of the Quran) angered the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, intensely. Some narrations mention that his face showed his extreme anger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Then, after that, he took revenge for his companions, may God be pleased with them all. Taking revenge signifies a stage of strength. So, we say to our dear brothers, at the outset, we will support our oppressed brothers in two ways. The first is a weapon that never misses its mark: the weapon of supplication. Beware, my Muslim brother, of forgetting supplication, for supplication knocks on the doors of heaven. And who knows, perhaps the supplication of a righteous, pious man will bring relief to one of His servants through God, the Blessed and Exalted. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us that in the end times there will be rulers who follow a path other than his Sunnah and are guided by other than his guidance. And there will arise among them men whose hearts are the hearts of devils and whose bodies are the bodies of humans. Imagine that! Yet, what did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say? " Be patient until harm is relieved or a wicked person is removed. Who knows, perhaps God, the Almighty, will cause many of these to die tomorrow," meaning the wicked ones who lead the charge of harming Muslims. This is in the hands of God, the Almighty. Therefore, supplication is the matter. The other means donation, but through official channels. I absolutely do not accept donations except through the official channels provided by the authorities. You are not permitted to go against the authority of your ruler in your country to support your brothers. My brother, yes, by God, our hearts are burning for what is happening to our brothers, but those in politics know best about politics. You might donate some money through an unofficial channel that could cause unrest in your country and turn it into a major problem, and we have seen this repeatedly. So, if donations are possible through official channels, the official outlets provided by the state, then this is good, a blessing, and good, and God knows best. But there is a matter, if you would allow me, Sheikh Muhammad, that I will mention briefly. I mentioned the methods of compilation, but now we have the methods of judging the texts of the Prophet's biography, the events of his life. These are important methods. There are three methods in general. The first method is those who did not stipulate authenticity, and these are many historians. This is a bad method, meaning it opens the door for anyone to say whatever they want about the Prophet's biography, may God bless him and grant him peace. This is not the correct method. The method that is contrasted with the method of the hadith scholars... A strict group applied the rules of the hadith scholars literally regarding what is permissible and forbidden. This is not the correct approach, and it led to the exclusion of some events from the Prophet's biography, even if they were more authentic and better than the historians' methodology. As for the middle path, the path of moderation, the path of the moderate hadith scholars, my brother Muhammad says, " Some hadith scholars were strict when narrating about what is permissible and forbidden, but lenient when narrating about battles and biographies." What does this leniency mean? I will tell you its general rules: First, we give precedence to the most authentic hadith, then the good hadith, then the hadith that can be corroborated (i.e., weak hadith that can be supported). Then, if we have a contradiction, we give precedence to the strongest hadith. Now, we have weak hadiths in the Prophet's biography that have not been corroborated and remain weak. These can be used under three conditions: First, that their weakness is not severe. Second, that they pertain to a period in time when there were no authentic or good hadiths. There are some events in certain periods where you won't find 100% authentic accounts, but rather a mix of both. Third, that they bear witness These events have established religious principles and objectives, and this is the methodology. Then there are purely historical events, such as city planning, well digging, and population figures. These can be subject to leniency regarding events in the Prophet's biography. And Allah Almighty is the Most High, the Most Knowing, the Most Glorious, and the Most Wise. Yes, may Allah reward you and bless you, Sheikh. We hope to conclude with a word of guidance and advice from you to the viewers. My dear brother, I offer important advice to my brothers, sons, and loved ones regarding the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. My brother, every parent and guardian should have a book on the Prophet's biography in their home and keep it readily accessible. Secondly, they should read whatever they can, even if it is a small amount. Thirdly, they should encourage their children. This encouragement can be through praise or reward. They should motivate their children to learn from the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him. Then we should share this with our brothers, the students of Islamic knowledge. A word of advice to all, especially our brothers and sisters studying Islamic law: you have a crucial task—to bring the life of your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) closer to his community. This can be achieved through the methodology we have discussed, the details of which we have touched upon in this talk. I don't wish to prolong this further. I ask God Almighty to grant us success in obeying Him. I sincerely thank this wonderful academy at the end of this blessed gathering for providing us with this opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters through this program. I ask God Almighty to grant us and you success in obeying Him, to protect us and you from all evil, to be kind to you, and to guide you to what is right. May God reward you. May God benefit us with what we have heard, and may God forgive us and you. I ask God Almighty to place what you have presented to us on the scale of your good deeds, our Sheikh. This is what God Almighty has facilitated for us in this gathering. Thank you for your time and insight. I hope you have benefited greatly, my dear brothers and sisters. Once again, I offer encouragement for the Arabic language to be able to truly benefit from it. everything that we shared with us today we ask Allah to protect him and preserve him to make this heavy on the scale of his good deeds my brothers and sister that is what we have time for knows best and all his companions