continued...Abu 'Irfan Shamil
To truly appreciate the Haj and the Umrah and the Visit to the
Prophet's Mosque, one needs to truly know the detailed authentic
history of the Holy Prophet (s) It is only then that we can love
him who is our spiritual father.
THE IDEAL PROPHET
In the words of Sir Syed Ameer Ali
"Who have seen this wonderful man as an orphan child who had never known a father's love, bereft in infancy of a mother's care, his early life so full of pathos, growing up from a thoughtful childhood to still more thoughful youth. His youth as pure and true as his boyhood; his manhood as austere and devout as his youth. His ear ever open to the sorrows of the weak and the poor; his heart ever full of sympathy and tenderness towards all God's creatures. He walks so humbly and so purely that men turn around and point "There goes Al Amin, the true, the upright, the trusty." A faithful friend, a devoted husband, a thinker intent on the mysteries of life and death, on the responsibilities of human actions, the end and aim of human actions--the end and aim of human existence--he sets himself to the task of reclaiming and reforming a nation, nay, a world with only one loving heart to comfort and solace him. Baffled, he never falters, beaten, he never despairs. He struggles on with indomitable spirit to achieve the work assigned to him. His purity and nobleness of character, his intense and earnest belief in God's Mercy bring round him ultimately many a devoted heart; and when the moment of the severest trial comes, like the faithful mariner, he remains steadfast at his post until all his followers are safe and then betakes himself to the hospitable shore; such we have seen him.We shall see him now the king of men, the ruler of human hearts, chief, lawyer and supreme magistrate, and yet without any SELF-EXALTATION, self-effacing and humble. His history henceforth is merged in the history of the commonwealth of which he was the centre. Henceforth the Preacher who with his own hands, mended his clothes and often went without bread was mightier than the mightiest sovereigns of the earth "
excerpt from "The Spirit of Islam"
He is the Rahmatun Lil Alameen, (Mercy to all
humanity) yet we do not realise the significance
of this special station which is a special gift to humankind.
Muhammad (s)grieves for those around him, those who never saw
him. Not because he feared Hell for them,actually, but because he
was truly
concerned that they have not tasted the exquisite, indescribable
Love of God which is actually the hidden yearning of every human
soul. Ahmad Badawi the great Muslim saint buried at Tanta, Egypt
described the Prophet as the opener of the easiest door leading
to Allah"
"INNA FATAHNA LAKA FAT-HAN MUBEEN " "SURELY WE
HAVE OPENED FOR YOU A MANIFEST OPENING " with which Quranic
words the Milad Dibai opens and with special
significance. The Prophet of Mercy has indicated through his
personal example complete with his own commentary the easiest and
surest path to God .There is no longer any need for those
austerities and severe lifestyles which ancient mystics head to
undergo merely to kill their nafs-e-ammara (the
evil-prompting ego), yet through the path of Muhammad much higher
heights have been reached by thousands of whom Shaykh Abdul Qadir
Jilani, Mevlana Rumi, Shah Naqshband, Shaykh Abdullah Faiz
Daghestani (r) are the better known examples.Be it known that
their miracles are merely the continuation of the Miracle of the
Beloved of Allah, the Focus of His Love .
And as group moved towards the Green Dome--etched eternally in
our minds--we passed by the cemetery of the Lovers of the
Prophet, his companions, known as Jannatul Baqi'. During
one visit when males were allowed to enter the cemetery, one
young Malay, balancing himself on a white pillar, was eulogising
those companions of the Prophet (s) such as Hazrat Usman bin
Affan (r) in poetical terms. His eulogy in tearful and very
emotional strains reflected the feelings of all those around
him.The very desolate condition of the blessed graveyard, albeit
surrounded by reasonably pleasant white walls, further heightened
our sense of sadness.Outside thousands of womenfolk mostly with
faces veiled braved hot weather reciting prayers for the dead at Jannatul
Baqi'.