In the Name of the Most Merciful
for Whom these words are said,
We recount the noble Seerah
of His Prophet Muhammad
It had been six hundred years since the earth had seen
a guide,
From the time of the Messiah, who had not been crucified.
But before he was raised up, to Bani Israil, he said,
{After me will come a Messenger, whose name will
be Ahmad.}
In the centuries that followed, humankind had gone astray,
From the message of the prophets, and the pure and
natural Way.
They had turned to man-made idols out of ignorance
and pride,
Taking gods besides Allah, so that His Oneness was denied.
All the weak ones were oppressed and many wrongs were
seen as right;
In the darkness mankind wandered till Allah would send
His light.
On a bless-ed day in springtime, in the year called
‘Aam al-Fil,
In the desert town of Makkah was to come the Final Seal.
Abdullah, the Prophet’s father, never lived to see his son;
Aminah was honored by Allah to bear the chosen one.
Praised in Heaven and on Earth, he graced the world that
Monday morn;
Allah’s mercy filled the universe when Muhammad was
Born
He was son of ‘Abdullah, who was ‘Abdul Muttalib’s son,
Son of Hashim, then ‘Abdu Manaf, the brave and handsome
one;
Then Qusay, and then Kilab, then Murrah, then Ka’b,
then Lu’ay,
Son of Ghalib, son of Fi-hr, or Quraysh, as they would say.
To ‘Adnan, the father of the Arabs, trace his family tree,
For it leads to Ibrahim, through ‘Isma’il, his progeny.
So his light was passed from noble loins through wombs so
chaste and pure;
Once it came into the world, it would abide forevermore
As an infant, he was suckled by Halima after birth,
Turned away by other wet-nurses who did not know
his worth.
Though the Best of God's Creation seemed in front of
them, helpless,
Still a day would come when they would turn to him in
their duress.
Angels bathed his heart in Zamzam and replaced it
in his chest;
Those around him knew this bless-ed child was different from
the rest.
Raised by uncle Abu Talib after both his parents died,
Though an orphan in his early years, Allah was by his side.
He protected him and saved him from the evil and obscene;
So trustworthy was he known to be, they called him al-
Ameen.
Clouds would race to shade him and the trees would bow
down in respect;
Those bestowed with sacred insight knew that he was
the Elect.
As the prayer of Prophet Abraham and Jesus’s good news,
He was mentioned in the scriptures of the Christians and
the Jews.
He was noblest in his lineage, in virtue, without peers;
He was loved among his people till the age of forty years.
While the people worshipped many gods, he knew Allah
was One;
In a cave, he would pray to Allah, not seen by anyone.
Till one night, there came upon him revelation from Allah;
Jibra-il appeared before him as his heart was filled
with awe.
Then enveloped by the angel, he was squeezed; for breath,
he fought.
When the angel said,"Recite!"; all he replied was,
"I cannot!"
On the third time he was squeezed, he asked, "What shall I
then recite?!"
And Allah’s eternal Words came down, revealed to man that
night.
As the Prophet left the cave distressed, for home he
made a start.
There, he found his wife Khadijah; her support consoled his
heart.
Jibra-il would come to him with revelation, crystal clear:
As Allah's beloved Messenger, he had nothing to fear.
So, first quietly, then openly, the Prophet made his call,
That the people leave their pagan ways and witness one and
all:
That there’s no god but Allah, and by His will alone I speak;
He alone is whom we worship, and from Him all aid we seek!
He would call the people to Allah, and day and night implore:
{If you love Allah, then follow me; He’ll love you
even more…!}
Once, the pagans threw some waste on him as he bowed
down in prayer;
They were laughing while his daughter cried, but he did not
despair.
For Allah is with those people who put all their trust
in Him;
And the Lord was with his Prophet, peace and blessings
be on him.
One by one, the hearts began to turn towards the
guiding light,
As Islam rescued the downtrodden and gave to them
their right.
Though Bilal was tortured in the sun, Sumayyah put to death,
Still, they held tight to their faith and they would say till their
last breath…
After losing wife and uncle and the boycott of
his clan,
After Ta’if, where they’d stoned him, came a gift from al-
Rahman.
As he lay asleep beside the Noble Ka’bah in the night,
He was woken by the angel, and then taken up in flight.
Riding on Buraq, he made the journey that is called Isra,
To the city of Jerusalem, to Masjid al-Aqsa.
There, he led the prophets in a prayer, and chose milk over
wine;
Then ascended to the heavens for a tryst with the Divine.
Raised beyond the seven skies, so many wondrous sights
he saw,
Till he crossed the Furthest Lote-Tree, for his discourse
with Allah.
Sent back on that very night, he brought a gift for his
Ummah;
On the next day, Muslims stood with him to pray their
first Salah!
At the time of Hajj, the Prophet shared Islam with every clan;
When the Truth spread to Medinah, the Quraysh devised a
plan.
As they hatched the plot to kill him, came Allah’s divine
command:
For the Message to continue, he would have to leave his land.
And then he and Abu Bakr left their cherished home enroute,
To Medinah, for the Hijrah, with the pagans in pursuit.
As they hid inside a cave one time, a pagan almost saw, [but]
“What do you think of two people when the third one is
Allah?”
While the people were awaiting him, at last, the Prophet
came;
Light and joy filled all Madinah; it would never be the same!
Then from joining them in brotherhood and leading them in
prayer,
He made peace between the neighbors, teaching them with
love and care.
When at Badr they first met Quraysh, the angels came
and fought;
Then at Uhud, when mistakes were made, some lessons
would be taught.
They would fight for truth and justice, while upholding
chivalry.
They’d show strength when they were weak; when strong,
they would show clemency.
In the Battle of the Trench, they chose to fight defensively;
At the triumph of Hudaybiya, they used diplomacy.
So the Muslim Ummah grew with every test that it survived,
Till the time to liberate the town of Makkah had arrived.
Marching into Makkah unopposed, the Muslims now were
strong;
When the pagans saw the Prophet, they knew that they had
been wrong.
For so long they had oppressed him, now they feared he
would repay;
But he said, like Prophet Yusuf, "There's no blame on
you today."
As the idols at the Ka’bah fell, he said {Truth now appears,
And the falsehood has but perished; falsehood always
disappears.}
Then the people came to Truth, just as the prophecy foretold,
For Allah had sent Muhammad as a mercy to the world!
Then he went back to Madinah, choosing life with his Ansar,
But the was time fast-approaching, that they all had thought was far.
First, he told all his Companions that this Hajj would be
his last;
To adhere to all the things that he had taught them in the past.
Then, when seeing off a traveller, these parting words he gave:
“When you come next year you might find just my masjid and
my grave.”
When the time to part came closer, all the hearts were filled
with fear;
What will happen if he leaves us? In this world, there's none
more dear!
In his final illness, Abu Bakr led the daily prayer;
From his room, the Prophet smiled, giving one last look of care.
Then, as our beloved Prophet lay in Aisha's arms, he spoke:
"Guard your prayers, and fear Allah in how you treat your
servant-folk!"
Then, he gazed towards the heavens and began to say softly:
“Allahumma! Gather me into The Highest Company!” [x3]
And with that, the Prophet left this world; the universe
shed tears...
All the precious time they'd had with him had been the best of
years.
SECTION 13: LONGING FOR THE PROPHET (PEACE
AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM)
How I wish I'd met the Prophet to touch his soft hands
with mine,
Or to look upon his face, from which prophetic light would
shine!
Or to shield him when the rocks were thrown, so they'd
hit me instead!
But my consolation comes in what Rasul Allah had said:
“While my life was good for you, my death will be good for you
too:
I’ll be shown your deeds, so when I see a sin, I’ll pray for you.”
And he said, “O people, if you one day face calamity,
Find your strength by thinking of the pain you felt by losing
me.”
When he missed his brothers, his Companions asked,
"Then who are we?"
“Friends,” he said, “My brothers never saw me, yet
believed in me!”
If you long to meet the Messenger, then patience is the key;
At the start of the Hereafter, you will see him finally.
He will be the leader of humanity on Judgement Day;
After all, he was the Messenger when Adam was still clay.
When the prophets on that Day will only say, “Nafsi! Nafsi!”
He will plead before Allah, crying “My Ummah! Ummati!”
He will bow and praise Allah in words no one before
has said;
He’ll be granted Intercession as he lifts his noble head.
He will beg Allah to pardon us, so sinner don’t despair;
He won’t take his seat in heaven till his Ummah joins him there!
Allahumma join us with Your Chosen Prophet on the Day
When the world is resurrected, with the souls in disarray!
Let us gain his Intercession, when we’re taken to account!
Let us quench our thirst forever when we meet him at
his Fount!
When a man once asked for heaven in the Prophet’s company,
“Help me get you this,” he told him, “by prostrating frequently.”
If we fear that our good deeds are few, and sins stacked
high above,
Our last hope is, as he told us: "You'll be with the one
you
Because loving is believing, and our faith is not yet whole,
Till we love him more than parent, child, and
every single soul.
PRAISE FOR THE PROPHET ) )صلى الله عليه و سلم
Such a beautiful creation, mortal eyes had never seen
Nor had women given birth to one so perfect and pristine;
So complete in form and meaning, and from every blemish,
free,
As if he had been created, just the way he’d want to be.
Best of those who ever lived or ever walked upon the earth;
Sinless since the bless-ed day on which his mother gave
him birth.
He was one of Bani Adam, but between himself and them,
Was as though mankind were stones, and as though he, a
priceless gem.
Even if he had not come with any miracle or sign,
Just the sight of him would tell you that he came from
the Divine.
Never should we think that by these words the Prophet has
been praised;
Rather through his bless-ed mention, it’s our words that have
been raised.
For Allah Himself has praised him, when He said so perfectly
{Truly, you are on a station of sublime integrity!}
Joyous tidings to those who believed when he called to Allah;
Since he was the best of prophets, we became the best Ummah!