Excellence of Salat-'Alan-Nabi ﷺ, Noble Birth of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ and Worship in the Cave of Hira

Excellence of Salat-'Alan-Nabi

Sayyiduna 'Abdur Rahman Bin Awf رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ has narrated that the Prophet of Rahmah, the Intercessor of Ummah صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم once came out. I also followed him. He صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم entered a garden and performed Sajdah. The Sajdah was so long that I feared his blessed soul has left his blessed body. Therefore, approaching him, I looked at him closely.

After the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم lifted his blessed head, he صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم asked me, 'O 'Abdur Rahman! What happened?' I told him what I had feared. He صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم said, 'Jibraeel Ameen has told me, 'Are you not pleased that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has said whoever recites Salat upon you I will shower mercy upon him, and whoever sends Salaam to you I will grant him protection.'

(Musnad Imam Ahmad, vol. 1, pp. 406, Hadees 11662)

Zamanay walay sataey, Durood-e-Pak parho

Jahan kay gham jo rulayn, Durood-e-Pak Parho

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! Although the religion of Arabs was Deen-e-Ibraheem عَلَيْهِ السَّلام (Religion of Ibrahim) but it was badly distorted. Monotheism was replaced by the polytheism and the place of worshiping one Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ was occupied by Idol-worshipping. Some of them used to consider the idols to be their gods while other used to worship trees, moon, stars and sun; even some wicked non-believers were engaged in worshipping the angels, declaring them to be the daughters of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. The moral decline and the character deterioration had worsened to such an extent that they were indulged in drinking alcohol, gambling, adultery and killings and bloodshed all the time. The hardness of their heart can easily be measured by the most heinous act of burying infant girls alive as soon as they were born and sometimes they would even slaughter humans to propitiate their idols.

This act of extreme brutality was committed in such a way that at specific timings a white camel or a human used to be brought for this purpose and they would circumambulate the sacred place three times singing hymns, thereafter, the chief of the tribe or the aged worshipper would make a first quick blow striking that camel or human and would drink some of its blood. Then attendees would rush towards the slaughtered white camel or a human, tearing it to pieces and would devour it raw!

In short, brutality and barbarism prevailed in pre-Islamic Arab culture. During the battles, burning men alive, slitting the stomach of women, slaughtering children and tossing them on spears in the battle fields were not considered the evil and offensive types of acts.

Miserable condition of the world

This miserable and pathetic condition was not just confined to the Arabia; in fact the entire world was plunged into darkness. Thus, majority of Persian people used to worship fire and commit incest with their own mothers. Most of the Turkish people were engaged in destroying, ravaging, plundering and ransacking the towns and villages all the time. Idol worshipping and cruelty were their common practices. People of India knew nothing except idol worshipping and self-immolation. Hence, the sheer darkness of unbelief and ignorance was overspread everywhere. In short, such an awful savagery and viciousness turned the non-believer into worse than the beast.

The Noble Birth of Beloved Prophet

Under such height of universal inhumanity and cruelty when pitch darkness and ignorance became rampant, the most Revered and Renowned, the Embodiment of Perfection, the most Generous and Kind, the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم was born as a radiant beacon of guidance for the entire world after 55 days of the event of Ashaab-e-Fil (Miraculous event of elephant) on $12^{th}$ Rabi'-un-Noor corresponding to Monday 20th April 571 at the break of dawn when some stars were visibly twinkling in the sky.

The most shiny face like the moon, full of Musk fragrance, circumcised, without an umbilical (navel) cord, with the blessed seal of Prophet-hood radiating between the blessed shoulders, kohl-eyed and with miraculously pure and clean body, the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم came to this world placing his both blessed hands on the floor and raising his blessed head towards the sky.

(Al-Mawahib-ul-La-Duniyyah, Qastalani, vol. 1, pp. 66-75)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Rabi'-ul-Awwal ummedon ki Dunya sath lay aaya

Du'aon ki qabuliyyat ko hathon hath lay aaya

Khuda nay Na-Khuda'i ki khud insaani safinay ki

Keh Rahmat ban kay chha'i barhwen shab is mahinay ki

Jahan mayn jashan-e-subh eid ka saman hota tha

Udhar Shaytan tanha apni nakami pay rota tha

Sada hatif nay di ay sakinan-e-khitta hasti!

Hui jati hay phir abaad ye ujri hui basti

Mubarakbad hay un kay liye jo zulm sahtay hayn

Kahin jin ko aman milti nahin barbad rehtay hayn

Mubarakbad baywa'on ki hasrat za nigahon ko

Asar bakhsha gaya naalon ko faryadon ko aahon ko

Za'ifon baykason aafat naseebon ko Mubarak ho

Yateemon ko ghulamon ko ghareebon ko Mubarak ho

Mubarak thokirayn khak ha kay payham girnay walon ko

Najat dashit-e-ghurbat mayn bhataktay phirnay walon ko

Mubarak ho kay khatam-ul-mursaleen tashreef lay aaey

Janab-e-Rahmat-u-lil-'Aalameen tashreef lay aaey

Basad andaaz-e-yakta'i baghayat shan-e-zayba'i

Ameen ban ker amanat Aminah ki good mayn aaie

The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم performed Sajdah (prostration) soon after his birth and the following supplication was on his blessed lips: رَبِّ هَبْلِي أُمَّتِي O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ Grant me my Ummah.

(Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 3, pp. 717)

رَبِّ هَبْلِى أُمَّتِي Kahtay huey payda huway

Haq عَزَّوَجَلَّ nay farmaya keh bakhsha الصَّلُوةُ وَالسَّلَام

Worship in the cave of Hira

Dear Islamic brothers! You have already heard the deplorable conditions of the vast majority of Arabs. In spite of living amongst such brutal people, our beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم never engaged himself صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم in fun and entertainment such as games etc. The personality of the most laudable qualities, the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم always abstained from every type of evil activity. As the blessed personality of Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم was adorned by the most incredible moral character and ethics that even his own tribesmen used to call him with the noble appellations such as trustworthy and truthful. He صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم used to stay in the cave of Mountain Hira (which is on the left side when going to Mina from Holy Makkah) and would engross himself in worshipping Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ continuously for many days.