Stories for Children

Assalaamu Alaikum,




Below is a story that was written a couple of years ago by a dear Sister for children. It deals with Israa and Miraj of the Prophet Muhammad (sm).



Please read and enjoy.



=======================================================================
I wrote this story--based on authentic hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW because

of something a sister said to me. May all Muslims gain benefit from it.



Most scholars feel that Israa and Miraj happened on the night before the

27th of Rajab. Israa means "night journey" and miraj means "ladder" or

"ascension".



All good is from Allah and all mistakes are from me.





>>"AbdurRahman, mommy wants to tell you a story."



>>"I love stories."



>>"This is a true story about the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him."



>>"Oh, I love the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), mommy."



>>"And he loves you. This is a story about that love."



========================================

***The Night Journey***

========================================

One night, a long, long time ago in Makkah, the Angel Gabriel came to the

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) . He cut open his chest, took out his heart,

washed his heart in Zam Zam water, and then filled it with Belief. Then he

put his heart back into his body.



>>"Why did he do that?"



>>"Because his heart had to pure where he was going."



Then a white animal-smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey-was

brought to the Prophet. It was called al Buraq. The Prophet got on Buraq

and it took him to al Aqsa-the farthest mosque.



>>"It must have taken a long time to go from Makkah to Jerusalem on that

animal."



>>"Well, al Buraq was quite special. For each stride that it took, he

would travel as far as the eye could see."



>>"Oooh!"



The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prayed two rakah in al-Aqsa and then came

outside. There, Gabriel held out two containers. The Prophet took one and

Gabriel said, "The other container holds wine and this one, which you

chose, holds milk. This is the religion of Islam to which you and your

followers submit."



Then Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended to the closest

heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened.



"Who is it?"



Gabriel answered, "Gabriel".



"Who is with you?"



Gabriel replied, "Muhammad."



"Has Muhammad been called?"



Gabriel answered that yes, Muhammad had been called.



"He is welcome. What an excellent visit his is!"



The gate was opened. When he entered, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) saw Adam

(pbuh). Gabriel said to him:



"This is your father, Adam. Give him salaams."

So the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave salaams and Adam (pbuh) returned his

salaams and also said, "You are welcome, O pious son and pious prophet."



>>"We say 'peace be upon him' for all the prophets, Mommy, not just the

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him?"



>>"That's right. Ma sha'Allah."



Then Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended to the second

heaven.



Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

entered, he saw the Prophet John (pbuh) and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). The

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) exchanged salaams with them and then Gabriel and

he ascended to the third heaven where the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

exchanged salaams with the Prophet Joseph (pbuh). After exchanging

salaams, Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended to the fourth

heaven where he again exchanged salaams, this time with the Prophet Idris

(pbuh). Then they ascended to the fifth heaven where the Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) exchanged salaams with the Prophet Aaron (pbuh).



>>"Oh I understand! Each time he goes to a higher heaven, he meets a

different prophet."



>>"Yes, may peace be upon them all."



Then Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended to the sixth heaven.

There, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) exchanged salaams with the Prophet

Moses (pbuh). As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left, the Prophet Moses

(pbuh) began to cry. Someone asked Moses why he was crying. "I cry because

there was sent after me a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in

greater numbers than my followers."



>>"But Mommy, we don't follow the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). We follow

Allah."



>>"That is a very good point, AbdurRahman. We follow the example of the

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Sunnah, which is how we follow the commands

of Allah."



Then Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended to the seventh

heaven. After exchanging salaams with the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) who

welcomed him in the same way that the other prophets had, the Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) saw the the most wonderful sight. It was the Lote Tree of

the farthest limit. Subhana'Allah! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr

and-



>>"What does that mean?"



>>"I think that it means that they were very big and ripe."



Its leaves were as big as elephant ears! Subhana'Allah! Words cannot

describe its beauty-



>>"I want to see it. Will I see it?"



>>"Insha'Allah, all people who go to Jannah will see it."



There were four rivers there-two were hidden and two could be seen. The

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked, "What are these two rivers, Gabriel?"



"The two hidden rivers are rivers of Paradise and the rivers that can be

seen are the Nile and the Euphrates."



Then Al Bait-ul-Mamur-the Sacred House-was shown to the Prophet. This is

where 70,000 angels are always giving praises to Allah SWT. It is under

Allah's throne. Then the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was told that Muslims

should pray fifty times a day.



>>"Fifty times? Don't you mean 'five', Mommy?"



>>"No, fifty. Listen and you will understand, insha'Allah."



When the Prophet Muhmammad returned down to the sixth heaven, Moses (pbuh)

asked him what Muhammad (pbuh) had been ordered to do. The Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) told him that fifty prayers should be offered a day.



"Muhammad (pbuh), your followers cannot do fifty prayers a day. By Allah,

I have tested people before you, but Bani Israel could not do it. Go back

to your Lord and ask Him to reduce your followers' burden."



So the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went back up and Allah reduced the number

of prayers to forty. When he came back to Moses (pbuh), he said the same

thing-that forty was still too many prayers. So the Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) went back up and Allah reduced the number of prayers to thirty. But

Moses (pbuh) said the same thing. So again, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

went back up and Allah reduced the number of prayers to ten. Again, Moses

(pbuh) said the same thing. So the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went back up

and Allah reduced the number of prayers to five. Moses said the same

thing-"Five prayers is too much of a burden on your followers. I speak

from experience with Bani Israel."



But the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not go back up. He said, "I have

requested so much from my Lord. I feel ashamed. I am satisfied now and

submit to Allah's Order." As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left the heavens,

a voice said, "I have passed My Order and have reduced the burden of My

Worshippers."



>>"Mommy, why are YOU crying?"



>>"Because…Allah has so much mercy. He reduced the number of prayers from

fifty to five. And still, Muslims complain, astaghfirullah!" Do you

remember that I told you that this was a love story?"



>>"Yes. But is it Allah's love?"



>>"Well, of course, there is Allah's love. But do you see that the Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) loved his ummah-all Muslims-so much that he went back not

one, not two, not three, but FOUR times to his Lord, though he felt

ashamed?"



>>"Is that why we love the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) peace be upon him more

than any other man?"



>>"Yes. It is one reason."



>>"Mommy, I think that we should celebrate the Prophet Muhammad's peace be

upon him Night Journey."



>>"No, no, AbdurRahman. Remember, we follow the example of the Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions who were the most righteous of Muslims.

They never celebrated the Night Journey, and we won't either."



>>"But we remember the night, yes Mommy?"



>>"Yes. We can never forget the night when Allah was so merciful to his

slaves and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed his love for his ummah."

Prophet Muhammad's (Pbuh) love for his Ummah

The Tears of Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam:




Do you realise how much our Prophet Muhammed sallalahu alaihi wasalam loved his people and how deeply he was committed. We should be proud to be a MUSLIM and more proud to be apart of his UMMAH.



Allah subhana wa'tallah kindled the glow of his beloved Prophet sallalahu alaihi wasalam from the outpouring of His own radiance and made the leader of all the Prophets and Messengers the meeting point of all virtues and perfection.



Aside from Allah subhana wa'tallah's Divinity, Oneness and Greatness, whichever attributes of perfection could be bestowed on a human being, were all put into the purest form of the Holy Prophet sallalahu alaihi wasalam thus making him a manifestation of all that is virtuous and perfect in this Universe.



Prophet Muhammad's sallalahu alaihi wasalam final day...



"Suddenly there was a person who said salaam. "May I come in?" he asked. But Fatimah did not allow him to enter the room. "I'm sorry, my father is ill," said Fatimah, and turned back and closed the door.



She went back to Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasalam and he opened his eyes and asked, "Who was he, my daughter?"



"I dont know my father. It's the first time I'm seeing him," Fatimah said gently.



"Know one thing...! He is the one who erases the temporary pleasure; he is who separates the companionship in the world. He is the Angel of Death," said Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam.



Fatimah bore the bomb of her cry.



The death angel came towards Him, but Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam asked by Jibrail did not come along with him.



Then Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam looked at his daughter with a trembled look, as if he wanted to reminisce about every part of his daugther's face.



Then, Jibrail was called. Jibrail was ready int he sky to welcome the soul of Rasulullah and the leader of the Earth.



"O Jibrail, explain to me about my rights in front of Allah? (subhana watalah), Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam asked with a very weak voice.



"The doors of the sky have opened; the angels are waiting for your soul. All Jannats are open widely waiting for you" Jibrail said.



But, in fact, all that did not make Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam relieved.



His eyes were still full of worry.



"You are not happy to hear this news?" asked Jibrail.



"Tell me about the destiny of My People in the future?" said Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam



"Don't worry, O' Rasulullah. I heard Allah (subhana watala) told me: "I make Jannat haram for everyone, except the people of Muhammad," Jibrail said.



The time for Malaekat Izrail to do his work became closer and closer.



Slowly, Rasulullah's sallalahu alaihi wasalam soul was pulled.



It seems that the body of Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam was full of sweat; the nerves of his neck became tight.



"Jibrail, how painful this is!" Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam slowly uttered with a groan.



Fatimah closed her eyes, Ali sat beside her bow deeply and Jibrail turned his face back.



"Am I repugnant to you that you turn your face back O Jibrail?" Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam asked.



"Who is the one who could see Habibullah in His sakartul maut," Jibrail said.



"Not for a while," then Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam uttered a groan because of unbearable pain.



"O Allah (subhana watala) how great is this sakartul maut. Give me all these pains, but DON'T to MY PEOPLE."



The body of Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam became cold, his feet and chest did not move anymore.



With tears in eyes, His lips vibrated as if he wanted to say something.



Ali took his ear close to Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam, "Uushiikumbis salahti, wa maa malakat aimanuku" "Take care of the salat and take care of the weak people among you."



Outside the room, there were cries, each one shouting, Sahaba holding each other. Fatimah closed her face with her hands.



Again, Ali took his ear close to Rasulullah's sallalahu alaihi wasalam and with this mouth which became bluish, and TEARS IN HIS EYES, he uttered: "Ummatii Ummatii, Ummatii" " My People, My People, My People"







Could we ever love each other like Him. "Allahumma Salli Ala Muhammadin Abdika Wa Rasoolika Wa Salli Alal Mu'mineena Wal Mu'minaati Wal Muslimeena Wal Muslimaati"



How deep was Rasulullah's sallalahu alaihi wasalam love for us.



Reading this has brought tears to my eyes. It shows us the compassion and love Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasalam had for His Ummah.



Let us be conscious and aware to love Allah subhana watala and Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam as Allah subhana watala and Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wasalam love us.



Don't worry if people hate you because there are many others who love and care for you. But be worried if Allah subhana watala is displeased with you because there is non other who loves and cares for you here and in the Akhirat.



Fi Amanallah



Allah hafiz

Patience -Sabr

Patience is the first weapon for the believer to use when facing hardship. Patience has been mentioned in the Noble Qur'an more then 90 times. Also it was mentioned many times in authentic Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). All of these verses and Ahadith talk about the importance of patience in the lives of the believers. All of the messengers of Allah (S.A.W.) suffered great hardships in their lives, yet all of them practiced patience. Therefore, Allah (S.W.T.) alleviated their hardship and promised them great rewards in the hereafter.






What is the Definition of Patience:



Patience is when a person restrains himself from being fearful during hard times. Also, a person who is patient restrains himself from doing prohibited acts and does what is obligated and righteous.



Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “There are three types of patience: Firstly, practicing patience to fulfill the obligations and to do righteous. Secondly, abstaining from evil and prohibited acts. And thirdly, practicing patience during times of hardship without complaints.”



Importance of Patience:



Imam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Allah mentions patience in His Book more than 90 times. Within one verse, Allah orders us to practice both patience and prayer. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Truly! Allah is with the patient.” (Verse 153) Surat Al-Baqarah.



Allah chose the qualities of a leader in Islam to be one who has both patience and certainty in one's deen. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.” (Verse 24) Surat As-Sajdah.



Ibn Taymiyya continues on to say that, all of Islam is built upon the knowledge of the truth and the implementation of that knowledge. Implementation of that knowledge requires patience. And seeking this knowledge also requires patience. With that Ali (R.A.) said, “ Patience's position to faith is similar to the position of the head to the body. If the head is cut off, the body dies.” Then he raised his voice saying, “There is no faith, for a person who doesn't have patience.”



We will go over The Three Types of Patience with more detail



The first type of patience is when a person works constantly to fulfill obligations and to do righteous deeds. With that said, Allah (S.W.T) commands His servants in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, so worship Him and be constant and patient in His worship.” (Verse 65) Surat Maryam. Similarly, Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “And enjoin prayer on your family, and be patient in offering them.” (Verse 132) Surat Taha.

The messengers of Allah needed great patience in order to fulfill their obligations of conveying the message and fixing the conditions of individuals and society. Without this patience, they could not succeed in their tasks. Therefore, Allah (S.W.T.) commanded to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in the Noble Qur'an, what could be translated as, “Therefore be patient [O Muhammad] as did the Messengers of strong will.” (Verse 35) Surat Al-Ahqaf.



Likewise, patience is needed when dealing with Muslims and righteous people. Using patience, a person can fulfill his obligations toward people. Although they may harm you, you must use patience with them. Thus, Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “And keep yourself [O Muhammad] patiently with those who call on their Lord [your companions].” (Verse 28) Surat Al-Kahf. The prophet (S.A.W) said, “It is better for you to mix yourself around people who may harm you, and to be patient with them, then it is to isolate yourself from them, and to not practice patience from their harm.”



Also, a Muslim who is fighting for the cause of Allah (S.W.T) needs much patience. Hence, Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “But if you remain patient and be pious, not the least harm will their cunning do to you.” (Verse 120) Surat Al-Imran.



The second type of patience is when a person abstains from prohibited acts and from evil. Abstaining from prohibited acts requires a great struggle against one's desires, and takes much patience in refraining from the evil influences of Satan among man and Satan among Jinn. Therefore, Allah (S.W.T.) will give great rewards on the Day of Judgment to those who patiently abstained from evil. The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) told us about the people who will receive a special reward: “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His shade on the day when there would be no shade but His shade (i.e., on the Day of Judgment) and among them: a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah, …a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he rejected this offer by saying: I fear Allah….” {Imams Bukhari and Muslim} Prophet Yusuf (S.A.W.) is another example of a person who abstained patiently from the evil lure of the wife of the King of Egypt. Prophet Yusuf chose incarceration for several years rather than committing an evil act.



The third type of patience is when a person practices patience during times of hardship without complaints. One must not complain because Allah (S.W.T.) predestines their hardship. This is the fruit of believing in predestination. Predestination is one of the pillars of faith. Allah (S.W.T.) said in the Noble Qur'an what could be translated as, “No calamity befalls, but with the leave (decision and Qadar (Divine Preordainment) of Allah.” (Verse 11) Surat At-Taghabun.



People who are trying to be patient during hardship should not just sit around and do nothing to help out their bad conditions. Instead, a Muslim must be patient, yet ease his hardship by all lawful means. There are some tools that Allah has made lawful for us to use to fight against hardship. Therefore, we should make use of these means to relieve ourselves from these hardships.

The believer knows that Allah (S.W.T.) predestined hardship for man by His Greater Wisdom. And Allah (S.W.T.) will reward the believer for his patience during hardship, by wiping out sins and lifting him up to higher levels of Paradise. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an, what could be translated as, “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Saabireen (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. And they are those who are blessed and they are those who receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones.” (Verses 155 to 157) surat Al-Baqarah.



Also, the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said: “How wonderful is the situation of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this is not the case with any one except a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.”{Imam Muslim}



In another hadith, the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said: “Never a believer is

stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn that his sins are removed for him.” {Imams Bukhari and Muslim}



Some of the Benefits of Patience:



We should recognize that there are many benefits of patience. A person will benefit from patience in this life and/or the hereafter. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Noble Qur'an, what could be translated as, “Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.” (Verse 10) surat Az-Zumar.



Here are some of the benefits of patience:





Patience keeps you from getting bored during serious activities that require continuous energy and time.

Patience keeps you from rushing on tasks that require much time.

Patience controls you during times of anger and prevents you from committing wrong verbal or physical acts.

Patience controls you during conditions of fear and prevents you from committing wrong verbal or physical acts.

Patience controls you from greediness and prevents you from committing wrong verbal or physical acts.





Patience controls you from following your own desires.

Patience prepares you to withstand physical or psychological hardship when it is required.

Practicing patience is proof of the completion of faith and it is a good practice of Islam.

Practicing patience gives you guidance in your heart.

Practicing patience will lead you to being loved by Allah (S.W.T.) and the people.





Practicing patience is required in positions of power and authority.

Practicing patience will make a person enter Paradise and it will save him from the hellfire.

Practicing patience will always keep you under the protection and care of Allah (S.W.T.).

Practicing patience will protect you from the fear on the Day of Judgment.

Practicing patience will lead you to die as a good Muslim.

Finally, Practicing patience will give you the blessings and mercy of Allah (S.W.T.).



Overall, we have learned that patience is the key to success in this life and in the hereafter. Therefore, we should try hard to practice patience in our lives, and we should know that we could all gain patience with practice and struggle. We can also learn patience by being with those who are patient and being away from those without it. We should know that there are different levels of patience. We can all start at the first level, and ascend to the top with the help of Allah (S.W.T.). We ask Allah (S.W.T.) to make us among those who are patient, and to gather us with them on the Day of Judgment





(Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC, delivered this Friday speech on April 18, 2003)

Prophet Muhammad foretold in the Torah and Bible

The coming of Prophet Muhammad had been foretold in the Torah. God had said to Moses:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him" Deuteronomy 18:18

Who in the Old Testament were the brethren of the sons of Israel if not the sons of Ismael? (descended from Abraham's first wife Hagar at the well of Zam Zam at Makkah called Bakkah in those days) Who else could have been the Prophet like unto Moses? Who was more similar to him than the Prophet Muhammad?

The prophecy in Bible has been fulfilled by the advent of Prophet Muhammad. Jesus says in the Bible, John 16:7 and 16:13:

"If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you . . .We will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak . . ."

Prophet Muhammad was a receptacle of Divine revelation and Angel Gabriel used to bring the words from God, which would be "etched" upon his heart. The first revelation to Prophet Muhammad at the cave of Mount Hira:

"Read! In the name of your Lord Who Creates

Creates man from a clot of blood

Read! And your Lord is most generous

Teaches man that which he knew not" Quran 96:1-5

Genesis 17:7 Covenant Allah (Elohim in Hebrew) made with Abraham and Ishmael

MUHAMMAD, No. 1. The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History by Michael H. Hart

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians; it was from them no doubt that Muhammad first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe. When he was forty years old, Muhammad became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet's life. In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad's following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion.




When Muhammad died, in 632, he was the effective ruler of all of southern Arabia. The Bedouin tribesmen of Arabia had a reputation as fierce warriors. But their number was small; and plagued by disunity and internecine warfare, they had been no match for the larger armies of the kingdoms in the settled agricultural areas to the north. However, unified by Muhammad for the first time in history, and inspired by their fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history. To the northeast of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrested from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642. But even these enormous conquests, which were made under the leadership of Muhammad's close friends and immediate successors, Ali, Abu Bakr and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain.



For a while, it must have seemed that the Moslems would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. However, in 732, at the famous Battle of Tours, a Moslem army, which had advanced into the center of France, was at last defeated by the Franks. Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean-the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed. Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. The Persians, though they have remained faithful to the religion of the Prophet, have since regained their independence from the Arabs. And in Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare, finally resulted in the Christians reconquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Moslem, as has the entire coast of North Africa. The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Moslem conquests. Currently it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. In the Indian subcontinent, however, the conflict between Moslems and Hindus is still a major obstacle to unity.



How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world's great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Moslems in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam. Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem holy scriptures, the Koran, a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad's lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Koran therefore, closely represents Muhammad's ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the Koran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammad through the medium of the Koran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity.



On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus. Furthermore, Muhammad (unlike Jesus) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them. For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Muhammad, and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him. The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan. These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan. It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, there extends a whole chain of Moslem nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture.



The centrality of the Koran in the Moslem religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist. For instance, neither Iran nor Indonesia, both oil-producing states and both Islamic in religion joined in the oil embargo of the winter of 1973-74. It is no coincidence that all of the Arab states, and only the Arab states, participated in the embargo. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.

Prophet Muhammad – The Prophet of Islam

A Prophet is a caring loving person who teaches people the right way to live. I am going to tell you about a prophet in the medieval times. His name was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who brought the message of Islam (peace) to the world. The people who follow Islam are called Muslims.


Prophet Muhammad preached that there is only one God and he, Muhammad is the messenger of God. Muslim is an Arabic word for one that submits to God and lives by God’s laws.




Prophet Muhammad was a very important man during medieval times in Asia. He taught the people to change from worshipping idols to one God. He taught them to respect their parents and elders. He taught about equal rights and respect for women. He taught that the rich and poor are alike in the sight of God and that their good deeds will help them meet God in heaven. He taught them to live honestly and that working hard to earn a living is also considered worship of God. God is called “Allah” in Arabic and he taught people to remember God at all times.



His teachings brought about peace and prosperity to the Middle East and all the lands ruled by the Muslims. During the medieval times, the great prosperity was due to a large extent from the preaching of Prophet Muhammad who said, “To obtain knowledge travel into China if necessary.” This made the people travel great distances in order to learn more and there was great trading and learning by meeting the people of India, China, Persia and the West. This prosperity spread to Spain where the Muslims ruled for 700 years, and in fact, the majority of the sailors on the Columbus ships were Muslims who had gained great experience from their travels and trading with the lands of India, Africa and China.




In the medieval times, Muslims were great scholars and scientists and preserved the work of the Greeks by translating them into Arabic. They used this knowledge as well as knowledge of making paper from China, of mathematics from India and they built the first University of the world in Egypt. This University called Al Azhar University, which is still in existence, a thousand years later.



In conclusion Prophet Muhammad’s teachings influenced not only the religious and social life of the people, but also their scientific and economic life and there was great prosperity brought about by following his instructions that came from God. In the medieval period, the Muslims provided the bridge of knowledge to the West who were experiencing the Dark Ages and by using this the Renaissance period began. The other good thing produced by the Muslims was the beautiful architecture, art and calligraphy as Prophet Muhammad taught that God loves beauty and the Muslims did everything beautiful to please God.

Prophet Muhammad preached that there is only one God


He taught the people to change from worshipping idols to one God.

He taught them to respect their parents and elders.

He taught about equal rights and respect for women.

He taught that the rich and poor are alike in the sight of God and that their good deeds will help them meet God in heaven.

He taught them to live honestly and that working hard to earn a living is also considered worship of God.

God is called “Allah” in Arabic and he taught people to remember God at all times.

His teachings brought about peace and prosperity to the Middle East and all the lands ruled by the Muslims. During the medieval times, the great prosperity was due to a large extent from the preaching of Prophet Muhammad who said, “To obtain knowledge travel into China if necessary.”




This made the people travel great distances in order to learn more and there was great trading and learning by meeting the people of India, China, Persia and the West. This prosperity spread to Spain where the Muslims ruled for 700 years, and in fact, the majority of the sailors on the Columbus ships were Muslims who had gained great experience from their travels and trading with the lands of India, Africa and China.



Before Prophet Muhammad started teaching about Islam, many Arabs did not know how to read. Prophet Muhammad's teachings from the Quran began a great education of all the people. Becoming a writer and a calligrapher was a great honor and Arabic grammar was established with Hazrat Ali as the main advisor.



In the medieval times, Muslims were great scholars and scientists and preserved the work of the Greeks by translating them into Arabic. They used this knowledge as well as knowledge of making paper from China, of mathematics from India and they built the first University of the world in Egypt. This University called Al Azhar University, which is still in existence, a thousand years later.