A Special episode in the occasion of the Prophet’s Birthday

“By the fig, and the olive. By Mount Sinai. By this city of security (Makkah). Verily, We created man in the best stature (mould).” In this Sûrah Allah (SWT) didn't say “We created the believers”, but He said “We created man”. Why did He swear by the fig, the olive, the mount of Sinai and the secured city? And who is the man is meant in this verse? When we hear this verse we think of Adam (AS), the first man on earth, for Adam and Eve used the fig tree leaves to cover their genital organs after they ate from the forbidden tree. Olive is a reference to Nuh (Noah) (PBUH), for the first thing he saw after the flood was the olive tree. As for the mount of Sinai, it refers to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), (AS). It is the mount on which Allah (SWT) addressed Musa, and it also refers to that era between Musa and Isa (AS). This “city of security” is a reference to Ibrahim (Abraham) and Muhammad (PBUH). it is clear that this oath is a reference to the five Resolute messengers who represent all prophets, from Adam (PUH) to the Dooms Day. It is as if Allah (SWT) is swearing by all those prophets, assuring that He created man in the best of moulds. Hence, behind every oath there is a kind of wisdom.



Allah saved us with this Holy Book from some of those who oppose it and ask about the reason behind negating the oath in Sûrat Al-Wâqi‘ah (verse75) “So wouldn't I swear by the setting of the stars”. We reply saying that the answer is in the Holy Qur’an itself, in the verse following that verse. In the following verse, Allah-be He Exalted and Glorified- says, “And verily that is indeed a great oath, if you but know”. Hence, the negated oath here is in itself an oath, but what is its usage? We use such an oath daily in different life issues. If we follow that kind of oaths in the whole Qur’an, we find that Allah uses it to swear ion things that originally need no swearing, like that in that verse subject to the question. Allah swears that “That (this) is indeed an honorable recitation (the Noble Qur’an). In a Book well-guarded (with Allâh in the heaven i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz ).” It's as if such a thing should be crystal clear and needs no swearing or oath. With regard to the positive oath, it is used with things that need swearing.



Sûrat Ad-Duha (The Forenoon):



“By the forenoon (after sunrise). By the night when it darkens (and stands still). Your Lord (O Muhammad) has neither forsaken you nor hates you”. The morning light takes an hour from the day hours, while the night takes many hours (starting from sunset to dawn). In this context, Allah swears by both the morning light and the night on the following facts: “Your Lord (O Muhammad) has neither forsaken you nor hates you. And indeed the last time you receive the revelation is always better than the previous one”. This was meant to comfort the Prophet's heart. There is also the meaning that the Prophet (PBUH) is like the morning bright hour in relation to the many night hours that refer to the rest of prophets and messengers (AS) Them all). Prophet Muhammad is like a star among the rest of prophets and messengers. He is a complete group, while the rest of prophets and messengers are all considered another group. Furthermore, what is the meaning of ““? Is it night that gets quiet and rests or people during night hours? Hence, it is people who rest at night. It’s a linguistic creativity to examine the impact of the oath in this verse “Your Lord (O Muhammad) has neither forsaken you nor hates you.” on the Prophet (PBUH). It’s an honor to have Prophet Muhammad as the sole prophet for our oumma (nation). As we said before that the numerousness of prophets in a nation isn’t a proof of that nation's nobility. Thus all such praising for the Prophet describes him as the sole prophet of the Muslim nation.



If we go back to the Prophet's orphanage and Allah’s words, “and gave you a refuge?” after which we can never say that Muhammad was an orphan. We notice that every time there was a guardian who cared for the Prophet, that guardian died: his father died before he was born, then his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib. All this happened on purpose, so that it would not be said that the Prophet (PBUH) got his cleverness and eloquence from the men of his tribe, to assure the Prophet’s words: “Allah disciplined me, and so well He did”. Even the mother who has a great effect in educating the child and bringing him up, died after he came back from Halima’s house! Therefore, we say that orphanage did not affect the Prophet (PBUH), because being an orphan renders him in need to the sympathy and pity of people, but Muhammad was given shelter ands care by Allah (SWT).



“And He found you unaware (of the Qur’an, its laws, and Prophethood) and guided you?” We need to stop at this verse because a lot of people ask about the meaning of “unaware” here. Let's consider Ibrahim’s (Abraham) (AS) story when he went searching for the true God, before Allah revealed Himself to him Sûrat Al-An'âm (verse75): “Thus did we show Ibrâhîm (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.” He took refuge in meditation, he looked at the sky and saw the star and took it as a god; in Sûrat Al-An'âm (verses76-77), Allah (SWT) says, “When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He said: “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said: “I like not those that set.” When he saw the moon rising up, he said: “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said: “Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the people who went astray.” When the star disappeared, he thought with his sound fitra (nature) that something that can be altered needs an alternative that is worthy to be worshipped. After that, he saw the moon and again took him as a god: “When he saw the moon rising up, he said: “This is my lord.” But when the moon set, he said, “Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the people who went astray.” Again, he saw the sun and thought it was a god; he said, (verse 78). “When he saw the sun rising up, he said: “This is my lord. This is greater.” But when it set, he said: “O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners (in worship with Allâh).” Finally, he said, (verse 79). “Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanîfa (Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allâh Alone), and I am not of Al-Mushrikûn”. “Going astray” here doesn’t mean polytheism, but it means being lost in the search for Allah.



Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was in Hira' cave searching for Allah (SWT) when the revelation was sent down to him the first time. In such a context and in this special case we have to take care not to say the he used to go to the cave to pray or worship. This is not correct, because it might mean that he had a religion with which he worshipped and prayed at that time. He used to go there to search by his sound nature for Allah, and meditate and think deeply about the idols which were neither useful nor harmful. This is why Allah, be He Exalted and Glorified, said, “And He found you unaware (of the Qur’an, its laws, and Prophethood) and guided you”. The Prophet (PBUH) was wandering in his search for Allah, which is different from polytheism. Moreover, the oath in Sûrat At-Tin: “And this City of security,” is a reference to Ibrahim (AS) who submitted to Allah, and Muhammad (PBUH) who went to Hira' cave searching and meditating upon Allah, just like Ibrahim.



“And He found you poor and made you wealthy”. This verse is of high importance, because people said that Muhammad (PBUH) was poor, acting as the polytheists when they said they wanted a rich prophet. How can he be poor when Allah had enriched him? The words ghanie (rich) and fakir (poor) don’t always refer to money, especially in the Holy Qur’an! If we consider Allah’s words in Sûrat Fatir (The Originator) (verse 15): “O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allâh. But Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise”.



The word “al-ghanie” here means “self-sufficient”, it is an attribute of Allah (SWT). But people tend generally to use the word “rich” (ghanie) to describe a person who has money ( we cannot here say “property” or “wealth” instead of money, because it would mean all what man possesses or owns, as in the Prophet's Hadith, “You and all your wealth belong to your parent”), while they have to use the word “tharie” (wealthy). It's Allah who is Rich, and all people are poor because they are in constant need of Him.



Allah's mercy is reflected on the Holy Qur’an , as the word “poor” (fakir) is not absolute all over the Qur’an Allah (SWT) said: “O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allâh”. It rather means to be in need of Allah and not to anyone else. Musa (Moses) said in Sûrat Al-Qasas (verse 24), “and said: “My Lord! truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me”. He is in need of any good that comes from Allah (SWT). Any one can be in need at a certain time! Sheikh Shaarawi gave us a good example: when a wealthy man wanted to enter his palace, he was prevented by a problem in the water pipes and couldn’t go in until he called a plumber to repair them. Thus, this wealthy person was at that particular time desperately in need of that plumber. How truthful is Allah (SWT) when He says, “O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allâh. But Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise”. We have to note that the word “rich” must be used to describe only “Allah”.



Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) admired Muhammad (PBUH) because he was a keen trader, who used to earn doubles of the amount of money others earned. Yet, he spent all his money on poor people, as Khadijah told him when he was afraid after the first time the revelation was sent down to him: “You keep contact with your kinship, you are hospitable and you give the deprived”. All this requires money, that’s why the Prophet never appeared as wealthy. It's narrated that one day The Prophet (PBUH) went to Abou Ad-Dardae’s house and found him sitting on the bare floor. He had just donated to twenty poor people-The Prophet asked him, “where is your furniture?” Abud-Dardae answered him, “I have another house where I send my furniture whenever I can (meaning in the hereafter)”. Hence, how can we say that someone is poor when Allah has made him free of wants?



These three characteristics of the Prophet (PBUH) (orphanage, illiteracy and guidance) (Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge? And He found you unaware (of the Qur’an, its laws, and Prophethood) and guided you? And He found you poor and made you rich (self-sufficient with self-contentment)?) Sûrat Ad-Duha (verses 6-. This resulted in three commandments from Allah (SWT) to Muhammad (PBUH) and his nation, “Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression. And repulse not the beggar. And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces)” Sûrat Ad-Duha (verses 9-11). Such commandments are forwarded to the whole nation.



As far as the Prophet’s illiteracy is concerned, it was a necessity so that nobody would feel suspicious towards his prophecy and that he was a poet. Allah (SWT) says in Sûrat Al-‘Ankabût (The Spider, verse 48): “Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (this Qur’an), nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted”. Allah (SWT) describes Muhammad’s nation as illiterate. He says in Sûrat Al-Jumu‘ah (verse 2), “He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves”. This verse is emphasized by The Prophet’s (PBUH) Hadith: “I was sent to an unlettered nation”. I think that we have to remain illiterate as far as the Holy Qur’an is concerned; we can’t say that such a word should be replaced by another one, because every word in the Holy Qur’an is definitely in its right place. For instance the word “ruh”-as we said in previous episodes-has six different meanings, each one differs from the other. Accordingly, the nation's illiteracy with regard to the wordings of the Holy Qur’an should be maintained.



We previously asked, “Who is the illiterate?”, and we said that it’s wrong to say that an illiterate is someone who can neither read nor write. In fact the illiterate is someone who cannot just write, for the first word that was revealed was “Read”. That is why we should not desert the Holy Qur’an, but we should open our minds, hearts and souls to it. We have been using our ancestors’ books to explain the Holy Qur’an for 500 years. We haven’t added anything new! We will certainly be asked about what we did for the sake of the Holy Qur’an on the Day of Judgment, so it’s time to work!