Dr. Maleeha Aslam

An interdisciplinary social scientist with MPhil, Ph.D. and Post Doc in Development Studies, Peace and Governance from the University of Cambridge UK and, the United Nations University, Headquarters. [email protected]

Muhammad, the promised last prophet, the mysterious Shiloh, the paraclete of the Johannine gospel (Schimmel). Born an orphan, foster mothers arriving from Tai’f were reluctant to accept Prophet Muhammad (sws) son of a young widow Aminah. No one thought Aminah could pay anything and therefore they avoided the mother and child. Halima Sadia was also there but so weak that no one prioritized her as a potential foster mother. Finally, Halima Sadia discussed with her husband and the two decided to offer themselves as foster parents to baby Muhammad (sws) to which Aminah agreed immediately. As soon as Muhammad (sws) arrived in Halima Sadia’s lodging in Bani Sa’d things started to change; and everything seemed to be available in abundance. Halima Sadia realized that Muhammad (sws) was not an ordinary child. 

This impression strengthened a few years later when Halima’s son came running to inform her about how two men clothed in white appeared out of nowhere and laid down Muhammad (sws), split open his chest, and started stirring it inside. When Halima and her husband reached little Muhammad (sws), apparently he seemed all right and unhurt though a bit pale. His version of the incident was the same. Much later in life as an adult, the Prophet recalled and told what had happened. That day the two angels were sent with heaven’s snow to wash out his chest and heart. The angels split open his heart and took a clot out and discarded it when Muhammad (sws) was still a little child. About this clot, Prophet Muhammad (sws) told: “Satan toucheth every son of Adam the day his mother beareth him, save only Mary – and her son” (Lings 1983 ed.2006: p.26).

To Muslims, the Prophet is not a distant personality. Things that he used are available and can be seen. His khirqa sharif, burda, and na’ail sharif and hair locks are preserved in several locations in the Muslim world. He preferred white and/or green clothes. The whole experience of being the Prophet’s follower is very real and tangible. 

Ninth century, Tirmidhi notes a hadith that informs the importance of huliya/hilya (ornament i.e. the appearance and qualities of the Prophet Muhammad (sws). Based on hadith, Muslims believe that anyone who will remember the huliya will be as if he had seen the Prophet in real life. The Abbasid Caliph Harun-ur Rashid came across a wandering dervish with an Arabic description of Prophet Muhammad’s (sws) personality; his attributes. The Caliph preserved it and gave many gifts to the dervish. He received the Prophet’s blessings in a dream, it is told. The Prophet used to tell his Companions, especially the four Khulfa-e Rashideen: Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra), Uthman (ra), and Ali (ra), to remember his shama’il-nama i.e. his external and internal attributes for later generations. The 16th-century Ottoman calligraphers started preserving the huliya/hilya more stylistically. Hafiz Osman’s version of the late seventeenth century is considered to be the most valued one. 

Based on Ali’s (ra) description one can note that the Prophet was middle-sized. He had a white circular face, wide black eyes, and long eyelashes. He was bulky. The seal of prophethood existed between his shoulder blades (It was a black-yellow, pigeon-egg sized, fleshy protuberance). His face was radiant as a moon. He was taller than middling stature but shorter than conspicuous tall. He had thick curly hair. His complexion was ‘azhar’ i.e. luminous. His wide forehead, long arched eyebrows, and thick beard on smooth cheeks were noticeable. Overall he was proportionate, stout, firm gripped with a broad chest and broad shoulders. He had an even belly, no fat. The hair on his chest was thin and light. 

And in Jalal-ud din Rumi’s words: 

Root and branch of the roses is

The lovely sweat of Mustafa

And by his power the rose’s crescent 

Grows now into a full moon 

Asma ul Rasool provides a comprehensive insight into the Prophet’s internal and external qualities. For all Muslim readers (and women in particular), it must be mentioned that in the Qur’an, Allah addresses the Prophet by calling him Al Muddaththir (The man wearing a cloak; The Clothed one, The Shrouded one, The Enfolded one), and Al Muzammil (Bundled up; Cloaked; The Mantled One, and The Enwrapped One). The two attributes introduce to us a charming man whose defining characteristic is ‘modesty’ and ‘humility’; a man who prefers to be wrapped up in garments and in clothing and whose body posture does not reflect arrogance. It is unfortunate that the nation of this very modest Prophet, the Pakistani Muslims, took offense to Maulana Tariq Jamil’s humble reminder of a hadith on ‘haya’ (modesty), during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special Corona transmission (Stream 9.30 to 10.45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnA684iK1r0) & to gauge public reaction consult https://www.dawn.com/news/1552294 ).

That said, whether one is a Muslim man, woman or transgender; with or without hijab, or a beard – educated in Pakistan or abroad and, above all, whether one likes it or not the fact remains the same: Prophet Muhammad (sws) was truly “a fully clothed one”. Nudity and nakedness can be the result of our choices and whims but are not the teachings and way of Prophet Muhammad (sws). Period. And if one thinks this all is so uncool, and it's chic to be a drag queen in a pub in Soho then, be introspective and test for symptoms of a postcolonial hangover.

At the age of twenty-five, the Prophet married forty-year-old Khadija (ra). She had been widowed twice, previously married to Ateeq and Abu Halah (with whom she had five children). There are different opinions as to the origins of the marriage proposal but largely it is believed that either it was Khadija’s (ra) friend Nafisa, or her sister Halah, or that after listening to Maysera’s account of travels with Prophet Muhammad (sws), Khadija (ra) had decided independently to marry a man of such divine and worldly grace and wisdom.

Abu Talib, Muhammad’s (sws) uncle delivered a khutba-e nikah: “Among all men in Quresh, Muhammad is the best in terms of honor, nobility, excellence and intelligence (sharf’a wa nabla wa fad-la wa uql-a). He is relatively less in terms of wealth but wealth is nothing but an entity that is exhaustible and borrowable. Muhammad is inclined towards nikah with Khadija bint Khwaylid, and so is Khadija inclined towards this nikah” (Rawd-al anf v.1.p. 122). The mahr is estimated to be around twenty camels and 500 dirham (at the time it's equivalent in auqia) (Kandhalwi). Considering current market trends, this amounts to US $ 28060 for camels (US $ 1400 per adult camel) and US $ 150 cash. One has to bear in mind that although the marriage proposal was sent by Khadija (ra) the groom’s extended family offered a mahr keeping in view the social status of the woman involved here and this is even though Rasool Allah(sws) grew up as an orphan. 

There are important lessons in this. In fact, despite this honorable mahr, Abu Talib in his khutba acknowledged that Muhammad (sws) was not quite wealthy, (one can suppose that he would have offered a much higher mahr to Khadija(ra) had Muhammad (sws) been financially stronger). Khadija (ra) was not looking for money as she had plenty of her own. Her concern was companionship. During his marriage to Khadija (ra), Muhammad (sws) did not solemnize any other nikah. She gave birth to seven of his children. None of the three sons lived. 

Quite often the Shariah-inspired mahr, for example in Pakistan, equals naught and stories about Fatimah-tuz-Zahra’s (ra) nominal dowry are shared. What we often forget is that the Prophet’s household spent everything in service of Islam and its early followers. But in times of financial stability, the mahr of Fatimah’s (ra) mother (who was not even a maiden wife- an alert meant for typical South Asian mindset) must be noted. And if one is to argue that this was before Islam– then please note that the Prophet’s ancestors were not idol worshippers but from the nation of Abraham and even his father was Abd-Allah. That said, the Prophet’s actions before the first revelation were not countering Allah’s commands and therefore Khadija's (ra)  mahr stays valid.

The first Divine revelation, (wahi) arrived on 10 August, 610 CE. According to the Hijri calendar, Prophet Muhammad (sws) was 40 years, 6 months, and 12 days and 39 years, 3 months as per the Gregorian calendar. Khadija (ra) was the wise, comforting, companion who calmed him down and added perspective to what he had experienced in Mount Hira. Her words summarize for us Muhammad’s (sws) character. She testified to Muhammad’s (sws) consciousness of kinship ties (sila rehmi), honesty, trustworthiness, hospitality, and kindness; carrying weight for others and, clearing their debts, as well as, keeping track of the wellbeing of the poor. Ibn Jareer adds that Khadija (ra) also said “ma ateet-a fa-hisha-qat” i.e. “you stay far away from immodest women”. 

Muhammad’s (sws) hardest mission was inviting the people of Tai’f to accept Islam. During this, the prophet was brutally attacked and injured. Abd Yalayl, Masoud and Habib the three rebellious brothers planned the Taif assault and organized Tai’f youth and children to throw stones at the Prophet (sws). Zaid Bin Harith was accompanying Prophet Muhammad (sws) and they took shelter in an orchard that Utba and Shaiba bin Rabbiya owned. And the Prophet prayed: O Allah to You I complain of my weakness and lack of resources […]You are the Lord of the weak […]If you are not angry with me then I do not care, but Your protection is much better […]I will appeal to You till You are pleased with me. The Archangel Gabriel appeared and told Prophet Muhammad (sws) that Malak-ul Jabaal (Angel of the Mountains) could squeeze the inhabitants of Tai’f within the mountain range that surrounds them. The Prophet (sws) did not agree to this punishment saying that he hoped the descendants of his assaulters will accept Islam. 

As the Prophet (sws) and Zaid waited, Utba and Shaiba feeling a bit ashamed decided to send a few grapes with their Christian slave Addas. Addas mentioned to the Prophet about his hometown Nineveh and in response, the Prophet praised Jonah (Yunus of Nineveh). Surprised Addas asked how come Prophet Muhammad (sws) knew Jonah. The prophet told him that this was because prophets have one family and Jonah is his brother. Addas kneeled down and respectfully kissed Rasool Allah’s hands – a sight that made Utba and Shaiba very restless and they called him back. Addas, is believed to be the first who accepted Islam in Tai’f and testified to Muhammad’s (sws) prophet-hood.  

Every prophet experiences the Divine Essence in different ways. For Prophet Muhammad (sws) at least one was the night of ascension (al-Meraj) in the 10th year of Prophet-hood. The travel from Bait-ullah in Makkah to Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem is called al-Isra. From Al-Aqsa the Prophet’s ascension to the 7th sky right up to the Sidra-tul Muntaha is called al-Meraj. On the night of ascension, the Angel Gabriel brought milk, honey, and wine to the Prophet so that he could make a choice. Muhammad (sws) chose milk i.e. nature’s very first drink when a human is born. This might be so that Islam is often associated with fitrah i.e. pure nature. During Meraj the Prophet Muhammad (sws) met other prophets in the series confirming that he was part of their family. All prophets had a mission. Being the last one, Muhammad’s (sws) mission was to remind humanity of Allah’s original message.

At one point the Archangel Gabriel said words to that effect: 

My way ends here, and more is not allowed

Should I proceed a hair’s breadth in my flight

My wings would burn in God’s consuming light

But you must go forward the Friend Supreme

For it befits to you to be so close 

(Helmut Ritter’s edition of Ilahi-nama, and Attar’s poetry quoted in Schimmel 1985: p.167)

It is pertinent to mention that all of God’s messengers have always prayed tahajjad, fajr, and asr as obligatory prayers. The best time management for tahajjad is considered to be that of Daud (David). On the night of ascension, the Almighty bestowed humanity with the gift of Salat (prayer) and many of us already know how the Prophet (sws) managed to go back and forth to have the number reduced from fifty to five a day and yet receive the reward for fifty despite the reduction of number.

The Prophet (sws) was a man of practical wisdom and discouraged superstition even if that could work to his benefit considering the simplicity of ordinary Arabs. For example, there was a solar eclipse and the Prophet’s son Ibrahim (from Maria -ra), passed away. A few connected the two events saying the Heavens were upset over Ibrahim’s passing. The Prophet (sws) stopped them from being superstitious. 

Rasool Allah’s (sws) sense of strategy, planning and his quality of being an active listener to those around him, is worth noticing. His legacy is not to jump into things on passion but to properly plan, strategize, and seek divine guidance and mercy before any action. His move from Makkah to Medina; his conversations with the people, his love, admiration, and trust towards his wives and daughters (there are incidences where he implemented what his wives advised him to do. Umm-e Salma (ra) accompanied him to the critical Treaty of Hudai’biyyah); his performance in the battlefield (each of his ghazwaa’t), and how quickly he would transform enemies into friends, all show that he was very composed and clear-headed; cognizant of real-world dynamics despite his very special, illustrious, and incomparable, spiritual station in the realms of the Divine mercy and love.

Postscript:

Muhammad Asad, Martin Lings, Annemarie Schimmel, Idrees Kandhalwi, Khaleel Shawqi and Umar F Abdullah’s work on Islam is acknowledged here.