All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, abundant, pure, and blessed praise, as our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, loves and is pleased with. All praise is due to Allah as befits the majesty of His countenance and the greatness of His dominion. O Allah, to You belongs all praise, our Lord, filling the heavens, filling the earth, filling what is between them, and filling whatever else You will. All praise is due to Allah who has made it easy for us to praise Him. How beautiful is praise! It is a great act of worship and a great blessing for a person to be granted the ability to praise his Lord, Glory be to Him, and to praise Him. So, all praise is due to Allah who has permitted us to praise Him and who has taught us to praise Him through His prophets and what Allah, Glory be to Him, mentioned about the praise of those who praise Him in His Book from among His prophets, and what was mentioned about our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding his praise and glorification of Allah, Glory be to Him. So, all praise is due to Allah, first and last. And because of the greatness of praise, it is like Surah Al-Fatihah, which a person recites in every prayer and in every rak'ah. Here it is: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. This praise means that the servant was created to praise Allah and glorify Him and to worship Him alone, Glory be to Him, and this is one of the most sublime and great acts of worship. Then we ask God to bless His servant and Messenger Muhammad, and we seek God's help and begin a new session of the series on the biography of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. This is the third session, asking God Almighty for success, guidance, and righteousness, and that He may benefit us through these sessions, bless them, and bring them to a good conclusion. We ask Him to bring them to a good conclusion. The path is long in these sessions, but we ask God for a good completion. Well, we are still in the pre-prophetic stage, before the Prophetic mission. We have already covered this stage in two sessions, and this is the third. I also don't know if we will finish in this session what pertains to the pre-mission stage. I don't think so, but we will try to go through some of the events while pausing to consider them. Well, firstly, what is the benefit of knowing what came before the stage, before the mission? What is the benefit of knowing something about the circumstances of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, or the circumstances of the Arabs in the pre-mission stage? There are many benefits. I mean, there is no single benefit. One benefit of this is understanding the reality of the Prophet Muhammad's mission, the reforms he implemented, and the problems of his time. As you know, God Almighty sends prophets to address the prevailing problems of their time. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, combined two things: addressing the problems of his era and being the Seal of the Prophets. He brought a divine law that extends until the Day of Judgment, meaning it is suitable for all times and places, addressing all problems. However, the Prophet's mission also took into account the problems of his time. He was not limited to the problems of his era, but he focused on them. Therefore, it is important in reformist jurisprudence to understand the nature of the problems that existed among the Arabs before the mission. If we reflect on the mission, its content, and the message, we will find how it clearly addressed these problems. This is why there are detailed chapters in the Quran that mention the circumstances of... The polytheists and their arguments are like Surah Al-An'am, which, as you know, Allah has facilitated the study of a large part of in many gatherings, and we will complete it, God willing. Surah Al-An'am is, as they say, a model surah in presenting the state of the Arabs before the Prophet's mission and how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed these problems among them. It mentions the beliefs of the polytheists in detail. It is important to know the conditions of the people before the mission. This is one aspect. Another aspect, and this is something we must remember to keep in mind at every stage before the mission, is related to knowledge of God Almighty. Knowledge of God in terms of how He prepares His prophets to bear the message and how He prepares people for that message. In the sight of God, nothing is in vain. Imagine the mission of the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers—the end of the prophets' journey in history— and the book that God Almighty revealed, the Holy Quran, a great and momentous event. Absolutely. From the perspective of knowing God, we understand how God Almighty prepared people to receive this message. This is one of the ways to know God. If you recall, in the lectures on knowing God—the Friday lectures, because there were more than one lecture or gathering—we discussed knowing God Almighty. One of the means of knowing God Almighty was through contemplating His decrees and laws. Right? Now we contemplate God's decrees and laws regarding what He ordained before the Prophetic mission, preparing people for this mission and preparing the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, for this mission. This is a means to knowing God who ordained these decrees. Is it clear now, or not? Knowing God has means: contemplating His cosmic signs and contemplating His revealed signs. These are two means. Also, contemplating what, Mahmoud? His decrees and laws. Well done! Contemplating God's decrees and laws and understanding them is a means of knowing God. Glory be to Him, the Most High. So, what conditions did God prepare before the Prophetic mission to prepare for this momentous event? We have many things, some of which we mentioned in the previous meeting, besides lineage. We mentioned the news the People of the Book had about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the glad tidings about him in previous scriptures. This was part of the knowledge preserved among the People of the Book. Now, is this preparation or not? Look, everyone, God, the Most High, wanted to send Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, at the end of human history, the last of the nations. He prepared for this mission from ancient times. When He revealed the Torah and the Gospel, glory and praise be to Him, He included in them a reference to that mission that would come at the end of time, clearly giving glad tidings of His Messenger who would come after him, whose name was Ahmad, which they would find written in their Torah and Gospel. So, this was an early preparation. That is why, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, described himself, he said, "I am the answer to the prayer of my father Abraham." Our Lord, send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise. So this is the first thing, that since the preparation was the first preparation, meaning the preparation for the people, we have the preparation in two stages, the preparation for the people and the preparation for the bearer of the message, may God bless him and grant him peace. This one for the bearer of the message, may God bless him and grant him peace, was partly preparation and partly preparation, let's call it all preparation, but the preparation is partly practical training, let's say, and partly the signs of the Prophet, peace be upon him and grant him peace, psychologically. And there is preparation for humanity, for the people, and this preparation is in circles, and in one of them is a special circle, which is the circle of what? The People of the Book, meaning this knowledge inherited from the prophets, that a prophet will be sent at the end of time, mentioning some of the attributes. This is from the knowledge specific to the People of the Book, but they used to mention something of this knowledge to the Arabs, and this is what is referred to in his saying, “What, Suhail?” And they used to seek victory over those who disbelieved. And when a Book came to them from God confirming what was with them, and they used to seek victory over those who disbelieved meaning they would say to them, “The Prophet will be sent and we will be victorious with him over you.” Who is saying this? Who are the Jews saying this to ? Those who disbelieved, those who disbelieved from among the Arabs, from the polytheists, especially from the people of Yathrib. Well, this is a kind of preparation. Now, this preparation, excuse me, is a kind of general preparation for the people, but is this in any circle, private or public? The sentence is specific. Okay, let's take a general circle. There was a general preparation for people that there was something other than specific knowledge, something that is the subject of Persia, and that when the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, the fires were extinguished, and what was his name, the palace collapsed, and so on. Of course, if this is true, if it is proven, this is something that is mentioned and narrated, but it does not have fixed pillars, but it is more general than that and more important than that, especially for the Arabs. Now, let's also say for the Persians, a somewhat distant circle, the most important event, which is what? The elephant, the elephant, the most important event at the beginning, which is the elephant, the incident of the elephant. This is the most important thing now, the most important public event that brought attention and focus to Mecca, to the Kaaba. Okay, how many years ago? Look at the preparation of God Almighty, not according to our calculations, not according to our calculations. 40 years ago, someone might say 40 years, okay, that's a long time, you might forget, maybe that's it. No, 40 years ago, that great event occurred, the incident of the elephant. What resulted from the incident of the elephant? The result of the incident of the elephant was that there was something exceptional in this place, in this Kaaba. This Kaaba is protected by the Lord of the Worlds. When those who came to attack it, the birds of Ababil came to them, and this is a miracle, meaning something beyond human capability. This was knowledge that was not exclusive to one tribe over another, or one region over another. All the Arabs realized and knew what happened. All the Arabs knew what happened, at least they knew that this event occurred because all the people of Mecca talked about it and all of them witnessed it without exception. So we are facing a seismic event. Okay, this event is great and momentous, and God wants His servants to reflect upon it. And that is why God Almighty revealed Surah Al-Fil more than 40 years after this event. He revealed it with this meaning in mind: "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not cause their plan to go astray? And He sent against them flocks of birds, striking them with stones of baked clay, and He made them like eaten straw." When this great event occurred, and scholars pondered it afterward, Muslim scholars said that this event was clearly a preparation from God Almighty for the Arabs to realize the greatness of this place, the greatness of this House, and to prepare for something in this place. Look at God, at the knowledge of God, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise. We must reflect on the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This event occurred, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the same year. This is definitively established, and there is historical consensus that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the Year of the Elephant. Notice, the first thing is that a great event occurred: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the same place. The master of that event, the most prominent man in Mecca at that time, was born— this boy who was born That year, the grandson of this man, Abdul-Muttalib, was summoned by Abraha and spoke with him. Abraha had said, "Who is the master of the Quraysh, the noble one of the Quraysh?" Abdul-Muttalib was indeed a good man. He came to negotiate and speak with Abraha. As you know the story, when Abraha saw him, he was amazed by his appearance, his handsomeness, and his stature. Abdul-Muttalib was a master, meaning he was majestic and dignified, and his very appearance exuded awe and respect. So, when Ibn Al-Muttalib entered, Abraha felt a great deal of respect for him, as is mentioned in history books and biographies. He didn't want to seat him next to him on the chair so as not to offend the Abyssinians who were with Abraha. He didn't want Abraha to remain on the chair while Abdul-Muttalib sat on the ground, as this would not be appropriate, given what Abraha felt. So, Abraha got down from the chair and sat with him on the carpet. When Abdul-Muttalib spoke, he told him, "I have 200 camels that were stolen. If you would be so kind as to return them..." This, of course, was after what is mentioned in history books, after mediation and discussion, until they reached... Abraha said to him, "I was greatly impressed by you when I saw you, but then I became insignificant in your eyes, or rather, you became insignificant to me when you asked for this. You are now coming to the king of Abraha, the one who destroyed Mecca and the Kaaba, and the last thing you ask for is 200 of the camels you stole." He replied, "I am the owner of the camels, so I want them. As for the House (the Kaaba), it has a Lord who will protect it. I cannot do that." This was also one of the well-known statements attributed to Abdul-Muttalib, whether in this context or in the general story, that the House has a Lord who will protect it. This is the leader of the Quraysh, to whom all eyes turned in that momentous event. A son was born to him— specifically, to his son. We say that this is the most famous narration, or the one favored by more than one of the great historians, that Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), died before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was born. There are two narrations: that it was before he was born, or shortly after he was born. So, if it was before he was born, then it is as if he was born to Abdul-Muttalib. Because his father died, the boy was born, and his grandfather was the one who took care of him. This event occurred during the Year of the Elephant. This great scene is the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but what is clearer to the Arabs? It is the Kaaba here, this is Mecca, there is something in it, it is protected by God, it has a place with God. Well, we said that Muslim scholars picked things up from this event, and they said, for example, Al-Mawardi, may God have mercy on him, said, and when the birth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, drew near, the signs of his prophethood were revealed, until he said, and the sign of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the story of the elephant, was that he was in his time as a fetus in his mother’s womb in Mecca, because he was born 50 days after the elephant and after the death of his father on Monday, the twelfth of the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, so it was a sign, and it was a sign in that from two aspects. What are the two aspects according to Al-Mawardi? Firstly, had they captured him, they would have taken him captive and enslaved him. If they had captured him, they would have taken him captive and enslaved him, or enslaved him. So God destroyed them. They would have taken him captive and enslaved him, so God destroyed them to protect His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, from being taken captive, whether as an unborn child or a newborn. This is an observation, a point that may be accurate or not, but it is an observation nonetheless. Secondly, the Quraysh did not possess the divine attributes that would warrant God's protection of the army of the elephant from them. They were not People of the Book, for they were either idol worshippers, pagans, heretics, or those who denied the return of the Prophet. However, when God willed the emergence of Islam to establish prophethood and to exalt the Kaaba, and when news spread among the Arabs of what God had done to the army of the elephant, they feared and revered the sanctuary, and its sanctity increased in their hearts. They submitted to the Quraysh, saying, "The people of God fought for them and sufficed against their plots." So they increased their honor and veneration, and the Quraysh took on the roles of custodians of the Kaaba, guardians, and providers of water to pilgrims, thus becoming their leaders. Two religions and their leaders, followed by others, and the People of the Elephant became an example for those who came before. Ibn Taymiyyah said, "This was in the year of the Prophet's birth, peace and blessings be upon him. The neighbors of the Kaaba were polytheists who worshipped idols, and the religion of the Christians was better than theirs. Thus, it is known that this verse was not for the sake of the neighbors of the Kaaba at that time, but rather for the sake of the Kaaba itself, or for the sake of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who was born in that year near the Kaaba, or for both. Whichever it was, it is one of the signs of his prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him." Ibn Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said, "This was a prelude and preparation for the mission of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, for he was born in that year, according to the most well-known opinion. The unspoken message of destiny or divine decree is: 'We did not grant you victory, O people of Quraysh, over the Abyssinians because you were better than them, but rather to protect the Ancient House, which we will honor and venerate by sending the unlettered Prophet Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, the Seal of the Prophets.' So we are faced with a great and momentous event, which is the event of the elephant, and this event was immortalized by God Almighty in the Quran. This event was a preparation, a prelude, and a protection for the House of God." The ancient one, and for people to realize the value of this place, of course, the details of the story, the story of Abraha, the going and coming, the elephant, and so on, contain lessons, and it is among what is seen in history. There is no doubt that this means from the well-known knowledge that came in some authentic hadiths, referring to some of the events that came in the same story. For example, when the Prophet's camel, Al-Qaswa, did not walk on the day of Al-Hudaybiyyah, they said, "Al-Qaswa has stopped." He said, "Al-Qaswa has not stopped, and that is not in her nature, but the One who stopped the elephant stopped her." This means that the story is mentioned in the story of stopping the elephant, and that when it was directed towards the Kaaba, it would stop, and when it was directed towards other places, it would walk. This is a witness to it, as if the story with its details is established. Also, among what was known among the Arabs in some details of the story is Abu Righal. He was a symbol of treachery and betrayal. When Abraha reached the direction of Taif, he went out with him to show him the way, meaning to the Kaaba, which was treachery. So, Ibn Ishaq said, the Arabs stoned his grave, and it is the grave that People are being stoned with a dung heap, meaning that it has become a symbol of that. Ibn Ishaq said: When God sent Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, one of the things that God Almighty promised the Quraysh was His favor and grace upon them, which was what He averted from them regarding the matter of the Abyssinians, so that their matter and their time would remain. So He, the Exalted, said: Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not cause their plan to go astray? And He sent against them flocks of birds, striking them with stones of baked clay, and He made them like eaten straw. For the accustomed security of the Quraysh - their accustomed security in their winter and summer journeys - so let them worship the Lord of this House, who has fed them, from hunger and made them safe, from fear. Ibn Ishaq combined the context of the two surahs and did not separate them. This is as he says, because the scholars of interpretation differed regarding the lam in “for the accustomed security of the Quraysh.” Some of them made it related to what? The elephant, as mentioned by God Almighty in Surah Al- Fil, is the order of the Quran, one after the other. Even here, Ibn Ishaq mentioned the two surahs consecutively. He said, "He who fed them against hunger and secured them against fear," meaning that nothing would change their condition, as God Almighty intended good for them, if they had accepted it. Then Ibn Hisham began to interpret "al-Ababil," saying that "al- Ababil" refers to groups, as we have become accustomed to. We said that Ibn Ishaq's book and Ibn Hisham's book are rich in linguistic content, explaining unfamiliar terms, and so on. He even mentioned some Arabic poetry on this matter, mentioning "al-Sijjil" and so forth. Then he said, "And the 'al-Alaaf' refers to the Quraysh, who understood going out to Syria for trade. They had two journeys, one in winter and one in summer." Abu Zayd al-Ansari told me that the Arabs say "al-Afta al-shay'a alfan" and "al-Afta ilaafan," both meaning the same thing. He mentioned verses from Arabic poetry and several meanings of "al-Alaaf." This is Ibn Hisham. Ibn Ishaq said, "Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr told me, on the authority of Amrah bint Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'd ibn Zarar, on the authority of..." Aisha, may God be pleased with her, said: I saw the elephant's driver and his companion in Mecca, both blind and crippled, begging for food. This was also narrated by al-Bazzar and al-Bayhaqi, not Ibn Ishaq. So, we learn, read, and understand what happened among the Arabs before the Prophetic mission, and the events that occurred, so that we may learn something or understand something of God's wisdom in His decrees. God Almighty prepared the people for this mission, and He prepared Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, for this mission with a special preparation, which will be mentioned shortly, God willing. Now, another matter: the Quraysh's winter and summer journeys. These journeys were among the events that occurred before the mission. It was a common practice. It is known that the one who established these journeys was Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. They became a source of great good and prosperity for the Quraysh. God also mentions them in His Book. So, God Almighty mentions in His Book events that occurred before the mission, and these are the events that... Before the mission, God Almighty mentioned it in His Book and alluded to it, so we must pause and understand it. We must understand that there are matters related to the period before the mission, things that should be considered. This is what was mentioned concerning the elephant. As I said, this is a very important matter, and God mentioned it in the Quran. We have finished mentioning it briefly. As for the details of the story, they are available in most books of biography. Refer to the long story of Abraha, and how one of the Arabs, when Abraha built the well- known great church, the likes of which had never been built, came and defiled the Kaaba by relieving himself in the middle of the church. This angered Abraha, and he led his army to the Kaaba. Of course, they also mention another incident that angered Abraha. Then, the famous story: when he arrived in Mecca, God Almighty sent against him the birds of Ababil. This was a great, great event for these people who had no power to protect the House. But this was from God Almighty preserved this House (the Kaaba), and this is a guidance for the Arabs to care for this place, to appreciate its value, and to understand this meaning. The winter and summer journeys were an event before the Prophet's mission. God mentioned them in the Holy Quran. Look at Ibn Ashur, may God have mercy on him, this great commentator, may God be pleased with him and have mercy on him. Ibn Ashur sat contemplating this verse, contemplating Surah Quraysh, asking you why God Almighty mentioned this surah and what the meaning is. So I will quote his words, his words are precious. He said, "The meaning of the verse is to remind the Quraysh of God's favor upon them, as He facilitated for them what was not granted to other Arabs: security from the aggression of invaders and the raids of raiders throughout the year. This was facilitated for them by the building of the Kaaba and the establishment of Hajj, and by making them the custodians of the Sacred Mosque and instilling in them awe and reverence in the hearts of all Arabs, both during the sacred months and at other times, and among the tribes that observe the sacred months and those that do not, such as Tayy, Quda'ah, and Khath'am. Thus, travel was made easy for them throughout the Arabian Peninsula, from its south to the..." To its north, those in need sought refuge with them, traveling with them, and merchants carried their goods to them. Mecca became a central hub, receiving goods from all Arab lands, which were then distributed to those in need in the rest of the country. The people of Mecca prospered through trade, as they were neither farmers nor herders, living in a barren valley. They brought their provisions from Yemen: grains such as wheat, barley, and corn, as well as raisins, leather, clothing, and Yemeni swords; and from the Levant: grains, dates, oil, raisins, clothing, and Mushrafi swords. This was in addition to what was allotted to them, along with most Arabs, regarding the sacred months and what was provided for them during the Hajj season and its markets, as indicated by the verse: "So let them worship the Lord of this House." This is the reason for the command to worship God alone, specifically regarding the blessings of this covenant, even though God had bestowed many blessings upon them. This covenant was the source of the most important blessings upon which their survival depended. "He who fed them against hunger." "He who fed them against hunger..." "... This is indicated by the reason given for the command to worship the Lord of the Sacred House, in addition to the blessings of facilitating trade for them. This facilitated their prosperity, and it is one of the blessings of food and security. This is an indication of what was made easy for them in terms of the arrival of Abyssinian ships at sea to Jeddah, carrying food to be sold there. So the Quraysh would go to Jeddah with camels, and even donkeys, and buy food, a journey of two nights. And the people of Tabalah and Jarash from the fertile lands of Yemen would bring food to Mecca. So they lived comfortably because of the abundance of food in their lands. Likewise, it was made easy for them to establish markets around Mecca during the Hajj months, such as the Majannah market, the Dhu al- Majaz market, and the Ukaz market, so that provisions would come to them there, and their lives would be comfortable. This is an indication of what was instilled in the hearts of the Arabs regarding the sanctity of Mecca and its people, so that no one would try to frighten them. This is the supplication of Abraham, peace be upon him, when he said, “My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits.” I don’t know, guys, look, are you all following the same words or not, but this is the verse that was mentioned here. It's amazing how this relates to Surah Quraysh. Hundreds of years ago, Abraham prayed, " Make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits, feed them against hunger and protect them from fear." Do you see the connection? Abraham's two supplications—" Make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits"—were followed by God's revelation to the people of Mecca after the Prophetic mission. God, the Exalted, told them, after the Prophetic mission, to worship the Lord of this House, who fed them against hunger, provided them with fruits, and protected them from fear. He also said, "Make this a secure city." Observe the connection, how the story unfolds, how the narrative connects, and how the later part links to the earlier. The meaning becomes clear and illuminated. When God, the Exalted, mentions this matter to them, He also mentions the story of Abraham, peace be upon him. This is a profound matter. This did not happen until the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed against them, "O God, make it years like the years of Joseph," and they suffered famine and drought for seven years. This was at the beginning of the Hijra. And He protected them from fear. He tells you that Ibn Ashur also said that their situation was due to their small numbers and their being settled people, not people of strength, horsemanship, or the use of weapons, which meant they were vulnerable to tribal raids. So God granted them security in the sanctuary as compensation for the fear that their small numbers would have entailed. God Almighty said, "Have they not seen that We have made a sanctuary secure, while people are being snatched away all around them?" This is something that Ibn Ashur, may God have mercy on him, mentioned in his interpretation of these two surahs. This is a great statement. This is a great statement. Okay, so, O people, O noble ones, O people, O beloved ones, O noble companions, paying attention to some of what was mentioned in the news before the mission is an important matter. We said that we are in a circle related to the general public, that they should prepare for this mission, and a circle related to the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, the bearer of the message, that he should prepare himself, whether on a practical level or on a psychological level. The focus is clear. Hey, what's wrong with you all? Are you tired or what? O God, bless and grant peace to Your servant and Messenger Muhammad. Okay. What else do we have? It is worthwhile to consider the events before the Hijra, or rather, before the Prophetic mission. What events before the Prophetic mission were important? We have already mentioned two events mentioned in the Quran, so they must be given due attention. The topic of Zamzam is beautiful and well-known, and there is a well-documented hadith narrated by Ibn Ishaq and attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him. Undoubtedly, the event of digging the Zamzam well is also a great honor for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who grew up among his tribe, specifically the sons of Abdul-Muttalib. It is a great honor indeed. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at Hunayn, when the ranks were called, said, "I am the Prophet, there is no lie in that. I am the son of Abdul-Muttalib." The mention of Abdul-Muttalib is also present in the Prophet's biography, peace and blessings be upon him. Abdul- Muttalib was the one who took care of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and looked after him in his childhood, peace and blessings be upon him, because he was born an orphan, may God's prayers and peace be upon him. Abdul-Muttalib had a significant role, and one of his roles was that he dug Zamzam after it had been... Submerged and buried for decades or hundreds of years, this well-known story from ancient Arab tales also has a long history, which I won't recount in full. I'll only mention it briefly. But why am I dwelling on this? Of course, I have my own way of focusing on details, or not focusing on details, in the matter of the documentary methodology. I haven't yet discussed the documentary methodology precisely, but I've alluded to it in previous meetings. If there's a connected, authentic, or acceptable report, then focusing on its wording or some of the details mentioned within it is, in my opinion, important. However, if it's something that's widely known and mentioned but lacks a chain of transmission, then it can be summarized, mentioned, or even mentioned in detail, depending on what I'm saying. I'm not talking about a scientific methodology here; I'm talking about my style of delivery or my way of presenting the meaning. I don't dwell much on detailed sentences for matters that, let's say, lack chains of transmission, even if those chains aren't considered authentic according to the standards of hadith scholars. Rather, the accepted version in the biography is clear. As for completely unauthenticated stories that have no chains of transmission at all, but rather, as Ibn says... Ishaq, and it has reached me, and they say that Ibn Ishaq has degrees in his methodology of documentation. I can summarize them quickly. The highest of what Ibn Ishaq has is what he has connected through the narration of trustworthy people, and he was joined in it by others from the authors of the books of Sunnah, so he was not alone in it. It is clear like Ibn Ishaq when he connects something, and then we find this connection or this hadith in Sahih Muslim or in Bukhari or in the Sunan, and it is good. That is, this is the highest of what Ibn Ishaq has, and below it is what he connected through the narration of trustworthy people or from the narration of the average or the narration of those who are used as evidence in general, but Ibn Ishaq was alone in it. He is the reference in it, meaning that the authors of the books of Sunnah, what? If they included it, they only wanted it through the chain of transmission of Ibn Ishaq. What does this mean? Ibn Ishaq's uniqueness is clear. As for the first point, what the Sunnis want from Ibn Ishaq's chain of transmission is what they want from their own chains of transmission, and they agree with Ibn Ishaq. This is the highest level. Okay, what is the benefit of it being included in the books of Sunnah? What is the benefit of us saying here about Ibn Ishaq that he may have some wording or some details? This falls under the highest level unless there is an addition, meaning a contradiction or something problematic. The second point is that what Ibn Ishaq narrated and was unique to, the authors of the books of Sunnah come and transmit it from Ibn Ishaq, attributing it to Ibn Ishaq, and then with Ibn Ishaq's chain of transmission. For example, where do you find this? In which books of Sunnah? You find it most often in, for example, Al- Bayhaqi's book, "Dala'il al-Nubuwwah" (Proofs of Prophethood). He often narrates and attributes it to Ibn Ishaq and completes his chain of transmission. You find it, for example, in Ibn Hibban, you find it in Al-Hakim, and you may find it in the well-known books of Sunnah, in the four Sunan books and others, and in Musnad Ahmad. You find many of them. So this is good, acceptable, and correct, but Without the first one in which others agreed with him, then without what Ibn Ishaq narrated, connected to the one who narrated it as a clear mursal. This is like when he narrates with his connected chain of transmission to Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, meaning that he narrates with a sound connected chain of transmission to the great narrators of the biography who see it as mursal. This is also one of the good reports of Ibn Ishaq that are taken and stopped at, narrated in detail, even if it is undoubtedly without what? Without the first and second Without the second, meaning, but this is something that should be given attention, and one shouldn't come and say that Ibn Ishaq didn't mention a continuous chain of transmission for it. We say, for example, that he attributed it to Urwah ibn al- Zubayr, and Urwah ibn al-Zubayr narrated it as a mursal hadith. This is like the narration of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr in the biography, which is very important and has its value. Close to this category are those that may contain some ambiguities, but this ambiguity is not in a category close to Ibn Ishaq, but rather a category close to the Companions. So this is also close to this category, and it is accepted and narrated, and one may stop at it in detail with its text and find great reliance in it, and may use it as evidence, especially in specific reports that he narrates. For example, some sheikhs from among the sons of the Companions from the Ansar narrated an event that happened to the Ansar or an event to the owner of the house from whom he narrates. For example, as we mentioned, Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada narrated from sheikhs from his people. So you are comparing it to the mursal hadith of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. Urwah ibn al-Zubayr is superior, but this is close to it. Or when he narrates, for example, from the son of one of the Companions who experienced a certain incident, he narrates it, and this son is of unknown status. So all of these are acceptable, meaning one finds great comfort in them, even if they are not in the same category as the mursal narrations of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and his like. So this is superior, but this is close to it. Okay, what is lower than this? Yes, lower than this, which is what Ibn Ishaq narrates as a mursal, either himself or, I mean, what he narrates from vague sources in the first category, such as what he says, for example, “As some scholars told me,” or “As they mention,” or “As they said,” or “As it reached me,” or “The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away, as it reached us.” Clearly, this is the weakest of what Ibn Ishaq has. This is the weakest of what Ibn Ishaq has. So what is the ruling on this? The ruling on this is that it should not be elevated above it and used as evidence. This is what we, for example, when I narrate, say, “This is mentioned in the books of biography.” This is something to find comfort in, meaning this is something to find comfort in, not something beyond comfort. Do you understand the idea? It is not an argument, nor is it something that supports the report, meaning it is clearly and explicitly stated. Rather, it is something that is used for reference, since Ibn Ishaq is a specialist in biography. He mentions this from what reached him and what was transmitted to him. It may have reached him through unknown sources, through unreliable sources, through reliable sources, through authentic or inauthentic reports. This is especially true since Ibn Ishaq is not one of the meticulous narrators; he is not known for his meticulousness. He only narrates from reliable sources. This is the lowest level according to Ibn Ishaq. It is clear, of course, that there is something between this level and the one before it, which is when he transmits from some sheikhs, meaning he mentions some sheikhs who transmit mursal reports. But these sheikhs are not in the level of Urwah and the senior sheikhs, but rather in the level of junior sheikhs. Junior sheikhs are not a level, meaning, for example, when he says, for example, Al-Zuhri told me that such and such happened in something in the biography, this is below the mursal of Urwah. The mursal of Urwah is above Urwah, the sheikh of Al- Zuhri in the first place. Or when he says, for example, Abdullah bin Abi Bakr bin told me, let's say the level of Ibn Ishaq's sheikhs. Ibn Ishaq narrated, on the authority of his direct teachers and his teachers, a mursal report in the biography. This is clearly between the third and fourth levels, but which is closer? It is closer to being considered reliable, of course. All this talk has details and limitations, meaning that one of them might be elevated to a certain level due to a specific supporting factor. These are all details, but generally, I mentioned all this because of the digging of the Zamzam well. He attributed it to Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said, "And the first thing that Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib began with was digging it." As Yazid ibn Abi Habib al-Misri told me, on the authority of Mard ibn Abdullah al-Yazni, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Zurayr al-Ghafiqi, that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, narrating the story of Zamzam. This report is important to consider since he mentioned it with this chain of narration and with this care. But the story is long, so it should be reviewed in its entirety. However, we can mention something of it: that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib narrating about Zamzam when Abd al-Muttalib ordered it to be dug. Abd al-Muttalib said, "I was sleeping in the The stone came to me and said, " Dig Tayyiba." I said, " What is Tayyiba?" Then he left me. When the time of treachery came, I returned to my bed and slept there. Then he came to me and said, " Dig Barra." I said, "What is Barra?" Then he left me. The next day, I returned to my bed and slept there. Then he came to me and said, "Dig Al-Madhnuna." In the margin, it is mentioned that Al-Madhnuna is the precious and valuable thing that is considered rare, meaning that one is stingy with its like. I said, " What is Al-Madhnuna?" Then he left me. The next day, I returned to my bed and slept there. Then he startled me and said, " Dig Zamzam." I said, "What is Zamzam?" He said, "It never runs dry nor is it ever despised. It quenches the thirst of the greatest pilgrims. It is between the dung and the blood at the spot where the raven with the white wing pecks, near the village of the ants." When its nature was explained to him and its location was shown, and he knew that he had spoken the truth, he went out with his pickaxe, accompanied by his son Al- Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who had no other children at that time. He dug, and when the water appeared to him, he exclaimed, "Allahu Akbar!" So the Quraysh knew that he had reached maturity. They needed something, so they went to him and said, "O Abdul-Muttalib, this is the well of our father Ishmael, and we have a right to it. So consult with you." He said, "I will not do that. This matter has been given to me alone, and I have been granted it from among you." They said to him, "Be fair to us, for we will not leave you until we have a dispute with you over it." He said, " Then appoint whomever you wish to judge between us." They said, "The soothsayer of Banu Sa'd ibn Humm." He said, "Yes." And she was in the highlands of Syria. Of course, he mentioned the rest of the details, that they went to this soothsayer, and on the way they became thirsty and were about to die. Abdul-Muttalib said to them, "Each of you digs his own well, since you have a little time left to dig your own grave." I mean, since we are going to die of thirst, each of you digs his own grave. So, as one of us dies, we will throw him into his grave until only one remains. Then he said, "It is beyond our ability to kill ourselves or wait for death. Let us search." So, when he sent his camel out, water gushed forth from beneath it, and they drank. They said, " God has decreed in your favor," and they returned before reaching the soothsayer. Of course, this means that it also happened. Look how fateful events are in agreement. These things are being prepared for the Kaaba. Zamzam has been buried for a long time, and now it has returned. So who brought it back? God returned it through the hands of Abdul Muttalib. Abdul Muttalib is the one who means what? He went out to the people with Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, his grandson. Look at the incident, the incident, the incident. You must understand the decrees of God Almighty. Of course, people, this is what you see. It even happened during Hajj. You know from the famous hadiths about Hajj that the night stays in Mina. Of course, the night stays in Mina is obligatory according to many jurists, but what did the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, make an exception for? Al-Abbas was given permission not to stay overnight in Mina for the purpose of providing water to the pilgrims. Why is this connected to the fact that the provision of water was in the territory of Banu Abd al-Muttalib, and before that as well? So the point is that this is also one of the important events that should be considered. Okay, there were also events before all of these events before the birth, right? Right, the Year of the Elephant and the winter and summer journeys. We mentioned that they were all before the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We are saying before the mission, but before the mission, meaning in the distant past, in the matter of the alliances or coalitions that the Quraysh had before the mission or before the birth? What were the most famous alliances? The Fudul and the Mutayyibin? The Mutayyibin were before the birth, and the Fudul were after the birth. So the Fudul were present with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Let's go to the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, peace and blessings be upon him. Okay, the birth, the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Did the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, happen to him? The attention given by scholars and before that by the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, himself. Did the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, pay attention to this event, the birth of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and did he mention it in his saying, may God bless him and grant him peace, or did he not mention it? There is no doubt that he mentioned it, there is no doubt that he mentioned it in the words of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and this is the speech in which the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, mentioned his birth, which is related to Monday, when the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked about Monday, so what did he say? He said that on the day I was born, what? And it was revealed to me on that day, the day I was born, and it was revealed to me on that day. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, paid special attention to this day. This is, of course, the hadith of Abu Qatada in Sahih Muslim, the famous hadith about fasting on the Day of Arafah. It is the hadith about the virtue of fasting on the Day of Arafah, and it also mentions the virtue of fasting on the Day of Ashura. And it mentions Monday. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting on Monday, and he said, “That is the day I was born, and it was revealed to me on that day.” Imam Ahmad mentioned a hadith with a chain of narration from Ibn Abbas, which has a slight weakness, meaning a moderate weakness, which is what Ibn al-Hay’ah mentioned. But it mentions more than that regarding Monday. Imam Ahmad said, “Musa ibn Dawud told us, he said, Ibn Lahi’ah told us, on the authority of Khalid ibn Abi Imran ( of course, Lahi’ah is weak), on the authority of Hanash al-San’ani, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said, ‘The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was born on a Monday, received his prophethood on a Monday, emigrated from Mecca to Medina on a Monday, arrived in Medina on a Monday, died on a Monday, and the Black Stone was raised on a Monday.’” Ibn Kathir said, “Ahmad was the only one who narrated it, and Ibn ‘Ufair narrated it.” Ibn Kathir said, “Ibn ‘Ufair and Ibn Bukayr narrated it on the authority of Ibn Hay’ah, and he added…” Surah Al-Ma'idah was revealed on a Monday: "This day I have perfected for you your religion." Ibn Asakir said, and it is well-established that the revelation of "This day I have perfected for you your religion" was on a Friday. So, if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the day of his birth, which was a Monday, and based his actions on that day, and on the revelation he received on that day, and on the fact that he fasted on that day, then we have a point to note here: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not specify a particular day of the year for his birth. Rather, he consistently chose Mondays, meaning Mondays in the first, second, third, and fourth weeks of Rabi' al-Awwal, and in Jumada, Rajab, Sha'ban, Shawwal, and all other months. Therefore, his criterion for his birth (peace and blessings be upon him) was related to Mondays, not to a specific day of the year that recurs annually. This is clear. From this, we understand that the approach taken by many later scholars in focusing on the Prophet's birthday is not based on this specific day, but rather on a particular day of the year. The month of Rabi' al-Awwal recurs annually. This is a form of attention given to the Prophet's birthday (peace and blessings be upon him) from an angle that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not emphasize. We ask, did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) emphasize his birthday? Yes, from what perspective? From the perspective that it falls on a Monday, so he fasted on Mondays. Later generations came and emphasized another aspect, another angle, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not emphasize or even mention. They shifted it from Monday to a single day of the year and introduced various methods of emphasis and attention, until it became, for some, almost like a festival, while for others it was less so. Undoubtedly, the intention of many people in this matter is fundamentally sound and good, stemming from their love for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, a sound and good intention does not necessarily mean that a person will be guided to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized or to the aspect he emphasized. We say, without a doubt, which is greater in the sight of God if one were to emphasize it? There is no doubt that Muslims should pay attention to the birth of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, from the same perspective that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, paid attention to. He made Monday a day to fast and said, “ This is the day I was born.” The idea is clear. What further confirms this is that the scholars differed on what? Scholars—not scholars of current trends and doctrinal schools of thought, no, no—scholars of history and biography specializing in this field, differed in determining the day of the month in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not indicate this at all, as if he, peace and blessings be upon him, did not want attention to be given to this particular day of the month, but rather wanted attention to be given to Monday. Clearly, that is why they differed greatly. I will read to you, for example, from Ibn Kathir's "Al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah" (The Beginning and the End). He says, "Then the majority opinion is that it was in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal. It was said that it was two nights before the end of the second Rabi'." This is what Ibn Abd al-Barr said in "Al-Isti'ab" (The Comprehensive Book). Ibn Abd al-Barr said it in "Al-Isti'ab," and al-Waqidi narrated it from Abu Ma'shar Najih ibn Abd al- Rahman al-Madani. It was also said that it was eight nights before the end of the month. Al- Humaydi narrated this from Ibn Hazm, and Malik, Aqil, Yunus ibn Yazid, and others narrated it from al-Zuhri, from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im, one of the Tabi'in (Successors). Ibn Abd al-Barr also reported that historians considered it correct that the date of his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, was the eighth of Rabi' al-Awwal. This is what Ibn Abd al-Barr said about historians. They corrected it, and the great scholar Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi confirmed it, and the scholar Abu al-Khattab ibn Dahya preferred it in his book "Al-Tanwir fi Mawlid al-Bashir al-Nadhir" (The Illumination on the Birth of the Bearer of Good Tidings and Warner). It was said that it was on the tenth of Rabi' al-Awwal, as Ibn Dahya transmitted in his book, and Ibn 'Asakir narrated it from Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, and Mujalid narrated it from al-Sha'b, as mentioned previously. It was also said that it was on the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, as Ibn Ishaq stated, and Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated it in his Musannaf from 'Affan, from Sa'id ibn Mina', from Jabir ibn 'Abbas, that they both said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal. On that day he was sent as a prophet, on that day he ascended to heaven, on that day he migrated, and on that day he died. This is the well-known opinion among the majority, and God knows best. It was also said that it was on the seventeenth, and so on. The discussion is clear. So, the disagreement regarding the specific day is a disagreement among the great scholars regarding the specific day of Rabi' al-Awwal. It is a disagreement among the great historians and scholars. Therefore, we say that since the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, took care of his birth in terms of it being on a Monday, not in terms of it being a specific date that comes once a year. One thing is that attention should be focused on this aspect, which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, clearly emphasized. Even if someone were to say, "The one who loves the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the most is the one who observes his birth in the way the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did, not in the way that was introduced later," as we said, the aspect the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, emphasized was that it was on a Monday, without specifying a date. So, if someone were to come and make observing his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, on a specific date of the year, and say to others, " You do not truly love the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, because you do not observe this date and this birth," and then say, "If you truly loved the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, you would have done this and that and this and this and this as we have done," then if we refer to the words of the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him, himself, then it would be clear that whoever observes Monday by fasting on it, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did, would be celebrating his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, in that way. Today, with what was revealed on that day, this person could say, "Rather, I am more deserving of loving the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, than you, in terms of degree, because I took care of his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, in the same way he did. I love him, I love his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, and I love his way in the way he took care of it. You come with a way that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not take care of, and then you add to this by accusing me of not loving him." My friends, the problem is always that statements come, then exaggerations come, then more exaggerations come, this one accuses that one, and that one accuses the other, and so on. This is regarding the day of his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, with his father and mother. Well, there is no doubt that the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was a great event. And after that, when the Companions wanted to establish the Hijri calendar, which became known as the Hijri calendar, they wanted to create their own calendar because the calendar specific to Muslims did not come until after that, meaning during the time of Umar, may God be pleased with him, when they took care of it, they chose from among the major events the event of the Hijra (migration). They begin history from there, not with the birth of the Prophet, nor with the mission, even though both are great events. His birth, peace and blessings be upon him, and his mission—may my father and mother be sacrificed for him— but they chose the event of the Hijra (migration) from among them. Undoubtedly, this has certain implications, which we may discuss, God willing, when we reach the topic of the Hijra. Of course, among the famous verses commemorating the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, are the verses by Ahmad Shawqi, which are very well-known: "The light of guidance was born, and all creation shone; the mouth of time smiled and praised. The spirit and the angelic host surrounded him, bringing joy to religion and the world. The Throne rejoiced, the sacred precincts flourished, and the highest heaven and the Lote Tree of Paradise were adorned with you. God gave glad tidings of you to the heavens, so they were adorned, and the earth was fragrant with musk. On a day when its morning and evening will be distinguished from time by Muhammad and the light, the thrones of the oppressors were terrified and shook, and echoes rose upon their crowns. The fire, its sides empty, surrounded them, its flames extinguished, and the water receded. The signs followed one another, and miracles multiplied. Gabriel brought them morning and evening." Undoubtedly, these verses... From Ahmed Shawqi, meaning verses, meaning what we call today immortal, meaning they have their own significance in formulation, writing, expression, and style. May God Almighty have mercy on him and forgive him. So, we are discussing the event of the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We have mentioned that the established, well-known, and widely accepted account is that it was the Year of the Elephant, and that it was on a Monday. This is explicitly stated by the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet's attention, peace and blessings be upon him, was directed towards his birth from this perspective, specifically from the fact that it occurred on a Monday. This is undoubtedly a momentous event. One of the things we should consider is that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born, his mother mentioned that she saw a light illuminating the palaces of Syria. That is, his mother, Aminah, saw in a dream that a light emanated from her, illuminating the palaces of Syria. These palaces of Syria truly require further examination. How is the connection between the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and Syria? This connection is remarkable. We say Syria, Syria, Jerusalem, the lands of Syria, which we have discussed extensively, encompassing all of Syria, especially the cities mentioned in the revelation, foremost among them Jerusalem. This connection is remarkable. Look at this connection; it is even linked to his birth. Aminah, the mother of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw a light emanating from her that illuminated the palaces of Syria. Ibn Kathir, may God have mercy on him, says that the specific mention of Syria in the appearance of his light is an indication of the establishment of his religion. And its establishment in the Levant, and for this reason the Levant will be a stronghold for Islam and its people at the end of time, and Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, will descend in Damascus at the eastern white minaret there. This is why it is mentioned in the two Sahihs: “There will always be a group from the nation who will remain manifest upon the truth, unharmed by those who forsake them or oppose them, until the command of God comes while they are in that state.” And in Sahih al-Bukhari, it says, “while they are in the Levant.” Likewise, Ibn Rajab says that the emergence of this light at his birth is an indication of the light he will bring, by which the people of the earth will be guided and the darkness of polytheism will be removed from them, as God Almighty said: “O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from God a light and a clear Book by which God guides those who follow His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darkness into light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.” This is also one of the matters that should be given attention. Therefore, this meaning is so firmly established that even the People of the Scripture believed in the Prophet’s connection to the Levant, as mentioned in the authentic hadith, which is what? A sound hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, the hadith of Heraclius with a dialogue with Abu Sufyan when he said, "What will he possess that is under my feet?" meaning the land of Sham. So where did he get this from? Didn't he hear it from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace? This is from their heritage in the knowledge of the Book. If there is an ancient connection, then in the knowledge of God, God Almighty revealed what He revealed regarding the connection of this noble Prophet to the land of Sham. Also, there are many hadiths. So this is a great meaning. This is a great and magnificent meaning. So were there other indications related to the birth of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace? He remembers many things and many stories, that when he was born, such and such happened in Khosrow, and such and such happened in Persia, and such and such happened in such and such. Does he enjoy them? It is possible to be pleased with it, meaning as a general mention, not as something specific and fixed in particular, meaning in the extent that we say man has reached with general knowledge, but it is mentioned in a chain of transmission from Ibn Ishaq. So, you classify this report into what category? Ibn Ishaq said: Salih told me, of course, this classification, that is, there is no doubt that it also needs knowledge of men, because we do not say it is merely connected, but let us consider that he is among those accepted in men, but they classified me from the classification in consideration of what we mentioned. Ibn Ishaq said: Salih bin Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman bin Awf told me, on the authority of Yahya bin Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman bin Saad bin Zurarah Al-Ansari, who said: Whoever you want from the men of my people told me, on the authority of Hassan bin Thabit, who said: What do you think? This is in which class, third class, why? Because there are ambiguities in the chain of transmission. He said, "Whoever I wished from among the men of my people told me..." But what adds value to it is that he said, "From among the men of my people," and he was an Ansari, and the report is about the Ansar and about Hassan. This increases its value. And notice, the higher the generation, the better. The closer the generation is to the Companions, the higher it is. For example, if Ibn Ishaq himself had said, " Some of the people of this household told me..." This would be closer to the fourth generation, because we said the generation of Ibn Ishaq's teachers, meaning it's a bit later. But he didn't say, "Salih ibn Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf told me, on the authority of Yahya ibn Abd ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'd ibn Zurarah, who said, 'Whoever I wished from among the men of my people told me...'" and he came a little closer to Hassan ibn Thabit, who said, "By God, I was a young boy of seven years old, and I understood everything I heard when I heard a Jew shouting at his fortress—the fortress being like a stronghold in Yathrib—'O assembly of Jews!'" So when they gathered around him, they said, "Woe to you! What is wrong with you?" He said, “The star of Ahmad, who was born, rose tonight.” Muhammad bin Ishaq said, “So I asked Saeed bin Abdul Rahman bin Hassan, Hassan bin Thabit, and I said, ‘How old was Hassan bin Thabit when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Medina?’” Ibn said, "He was 60 years old, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, came when he was 53 years old. Hassan heard what he heard when he was seven years old. So this is also one of the events related to the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Of course, we don't say that this is absolutely certain, but it is mentioned and narrated that it may be something that was preserved from the People of the Book. They said that there were certain signs that God Almighty placed in the heavens at the time of the birth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. God knows best. There is nothing definitive about this, but it is mentioned and narrated. Ibn Ishaq said, 'When his mother, peace and blessings be upon him, gave birth to him, she sent word to his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, that a boy had been born to him, so come and see him. So he came and saw him, and she told him what she had seen when she conceived him, what had been said to her about him, and what she had been commanded to name him. They claim that Abdul-Muttalib took him and entered the Kaaba with him. He stood and prayed to God and thanked Him for what He had given him. Then he went out with him to his mother and gave him to her and sought wet nurses for the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him.'" Ibn Hisham al-Muradha' (the wet nurses) and in the Book of God, the Almighty, in the story of Moses, and We forbade him wet nurses, Ibn Ishaq said, "So he sought a wet nurse for him from a woman from Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr, named Halimah bint Abi Dhi'b." We said that one of the advantages of Ibn Ishaq ibn Hisham's book is its meticulous attention to genealogy. They don't like to mention names like that. You can't just say "Abdullah ibn so-and-so," but they have to tell you his son, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, and trace his lineage back to Halimah bint Abi Dhi'b. Who is Abi Dhi'b? They tell you he is Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Shajnah ibn Jabir ibn Razan ibn Nasir ibn Qusayyah ibn Nasr ibn Sa'd ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ibn Mansur ibn 'Ikrimah ibn Khasfah ibn Qays 'Aylan. Qays 'Aylan ibn Mudar is important because a branch of the large Mudar tribes descends from him. Qays 'Aylan ibn Mudar means a very large branch of Mudar with many tribes, among the most important of which are Hawazin. Hawazin and Thaqif— some of the large tribes in the Arabian Peninsula trace their lineage back to them. This branch—Qays 'Aylan—is very large. Okay, what is Qays 'Aylan? What is the other branch from which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, descended? Who is Ibn Mudar in the Prophet's lineage, peace and blessings be upon him? Ilyas ibn Mudar. Okay, these are Banu Sa'd from Hawazin. Okay, did this breastfeeding incident—the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, being nursed among Banu Sa'd of Hawazin—have any impact on the Prophet's biography? I'm not talking about what happened after that; I'm talking about the tribe itself. Did this have any further impact? Or... I haven't heard of Hudaybiyyah. I don't know if Ibn Ishaq mentioned it here or elsewhere. Let's see if he mentioned it here or there. No one seems to recall anything. I just want to bring up the same story: when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, triumphed over Hawazin, they then pleaded with him, saying, " We..." We nursed you, forgive us. Yes, here Ibn Kathir said, and the intended meaning is that the blessing of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, descended upon Halimah al-Sa'diyyah and her family when he was young. This is, of course, in the famous stories about Halimah. Of course, you know the famous story when Halimah came and took the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the mount was weak, and this means that this mount became strong and full, and the blessing descended upon them and their house with the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with them. The point is what he says, then it returned to Hawazin with its fullness, with its fullness, its blessings. That is, the blessing was not limited to Halimah al- Sa'diyyah and her husband, but rather it included Hawazin when he captured them after their battle, and that was a month after the conquest of Mecca. They came to him through nursing, so he freed them and was kind to them and treated them well, as will come in detail in its place, God willing. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said in the Battle of Hawazin, on the authority of Amr ibn Shu'ayb, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, Abdullah ibn Amr, he said: We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at Hunayn, and when he acquired some of the wealth And their captives were caught by a delegation from Hawaz at al-Ja'ranah, and they had embraced Islam. They said, " O Messenger of God, we are your family and tribe, and we have suffered a calamity that is not hidden from you. So have mercy on us, as God has shown you mercy." Their spokesman, Zuhair ibn Sard, stood up and said, "O Messenger of God, among the captives in the enclosures are your maternal aunts and wet nurses who cared for you." Look how he included it! Of course, he meant the general consideration, meaning the tribe. So, if we had said, "We were nursed by Ibn Abi Shamir," or "We were nursed by al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, and then we suffered from them what we suffered from you," we hoped for their kindness and compassion, and you are the best of those who are shown mercy. Then he recited, "Have mercy on us, O Messenger of God, in your generosity, for you are the one we hope for and rely on. Have mercy on an egg that fate has prevented, its unity torn apart in its time, except..." and so on until the end of the poem. So, who is he referring to? Then, what did the Prophet do for them? Ibn Kathir said, as will be mentioned later, that he, peace and blessings be upon him, released their offspring, and there were 6,000 of them, between boys and women, and he gave them livestock and people. Many, to the end of the speech, all right. Ibn Ishaq mentioned the Prophet’s brother, may God bless him and grant him peace, through breastfeeding. Then after that, what happened to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, happened while he was with Bani Saad, or the incident of the splitting of the chest. This incident is a great and established incident from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and it is something that we should pause to consider. Anas bin Malik, may God be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was visited by Gabriel, peace be upon him, while he was playing with the boys. He came to him, took him, threw him down, split open his chest, took out his heart, and extracted a clot of blood from it. He said, “This is the portion of Satan in you.” Then he washed it in a golden basin with Zamzam water, then put it back together, then returned it to its place. The boys came running to his mother, meaning his wet nurse, meaning his wet nurse. This, meaning when? When he was being nursed among the Banu Sa'd, they said that Muhammad had been killed. They received him, and his face was pale. Anas said, "This means that what happened was something tangible, leaving a mark on the Prophet's body, peace and blessings be upon him. I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest." The stitching was like a surgical operation. Anas could see the mark on the Prophet's chest, peace and blessings be upon him. Who performed this operation? Figuratively speaking, it was Gabriel, peace be upon him. The mark of the stitching remained on the Prophet's chest, peace and blessings be upon him. This is in Sahih Muslim. This is a great event. What event does it belong to? The talk we had earlier about preparing the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Was this preparation for others, on a small circle, like the wet nurse, especially since he was a child? Perhaps the news didn't spread widely, perhaps only within certain circles. But this was preparation for him, peace and blessings be upon him. This preparation had an effect on him. What was the most important effect? That the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was protected from the practices of the people of ignorance. He extracted a clot from it and said, "This is the portion of Satan in you." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, even though he had not received revelation, and even though he did not possess the knowledge that came to him after prophethood, and even though the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was as God Almighty described him: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you refuge? And find you lost and guide you? And find you poor and enrich you?" Yet the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was protected from the vile deeds of the people of ignorance. This is one of the effects of this action, and this is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did through Gabriel, peace be upon him, from the Lord of the Worlds. Undoubtedly, it was also psychological preparation that you see the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, remembering this event. You connect all these events: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then sat in the cave of Hira in seclusion. This was before the mission. Now, regarding breastfeeding, it wasn't only Halimah who breastfed the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. How many wet nurses nursed him? Ibn Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said that Umm Ayman, whose name was Barakah, nursed him, and she was one of those whom he, peace and blessings be upon him, inherited from his father. Umm Ayman was a slave of Abdullah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) inherited her from his father. She nursed him, and when he grew up, he freed her and married her to his freed slave, Zayd ibn Haritha. She bore him Usama ibn Zayd (may God be pleased with them both). He was nursed along with his mother ( peace and blessings be upon him) by his uncle Abu Lahab's slave, Thuwayba, before Halima. So, who else nursed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? His mother and Thuwayba, in addition to Halima. Thuwayba was Abu Lahab's slave, and Abu Lahab freed her, and she nursed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There is a hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned this meaning. See how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) preserved his history and some of the events that occurred, especially matters of breastfeeding. Ibn Kathir said: Al-Bukhari and Muslim included in their Sahihs a hadith from Az-Zuhri, on the authority of Urwa ibn Az-Zubayr, on the authority of Zaynab bint Umm Salama, on the authority of Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan, who said, "O Messenger of God, marry my sister, the daughter of Abu Sufyan." And in Muslim's version, it is Azza bint Abi Sufyan. Who is it that says the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married his wife, Umm Ayman? Habiba said to him, not knowing the details of the matter, "Marry my sister, Azza bint Abi Sufyan." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked her, "Do you like that?" She replied, "Yes, I will not leave her for you." She was saying to Umm Habiba, "Since there are co-wives, let her be my sister." Umm Habiba said, "I will leave her for you, and I love whoever shares in my sister's good fortune." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "That is not permissible for me." Habiba said, "We are talking about you wanting to marry the daughter of Abi Salama." (Abi Salama is his stepdaughter, the daughter of Abi Salama, the stepdaughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because the Prophet ( peace and blessings be upon him) married Umm Salama after the death of Abi Salama.) Umm Habiba said to him, "We are talking about you wanting to marry the daughter of Abi Salama." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The daughter of Umm Salama?" Habiba said, "Yes." He said, "Even if she were not my stepdaughter, raised in my care, she would not be permissible for me. Even if she were not my stepdaughter, she would not be permissible for me because she is my foster sister. She breastfed me and my father." Thuwaiba gave me her money, so don't show me your daughters' daughters or your sisters. Is that clear or not? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is confirmed in the authentic hadith in Bukhari and Muslim that Thuwaybah nursed him and Abu Salamah. It is also said that she nursed Hamzah, the Prophet's uncle, peace and blessings be upon him. So Hamzah was the Prophet's uncle and his foster brother, as was Abu Salamah, may God be pleased with him. Bukhari adds that Urwah said, "Thuwaybah was Abu Lahab's freed slave. He freed her, and she nursed the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. When Abu Lahab died, I saw him—or rather, I saw some of his family—in a terrible state. He asked him, 'What have you experienced?' Abu Lahab replied, 'I have not experienced any good since your death, except that I was given a drink of water in this because of my freeing Thuwaybah,'" and he pointed to the hollow between his thumb and forefinger. This is regarding the Prophet's wet nurse, other than Halimah, namely Thuwaybah, and how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, remembered this, and its rulings were based upon it decades later. We emphasize that there is a connection between the events at the beginning, before the Prophethood, and the events that followed. After that, the Prophet did not marry. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was offered his daughter, or it was said that he would marry the daughter of Umm Salamah, he said, "If she were not my foster daughter, she would not be lawful for me. Why did she nurse me and her father?" Yes, we are talking about orphanhood. Orphanhood is a very, very significant event. Look, the most important events that occurred before prophethood are those mentioned in the Quran. The most important events that should be considered and reflected upon are what God mentioned in the Quran about the pre-prophetic period. Among the most important of these is what God Almighty mentioned about His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Now, here we are discussing orphanhood. We must pause here, a very important pause. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was orphaned, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him. Orphanhood is a great calamity, and there is no doubt that a child who grows up without his father—let's say—this is one of the trials and tribulations with which a person's life begins. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lost his father before he was born, and then his orphanhood was compounded by the death of his mother six years after his birth. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was orphaned when his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, passed away eight years after his birth. He grew up an orphan, experiencing a profound and multifaceted form of orphanhood. This was a trial and a hardship that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) faced. Here, we pause to consider an important point, which also relates to understanding God's decrees and what He ordains for His chosen ones and prophets. God Almighty prepares the prophets, and part of this preparation includes trials they endure. The most striking example of this in the stories of all the prophets is what happened to Moses (peace be upon him). It is remarkable that after all this happened to Moses, God Almighty says, "And We tested you with a severe test." This indicates that this was God's will and decree, and He intended for this to occur with such hardship. In the story of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him), his orphanhood is mentioned, and he was raised as an orphan. And in the story of Joseph (peace be upon him), you know what you know of the immense hardship he faced as a child. Therefore, the first thing we learn is that God's care for whomever He wills, whether prophets or chosen ones, is a testament to this. The letter "ya" does not necessarily mean that he will live in luxury and be free from hardship. Rather, consider this principle: no matter how severe the hardship God decrees for those He intends good for, it is not accompanied by loss, but rather by kindness, regardless of its severity. You can observe this in trials and tribulations. If you wish, consider it a general principle in trials. Notice, for example, the verse, "Did He not find you an orphan and shelter you?" Orphanhood is a hardship and trial that God decreed for His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but it was accompanied by kindness. Joseph, peace be upon him, faced great hardships in his youth, but at every stage, you will find divine kindness and care. Moses, peace be upon him, experienced the same. Therefore, the issue is not the hardship itself, nor the severity of the event, but rather whether it is a hardship accompanied by loss or a hardship accompanied by kindness. If you want to find something that confirms this meaning, consider Hagar. When Abraham, peace be upon him, left her and his son in a barren valley in a difficult situation, she asked, "Did God command you to do this?" He replied, "Yes." She said, "Then no..." He will not lose us if he does not lose us, but it is a hardship without loss, without the person being lost. It is a hardship, but a hardship surrounded by shelter, kindness, and care. Look at Joseph, peace be upon him, at the bottom of the well. The first thing he hears is, "Good news! Here is a boy!" Then he is sold. Then after that, "Make his stay comfortable, make his stay comfortable." Exile, hardship, young age, buying and selling. And so the last thing he hears is, "Make his stay comfortable." This is reassurance. Then prison and a difficult situation. Then he hears, "What have they brought me? I will choose him for myself. I will choose him for myself." And he hears, "You are today with us established and trustworthy." And so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, grew up an orphan, meaning his father died before he was born, then his mother died, then his grandfather died. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not in a state of loss. God provided for him. God provided for him his uncle, Abu Talib. Then after that, what you know of the stories and circumstances. This is among what should be mentioned and given attention. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the death of Aminah, the mother of the Chosen One, peace and blessings be upon him. He said Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was with his mother, Aminah bint Wahb, and his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, under God's care and protection. God Almighty nurtured him well, as He intended to honor him. When the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, reached the age of six, his mother, Aminah bint Wahb, passed away. Ibn Ishaq said: Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm told me that the mother of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, Aminah, passed away when the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was six years old at al-Abwa', between Mecca and Medina. She had taken him to visit his maternal uncles from the Banu Adi ibn al-Najjar tribe, and she died while returning with him to Mecca. Ibn Hisham said: The mother of Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim was Salma bint Amr al-Najjariyyah. This is the maternal unclehood, or the maternal unclehood, that Ibn Ishaq mentioned concerning the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was with his grandfather, Abd al- Muttalib ibn Hashim, and a bed was placed for Abd al-Muttalib in the shade of the Kaaba. His sons They would sit around his bed until he came out to him. None of his sons would sit on it out of respect for him. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, would come as a young boy and sit on it. His uncles would try to move him away, but Abdul-Muttalib, seeing this, would say, "Leave my son alone! By God, he has a great destiny." Then he would sit him down with him, stroke his back with his hand, and be pleased with what he saw him doing. When the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, reached the age of eight, Abdul- Muttalib ibn Hashim died. This was eight years after the Year of the Elephant. Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Abbas ibn Abdullah ibn Ma'bad ibn Abbas told us, on the authority of some of his family, that Abdul- Muttalib died when the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was eight years old. This was his death, and then Abdul-Muttalib died as well. Ibn Ishaq said: After Abdul-Muttalib, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, lived with his uncle Abu Talib. It is said that Abdul-Muttalib entrusted him to his uncle Abu Talib, because Abdullah, the father of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Talib were full brothers, their mother being Fatimah bint Amr ibn A'id ibn Abd ibn Imran ibn Makhzum. Ibn Ishaq said, "Abu Talib was the one who took charge of the affairs of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, after his grandfather. So, what is the benefit of mentioning him? Is there any benefit in your opinion from mentioning Fatima bint Amr ibn A'id ibn Abd ibn Imran ibn Makhzum? Now you have raised your hand. Who is this Fatima bint Amr ibn A'id ibn Abd ibn Imran ibn Makhzum? Who is the grandmother of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, who is the mother of Abu Talib and the father of Abdullah? Has anyone among you picked up anything related to this woman with this lineage? Yes, Makhzumi, Makhzumi. What honorable lineage? Good, but other than that? Yes, Abu Jahl, Bani Makhzum, but other than that. I mean, what is there after that? When Hassan attacked the polytheists, when Hassan attacked the polytheists, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, 'So what about my lineage among them?' Abu Bakr said, ' Learn about lineage.' What did Hassan say?" He said, "The pinnacle of glory is from the Hashimites, the sons of the daughter of Makhzum, and your father is the slave." Look how he confined it to the sons of the daughter of Makhzum, who is Fatima bint Amr ibn A'id ibn Abd ibn Imran. Look at the importance of knowing the lineage so you understand why he said that. Because you are reading the hadith of the pinnacle of glory is from the Hashimites, the sons of the daughter of Makhzum, and your father is the slave Abdu. He means, well, but I didn't understand. I mean, I understand. So when you understand this equation completely, you will know why he said this. Okay, every day we say, God willing, we will finish today. The pre-broadcast stage. How long have we been here, my dear? 1 hour and 35 minutes. It's not enough. Okay, let's conclude with an event. Let's take the last event. Let's stop at the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was among those whom God Almighty sent to His Messenger. It is an event. It may not seem ordinary to the observer. Unless he considers this meaning, he may not see it as anything. But we are in the other context that we said, that God Almighty is able to Destiny is carefully ordained, and it cares for those it prepares for great matters. It was God's will for His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to tend sheep in his youth or childhood before his prophethood. Jabir, may God be pleased with him, said: "We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at Marr al-Zahran, and we were harvesting kabath, which is the fruit of the arak tree. He said, 'Take the black ones.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was directing them to the type of fruit with such precision. So we said, ' O Messenger of God, it is as if you tended sheep.' This is precise information about plants; who knows this? He said, 'Yes. And what prophet did not tend sheep?' And in the hadith of Abu Hurairah, he said, 'God did not send any prophet who did not tend sheep.' His companions said, 'And you?' He said, 'Yes, I used to tend them for the people of Mecca for a few coins.' Now, this event—if a person reads it in isolation, as one of the things the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did was tend sheep—might not give it much thought. But when you pay attention, pay attention to the exceptional nature of this event: that there is no prophet who did not tend sheep." Sheep, God is great! This means it's a divinely ordained tradition. Look, there wasn't a prophet who didn't tend sheep. Whether the prophet was in the east or west, north or south, in the Arabian Peninsula, in the east or west, there wasn't a prophet who didn't go to the sheep. This is amazing! This is a very powerful indication of the importance of practical, reformative preparation and training. God wanted all His prophets to go through a stage of shepherding. Amazing! So, what's the connection? What's the point here? Those who tend sheep are the ones who best understand the connection if they are told the explanation given by scholars. Because, look, notice that the issue isn't limited to the desert. If it were, then herding camels or cattle could be the same, right? No, every prophet tended sheep specifically. Sheep herding is different from herding cattle or camels. The most important difference is the pressing need for herding. The shepherd and his constant attention because they are weak, this is the most important difference. The sheep are poor, you see, he knows their situation like people do. This one goes off on its own like that, not paying attention, and this one, I don't know what it does, sits at the back, and this one does this and that. What is the problem? The problem is that they are weak, meaning if the shepherd did not have an attention for them, it would be easy for them to get lost and perish, or it would be easy for them to get lost and perish. As for camels, if you remain the shepherd, if your camels remain for a week, even for a few days, you will lose them. The shepherd will go looking and looking and looking. If you find them after seven days, you will find that they are fine, their food and drink are all they need. The most important thing is what? It is like, for example, that it got lost from the flock, but you see it alive, eating, drinking, and everything is fine, while you lose your sheep for seven days, and see what happens to them in the wilderness if you don't find them at all. The wolf has already eaten them, especially since wolves, by their behavior, are not satisfied with one sheep or a few wolves, but rather the wolf wreaks havoc on the sheep, wreaks havoc. Two hungry wolves sent among sheep, what is more destructive to them than a person's greed for money and honor for his religion? And even in some videos now, some wolves have entered some pens, especially if the shepherd is absent and the wolf feels safe, he will destroy everything completely, and you will find the sheep sitting in their place, but they do nothing, meaning they cannot escape, they cannot kick, they cannot do this or that, etc. So what does this mean? This means that whoever experiences shepherding experiences caring for the weak, paying constant attention to them, showing them compassion, mercy, and care. It also involves some management, organization, attentiveness, grouping, and coordination, etc. Therefore, Ibn Hajar mentioned this meaning, stating that what they gain from shepherding is the practice they acquire in managing their flock. Furthermore, interacting with sheep cultivates patience and compassion. If they patiently tend to the flock, gather it after it has scattered in the pasture, move it from one area to another, and protect it from predators, they learn about the different temperaments and the tendency for the sheep to scatter, along with their weakness and need for constant attention. From this, they become accustomed to patience with the flock, understand its diverse temperaments and varying levels of intelligence, mend its brokenness, be gentle with the weak, and take better care of it. Thus, bearing the hardship of this becomes easier than if they were tasked with it from the outset, due to the gradual experience gained through shepherding. Sheep are specifically mentioned because they are weaker than other animals and because their scattering is more frequent. Camels and cattle scatter because they can be controlled by tethering them, as is customary. Despite their tendency to scatter, they are more easily led than other animals. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioning this after learning that he was the most honored of creation in the sight of God Almighty demonstrates his humility before his Lord and acknowledges God's favor upon him and his fellow prophets (peace and blessings be upon them all). This is a beautiful and insightful statement. From it, we understand, as a general benefit, that if someone is responsible for cultivating, raising, and preparing reformers, it is crucial to focus on the practical aspects of this process and not merely on theoretical knowledge. Shepherding is a practical school, offering hands-on training. This reminds us that God Almighty also trained Moses (peace be upon him) to throw down his staff before commanding him to do so before Pharaoh. Moses was initially in awe of Pharaoh when he saw the snake and was terrified. Then God said, "Come forward, do not fear; you are among the secure." He saw this scene and experienced it; it was easy for him to do it again. What does this mean? This is preparatory training that a person undergoes. Therefore, we say that if a person is being prepared, of course, according to what he is being prepared for, if a person is being prepared for a major reformist journey in which he will lead people, meaning to refine them and improve their conditions—I am not talking about merely ascending the pulpit on Friday and delivering a sermon and leaving— nor am I talking about simply becoming a professor of Islamic law, giving academic lessons, and then leaving to test students and leave. I am not talking about this. I am talking about a reformer who leads people, who guides them. The Children of Israel were guided by the prophets. If a reformer is being prepared for such a role, then he must experience practical training before undertaking this role. He must experience it according to the means, according to what is available, according to what is possible, according to what he is capable of. The important thing is the idea, the important thing is the meaning. And we say that this is in accordance with the divine law, the divine law that He implemented for all the prophets. There is no prophet who did not herd sheep. So the matter is not simple because if it were for one prophet— I mean, if we say that this has a benefit, no doubt—it is not like the status of one who does not herd sheep. The Prophet (peace be upon him) tended sheep. This is a profound and significant meaning that deserves our attention and reflection. We seek forgiveness from God Almighty and repent to Him. We ask Him for guidance, piety, chastity, and sufficiency. We ask Him, the Exalted, for pardon and well-being. O God, we ask You to send blessings and peace upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad, and to grant him the highest station, O our Lord, and to raise him to the praised station You promised him. We ask You, O God, to teach us his Sunnah, to keep us alive upon it, and to revive through us the path of Your Prophet Muhammad. We ask You, O God, to let us die upon his Sunnah and to make us among its supporters. We ask You, O God, to make us among those who receive his memorization, and to make us among those who accompany him in Your Paradise, O Lord of the Worlds. We seek Your forgiveness and repent to You. Our Lord, grant us a good life in this world and a good life in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. Guide us, make us righteous, pardon us, and grant us well-being. O God, our Lord, we ask You to grant the people of Gaza a great and complete recovery. O God, grant them relief. O God, grant them relief. O God, grant them relief. O God, grant them relief. O God, take revenge on their enemy. O God, take revenge on their enemy. O God, take revenge on their enemy. O God, our Lord, deal with the criminal Zionist occupiers, for they have transgressed and oppressed and spread corruption in the land. O God, pour down upon them a wrath of punishment. O God, take revenge on them, O Lord of the Worlds. O God, scatter their unity, forsake them, and turn the circle of evil against them, O Mighty and Exalted. O God, have mercy on the oppressed prisoners held by the Zionists, O Lord of the Worlds. O God, our Lord, release them from captivity, grant them relief, and provide them with the means. There is no power nor strength except with You. O God, the distress has become great and the calamity has intensified, so we ask You for relief, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Mighty, O Wise, O Strong, O Firm, O Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, O Creator of the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, O Lord of the Worlds. There is no power nor strength except with You. O God, deliver the oppressed believers everywhere, O Lord of the Worlds, O Forbearing, O Generous. There is no god but You, O Lord of the Mighty Throne. Glory be to You, O God, and praise be to You. We bear witness that there is no god but You. We seek Your forgiveness and repent to You. O God, to You belongs all praise. In the beginning and the end, Yours is the judgment and to You is the return. By God, were it not for God, we would not have been guided to religion, nor would we have given charity, nor would we have prayed. So send down tranquility upon us and make our feet firm until we meet God.