All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His guidance. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, and upon his wives and descendants, as You sent blessings upon the family of Abraham. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. And bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad, his wives, and descendants, as You bestowed Your blessings upon the family of Abraham. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise, filling the heavens, filling the earth, filling what is between them, and filling whatever else You will. O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise in this world and the Hereafter. To You belongs the judgment, and to You is the return. To You belongs abundant, good, and blessed praise. O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise. We praise You, we extol You, we seek Your forgiveness for our sins, and we repent to You. We ask You for all good, both immediate and delayed, that which we know and that which we do not know. And we seek refuge in You from all evil, both immediate and delayed, that which we know and that which we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for fear of You in secret and in public, and for Your word. The right to anger and contentment, and moderation in poverty and wealth. O Allah, we ask You for unending bliss and perpetual joy. We ask You for a life of ease after death, contentment after Your decree, and the delight of gazing upon Your face and the longing to meet You without harmful adversity or misleading trials. O Allah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us guides and those who are guided. O Allah, forgive us. O Allah, forgive us. O Allah, forgive us. O Allah, open doors for us. O Allah, strengthen us with the steadfast word in this life and in the Hereafter. Now then, we seek Allah's help and begin a new session in the series on the biography of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. This is the fourth session, and we are still in the pre- Prophetic era. God willing, today we will conclude this stage. In the next session, God willing, we will begin with the revelation to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We recall the statement of Imam Ibn Hazm, which I mentioned in the first session, in which he said: "The biography of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, for whoever ponders it, necessarily requires belief in him and testifies that he is..." The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, truly, even if he had no other miracle besides his life, peace and blessings be upon him, it would be sufficient. In the previous meeting, I mentioned, and in the one that follows, several matters. In the previous meeting, we discussed the incident of the elephant and its connection to the signs of prophethood and Surah Al- Fil. Then we discussed the winter and summer journeys and said that the events that occurred before the mission are connected to the Quran, so they are very important. Of course, notice that they are connected to the Quran. We have two things connected to the Quran: direct mention of a direct event connected to what came before the mission, such as the elephant and the winter and summer journeys. And we have verses in the Quran that contain allusions to things. These things cannot be understood unless one understands the practices of the Arabs or the Quraysh before the mission. This is clear, and this confirms the importance of this stage. The same applies to the hadiths. For example, God Almighty, in the verses of Surah Al-Hajj— excuse me, in the verses of Hajj in Surah Al-Baqarah—when He, the Exalted, says, “ Then depart from where the people depart.” Why was this verse mentioned in this way? Where the people departed—who are these people, and why was it mentioned? It was a reminder of something: "Depart from where the people departed." Here you learn that one of the beliefs of the Quraysh in the pre-Islamic era was that they did not depart from Arafat, nor did they stand at Arafat, but rather they departed from Muzdalifah. It was also one of the innovations of the Quraysh that they called themselves the Hums, and they established their own beliefs and rituals, even during Hajj. Therefore, Jubayr ibn Mut'im, as mentioned in the authentic hadith, said, " I lost my camel, so I went to Arafat and saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, standing at Arafat. I said, ' This is from the Hums. What is their connection here?'" Notice the correction that occurred: "Then depart from where the people departed." From where do the people depart? From Arafat? You, the Quraysh, depart from there. Likewise, these are Quranic indications of things that a person cannot truly understand unless they know, for example, that Safa and Marwa are among the rituals of God. So, whoever performs Hajj or Umrah— meaning a person It is conceivable that the context of the verse, if the command is to go to Safa and Marwa, is that he should circumambulate them, but what is the context of the verse? There is no blame upon him if he circumambulates them. This means that while it is obligatory, why did it come in the form of removing blame or hardship from the one who circumambulates them? This was a point of contention for some of the followers when they asked Aisha, may God be pleased with her, about this. So what is the issue? It is an issue related to something in the pre- Islamic era. What is it related to the pre-Islamic era? Yes, there was a specific pre-Islamic belief, and the Ansar used to dedicate their rituals to Manat. After that, when Islam came, they thought there would be a problem in resembling the people of the pre-Islamic era. So the removal of hardship came, that Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of God, so whoever performs Hajj or Umrah, there is no blame upon him if he circumambulates them. The Ansar in the pre-Islamic era used to dedicate their rituals to two idols on the seashore called Asaf and Na’ila. Also, in another narration, they dedicate their rituals to Manat. Well, the point is that there are certain verses, meaning they are related to events before the Prophethood, that are important to understand. Likewise, there are hadiths. For example, among the hadiths of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he mentioned the hadith about the sacred months in Bukhari... And Muslim narrated the hadith of Abu Bakrah, known to be authentic, that time has returned to its original state as it was on the day God created the heavens and the earth. He mentioned that the year has 12 months, and that four of them are sacred. He said, "Three consecutive months," then he said, "And Rajab of Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." This is in Bukhari. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, specifies the sacred months, then he says, "And Rajab of Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." Okay, why did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mention this, and why did he say Rajab of Mudar? Mudar now means the Mudar tribes. Why? Because there was a disagreement between Rabi'ah and Mudar regarding the fourth of the sacred months. Rabi'ah said it was between Sha'ban and Shawwal, and Mudar said it was between Jumada and Sha'ban. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, comes in the authentic hadith in Bukhari and says, "And Rajab of Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." This is how it is in the hadith: " between Jumada and Sha'ban." Okay, you won't understand this unless you understand something about what the situation was like in the pre-Islamic era. It's clear. And that's why, of course, also, for example, "O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque." " Your adornment at every mosque" – do you know what this verse is about? What does it mean? What is it originally connected to? This verse is connected to covering the private parts. It means, "Take your adornment." This phrase, "Take your adornment," may lead to a meaning beyond covering the private parts. So, it is complete to take adornment, but its origin is in covering the private parts. Why? Look at where the pre-Islamic era reached. They used to circumambulate the Kaaba naked. The pre-Islamic era reached this point, except for the Hums (a group of Muslims). They also did not circumambulate the Kaaba naked. So, the words of God Almighty were revealed: " O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque." This is also one of the things that should be understood. The verse should be understood in light of the conditions of the Arabs. Therefore, you will not understand many of the verses of the Quran that contain arguments with the polytheists unless we know what the polytheists were like. It is clear, and God willing, we will take care of this along the way. We said that so that we also know the reform of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, what he reformed or what he sought to reform? We must know what forms of corruption existed. Of course, the images of corruption and depravity that existed before the Prophetic mission are all grouped under one name, what is it called? The pre-Islamic era. So, is this ignorance, is this ignorance, a specific act? Is it related to the actions of a particular tribe? Is it related to the loss of knowledge only? No, this era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) is a period of time encompassing social, doctrinal, and economic systems, as well as deeply rooted beliefs and practices, including, let's say, politics and divination. This entire period is called Jahiliyyah. So, who named that period Jahiliyyah? God Almighty. This means that this period was not known by the name Jahiliyyah. It wasn't known by that name before. Rather, when this reform came, it called what preceded it—misguidance, corruption, and depravity—Jahiliyyah. Herein lies the importance of truth in exposing falsehood, the importance of light in exposing darkness, and the importance of guidance in exposing misguidance. People will not understand the reality of evil unless they know the reality of good. Therefore, even in our time today, the worst thing that can happen is for the voices of truth and its advocates to be silenced, not for falsehood to spread. Falsehood exists in every era. The greatest calamity is when truth exists, by which falsehood is measured, and consequently, those with sound hearts... Good natures distinguish between right and wrong. The greatest calamity occurs when one cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Therefore, God has bestowed His favor upon this nation, for God Almighty brought them out of darkness into light. Well, this pre-Islamic era was only called pre-Islamic when knowledge, justice, and righteousness were found. Therefore, my dear friends, the Prophet's biography is not studied simply by recounting events, starting directly with what happened, then the discussions with the polytheists, the migration to Abyssinia, the polytheists' torture of the Companions, and the Isra' (Night Journey). These events are part of the biography, but we must understand what existed during them. Therefore, we will not be content with what will be mentioned today, God willing, regarding what existed in the pre-Islamic era. Rather, this will be an ongoing process. And I reiterate, the Quran will not be truly understood unless we know many of the things that were prevalent among the Quraysh and the Arabs before Islam. An example of this is Surah Al-An'am. That is why Ibn Abbas, in Bukhari, said, "Whoever wants to know the ignorance of the Arabs should read verses 30 and 1 of Surah Al-An'am, which mentions beliefs, such as 'And they assigned to Allah a share of what He created of crops and livestock,' and so on." So, what was the state of ignorance before the Prophetic mission? We are still in this stage, the pre-mission stage. What was it like? In pre-Islamic times, for example, there was the practice of burying daughters alive. If you look closely at the surahs revealed in Mecca, even early in the Meccan period, you'll see references to the issue of buried alive girls. Surah At-Takwir is one of the early surahs, and it includes the verse, "And when the girl buried alive is asked..." So, what else was mentioned? Matters of marriage and its nature. This is most clearly explained in the hadith, specifically the hadith of Aisha in Bukhari, where she described the marriage practices of pre-Islamic times, their system, and how Islam came and abolished all these types of marriage, leaving only one legitimate form. This is a fundamental social matter. Also, even in the economic sphere, there is the verse, "Woe to those who give less than due measure, who, when they take a measure from people, demand full measure, but when they give by measure or weight to them, cause loss." And what else did I mention? Oh, the custom of tribalism, loyalty and disavowal based on tribe, and the rejection of truth simply because it didn't come through the tribe. And the saying, "A liar from Rabi'ah is more beloved to us than a truthful man from Mudar." Of course, this refers to the incident of apostasy, but before that, you know the famous saying of Abu Jahl: "We and Banu Hashim were in..." His rivals did this and we did that, they did this and we did that, they did this and we did that, then a prophet came from among them. I mean, we can't see the solution. I mean, for them, a prophet came from the Banu Hashim. We, the Banu Makhzum, what are we supposed to do? I mean, things were many. Divination was deeply rooted in the Arabs, and we went through the story yesterday about Abdul-Muttalib when he had a dispute with the Quraysh over Zamzam. They said, " Let's go to a soothsayer from such-and-such tribe." And she was on the outskirts of Syria, and they went to the soothsayer for judgment. And among the things that the Quran came to destroy, and also in the Prophetic Sunnah, was the matter of soothsayers and sorcerers and the like. You see, by the way, their matter was bigger than just predicting unseen matters and nothing like that. Rather, they were the rulers, the tyrants, the tyrants to whom people referred and to whom they turned in various matters of life, and also matters of divination by arrows, of course. And the head of all that, which is polytheism, the system of polytheism, the system of polytheism. Polytheism was deeply rooted in the Arabs, reaching very advanced levels, to the point that the Prophet When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered Mecca, he destroyed 360 idols around the Kaaba. 360 idols, meaning one or two idols each, especially since they claimed to worship God Almighty, yet most of them did not believe in God except as polytheists. 360 idols! So, my dear people, it is important to understand this. Of course, this pre-Islamic era was mentioned by God in the Quran, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned it in many hadiths. I tell you, in the books of Sunnah, there are dozens or hundreds of hadiths that mention the pre-Islamic era. Dozens or hundreds of hadiths mention the pre-Islamic era. And in the Quran, the term "pre-Islamic era" appears more than once: "And those who disbelieve have placed in their hearts zealotry—the zealotry of the pre-Islamic era" (Quran 33:23), "And do not display yourselves as the display of the former times of ignorance" (Quran 33:33), and "Do they then want the judgment of ignorance? And who is better than God in judgment?" (Quran 5:50). Despite all this, look at the justice, look at the religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not come to destroy the good aspects that existed in the pre-Islamic era. Yes, he destroyed this system in all its aspects, but he preserved certain things. This indicates the justice and divine nature of this religion, and that it is not like the revolutions in modern history, for example, some revolutions in the last 200 years, or even in ancient history, when a particular intellectual revolution comes along and destroys everything. For example, what happened in Europe was a radical coup against the Church. They demolished the Church, along with the evil within it, the good within it, the truth within it, the falsehood within it, morality—everything outside of it. As you know, they went through stages. First, they said, " What about morality? We have morality; we understand morality through reason. Morality is indeed required, but the Church is not the authority on morality. We have little morality." Then they said, "Let's abandon morality and destroy the whole world. Everything is relative, and there are no standards at all. It's said that this is right, this is wrong, and so on." But in Islam, Islam came and destroyed the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, but it also gave warnings. For example, you will find that people are like precious metals; the best of them in pre-Islamic times are the best of them in Islam. So understand how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, kept them as the best of them in pre-Islamic times, and the best of them in Islam. Similarly, we have, for example, a hadith in Sahih Muslim, the hadith of Jubayr ibn Mut'im, may God be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There is no alliance in Islam. Any alliance in pre-Islamic times that did not find support in Islam will only be strengthened by it." Or something to that effect, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said. Meaning, any alliances that existed in pre-Islamic times based on truth, mutual support, and aiding the oppressed are confirmed in Islam. There is no alliance in Islam because Islam, with its laws and principles, has established the foundations for supporting the oppressed, brotherhood among believers, and loyalty between them. There is no need for internal alliances established within Islam. Furthermore, there is another hadith that scholars have tried to reconcile with this one, which is the alliance established by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, between the Quraysh and the Ansar in the two houses of the narrator of the hadith. Of course, what is meant here is the brotherhood between the Muhajirun and the Ansar. This is not an alliance in the sense that we would say in pre-Islamic times, but rather a brotherhood, though it is called an alliance in the general sense. Anyway, let's now review some hadiths that mean This brief overview reveals some aspects of what the Arabs were like in the pre- Islamic era. First, let's start with the verses: "Then is the judgment of the time of ignorance?" This means what system of judgment and governance existed in the pre-Islamic era? Its leaders and pillars were the soothsayers. Okay, and also, we have: "And do not display yourselves like the display of the time of ignorance." This means there was a kind of moral decay, dissolution, or lack of modesty in the pre- Islamic era. Of course, there are details, but this is the general overview. And we have: "The zealotry of the pre-Islamic era." And in the hadiths: "He is not one of us who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes, and calls out with the call of the pre-Islamic era." What is the call of the pre-Islamic era? It is related to what? It is to being dissatisfied with the decree of God Almighty, wailing, and so on. This was a practice of the pre- Islamic era: not being content with God's decree and destiny in times of calamity. And we have, for example, even in economic matters, some specific sales. The hadith forbids the sale of a rope for a rope. This is a hadith in Bukhari, and it was a type of sale practiced by the people of the pre-Islamic era. And we have, for example: "What is the matter with the call of the pre-Islamic era?" This refers to fanaticism. Even when there are groups of truth, let's say it was between the Muhajireen and the Ansar. He said, " What is the matter with the practices of pre-Islamic ignorance?" Well, there are four things in my nation that are from the practices of pre-Islamic ignorance that they will not abandon: boasting about lineage, defaming ancestry, seeking rain through the stars, and wailing. These are four things from the practices of pre-Islamic ignorance: boasting about lineage, defaming ancestry, seeking rain through the stars, and wailing. Notice how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that the nation will not abandon these characteristics of pre- Islamic ignorance. We also have the hadith of Umar in Sahih Muslim, where he said, "We did not consider women important in pre-Islamic times until God revealed what He revealed concerning them and allotted them what He allotted." This is how men treat women. Umar said, "We did not consider women important until God revealed what He revealed concerning them and allotted them what He allotted." Also, regarding the waiting period: "And those of you who die and leave widows behind - they shall wait four months and ten days." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "It is only four months." And ten, and one of you in the pre-Islamic era would throw a dung beetle at the end of the year. This has a story related to the nature of blacksmithing, which was also practiced in the pre-Islamic era. Abu Raja' al-'Attardi, in Bukhari, says: We used to worship stones. If we found a better stone, we would throw the first one away and take the other. If we didn't find a stone, we would gather a mound of earth, then bring a sheep and milk it onto it, then circumambulate it. This is also in Bukhari. And so on, meaning many hadiths that show that, of course, one of the most important hadiths on this matter is the hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "Everything from the pre-Islamic era is under my feet, abolished, and the blood feuds of the pre-Islamic era are abolished, and the usury of the pre-Islamic era is abolished." This hadith was said by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, as a declaration of the victory of truth over falsehood, a declaration of the victory of justice over injustice, and a declaration of the victory of Islam over the pre-Islamic era. After all that journey, the greatest gathering assembled before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in which he made this declaration at the end of his life. That is, that journey was a destruction of the pre-Islamic era, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, declared, "And there is no..." And there was no one from the people of the pre-Islamic era who could object. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, everything from the affairs of the pre-Islamic era is under my feet and abolished. Blood feuds from the pre-Islamic era are abolished, and usury from the pre-Islamic era is abolished.” These are the tribal customs that included revenge, and what revenge is, usury, the economic system that was prevalent in the pre-Islamic era. This is in addition to many other things that were destroyed, as we discussed a little while ago regarding Arafat and Muzdalifah. And God Almighty revealed, “Then proceed from where the people proceed,” and so on. So, in summary, before the Prophetic mission, there was a large, detailed system that could be the subject of a series of lectures to explain and clarify its pillars. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent, he was sent to completely destroy this system and establish the system based on the Oneness of God Almighty, on justice, righteousness, and noble morals. He preserved from what came before the noble morals that were worth preserving. Now, I want to pause here, something that requires contemplation and reflection. Look, we have n't experienced the state of the Arabs before Islam, right? We don't know the conditions of the priests, the authorities, the divination by arrows, the seeking of rain by the stars, and what they were like in various matters, and the reality of the tribal fanaticism that they had. We didn't experience these things, right, while they were the dominant force at that time, so they were destroyed and the banner of Islam was raised, right? Well, did other different forms of ignorance follow this period of ignorance? Yes, like the contemporary Western ignorance. A modern seeker of truth reads the Quran and feels it dismantles this contemporary ignorance, while the Quran itself was replete with the dismantling of that very ignorance. Then there's the one who feels nothing of that ignorance, but reads the Quran only to address his own doubts, anxieties, and worldly attachments, and finds that the Quran completely addresses them. The truly astonishing thing—and this is what I hope we will reflect upon—is how God Almighty, who knows the unseen and the seen, even though the Prophet (peace be upon him) was engaged in dismantling that system of ignorance, still provided the religion with what is suitable for all times, in all circumstances, and for all customs. A Muslim reads it 14 centuries after its revelation and feels personally addressed, while at the time of its revelation, the battle raged with Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and the powerful polytheists, and later with the Jews, the hypocrites, and so on. Yet, despite all this, God placed a secret in this book: that it does not You read it from a historical perspective, meaning, yes, it is the Book of God, but what does it mean that, for example, the stories and situations in it are all related to the people of the pre-Islamic era? No, you feel that the Quran is addressing you, that God Almighty is addressing you in it. Whereas, if you read, for example, some translations of the holy books, which have of course been altered, you feel that they are related to that time, their style, their method, their content. Sometimes you find some texts in the depths of books, or something like that, and you find that they are related to those times and have no connection to this time. But when you read the Quran, even the amazing thing is that many people today read it, they read it in translation, they don't know Arabic, and they convert to Islam because of reading it. Living in the heart of secularism, living in the core of European life, they read a translation of the Quran, and they convert. Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Sakran, may God Almighty relieve his distress, said, "I sat contemplating for a while, trying to discover the secret by which many non-Muslims convert to Islam." As if he could have deduced something through research, he said, "I went..." I came with the Quran, through the Quran, this Quran that was revealed to challenge those eloquent people, meaning from which eye or with which eye you read the Quran, from which side and from which angle, you will find that the Quran is more comprehensive than all of that. Do you understand the connection between it and the system of ignorance that the Quran came to destroy and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was sent to destroy? Meaning, as much as there was work to destroy that ignorance, the Quran, due to its divine origin, due to God’s knowledge and encompassing of everything, and that He, the Exalted, knows what will come, also made the Quran suitable for all times. Whoever reads it from whatever angle, if he is sincere to the truth, will feel that this book is addressing him, admonishing him, reviving him, and reforming him, etc. This is a wondrous thing. Even the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was very engaged in arguing with the polytheists in Mecca and fighting the hypocrites, the People of the Book, and the Arab tribes in Medina. Right, right, or not? How many battles did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, participate in during those ten years? Yes, it was said 19, 21, 24, or 20. Let's say around 20. So, if those were 20 battles in those ten years, and the battles were fought on foot and by camel, when did they leave Medina and when did they return? You're saying that during those ten years in the Medinan period, what did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, do besides participate in battles? You're thinking that if there were 20 battles in 10 years, then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, didn't do anything else? This is in addition to the expeditions he sent out. There are also well- known sayings that he sent out 70 expeditions, 70 detachments, 70 detachments, in addition to the 20 battles. And there are other sayings regarding the number of detachments. Yet, what was the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, talking about? He was talking about the Levant, the Ghouta of Damascus, Jerusalem, and Constantinople. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was warning his nation about the end times, about such and such things. These are the hadiths about tribulations. He told me about its signs: if a child is born, the mother will raise her, and if you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in building tall structures— this only happened in our time, most likely. Meaning, how can we reconcile addressing the immediate problem with the vast temporal span of time, so that Islam becomes the final religion, suitable until the Day of Judgment? This is what I wanted to say. The idea is clear. In short, while we are concerned with the state of the Arabs in the pre- Islamic era, we look with astonishment and wonder at the extent to which these two matters are combined in the Book of God and in the life of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him: the destruction of those idols and the dismantling of those systems, and the immersion in addressing them, while at the same time addressing the ongoing, future-oriented treatment until the end of time, reforming the conditions of the nation until that time, and considering the problems that may arise until then. This combination in this way is a great matter and a miracle from God Almighty. This is a brief indication regarding this matter. Now, among the things that remain for us, I mentioned the issue of oaths. It is true that we said there are no oaths in Islam, and whatever Alliances in the pre-Islamic era. Let's mention this. We've finished with the previous section. Now let's mention some matters from before the Prophet's mission, including the topic of alliances, specifically the Hilf al-Fudul (Pact of the Virtuous). Let's read what Ibn Hisham said. Ibn Hisham said, "As for the Hilf al-Fudul," after mentioning the Hilf al-Mutayyibin (Pact of the Mutayyibin), which was during the time of Qusayy ibn Kilab, and after Qusayy ibn Kilab, he said, "As for the Hilf al-Fudul, Ziyad ibn Abdullah narrated to me on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said, 'Tribes from Quraysh called for an alliance and gathered for it in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an ibn Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy.' We said, since we're reading about Hisham's biography, we must learn about lineages. We must become familiar with lineages. So, the honor and the Sunnah. Their alliance was with Banu Hashim, Banu al-Muttalib, Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, Zuhrah ibn Kilab, and Taym ibn Murrah. They made a pact and pledged to..." What? On the condition that they would find in Mecca anyone wronged, whether from its inhabitants or from among the people who entered it, they would stand with him and against his oppressor until his grievance was redressed. The Quraysh called this pact the Hilf al-Fudul (Pact of the Virtuous). Of course, some scholars, including al-Qurtubi, pointed out that al-Fudul is derived from al-Fadl (virtue), meaning it is a plural form of the word Fadl (virtue). Fadl (virtue) is good. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn al- Muhajir ibn Qunfudh al-Taymi told me that he heard Talhah ibn Abdullah ibn Awf al-Zuhri say: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: I witnessed in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an a pact that I would not exchange for a red camel. Yes, if I were called upon to uphold it in Islam, I would respond. What is the ruling on this? From which category or division does this report belong? Yesterday we said there are four divisions, and we said there is a division between the fourth and fifth, between the third and fourth. I think it is better to make it five, meaning this one between the third and fourth, we should make it a division. So, is this one from the fourth or the third? We said the first is the most correct thing, what Ibn Ishaq mentioned with a chain of transmission. It was narrated by trustworthy people and others agreed with it through a different chain of transmission. Then, it was narrated by Ibn Ishaq alone with a chain of transmission connected to trustworthy men, or something close to it. Then, the third is what Ibn Ishaq narrated from the Successors, or someone close to the Successors, or the generation close to the Successors, as a mursal hadith. Let's say we limit it to the Successors as a mursal hadith, meaning they narrated it as a mursal hadith, like Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, like Ibn Ishaq narrated from al-Zuhri, from Urwah ibn al- Zubayr, who said, "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said," or "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did." Of course, this is included if there is some weakness in its narrators. Yes, by God, that is a mursal hadith if there is some weakness in its narrators. Okay, and we said, like what, that he narrates from a person, for example, from a Successor, from elders from his people, and the hadith is connected to these people from the Ansar. All of this is included in the third. The fourth is what? What Ibn Ishaq transmits is not from himself, but rather he narrates it from his teachers, and these teachers are the ones who transmit the news. This means it is neither from the reports of the Successors nor from Ibn Ishaq's own reports. This fourth category is the weakest, which is the fifth, namely Ibn Ishaq's reports and his narrations. What he says in it is not "He told me," there is no "He told me," "Who told me?" "He informed me." You will go to the section before it. Yes, "He informed me," regarding what they say, regarding what they claim. Or he narrates the story directly, for example, he says, "The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, went out in such and such a year and went to such and such a place." Now, the fifth category also has a detail that I did not mention in the previous meeting. There is an important detail, and I see it as necessary. This fifth category is divided into two sections and two levels. If it is related to a specific event, detailed with what was said and what was reported, and he went and left from here and went out, for example, a specific dialogue, an event that occurred between a person and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then this is the weakest. But if it is information related to an issue, let's say a specific date in the biography, mentioning a large, general event, then this is considered news. Why so strong? Because this isn't a detailed account of a specific event or dialogue, but rather Ibn Ishaq's area of ​​expertise. For example, when he tells you, "The first battle was such-and-such, then such-and-such, then such-and-such," we don't say that Ibn Ishaq didn't provide a chain of transmission or didn't mention any chains. We don't say that this is his specialty at all. When he tells you something related to events—do you understand the idea? For example, when he tells you, "This battle preceded that battle," or when he says, "The Battle of Mu'ta was in Syria," for example, this basic information, which is summarized and related to the core of the event, is considered among the most important and valuable statements, and he is considered a reference in such matters. But if he mentions a detailed event and says, for example, "The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, went out and met a man from the polytheists and said to him, 'Reply,' and he said, 'Without attributing this to anything,' then this is the weakest of the weakest things according to Ishaq. Clear? Let me give you an example. It will delight those who understand the value of this—the value of precise scientific matters. Imagine Imam Bukhari, Imam Bukhari, who He meticulously wrote his book, scrutinizing it thoroughly. Imagine the book of Maghazi (military expeditions). Now, when you say Maghazi, what does that mean? The biography (of the Prophet)? We've entered the biography. The book of Maghazi: In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said—imagine Sahih al-Bukhari— Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, "The first expedition the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, led was al-Abwa', then Buwat, then Buwat, then al-'Ushairah." He narrated it, and then what? It went to the chains of transmission and the usual hadiths. But this one is suspended. Who chose it? Look at al-Bukhari, look at the knowledge, look at the selection, look at the precision when he came to the arrangement of events in the biography. He told you, "Muhammad ibn Ishaq said." So, what did Muhammad ibn Ishaq say in al-Bukhari? He narrated it to me. He didn't say, "He narrated it to me." What did he say? First? No, no, the first expedition the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, led. He gave you information. This information transmitted by Ibn Ishaq, when it is related to major events, summarized, is very valuable. What is this called? The summary of the specialist's opinion after studying the biography. Do you understand the idea? It's clear. So, we cannot say it has no chain of transmission. Ibn Ishaq said it. Isaac without a chain of transmission? There is no such thing as without a chain of transmission. This is now a summary of an opinion, a summary of information, meaning it is extracted. Is that clear? But if he said he went and came and went out and said to him and responded to him and they mention texts without attribution, then this is the weakest thing. The difference between them is very clear. If you notice, Al-Bukhari said, "The first thing, the first thing in the Book of Expeditions, is that Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, ' Amazing, Al-Bukhari!' Well, you didn't need Muhammad ibn Ishaq in your entire book. Muhammad ibn Ishaq, despite the large number of hadiths he narrated, Al- Bukhari never used him as evidence, nor did he mention any hadith from him that could be used as evidence with its chain of narration. But when the biography came up, he gave it as a comment and said, 'Ibn Ishaq said.' Why is this his specialization? This is where he belongs. This is scientific precision. This is the kind of talk that has understanding, understanding, and knowledge. This is a good scientific method. Although, what hadith did he cite after that? After he said, 'Ibn Ishaq said,' Al-Bukhari mentioned its chain of narration: 'So-and-so told me, so-and-so told me, on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam, who said, "The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, led nine expeditions." So what was the first of these expeditions? He said, "Al-Ashira." Although this is what Ibn Ishaq said? Thirdly, who says 19? And the first one is the clan, a companion who witnessed the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Okay, what is more likely? Ibn Ishaq's statement? Okay, how is Ishaq's statement more likely? He didn't witness any battles because Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, was young. And the scholars interpreted this hadith as referring to what Zayd ibn Arqam witnessed or what he experienced. It's clear, even regarding the 19 battles, they said that these are the ones Zayd ibn Arqam experienced or participated in. And there is also a hadith from Jabir, may God be pleased with him, in Sahih Muslim, as I recall or think, in Sahih Muslim, that I think there were 21 battles. No, Jabir, not Zayd ibn Arqam, no, no, no, Jabir is something else. And 20 when he brought a stone. I see it in Fath al- Bari. Ibn Hajar, may God have mercy on him, said in the book of Maghazi, in explaining the first hadith, which is the hadith of Abu Ishaq on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam, how many battles did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, participate in? He said 19. Ibn Hajar, may God have mercy on him, mentioned in the explanation, but Abu Ya'la narrated, through Abu al-Zubayr on the authority of Jabir, that the number The battles are one, and its chain of narration is sound, and its origin is in Muslim. Therefore, Zayd ibn Arqam missed mentioning two of them, perhaps al-Abwa' and Buwat, and this was hidden from him due to his young age. What I said is supported by what is found in Muslim, with the wording: I said, "The first battle he fought in?" He said, " Dhat al-'Ashir or al-'Ashirah." Al-'Ashirah, as mentioned previously, is the third. Yes, and so on. He also mentioned some other narrations from the mursal reports of Musa ibn 'Uqbah and others. And God Almighty knows best. Now, what brought us to all this now? What brought us to say this now? To talk about Talhah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Awf al- Zuhri. By the way, Talhah ibn ' Abdullah ibn 'Awf al-Zuhri has a very famous hadith that is acted upon by most Muslims. The hadith is from his mursal reports, meaning something like this, like this chain of narration. You know what it is, difficult to extract. You know what it is? It is the hadith of ' Arafah: "The best supplication is the supplication of the Day of 'Arafah, and the best thing that I and the prophets before me said is: 'There is no god but God alone.'" This hadith is famous. This is Talhah ibn 'Abdullah ibn ' Awf. He himself sent this to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. He sent it to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Okay, even though Talha was a follower, this hadith is considered mursal. So, in summary, this hadith is now mursal. Okay, it is mursal, but from which level is it? From the third, from the third, meaning we said the third, what is its ruling? We said it's acceptable in general, meaning it's beyond mere corroboration. It might sometimes be used as evidence, depending on the hadith, the narration, and the strength of the transmitter. This is a specialized matter, not speculation. When I say this, it's not so that a non-specialist listener can guess and say, "I used it once." No, I'm talking about a ruling. This type of hadith, which has a slight weakness, is determined by specialists to ascertain whether it's permissible or not. But what is the degree of weakness? It's slight, especially in mursal hadiths like this one. In summary, the hadith narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning the Hilf al-Fudul ( Pact of the Virtuous), in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I witnessed in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an a pact that I wouldn't exchange for a red camel, and I would respond to it in Islam," is mursal to Talha ibn Abdullah ibn Awf, who transmitted it, or musnad to Talha ibn Abdullah ibn Awf, who transmitted it. It's a good mursal hadith, and a good mursal hadith is one that can be corroborated and considered in such cases. Ibn Ishaq said, and Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn... Usama ibn al-Had al-Laythi reported that Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi told him about the impact of the Hilf al-Fudul (Pact of the Virtuous). He said that there was a dispute between al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-Walid ibn Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan. Al-Walid was the governor of Medina at that time, appointed by his uncle Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. The dispute concerned money that was between them in Dhu al-Marwa. Al- Walid, due to his authority, acted unjustly towards al-Husayn, may God be pleased with him, regarding his right. Al-Husayn said to him, "I swear by God that you will give me my due, or I will take my sword and stand in the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and then I will invoke Hilf al-Fudul." Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, who was with al-Walid when al-Husayn, may God be pleased with him, said what he said, "And I swear by God that if he invokes it, I will take my sword and stand with him until he is given his due or we both die." He said that this reached al-Musarr ibn Makhram ibn Nawfal al-Zuhri, who said the same, and it reached Abd al- Rahman ibn Uthman ibn Ubayd Allah al-Taymi, who said the same. When this reached al-Walid ibn Utbah, he gave al- Husayn his due. Even the witness was satisfied, regardless of the many details, because the Hilf al-Fudul (Pact of the Virtuous) remained in memory even after Islam. Firstly, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned it, and this story was also mentioned. Now, let's read the words of al-Qurtubi regarding the hadith: "There is no pact in Islam, and any pact in the pre-Islamic era was only strengthened by Islam." Yes, al-Qurtubi, may God have mercy on him, said: "There is no pact in Islam," meaning that Muslims do not form alliances as the people of the pre-Islamic era did, because those who formed alliances supported each other in everything. Look, everyone, this is jurisprudence. Now, what does the hadith have? It has two sentences: "There is no pact in Islam"—this is the first sentence—and the second sentence is: "And any pact in the pre-Islamic era was only strengthened by Islam," meaning it was only confirmed and reinforced. Although at the beginning of the statement, "There is no pact in Islam," it might seem contradictory to some. So, let's listen to the words of the scholars. Al-Qurtubi says: " Muslims do not form alliances as the people of the pre-Islamic era did, because those who formed alliances in the pre- Islamic era were..." They support each other in everything, so a man protects his ally even if he is unjust, and stands up for him and defends him with all his might, thus preventing injustice and oppression and corruption. This is similar to many contemporary nationalisms, as if I were a good person. When the Sharia came to ensure justice against the oppressor, and that what is due from him is taken from him, and no one can prevent this, and it defined the limits and clarified the rulings, it abolished what the pre- Islamic era was based on. The contract and alliance to support and uphold the truth remained, and this was made obligatory by the foundation of the Sharia as a general obligation upon those capable of it among the accountable. Then, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, singled out his companions from this by making an oath between them on this matter twice, as mentioned previously, to emphasize upholding the truth and mutual support. He called this brotherhood, to emphasize the importance and the sanctity of the bond. Therefore, he ruled on inheritance in this matter until Islam was firmly established and hearts were at peace. Then God Almighty abrogated this with the inheritance of blood relatives. Well, there is nothing in the rest of the discussion that I was looking for, but here in Tahdhib al-Sunan by Ibn al-Qayyim, let's hear what he said. Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, said: It appears, and God knows best, that what is meant by the hadith is that God Almighty has united the Muslims. Islam made them brothers, supporting and assisting one another, as one body. Islam rendered oaths unnecessary for them; indeed, the brotherhood of Islam obligates them to each other more than any oath could. An oath, if it entails something contrary to Islam, is invalid. If it entails what Islam requires, it has no effect and is of no benefit, even if it occurred in the pre-Islamic era and Islam came with its requirements, only strengthening and reinforcing it. As for the Prophet's saying, " I witnessed an oath in the pre-Islamic era that I would not exchange for a donkey," and " If I were called to a similar oath in Islam, I would respond," Ibn al-Qayyim says, "This, and God knows best, is the oath of the perfumed ones." Of course, it is more likely that it is the oath of the virtuous, and some sometimes confuse it with the oath of the perfumed ones. Some biographers mention it as the oath of the perfumed ones, but they explain that those who witnessed the oath of the virtuous were the perfumed ones, meaning they were the remnants of the perfumed ones, where the Quraysh allied to explicitly support the oppressed and restrain the oppressor. And so on. If this occurred in Islam, it would confirm and strengthen the requirements of Islam. As for the alliance that Islam invalidated, it was the tribal alliance whereby some tribes would stand together, support each other, fight against those who fought them, and make peace with those who made peace with them. They would say, "We are with you in good times and against you in bad times." This is not valid in Islam. Any such alliance that occurred in the pre-Islamic era is confirmed and strengthened by Islam if its purpose in Islam is mutual support, solidarity, and assistance in upholding the word of God, fighting His enemies, and uniting the community. Clearly, the outcome was that whatever alliance was made in the pre-Islamic era was based on supporting the oppressed and the like. Islam only strengthened it because Islam came to emphasize supporting the oppressed, justice, and the absence of injustice, and so on. This is regarding the Hilf al-Fudul (Pact of the Virtuous). Of course, among the events that occurred before the Prophethood was the marriage of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to Khadijah. The story of the Prophet's marriage to Khadijah is one of the stories that, let's say, are taken for general reference. The details of this story... And so on, meaning it's not firmly established, but rather it's something mentioned in the biography in general. It's taken as a reference to the general story, which is the story of the Prophet's marriage to Khadija. However, it is certainly an important matter. Here, Ibn Hisham said, "The marriage of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, to Khadija." Ibn Hisham said, "When the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, reached 25 years of age, he married Khadija bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Ghalib, as narrated to me by more than one scholar on the authority of Abu Umar al-Madani." Ibn Ishaq said, "Khadija bint Khuwaylid was a woman of honor and wealth. She would hire men to invest her money or share it with them, giving them a portion. The Quraysh were a people of merchants. When she heard about the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, what she heard about his truthful speech, his great trustworthiness, and his noble character, she sent him the story." Notice how the report is classified now in Ibn Ishaq's narration; there's no " narrated to me." Ibn Ishaq said... Khadija was such and such a woman, and she did this. More than one scholar told me about Abu Amr, where is Amr? This is Ibn Hisham. This is the origin of the story. The marriage was a definitive marriage, no need to elaborate. But the point now is this story. Ibn Ishaq said, and Khadija was... He mentions the details from his own account, these details in her own way. Even here, for example, he said, "When Maysara told her what he told her, she sent for the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and said to him, 'As they claim...' This is what Ibn Ishaq says. She said to him, 'As they claim...' And this is a subtle point . It means that Ibn Ishaq... what does he tell you? That... Yes, that is the story we heard. This is the story we heard. This is the story that is said among those who narrate stories like this without a specific, good source. So she said to him, 'As they claim... O cousin, I have desired you because of your kinship, your high standing among your people, your trustworthiness, your good character, and the truthfulness of your speech.' Then she offered herself to him. Khadija was at that time the most noble of the women of Quraysh in lineage, the most honorable, and the wealthiest. All her people were eager for her hand in marriage. This is what Ibn Ishaq says: Khadija bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, and her mother was Fatima bint Za'idah ibn al-Asamm ibn Rawahah ibn Hajar ibn Abd Mu'ayy ibn Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. And Fatima's mother... and so he began to list the lineage of Khadija's mothers, may God be pleased with her. Of course, we will have a lengthy discussion about Khadija, may God be pleased with her, God willing, at the beginning of the lesson that will be at the beginning of the Prophetic mission, God willing. But it is also important to know how old Khadija was when she married the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Some only know the well-known narration that she was 40 years old, and this is a deficiency in knowledge of historical accounts because these are not now news reports, but rather hadiths with precise chains of transmission. This is also what is narrated and mentioned by the people of narration, the people of biography, the biographers. So there are two opinions: the first is that she was 40 years old, and the second is that she was 28 years old. Dr. Akram Diya' al-Umari In his book, "The Authentic Biography of the Prophet," we previously mentioned the school of thought of Dr. Akram Diya' al- Umari in the "Best of Generations" series—a contemporary scholarly school concerned with documenting historical accounts and possessing a specific methodology for verifying historical narratives. This school, which we discussed previously in the " Best of Generations" series, suggests that Khadija was 28 years old when she married the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Among the factors he considered most likely was the number of children she bore him: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had four daughters and two sons. This suggests that she was not 40 years old, but rather younger, especially since there is no hadith or definitive proof indicating that she was 40. Ibn Ishaq stated that she bore the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) all his children except Ibrahim, al-Qasim (after whom he was known), al-Tahir, and al-Tayyib. Here, Ibn Ishaq suggests that there were three children, while the other, more well-known opinion is that there were two: Abdullah (who was also known as al-Tahir and al-Tayyib), Zainab, Ruqayyah, and Umm... Kulthum and Fatimah. Ibn Hisham said: His eldest son was al-Qasim, then al-Tayyib, then al-Tahir. His eldest daughter was Ruqayyah, then Zaynab, then Umm Kulthum, then Fatimah. Ibn Ishaq said: As for al- Qasim, al-Tahir, and al-Tayyib, they died in the pre-Islamic era. As for his daughters, they all lived to see Islam, embraced it, and emigrated with him, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Hisham said: As for Ibrahim, his mother was Mariyah. What else do we have among the events? The dispute of the Quraysh over the building of the Kaaba and the placement of the Black Stone. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the one to whom the Quraysh referred their case, considering him the first to enter. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ruled between them that each tribe should take hold of one end of the cloth. Then, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, he carried the Stone with his blessed hands and placed the Black Stone. This story, if it is authentic, is part of the preparation for the Quraysh and a reminder to them, because this man was trusted by them, and they called him, in this same account, "the Trustworthy." They called him, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, "the Trustworthy," peace and blessings be upon him. There is no doubt that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had a position of trustworthiness with the Quraysh and was considered truthful. Based on this consideration of truthfulness, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, built his call at the beginning of his mission when he said to them, “If I told you that there was an army behind this mountain or horses behind this mountain, would you believe me?” They said, “We have never known you to lie.” This “We have never known you to lie” contains the essence of the 40 years in the view of the Quraysh towards the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Or, “We have never known you to lie” means that he was truthful in their eyes. Here, Heraclius was smarter than them when he said, “He would not abandon lying to people and then lie about God.” He was smarter than the Quraysh when he said this. Yes, of course, this story that contains the news and so on, meaning it contains some chains of transmission and some reports. If another opportunity arises, God willing, you can mention it. Okay, or perhaps this means the remaining matters that contain the signs for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. I myself, God willing, will mention these with the revelation. What are they? The greeting of the stone and the tree, and the authentic reports about this in Sahih Muslim—God willing, I will mention this in the next meeting. We are now close to the revelation. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I know a stone that used to greet me in Mecca. I know it now.” In Sahih Muslim, he would hear the greeting of the stone, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, peace and blessings be upon him. God willing, I will return to this point because we will begin, God willing, in the next meeting, from the stage that was the first thing the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, began with from the revelation: the true vision and the stage of seclusion in Hira, which is before the revelation. But I wanted to conclude this session with some beautiful and pleasant stories. These stories are related to the monotheists in the pre-Islamic era. There was a group of Quraysh who were secluded in the pre-Islamic era and who abandoned what their people were doing. The stories of these people are beautiful and pleasant, and they greatly evoke emotion. They contain elegant poetry and stories. Beautiful, let us conclude this meeting with it. Ibn Ishaq, may God have mercy on him, said in his book, Ibn Hisham's biography: The Quraysh gathered one day during one of their festivals at an idol they revered, sacrificing to it, staying close to it, and circumambulating it. This was their festival every year. Four men separated themselves from the group and spoke privately. Then some of them said to one another, "Let us be truthful and keep this secret from one another." They said, "Aja, and they are Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Azza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab ibn Ya'mar ibn Sabra ibn Murrah ibn Kabir ibn Ghayn ibn Dudan ibn Asad ibn Khuzaymah, whose mother was Umayma bint Abd al-Muttalib; Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Azza ibn Qusayy; and Zayd ibn Amr ibn Fayli, Zayd ibn Amr, who was the father of Sa'id ibn Zayd." Some of them said to one another, "By God, your people are not on the right path. They have strayed from the religion of their father Abraham. What is this stone we circumambulate that neither hears nor sees, neither harms nor benefits? O people!" Seek for yourselves, for by God, you are on nothing. So disperse throughout the lands seeking the true religion of Abraham. As for Waraqa ibn Nawfal, he became firmly entrenched in Christianity and followed the scriptures of its people until he acquired knowledge from the People of the Book. As for Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, of course, these accounts are connected to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and Waraqa ibn Nawfal, then so on. As for Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, he remained in his state of confusion until he embraced Islam. Then he migrated with the Muslims to Abyssinia, accompanied by his wife, Umm Habiba, who later became one of the Mothers of the Believers. When he arrived in Abyssinia, he converted to Christianity and abandoned Islam until he died there as a Christian. This is Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh. Yes, Ibn Ishaq said, Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al- Zubayr told me, "This Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh—from which category of account is this?" The fourth account: Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr told me, " When Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh converted to Christianity, he would pass by the companions of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, while they were there in the land of Abyssinia, and he would say, 'We have been exposed and we have been silenced.' This is impossible to understand, Ali. Right, we have been exposed." And "wasasatum" means "we have seen," while you are still seeking sight and have not yet seen. This is because when a puppy wants to open its eyes to look, it "sasa" to look. And his saying "faqaha" means "he opened his eyes." So imagine him converting to Christianity, then saying to the Companions, "We have opened our eyes, and you are still seeking sight," meaning we have already seen, while you are still trying to see. Ibn Ishaq said, "And the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, left behind his wife Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan ibn Harb," and he mentioned the story of the Prophet's marriage to her. This is all regarding Ubaydullah ibn Jahil. He said, "As for Zayd ibn Amr, he did not enter Judaism or Christianity and he left the religion of his people, so he abstained from idols, carrion, blood, and sacrifices." Okay, now I have taken this. I want to move on to... Let's continue with Zayd ibn Amr a little because, you see, my intention in this narration is the poems, some of the beautiful and moving poems that they said in the pre-Islamic era. Of course, the story of Zayd ibn Amr is found in Bukhari. Ibn Ishaq said, "And he told me..." Hisham ibn Urwah, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his mother, Asma bint Abi Bakr—this means that this is from which generation, or rather, the first thing is that it is authentic here. This is a sound, continuous chain of narration. Hisham ibn Urwah narrated to me on the authority of his father, who is Urwah ibn Zubayr, on the authority of his mother, Asma bint Abi Bakr. This is a good, continuous chain of narration. Al-Bukhari narrated it as a suspended narration, as I recall. He said, “I said, ‘This is Asma. I saw Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, an old man, leaning his back against the Kaaba.’” Now we have a sound report: Zayd ibn Amr, in the pre-Islamic era, said, “I saw an old man, leaning his back against the Kaaba, and he was saying, ‘O people of Quraysh, by Him in whose hand is the soul of Zayd ibn Amr, none of you has become upon the religion of Abraham except me.’ Then he said, ‘O God, if I knew which way of worship is most pleasing to You, I would worship You in that way, but I do not know.’ Then he prostrated on his mount. Look how this is! Now, the best of the best people, who lived from the pre- Islamic era, said, ‘O my Lord, if I knew which way of worship is most pleasing to You, I would worship You in that way, but I do not know.’ Then he prostrated on his mount. This is Zayd. Ibn Amr, and therefore Ibn Ishaq said, “It was narrated that his son, Saeed bin Zaid bin Amr, and Umar, and Umar bin Al- Khattab, who is his cousin, Umar bin Al-Khattab, the cousin of Saeed bin Zaid, and the son of the cousin, meaning Zaid bin Umar, said to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, ‘Ask forgiveness for Zaid bin Umar.’ He said, ‘Yes, for he will be resurrected alone.’ Then there is a need to investigate the chain of narration. And it was mentioned in the margin that Imam Ahmad included it in the Musnad. Okay, we will mention the verses, amazing verses. Zaid bin Amr says, ‘ One Lord or a thousand Lords do I worship? When matters are divided, I will cast aside Al- Lat and Al-Uzza completely. Thus does the patient and steadfast one do. I do not worship Al-Uzza, nor her two daughters, nor the two idols of Bani Amr. But I worship the Most Merciful, my Lord, so that the Forgiving Lord may forgive my sins.’” To the end of the poem. I chose some of these verses from it, and also from the most beautiful verses, that is, what Ibn Ishaq mentioned about Zaid bin Amr. He says, “Imagine this now in the pre-Islamic era. He says, ‘And I submitted my face to Him to whom the earth submitted, bearing heavy rocks. He spread it out. And when He saw it settled upon the water, He anchored the mountains upon it.’” And I submitted my face to Him to whom I submitted, to Him the clouds carry sweet, pure water. If they are driven to His land, they obey and pour down upon it in torrents. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned that al-Khattab, who is the father of Umar, who is the cousin of Zayd, had harmed Zayd until he expelled him to the upper part of Mecca. So he descended to Hira opposite Mecca and al- Khattab was assigned to him. And so on until the end of the story. Zayd went out. Then he went out seeking the religion of Abraham and asking the monks and the rabbis until he reached Mosul. The mention of Mosul came with us in the story of Salman al-Farisi. It is clear that it was a destination for the ascetics and those seeking religion. And this happened to Salman and it happened to Zayd bin Amr. Perhaps it happened to others. But look, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not go out. He did not go even by the way. The very famous story of Buhayra, which happened or is narrated to have happened to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and how old was he ? This story, which has been around for 12 years, has issues with its chain of narrators. Some scholars consider it unreliable, and indeed, it has problems with its chains of transmission. Although Al-Tirmidhi, may God have mercy on him, included it, there is much discussion regarding its chain of transmission. Al-Dhahabi said the text of the hadith is unreliable, and so on. Notice how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was in Mecca, meaning that only God Almighty knew his knowledge. Also, among the narrations in this... we will conclude, God willing, without delay. Also, among the people mentioned is Umayy ibn Abi al-Salt. You have already heard of him, right? You have heard of him, or not? Umayy ibn Abi al-Salt, yes, everyone? Yes, the poet Umayy. The poet is mentioned in Bukhari. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The truest word a poet ever uttered was the word of Labid: ' Everything besides God is falsehood.'" The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, " Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt almost became a Muslim." Good. And in Sahih Muslim, it is not needed. And in Sahih al- Sharid, may God be pleased with him, he said, "I was riding behind the Prophet." May God’s prayers and peace be upon him. Consider this hadith in Sahih Muslim. He said: I was riding behind the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and he said to me: Pray, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. Do you have any of the poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salud ? I said yes. He said, "Then recite to me." So I recited a verse to him. He kept saying, " Yes, give me more," meaning, "Give me more," until I had recited 100 verses. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fell silent. In some narrations, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "He almost became a Muslim, he almost became a Muslim." This is Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt. His poetry is amazing. Glory be to God! How he anticipated—indeed, it is said that he anticipated being the Prophet who would be sent at that time and among the Arabs. Do you know that this is narrated from the early generations? Read the interpretations of the commentaries, some of the authenticated commentaries, in the interpretation of God Almighty's words, "And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our signs," and he withdrew from them. It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As that he is Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt because he lived during the time of Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, like Zayd ibn Amr and Waraqa. These men died, either before the mission or at the beginning of the revelation, before the chapters and verses were revealed. This one lived until, as far as I remember, he had a poem of lamentation. The Quraysh killed at the Battle of Badr, Umayy ibn al-Sulb, disbelieved and denied. Yes, he has poems. I remember, praise be to God, poems I haven't found now. He has amazing poems, and what is built with salt, but generally, here Ibn Kathir mentioned some of them, not the ones I have in mind. For example, he glorifies God, for He is worthy of glory. Our Lord in heaven has become great, and he is the author of the verses. Do I remember my need, or has your modesty sufficed me? For your nature is modesty, and your knowledge of rights, and you are a branch of the refined lineage and praise. He praises Abdullah ibn Jud'an with very beautiful verses, but praise be to God, the verses he said, something came up in you in praise of God, the Most High, the Most Glorified, the Most Blessing, and the Kingdom, our Lord. For there is nothing higher than You in glory and the most glorious King over the expanse of the heavens, the One who is dominant. For His might, faces bow and prostrate. So glory be to Him whose worth creation does not know, and He who is above the Throne, the One, the Unique, the King of the mighty heavens and their earth. He endures and remains, and creation perishes. And he did not submit when Islam came to him, meaning it is as if he denied or envied the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. And he submitted, and so did he not submit, and Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, who used to practice asceticism, also submitted and emigrated to Abyssinia, then converted to Christianity there and died a Christian. As for Zayd ibn Amr, he died believing in the Oneness of God. He was the one who revived the buried alive infants. He used to say to the Quraysh, "What is this of a man who wants to bury his daughter? Give her to me. I will feed her, water her, and raise her, then I will give her to you after she has grown up." He used to say, as in Bukhari, "This is Zayd ibn Amr saying, 'God created the sheep and caused it to grow from the earth, then you slaughter it in a name other than His.'" This is Zayd ibn Amr. And so on. Then read, if you wish, in Al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, also the accounts of Quss ibn Sa'id al- Iyadi, who used to say, regarding the early generations of those who have passed on, "We have insights. When I saw paths to death that have no sources, and I saw my people perishing towards them, the young and the old, I became certain that I would inevitably go where the people have gone." He does not mention who among the ascetics or from The monotheists may have some of what is meant by "some of what is included," but the well-known ones are those whom Ibn Ishaq named, including Abdullah ibn Abi al-Salt, Zayd ibn Amr, and of course, Waraqa ibn Nawfal. Their verses are amazing: "I have abandoned al-Lat and al-Uzza completely, as does the patient and steadfast one. I do not worship al-Uzza, nor her two daughters, nor the two idols of Banu Amr. But I worship the Most Merciful, my Lord, so that the Forgiving Lord may forgive my sins." This is Zayd ibn Amr. Also, mention verses about Waraqa ibn Nawfal. In any case, thus, God willing, we have covered the most important aspects of the Arabs' situation before the Prophethood, and the most important aspects of what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went through before the Prophethood, as well as the most important aspects related to the Quran and Sunnah concerning the period before the Prophethood. Certainly, we have not covered everything, but praise be to God, in four sessions, we have covered, God willing, the most important things that can be said. God willing, in the next meeting, we will begin with what preceded the revelation, with the stage before the revelation, and with the revelation, by God's permission. We ask God to guide us to the right path and to forgive our sins. We seek forgiveness from God and repent to Him. 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. We ask You to send blessings and peace upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad, and to grant him the highest station and raise him to the praised station You promised, O Lord of the Worlds. By God, were it not for God, we would not have been guided, 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 Him.