Zil-Hijjah / Muharram 1423 H March 2003 Volume 16-03 No : 195 Camps \ Workshops

Safia bint Abdul Muttalib
When Trouble Troubles You, Seek Allah's Help!
Allah's Thoughts at All Times
A Simple Act of Charity
Something to Think About...
Hajj Memories
A Goat for Rs. 1.5 Lakh !

Safia bint Muttalib was the maternal aunt of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. She had inherited nobility from all sides. She was the daughter of Abdul Muttalib, the most respected chieftain of the Quraish. Her mother was Hala bin Wahab, who in turn was sister of Aminah bint Wahab. Aminah was the mother of the Prophet. Safia’s first husband was Haris bin Harab who was brother of Abu Sufiyan. On his death, she married Awwam bin Khwailid who was brother of Khadijatul Kubra. Her brother was Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib. Her son Zubair bin Awwam also grew as a noted sahabi (companion) of the Prophet and had the privilege of often being the closest confidant of the Prophet. Thus nobility surrounded Safia from all sides.

Hazrat Safia bint Muttalib was a daring warrior and wanted to bring up her son Zubair as an equally valiant fighter. Even during his childhood, she would train him in archery and push him into risky situations, all this being aimed at removing the element of fear from him. This would often annoy her husband Awwam, but she always prevailed over him.

Safia came over to Islam after she heard the first public address of Prophet Muhammad and shared the persecution from the disbelievers of the Quraish. She migrated to Madinah caring not a bit for all those privileges that came to her because of her noble affinities in Makkah.

She had attained the age of 60 when the battle of Uhud took place. But age was no deterrent for her. She joined the army mainly to serve as a nurse and among those who supplied water, medicine and ammunition to the Islamic forces. Her son Zubair and brother Hamzah were also fighting along the forces.

Greatly perturbed at the sight of the holy Prophet facing a massive assault of the rival army, she threw away the water bag slinging from her waist, snatched a spear from a sahabi who lay sprawled over the ground and challenged the disbelievers. She called out the Muslim armymen to come forward to defend the Prophet.

Looking at her fiery rage, Prophet asked Zubair to restrain his mother lest she saw the mutilated body of her martyred brother Hamzah lying close to the Prophet. Zubair intercepted her asking her to go back at the behest of the holy Prophet. But the news had already reached Safia. She was unstoppable. At this, the Prophet asked Zubair not to prevent her from coming close to the ring of security formed by then around him.

As the battle drew to a close, she came to see the body of Hamzah. His abdomen had been torn, liver taken out, nose and ears cut and deep wounds inflicted on the face. Though in deep grief, she controlled herself, raised her hands in prayer and said: “Brother, all this is for the sake of Allah. By God, I will not lose patience and would expect reward from Allah.”

She did something more marvellous during the Battle of Trench.

The holy Prophet, as was his wont, would secure the women and children prior to battles at some place by appointing a few men to look after their needs. During the Battle of Trench, he arranged for their asylum within the fort of Hassan bin Sabith. It was a well-fortified fort, hence there was no need for male guards. Once while patrolling at dawn, Safia noticed an individual from the Jewish tribe of Quraizah trying to get information about the Muslim families in the Fort. Safia knew that Jews of Quraizah had a pact with Muslims of Madinah and they were not supposed to either harass them or ally with their rivals. Thus the Jew spying around the Fort was committing a violation of the accord. She guessed that the man was trying to gather information whether there were only families or there were a few Muslim men too.

The situation was precarious. Safia grew disturbed. If the Jews come to know that families were without any male guards, they would take advantage of the situation and would harass them or imprison them, which would greatly distract the Muslim army of their mission of defeating the Makkan armies.

Safia tied a bandana over her head and tied another cloth around her waist in a warrior style. Holding a lathi in one hand, she lay waiting for the Jewish spy to approach the door of the Fort which she left a little ajar. As his head popped out of the chink, she struck powerfully with the lathi. He was floored. She then struck repeatedly and cut his head and tossed it below where a slew of Jewish men were waiting for their man to return. The sight of the rolling severed head scared the Jews waiting below beyond imagination. Thinking that several males were on guard inside, the Jews took to their heels.

Safia thus left an indelible imprint of her valour on the history.

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An intelligent and skilful person transforms losses into profits; whereas the unwise and unskilled aggravates his own predicament making two disasters out of one.

The Prophet (Pbuh) was compelled to quit Makkah and he stayed at Madinah. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was imprisoned, severely tortured and flogged, yet he emerged triumphant, becoming the Imam of the Sunnah. Imam As-Sarakhsi was kept as a prisoner at the bottom of a deserted well and he managed therein to produce twenty volumes on Islamic jurisprudence.

So if you are afflicted with a misfortune, look on the bright side. From whom do the weak and the oppressed seek victory? Who does everyone beseech? He is Allah. No one has the right to be worshipped except He. Therefore it is most expedient for you to supplicate to Him during times of hardship and of ease, to seek shelter with Him in difficult times, and to plead at His doorstep with tears of repentance.

“Is not He [the best] Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him.” Surah An-Naml - Ayah 62.

If you are constant and sincere in your supplication, you will achieve freedom from worry and anxiety .

“..Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation).” Surah Ghafir - Ayah 60.

So if you are surrounded by affliction, remember Him, call out His name, ask Him for help, and seek from Him victory. Cling to His door, have good thoughts about Him, and wait for His help! You will find true happiness and success.

Extract from “Don’t Be Sad” by Shaykh Aaidh Al-Qarni.

Contributed by
Aayesha Baksh

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Allah’s Messenger (Pbuh) is reported to have said: “There is non amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.” (Saheeh Bukhari, vol.3, book 39 No.513] It is a great mercy and love of Allah, that He considers it as charity from us if a tree planted by us is of benefit to others. It is good for the environment and good for our deen. It seems like a very simple gesture on our part and yet holds abundant rewards, by Allah’s Mercy.

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• Funny how a Rs.20 bill looks so big when you take it to Mosque, but so small when you take it to the market.
• Funny how long it takes to do Zikr for an hour, but how quickly a team plays 60 minutes of football.
• Funny how long a couple of hours spent at Mosque are, but how short they are when watching a movie.
• Funny how we can’t think of anything to say when we pray, but don’t have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.
• Funny how we get thrilled when a football game goes into extra timings, but we complain when a “Tarawih” during Ramadan is longer than the regular time.
• Funny how hard it is to read a Para in the Quran, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.
• Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back row at mosque so that they scramble out.
• Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a Mosque event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.
• Funny how hard it is for people learn a simple Preaching well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip.
• Funny how we believe what the newspaper says, but question what the Quran says.
• Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, or to think, or to say, or do anything.
• Funny how you can send a thousand ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding Allah, people think twice about sharing.

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1.  Hajj is performed in the month of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
2.  A pilgrim enters the a state of _ _ _ _ _, at the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ when he sets out for
Hajj.
3.  He then reads the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, the first word of which is _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
4.  On the ninth of the month he goes to the plain of _ _ _ _ _ _ _, which is the most important pillar of Hajj.
5.  He proceeds to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ from here after Maghrib.
6.  Next morning he goes to _ _ _ _, where he stones the _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
7.  He also does the _ _ _ _ around the Kabah and Saee between _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ The reward for a sincerely performed Hajj is nothing lesser than _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

1) Dhulhajj 2) Ihram, Meeqath 3) Talbeyah, Labbaik 4) Arafat
5) Muzdalifah 6) Mina, Jamarah 7) Tawaf, Safa, Marwah 8) Jannah

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A goat was sold for a whopping Rs 1. 5 lakh for the Bakrid sacrifice in New Delhi to a Kashmiri trader. According to the goat traders, the animal had a crescent-shaped tuft of green hair on its head. " Such a creation is unique and is considered to be a gift of God. Sacrifice of animals with symbols of Islam are considered pious," said Zaffaruddin, who had bought 20 goats from Moradabad to sell in Delhi. Though the Kashmiri trader might have got the rarest of the animals on sale during the Eid, there were others who purchased goats for upto Rs 50, 000. But one can buy a goat even for as little as Rs 1000. The Hindustan Times, February 12, 2003.

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