CD1-The Importance of Studying Seerah

CD1
By: Imam Anwar Awlaki


Definition of Seerah

Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his lifetime. It also means conduct, comportment, demeanor, behavior, way of life, attitude, position, reaction, way of acting, and biography. Seerah can be a biography of any person, not just the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, we have used it with him so much, that we automatically refer it to his life.

Importance of Studying Seerah

1.The life of Muhammad is the history of Islam, we are studying a concise history of Islam by studying Seerah. We will find situations and incidences during his life that would help us in everything that we would need to know in our way of Da’wah. So his life is really the history of our religion. Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas said: “Our father would teach us the battles of the Prophet (saw), he would teach us the seerah and he would tell us that these are the traditions of our fathers, so study them.” They used to refer to Seerah as Maghaazi, which means battles since the later part of the Prophet’s life was spent in Maghaazi. Ali bin Hussain bin Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “We were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught Qur’an.” That was how important studying Seerah was for them.

2. It is to develop the proper love of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in our hearts. Loving him is worship, part of our religion. He said: “One of you does not attain true faith until you love me more than you love your parents, your children, and the whole world.” Umar once came to the Prophet (saw) and said: “Oh Rasul Allah, I love you more than anyone except myself.” Rasul Allah told him: “You will not be able to attain the perfect eman until you love me more than your own self.” He then came back and said: “O Rasul Allah, now I love you more than my own self.” Rasul Allah said: “Now you have attained the complete faith.” To love a person, you need to know them more and not just a shallow understanding about them. And this is especially true with the Prophet Muhammad (saw) because once you know him, the more you also love him. ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, before his death, was weeping and his son Abdullah reminded him of how the Prophet (saw) gave him the glad tiding of this and that. He turned around and said: “I have gone through three stages of my life.

The first stage was that the most despised man to me was Muhammad (saw), and my desire was that I could get my hands on him and kill him. If I had died at that time I would have been in Hellfire but Allah put the love of Islam in my heart and I went to the Prophet and I said that I want to become a Muslim. Extend your hand so that I could become Muslim. When the Prophet (saw) did so, I pulled my hand away and said that he has a condition to make that the Prophet (saw) pardon him for his great crimes against the Muslims. The Prophet smiled and said: “O ‘Amr, don’t you know that Islam erases everything before it, and hijrah erases everything before it, and hajj erases everything before it.” And so I became Muslim. At that stage, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) became the most beloved person to me in the whole world. I loved him so much and I respected him so much that I couldn’t even catch a full glimpse of his face. If I had died in that stage, I would’ve hoped to be in Jannah.

Sohail Ibn Amr, a well-known negotiator, was sent to the Prophet (saw) and came back saying: “I visited the Roman emperor, Persian, Najashi, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad (saw). I saw amazing things, such as when the Prophet (saw) would be making wudhu and the sahabah would be rushing to grab the water dripping form the body. So do whatever you want but these people will never give up their leader.” Until now, he remains the most beloved figure in the whole of history. The name Muhammad means the ‘Praised One’, and it really fulfilled the meaning. “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” (9:24)

3. To follow the way of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Hazm says: “Whoever seeks the preeminence of the Hereafter, the wisdom of this life, the just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad, the prophet of Allah.”

4. Understanding Qur’an. Seerah gives explanation for some ayaat in the Qur’an.

5. His life documents the methodological steps of the Islamic Movement. He went through stages, starting with the secret da’wah, and then public, and then later on, Jihad. These stages are important for Islamic movements to learn and study. Qur’an and Sunnah are verbal teaching and we see them applied in Seerah. Hadeeth about the black string and white string.

6. It is ‘Ibaadah. There is reward in studying Seerah, wherein each gathering is a circle of Dhikr that angels attend.

7. Developing a Muslim identity. Global culture is forced on us, protected and promoted. Thomas Friedman says that “the hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist.” McDonald’s will never flourish without McDonald Douglas, the designer of F15’s. This means that the global culture that is being promoted is a culture wherein there is no choice but to follow. You either accept McDonald’s or McDonald Douglas will send their F15’s. It is a very intolerant culture that cannot exist with anything else. Alexander Szoltsen, famous historian writer, says that “to destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. The way we can counter this and develop a Muslim identity is 1.) Study Seerah which is made up of the lives of the Prophets, the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, and the great figures of our history. 2.) Not to override our local identity to our Islamic identity. What happens in other muslim countries should concern us like it’s happening to us.

8.The Life of Muhammad is a testimony of his Prophethood. We get to know the miracles (the Qur’an), and how he became the political leader, military, religious, lawmaker, teacher, imam, head of a large family, and all he used to do within only 23, which is impossible for any other. This shows that we are studying the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Michael Hart, author, wrote a book about 100 most influential people that ever lived in history and chose the Prophet Muhammad. He states that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the only one who was supremely successful in both religious and Secular level. Al-Mustafa, a name of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which means “The Chosen One”.

Sources of Studying Seerah

Two primary sources for this course:

1. Seerah of Ibn Kathir, from Al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (the beginning and the end), where one of the volumes is about the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

2. Sahih As-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah by Ibrahim Al-Ali.

Other Books:
Minhaj Al-Haraki by Muneer Al-Ghadban –tried to construct a curriculum for Islamic movement.
Fiqh As-Seerah, Muhammad Al-ghazali – has tarbiyah lessons
Fiqh As-Seerah, Ramadan Buti
Ghurabaa’, Salman Al-‘Awdah
Al-Asas fis Sunnah, Saeed Hawwa
At tareeq fil Madeena, Muhammad Abda

Terminologies:

Sallah Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him)– first mention is mandatory, and then recommended.
Rasul Allah – Messenger of Allah
Jahiliyah - Ignorance of the Pre-Islamic era, time period and concept and refers ignorance of the message of Islam