The Prophet Mohammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) & his companions

Real Life Story

1. SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB : Just as the Prophet (S.A.W.), and his companions landed
from their rides, and
laid the loads down, it was decided that they would sacrifice a lamb for dinner.

One of the companions volunteered: "I will sacrifice the lamb." Another: "I will skin it."
Third: "I will cook it."
Fourth: " I will...." The Prophet (S.A.W.): "I will gather the wood from the desert."

The group: "O Messenger of Allah, it is not becoming of you to discomfort yourself as such.
You rest. We will be honored to do all this on our own."

The Prophet (S.A.W.): "I know that you are eager to do it all, but Allah isn't pleased with
the slave who distinguishes between himself and his companions, and considers
himself better than others."

Then he went to the desert, and gathered some wood, and brought it to the group.

2. TYING THE CAMEL : The caravan had been traveling for few hours now. Signs of
fatigue were obvious on their faces. They arrived at a point and stopped. The Prophet
(S.A.W.) who was also in the caravan, stopped the camel, and landed. Prior to anything,
they were in search of water to prepare for prayer.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) also started searching for water. But soon, returned to his camel,
without saying anything to anyone. The companions were surprised that the Prophet
(S.A.W.) had ordered stopping here, and now perhaps he would like to move again? Eyes
and ears were awaiting his order. But the surprise of the group increased as they saw him
approach his camel, and tied its knees, and returned back in search of water.

Noises were raised from every corner:

" O Prophet of Allah! Why didn't you order us to do this for you, and insteadyou put yourself
in discomfort? We would have proudly done that service for you."

The Prophet (S.A.W.) responded: "Never seek others' help in your affairs, don't lean
on others, even if it is a small piece of Miswak (the wood used for brushing
teeth)."

3. TELLING THE TRUTH : Telling the truth is a very good habit. If you always speak the
truth, you can save yourself from a lot of trouble! Here is a story of a man who did a lot of
bad things, but his promise to tell the truth saved him.

Once a man came to the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and said, "Oh prophet of Allah, I
have many bad habits. Which one of them should I give up first?" The prophet said, "Give
up telling lies first and always speak the truth." The man
promised to do so and went home. At night the man was about to go out to steal. Before
setting out, he thought
for a moment about the promise he made with the prophet. "If tomorrow the prophet asks
me where have I been, what shall I say? Shall I say that I went out stealing? No, I cannot
say that. But nor can I lie. If I tell the truth,
everyone will start hating me and call me a thief. I would be punished for stealing."

So the man decided not to steal that night, and gave up this bad habit. Next day, he felt like
drinking wine, when he was about to do so, he said to himself, "What shall I say to the
prophet if he asks me what did I do during the
day? I cannot tell a lie, and if I speak the truth people will hate me, because a Muslim is not
allowed to drink wine." And so he gave up the idea of drinking wine.

In this way, whenever the man thought of doing something bad, he remembered his
promise to tell the truth at all times. One by one, he gave up all his bad habits and became
a good Muslim and a very good person. If you always speak the truth, you can be a good
person, a good Muslim whom Allah likes and favors. If Allah - our Creator - is pleased with
us, He will reward us with HEAVEN, which is a place of happiness and joy.

Make a promise: I shall always speak the truth.

4. THE DISTRESSED YOUNG MAN : Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) recited his
morning Salat (Prayer) in the
mosque along with other people. By this time, it was becoming bright and the people could
be clearly seen. At this moment, the Prophet (S.A.W.) saw a young man whose condition
seemed to be not normal. His head could not rest properly on his body and was
continuously moving this way and that way. The Prophet (S.A.W.) looked at his face that
had become pale; his eyes had gone deep into his face. His body had become thin and lean.
He asked him:

"In what condition are you?"

"I am in the condition of certainty, O Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.)". Replied the young man.

"Every certainty has got some symptoms which indicate its truth; what is the symptom of
your certainty?"

My certainty is the one, which is associated with my misery. In the nights, it has taken away
my sleep; and I pass the days with thirst. I have turned my back from the comforts of this
world and have turned my face towards the other side.

It is like this that I am seeing the Empyrean of Allah on the Day of Judgment and similarly I
also see the resurrection of the whole of the creation of Allah.

It is as if I am seeing the people in Heaven in pleasure and the people in Hell in severe
torment. It is as if the deadly noise of the flames of the Hell-fire is just now ringing in my
ears."

Prophet (S.A.W.) turned his face towards the people and said: "He is a worshipper of Allah
whose heart has been illuminated by the light of faith."

Then he (S.A.W.) turned towards the young man and said: "keep up this good state of
yours for yourself." The young man said: "O Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.)! Pray that Allah
gives me an opportunity for Jihad (holy war) and bless
me with SHAHADAH (martyrdom) in the right path."

The Prophet (S.A.W.) prayed. It did not take long when an opportunity arose for Jihad and
that young man participated in that Jihad. The tenth person who got martyred in that war
was none other than this young man.

5. THE THREE FRIENDS : Once the Prophet of God, Hazrat Muhammed (p.b.u.h) was
sitting amidst his Sahaba (companions) in the mosque when all of a sudden he said "Today
I shall narrate a story to you all which will reveal three riddles for all of you to solve". This
hushed the crowd and they all listened to what the Prophet had to
say.

Hazrat Mohammed (p.b.u.h) continued by saying that once a man got to know that the days
in his life was numbered and very soon he would be confronted with death. With this
knowledge he feared his loneliness in the grave and went
searching for true friends who would help and accompany him.

He knocked on the door of his first friend and asked whether he would help. To this the
friend said, "of course, what are we here for." But then the man went on to say that he had
very few days to live after which he required help. As
soon as he uttered this statement, the friend said "I am sorry but when death does us
apart, there is nothing we can do for you but buy you a place in the graveyard and some
cloth (Kafan) to cover your dead body." Grieved but looking
forward to his next friend, the man moved on.

On the second door, when he came face to face with his friend, and after narrating the
entire story of his death and asked for help, the same answer was his fate again. The
second friend said "I have been there with you all your life
and can help you here. But there's nothing I can do for you after you die except take your
corpse to the graveyard and bury you."

Lost in agony and despair, he headed for the third friend, very sure that he would receive
the same answer but there was a tinge of hope left. When he confronted the third friend,
and told him that he required help, the friend
eagerly volunteered to help. But the man continued to say that I need help after I die. To
which the third friend replied, "Do not worry, my dear friend!

I shall accompany you to the grave, be there with you in the grave, even when the angels
arrive for questioning (Munkar-o-Nakeer), then assist you on the Pul-e-Sirat (bridge) and
then lead you to heaven. "To this the man heaved a sigh of relief and then passed away in
peace."

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) then turned and asked his companions if anybody could identify the
three friends and the man. When the prevailing silence didn't dissolve, the Prophet
continued to say, "The man in the anecdote is any other
human being." The first friend is "money/wealth", things that help us only in life and not
after we die.
The second family/friend were the "children/sons and daughters", we strive for them all our
life and all they give us is a shoulder to the grave.

And the third and most important friend is "Aamal (deeds)". Who accompany us all the way
through.

Moral: Do not strive for materialistic values that will give you nothing and help you in no
way in your eternal life. But work and pray and ask forgiveness from God for only the good
deeds assist mankind where every other thing loses
value in the life hereafter!

6. THE GIFT:
Whenever they reaped their first harvest, they brought early, fresh fruits to the Prophet
(S.A.W.), peace be upon him. Then he would distribute them among those who sat around
him. This morning, a poor man brought one fruit from his small farm and gave it to the
Prophet (S.A.W.).

He accepted the gift, tasted it and then went on eating it alone while the companions
watched. One of those present meekly said: O Prophet of Allah, you have over looked the
right of those who watch while you eat?

The Prophet (S.A.W.) smiled and waited till the man who had brought the fruit had gone. He
said:

I tasted the fruit and it was not yet ripe. Had I allowed you to have some of it, someone
would have definitely shown his distaste, thus disappointing the poor man who had brought
the gift. Rather than make him feel better, my palate accepted the bitterness.

7. WEALTH AND POVERTY: It was a usual meeting. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was in his
place and his companions gathered around him to hear the words of wisdom and guidance.
Suddenly a poor man in rags appeared, saluted the assembly:

"Salamun Alaikum" (Peace be on you)

And finding a vacant place comfortably sat down.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) had taught them that all Muslims were brothers and in an assembly
one should sit wherever one finds a place, regardless of any status. Now, it so happened
that this poor man was seated next to a very rich man.

The rich man felt very disturbed and tried to collect the edges of his dress around himself,
so that the poor man didn't touch them. The Prophet (S.A.W.) observed this and addressing
the rich man he (S.A.W.) said:

" Perhaps you are afraid that his poverty would affect you?"

" No, O Messenger of Allah," he said.

"Then perhaps you were apprehensive about some of your wealth flying away to him?"

" No, O Messenger of Allah."

"Or you feared that your clothes would become dirty if he touched them?"
" No, O Messenger of Allah."
" Then why did you draw yourself and your clothes away from him?"
The rich man said:

"I admit that was the most undesirable thing to do. It was an error and I confess my guilt.
Now to make amends for it I will give away half of my wealth to this Muslim brother so that
I may be forgiven."
Just as he said this, the poor man rose and said,

" O Prophet of Allah, I do not accept this offer."

People present were taken by surprise, they thought that the poor man was a fool, but then
he explained:

" O Prophet of Allah, I refuse to accept this offer because I fear that I might then become
arrogant and ill-treat my Muslim brothers the way he did to me."

8. The BEDOUIN AND THE PROPHET (S.A.W.): The Bedouin entered Madina, and went
directly to the Masjid, so that he may get some money or gold from the Prophet (S.A.W.).
When he arrived, he saw the Prophet (S.A.W.) sitting among his companions. He asked his
need.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) gave his something. He was not content, and moreover he used harsh
and inappropriate language against the Prophet (S.A.W.). The companions became very
angry, and were ready to hurt him. But the Prophet (S.A.W.) prevented them from haste.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) took the Bedouin to his home, and gave him some more. The Bedouin
saw that the residence of the Prophet (S.A.W.) wasn't like those of the heads of
governments, and there is no luxury in his home.

The Bedouin became content with the share, and thanked the Prophet (S.A.W.). At this
time, the Prophet (S.A.W.) asked him: "You said a harsh word yesterday, which caused
anger in my companions. I fear that they will hurt you. Would you be willing to show your
appreciation in front of them, so that their anger be resolved, and they don't hurt you?" The
Bedouin said: "Sure."

The next day, the Bedouin came to the Masjid. The Prophet (S.A.W.) addressed his
companions: "This man says, he is content with his share, is it true?" The Bedouin said:
"That is true." Then he repeated the appreciation that he had shared with Prophet (S.A.W.).
The companions smiled.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) addressed the group: "The parable of me and these types of
individuals is like that of the man whose camel was running away from him. With the
[thought] they could help the owner, people were running after the camel. The camel was
frightened and ran faster.

The owner called on the people, please leave my camel alone, I know better how to calm it.
When the people stopped chasing the camel, the owner followed it calmly, with a fistful of
grass. Then without the need for running, yelling, he showed the grass to it.
THE PROPHET (S.A.W.) AND EDUCATION:
The mosque of Medina was not only a place of worship. The believers assembled here to
learn. When the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was present they heard his words of wisdom, his
elucidation on the verses of the Holy Qur'an and benefited from his counsel. And when he
(S.A.W.) was not present, other faithful companions taught what they had heard from the
Prophet of Allah.

Once the Prophet (S.A.W.) entered the Mosque before the prayer time. He found two groups
in the Mosque. One group was busy with its own act of worship, some were reading the
Qur'an while the others were supplicating. The other group was in a corner busy learning.
They learnt how to read and write and discussed the teachings of Islam and their application
to their daily lives.

Looking at both, the Prophet (S.A.W.) said:

"They are both engaged in useful pursuits. But I am a teacher. I shall join the group
assembled to learn."

And so he (S.A.W.) sat with the group of students.

9. THE PROPHET'S VISIT TO TAIF:

Abu Talib and Khadija were the main supporters of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be
Upon him). It was so destined that they passed away within a few days of each other,
leaving the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) to lament the bereavement. He had
lost a caring uncle and a loving wife.

The enemies were now relieved, because Abu Talib was no more to protect. A few days after
Abu Talib's death, when the Prophet was once passing through a lane, a woman emptied
her garbage from a window upon his head. He returned home with his head soiled. His
young daughter Fatima sat beside him, consoling and washing off the dirt.

As things became intolerable in Makkah, the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him)
decided to move to Taif where he thought he would convey the message of Allah to the tribe
of Thaqeef. Taif was known for its pleasant climate and beautiful scenery.

The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) knew very well that people at Taif were no
different from Makkahns. They also worshipped idols and were in constant contact with the
people in Makkah. But he did not despair. As he entered Taif, and proclaimed his prophet
hood, people jeered at him. One said: "God did not find anyone else for His message except
you?" Another said: "I must be naive or a thief if I believed you to be a prophet." And so it
went on.

Then in order to prevent him from preaching Islam, people of Taif set a group of children
and vagabonds behind him. They pestered him and threw stones at him. Tired, forsaken
and wounded, he sought refuge in a nearby garden. It belonged to Atabah and Shaibab, two
wealthy chiefs of Quraish. They were both there when the Prophet entered and sat under a
distant tree. He was alone.

Then he raised his face towards heaven and prayed: "O Allah! I raise unto you my complaint
for my weakness, my helplessness, and for the ridicule to which I have been subjected. O
Merciful of all the Mercifuls! You are the Master of all oppressed people, You are my God! So
to whom would You consign me? To the strangers who would ill-treat me, or to the enemies
who have an upper hand over me?
If whatever has befallen me is not because of Your wrath, then I fear not. No doubt, the
field of Your security and care is wide enough for me. I seek refuge in Your light which
illuminates darkness and straightens the affairs of this
world and hereafter, that Your displeasure and wrath may not descend upon me. For the
sake of Your pleasure, I remain pleased and resigned to my fate. No change in this world
occurs without Your Will."

Atabah and Shaibah were watching. They sent for their servant named Adaas and gave him
a plate full of grapes. "Take this to that man under the tree," they ordered.

Adaas was a Christian. He brought the grapes to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon
him) and bid him eat. As the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) picked a bunch he
said: "Bismillahir Rahmaanir Rahiim," (In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most
Compassionate).

Adaas had never heard this before. He was impressed by it, because the man was invoking
mercy and compassion of Allah in spite of his desolate state.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am the Prophet of God. Where do you come from?"

The servant said: I am Adaas, a Christian. I come from Nainava."

"Nainava? You come from a place where my brother Yunus b. Mati lived," the Prophet said.
Adaas was surprised to hear the name.

"What do you know of Yunus? Here no one seems to know him. Even in Nainava there were
hardly ten people who knew his father's name."

The Prophet said: "Yes, I know him because just like me, he was a Prophet of God."

Adaas fell on his knees before the Prophet, kissed his hand and embraced Islam.

10. IFTAR: Anas Malik was one of the companions who had served the Prophet Muhammed
(S.A.W.) for many years. He therefore knew the Prophet's habits very well.

When Hadhrat Muhammed (S.A.W.) observed a fast, he usually broke it with milk and
dates, and in the small hours of the night, he would take simple food for his sahar.

One day, Anas knew that the Prophet (S.A.W.) was fasting; so he arranged for his iftar. He
kept the milk and dates ready. At the time of iftar the Prophet (S.A.W.) did not appear, for
the breaking of the fast. Anas thought that the
Prophet (S.A.W.) might have accepted an invitation and broken his fast elsewhere. So Anas
ate the food himself and retired.

When Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.) entered the house with another companion, Anas
inquired from the companion whether the Prophet (S.A.W.) had already eaten. The Prophet
(S.A.W.) had been dealing with some urgent work and was delayed, and he had not eaten.
Anas felt so ashamed.
There was nothing left he could offer to the Prophet (S.A.W.), if he asked for food. Still he
waited expectantly, ready to explain the situation to the Prophet (S.A.W.). Hadhrat
Muhammed (S.A.W.) immediately sensed that Anas was hesitant, so he remained silent and
retired to bed hungry.

Anas used to say: "The Messenger of God never mentioned this incident during his lifetime
to anyone."

11. SURAH AL-KAUTHAR AND BIBI FATIMAH (SA):

You should never think that you have more than someone else, because there might come a
time when that person has more than you. Remember it is through the blessing of Allah
that you have what you have.

Bibi Fatimah Zahra (SA) was born to Bibi Khadija (SA) and the Prophet (Peace and Blessings
be Upon him). Before her birth, the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) had had
two sons, Qasim and Tahir, but both boys had died when they were babies.

The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) had started teaching the message of Islam
and had made many enemies. As a result, some of the unbelievers began to make fun of
him at the death of his sons, calling him "Abtar".

The word Abtar means an animal that has no tail - and was meant to say that the Prophet
(Peace and Blessings be Upon him) was tail-less because he had no children to carry on his
family.

Thus, when Bibi Fatimah (SA) was born, the following Sura of the Holy Qur'an was
revealed:"In the Name of Allah, the most Kind, the most Merciful. Verily (O Muhammad),We
have given you Kauthar. So pray to your Lord and give sacrifice. Verily, your enemies will
be Abtar." Surah al-Kauthar, (108:1-3)

When the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) was asked what Kauthar meant,
he replied that it was a stream in heaven and the man who would give water from that
stream to the believers was Imam Ali (AS). He then said that Kauthar also meant
abundance, and the birth of Bibi Fatimah (SA) signified that, through her, his descendants
would be in abundance.

The promise of Allah was certainly true because today, there are countless descendants of
the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him), (Sayyids) while there is nobody who claims
to be a descendant of the Quraish. Thus the enemies of the Holy Prophet (Peace and
Blessings be Upon him) were those who became truly "Abtar".

This Surah in the Holy Qur'an is thus a reference to Bibi Fatimah (SA).

12. The family members of the Prophet were the true friends and well wishers of the people
who felt strong grief when they saw people in any kind of distress or suffering. They worked
hard to restore the rights of the deprived and gave all their belongings to the needy.

They were always ready to face hardships in order to save others. Sometimes, they would
even give to the needy the food or clothing which they themselves urgently needed. There
are many of such happenings that took place in the life of our religious leaders.
For instance, once Imam Ali's (A.S) children were sick. Their mother, daughter of the
Prophet, vowed to fast three days on the recovery of her children, in thanksgiving to Allah.

Imam Ali (A.S.) and the children all joined Lady Fatema (S.A.) in thanksgiving. All of them
fasted. It was sunset and they had only a few barley loaves of bread for their breakfast.

As they were about to eat their food, someone knocked at their door, saying I am a poor
man. Please give me some food. The food, which the whole family had, was very little. They
gave it all to the poor man.

Again on next day, when the family wanted to break their fast an orphan began knocking at
the door asking for food. The same thing happened on the third day also with a stranger.
Each time they gave their food to the needy and they, themselves, remained hungry
continuing their fast.
Muslim commentators say, The next day,

The Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) came to the family with these verses
of the Holy Qur'an: "Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the admixture of which is
camphor, a fountain from which the servants of Allah shall drink; they make it to flow a
(goodly) flowing forth.

They fulfil vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide. And they
give food out of love for Allah to the poor and the orphan and the Active: We only feed you
for Allah's sake. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks: Surely we fear from our
Allah a stern, distressful day.

Therefore, Allah will guard them from the evil of that day and cause them to meet with ease
and happiness; And reward them because they were patient, with garden and silk." (Holy
Qur'an, 76:5-12)

Hadith of Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h):

1. "There are three friends of Human being - Wealth, Family & His Aamal".

2. "Whoever rectifies his hereafter affairs, Allah will rectify his worldly affairs and whoever
rectifies what is between him and Allah, Allah will rectify what is between him and [the]
people."

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Interesting Quotes

1) Never expect things to happen..struggle and make them happen. never expect yourself
to be given a good valuecreate a value of your own

2) If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity.But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shine
like a pearl.so choose the best place where you would shine..
3) Falling down is not defeat...defeat is when your refuse to get up...

4) Ship is always safe at shore... but is is not built for it

5) When your successful your well wishers know who you are when you are unsuccessful
you know who your well wishers are

6) It is great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell him/her

7) "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world

8) "Even the word 'IMPOSSIBLE' says 'I M POSSIBLE' "

9) Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the
difference.

May ALLAH / God Bless You All,

Never take some one for granted,Hold every person Close to your Heart because you might
wake up one day and realise that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy
collecting stones." Remember this always in life.