O Level Islamiat P1 First Muslim Community Important Personalities In Holy Prophet (SAW-KN) Life
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Hazrat Bilal
He occupies a great name and fame in early history of Islam. He was a negro slave of Ummaya bin Khalaf, a pagan master in Makkah who tortured him mercilessly after he had embraced Islam. Hazrat Abu Bakr bought him and freed him, after that he remained in Holy Prophet‟s service till his sad demise. After Hijrat, he was declared the brother of Hazrat Abu Raziyah under the brotherhood pact. He enjoyed the rank of Maudhan-i-Islam. He was appointed to give a call from prayer (Azaan) when it became obligatory in 1 A.H. It was he, again, who enjoyed the unique honour of reciting the first Azaan on Holy Kaab's roof by Holy Prophet‟s orders at the conquest of Makkah. He also participated in all the battles. He enjoyed the most coveted honours of being Holy Prophet's staff bearer, treasurer and personal servant. He enjoyed the honour of being among the Ashab-i-Suffah. He was being honoured of being addressed as “Our Leader Bilal” by Caliph Umar Farooq. He also enjoyed extraordinary love and respect by all the companions of the Holy Prophet(S)- He was over 60 years when he died.
Abdul al Muttalib
He was the Prophet(S) Grandfather, a much outstanding piety and nobility, a chief of the Quraish clan Hashim. His real name was Shaybah and he was the son of Hashim and the heir of Salmah of Yasrib. At the age of fourteen, he was taken to Makkah by his uncle Al-Muttalib and people thought he was a new servant, hence his nick name. He was famous for having a vision in which the lost source of Zam Zam well was re-discovered and put back into use again for the pilgrims coming to Makkah. When the Prophet(S) mother died he took his six year old son into his care and cherished him, until he himself died two years later. He had already noted the exceptional qualities of his grandson and loved him dearly. He had a very large family, most of whom became muslims, especially Abbas, his five daughters by his wife Fatima of Makhzum, Hamza and Saffiya, the children of Hala, his son Abu Lahab was a bitter enemy of Islam.
He became prominent for having a dialogue with Abrahah, the Christian viceroy of Yemen who came with a large army to destroy the Holy Kaabah in 571 A.D. He had the custody of the key of Kaaba, and used to plan for food, shelter, water for pilgrims of Mela of Ukaz. He named the Holy Prophet (S) as “Muhammad”.
Abu Lahab
He is known as “Father of the Flame”. His real name was Abd-ul-Uzza, a son of Abd-ul-Muttalib and elder uncle of the Holy Prophet(S), who with his wife violently opposed Islam. In the early years, he subjected the Prophet to all sorts of abuse and torment and the revelation of Surah 111(Lahab) refers to him. A famous story concerned his wife deliberately strewing the Prophet‟s way with sharp thorns, once discovered that she was ill, the Prophet(S) visited her and did household chores for her and thus repaid her hostility with kindness. When he became the chief of the clan Hashim after the death of Abu Talib the tension was one of the major considerations that led to Hijra. Abu Lahab perished just after the Battle of Badr when Umme-ul-Fazal (one of the early women converts) the wife of Abu Lahab‟s brother Abbas cracked him over the head with a wooden post for attacking a muslim slave in their house. So a great enemy of Islam was finished.
Abu Sufyan
He was the chief of the Quraish tribe. Originally, after Abu Lahab, a bitter enemy of Islam and the Prophet(S), leading the army against the muslims in the battles of Badr, Uhad and Trench, he became converted towards the end of Prophet(S) life, after his daughter Ramla (Umm-e-Habibah) married him. He was a close friend of Abbas and became increasingly impressed by the Prophet(S) gentleness and generosity towards his enemies and the captives. He tentatively embraced Islam shortly before the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet(S) granted assylum to all who took refuge with him and in the end pardoned virtually, the entire population of Makkah. Abu Sufyan then fought with the muslims instead of being against them. His son Muawiyah became the Governor of Syria in Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman's Khilafat. His wife, Hinda was a fiery opponent of Islam, famous for mutilating the body part of Hazrat Hamza, but she was forgiven by the Holy Prophet(S) at the time of conquest of Makkah.
Abu Jahl
Literally, Abu Jahal means, “Father of Ignorant”. If observed keenly Abu Jahl was in-fact the father of ignorant because he was the leader of all the non-believers and enemies of Islam. His real name was Amar bin Hasham bin Mughira.
He was an uncle of Hazrat Muhammad(S). He was the step brother of Hazrat Abdullah (Prophet(S) father) and was an idol worshipper. When the Holy Prophet(S) started preaching Islam, Abu Jahl was his foremost opponent. Abu Jahl led the cruel persecution of the Holy Prophet and actually proud of this. Strongly, Abu Jahl was aware that the message being spread by the Holy Prophet(S) was true, but he claimed that he could never forego the religion of his ancestors. At Abu Jahl‟s instigation the people especially the youth of Makkah made life miserable for the new converts to Islam. They would throw dirt/garbage at the Holy Prophet(S) in the streets and strew his path with thorns. Once, when the Holy Prophet(S) was prostrating in prayers. Abu Jahl threw a she-camel fetus on the Holy Prophet(S) back and ridiculed him, but the Holy Prophet(S) said nothing. At another instance, while the Prophet(S) was offering prayers Abu Jahl boasted that he would take the Prophet‟s life – He kept coming forward at each time but was compelled by some unknown fear and would move back. The Prophet(S) calmly kept praying and Abu Jahl defeatedly turned back. Whenever he was asked about it, he said a fire was burning between himself and the Prophet(S) and it would burn him. Prior to the Prophet‟s migration to Madina the meeting called to formulate a plan for the Prophet‟s murder was by Abu Jahl.
At the time of Holy Prophet‟s son‟s death, Abu Jahl actually celebrated this heart rending incidents. He shouted and cheated that the Holy Prophet(S) did not have any male child left to carry on his name and therefore, he would have no descendants. The Prophet(S) was so hurt and disturbed by this that Allah intervened and consoled the Prophet(S) by revealing Surah Kausar which was meant to degrade Abu Jahl and exalt the Prophet(S) even further. In the battle of Badr, Abu Jahl, who was the leader of the Quraish participated with great pomp and zeal but met his end in the worst possible manner and extended his final abode „Hell‟.
Hazrat Hamzah
He was the youngest son of Hazrat Abdul Muttalib. He was Holy Prophet‟s uncle. He was only two years senior from the Holy Prophet(S). He was a brave and bold warrior and had great interest in the Arab poetry. He supported and patronized the Holy Prophet(S). Once Abu Jahl rebuked the Holy Prophet(S) in Makkah, he dashed to condemn Abu Jahl and embraced Islam thereafter. After the migration, when the Holy Prophet(S) declared the brotherhood pact, Hazrat Hamza enjoyed the unique honour of being made the brother of Holy Prophet(S) freed slave Hazrat Zaid. He fought bravely in the battle of Badr while fighting valiantly in the Uhad battle in third Hijra, he was martyred by Wahshi, a negro slave of Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufyan. She mutilated Hazrat Hamzah‟s body, wore a garland of the mutilated organs and sang jubilant war songs in the battle field. The Holy Prophet(S) never forgot about the shocking tragedy even Wahshi, who later embraced Islam, remained repentant throughout his life.
