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Research work on Nigeria's Islamic Movement
by Dr Kaukab Siddique
A Year With NAB
by Saeed Malik
Pro-Zionist Rally Disguised as Anti-Semitism Protest
and
Jewish Fraternity Investigated for Hazing
by Sr Aisha
GREET HER ON BEHALF OF HER LORD
by Sr. Yasmin
Research work on Nigeria's Islamic Movement
Book Review of Boko Haram by Alexander Thurston
333 pages
Yusuf a Muslim preacher in Maiduguri Nigeria was deeply aware of the realities of Islam . He noticed that the Nigerian elites claimed to be Muslim but there was a big gap between faith and practice. Mosques attracted crowds yet the great majority of people not only remained poor but effective social changes were not even tried.
Yusuf had been to haj and Umra several times and knew what was the real message of Islam. He started questioning those who claimed to be Muslims. He was a powerful speaker and through copies of his speeches new faith arose in the souls of the masses. His message was that those who claim to be Muslims should behave like Muslims otherwise they are not real Muslims. Western education is haram. Hence the title Boko Haram.
Yusuf taught that Nigerians were absorbing secular ideas and were giving their faith in Islam a secondary place in their minds. He wrote: 'Many of the people of the Book wish to turn you back to unbelief after you have believed [Quran 2 109]. There is nothing that can allow you to get along with the infidel and the hypocrite become unless you become exactly like them.'
The Nigerian government had a large and powerful army . Crowds excited about Islam could not realize that they were no match for a modern army. Still Yusuf and his supporters drove the government out of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, and from that their support grew into other areas.
Finally the regime cornered Yusuf. There was no rule of law. Yusuf and his companions were shot dead though they were unarmed and his body was thrown out in the street.
Abubakar Shekau , close companion of Yusuf , retaliated against the Nigeran army. After that it was open war. Some areas of northern Nigeria were captured by Islamic volunteer forces taking revenge for Yusuf.
The army suffered serious losses. The jihad forces went all the way south to the capital Abuja.
Pro American forces from Cameroon Chad and Niger came to help the Nigerian army. In response Abubakar hooked up forces to al Qaida and ISIS.
The fighting continues and Abubakar is raiding pro western forces in Cameroon and Chad and around the lake.
Yusufs main point was that western ideas are against Islam . westerners can come up with opinions which have no sacred basis. Quran and hadith should be central for Muslims.
The cartoons against Islam coming out of France were condemned by Abu bakar and those who
remembered the messages of YUSUF SHAHEED.
Latest news
Democracy Now reports rebels have captured the west coast of Yemen
A Year With NAB
Inside story of the Pakistan military
A Rotten Thieving Leadership
By Saeed Malik
Sep, 09, 2026.
Oct 12, 1999 will live in the memory of many for a long time. I got together with Lt Col Obaidullah that evening, when Gen Parvez Musharraf's flight from Sri Lanka to Karachi was in the air, trying to land. Nawaz Sharif and the Generals that had thrown in their lot with him, were trying to make this as difficult as possible. They were hoping to create a situation so that this flight would land in India, or at least not in Karachi. Or if it were to land in Pakistan, their preference was that it should land in a city without an army contingent.
One of Obaid's ex-subordinates, Maj Iftikhar Rasul, was in the Military Intelligence, manning his office in GHQ. Every half an hour or so Obaid would call him to find out the latest. Thus, the two of us were better informed than most, that crucial evening. Iftikhar had already informed Obaid that late in the afternoon Lt Generals Salim Haider [Punjab] and Akram [armoured corps] had tried to enter GHQ to physically occupy their new offices to which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had transferred them. But the officer on duty at the main gate refused to allow them entry, making it clear to them that anything short of a direct call from Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmad, commander 10 Corps, would keep the gates of GHQ locked. Mahmud was a good friend of mine, and I knew his views. I knew therefore that these gates would would remain closed to Nawaz's generals.
As these Generals returned to be consoled by Nawaz Sharif, the round had gone to Musharraf. The second last call of the evening to Iftikhar informed us that Karachi airport had refused Musharraf's flight the permission to land, and had suggested to the captain to try Nawabshah instead. This gave the round to Nawaz Sharif. Half an hour later, Iftikhar told us that Karachi airport had been taken over by the army, and that Musharraf's flight had been informed to turn around and head for Karachi. Game and set to Musharraf. Soon the match too would follow.
This was enough for us for the moment, and we hopped into Obaid's car and headed to Islamabad to survey the scenes there.
But there was little to see except small groups of nervous people trying to get the latest news on cell phones.
In about an hour these small groups began to expand into cheering crowds. Apparently the eagle had landed.
The further we went, the larger and more excited the crowds became, shouting slogans in favour of Musharraf,
and spreading "mithai" [sweetmeats] among all and sundry.
Before this, every army takeover had been welcomed by the common man, but never before had such jubilation been witnessed.
This was the last such display of joy I was to see. The next time this happened was when Bajwa overthrew Imran Khan.
This time crowds gathered once more, not to hail the army, but to remonstrate strongly against its action, and to deride it.
Not even our defeat and surrender in the 1971 War had caused our army such grief.
In a space of just a few hours, the army had lost the people of Pakistan almost completely.
But that was another day. For the moment, Musharraf had been rescued, and Nawaz Sharif was out. For a people who had been promised much but given nothing, this was a harbinger of great days to follow. So they kept cheering well into the night.
I knew Musharraf well enough for me to be able to call him, and expect him to come to the phone. He was a Brigadier then. I knew him as a positive man who had about him, plenty to be liked.
In less than a month, he promulgated the National Accountability Ordinance and created NAB. This brought great hope to many. Before him, accountability had been promised by both the elected as well as the usurping leaders. But never had any of them moved beyond the promise. Here was the first man who seemed to have decided to actually move against cancer of corruption.
A couple of days later I got a call from Maj Gen Inayatullah Niazi. He used to read my articles, and once in a while, acknowledged them with a word of praise. He had been Chairman of the Federal Investigation Agency, and since the formation of NAB, had become its Deputy Chairman. He asked me to see him.
When I went to his office, without preamble he told me that he wanted me to work for NAB. Without hesitation, I assented. He then took me to see Lt Gen S. M. Amjad, who had been appointed as Chairman NAB. I knew Amjad well enough to call him my friend. He was an officer whom I most respected for his integrity. Working under him would be an honour for me, which I told him as he welcomed me to his organization.
Office began the next day.
NAB was a tiny organization then, which would take quite some time to find its feet.
Haroon and Ghumman were bankers on our staff to explain the intricacies of their trade to the investigators.
Mrs Ismat Mehdi was an in-house NAB lawyer. And she was good.
Then Farooq Adam Khan joined as Prosecutor General Accountability. Few worked for NAB with his dedication.
He, Mrs Mehdi and Gen Amjad were the busiest among us. Each worked an 18-hour day with hardly a Sunday.
Lt Col Riazuddin, Maj Taimur Shah, and Nadir Imtiaz Khan formed one investigation cell.
The work they did was outstanding. Lt Col Obaidullah [NAB's pocket bull-dozer] was way out the best investigator we had.
He was assisted by Maj Iftikhar Rasul, the same who had a month earlier kept Obaid faithfully informed about Musharraf's flight and its safe landing in Karachi.
Brig Saghir was the head of NAB intelligence.
He had done the same job earlier in our "atom bomb factory in Kahuta" and was the only head of intelligence whose tenure there had not been extended by Dr A. Q. Khan.
Saghir was too honest, and therefore suspect in Kahuta.
S.P Hassan Abbas joined us later and was a credit to NAB. The last to join the original team was Brig Mohmmad Nazir [ex-commander of SSG]. When Gen Amjad asked me about him, I told him that the only thing I could guarantee about this officer was that there wasn't enough money in the world to buy him, and as far as his I.Q. and general awareness were concerned, the general would do well to interview the officer himself. Nazir was appointed Director of Investigations.
The initial team was small, but it was good. It handled a workload well beyond its numbers. Investigations were not the problem. Anyone with better-than-average intelligence who could think logically could investigate non-technical issues, provided he was not prone to bending under undue influence. The problems these teams were facing were two. They did not know whether what they thought was evidence would also be considered evidence by the court. And they did not know how to prepare the documentation needed to formally submit a case to a Court.
For this, NAB shortlisted six police officers with a request that they be transferred to NAB. All six wangled their way out. While speaking to Hassan Abbas I wondered why this should have been the case, and his interpretation was that this was a verdict. Without saying so in plain words, these six police officers had said that NAB was a temporary arrangement and so was the motivation behind it. But the enemies its members would make while serving this organisation, would be permanent. Therefore, serving in such an organization was best avoided.
However, by pure chance, a junior officer of PTCL approached Col Riaz's team to acquaint it with plans being laid for a project which would provide rich dividends in corrupt money this matured. From one such PTCL officer, it became two, and then three. The team began to follow cases pointed out by them, only to nip them at the right time. Or they began to monitor them surreptitiously. Similar was the case with CDA projects.
So it was decided that till NAB got the resources to recover loss of government funds in corrupt deals of the past, what was within its power even then was to monitor or to put an end to such projects which were rich with a promise of causing losses to the government in the near tomorrow i.e to save funds yet to be lost. This change in emphasis of puttimg the recovery of stolen assets on the back burner, while awaiting the expansion of NAB resources, and shifting to preserving the assets yet to be lost, was a higly successful one.
This began to save the state millions of ruppees in projected losses.
This experience also began to suggest a model for the organisation of NAB. Central to this was small teams of dedicated investigators bound by integrity mutual loyalty and esprit de corps, targeting projects expected to inflict huge losses on the state and monitoring them, while going slower in the direction of recovery of losses already sustained by it.
But the recovery of such losses was not abandoned. This was where the concept of "Plea Bargain" made its appearance. This was first suggested by a retired I.G of Police who was viisiting Farooq Adam. In an informal meeting Farooq pitched this idea to determine our views about it. My view was that in no case should there be any discretion in determining the amount "imposed" by the plea bargain which an alleged criminal could pay and obtain a " get out of jail card" from NAB. Such a bargain should be allowed only to a person already convicted so that he could "buy" his freedom from jail by paying back to the state what he had stolen from it. OR it should be used by a person whose case was ready to be tried, the amount due from him had already been determined, and he was willing to pay this back. Any discretion allowed in the plea bargain concept would be the shortest way to corrupting NAB itself, or at the very least in giving it a bad name.
Both Farooq Adam and Mrs Mehdi, among others, agreed with this, and yet when this provision came back from the Law Ministry, dressed as "law", there was considerable confusion about it. The early days of NAB were infested by such confusion. Much of this was caused by the Law Ministry, who repeatedly failed to do its job. What made the situation worse was government pressure on a newly formed, under-resourced organisation, to produce results at a pace well beyond its capacity. Musharraf wanted to be seen as doing something and pushing NAB was the best he could do.
The most tragic effect of this pressure was the death of Lt Col Obaidullah.
He had just finished interrogating Ishaque Dar, and had got him to make a thorough confession which would have taken down the entire Sharif clan.
Next, he was tasked to interrogate Khawaja Asif in Attock Fort.
Because of the backlog of enquieries that had piled up he was given very little time to complete this one.
After a week he came and informed me that he had found Asif innocent of the charges being investigated.
I advised him to walk into Gen Amjad's office and make his report to him without holding anything back.
He did so, and then went to make his report to Gen Inayat, who was given to sudden rages and could easily fly off the handle.
That day he had just finished explaining to someone on the Presidential staff why NAB's progress of recovery was slow, when Obaid walked in and made his report.
Inayat went apoplectic, severely rebuking Obaid for letting off criminals. Obaid walked out very agitated.
As he slumped into a chair in my office, he could hardly speak a word and the colour in his face had fled.
A sixth sense told me that he was having a heart attack.
Brig Nazir immediately took steps to have him evacuated to AFIC Rawalpindi, and reported to Gen Amjad,
who called the head of the hospital and asked him to be ready to receive Obaid.
Sometime during his evacuation, Obaid had collapsed. By the time all of us reached AFIC they were tryiing to revive him.
In about an hour, NAB had lost its most capable asset.
The next day, Gen Amjad had Gen Inayat removed from NAB.
My view was that we would not feel our resource constraints quite as much and also increase our pace of delivery if we had a tool whereby alleged criminals helped us by a process of "self-conviction". For example, if such a person was obligated to show a balance between his earnings, inherited wealth, present wealth, taxes paid, and cost of the lifestyle lived, he ought to be considered innocent against charges of corruption. Otherwise not. I therefore drew out a list of questions which, if correctly answered, would easily show such a balance or a lack of it. I gave this list to Brig Nazir. He took out time to "digitize" these questions. This became known as the "Form". At its very top we added a provision that if questions in this form were incorrectly answered in order to mislead, the respondent would be deemed to have accepted a five year jail term as a result.
When, to test its efficacy, the Form was handed over to the first person under investigation at the time, the result was electrifying. He collapsed in his chair and needed to be revived. One thing was immediately clear to Nazir and me, and that was that only the Chairman should have the power to issue the Form, and that too only after the guilt of the recipient had been fully established beyond any doubt.
But this happened towards the end of Gen Amjad's tenure in NAB, which came quite suddenly.
Around that time, an oldish man belonging to the procurement department of PIA walked into my office. He said that he had come to open my eyes to the daily plunder taking place in his organization. I asked him to wait so that I could introduce him to Col Riaz, but he was hurrying to the airport to fly to Karachi and promised that he would be with me a couple of weeks later with some documents. I was certain that Riaz's team could efficiently monitor two more organisations beyond PTCL and CDA. But by the time of the old man's return, Gen Amjad had left NAB.
The other organisation I was keen to infiltrate was the FBR.
I was looking for an FBR man who knew his job and whom we could entirely trust.
Finally, a close friend of mine introduced me to Mazhar Noorani, who was from the Customs Service.
In my very first conversation, I asked him if he was a monied man.
He lost little time in affirming that this was indeed the case.
Before I could ask him "how", he told me that those who knew people on the "inside" managing cricket bets could end up making very good money.
And these funds could be doubled and tripled in little to no time. I checked out Noorani with my friends in the Customs.
None of them contradicted what Noorani had told me.
In our next meeting I asked him, that if he were to become a part of NAB, how did he plan to proceed with unearthing corruption cases in the FBR.
He said that this would be simple.
All that one would need to be aware of were the most notorious cases concerning the FBR, and then one would need to trace the relevant files.
These files alone would provide enough evidentiary material to convict the crooks.
I then went to see Gen Amjad to get his permission to take Noorani on board. After I explained the value Noorani would bring to the NAB, Amjad had no hesitation in acceding to my request.
Within a couple of days of this, I had gone to see Lt Gen Ghulam Ahmad [GA] who was Chief of Staff to Musharraf, and was the most well-liked and respected General Officer of that era. I needed some help from him on behalf of NAB when suddenly he turned around and asked me if I knew that my Chairman would be leaving NAB in a couple of days?
Because G A was smiling, I thought he was just pulling my leg. But then, he was always smiling. So, I asked if he was serious. For a moment, he let his smile fade and nodded. I returned to my office in a state of shock. I tried to guess what could be the reasons behind the suddenness of this move. Getting to the bottom of this was not difficult. Amjad had taken on his assignment with NAB due to a specific guarantee from Musharraf that both he and his office would abstain from interfering with the functioning of NAB. But during the last few months, pressure on NAB was continuous that we stop pursuing the cases against the Choudhrys of Gujrat and Saddruddin Hashwani. Despite Amjad's best efforts not to let the knowledge of these requests filter down to the rest of his officers, this had become known. This brought Amjad to the point where he felt the need to request Musharraf to post him out.
Two days later, Amjad's jeep drove out of the NAB compound for the last time. He was deeply respected by every member of NAB and his departure was felt by them as if each had recieved a personal stab in the back by the government. Each one of us instinctively felt that this signalled the end of accountability.
It had finally become clear to us all that Musharraf had no commitment to Accountability. This was merely a sop to the hopes of the people who had so wildly applauded his stepping into power, as it was also their repudiation of Nawaz Sharif and his corruption. Besides, Musharraf had needed something to show to the people and also to give the world at large a justification for why he had taken over. Results coming in from NAB would do this. From Amjad's departure onwards, Musharraf began using NAB to build up his personal political power base at the cost of Pakistan. This was as the "normal" had always been.
With Gen Amjad's transfer from NAB came the unannounced but formal end of accountability. After that it made no sense for me to stay on. Since I was not on a government payroll, I had no clearances to get, and since I had my own car I did not need a lift home either. I merely put my papers in my briefcase, and drove out of NAB an hour after Amjad.
Gen Khalid Maqbool was the next Chairman of NAB. What branded his tenure was a gift of a monthly gas quota from Mr Iqbal Z Ahmad, a Lahore businessman. This gift was inherited by some of the Chairmen that followed Khalid Maqbool. A few weeks later, he, on a push from the FBR facilitated the jailing of Mazhar Noorani, who could have proved a huge asset for NAB, had accountability still been its function. This was the ultimate proof to me that the elite masters of theft in Pakistan, were all related to each other, as surely as the interests of our people lay abandoned by them. His gas quota and the jailing of Noorani exposed the quality of General Khalid. Had he been in command of an army corps, instead of being Chairman of NAB, this would have been incentive enough for the Indian General opposite him to go on to the offensive against us even if there were no war clouds on the horizon!
Poor generals, of which we had a generous supply, were a big disaster on the field of battle, but they were often a bigger one, when off it. But when they struck up a partnership with our congenitally corrupt politians, together they form a ring of steel around the people of the country, who have no escape left, and no power to alter their destiny. All they can do then is to bang their heads against this ring so that they may break through it. This could eventually lead to civil war and bring down the state itself. This, we had already achieved in 1971, and are now moving towards in Baluchistan and KP, while the smoke rising in Azad Kashmir is yet to become a fire, but it promises to do so.
But back to NAB. Soon the only relic left over from the old NAB and its spirit was Brig Nazir. He had dug in his heels against a PTCL proposal to buy its Ufone package from Nortel at apprx 140 million dollars. Bringing pressure for this deal to go through, was our Prime Minister, Mr Shaukat Aziz. Competing with Nortel was a Chinese company offering their package for about 39 million dollars. Opposing a Prime Minister with scant help from his own Chairman, with only Mr Saeed Malik of the Planning Division supporting him, it was difficult for a retired Brigadier to keep his heels dug in. Eventually, Nortel had to bring down their price by about sixty million dollars to win the contract. This is what Nazir helped Pakistan to save in one contract.
To me this was proof enough that Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz were in cahoots as "business" partners, in which Shaukat Aziz was the front man.
What a shame.
What my year-long experience with NAB taught me though, was that military coup after military coup while promising accountability, had failed to deliver, not because this was too difficult, but because there was no commitment. Our army had failed to realize that the most lethal threat against the state was internal. This lay in theft and the hollowing out of the state. Large scale corruption should therefore have been seen as a vital national security imperative by the army. To block such corruption the army did not need to take over. A warning to the sitting government would of sufficed. But instead of seeing massive corruption for what it was, time and again the army went and joined hands with the thieves and stole the future of Pakistan. Rotating bankruptcy driven by greed and theft is all that Pakistan got from its politicio-military hybrid leadership.
But even now, should ever a day arise, when it was the committed desire of the most powerful person in the country to allow accountability to have its say in Pakistan, this could be accomplished. The model for achieving this is in place, though only in rudiments. These could still be dug out and assembled to launch an effort to rectify Pakistan's most lethal malady. And if this is ever rectified, the half of Pakistan yet left to us, would still have a chance to survive decades of rotten thieving leadership.
Sis Aisha Assistant Editor
Pro-Zionist Rally Disguised as Anti-Semitism Protest
On Wednesday, 9/23/2026, there was an "Anti-Semitism" protest near the United Nations. However, one of the older female protesters interviewed stated that they wanted acceptance of their definition of Anti-Semitism. This was really a Pro-Zionist rally disguised as a protest against Anti-Semitism.
Allah warns us about the Unbelieving Jews in the Qur'an when he says that those who are the most bitter towards us Muslims will call themselves Jews. (Holy Qur'an 5:82). Just because they call themselves Jews does not make them Jews. Just because they cry victim does not make them victims.
The worst Unbelieving Jews refer to themselves as Atheistic Jews. They had a bar mitzvah and eat pork. They may even celebrate Chrismukkah (Christmas & Hanukkah merged).
Zionists equate their racist, inhumane ideology to Judaism. They also equate any criticism of Zionist behavior with hatred toward Jews or antisemitism. In addition to their xenophobia, they are overzealous; they believe their defense of Israel's occupation of Palestine is not to be challenged. They hate it when their barbarity and crimes against humanity are condemned.
In time for this week's UN Assembly, video ads have been flooding the Internet accusing the UN of twisting the Gaza story in favor of Hamas and the Palestinian people. Viewers are invited to click a link to get the "truth." One video ad showed a supposedly unedited newspaper with a front-page headline that read, "Hamas Targets Civilians." Then, it shows letters of the alphabet being cut out and replacing the name Hamas with the name Israel so that it read, "Israel Targets Civilians." I viewed these ads on MSN.com and the Microsoft Edge browser.
For decades, human rights organizations have been giving eyewitness accounts of the forced removal of Palestinians from their homes, the destruction of their farmland, and bombings of hospitals among other terrorist acts. Now, many Americans get to see such terror carried out by Israelis against Palestinians on social media. Facts will expose any Zionist effort to twist the words of their accusers and play the victim.
There were also protests against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who took the opportunity to criticize New York's Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani for having the temerity to threaten the prime minister with an arrest. They have been engaged in verbal sparring for a few days. Mayor Mamdani later backed off his campaign promise to arrest Netanyahu, saying his administration lacked the power to do so. Taking out world leaders would be in the federal government's jurisdiction. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush's administration arrested Panama's leader, Manuel Noriega.
However, Mayor Mamdani has not backed down from Netanyahu's critiques and lies. Mayor Mamdani's response to Netanyahu's accusation is that Mamdani's criticism of Israel has made Jews feel unsafe; his criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights do not amount to antisemitism. Mayor Mamdani reminded people that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has a warrant out for him from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
(Source: NY1.com)
Jewish Fraternity Investigated for Hazing
Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), a Jewish fraternity founded in 1913, is being investigated for hazing. Over a dozen half-naked young men aged 18 years old, were discovered in a hot, humid basement of a fraternity house. They were covered in food, condiments, and other liquids. There were signs they had been physically assaulted. The basement thermostat had been turned up to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. An anonymous tip led to the discovery. Two 20-year-old fraternity members were arrested on hazing charges.
This incident occurred at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus (UW-Madison). According to the university, this particular AEPi chapter was terminated in 2015 because of issues with events, alcohol, or both. They had been suspended for hazing, serving alcohol to underage drinkers, or both. Since 2016, they have been busted for violations related to intramural sports, disrespectful behavior, and drinking and hazing. However, because AEPi is recognized by its national organization, it is still able to operate, but as an unaffiliated chapter to the campus.
The university said it takes hazing seriously and was going to conduct its own investigation. UW-Madison said that any student found to have violated the law or campus policy could be subjected to various punishments, including a written reprimand to expulsion. National AEPi spokesperson Jon Pierce said, "Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for. There is no place for it in AEPi. No exceptions. No excuses."
On the AEPi website, its mission statement is to develop the future leaders of Jewish communities, as demonstrated every day through acts of brotherhood, giving Tzedakah (i.e., Sadaqah), social awareness, and support for Jewish communities and Israel.
(TheGuardian.com)
Salaam,
Sis. 'Aisha Jamaat al-Muslimeen New York City
Guidance Wisdom from Sis Yasmin Hadith consultant
*GREET HER ON BEHALF OF HER LORD*~{*KHADIJAH BINT KHUWAYLID* (Radi Allahu Anha) }~{THE FIRST WOMAN TO EMBRACE ISLAM}
'Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim'.
*Assalaamualaikum Wa Rahmatuallahi Wa Barakatuh*
Narrated Abu Hurairah: Jibril (Gabriel) came to the *PROPHET* ﷺ
" "O Allah's Messenger! This is Khadijah, coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (Allah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab in Paradise, wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil, (fatigue, trouble, etc.)."
[Source~ Al-Bukhari]
'Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated that one day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew four (4) lines on the earth and asked his Companions if they understood what these lines stood for. They respectfully replied that he knew better. He then told them that these lines stood for the four (4) foremost ladies of the universe. They were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran, the mother of the Prophet Issa (peace and blessings be upon him) and 'Asiya bint Muzahim (the wife of the Pharaoh).
She was the first person to have an abiding faith in the utterances of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to accept Islam as her religion and her way of life.
She was blessed with the distinction of having been greeted with Salam (greetings) by Allah and the Angel Jibril.
Khadijah (r.a.) was born in Makkah in the year 556 CE. Her mother's name was Fatimah bint Zayd, and her father's name was Khuwaylid bin Asad. He was a very popular leader among the tribe of Quraysh, and a very prosperous businessman who died while fighting in the famous battle of Fujjar. Khadijah thus grew up in the lap of luxury. She married Abu Halah Malak bin Nabash bin Zarrarah bin At-Tamimi and bore him two children, Halah and Hind. She wanted to see her husband prosper and financed him in setting up a big business. But unfortunately he passed away. Sometime later the young widow married 'Atique bin 'Aith bin 'Abdullah Al-Makhzumi, and she had a daughter by him as well named Hinda, but the marriage soon broke up on grounds of incompatibility. After this all her attention was devoted to the upbringing of her children, and building up the business she inherited from her father. Her astuteness and business ability made her business one of the most widespread businesses among the Quraysh.
Her policy was to employ hardworking, honest and distinguished managers to deal on her behalf as a lot depended on the integrity of the employees who travelled far and wide on her behalf. She exported her goods to far away markets like Syria, and her managers bought goods from those markets to be sold at home.
Khadijah (r.a) had heard of the integrity, honesty and principled behavior of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and sent a job offer to him to head her trading caravans. He gladly accepted the offer and started working for her.
Khadijah sent him on a business trip; her old and trusted slave Maysarah being delegated to accompany and serve him.
Maysarah was impressed by the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) integrity, strength of character, adherence to principles, his amicable dealings and his business abilities. On the way back from Syria, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lay down under a tree to rest for a while. Nestora, a Jewish monk, noted for his knowledge of religion and for his insight saw him and asked Maysarah who he was. Maysarah told him all about Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his reputation for honesty and intelligence.
Nestora then told him that this man would be elevated to Prophethood in the future, as no man had ever rested under that particular tree but Prophets.
Tradition has it that Maysarah also saw two angels bearing a cloud over Prophet's head to protect him from the glare and heat of the sun.
When he returned home Maysarah reported to Khadijah all that had taken place on the trip to Syria. She was deeply moved and impressed, and started thinking of proposing marriage to Muhammad. But how could she express her thoughts to him ? She already rejected several proposals of marriage from men belonging to some of the noblest families of the Quraysh. How would her tribe react ? What would her family say ? And what was more, would her proposal be acceptable to this young, yet unmarried man of the tribe of Quraysh?
As she pondered over these questions and debated within herself, one night she dreamt that the shining sun had descended from the heavens into her courtyard, radiating her home. When she woke up she went for the interpretation of this wonderful dream to her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal, a blind man noted for his skill in interpreting dreams, and for his depth of knowledge, particularly of the Torah and the Injil. When he heard her dream, he gave a serene smile, and told her not to worry, as this was a very promising dream. The glorious sun she saw descending into her courtyard indicated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) whose advent had been predicted in the Torah and the Injil was to grace her home and she would gain from his presence in her life.
After this meeting with Waraqah she became stronger in her desire to marry Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). One of her very close friends, Nafisah bint Manbah knew of her inclination and she went to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and requested his permission to ask him a very personal question. When he said he had no objection, she asked why he had not yet got married. He said he did not have the financial resources. Then she asked him if he would be willing to marry a beautiful lady from a noble and wealthy family, who was inclined towards marriage with him. He asked whom she was referring to; when he learnt her identity he said that he was willing, provided she was willing to marry him. Khadijah' (RA) was overjoyed.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was then twenty-five (25) years of age and Khadijah (RA) was forty (40) years old. (According to one tradition, she was twenty-eight). The two uncles of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Hamzah and Abu Talib approached her uncle, 'Umar bin Asad, with the formal proposal. It was accepted and the two families began preparing for the wedding. Halimah As-Sa'diyyah who nursed the Prophet in his infancy was specially invited for the wedding and travelled to Makkah from her village. When she left after the festivities, Khadijah presented her with household goods, a camel and forty goats as an expression of gratitude to the lady who had taken such good care of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in his infancy.
Khadijah was very blessed in the marriage, and had six children. First two sons, Qasim and 'Abdullah; then followed the daughters, Zaynab (RA), Ruqayyah (RA), Umm Kulthum (RA) and Fatimah (RA). It was a very happy, peaceful and content household, but Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) felt something was missing, and he was extremely restless. He would retire for a month once a year to the cave of Hira to dedicate himself entirely to prayer and meditation. One day he felt the presence of another being that held him in his arms in a tight embrace. Then he loosened his hold and asked him to read; Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) answered that he was illiterate. But the person repeated the same act and the phrase again and again. Then finally he read these Ayat which are the first revelation of the Quran.
They are from Surah Iqra or Al-'Alaq.
"Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not."
[Source~ Quran ~96:1-5]
Then the being disappeared. This was such an awesome experience that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned home sweating and shaking. He called out to Khadijah asking her to cover him with a sheet or a blanket. When he had calmed down to some extent, he told his wife that he feared for his life, and narrated the whole incident to her. Khadijah, a picture of loyalty and serenity consoled him saying that Allah would surely protect him from any danger, and would never allow anyone to revile him as he was a of man of peace and reconciliation and always extended the hand of friendship to all. He never lied, always hospitable, carried the burdens of others and helped those who were in trouble. These soothing and encouraging words of sympathy and understanding from Khadijah gave him immeasurable strength and confidence. She then took him to meet her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal, who immediately guessed the identity of the being in the Cave of Hira as the Angel Jibril (the Messenger of Allah ) who had visited Moses as well. Waraqah who was very old wished that he could live to see the time when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would be forced into exile by his people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was very surprised and asked if his people would really do this to him. Waraqah assured him that it was typical of human beings that they would never appreciate or follow a Prophet who rose among them. Waraqah added that he wished he were alive at that time and be able to help him. He added that if what he had been told were true then surely it meant that her husband was the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) whose advent had been mentioned in the scriptures.
The four daughters grew up to be faithful and courageous daughters of Islam. They all migrated to Al-Madinah, with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Zaynab was married to Abu 'Aas bin Rabi'ah, Ruqayyah was married to 'Uthman (R.A.). When she passed away he married her sister Umm Kulthum; Fatimah was married to 'Ali bin Abi Talib (R.A.) The first three daughters died during the lifetime of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his beloved daughter Fatimah lived just six months after he passed away.
When the disbelievers saw that Islam was attracting more and more followers in spite of all their tactics, they decided to declare an open and total political and economic boycott of the tribe of Banu Hashim. This took place in the seventh year after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared himself the Messenger of Allah. This is also known in Islamic history as the Shi'ab Abi Talib.
It was so severe that innocent children faced starvation and hunger, and adults survived eating the leaves of trees. Yet the firm followers of Muhammad did not turn away from their true religion and they came out of the ordeal stronger and purer than before.
Khadijah who had been brought up in luxury in her wealthy father's home now faced the economic hardships with patience and courage, which are a necessary part of any siege. Khadijah's nobility of character and conduct pleased Allah, so much that He sent special greetings for her.
Khadijah was the ideal wife and mother. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived in her house which became a blessed place due to his presence and the fact that Jibril (peace and blessings be upon him) came often to visit him there with Qur'anic revelations. It became the centre of Islam, where all the Companions male and female visited often to partake of the hospitality of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his wife.
After the Hijrah (migration) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Al-Madinah, the house was occupied by the brother of 'Ali. Later Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan who transcribed some of the Divine Revelations purchased this house and built a mosque. Thus the site of the house of Khadijah became a place of prayer and worship for all time. She had been used to praying two Rak'ah's of Salat (prayer), mornings and evenings with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) even before prayers were made compulsory by Allah. After accepting Islam she became more contemplative and inclined towards worship; she found a blessed feeling of peace in prayer.
Afif Kindi relates that 'Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib was a great friend of his and he used to visit him often in Yemen in connection with his business in perfumes. On one occasion when they were standing and chatting in Mina, they saw a handsome young man approach. He carefully washed his hands and feet and then stood respectfully with his arms crossed on his breast. Soon a dignified lady of noble bearing and a young handsome young lad joined him. 'Afif asked 'Abbas what they were doing and whether this was a new form of exercise. 'Abbas replied that the youth was his brother 'Abdullah's son, and the lady was his wife. She was a woman of great wealth and virtue, and an ideal wife and mother. The lad was his brother Abu Talib's son. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had announced that he was a Messenger of Allah and had started preaching a new religion called Islam. In due course 'Afif accepted Islam, but he always regretted the fact that he had not joined the Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions in their prayers and supplication on that memorable day in Mina, when he had first heard of Islam.
Khadijah passed away just three years before the Hijrah, or the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) migration to Al-Madinah. She died at the age of sixty-five, having given almost twenty-five years to Muhammad and the cause of Islam. When Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saw her in the throes of death he consoled her saying Allah had so ordained it, and that the thing she was dreading, would prove favorable for her. Her eyes lit up and as she gazed at her beloved husband, her soul left its earthly body.
Her grave was prepared at a place called Hujjun, near Makkah. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stepped into it to see that everything was as it should be, and with his own hands lowered her gently into it. Thus, passed away the 'Mother' of all Muslims, the one who had sacrificed her all for Islam, the lady who was the greatest supporter of Islam in its earliest days. She who was the mother of Fatimah (RA), the First Lady of Paradise, the grandmother of the beloved grandchildren of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Hasan and Hussein who are to be the foremost of the youths in Paradise.
When she passed away, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was heartbroken at the loss of a dedicated companion who stood by him during the most difficult period of his life.
One of the ladies of the Quraysh, Khawlah bint Hakim (RA), visited the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to console him, and saw his state of depression and grief and remarked on it. He replied it was only natural that he should be touched by her absence, as she had been a loving mother to his now neglected children; she had been a loyal and sympathetic wife who shared his secrets. It was only human and natural that he should feel her loss as she was there for him during his most difficult times. Whenever he was abused by the disbelievers she had provided moral support and unflagging faith.
A Companion of the Prophet narrates that whenever any gift was brought to him he would immediately send it to some lady who had been a friend of Khadijah (RA). Ayshah (RA), a favourite wife of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) says that whenever a goat was slaughtered the Prophet would send some meat to Khadijah's friends; when she remarked about this on one occasion he told her, 'I have great regard for her friends, as she has a special place in my heart.' Ayshah (RA) said she never experienced such a feeling of natural feminine jealousy for any other wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as she did for Khadijah (RA). She also narrates that whenever Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke of her he would talk at great length and praise her qualities, and pray for her forgiveness.
Ayshah (RA) narrates that whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) talked about Khadijah (RA), it was in terms of the highest praise. One day her innate feminine envy overtook her sense of decorum and she spoke in disparaging terms of her, wondering why the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) missed her when he was blessed with a better, younger wife by Allah. This displeased him, but forbearing as he was, he just sighed and answered,
" "I have not yet found a better wife than her. She had faith in me when everyone, even members of my own family and tribe did not believe me, and accepted that I was truly a Prophet and a Messenger of Allah. She converted to Islam, spent all her wealth and worldly goods to help me spread this faith, and this too at a time when the entire world seemed to have turned against me and persecuted me. And it is through her that Allah blessed me with children."
As Allah says in Surah Al-Fajr in the Quran that it will be said to the pious believers...
"O the one in complete rest and satisfaction, come back to your Lord well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him) Enter you then among My (honored) servants, and enter you My Paradise."
[Source ~ Quran ~ Surah Al - Fajr~ 89 A # 27-30]
~'SALAAMS' TO ALL ~
~ Y a s m i n ~
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"All that is on earth will Perish. But will abide {Forever}
the Face of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honor"
{'Qur`an'- Surah Al-Rahman-55.26-27 }
