The Prophets Of Allah

Zayd b. Harithah & Beginning of Revelation

Last chapter we discussed the story of the ka'bah and there are some profound symbolisms. Before this we discussed the story of the black stone. That it became fragmented, and the abbass's had to put it in molten rock and the actual black stone is in peices. We learn:

1. There is clearly the metaphor being given that the ka'bah has been destroyed before the coming of the prohpet PBUH; and the ka'bah is being rebuilt right at his time. The symbolism is that the religion of Ibrahim AS had been destroyed and now the prohpet PBUH is going to rebuild it. So the ka'bah represents the religion of Ibrahim AS. Allah says "the first house is Mecca". Thus this house represents the worship of Allah. And the symbolism of it being destroyed shows the coming of the prophet PBUH to rebuild it - that the religion has not been preserved by hunamity. Just like the ka'bah is being rebuilt, the religion of Ibrahim AS will be built again. And similarly the foundations of the religion will remian the same, but the 'bricks' will be a bit different just like the bricks of the ka'bah were changed and reinforced. And further there is symbolism that just like the prophet PBUH saved his people from civil war and bloodshed, so to he will save them as the last and final messenger and exhault their honour. And the fact that the prophet PBUH united all of the tribes by holding the cloth, is a symbol he will unite them all under the banner of Islam. Also, when the prophet PBUH entered the ka'bah all of the tribes were happy. Of course anybody apart from the prophet PBUH would have just chosen his tribe and the other tribes would have been upset. But when the prophet PBUH came in, everyone rejoiced and this here is clearly a reality that the prophet PBUH was such an immense character; his noble was so high and his status was so lofty that everyone was happy.

Its narrated when Abu Jahal stood us, he said "we are rebuilding the house of Allah, so make sure the money you use is from your pure earnings; no cheating and no interest; no gambling or prostitution etc". THis is amazing someone as filthy as Abu Jahal understood this - that you should not spend in the path of Allah with filthy money.

Also, for the first time in the history of the ka'bah, the Jaheleya arabs built in a square shape. We know that praying inside the ka'bah is a huge blessing, and if it had been built in the shape of Ibrahim AS in a rectangle it would be impossible to pray like inside the ka'bah. But its a huge blessing from Allah that its like this because now, everyone can pray in the ka'bah. Why? Because the original structure of the ka'bah is outside and open for all to pray in. It's not inside the current square ka'bah. Thus there is great wisdom in this. Thus Allah's plans always work out for the best.

There is another story which clearly show the character of the prophet PBUH. This is the story of Zayd ibn Harithah. He is from the kahthaani tribes of the Arabs, not the Adnaani branch, and he is from a tribe from Yemen. Zayd's mother and father were from two different tribes that had a love/hate relationship. One day Zayd's mother, Su'ada, took Zayd to her own tribe. Right at that time, a small fight broke out between both tribes and so, Zayd's relative (i.e. his uncles etc) got so angry that they took Zayd, kidnapped him from her own mother, their own sister's child and sold him into slavery to get revenge at the trible of Zayd's father. And so, Zayd was sold in the grand fairs of Ukaad - the largest marketplace which took place after the Hajj season. And they sold him to Hakim bin Hazaam. And Khadija had given Hakim money to find a young arab slave, and so Zayd becomes Khadija's servant. And when Khadija married the prophet PBUH, she gifted Zayd to the prophet PBUH. This is of course way before Islam.

So, Zayd's father is frantically looking for his son. "There is a boy from our tribe, these are his features etc please tell me where he is". During the hajj season someone just happened to see Zayd and realised this is the boy Hairthah is looking for. So they told Harithah "we found your son, he is a slave to one of the grandsons of Abdul Muttalib, and his name is Muhammad". So his father and their brother travel to Mecca and ask where is Muhammad. They are told he is in the Haram and says them "You are of the most noble lineage, trustworthy etc (praise) - we want to take our son back who is unjustly stolen and kidnapped into slavery. And Zayd is our son and we will give you any randsom you want but please be generous to us". Note, there is no law and order - and power belongs to the strongest. The law of Jaheleya is that they have to deal with it and thus they are willing to buy their son back. And so the prophet PBUH said "is this what you want?". They said "yes" and the prophet PBUH said "it is up to him - and if he chooses you, I will send him back with no randsom but if he chooses me, I cannot turn him away". So the father and uncle were overjoyed, and they said "Oh Muhammad you have done marvelous and have done much more than you have asked for". And now he is around 20 years old, and the prophet PBUH asked Zayd "do you recognize these men?". Zayd said "yes this is my father and uncle". Then the prophet PBUH said "I have left the matter to you - if you want you can go with them, or you can stay with me". Subhan'Allah even in this, we find that the prophet PBUH had a fondness of Zayd - he dosen't want to let go of him because morally they have a point "our son is not a slave". So the prophet PBUH does the morally correct thing, but he dosen't want to hand over Zayd because he has genuine feelings of paternal love. Instantly Zayd said "I can never choose anyone over you for you are to me more than a father and uncle combined". This is unnatural for a man to say this. Biologically the love you have for your father is there (in the fitrah/nature/naturally). Zayd has pure memories and yet instantly he said "how can I choose anyone over you?". This is impossible except for a prophet of Allah - the love of a prophet trumpts the bond of fatherhood. Zayd's father said "O Zayd, have you gone crazy? You will choose to be a slave, and refuse to come with your own father to your own tribe?" Again as a slave you have no honour, rights or protection. So his father said "have you gone crazy?". Zayd said "Yes - I know what I have said, but I have seen from this man that which no other man has done." Right there and then, the prophet PBUH stood up and said "Oh people of Mecca, I want you to all testify that from this day, Zayd is a free man and I adopt him as my son and he will inherit from me, and I from him". He did this in front of the father to bring peace to his heart that his son is a free man, adopted by Quraysh. Thus he adopted Zayd, and was called Zayd ibn Muhammad. And Abdullah Ibn Umar RA said "we never knew by Zayd of any other name except Zayd ibn Muhammad until Allah revealed Surah Ahzaab Verse 5". This is where Allah says "call children by their fathers". So this is when the prophet PBUH rechanged the name of Zayd to Zayd ibn Harithah. According to one opinion, Zayd was the first person to accept Islam. Note we say first male adult Abu Bukr, first female Khadija, first freed slave Zayd and first child Ali.