reading

First Edition 2012

ISBN 978-0-9883174-1-3

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Aside from fair use, meaning a page or less for non-profit educational purposes, review, or scholarly citation, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, internet, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

Nazim Mangera

www.inspirational100.org

Cover Photo: Mosque where Prophet Muhammed is buried in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

To Prophet Muhammed and every human being who promulgates peace and love

“We did not send you as a Prophet except out of compassion for everything or We did not send you as a Prophet except to be an embodiment of compassion for everything.”

[Quran: 21:107]

: Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam

The Arabic prayer means “Peace and blessings of God be upon him” and it usually follows Prophet Muhammed’s name. It is said by Muslims when Prophet Muhammed’s name is heard or mentioned, out of reverence for him.

R.A.: Radhiallahu Anhu or Anha

The Arabic prayer means “May God be pleased with him or her” and is said by Muslims after mentioning any of Prophet Muhammed’s companions out of love for them.

Hadith: Arabic word which means

“Saying of Prophet Muhammed”

Table of Contents

Introduction

Who is Prophet Muhammed?

My Chain of Transmission

Preface

KIND TREATMENT OF NON-MUSLIMS

PARENTS

TAKING CARE OF DAUGHTERS

HUSBAND AND WIFE RELATIONSHIP

RESPECT FOR RELATIVES

RESPECTING NEIGHBORS

ANIMAL RIGHTS

IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

SPENDING IN CHARITY/HELPING THE POOR

GOOD CHARACTER

BEING MERCIFUL

BEING CHEERFUL

BEING JUST

RESTRAINING ANGER

MUTUAL RELATIONSHIPS

PEARLS OF WISDOM AND INSPIRING ADVICE

FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

GENDER RELATIONS

What Non-Muslims Wrote About Prophet Muhammed

Suggestions For Further Reading

Beautiful Pictures of 10 Mosques

Introduction

The gifts of open mindedness, knowledge, understanding and wisdom have in our modern times too often been substituted for narrowness, presumptiveness, bigotry and brashness. Too many generalizations have been accepted as universal truths. Too much hatred has been brewed from the dissemination, both accidental and intentional, of misinformation. Perhaps those most affected by modern-day mudslinging are the billion plus Muslims around the world who have been systematically and ridiculously lumped into a homogeneous box labeled “terrorist” since that fateful September day in 2001.

I took the “shahadah” declaring my intention to commit myself to the Islamic way of life in June of 2001, not even three months before 9/11. Many may have had their faith shaken by the events of that year and what transpired as a result, but because I had been blessed with an open mind and access to resources about my faith to equip me with knowledge, I was able to see past the events of one day and the actions of a few people and see the religion of Islam for exactly what it is – a way of life that aims to perfect its adherents’ character and manners in the pursuit of creating a community focused on pleasing the Almighty.

One of the most inspiring and revealing sources of information that I treasure are the hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his family). These sayings are so valuable to me and should be to Muslims and non-Muslims alike because they reveal the heart and soul of Islam. Further, these sayings are timeless – the lessons they contain are just as relevant today as they were when they were uttered over 1,400 years ago. The emphasis on character development and the adoption of good manners by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) created the foundation upon which Muslim families and entire societies have flourished, and if followed today, can have the same effect.

Unfortunately, two separate forces have come together to create a perfect storm – the neglect of and failure to learn the traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by many Muslims around the world and simultaneously the mournful failure of some non-Muslims to seek or be given the information about Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him) before vitriolic opinions have been formed and fortified in the minds of the masses. Both these forces have led us to where we are today, a wary and unstable peace hangs in the balance between Muslims and non-Muslims around the globe, for no justifiable reason.

To hurdle these boundaries we have erected between us, we as Muslims must be patient, be willing to work hard to share our knowledge and most importantly, start walking the talk. This book, A Gift for Every Human Being: 100 Inspirational Sayings of Prophet Muhammed, is a perfect example of just the type of resource we as Muslims should be focused on providing, especially for non-Muslims who will benefit greatly from the in-depth look into the mind and heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as he guides his community toward personal, familial and social bliss and harmony with the Creator.

It was not only an absolute joy and honor to help Nazim compile his commentary on these selected hadith, but it was also a reminder with each page I turned, of why I consciously chose to make Islam my way of life. I pray that this book reaches the hands of many of my brothers and sisters in Islam so that they can be reminded of the incredible legacy the Prophet (peace be upon him) left for us to follow. I also pray that this book reaches the hands of many of people who do not claim to follow Islam, but who have an open mind and an open heart to read these sayings and realize the gentleness, sophistication and positive impacts of this religious tradition.

Cassandra Williams, Esq.

California, USA

Who is Prophet Muhammed?

Prophet Muhammed was born in 570 CE in the blessed Saudi Arabian city of Makkah. Makkah was founded by Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ishmael. Fourteen centuries later, Prophet Muhammed’s influence is still felt across the globe and his teachings are appreciated by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. More than 1.5 billion people worldwide commit to Prophet Muhammed’s teachings. He is extremely beloved to every Muslim and that is why the name Muhammed, with its variations, is probably the most common given name in the world.

Early Life: Muhammed’s father died before his birth. His mother died when he was six and hence, he became fully orphaned at a young age. His grandfather Abdul Muttalib and his uncle Abu Talib raised him. As a young man, Muhammed enjoyed an esteemed reputation because of his upright character. He was known throughout the city as ‘the truthful and the trustworthy.’ He worked as a merchant as well as a shepherd and married at the age of 25.

Prophethood: At the age of forty, during one of his spiritual seclusions in a cave on the outskirts of Makkah, angel Gabriel gloriously manifested himself to Muhammed pronouncing revelation from God. Alarmed and shivering he fled to his wife, begging her to wrap him in a cloak. He feared for his sanity, concerned that a desert spirit might be pursuing him. More revelations soon followed and Muhammed came to the understanding that he was not only a prophet in a long line of prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon all of them) but that he was the last of them who was sent with a universal message. He continued to receive revelation through Gabriel for many years to come. These revelations came to be known as the Quran, the Muslim divine book.

In Makkah: For thirteen years he invited his clan in Makkah to worship the one God, to respect women as full equals and the source of human mercy, and to care for the widows, the orphans, the weak and the oppressed. At first people ridiculed and feared Muhammed’s message because it threatened their financial gains because pilgrims from all over Arabia came to visit the idols in Makkah, and, consequently, spent their wealth. The ridicule soon turned to oppression, and many of Prophet Muhammed’s followers were tortured and killed. In 615 CE, Muhammed ordered some of his followers to immigrate to Ethiopia to seek the protection and the shelter of the just Christian Ethiopian king. A few years later his entire clan was excommunicated causing many to starve to death, including his beloved wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib. The Makkahn’s ill treatment culminated in an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Prophet Muhammed’s life, after which he was forced to leave the city of his birth and migrate to the enlightened city of Madinah.

To Madinah: The Prophet then moved to Madinah, where he established an unprecedented peace between the city’s two largest tribes who had been suffering from feudal wars for centuries. With Prophet Muhammed as its leader, the city’s virtue was restored and the population began to prosper once again. He also secured the rights of the Jewish minority by granting them full citizenship and freedom to practice their religion without constraint. The peace the Muslims enjoyed in Madina would not be long-lived. Even while exiled, the Makkahn’s continued their attempts to undermine Prophet Muhammed. The Prophet’s growing influence was a threat to their dominance in Arabia. After successfully establishing a stable community, God told the Prophet through revelation that he and his community could now defend themselves. In battle against the merciless and tyrannical, he was as courageous as a great lion; and with the weak and oppressed, he was as gentle as a shepherd.

Return to Makkah: After several large battles, the Muslims and the Makkahn’s established a treaty, which was violated by the Makkahn’s only two years later. The Prophet then gathered an army of ten thousand soldiers and marched upon Makkah, conquering it without bloodshed. After suffering twenty bitter years at the hands of the Makkahn’s, in which he lost his wife, uncle, and several other companions, Muhammed was now in a position of complete control. The Makkahn’s were at his mercy; and mercy they were given. The Prophet Muhammed told the Makkahn’s that they were free and would suffer no harm. He said to them, “This is the day of mercy.” Prophet Muhammed passed away in 632 CE and is buried in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Mercy to the World: In twenty-three short years, Prophet Muhammed spread monotheism throughout the peninsula, unified warring tribes, taught the honor of women, and established that all people were equal in the sight of God. He elevated the low and lowered the arrogant that they might meet in that middle place known as brotherhood. He infused within people a love of learning unleashing a creative power that would lead to some of the most extraordinary scientific breakthroughs in human history. The Prophet Muhammed’s entire life, up until his last breath, was spent in the liberation of others. He liberated people from misguidance, oppression, and greed. Even on his deathbed, his last words were, “Treat your women well, and do not oppress your servants…” The world needs a deeper understanding of this man – his gentleness towards children, his love of animals, his concern for the weak and oppressed, and his sense of justice always tempered with mercy. He taught us that forbearance is greater than revenge; forgiveness more lofty than punishment; and compassion more effective than austerity. Above all, he taught us mercy. And in these difficult times, we are all in need of more mercy in the world.

[With editing from: http://www.celebratemercy.com/AboutMuhammad.aspx]

My Chain of Transmission

A prophetic statement consists of two aspects: The text of the report (Arabic: Matn) containing the actual narrative; and the chain of narrators (Arabic: Isnad or Sanad) which documents the route by which the report has been transmitted. The Sanad consists of a chain of the transmitters each mentioning the name of the person from whom they heard the prophetic statement until mentioning the originator of the matn along with the matn itself.

The Isnad precedes the actual text (matn) and looks like the following: “It has been related to me by A on the authority of B on the authority of C on the authority of D (usually a Companion of the Prophet) that Prophet Muhammed said…”

Isnad is a unique feature of the religion of Islam. Early Muslim scholars examined and analyzed each and every statement that came to them, whether it was the statement of Prophet Muhammed, his companions or anyone else. They studied the life and character, in the strictest way possible, of those who were part of the transmitting chain (Isnad).

Thus, Muslims witnessed an amazing introduction of the science of studying the reporters of Hadith which was unprecedented and is unrivalled. The recording of the names, dates of demise, qualities and characteristics of thousands and thousands of people is something that is unique to Islam.

“Dr. Aloys Sprenger (1813-1893), the celebrated Austrian scholar, acknowledged in his introduction to the Isabah the unsurpassable feat of Muslim historiography in these words:

‘The glory of the literature of the Mohammedans is its literary biography. There is no nation, nor has there been any which like them has during twelve centuries recorded the life of every man of letters. If the biographical records of the Mohammedans were collected, we should probably have accounts of the lives of half a million of distinguished persons, and it would be found that there is not a decennium of their history, nor a place of importance which has not its representatives.’” [Page #40, Muhammad: The Ideal Prophet, Sulayman Nadwi (d.1953)]

The following is my Isnad till Prophet Muhammed of the first prophetic statement in Bukhari:

1. Nazim Mangera

2. I narrate from my beloved teacher: Shaykh Muhammed Izharul Hasan Kandhalwi (birth: November 03, 1919, death: 9:30 AM, Tuesday, August 13, 1996) He passed away in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, India, and I was present there on that day. That day was one of the saddest days of my life.

3. Who narrates from: Mohammed Zakariyya Kandhalwi (b.1898, d.1982)

4. Who narrates from: Khalil Ahmed Saharanpuri (b.1852, d.1927)

5. Who narrates from: Shah Abdul Ghani Dehlawi (b.1819, d.1878)