ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Muhammad Birth and Ancestors Setting: Hijaz Most of the events and incidents narrated in this chapter took place in Hijaz, the northern part of today's Saudi Arabia. Hijaz is the region along the mountainous Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula from Jordan on the north to the region of ‘Asir on the south. Its northern part was occupied as early as the 6th century B.C. when the Chaldean kings of Babylon kept Taym (or Tayma') as its summer capital.

Later, Hijaz became part of the Nabataean kingdom which lasted for three hunded years: from 100 B.C. to 200 A.D. Its center was Mada'in Salih. This is the place where the Arabian prophet Salih and his people lived. The province was again placed under Baghdad's control till 1258 A.D. when it fell to the Egyptians and, in 1517 A.D., to Ottoman Turks. The most important cities in Hijaz are: Mecca, Medina, Jidda and Taif. What Does ‘Muhammad’ Mean?

According to the great traditionist Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah has said, “I more than anyone else look like Adam, peace be upon him, while Ibrahim, more than anyone else, looks like me and deals with people as I do. Allah, from His ‘Arsh, gave me ten names. He conveyed the glad tidings of my advent to every messenger whom He sent to his respective people.

In the Torah and in the Gospel (Bible), He included my name and taught me to speak divinely; He raised me in His heavens and derived a name for me from one of His Own, calling me ‘Muhammad,' while He Himself is the ‘Mahmood.' And He extracted my seed out of the best from among my umma , making my name in the Torah ‘Aheed,' for it is through tawhid that He has forbidden the bodies of my umma from entering the fire.

In the Gospel, He called me ‘ Ahmad,' for I am more praised by the people of the heavens (than by those on earth), making the members of my umma the hamidin (those who laud me). In the Psalms, He made my name ‘Mahi,' for Allah, the Most Exalted, the Most Sublime, wiped out through me idol-worship. And in the Qur'an, He made my name ‘Muhammad,' for I am praised by everyone on the Day of Judgment when decrees will be issued, and none besides me will receive such praise.

On the Day of Resurrection, He will call me ‘Hashir,' for people will be gathered together from underneath my feet. And on the Day of Standing, He will call me ‘al-Mawqif,' for I will make all people stand before Him for judgment.