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Significance Behind Prophet Mohammad`s Birth in the Year of the Elephant
Author : An Article by the Secretary General Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassanat
Date Added : 10-11-2019

Significance Behind Prophet Mohammad`s Birth in the Year of the Elephant

 

 

The birth of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has opened a new page in the history of humanity and the world as his divine message illuminated the darkness of the universe.

 

Humanity was stumbling in darkness and injustice where polytheism and apostasy prevailed, random killing spread, prosecution, and ignorance reached their peak. Therefore, a major event had to happen to change the course of history and end the violation of human dignity, so Allah The Almighty sent Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

 

Usually, major events are introduced by other major events that make them stand out. I will refer to one particular event that paved the way for the emergence of this great Prophet (PBUH). It is known as the event of the elephant in which Abraha, the Abyssinian, Christian ruler of Yemen, marched upon the Ka'bah in Mecca with a large army, which included one or more war elephants, intending to demolish it. The Ka`bah wasn`t for the Arabs of the peninsula alone. Rather, it was for all the followers of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (PBUT). The miracle, here, is that Allah the Almighty defended His House. 'Abdul-Muttalib said to Abraha: "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure He will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House." Abraha advanced with his army. Seeing the walls of the Ka'bah, he ordered its demolition. No sooner had the army reached near the Ka'bah than an army of Allah appeared from the western side. A dark cloud of small birds (known in Arabic as Ababil) overshadowed the entire army of Abraha. Each bird had three pebbles: two in its claws and one in its beak. A rain of the pebbles poured down from the birds, and in a few minutes, the whole army was destroyed. Abraha himself was seriously wounded; he fled towards Yemen but died on the way. It is to this important event that Allah refers in Chapter 105 "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up."

 

Was that event a mere coincidence or did it have a certain significance? From my point of view, I believe that Allah The Almighty wanted to associate the birth of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) with that event. Had that event not taken place, none would have known the time the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was born. Before his birth, the Arabs used to date with major events, so Allah the Almighty wanted the year in which the Prophet (PBUH) was born to be marked with a major event to be remembered by all people afterwards, and this is the first aim behind the above miracle. 

 

As for the event of the elephant, Allah wanted to show the Arabs in particular and the people in general that it is  a prelude to a greater event; namely, the birth of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). In addition, Allah the Exalted wanted the people to go back to His righteous path, search for the secret of existence and the truth about the creation. When the Arabs failed to fight the army of Abraha, the pagans gave up on their idols, the world was almost certain that they will be defeated and the Ka'bah destroyed, they turned to Allah alone in supplication.

 

All those miracles brought the glad tidings of Prophet Mohammad`s birth. He conveyed the true religion of Allah The Almighty to humanity, so that they have no excuse to deny his Prophethood. Just as Allah saved His Ancient House from the army of Abraha and his elephants, He the Almighty saved humanity by sending Mohammad (PBUH) as bringer of glad tidings and warner.

 

His birth (PBUH) has marked the birth of a new era and the revival of a new nation. A nation distinguished for its knowledge, scientific and cultural advancement, mercy, pride and dignity.

 

Allah, The Most Exalted Said ?(What means): "It is He Who has sent His Apostle with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it)." [As-Saf/9]. Indeed, Allah Will Proclaim His religion over all religion regardless of enemies` countless attempts to destroy it and distort its luminous image. Once we unite and hold on to the rope of Allah, as the Arabs did at the time of Abraha`s attempt to destroy the Ka`bah, He the Exalted will bless us with defeating our enemies

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for one who sacrifices on behalf of another, with the latter's permission, to eat from the sacrifice?

It is permissible for someone who sacrificed on behalf of another with their permission to eat from it with their permission, and they stand in their place (act as their representative) in distributing it.
 
It is stated in Nihayat al-Muhtaj ila Sharh al-Minhaj (Vol.8/P.141): "And he—meaning the one sacrificing on his own behalf, provided he has not apostatized—has the right to eat from a voluntary sacrifice and his sacrificial gift; rather, it is recommended. As for an obligatory sacrifice, it is forbidden for him to eat from it, whether it was designated as such initially or as a liability in his dhimmah. And excluded by what has preceded is if he sacrifices on behalf of another, or if he apostatized, then it is not permissible for him to eat from it, just as it is absolutely impermissible to feed a disbeliever from it."(The text I found indicates the impermissibility of eating) ???
 
And it is stated in Hashiyat al-Jamal ‘ala Sharh al-Manhaj (Vol.5/P.262): "If a person offers a sacrifice on behalf of a living person with their permission, does he act as their representative in distributing it—on the grounds that permission to sacrifice is permission to distribute it—or does it depend on their explicit permission? This requires consideration, but the first view is not far-fetched." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on X-ray imaging while fasting in Ramadan?

X-ray imaging itself does not break the fast. However, if a person ingests a contrast agent or medication to enhance the imaging process through an open passage to the body cavity (jauf)—such as the mouth or rectum—then their fast is invalidated.

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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