Seerah | Lecture 4 | The Childhood of the Noble Prophet ﷺ (continued)

The parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are held to have died as muwahhidin (monotheists) on the correct path. The work teaches that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ later brought them to life, they accepted iman, and then returned to their graves. Consequently, they will enter Jannah on the Day of Judgement. While this is a disputed matter within the Ahlus-Sunnati wal-Jama'ah, the work warns that those who hold the opposing view must avoid disrespectful language, as calling the Prophet’s parents Jahannami is considered kufr and a source of distress to Allah and His Messenger.

The work details the childhood of the Prophet ﷺ, focusing on his guardianship under his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, and later his uncle, Abu Talib. It highlights irhasat—miracles occurring before the declaration of prophethood—such as the Prophet’s physical appearance, the shade provided by clouds, and the unique nature of his footsteps. The work also emphasizes the practice of tawassul (seeking a means of approach to Allah), noting that even before his prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ was used as a wasilah to seek rain during times of drought.

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Key topics & takeaways

Belief and status

• Status of the Prophet ﷺ — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the most powerful creation of Allah, and all prophets and messengers hold a station above any wali (saint) of the ummah ▸2:09.
• The nature of miracles — all power and occurrences originate from Allah; prophets and saints act as wasa'il (means) through which these miracles manifest ▸3:37.
• The use of "Qum bi-idhni" — the use of this phrase by Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani to raise the dead is explained as a method to invite belief in the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whereas Isa alaihissalam used "Qum bi-idhnillah" to establish monotheism ▸5:06.
• Respect for the Prophet’s family — the work maintains that the parents of the Prophet ﷺ are believers and will enter Paradise ▸0:15.
• Prohibition of disrespect — labeling the parents of the Prophet ﷺ as Jahannami is classified as kufr because it causes distress to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ▸2:09.

Guardianship and childhood

• Guardianship of Abdul Muttalib — after the passing of Sayyida Amina, the Prophet ﷺ lived under the care of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Muttalib ▸6:32.
• Age of Abdul Muttalib — the work identifies the most accurate opinion as the grandfather being approximately 80 years old at the time of his passing ▸6:32.
• Recognition by the People of the Book — a Jewish acquaintance of Abdul Muttalib identified the Prophet ﷺ as the final prophet based on descriptions in the Torah, including his character, the shade of a cloud, and redness in his eyes ▸8:10.
• The Seal of Prophethood — the mohr of nubuwwah (Seal of Prophethood) was observed on the back of the Prophet ﷺ by both the Jewish acquaintance and the priest Bahira (▸9:31, ▸29:02).
• Footprints of the Prophet ﷺ — the Prophet’s footprints were noted to be identical to the Maqam-e-Ibrahim ▸9:31.
• Guardianship of Abu Talib — following the death of Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet ﷺ entered the protection of his uncle, Abu Talib ▸12:14.
• Blessings in the home of Abu Talib — the presence of the Prophet ﷺ brought barakah to the household, such that a single portion of food would satisfy the entire family ▸13:26.
• Physical state of the Prophet ﷺ — it is noted that the Prophet ﷺ would wake up appearing as though his hair was oiled and his face washed, a sign of his unique status ▸14:47.

Miracles and intercession

• Seeking rain through the Prophet ﷺ — during a drought in Makkah, Abu Talib sought rain by presenting the Prophet ﷺ at the Kaaba and reciting poetry describing his face as a means to seek water from Allah ▸15:58.
• The practice of tawassul — the work teaches that one may seek needs from Allah by focusing on the face of the Prophet ﷺ or his representatives (na'ibin), citing the example of Abdullah ibn Umar ▸20:50.
• Journey to Syria — at age 12, the Prophet ﷺ accompanied Abu Talib on a trade caravan to Syria ▸23:31.
• The priest Bahira — a Christian priest named Bahira recognized the Prophet ﷺ due to the cloud following the caravan and the movement of a tree toward him ▸24:45.
• Rejection of idols — when Bahira asked the Prophet ﷺ to swear by the idols Lat and Uzza, the Prophet ﷺ expressed his intense dislike for them, confirming Bahira’s observations ▸27:51.

Words the reader recites

• Poetry for seeking rain — this couplet is used to seek water from Allah through the face of the Prophet ﷺ ▸17:44.

  ﷻ Dua· Seeking rain through the Prophet ﷺ

  Wa abyadu yustasqal ghamamu bi-wajhihi, thimalul yatama, ismatul lil-aramili.

  The bright, white, shining face of Muhammad ﷺ, through which we can seek water from Allah; he is the pride of the orphans and a helper and supporter of widows.