Lesson 1: What is Seerah? Flashcards
(9 cards)
How many Linguistic definitions does Seerah have?
3
What are the linguistic definitions of Seerah?
- السنة- A person’s practices, and the evidence for this was mentioned by Ibn Faris in the line of poetry:
> قالَ الهُذَلِيُّ: فَلا تَجْزَعَنْ مِنْ سِيرَةٍ أَنْتَ سِرْتَها … فَأَوَّلُ راضٍ سُنَّةً مَنْ يَسِيرُها
Al-Hudhali said: ‘Do not be distressed by a path you have followed… The first to be pleased with a Sunnah is the one who follows it.’”
- هَيْئَة-Form, characteristics, and the evidence for this is the statement of Allah:
> قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ ۖ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Allah said: “Grasp it and fear not; We shall return it to its former state
- الطريق- The path, and the evidence was mention by ibn mandhoor, the author of lisan al arabic is the statement of Allah:
> “وَأَلَّوِ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَـٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقًۭا” ‘And if they had remained on the right way, We would have given them abundant water.’”
> قالَ ابنُ عاشورٍ: والاستِقامةُ على الطَّريقَةِ استِقامةُ السَّيرِ في الطَّريقِ وَهِيَ السَّيْرُ عَلَى بَصِيرٍ بِالطَّرِيْقِ دُوْنَ اعْوِجَاجٍ وَلاَ اغترار بينات الطَّرِيْقِ
“IbnAshursaid:Steadfastnessonthepathmeansthesteadyjourneyalongthepath,anditisthejourneywithclearinsightintothepathwithoutdeviationorbeingmisledbyapparentsignsonthepath.”
التَّعْرِيفُ الِاصْطِلَاحِيُّ-Technical definition
Depends on who you ask
- Scholars of Usul al Fiqh- It means the technical meaning of Sunnah , in the seerah nabawiyyah the sunnah would be
> ما أُضيفَ إلى النَّبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ من قَولٍ أو فِعلٍ أو تَقريرٍWhat is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in terms of speech, action, or approval.
So they defined Seerah with the technical definition of the word Sunnah
- The scholars of HadeethThey took the second definition, هيئة-Form, characteristics so they authored books on الشَّمَائِل-the detailed descriptions of the Prophet’s physical appearance, character, habits, manners, his worship and lifestyle like Imam Bukhari’s> ٱلْجَامِعُ ٱلْمُسْنَدُ ٱلصَّحِيحُ ٱلْمُخْتَصَرُ مِنْ أُمُورِ رَسُولِ ٱللَّٰهِ صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَسُنَنِهِ وَأَيَّامِهِ”“The Abridged Collection of Authentic Hadith with Connected Chains regarding Matters Pertaining to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), His Practices, and His Times.”In this, he being the scholar of hadith he means in reference to his الشَّمَائِل, is هيئة-Form, characteristics
- The scholars of HistoryThey took the third definition, الطريق- The path
Where can I read more about these definitions of this issue:
- ابن قيم الجوزية- زَادُ ٱلْمَعَادِ فِي هَدْيِ خَيْرِ ٱلْعِبَادِ
- تَقِيُّ ٱلدِّينِ ٱلْمِقْرِيزِيُّ- إِمْتَاعُ ٱلْأَسْمَاعِ بِمَا لِلرَّسُولِ مِنَ ٱلْأَبْنَاءِ وَٱلْأَمْوَالِ وَٱلْحَفَدَةِ وَٱلْمَتَاعِ
- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الصَّالِحِيُّ الشَّامِيُّ- سُبُلُ الهُدَى وَالرَّشَادِ فِي سِيرَةِ خَيْرِ العِبَادِ
Virtue of knowledge of the of the Messenger ﷺ in the Quran
Allah swore by him:
> لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
By your life, [O Muḥammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly.
The scholars of Tafsir are unanimous in their agreement that Allah swore by the life of the messenger ﷺ, in a way that is like saying “By your existence oh Muhammed ﷺ”
And this is the highest level of respect and honoring and the raising of his status ﷺ
Allah said:
> وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍۢ وَحِكْمَةٍۢ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مُّصَدِّقٌۭ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
And (remember) when Allâh took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: “Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allâh), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him.” Allâh said: “Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?” They said: “We agree.” He said: “Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this).”
The statement of Allah:
> رَبَّنَا وَٱبْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًۭا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُOur Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might,1the Wise.”
Allah praised his tongue:
> وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓNor does he speak of (his own) desire.
Allah praised his heart:
> مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓThe (Prophet’s) heart lied not in what he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw.
Allah praised his eyes:
> مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ
The sight [of the Prophet (ﷺ)] did not swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit].
He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.
Virtue of knowledge of the Seerah of the Messenger ﷺ in the Sunnah
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ بُعِثْتُ مِنْ خَيْرِ قُرُونِ بَنِي آدَمَ قَرْنًا فَقَرْنًا، حَتَّى كُنْتُ مِنَ الْقَرْنِ الَّذِي كُنْتُ فِيهِ ”.
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “I have been sent (as an Apostle) in the best of all the generations of Adam’s offspring since their Creation.”
عن واثلة بن الأسقع عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَإِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى كِنَانَةَ مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَعِيلَ وَاصْطَفَى قُرَيْشًا مِنْ كِنَانَةَ وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ
2276 صحيح مسلم كتاب الفضائل باب فضل نسب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وتسليم الحجر عليه قبل النبوة
Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’ reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah chose Kinanah from the sons of Ishmael, he chose the Quraysh from Kinanah, he chose the tribe of Hashim from the Quraysh, and he chose me from the tribe of Hashim.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2276
Grade:Sahih(authentic) according to Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ وَلاَ فَخْرَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ تَنْشَقُّ الأَرْضُ عَنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ فَخْرَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ شَافِعٍ وَأَوَّلُ مُشَفَّعٍ وَلاَ فَخْرَ وَلِوَاءُ الْحَمْدِ بِيَدِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ فَخْرَ
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“I am the leader of the sons of Adam, and it is no boast. I will be the first one for whom the earth will be split open on the Day of Resurrection, and it is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession will be accepted, and it is no boast. The banner of praise will be in my hand on the Day of Resurrection, and it is no boast.”
Statement of Ibn Abbas regarding the virtue of the messenger ﷺ
- > قال ابنُ عبّاسٍ رضيَ اللهُ عنهُ: “ما خَلَقَ اللهُ تعالى، وما ذَرَأَ، وما بَرَأَ نَفْسًا أَكْرَمَ عليهِ من مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، وما سَمِعْتُ اللهَ تعالى أَقْسَمَ بِحَياةِ أَحَدٍ غَيْرِهِ.” - الشِّفا حُقوقُ المُصْطَفَىIbn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Allah has not created, brought forth, or made any soul more honored to Him than Muhammad (peace be upon him). And I have not heard Allah swear by the life of anyone other than him.” - Al-Shifa Rights of the Chosen One
Statement of Qurtubi and Ibn Taymiyyah
> قال القرطبي انه افضل ولد آدم
Al Qurtubi said that he is the best son of Adam عليه السلام
قـال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله تعالى: “وقد اتَّفَقَ المسلمون على أنَّهُ صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم أعظمُ الخلقِ جاهًا عند الله، لا جاهَ لمخلوقٍ أعظمُ من جاهِهِ، ولا شفاعةَ أعظمُ من شفاعتِهِ
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The Muslims have agreed that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has the greatest status before Allah. No one has a higher status than him, and no intercession is greater than his intercession.”
Who were the scholars who narrated Ijma’ that he ﷺ is the greatest of the children of Adam?
Qadi Iyad, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Taymiyyah in two places in his Majmu’ and sunan nabawiyyah, and more
