News:

About us: a forum for monotheists, and discussion of Islam based on The Quran

Main Menu

Prophet Muhammad & The Jews

Started by Joe Betik, March 20, 2007, 06:05:50 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Joe Betik

salaam all,

have we ever pondered that prophet muhammad was actually married to a jew? and that jew woman was very instrumental in muhammad's life as 'ahl-albayt'?
 
don't get shocked, ok?  8)

now let us explore this; prophet muhammad's first wife is khadijah, usually known for her wealth, and of course was the merchant for whom muhammad was once an employee. (i am still puzzled as to how 'an illiterate' (?) could have done so well in trading. but it is too waaaay off-topic.) in the history of revelations to muhammad, there was a person by the name of waraqah (?), a prominent jew, a rabbi if not mistaken.
 
points to note:
a. the first revelation, surah iqra' was received in the cave of hira'
b. the first revelation was verified by waraqah - when muhammad & khadijah went to see him since muhammad was overcomed with anxiety over what had actually happened to him in the cave. he asked waraqah for advise. waraqah the rabbi convinced muhammad that he had actually received a revelation from The God. waraqah was the first (?) to believe muhammad. in fact waraqah was the person who convinced muhammad to continue his practice and prepare himself for further revelations.
 
the questions;
a. who taught muhammad to go to the cave? please remember it was after his marriage to khadijah.
b. and to do what? certainly not ritual praying (?)... furthermore, the cave is too small.
c. why did muhammad took council with waraqah, if he was a regular rabbi? would anyone of us do like him? or waraqah was a believer? (in The Book, we are told that there were jews who believed, remember? and waraqah the rabbi was perhaps among them.) and how did waraqah know?
d. in The Book, there was a rederence to 'ahl-bayt'. the general understanding is it refers to all of prophet muhammad's wives, though some says only some. but that begs a question; not all wives came from noble families, were they not? so, who was referred to as ahl-bayt? yet there is another group that claims 'ahl-bayt' refers to the prophet's household.
e. and so forth
 
shall we take an 'ambitious' tour? here it goes;
 
apart from being used on muhammad's wives (33:33), 'ahl-albayt' was also used on ibrahim's wife (11:73). the connection? ibrahim was asked by The God to refine His bayt, and muhammad was professing the creed of ibrahim.
 
if we say that 'ahl-albayt' refers to 'members of the prophet (muhammad's & ibrahim's) household', then there is no further issue.

yet still the question; what was muhammad doing in the cave? and how could waraqah know, be convinced and believed on what exactly happened to muhammad?
 
no answer? let's explore this; say ahl-albayt refers to 'people of meditations' or simply 'meditators'. will it fit?
 
waraqah was a jew. he was a rabbi. he was an honourable man or at least, he came from an honourable family. and khadijah, muhammad's wife was waraqah's niece, thus she came from an honourable family. but what made waraqah different from the others? he was a meditator. so was khadijah. and muhammad took lessons from waraqah on meditations. so, most likely, muhammad went to the cave to meditate.
 
when ibrahim (and ismael) was asked by The God to refine His bayt, it was perhaps referring to refining the way to meditate on God. meditation is all about connecting with the hidden. if we were to investigate this properly, we could perhaps have a better understanding on bayt-alharam (about what's forbidden in meditations). then perhaps, we would know exactly how to correct our relationship with the hidden.
 
this thing called 'revelations' is difficult to be grasped by an ordinary person, but not so to those who meditate. yogis experience them. sufis experience them. those in this forum who meditates experience them. so, this is not a strange phenomenon, just as waraqah was so convinced of muhammad's experience, and also for those who meditate according to the procedures (dos and don'ts) as outlined in The Book.
 
to them, they don't need much convincing about the revelations, or about the authenticity of The Book. they will implore The God for right guidance. they will implore The God for correct understanding. they correct their relationship with the hidden. they communicate with the hidden. and so they get what they wished for. insha-Allah. the hidden will insha-Allah verify The Book in your hands.
 
thus perhaps we should attach more seriousness in 'bayt' and investigate this possibility in The Book. but, this is merely a suggestion. consider it which ever way you wish.
 
peace
joe
"When you realize the difference between the container and the content,
you will have knowledge."

- Idries Shah

Arnold Yasin

Islamic History says Warraqa was a Christian, not a Jew.

Samia

Salaam joe

Quotethus perhaps we should attach more seriousness in 'bayt' and investigate this possibility in The Book. but, this is merely a suggestion. consider it which ever way you wish.
 

This is a legitmate, and good suggestion, but not because of the fairy story you told. I say fairy because we cannot verify it against concrete or paper evidence.

Joe Betik

salaam all

thanks for the replies.

1. yes. my apology for the wrong facts on waraqah ibn nawfal.
2. yes. my cardinal mistake in trusting old info (30 years?). should have verified accordingly after an off-line deliberation with a friend.
 
praised be the God, the Lord of Knowledge.
my apology indeed, Lord.

and certainly my thanks too you guys, for i had to search and read some information on waraqah. most of them said, "Waraqah was a Nestorian monk[1], Mecca's priest or preacher according to some sources, and is to have died a Christian even though he believed in the prophethood of Mohammad. He is reputed to have translated the Bible from Hebrew into Arabic and presided over Muhammad's wedding."

yes. my apology. he was not a jew. so was khadijah her cousin (or niece?). he was a 'monk'. a 'nestorian monk'.

maududi wrote;
"...Then she took him to Waraqah bin Naufal, who was her cousin. He had become a Christian in pre- Islamic days, wrote the Gospel in Arabic and Hebrew, and had become very old and blind. Hadrat Khadijah said: `Brother, listen to the son of your brother.' Waraqah said to the Holy Prophet: `What have you seen, nephew?' The Holy Prophet described what he had seen. Waraqah said; `This is the same Namus (the Angel of Revelation) which Allah had sent down to Moses. Would that I were a young man during your Prophethood! Would that I were alive when your tribe would expel you!' The Holy Prophet said: `Will they expel me?' Waraqah said; `Yes, never has it so happened that a person brought what you have brought and was not treated as an enemy. If I live till then I would help you with all the power at my command.' But not very long after this Waraqah died."
 
a believing monk? after khadijah? was he an ascetic hanif as described by dashti below?
 
some links on waraqah;
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waraqah_ibn_Nawfal - wikipedia
b. http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-635703/Waraqah-ibn-Nawfal - britannica
c. http://www.answers.com/topic/waraqah-ibn-nawfal - answers.com
d. http://hajj.al-islam.com/display.asp?lang=eng&sub=7&fname=kasas/6 - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da?wah and Guidance
e. http://www.the-absent-truth.org/books/twentythreeyears.pdf - Ali Dashti wrote 'Twenty-three Years' (the title refers to the prophetic career of Muhammad) which leveled a devastating criticism at some of Muslims? cherished beliefs. The book was written in 1937 but was published anonymously, probably in 1974, in Beirut, since the Shah?s regime forbade the publication of criticism of religion between 1971 and 1977. After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Dashti authorized its publication by underground opposition groups. The book may well have sold over half a million copies in pirated editions between 1980 and 1986.
 
ali dashti's account on page 24 'HIS APPOINTMENT' is interesting. he wrote,

Quote
 
"Mount Hera is a rocky, arid height three miles north-east of Mecca. On its almost inaccessible slopes are some caves to which ascetic hanifs used to make their way for spells of retreat and solitary meditation.

Mohammad had been doing this for some time. A strong desire to get away from the din of life and be alone had often drawn him to the place. Sometimes he took a stock of food and did not come home until it was finished; sometimes he went in the early morning and came home in the evening."
 

so, ascetic hanifs were doing solitary meditation, eh? mmm... now, i'll have to update some of my research materials. thanks guys. praised be the God, the Lord of Knowledge.
 
allow me to quote what i had posted prior to reading all the above info;

Quote

when ibrahim (and ismael) was asked by The God to refine His bayt, it was perhaps referring to refining the way to meditate on God. meditation is all about connecting with the hidden. if we were to investigate this properly, we could perhaps have a better understanding on bayt-alharam (about what's forbidden in meditations). then perhaps, we would know exactly how to correct our relationship with the hidden.

this thing called 'revelations' is difficult to be grasped by an ordinary person, but not so to those who meditate. yogis experience them. sufis experience them. those in this forum who meditates experience them. so, this is not a strange phenomenon, just as waraqah was so convinced of muhammad's experience, and also for those who meditate according to the procedures (dos and don'ts) as outlined in The Book.

to them, they don't need much convincing about the revelations, or about the authenticity of The Book. they will implore The God for right guidance. they will implore The God for correct understanding. they correct their relationship with the hidden. they communicate with the hidden. and so they get what they wished for. insha-Allah. the hidden will insha-Allah verify The Book in your hands.
 

praised be the God, the Lord of Knowledge.
 
yes, arnold. 'fairy tale' or not, let us all pray that the God reveals us the Truth about this. insha-Allah.
and yes, samia, "...because we cannot verify it against concrete or paper evidence," it is only proper i think, that we seek for a verification from the God. insha-Allah.
 
may the God bless us all with the right guidance.
peace.

joe

"When you realize the difference between the container and the content,
you will have knowledge."

- Idries Shah