Epilogue — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 1
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Epilogue.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: Epilogue
Pages: Book pp. 345–352 (PDF pp. 369–376)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Prophet’s Migration and its Causation] | Next: None »
Historical Account
All Praise belongs to Allāh, aye, then again, all Praise belongs to Allāh. The first volume of ‘The Seal of Prophetssa’ has come to an end. This humble one, the author of this book, performs a prostration of gratitude before God, that He, by His grace and beneficence, endowed upon me the ability to complete it. Now, O Allāh! Make it such as through Your grace, Your servants read it, and benefit from it, and that they attain Your pleasure by following the pure model of Your chosen Messengersa. And O my Lord! Bestow upon me the ability to also complete the remaining volumes of this book as per Your contentment, and embrace me with Your grace.
1وَاٰخِ رُ دَعْوٰنَا اَنِ الْحَ مْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ ۔ اٰمِیْن۔
A humble writer,
Mirzā Bashīr Aḥmad
Volume I
Glossary of Terms
Volume I
A’immah-e-Arbi‘ah: Literally means ‘The Four Leaders’ and particularly refers to the jurists Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Imām Shāf‘ī, Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal and Imām Mālik. A’immah-e-Ḥadīth: Literally means ‘The Leaders of Ḥadīth’ and is a term used to describe prominent scholars in the field who collected narrations of the Holy Prophetsa. Adhān: The formal Muslim call to the compulsary five daily prayers or Ṣalāt. Aḥādīth: Traditions pertinent to the sayings or deeds of the Holy Prophetsa as recorded by his faithful companions. Ḥadith is the singular form of this word. Ahl-e-Kitāb: Commonly refers to the Jews and Christians and literally means ‘People of the Book’. ‘Ajamī: A term which refers to nonArabs and literally means ‘those who cannot speak’ or ‘mutes’. Amīn: A famous title given to the Holy Prophetsa, which literally means ‘The Trustworthy’. Al-Badw: Bedouins of Arabia who reside outside of the city. Al-Ḥaḍr: Those who live in socially civilised towns and cities. Allāh: The personal name of God in
Islām. Amīnul-Millah: The title endowed to Abū ‘Ubaidah bin ‘Abdullāh bin Al- Jarrāḥra by the Holy Prophetsa. Amīrul-Mu’minīn: Means ‘Leader of the Believers’, and is used to refer to the Caliph of the time. This term was first coined in the era of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra as a term for the office of Caliphate in Islam. ‘Āmul-Fīl: A term used to refer to the year in which Abrahah, the viceroy of Yemen brought his armies in an attempt to destroy the Ka‘bah and literally means ‘Year of the Elephant’. ‘Āmul-Ḥuzn: A term used by the Holy Prophetsa to refer to the 10th year Nabawī, in which Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra and Abū Ṭālib passed away, one after the other and literally means ‘The Year of Grievances’. Anṣār: Literally means ‘The Helpers’, which was a title of veneration given to the Muslims of Madīnah, on account of their giving protection to the Holy Prophetsa and his companions of Makkah, when they migrated to Madīnah. ‘Anṣārī’ is the singular form of this word. Anṣārī: Refer to ‘Anṣār’ ‘Arab-e-‘Āribah: A term used to refer to the Arabia composed of the pure
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were equivilant to 1 Dirham. ‘Azīz: A type of Ḥadīth categorized by the number of narrators in its chain. This type of tradition must not have less than two narrators in its chain of narrators. Baḥīrah: The 11th female child of a she-camel which gave birth to 10 female children consecutively prior to its birth. Bai‘at: Oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a prophet or his caliph. Literally means ‘to be sold’. Baitul-Ma‘mūr: The centre of the heavenly places of worship situated in the seventh heaven (for which the Ka‘batullāh was erected in this world as its symbolic representation). Baitullāh: Refers to the Holy Ka‘bah originally erected by Abrahamas and his eldest son Ishmaelas in the Valley of Becca and literally means ‘House of Allāh’. Bānat Su‘ād: The name of a famous Qasīdah or poem in praise of the Holy Prophetsa, written by Ka‘b bin Zuhair. Burrāq: A horse-like animal which was brought to the Holy Prophetsa on the night of the Mi‘rāj for his journey to the heavens. Ḍa‘īf: Can be described as ‘weak’ and is a type of Ḥadīth categorized by the attributes of its narrators. A narration of this type is usually composed of dishonest narrators or
and actual inhabitants of the country. ‘Arab-e-Bā’idah: A term used to refer to the Arabia which was annihilated or became extinct, either by divine wrath or other reasons not clearly known. ‘Arab-e-Musta‘ribah: A term used to refer to the Arabia composed of immigrants who settled in the country but originally belonged to another nation. Aṣḥābul-Fīl: Refers to Abrahah and his armies who marched forward to destroy the Ka‘bah astride elephants prior to the birth of the Holy Prophetsa and literally means, ‘People of the Elephant’. ‘Asharah Mubashsharah: A title given to the ten fortunate companions of the Holy Prophetsa who were given the glad tidings of paradise in this very world by the Holy Prophetsa. Ashhur-e-Ḥurum: Refers to the four sacred months in which any and all violence or bloodshed is prohibited as per the ancient law of the Arabs. The four sacred months are Muḥarram, Rajab, Dhul-Qa‘dah and Dhul-Ḥijjah. Athar: Traditions of the Holy Prophetsa which do not reach him in the chain of narrators, rather ends at one of his companions. ‘Athar’ is the singular form of this word. Awqiyah: A silver coin used as a form of currency in Arabia. 40 Awqiyah
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the Islāmic calendar and the last of the ‘Four Sacred Months.’ Dhul-Qa‘dah: The eleventh month of the Islāmic calendar and the third of the ‘Four Sacred Months’. Dhun-Nūrain: A title of veneration given to Ḥaḍrat Uthmān bin ‘Affānra, third successor to the Holy Prophetsa, and literally means ‘Possessor of Two Lights’. The Holy Prophetsa gave two of his daughters to him in matrimony one after the other. Dīnār: A gold coin used among the Arabs as a form of currency. Dirāyat: A term used to describe the phenomenon by which a narration is analysed by way of rationalization and common sense, in order to determine the validity of that tradition. Dirham: A silver coin used among the Arabs as a form of currency and was equivalent to 40 Awqiyah. Du‘ā: Supplications made of God the Almighty. Du‘ā can be made at any time and in any language and does not require any formal or prescribed posture. Fi‘lī: Refers to a type of Ḥadīth where the actions or deeds of the Holy Prophetsa are conveyed by his companions. Faḍā’il: A term used to describe something of secondary or trivial nature. Fatrat-e-Waḥī: The era in which
those who do not possess a sound memory. Dārul-‘Amal: Literally means the ‘Abode of Deeds’, and refers to one’s life in this world, wherein mankind performs various deeds for the pleasure of God. Dārul-Jazā’: Literally means the ‘Abode of Recompense’, and refers to one’s life in the hereafter, wherein mankind recieves recompense for good or bad deeds. Dārun-Nadwah: Established by Qusaiyy bin Kilāb, this was the council hall of Makkah, where the Quraish would gather to deliberate upon issues of national importance. Dhabīḥullāh: A term used to refer to Ishmaelas the son of Abrahamas and literally means ‘Sacrificial Offering of Allāh’. Abrahamas intended to slaughter him under Divine instruction. Dhātun-Niṭāqain: The title given to Asmā’ bint Abī Bakrra and literally means ‘Possessor of Two Girdles’. When the Prophetsa and Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakrra were to migrate, she took her girdle and cut it into two pieces. Then she tied one to the food vessel and one to the water vessel. Dhirā‘: An instrument of measure among the Arabs, which was equivilant to an arm’s length, or 1.5 feet. Dhul-Ḥijjah: The twelfth month of
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prohibited. Ḥasan: A type of Ḥadīth categorized by the attributes of its narrators. It does not contain a narrator accused of lying and does not contradict a more authentic Ḥādīth. The level of this type of Ḥadīth is below Ṣaḥīḥ. Ḥaṭīm: An area of about 3.5 yards adjacent to the Ka‘bah enclosed by a low semi-circular wall. The Holy Prophetsa has declared it as part of the Ka‘bah, and pilgrims perform their Ṭawāf around this area. Ḥawārī: The title endowed to Zubair bin Al-‘Awwāmra by the Holy Prophetsa upon the occasion of the Battle of the Ditch. Literally means, ‘Disciple’. Hazaj: A meter of Arabic poetry. Ḥijr: Refer to ‘Ḥaṭīm’. Hijrah: Literally means ‘migration’ and refers to the migration of the Holy Prophetsa from Makkah to Madīnah. The Islāmic calendar is also referred to as Hijrah which commences from the time of the Holy Prophet’ssa migration to Madīnah. Ḥilful-Fuḍūl: A mutual agreement between various representatives of the Quraish, established to protect the rights of those who have been wronged, and literally means ‘The Confederacy of Rights’. Ḥuffāẓ: Those who have committed the entirety of the Holy Qur’ān to memory. Ḥāfiẓ is the singular form of
revelation to the Holy Prophetsa came to a temporary hault after his first revelation. This was a period of great anxiety for the Prophet Muhammadsa. Gharīb: A type of Ḥadīth categorized by the number of narrators in its chain. This type of tradition is left with only one narrator in its chain of narrators. Ḥadīth: Refer to ‘Aḥādīth’. Ḥajj: Pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah, which takes place once a year. All Muslims who are financially able must perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime as a pillar of faith. Ḥajar-e-Aswad: A sacred black stone which is said to have fallen from the heavens. It is currently situated in Masjid-e-Ḥarām, Makkah, and literally means ‘The Black Stone’. Ḥām: The name given to a camel who was the father of 10 female children consecutively. These camels were left to roam freely. Ḥaram: A term which refers to the sacred proximity of the Ka‘bah and literally means ‘unlawful’, as bloodshed and violence of all types is strictly prohibited in this sacred proximity. Ḥarb-e-Fijār: A famous war waged in the time of the Jāhiliyyah, between the Banū Kinānah and Qais ‘Ailān, and literally means ‘Unlawful War’, as it was fought in the sacred month, during which violence was
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Section: Epilogue | Navigation: « Previous: [Prophet’s Migration and its Causation] | Next: None »