Prophet Muhammad was worried about people rebelling against him if he announced Imam Ali as his successor, so he delayed following the message to formalize his succesorship as long as he was allowed to. The wisdom of this showed by how during the hajj. Some companions of the Prophet had suspected the Prophet would announce Imam Ali as his successor…

In the last months of the prophet's life, Gabriel descended to the prophet conveying a message from Allah: "There remain two obligations that you must convey to your people: the obligation of Hajj, and the obligation of Wilayah (the guardianship and succession) after you. For indeed, I have never left My earth without a proof, and I will never leav…

Prophet Muhammad sent a mission to Yemen to invite them to Islam. The first mission was led by Khalid ibn Al-Walid, who was a harsh man who had fought against the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud, but he had an aristrocratic background and by making him feel valued Prophet Muhammad had hoped to turn him into a productive member of the Muslim community…

After the Conquest of Makkah, the prophet dispatched tax collectors to different Bedouin tribes, aiming to consolidate an Islamic state and establish a system of governance that would ensure stability, support the needed, and fund state activities. Some tribes like the Tribe of Bnau Tamim resisted paying taxes however, potentially because thought t…

Prophet Muhammad wanted to eradicate polythiesm and all practices associated with it, such as doing tawaaf around the kaaba naked. Surah Tawbah was revealed, which included a message that the idolaters should not be allowed near the kaaba after this year. The Prophet first sent Abu Bakr to share this news with the Meccans, but then God instructed h…

Among the delegations that came to Prophet Muhammad was on e from the Christians of Najran after their chief chief bishop and his people were invited to Islam. They came to negotiate a truce with the Prophet. They offered terms that were unacceptable to the Prophet, and he invited them to a Mubahila, a prayer for divine curse upon the liars. The Pr…

The Expedition of Tabuk demonstrated to Arabs the strength of the Muslims. Over the next year, the various tribes responded by sending the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delegations to accept Islam and pledge their allegiance. Prophet Muhammmad welcomed them & forgave past conflicts. He focused on: - Renouncing idolatry & polytheism - Spreading Islamic kn…

Masjid ad Zarar, the Mosque of Harm, was a mosque built by the hypocrites of Madinah to coverty oppose the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They completed it just before Prophet Muhammad departed on the Expedition of Tabuk. Upon his return, Allah revealed their hypocracy in the Quran and the Prophet ordered the mosque to be destroyed. Soon after, Abdullah …

Allah had warned Prophet Muhammad in the Quran (64:4) that his companions contained hypocrites so skilled at deceit that the prophet himself was pleased by their speech and appearance. Only revelation could expose them. Later, during the return from the Tabuk expedition, while Prophet Muhammad went through a mountain pass while instructing his army…

When leaving for Tabuk, the Prophet (s) appointed Imam Ali (as) as his deputy in Madinah to protect against any uprising led by the Munafiqeen. Explaining it's significance, he said to Imam Ali "You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me." There were at least 7 occasions that Prophet Muhammad made such a statement …

This lecture covers the prelude to the Battle of Tabuk. Key topics include: - Birth of Ibrahim: Upon returning to Medina, the Prophet’s wife Mariya the Coptic gave birth to a son, named Ibrahim. The Angel Gabriel congratulated the Prophet on becoming a father. - Expedition of Tabuk: This was the last military campaign led by the Prophet. It aimed t…

After victory against Banu Thaqif at Hunayn, Prophet Muhammad marched his army to Ta'if, where Banu Thaqif had retreated to and barricated themselves inside with enough food and water to last them for a year. The Prophet declared any slaves who joined Islam and left the fortress would be granted freedom, and many took him up on the offer. As the si…

Banu Thaqif had been long standing rivals of the Quraysh. They saw the Quraysh's defeated as an opportunity to attack and seize control of Mecca for themselves. In response, Prophet Muhammad called all Muslims to battle and led an army of 12,000 against them. Banu Thaqif's side had over 20,000. Banu Thaqif setup an ambush in the Valley of Hunain, m…

After the conquest of Mecca, hundreds of thousands of Arabs came to the prophet to convert and pledge their allegiance. This lecture covers why they joined now and reflects the verses of Surah An-Nasr which predicted this. The Prophet also sent various small expiditions to the surrounding tribes to invite them to Islam. The last of the pagan tribes…

Prophet Muhammad destroys all the idols in the Kaaba with Imam Ali's help and washes the images that had been drawn inside. He then introduced Islam to the Meccans, discarding their ideas of nationalism and tribalism, and offered a general amnesty regardless of if they convert to Islam. Prophet Muhammad told Bilal to climb on top of the Kaaba to gi…

Prophet Muhammad had promised safety to any Meccan who either remined in their own home during the invasion or went to Abu Sufyan's home. After seeing the Muslim's strenght, Abu Sufyan saw the futility of struggle and urged the Meccans to surrender. Some Meccans remained defiant, notably his wife Hind and Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl. After taking …

Prophet Muhammad kept the attack on Mecca a closely guarded secret. However Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah sent a letter to the Quraysh warning them of the attack. The Prophet was informed of this by revelation and he sent Ali and Zubayr to retrieve it. The Muslim army eventually marched to Mecca, where they were instructed to spread out and display their …

The Treaty of Hudaybiyya had included a vow of there being no fighting between the Quraysh and the Muslims. However, when the tribe of Banu Bakr asked the leaders of Quraysh for help in a raid against their long time foe Banu Khuza'ah, a tribe with many Muslims and who were longtime allies of Prophet Muhammad, the Quraysh joined in. The raiders kil…

The Campaign of Dhat Al-Salasil occurred soon after "defeat" at the Battle of Mu'tah, when various Ghassanid affiliated tribes sensed an opportunity to invade Medina. They thought the Muslims would be weak and demoralized. A bedouin learned about the gathering army and informed Prophed Muhammad, who designated an army and commander to go fight them…

The Roman army, with 10,000 soliders, outnumbered the Muslims 3:1 at the Battle of Mutah. Some of the Muslims feared the large army and wanted to retreat, but the senior companions bolstered their courage. Prophet Muhammad had appointed a leader for the army, with two backup leaders in case the first one was martyred. This was a hard battle. Jaffer…

The Battle of Mu'tah was triggered when a messenger Prophet Muhammad sent to Ghassani Shurahbil was murdered. This was a declaration of war. While Prophte Muhammad himself didn't participate in this battle, thanks to the treaty of Hudaybiyya he was able to send 3000 Muslims to fight without compromising the securit of Medina. As the army departed, …

Prophet Muhammad led the Muslims on a second attempt at Umra, thet qazaa for the last one which they couldn't complete. Rumor spread among the Mushrikeen that the Muslims were weakened, so the Prophet instructed his followers to show extra strength and bravado to dispel that notion. During the Umra: - Meccans removed their idols from the kaba for t…

Prophet Muhammad had given the garden of Fadak to his daughter Fatima, but after his passing it snatched away from her by Abu Bakr and Umar. This lecture explains: - How Fadak became the Prophet's property - Why he gifted it to Lady Fatima - Fadak was a source of immense wealth, generating enough income to fund an army. - How Umar adviced Abu Bakr …

The victory at Khaybar changed the lives of the Muslim community and became a source of financial strength for them. The lecture includes: - The surrender treaty, where the Jews were allowed to remain on Khaybar in return for a share of the harvest - How the prophet distributed the khums from the war - The Muhajireen using their share of khums to r…

The Muslims marched to the Fort of Khaybar, attack and defeat it's treacherous occupants. Along the way, various miracles occur: - An assassin attempts to kill Prophet Muhammad, but he miraciously is suddenly mentally handicapped. - Imam Ali's unable to fight due to an illness in his eyes. Prophet Muhammad heals him and Imam Ali leads the Muslims t…

Khaybar was manned by Jewish tribes that had previously reacted treasonously against the Muslims and had been exiled from Medina in turn. They had already attacked the Muslims once, by participating in the Battle of Khandak, and Prophet Muhammad received intel that those Jewish tribes were again planning to ally with another pagan tribes to attack …

Prophet Muhammad continues his outreach to foreign leaders, sending messengrs to the Persian emperor Khosrow II and the Coptic ruler Muqawqis of Alexandria. The outreach teaches us: - Islam was always meant to be globalized, not just for the Arabs. We need to also think deeply about how to universalize the messaging - The way people respond to the …

With the repreieve provided by the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, Prophet Muhammad can focus on spreading Islam by doing dawah to surrounding leaders. This lecture covers encounters with two prominent leaders: 1. The Abysinnian king Najashi, who converted to Islam 2. The Roman emperor Heraclius, who questioned Abu Sufyan and acertained Prophet Muhammad's le…

The many of the Muslims had seen the Treaty of Hudaybiyya as a humiliating loss, yet Prophet Muhammad knew the treaty paved the way for their ultimate success. This lecture discusses the various ways this treaty helped the Muslims, along with how Allah sent Surah Al-Fath right afterwards to bolden the Muslims and help them understand the victory wh…

The Quraysh sent Suhayl ibn Amr to negotiate the Treaty of Hudaybiyya with Prophet Muhammad. Suhayl had a vested interest in the outcome since two of his sons had converted to Islam, one of whom he was keeping captive. The Muslim masses were surprised by the treaty though, which they saw as an insult. Umar ibn Al-Khattab was particularly outraged, …

While camped outside Mecca at Hudaybiyya, the Prophet Muhammad sends an emissary into the city. The Quraysh kill his camel, and he's barely allowed to leave. The Prophet then tries to send Umar ibn Al-Khattab, but he refuses out of fear. Uthman, who had strong tribal ties with people in the city, is sent instead. However, he's prevented from leavin…

Prophet Muhammad saw a dream of the Muslims entering the Ka'bah to worship, and he instructs his followers to begin preparations to go to Mecca. They would go in peace, without arms. The call to go for this pilgrimage turns into an opportunity to expose more of the Munafiqeen as they make excuses to avoid the seemingly dangerous journey. When the Q…

The tribe of Bani Mustaliq were planning to launch a surprise attack against the Muslims, and rumor of it reached Prophet Muhammad. He sent a companion named Buraydah ibn al-Husayb to investigate. The rumor was confirmed. This lecture covers: - The attack Prophet Muhammad led in response - The secret hypocrites who joined this battle - The battle's…

Sa'd was a very high ranking companion and a shaheed. Prophet Muhammad took much more care during his burial than he normally would, yet he still chided someone who said that he would go straight to heaven. Lesson: If you have bad akhlaq, even the prophet cannot help you against the consequences Later, Prophet Muhammad proposed Zaynab bint Jahash m…

After Bani Qurayzah surrendered, the punishment for their betrayal had to be decided. This lecture covers: - The penalty set by Bani Qurayzah's pre-Islamic ally, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, and Prophet Muhammad's reaction to it - Why the punishment was so harsh - How even Bani Qurayzah's tribal custom at the time was to treat treachery with a similar punishme…

After the enemy coalition gave up and retreated from Medina, the Muslims had to deal with the Banu Qurayzah's treachery during the seige. This lecture covers: - Events during the three weeks the Muslims beseiged Bani Qurayzah - Options Bani Qurayzah considered in response - Their attemps to find allies to support them during their surrender, who wo…

Multiple factors came together to demoralize the Qurayshi coalition and got them to retreat, ending the battle: - Imam Ali's victory over Amr ibn al-Wadd - Shortage of food and fodder. They had prepared for quick battle, not a month-long seige - A violent storm that trashed the Qurayshi camp - Distrust sown between the kuffar and the jews by a secr…

The Qurayshi army arrive in Medina and are stumped by the trench, and persuade the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraydha in Medina and convince them to betray their oath of neutrality The Muslims stand vigilant day and night to defend the trench, even missing their obligatory prayers. Surah 33, Al Ahzaab captures the tension, covering the hypocrites who ex…

Prophet Muhammad led by example, digging the trench harder than anyone else. When Fatima cooked some bread and brought it to him, she learned that it was the first thing the prophet had eaten in three days. During the digging, Imam Ali also dug relentlessly and the Prophet praised him saying "May my father be ransomed for the one who digs", highlig…

All the Muslim's enemies band together in a final attempt to defeat them. In the year 5 AH, the two banished Jewish tribes ally with the Meccans to mobilizing the masses for the ultimate battle against the Muslims, in what would later be known as the Battle of the Azhab, aka Battle of Khandaq. The Quraysh had been humbled by their constant failure …

Sheikh Azhar Nasser explores additional Sunni counter arguments to the Shia claim that the Verse of Purification (Quran 33:33) The discussion covers: - Claims that the wives were already purified - Claims that the actions of the wives had no impact on the prophetic household - Claims that the Quran uses "ahl" to refer to wives in other places - Que…

Sheikh Azhar Nasser explores Sunni counter arguments to the Shia claim that the Verse of Purification (Quran 33:33) The discussion covers: - Claims that the context of the verse being different - Claims that the verses include all of Bani Hashim - Claims that the verse doesn't prove infallibility The Q&A also answers: - Why the Imams sometimes gave…

Continuing the identification of who is meant by the holy Ahl al-Bayt, Sheikh Azhar Nasser uses hadiths from Sunni sources that are accepted by both Shias and Sunnis to compare Shia and Sunni viewpoints. Hadith include: - (Jame-ut-Tirmidi) Hadith al Kisa - the hadith of the cloak - (Sahih Muslim) Zahid ibn Akram's explanation of why the wives are n…

Who does the Quran refer to when it says Ahlul Bayt? Sheikh Azhar Nasser compares Sunni and Shia viewpoints based on hadit from Sunni sources. The three main perspectives are: - It includes the Prophet's wives, Bani Hashim, and the Holy Five (Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussain, and Prophet Muhammad) - It includes just Bani Hashim and the Holy Five - It i…

Continuing the comparison of Shia and Sunni views on Aisha bint Abu Bakr, Sheikh Azhar compares Shia and Sunni perspectives on hadiths that cause each sect to have their varying opinions on Aisha. Hadiths covered include: - (Bukhari/Sahih Muslim) Prophet Muhammad apparently pointing to Aisha's house and saying "fitna is from here" - (Bukhari) Proph…

Comparing the Shia and Sunni views on Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr and third wife of Prophet Muhammad. Sheikh Azhar also explains why the two sects may have such divergent views of her. The lecture dives into: - Why Shia's believe Aisha was in her late teens when she married Prophet Muhammad (vs the Sunni narrative of being 9 years old) - How Ai…

At the end of the battle of Badr, Abu Sufyan had challenged the Muslims to a rematch a year later. This rematch was known as the Second Battle of Badr, and after seeing how much stronger the Muslims had gotten the Meccans were demoralized and decided to march back to Mecca. And so no battle never actually took place. Around this time period many of…

This lecture covers: - The gradual prohibition of Alcohol - Passing of Fatima bint Asad (Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib's mother) - Birth of Imam Husayn - Prophet Muhammad's Marriage to Umm Salamah Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=528. Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&…

Prophet Muhammad approached the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadhir to help the Muslims make peace between themselves and another Jewish tribe, only to discover at the last minute that Banu Nadhir was planning to assassinate him. Why? The Banu Nadir couldn't accept a gentile as the final messenger of God. They considered it degrading to be subservient to a…

After the Battle of Uhud: - Quraysh mutilate the bodies of Muslims - Prophet Muhammad sends a reconnissance mission to see if the Quraysh will invade Medina or return to Mecca - Various verses of the Quran are revealed to console the Muslims and instruct them on how to recover from the losses - The Meccans decide to come back to finish off the Musl…