#gospel

إذا كان الراتب سيكون نفسه، فما الوظيفة التي ستعمل بها الآن؟ ولماذا؟

Freedom in the Prophet’s Era
The freedom in the Prophet’s era cannot be compared with those in the Byzantine or Persian state based on the authoritarian despotism of the Caesars and Khosrows. In the time of the Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, Medina was a virtuous city in which consultation, dialogue, criticism and revision were common among all Muslims, even the most vulnerable, because everyone invokes the principle of Qur’an equality, which commands the equality of people in creation and origin first, then equal Muslims among themselves in the dhimma, “protection” as in the hadith. : “Muslims are equal in blood, and they are a hand on others, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them ” [Abu Dawud, Book of Punjab, 2751].

Equality is universal for all people, men and women, scholars or ignorant, in legal cases, in litigation, in taking rights, or in assuming jobs on their conditions.

It suffices in the report of this principle the saying of God Almighty: Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, and he is a believer, we shall give him a good life, and let us reward them with the best of what they used to do [An-Nahl, 97]. As well as his saying, may blessings and peace be upon him, in the farewell pilgrimage: “O people, your Lord is one, and your Father is one, all of you are from Adam and Adam is from dust.

The application of freedom during the Prophet’s era was clear in the negation of classism or disgusting racism among the people of the same household, which included the Ansari, Muhajiri and all other Arab tribes, and even Muslims from other people.

Freedom was manifested in many fields, such as consultation, review and constructive criticism, and there was no confiscation of opinions. Even the hypocrites who formed a hidden and overt opposition were treated as equals with Muslims, except for those who slipped their feet to crimes that were not acceptable to Sharia or public order. Freedom has manifested in two important fields:

First: Freedom of assembly and consultation

This freedom was guaranteed, and it was expressed in the establishment of Friday prayer and congregation in the rituals, where Islam enjoined the congregation and the building of mosques, and it is clear that those successive meetings five times a day result in immediate discussions in the conditions of the Muslim community.

There were different clubs and markets in Madinah, and biography books talk about gatherings of hypocrites who were opposing the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, and they were only prohibited when they reached the establishment of parallel institutions such as the Dirar Mosque( a mosque that was built in order to cause disunity among muslims) in the ninth year of the Hijra. The mosque was demolished because it was a focus of sedition and disrupting the public order of the state. Muslim.

The city of Medina was distinguished by the consolidation of the system of consultation and deliberation in public issues , in implementation of the Qur’an principle that abhors monopoly of opinion and tyranny with advice. In commenting on the Battle of Uhud in which the Muslims were defeated after the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, came down to the opinion of the majority, who decided to leave Medina to fight the polytheists, despite the cruel defeat, the Qur’an commanded that consultation continues even in the darkest of circumstances, in the Almighty’s saying: “Forgive them, seek forgiveness for them, and consult them in the matter. If you are determined, then trust in God. God loves those who trust.” [Al-Imran, 159]

And there is no secret that the Companions were in compliance with the Qur’an directive stating that shura is obligatory: “They were commanded of a consultation between them” [Ash-Shura, 38], and their role model in that was the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, who used to say to Abu Bakr and Omar: “If you were to meet on a matter I would not disagree with you.” [Ahmad, 18023].

And he himself, peace be upon him, came down to the opinion of Al-Habab bin Al-Mundhir in changing the war position in the Battle of Badr, and in the Battle of Al-Khandaq he wanted to reconcile Ghataffan on the third of the madinah’s fruits, so he consulted Sa’ad bin Ubaadah and Sa’ad bin Mu’aadh who were leaders of both Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj, they rejected it and the prophet came down to their opinions.

This is because the Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, did not wear the cloak of unjust kings, but he was the moon that glows with humility and listening to all opinions, such that the hypocrites blamed him for this modesty as the Qur’an narrated about them in the words of God Almighty: there are some among them who talk ill of the prophet by saying: “He listens to everyone.” Tell them: “He listens for your good, and trusts in God and trusts the faithful, and he is a blessing for those who believe. ﴾[At-Tawbah, 61].

Second: Freedom of criticism and review

It is an issue that Islam has guaranteed in the texts requiring the enjoining good and forbidding the evil in the example of the Almighty’s saying: “Let there be a nation among you who calls for good, enjoins good, and forbids evil.” [Al-Imran, 104]. As well as the texts that command and proclaim advice, which in essence is the review of everything that a person deems wrong, and that in his saying, peace and blessings of God be upon him: “Religion is sincerity, we said to whom? He said: To God, His Book, His Messenger, and the leaders of Muslims. [Muslim, Book of Faith, 55]. Also the hadith of Jarir: “I pledged allegiance to the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him,  to establish prayer and give zakat and sincerity to every Muslim” [Al-Bukhari, Book of Times, 524]

Therefore, review and criticism of private and public behavior, and even of administrative measures, became common. Examples of this are numerous, whether from the sincere believers or the hypocrites who lie in covert. In the treaty of AL-Hudaybiyya that the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, had with the Quraysh in the sixth year of the Hijra, Umar ibn al-Khattab strongly opposed him and said his saying: “By God, I have not doubted since I embraced Islam except on that day. So I came to the prophet and so I said, O Messenger of God: Are you not a true prophet of God? Are we not on the truth, and our enemy are upon falsehood, so why do we get humiliated in our religion, and return and when God has not judged us between us and our enemies”[Zad al-Ma`ad]

When the Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, made Usama bin Zaid the commander of the army going to invade the Levant, and he was young and under seventeen years of age, people spoke about this leadership and blamed it. Their statements and criticism reached the Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, and said: “If you criticize his leadership, you have criticized his father’s leadership before, and God willing, that he was worthy of the leadership. ”[Al-Bukhari, Kitab Al-Maghazi, 4469]

Similarly, during the Ansar’s criticism of the policy of distributing the loots of Hunayn after the Battle of Autas, when the criticism were increased in them, the Prophet, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, gathered them together and perfected their thoughts.

Given that the issue of criticism and review is a common and not objectionable issue, some people may go beyond the limit in it, so the Qur’an directives came to adjust the usage of these freedoms during the Prophet’s era, as the Almighty said: Know that among you is the Messenger of God, if he obeys you in many matters, you would surely come to grief. [Al-Hujurat, 7]

As for procedural criticism from the hypocrites who were opposing the Prophet, it was not hidden, and it was a lot, to the extent that the Qur’an was threatening them in the face of harming the sanctity of the Muslim community and the security of the emerging state in the Almighty’s saying: “If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts sickness and the rumor-mongers of Medina did not desist, we shall rouse you against them, so they would not be able to live with you in the city except for a short period [Al-Ahzab, 60].

An example of that criticism was what was waved by Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Saloul, the leader of the hypocrites, when the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, listened to the teenagers and youths when they were on their way to Uhud, which made him return a third of the army to Medina, which indicates the expansion of the opposition circle in Medina.

The opposition did not disappear, and its conspiracies that took place with tongue and action. Many verses and surahs were revealed because of that, such as Surat Al-Ahzab, Al-Hashr and Al-Munafiqun, and finally Surat Al-Tawbah in the ninth year, commenting on the actions of the hypocrites, in the words of the Almighty in many places explaining the situation of everyone saying: “And among them” and confirming the presence of hypocrisy in many circles, in the Almighty’s saying: Some of the Arabs of the desert around you are hypocrites, and some of the people of Madina are stubborn in hypocrisy. You are not aware of them; We know them. [At-Tawbah, 101]

The new Muslims among the expatriate Arabs were not spared from raising their faith/fitility by criticizing the administrative and financial procedures of the state, in numerous incidents that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, met with silence, abstinence and gratification.

In the incident of dividing the loot of Hawazen, a desert Arab man named Dhu al-Khuwaisirah al-Tamimi came and said to the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him: “O Muhammad, be just, for you are not fair.” He, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, said: “Woe to you, and who is righteous if I am not? Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “Let me strike his neck, but the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, did not permit him” [Al-Bukhari, Book of the Warriors Estetaba, 6933]

Similar to this are those who criticize financial measures, and they are the reasons for revelation of the words of God Almighty: There are some among them who blame you (of partiality) in distributing the offerings made in the name of God. In case they receive some of these they are pleased, if not, they are incensed.

Another category used to criticize the judicial rulings, and in them the saying of God Almighty was revealed: Indeed, by your Lord, they will not believe till they make you judge in their disputes and find no constraint in their minds about your decisions and accept them with full acquiescence. [An-Nisa, 65]

All these numerous facts indicate beyond any doubt the existence of freedom in the Prophet’s era and the expansion of the field of criticism and review. This freedom left its mark during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, starting with the Seqifa conference and ending with sedition. These are experiences worth reviewing for further use in our contemporary lives.

*Mohammed Abdul Halim Bishi

إذا تعين عليك الحصول على وشم الآن، فماذا سيكون؟ ولماذا؟

Even Prophets Felt Distress and Turned to God: Finding Strength in Supplication
The spiritual landscape of a believer is often characterized by the ebb and flow of ease and difficulty. A common misconception among many is that those who are closest to the Divine—the Prophets and Messengers—lived lives untouched by the stings of anxiety, fear, or sadness.

However, the Quranic narrative reveals a much more profound truth: even Prophets felt distress and turned to God as their primary means of survival. Supplication, or Du’a, is famously described as the weapon of the believer. It is the ultimate tool for navigating the complexities of the human condition, allowing us to bypass the destructive cycles of despair and anger. By sharing our grief with the Almighty, we engage in a divine process of unloading the burdens that the human heart was never designed to carry alone.

The Essence of Worship in Times of Hardship
Du’a is the essence of worship, a direct line of communication between the created and the Creator. While Allah loves for us to speak the words that flow naturally from our hearts in any language, there is a particular eloquence and power in the supplications of the Prophets. These noble men were our role models, not because they were superhuman, but because their response to human suffering was super-spiritual. They were acutely aware of the importance of patience (Sabr) and gratitude (Shukr), forming bonds with Allah through complete and utter submission. Yet, despite their high ranks, they still felt overwhelmed. By examining their specific words, we can learn how to bridge the gap between our current distress and the tranquility we seek.

The Repentance of Adam: A Lesson in Self-Accountability
The history of supplication for humankind begins with our father, Adam, and our mother, Eve. Upon their expulsion from Paradise, they did not resort to blaming external circumstances or wallowing in hopeless guilt. Instead, they turned to Allah with a du’a that established the blueprint for seeking forgiveness. They said:

{Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers} (Quran 7:23).

This supplication teaches us that when even Prophets felt distress and turned to God, the first step was often acknowledging their own limitations. Humankind continues to make mistakes, but those errors do not harm Allah; they only harm the soul of the one who commits them. Adam’s du’a is a comforting reminder that no matter how great the fall from grace may seem, the door to Divine Mercy remains wide open. To find peace, one must first find the humility to ask for the mercy that prevents us from being among the true losers in this life and the next.

Jonah in the Belly of the Whale: Supplication in the Darkest Hour
Perhaps no story illustrates the theme of being “overwhelmed” more vividly than that of Prophet Yunus (Jonah). Awakening in the suffocating darkness of the belly of a giant whale, at the bottom of the ocean, Jonah experienced a level of isolation and fear that is almost unimaginable. He realized he was not in a grave, but in a living prison. In that moment of extreme distress, he raised his voice with a declaration that remains a healing balm for every broken heart today: {None has the right to be worshipped but You oh God, far removed are You from every imperfection and truly I have been one of the wrongdoers!} (Quran 21:87).

This du’a, known as Dhul-Nun, is so powerful that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

“No Muslim ever prays to his Lord with these words for anything, but He will answer his prayer” (At-Tirmidhi).

Jonah did not ask to be saved initially; he simply praised Allah and admitted his fault. This teaches us that recognizing Allah’s perfection in the middle of our “perfect storm” is the key to unlocking the cage. Whether we are sinking into a chair in despair or feeling mentally exhausted to the point of collapse, the words of Jonah remind us that no darkness is too deep for Allah’s light to reach.

Prophet Ayub: Patience Without Complaint
Prophet Ayub (Job) is the universal symbol of patience. He was tested with the loss of his immense wealth, his children, and his health, until he was left with nothing but his tongue to remember Allah and his heart to love Him. For years, he endured debilitating illness without uttering a word of complaint against his Lord. When he finally called out, his words were a masterpiece of etiquette: {Verily distress has seized me and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy} (Quran 21:83).

Ayub did not say “Why did You do this to me?” Instead, he described his state and then praised Allah’s attribute of mercy. This is a vital lesson for us: even Prophets felt distress and turned to God not to protest their destiny, but to seek relief through the recognition of Allah’s compassion. This du’a provides a path for those suffering from chronic illness or long-term grief. It teaches us that acknowledging our “distress” is not contrary to patience, provided we anchor that acknowledgment in the mercy of the Most Merciful.

The Desert Solitude of Moses: Seeking the Good
Prophet Musa (Moses) provides some of the most relatable moments of human vulnerability in the Quran. After fleeing Egypt in fear for his life, walking for days across the burning sands, he reached the wells of Madyan. Exhausted, homeless, and hungry, he performed an act of kindness for two women before retreating to the shade of a tree. In that moment of total precariousness, he made a simple yet profound supplication: {My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!} (Quran 28:24).

Musa was likely hoping for a meal, but because he turned to Allah with such sincerity, Allah gave him a decade of safety, a career, and a family. Later, when faced with the daunting task of confronting Pharaoh, Musa again felt the weight of his own perceived inadequacies. He prayed for his “chest to be opened” and for the “knot in his tongue” to be loosened so that he could be understood (Quran 20:25). These supplications show us that it is okay to be afraid of the future or the tasks ahead. Turning to God for self-confidence and clarity is the prophetic way to overcome the “defect” of our own fears.

Solomon’s Kingdom: Gratitude as a Form of Du’a
While some Prophets sought relief from poverty or illness, Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) reminds us that even Prophets felt distress and turned to God while possessing immense power. He understood that his kingdom was a trust, not a personal possession. He was acutely aware that no power or strength exists except through Allah. His du’a was one of both ambition and submission: {My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me. Verily, You are the Bestower} (Quran 38:35).

Sulaiman’s example teaches us that we should ask Allah for the best of this world and the next, but we must start with “Forgive me.” Whether we are at the heights of success or the depths of failure, our constant state should be one of calling upon the “Bestower” (Al-Wahhab). His story encourages us to think big in our prayers, knowing that the treasures of Allah are never exhausted.

Conclusion: You Are Never Alone
The stories of the Prophets are not mere historical accounts; they are living manuals for the human soul. They prove that being a believer does not mean you will never feel overwhelmed. It means that when you do, you have a place to go. As the Quran relates these narratives, it invites us to see our own lives reflected in theirs. We might not be in the belly of a whale, but we might be in the belly of debt or depression. We might not be in a literal desert, but we might feel the desert of loneliness.

As believers, we must never forget that Allah hears and answers. Sometimes the answer is exactly what we asked for; other times, it is something better that we didn’t have the wisdom to request. By putting our trust in Him and emulating the du’as of the Prophets, we can weather any storm and stand tall in the face of any adversity. Remember the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “Allah is most generous, and He is shy to let His servant raise his hands to Him and then return them empty” (Ahmad). You are never alone; the Lord of the Prophets is your Lord too.

By Aisha Stacey

Even Prophets Felt Distress and Turned to God: Finding Strength in Supplicationأوت 24, 2026Jonah did not ask to be saved initially; he simply praised Allah and admitted his fault. This teaches us that recognizing Allah’s perfection in the middle of our “perfect storm” is the key to unlocking the cage. Whether we are sinking into a chair in despair or feeling mentally exhausted to the point of collapse, the words of Jonah remind us that no darkness is too deep for Allah’s light to reach.

Prophets- Finality of Prophethoodأوت 24, 2026I attended a lecture once in which the lecturer explained how some believe that anyone could qualify in becoming a prophet.’ Some people take it in a very loose sense.’ It depends of course on what the logic of Islam is concerning this whole issue of prophet-hood, which in turn explains why a universal and final revelation is needed.

Prophets- Prophecy, Ingenuity & Miraclesأوت 24, 2026On the other hand some people believe that there is no such thing as a miracle and any talk of them is just superstition.’ Even when something occurs that is difficult to explain, they refuse to believe that there is no scientific explanation to it.’ They adopt a 100% rational approach to miracles.’ This is also ironic because not everything can be explained by science or rational interpretation.

Prophets- Islamic & Biblical Versionsأوت 23, 2026Host:’ The last lecture emphasized the humanity of the prophets yet now it is explained that prophets are also infallible.’ How do you dissipate this inconsistency if there is an inconsistency?’ Is being infallible inconsistent with being human?

Prophets- Revelation & Characteristicsأوت 23, 2026The Bible goes to two extremes when defining prophet-hood.’ One extreme is to deify a pious prophet to the level of God-hood, which is the case with Prophet Jesus (PBUH).’ The other extreme is exactly the opposite: where major moral sins and cardinal sins, are attributed to great figures whom we all accept as prophets whether we are Muslims, Jews or Christians.