(Friday Sermon - March 15, 2019 )
Background, Participation in Battles and Demise
Hazrat Suhail(ra) bin Rafay belonged to the tribe of Banu Najjar. The piece of land on which Masjid-e-Nabawi [mosque of the Prophet (sa)] was constructed was the property of Hazrat Suhail (ra) and his brother, Hazrat Sahl (ra). The name of his mother was Zughaiba bint Sahl. Hazrat Suhail (ra) participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophet (sa), including the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. He passed away during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (ra). (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 372, Suhail bin Rafi’, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990)
Construction of the Prophet’s Mosque
With regard to the migration of the Holy Prophet(sa) to Medina, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) writes:
“While the Prophet (sa) was in Medina, everybody longed to have the honour of being his host. As his camel passed through a lane, families would line up to receive him. With one voice they would say, ‘Here we are with our homes, our properties and our lives to receive you and to offer our protection to you. Come and live with us.’ Many would show greater zeal, go forward and hold the reins of the camel and insist on the Prophet dismounting in front of their doors and entering their houses. Politely, the Prophet (sa) would refuse saying, ‘Leave my camel alone. She is under the command of God; she will stop where God wants her to stop.’ Ultimately, it stopped on a site that belonged to orphans of the Banu Najjar tribe, which was situated to one side of Medina. The Holy Prophet (sa) dismounted and said, ‘It seems that this is where God wants us to stop.’ He made enquiries as to who the owner of that plot of land was. It was discovered that the land belonged to a few orphans. A trustee of the orphans came forward and said that the property belonged to such and such orphans, and offered the site for the use of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) replied that he would not accept the offer unless he was allowed to pay. A price was settled, and the Prophet (sa) decided to build a mosque and some houses on it.” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 20, p. 228)
“Upon arriving in Medina, the first task was the construction of Masjid-e-Nabawi. The place where the camel of the Holy Prophet (sa) chose to rest was the property of two children from Medina named Sahl (ra) and Suhail (ra), who lived in the guardianship of Hazrat Asad (ra) bin Zurarah. This was a vacant land (which was barren and uninhabited), on which a few date palms had been planted in one area. In another area, there were ruins, etc. The Holy Prophet (sa) selected this plot to construct the Masjid-e-Nabawi, and his own livings quarters. This plot of land was purchased for 10 Dinar. The surface was levelled and cleared of trees, after which the construction of Masjid-e-Nabawi began.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), p. 269)
According to another narration, the payment for this piece of land was made by Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(ra). (Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 2, p. 186, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996)
“The surface was levelled and cleared of trees, after which the construction of Masjid-e-Nabawi began. The Holy Prophet (sa) supplicated to Allah and laid the foundation stone himself. Just as in the construction of the mosque at Quba, the Companions (ra) worked as builders and labourers. The Holy Prophet (sa) would also participate at times. Occasionally, while lifting bricks, the Companions would recite the following couplet of Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha:
هَذَا الْحِمَالُ لَا حِمَالَ خَيْبَر، هَذَا أَبَرُّ رَبَّنَا وَأَطْهَرُ
‘This burden is not the burden of Khaybar’s commercial goods, which arrive loaded on the backs of animals; Rather, O our Lord! This is the burden of virtue and purity, which we bear for your pleasure.’
“At times, the Companions would recite the following couplet of Abdullah (ra) bin Rawaha:
اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنَّ الْاَجْرَ اَجْرُ الْاٰخِرَہ، فَارْحَمِ الْاَنْصَارَ وَالْمُہَاجِرَہ
‘O Our Allah! True reward is merely that of the hereafter. By Your Grace, send down Mercy upon the Ansar and Muhajirin.’
“When the Companions would recite this couplet, at times, the Holy Prophet (sa) would also join in. In this manner, after a long period of hard work, the mosque was completed. The structure of the mosque was made from slabs and bricks, which were assembled between wooden pillars (in those days, the way they would build a solid structure was to make columns from wood and in between they would place bricks and mud in order to strengthen it). The roof was covered by trunks and branches of date palms. Trunks of date palms were placed inside the mosque to support the roof. Until the building of a pulpit was proposed, the Holy Prophet (sa) would lean upon one of these trunks when delivering his sermon. The floor of the mosque was unpaved, and since the roof would leak after heavy rainfall, the floor of the mosque would become muddy. As such, in light of this difficulty, later on a floor of gravel was paved. Initially, the direction of the mosque was towards Baitul-Maqdas, but after the alteration of the Qiblah, this orientation was changed. At that time, the height of the mosque was 10 feet, the length was 105 feet, and the width was 90 feet. Later on, however, this was extended (this area of 105 feet by 90 feet can accommodate approximately fifteen–sixteen hundred worshippers). To one corner of the mosque, a veranda was built, which was referred to as Suffah. This was for those destitute Muhajirin who were homeless. These people would stay here, and were known as the Ashabus-Suffah. As such, they would remain in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) day and night, perform worship and recite the Holy Quran. These people possessed no means of permanent subsistence. The Holy Prophet (sa) would take care of them personally and whenever the Holy Prophet (sa) would receive a gift or there was something available at home, he would especially separate their share. As a matter of fact, at times, the Holy Prophet (sa) would himself starve and send whatever was in his home to the Ashabus-Suffah. The Ansar would also remain engaged in their hospitality as much as possible and would often attach clusters of dates within the mosque. However, despite all this, they lived in a state of adversity and would often reach a state of starvation. This state continued until some found work due to the expansion of Medina and others began receiving support from the national Baitul-Mal [treasury] (when the overall conditions of the Muslims improved, they began to receive support).
“A place of residence was constructed for the Holy Prophet (sa) adjacent to the mosque. His home was a small chamber of merely ten to fifteen feet. A single entrance led from this chamber to the mosque, from which the Holy Prophet (sa) would enter the mosque to lead the Salat, etc. When the number of his wives increased, additional living quarters were also built for the Holy Prophet (sa) alongside the first. The homes of various other companions (ra) were also built in close proximity of the mosque.
This was the Masjid-e-Nabawi, which was constructed in Medina. In that era, since there was no other public building where tasks of national importance could be performed, the mosque also served as the headquarters of administration. The assembly of the Holy Prophet (sa) would take place here. It was here that all types of consultation took place. Legal verdicts were passed from here. It was from here that injunctions would be issued forth. This was the official guesthouse. In short, it served as a centre of any task of national importance. If required, it would be used as a confinement for prisoners as well.
“When the prisoners saw how the Muslims worship and their mutual love and respect, many of them converted to Islam. Nonetheless, in this regard even Sir William Muir, an orientalist, has written the same. He has written many things against Islam and the Holy Prophet (sa), however, regarding the mosque, Sir William Muir writes:
“But though rude in material, and comparatively insignificant in dimension, the Mosque of Mahomet is glorious in the history of Islam. Here the Prophet and his companions spent the greater portion of their time: here the daily service, with its oft-recurring prayers, was first publicly established: here the great congregation assembled every week, and trembled often while they listened to the orations of the Prophet and his messages from Heaven. Here he planned victories. From this spot he sent forth envoys to kings and emperors with summons to embrace Islam. Here he received embassies of contrite and believing tribes; and from hence issued commands which carried consternation amongst the rebellious to the very outskirts of the Peninsula. Hard by, in the room of Ayesha, he yielded up the ghost; and there he lies buried alongside his two Caliphs.” (Quoted in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 269-271)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) further states:
“This mosque and its adjoining chambers were constructed in a period of seven months, more or less. The Holy Prophet (sa) took up residence in his new home along with his wife Hazrat Saudah (ra). Various other Muhajirin also acquired land from the Ansar and built homes in close proximity of the mosque. Those who could not obtain land near the mosque constructed their homes at a distance from the mosque. Others were fortunate enough to procure pre-constructed houses from the Ansar.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 269-271)
Nonetheless, Hazrat Suhail (ra) and his brother had the good fortune of offering their land for this great centre of Islam.