And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: Verily! The sign of His Kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tabut (a wooden box), wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, carried by the angels. Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers.

(2:248)

The importance of khilafah

The Quran uses the term khalifa twice. First, in 2:30, it refers to God creating humanity as his khalifa on Earth. Second, in 38:26, it addresses King David as God's khalifa and reminds him of his obligation to rule with justice.

A famous scholar once said: Khilafa means representative. Man, according to Islam is the representative of "people", His (God's) viceregent; that is to say, by virtue of the powers delegated to him, and within the limits prescribed by the Qu'ran and the teaching of the prophet, the caliph is required to exercise Divine authority. Adam (pbuh) was said to be God's first vicegerent on Earth and his crown was restored to him when he repented off his sin. Adam (pbuh) was also the first Prophet, and he was granted revelation, able to speak and write and possessed knowledge of everything. Adam is said to have built an altar to God first in Mecca where the Black Stone fell and later at Jerusalem at Bait al-Maqdis.

What is the Arc of the Covenant?

The Arc of the covenant is the most important artifact in the monotheistic tradition of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. When Adam (pbuh) descended to earth in addition to the crown on his head, he is said to have also gotten an Ark containing what are now known as Hajr al Aswad (the Black Stone), the Staff of Moses, the Ring of Solomon, the Sword of Prophet Muhammad (s) called Zulfiqar among many other relics. These were later stored in the Arc of the Covenant - a symbol of God's covenant with the children of Israel and then later to the whole of mankind.

This ornate, gilded case is said to have been built some 3,000 years ago by the Israelites to house the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. Biblical accounts describe the Ark as large, about the size of a 19th-century seaman's chest, made of gold-plated wood, and topped with two large, golden angels. It was carried using poles inserted through rings on its sides.The Ark has been linked to several of the Old Testament's miracles but we cannot go down that route here...

According to the Book of Exodus, God instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay upon the mountain where God was and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim wood to house the Tablets. Moses instructed Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the Ark. In Deuteronomy the Ark is said to have been built specifically by Moses himself without reference of Bezalel or Oholiab. Other heavenly tokens were then placed in it too. 

The Book of Exodus gives detailed instructions on how the Ark is to be constructed. It is to be 2​1⁄2 cubits in length, 1​1⁄2 in breadth, and 1​1⁄2 in height (approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in). Then it is to be gilded entirely with gold, and a crown or molding of gold is to be put around it. Four rings of gold are to be attached to its four corners, two on each side—and through these rings staves of shittim-wood overlaid with gold for carrying the Ark are to be inserted; and these are not to be removed. A golden lid, the kapporet  which is covered with 2 golden cherubim, is to be placed above the Ark. The Ark is finally to be placed under the veil of the covering.

In the Christian New Testament, Hebrews 9:4 reads that "The ark of the covenant [was] covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

The biblical account continues that, after its creation by Moses, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. Whenever the Israelites camped, the Ark was placed in a separate room in a sacred tent, called the Tabernacle.

Kings Saul and David

The Ark stayed in the family of Moses with the Children of Israel and they placed in it the relics of Moses and Aaron as well. Moses and his brother and their family remained the chiefs of the Israelites and eventually placed it back in Bait ul-Maqdis in Palestine, which was originally built by Adam.

When the Children of Israel rebelled against the House of Moses, the Ark was taken from them and hidden during the era of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. In search for the Ark, Nebuchadnezzar sacked both Mecca and Bait ul-Maqdis. The Adnanites buried Abraham and Ishmael’s treasure and the Hajr ul-Aswad which was from the Ark in Mecca, and fled to Yemen.

Nebuchadnezzar seized the Ark from the Israelites in Palestine. Faced with destruction and defeat, the Israelites then approached asked the Prophet Samuel to pray God sends them a new King, to fight in God’s way and restore their lost blessings.

Samuel prayed, and as he was a Prophet, Allah heard his prayer. Saul was appointed as the King of the Children of Israel, and the sign of his kingdom was that he would be given the Ark of the Covenant (2:246-249).

Saul was a descendant of Ben Yamin (Benjamin), the younger brother of Yusuf (Joseph), the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Saul promised to marry his daughter and surrender the Ark of the Covenant over to the person who would kill Goliath.

The Qur'an states David, who was a direct descendant of Yahuda (Judah), the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, killed Goliath,  inherited the Ark and the kingdom from Saul.

As the new guardian of the Ark of the Covenant, David now became the King of the Children of Israel. The House of David restored the Bait ul-Maqdis and placed the Ark therein. It is interesting to note that the Dajjal aka the AntiChrist would claim descent from the House of David but would fail to show proof.

Solomon inherited the Ark of the Covenant from David and thereby became King. He rebuilt the Bait ul Maqdis in Jerusalem, in honor of the Seal of Prophets, Muhammad, who was to come to it on the night of Ma’raj, and lead all Prophets in prayer. The fate of this temple is for another future part.

The Babylonian Conquest

In 587 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple. There is no record of what became of the Ark in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. An ancient Greek version of the biblical third Book of Ezra, 1 Esdras, suggests that Babylonians took away the vessels of the ark of God, but does not mention taking away the Ark.


In Rabbinic literature, the final disposition of the Ark is disputed. Some rabbis hold that it must have been carried off to Babylon, while others hold that it must have been hidden lest it be carried off into Babylon and never brought back. A late 2nd-century rabbinic work known as the Tosefta states the opinions of these rabbis that Josiah, the king of Judah, stored away the Ark, along with the jar of manna, and a jar containing the holy anointing oil, the rod of Aaron which budded and a chest given to Israel by the Philistines. This was said to have been done in order to prevent their being carried off into Babylon as had already happened to the other vessels. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon, in the same rabbinic work, state that the Ark was, in fact, taken into Babylon. Rabbi Yehudah, dissenting, says that the Ark was stored away in its own place, meaning, somewhere on the Temple Mount.

The Rediscovery of the Arc

The whereabouts of the Arc of the Covenant have been unknown since 587 BC, and it is generally accepted by Islamic scholars that it will be found by the Mahdi. As stated in the Qur'an, the Ark of the Covenant is "a sign" for the faithful (2: 248), for which reason believers have looked for it down the years. The fact that it has remained lost despite all this detailed research may be an indication that it will be found in our own time, when a great many portents regarding the end times have been fulfilled.

There are many ahadith that talk of the rediscovery of the Arc but they point to different places indicating that that the site is not known for sure and is perhaps under special protection for the Mahdi.

The Hz. Mehdi will remove the Ark of the Covenant from Lake Tiberias. (Iqd al-Durar fi Akbar al-Imam al-Muntadhar, by Shaikh Jamaluddin Yusuf al-Damishqi, p. 51-a)

The reason he will be known as the Mahdi is that he will show the way to a hidden thing. He will bring the Ark to light from a place called Antioch. (Suyuti, al-Hawi li'l Fatawa, II, 82)


The reason he will be known as the Mahdi is that he will go to one of the mountains in Sham. From there he will unearth the (true) books of the Torah and bring forth evidence against the Jews. (Suyuti, al-Hawi li'l Fatawa, II, 81)

One significant claim is that the Ark was hidden in a warren of passages beneath the First Temple in Jerusalem before the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 B.C. But that theory can't be tested  because the site is home to the Dome of the Rock shrine. Digging beneath it simply isn't an option. There is also this: 

There is also strong reason to believe that the Arc of the Covenant is in Ethiopia. Before the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem, it is said to have found its way to Ethiopia, where it still resides in the town of Aksum, in the St. Mary of Zion cathedral. Church authorities, however, say only one man, the guardian of the Ark, is allowed to see it, and they have never permitted it to be studied for authenticity. For more about this claim, watch this:

Why would the Mahdi need it?

In future parts it'll become clear that the order of the signs would go like:

1. Appearance of the Mahdi to unite the broken Muslim world reigning from Medina and then Damascus
2. Reconquest of Jerusalem and Constantinople under the black banner/standard
3. The Antichrist (Dajjal) appointed as King of Israel restoring the Kingdom
4. Wars between Greater Israel and the Muslim Ummah under Mahdi
5. Descent of Jesus the Actual Messiah in Damascus
6. AntiChrist under the zionist banner vs Jesus under the black banner

With the Arc of the Covenant in his hands, Imam Mahdi would be able to convince many of those of the Jewish and Christian tradition that his side is in the way of God.

Bl. Dionysus of Luetzenberg…prophecies:
“After the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Enoch and Elias will restore the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; Because of the fact that the Ark of the Covenant will be in the possession of the two holy prophets and not in Antichrist’s hands, the Jews will recognize that Jesus is the true Messiah…”

( Luetzenberg, Antichristus Chapter 29 as cited in Birch D.A. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph. Queenship Publishing, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 509)

Related by Sulaiman ibn Isa: “I was informed that the Ark of the Covenant will emerge from the Tabariyya Sea through the efforts of Imam al-Mahdi. It will be placed before him at the Sacred House (either the Holy Ka’aba or Bayt al-Muqaddas in Palestine). When the descendents of Judah (the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham) see this (Ark), all except a few will embrace Islam.” (Ibn Hammad transmitted in al-Fitan (1:360#1050); and Suyuti copied it in al-Hawi li’l Fatawa (II:83).

It is reported in Tazkia Lil Qurtabi on Page 704-706 that Huzaifa once asked the Prophet about the Ark of the Covenant, where upon the Prophet, salutations be upon him, informed him “it would be brought forth by Al Mahdi”. Thereafter, Huzaifa states the Holy Prophet (s) recited the following verses of the Quran in reference to this,

4 And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and ye will become great tyrants.
5 So when the time for the first of the two came, We roused against you slaves of Ours of great might who ravaged (your) country, and it was a threat performed.
6 Then we gave you once again your turn against them, and We aided you with wealth and children and made you more in soldiery.
7 (Saying): If ye do good, ye do good for your own souls, and if ye do evil, it is for them (in like manner). So, when the time for the second (of the judgments) came (We roused against you others of Our slaves) to ravage you, and to enter the Temple even as they entered it the first time, and to lay waste all that they conquered with an utter wasting.
8 It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if ye repeat (the crime) We shall repeat (the punishment), and We have appointed hell a dungeon for the disbelievers. (Quran, 17:4-8)

as always Allah knows best

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ

تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ

وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ

وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ

وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ

بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ

إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - 3:26

The World has not always been  like how it is portrayed in world maps - into nations with distinct clear boundaries. The striving for sovereign states with a unified population within clear borders is relatively new to human history. Before the appearance of nation states were multi-ethnic empires and kingdoms and caliphates. They were usually an absolute monarchy ruled by a king, emperor or sultan. The empire was dominated by one ethnic group, and their language was usually the language of public administration. Unlike the nation state, this was not purely an European construct. 

The empire was not like the nation state. There were no fixed boundaries based on ethnic or cultural lines. There was no fixed common identity but a flux of constantly changing cultures. Nationalism is the solvent that dissolved the historic concept of the traditional empire. Empires, as large-scale and long-lasting multiethnic and “multicultural” experiments, may have much to teach us in the current historical phase of globalization and increasingly heterogeneous societies interconnected in many different ways. 

A state is specifically a political and geopolitical entity, while a nation is a cultural and ethnic one. The term “nation-state” implies that the two coincide, in that a state has chosen to adopt and endorse a specific cultural group as associated with it. Their territory is considered semi-sacred and nontransferable. Nation-states use the state as an instrument of national unity, in economic, social, and cultural life. 

The concept of the nation state triumphed in 19th century Europe and the Europeans exported it as a quick fix solution for the end of colonialism in the rest of the world. The zionist state of Israel was seen as the model of this new nation state concept that would come to dominate the world. They had no idea the havoc that that would create. The model of the nation-state implies that its population constitutes a nation, united by a common descent, a common language, and many forms of shared culture - just like the nation states of Europe. When the implied unity was absent, the nation-state often tried to create it by force. Sometimes this was tantamount to mass displacements and genocide. 

19th-century colonialism and 20th-century decolonisation did result in several independent Muslim-majority states in the Muslim world. This decimated  any hope for a union of the muslim world and opened the gates to nationalism and tribalism. Most of these states were and are ruled by despotic tyrants puppet-ed by the world powers around them. There was a radical change in how the Muslim world was organised and governed. 

In a hadith reported by Hudhaifa (rali) , recorded in Musnad Ahmad, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ مسند أحمد).

“On the authority of Hudhayfa, the Prophet said: ‘There will be (an era of) Prophethood, so long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it, when He wills to withdraw it, to be followed by (an era of) Khilafah on the lines of Prophethood. It will last as long as Allah wills; then Allah will withdraw it when He wills to withdraw it. Then there will be despotic monarchy and stay as long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it when He wishes to withdraw it. That will be followed by a tyrannous monarchy which will last as long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it when He wills to withdraw it. That will be followed by (an era of) Khilafah on the lines of Prophethood. Thereafter he did not speak any further.’

The hadith predicts five eras in the Muslim world:

1. Nubuwwah (Prophethood) - which ended in the death of the Prophet (pbuh)

2. Khilafah on the pattern of Prophethood - which was the 30 year reign of the Rashidun Caliphs which ended with the death of Ali (rali) 

3. Despotic rule - of dynasties occupying the seats of power in the ummah just like they did in the rest of the world

4. Tyrannous rule (of the nation states) , and, finally,

5. Khilafah on the pattern of Prophethood (which the Imam Mahdi would restore)

There is debate as to whether the ummah should wait for the appearance of the Mahdi to restore the khilafah or whether the Mahdi would appear after the restoration of the Khilafah. This right opinion - with fits the many ahadith that would be discussed in the future parts - seem to be that former. We should not hasten to create a Khilafah. All the false Mahdis and the false khilafahs - even ISIS - believed in restoring the khilafah before the Mahdi. This does not fit the picture of the ahadith that talk of the end times. 

This has a parallel on the zionist project  (backed by Messianic Jews and many Christian groups) to restore the Kingdom of Israel - the bride - for the second coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Instead what they have done is to create an impostor state of Israel to be ruled by an Impostor Messiah - the Anti-Christ. Mahdi and Jesus Christ are the two central figures of the End Times and their jobs is to unite the worlds - and everyone who pretends to do that job in their name are just impostors and liars.

The last part of the hadith mentioned initially is a glad tiding and a promise for the Muslim Ummah, a prophecy that there will again be Khilafah established, based upon the Prophetic methodology. No matter the darkness and suffering the Muslims of the Ummah go through - there is always the hope of a new dawn - from Palestine to Yemen to Syria to Kashmir - to any part of the body of the Muslim ummah crying out for unity and power.

Another report like the above is declared as having a trustworthy chain, as preserved by Tabarani and others. It reports the Prophet as having said:

أَوَّلُ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ نُبُوَّةٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ خِلَافَةً وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُلْكًا وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَتَكادَمُونَ عَلَيْهِ تَكادُمَ الْحُمُرِ ، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ ، وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جهادِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ رباطِكُمْ عَسْقَلَانُ – مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد . محقق  – رواه الطبراني ورجاله ثقات

“The beginning of this affair (i.e. Islam) is Prophethood blended with mercy. Then there will be Khilafah blended with mercy. It will be followed by Kingship blended with mercy. Then they will (fall upon it and) chew (i.e. the territories for rule) the way of the donkeys (which fall upon fodder and chew it). So, upon you is Jihad; and the best of your Jihad is to guard a frontier of Islam; and the best of your frontiers is `Asqalan.” 

`Asqalan is a famous historical sea-port in Palestine, about 20 km from Ghazza, which gave rise to many renowned scholars (Ibn Hajr was an `Asqalani). Now it is under the occupation by Israel, and thus the best of frontiers has been lost.

What is the way of the donkeys mentioned in the hadith? It seems like this corresponds to the fourth category in the first hadith - Tyrannous rule. They would have their territories - marked by clear boundaries - and eat from their land mindlessly. With no other greater purpose but to go on and on eating. What then is the remedy to this pathetic state of affairs?

Instead of the establishment of  khilafah being a catalyser, the Muslims in the Muslim world should rather heal the numerous cultural and political hostilities between the various "nations" and develop a spiritual, psychological, social, and material basis for the establishment of a strong political entity from the individual level upward. 

Imam Ahmad reported from Thouban that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:

"The nations are close to invading you from all horizons as the eaters rush calling one another for their receptacle". We said: "Is this due to our small number at that time?" The Prophet (pbuh) said: "You are numerous at that time. But you will be like the foam of the sea. Your enemies will no longer venerate you (veneration will be taken out of their hearts) and Wahan will be set in your hearts". We asked him "and what is Wahan?" The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) replied: "Love for worldly affairs and fear of death" [Ahmad and Abu Dawood ]

"as the eaters rush calling one another for their receptacle" is very much a reference to the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement by which  representatives of Great Britain and France secretly divided the Arab lands under the rule of the Ottoman Empire into British and French spheres of influence with the conclusion of World War I - just like eaters would divide a pie or pizza or whatever. I think that was the end of the phase 3 of the hadith prophecy and the beginning of phase 4 - the rule of nation states in the ummah -marked by the ascent of Israel and the saudi state. Future parts would cover the zionist project for the reception of the Anti-Christ, the civil war that would devastate the KSA, the appearance of the Mahdi (AS) and his role, the destruction of Israel under the banner of Jesus (AS) and the minor signs of the End Times.

Long before the Messenger of God (pbuh)  cleansed the Kaaba of idols - who were known as the partners of God - upon his victorious return to Mecca, returning the shrine to the monotheism of his father Abraham (pbuh), and even before the start of his mission of prophethood - there was a man who during the polytheist season of Hajj would have his back on the Kaabah and shout out that none of them were on the path of their father Abraham (pbuh).

He used to recite his poem:

Am I to worship one lord or a thousand?
If there are as many as you claim,
I renounce al-Lat and al-Uzza, both of them,
as any strong-minded person would.
I will not worship al-Uzza and her two daughters …
I will not worship Hubal, though he was our lord
in the days when I had little sense.

 He was one of a group of 4 monotheists that decided that they wanted to follow the pure religion of Abraham (pbuh) and reject the paganism and idol worship that was prevalent around them. But they had no prophet of God to guide them. 3 of this group converted to unitarian Christianity while one, our man, decided to travel and research and submit himself to one true God in the way of Abraham (pbuh).

The Prophet (pbuh) met this man in a place near tan’eem and served him some food and this man said, “I do not eat from what was slaughtered in the name of other than Allah. Oh son of my brother, do not eat from this.” Zayd ibn Haaritha (rali) says, “From that day onward, the Prophet never ate any of the meat of Quraysh.”

He did not eat carrion, blood or anything that had been slaughtered for an idol. He told the Quraysh: "Allah has created the sheep and he has sent the rain and the grass for it; yet you don't mention Allah's name when you slaughter it."

Who was this man who advised even the to-be Messenger of God (pbuh) to not consume meat that was sacrificed to other than God?

 The Prophet (pbuh) knew this man in his childhood and he was fascinated by him. The Prophet (pbuh) never worshipped idols and so did his dear friend Abu Bakr (rali) and his wife Khadija (rali). But at the same time they were not challenging idol worship in society because the Propher (pbuh) had not been called to do that. Yet this man was continuously annoying the Quraish for their worshipping of idols.

Asmaa bint Abi Bakr (rali), as a young curious girl, heard this man praying in front of the Ka’aba saying, “Oh Allah, if only I knew which of the ways where most pleasing to you I would worship you in accordance with that way but I don't know.” He would make sujood to the Ka’aba not knowing anything of salah. He was trying to be loyal to the Creator God and Him Alone.

Once the Prophet (pbuh) asked him: Why do I see that your people hate you so much? He said I left their religion and their idols for the religion and God of Ibrahim. “My God is the God of Ibrahim. My religion is the religion of Ibrahim"

Not only did he reject the idol-worship in order to turn his face to the worship of the one true unseen God - he also differed in morality to the people around him. He never committed zina (saying that it would decrease rizq), never drank alcohol, never ate the meat of those sacrificed in the name other than God - and even in the words of Asma (rali), he used to give "life to the girls being buried alive". He opposed infanticide.

He would say to the father as he was about to kill her - "do not kill her for I will take care of her!". Once she would grow old enough to be married: he would say to the father: if you like I can return her to you and you can find her a suitor, or I can take care of that as well!

From where did he get that fitrah, that pure pristine uncorrupted sense of right and wrong? He’s living his life in accordance with the religion that would come after him and that was the sincerity of the way of Ibrahim (as). In each and one of us, in the depth of our souls there is the call of the fitrah - to worship the Creator and to do good.

But who was this man? This monotheist even before the dawn of the message of Islam? This man who was adamant in following the way of Ibrahim (pbuh)? He was none other than Zaid ibn Amr ibn Nufayl !! Have you not heard about him before?

He (rali) went to As-Sham / Greater Syria, not for trade but to find out the truth of the world and of God. He met many Christian priests and Jewish rabbis but was never really satisfied with the answers he is given. He doesn't have the support of his family. His uncle, Al-Khattab (father of Umar (rali)), tortures him and says don't come around and if you come around you'll be beaten. He instructed people to beat Zaid if he's seen entering into Makkah again.

His wife would become stressed every time he would say that he is going to Sham. Because while the people would go to Sham for trade, Zaid would go out to learn more and to try to answer these questions nagging at him about revelation and about the oneness of God and Ibrahim (as). Then at one time he asked for the most knowledgeable priest and this time he got the news that God would send a prophet to revive the way of Abraham. He’s told he’s coming out from the same place he left (Mecca)

So Zaid gets excited, he turns back towards Makkah, but he has no idea that that young man Muhammad (pbuh) who he used to call Ibn Akhi, my cousin. He had no idea that that Muhammad (pbuh) was going to be the one that was going to be the Messenger, but when he's making his way back to Makkah so that he can await for this prophet, he was captured and killed in a land called Balqaa’ around 5 years before revelation.

Just before his murder he is said to have made a dua: Oh Allah if you forbade me from the companionship of of your Prophet, don’t forbid it from my son Saeed (rali). Saeed (rali) went on to become one of the most prominent companion of the Messenger of God (pbuh). In fact he was one of the 10 promised Jannah. Atiqah, the daughter of Zaid, too becomes Muslim and lives a very long life. She married multiple times finally ending up with Hassan (rali)

Amir Ibn Rabee’a says Zaid ibn Amr (rali) told me: I am waiting for a prophet from the children of Ishmael. I believe in him and will support him and testify he is a prophet. But I have a feeling I won’t live to see him. If you live long enough to see him, give him my salaam. Amir ibn Rabee’a said when I became Muslim I gave the prophet his salaam. The Prophet said salaam back to him, made dua for mercy for him, and said I saw him in paradise dragging his garments.

In another authentic narration the Prophet (pbuh) said "I entered into paradise and I saw that Allah has reserved two levels of paradise for one man, for Zaid". That Allah gave him two levels of paradise all by himself.

When Waraqa bin Naufal, the elder cousin of Khadijah (rali) who was also a monotheist and a Christian monk, and used to accompany him in his travels to Syria, came to know about his death he cried so much and recited an eulogy in his honor:

You were altogether on the right path, Ibn Amr;

You have escaped Hell’s burning oven

by serving the one and only God

and abandoning vain idols

for the mercy of God reaches men

though they be sixty valleys deep below the earth!

Saeed and Umar (rali) asked the Prophet (pbuh): Ya Rasulullah, can we seek forgiveness for Zaid? And the Prophet said: Seek forgiveness for him, for by Allah I saw on the Day of Judgment as the Prophets line up with their ummah behind them, with their nations behind them. 124,000 prophets all line up on the Day of Judgment, behind them are their nations. Some prophets have one person. Some have ten. Some have a thousand. Some have 80. The Prophet (pbuh)has the largest nation. After him the nation of Musa (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) said  that he (Zaid) would be resurrected all by himself as an ummah. The man is an ummah, he's a nation. And in an authentic narration, he said he stood between me and Jesus (the son of Mary) - alone as an ummah by himself!

Such was the case of the monotheist who surrendered to the will of the One True God even before the Message of Islam and actively called for the restoration of the religion of Abraham (pbuh).

One fine day in Medinah after the success of the battle of badr, an old female servant asked Ali ibn Abu Talib (rali) as to why doesn’t he propose in marriage to the daughter of the Messenger of God (pbuh).

The three sons of the Prophet (pbuh) died young and he had four daughters. Ruqayya, the eldest, had passed away on the same day of the victory of the battle of Badr, and her husband Uthman (rali) had then married her sister Um Kulsoom. Zainab was still at Mecca, and so the only child left within the household of the Prophet (pbuh) was Fatima, fondly called "az- Zahra,” which means “The Resplendent One,” in reference to her radiant face and “al-Batul,” referring to her pure character.



She was her father’s favourite. She was named by her mother, our mother Khadija (rali), after her mother "Fatima" meaning ‘one who is full term and weened’. Fatima Az-Zahra was born after the advent of Prophethood on her father. Thus she never saw the early easy days when her father and mother were well respected by society and lived better comfortable lives. Instead she had grown up to see her father mocked, taunted and even publicly beaten on 8 separate occasions. After the death of her mother, whenever the Messenger of God (pbuh) came home wounded, Fatima cared for him,. She cleaned his wounds and comforted him, at only age 10. Because of the love and compassion she showed her father (pbuh), one of her nicknames was “the mother of her father”. She was actually another mother figure for him (pbuh) .She didn’t live during the years of comfort and ease, instead she was born after her father (pbuh) received revelation and she witnessed all the hardship, oppression, the boycott and people’s rejection of her father (pbuh)



No one resembled the Prophet (pbuh)in everything as much as Fatima did, even in her actions and speech and gait. If he (pbuh) was the living Qur’an in a male, she was the living Qur’an in a female. She exemplified her mother in character and virtue. When she would enter into a room, the Prophet would stand up for her, kiss her on the forehead, then hold her hand and sit her down where he was previously sitting. When the Prophet entered a room, Fatima would rush towards him, kiss him on the forehead, take his hand, and sit him where she was sitting previously. She used to kiss both of his hands. This was in a society which buried their girls and was not accustomed to honoring their daughters. He honored her because she did things for him that no one else did.



Ali (rali) replied that he had nothing to offer if he even proposed. Here was a man who had grown up in poverty and who would live his entire life in poverty. How could he afford to marry the leader of the women in Paradise, one of the woman who had perfected her faith? How could he pay the mahr? Besides that the Messenger of God had rejected the proposals of Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) saying she was too young. Surely he would not then accept Ali’s proposal.



Finally after much hesitation and much encouragement from Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) he went to the Prophet (pbuh) intending to ask him for her hand. But in his (pbuh) presence he couldn’t utter a word, even though he was known for his eloquence and poetry. The Prophet (pbuh) noticing how shy Ali was behaving, asked him, “what has brought you to me, son of my uncle?” Ali stuttered and made no sense. The Prophet smiled and said “maybe you came to ask me for Fatima’s hand in marriage?” He said yes. "What about the mahr?".

The Messenger of God (pbuh) knew Ali (rali) who was 23 at this time - really well. He had picked Ali (rali) with his own hands as an infant and brought him to the blessed household of Khadijah (rali) to bring him up so as to ease the burden on his uncle Abu Talib who was poor and as a favour for Abu Talib for looking after him when he was a child. Miraculously Khadijah (rali) had never breast-fed Ali so he was not the sister of Fatima (rali) nor did the Prophet (pbuh) officially adopt him as a son. When he was about 10, revelation entered their lives and Ali (rali) was one of the first to embrace Islam. Many a time he was seen to be praying with the Prophet (pbuh) and Khadijah (rali) in front of the Kaabah – the only Muslim family at that time. By the time the Muslims had migrated away from persecution and set up their new community in Medinah, Ali had become too old to continue to live in the Prophet’s household. He had grown up with Fatima and was close in age to her. He was paired in brotherhood with Sahl Ibn Hunaif. He lived with all the other young single guys and used to do odd jobs here and there to earn himself some halal living.

He didn’t have a dowry to give her and only owned a sword, a shield and a horse/camel. The Prophet told him to go and sell his shield in the market and come back with the money for the dowry, even though it was not much at that time. He went to the market to sell the shield. Uthman (his future brother in law), offered to buy it for 400 dirhams, trying to help him out because he was very wealthy. After the sale, he returned the shield to Ali and said that is his wedding gift to Ali.

When the Prophet (pbuh) asked the 19 year old Fatima for her approval, she turned red (in modesty) and could not speak. She knew Ali (rali) very well. He took her silence as her approval to marry him. Later she would joke with her father, “you married me to the man with the big stomach”? (Ali (rali) indeed had strong muscular arms but a belly also).The Prophet (pbuh) took the opportunity to praise him, “He was the first of my companions to embrace Islam, the most knowledgeable, and the one with the most patience”



The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to buy perfume for her with 2/3 of the dowry and use the other 1/3 of it to buy furniture. Ali (pbuh) had no idea how to buy perfume, so Bilal helped him. Um Salama helped him buy furniture with the rest. The Prophet (pbuh) gave Abu Bakr (rali) some money and asked him to buy some clothes for Ali and Fatima and Amar ibn Yasser helped Abu Bakr make the preparations for the wedding. Imagine such people helping with your wedding shopping.



Aisha (rali) and Um Salama (rali) prepared the home for the new couple. They took some mud and made it into cushions covered in fabric. They took dates and water, put up some clothes hooks, and other furnishings. The Prophet (pbuh) himself made the bed with his own hands, using palm leaves, wood and animal skin. He left them a pot, a water skin and a couple of stones to grind grain with.



Ali (rali) later said they had this one bed and used it for everything. They used to sleep at night on as a couch during the day, to feed their animals off of, and they never had a servant. It was an extremely simple home.



Fatimah (rali) had a new wedding dress. But one night she found out a young woman from the Ansar couldn’t find anything to wear, so she gave her dress to that young woman. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked why she quoted the Qur’anic verse "Never will you attain righteousness until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love"!



The Messenger of God (pbuh) himself performed the nikkah ceremony and two of his wives, Aisha (rali) and Umm Salama (rali), prepared the wedding feast with dates, figs, sheep and other food donated by various members of the Medinan community. The guest list featured almost all the prominent sahabah among the Ansar and the Muhajirun. The people came in groups and left after they ate food.



The marriage took place on 1 Dhu al-Hijjah AH 2 (May 25, CE 624). There was a 10 month gap between the nikkah (engagement) and the marriage. The rush of the engagement was said as to discourage other potential suitors.

The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to go home and to wait and he (pbuh) will come to them. Um Ayman was with Fatima. Ali and Fatima were both nervous, and the Prophet told them to stay seated. He took the water jug and made wudu, then he poured the water he made wudu with over Ali. He (pbuh) then called over to Fatima, who was shivering in shyness. He (pbuh) comforted herby telling her not to worry, “I have married you to the most beloved person in my family”. He made wudu, poured water over her and made a dua for them, “O Allah bless them in what is between them and what is upon them and bless them in their offspring.” Then he left the new couple alone, to start their life together.



Asma (rali), sister of Aisha (rali) said it was the best wedding she had ever attended, with only barley, dates and date paste. She said it was the happiest day they all had in Medina. In the same year the two Eids were also established as celebratory festivals. Such was the day that began the blessed union of Ali and Fatima, peace be upon them both.



As days passed from Fatima’s (rali) marriage, her absence became hard for the Prophet (s) to bear. He therefore considered moving them to his own house. But one of the Prophet’s (s) companions named Haritha b. Nu’man offered his house/land, which was close to the house/land of the Prophet (s), so Fatima (rali) and Ali (rali) moved to this place very close to the Prophet’s house and masjidh.



The blessed couple did have their disagreements but their home was one full of love and laughter - such that the Prophet (pbuh) used to comment that he could hear their laughter as he used to pass by their house.