SEERAT UN NABI

*In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful*

*Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH)*

*(Episode No. 1)*

*Al-Ma'rifat Manzil*

From today, the blessed series of the Seerat of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is being started. But before discussing his (PBUH) blessed Seerat, it is very important to familiarize you with the land of Arabia and the Arab nation and the general conditions of that era, so that you can better understand what the conditions of Arabia and the world were like at the time of his (PBUH) birth.

The country of Arabia is a peninsula, with the Arabian Sea to its south, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to its east, and the Red Sea to its west. This country, surrounded by water on three sides, has the country of Syria to its north. Overall, most of this country consists of deserts and uninhabited, barren valleys, while some areas are also famous for their greenery and lushness. Geographically, its parts are as follows:

*1. Yemen:*

Yemen has been the most fertile region of the Arabian Peninsula, which was given this name because of its peacefulness. The climate is temperate and there are vast, lush valleys among its mountains where fruits and vegetables are produced in abundance. This was the abode of the nation of 'Saba' who built many dams for irrigation, including the famous dam named 'Marib'. When punishment came upon them due to the disobedience of this nation, this very dam broke and a great flood came, due to which the nation of Saba scattered throughout the length and breadth of Arabia.

*2. Hijaz:*

To the north of Yemen is the region of Hijaz. Hijaz is that part of the country of Arabia which Allah chose to light the lamp of the light of guidance. The central city of this region is Makkah Al-Mukarramah, which is a desert area consisting of barren valleys and mountains. The second important city of Hijaz is Yathrib, which was later called Madinat-un-Nabi (PBUH), while to the east of Makkah is the city of Taif, which, due to its green and lush fields and shady palm groves and abundance of various fruits, is like an earthly paradise in the desert of Arabia. In Hijaz, the valleys of Badr, Uhud, Bir Ma'una, Hudaybiyyah and Khaybar are also noteworthy.

*3. Najd:*

An important part of the country of Arabia is Najd, which is to the east of Hijaz and where the capital of Saudi Arabia, "Riyadh," is located today.

*4. Hadhramaut:*

This is a coastal region to the east of Yemen. Apparently a desolate area. In ancient times, there were two cities named "Zafar" and "Shiban" here.

*5. Eastern Coastal Regions (Arab Emirates):*

These include the regions of Oman, Al-Ahsa and Bahrain. In ancient times, pearls were extracted from the sea here, while today this region is rich in oil wealth.

*6. Valley of Sinai:*

To the northeast of Hijaz, between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, is the region of the Valley of Sinai, where the nation of Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, wandered in the desert for forty years. Mount Sinai is also located here, where Hazrat Musa (AS) was given the tablets of the Torah.

*Note:*

Keep one thing in mind that the original country of Arabia included the area of today's Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, and Oman, while countries like Syria, Iraq, and Egypt were conquered later and a large number of Arabs migrated and settled there, and as a result these countries also took on an Arab color. But the original Arab region is the one that consists of the area of present-day Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen and the shape of this peninsula can be clearly seen on the map.

Why Arabia was given the name "Arab" - there are two opinions about it. According to one opinion, the literal meaning of the word Arab is "eloquence and fluency of language". In terms of eloquence and rhetoric, the Arabs did not consider other nations to be their equal and comparable, so they called themselves Arab (eloquent) and the rest of the world Ajam (mute)... (to be continued)

According to the second opinion, the word Arab is derived from "Arbah" which means desert and wasteland. Since most of this country consists of desert and wilderness, the whole country came to be called Arab... to be continued

_Seerat al-Mustafa.. Maulana Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi.._