Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Islamic Kerak

Islamic Kerak


The most significant and the fiercest battle fought during Prophet Mohammad's Peace and Blessings be Upon Him lifetime was theBattle of Mutah (629 AD). It also took the lives of his closest companions, martyred fighting against a combined Byzantine/Ghassanid army. You can visit the tombs of the venerable companions Zaid ibn Harithah May Allah be Pleased with HimJa'far ibn Abi Talib May Allah be Pleased with Him, and Abdullah ibn Ruwahah May Allah be Pleased with Him in the town of Al-Mazar Al-Janubi near Kerak.
Tomb of Zaid ibn Harithah (raa), KerakProphet Mohammad's Peace and Blessings be Upon Him adopted son, the venerable companion Zaid ibn Harithah May Allah be Pleased with Him led the Muslim army during the Battle of Mutah. Zaid May Allah be Pleased with Him fought in matchless spirit of bravery until he fell, fatally stabbed. He is the only companion mentioned in the Holy Qur'an by name [Sura 33, verse 37]: "Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, we joined her in marriage to thee: in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved (their marriage) with them. And Allah's command must be fulfilled".
The deputy commander of the army the venerable companion Ja'far ibn Abi Talib May Allah be Pleased with Him, cousin of Prophet Mohammad Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, then took the banner after Zaid May Allah be Pleased with Him. He is often known as "The Flying Ja'far" because he lost his hands during the battle and continued to hold the banner. Ja'far May Allah be Pleased with Him, was known to be similar to the Prophet both in features and in character. He was renowned for his kindness towards the needy and for narrating the hadiths directly from the Prophet Peace and Blessings be Upon Him.
Ja'far May Allah be Pleased with Him was charged with heading a group of Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). The non-believers sent a delegation headed by Amr ibn Al-Aas to bring the Muslims back to Mecca. A debate took place in the presence of the King of Abyssinia where Ja'far May Allah be Pleased with Him proved to be indomitable and unflinching in elaborating the Muslim viewpoint.
When the King asked him about Prophet Mohammad's Peace and Blessings be Upon Him opinion of Jesus Peace be Upon Him the son of Mary, Ja'far May Allah be Pleased with Him wisely answered: "I will tell you what Prophet Mohammad Peace and Blessings be Upon Him says about Jesus based on the words of Allah The One and Only GodJesus is the spirit and word of Allah The One and Only God who revealed it to Mary the Pious Virgin". Content with the reply, the King of Abyssinia allowed the Muslims to stay.
Tomb of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (raa), Kerak
The venerable companion Abdullah ibn Ruwahah May Allah be Pleased with Him, the third in charge of the army after Zaid May Allah be Pleased with Himand Ja'far May Allah be Pleased with Him, then assumed command. Abdullah May Allah be Pleased with Him was known among the companions for his piety, obedience and patience. Furthermore, he was a faithful and selflessly dedicated soldier. He was a famous poet of his time, and became the Prophet's poet. Before being martyred in the Battle of Mutah, Abdullah May Allah be Pleased with Him said the following lines as his army faced an overwhelming number of Byzantine and Ghassanid Arab troops:
"O my soul! If you are not killed, you are bound to die anyway. This is the fate of death overtaking you. What you have wished for, you have been granted. If you do what they (Zaid and Ja'far) have done. Then you are rightly guided".
In and around Kerak other shrines of significance to Islam are located. You can visit Prophet Nuh 'Noah'Peace be Upon Him shrine in the city of Kerak. Allah The One and Only God sent Noah Peace be Upon Him to his people to warn them of divine punishment if they continued to worship idols. As stated in the Holy Qur'an in a Sura entitled Noah (Sura 71, verses 1-3): "We sent Noah to his People (with the Command): Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Chastisement. He said: O my People! I am to you a Warner, clear and open: That ye should worship Allah, fear Him and obey me".
The Shrine of Prophet Noah (pbuh), Kerak
Credited with great wisdom and piety, the Prophet and King of Israel, Sulayman 'Solomon' Peace be Upon Him, has a shrine in Sarfah near Kerak. Prophet Solomon Peace be Upon Him had great powers that included control over the winds, over the Jinnis and understanding the language of birds and other animals. Islam regards Solomon as impeccable like his father Prophet and King Dawud 'David' Peace be Upon HimProphet Solomon Peace be Upon Him is mentioned in 16 verses in the Holy Qur'an.
Also in Kerak is the shrine of Zaid ibn Ali ibn Al-Hussein May Allah be Pleased with Him. He was the great, great, grandson ofProphet Mohammad Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, and a religious leader known for his righteous, majestic and knowledgeable ways. When describing Zaid May Allah be Pleased with HimAl-Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq said: "Among us he was the best read in the Holy Qur'an, and the most knowledgeable about religion, and the most caring towards family and relatives".