The Sealed Nectar | Biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri

The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their religion. So they gathered there, determined to speak the truth before him. He asked them, ``What is this religion that has caused you to separate from your people, to not enter my religion or any of the others’?’’ Ja`far bin Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: “O king! We were an ignorant people. We worshipped idols and ate the meat of dead carcasses. We were accustomed to lewd behavior, to severing the ties of kinship, neglecting our neighbors, and the strong among us consumed [the property of] the weak. This is how we were, but then Allah sent a Messenger to us. We were aware of his lineage, his truthfulness, that he was trustworthy, and chaste. He began inviting us to Allah, that we single Him out and that we worship him. So we left the religion of our forefathers that we had followed previously, we left the worship of stones and idols, of all others besides Allah. He also commanded us to be truthful in our speech, fulfill trusts, nurture the ties of kinship, be kind to our neighbor, and to refrain from spilling blood unlawfully. He forbade us from lewd behavior, from obscene speech, from consuming the orphan’s wealth, and from slandering chaste women. He commanded that we worship Allah Alone without associating anything with him, he commanded us to perform the prayer, give charity, and fast” -- and he listed the Islamic injunctions. He continued, `...