Among the delegations that came to Prophet Muhammad was on e from the Christians of Najran after their chief chief bishop and his people were invited to Islam. They came to negotiate a truce with the Prophet.

They offered terms that were unacceptable to the Prophet, and he invited them to a Mubahila, a prayer for divine curse upon the liars. The Prophet accepted, and a verse from the Quran was revealed telling each side to call their sons, women, and selves to invoke the curse.

While the Christians brough all their leaders, Prophet Muhammad brought only his daughter Fatima, his cousin Ali, and his grandsons Hasan and Husayn. The Christians were struck with fear at seeing their luminous faces and did not go through with the Mubahila.

The lecture goes on to discuss how this event highlights the importance of the family of the Prophet, comparing both Sunni and Shia views.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=742.

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj9d6jaAWv0&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

The Expedition of Tabuk demonstrated to Arabs the strength of the Muslims. Over the next year, the various tribes responded by sending the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delegations to accept Islam and pledge their allegiance. Prophet Muhammmad welcomed them & forgave past conflicts.

He focused on:
- Renouncing idolatry & polytheism
- Spreading Islamic knowledge
- Building strong alliances and goodwill

The Prophet's Methods:

- Generosity: Gave gifts (gold, dates, land) to solidify alliances.
- Compassion: Blessed children & offered amnesty even before requested.
- Education: Assigned teachers to delegations.
- Respect: Gave new, honorable names to some converts.

Examples:

Bedouin Tribe: Wanted to convert & requested financial aid. The Quran revealed their motives weren't pure faith, but the Prophet didn't reject them.

Banu Thaqif: A stubborn tribe, they initially set conditions for conversion (avoid prayer, keep idols). The Prophet refused some demands but offered amnesty & teachers.
- Uthman ibn Abi Al-Aas (secret Muslim from the tribe) was assigned to be their governor, highlighting the Prophet's trust in young converts.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=738.

Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.

Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-q9VNc-wo0&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

Masjid ad Zarar, the Mosque of Harm, was a mosque built by the hypocrites of Madinah to coverty oppose the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They completed it just before Prophet Muhammad departed on the Expedition of Tabuk.

Upon his return, Allah revealed their hypocracy in the Quran and the Prophet ordered the mosque to be destroyed.

Soon after, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the leader of the Munafiqeen fell critically ill, and he asked the Prophet to pray for him. After his death, his son asked the Prophet to lead his father's funeral prayer.

Out of mercy, the Prophet decided to pray for him, but Umar ibn al-Khattab forcefully objected, grabbing the prophet by his shirt, claiming Allah had prohibited the prayer. The Prophet replied "Allah has given me the choice. He said 'If you seek forgiveness 70 times, God will not forgive him" (there's no prohibition given) so I'll ask for more than 70 times."

Key lessons from this include:
- Don't pray in a mosque that advances the agenda of Islam's enemies. Don't become their pawns
- Worship cannot be detached from the political goals of Islam
- Leaders serve as exemplars for others, and thus have an elevated responsibility
- When we restrict acccess to centers of corruptions, we still have to provide alternatives
- The true worth of a masjid is reflected in the character of it's congregation
- Earnest desire for purification is a virtue Allah loves
- The worth of our actions depends on our intentions
- Anything undertaken with evil intentions is always on the verge of collapse
- Misuse of a mosque is a type of oppression
- Sometimes spiritual and psychological ailments are deeply rooted traits that resist change

Life of Prophet Muhammad by Sheikh Azhar Nasser

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Lecture slides available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=735

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