Quba, Jumu'ah, and al-Nur

The students left for another fieldtrip at around six in the morning. First, they visited Masjid Quba and prayed there. Next, they went to Masjid Jumu’ah and also prayed there. One feels blessed, awed, and honored to pray in the masjids where the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, prayed.

The next stop was at the well of ‘Athq. One of the shaykhs in Medina welcomed the students with a delicious breakfast comprised of refreshing water from the well, fresh yogurt, wholesome bread, and sweet Medina dates. The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, had stopped there and had dates and water.

Finally, the trip ended with a stop at Masjid al-Nur. Two sahabah had been studying there when it got too dark for them to see, so the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, gave them his walking stick, which provided light so they were able to see. There is also a well there.

Later in the day, at around five in the afternoon, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqubi continued with his Shifa’ class. He went over chapter two, section one, entitled, “Concerning the necessity of loving him.” Shaykh Muhammad said that the Qur’an warns that one should beware if one gives priority to the dunya (world) over Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of God be upon him (see Qur’an 9:25). The Shaykh quoted a hadith in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, states, “None of you is a believer until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father, and all people.” Shaykh Muhammad provided as an example an incident involving Abu Bakr: One of his sons, Abd al-Rahman, had not yet become Muslim at the time of the Battle of Badr. After the battle, he told his father that he avoided killing him during the battle. Abu Bakr responded that if he had the opportunity to kill his son, he would have. Shaykh Muhammad explained that the reason for this was that Abu Bakr wanted to protect the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. Since, at that time, like the rest of the non-Muslims at the battle, Abd al-Rahman was a threat to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, Abu Bakr would not have hesitated to kill his own son in order to protect the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him. Shaykh Muhammad continued the Shifa’ class at around 9:30, after the night prayer, and covered section two, “On the reward of loving the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him,” and section three, “On what is related from the Salaf and the Imams about their love for the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and their yearning for him.”