Bi'tha: Difference between revisions

The term '''Bi'itha''' ('''Arabic''': '''بعثة'''), refers to the moment when Muhammad ibn Abdullah (s) was divinely appointed as a Prophet, marking the birth of Islam and the beginning of a transformative chapter in human history.

In the 40th year following the Year of the Elephant (‘Aam al-Fil), Prophet Muhammad (s) received the first divine revelation during his spiritual retreat in the Cave of Hira near Mecca. His prophethood was accompanied by extraordinary miracles, many of which had been prophesied in previous scriptures. At the time, Prophet Muhammad (s) was around 40 years old.

Though there is some variation in traditions regarding the exact date of this event, Shia Muslims traditionally observe the 27th of Rajab as the day of his prophethood. At the same time, Ahl al-Sunnah places more significance on the 17th of Ramadhan. According to multiple narrations, the prophetic mission commenced with the revelation of the first five verses of Surah Al-'Alaq. Notably, the first to accept Islam were Lady Khadijah (a.s) and Imam Ali (a.s).

In the Holy Quran, the period before the advent of Prophethood is described using the term "manifest error". <ref>Surah Al-Jumua, Verse 2</ref> This era is referred to in Islamic sources as the "Jahiliyya" (جاهلية), or the Age of Ignorance. According to Imam Ali (a.s), religious beliefs during this time were highly diverse; some individuals equated God with physical objects, while others associated divine attributes and revered names with idols. <ref>Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 1</ref>

During this period, idol worship was prevalent among the Arabs, with a large number of idols present, reaching up to 360 within the Kaaba. Idols such as Manat, <ref>Al-Asnam, p. 13</ref> Lāt, <ref>Al-Asnam, p. 16</ref> ‘Uzzā, <ref>History of Pre-Islamic Arabia," p. 379</ref> and Hubal <ref>Al-Asnam, p. 27</ref> were particularly venerated among the polytheists. In addition to idol worship, religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism were also known among the Arabs during the era preceding the Prophethood.

There are several perspectives on the religious beliefs of Prophet Muhammad (s) before his prophetic mission began. Some scholars suggest that he did not follow any specific religious law during that period. <ref>Al-Mu'utamad fi Usul al-Fiqh, vol. 1, p. 276. Subulu Al-Hadi, Vol. 8, pp. 70-71. Al-Shifa, Bita'arifi Huquqi Al-Mustafa, vol. 2, p. 148.</ref> Others remain neutral on the issue, refraining from making a conclusive statement. <ref>Al-Shafa Bita'arifi Huquqi al-Mustafa's, vol. 2, p. 148; Al-Mankhul, p. 319; Al-Ahkam, vol. 4, p. 137; Al-Dhari'ah, vol. 2, p. 597; Al-Ibtihaj, vol. 2, p. 275.</ref> Another viewpoint holds that the Prophet may have followed the religious teachings of earlier prophets, such as Noah, <ref>Al-Mankhul, p. 318</ref> Abraham, <ref>Majma'u Al-Bayan, vol. 6, p. 209.</ref> Moses, <ref>Tafsir Qurtubi, vol. 16, p. 57; Al-Mustasfa, vol. 1, p. 165.</ref> Jesus, <ref>Tafsir Qurtubi, vol. 16, p. 57; Al-Mankhul, p. 319.</ref> or other figures, <ref>Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 7, p. 217.</ref> or that he adhered to a righteous but undefined spiritual path. <ref>Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 16, p. 57.</ref>

It is also mentioned that even before his formal prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (s) had interactions with the Angel of Revelation. <ref>Haq al-Yaqeen, vol. 1, p. 179.</ref> By the age of forty, he had reached the status of prophethood, <ref>Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 26, p. 75; vol. 18, p. 278.</ref> receiving divine guidance and worshipping God according to the instructions given to him. <ref>Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p. 278.</ref> However, it was only upon reaching the age of forty and encountering the Angel of Revelation that he was tasked with proclaiming the new religious law. <ref>Tarikh al-Khamis, vol. 1, p. 254.</ref>  

Around 40 years after the Year of the Elephant, the Prophet Muhammad (s) was divinely appointed by God to lead humankind. <ref>Imta' al-Asma', vol. 1, p. 32; Tarikh al-Islam, vol. 1, p. 24; Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 2, p. 321.</ref> According to widely accepted reports, the initiation of his prophethood and the first revelation occurred when he was 40 years old, <ref>Tarikh al-Yaqoubi, vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> although some sources suggest it happened when he was 43. <ref>Sirat Ibn Ishaq, p. 114.</ref>

Narratives about the first revelation differ among various companions, leading to some inconsistencies in the details. Nonetheless, a consistent element across these reports is that the first divine revelation began with the descent of several verses of the Holy Qur'an while the Prophet was in seclusion in the Cave of Hira for worship and reflection. <ref>Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 154; Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 2, pp. 48-49.</ref> <ref>Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 2, p. 47.</ref> <ref>Ansāb al-Ashrāf, vol. 1, pp. 104-105.</ref> Additionally, some accounts describe the initial phase of this divine communication as the Prophet receiving truthful dreams prior to his formal appointment as a prophet. <ref>Sahīh al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, p. 3.</ref>

For most Shia Muslims, the 27th of Rajab is observed as the Day of Bi'itha, <ref>Bihār al-Anwār, j. 18, p. 190; al-Ṣaḥīḥ min Sīrat al-Nabī, j. 2, p. 64-65.</ref> while Sunni Muslims commemorate it on the 17th of Ramadan. <ref>Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hishām, j. 1, p. 158; al-Ṭabaqāt, j. 1, p. 193-194.</ref> This day marks the initiation of the prophetic mission of Prophet Muhammad (S), a pivotal and crucial event in the history of Islam. It is reported that Umar ibn al-Khattab once suggested that the bi'thah should serve as the starting point of the Islamic calendar. However, this proposal was not accepted. Instead, on the recommendation of Ali (AS), the Prophet’s migration (Hijrah) was chosen as the defining moment to begin the Islamic calendar. <ref>Tārīkh Yaʿqūbī, j. 2, p. 145.</ref>

With the revelation of the first divine verses, Prophet Muhammad (s) embarked on his prophetic mission. His wife, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid al-Asadi, was the first woman to accept Islam, a fact universally acknowledged by historians. <ref>Tārīkh Yaʿqūbī, j. 2, p. 23.</ref> According to the prevailing consensus among both Shia and Sunni scholars, <ref>Al-Sīrah al-Ḥalabiyyah, j. 1, p. 382.</ref> the first man to embrace Islam was Imam Ali (a.s). <ref>Al-Ghadīr, j. 3, s. 95; Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hishām, j. 1, s. 162.</ref>