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Bi'tha

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Bi'tha (Arabic: البعثة), is the appointment of Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah as a prophet by God which marked the beginning of Islam.

In the fortieth year after the Year of the Elephant, while seeking solitude in the Hira Cave near Mecca, the revelation was bestowed upon Muhammad. This marked the beginning of his prophethood, accompanied by miracles, as foretold in previous scriptures. Muhammad was around forty years old at the time.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the exact date of the Prophet's mission; the 27th of Rajab is more commonly accepted by Shia Muslims, while the 17th of Ramadan is more widely accepted by Sunnis. According to traditions, the first revelation was the first five verses of Sura al-'Alaq. The first to believe in the Prophet(s) were Khadija(a) and Ali(a).

Concept

Bi'tha, derived from the root "ba-'ayn-tha",[1] signifies sending,[2] awakening,[3] or dispatching.[4] In its various usages, this root encompasses the concepts of selection and sending, collectively understood as 'awakening.'[5] In Islamic theology, bi'tha specifically refers to God appointing prophets to guide humanity.[6] This concept is rooted in Quranic verses such as 16:36 and 17:15, where God emphasizes belief in Him, the sending of prophets, and the punishment for those who disbelieve."

Hijaz Before Bi'tha

The Quran describes the state of affairs before the Prophet's mission as "clear misguidance."[7] This era is referred to in Islamic sources as the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya). According to Imam Ali (a), people were religiously fragmented and scattered; some likened God to phenomena, while others attributed valuable names and virtuous attributes to idols.[8] The most common practice among the Arabs was idol worship, and it was so popular that the number of idols quickly increased, and up to 360 idols were installed and maintained in the Ka'ba. The idols of Manat,[9] Lat,[10] Uzza,[11] and Hubal[12] held a high position among the polytheists. In addition to idol worship, Judaism, Christianity, and Dualism were among the common religions among the Arabs at the time of the Prophet's mission.

Propehecies of Bi'tha

According to Quranic verses, the attributes of the Islamic Prophet were foretold in the earlier scriptures, namely the Old Testament and the New Testament.[13] This made it crucial for the followers of these religions to recognize and witness the arrival of this prophet.[14] Additionally, Arab seers had also prophesied the coming of a prophet in the Hijaz.[15]

Religion of Muhammad (s) Prior to His 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.[16] Others remain neutral on the issue, refraining from making a conclusive statement.[17] Another viewpoint holds that the Prophet may have followed the religious teachings of earlier prophets, such as Noah,[18] Abraham,[19] Moses,[20] Jesus,[21] or a group of prophets,[22] or that he adhered to a righteous but undefined shari'a.[23]

It is said that the angel of revelation spoke with Muhammad (s) before Bi'tha.[24] The Prophet of Islam held the position of prophethood before the age of forty[25], and religious rulings were revealed to him, and he worshiped God in the same way.[26] When he saw the angel of revelation at the age of forty, he was obliged to preach the new Sharia.[27]

Objectives of Bi'tha

The Quran considers one of the purposes of the prophets' mission to be the completion of God's proof to the people, so that they do not say: We did not have a leader and guide and we did not know.[28] According to verses and hadiths, education and training[29] and resolving the disagreements of people,[30] fair judgment among them[31] and the liberation of human beings from the clutches of the oppressors[32] are considered other purposes and wisdoms of the mission of the prophets.

Events of Bi'tha

Hira' Cave

Around 40 years after the Year of the Elephant, Muhammad (s) was appointed by God to guide humanity.[33] According to widely accepted reports, the initiation of his prophethood and the first revelation occurred when he was 40 years old,[34] although some sources suggest it happened when he was 43.[35]

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 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.[36] Additionally, some accounts describe the initial phase of this divine communication as the Prophet (s) receiving truthful dreams prior to his formal appointment as a prophet.[37]

Day of Bi'tha

For most Shia Muslims, the 27th of Rajab is observed as the Day of Bi'tha,[38] while Sunni Muslims commemorate it on the 17th of Ramadhan.[39]

The Prophet Muhammad's Bi'tha was the first important event in the history of Muslims, and 'Umar b. al-Khattab suggested that it be the starting point of the Muslim calendar; but with Ali's (a) suggestion, the emigration of the Prophet (s) was chosen as the starting point of the Muslim calendar.[40]

First Revealed Verses

It is widely narrated that the first five verses of Sura al-'Alaq were the initial revelations to Prophet Muhammad (s).[41] However, some sources suggest that Sura al-Muddaththir,[42] or Sura Al-Fatiha were the first verses.[43]

First Believers

With the revelation of the first verses, Prophet Muhammad (s) started his prophetic mission. His wife, Khadijah bt. Khuwaylid al-Asadi, was the first woman to accept Islam, a fact universally acknowledged by historians.[44] According to the prevailing consensus among both Shia and Sunni scholars,[45] the first man to embrace Islam was Ali (a).[46]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mufradāt, vol. 1, p. 132, the term "Ba'th/بعث"
  2. ↑ Al-ʿAyn, Volume 2, p. 112, the term "Ba'atha/ بعث"
  3. ↑ Al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, Volume 1, p. 295, the term "Ba'atha"
  4. ↑ Mufradāt, vol. 1, p. 133
  5. ↑ Al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, Volume 1, p. 295
  6. ↑ Farhang-i Shīʿa, p 159
  7. ↑ Sura Al-Jumua, Verse 2
  8. ↑ Nahj al-balāgha, Sermon 1
  9. ↑ Al-Aṣnām, p. 13
  10. ↑ Al-Aṣnām, p. 16
  11. ↑ Tārīkh-i ʿArab-i Qabl az Islām, p. 379
  12. ↑ Al-Aṣnām, p. 27
  13. ↑ Sura al-Saff:6; Sura al-Baqara:142; Sura al-An'am:20
  14. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 117; Itḥāf al-warā, vol. 1, p. 187-190.
  15. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 123; Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Kathīr, vol. 1, p. 286.
  16. ↑ Al-Muʿtamad fī uṣūl al-fiqh, vol. 1, p. 276. Subul al-Huda, Vol. 8, pp. 70-71. Al-Shifāʾ bi-taʿrīf ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā, vol. 2, p. 148.
  17. ↑ Al-Shifāʾ bi-taʿrīf ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā, vol. 2, p. 148; Al-Mankhūl, p. 319; Al-Ahkam, vol. 4, p. 137; Al-Dhari'a, vol. 2, p. 597; Al-Ibtihaj, vol. 2, p. 275.
  18. ↑ Al-Mankhūl, p. 318
  19. ↑ Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 209.
  20. ↑ Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, vol. 16, p. 57; Al-Mustasfa, vol. 1, p. 165.
  21. ↑ Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, vol. 16, p. 57; Al-Mankhūl, p. 319.
  22. ↑ Rūh al-maʿānī, vol. 7, p. 217.
  23. ↑ Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, vol. 16, p. 57.
  24. ↑ Ḥaqq al-yaqīn, vol. 1, p. 179.
  25. ↑ Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 26, p. 75; vol. 18, p. 278.
  26. ↑ Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 18, p. 278.
  27. ↑ Tārīkh al-khamīs, vol. 1, p. 254.
  28. ↑ Sura al-Nisa:165; Min Hudā al-Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 257; Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 2, p. 213.
  29. ↑ Sura al-Jumu'a:2.
  30. ↑ Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 2, pp. 131-132.
  31. ↑ Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 3, p. 198.
  32. ↑ Al-Kāfī, vol. 8, p. 386; Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 12, p. 243.
  33. ↑ Imtāʿ al-asmāʾ, vol. 1, p. 32; Tārīkh al-Islām, vol. 1, p. 24; Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 2, p. 321.
  34. ↑ Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, vol. 2, p. 22.
  35. ↑ Sīra Ibn Isḥāq, p. 114.
  36. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 154; Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, vol. 2, pp. 48-49; Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 1, pp. 104-105.
  37. ↑ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, p. 3.
  38. ↑ Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 18, p. 190; al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-Nabī, vol. 2, p. 64-65.
  39. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 158; al-Ṭabaqāt, vol. 1, p. 193-194.
  40. ↑ Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, vol. 2, p. 145.
  41. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 155; Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 428.
  42. ↑ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 6, p. 74; Al-Awāʾil, p. 43.
  43. ↑ Al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, p. 270; Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 398; al-Itqān, vol. 1, p. 77.
  44. ↑ Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, vol. 2, p. 23.
  45. ↑ Al-Sīra al-Ḥalabīyya, j. 1, p. 382.
  46. ↑ Al-Ghadīr, vol. 3, s. 95; Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya, Ibn Hishām, vol. 1, p. 162.

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