Muhammad (saw): A Blessing for Mankind

Birth

Muhammad (PBUH) (Blessings and Peace be upon him) was born in Makkah, Arabia, on Monday, 12 Rabi' Al-Awwal (2 August C.E). His mother, Aminah was the daughter of Wahb bin Abd Al-Manaf of the Zahrah family. His father, Abdullah, was the son of Abd Al-Muttalib.

His genealogy has been traced to the noble house of Isma'il, the son of Ibrahim (Abraham) (PBUH) (May Peace be upon him) in about the fortieth descent. Muhammad's father had died before his birth and his mother died when he was about six years old making him an orphan. In accordance with the tradition of noble families of Makkah, he was taken by a foster mother, Halimah, to her village where he lived for a few years.

Have you ever wondered what the Prophet Muhammad was like?

Appearance

Muhammad (pbuh) was of a height a little above the average. He was of sturdy build with long muscular limbs and tapering fingers. The hair of his head was long and thick with some waves in them. His forehead was large and prominent, his eyelashes were long and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was somewhat large and his teeth were well set. His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant smile. His eyes were large and black with a touch of brown. His beard was thick and at the time of his death, he had seventeen gray hairs in it. He had a thin line of fine hair over his neck and chest.

Bethlehem: (IAP News) - In scenes underscoring Israeli brutality against Palestinians, the Israeli occupation army on Wednesday overran the small village of Tku', five miles south west of Bethlehem, firing numerous stun grenades and tear gas canisters on and into villager's homes.

Palestinian sources said as many as 50 villagers, including many children, were hospitalized, mostly as a result of tear gas suffocation and of shock.

Villagers told the "Voice of Palestine" that as many as a hundred stun grenades and tear gas canisters were fired, and that a big cloud of tear gas formed over the village.

Zionist occupation soldiers who arrived at the small village in six armored vehicles wore special masks against tear gas.

Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv

THE government of Ariel Sharon, meeting today for the first time, is to urge Israel's parliament to approve a law that would allow the security service to torture Arab detainees.

The use of "moderate physical pressure" during interrogation has been oulawed by the high court and Yossi Beilin, the former Labour justice minister, resisted demands by Shin Bet, the domestic security service, for its reintroduction.

Political sources said Sharon's administration, which was sworn in on Wednesday, was sympathetic to the demand and had enough support to push the measure through the Knesset.

AMMAN, March 8 (AFP) - Jordanian newspapers exhorted Arab leaders Thursday to boycott any envoy from the new government of hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which they accused of "war-mongering".

JERUSALEM, (AFP)- Israel came under fire from human rights activists again Thursday for turning a blind eye to Jewish settlers who kill Palestinans, a day after being pilloried for using excessive force against the Palestinian uprising.

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said settlers have killed six Palestinians during the current Palestinian intifada, with Israeli law enforcement agencies investigating only two of the deaths.

UN human rights investigators also called Wednesday for international monitors to be deployed in the Palestinian territories, where they say Israel has used "excessive and disproportionate force" since the eruption of violence nearly six months ago that has cost more than 440 lives.

by Hisham Abdallah

RAMALLAH, West Bank, (AFP) - Israel further tightened its choking blockade on the Palestinian territories Sunday, using tanks to seal off a swathe of the West Bank and prompting Palestinian calls for urgent UN action to end the siege.

"The new Israeli government and its prime minister have officially launched a new war against the Palestinian people," Palestinian information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said.

He said Israel had closed off Palestinian towns and villages, banned movement of goods and people and moved in heavy armour and tanks as part of a "100 days war" aimed at crushing the five-and-a-half month intifada or Palestinian revolt.

Occupied Jerusalem: (IAP News) - Another Palestinian, a woman aged 48, today died of her illness when zionist occupation soldiers manning a roadblock near Jenin, in the northern West Bank, denied the woman access to hospital.

Palestinian sources said Amira Nasr Abu Zeid died of coronary arrest at the Jalameh roadblock, near Jenin when zionist occupation soldiers refused to allow the car to pass, which was taking her to hospital in Jenin, on the grounds that the road was a closed military zone.

The sources said the car was kept waiting for two hours before an Israeli soldier told the driver that he ought to return because the road was closed.

CAIRO, Muslim scholars called on Afghanistan's Taliban militia to overturn a decision to demolish statues across the country, but also said Western outcry over the monuments was misplaced as thousands of human souls are lost to hunger and wars with no comparable uproar.

The "Taliban should focus on fighting poverty, diseases, unemployment and bloodshed on its soil and not on destroying relics, which are a living lesson of history," said Sheikh Youssif al-Qaradawi, a popular Muslim cleric based in Qatar, in a statement distributed on Friday.

"The U.N. and Western countries should also show similar anger over Israeli aggression towards the Palestinians and towards famines and wars across the world."

By Muhammad Al Shareef

Many years ago in Uzbekistan, a baby boy was born blind. His Mother, the strong Mu'minah that she was, did not lose sight of He who had the Power to cure him. She prayed and prayed for her sons sight. And within a few years the boy regained his eyes.