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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Allah had warned Prophet Muhammad in the Quran (64:4) that his companions contained hypocrites so skilled at deceit that the prophet himself was pleased by their speech and appearance. Only revelation could expose them.

Later, during the return from the Tabuk expedition, while Prophet Muhammad went through a mountain pass while instructing his army to pass from below, some of these hypocrites tried to assault the prophet by startling his horse into dropping him off the cliff. Their plan was foiled and they fled. Despite wearing masks to hide their identies, they could be known by their horses.

The Quran (9:47) said that these hypocrites had renounced faith after becoming Muslims out of greed and vindictiveness.

However, instead of punishing those men, Prophet Muhammad decided to not pursue them because of the division it could cause amongh the Muslims. Those were men who appeared to be highly respected (as Quran 64:4 implied) and accusations against them would risk causing fitna.

Only Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman was told their names, and Prophet Muhammad instructed him to keep it a secret.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=731

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll8DOnchjAI&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT

When leaving for Tabuk, the Prophet (s) appointed Imam Ali (as) as his deputy in Madinah to protect against any uprising led by the Munafiqeen. Explaining it's significance, he said to Imam Ali "You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me."

There were at least 7 occasions that Prophet Muhammad made such a statement during his life.

One such occasion was narrated by Umar ibn Al-Khattab, when he emphasized how precious such a statement was by saying "If I had [a quality like that mentioned about me or my family], it would be dearer to me than anything."

What ranks did Prophet Harun have compared to Prophet Musa?
- Minister
- Helper
- Brother
- Backer/Strengthener
- Partner

The lecture includes objections Sunni scholars have raised to believing that this status continued after the Prophet's death, and Shia rebuttals to those objections.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=724

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wgpyhlgVQ&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT

This lecture covers the prelude to the Battle of Tabuk. Key topics include:
- Birth of Ibrahim: Upon returning to Medina, the Prophet’s wife Mariya the Coptic gave birth to a son, named Ibrahim. The Angel Gabriel congratulated the Prophet on becoming a father.
- Expedition of Tabuk: This was the last military campaign led by the Prophet. It aimed to preempt a rumored Roman invasion and also test the faith and commitment of the Muslim community during extreme summer heat and the harvest season.
- Challenges and Sacrifices: The expedition required significant personal sacrifice, including traveling long distances in severe heat and missing the harvest season, leading to financial hardships.
- Legitimate Excuses: Some individuals, including the poor, weak, and elderly, were excused from the expedition due to genuine inability to participate, yet their desperately wanted to go.
- The Repenters: A group of companions who stayed behind were punished with social ostracism. They later repented and were forgiven after 50 days.
Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=720

Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Ehi7GsQf0&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT

After victory against Banu Thaqif at Hunayn, Prophet Muhammad marched his army to Ta'if, where Banu Thaqif had retreated to and barricated themselves inside with enough food and water to last them for a year.

The Prophet declared any slaves who joined Islam and left the fortress would be granted freedom, and many took him up on the offer.

As the siege extended, the prophet decided a military victory there wasn't necessary. Thaif was isolated from all allies and would eventually realize it's advantageous to join Islam.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=710.

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

Banu Thaqif had been long standing rivals of the Quraysh. They saw the Quraysh's defeated as an opportunity to attack and seize control of Mecca for themselves.

In response, Prophet Muhammad called all Muslims to battle and led an army of 12,000 against them. Banu Thaqif's side had over 20,000.

Banu Thaqif setup an ambush in the Valley of Hunain, making most Muslims flee. However, Prophet Muhammad was able to rally the troops and counter the assault.

During the battle, some tribes had begun killing women and children, and were later strongly rebuked for it by Prophet Muhammad, formalizing the prohibition against killing non-combatants and civilian rights.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=706.

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpYmvk1JQSI&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

After the conquest of Mecca, hundreds of thousands of Arabs came to the prophet to convert and pledge their allegiance. This lecture covers why they joined now and reflects the verses of Surah An-Nasr which predicted this.

The Prophet also sent various small expiditions to the surrounding tribes to invite them to Islam.

The last of the pagan tribes decided to attack the Muslims in a final stand, setting the stage for the Battle of Hunayn.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=695.

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QDkg3-SzFg&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

Prophet Muhammad destroys all the idols in the Kaaba with Imam Ali's help and washes the images that had been drawn inside.

He then introduced Islam to the Meccans, discarding their ideas of nationalism and tribalism, and offered a general amnesty regardless of if they convert to Islam.

Prophet Muhammad told Bilal to climb on top of the Kaaba to give the Azaan. Ikrima bin Abu Jahl saw that and made disparraging remarks about it, with a couple other pagans agreeing. They were soon shokced when Prophet Muhammad came over and said "I know what you said about Bilal" and repeated their words verbatim, revealing his miraculous knowledge.

The Prophet stayed in Mecca for 19 more days and during that time many prominent Meccans who had initially resisted conversion would end up converting instead of fleeing, including Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, Suhayl ibn Amr, and Safwan ibn Umayyah.

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=691.

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=A_2pklaBlHA&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.