Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khayr al-Ibad

Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khayr al-Ibad (Arabic: حملة الأوغاد على خير العباد, lit. 'The Campaign of Rascals Against the Best of Servants') is an apologetic treatise written by the contemporary Egyptian author Shehata Saqr in defense of the Prophet Muhammad against derogatory campaigns and mockery Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1.

Background and Purpose

The book was written in response to defamatory campaigns and insults directed at the Prophet Muhammad that provoked outrage across the Muslim world Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…. Saqr opens the work with the subtitle "The Barking of Dogs Does Not Harm the Clouds" (La yadurr al-sahab nab‘ al-kilab) and invokes the metaphor that attempting to revile the Prophet is like spitting at the sun: the spit will only fall back on the face of the perpetrator without diminishing the brilliance of the sun Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1. He attributes this comparison to the German Muslim preacher Pierre Vogel (Abu Hamzah), noting his conversion from Protestant Christianity and his missionary work in Germany Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1.

Content and Arguments

Saqr argues that historical and modern attempts to undermine the Prophet are futile, as God has elevated his stature and preserved his legacy Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1. To support this, he cites multiple Quranic passages and scriptural themes:

• Divine Preservation and Exaltation: The treatise cites Surah al-Sharh ( وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ , "And We raised high your fame") and Surah al-Saff ( يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ , "They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it"), explaining that hostile speech cannot extinguish divine guidance Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1.
• The Promise of al-Kawthar: Saqr examines Surah al-Kawthar ( إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ ... إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ ), stating that God promised the Prophet immense goodness (al-khayr al-kathir) and cut off his detractors Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1. He details the description of the heavenly Basin (al-Hawd), citing hadiths narrated by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Thawban in Sahih Muslim describing its extent, its drinking vessels outnumbering the stars in a clear dark sky, its water being whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and its continuous feeding by two spouts from Paradise Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay…+1.
• The Manifestation of Islam: The author comments on Quran 61:9 ( هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ ), explaining that the truth of the Prophet's message inherently prevails through sound knowledge and proof, and that when Muslims adhere to his guidance, they overcome adversarial challenges Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay….

The text also incorporates poetic verses highlighting devotion to the Prophet, including lines by Salih ibn Ali al-Umari emphasizing that Muslims are willing to sacrifice their lives and honor in his defense Hamlat al-Awghad ala Khay….