(RAHNUMA): Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, holds profound significance for Muslims worldwide. It marks a period of reflection and remembrance, particularly of the sacrifices made by the Prophet Muhammad’s family, the Hashemites and before them, God’s salvation of the Children of Israel. Central to these historical narratives is the Covenant of Abraham and subsequently the Battle of Khaibar and the passing of the battle standard, known as the Alam, from the Prophet Muhammad to Ali ibn Abi Talib. This later event not only symbolized a crucial military victory but also represented to early Muslims the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham and his progeny, encompassing both the lineages of Ishmael and Isaac.
The Battle of Khaibar was a pivotal moment in early Islamic history, wherein the Prophet Muhammad and his followers engaged in a defensive war against the rebellious Israelites of Arabia. This conflict was marked by the strategic handing over of the Alam to Ali ibn Abi Talib, a member of the Hashemite clan. The Alam, a sacred standard, symbolized divine support and authority. The victory at Khaibar, achieved under Ali’s leadership, was seen as a fulfillment of the divine promise made to Abraham that his descendants would be blessed and hold positions of guidance and leadership.
The Hashemites trace their lineage through both Ishmael and Isaac, embodying the convergence of God’s Covenants with Abraham’s sons. The Hashemites’ matriarch, Salma bint Amr, was a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, linking the Prophet Muhammad’s family to the lineage of the Israelites through the Bani Najjar clan. This dual heritage underscored the Hashemites’ unique status as inheritors of both Covenants, positioning them as spiritual and temporal leaders accepted by both the Arab and Jewish communities of Arabia.
The significance of the Alam extends beyond its role in the Battle of Khaibar. It represents the continuity of the Imamate, a divine institution promised to Abraham’s descendants, excluding the wrongdoers. The Alam’s journey from the Prophet Muhammad to Ali, and later to Abbas ibn Ali, symbolizes the unbroken chain of guidance and authority within the Hashemite lineage. This legacy reached its zenith with Imam Husayn’s martyrdom at Karbala, a sacrifice commemorated annually during Muharram. The Alam, thus, became a symbol of resistance against ingratitude and a testament to Abraham’s commitment to justice and righteousness.
The Alam’s symbolism was also deeply revered in the Deccan region of India, where Muslim rulers recognized it as a representation of God’s Covenant with Abraham and Ishmael. For over 400 years, the Alam e-Mubarak, or Bibi Ka Alam, served as a sacred emblem in Hyderabad, symbolizing the continuity of the Imamate and the divine promise of leadership within the Children of Abraham and in the Prophet Muhammad’s Hashemite clan. The Alam was revered in sacred spaces such as Husayniyyas, Aashurkhanaa, and Imambaras, much like the Ark of the Covenant was revered by the Israelites in all their sacred temples.
In their daily prayers, Muslims invoke peace and blessings upon Abraham and his descendants and also upon the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants as well, a practice known as Salat al-Ibrahimiya. This prayer reflects the recognition of the Prophet’s lineage as the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, encompassing both Ishmael and Isaac’s progeny. The Quran defines Islam as the religion of Abraham, affirming the Prophet’s lineage’s central role in this legacy and vast inheritance.
The Hashemites, through their lineage and the symbolism of the Prophet’s Alam from Khaibar, represent the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham and both of his legal heirs. This lineage is seen as leading to the Awaited Imam, Al Mahdi, from the Children of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, whose lineage is universally accepted by Sunni and Shia Muslims alike, despite their differences on the specifics of his immediate identity. The Hashemites’ leadership during the Golden Age of Islam contributed significantly to the cultural and intellectual flourishing that eventually influenced the European Renaissance and the development of modern civilization.
The Battle of Khaibar and the subsequent reverence for the Alam highlight the Hashemites’ pivotal role in fulfilling the divine promises made to Abraham. The dual heritage of Ishmael and Isaac within the Hashemite lineage underscores their unique position as spiritual and temporal leaders. This legacy continues to inspire millions, as the Hashemites are seen as the true Imams of the Children of Abraham, upholding the principles of justice, guidance, and the fulfillment of God’s Covenant.
The Prophethood was primarily bestowed upon the Children of Isaac, culminating in the Prophet Muhammad, who is regarded as the Seal of the Prophets. This lineage includes the matriarch of the Hashemites, linking the final messenger to the legacy of Isaac. In contrast, the Imamate was conferred upon the Children of Ishmael, with the Prophet Muhammad also being recognized as the Imam of Prophets. His miraculous coronation as Imam took place at Masjid Al-Aqsa during the Isra and Mi’raj, where he traveled through supernatural means, mounted on Al-Buraq.
Both the Israelites and Ishmaelites share a miraculous journey to the Promised Land. The Israelites, under the leadership of Moses, crossed the Red Sea, miraculously parting its waters to escape the pursuing forces of Pharaoh. Similarly, the Ishmaelite Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the Promised Land of Jerusalem in an extraordinary manner, traversing the heavens and Earth in a single night, demonstrating a divine link to the sacred territory.
Interestingly, the British East India Company developed a fascination with Muslim Alams, the symbolic battle standards of Abbas Alamdar, and transported the Alam’s belonging to the former Emperors of Hindustan to the new Empress of India in Great Britain. Meanwhile, the founders of the American Republic, many of whom were high-degree Freemasons, were also aware of the significance of the symbolic Alam within the Hashemite tradition. This awareness might explain why Morocco, ruled by an Alid Hasanid monarch, was the first nation to recognize the United States when it revolted against the British. Some Afro-American historians even claim that the flag presented to George Washington by the King of Morocco was also an Alam, Alid flag representing the fulfillment of God’s Covenant. This historical link is speculated to be referenced in the American pledge of allegiance to the flag to this date.
Stewardship of the Abrahamic idea behind the symbolic flag has now left the West, and there is a growing call among Muslims for the Arab world to reclaim their legacy from Abraham to themselves as its new stewards.
The heeding of this call is evidently understood by the ground realities in the region. Iran and Turkey’s normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia, the Arab League’s restoring of ties with Assad and removing of Hizbollah from its list of terrorist organizations and most impressively the drive toward ousting Netanyahu and other extremist elements from Israel in order go ahead with normalization with the Jewish State after it comes to its senses and complies with international consensus by ending its illegal occupation, the insane war in Gaza and finally recognizes a Palestinian Statehood.
