JEDDAH — Travel a few kilometers to Makkah and you are transported 1,400 years back to the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This journey has been made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of Dr. Nasir Al-Quraishi Al-Zahrani, a Saudi businessman, who spent seven years writing a 500-volume encyclopedia on the Prophet (pbuh). Two years ago, he opened an information center-cum-museum based on his research work. The word museum conjures up an image of a place where antiques are kept in glass cases. But the Assalmu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi project museum located in Makkah's Al-Naseem District is different, because it uses modern technology to bring to life even the minutest details from the time and life of the Prophet (pbuh). The only sources of this information center-cum-museum have been the Holy Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah. As you enter the museum a giant screen welcomes you with a description of the formation of this planet and the objective behind it. Another screen describes more than 20,000 attributes of Allah as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. An electronic display adjacent to this screen, mentions the 18,000 references on Allah's oneness as mentioned in the Holy Qura'n.
“Feel as if the Prophet (pbuh) is with you,” says Yasir Abdul Mohsin, a PR executive at the Assalmu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi project. It is difficult to ignore his words because the ambience is awe-inspiring. Cool, dark rooms and digitized presentations about things associated with the Prophet (pbuh) make you overwhelmed as if you were in the presence of the Apostle of Allah. In the center of a hall are kept giant models of Makkah and Madinah as they existed during the time of the Prophet (pbuh). Yasir taps the computer screen outside the glass case, and a model of the Holy Kaaba lights up. One more tap, and small bulbs start flickering around the place where the Prophet (pbuh) lived in Makkah. With each tap on the screen, an important landmark of Makkah starts glimmering. The same happens with the model of Madinah. A map on a wall shows the path the Prophet (pbuh) took to walk six kilometers everyday from the house of Khadija Al-Kubra (may Allah be pleased with her) to Jabal Al-Nur and climb 200 meters to enter the Hira Cave. As you move through the rooms looking at giant electronic screens, you feel as if chapters from the life of the Prophet (pbuh) are opening up. You enter a virtual garden of the Prophet (pbuh), where more than 50 family trees describe all the relatives of the Prophet (pbuh). A family tree lists all the prophets mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, starting with Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). An electronic screen mentions all those who helped and worked with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Another screen lists and describes all the activities — about 10,000 — the Prophet (pbuh) did during his lifetime and the things he will do on the Day of Judgement.
Touch the screen, and it tells you that the Prophet (pbuh) will do 200 things on the Day of Judgement as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah. Yet another screen mentions the 600 attributes of the Prophet (pbuh). Screen after screen describes various facets from the life and time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Standing out are those screens which mention the daily routine of the Prophet (pbuh). About 100 routines are mentioned in detail: What time he slept, what dreams he saw, what he did at home, etc. Another screen gives the most detailed written description of the august body of the Prophet (pbuh). Each body part is mentioned on the screen, such as the eye, eyelids, eyebrows, etc. Touch the screen to know the details of a particular body part, and a new window opens. In a hall are kept replicas of the things the Prophet (pbuh) used everyday: a three-liter pot which the Prophet (pbuh) used to take a bath, a one-liter pot for ablution, body armor, kitchen utensils, etc. A 3D display shows the interior of the house of the Prophet (pbuh) in Madinah. At the end of the hallway is a dark room, giving the feel of a theater. The giant screen displays in 3D format the various departments and ministries during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In the center of a hall are kept giant models of Makkah and Madinah as they existed during the time of the Prophet (pbuh). Yasir taps the computer screen outside the glass case, and a model of the Holy Kaaba lights up. One more tap, and small bulbs start flickering around the place where the Prophet (pbuh) lived in Makkah. With each tap on the screen, an important landmark of Makkah starts glimmering. The same happens with the model of Madinah. A map on a wall shows the path the Prophet (pbuh) took to walk six kilometers everyday from the house of Khadija Al-Kubra (may Allah be pleased with her) to Jabal Al-Nur and climb 200 meters to enter the Hira Cave. As you move through the rooms looking at giant electronic screens, you feel as if chapters from the life of the Prophet (pbuh) are opening up. You enter a virtual garden of the Prophet (pbuh), where more than 50 family trees describe all the relatives of the Prophet (pbuh). A family tree lists all the prophets mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, starting with Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). An electronic screen mentions all those who helped and worked with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Another screen lists and describes all the activities — about 10,000 — the Prophet (pbuh) did during his lifetime and the things he will do on the Day of Judgement. Touch the screen, and it tells you that the Prophet (pbuh) will do 200 things on the Day of Judgement as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah.
Yet another screen mentions the 600 attributes of the Prophet (pbuh). Screen after screen describes various facets from the life and time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Standing out are those screens which mention the daily routine of the Prophet (pbuh). About 100 routines are mentioned in detail: What time he slept, what dreams he saw, what he did at home, etc. Another screen gives the most detailed written description of the august body of the Prophet (pbuh). Each body part is mentioned on the screen, such as the eye, eyelids, eyebrows, etc. Touch the screen to know the details of a particular body part, and a new window opens. In a hall are kept replicas of the things the Prophet (pbuh) used everyday: A three-liter pot which the Prophet (pbuh) used to take bath with, a one-liter pot for ablution, body armor, kitchen utensils, etc. A 3D display shows the interior of the house of the Prophet (pbuh) in Madinah. At the end of the hallway is a dark room, giving the feel of a theater. The giant screen displays in 3D format the various departments and ministries during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Man with a mission Dr. Nasir Al-Quraishi Al-Zahrani is a man with a mission. He spent seven years writing a 500-volume encyclopedia on the Prophet (pbuh), each volume containing 500 pages. In the Assalmu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi project museum is a room where stacks of pages of the manuscript are kept in a glass case. Dr. Nasir scribbled notes wherever he was. So there is a Turkish airline flyer with notes written on it, a Marriott Hotel notepad etc. There are more than 250 pens used by the author while writing the encyclopedia. He has signed a contract with King Saud University to translate the encyclopedia into 10 different languages, starting with English. “I wanted to present Sirat Nabi (character of the Prophet (pbuh)) in the light of the Holy Qur'an and authentic Ahadith (sayings and teachings of the Prophet (pbuh)). I never thought that this would turn into a huge project,” Dr. Nasir told Saudi Gazette. After finishing the encyclopedia, Dr. Nasir launched the Assalmu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi project, which today runs a museum, a television channel and a huge library containing more than 20,000 books to date. The library, which is still in its nascent stage, has everything written on the Prophet (pbuh) in any language. Dr. Nasir is planning to open 20 branches of the museum. Dubai already has a branch. Adjacent to the museum in Makkah is the multi-story headquarters of the Assalmu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi project where more than 200 staff of various nationalities are employed. Dr. Nasir himself spends all his time in his room there. He even sleeps and eats there. He has dedicated his full time to the research work. “Allah has selected me for this project,” he said, adding that all Muslims will benefit as they will get to know the true message of Islam. “We will prove that Islam is a religion of peace and not of terrorism. We will rectify the negative image of Islam as being projected by deviants today,” said Dr. Nasir. “Muslims mistakenly think about Sirat Nabi as relating to war and war booties. The fact, however, is that in his life of 13 years in Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) never picked up even a stick. He spread the religion through his manners and etiquette.”
