MAULIDUR RASUL 1433/2012 PART II: THE EXEMPLARY CHARACTER OF OUR BELOVED PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)

If we look around us and at some parts of the world, there is only conclusion that can be drawn: We the Muslims are witnessing the most testing of times. We are being bullied, vilified, humiliated, ridiculed and bombed to the dark ages by powers that seek to destroy the faith of 2.1 billion people on this planet.

The target has always been not only the people but more pointedly their faith. As has been said by the enemies of Islam since the birth of the religion, the only way to destroy Islam is to destroy the faith within. And one of the principal targets of this relentless campaign has no doubt been Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his character.

If you Google the images of Prophet Muhammad (saw), you will see scores of pictures and cartoons that debase this great man. See here, here and here for examples of how Prophet Muhammad (saw) is depicted; the third link cited portrays him as, God forbids, a “homosexual”. Nauzubillah min zalik! Such utter debasement and contempt for this noblest of man serves to illustrate either their ignorant or a deliberate and systematic campaign to destroy his name and the faith he brought to this world.

Whenever such cartoons, pictures and articles appear, Muslims in some parts of the world either clamoured over what to do or staged demonstrations that turned out in the end to be muted and meaningless. They simply do not have the might – political and military – to stop them. But we still have the might of the pen (or keyboard in our internet age), hence the countless websites and blogs that seek the correct the misconceptions about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Hence too my previous post which attempts to show the real picture of our noble Prophet. This post, drawing from separate sources, expands this portrayal to include the true historical character and mission – everything that can be found from A to Z - of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutalib, the last and final Messenger and Prophet to all mankind and jinn.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW) AND HIS EXEMPLARY CHARACTER

The following is based on books, manuscripts, texts and actual eyewitness accounts, too numerous to mention herein, preserved in original form throughout the centuries by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Many people today are discussing Prophet Muhammad (saw). Who was he exactly? What did he teach? Why was he loved so much by some and hated so much by others? Did he live up to his claims? Was he a holy man? Was he a prophet of God? What is the truth about this man?

You be the judge.

The following are clear historical evidences. They are the facts as narrated by thousands of people, many of whom knew him personally. 

1. Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutalib (Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, the son of Abdul Mutalib) - Muhammad means "praised one" or "praising one."

2. Muhammad (saw) was born from the lineage of Abraham's oldest son, Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), to the noble tribe of the Quraish who were the leaders of Makkah in those days.

3. He never fell into the common practice of his tribesmen to worship statues, idols or man-made "gods."

4. He believed that God was truly One God, and as such, He was to be worshipped alone, without any other "gods" beside Him.

5. He held the Name of God in the highest of reverence and never took God's Name in vain or for any vainglorious purpose. 

6. He despised false worship and all of the complexities and degradation to which it leads.

7. He insisted on keeping the Commandments of Almighty God, just as prophets of old had done in the past.

8. He never committed adultery, and he forbid others from doing it.

9. He forbade usury and interest on money lending, as Jesus, peace be upon him, had done centuries before him.

10. He never gambled and did not allow it.

11. He never drank alcohol or strong drink, even though it was a very normal thing for people of his time and place.

12. He did not engage in gossip and used to turn away from hearing anything related to it.

13. He offered prayers in the manner and direction (toward Jerusalem, until Allah ordered the change toward Makkah) as was prescribed of prophets in the Bible, standing, bowing, kneeling and prostrating as they had done before him.

14. He fasted for days at a time to be closer to Almighty God and away from the narrowness of worldly attractions.

15. He taught that Jesus (as) was the immaculate conception and miracle birth of Mary, and that she was the best creation of Almighty God.

16. He insisted even to the Jews of Madinah, that Jesus (as) was the Messiah, the Christ, the one predicted to come in their Torah (Old Testament).

17. He said Jesus (as) did many miracles by the permission of Almighty God, curing the lepers, restoring sight to the blind and even bringing a dead man back to life.

18. He stated clearly that Jesus (as) was not dead, rather Almighty God had raised him up.

19. He predicted Jesus (as) is going to return again in the Last Days to lead the true believers in a victory over the evil and unrighteous people, and he will destroy the Anti-Christ.

20. He commanded the payment of charity to the poor and he was the defender and protector of widows, orphans and the wayfarers.

21. He ordered people to unite with their families and honour the ties of kinship and he restored relationships between family members.

22. He required his followers to engage only in lawful marriage relationships with women, and forbid sex outside of Almighty God's Ordinance.

23. He insisted on giving women their proper rights, dowries, inheritance and property.

24. His patience and humble attitude were exemplary and all who knew him had to admit to these virtues.

25. He never lied, never broke a trust, never bore false witness, he was famous with all the tribes in Makkah and was known as "Spirit of Truth" (As-Saddiq).

26. He never once engaged in sex outside of marriage, nor did he ever approve of it, even though it was very common at the time.

27. His only relationships with women were in legitimate, contractual marriages with proper witnesses according to law.

28. His relationship to Ayesha (Aishah) was only that of marriage. He did not marry her the first time her father offered her hand to him in marriage. He did not marry her until she reached puberty and could decide for herself. Their relationship is described in every detail by Ayesha herself in the most loving and respectful manner as a match truly made in heaven. Ayesha is considered as one of the highest scholars of Islam and lived out her entire life only having been married to Muhammad (saw). She never desired any other man, nor did she ever utter a single negative statement against Muhammad (saw).

29. He forbade any killing until the orders for retaliation came from Allah. Even then the limits were clearly spelled out and only those engaged in active combat against the Muslims or Islam were to be fought in combat. And even then, only according to very strict rules from Allah.

30. Killing any innocent life was forbidden.

31. There was no genocide of Jews. He offered mutual protection and forgiveness to the Jews even after they broke their covenants with him many times. They were not attacked until it was clearly proven they were traitors during time of war and tried to bring down the prophet, peace be upon him, and the Muslims at any cost. Retaliation was only to those Jews who had turned traitor and not others.

32. Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from Allah for those who did so. Prophet (saw) gave the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was actually considered like a son to him) Zaid ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the slave who was bought by Abu Bakar only for the purpose of freeing him.

33.  While there were many attempts of assassination made on Muhammad (saw) (most famous was the night that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakar escaped to Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of the most famous of his acts of forgiveness and humbleness.

34. Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of prophet hood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Qur'an, with proper rights and limitations according His Commandments, that any retaliation or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place.

35. Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to His Commands.

36. Cursing and invoking evil actually came to the Prophet (saw) from his enemies, while he would be praying for their guidance. Classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street against him, throwing rocks and stones at him until his body was bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by the angel Gabriel, if he would give the command, Allah would cause the surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all. Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for them to be guided to worship their Lord alone, without any partners.

37. Prophet Muhammad (saw) claimed every person who is born is born in a state of ISLAM (submission to God on His Terms in Peace), as a Muslim (MU-Islam means "one who does ISLAM" i.e. submits to God's Will and obeys His Commandments). He further stated, God has created each person in the image that is His according to His plan, and their spirit is His. Then as they grow older they begin to distort their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and their own prejudices.

38. Muhammad (saw) taught his followers to believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus (peace be upon them all), and to believe in them as true prophets, messengers and servants of Almighty Allah. He insisted on ranking all the prophets up at the highest level without any distinction between them, and ordered his followers to say the words, "Peace be upon him" after mentioning their names.

39. He also taught the Torah (Old Testament), Zabur (Psalms) and Enjil (Gospel or New Testament) were originally from the very same source as the Qur'an, from Allah to the angel Gabriel. He asked the Jews to judge according to their own Book, and they tried to cover up some of it to hide the correct judgment, knowing he (saw) could not read.

40 He prophesied, predicted and foretold of events to come and they happened as he had said. He even predicted something from the past that would come true in the future, and it has. 

The Qur'an states pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea while chasing after Moses and Allah said He would preserve Pharaoh as a sign for the future. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book Bible, Qur'an and Science, makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been discovered in Egypt and is now on display for all to see.

This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad (saw), and it came true in the last few decades, many centuries after his death.

Quba, the first mosque of Islam, was originally built by the

Prophet Mohammad and his fellow emigrants from Makkah

on their arrival in Madinah in 622. That year marks the

beginning of both the Muslim era and the Muslim calendar.

41. There has been more writings about the prophet Muhammad (saw) than any other person on earth. He has been praised very high even by famous non-Muslims for centuries.

[These praises on Prophet Muhammad (saw) have been quoted in my previous post and need not all be repeated here. But to reemphasize the above points, two quotes from non-Muslims are worth repeating.]

42. In an impressive tribute to Prophet Muhammad (saw), Michael H. Hart states:

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level. (Michael H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, page. 33).

43. K.S. Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian (Hindu) professor of Philosophy, in his booklet Muhammad the Prophet of Islam, calls him the "perfect model for human life." Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying:

The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad the Prophet. There is Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Statesman; Muhammad the Orator; Muhammad the Reformer; Muhammad the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad the Judge; Muhammad the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero.

People do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'gods' out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad (saw) accomplished. And all his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting mankind for the worship of One God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad (saw) or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity – but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW): A LIVING EXAMPLE OF THE SUBLIME MORALITY OF THE QUR’AN

He was a living example of the sublime morality of Allah's last revelation. He was a friend of Allah and inspired humanity by his nearness to Him.

As a verse of the Qur'an reveals, "... Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the Prophets." (Surah al-Ahzab: 40), the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was sent to mankind as the last prophet. He was a living example of the sublime morality of Allah's last revelation. He was a friend of Allah and inspired humanity by his nearness to Him. He was His representative, noble in His eyes, and a friend to all believers.

As Allah has revealed in another verse, "We will impose a weighty Word upon you..." (Surah al-Muzammil: 5), He charged His last prophet, Muhammad (saw) with a heavy responsibility. Due to the Prophet's (saw) strong faith in Allah, he fulfilled that responsibility in the best possible way, called mankind to the path of Allah and Islam, and illuminated the way for all believers.

Seal of Prophet Muhammad (SAS). This is

an original copy existing in Istanbul,

Turkey at the Topkapi Palace.

Although we have never seen the Prophet (saw), we can still do our very best to come to know his exemplary behaviour, his sayings and the pleasing morality he displayed, by means of the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths (the sayings and teachings of the Prophet (saw)). We can try to be like him, in order to be close to him in the Hereafter. 

People today, and the young in particular, take many individuals as role models, imitate the way they behave, speak and dress, and try to be like them. Yet, since the great majority of these people are not on the right road themselves, they lack proper morality and attitudes. It is therefore a serious responsibility to lead people to the truth and the best morality and behaviour. A Muslim needs to try to emulate the behaviour and the morality of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Allah confirms that in a verse:

You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surah al-Ahzab: 21)

Like the Prophet Muhammad (saw), the other prophets were also role models for believers, and enjoyed Allah's good pleasure. Allah says in one verse:

There is instruction in their stories for people of intelligence. This [the Qur'an] is not a narration which has been invented but confirmation of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surah Yusuf: 111)

As the Prophet (saw) has revealed in the hadith, "Verily, I have left amongst you the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Apostle which if you hold fast, you shall never go astray,"[1] a Muslim's two truest guides are the Qur'an and Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)). The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was an example to all humanity with his morality, to which he called on mankind to live by. It was the Prophet (saw) who said "I was sent to perfect good character"[2] and "By One in whose hand there is my life: None shall enter Paradise except one who has got good conduct."[3]

 

In the Qur'an Allah has revealed that the Prophet (saw) possessed the finest morality, and says:

Nun. By the Pen and what they write down! By the blessing of your Lord, you are not mad. You will have a wage which never-fails. Indeed you are truly vast in character. So you will see and they will see which of you is mad. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His Way and He knows best those who are guided. (Surah al-Qalam: 1-7)

Allah also revealed in that verse that the Prophet (saw) was a tireless toiler on His path. That demonstrates that he always displayed a pleasing morality, never departing from the way of Allah.

As the Prophet's (saw) words "The most perfect believer in respect of faith is he who is best of them in manners"[4] make clear, morality is one the most important components of true faith. It is therefore an important religious duty to learn about and practice the very best examples of it. Those Muslims who follow the way of the Prophet (saw) need to be foremost in their morality and behaviour, and to invite others to adopt that same morality.

With such a description of our noble Prophet (saw), can we find another man like him today?

Footnotes:

1. Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon.

2. Malik's Muwatta, Book 47, Number 47.1.8.

3. Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001, Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001, Volume II, p.236.

4. Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 40, Number 4665.

Source:

1. Muhammad A - Z by by Sheik Yusuf Estes.

2. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) - Article by by Harun Yahya.

3. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) - Book by Harun Yahya. Download. Read online.

[Edited. Images added.]