A glimpse into the life of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Since a little girl, writing had become my way of expressing what I felt. I’ve re-written many stories, but this time I am writing about someone who is very close to my heart, because as Muslims, we are taught to live the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah -These
two excellent aspects, which personify the essence of the character of the last
and final Messenger of God, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
Upon embarking on this
large task, I had come to realize that if I were to conceal every aspect of the
Greatest man to walk this earth, my pen would dry up and I’d need dozens more,
SubhanAllah.
Having said that, I will
try my best, to encapsulate the persona of the final Messenger (PBUH) into a
cocoon of inspiration that will hopefully sway our actions and thoughts to
levels of higher spiritual development.
“And you (stand) on an exalted standard of character”[1]
I have decided to begin, with these
words from the Qur’an, because they symbolize the height of perfection of the
character of the last and final Messenger of Allah; Muhammad (PBUH)
A man whose religion now claims, 2.04[2]
billion followers around the world. The most diverse and fastest growing
religion, so why, do you ask?
Let’s take a peek into why this Great
man, continues to capture the lives of millions and will always be the greatest
man to walk this earth.
The
birth of a beacon of Light
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was
born to a society in the year of 570 in the city of Makkah. At the time, wherein
people were killing one another, violence being rife, women having no rights, a
time when it was honorable to put baby girls to death.
Having lost his parents at
a young age, he was taken into care by his relative, and being an orphan, he
would contemplate his life and surroundings. As he grew up, the city served as
a commercial trade centre and the commerce generated by the pilgrims allowed
him to act as an agent for wealthy merchants taking their goods on caravans
throughout Arabia.
Description of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
He was not tall and lanky, neither,
short and heavy, he was the most mild tempered, most generous hearted, most
truthful in speech, and no one has ever come across someone like him before his
arrival, neither after his departure.
His face has been described as not
narrow, nor fully rounded. When he looked at someone, he would turn his face fully
toward them, whoever saw him
unexpectedly was in awe of him, and whoever associated with him, loved him.”[3]
The life of a sincere man (PBUH)
Muhammad (PBUH) led a serene life, but
the state of the Makkans, disturbed him, and he would often go to the mountains
outside Makkah to reflect upon the situation. It was during one of his retreats
to the cave of Hira, that his life changed forever.
The Angel Jibraa’il (AS) enveloped him,
in a tight embrace, asking him to read! To which he responded, that he could
not. “Recite in the name of your Lord who
created”[4] and he, Muhammad (PBUH) had received
the Divine word, and Islam had come into being.
The
divine message he brought, carried with it a warning to the people, that unless
they created a more just society, there would be chaos. Explaining how they
would be accountable for their good and bad deeds.
This revelation
did not come in one go. As events unfolded, it came down, in stages.
A soul echoing piety
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always
insisted, that he was not a divine figure, such was his modesty. He was not
rich, and portrayed the essence of simplicity. His character displayed the quintessential core of honesty,
which is why he was also known as Al Amin -
the trustworthy, the man of absolute honesty.
Muhammad (PBUH) had such an
honest reputation, that when he gathered the tribes, to warn them against a war
that may strike, and asked them to believe him, as Allah tells us in the
Qur’an, their response to him was, “We have never heard you lie”[5]
He had the most sincere love, that anyone could ever harbor. His love, was so free from pretense, that years after his first wife Khadijah (RA) had passed away, he would still send food over to her friends, and always held a special place in his heart for her. So true was his affection, that Zaid bin Harith, a child, who had no family association to our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) pleaded to stay with him, because his heart could not endure the separation of this fatherly bond which had been created between them, despite him having a father of his own.
A temperament
tranquil and serene
The final Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) had such a calm temper, SubhanAllah that once, a wife of his brought
a dish for him to eat, even though it was not her turn. And when it arrived at
the house of the wife, whose turn it was to have meals with, in rage she threw
it to the ground and when the Prophet (PBUH) witnessed this, he was so patient
that he slowly began picking up the pieces, and did not say anything to her,
neither did he chide at her.
A brick, thrown at him, by
an enemy of Islam, Abu Jahl, that it made his head bleed with pain, but even
this, did not anger our Beloved Rasul (SAW).
A liberator of rights
He lived in a society that downgraded
women, yet he gave them rights for marriage and divorce, protecting them, and
brought equality amongst nations.
He taught us to stand up for the oppressed, and wherever possible never to let an injustice go by, without asking for change.He was a leader, yet he never compromised his integrity, he would not sleep, if he owed anyone anything.
He taught us to stand up for the oppressed, and wherever possible never to let an injustice go by, without asking for change.He was a leader, yet he never compromised his integrity, he would not sleep, if he owed anyone anything.
An affection of
sincerity
Muhammad (PBUH) displayed
immense love to his wives, to children and to humanity. He would hug and kiss
his grandsons, would smile with kids in the street and even sewed his own
clothes, to assist with domestic chores.
He helped immigrants, fed the needy, and
treated the captive with utmost care. He was always gentle towards nature, so
much so, that a tree wept in despair, once Muhammad (PBUH) no longer needed it
for his Friday sermon. He would never allow people to overload their camels,
neither would he allow the ill treatment of any living creature.
A devotion so steadfast
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) led a life of
deep rooted devotion to Allah. Whenever he was alone, he would never waste
time, but instead he would be constantly praying for forgiveness, at times,
weeping through the night in prayer, not just for himself but for the entire
Ummah.
A rock of perseverance
On reaching the city of
Taa’if, the Chiefs of the clans refused to accept the message of Allah, and
when Muhammad (PBUH) realized that they were stubborn in their rude ways toward
him in speech and action, he decided to leave.
But they did not make his
departure easy, and instead they set their street hooligans after him. Mocking
and stoning him, till blood oozed out of his feet and body. Drenched in pain,
and discomfort, he lifted his hands and said to his Creator,
“ Oh my Allah .. To Thee I complain of the
feebleness of my strength, of my lack of resources and my being unimportant in
the eyes of people. O, Most Merciful of all those capable of showing Mercy!
Thou are the Lord of the weak, and Thou are my own Lord. To whom art Thou to
entrust me; to an unsympathetic foe who would sullenly frown at me, or to an
alien to whom thou hast given control over my affairs? Not in the least, do I
care for anything except that I may have Thy protection for myself. I seek
shelter in Your Light – the Light which illuminates the Heavens, and Dispels
all sorts of Darkness, and which controls all affairs in this world as well as
in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Thy Wrath, or that Thou
should be Displeased with me. I must remove the cause of Thy displeasure till
Thou art pleased. There is no strength nor power, but through Thee.”
When Muhammad (PBUH)
beseeched Allah with the above prayer, the Heavens were so moved, SubhanAllah,
that the Angel Jibraa’il (AS) ushered an Angel to the service of our Beloved
Prophet (PBUH). He, the Angel ensured Muhammad (PBUH), that in the blink of an
eye, Allah could cause, the mountains on either side of the city of Taa’if to
collide and crush the people therein.
So Merciful was his heart,
being beaten and bruised, barely able to walk, that he told the Angel, that
even if they do not accept Islam, perhaps one day, believers in the message of
Allah would surface.
SubhanAllah, even after so
much persecution and hurt they had inflicted upon him, neither did He (PBUH)
curse, nor did he even want them to be hurt in return. We, are his Ummah, yet,
we get irritated by any action which we find annoying in others and resort to
revenge at our beck and call. Surely, we need to reflect deeply upon our
behavior and try harder to be merciful to others, no matter what harm is
brought upon us.
We are living in a time,
when so called “advanced society” depict morals toward women and children which
are quite deplorable. Millions of men and women are aimlessly roaming the
street lost, without a purpose, and if this is to be reversed to save
civilization we need to turn to the best example left to us.
We ought to learn to inculcate
the values of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his conduct, into our own lives. He is
a clear example for us, on how to behave, how to seek the truth, how to treat
humanity, to seek knowledge. Values expressed most clearly through the study
and analyses of his persona.
He was a trader, a husband,
a father, a statesman, a warrior, but most importantly, a man whose legacy will
continue to shape our lives forever.
May Allah Guide
us toward emulating the qualities of this Great man, so that we will be
reunited with him in Paradise.
