Prophet Muhammmad (Sallalahu Alaihe Wasallam) Savior of Peace, Justice and Humanity

Prophet Muhammmad (Sallalahu Alaihe Wasallam)

Savior of Peace, Justice and Humanity

"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." Said by Michael H Hart, a Christian American, astronomer, mathematician, lawyer, chess master and scientist, in book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History (New York, 1978, p 33), has ranked the great men in history with respect to their influence on human history. For the second time he ranked the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the most influential man in the human history.

If we look in to the history we will find that not only Michael H Hart impressed by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) but there are list of many eminent non-Muslim scholars social activist who have rated Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) most highly and have given due recognition to his greatness. Why? To know the reason of such though, we have to study about the teaching and behaviors of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) If we read the detailed record of his life, from his birth to his passing away, we find that He was “the bearer of glad tidings” as he removed ignorance and brought humanity out of the depths of darkness to the light.  Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born on 12th Rabee al Awwal 570AD the town of Makkah. At the time the whole world was steeped in moral degradation. Racial and caste-based discrimination and the dogma of “untouchability” were rampant. Even the so-called civilised nations were at the lowest rung of the religious, moral and spiritual ladder. In fact, in the 5th and 6th centuries, the civilised world was standing at the precipice of moral annihilation. People in general were ill-mannered, unlettered and ignorant. The vices of alcoholism, gambling, oppression, tyranny, violence, cruelty and various other wrongdoings were the order of the day. It was because the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him)’s personality was naturally imbued with auspiciousness, obedience to his Creator and the inner-light of Prophethood that he was never affected by the aforementioned ills of society. He was an embodiment of purity, chastity and piety.

Under these circumstances Allah’s mercy stepped in and Allah the Almighty commissioned the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) to rid humanity of the evil, direct it to the right path and lead it “out of the depth of darkness into light”. at the age of 40, in 610AD. When the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) start preaching message of Almighty and invited the world towards the true and real unity of God, the people of his tribe, and in fact the whole Arab nation, vehemently opposed him.

They persecuted him and his followers, but the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) never wavered and stood firm on his belief in the Oneness of God. Despite having to face intense sufferings and oppression, he steadfastly conveyed the message of God. His followers offered all kinds of sacrifices to nurture the plant of the new faith. They were ready to part company with their near and dear ones and suffered the loss of their assets and possessions for their faith. They were banished from their homes but that failed to move them away even a fraction from their resolve.

The time then came, after thirteen years of persecution, when the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his followers had to migrate from Makkah to Madinah. Even there the opponents did not leave them alone. They wanted to wipe out Islam with force. For this reason Allah permitted the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) to fight in self-defence in order to establish peace and freedom of conscience. With the help of his followers, the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) confronted the perpetrators of suffering. Despite being ill-equipped and with an army of small numbers, Allah made him successful, and this was possible only because Allah’s help, support and succour was with the Prophet (Peace be upon him)

Only eight years after the migration from Makkah, the Makkans offered their welcome to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) At that juncture, he could have taken revenge from the Makkans for their previous inhumanity as he had entered as a victorious man, but he chose to forgive all those persecutors. This very act of forgiveness, pardon and general amnesty has no match in the annals of mankind.

The every character and teachings of Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)’s life, is the ‘torchbearer of humanity’ and the unifier of world nations. Some of them am presenting here.

Universal Prophethood

It must be remembered that before the advent of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) all prophets, apostles and reformers were sent to specific nations and were confined to certain areas. None of them were given a universal mission, and in fact, none of them made a universal claim. It is the distinction of the Holy Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) that this message was not confined to the Quraish, or to the Makkans or to the Arabs alone, but was meant for all mankind and all nations. He claimed in the Qur’an:

Say, ‘O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all… (Ch7:V.159)

Thus he invited all nations of the world to the one centre and thus became a harbinger for the unity in their thoughts and actions.

Freedom of Conscience

Freedom of conscience is the fundamental birthright of every human being. In this contemporary age, after years of experimentation, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In its section 18, this birthright has been accepted as the cornerstone of human discourse. But, its foundation was actually laid over 1400 years ago, when the Prophet of Islam(Peace be upon him) presented the teaching of the individual and collective right of every person to differ on matters of thought, opinion, attitudes and beliefs. This difference, however, cannot be imposed on others with force, as this would amount to preventing freedom of conscience and shedding the blood of humanity.

The Holy Qur’an declares forthrightly:

There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong… (Ch.2:V.257)

Also it says,

And say, ‘It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve’… (Ch.18:V.30)

These teachings are testimony to the freedom of conscience preached by the Prophet of Islam.

Equality for all

A factor that dismantles the unity of nations is the absence of equality between them. The Holy Prophet of Islam(Peace be upon him) played a leading role in doing away with and erasing the racial, colour and caste-based distinctions that existed between various people of the time, and presented before the world an unmatched charter of equality. He gave shape to this charter by the following Qur’anic injunctions:

O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognise one another. Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you… (Ch.49:V.14)

This Qur’anic principle of equality was exemplified by the Prophet(Peace be upon him) on the occasion of his last sermon. His sermon can be summarised in these words: You are one brotherhood. All people are equal according to Islam. The Arab possesses no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab over an Arab. A white man is no way superior to black man, nor for that matter, a black man to a white man, but only to the extent which a person exhibits righteousness and effort to attain it. According to Islam, there is no distinction in the reward one earns on the basis of colour or progeny.

Establishment of justice

The establishment of peace requires the implementation of fairness and absolute justice; otherwise the resultant severe repercussions can destroy nations with dreadful consequences. The Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) has therefore stressed that all, irrespective of their status, should be treated with absolute justice. The Qur’anic teaching is very clear on this subject:

Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred… (Ch.16:V.91)

The required standard of justice is:

O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness… (Ch.5:V.9)

The Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) is reported to have said that previous nations had been destroyed as they punished the weak segment of the society and let go those who were in high social status.

Respect for the Founders of all faiths

To achieve unity among nations of the world, the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) has given us a golden rule of respecting and venerating the Founders and holy men of various faiths. If we do not follow this golden rule, it has the potential of creating mutual enmity and ill-will, which destroys the peace of the society and results in bloodshed.

The Holy Prophet(saw) promoted this Qur’anic teaching to put an end to these in-fights as:

…there is a Guide for every people. (Ch.13:V.8)

and

…there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent. (Ch.35:V.25)

Because all God-sent apostles were imbued with the light of the same One God, it is incumbent on us to respect them in equal measure. So one who truly believes in the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) will consider the respect of other founders of faiths as a part of his faith.

During the lifetime of the Prophet(Peace be upon him) a Jew and an Arab were quarrelling over the superiority of their respective Prophets. The Jew’s sentiments were hurt by the way the Muslim made his claim. When the Jew complained to the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) he admonished the Muslim’s behaviour, “Do not exalt me above Moses” he said. This was the high standard of tolerance and courtesy the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) required from his followers.

Tolerance

The Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) not only left us with a teaching of respecting other founders of faiths and apostles, but also taught us not to cast aspersions and malign their beliefs and principles:

…And revile not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance… (Ch.6:V.109)

There is a well-known incident of great religious tolerance shown by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his life. He permitted a Christian delegation from Najran to perform their religious service in his mosque in Madinah. World history has yet to produce this kind of respect and tolerance for the faith of others.

Against cruelty to animals

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) admonished against the cruel treatment of animals and instructed that they be treated with kindness, for they are also God’s creation. ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud relates:

“While we were in the course of a journey along with the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) we saw two young doves in a nest and we caught them. They were still very small. When their mother returned to the nest, not finding her little ones in it, she began to fly wildly round and round. When the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) arrived at the spot he observed the dove and said, “If any one of you has caught its young ones he must release them at once to comfort it.”” (Abu Daw’ud)

On one occasion, the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) observed somebody branding a donkey on its face. When asked why he was doing this, the person told the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that this was the practice followed by the Romans for identifying animals. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that animals should not be branded on their face, it being a sensitive part of the human body. If branding was necessary, then it should be performed on the animal’s haunch, a less sensitive part of the animal’s body.

Last, but by no means least, is how the universal teacher, the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) of Islam, revolutionised the way the world looked upon women.

Women’s Rights

Before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad Al-Mustafa (Peace be upon him) the status of women was deplorable. Through his teachings, this status was uplifted to an extremely venerable place in the society. This is attributed to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) as we read in the Qur’an:

…And they (the women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in equity. (Ch.2:V.229)

…and consort with them in kindness… (Ch.4:V.20)

In the Traditions of Bukhari, there is a specific saying of the Prophet(Peace be upon him) to the effect that one who treats his wife in an excellent manner is very close to his God. In the cultural arena, the Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) allotted the same rights to women as those of men, keeping in view their respective God-given characteristics. Islam was the first religion that provided women with the right of inheritance. In the matter of inheritance she receives a specified share from the assets of her relatives. She is the full owner of her wealth and savings, and is free to do with her property or money as she pleases. And, of course, in the spiritual sense men and women are declared of equal status as set forth in the Qur’an:

…‘I will allow not the work of any worker from among you, whether male or female, to be lost. You are from one another… (Ch.3:V.196)

The Holy Prophet(Peace be upon him) was so sensitive of women’s feelings that once, when he was leading prayers, he heard a child crying and finished the prayers quickly. Afterwards he explained that, upon hearing the cry of the child, he thought that the child’s mother must also have been troubled; hence he concluded the service so that she could attend to the child. He would always advise those who had to leave on journey to try and return home as soon as possible so that their wives and children would not feel the pains of separation for too long. He placed great stress on kindness to women, and would often say that if a father took it upon himself to educate his daughters and care for their upbringing, God would save him from the hell-fire. He said:

“Woman has been created from a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is the uppermost. If you try to straighten it you will break it and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked. So treat women kindly.”

The Prophet Muhammad's Love for Children

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who was referred to as the “Living Qur’an” by his wife Aisha, is a primary example of how to understand the Islamic concept of how to nurture children’s spirituality. Just as in other aspects of life, the Prophet Muhammad serves here as an example of how to raise children.

In many of his teachings, the Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of showing children kindness and compassion. Since children are weak and powerless, their spirits flourish best when they come to know and experience for themselves their compassionate and powerful Creator. Through trust in God and surrender to His guidance, children will be able to face fears and challenges throughout their life.

 A child needs to feel safe, and the best way to give them this feeling is to teach them that God is the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate and that He is protecting them from all evil. A child, weak and needy, can feel secure in life only through this belief. Furthermore, teaching a child to be grateful for everything they possess and receive is another vital aspect for healthy spiritual development. A child should be made aware that everything that is given to them ultimately comes from God. In this way, they will grow into a thankful and appreciative person.

Showing mercy and love to children has a special place in the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings. To address the importance of mercy in children’s spiritual development, the Prophet stated, “Whoever does not show mercy to his children is not one of us [Muslims].” Thus the Prophet Muhammad taught that children should be approached with mercy, love, respect, and trust, while Islamic teachings particularly emphasize mercy and love. His wife Aisha gave the following example:

One day a person from the desert came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, “You are kissing children but traditionally we don’t kiss them.” The Prophet replied, “What can I do if God removed mercy from your heart?” (Bukhari, Ahlaq; Muslim, Kitab al-Fadail)

Another teaching by the Prophet on this concept concerns his grandson Hasan:

One day the Prophet was in one of the markets of Medina. He left the market and so did I. Then he asked thrice, “Where is the small child?” Then he said, “Call Hasan.” So Hasan got up and started walking with a necklace of beads around his neck. The Prophet stretched his hand out like this, and Hasan did the same. The Prophet embraced him and said, “O Allah! I love him, so please love him and love those who love him.” Since Allah’s Apostle said that, nothing has been dearer to me than Hasan. (Bukhari, Libas)

It is important to note, however, that the Prophet Muhammad was overall even-handed in his approach toward raising children. He was merciful and loving towards children,

Prophet Muhammad with his wives:

The Prophet never hit anybody although pagan Arabs used to beat their wives and servants harshly and sometimes till death. Only while fighting for the Allah's cause would the Prophet beat the enemy. He never abused a domestic worker physically or emotionally and neither did he beat any of his wives,' said his wife Hazrat Aisha (R.A). (Muslim)

In order to cement his marriage bonds, the Prophet applied language to instill love and happiness in the hearts of his wives. Instead of calling her Aisha, he would call her Aaish. He conveyed messages and greetings of peace to them from Angel Gabriel as reported by his wife Hazrat Aisha (R.A).. ( Bukhari )

The Prophet was a loving husband. Hazrat Aisha (R.A). talked about the times when she enjoyed meals with him. He enjoyed his meals only when she sat next to him. They drank from one cup and he watched where she placed her lips so that he could place his lips on the same area. He ate from a bone after she ate and placed his mouth where she had eaten. She also said that he placed morsels of food into her mouth and she would do the same.(Muslim)

Hazrat Aisha (R.A).accompanied the Prophet on a trip. She and he were at the back of the group. They heard the guides in front calling them and others to move faster. The Prophet challenged her to a race. She beat him. Then, later, on another trip, he challenged her again. This time he beat her. Hazrat Aisha (R.A) said that she was slender when she beat the Prophet . When she put on weight, he knew he was going to beat her and therefore he challenged her the second time. (Ahmad)

The Prophet delivered this truth and inspired the people to act upon it. This gave a meaning to the lives of the people who diverted all their actions to follow the Divine system and earn the grace of the Lord. It brought about a radical change in social life because those who were struggling tooth and nail to obtain wealth, power and prestige began to struggle to seek the pleasure of Allah and stopped exploiting their fellow human beings for physical pleasure and material gain.

The personality, character, actions and sayings of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) are such that if they are adopted by the civilised world in real earnest, this world can become a peaceful place and complex problems can be solved easily. A great writer of the English world, George Bernard Shaw, said: “He must be called the Saviour of humanity. I believe, if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness.” And that the reason due to which Michael H Hart put first ranked of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the most influential man in the human history

                                                                                                                     By Dr.Faizan Ahmed Azizi