Dear Brothers and sisters,

Assalamu Alaikum. Today I received an e-mail from Prophetic Timeline website.

I am presenting this amazing video for the benefit of one and all.

Jazakumullahu Khayran Kaseera!

The first of an awe-inspiring set of multimedia style poems

dedicated to bringing to life the character of the

Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him

This short video tells the story of an assassin whose mind has been poisoned

by lies against the Prophet(pbuh). He is determined to put an end to his life;

and so one evening, having made his plans to take his life, he makes his way

to a gathering where he knows the Prophet(pbuh) will be,

but things do not seem to go quite according to plan… An MRDF (Muslim Research & Development Foundation) Production

Filed under: In the light of the Seerah ]]> http://islamcalling.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/an-amazing-video-from-prophetictimeline/feed/ 0 yassarnalquran Mobile Websites MRDF MRDF MRDF http://islamcalling.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/the-prophet-as-a-husband/ http://islamcalling.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/the-prophet-as-a-husband/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:36:26 +0000 MuQeet http://islamcalling.wordpress.com/?p=1063 ]]> Assalamu Alaikum.

How was our Prophet Sal-lal-laahu-alaihi-wa-sallam an excellent husband to his wives? Download this excellent e-book which deals on the aspect of ‘Prophet as a Husband’ from here

{Certainly, We have brought them a Book (the Qur’an) which We have explained in detail with knowledge, – guidance, and a mercy to a people who believe.}  (Al-A`raf 7: 52)

Mercy is that ethereal quality that embodies gentleness, piety, care, consideration, love, and forgiveness.  When these qualities are observable in this world, they are a mere reflection of Allah’s mercy towards His creation.  Allah the Almighty said clearly that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a mercy for all creation, not just for his family and friends, for the Arab nation, for the people of his generation, or for human beings alone.

{And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for all creatures.}  (Al-Anbiya’ 21: 107)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the embodiment of mercy, he showed compassion to all those around him, family, orphans, friends, strangers and even enemies.  He also treated the environment and animals with respect and mercy.  He taught his followers that because animals were part of Allah’s creation they should be treated with dignity and due care.

The traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remind us that humankind was put on this earth to be the custodian of Allah’s creation.  Treating animals with kindness and mercy is just one of the responsibilities embedded in that custodianship. Prophet Muhammad’s words and behavior make it clear that causing defenseless creatures pain and suffering is not only completely unacceptable, but we will also be answerable to Allah the Almighty for such actions.

“If someone kills a sparrow for fun, the sparrow will cry out on the Day of Judgment, ‘O Lord! That person killed me in vain!  He did not kill me for any useful purpose.’” (An-Nasa’i)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.“  The listeners asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?” He replied, “That he will kill it to eat, not simply to chop off its head and then throw it away.“ (An-Nasa’i)

Islam expects humankind to treat all animals (all living creatures – birds, sea creatures, and insects) with respect and dignity.  Prophet Muhammad continuously advised people to show kindness.  He forbade the practice of cutting tails and manes of horses, of branding animals at any soft spot, and of keeping horses saddled unnecessarily (Muslim). If the Prophet saw any animal over-burdened or ill-fed he would speak mildly to the owner and say, “Fear Allah in your treatment of animals.” (Abu Dawud)

However, refraining from physical cruelty is not enough; abstaining from mental cruelty is equally important.  Even a bird’s emotional distress should be treated seriously.  One of Prophet Muhammad’s Companions narrates, “We were on a journey and during the Prophet’s absence, we saw a bird with its two chicks; we took them.  The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief. When Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned he said, “Who has distressed this bird by taking its chicks?  Return them to her.“ (Abu Dawud and Authenticated by Al-Albani)

In pre- Islamic times, pagan superstitions and polytheistic practices included acts of torture and cruelty to animals.  Islam condemned this and put a stop to all such practices.  When Prophet Muhammad and his Companions migrated to Madinah, they noticed that people used to cut off camels’ humps and the fat tails of sheep for food.  The Prophet forbade them from doing this and said, “Whatever is cut off an animal while it is still alive, is carrion (i.e., unlawful to eat).” (At-Tirmidhi)

In Islam, the rules pertaining to slaughtering animals are very strict and fixed.  Protecting animals from pain and undue suffering is paramount:

“Allah has ordained kindness (and excellence) in everything.  If the killing (of animals) is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner, sharpen the knife and put the animal at ease.” (Muslim)

Humankind must strike a balance in their treatment of animals. All living creatures were put on this earth by Allah for our benefit.  They are not at the same level as human beings but neither should they be treated cruelly.  It is humankind’s responsibility to see that they have food, water, and shelter from the elements.  Living creatures must not be overburdened, abused, or tortured and doing so will surely result in Allah’s just punishment.  A true believer in Allah demonstrates his or her belief by respecting the entire creation, and Prophet Muhammad’s character and actions are a shinning example of respect for all that exists.

Taken from Onislam.net

Barakah or Umm Ayman was the name of the woman whom the noble Prophet esteemed so highly. She was the first person to hold him in her arms when he was born and the only person who knew him from that point until his death. She was one of the few Muslims who the Prophet assured of a place in Paradise.

“Be a mother to him, Barakah. And don’t ever leave him,” Amina instructed her about her son as she lay dying.

Umm Ayman did not fail in her responsibility.

Her beginnings were more than humble. In her youth, the Abyssinian girl was put up for sale in Makkah as a slave. In pre-Islamic Arabia, slavery was no shame, and slaves were treated like animals.

But Barakah was blessed to be treated with kindness.

She was bought by a noble and gentle man: Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib. The father of the Prophet.

Barakah not only took care of Abdullah’s affairs as a servant in his home, but after he married the Prophet’s mother, she looked after Amina as well.

It was Umm Ayman who slept at the foot of Amina’s bed and comforted her when, only two weeks after her wedding, her husband was instructed to leave for that journey to Syria, after which he never came back. It was Umm Ayman who took care of Amina during her pregnancy.

It was Umm Ayman who gave Amina the news of her husband’s death at Yathrib (her son, too, would one day be buried there), what was later to be known as Madinah.

As the Prophet faced tragedy upon tragedy, Umm Ayman was there for him. From the time when his mother died when he was six, to when his grandfather Abdul Muttalib died when he was eight, Umm Ayman stayed with the Prophet.

It was only after the Prophet married Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) that she married, and that too, on their insistence.

She married Ubayd ibn Zayd from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib and they had a son named Ayman, thus her name Umm Ayman.

When the Prophet received the prophethood, Umm Ayman was among the first Muslims, and like the others, bravely faced the punishments of the Quraish for those who dared to believe in La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadur Rasool ullah.

She and Zayd ibn Harithah, another companion who lived in the Prophet’s household, put their lives on the line to find out about the plots and conspiracies of the pagan Makkans against the Prophet and the Muslims.

During the Battle of Uhud she gave out water to the thirsty soldiers and took care of the wounded. She accompanied the Prophet on some expeditions.

She tied her well-being to that of Islam. During a visit from the Prophet, he asked: “Ya Ummi! Are you well?” and she would reply: “I am well, O Messenger of Allah so long as Islam is.”

Umm Ayman’s husband died not very long after their marriage. When she was in about her 50s, the Prophet, when speaking to his companions said, “Should one of you desire to marry a woman from the people of Paradise, let him marry Umm Ayman.”

It was Zayd who stepped forward and agreed to marry her. They had a son named Usamah who was described as “the beloved son of the beloved.” In other words, the Prophet loved both he and his father.

One example of Umm Ayman’s dedication to Islam and the Prophet was when she trekked across the burning desert through sandstorms on foot from Makkah to Madinah to join the Prophet. Despite the harshness of the journey though, she persisted, and was given good news when she reached her destination.

When she got to Madinah, swollen feet, dust-covered face and all, the Prophet said to her,

“Ya Umm Ayman! Ya Ummi! (O Umm Ayman! O my mother!) Indeed for you is a place in Paradise!”

She became a widow again, after Zayd was killed during the Battle of Mutah in Syria. She also lived to see her son’s martyrdom at the Battle of Hunayn.

Ayman lived to see her other “son” die as well: the Prophet. But it was not for him she cried. When asked, she said, “By Allah, I knew that the Messenger of Allah would die but I cry now because the revelation from on high has come to an end for us.”

Umm Ayman died when Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was Khalifa.

Original write-up here

Today the full set of Sunan an-Nasa’i, Arabic Text with English Translation, is uploaded here, alhamdulillah. It comes in six volumes. Feel free to download the files.

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 1

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 2

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 3

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 4

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 5

Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 6

This is the second part on the series “The Houses of the Companions around the Prophet’s Mosque”. You can view the first part here

PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S WIVES AND THEIR HUTS: 

1. ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) and her hut:

Most of the wives of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) were widows. ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) was the only one who was a virgin girl at the time of her marriage to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Since the dreams of Prophets are true and they are like revelation of Allah to them, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) saw a dream. As mentioned in Muslim, Prophet (Peace be upon him) described his dream to ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) as follows. He said, “I saw you in my dream on three different occasions. Each time an angel brought you wrapped up in a silken cloth and said to me, ‘This is your wife.’ I removed the cloth and found you there. Then I said to myself if it is from Allah, I should make it happen.”

It was also mentioned in Tirmidhi as narrated by ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her), “Jibreel brought my picture wrapped up in a silken cloth and said ‘This is your wife in this world and in the Hereafter.’”

Hence Allah chose her for His Prophet and informed him through Jibreel. Consequently Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) married her.

She was very wise and had very good knowledge of Islam. She narrated 2210 Hadith after the Prophet (Peace be upon him) left us. At least 174 of these narrations are in Bukhari and Muslim.

She was born, during the fifth year of prophethood, in Makkah (July 614 A.D.). Her formal marriage to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took place three years before migration of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to Madinah. She, however, joined the Prophet’s household later in Madinah when she was nine years old. She became widow when she was eighteen years old. She died during the month of Ramadhan in 57 Hijrah and was buried in Baqee cemetery. Location of her Hujrah can be seen in the image given below.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) died in this Hujrah and was also buried in this Hujrah.

She was very generous and God fearing. Ibn Jauzi described that one time Muawiya (May Allah be pleased with him) sent one hundred and eighty thousand (by another narration 80,000) dinars as price of her house with the right for her to live in it during her lifetime. She distributed this large amount to the needy then and there. Someone reminded her, “You should have kept at least one dinar for yourself.” She remarked, “Why did you not remind me earlier?”

In this way she followed the footprints of her father, Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), and did not keep a single dinar in her house for personal use.

2. Saudah (May Allah be pleased with her) and her hut:

She was daughter of Zamaah bin Qais Qarshi. Her first marriage was with Sakran bin Amr (May Allah be pleased with him) who was one of the earliest Muslims. She migrated to Habsha twice with her husband. After second migration she returned to Makkah. Her husband died. In these circumstances she did not want to go back to her tribe since they would force her to leave Islam and would inflict various forms of punishment on her.

Prophet’s first wife, Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) had passed away. The Prophet (Peace be upon him), therefore, married Saudah (May Allah be pleased with her) to help out this helpless lady.

Saudah (May Allah be pleased with her) voluntarily gave her turn to ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her). She died during 55 Hijrah. She also gave her Hujrah to ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) at the time of her death.  For location of her Hujrah see the image given below.

3. Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her) and her hut:

Hafsah was daughter of Umar (RU). Her first marriage was with Khunais bin Huzafah (May Allah be pleased with him). When he died Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) offered the hand of her daughter to Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him). He refused since he was very sad at the demise of his wife Ruqqayah (May Allah be pleased with her). Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) complained to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) about Uthman’s refusal. Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “Hafsah will marry a person who is better than Uthman and Uthman will marry a lady who is better than Hafsah”. Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) came back home and waited to see what it meant.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) married Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her) during 3 Hijrah and in this way boosted the morale of Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her) and her father. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also married his second daughter Umm Kulthum to Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him). Hence the prediction of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was fulfilled.

Location of Hafsah’s (May Allah be pleased with her) Hujrah can also be seen in the image given below. There ran a very narrow street between the huts of ‘Aishah and Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with them)

Source Reference

I am re-posting one of the posts from this blog. Written by a world renown scholar, this article is worth reading! When I first read this, I ended up by saying Subhaanallah! It is a master-piece, I would say! Read on….

It may be easy to say that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the greatest personality humanity has ever known in its extended history. But to analyse the different aspects of this greatness – here one may face the difficulty.

Great? Yes. But how was he greater than everybody else?

How was he so highly adored and revered by his adherents throughout all those centuries since he was chosen by Allah until this present moment?

There is something outstanding about his personality, about his career, about his message, about his role in history of mankind that attracts the attention of all who try to know him. To say he is a Prophet is not enough to interpret that outstanding feature. Even to say he is the Prophet, or the ‘Seal of the Prophets’ is not enough.

In any case, let us try to approach out topic thorough a process of simplification that may assist us in our attempt to comprehend some aspects of this great personality.

When we hear in history about a man who found his nation scattered and dissected by different factors, unable to unite itself in one consolidated nation, who then tried his best to bring them together – with all the resolution and insistence liable to mankind, giving the matter his whole energy, sacrificing his own interests for the sake of his nation and able at last to realize the dream and bring out from that scattered nation, not only a consolidated one, but one that has a specified message and a specified role in the history of mankind – what can we call such a person, if he ever existed in the true sense of the word?

No doubt we shall call him a great man – even if he did nothing all through his life other than fulfilling this single, although, complicated task.

What then can we call the man who fulfilled that same task, not on the ordinary level, but on such a level that is unique in history, this task being at the same time only one of his great achievements during his limited human life?

When we hear in history about a military leader who found his country not only weak but also occupied in part by foreign powers, never dreaming of liberating the occupied parts, nay! of overcoming the great powers around them, then through his outstanding personality, his long perseverence, his strong resolution, be built up an army that not only liberated the country but became in a few years the greatest army in the region – victorious always, pressing always in the region against its enemies, never occupied by them – what shall we call such a leader?

Undoutedly, we shall call him a great man. Indeed, many so call persons such as Hannibal, Napoleon, Hitler, and other such pygmies of history. They are called great men, although they lived and died for their limited task and although some of them failed to realize their goal.

What then shall we call the man who built an army that aimed, not at liberating some occupied lands of a certain country, but at liberating the whole of mankind? And liberating it, moreover not from physical submissiveness to material factors, but from the submissiveness of the soul to any sovereignty other than the Sovereignty of Allah, Almighty. An army oriented not to conquer countries or to annex lands, but to conquer human despotism and human humiliation before the devil. And to offer man the real liberty that is worth being obtained because it fulfills the welfare of this world and the world to come: the army of creed, the army of principles, the army that sprang out from the heavenly Message and lived and liberated for its cause. And when we bear in mind that this great task of building up such a unique army was only part of the Prophet’s job and not his sole achievement, in what words or in what terms shall we qualify this greatness?

If we go on trying to deal with all the aspects of his greatness, the appointed time will fail us, and I fear the language itself may fail us. For one of the defects of human language is that it uses the same word or the same term for different degrees of the same meaning, although the difference might be so vast between one degree and another. The only way then for differentiation is to use the linguistic technique itself – great, greater, greatest and, in the end, the greatest.

But nevertheless let us have some quick snapshots of the Prophet’s greatness, Peace be upon him.

The first outstanding aspect of his greatness is that his personality is a combination of a vast variety of great personalities. We have just mentioned two different types: the great statesman and the great military leader.

Let us add, only as example, but not for comprehensive study, the great educator, the great household master, the great lover of humanity.

Any educator, great or ordinary, must have some qualifications. To begin with, he must be of a higher level than those who receives his instruction, or else they will not feel the need to listen or the need to follow. He also must have something to say to his adherents, or else they will not gather round him. He must be able to notice the different types and different conditions of his disciples, or else he will not be able to give them and give to each of them suitable instructions. He must have the ability to follow up, step by step, the process of education, or else the development of his disciples’ personalities will stop before reaching the stage of ripening and full maturity. It is very important to add also the ability to love those whom he is educating with that love which can convince them that his instructions are meant for their own good or else the process of education will not give its desired effect.

In all of these aspects the Prophet, on him be peace, was greater than any known educator in history whom we may describe as great, with the repeated addition that any one of those so-called great educators had only that job only as one of his different tasks, and fulfilled it at a higher level than any one of them.

Let us mention a hint or two of his greatness as an educator, his calling of his followers’ companions’, for instance. To what extent did it affect his adherents to call them ‘companions’ rather than ‘followers’, or ‘disciples’, or whatever nomination might be used? It was really intended to process to raise those followers to the high standard of their Prophet and it gave its produce. Another hint is what those Companions related about the behaviour of the Prophet toward them. They said that the Prophet treated them with such love that every one of them thought that he was the Prophet’s favoured one, the nearest to his heart, on him be peace. To estimate this behaviour, let every one of us try to treat his friends indeed, his children themselves such that every one of them may feel that he or she is the most favoured.

The personality of the great believer within the wide-dimensioned personality of the Prophet, on him be the peace, is outstanding.

Every one of us must have experienced, once at least in his lifetime, the feeling that he is near to Allah. That he is worshipping Him sincerely. That his love of Him is illuminating his heart. That His Almighty presence and existence is filling his soul.

How great is this experience! What loftiness and greatness one feels in one’s self while experiencing this rare moment! But for how long can the ordinary person maintain this high level amidst his continuous occupations, leading his attention and energy here and there?

Now let us come to the Prophet, on him be peace, and try to imagine just to imagine that state of mind, or rather that state of soul, that is continuously and deeply attached to Allah, the beloved God, filled all the time with His existence, His magnitude, His mercifulness, His sovereignty, and His overwhelming power.

It was only natural that the great believer should become the great worshipper, for the true knowledge of the true Divinity begets the true feeling of worship; I mean sincerity and devotion to Allah.

Allah says in the Quran (the translation of this verse I take from Mawlana Maududi), the erudite among His bondsmen fear Allah alone.

The outstanding feature regarding the Prophet, peace on him, is the depth of that feeling; the continuous feeling of the presence of Allah, and the continuous remembrance of this presence, either through devoted prayer, prolonged Dua or in continuously reminding his Companions of that presence whenever anything happened- rain falls, the crescent appears, the sun rises or sets, plants grow, a child is born, a creature dies.

For us now in the 21^st century- the century of the Great Ignorance, as a I call it – this feature of the Prophet’s personality is quite important.  For we live in a world that rarely feels the existence of Allah, and rarely remembers Him in the stunning turmoil of the materialistic life led b the people of so-called modern civilization.

No wonder if this false civilization is beginning to go asunder, despite all the wonderful progress it possesses in the field of science and technology.  Useful as this progress might be, it cannot be a substitute for the spiritual life so necessary for mankind.  Indeed, deep in the inner heart of human nature, there is a place for worship in everybody’s heart.  And it is either filled by the worship of Allah or the worship of something else.

I remember a story told to me by my brother Sayyid.  He lived in America for two years, between, between 1948 and 1950.

Once, he sat in a public garden.  A white American came near to him and before sitting beside him, asked, “Are you an American?’

He said, “No.” Then the man took his seat.  (You know of course that we are colored, or half-colored, and the white American should not sit beside a colored person or a half-colored!  But when he knew that he was not American, he sat beside him.)  “Where are you from?”  he asked him.

“I am Egyptian.”

“O, then you are a Muslim.”

“Yes.”

“Will you please tell me something about Islam?”  Then for one whole hour, brother Sayyid was talking to the man about Islam.  The man was listening very silently, very politely.  But last he said,” All you have said about Islam may be true.  But the only divinity I know is the dollar.”

Indeed, it is in Islam- and only in Islam- that scientific and technological progress is not put as a substitute for the worship of Allah, but rather as part of that worship oriented and controlled by spiritual worship, and thus giving man the balance and equilibrium so necessary in life.

But let us have a quick glance at the great worshipper, on him be peace, to learn from him how to worship Allah.

He went on praying during the night until his honorable feet swelled.  ‘A’isha, the loving wife, may Allah be pleased with her, was in pain at seeing the swelling feet of the prophet.  She tried to do something to relieve him.

“Not so hard, O Messenger of Allah,” she said to him.  “Allah has forgiven all your sins, antecedent and forthcoming.”

But the great worshipper answered, “Shouldn’t I be a thankful slave to Allah.”

Now, the Prophet’s household consisted of several wives and daughters, and had its troubles and problems as any human household.  Although his wives were the Prophet’s wives and were expected to lead a sort of life and behavior different from any other wives, yet human nature is human nature.  The jealousy of one wife from another is a concrete fact, even in the Prophet’s household.  But what a great household master was he.

Those who have married more than one wife may know very well what it means.  Those who have married only one can still imagine.  But under the leadership of the great husband, peace was the eminent feature of life and war the exception.  It was the Prophet who said, “The best among you are those who give the best treatment to their wives- and I am the best to my wives.”

You know very well that he shared in household affairs, assisting his wives and doing whatever was wanted of him.  But this statement, “The best among you are those who give the best treatment to their wives- and I am the best to my wives,” is very significan.  It gives a profound criterion through which humanity may measure its elevation or its failure.

The true criterion of man’s elevation is not the way one treats another person whom one knows to be equal in status or in power.   But it is the way one treats a person who is considered of weaker position or lesser status.  Women are always treated unjustly during ages of ignorance because of their weakness.  Yet the Prophet of Islam gives this human touch and makes the criterion of good behavior the way a man treats his wife.

(By the way, let the woman of modern civilization remember that it was Islam that first gave women the equality in humanity they are still calling for and gave them rights that women in the West only gained during the last century. Some rights, however, are still unavailable to them in spite of all the so-called liberation or salvation of women in the 20^th century. Islam only did not give women the right of immoral indulgence because it forbids men also to be involved in such debasement.)

Considering this criterion which estimates human elevation by the way a human being treats another who is weaker than himself, it may not be off the point to remind of the way the so-called superpowers treat the developing countries, and see to what degree this false civilization fails to prove its humanity.

The man destined to be Messenger to all humanity and leader of all humanity was endowed by Allah with a great love for all people, black or white, red or yellow a love for mankind without discrimination. “There is no privilege for the white over the black nor the red over the yellow, except by righteousness,” he said.

This great love was indispensable for such a great task as his. It was not enough for him to be a great statesman, nor a great military leader, nor even a great educator. Without a great love for humanity, he could not have led upon the prolonged and patient path toward the great Truth, toward the liberation of mankind from the worship of the devil to the worship of Allah, the true Divinity.

Some so called great men in history were led to their task by hatred, wrath, or malignity. And, of course, they fulfilled some near or temporary goals because they employed the full strength of their energy to fulfill them. But when their lives came to an end, as all lives come to their ends, nothing, or indeed very little, was left after their departure. But not so the Prophet Muhammad, on him be peace. For he left this world fourteen centuries ago, but his Message his still alive and his heritage is still existing – your presence here being one of its products and achievements.

As an insight to this point, recall a rare situation the Prophet faced. When he was abandoned in Makkah by his near relatives through hatred and enmity to his cause, when he was persecuted under the violation and the tyranny of Quraysh, what did he do? He prayed to his Lord, “O Allah! May you forgive my people, for they are ignorant. They do not know the truth.” 

We have been demonstrating one fact about the Prophet, on him be peace, that is, the wide scope of his personality that comprises within it a combination of great personalities of different dynamics. If this by itself is a sign of greatness it is not, however, the real core of his greatness. For, supposing these different personalities were detached one from the other, they could not make up a great personality. Integration of personality is very important and such integration was outstanding in the personality of the Prophet, on him be peace.

One never feels that his statesmanship or his military leadership is detached from his strong belief in Allah or his devoted worship to Him nor his companionship to his followers, nor his love for all humanity. If we add to all of this a rare equilibrium that gives every dimension the necessary attention at the suitable moment, then we can be near enough to attempt a contemplative glance at the great personality of the Prophet, and to comprehend, to any extent possible, how it is that this personality down through the ages has been so loved and so revered.

Yet everything about that outstanding personality was the natural thing regarding the Message this Prophet was sent to declare. It was Allah who molded his personality in the shape it was molded, and for a certain reason to fulfill a specific task. Allah knows best with whom to place His Message.

The Message of this Prophet is Islam in its broad and comprehensive sense and to speak about Islam in the space allowed now is an impossibility. But let us try in a few words.

Islam is the religion that Allah wishes all mankind to embrace. It is the blessing Allah wishes to bestow upon all humanity. This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have chose for you as a religion al-Islam.

Islam at the same time is the complete method of life that comprises faith, moral, politics, economics, social relations, the correct mode of thinking and the correct attitude toward the Divinity, life, nature, and mankind.

This comprehensive scope of Islam was in need of a human being to exemplify it for mankind. For Allah, the All-Knowing, knows that revealing a Book to human beings is not enough to make them believe and then adopt what they believe and implement in the correct manner, He knows that there must be a human example to carry out the revelation in a concrete manner in order to show the people how to do it. He knows also that such an example as needed for this task must have certain characteristics suitable for the task, again, as we know in educational methods that the example should be so finely complete that it can be both give the most effective impression and moreover the full guidance to those who are called to follow the example.

This, in brief, was the Prophet, on him be peace. Now we come to the important question: How are we to follow the example?

Allah says in the Quran, Verily, in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example, for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.

What does this mean? Does it mean that every one of us should become a carbon copy of the Prophet, on him be peace, in each dimension and every phase of life? This is simply impossible. And Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, the Merciful, the All-Merciful, knows the capacity of His creatures and does not commit them to the impposible. Allah takes not a soul beyond its scope. Should He not know what He created and He is the Subtle, the Aware!.

But still, He wants us to follow the example. Yes, follow the example within the limits of our human capacity on one condition: that we should try our best. That we should make our attempt to follow this example the jihad of our lives, to which we must dictate the full of energy, asking the guidance of Allah, who has promised to offer it to those who try.

As for those who strive for Us, We surely guide them to Our path, and, lo, Allah is with the good.

And whosoever strives, strives only for himself, for, lo, Allah is altogether independent of His creatures.

Let us give a few examples to finish with. In our modern civilization which, again, I call under my own responsibility the Modern Jahiliyya, that is, the Modern Ignorance we differentiate between the politics and morals, economics, and morals, technology and morals, art and morals. This is obviously against the example of the Prophet.

To follow the Prophetic model, we must stop this false and malignant differentiation and take life as one whole, as it is in reality, and as should be the behavior of the one, integrated, whole called the human being. There is no partition within the human being, between this side and that. For ever since Allah created man out of the earth’s crust and breathed into him of His spirit, the two elements became one and can never and should never be disintegrated.

When thy Lord said unto the Angels, Lo, I am about to create a mortal out of mud. And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down before him prostrate.

Another example.

We are usually so absorbed with our everyday preoccupations that we nearly forget the Day of Resurrection. We may only remember it, if ever, in the moments we are doing our prayers, while we read the Opening of the Book, reciting the verse, Maliki Yaum al-Din, The Owner of the Day of Judgment.

This is against the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him. For he was always in remembrance of that Day and was always reminding his Companions to prepare themselves for that Day through every deed they do, every word they say, and every feeling they feel, even in the secrecy of their inner hearts. For Allah knows our secrets, and even what is more obscure than our secrets. He knows the secret thought and that which is yet more hidden.

In educating our children also, we are usually keen to teach them everything that makes out of them successful personalities in this life, which is of course essential. But paying attention ignoring the Hereafter is against the example of the Prophet.

To follow his example, we must labor to achieve two tasks at the same time: successfulness in this life, and successfulness in the Hereafter, the latter being at least as important as the first. And the former is only achieved by sticking to the instructions of the Quran and Sunnah alike.

The example of the Prophet, on him be peace, was not, and is not, a temporary one, nor is it confined to a certain nation. This example was set by Allah for all nations, for all time, until the Day of Judgment.

He it is who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, and Allah suffices as a witness.

But we must be sure that we cannot propagate Islam to mankind until we ourselves have followed the Prophet’s way and became ourselves an example to mankind.

This is the greatest challenge before us, the challenge unto which we must direct all of our jihad…and then ask Allah for assistance and orientation.

Note: This article was published in some issue of Islamic Horizons in late 80s, the photocopy of which I have in my possession. Sheik Muhammad Qutb, the author, had delivered a key-note address in the ISNA Convention which was later published in Islamic Horizons. Jazakallah Khayr to Sr. Nadia Arif for typing this long article.