No community has been without its righteous guides and teachers to help its people towards the truth and to lead them from the depths of darkness to the light of Islam. The Prophets of Allah Subhanahu wa Taaala received the message and direction that enabled them to counsel their contemporaries. Through the ages, the earlier messages were distorted. Mankind having lost sight of the Shariah was in dire need of divine guidance. It had degenerated inwardly and outwardly to an abominable and immoral course of conduct. In the midst of spiritual decay, Allah opened a door of Hidayah, sending His mercy to all of mankind, His Final Messenger S.A.W, to guide them from the darkness of Jahiliyyah to the light of Islam.
Alif. Lam. Ra. (This is) a Scripture which We have revealed unto you (Muhammad) that thereby you may bring forth mankind from darkness unto light, by the permission of their Lord, unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise. (Surah Ibrahim 14:1)
He it is who blesses you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is Merciful to the believers. (Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:43)
A messenger reciting unto you the revelations of Allah made plain, that He may bring forth those who believe and do good works from darkness unto light. And whosoever believes in Allah and does right, He will bring him into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide forever. Allah hath made good provision for him. (Surah At-Talaaq 65:11)
The Prophet S.A.W was sent as a teacher and role model for all of mankind. He was sent as a warner of Allahs wrath and punishment, a bearer or good tidings, as well as a guide to Paradise.
O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner and as one who invites to Allah (alone) by His permission and as a lamp that gives light. (Surah Al- Ahzaab 33:45-46)
The above verse tell us that Allah has sent the Prophet S.A.W as a lamp that gives light, which means that the Prophet S.A.W is the source of guidance. He spreads light and mercy through the instructions, teachings, and practice of the Quran and Sunnah.
The Prophet S.A.W has the best personality, characteristics, and morals. Once when Aisha R.A was asked about the life and conduct of the Prophet S.A.W, she replied, Have you not read the Quran? His character is the complete explanation of the Quran. This means that his daily life was a living illustration and explanation of the Quran. He did and said everything in accordance to the teachings of the Quran and his life is the reflection of the Shariah of Allah. He maintained the best characteristics in his roles as father, husband, friend, ruler, governor, teacher, statesman, protector of the weak, widows, and poor, a guide to the rich, a guardian of the orphans, and a servant of Allah. No one could ever equal the Prophet S.A.W in the whole history of mankind and no one ever will, insya Allah.
And verily, you are on an exalted standard of character. (Surah Al-Qalam 68:4)
When the Prophet S.A.W came into this world, the community at that time was known as ummi, meaning illiterate. They did not know how to read or write. They did not know the potential of a human being. The Prophet S.A.W himself, also was not educated. He had never even seen the face of a teacher, nor had he ever picked up a book and read even a sentence. On one hand, we have a community and on the other hand, we have the Prophet who was sent to guide them and both are ummiilliterate. Allah commanded the Prophet S.A.W
Arise and warn! (Surah Al-Muddath-thir 74:2)
So the Prophet S.A.W stood up and made two major claims:
1. I have been sent into this world as an educator and warner.
2. I have been sent into this world to perfect the best of moral conduct in human behavior, to educate and purify them.
These were two of the biggest challenges that the Prophet S.A.W had to face and two of the biggest goals he had to accomplish throughout his prophethood.
In a period of twenty-three years, when the last sermon was given in the field of Arafat, there were approximately 124 to 144 thousand Muslims present. There was no other period of time in the past two millenniums that one person has changed the lives and minds of so many people in a period of twenty-three years.
A professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies at Edinburgh University, who wrote a biography of the Prophet S.A.W called, Muhammad in Mecca, Muhammad in Medina, stated: One thing baffles me. I cannot understand how one man, who has no formal education, could lead a community, who behaved like animals and created those same human beings into men the world had never seen.
When the Prophet S.A.W sent a letter to Caesar, the King of Rome, inviting him to embrace Islam, Hercules summoned Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who was the archenemy of the Prophet S.A.W and the believers at that time, and questioned him about this man, who was claiming to be a prophet of God. Abu Sufyans testimony went as follows:
Muhammad descends from a noble family. No one of this family happened to assume kingship. His followers are deemed weak with numbers ever growing. He neither tells lies nor betrays others, we fight him and he fights us, but with alternate victory. He bids people to worship Allah Alone with no associate, and abandon our fathers beliefs. He orders us to observe prayer, honesty, abstinence, and maintain strong family ties.
Hercules replied:
I fully realize that Prophets come from noble families; he does not affect any previous example of prophethood. Since none of his ancestors was a monarch, we cannot then allege that he is a man trying to reclaim his fathers monarchy. So long as he does not tell lies to people, he is, for the more reason, immune to telling lies as regards Allah. Concerning his followers being those deemed weak with numbers ever growing, it is something that goes in agreement with questions of Faith until this latter assumes its full dimensions geographically and demographically. I have understood that no instance of apostasy has as yet appeared among his followers and this points to the Bliss of Faith that finds its abode in the human heart. Betrayal, as I see, is alien to him because real Prophets hold betrayal in abhorrence. Bidding worship of Allah with no associates, observance of prayer, honesty, and abstinence and prohibition of paganism are traits bound to subject to him all my possessions. I have already known that a Prophet must arise, but it has never occurred to me that he will be an Arab from among you. If I was sure, I would be faithful to him, I might hope to meet him and if I were with him, I would wash his feet.
Even, Abu Sufyan, the most staunch enemy of Islam before he converted, had to testify to the excellent behavior and truthfulness of the Prophet S.A.W and because of that, even Hercules said that if he were present with the Prophet S.A.W, hed wash his feet with his own hands.
Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have a good example to follow for him who hopes (in the meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. (Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:21)
One time, Umar ibn al-Khattab R.A told the Messenger S.A.W that he loved him more than anything in the world except for his ownself. The Prophet S.A.W told him it was not sufficient, so Umar R.A told the Final Messenger that he loved him more than his ownself. The Prophet S.A.W said that he had attained what is proper. He stated: No one of you has a true faith until I am dearer to him than his father, his children, and all of mankind. This was recorded in Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet S.A.W is the most beloved creation to Allah and no one else could surpass this love of Allah that He has for His noble creation. If one does not love what Allah loves, then he is bound to be destroyed.
Sahih Al-Bukhari narrates a hadithi qudsi on the authority of Ata R.A, which comprehends most of the characteristics of the Prophet S.A.W:
O Prophet! We have surely sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, a warner, and a protector for the Ummis. You are my chosen servant and Apostle. I have named you the Trusting, since you trust Me in every matter. You are neither rough mannered nor hard-hearted. Nor do you uproar in the market place. You never requite evil for evil, but forgive and overlook. Allah will not give you death till He has brought your stray nation on the right path through you and has given light to the blind eyes of the unbelievers and has opened their deaf ears and closed hearts. I will refine you with all that is noble; and endow you with every noble habit; and will make tranquility your attire and trait; and piety your conscience; and wisdom the substance of your thought and knowledge and truthfulness and sincerity your nature; and forgiveness and good works your custom; and justice your practice, truth your rule, righteousness your guide, and forge the followers of Islam into a community. Your name is Ahmad. Through you, I will show the people the right path after deviation from it; and bestow knowledge and wisdom upon them after their complete ignorance. Through you, I will raise my creatures from the abysmal to the zenith of perfectionand will make your Ummah the best Ummah for the guidance of mankind.
The Prophet S.A.W is the best role model for mankind and it is incumbent upon each and every believer to obey and follow the messenger if they hope for Paradise and the pleasure of Allah, Most High, the Exalted. He was the most reliable, trusted, and loved. He was the most generous, keen and most attentive to the peoples trust and was very careful to pay peoples due in full. He never betrayed nor deceived nor lied.
The Prophet S.A.W said: The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me (Quran and Sunnah) is like abundant rain falling on the earth. Some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rainwater and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. Another portion of it was hard and held the rainwater and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking and to irrigate the land for cultivation. A portion of it was barren which could neither hold water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allahs religion (Islam) and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah Taaala has revealed through me and learns and then teaches it to others. The (last example is that of a) person who does not care for it and does not take Allahs Guidance revealed through me. (He is like that barren land.)
Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey the Message) and you (are responsible) for what is placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messengers duty is only to convey (the Message) in the clear way. (Surah An-Nur 24:54)
As a child, as a boy, as a youth, as a man, as a laborer, as a husband, as a father, as a companion, as a businessman, as a preacher, as a teacher, as a religious reformer, as a soldier, as a general, as an administrator, as a planner, as a ruler of a state, as a leader of the faithful, as a protector of the weak, widows, and poor, as a guide to the rich, as a guardian of the orphans, and as a servant and messenger of Allah, the Beloved Prophet S.A.W has no equal, no parallel, and no peer in the entire history of mankind. He stands head and shoulders above all other human beings in the nobility of his character and the piety of his soul. In all these walks of life and in all of these departments, the Prophet S.A.W is a hero and the best role model for mankind.
I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess the assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every ageI believe that if a man like him (Muhammad) were to assume dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness
--G.B. Shaw, The Genuine Islam, Vol. 1, No. 81936
May Allah shower His choicest blessings upon the Beloved, Honored Messenger S.A.W, his companions, and all those that follow him till the Day of Judgement. And may Allah include us among those who love the Messenger S.A.W more than anyone and anything else in the world and may Allah give us the ability to perfectly imitate the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad S.A.W. Amin, Alhumdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin.
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