Prophet
Muhammad (saas)
A
Blessing for Mankind
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CONTENTS
Birth
Youth
Marriage
Prophethood
Challenges
Migration (Hijrah)
New Era
Emmissaries Entertained in
Madinah
Liberation of Makkah
Farewell Pilgrimage
Death
A Guidance to follow
Economy (Expertise &
Outlook)
Cleanliness
Orderliness
Friendliness
Neighborliness
Goodwill
Respect for Women
Statesmanship
Messengers of Allah
Birth
Muhammad (PBUH)
(Blessings and Peace be upon
him) was born in Makkah,
Arabia, on Monday, 12
Rabi' Al-Awwal (2 August
C.E). His mother, Aminah was
the daughter of Wahb bin Abd
Al-Manaf of the Zahrah
family. His father,
Abdullah, was the son of Abd
Al-Muttalib. His genealogy
has been traced to the noble
house of Isma'il, the son of
Ibrahim (Abraham) (PBUH)
(May Peace be upon him) in
about the fortieth descent.
Muhammad's father had
died before his birth and
his mother died when he was
about six years old making
him an orphan.
In accordance with the
tradition of noble families
of Makkah, he was taken by a
foster mother, Halimah, to
her village where he lived
for a few years. During
these years he was taken to
Makkah several times to
visit his mother. After the
death of his mother, he was
placed under the custody of
his grandfather, Abd Al-Muttalib.
When the grandfather died,
he was under the care of his
uncle, Abu Talib. By this
time he used to look after
sheep around Makkah and used
to accompany his uncle on
trade journeys to Syria.
Youth
In his youth he believed
firmly in the Oneness of
Allah (God)(SWT). He lived a
very simple life and hated
vanity and pride. He was
compassionate to the poor,
widows and orphans and
shared their sufferings by
helping them. He avoided all
vices, which were commonly
practiced among young people
such as gambling, drinking
wine, vulgarity and others.
He was well-known as As-Sadiq
(the truthful) and
Al-Amin (the
trustworthy). He was always
trusted as a mediator
between two conflicting
parties in his homeland,
Makkah.
Marriage
When he was about 25
years old, his uncle urged
him to work with the caravan
which belonged to a wealthy
widow named Khadijah. He
accepted and undertook the
journey to Syria. He
conducted business with such
prudence and sense of duty
that he returned with larger
profit than usual. Khadijah
was so impressed by the
honest and attractive
personality of Muhammad
(PBUH) that she offered to
marry him which Muhammad
(PBUH) accepted. This
marriage was a happy one.
They had children. Khadijah
was so far his only wife
until she died at the age of
51.
Prophethood
Muhammad (PBUH) was born
amidst a polytheistic
(unbeliever) society. He was
saddened and sick of the
corrupt society around him.
He often went to Hira
cave in the mountain
near Makkah, later known as
Jabal An-nur (the
mountain of Light) where he
meditated and pondered over
the prevailing darkness
brought about by ignorance.
There he often remained deep
in thought in communion with
the unseen yet All-Pervading
God of the Universe.
One night, while he was
meditating in the Hira
cave, the Angel Gabriel
(peace be upon him) came to
him. The Angel aroused him
and his mighty voice
reverberated in his ears. He
was perplexed and did not
know what to do. He was
asked to read. He replied:
"I cannot read!" The Angel
repeated three times asking
Muhammad (PBUH) to read, but
he replied the same answer.
Finally the Angel asked:
[Read in the name of
your Lord , who created
man from a clot. Read in
the name of your God,
the Most Bountiful, who
taught by means of the
pen, and taught man what
he did not know.]
(Qur'an 96: 1-5)
This was the first
revelation received by
Muhammad (PBUH). He was 40
years old at that time. The
revelation continued to come
to him from time to time in
a period of 23 years.
These series of
revelation were arranged
according to the divine
guidance given to Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), and later
collected in the form of a
Mushaf (book) the
Qur'an (Reading). Most of
its verses have clear
meaning. Some verses are
interpreted in conjunction
with other verses and some
others were interpreted by
the Prophet (PBUH) himself
through his words, actions
and agreements which are
known as his Sunnah
(Traditions).
The Qur'an and the
Sunnah together constitute
the guidance and way of life
for those who submit their
life to Allah (God) (SWT).
People who follow this
guidance and way of life are
guaranteed by Allah
(SWT) to be saved in this
world and the Hereafter.
Challenges
When the Prophet (PBUH)
called the people to the way
of Allah, not many
people listened to his call.
Most of them were members of
his family and from the low
class society. Among them
were Khadijah, Ali, Zayd and
Bilal. When he intensified
his mission (da'wah:
Call to Islam) by publicly
announcing the religion he
preached, he won more
followers but at the same
time had to face many
challenges from the nobles
and leaders who found their
position being threatened
and jeopardized. They stood
together, under the pretext
of defending the religion of
their ancestors, to fight
the new religion.
The morale of the few
people who embraced Islam
was heightened when a
small group of the respected
people of Makkah joined the
religion.
Notable among them were
`Uthman bin `Affan, Zubair
bin Al-`Awwam, `Abd
Ar-Rehman bin `Awf, Talhah
bin `Ubaydullah, Sa'd bin
Abi Waqqas, Arqam bin Abi
Arqam, `Ubaydullah bin
Harith, Sa'id bin Zayd, `Amr
bin Nufail, Fatimah (the
wife of Nufail), Asma binti
Abu Bakr, `Abdullah bin
Mas'ud, Ja'far bin Abi
Thalib (May Allah be pleased
with them) and many others.
Before this group, Abu Bakr
was the first among the
earlier followers that
impressed the Prophet (PBUH)
very much. The Prophet
(PBUH) said about him: "I
never invited anyone to the
faith who did not display
any hesitation in embracing
it except Abu Bakr. When I
had offered Islam, he
showed no hesitation at all
in accepting it."
As the result of these
challenges from the Makkan
unbelievers, some Muslims
were subjected to torture,
persecutions, isolations and
boycotts. The Prophet (PBUH)
had to be patient and had to
look for the protection of
Muslims. He asked Negus,
King of Ethiopia to allow
Muslims to migrate to his
country. Negus welcomed the
Muslims emigrants in
his territory and refused to
hand them over to the Makkan
unbeliever rulers.
Migration (Hijrah)
By the end of the Makkan
period, the Prophet (PBUH)
lost two people who were
dear to him. They were his
most affectionate uncle, Abu
Talib, and his faithful and
loving wife, Khadijah. After
their deaths, the Makkans
felt free to do what they
wanted to impose to the
Prophet and his followers.
In many Makkah was the
Ka'bah (the Holy
Mosque), which was built by
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)
centuries before as a holy
place to worship Allah
(SWT), the One. But in the
course of time, the place
had been converted by
unbelievers to the worship
of objects other than Allah
(SWT). People added to it
many tradition of their own.
They used to visit this
place for a few months in a
year for pilgrimage. They
came from all parts of
Arabia, representing various
famous tribes. The
pilgrimage, inspite of its
religious bearing,
constituted for the Arabs a
yearly festival where people
met and indulge in their
cultural activities. The
Prophet (PBUH) took this
opportunity to spread Islam.
Among those who were
interested in his call, were
a group of people from
Yathrib (Madina) in the
North of Arabia. They met
secretly with the Prophet
(PBUH) and a few Muslims
from Makkah in a village
called `Aqabah. After
becoming Muslims, they took
an oath of allegiance to
protect Islam, the Prophet
and the Makkan Muslims.
The following year, the
group of Muslims from
Yathrib came again to
Makkah. They met the Prophet
(PBUH) at the same place
where they previously met.
This time, `Abbas bin Abd
Al-Muttalib, the Prophet's
uncle who was himself not a
Muslim yet, was present at
the meeting. They invited
the Prophet (PBUH) and the
Muslims from Makkah
to emigrate to Yathrib. They
promised to treat them as
true brothers and sisters. A
long dialogue was held
between the Muslims of
Yathrib with the Prophet's
uncle to make sure that they
really wanted to welcome the
Makkan Muslims in their
town. The Prophet (PBUH)
agreed at the end to
emigrate to the new land.
Upon knowing that, the
Muslims had planned
to leave Makkah, the Makkan
unbelievers tried to stop
the immigration but the
first group had already
migrated to Yathrib. The
Makkans had fearthat the
movement to Yathrib would
give the Muslims a new base
to spread Islam.
Within two months nearly
all Muslims fMakkah, except
the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Ali
and a few helpless people
had migrated. The Makkans
then decided to kill the
Prophet (PBUH). They made a
plan for this purpose, but
Allah (SWT) had made
another plan over them, to
quote the Qur'an.
With various tactics and a
good planning, the Prophet
finally arrived peacefully
in Yathrib, which was later
known as Madinat Ar-Rasul
(The city of the
Prophet).
New Era
In Madinah the Prophet
(PBUH) was able to work
freely in spreading Islam.
The followers of
Islam increased day
after day. But the threat by
the Makkans did not stop. A
few physical confrontations
with the Makkans were
ensued. Sometimes the
battles were won by the
Muslims, and
sometimes by the Makkans.
The Prophet (PBUH) also
engaged in battles with the
Byzantine and Persian powers
that were jeopardizing the
existence of Islam from the
north and the east. But
confrontation with the
Makkans stopped for a while
after the treaty of
Hudaibiyah had been signed
between the Muslims and the
unbeliever Makkans.
During the Madinah
period, the Muslims also
established treaties with
the Jews of Madinah and the
tribes around the city. The
Jews broke the treaty, which
led to their expulsion out
of the Arabian peninsula.
In Madinah, the Prophet
(PBUH) succeeded in
establishing Islam as a way
of life in its true meaning.
He was not only giving
guidance on purely religious
matters such as salat
(prayers), zakat
(almsgiving), Saum
(fasting) and Hajj
(pilgrimage) and
examples in these matters,
and also provided Muslims
with rules and laws covering
social, economic, political
fields.
Emissaries Entertained
in Madinah
It was in Madinah that
the Prophet (PBUH) received
envoys and emissaries from
various tribes and
nationals, asking matters of
various sorts, demanding
dialogues, negotiations etc.
Among the emissaries were an
envoy representing the
Christian community in
Najran (South Arabia). The
Prophet (PBUH) welcomed
them, entertained them as
honoured guests and even
allowed them to conduct
their religious service in
his city.
It was a good occasion to
share each other's views on
matters of religion. Some
members of the envoy were
deeply impressed by the
treatment they received from
the Muslims, thus leading
them to embrace Islam.
Liberation of Makkah
The treaty of Hudaibiyah
gave the Muslims a big
opportunity to exemplify the
true Islam in personal
conduct and in relations
with peoples and
communities. But the peace
did not stay long due to the
attitude of the Makkan
tribal chiefs who broke the
treaty. Soon the Prophet
(PBUH) marched very quietly
to Makkah in the 8th
year of the Hijrah
(emigration) to Madinah.
The Makkans gave no
resistance and by the whole
city surrendered to the
Prophet (PBUH). He announced
a general amnesty for all
his enemies and treated all
citizens of the city with
generosity. A verse of the
Qur'an was revealed on the
occasion:
[ When the help of
Allah and victory comes,
and you see the people
enter the religion of
Allah in crowds. So
glorify the Name of your
Lord and beg His
forgiveness. He, verily
accept repentance.]
(Qur'an 110: 1-3)
After the liberation of
Makkah all the remaining
hostile tribes in Arabia
began to realize the reality
of Islamic faith. People had
seen the noble teachings of
Islam. Good examples of
forgiveness, tolerance,
justice, fairness,
steadfastness and other
qualities as exemplified by
the Prophet (PBUH) and his
companions had left an
impression in the hearts of
hundreds of thousands of
people who became Muslims.
Farewell Pilgrimage
In time the whole Arabia
had become the land of
Islam. The Prophet (PBUH)
intended to perform the Hajj
(pilgrimage). He announced
his intention to the Muslims
in Madinah and the
surrounding areas and asked
them to join him. This was
in fact the only Hajj
performed by him during his
life time.
On this occasion he
taught those who were
present with him and to the
whole world about the Hajj
and the divine message that
Allah had entrusted him to
all mankind.
At the last gathering
with the Ummah
(nation) during the Hajj
season, the Hajj of Wada'
(Farewell) a sermon was
delivered by the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) at the
valley of Arafat
about 81 or 82 days before
his death. It contained the
very fundamentals of Islam.
Seated on his camel, he
spoke with a clear tone and
asked who heard his speech
to convey it to those who
were not present there.
Among others he said:
"O people, lend me and
attentive ear, for I
know not whether, after
this year, I shall ever
be amongst you again.
Therefore listen to what
I am saying to you very
carefully and take these
words to those who could
not be present here
today.
O people, just as you
regard this month, this
day, this city as
sacred, so regard the
life and property of
every Muslim as a sacred
trust. Return the goods
entrusted to you to
their rightful owners.
Hurt no one so that no
one may hurt you.
Remember that you will
indeed meet your Lord,
and that He will indeed
reckon your deeds. Allah
has forbidden you to
take usury, therefore
all interest obligation
shall henceforth be
waived.
Beware of Satan, for
the safety of your
religion. He has lost
all hopes that he will
be able to lead you
astray in big things, so
beware of following him
in small things.
O people, it is true
that you have certain
rights with regard to
your women, but they
also have rights over
you. If they abide by
your right then to them
belongs the right to be
fed and clothed in
mildness. Do treat your
women well and be kind
to them for they are
your partners and
committed helpers. And
it is your right that
they do not make friends
with anyone of whom you
do not approve, as well
as never to commit
adultery.
O people, listen to
me in earnest, worship
Allah (SWT), say your
five daily prayers, fast
during the month of
Ramadhan, and give your
wealth in zakat.
Perform hajj
if you can afford
to. You know that every
Muslim is the brother of
another Muslim. You are
all equal. Nobody has
superiority over the
other except by piety
and good deeds.
Remember, one day
your will appear before
Allah (SWT)
and answer for your
deeds. So beware, do not
go astray from the path
of righteousness after
my death.
O people, no Prophet
or Messenger will come
after me and no new
faith will be born.
Reason well, therefore,
O people, and
understand my words,
which I convey to you. I
leave behind me two
things, the Qur'an and
my example, the Sunnah,
and if you follow these
you will never go
astray.
All those who listen
to me shall pass on my
words to others and
those to others again;
and may the last ones
understand my words
better than those who
listen to me directly.
Be my witness O' Allah,
(SWT) that I have
conveyed Your message to
Your slaves."
The importance of this
sermon can be seen from the
Prophet's perception that
this occasion may be the
last one during his
lifetime. He felt that this
was the right time to
summarize the principles of
Islam to his fellow brothers
and sisters.
By the perfection of this
religion, it means that
there's no need for
humanity, and for the
Muslims in particular, to
look for another alternative
way of life. As long as one
holds fast to the two things
left behind by the Prophet
(the Qur'an
and the Sunnah), one will
never go astray.
Death
About two months after
returning from Makkah for
Pilgrimage, the Prophet
(PBUH) became ill but he was
still able to perform his
prayers in the mosque and
give directives to the
companions. His health was
deteriorating day by day. At
the last moment he asked Abu
Bakr to lead the prayers in
the mosque, Every member of
his family and every
companion was worried about
his health. It was on
Monday, 12th
Rabi'Al-Awwal, the year
11A.H., when he
passed away at the age of
sixty three years.
Many people did not
believe that he had passed
away. They thought that the
Messenger of Allah would
live forever. It was Abu
Bakr, who had the feeling,
since the Farewell
Pilgrimage that the death of
the Prophet (PBUH) was
coming near, He convinced
the congregation that the
Prophet (PBUH) had actually
passed away. Abu Bakr said
to the congregation that if
they worshipped Mu, Muhammad
had died , and if they
worshipped Allah (SWT),
He lives forever. Then
hrecited from the Qur'an:
"Muhammad (PBUH)
is nought but a
Messenger like the
Messengers who had
surely passed away
before him: will you,
then, if he dies or be
slain, turn round on
your heels?"
A Guidance to follow
Muhammad as a man had
already died, but as a
Prophet (PBUH) he left
behind him a legacy in the
form of the Qur'an and the
Sunnah. He stressed the
urgent need to hold firmly
to these two sources during
his farewell speech in the
valley of Arafat. If people
hold fast to them, they will
never go astray.
The teachings he left for
us if put into practice in
their true spirit and proper
way will bring a happy life
in this world and besides
the indubitable rewards that
will be received by those
who believed in them in the
life after death. In this
sense, Islam is a
worldly religion which cares
first for the worldly
affairs of humanity. The
Hereafter is merely a
continuation of the worldly
life. It is difficult to
portend that man can be
saved in the Hereafter
without being saved in this
world. The safe way is to
follow the way shown to us
by the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH). When his wife,
`Aishah, was asked by a
companion about the
Prophet's (PBUH) daily
conduct, `Aishah replied
that the conduct of the
Prophet (PBUH) was the
Qur'an which is the
guidance from Allah and
Muhammad (PBUH) was given
authority by Allah to
interpret it. That is why
his conduct was the
exemplary of human conduct.
Islam as brought by the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is
very much misunderstood, as
a religion perceived to
contain souls and rituals
like prayers, fasting,
almsgiving and pilgrimage.
Thanks to the new
developments in the world,
Islam is now looked upon in
a wider perspective than the
narrow-minded view in the
past.
The increased interest in
Islamic studies by Muslims
and non-Muslims
supported by the advanced
printing technology has
begun to open the eyes of
the world about the true
teachings and intrinsic
values of Islam.
Economy (Expertise and
Outlook)
In the field of economic
development, the goal is not
material gain, but human
welfare in general. Islam
exhorts that the balance
between the material and
physical aspects, between
the individual and societal
needs, be maintained in
order to narrow the gap
between two opposite sides
of human world. It is stated
in the Qur'an:
"Say, who is there to
forbid the beauty which
Allah has brought forth
for His creatures, and
the good things from
among the means of
sustenance. Say, they
are for those who
believe [in Allah (SWT)]
in this worldly life, to
be theirs alone in the
Hereafter on the Day of
Resurrection ... Say,
the only things my Lord
forbids are the shameful
deeds, be they open or
secret, the sin,
unjustified envy, the
ascribing of divinity to
aught beside Allah
(SWT), and the
attributing unto Allah
(SWT) of aught of which
you have no knowledge"
So everyone is free to
conduct any business he
likes outside the harmful
and shameful circle he has
been warned to refrain from.
If he does not listen to
this warning, he will be in
trouble. Every good quality
set as a precondition to a
successful business is
encouraged by Islam.
The Prophet (PBUH)
himself was a businessman
before he was appointed as a
Prophet. His ability to run
business prudently, by his
fairness and truthful
conduct in dealing with
people had won him the heart
of his employer, Khadijah
who later offered him
marriage. He advocated
Muslims to follow the spirit
of Prophet Daud's (PBUH)
(David) industriousness who
earned his living from his
own labour. He also said
that faith of a Muslim
is not complete if he is
not good in his profession.
He said:
"If you leave matter to
those who are not
professional, you are
waiting for a disaster".
If he works in the
production line, his
products must be compatible
with product of other
companies or factories. In
order to be marketable, it
must suit the taste of
buyers and their standards
of living. In this regard,
Islam teaches not to cheat
in offering the product to
the market. It must be shown
as it is without any
publicity it does not
deserve. In the lifetime of
the Prophet (PBUH), he found
many cases in market places
where the merchants tried to
cheat the customers. The
Prophet (PBUH) said to them:
"Whoever cheats is not
one of us (Muslim Book
of Iman 164 and
Ahmed V.3 PP 498)".
Islam laid many regulations
the field of economy such as
trade, leasing, business
transaction, contract and
others to prevent unfair
dealing within the community
and in the world of business
at large. What is also
prevented by Islam is a
monopoly and exploitation by
one man or one group at the
expense of the others.
Cleanliness
The first thing in the
religion brought by the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is
the concern for cleanliness.
The concept of cleanliness
in Islam covers physical and
spiritual, mundane and
religious domains.
Before performing any
rituals prescribed by Islam,
one should cleanse his body,
and his dress, his place of
worship and his environment
should also be clean.
Prior to carrying out his
prayers or starting for
pilgrimage, one has to make
his Wudu (ablution).
If he or she is in a state
of impurity after having had
a lawful intimate
intercourse or post-natal
period or other reasons, he
or she has to take a
complete bath by pouring
clean water over the whole
body.
In the case of daily
prayer, every Muslim
has to clean his/her private
parts, face, hands, feet,
mouth, nose, and ears at
least five times every day
for the five daily prayers.
This also reminds him/her to
keep his/her soul clean from
unlawful deeds.
Cleanliness is not in the
physical sense only. The
body should be purified as
well from evil doings that
might harm his relationship
with others and with Allah
(SWT). He has to clean his
mind from bad intentions or
committing unlawful acts. He
has to clean his heart from
jealously, hypocrisy and
other evil desires. He has
to embody hope,
truthfulness, forgiveness,
compassion, holiness, the
sense of brotherliness,
neighborliness and other
noble qualities.
He has to pay special
attention to his diet
against all unhealthy food
medically and religiously.
He has to keep his eyes,
ears, tongue from evil.
These are among the noble
characteristics as
exemplified by Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH).
To clean the wealth,
Islam instituted the
zakat system (way of
purifying wealth). A person
whose wealth has reached a
certain point is obligated
to pay zakat (alms)
which is a duty enjoined by
God and undertaken Muslims
in the interest of society
as a whole.
For those capable persons
whose wealth does not reach
the minimum chargeable rate,
he can also give voluntary
contribution to the needy.
This does not mean that the
needy should always be
receiving help from the
affluent ones.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
said:
"The upper hand (giver)
is better than the lower
one (receiver)". Muslim
Kitab Zakat
No. 124
If the receiver of zakat
can grasp the spirit of
the Prophet's (PBUH) saying,
he will try his best to be
the giver instead of the
receiver by endeavoring to
better his life as
encouraged by the teachings
of Islam.
In Islam the possession
of more wealth does not
raise a man's dignity, nor
does poverty degrade him. It
is true that wealth is
necessary for man to live on
this earth but it is only a
means, not the end. The end
is happiness in life by
attaining the higher values
and not losing sight of in
the pursuit of wealth.
Among the great virtues
of Islam is the command to
do good and the prohibition
to do evil. The good should
be preserved and the evil
should be discarded. In
short, Islam is actually
composed of a series of
commands and prohibitions.
Allah the most Knowing, the
Most Merciful, did not
decree any law and
regulations but for the good
and benefit of his
creatures.
The prohibition was
decree because of its evil
implications to humanity.
The evils were created to
test the human conscience
and challenge their freewill
in choosing between right
and wrong.
All the commands and
prohibitions from Allah as
transmitted through His
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was
intended to purify the human
soul in order to live a pure
and clean life adored by
Allah (SWT) and
human beings.
Orderliness
One of the teachings of
Islam is about orderlin.
Discipline, regulation,
management, planning and all
other terms relating to
organization are mostly
considered as alien to
Islam. On the contrary,
Islam exhorts people to live
in orderliness and to put
the right thing in the right
place. The foundation of
Islamic order rests on two
main principles, the crucial
faith in one Allah (God) and
the oneness of humanity. All
the frame works were laid
down in the Qur'an
and the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) applied himself to
working out the essential
details of that order.
One of the great values
taught by Islam in
this regard is to make use
of the time left to
humanity. The Qur'an
and the Sunnah (Prophetic
traditions) mentioned about
time, day, week, month, year
and century. People are lost
if they did not spend the
time available to them
during this life for good
things. It is a great loss
if people have to waste the
valuable time they have at
their disposal for useless
activities. It is true that
life should be enjoyable but
not at the expense of human
resources and values which
are essential for the
continuation of their
well-being.
Allah the Most Knowing
had created time and space
suitable for human
activities for they can
attain achievements in life.
There are times for work,
study, recreation, resting
and even celebration. All
are parts of activities in
worshipping Allah (SWT) and
serving His cause. The
Qur'an says that
Allah (SWT) had
created the day for earning
and night for resting and
enjoyment. He created the
sun, the moon and all
outer-space objects so that
man on the earth can fix the
time and arrange the
calendar. By having standard
time and standard calendar
and the movements of
astronomical objects, people
are able to regulate their
timetable in choosing the
right moment for them in
doing business and carrying
out their activities.
Islam prescribes certain
times for the daily prayers,
certain month for the
obligatory fasting and
certain time in one's life
time for performing the Hajj
or pilgrimage which
indicates that the religion
brought by Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) places the life of
Muslims in systematic
order. For every move and
occasion made by Muslims
there is a rule
governing it, be it in the
form of advice, spiritual
guidance or practical
directive. If all these
directives are followed and
understood properly, people
will have high discipline
and a well-managed life.
Islam encourages people
to think correctly before
taking any decision. This
means planning. There are
many verses in the Qur'an
admonishing against doing
things unthinkingly and
jumping to conclusions.
The Prophet (PBUH) also
showed a good example in
fulfilling promise and
staying true to treaty,
agreement or contract made
between parties.
As a man of honour he
always remained true to the
principles agreed in the
treaty, depicting his high
discipline and inclination
of doing everything in
proper order.
Friendliness
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
was a warmhearted and
faithful friend. He loved
his companions. He extended
greeting to those he knew
and to those he did not
know. He treated all people
around him with kindness and
affection.
He was very courteous to
all those who met him. He
never contradicted anybody
who is not opposed to the
teachings of Islam.
He treated equally the
humble and the lofty. He
claimed no distinction and
lived amongst his companions
as if he was not their
leader.
Neighborliness
He regarded the neighbors
as brother and sisters
because of their closeness
and living in the same
vicinity. He once smelt the
aroma of the soup cooked by
his wife. He told her to
give some of it to the
neighbours who also smelt
it. He said it was not right
a Muslim to sleep
with a full stomach after
having had a good meal but
let his neighbour starve. He
laid down the foundation for
a friendly relation and
co-operation among
neighbours exemplifying that
living as a neighbour, one
has one's right and
responsibility.
In regard to the rights
of a neighbour, the Prophet
(PBUH) said:
"Gibreel (PBUH) used to
advise me to take good
care of the neighbour
until I thought he would
make him my heit."
(Bukhari Kitab
Al Adab No.
28 and Muslim Kitab
Al Bir No.
146)
Goodwill
He was a good exemplar to
those who subscribe to a
harmonious society. Islam
exhorts people not to
violate the rights of others
and injure their interest,
but should positively
cooperate with each other
and establish a mutual
relationship and social
cohesion.
To safeguard the unity
and solidarity of the nation
and to achieve the welfare
and well-being of the
community, Muslims
have been enjoined to avoid
mutual hostility, social
dissension, backbiting one
another, and hurting others
with their hand or tongue.
Islam as brought
by the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) exhorts Muslims to
visit the sick, to help to
the needy and assist the
weak. Islam makes no
discrimination on the basis
of race, colour or language.
Its appeal is to the entire
humanity.
Respect for Women
The Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) brought changes for
the betterment of womens
conditions.
Woman is recognized by
Islam as a full and equal
partner of man in the
procreation of humankind. He
is the father, she is the
mother, and both are
essential for life. Her role
is no less vital than his.
By this partnership she has
an equal share in every
aspect; she is entitled to
equal rights; she undertakes
equal responsibilities, and
in her there are many
qualities and so much
humanity as there are in her
partner.
She is equal to man in
bearing personal and common
responsibilities and in
receiving rewards for her
deeds.
She is equal to man in
the pursuit of education and
knowledge.
Islam enjoined the
seeking of knowledge upon
Muslim, it makes no
distinction between man and
woman, who is entitled to
freedom of expression as
much as man is. Her sound
opinions are taken into
consideration and cannot be
disregarded just because she
is a female.
Islam grants woman equal
rights to contract, to
enterprise, to earn and
possess independently. Her
life, her property, her
honor are as sacred as those
of man.
Islam has also given
woman a share of
inheritance. Before Islam,
she was not only deprived of
that share, but was herself
considered as property to be
inherited by man.
Statesmanship
When Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) arrived at Madinah,
he initiated the formation
of an Islamic state. After
establishing politics,
brotherhood and the
authority of the state of
Madinah, he began
negotiations with various
tribes around the city and
made treaties with them.
When the Makkan
unbelievers launched a
series of attacks on
Madinah, Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) was able to confront
them, and when the Makkans
were finally defeated in the
battle of Al-Khandaq
(Trenches), he was able to
make truce with them at
Hudaibiyah for ten years.
This treaty was a
masterpiece of practical
statesmanship on the part of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
His diplomacy in sending
and receiving envoys to and
from the various chiefs of
tribes and foreign rulers,
his fairness in conducting
judiciary, and his general
pardon at the liberation of
Makkah, was another proof of
his lofty statesmanship.
The State he established
in Madinah was not a matter
of chance. It was the very
nature of his mission that
he would establish a state
to enforce the way of Allah.
People might accept a
new faith but it would take
time to change their habits,
custom and ways of life. And
even if a small group of
people succeeded in changing
their ways of life there
would be many others who
would not let these people
practice their belief and
try to stop them by force.
So the Islamic State became
an urgent necessity to
protect the Islamic way of
life.
The State founded by
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was
built physical force, as
every state must necessarily
be, to fulfill its function
of stopping aggression and
oppression.
A democratic system in
Islam is expressed through
the term shura (council).
The Qur'an
translation reads:
[ And those
who respond to their
Lord and keep up prayer
and their affairs [of
government] by
counseling among
themselves and who spend
out of what We have
given them.] (Qur'an
42: 38)
References:
-
Abdul Hamid
Siddique, The life
of Muhammad. Beirut:
Dar El Fath.
-
Afzalur Rehman,
Muhamma, Blessing
for Mankind.
-
London: The
Muslim Schools Trust
London.
-
Ministry of
Religious Affairs
Pakistan,
Universality of the
Prophet's Message.
-
Mohammed Hussein
Hikal, Hayat
Mohammed. Cairo: Dar
Al Ma'arif.
Messengers of Allah
(PBUT)
Below are the names of
the 25 Rasul
(Messengers of Allah)
-
Adam(PBUH); (Peace
be upon him)
-
Idris(PBUH).
-
Nuh (Noah)(PBUH).
-
Hud(PBUH).
-
Saleh(PBUH).
-
Lut (Lot)(PBUH).
-
Ibrahim (Abraham)
(PBUH).
-
Ismail (Shmael)
(PBUH).
-
Ishak (Isaac)
(PBUH).
-
Ya'kub (Jacob)
(PBUH).
-
Yousuf
(Joseph)(PBUH).
-
Shuaib (PBUH).
-
Harun (Aaron)
(PBUH).
-
Musa (Moses) (PBUH).
-
Dawood (David)
(PBUH).
-
Sulaiman (Solomon)
(PBUH).
-
Ayub (Job) (PBUH).
-
Zulkifl (Ezekiel)
(PBUH).
-
Yunus (Jonah)
(PBUH).
-
Elyas (Elijah)
(PBUH).
-
Al-Yasa' (Elisah)
(PBUH).
-
Zakariyah
(Zechariah) (PBUH).
-
Yahya (John) (PBUH).
-
`Isa (Jesus) (PBUH).
-
Muhammad (PBUH)
Remembering Allah (SWT)
at all times.
|
When starting to do
something |
Bism-illah |
|
When intending to do
something in future |
Insha-Allah |
|
When in pain and
distress |
Ya-Allah |
|
When expressing
appreciation |
Masha-Allah |
|
When thanking
someone |
Jazak-Allah
Khayran |
|
When awakening from
sleep |
La-ilaha-illallah |
|
When thanking Allah
or When sneezing |
Alhamdu-lillah |
|
When someone else
sneezes |
Yar-Hamuk-Allah |
|
When repenting of a
sin |
Astagh-Firullah |
|
When taking oath |
Wallah/Billah |
|
When someone
supplicates |
Ameen |
|
When death message
is received |
Inna-Lillahi-wa-
inna-ilaihi Raji-oun |
We wish to acknowledge
and thank the collective
efforts by the following in
producing this booklet:
Ustad Rifyal Ka'bah
Haji Mohd. Yuni bin Awi
Imam Yakub Yusuf Vadia
Abdul Rahim bin Raub
Ustazah Habsah Hashim
Fatimah Mohammed
Norzah Yusof
Rasheedah Amoo
|
