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 Of The Prophet (s.a.w.)
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 Of The Prophet (s.a.w.)
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 toHiracave 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 Hiracave, 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'anand 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 Islamwas 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 Muslimsemigrants 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 Muslimsfrom 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 Muslimsfrom 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 Muslimshad
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 ofIslamincreased
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 Of The Prophet
(s.a.w.)
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 hajjif 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 (theQur'anand
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, Islamis 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'anwhich is the
guidance from Allah and Muhammad (PBUH)
was given authority by Allahto
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 Muslimsand
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 Muslimis 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
Muslimhas 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 KitabZakat No.
124
If the receiver of zakatcan
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 byAllah
(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'anand the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) applied himself to
working out the essential details of
that order.
One of the great values taught by
Islamin this regard is to make
use of the time left to humanity. The
Qur'anand 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'ansays
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 Muslimsin
systematic order. For every move and
occasion made by Muslimsthere 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 Muslimto
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 KitabAlAdab No. 28 and Muslim KitabAlBir No. 146)
Goodwill
He was a good exemplar to those who
subscribe to a harmonious society. Islamexhorts 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, Muslimshave been enjoined to avoid mutual
hostility, social dissension, backbiting
one another, and hurting others with
their hand or tongue.
Islamas brought by the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) exhorts Muslims
to visit the sick, to help to the needy
and assist the weak. Islammakes
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'antranslation
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)
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an �Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable�