Since the beginning of time, there have only been a handful of men who have truly changed the world. These men are timeless, magnificent revolutionaries who are credited with changing the course of history. To millions of Muslims everywhere, the greatest of these men is the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him.
No man has created such a sensation as the Prophet Muhammad(sa). No other man has been so simultaneously revered, idealized, misunderstood and maligned. To Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad(sa) is the epitome of greatness. He is the greatest of all Prophets and men, the “Seal of the Prophets” and the perfect paradigm for how to live one’s life in the service of God. To others, Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) is an enigma. Some view him tolerantly as an ordinary man with an extraordinary message. Others, however, revile him; they criticize his heritage, manners and teachings and blame him for any modern problems that plague the Islamic world.
To make sense of this dichotomy, one must set aside any preconceived notions of either the Prophet or the man, Muhammad(sa). One must delve into his history, extract the facts as represented by his followers, wives and enemies and piece together a story that is altogether inspiring, astonishing and awe-inspiring.
In the year 610, at the age of 40, the Prophet M u h a m m a d (s a) experienced something so magnificent that it would change the course of history. Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) used to regularly meditate and pray in a cave at Mount Hira. On one such occasion, he had a vision of a man who commanded “Recite!” Since he could not read or write, he was shocked by this order and replied that he did not know how. The figure embraced him and insisted again. So, at last, the Prophet said,
“Recite thou in the name of thy Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite! And thy Lord is the most beneficent, Who taught man by the pen, taught man what he knew not” (96:2-6).
This first revelation would later become part of the Quran, the Holy Book of Islam. It is particularly significant because it marks the beginning of Hadhrat Muhammad’s(sa) Prophethood. When Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) received this revelation, he trembled with fear because the sheer magnitude of the experience was so overwhelming. He later understood that God had placed a great responsibility upon his shoulders.
The task that was laid before the Prophet(sa) was even more daunting considering the place and time in which it was assigned. The Holy Prophet(sa) was born into a world of utter chaos and mayhem. Any progress that had been achieved by civilization in the last four thousand years was rapidly degenerating into lawlessness, savagery and barbarism. Entire countries fought against each other in a long succession of wars. The new sanctions by Christianity were creating divisions and destruction in the West. Reading, learning and the arts languished. Plagues, pestilence and unsanitary living conditions abounded everywhere. In short, the world seemed to be suffering from the darkest period of the Dark Ages.
In the midst of this turmoil, the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) emerged. After encountering his first vision, he realized that God intended him to be “the man born to unite the whole known world of the east and south” (J.H. Denision, Emotions as the Basis of Civilization. 265-269). Thus, with the help of his small group of followers, the Prophet began to spread his message.
Although most Meccans initially dismissed his claims, some of the slaves, women and young men flocked to his side. As the numbers of converts to Islam grew, the elders of Mecca became so alarmed that they intensified their campaign of persecution against Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) and his followers. As a result, the Holy Prophet and his followers were mercilessly and ruthlessly tormented and tortured for 13 long years in Mecca.
Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) bore this persecution with the greatest resolve, patience and nobility. Despite his enemies’ best efforts, he never wavered in his message, nor did he cease praying for their salvation. He even refused to retaliate or curse the disbelievers. Instead, he spent entire nights weeping and praying so that God’s punishment may be averted from them. God Almighty tells Muslims in the Quran about the compassion and mercy the Prophet showed his enemies. In Sura Al-Kahaf (18:7), God asks his prophet, “Will thou grieve thyself to death for sorrow over them if they believe not in this discourse?”
Yet, the Prophet Muhammad(sa) continued to pray. He prayed for his enemies even when they stoned him on the streets of Taif, when his followers were being dragged by their hands and feet across hot cobblestone paths and when enemies placed camel’s entrails on his back during his prayers so he could not stand up. During the countless years he suffered at the hands of the disbelievers, the Holy Prophetsa never stopped praying for his enemies.
To everyone’s astonishment, the Holy Prophet(sa) forgave his would-be assassins as well. For example, when Dasur, a man who tried to kill him, was captured and brought before him for punishment, Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) forgave and released him instead. He also forgave a Jewish woman who had tried to poison him. His mercy and forgiveness truly knew no bounds. This was most evident in the case of Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul, the Chief of the Hypocrites, who had treacherously betrayed, abused and opposed him for years. Abdullah bin Ubay’s son, a Muslim, asked the Prophet’s permission to execute his own father for his transgressions. But the Prophetsa replied, “I will treat your father with compassion and kindness”. When this bitter enemy eventually died, Hadhrat Muhammadsa even went to offer his funeral prayers and stayed at the cemetery until Abdullah bin Ubay was buried.
His humanity and compassion were further evident in the heat of battle. During the first battle between the Muslims and the disbelievers, Muhammad’s “army” was severely deficient. It had little resources and only included 300 men, some as young as thirteen years old. Despite this inequity, the small motley group of Muslims overcame the mighty Meccans in the Battle of Badr. When the prisoners of war were captured at the battle, Hadhrat Muhammadsa wept with great emotion at the sight his brethren. He gave strict instructions to his followers to treat all prisoners of war with dignity and respect. Every courtesy was to be afforded to the prisoners. The Holy Prophet was so adamant about these rules, that he declared whoever did not observe them would fight not for God, but for his own mean self (Abu-Dawud). In compliance with these orders, the Muslims would starve themselves in order to feed the POWs their meager rations. They also walked on foot so the prisoners could ride on camels.
Thus, he abolished all barbaric and savage practices during wartime. In addition to treating prisoners like guests, he forbade mutilating the dead and killing women, children, religious or older people. He commanded in battle but personally refrained from shedding any blood. He gave strict instructions that the lives of his enemies should be spared whenever possible. In fact, he personally arranged his battles so they would inflict
the least harm against the enemy. The Prophet’ssa tolerance for others extended to other religions as well. In several laws, such as the Charter of Medina and the Charter granted to the Monks of the Monastery of St. Catherine, the Prophet(sa) established religious freedom and freedom of conscience for Jews and Christians. Under his guidance, people of other faiths were allowed to practice their faiths openly and unabashedly, without fear of persecution or recrimination from the Muslims.
Yet, the Prophet Muhammad(sa) continued to pray. He prayed for his enemies even when they stoned him on the streets of Taif, when his followers were being dragged by their hands and feet across hot cobblestone paths and when enemies placed camel’s entrails on his back during his prayers so he could not stand up. During the countless years he suffered at the hands of the disbelievers, the Holy Prophetsa never stopped praying for his enemies.
To everyone’s astonishment, the Holy Prophet(sa) forgave his would-be assassins as well. For example, when Dasur, a man who tried to kill him, was captured and brought before him for punishment, Hadhrat Muhammad(sa) forgave and released him instead. He also forgave a Jewish woman who had tried to poison him. His mercy and forgiveness truly knew no bounds. This was most evident in the case of Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul, the Chief of the Hypocrites, who had treacherously betrayed, abused and opposed him for years. Abdullah bin Ubay’s son, a Muslim, asked the Prophet’s permission to execute his own father for his transgressions. But the Prophetsa replied, “I will treat your father with compassion and kindness”. When this bitter enemy eventually died, Hadhrat Muhammadsa even went to offer his funeral prayers and stayed at the cemetery until Abdullah bin Ubay was buried.
His humanity and compassion were further evident in the heat of battle. During the first battle between the Muslims and the disbelievers, Muhammad’s “army” was severely deficient. It had little resources and only included 300 men, some as young as thirteen years old. Despite this inequity, the small motley group of Muslims overcame the mighty Meccans in the Battle of Badr. When the prisoners of war were captured at the battle, Hadhrat Muhammadsa wept with great emotion at the sight his brethren. He gave strict instructions to his followers to treat all prisoners of war with dignity and respect. Every courtesy was to be afforded to the prisoners. The Holy Prophet was so adamant about these rules, that he declared whoever did not observe them would fight not for God, but for his own mean self (Abu-Dawud). In compliance with these orders, the Muslims would starve themselves in order to feed the POWs their meager rations. They also walked on foot so the prisoners could ride on camels.
Thus, he abolished all barbaric and savage practices during wartime. In addition to treating prisoners like guests, he forbade mutilating the dead and killing women, children, religious or older people. He commanded in battle but personally refrained from shedding any blood. He gave strict instructions that the lives of his enemies should be spared whenever possible. In fact, he personally arranged his battles so they would inflict
the least harm against the enemy. The Prophet’ssa tolerance for others extended to other religions as well. In several laws, such as the Charter of Medina and the Charter granted to the Monks of the Monastery of St. Catherine, the Prophet(sa) established religious freedom and freedom of conscience for Jews and Christians. Under his guidance, people of other faiths were allowed to practice their faiths openly and unabashedly, without fear of persecution or recrimination from the Muslims.
Hadhrat Muhammad’s(sa) character was no less remarkable in his personal and private life. In a time when infanticide ran rampant and women were considered chattel with no rights or thoughts of their own, the Prophet(sa) elevated them to a status greater than any man. In oft-quoted sayings of his, the Prophet(sa) said, “paradise lies under the feet of the mother” and “the best among you is one who treats his wives and families the best”. Among other things, he gave women such important rights as owning property and gaining inheritance. He also bestowed them with choices; they now had the ability to choose their marriage partners and to divorce them if they were unhappy.
In his own home, the Holy Prophet treated his wives as equals, often seeking their comfort and counsel on important matters. Hadhrat Aishara once said that Hadhrat Muhammadsa spent his free time helping with household chores and mending his own clothes. She also described his simple and humble habits regarding diet, living conditions and clothing. Hadhrat Muhammadsa, the great prophet and ruler, only had one change of clothes. His main diet consisted of dates, barley and water. He slept on a leather sack filled with twigs and leaves.
This austere, simple life was adopted by choice, rather than by sheer necessity. If he had wanted, the Prophet(sa) could have lived a life of great luxury and comfort. If he had been a lesser man, he would surely
have taken advantage of his stature and enjoyed some of the luxuries that other leaders and kings felt entitled to. However, he was not interested in material goods. His sole purpose and desire was to please and worship God. This he did with such unflinching loyalty that his enemies would proclaim, “Muhammad is intoxicated with the love of God”.
There are countless examples of Hadhrat Muhammad’ssa magnanimous and benevolent conduct. The testimony of his followers, wives and even his enemies demonstrate that he was worthy of the titles bestowed upon him by God. By all accounts, he was a true “mercy to mankind” (21:108). God also described Hadhrat Muhammadsa with attributes that are normally reserved for Him Alone. He has stated that the Prophet(sa) was both “Rauf” and “Raheem” (the most compassionate and the most merciful). Thus, God proclaims that the Prophet(sa) is the perfect embodiment and complete reflection of Divine attributes.
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