The birth of the Prophet's future generation

Shone whenever a new era, or generation emerged Walid, feels the urgent need to Muhammad peace be upon him, and Esthdi Estelhmh and walking on his path in the hope of a fruitful and present a brighter future.
In our times magnified our problems and there were many fears, is about the world that it is impossible to a forest dominated by the law of force, and the absence of human-human spirit, these evils on the ground, the threat that is spreading in the international behavior, no escape from it only by a return to the prophet of humanity in his life and his law and the perfection of humanity it.
He has raised Muhammad - peace be upon him - the banner of the right and the top of Mannar Justice and consolidated the rules of freedom and laid the foundations of civil and brotherhood between man and his fellow man without regard to race or language or color, and announced long ago that human beings are all equal, in virtue of the one on the other only through fruitful which is pleasing to God Almighty and the people.
Muhammad - peace be upon him - this man is noble that we all have to be under the ground, and the moral Ntkhalq followers and guided us in patience and modesty and conviction and struggle, and sacrifice and worship and a preference for people to himself.
Muhammad - peace be upon him -.. Lowers party, look to the ground longer than his attention to the sky, walking behind his companions, starting from the killing of peace, a long silence, does not speak unnecessarily, opening speech and Echttmh the name of God, the greater blessing if sounded, not angered, the world is no place for her, not angry for himself and not win it, smile smile, if launched, he pomp, and if the silence he has dignified the finest people and Oschahm breath, gives a tender is not afraid of poverty, what you have asked for something that never said: "No, what a choice between two things but chose the easier it was not a sin.
Muhammad - peace be upon him -.. Created by the Koran, not the cost of the clothing or food, wearing good clothes for an interview and delegations or on the occasion of rejoicing, eating what he finds, did not find Pat arms folded, and perhaps tighten the stomach stone from the intensity of hunger, who can extend his gaze towards the sky, calling what he wants Vistjab His Supplication in the case .. But it is a unique model of human beings, this world is not the biggest worries, and ultimately to him, but his faith is a moment in time after passing another world, Khaled, which unless notified to the heart of man.
Muhammad peace be upon him .. At home and cleans his shoes patched clothes and milking sheep, tells the Anas Bin Malik - may Allah be pleased with him - served with the Prophet for ten years, what he said to me: FC never said no to something I made: I have not created? Not for nothing left: I have not left him? Does not oppress anyone, reward, and tells the wife Aisha - may Allah be pleased: - hit the woman, a servant, and tells Abu Huraira - may Allah be pleased with him: - entered the market with the Messenger of Allah to buy shorts, leaped the seller to his hand, kiss her, Attracting the Prophet peace be upon him hand and forbad him, saying: "This is what you do Persians Bmlokha and I'm not a king, but I am a man of you," then I wanted to take the pants that I carry but he refused, and said: The first thing be realized.
Muhammad peace be upon him .. With his friends does not like that the have one, do not confront anyone that he dislikes, and if the language of one thing he dislikes alerted to this error words in such (What's wrong with people who do such and such) without mentioning the name of the fault, down to the markets Virushd people to the Secretariat and forbid them for deception and fraud in the transaction, approximately by owners of the lead in Islam and jihad, even if they are the midst of the people, consult with a preliminary opinion in peace and war and worldly matters, and to come down to their opinions, even bucked his mind.
Muhammad - peace be upon him -.. Rights in the fear and worship, many control to God, a broad fear of it, great obedience to him, the night Mthjadda kneeling in prostration so swollen feet, and flooded his eyes with tears to hear of the chest, wheezing, raises that Ms. Aisha Wife - God bless them - and ask: Do not do that, O Messenger of God has forgiven you what God made of past and future sins?! Vigibha: "should not be a thankful slave."
Sir, O Messenger of God, in the heart and mind is a sacred flame of love pulls us towards you, and links us to your leader and guide and a lamp that illuminates our lives, and takes us towards the perfect human, which I guess it is difficult to achieve or come away from your methods. Enaick being blood in our veins, and behavior follows the fault, and is on the Green.
God bless you on your birthday, and every day when the sun shines God.

Messenger of God and human rights

 Messenger of God and human rights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God blessed human religion of Islam, which make the rights issue was originally fixed assets of religion, and even make them approach divinely rewarded rights to do, and he sinning if he left, not the grant of a creature no matter what, and make it so generally include rights - whatever their religion or color or sex - and the animals and the environment, and the Messenger of God Yes, that was applied to these rights; Fash everyone in the year of the gift and free life of dignity.

  Islamic view of man
Consider Islam to human upscale look and to maximize the honor, on the basis of the verse: {We have honored the sons of Adam and carried them on land and sea and provided them with good things and preferred them above many of those who created favorable} [Isra: 70]. This view made for Human Rights in Islam properties and certain advantages; the most important of these rights are universal, they are political, economic, social and intellectual ... It is also common to all individuals; they Muslims or non-Muslims, without distinction of color or sex or language or religion, which is also not subject to cancellation or switch; it is linked to the teachings of the Lord of the Worlds.

  Messenger of God and human rights
Came words of the Messenger of God and his actions bear witness to honor the rights and respect for their rights, in his farewell address - which was like a comprehensive report of human rights - said: "... your wealth and your sacred to you as this day in this month of yours in this country until the day throw your Lord. .. "[1]. Confirmed this sermon of the Prophet set of rights; the most important: the sanctity of blood, money, and symptoms, and others.

 
We also find the Messenger of Allah would maximize the human psyche in general; conceding to have the greatest rights is the right to life, he says, the Messenger of God when asked about the major sins: "associating partners with Allah ... and murder ..."[ 2]. Came the word self-General to include any same kill unlawfully.

 
The Messenger of Allah went to more than when the fever of human life itself, and the prohibition of suicide, he said: "It is the deterioration of the mountain, killing himself, he is in hell, deteriorates when ever and ever, and drank the poison and kills himself will be throwing in his hand, sipping it in the the fire of hell for ever and ever, and killed himself Bhdidh; Vhdidth in his hand by the Lega in the stomach in the fire of hell for ever and ever "[3].

 
As Islam forbids all the work detracts from the right to life, whether this work intimidating or insulting, or form .. It was narrated from Hisham ibn al-Hakim, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah says: "God punish those who tortured people in the world" [4].

  Human rights, as prescribed by the Messenger of Allah The right to equality between people
Human rights crisis in the world confirmed the Messenger of Allah on the right of equality among all people; between individuals and groups, and between races and peoples, and between rulers and ruled, between the governors and the parish, there is no restrictions or exceptions, there is no difference in legislation between the Arabic and Ajami, not between black and white, and between governor and governed, but differentiation between the people piety, "The Messenger of God:" O people, your Lord is one, but your father and one of you to Adam [5], and Adam is from dust, the sight of God, and not Arabic preferred to Ajami only piety "[ 6].

 
Let us look at his dealings with the principle of equality; to realize his greatness, was narrated that Abu front of him, he said: Ir Abu Dhar Balala his mother, he said: O son of the black. Balala and came to the Messenger of Allah, tell him angry, came to Abu Dhar did not feel, the Prophet turned away from him, said: "What about me Oardk only thing Bulgk O Messenger of God. He said: "You pay Balala, who his mother?" The Prophet said: "The book which was revealed to Muhammad - or God willing, to swear - what the One preferred not to work, you are only Ktv saa [7]" [8].

  The right of Justice
Associated with the right to equal right, another justice, and this is what knowledge the Messenger of God to his companions and his nation, he says: "The judges are three: one in heaven, and two in the fire; As for who is in heaven a man with known right he judged it, and a man who identified the right immoral in power he is on fire, and a man spent on the ignorance of the people he is on fire "[9].

 
The Messenger of Allah also forbids the confiscation of an individual's right to defend himself seeks to achieve justice, he says: "... the right holder an article ..."[ 10]. He says those who have the governance and justice among the people: "... If he sat between the two rivals do not you spend your hands until you hear from the other as I heard from the first; it more likely that you will see how the judiciary" [11].

  The right to freedom of religion
It is also human rights prescribed by Islam, and confirm the Messenger of God: the right to freedom of religion and belief, and so out of the verse: {There is no compulsion in religion} [Baqarah: 256]. There is no compulsion to convert to a particular faith; In the conquest of Mecca the Prophet had been forced to convert to Islam Quraysh, despite being able and victory, but he told them: "You go at large" [12].

  Freedom of opinion and thinking
And extends the list of human rights with the Messenger of God to also include the freedom of opinion and thought, was the Prophet respected the opinion of others and encourages it, and when he sees the view and see some of his companions, etc. and the interest due for his opinion to the opinion of the exclusion, and what happened in a better witness to that; where he was the Prophet the opinion of young people - and they were the majority - who preferred to go out to meet Quraysh outside the city, and this view was contrary to the opinion [13].

  The right to bail
In a unique right regard to legislation the Messenger of God - did not touch the system and put in the Charter of human rights instruments - comes right enough, which means that every person living within the confines of the Islamic State on the adequacy of the necessities of life; to live a decent life, and achieved a decent standard of living , which is different from the subsistence level which I talked about systems status, which means the minimum human living [14].

 
Right enough this happen to work, if the inability of the individual Zakaah fill this deficit, if unable to Zakat for bridging the adequacy of those in need came the state budget to pay this obligation, and I have said, stressing that right: "What is believed in me from Pat Cavana [15] and his neighbor is hungry by his side, a knew about it "[16]. The praise: "The Ash'aris if Ormiloa in the invasion, or if their food in the city they had amassed in a single garment, and then Aqtzmoh them in a bowl, they are of me and I them," [17].

 
Thus was the Messenger of God first and leading sponsor of the greatest human rights, and his message carried by the message to the worlds all humanity, including sponsorship rights relating to all human beings as human beings.

 
How great is your humanity, O Messenger of Allah!

الاستماع

قراءة صوتية للكلمات

what did Muhammad Say

INTRO| ARTICLES| GOODIES

What Did Muhammad Say?What Did He Do? What Did His Followers Say? What Do Others Say About Him? What Do Muslims Say? Conclusion

Consider the following:

All innocent life was sacred and as such none could be harmed, except those who were engaged against them in active combat. Saving one life was as if one had saved the entire world, while taking an innocent life was as if one had taken the lives of the entire world.

There was to be no genocide of any tribes even up until some had committed genocide against some Muslims. He offered mutual protection and forgiveness to the all even after certain ones broke their covenants with him many times. He did not allow them to be attacked until it was clearly proven they were traitors during time of war and tried to bring down the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims at any cost. Retaliation was only to those Jews who had turned traitor and not others.

Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from Allah for those who did so. Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was actually considered like a son to him) Zaid ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the slave who was bought by Abu Bakr only for the purpose of freeing him.

While there were many attempts of assassination made on Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, (most famous was the night that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakr escaped to Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of the most famous of his acts of forgiveness and humbleness.

Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of prophet hood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Quran, with proper rights and limitations according His Commandments, that any retaliation or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place.

Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to His Commands.

Cursing and invoking evil actually came to the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, from his enemies, while he would be praying for their guidance. Classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street against him, throwing rocks and stones at him until his body was bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by the angel Gabriel, if he would give the command, Allah would cause the surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all. Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for them to be guided to worship their Lord alone, without any partners.

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed every person who is born is born in a state of ISLAM (submission to God on His Terms in Peace), as a Muslim (MU-Islam means; "one who does ISLAM" i.e.; submits to God's Will and obeys His Commandments). He further stated, God has created each person in the image that is His according to His plan, and their spirit is His. Then as they grow older they begin to distort their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and their own prejudices.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught his followers to believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus, peace be upon them all, and to believe in them as true prophets, messengers and servants of Almighty Allah. He insisted on ranking all the prophets up at the highest level without any distinction between them, and ordered his followers to say the words, "peace and blessings be upon him" after mentioning their names.

He also taught the Torah (Old Testament), Zabur (Psalms) and Enjil (Gospel or New Testament) were originally from the very same source as the Quran, from Allah to the angel Gabriel. He asked the Jews to judge according to their own Book, and they tried to cover up some of it to hide the correct judgment, knowing he, peace and blessings be upon him, could not read.

He prophesied, predicted and foretold of events to come and they happened just as he had said they would. He mentioned so many things that people of his time could not have known, yet we have seen the evidences manifest over and over throughout the centuries in science, medicine, biology, embryology, psychology, metrology, geology and many other disciplines and even space travel and wireless communications, all of which we take for granted today. He even predicted something from the past that would come true in the future, and it has..

The Quran states pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea while chasing after Moses and Allah said He would preserve Pharaoh as a sign for the future. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book, "Bible, Quran and Science" makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been discovered in Egypt and is now on display for all to see.
This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and it came true in the last few decades, many centuries after his death.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity � but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God. He insisted people praise Almighty God, alone and not to celebrate him or his companions in any way. While most people do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'gods' out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, accomplished.

Uniting mankind together for the purpose of worshipping the One God of Adam and all the other prophets, peace be upon them all, was his main motivating cause and his striving was for the sole purpose having everyone to understand and follow the codes of moral excellence set forth by Allah in His Revelations.

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad�s, peace and blessings be upon him, followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed to be a servant, messenger and prophet of the Almighty God; the same God of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon and of Jesus, the Christ, son of Mary (peace be upon them all). He claimed he was receiving revelation from Almighty God (Allah) through the Arch Angel Gabriel, calling it the Recitation (Quran).

He ordered people to believe in God as One, without partners, and to follow the Commandments of Almighty God to the best of their abilities.

He forbade himself and his followers from evil practices and filthy habits, showing them the proper ways to eat, drink, use the toilet and proper behavior in all relationships. This he claimed was all from Allah. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught many important principles and morals, and even set forth rules for combat setting the precedent and still exceeding the rules of war set forth by the Geneva Convention.
[Please continue to chapter 2 - "What Did He Do?"]

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muhammad(pbu

You Should Know This Man !

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA confirms:
“.... A mass of detail in the early sources show that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were like-wise honest and upright men." (Vol. 12)

MICHAEL H. HART in his recently published book on ratings of men who contributed towards the benefit and uplifting of mankind writes:
"My choice of Muhammad (pbuh) to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels." (M.H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York, 1978, p. 33)

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW said about him:
"He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness." (THE GENUINE ISLAM, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)
He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come.

"HIS NAME IS MUHAMMAD"- May Allah’s peace be upon him (PBUH)
He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C.E. (common era), started his mission of preaching the religion of Truth, which is Islam (submission to One God), at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three.
During the short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian peninsula from paganism and idolatry to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since - and IMAGINE all these unbelievable wonders in JUST OVER TWO DECADES.

LAMARTINE, the renowned historian speaking on the essentials of human greatness wonders: "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad (pbuh)? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he changed the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls.... his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was two-fold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.

"Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is MUHAMMAD (pbuh). As regards all the standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?" (LAMARTINE, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp 276-277)

The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one-sided figures, who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity to reconstruct accurately the lives and teachings of these men.

Not so this man. Muhammad (PBUH) accomplished so much in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been accurately ********ed and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the records so preserved are vouched for not only by the faithful followers, but even by his prejudiced critics.

Muhammad (PBUH) was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father - all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad (PBUH) to achieve such incredible perfections.

MAHATMA GANDHI, speaking on the character of Muhammad, (PBUH) says in YOUNG INDIA: "I wanted to know the best of one who holds today's undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet (pbuh), the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of his great life."

THOMAS CALYLE, in his HEROES AND HERO WORSHIP, was simply amazed as to: "how one man single-handedly, could wield warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."

DIWAN CHAND SHARMA wrote: "Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him." (D.C. Sharma, THE PROPHETS OF THE EAST, Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12)

EDWARD GIBBON and SIMON OCKLEY speaking on the profession of ISLAM write: "'I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, AND MAHOMET, AN APOSTLE OF GOD' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honor of the Prophet has never transgressed the measure of human virtues; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion." (HISTORY OF THE SARACEN EMPIRES, London, 1870, p. 54)

Muhammad (PBUH) was nothing more or less than a human being. But he was a man with a noble mission, which was to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to teach them the way to honest and upright living based on the commands of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and Messenger of God,' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.

Speaking on the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous poetess of India, SAROJINI NAIDU says: "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'... I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother." (S. Naidu, IDEALS OF ISLAM, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169)

In the words of PROF. HURGRONJE: "The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." He continues: "The fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."

The world has not hesitated to raise to divinity, individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad (PBUH) accomplished. And all his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting mankind for the worship of One God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad (PBUH) or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity - but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God.

K. S. RAMAKRISHNA RAO, an Indian Professor of Philosophy in his booklet, "Muhammad, The Prophet of Islam," calls him the "PERFECT MODEL FOR HUMAN LIFE." Prof. RAMAKRISHNA RAO explains his point by saying: "The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, the Prophet. There is Muhammad, the Warrior; Muhammad, the Businessman; Muhammad, the Statesman; Muhammad, the Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge; Muhammad, the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of MUHAMMAD (PBUH) have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad's (PBUH) followers but also the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

The least YOU could do as a thinking and concerned human being is to stop for a moment and ask yourself: Could these statements sounding so extraordinary and revolutionary be really true? And supposing they really are true and you did not know this man MUHAMMAD (PBUH) or hear about him, isn't it time you responded to this tremendous challenge and put in some effort to know him?

It will cost you nothing but it may prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.

muhammad:Legacy of aprophet

Muhammad : Legacy of a Prophet

In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born, according to Muslim historians, on April 20, 571. The name Mohammad means "highly praised." He is to me the greatest man among all the sons of Arabia. He means so much more than all the poets and kings that preceded him in that impenetrable desert of red sand.

The time he appeared, Arabia was a desert-- a nothing. Out of nothing a new world was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Mohammad -- a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new kingdom which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of three continents -- Asia, Africa and Europe. When I thought of writing about Mohammad, the prophet, I was a bit hesitant because I was to write about a religion I do not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so for there are many people professing various religions and belonging to diverse schools of thought and denominations even in same religion. Though it is sometimes claimed that religion is entirely personal yet it can also be said that it has a tendency to envelop the whole universe seen as well as unseen. It somehow permeates something or other, our hearts, our souls, our minds, their conscious as well as subconscious and unconscious levels too. The problem assumes overwhelming importance when there is a deep conviction that our past, present and future all hang by the soft delicate, tender silked cord. If we further happen to be highly sensitive, the center of gravity is very likely to be always in a state of extreme tension. Looked at from this point of view, the less said about other religions the better. Let our religions be deeply hidden and embedded in the resistance of our innermost hearts fortified by unbroken seals on our lips.

But there is another aspect of this problem. Man lives in society. Our lives are bound with the lives of others willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly. We eat the food grown in the same soil, drink water, from the same spring and breathe the same air. Even while staunchly holding our own views, it would be helpful, if we try to adjust ourselves to our surroundings, if we also know to some extent, how the mind of our neighbor moves and what the main springs of his actions are. From this angle of vision, it is highly desirable that one should try to know all religions of the world, in the proper sprit, to promote mutual understanding and better appreciation of our neighborhood, immediate and remote.

Further, our thoughts are not scattered as they appear to be on the surface. They have got themselves crystallized around a few nuclei in the form of great world religions and living faiths that guide and motivate the lives of millions that inhabit this earth of ours. It is our duty, in one sense if we have the ideal of ever becoming a citizen of the world before us, to make a little attempt to know the great religions and system of philosophy that have ruled mankind.

In spite of these preliminary remarks, the ground in this field of religion where there is often a conflict between intellect and emotion is so slippery that one is constantly reminded of "fools that rush in where angels fear to tread." It is also not so complex from another point of view. The subject of my writing is about the tenets of a religion which is historic and its prophet who is also a historic personality. Even a hostile critic like Sir William Muir speaking about the Holy Quran says that: "There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure ****." I may also add that Prophet Mohammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minor details preserved intact for the posterity. His life and works are not wrapped in mystery. My work today is further lightened because those days are fast disappearing when Islam was highly misrepresented by some of its critics for political reasons and other reasons too. Prof. Bevan writes in Cambridge Medieval History, Those account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of the century are now to be regarded as literary curiosities." My problem is to write this monograph is easier because we are now generally not fed on this kind of history and much time is needed to be spent on pointing out our misrepresentation of Islam. The theory of Islam and the Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. Gibbon, a historian of world repute says, " A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword". This charge, based on ignorance and bigotry, says the eminent historian, is refuted by the Quran, by history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship. The great success of Mohammad's life had been affected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.

But in pure self-defence, after repeated efforts of conciliation had utterly failed, circumstances dragged him into the battlefield. But the prophet of Islam changed the whole strategy of the battlefield. The total number of casualties in all the wars that took place during his lifetime when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under his banner, does not exceed a few hundreds in all. But even on the battlefield he taught the Arab barbarians to pray, to pray not individually, but in congregation to God the Almighty. During the dust and storm of warfare, whenever the time for prayer came, and it comes five times every day, the congregation prayer had not to be postponed even on the battlefield. A party had to be engaged in bowing their heads before God while other was engaged with the enemy. After finishing the prayers, the two parties had to exchange their positions. To the Arabs, who would fight for forty years on the slight provocation that a camel belonging to the guest of one tribe had strayed into the grazing land belonging to other tribe and both sides had fought till they lost 70,000 lives in all; threatening the extinction of both the tribes to such furious Arabs, the Prophet of Islam taught self-control and discipline to the extent of praying even on the battlefield. In an age of barbarism, the battlefield itself was humanized and strict instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not to mutilate, not to kill a child or woman or an old man, not to hew down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree, not to molest any person engaged in worship. His own treatment with his bitterest enemies is the noblest example for his followers. At the conquest of Mecca, he stood at the zenith of his power. The city which had refused to listen to his mission, which had tortured him and his followers, which had driven him and his people into exile and which had unrelentingly persecuted and boycotted him even when he had taken refuge in a place more than 200 miles away, that city now lay at his feet. By the laws of war he could have justlay avenged all the cruelties inflicted on him and his people. But what treatment did he accord to them? Mohammad's heart flowed with affection and he declared “"This day, there is no REPROOF against you and you are all free."” This day he proclaimed. “"I trample under my feet all distinctions between man and man, all hatred between man and man."”

This was one of the chief ******s why he permitted war in self-defence; that is to unite human beings. And when once this ****** was achieved, even his worst enemies were pardoned. It even extended to those who killed his beloved uncle, Hamzah, mangled his body, ripped it open, even chewed a piece of his liver.

The principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of the equality of mankind which he proclaimed represents one very great contributions of Mohammad to the social uplift of humanity. All great religions have preached the same doctrine but the prophet of Islam had put this theory into actual practice and its value will be fully recognized, perhaps centuries hence, when international consciousness being awakened, racial prejudices may disappear and greater brotherhood of humanity come into existence. Miss. Sarojini Naidu speaking about this aspect of Islam says, "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the minaret is sounded and the worshipers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and the King kneels side by side and proclaims, "God alone is great." The great poetess of India continues " I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian, an Algerian and Indian and a Turk in London, it matters not that Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of another."

Mahatma Gandhi, in his inimitable style, says "Someone has said that Europeans in South Africa dread the advent Islam-Islam that civilized Spain, Islam that took the torch light to Morocco and preached to the world the Gospel of brotherhood. The Europeans of South Africa dread the Advent of Islam. They may claim equality with the white races. They may well dread it, if brotherhood is a sin. If it is equality of colored races then their dread is well founded."

Every year, during the Haj, the world witnesses the wonderful spectacle of this international exhibition of Islam in leveling all distinctions of race, color and rank. Not only the Europeans, the African, the Arabian, the Persian, the Indians, the Chinese all meet together in Medina as members of one divine family, but they are clad in one dress. Every person in two simple pieces of white seamless cloth, one piece round the loin the other piece over the shoulders, bare head without pomp or ceremony, repeating "Here am I O God; at thy command; thou art one and alone; Here am I." Thus there remains nothing to differentiate the high from the low and every pilgrim carries home the impression of the international significance of Islam.

In the opinion of Prof. Hurgronje "the league of nations founded by prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity of human brotherhood on such Universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." In the words of the same Professor "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done not even in the realization of the idea of the League of Nations.

The prophet of Islam brought the reign of democracy in its best form. The Caliph Umar, the Caliph Ali and the son in law of the prophet, the caliph Mansur, Abbas, the son of Caliph Mamun and many other caliphs and kings had to appear before the judge as ordinary men in Islamic courts. Even today we all know how the black Negroes were treated by the civilized white races. Consider the state of BILAL, a Negro Slave, in the days of the prophet of Islam nearly 14 centuries ago. The office of calling Muslims to prayer was considered to be of status in the early days of Islam and it was offered to this Negro slave. After the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ordered him to call for prayer and the Negro slave, with his black color and his thick lips, stood over the roof of the holy mosque at Mecca called the Ka'ba the most historic and the holiest mosque in the Islamic world, when some proud Arabs painfully cried loud, "Oh, this black Negro Slave, woe be to him. He stands on the roof of holy Ka'ba to call for prayer." At that moment, the prophet announced to the world, this verse of the holy QURAN for the first time : «"O mankind, surely we have created you, families and tribes, so you may know one another. Surely, the most honorable of you with God is MOST RIGHTEOUS AMONG you. Surely, God is Knowing, Aware."»

And these words of the holy Quran created such a mighty transformation that the Caliph of Islam, the purest of Arabs by birth, offered their daughter in marriage to this Negro Slave, and whenever, the second Caliph of Islam, known to history as Umar the great, the commander of faithful, saw this Negro slave, he immediately stood in reverence and welcomed him by "Here come our master; Here come our lord." What a tremendous change was brought by Quran in the Arabs, the proudest people at that time on the earth. This is the reason why Goethe, the greatest of German poets, speaking about the Holy Quran declared that, "This book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence." This is also the reason why George Bernard Shaw says, "If any religion has a chance or ruling over England, say, Europe, within the next 100 years, it is Islam".

It is this same democratic spirit of Islam that emancipated women from the bondage of man. Sir Charles Edward Archibald Hamilton says "Islam teaches the inherent sinlessness of man. It teaches that man and woman have come from the same essence, possess the same soul and have been equipped with equal capabilities for intellectual, spiritual and moral attainments."

The Arabs had a very strong tradition that one who can smite with the spear and can wield the sword would inherit. But Islam came as the defender of the weaker sex and entitled women to share the inheritance of their parents. It gave women centuries ago right of owning property, yet it was only 12 centuries later, in 1881, that England, supposed to be the cradle of democracy adopted this institution of Islam and the act was called "the married woman act", But centuries earlier, the Prophet of Islam had proclaimed that “"Woman are twin halves of men. The rights of women are sacred. See that women maintained rights granted to them."”

Islam is not directly concerned with political and economic systems, but indirectly and in so far as political and economic affairs influence man's conduct, it does lay down some very important principles to govern economic life. According to Prof. Massignon, it maintains the balance between exaggerated opposites and has always in view the building of character, which is the basis of civilization. This is secured by its law of inheritance, by an organized system of charity known as Zakat, and by regarding as illegal all anti-social practices in the economic field like monopoly, usury, securing of predetermined unearned income and increments, cornering markets, creating monopolies, creating an artificial scarcity of any commodity in order to force the prices to rise. Gambling is illegal. Contribution to schools, to places of worship, hospitals, digging of wells, opening of orphanages are highest acts of virtue. Orphanages have sprung for the first time, it is said, under the teaching of the prophet of Islam. The world owes its orphanages to this prophet who was himself born an orphan. "Good all this" says Carlyle about Mohammad. "The natural voice of humanity, of pity and equity, dwelling in the heart of this wild son of nature, speaks."

A historian once said a great man should be judged by three tests: Was he found to be of true mettle by his contemporaries? Was he great enough to rise above the standards of his age? Did he leave anything as permanent legacy to the world at large? This list may be further extended but all these three tests of greatness are eminently satisfied to the highest degree in case of prophet Mohammad. Some illustrations of the last two have already been mentioned. The first is: Was the Prophet of Islam found to be of true mettle by his contemporaries?

Historical records show that all the contemporaries of Mohammad (both friends foes)acknowledged the sterling qualities, the spotless honesty, the noble virtues, the absolute sincerity and every trustworthiness of the apostle of Islam in all walks of life and in every sphere of human activity. Even the Jews and those who did not believe in his message, adopted him as the arbiter in their personal disputes by virtue of his perfect impartiality. Even those who did not believe in his message were forced to say "O Mohammad, we do not call you a liar, but we deny him who has given you a book and inspired you with a message." They thought he was possessed. They tried violence to cure him. But the best of them saw that a new light had dawned on him and they hastened him to seek the enlightenment. It is a notable feature in the history of the prophet of Islam that his nearest relation, his beloved cousin and his bosom friends, who know him most intimately, were not thoroughly imbued with the truth of his mission and were convinced of the genuineness of his divine inspiration. If these men and women, noble, intelligent, educated and intimately acquainted with his private life had perceived the slightest signs of deception, fraud, earthliness, or lack of faith in him, Mohammad's moral hope of regeneration, spiritual awakening, and social reform would all have been foredoomed to a failure and whole edifice would have crumbled to pieces in a moment. On the contrary, we find that devotion of his followers was such that he was voluntarily acknowledged as dictator of their lives. They braved for him persecutions and danger; they trusted, obeyed and honored him even in the most excruciating torture and severest mental agony caused by excommunication even unto death. Would this have been so, had they noticed the slightest backsliding in their master?

Read the history of the early converts to Islam, and every heart would melt at the sight of the brutal treatment of innocent Muslim men and women. Sumayya, an innocent women, is cruelly torn into pieces with spears. An example is made of " Yassir whose legs are tied to two camels and the beast were driven in opposite directions", Khabbab bin Arth is made lie down on the bed of burning coal with the brutal legs of their merciless tyrant on his breast so that he may not move and this makes even the fat beneath his skin melt." "Khabban bin Adi is put to death in a cruel manner by mutilation and cutting off his flesh piece-meal." In the midst of his tortures, being asked weather he did not wish Mohammad in his place while he was in his house with his family, the sufferer cried out that he was gladly prepared to sacrifice himself, his family and children and why was it that these sons and daughters of Islam not only surrendered to their prophet, their allegiance but also made a gift of their hearts and souls to their master ? Is not the intense faith and conviction on part of immediate followers of Mohammad, the noblest testimony to his sincerity and to his utter self-absorption in his appointed task ?

And these men were not of low station or inferior mental caliber. Around him in quite early days, gathered what was best and noblest in Mecca, its flower and cream, men of position, rank, wealth and culture, and from his own kith and kin, those who knew all about his life. All the first four Caliphs, with their towering personalities, were converts of this period.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says that "Mohammad is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities". But the success was not the result of mere accident. It was not a hit of fortune. It was recognition of fact that he was found to be true ****l by his contemporaries. It was the result of his admirable and all compelling personality. The personality of Mohammad! it is most difficult to get into the truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Mohammad, the prophet, There is Mohammad the General; Mohammad the King; Mohammad the Warrior; Mohammad the businessman; Mohammad the preacher; Mohammad the philosopher; Mohammad the statesman; Mohammad the Orator; Mohammad the Reformer; Mohammad the Refuge of Orphans; Mohammad the Protector of Slaves; Mohammad the Emancipator of Women; Mohammad the Law-giver; Mohammad the Judge; Mohammad the Saint.

And in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like, a hero. Orphan-hood is extreme of helplessness and his life upon this earth began with it; Kingship is the height of the material power and it ended with it. From an orphan boy to a persecuted refugee and then to an overlord, spiritual as well as temporal, of a whole nation and Arbiter of its destinies, with all its trials and temptations, with all its vicissitudes and changes, its lights and shades, its ups and downs, its terror and splendor, he has stood the fire of the world and came out unscathed to serve as a model in every face of life. His achievements are not limited to one aspect of life, but cover the whole field of human conditions.

If for instance, greatness consists in the purification of a nation, steeped in barbarism and immersed in absolute moral darkness, that dynamic personality who has transformed, refined and uplifted an entire nation, sunk low as the Arabs were, and made them the torch-bearer of civilization and learning, has every claim to greatness. If greatness lies in unifying the discordant elements of society by ties of brotherhood and charity, the prophet of the desert has got every title to this distinction. If greatness consists in reforming those wrapped in degrading and blind superstition and pernicious practices of every kind, the prophet of Islam has wiped out superstitions and irrational fear from the hearts of millions. If it lies in displaying high morals, Mohammmad has been admitted by friend and foe as Al Amin, or the faithful. If a conqueror is a great man, here is a person who rose from helpless orphan and a humble creature to be the ruler of Arabia, the equal to Chosroes and Caesar, one who founded great empire that has survived all these 14 centuries. If the devotion that a leader commands is the criterion of greatness, the prophet's name even today exerts a magic charm over millions of souls, spread all over the world.

He had not studied philosophy in the school of Athens of Rome, Persia, India, or China. Yet, He could proclaim the highest truths of eternal value to mankind. Illiterate himself, he could yet speak with an eloquence and fervor which moved men to tears, to tears of ecstasy. Born an orphan blessed with no worldly goods, he was loved by all. He had studied at no military academy; yet he could organize his forces against tremendous odds and gained victories through the moral forces that he marshaled. Gifted men with genius for preaching are rare. Descartes included the perfect preacher among the rarest kind in the world. Hitler in his Mein Kamp has expressed a similar view. He says "A great theorist is seldom a great leader. An Agitator is more likely to posses these qualities. He will always be a great leader. For leadership means the ability to move masses of men. The talent to produce ideas has nothing in common with capacity for leadership." "But", he says, "The Union of theorists, organizer and leader in one man, is the rarest phenomenon on this earth; Therein consists greatness."

In the person of the Prophet of Islam the world has seen this rarest phenomenon walking on the earth, walking in flesh and blood. And more wonderful still is what the Reverend Bosworth Smith remarks, "Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was Pope without the Pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.

After the fall of Mecca, more than one million square miles of land lay at his feet, Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woolen garments, milked the goats, swept the hearth, kindled the fire and attended the other menial offices of the family. The entire town of Medina where he lived grew wealthy in the later days of his life. Everywhere there was gold and silver in plenty and yet in those days of prosperity many weeks would elapse without a fire being kindled in the hearth of the king of Arabia, His food being dates and water. His family would go hungry many nights successively because they could not get anything to eat in the evening. He slept on no soften bed but on a palm mat, after a long busy day to spend most of his night in prayer, often bursting with tears before his creator to grant him strength to discharge his duties. As the reports go, his voice would get choked with weeping and it would appear as if a *****ng pot was on fire and boiling had commenced. On the very day of his death his only assets were few coins a part of which went to satisfy a debt and rest was given to a needy person who came to his house for charity. The clothes in which he breathed his last breath had many patches. The house from where light had spread to the world was in darkness because there was no oil in the lamp.

Circumstances changed, but the prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he is the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, Prophets of God are unchangeable. An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God. Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to humanize man-this was the ****** of his mission, the be-all and end all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle. He was most unostentatious and selfless to the core. What were the titles he assumed? Only true servant of God and His Messenger. Servant first, and then a messenger. A Messenger and prophet like many other prophets in every part of the world, some known to you, many not known you. If one does not believe in any of these truths one ceases to be a Muslim. It is an article of faith.

"Looking at the circumstances of the time and unbounded reverence of his followers" says a western writer "the most miraculous thing about Mohammad is, that he never claimed the power of working miracles". Miracles were performed but not to propagate his faith and were attributed entirely to God and his inscrutable ways. He would plainly say that he was a man like others. He had no treasures of earth or heaven. Nor did he claim to know the secrets that lie in the womb of future. All this was in an age when miracles were supposed to be ordinary occurrences, at the back and call of the commonest saint, when the whole atmosphere was surcharged with supernaturalism in Arabia and outside Arabia.

He turned the attention of his followers towards the study of nature and its laws, to understand them and appreciate the Glory of God. The Quran says «"God did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in play. He did not create them all but with the truth. But most men do not know"». The world is not an illusion, nor without purpose. It has been created with the truth. The number of verses inviting close observation of nature are several times more than those that relate to prayer, fasting, pilgrimage etc. all put together. The Muslim under its influence began to observe nature closely and this gave birth to the scientific spirit of the observation and experiment which was unknown to the Greeks. While the Muslim Botanist, Ibn Baitar, wrote on Botany after collecting plants from all parts of the world, described by Myer in his Gesch. der Botanikaa-s, a monument of industry, while Al Byruni traveled for forty years to collect mineralogical specimens, and Muslim Astronomers made some observations extending even over twelve years. Aristotle wrote on Physics without performing a single experiment, wrote on natural history, carelessly stating without taking the trouble to ascertain the most verifiable fact that men have more teeth than animal. Galen, the greatest authority on classical anatomy informed that the lower jaw consists of two bones, a statement which is accepted unchallenged for centuries until Abdul Lateef takes the trouble to examine a human skeleton. After enumerating several such instance's, Robert Priffault concludes in his well known book "The making of humanity", "The debt of our science to the Arabs does not consist in starting discovers or revolutionary theories. Science owes a great more to Arabs culture; it owes is existence". The same writer says " The Greeks systematized, generalized and theorized but patient ways of investigation, the accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science, detailed and prolonged observation, experimental inquiry, were altogether alien to Greek temperament. What we call science arose in Europe as result of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment, observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematical in form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and these methods, concludes the same author, were introduced into the European world by Arabs.

It is the same practical character of the teaching of Prophet Mohammad that gave birth to the scientific spirit, that has also sanctified the daily labors and the so-called mundane affairs. The Quran says that God has created man to worship him but the word worship has a connotation of its own. Gods worship is not confined to prayer alone, but every act that is done with the purpose of winning approval of God and is for the benefit of the humanity comes under its purview. Islam sanctifies life and all its pursuits provided they are performed with honesty, justice and pure intents. It obliterates the age-long distinction between the sacred and profane. The Quran says if you eat clean things and thank God for it, it is an act of worship. It is saying of the prophet of Islam that a morsel of food that one places in the mouth of his wife is an act of virtue to be rewarded by God. Another tradition of the Prophet says “"He who is satisfying the desire of his heart will be rewarded by God provided the methods adopted are permissible"”. A person was listening to him exclaimed 'O Prophet of God, he is answering the calls of passions, is only satisfying the craving of his heart. Forthwith came the reply, “"Had he adopted an awful method for the satisfaction of his urge, he would have been punished; then why should he not be rewarded for following the right course"”.

This new conception of religion that it should also devote itself to the betterment of this life rather than concern itself exclusively with super mundane affairs, has led to a new orientation of moral values. Its abiding influence on the common relations of mankind in the affairs of every day life, its deep power over the masses, its regulation of their conception of rights and duty, its suitability and adaptability to the ignorant savage and the wise philosopher are characteristic features of the teaching of the Prophet of Islam.

But it should be most carefully born in mind this stress on good actions is not the sacrifice correctness of faith. While there are various schools of thought, one praising faith at the expense of deeds, another exhausting various acts to the detriment of correct belief, Islam is based on correct faith and righteous actions. Means are as important as the end and ends are as important as the means. It is an organic unity. Together they live and thrive. Separate them and both decay and die. In Islam faith cannot be divorced from the action. Right knowledge should be transferred into right action to produce the right results. How often the words came in Quran-- «Those who believe and do good works, they alone shall enter paradise.» Again and again, not less than fifty times these words are repeated as if too much stress cannot be laid on them. Contemplation is encouraged but mere contemplation is not the goal. Those who believe and do nothing cannot exist in Islam. These who believe and do wrong are inconceivable. Divine law is the law of effort and not of ideals. It chalks out for the men the path of eternal progress from knowledge to action and from action to satisfaction.

But what is the correct faith from which right action spontaneously proceeds resulting in complete satisfaction? Here the central doctrine of Islam is the Unity of God. There is no God but God is the pivot from which hangs the whole teaching and practice of Islam. He is unique not only as regards to His divine being but also as regards His divine attributes.

As regards to the attributes of God, Islam adopts here as in other things too, the law of golden mean. It avoids on the one hand, the view of God which divests the divine being of every attribute and rejects, on the other, the view which likens him to things material. The Quran says, On the one hand, there is nothing which is like him, on the other, it affirms that he is Seeing, Hearing, Knowing. He is the King who is without a stain of fault or deficiency, the mighty ship of His power floats upon the ocean of justice and equity. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Guardian over all. Islam does not stop with this positive statement. It adds further which is its most special characteristic, the negative aspects of a problem. There is also no one else who is guardian over everything. He is the meander of every breakage, and no one else is the meander of any breakage. He is the restorer of every loss and no one else is the restorer of any loss what-so-over. There is no God but one God, above any need, the maker of bodies, creator of souls, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, and in short, in the words of Quran, to him belong all excellent qualities.

Regarding the position of man in relation to the Universe, the Quran says «"God has made subservient to you whatever is on the earth or in universe. You are destined to rule over the Universe."» But in relation to God, the Quran says «"O man God has bestowed on you excellent faculties and has created life and death to put you to test in order to see whose actions are good and who has deviated from the right path."» In spite of free will which he enjoys, to some extent, every man is born under certain circumstances and continues to live under certain circumstances beyond his control. With regard to this God says, according to Islam, it is my will to create any man under condition that seems best to me through cosmic plans that finite mortals can not fully comprehend. But I will certainly test you in prosperity as well in adversity, in health as well as in sickness, in heights as well as in depths. My ways of testing differ from man to man, from hour to hour. In adversity do not despair and do resort to unlawful means. It is but a passing phase. In prosperity do not forget God. God-gifts are given only as trusts. You are always on trial, every moment you are on a test. In this sphere of life there is not to reason why, there is but to do and die. If you live, then you have to live in accordance with God; and if you die, then die in the path of God. You may call it fatalism but this type of fatalism is a condition of vigorous increasing effort, always keeping you on the *****. Do not consider this temporal life on earth as the end of human existence. There is a life after death and it is eternal. Life after death is only a connection, a link, a door that opens up hidden reality of life. Every action in life, however insignificant, produces a lasting effect. It is correctly recorded somehow. Some of the ways of God are known to you, but many of his ways are hidden from you. What is hidden in you and from you in this world will be unrolled and laid open before you in the next. The virtuous will enjoy the blessing of God which the eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of men to conceive of they will march onward reaching higher and higher stages of evolution. Those who have wasted opportunity in this life shall under the inevitable law, which makes every man taste of what he has done, be subjugated to a course of treatment of the spiritual disease's which they have brought about with their own hands. Beware, it is a terrible ordeal. Bodily pain is torture, you can bear somehow. Spiritual pain is hell and you will find it almost unbearable. Fight in this life itself the tendencies of the spirit prone to evil, tempting to lead you into iniquities ways. Reach the next stage when the self-accusing spirit in your conscience is awakened and the soul is anxious to attain moral excellence and revolt against disobedience. This will lead you to the final stage of the soul at rest, contented with God, finding its happiness and delight in him alone. The soul stumbles no more. The stage of struggle passes away. Truth is victorious and falsehood lays down its arms. All complexes will then be resolved. Your house will not be divided against itself. Your personality will get integrated around the central core of submission to the will of God and complete surrender to his divine purpose. All hidden energies will then be released. The soul then will have peace. God will then address you «O Thou soul that art at rest, and restest fully contented with thy Lord return to thy Lord. He is pleased with thee and thou are pleased with him; So enter among my servants and enter into my paradise. »This is the final goal for man; to become, on the one hand, the master of the universe and on the other, to see that his soul finds rest in his Lord, that not only his Lord will be pleased with him but that he is also pleased with his Lord. Contentment, complete contentment, satisfaction, complete satisfaction, peace, complete peace. The love of God is his food at this stage and he drinks deep at the fountain of life. Sorrow and defeat do not overwhelm him and success does not find him in vain and exulting.

The western nations are only trying to become the master of the universe. But their souls have not found peace and rest. Thomas Carlyle, struck by this philosophy of life writes "and then also Islam-that we must submit to God; that our whole strength lies in resigned submission to Him, whatsoever he does to us, the thing he sends to us, even if death and worse than death, shall be good, shall be best; we resign ourselves to God." The same author continues "If this be Islam, says Goethe, do we not all live in Islam?" Carlyle himself answers this question of Goethe and says "Yes, all of us that have any moral life, we all live so. This is yet the highest wisdom that heaven has revealed to our earth."

Author : Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao

finality of the prophet

Finality Of The Prophet

Foreword

Of all the conspiracies hatched against Islam in modern times, the most dangerous is a false claim to Prophethood made in the beginning of this century. This claim has been the main cause of wide spread mental chaos amongst the Ummah (Muslim Nation) for the last sixty years. Like all other schisms, the root cause of this mischief is that the Muslims are generally ignorant of their religion. Had they been truly imbued with its knowledge and developed a clear understanding of the article of faith relating to the finality of Prophethood, it would have been well-nigh impossible for any false claimant to Prophethood to take root and thrive among the people of Islam after the last ministry of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). At this juncture the most perfect and effective remedy for eradicating this evil is to educate the maximum number of people in the best possible manner about true faith in the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and stressing the importance and value of this article of faith in the religion of Islam. It is also imperative that all doubts and skeptical notions about the final ministry of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be dispelled through reason and logic. This article has been prepared to serve this very purpose. Readers who find it useful should take a step further and extend their full co-operation in the propagation of its contents. This article ought to reach all literate people and they having studied it themselves should read it out to the non-literate. It is hoped that a study of this article will not only immunize people who have not been contaminated with this malady but would also make the truth manifest to the right-minded persons among those who have received some of its germs. However, those who have fallen victim to falsehood and are impervious to all reason--for them, hope and salvation lies only with Allah.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent

«"O people ! Muhammad has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Apostle of God and the last in the line of Prophets. And God is Aware of everything." »(Surah Al Ahzab: 40). This verse has been revealed in the fifth Ruku' (para or passage) of Surah al-Ahzab. In this Ruku' Allah (Glorified be He) has provided answers to all those ******ions raised by the hypocrites, which had given rise to a storm of calumnies, slander and mischief in respect to the marriage of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with Hadrat Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her).
These hypocrites argued that Zainab was the wife of an adopted son of the Holy Prophet and by this connection she stood in the position of the Prophet's daughter in-law. Hence, after her divorce from Zaid, the Prophet had taken his own daughter-in-law as wife.
In order to refute this allegation Allah told clearly in verse 37 that this marriage had Divine sanction behind it and was made to serve as a lawful precedent for Muslim men to marry the wives of their adopted sons after they had been divorced by their husbands. Later in verses 38 and 39, Allah affirmed that no power could hinder the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)from discharging a Divine obligation. The Prophets are ordained to fear God, not the people. It has been an invariable practice of the Apostles to transmit the Divine message without any extraneous care and to perform the duties enjoined upon them by Allah without fear or hesitation. Afterwards a verse was revealed which extinguished the basis of all ******ions. In the first place, they had charged "You have taken your daughter-in-law as wife, in contravention of your own law that the wife of a son is forbidden to his father."
In refutation of this charge it was affirmed by the Almighty:
«"Muhammad had no sons among ye men..." » thereby making absolutely clear that the man whose divorced wife was taken into wedlock by the Prophet being not his real son; the act, therefore did not imply violation of it.
The argument of their second charge ran thus: "Admitted that the adopted son is not the real one, and on that basis a father might lawfully marry the divorced spouse of his adopted son, but where was the compulsion for the Prophet to do so?" Allah affirmed in answer to this charge: «"But, verily, he is the Apostle of Allah"».
The implication is that it was Allah's mandate to the Holy Prophet to wipe out all prejudices and declare all taboos that pagan custom had unnecessarily imposed upon the people, as lawful. In this respect the Prophet's action was unequivocal and left no room for doubt. (see footnote 1, below.)
In order to lay particular emphasis upon this point Allah observes: (Khatim Al-Nabbiyeen)« "And he is the last in the line of Prophets,"» which means that no messenger nor even a Prophet charged with the mission of carrying out reforms in the sphere of Law or society which might have been omitted (God forbid) during the lifetime of Muhammad (PBUH) will ever succeed him. Since Allah ordained the ministry of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to be final, it was, therefore, imperative that he should accomplish the task of uprooting this pagan custom.
Later, the point has been further emphasized in the revelation (Wa Kan ul-Allahi Be-kulle Shai-in 'Aleema): «"God is Aware of everything."» The true import of this revelation is that Allah deemed it best to remove this pagan custom through the agency of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and that Allah could only take cognisance of the harm that the perpetuation of this infidel custom would have entailed. Allah (Glorified be He) was well aware that the line of Prophethood ended in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whose precedent the whole ummah would follow, and had he not done away with this custom, there would arise no man comparable in status to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who could accomplish the task. And suppose a reformer had arisen in later times who would break this custom, his act would not have constituted a universal or permanent precedent for Muslims of all ages and all countries to follow. No other person that follows will embody the Divine sanctity which attaches to the person of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Hence the precedent of no man but Muhammad has the potential of wiping out the idea of all pagan customs from the souls of men for all times to come.
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Footnote 1.
At this point those who deny the finality of Muhammad's Prophethood (PBUH) demand to know the tradition in which this allegation has been reported. This query in fact lays bare their ignorance. The Holy Qur'an furnishes answers to the charges of the mischief-mongers at several points without actually mentioning the charge. In each case, however, the relevant **** bears unmistakable evidence as to which allegation is being answered. In the present case also, the answer contains the substance of the question. The use of the conjunctive word "but" at the end of the first sentence presupposes that part of the question had yet to be dealt with. The second sentence, therefore, furnishes answer to the remaining part of the question. The first sentence had revealed to the ******ors the answer to their charge that 'Muhammad had married his daughter- in-law.' However, the second point of the question "where was the compulsion for the Prophet to do so" still called for an answer. This answer was provided by the next sentence in the ****. «"But verily, Muhammad is the Apostle of God and last in the line of Prophets of God."» The point may be further explained by taking an illustration from ordinary conversation. Someone says "Zaid had not risen, but that Bakr has stood up." Now this conveys the sense that Zaid has not risen, but the matter does not end there, as it gives rise to the query, "If Zaid has not risen, who has stood up then?" The subordinate clause of the above sentence "but Bakr has stood up" supplies an answer to this query. It is the same in the above case.

The Verdict of the **** of the Qur'an

A group who has raised the heresy of a new prophethood in modern times explains the meaning of the idea of the "Finality of Prophethood" as the 'Stamp of Prophethood' thereby implying that all prophets who would succeed Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will bear his stamp and will attain to prophethood by his seal alone. No one, in other words, who does not bear the seal of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will attain the status of Prophethood. But the con**** in which the term "the last in the line of Prophets" has been revealed in the Holy Qur'an leaves no scope for such speculation. If indeed the term "last in the line of Prophets" does bear the meaning intended by this group, then this term is surely out of place in the con**** in which it has been revealed. Furthermore, when the term is charged with this meaning it distorts the whole purpose of the revealed verse.
In this verse God refutes the charge and dispels doubts created by the mischievous people about the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her), the divorced wife of the Prophet's adopted son, Zaid. Does it stand to reason to make a sudden interpolation in this con**** of the point that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the 'seal of Prophets' and that Allah had delegated to him the authority of attesting the bonafides of succeeding prophets ?
This interpretation bears no connection with the con****-not the least even and is contrary to the purpose of Divine argument against the heretics. If this interpretation were true the non-believers might well have argued: "There is no hurry in doing away with this custom now. You might safely leave this task for your successor prophets who will bear your stamp."

According to a second interpretation of the idea of the finality of Prophethood advanced by this group it is said that the term
"Last in the line of Prophets" means the "exalted Prophet." They further explain that the line of Apostles will continue, though the excellence of Prophethood has been culminated in the person of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This interpretation is no less defective and harmful than the other one. It hardly bears any relation to the con**** and, in fact, conveys a contradictory sense of the verse. Taking this thread of argument, the infidels and hypocrites would have plausibly pointed out, "Sir, there will be other prophets after you, howsoever inferior in status compared to you, to fulfil the Divine mission, why must you take it upon yourself to remove this custom also?"

The Dictionary Meaning of the Word 'Khatam-al-Nabiyyin'

It is evident that the **** can bear one meaning and it is that Khatam-al-Nabiyyin stands for the Finality of Prophethood with a clear implication that the prophethood has been culminated and finalized in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is not only the con**** that supports this interpretation but also the lexicography.

According to Arabic lexicon and the linguistic usage Khatam means to affix seal; to close, to come to an end; and to carry something to its ultimate end.
Khatama al-'Amala is equivalent to 'Faragha min al-'Almali' which means 'to get over with the task.' 'Khatama al-Ina' bears the meaning 'The vessel has been closed and sealed so that nothing can go into it, nor can its contents spill out.'
'Khatam-al-kitab' conveys the meaning 'The letter has been enclosed and sealed so that it is finally secured.'
'Khatama-'Ala-al-Qalb' means 'The heart has been sealed so that it cannot perceive anything new nor can it forswear what it has already imbibed.'
'Khitamu-Kulli-Mashrubin' implies 'the final taste that is left in the mouth when the drink is over.'
Katimatu Kulli Shaiinn 'Aqibatuhu wa Akhiratuhu means "The end in the case of everything denotes its doom and ultimate finish."
Khatm-ul-Shaii Balagha Akhirahu conveys the sense, "To end a thing means to carry it to its ultimate limit."
The term Khatam-i-Qur'an is used in the similar sense and the closing verses of Qur'anic Surahs are referred to as Khawatim. Khatim-ul-Qaum Akhirhuum means "The last man in the tribe." (Refer to Lisan-ul-'Arab; Qamus and Aqrab-ul- Muwarid) (See footnote 2 below).
For this reason all linguists and commentators agree that Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin means 'The Last in the line of Prophets.' The word Khatam in its dictionary meaning and linguistic usage does not refer to the post office stamp which is affixed on the outgoing mail. Its literal meaning is the 'seal' which is but on the envelope to secure its contents.