Skip to main content

Prophet Muhammad: An Example and Beacon of Hope

Through his character, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inspired people to change their lives. Through his message, the Prophet (peace be upon him) empowered his followers to find purpose in their lives, and through his leadership, became motivated to work as a team to serve humankind.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) transformed his environment within 23-years, and his followers changed the world less than 50-years after his departure in 632 CE.

What was so unique in Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) character, message, and leadership?

Why did people respond to his message and continue to do so today?

Monotheism was not a new idea. Leadership was never absent in any community, and the philosophers and sages were always present to guide humans.

Yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) did what others could not in recorded human history of nearly 7,000 years.

Inviting to the Truth

A man who stood alone on a mountaintop, inviting a handful of people to realize the purpose of life, through consistency in their words and actions, initiated a shift in human thinking and actions.

Humans are far from perfect, and nations are still at odds with each other. Ending injustice is a distant dream, and equality is still an illusion. But freedom, justice, equality, and human rights are the goals that most nations hold as sacred.

The Quest for Dignity

Behind this monumental reconstruct, we see Prophet Muhammad, the apostle of God (peace be upon him) – as viewed by Muslims – who forbade his followers to preserve his facial features in any shape or form except in the description of his character.

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) character had one predominant feature, a quest for the dignity of every human being and living creature.

Dignity encompassed everything the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood and lived for throughout his lifetime. He understood that the purpose of divine creation was to empower every human to live a dignified life, regardless of birth status.

His concern was to liberate humans from the shackles of slavery and injustice, the chains of superstition, of human domination over the other based on class, creed, wealth, status, or even righteousness.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew that once human beings achieved dignity, they could conquer any obstacle, and he offered his life as an example of all that he preached.

His concept of dignity included his enemies, even those who planned to kill him.

Caring for All Humanity

In Mecca, between 620 CE and the summer of 622 CE, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) followers included Khadija, Ali (who became the husband of Fatima), and Abu Bakr; the remainder of the city’s inhabitants were bitter enemies seeking to kill him – this is when he fled to Madinah.

Yet, throughout that time and the period that followed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) strove to bring out the best in the behavior of his enemies, imploring them to show dignity to all humans and the physical universe.

By dignity, he meant that all humans have their origin in God and deserve an autonomous existence without being dependent on others for their lives.

It meant they have the right to acquire knowledge and choose a path based on their understanding. It meant freedom of expression. And it meant having the courage to speak the truth fearlessly. It meant having the courage to speak the truth fearlessly.

Above all, dignity meant to empathize with all fellow human beings.

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them). (Al-Bukhari)

Restoring Confidence and Dignity

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) quest to deliver the message of dignity led women to find equality, slaves to find freedom, people to have a place in the echelons of power, and the poor and needy to work harder for their higher mobility.

It also led people to demonstrate discipline and organization in their work.

Dignity is divine because only a higher authority can think for all without any biases. Elegance is the essence of human existence. Only people free from shackles can achieve their best, and self-respect is the motivational force that brings about change in human society.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) restored confidence to those around him in their ability and right to live a dignified life. In this context, Muslims understand the divine words preserved in the Quran:

And [thus, O Prophet,] We have sent thee as [an evidence of Our] grace towards all the worlds (21:107).

And as a guide towards the truth have We bestowed this [revelation] from on high; with this [very] truth has it come down [unto thee, O Prophet]: for We have sent thee but as a herald of glad tidings and a warner. (17:105)

Verily, in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe] to God and the Last Day, and remembers God unceasingly (33:21).

The post Prophet Muhammad: An Example and Beacon of Hope appeared first on About Islam.



source https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/prophet-muhammad-an-example-and-beacon-of-hope/
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

List of Times and Places Where Dua is Accepted

A short reminder regarding the recommended times of dua . And I think what you need to know here is that the recommended times of dua or recommended things that can cause your dua to be accepted, can be divided into two sort of large groups: Am I Good Enough to Make Dua for Myself? Situations where your dua is accepted. Times where your dua is accepted So I’m going to very briefly mention them one after the other as much as possible. As for situations where your dua has been accepted: – The person who has been wronged or oppressed . – A person who finds themselves in severe difficulty after a calamity has struck. – The person who is traveling. – Someone who is fasting. – The one who is reciting the Quran or has just recited the Quran – Someone who is performing Hajj or Umrah or jihad. – The one who is making dua for someone in their absence . Because we know that when you make dua for someone in his absence an angel says: “ Ameen and to you”. – A person...
Post a Comment
Read More »

Derechos de Las Mujeres en Islam

Durante el Tiempo del Profeta (la paz sea con él) Veamos cómo fueron tratadas las mujeres de todo el mundo durante la época del Profeta (la paz sea con él). En la Europa del siglo VIII, la religión principal era el catolicismo y durante este tiempo debatían si las mujeres tenían alma. Dijeron que las mujeres eran impuras y que no tenían derecho a la herencia. A las mujeres tampoco se les permitía tocar la Biblia. No era como ahora en el Islam, donde ellas no pueden tocar el Corán durante la menstruación, pero a las mujeres en la Europa del siglo VIII nunca se les permitió tocar la Biblia. En China e India, fueron quemadas vivas cuando murieron sus maridos. En Arabia Saudita practicaron infanticidio femenino en el que, si nacía una niña, la enterrarían viva. Si el marido de una mujer muere, un miembro de su familia se unirá a ella para demostrar que ahora es de su propiedad. Mujeres en el Islam Con el Islam llegó una nueva era para las mujeres. En el Islam, las mujeres tienen la...
Post a Comment
Read More »

Ghuraba (The Strangers): Nasheed with English Subtitles

Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings the strangers. (Sahih Muslim 145) This famous nasheed has many versions; this one is from Muhammad al-Salman and has the subtitles in English embedded. [We are] strangers and we do not bow the foreheads to anyone besides Allah  […] Transliteration to help in the pronounciation:  Ghurabaa’ wa li ghairillaahi laa nahnil jibaa Aisha Stacey  wrote in an article for Aboutislam.net : “I think that many of you would agree that being Muslim in the 21st century makes you well acquainted with being strange. It might even be a metaphor for random, as in you have been randomly selected. […] many converts to Islam will tell you about feeling as if they were strangers, before finding Islam. They will speak of feeling that they belonged somewhere else that their lives were just slightly off center. They often speak about a vague sense of knowing they were not like everyone else...
Post a Comment
Read More »