A GUIDE TO PRACTICAL LIVING FROM THE BLESSEDS LIPS OF SAYYIDUNA RASOOLULLAH (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)

Read a Hadith and light the way:
1. I leave with you two things; as long as you hold fast to them both, you will never be misguided – the Kitab (Book) of Allah and Sunnat of His Rasool (Messenger). (Muwatta)
2. He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is pleased with Allah as Rabb, with Islam as Deen and with Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) as Rasool (Messenger). (Sahih Muslim)
3. Blessed is he who is guided to Islam, and whose livelihood is just sufficient and who is contented therewith. (Tirmidhi)
4. Everyone of my followers will enter Jannat (Paradise) except he who refused. He (the Rasool of Allah) was asked: And who has refused (truth)? He said: Whosoever obeys me shall enter Jannat (Paradise) and whoever disobeys me has refused. (Sahih Bukhari)
5. The Pleasure of the Rabb is in the pleasure of the father, and the displeasure of the Rabb is in the displeasure of the father. (Tirmidhi)
6. A man asked: O Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim): What are the rights of the parents over their children? He replied: They are your Jannat (Paradise) and your Jahannam (Hell). (Ibn-Majah)
7. No father can give a better gift to his son than good manners.(Tirmidhi)
8. Let no believing man hate a believing woman. If he hates one trait of her character, he should be pleased with another that is within her. (Sahih Muslim)
9.Whichever female dies while her husband was pleased with her, will enter Jannat (Paradise). (Tirmidhi)
10. The most perfect of the believers in faith is he who is the best of them in conduct, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. (Tirmidhi)
11. If a young man shows honour to an old man on account of his age, Allah will create for him in his old age someone who will show him honour. (Tirmidhi)
12. You will see the believers in their mutual kindness, displaying love and sympathy just like one body. When a limb complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever. (Agreed)
13. You shall not enter Jannat until you believe; and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you a thing? When you will do it, you will love one another. Spread (Salaam) among you. (Sahih Muslim)
14. Be not happy over (the sorrows of) your brother, lest Allah shows mercy to the latter and tries you. (Tirmidhi)
15. The duties of a Muslim towards another Muslim are five: to return his greeting, to visit the sick, to follow the bier of a dead man, to accept his invitation, and to respond to one's sneezes. (Agreed)
16. Eat together and be not separate, because blessings is only with the united body. (Ibn-Majah)
17. If a Muslim is afficted with any trouble, continuous pain, anxiety, sorrow, harm, disaster, and even a thorn which he is pierced with - Allah expiates his minor sins thereof. (Agreed)
18. Allah is not kind to one who is not kind to men. (Agreed)
19. He who is devoid of kindness is devoid of good. (Sahih Muslim)
20. Be careful of (narrating) traditions from me except what you know. Whoso imputes falsehood to me intentionally, let him then seek his abode in the fire. (Tirmidhi)
21. When a man dies, all his actions are cut off from him except three: ever recuring charity; or knowledge from which benefit it derived; or virtuous son praying for him. (Sahih Muslim)
22. Whoso interprets the Quran according to his opinion, let him seek his abode in the fire. And in a naration: Whoso interprets the Quran without knowledge, let him seek his abode in the fire. (Tirmidhi)
23. Whoever guides towards good, will have a reward of one who acts up to it. (Hadith)
24. The dearest to me among you is he who is the best of you in conduct. (Sahih Bukhari)
25. Whoso gives up falsehood which is void, there is built for him a mansion in the corner of Jannat; and whoso gives up dispute while he has right (to it), there is built for him a mansion in the middle of Jannat; and whoso makes his conduct good, there is built for him a mansion in its loftiest part. (Tirmidhi)
26. One (on the Day of Judgement, before Allah) will not be able to move away until he has accounted for his:
a. Life, how it was spent,
b. Knowledge, to what use it was put,
c. Wealth, how it was acquired and spent,
d. Body, how it was utilised? (Hadith)
27. Avoid the seven deadly sins. The Companions asked: What are they, O Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)? The Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) replied:
a. Attributing partner to Allah,
b. Magic,
c. Murder,
d. Usury,
e. Misappropriating that which belongs to orphans,
f. Turning the back on the day of Jihad,
g. Levelling charges against chaste and innocent women. (Hadith)
28. An honest and trustworthy merchant shall be with the Ambiya (Prophets) and the Martyrs and the pious men. (Hadith)
29. Hazrat Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu) said: O Rasool of Allah! (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) I offer myself. Rasoollulah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) caught his hand and enumerated five advices:
a. Avoid what is unlawful, and you will be praying more than others,
b. Be satisfied with what Allah has allotted to you, and you will never feel any lack,
c. Be good to your neighbours, and you will attain the position of a Mu'min (Faithful),
d. Choose for others what you choose for yourself, and you will be a perfect Muslim,
e. Do not laugh too much, for laughter deadens the heart. (Hadith)
30. Be responsible for six things, and I shall be responsible for your entry into Jannat:
a. Speak always the truth,
b. Fulfil all your promises,
c. Return any article given to you in trust in its proper condition,
d. Guard the secret places of your body,
e. Keep your eyes down,
f. Hold off your hands (from tyranny and wrong doing). (Hadith)
31. Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) forbade blood sports, like the Bedouins. (Hadith)
32. Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said:
a. To gaze at a strange (ghair mahram) woman is the Zina (adultery) of the eyes,
b. To listen to passion-stirring words is Zina of the ears,
c. To converse with a strange women (and derive pleasure therefrom) is Zina of the tongue,
d. To touch a strange women is Zina of the hands,
e. To walk towards her is Zina of the feet,
f. The heart desires and craves; the sexual organs then either testify to these or deny them. (Sahih Muslim)
33. Allah Ta'ala will not cast a merciful glance towards the person that commits sodomy or anal sex with his wife. (Mishkaat)
34. (Part of) the beauty of a man's Islam is to leave what does not concern him. (Tirmidhi)
35. Don't be moved by anger. He (the man seeking advise) then repeated (i.e. his request) several times, but Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: Don't be moved by anger. (Sahih Bukhari)
36. Surely (for you) every Tasbih is an act of charity, everyTakbir is an act of charity, every Tahmid is an act of charity, the commanding of right actions is an act of charity, and your sexual intercourse (with you wives) is an act of charity. They asked, (in surprise), O Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)! Can it be that anyone of us fulfils his passion, and be rewarded for it? Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: Do you see, if you got it (i.e. sexual satisfaction) through unlawful means, would there be sin in it? In the same manner, there is reward for him who performs it lawfully. (Sahih Muslim)
37. Whosoever among you sees an undersirable thing, he should change it with his hand. But, if he cannot, he should do it (i.e. change it) with his tongue. If he is not able to do that even, he should do it with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith. (Sahih Muslim)
38. Whoso kills a sparrow for nothing, it will cry loud to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, saying, O my Rabb! Such-and-such a man killed me for nothing: he never killed me for any good. (Nisaai)
39. Every good word is charity. (Hadith)
40. Almsgiving extinguishes the Wrath of Allah. (Tirmidhi)
41. That a man give a dirham in alms during his lifetime, is better for him than that he should give a hundred dirhams at his death. (Abu Dawud)
42. Cleanliness is one-half of faith. (Sahih Muslim)
43. To be alone is better that (to have) a bad companion; and a good companion is better than being alone; and dictating the good is better that keeping silence; and silence is better than dictating evil. (Baihaqi; Mishkaat Shareef)
44. Whoso curses a thing when it does not deserve it, - makes the curse to return upon him. (Abu Dawud)
45. All sins are pardoned of a Martyr except (his) debts. (Sahih Muslim)
46. I said: O Rasool of Allah! (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) I have so much hair upon my head, should I then comb it? The Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: Yes, and also do it justice! (Nisaai)
47. Deliberation is of Allah, and haste is of Satan. (Tirmidhi)
48. The most hateful of (all) lawful thing, in the sight of Allah, is divorce. (Abu Dawud)
49. The women who seeks divorce from her husband, without being forced (to it due to unjust treatment), shall not smell the fragrance of Jannat. (Tirmidhi)
50. I never saw anyone smile more than the Prophet. (Tirmidhi)
51. No present or gift of a parent, out of all the gifts and presents to a child, is superior to a good education. (Tirmidhi)
52. The best part of faith is to say, There is no Allah but Allah, and the least of it is to remove all injurious things from the (public) road. (Sahih Bukhari)
53. Faith is a restraint against all unjust violence, let no Mu'min commit violence. (Abu Dawud)
54. Whoso brings up three daughters or three sisters, or two sisters or two daughters, and gives them a good education, and treats them well, and gives them in marriage, for him is Jannat.(Abu Dawud)
55. Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and free the captive. (Sahih Bukhari)
56. There are four qualities which being (found) in any make him a complete hypocrite; and whoever has one of these, has one hypocritical quality until he avoids it: perfidy when trusted, lying when speaking, leaving in the lurch when convenanting, and wickedness when quarrelling. (Sahih Bukhari)
57. Every deen has a distinctive virtue, and the distinctive virtue of Islam is modesty. (Malik)
58. Whoso walks in a path seeking knowledge therein, Allah will thereby make easy for him the path of Jannah. (Sahih Muslim)
59. Whoso goes forth in search of knowledge, engages himself in the cause of Allah until he returns (home). (Tirmidhi)
60. When the Rasool of Allah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) sent me as a Governor of Yemen, he said: Beware of leading a luxurious life for verily the servants of (Allah) never lead a luxurious life. (Ahmad)
61. When a servant (of Allah) tells a lie, (his) Angel goes away from him to the distance of a mile, because of the internal commotions of what it brings. (Tirmidhi)
62. When there are three men, let not two egage in a private discourse without the third, for that may grieve him. (SahihBukhari)
63. A woman is married for four qualifications: for her wealth, for her birth, for her beauty, and for Deen; but you look out for Deeni women; and if you do it for any other consideration, your hands will be rubbed in dirt! (Sahih Bukhari)
64. Allah is not merciful to him who is not merciful to men. (Sahih Bukhari)
65. Whoso shows (a way) to good, shall have a reward like that of the man who does it himself. (Sahih Muslim)
66. Eat and give alms and cloth yourselves without being extravagant or vain. (Sahih Bukhari)
67. In his journeys, Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) would remain in the rear, taking care of the weak, and seating them behind him, and he would also pray for them. (Abu Dawud)
68. A Mu'min does not eliminate, nor curse, nor is he a doer of filthy actions, nor is he an impudent fellow. (Tirmidhi)
69. He is not a Mu'min who eats his fill while his neighbour lies hungry by his side. (Baihaqi)
70. Seize five opportunities before the five (calamities): your youth before weakness in old age; your health before your sickness; richness before poverty; your leisure before business; your life before death. (Tirmidhi)
71. The worst of feasts are the marriage feasts in which the rich are invited and the poor left out. (Sahih Bukhari)
72. Send presents to one another, for verily presents take away the grudge of the heart; and let no neighbour despise the present of his neighbour, be it ever so little. (Tirmidhi)
73. Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) loved an action which could be performed regularly, although it was little. (Nisaai)
74. Whoso causes (others) to hear (of his virtues) Allah will disgrace him thereby; and whoso shows (himself) off, Allah will humiliate thereby. (Sahih Bukhari)
75. Whoso holds fast to my example during the corruption of my people, he shall have the reward of hundred Martyrs. (Baihaqi)
76. He who spends in the Cause of Allah will have his reward seven hundred times. (Tirmidhi)
77. Avoid all things doubtful for those that are not doubtful, verily truth brings quiet, and falsehood doubt. (Tirmidhi)
78. Moderation in expenses is half livelihood, and the love of men is half wisdom, and good questioning is half knowledge. (Baihaqi)
79. There are two traits which are never found together in a hypocrite: good conduct and the understanding of Deen. (Tirmidhi) 80. There is a trial for every people, and the trial for my people is wealth. (Tirmidhi)
81. The world is a provision, and the best provision of the world is a virtuous woman. (Sahih Muslim)
82. I have left behind me no more greater trial for men than woman. (Nisaai)
83. No man is alone with a strange woman, but Satan is the third among them. (Tirmidhi)
84. I asked the Rasool (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) with regard to a sudden glance cast on a woman. He said: Turn away your glance. (Sahih Muslim)
85. My companions are like stars, whosoever (from among them) you (choose to) follow, you will be guided. (Mishkaat)
86. All actions depend upon its intention. (Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
87. Offering prayer in congregation carries twenty-seven times greater reward that offering it alone. (Sahih Muslim)
88. I am the last of prophets and there will be none after me. (Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
89. When someone makes his Wudhu at home and walks to the mosque with the intention of discharging an obligation to Allah, then each (alternate) step cancels a sin while the other one adds to his virtues. (Sahih Muslim)
90. Narrate the virtues of the dead and refrain from revealing their sins. (Abu Dawud)
91. Remember often the terminator of pleasures (i.e. death). (Tirmidhi)
92. When your good deeds make you happy and your bad deeds make you sad, you have Imaan. (Ahmad)

UNIVERSAL FACTS ABOUT SAYYIDUNA RASOOLULLAH (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)

Over the hills of Makkah, there was a heavenly glow. The birth of our Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) was an earth-shaking event in the year 570 A.D. Born in the most backward and uncivilized city of Makkah in the Middle East, lived only 63 years in this world, remained unlettered throughout, but changed the destiny of the entire humanity. The whole culture of humanity and the existence of human race was revolutionised during these 23 years of his Prophethood and throughout the world he was the only one single person with multiple capacities who could successfully carry out this stupendous task in such a short span of time and amidst untold adversities. He was the Prophet who uprooted Polytheism once for all.
His father, Hazrat Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu) and mother, Bibi Aaminah (radi Allahu anhu), passed away after his birth. His grandfather, Hazrat Abdul Mutallib (radi Allahu anhu), who took care of him, too soon passed away. He was thus an orphan. Dai Halimah (radi Allahu anha) took care of him for full five years in the desert. But no one knew at that time that this shy, sweet and sublime orphan will grow up to be the greatest and the last Prophet of Allah and show the world the real path to salvation in the most simple and straight-forward style. They never knew that he is Mercy for them as well as for all the worlds and all the generations and all ages so long as the world lasts. Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: "We sent to you not but as a Mercy for all mankind".
The personality of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is the most perfect and profound in history. A personification of the moral code of life as enshrined in the Holy Quran, he created a moral society and a just State that blended the spiritual with the temporal in the most beautifully balanced synthesis. This was the only Prophet whose words and deeds were 100% alike. He preached what he and his Companions practised, he treated the King and commoner alike. He was sweet, simple, civil and kind to each and everyone. He never hurt the feelings of even his deadliest enemy.
Let us see how some great men, who were not Muslims, but fascinated by Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), have described him before the World:
1. Lord Hadly, Sir Charles Archibald, Thomas Carlyle, H.G. Wells, Gibbon, George Bernard Shaw, Guru Nanak, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mahatma Gandhi, Bertland Russel, Dozy, Michael H. Hart and a countless number of historians, philosophers, authors, statesmen and orators have painted a marvellous picture of the Prophet's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) personality and echoed to salute him, his preaching and his practices.
2. In a number of religious books of other religions, extraordinary record of the doings of the Holy Prophet of Islam (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) and prophecies about his birth can clearly be seen. For instance, in Sanskrit religious books the following description is vividly written: "O People! Listen to this sympathetically, the man of praise (Muhammad) will be raised amongst the people whose loftiness of position touch the Heaven and lowers it". (Sanskrit Holy book)
3. Socrates, the Greek philosopher, told his followers that a man will come from Arabian land, introduce a new religion of purity and peace. He will come earlier and bring prosperity to each and every one.
4. In the book "Prophet of East", the famous writer of Asia, Diwan Chand Sharma, writes that Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) was the soul of kindness and his influence was never at all forgotten.
5. British Prime Minister, Mr James Callaghan, said on the 5th of February 1979 in a programme "World this Week" on 1978 and events in 1979 in a television interview with B.B.C. that, "traditions, faith andbelief of Prophet Muhammad's religion, Islam commands great support and are indeed very worthy beliefs".
6. In the famous book, "The 100 Great", Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) name has been selected to be first of all others. The writer, Mr Michael H. Hart, writes that he is the only one in the world who is the greatest in the worldly affairs as well as in the ecclesiastical affairs alike.
7. There are thousands of the authors of the world, including Russians, who have placed Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) name on the top of the Law Givers of the World.
8. Prof. Muir writes: "All agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad (peace be on him) a modesty of truth and purity of manners rare amongst the people. Endowed with refined mind and delicate taste, reserved and humble, he lived much within himself. The fair character and honourable bearing of unobtrusive youth was the approbation of his fellow citizens and by common consent received the title of 'Al Amin' - The Trustworthy. Even those who opposed him agreed to this title".
9. Mr Marcus Dods writes in his book, "Muhammad, Buddha and Christ": "Certainly Muhammad had most important characteristics of the Prophetic order. He saw truth about God which fellow men did not see, and he had an irresistible inward impulse to publicise this truth. In respect of this latter qualification, Muhammad may stand first in comparison to most courageous of the heroic Prophets of Israel. For truths sake he risked his life, he suffered daily persecution for years and eventually banishment, the loss of the property, separation of his fellow citizens and of his friends, he suffered in short as much as any man can suffer short of death. No bribe, threat or inducement could silence him".
10. Arthur Gilman, in his famous book, "Saracens", writes: "The day Muhammad's (peace be on him) greatest triumph over his events was also the day of his grandest victory over himself. He freely forgave the Koraysh. Muhammad's victory was in very truth one of religions and not of politics, he rejected every token of personal homage and declined all legal authority and when the naughty chiefs appeared before him he asked, 'what you can expect at my hands? ' 'Mercy O generous brother.' 'Be it so. You are free', he exclaimed".
11. In the book, "The History of Intellectual Development", Mr John William Draper, says: "A Prophet was born at Mecca in Arabia, the man who of all men has exercised the greatest influence upon human race".
12. Sir Charles Edward Archibald was a Lieutenant in the British Royal Defence Corpse. He was also the President of the Royal Selsy Conservative Society of Britain. He was so much influenced by the life and works of Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), the Prophet, that he embraced Islam on 20th December 1923. Abdullah was his new name. He was a popular writer, thinker, statesman and was familiarly known as Sir Abdullah Hamilton. He has written volumes on Islam, and in praise of the Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
13. John Davenport says: "There is no doubt that amongst all Lawgivers and Conquerors, there is not a single one whose life story is found in more details and authenticity than that of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)".
14. Dr A.K. Germanus, a well-known historian and author of Hungary, who was also for a few years in association with Rabindranath Tagore, embraced Islam and his new name was Abdul Karrim. This was all due to the influence of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) teaching and his practical life which he studied thoroughly.
15. A number of other non-Muslim authors of Europe, Asia and Africa have also written volumes on the Prophet of Islam. Only a cursory glance at these books will show as to how minutely they have studied the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) and reached at a definite conclusion that he was the greatest of all. Some of them have declared the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) as the President of all the Prophets of Allah.
16. Dr Johnson paid his tribute to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) in the following words: "His purely historical character, his simple humanity, claiming only to be a man among men, his intense realism, avoiding all mystical remoteness; his rejection of miracle; the thoroughly democratic and universal form under which his idea of the Divine monarchy led him to conceive the relations of men; the force of his ethical appeal; ... all affiliate Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the modern world".
17. George Bernard Shaw opines: "I believe that if a man like Muhammad (peace be upon 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 Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) shed a brilliant light on all problems with which humanity has had to tackle and grapple. His sayings deserve to be studied by all those who want justice, equality and brotherhood established upon earth.
Let us inform our western world that their Prophet Jesus (I'sa alaihis salaam) declared in the most explicable terms to his followers, thus, "O Children of Israel, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you verifying that which is before me of the Torah and giving the good news of a Messenger of Allah who will come after me his name being Ahmad (Muhammad)".
The historians of the world have whole-heartedly admitted that Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is that supreme model of human conduct and behaviour that we are enjoined to emulate and imitate. "As regards all standards by which human greatness is measured, we may ask, is there any one greater than Prophet Muhammad?" (Lamartine)
He lived 13 years at Makkah and 10 years in Madina Shareef. He lived the most simple life, he kept all his Companions close to him and all the 23 years were his years of hard toil and continuous exertion. He fought battles and wards, won them, managed the affairs of the State and gave justice to friend and the foe alike, and his words had a magical impact upon life action and behaviour of all humanity.
In only 10 years that he lived in Madina Shareef, he destroyed idolatry, uprooted all evils from the society, raised woman from the status of a chattel to a complete legal equality with man, eradicated drinking and immorality which had till then disgraced the human race, made men in love with faith sincerity and absolutely honest dealings, transformed tribes who had been for centuries content with all kinds of ignorance into a people with ever increasing thirst for knowledge, and for the first time in human history made universal human brotherhood a fact and principle of common law. The life of the Holy Prophet of Islam infact was a miracle in itself judging the above facts.
Writing on the personality of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), Sir Stanley Lane-Poole says: "In his habits he was extremely simple, although he bestowed great care on his person. His eating and drinking, his dress and his furniture retained, even when he had reached the fullness of power, their almost primitive nature. The only luxuries he indulged in were arms, which he highly prized, and a pair of yellow boots, a present from the Negus of Abyssinia. Perfumes, however, he loved passionately, being most sensitive to smells. Strong drinks he abhorred.
"He was gifted with mighty powers of imagination, elevation of mind, delicacy and refinement of feeling. He is more modest than a virgin behind her curtain, it was said of him. He was most indulgent to his inferiors, and would never allow his little page to be scolded whatever he did. Ten years, said Anas, his servant, I was about the prophet, and he never said as much as 'uff' to me.
"He was very affectionate towards his family. One of the boys died on his breast in the smoky house of the nurse, a blacksmith's wife.He was very fond of children; he would stop them in the streets and pat their little heads. He never struck anyone in his life. The worst expression he ever made use of in conversion was 'What has come to him? May his forehead become darkened with mud!' When asked to curse someone he replied, 'I have not been sent to curse, but to be a mercy to mankind'.
"He visited the sick, followed any bier he met, accepted the invitation of a slave to dinner, mended his own clothes, milked the goats, and waited upon himself, relates summarily another tradition.He never first withdrew his hand out of another man's palm, and turned not before the other had turned.
"He was the most faithfully protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence. Those who came near loved him; they who described him would say, 'I have never seen his like either before or after'. He was of great reservedness, but when he spoke, it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he did".
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France says: "Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a prince; he rallied his compatriots around him. In a few years, the Muslims conquered half of the world. They snatched away more souls from false gods, pulled down more idols, demolished more pagan temples in fifteen years than the followers of Moses and Jesus did in fifteen centuries.Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a great man. He might have been, in fact, a god, if the revolution which he was instrumental in bringing about had not been prepared by circumstances. When he appeared, the Arabs had been, since many years, afflictedwith civil wars. All those nations that have achieved great things have done them when they came out of such ordeals that renewed equally their souls and their bodies. If the battles of Kadesia and (gap in the original MSS) which enabled the intrepid Muslims to plant the standard of the Prophet on the banks of the Oxus and on the frontiers of China; if those of Ajnadin and Yarmuk, which caused Syria and Egypt to fall under their dominion, were turned against them;if the Khalids, the Zerars and the Amrs had been defeated and repelled to the vast deserts, the Arabs would have gone back to their wandering life; they would have lived like their forefathers, poor and miserable; the names of Muhammad, Ali, and Omar would have remained unknown to the World".
The Prophet of Islam (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) attained eminence due to his excellence. He dispelled the darkness with his radiance. Very splendid are his qualities and on him and his family. May Allah Ta'ala shower His blessings in countless number. If we recite Durood in abundance, we are sure to enter Paradise safe and sound.
Let us say Salawat in abundance and get the maximum benefit and blessings of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), his love, worldly success, and in addition to all this, salvation of the next world.

The Seven Phases of Prophet Muhammad's Life

Traditional scholarship's divides Prophet Muhammad's life into Makkan and Madinahn phases. This is chronologically valid and represents the two broad aspects of his life before and after the watershed event of the Migration. It is historically important and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Additionally I believe Muhammad's struggle can be naturally divided into seven phases. Each phase brings forth a different aspect of his personality and highlights a different facet of his mission. Studying the Messenger's mission for its various phases and analyzing its internal dynamics is important as it gives the narrative relevance for today. Since his life is better documented than the lives of other prophets and leaders of major world religions, it is possible to build this analysis on a historical foundation.

The Search for Light in a Period of Darkness: The Seeker of Truth

As his biography (Seera) is recorded we find Prophet Muhammad pondering over societal ills for years. The society he was born in was in a state of moral, religious, economic and social chaos. It is difficult to resist drawing analogies between the seventh century world and the state of the human morality in today's world at the beginning of the new millennium. The nuclear man-woman two-parent family, as a core unit of society has eroded seriously in the West. Brazen sexual exploitation in the media is commonplace and illicit sex condoned and even accepted. Violence at home, against women, children, and violence in the streets, is frightfully routine. Substance abuse is widespread, with United States as the largest consumer of drugs in the world. Alcoholism is rampant, especially among college students, with only feeble attempts being made to address the problem. African- Americans have been liberated as slaves for a century and a half, yet many are still trapped in an unending cycle of poverty and discrimination, which is in a way a form of economic slavery. Because of a system that allows unrestrained growth of wealth without encouraging proper redistribution, economic disparities and injustices continue to grow at an alarming rate.

There are many excellent characteristics in Western societies, especially in the US that include the freedom of thought, speech and assembly, a tolerant attitude toward eccentricities in human nature and an ambition to be a just and compassionate society. These qualities of the ordinary American however are not always reflected in the policy makers and political leaders.

The unraveling of the moral fabric in today's society must weigh heavily on the minds of individuals with insight. They can draw personal solace and inspiration from the Prophet's life. The Arab tribal society of the Seventh century, whose structure was based on greed, debauchery, and violence, was changed in a very short time, by the Prophet, into a society with one of the highest moral standards in history. Compassion, humility, devotion to God and egalitarianism replaced the old well-entrenched tribal attitudes of pride in wealth, family and class and self-centered behavior. Women, for the first time in history, had rights and dignity, and the vulnerable and weak sections of the society were protected. Sexuality was removed from public prurience and became private and wholesome. Wealth was re-circulated so that even the poorest segments of the society were infused with energy and indigence became nearly extinct.

The Warner and Exhorter

During one his meditative trips to a cave near Makkah, Prophet Muhammad receives the revelation. Divine revelation is the reaffirmation of the fact that celestial knowledge is essential in guiding the inherently limited human intellect. The profundity of this realization that he is the recipient of this divine revelation and the enormity of the task ahead overawes him. Initially he shares the message only with his closest family and a few loyal supporters. It is both fascinating and revealing that even the individual who would later be rated as the most influential man in human history had these initial periods of doubt and uncertainty about his mission. It was the reassurance from the Quran and the confidence and support of his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and his close companions which provided him the support he needs-surely a lesson for us lesser mortals!

The Stoic Optimist

The next facet of his life is of bringing about proactive change by inviting people (Dawa) to Islam. With it comes the inevitable hostility of the entrenched powers in the society. Change is always threatening, and the greater the change, the more threatening it is. This would be true of the change against any established system of practices, whether it be economic, social or behavioral. It would also be true for change in personal behavior like wearing immodest clothing, promiscuity, and consumption of intoxicants. Changing attitudes that valued pride in wealth and country or class and color of the skin over all else would also be difficult. Not surprisingly the struggle for change becomes life threatening. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had to lay his life on the line and on several occasions the nascent Muslim community faced the possibility of total extinction. Fortitude in the face of adversity is the salient feature of this phase. The patience and stoicism Muhammad displays during this phase has been a source of strength to many a Muslim who has found himself beleaguered by apparently hopeless circumstances

The Pluralistic Leader

The Migration, which marks the beginning of the next phase, involves careful planning and meticulous execution. He demonstrates that self-help and reliance on Allah go together and are both essential for success. With his nomination by the community in Madinah to a position of leadership, he shows another facet of his personality: the capacity to create a truly pluralistic society with equity and dignity for all religious and ethnic groups. In a very short period after the Migration to Madinah, Muhammad proves he is capable of uniting various factions and setting exemplary standards of cooperation between them. He makes a seamless switch from being a person under constant persecution to a leader with a large administrative and judicial responsibility. The "Covenant (Constitution) of Madinah" that lays out the rules of living in a pluralistic society is a document that needs to be studied carefully and implemented to the fullest extent in today's inescapably multi-religious and multi-cultural world. 


The Courageous Yet Reluctant Warrior

After a brief respite, his mission is consumed by the need to fight wars of survival. These three wars in four years, Badr, Uhad and Ahzab, besides posing a physical threat, must have been extremely distracting and demanding of his time and energy. Yet the work of building the community goes on.

It is important to remember that even though faced with very aggressive proponents the Prophet and his followers never initiated or instigated any wars. Muhammad and the Muslims engaged in these battles with great discipline, avoiding injury to the innocent and using only the minimum force needed. Women, children and non-combatants were not to be harmed. When the enemy stopped fighting, he was to be given immediate sanctuary. Striking a blow in anger, even in battle, was prohibited. He uses innovative strategies in the battles, which include the use of the trench as a defense. During the digging of the trench he is an active participant. He consults frequently (Shura) with his companions and follows the majority opinion (Ijma'), even when it sometimes goes against his own judgment.

The Statesman Par Excellence and Teacher

During the next phase, he shows the capacity to compromise and demonstrates the foresight and wisdom to realize that peace, even at seemingly unfavorable terms, is better than hostility. The "Treaty of Hudaybia" also needs to be studied and emulated by all who negotiate with their opponents. The peace dividend, following this treaty with the Quraysh, is huge and results in an exponential increase in the number of Muslims.

This also allows the building of a model and just society that functions in a coherent manner. Wealth is allowed to be accumulated but has to be circulated fairly into even the tiniest capillaries of the community's economic system. It is an egalitarian society with equity and justice for all, governed by mutual consultation, equality before the law and protection of its most vulnerable members, women, children, orphans, indigents and slaves.

As illustrated by many incidents from this phase of his life, the Prophet proves to be an exemplary statesman. He mediates disputes, defuses potentially explosive situations with ease, allowing the parties to the conflict to walk away as friends and allies. He is unafraid to take risks but is never reckless and compromises for the sake of peace. His emissaries to other nations bring with them a message of cooperation seeking common ground. When he gives a pledge, he always keeps it. If the other party breaks the pledge, he does not flinch from measures that are appropriate to maintain the sanctity of the pledge.

The Compassionate Ruler and Spiritual Leader.

The final phase begins with the conquest of Makkah, which is a demonstration of meticulous planning and the use of overwhelming force to achieve a victory with practically no loss of life on either side of the battle front. The stunning magnanimity and humility shown during victory by Muhammad and his companions is unmatched in history. He is humble in victory, compassionate, and forgiving to even his most intractable opponents.

The final sermon consolidates the social, economic, and moral changes that have been brought about in the society. It is time to prepare for the end.

The anatomy of the mission, its growth and evolution in some ways parallels the various stages of human life itself. These various phases reflect not only the growing sophistication of the message but also the increasing maturity of the audience to whom the message is directed. The audience grows in its understanding of what it would take to bear the burden of passing on the message to posterity. The Prophet's mission in its most fundamental analysis was to interpret and spread the Quranic ideology. This Quran centered spirituality remains the constant theme through all of the phases of his life. The Quran says about him "Indeed there is for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern" (Quran 33:21). His wife Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) calls him the living embodiment of the Quran. It is this complementary bequest of the Quran and Sunna that is our special blessing.

Over time, many differences based on dogma, politics, personality cults and egos have emerged amongst the followers of Islam. In spite of many heterodox sects, the core messages of Quran, and its realization in the life of the Prophet are alive and potent, and continue to provide spiritual solace, intellectual satisfaction and societal discipline to many making Islam the fastest growing religion in the world.

The Prophet of Mercy

For thirteen years in his birthplace of Makkah, the Prophet Muhammad called people to the worship of the One True God, to do good and renounce all that was false. But the powers with interests to protect remained implacably hostile and made life intolerable for those who had submitted to the truth.

In constant search for fertile soil to plant the message of truth, the noble Prophet eventually migrated - not fled - northwards to Yathrib. The green oasis became known as the Madinah or the City of the Prophet and was to become the territorial base from which he won the hearts of multitudes and consolidated Islam's place in the landscape of the peninsula.

The leaders of Makkah and a large part of its citizenry remained stubbornly hostile and sought - through wars, siege and alliances - to destabilise the fledgling community. The Prophet, who desired security and peace for people, negotiated a truce with the pagan Makkans on terms that many of his followers were deeply unhappy about. This was in the fifth year after the hijrah or migration to Madinah.

The truce turned out to be beneficial to the whole peninsula but the Makkans eventually broke it by mounting a bloody aggression against an ally of the state of Medinah. The Prophet could not overlook this breach and in the eighth year after the hijrah, he mobilised an impressive force and moved on Makkah. Ten thousand converged on the city, reaching there in the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. The Quraysh realised that there was no hope of resisting, let alone of defeating, the Muslim forces. What was to be their fate - they who had harried and persecuted the believers, tortured and boycotted them, driven them out of their hearths and homes, stirred up others against them, made war on them, and killed many?

They were now completely at the mercy of the Prophet.

Revenge was easy. He could have laid waste the city and wiped out its inhabitants. But revenge was not his object. He did not lead his confident army into Makkah like any tyrant, full of arrogance, forgetting the Almighty, the Cause of all causes, and intoxicated with self-conceit.

Far from it. In the words of an early biographer, he entered with great humility and gratitude, prostrating himself repeatedly on the back of the camel he was riding, before the One God, thankful to Him for all He had provided, declaring an all-embracing amnesty and peace, in place of any thought of avenging past material or mental afflictions, and in fact demonstrating what God wills of Godly men: "... enter the gate prostrating and say 'Amnesty'." (The Quran, 2:58; 7:160).

He ordered Bilal, the Ethiopian, to go on the rooftop of the Ka'bah to call the adhan. The noble Prophet led the congregational prayer and then addressed the assembled citizens in the compound around the Ka'bah. He reminded them of what they had done to him and the Muslims, and said, "The arrogance and racial pride of the heathen days has been wiped out by God today. All human beings are descended from Adam, and Adam was made of clay."

He recited the following verse of the Quran:

"0 human beings! We have indeed created you of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Surely the most honorable of you with God is the one among you who is most deeply conscious of Him. Surely, God is Knowing, Aware. (The Quran, 49:13)   

After praising, and thanking Allah he said:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived...
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people".

In Search of the Prophet

O Prophet of Allah, where shall I find the source of my adoration for you?  I have memorized hundreds of your sayings since my youth, taught your seerah (example) to numerous students, grown a beard, used the miswaaq, sang and proudly taught others odes (qasidahs) in praise of you.  But I did not find you in these rituals nor did any of these make me any more like you; rather they merely flung me into the fray of insignificant debates in the arena of so many of the sunnahless Muslims who see your sunnah only as an endless array of harsh laws and practices or as some justification for their cultural tendencies.  O Allah, save me from being of those who consider the sunnah of Thy beloved as being expressed only through aimless imitations and who know Thy Prophet only as a conveyor of commands and warnings.

O Prophet of Allah, I did not truly find you in the books of fatawa (religious edicts), nor in grand seminars and conferences throughout the world, and certainly not in the harsh arguments between groups proclaiming mutually exclusive rights over you.

I found my source of adoration for you in the love and respect that the Almighty has proclaimed for you; in the honor that He bestowed upon you; in His confirmation of you as "the ultimate exemplar"; "seal of Prophets" and "mercy unto all existence".  Allah has elevated the very memory of you and has made His boundless love accessible through obedience to you.

I catch but a dimension of you through the instances of compassion you extended to others; how you played with the poor orphaned boy when other children refused to play with him, how you prolonged your prostration out of consideration that your change in posture may inconvenience or hurt your beloved grandson who had climbed on your back; how you commanded your army away from the anthill in order not to disrupt the ants' activities; how you blessed with Paradise the sinful woman for saving the life of a cat by making the water of the well accessible with her shoes; how you intervened and prevented a man from abusing his wife by teaching him that "the best of men are those who treat their wives the best"; how you patched your clothes, mended your shoes and did your daily household chores; how you wrestled with your nephew and raced with your wife; how you joked with the kids and carried the baggage of the elderly; how you hosted the Christians of Najran in your mosque and stood up to honor the bier of a Jew. 

O Prophet of Allah, why is it that so many of us who claim to be of you refuse to be like you.  We sing for you and dress like you, but do not come near fulfilling the expression of love, care and beauty that generated from yourself.  Why is it that we see in you that which suits our cultural, organizational and chauvinistic interests, yet ignore the essence of what is essential to your being.  Others who are not of you proclaim the multi-dimensional and multi-faceted nature of your personality.  "The personality of Muhammad is most difficult to get the whole truth of it.  Only a glimpse of him I can catch.  What dramatic succession of picturesque scenes?  There is Muhammad the Prophet; there is Muhammad the General; Muhammad the King; Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Preacher; Muhammad the Philosopher; 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..  In all these magnificent roles and in all these departments of human activities he is equally a hero." (Professor Ramakrishna Rao). O Prophet! Your life-example is an integrated biography, history and law; it is above all a model of excellence. 

O Prophet of Allah, you have certainly been adored by many much more worthy than I.  Yet, neither the inability to capture my appreciation of you with the eloquence of poets nor my weakness as a believer debars me from qualifying as one who adores you; for in the commemoration of your being do I find the dignity and honor of my existence.

Sa'dullah Khan is the Director of Islamic Center of Irvine. He has presented lectures on Islamic Civilization at California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is a frequent lecturer for the Academy of Judaic, Christian and Islamic Studies at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). He is also an advisor to the Chancellor's Committee on Religion Ethics and Values at UCLA and serves as Director of Muslim Affairs at USC (University of Southern California).

You can watch his lectures on Empowerment and Hadith of the Day at IslamiTV

Dimensions of the Quran

The lucid and clear reflections of Sa'dullah Khan, his smooth sailing in the oceans of Quranic wisdom and beauty is most encouraging and pleasantly inviting the English reader of the Quran to plunge again into the ultimate source of enlightenment and empowerment that we have.

Muhammad The Prophet

In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born, according to Muslim historians, on April 20, 571. The name means highly praised. He is to me the greatest mind 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.
When 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 on Mohammad the prophet, I was a bit hesitant because it was to write about a religion I do not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so for there are many persons professing various religions and belonging to diverse school of thought and denominations even in same religion. Though it is sometimes, claimed that religion is entirely personal yet it can not be gain-said that it has a tendency to envelop the whole universe seen as well 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 silk 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 religion 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 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 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 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 these 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 text." I may also add Prophet Mohammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minutest 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 reasons political and otherwise. Prof. Bevan writes in Cambridge Medieval History, "Those account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of 19th 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 need be spent on pointing out our misrepresentation of Islam.
The theory of Islam and 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 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 effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.
But in pure self-defense, 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 a 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 aged 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 justly 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 objects why he permitted war in self defense, that is to unite human beings. And when once this object was achieved, even his worst enemies were pardoned. Even those who killed his beloved uncle, Hamazah, 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 contribution 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 kneel side by side and proclaim, 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 "Some one 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 Hajj, 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 Makkah 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 same Professor "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done 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 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 and woman have come from the same essence, posses 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 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 metal by his contemporaries ? Was he great enough to raise 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 metal 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 one 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 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 are 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 Brittanica says that "Mohammad is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities".

Muhammad (PBUH) in the Bible

Those who follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, Whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures, in the Torah and the Gospel... (Holy Qu'ran: VII - 157; Translation: Yusif Ali)


BIBLE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ADVENT OF MUHAMMAD

Abraham is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the common father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through His second son, Isaac, came all Israelite prophets including such towering figures as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. May peace and blessings be upon them all. The advent of these great prophets was in partial fulfillment of God's promises to bless the nations of earth through the descendents of Abraham (Genesis12:2-3). Such fulfillment is wholeheartedly accepted by Muslims whose faith considers the belief in and respect of all prophets an article of faith.

BLESSINGS OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC

Was the first born son of Abraham (Ishmael) and his descendants included in God's covenant and promise? A few verses from the Bible may help shed some light on this question;

1. Genesis 12:2-3 speaks of God's promise to Abraham and his descendants before any child was born to him.
2. Genesis 17:4 reiterates God's promise after the birth of Ishmael and before the birth of Isaac.
3. In Genesis, ch. 21. Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was also specifically blessed and promised by God to become "a great nation" especially in Genesis 21:13, 18.
4. According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17 the traditional rights and privileges of the first born son are not to be affected by the social status of his mother (being a "free" woman such as Sarah, Isaac's mother, or a "Bondwoman" such as Hagar, Ishmael's mother). This is only consistent with the moral and humanitarian principles of all revealed faiths.
5. The full legitimacy of Ishmael as Abraham's son and "seed" and the full legitimacy of his mother, Hagar, as Abraham's wife are clearly stated in Genesis 21:13 and 16:3. After Jesus, the last Israelite messenger and prophet, it was time that God's promise to bless Ishmael and his descendants be fulfilled. Less than 600years after Jesus, came the last messenger of God, Muhammad, from the progeny of Abraham through Ishmael. God's blessing of both of the main branches of Abraham's family tree was now fullfilled. But are there additional corroborating evidence that the Bible did in fact foretell the advent of prophet Muhammad?

MUHAMMAD: The Prophet Like Unto Moses
Long time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words.
In Deuteronomy 18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:

1. From among the Israelite's "brethren", a reference to their Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was explicitly promised to become a "great nation".
2. A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets ,who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as prophets/statesmen and both migrated following conspiracies to assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (e.g. the natural birth, family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus, who was regarded by His followers as the Son of God and not exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as Muslim belief Jesus was).

THE AWAITED PROPHET WAS TO COME FROM ARABIA
Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and shining forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).
Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms 84:4-6.
Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth." Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar. Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of prophet Muhammad.
MUHAMMAD'S MIGRATION FROM MECCA TO MEDINA: PROPHECIED IN THE BIBLE?
Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God (God's help) coming from Te'man (an Oasis North of Medina according to J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible), and the holy one (coming) from Paran. That holy one who under persecution migrated from Paran (Mecca) to be received enthusiastically in Medina was none but prophet Muhammad.
Indeed the incident of the migration of the prophet and his persecuted followers is vividly described in Isaiah 21:13-17. That section foretold as well about the battle of Badr in which the few ill-armed faithful miraculously defeated the "mighty" men of Ke'dar, who sought to destroy Islam and intimidate their own folks who turned -to Islam.
THE QUR'AN (KORAN) FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE?
For twenty-three years, God's words (the Qur'an) were truely put into Muhammad's mouth. He was not the "author" of the Qur'an. The Qur'an was dictated to him by Angel Gabriel who asked Muhammad to simply repeat the words of the Qur'an as he heard them. These words were then committed to memory and to writing by those who hear them during Muhammad's life time and under his supervision.
Was it a coincidence that the prophet "like unto Moses" from the "brethren" of the Israelites (i.e. from the lshmaelites) was also described as one in whose mouth God will put his words and that he will speak in the name of God, (Deuteronomy 18:18-20). Was it also a coincidence the "Paraclete" that Jesus foretold to come after Him was described as one who "shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak (John 16:13)
Was it another coincidence that Isaiah ties between the messenger connected with Ke'dar and a new song (a scripture in a new language) to be sang unto the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11). More explicitly, prophesies Isaiah "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will he speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly describes the "stammering lips" of Prophet Muhammad reflecting the state of tension and concentration he went through at the time of revelation. Another related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in piece-meals over a span of twenty three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28:10 whichspeaks of the same thing.
THAT PROPHET- PARACLETE- MUHAMMAD
Up to the time of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Israelites were still awaiting for that prophet like unto Moses prophecied in Deuteronomy 18:18. When John the Baptist came, they asked him if he was Christ and he said "no". They asked him if he was Elias and he said "no". Then, in apparent reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, they asked him "Art thou that Prophet" and he answered, "no". (John 1: 1 9-2 1).
In the Gospel according to John (Chapters 14, 15, 16) Jesus spoke of the "Paraclete" or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent by Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is described as the spirit of truth, (whose meaning resemble Muhammad's famous title Al-Amin, the trustworthy), he is identified in one verse as the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). Such a designation is however inconsistent with the profile of that Paraclete. In the words of the Dictionary of the Bible, (Ed. J. Mackenzie) "These items, it must be admitted do not give an entirely coherent picture."
Indeed history tells us that many early Christians understood the Paraclete to be a man and not a spirit. This might explain the followings who responded to some who claimed, without meeting the criteria stipulated by Jesus, to be the awaited "Paraciete".
It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was the Paraclete, Comforter, helper, admonisher sent by God after Jesus. He testified of Jesus, taught new things which could not be borne at Jesus' time, he spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the believers (through his well-preserved teachings). Such teachings will remain forever because he was the last messenger of God, the only Universal Messenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of PRESERVED truth. He told of many things to come which "came to pass" in the minutest detail meeting, the criterion given by Moses to distinguish between the true prophet and the false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22). He did reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment (John 16:8-11)
WAS THE SHIFT OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP PROPHESIED?
Following the rejection of the last Israelite prophet, Jesus, it was about time that God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation be fulfilled (Genesis 21:13, 18)
In Matthew 21:19-21, Jesus spoke of the fruitless fig tree (A Biblical symbol of prophetic heritage) to be cleared after being given a last chance of three years (the duration of Jesus' ministry) to give fruit. In a later verse in the same chapter, Jesus said: "Therefore, say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof" (Matthew 21:43). That nation of Ishmael's descendants (the rejected stone in Matthew 21:42) which was victorious against all super-powers of its time as prophesied by Jesus: "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44).
OUT OF CONTEXT COINCIDENCE?
Is it possible that the numerous prophecies cited here are all individually and combined out of context misinterpretations? Is the opposite true, that such infrequently studied verses fit together consistently and clearly point to the advent of the man who changed the course of human history, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Is it reasonable to conclude that all these prophecies, appearing in different books of the Bible and spoken by various prophets at different times were all coincidence? If this is so here is another strange "coincidence"!
One of the signs of the prophet to come from Paran (Mecca) is that he will come with "ten thousands of saints" (Deuteronomy 33:2 KJV). That was the number of faithful who accompanied Prophet Muhammad to Paran (Mecca) in his victorious, bloodless return to his birthplace to destroy the remaining symbols of idolatry in the Ka'bah.
Says God as quoted by Moses:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:19)