We do not find any movement or ideology which has transformed the whole nature of man, his entire being from within and without, and his individual as well as his community life. This is what Rasulullahﷺ accomplished as we will see in the following pages. This transformation of man from within and without in his individual and social aspects was unique in history and no such example can be found elsewhere. The transformation was such that human society from mosque to market, from school to court, and from home to public field -the entire gamut of human life-was changed, and as a result of this change, there was goodness and virtue without the least tinge of evil. In fact, human life received a new base and the foundation was laid for all-around progress and a virtuous life on an international scale.
A Light After Centuries of Darkness
At the time of the advent of Rasulullahﷺ, the entire world was steeped in darkness. Beliefs in a multiplicity of gods and idol worship had shaken the foundation of civilized life. The light of civilization had faded over the then-known world from Egypt to India and from Greece to China. Banners of Roman and Iranian empires, immersed in the worst forms of tyranny, and terrorism fluttered over the degraded humanity.
Rulers had become not only the representatives of God but in some cases claimed to be gods, with whom were allied fiefdoms and religious orders, and the combined forces of the three had strangled the common man, who was already overburdened with heavy taxes, bribes, and graft and forced to labor under duress. No one seemed to take any notice of this malaise or provided any remedy or escape from this course. Sensuous and easy-going overlords were sunk in moral degradation, while devastating wars and frequent changes in ruling dynasties instead of giving any relief to the common man further ground him under heavier strain. And new orders introduced newer forms of oppression.
The Roman and Iranian empires were frequently at war and large territories at intervals passed from one empire to the other and the new masters after consolidating their powers unleashed still greater forces of oppression. Churches and temples on changing hands became places of worship for the conqueror. All over the world, armed clashes were the order of the day, and humanity suffered the most. The common man was deprived of the most essential necessities of life and could not even raise his voice of protest. Freedom of conscience was unknown. Man groped in darkness and no light from any religion or philosophy could guide him.
Teachings of seers and
prophets were lost in corruption and erroneous interpretations and whatever
religion was left had become a profitable trade in the hands of religious
orders which were in alliance with the ruling class. Greek philosophy had lost
its force, the teachings of Confucius and Mani were forgotten, and Buddhist
Vedantic ideologies were discarded. When humanity despaired and found no way of
escape, the crisis reached a critical stage where the light of the redeemer of humanity emerged.
The very country where Rasulullahﷺ was born was
steeped in utter moral degradation. Great civilizations of Ur and Nineva, Aad and Thamud, and Aden and Saba were lost in ancient history and there was
barbarism and disruption all over Arabia. Debaucher, drinking, and gambling was
rampant. The idol-worshipping Quraish were trading in religion with the custody
of the Kaabah Tribes and fought with one another on flimsy grounds. The Jews were
engaged in religious controversies, usurers of Makkah and Taif had large-scale
dealings in money-lending at exorbitant interest rates and traffic in slavery
was rife. In short, men lived according to their whims while the strong were
oppressing the weak.
In the midst of this degradation, Rasulullahﷺ had to redeem humanity and prove to the world the phenomenal success of his
great mission. He stood up single-handed to change the entire human outlook.
Those who hated evil but were unable to reform their surroundings retired to
forests and mountain caves and became recluses. Rasulullahﷺ on the
other hand boldly faced the situation and reformed humanity. To resolve
the cultural crisis brought about by the clashes of Iranian and Roman powers,
he rose as a third power which, having consolidated itself by then, challenged
both the Iranian and Roman empires and crushed them, restoring freedom to the
common man to rise.
God selected Rasulullahﷺ as the most suitable man for bringing about this great revolution, the desert as the most suitable place for making such an attempt; the Arabs as the most suitable people to receive and propagate the message. It was also the most suitable age, as the feudal era was about to end and be replaced by the era of brotherhood, and history was all set to enter the scientific arena. Rasulullahﷺ's advent coincided with these two phases of history and it was necessary to revive and reassert the truth and justice and enlighten the world with the Divine message.
Then, humanity lost all hope and was ready to accept the message of peace in Islam. Despite being a land of desert, Arabia occupied a central place in the then-known world where all caravan routes from east and west met, and the foreign trade of different countries passed through the hands of Arab merchants. There were regular caravans from Oman, Yemen, Makkah, Jeddah, Yanbu, medina, etc., which could not pass safely without Arab guides and Quraish passports. Thus Arabia and, in particular, Makkah, Taif, Madinah, and Yanbu had contacts with India, China, Iran, Iraq, Rome, Abyssinia, etc., and were ideal as an effective center for a world movement. Makkah and Madinah were important towns from religious and commercial points of view.
The uncivilized,
disorganized, and economically weak condition of Arabia, though disadvantageous
in certain respects, was ready to take up a message of hope from any quarter.
Furthermore, the country was more or less free from outside political control
while internally also there was no such power that held political sway
throughout the country and which could crush a new movement as was done in the
case of several former messengers of God. The Quraish tribe was no doubt
influential but, despite being strong in its religion and commercial influence,
it could not take the place of an established government.
And lastly, the human resources were rich and untapped in
Arabia and untainted by the decadence of the oppressive civilizations of Iran
and Rome. Nomadic life had produced certain defects in their character but it
also had its merits. Due to their simple life, they had their habits free from ostentation
or artificialities, and having proximity to nature they could read its signs in
the universe.
The extremely hot climate of desert winds, day and night travels, experiences of hunger and thirst frequent murders, and robberies had made them hardy and engendered in them a spirit of bravery that could be most valuable in sponsoring a world movement. They were generous and possessed powerful memory which enabled them not only to recall their own genealogy but even the pedigree of their horses. They also possessed self-respect and a sense of dignity and so could preserve their independence.
They had highly developed
language which had been well polished and could be used effectively in
propagating a mission. They were firm in their determination and if they adopted
even a wrong course they pursued it wholeheartedly and faced all obstacles and
difficulties. At the same time, they had the capacity to follow the right path
with the same determination without wavering. Thus, as Rasulullahﷺ in his own
person was the ideal leader of his movement he was also given the most suitable
human material to work on and the best geographical location where a great
culture could evolve and flourish.
The Arabs were restless in their search for the path of
progress and already some intelligent persons had their minds stirred and
looked for some Divine guidance Politically, in cities like Makkah and Medina a
system of government was slowly emerging and a crude form of democratic state
had already come into existence, while the limited economic resources of the
country were creating an urge in the population to expand. It is a well-known
historical fact that when the existing civilizations were deepening the crisis
and political leadership stagnated, a new poser arose from Beduins to challenge
it, as Israelites rose against the power of the pharaohs. Arabia was thus the
ideal place for inspiring men to carry out the prophet's revolution.
In order to gain profit from Rasulullahﷺ's life, it is
necessary to find the answer to the question as to what ideal Rasulullahﷺ had
in view, for the reformation of society and the extent of work in that direction?
Did he want a partial change in social structure or a complete metamorphosis?
Was his call only religious and moral or did it also have a political
significance? In other words, what was his aim in the social field? The Qur'an
answers these questions in full detail and in different forms the aim of the Islamic mission has repeatedly been explained. Here we quote only two passages.
The aim of all prophetic missions has been stated in the following words:
(Translation Of Ayah – Al Hadeed, - Ayat 25)
The meaning is clear the aims for molding human lives according to absolute justice and for creating social balance. The use of the rod is implied as essential for the purpose, that is for the establishment of justice and its preservation the use of political and military force may also be inevitable.
The mission of Rasulullahﷺ himself has clearly
and repeatedly been specified:
"It is Allah Who has sent His Rasulullahﷺ with guidance and
the Way of Truth so that he may make it dominate over all other ways of life
howsoever unpleasant it may be to those who assign partners to
Allah."(Ayat 25)
Let us now study Rasulullahﷺ's life to find the ideal, that
he taught. In the earliest stage of his ministry, Rasulullahﷺ invited the clan
of Hashim to a feast to deliver his message which he assured them would ensure
their welfare in this world and in the Hereafter. Sometime later, while
talking to a deputation, he repeated this by saying:
"It is just one phrase; and if you accept that from me,
the whole of Arabia will be under your rule as also the non-Arab lands."
In the markets and public places and in the congregations of Hajj, Rasulullahﷺ used to tell every head of the tribe: "Take me with you, let me have the chance to work and cooperate with you till I have explained the mission for which God has sent me." Bayhara bin Firas, chief of the Banu Amir clan, was so impressed by the Prophet's mission, his personality, and the devoted zeal that he declared: "If we accept this young man and include him among us, we will dominate the whole of Arabia". His mind foresaw a bright future and he tried to strike a bargain. He offered to cooperate with Rasulullahﷺ on the condition that when all opposition had been subdued, Rasulullahﷺ would transfer power to him. Bayhara's eyes were on the distant future, and if Rasulullahﷺ's mission were confined to mere preaching he would have said: 'My brother, I am just a servant of God, what have I to do with power and there is no question of gaining power in my mission?" Instead, he said:
"Power is in the hands of God and He confers it on whomsoever He likes,"
and refused to enter into the bargain with Bayhara.
In connection with Rasulullahﷺ's mission, the talk of
domination over the Arabs and the non-Arabs was so widespread that it looked as
if Islam would succeed, and everybody talked of it, so much so that the
opponents had taken it as a pretext for ridicule and taunt. The slaves and the
poorer classes were rallying under the banner of Islam and those who had been
oppressed by the Quraish were taunted by their oppressors thus: "Look at
these people, who aspire to become leaders of the Arabs and the
non-Arabs!"
At one time when oppression had reached its peak, some of Rasulullahﷺ's followers told him of their woes and requested that he should
call a curse upon the oppressors; Rasulullahﷺ at first explained that the path
of a mission like his was always fraught with difficulties and obstacles. What
tribulations were not faced by those who trod this path earlier! With full
confidence, he gave them good tidings saying: "By God, this campaign will
meet with success with Divine Grace" and then he gave a picture of what
would happen in the end "a rider will journey from Sanaa to Hadramaut
and he will not have any fear except that of God". He forecast such a
bright future that as compared with the existing conditions where there were
robberies and murders and men were killed in broad daylight and women openly
outraged, an order of justice and peace would prevail when a traveler could go
on his journey unhampered and no one would dare attack him. On another occasion, Rasulullahﷺ had said that the time was not far off when caravans would come to
Makkah without escorts. How clear and unambiguous was his goal!
Once Rasulullahﷺ asked Usman bin Talha, the key-bearer of
the Kaabah, to open the door of the sacred House, which he refused. Rasulullahﷺ felt embarrassed but declared that a time would come when the key would be in
his hand and he would entrust it to whomsoever he liked.
At Madinah Adi bin Hatim came to Rasulullahﷺ, studied his personality, tried to understand the nature of his mission, and examined the manners of Rasulullahﷺ and was greatly impressed. Rasulullahﷺ, reading his mind, told him not only of the prospects of the white palaces of Babylon coming under his control, of the abundance of wealth pouring in, and the vast numerical strength of Muslims but also explained to him the system of Islamic justice declaring that soon conditions would improve so much that a woman travel starting from Qadisiya alone for Rasulullahﷺ's Mosque would reach it in perfect safety.
Obviously, he, who in the most distressing conditions of migration could foresee
the bracelets of the monarch of Iran on the wrist of Saraga, could not be
ignorant of his ultimate aim and social idea! He did not struggle for it but it
came to him as a gift from God. It can be said that government was not sought
for personal dominance or for worldly gains but for the establishment of the
mission, enforcement of the order of justice for redeeming humanity, and
constructing a social order! In fact, while Rasulullahﷺ had a spiritual and moral
revolution in view, he had before him, and in equal measure, a political
revolution as well.
An Order -A Movement
Our Rasulullahﷺ, on the other hand, was neither a philosopher to be contented with just propounding some lofty ideals without taking any note of the factual conditions nor a mere preacher who gave only pleasant sermons and shut his eyes to the pervasive evil and never bothered about the consequences. This redeemer of humanity was gifted with social awareness and planned a complete transformation of human society. Rasulullahﷺ comprehended the forces and elements dominating the society, kept in view the leadership that was at the helm of the crude social order, argued against it, criticized it, and even challenged it.
Rasulullahﷺ kept his eyes on the trend of history and watched every event. He looked upon every move with the insight of a leader and with a political consciousness and whether it would be a help or hindrance in his campaigns of reform. Rasulullahﷺ kept his eyes on all elements of society to ascertain at what time each may be expected to help. Rasulullahﷺ matched his strength against that of the enemy and waited for the most appropriate time to strike and when that time arrived he boldly advanced. Rasulullahﷺ minutely studied the movements of public opinion and smashed every propaganda of the enemy. Hostile fronts of poets and orators were formed and to meet them he set up rival groups of poets and orators.
Rasulullahﷺ strictly followed his principles but not with closed eyes, rather watched the conditions and expediencies and adopted the wisest course. Wherever Rasulullahﷺ found the opportunity, Rasulullahﷺ advanced his steps but when the occasion was unfavorable he retraced his steps. Where two evils were faced he avoided the one and dealt with the other. When the war was inevitable he did not shirk it and when peace was possible he would not shun it but readily extended his hand of friendship.
And what is most remarkable is that in all his dealings he not only
observed but also advocated fear of God and the moral approach. When we
consider this in the light of the Quranic teachings, we can easily discover the
difference between a religion and a system of mere preaching and a revolutionary
call, individual purity, and collective transformations.
Since Rasulullahﷺ had launched a new order, he selected
persons of sound intellect and everybody who had his heart illumined by truth
was absorbed in the order after a severe test and whatever organized forces
were available at a particular time were put under his guidance to fight
against the barbarous system, intellectually and politically, and, as a last
resort, on the battlefield.
He did not make Sufis and dervishes of those who gathered around him and did not lead them on to the path of hermits and ascetics. He did not expect them to dread evil or Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of Humanity fears those in authority. They were not simple-minded and inert worshippers, but bold, fearless, conscientious, wise, self-respecting dignified, intelligent, sensible, active, energetic, initiators, and restless workers.
They did not adopt the ways of priests and sadhus but were endowed with the ability to lead. Men of refinement after the best training and association with
the finest order under the best guidance became an invincible force. It was
thus in spite of being a small minority they dominated over the pagan Arabs.
When in Makkah the number of Muslims was just forty, it created such a stir in
the city and the surrounding areas that for years it was the main topic of
conversation. In Madinah, while the supporters of the Islamic movement hardly
exceeded a few hundred, an Islamic state was established in the face of a
non-Muslim majority.
For establishing a collective order, Rasulullahﷺ did not wait for the whole of Arabia to accept Islam or till the majority of them was reformed. Nor was it his idea to go on preaching and reforming thoughts and beliefs till at last a wholesome order emerged or God fulfilled Himself by making them dominant. He knew from history that the bulk of the common people remains passive while only a small minority becomes active, and one section of it becomes the bearer of reform or revolution while another section obstructs it.
The real struggle is between these two factions of active elements, and
when the scores are settled the masses are aroused of their own accord. He was
fully aware that so long as evil leadership stood in the way and continued its
campaign of contaminating the people or at least keeping them stagnant, they
could not accept a call for reform nor bring about a change in their lives.
Even for those who had responded to the call, it was not possible to reform
their lives to the full extent in the prevailing corrupt atmosphere.
There is not a single example in history where any virtuous
system has ever prospered under evil leadership or that a collective revolution
was accomplished by mere preaching and sermons and individual reform without
political struggle. During the last thirteen centuries after the Caliphate,
there has been so much preaching and sermonising in the schools, khanqahs, and
mosques where people are actively engaged in individual reforms that even today
the amount of work being done by the Ulema, Sufis, teachers, and writers is
gigantic in its magnitude, and yet no reform has been accomplished to the
desired extent nor the society been so far developed as to bring about a
transformation in the collective life as Rasulullahﷺ's revolution had
brought about in Arabia fourteen centuries ago. Obviously, there is some
missing link in the theory of revolution, and that is without political
support, change of leadership is impossible and so individuals are approached
leaving the general social order untouched.
Unfortunately, the political aspect of Rasulullahﷺ's
accomplishment has been so much obscured that it is difficult to form a true
concept of his mission and aims, and unless this aspect is fully kept in view,
it is impossible to understand the difference between limited religiousness and
the wider concept of the Islamic order. Rasulullahﷺ had come up with a complete
system to establish an order based on virtue and to enforce the Divine laws. We
should understand that Rasulullahﷺ launched the movement for comprehensive
reform in the widest sense and to establish a new society, for carrying out
this movement he was fully endowed with the ability of leadership and political
consciousness, and just as there is no other person equal to him in other
respects, in the same way, he has no match in the greatness of his political
leadership.
Rasulullahﷺ ceaselessly advocated virtue, struggled for the
supremacy of truth, and established a complete system, on this basis. This
cannot be comprehended within the narrow meaning of religion. It was a mission and a movement.
The Spirit of the Revolution
It has probably been the greatest misfortune of humanity that whosoever found an opportunity to come to power, by force of arms or by intrigue, by democratic means or by accident, presumed that he was also a teacher a reformer. When such teachers and reformers gain power, they appropriate all wisdom to themselves. They regard themselves as the greatest thinkers. Discarding all sources of knowledge and dismissing the wisest and most sensible elements of society wantonly, they embark on things that prove disastrous at every turn. They want to mold humanity by violence and reform life by using the rod.
Often these sponsors of reform and revolution are quite
ignorant of human nature and do not possess even elementary knowledge about
it. They have never given thought to the subject of the correct methods of
reforming life or to the causes of degeneration and how best to remove them.
Without learning from the experience of the past, they start experiments of
their own. In order to remove all obstacles in their ventures, they reject all
advice or criticism. They have only one remedy for every evil, and that is
wholesale violence. They enact oppressive laws, subjecting people to
unmitigated tyranny.
The revolution brought about by Rasulullahﷺ, on the other
hand, had no element of violence in it, but a spirit of affection and concern
for human welfare marked every step. Rasulullahﷺt was most merciful to humanity and had a real love for all mankind. He explained the nature of his
mission by the example that he was saving them from falling Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of Humanity into the abyss towards which they were madly
rushing. Hence, the Qur'an described him as the Apostle of Mercy. Just imagine
how he accomplished such a great revolution without a single instance of his
having resorted to undue force. The decade of Rasulullahﷺ's life at Medina was
a period of continuous emergency. Three large-scale attacks were made by the
Quraish while small clashes and frontier attacks were quite frequent. Different
tribes attacked Madinah at different times from different places. Patrol parties were
regularly sent from Medina and military expeditions were undertaken to deal
with disturbing elements while guards had to be kept ready at night. In
addition to this, there were constant conspiracies by the Jews and the
hypocrites. In short, it was the life of a military camp. There were intrigues
for disrupting Muslim society, creating dissension, defeating Rasulullahﷺ's mission, and even killing Rasulullahﷺ. Could there be any greater
emergency? But Rasulullahﷺ never assumed dictatorial powers, nor promulgated
despotic laws. No one was ever imprisoned or punished by emergency powers. No
fines or punitive taxes were imposed and no citizen was taxed beyond the
impositions ordained by the Divine law. The right of opposition and criticism
was never taken away nor was anyone silenced or confined. Even the most
mischievous person, Abdullah bin Ubay, was left unhindered.
Rasulullahﷺ had full trust in the righteousness of his
mission and the excellence of his character. He never imposed his superiority over
others. He never indulged in extravagant talk nor insulted anyone but patiently
bore the affront of enemies, who, in fact, were weaker. It was this attitude
that won the hearts of his enemies, while his followers were loyal to him with
all their souls. His opponents appeared meek and inferior before him and when
they bow end their heads before truth and nobility, they were completely
transformed.
The love of God that Rasulullahﷺ bore in his heart manifested itself in another form: he loved God's creation with the same intensity. An illustration of his love for humanity can be had from the fact that for the very people of Makkah who opposed him with all their might, Rasulullahﷺ sent a supply of food when they were afflicted with famine and also five hundred gold coins for the relief of the poor. One night when the wailings of the prisoners of Badr reached his ears, he was so upset that he could not sleep till the ropes which bound them were loosened.
Then by his order, six
thousand prisoners of Banu Hawazin were freed on their appeal. The greatest
demonstration of his love for humanity was at the time of his triumphant
entry into Makkah. When those who had fought against him for 20 years came to
him defeated, he pardoned them all. Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of
Humanity conqueror on such an occasion would have ordered a general massacre or
perennial imprisonment as the people of Makkah were legally and morally guilty
and deserved to be punished, but because of the Rasulullahﷺ's love for humanity,
they were generously forgiven for their crimes and excesses, and the Prophet
declared: 'There is no punishment for you today. You are all free!" to win
their hearts, he showered wealth on them, and instead of humiliating them, he
gave them responsible work. Rasulullahﷺ knew the revolution which degrades
itself by taking revenge digs its own grave while the revolution which forgives
and pacifies wins the hearts of even enemies and gains the support of those who
had opposed it. The Quraish forced Rasulullahﷺ into war and once on the
battlefield, Rasulullahﷺ fought with courage and determination but his military
and defensive policies were such that they did the least harm to the enemy; he took
every possible care that even during war respect for humanity was
maintained. No other revolution can present such outstanding and generous
examples of love for humanity. His revolution was purely educative, and
based on goodwill towards all mankind.
A New Man Born
We have before us histories of numerous movements of reform, uplift, and revolution, but each one of them accepted man as he was and concentrated only on external change. Such changes were superficial and totally failed in solving the problems of life. the most striking achievement of Rasulullahﷺ was that man was changed from within and completely transformed. The self-seeking animal which existed in the shape of a man was totally effaced by the power of truth and in his place emerged a God-fearing and principled man. If you look at the mesmeric spell of this man you will be wonder-struck.
A young drunkard of Makkah like Hazrat Umar was transformed and to what great heights he rose! Fuzala was elevated and to what greatness! Look to Zul Bajadain, how he spurned wealth and comforts and took to the life of simplicity! Look at Hazrat Abu Zarr and his revolutionary spirit that challenged the unbelievers at the Kaabah and suffered much beating at their hands.
Look at the
character of Ka'ab bin Malik and the condition of Abu Khaisma and the
revolutionary courage and determination of the maidservants like Lubaina and
Summaiyya and also see Ma'iz bin Malik Aslami and Ghamidiya. Take a lesson from
the boldness of Hazrat Jafar at the court of Negus and the independent spirit
of Rabie bin Amir at the court of the Iranian commander-in-chief and who among
the galaxy of heroes does not display the courage of his conviction!
These personalities formed the society and such leaders and workers were produced to Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of Humanityrun the organization of truth, that when the prohibition of wine was proclaimed the cups raised to the lips were promptly thrown away and the casks of the best of wines were emptied on the streets. When women were ordered to cover their heads and bosoms, immediately scarf's were prepared. When the call of Jihad was made, children stood on their tiptoes to increase their heights so that they might not be disqualified.
When subscriptions were called forth, rich merchants like
Hazrat Usman presented a long line of camels laden with wealth and the devoted
companion like Abu Bakr placed all his belongings at the feet of Rasulullahﷺ Similarly, even the laborer surrendered the dates earned as the day's wages
and kept nothing for himself. When the Ansar were called to rehabilitate the Muhajirin
they equally divided their property, their houses, corn fields, and orchards
and gave evidence of exemplary brotherliness. When officers were called for
civil service, the world found for the first time governors working on the
token salary of just one dirham per month. When the spoils of war were ordered
to be deposited with the army commander, even needles were brought before the
commander and it will be recorded in history in its brightest page that a
soldier named Amir came with a large treasure of Madain and before anybody
could discover it, he carried it in the darkness of the night and quietly
deposited it with the commander. These were the people who introduced an era of
righteousness, where crimes became rare and during the ten years of Rasulullahﷺ's
life at Medina only a few cases came to the court. The conditions were so ideal
that there was no need for a criminal investigation body. The conscience of the
people was sufficient as their guard and guide.
This was the revolution that while changing the external
order also changed the mind and heart of man and produced a new character. It
succeeded in solving the basic problems of life and thus the salvation of the
prevailing crisis.
The Prophet's Great Sacrifice
The Islamic revolution is unique in another respect in that
its sponsor, in spite of its accomplishment with innumerable sacrifices, did
not take any compensation or reward for it. He sacrificed everything for the
good of the humanity but did not take in return even as much as was rationally,
legally and conventionally, permissible and just. Not the slightest stain of
selfishness or avarice is found in this great triumph. Can one find any other
example to equal that?
From the economic point of view, the Prophet sacrificed his
successful trade, a gave away all his earnings for the mission and when its
success was assured, he distributed all his wealth with his own hands; he
preferred a life of extremely modest and simple living18/220Muhammad (Pbuh) The
Benefactor of Humanityfor his own. He did not leave behind any money for his
family nor acquire any property or establish any financial rights for his
household during his lifetime nor did leave behind any hereditary office of
succession. He did not recruit any guards or servants or acquire conveyance and
did not like to have any furnishings in his home.
From the political point of view, he did not claim any
prerogative for himself and never used his authority against anyone beyond that
prescribed by God. He did not issue any arbitrary law to exalt his political
position. Although a serious state of emergency persisted in Medina, and he had
to face ever increasing intrigues and conspiracies of the Jews and hypocrites,
he never interned anyone or imposed any restrictions of issued any
conscience-killing orders, or established any emergency courts or ordered
flogging. On the other hand, he gave perfect liberty for criticism, advice and
difference of opinion. He also allowed people to reject his personal
suggestions. These rights and privileges were not merely on paper but were
actually practiced. Occasionally, the Prophet discarded his own valuable
opinion and accepted others point of view.
If he wanted to give some concession to someone he obtained
permission from his companions. For instance, once when Hazrat Abul Aas came as
a prisoner and Hazrat Zainab sent a necklace as his ransom, which was gift from
Hazrat Khadija (the Prophet's first consort), the Prophet appealed at a public
meeting for the return of that necklace. Similarly, when the property of Abul
Aas came as a booty he returned it but only after taking permission from the
public. Once, a deputation arrived at Jaarana for the release of prisoners of
the Battle of Hunain appealing to the Prophet in the name of his foster mother.
The prisoners had already been distributed and when the Prophet released
prisoners attached to the Quraish on his own initiative, he appealed for others
at a public meeting and when the people, found that the Prophet had released
prisoners allotted to his relatives, all of them released those given to them.
In such cases the Prophet never used any pressure.
From the social point of view, the Prophet preferred equal
status for himself and never claimed any preferential treatment, nor did he
adopt any higher standard in the matter of food or dress, nor did he like a
distinctive place at public gatherings. He would not see people standing before
him as a mark of respect or encourage others to address him with the title of
master or chief. On the battlefield or while travelling, digging the ditch or
building mosques, he worked with his companions in carrying building material,
breaking stones and collecting wood with his own hands. He allowed the people
to make a stern demand from him for the recovery of a loan and he offered himself
to the public19/220Muhammad (Pbuh) The Benefactor of Humanityfor taking revenge
if he had done any wrong to anyone.
It was this lofty ideal of the redeemer of the humanity
which was entrusted to us, and it was to popularize this message that we were raised
to the high position of "witnesses over men" and the "balanced
community". This slogan of truth was given to us as a trust so that as
successors of the Prophet we play the role of redeemer of the humanity and
whenever mankind is in difficulties and the society is involved in a crisis, we
rush to their rescue. But we failed to keep aloft this banner of truth, rather
we destroyed it with our own hands. The result was that when the modern age
took a turn towards materialism, we were unable to check it. It is the bitter
fruit of our failure that the entire human life is now facing a crisis, world
leadership is in ungodly hands, conflicting materialistic ideologies clashing
with one another are disturbing the peace of mind, and we ourselves have become
their slaves. No amount of misfortunes instils in us a sense of shame, and
neither the disorders in Islamic society nor the crisis in human ranks infuse
in us a sense of duty.
Behind the deceptive curtains of the modern materialistic
civilization, let us survey the conditions of the humanity and a distressing
spectacle will be before our eyes. The mankind is caught in the clutches of
strange values and everywhere there is a struggle for wealth and power. The
light of moral consciousness in man has extinguished, crimes are increasing
with the advance of civilization and as psychological perplexities prevail,
mental peace is altogether gone. Confusion prevails in the human mind and
character. No sector of human life is uncontaminated. The spirit of truth has
gone out of philosophy and science and there is no sincerity in beliefs and
ideas. Spiritual values have declined while the law has become devoid of the
spirit of justice, and self-seeking mentally has replaced the deep urge for
service in politics. In the social sphere, groups of oppressors and the
oppressed have emerged. Sex dominates the fine arts and contradictions are
found in every part of social life. Rival forces are at war and the whole
history is turned into a dreaful drama. Learning has advanced but its follies
continue to pester us. Fountains of knowledge are there but these very
fountains foster misconception which enslave humanity. Piles of wealth lie
scattered all over but a vast majority still lives in abject poverty, penury
and want. Thousands of organizations, political groups, ideological parties and
contradicted relationships exist but there is no brotherly attachment between
man and man. There is the talk of development of rational, political, moral and
social consciousness, but the most hateful weapons of oppression and violence
are still being used against humanity. History is a vast20/220Muhammad (Pbuh)
The Benefactor of Humanitybattleground in which there are horrifying clashes
between imperialism and freedom, Communism and capitalism, democracy and
dictatorship, individualism and collectivism, and the Orient and the Occident.
This is the world in which we live. We are facing the
challenge of global crisis. Modern materialistic civilization or the man
fostered by it is incapable of taking up the challenge. There is no new
philosophy which can provide even a momentary relief. Nowhere can salvation be
found. In this perplexing period when darkness is enveloping man from all sides
there is only one light which can be seen, far off, fourteen hundred years
away. This is the light of the greatest benefactor of the humanity, light of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which we claiming to be the followers of Muhammad
(PBUH), have eclipsed by our confused thinking and unprincipled conduct.
How To Study The Prophet's Life
To our mind the only object of studying the Prophet's life
is that the light of his message becomes again fresh before us and before
humanity, and in the midst of prevailing darkness life again finds the path of
felicity just as the way was found in the crisis-ridden sixth centuries of
Christian era. Unfortunately, we do not study the Prophet's life in appropriate
spirit with the understanding that we have to adopt him as our model and mould
our lives accordingly. On the other hand, some other considerations have come
in the way and are multiplying.
Muslims take interest in the Prophet's life just for the
sake of heavenly reward. It is true that every attempt to get access to the
Prophet is a virtue in the sight of God and we expect reward for it, but should
not the foremost aim of such an effort be to reform our lives? We hold
gatherings on the Prophet's birthday in the belief that the Prophet's soul is
present at these gatherings and is pleased to see the devotion of his
followers. Trays of sweets, garlands of flowers, qawwalis and poems in praise
of the Prophet, burning incense, and illuminations are all mere ostensible
indications of this devotion. But the picture of the Prophet's life which is
presented to us in such gatherings is not the picture of a man-a man of flesh
and blood. We are introduced to a superhuman being whose body has a halo of
light, whose shadow does not fall on the ground, whose entire life is full or
miracles and all his duties and prayers are performed by angels and everything
and about his is a mystery. It is not denied that the Prophet's spiritual and
moral level is supreme among the human beings. Many superhuman factors can be
seen as also miracles and the presence of angels. But in any case the holy life
was that of a human being and this is the very basis of its greatness because a
life with no parallels was21/220Muhammad (Pbuh) The Benefactor of
Humanitypresented by a man. Every activity of his is carried on under the laws
of nature and conventions of history and culture, and sacrifices are made at
every stage of success. His life can be a model for us to emulate only as a man
and only as a man can we take lessons from him, learn adherence to principles
and recognition of duties, acquire courage determination from him, cultivate
the spirit of service to the humanity from his example and create in ourselves
an urge to fight against the forces of evil. If you make the Prophet's life all
miracles and give it the colour of the life of a superman, where will then be
the model for this earthly man? We can feel dreaded for such a person but
cannot imbibe any of his attributes. We can adore him but cannot follow him.
Of late, a tendency has crept in from the West which is
called hero worship under which great personalities of history are adored and
idolized and their birthdays are celebrated with all pomp. But such
demonstrations are hollow and although a particular kind of sermonising is
common in all such celebrations they have the least effect on our lives.
Another tendency is to regard the Prophet's message not as a
code of conduct of life, but just as a religion only for reverence. Those who
think like this feel that the Prophet came to teach a few beliefs, some rites
and prayers, some recitations, some moral principles and some religious laws
and his object was just to produce people who would call themselves Muslims.
For them the Prophet's life is nothing more than the combination of some rules
of cleanliness, prayers, recitations and individual moralities. But in the
wider field of social life they serve every evil purpose with perfect ease and
league themselves with any mischief. Such people have missed the brightest
chapters of the Prophet's life and got themselves lost itself in its preface
alone. This picture of the Prophet's life cannot have any effect on other
nations of the modern age, even the Muslim youths cannot conceive that the
Prophet can also be a leader of civilised life and that some of the most
complex and difficult problems can be satisfactorily solved through him. This
had led a curtain being drawn before the Prophet's life.
These erroneous conceptions flourish only because the
atmosphere is congenial to them. The political and social system which is
before us and the kind of life we lived need a particular type of man and want
to see a particular type of character in him. In other words the practical life
here does not at all need the type of man which is presented by the Prophet's
life, and the mind and character which can acquired from the Prophet's life has
no relevance. Parents are fostering their children on the model of their choice
and years are devoted to educate the young for this life. now entire world
which has been consciously or unconsciously adjusting itself to this model can
gain nothing by22/220Muhammad (Pbuh) The Benefactor of Humanitywriting or
reading books on the Prophet's life or by hearing and delivering sermons on the
subject. They will never have the urge to follow the real model of the
Prophet's life.
The fact is that we have completely missed the correct
concept of the Prophet's life because other extraneous viewpoints are at work.
Thus despite the presence of all the spectacles of devotion and love and the
minds devoted to the study of the Prophet's life, the man whose model the
Prophet has presented never appears. The Prophet's life cannot enter into us in
any other way except by our determination to work for the ideal to which he
dedicated himself.
The Prophet's life is not the story of Rustam and Sohrab or
the tale of a Thousand And One Nights. It is not the story of an imaginary
character and its study is not to be treated as a literary pastime! It is not
the life of a person but the story of a historical force which appeared in the
form of a man. It is not the story of a darvesh who cut himself off from the
world and sitting in seclusion had devoted himself to self-purification. On the
other hand, it is the biography of one who was the moving spirit of a movement.
It is not the story of a man but of a man-maker. It covers the noble deeds of
the builder of a new world. The achievements of a whole community, a
revolutionary movement and a collective effort are comprised in it. The
Prophet's life from the cave of Hira to the cave of Thaur, from the sanctuary
of the Kabaa to the market of Taif, from the closets of the Mothers of Muslims
to the battlefield, is all-embracing. His impress is the hallmark of many
lives. Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, Ammar, Yasir, Khalid, Khwailid, Bilal and Suhail
are different chapters of one life. There is a whole garden where every flower
and petal narrates the gardener's life.
The prophet, in fact, is not a "great man" in the
limited sense of the term. His life is not the story of any great or famous man
as are indicated among the heroes. His personality is far above that of any of
the great and famous men. The world has produced many great men and is still
producing them. There have been great men who presented a constructive idea,
and those who thought over moral and legal codes, and those who worked for
social reforms and those who conquered countries and left mark of glorious
achievements, and those who administered kingdoms and those who presented
surprising examples of spiritual life and those who showed the world the
highest models of personal morality. But when we study the lives of these great
men we find that their energies were concentrated on one branch only, leaving
the other branches bare. We find one part very bright while the others are
quite dark. There is excess on one side and deficit on the other. But in the
Prophet's life, every part is well-balanced and the whole is23/220Muhammad
(Pbuh) The Benefactor of Humanitythe model of perfection. There is warmth as
well as coolness, spiritualism as well as materialism, prayers as well as
respect for the individual, leadership of the community as well as household
engagements, relief for the oppressed and restraint on the oppressor, and all
features are evenly balanced and supplement one another. There is a model for
every aspect of human life and once a man takes a lesson from it, he needs no
other guidance from anywhere and it is a light for all ages to come and for all
climes and communities, the hottest or the coldest, the black or the white.
Many great men have taken light and guidance from this greatest of men and
prospered and wherever there is progress and advancement it is because of
examples set by him.
The community organized by him had the responsibility of
fostering and propagating his great message, but the community itself has
strayed away from the right path and is in disorder. There are volumes and
volumes of books describing his great achievements and the methods by which
they were accomplished, but there is not a trace of this in the lives of the
community or its actions or mental attitudes. Some faded lines of his thinking,
politics, life, conduct, character and culture are still visible but they are
being eroded by a mixture of many new features and as the community stands
today it gives no evidence of being representative of those traditions. Rather,
it stands as a beggar at the door of every perverse ideology and is ashamed of
its own proud inheritance. The Qur'an has been kept wrapped up in covers and
the Prophet's life has become a forgotten chapter.
Worst of all, the Muslim community has lost its universal
character and degraded itself into a religious and communal group and assigns
to Rasulullahﷺ the role of only religious and national leader and confines this
international personality and his universal message to a specified group
although Rasulullahﷺ's role was that of a world teacher and a redeemer of the
humanity. It was necessary to present Rasulullahﷺ as a model for humanity
so that anyone casting himself in its mould could become a source of happiness
for himself and for the human race and disentangle himself from perplexing
problems and achieve a purified system of life. The example of Prophet's life
is a universal boon like the light of the sun or the rain or the air. It is we
who have shut ourselves in the shell of ignorance and inaction. Today we try to
gain something from the teachings of Plato, Socrates, Machiavelli, Marx, Freud
and Einstein without any prejudice but there are innumerable prejudices in the
way of seeking any guidance from the light and enlightenment of Rasulullahﷺ.
There is a notion prevailing that Muhammad (ﷺ) is Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of
Humanity Muslims and since others have no concern with the Muslims, Muslims have
no concern with them. Whey should others have anything to do with Rasulullahﷺ and the teacher of the Muslims? Unfortunately, our own attitude is to a large
extent responsible for this trend.
The western nations which held the leadership in later
rationalistic and democratic age could not comprehend Rasulullahﷺ's message and
the order established by it. The European mind could not visualize the
personality which shines in the background of the European renaissance and
whose hand could be traced behind the democratic and international movements
and religious reforms. There are various factors to account for it but the
major factor is the religious prejudice of the minority among them which became
dominant and confronted the Muslim power with all available weapons making them
subservient in the end. The bitterness created by the crushing defeat of the
Crusades was also partly responsible for this. Furthermore, the life of Rasulullahﷺ is not studied as a whole but in fragments, giving prominence to the
features regarded as unfavorable by the Western mentality. That method of
studying a mission can never lead to a correct appraisal and the result is an
overdose of biased and hostile literature on the subject, prejudicing the minds
of even those who are not absolutely averse to the truth.
This book is a humble attempt to remove the cobwebs of
prejudice and misconception and to present the Prophet's life in a manner that
will appeal to a wider circle of the humanity, to bring out clearly the
universal aspects of Rasulullahﷺ's message, his concern for the entire mankind,
for the whole world of the East and the West, of both black and white for the
classes and the masses, for labourers and the elite class, for men and women of
all walks of life and of all religions and political persuasions, for the
rulers and the ruled, for the learned and the ignorant and for every man in
every field of activity.
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