Rasulullahﷺ's
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 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, Rasulullahﷺ 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 living Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ The
Benefactor of Humanity for his own. Rasulullahﷺ 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. Rasulullahﷺ 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, Rasulullahﷺ did not claim any prerogative for himself and never used his authority against anyone beyond that prescribed by Allahﷻ. Rasulullahﷺ did not issue any arbitrary law to exalt his political position. Although a serious state of emergency persisted in Madinah, he had to face ever-increasing intrigues and conspiracies of the Jews and hypocrites.
Rasulullahﷺ never interned anyone or imposed any restrictions, issued any
conscience-killing orders, established any emergency courts, or ordered
flogging. On the other hand, he gave perfect liberty for criticism, advice, and
difference of opinion. Rasulullahﷺ also allowed people to reject his personal
suggestions. These rights and privileges were not merely on paper but were
actually practiced. Occasionally, Rasulullahﷺ discarded his own valuable
opinion and accepted others' points of view.
If he wanted to give some concession to someone he obtained permission from his companions. For instance, once when Abul Aas came as a prisoner and Sayyidah Zainab رضي الله عنه sent a necklace as his ransom, which was a gift from her mother Sayyidah Khadijah رضي الله عنه (the Prophet's first consort), Rasulullahﷺ appealed at a public meeting for the return of that necklace. Similarly, when the property of Abul Aas came as a booty Rasulullahﷺ returned it but only after taking permission from the public. Once, a deputation arrived at Jaaranah for the release of prisoners of the Battle of Hunain appealing to Rasulullahﷺ in the name of his foster mother. The prisoners had already been distributed and when Rasulullahﷺ released prisoners attached to the Quraish on his own initiative, he appealed for others at a public meeting when the people, found that Rasulullahﷺ had released prisoners allotted to his relatives, all of them released those given to them. In such cases, Rasulullahﷺ never used any pressure.
From the social point of view, Rasulullahﷺ 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. Rasulullahﷺ 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 traveling, digging the ditch, or
building mosques, he worked with his companions in carrying building materials,
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 public, Rasulullahﷺ The Benefactor of Humanity for taking
revenge if he had done any wrong to anyone.
It was this lofty ideal of the redeemer of 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 Rasulullahﷺ we play the role of the redeemer of humanity and whenever mankind is in difficulties and 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 instills in us a
sense of shame, and neither the disorders in Islamic society nor the crisis in
human ranks infuses in us a sense of duty.
Behind the deceptive curtains of modern materialistic civilization, let us survey the conditions of humanity and a distressing spectacle will be before our eyes. 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 been 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 dreadful drama. Learning has advanced but its follies continue to pester us.
Fountains of knowledge are there but these very fountains foster misconceptions that 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 talk of the 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 The Benefactor of Humanity battleground 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 that can
provide even momentary relief. Nowhere can salvation be found. In this
perplexing period when darkness is enveloping man from all sides, there is only
one light that can be seen, far off, fourteen hundred years away. This is the
light of the greatest benefactor of humanity, the light of Rasulullahﷺ, which we claim to be the followers of Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ, have eclipsed
by our confused thinking and unprincipled conduct.
