The Brief Life of Prophet Muhammad

630 AD, when the Quraysh broke away from the peace pact the Prophet and Muslims conducted a peaceful march to Makkah, leading to the city with its inhabitants coming under the fold of Islam. The Teachings of the Prophet Sublime Character In the Quran the Prophet Muhammad is described as being of “sublime character.” Here are two sayings of the Prophet which throw light on what this “sublime character” consists of: Never debase your character by saying that if people treat you well, you will treat them well, and if they harm you, then you will do worse to them. Rather, become accustomed to being good to those who are good to you, and not wronging those who harm you. (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 2007) Join hands with those who break away from you, forgive those who wrong you, and be good to those who harm you. (Jami‘ al-Usul, Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari, hadith no. 9317) There are two levels of character: an ordinary and a superior level. An ordinary character is based on the principle: do as other have done to you. Such a character might be termed a “kneejerk character,” for those possessed of such a character offer only reflex responses to treatment by others, breaking with those who break with them, wronging those who wrong them, and harming those who harm them. But the higher level of character is based on the principle: do as you would like others to do to