Mohammad: The Prophet of Islam

Mohammad The Prophet of Islam

1985 2 February 19-22 Mohammad: The Prophet of Islam (1741) Part I Chapter IV Once a group of Rabbis came to the prophet. When they entered, instead of giving the normal “Assalamu alaikum” greeting (“may peace be upon you”), they said “Assamu alaikum”, meaning “Death to you.” Aisha heard this, and was not able to contain herself. “Death to you instead,” she said; “May God damn you.” The Prophet told Aisha not to answer back in this manner. “God is gentle,” he said, “and He likes gentleness in every matter.” In truth, there is no more effective method of winning a person’s heart than by returning his harsh words with soft ones. It is possible to withstand armed onslaught, but noble conduct is a force in itself that no one can resist. It is sure to win over all in every situation. The Prophet made peace with the Quraish at Hudaibiya (6AH) on three conditions: one was that if any non-Muslim accepted Islam and entered the Muslim camp, he would not be returned to the Muslims. While this treaty was being made a Meccan youth by the name of Abu Jandal escaped from Mecca and came to Hudaibiya, his body bearing bruises where chains had rubbed into his skin. “Save me from the enemy!” he cried to the Muslims. This was an extremely sensitive moment. The companions of the Prophet drew their swords. The sight of Abu Jandal had aroused the Muslims’ feelings to such a degree that most of them wanted to break the treaty and save his life. The Quraish, meanwhile, were reminding the Prophet that this was his first chance to abide by the pact that had been made between them. Finally the Prophet decided that he could not go back on the terms that had been agreed upon. Painful as this decision was for the Muslims, Abu Jandal was returned to the Quraish. Outwardly, what the Prophet seemed to be doing was putting an oppressed person into the hands of his oppressors. But in effect the oppressors were confounded by this unique display of principled conduct on the part of the Prophet. It was now no ordinary matter for them to take Abu Jandal away and imprison him; rather the event became symbolic of their own degradation as opposed to the moral ascendancy of Islam. The result of this was that the people of Mecca were overcome by the high ethical standards of Islam. Many started to embrace Islam. Abu Jandal’s very presence in Mecca became a living testament to the truth of the Prophet’s faith. Eventually Abu Jandal, even as a prisoner, appeared to his captives as a threat to their national security. They deemed it prudent to free him and deport him from Mecca. While he was living in Medina, where he had attained religious and political leadership, the prophet sent some riders to Najd, the inhabitants of which were his sworn enemies. On the way, they came across the ruler of the city of Yamama, Thamama Ibn Uthal. They took him captive and brought him to Medina, where they tied him up against a pillar of the mosque. The Prophet came to enquire for him. “If you kill me,” Thamama said, “then my people will avenge my blood; and if you release me, then I will always be indebted to you. If its money you want, then I am ready to give you as much as you desire.” The Prophet did not kill Thamama physically, but by his humane treatment he conquered the man’s soul. After his release, Thamama went to a nearby garden, had a bath, and then returned to the mosque. People wondered what he had come back for. But when he proclaimed his conversion to Islam by pronouncing the testimony of faith in a loud voice, then people realized that, by releasing Thamama, the Prophet had in effect taken him captive for all time. Thamama then went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. When the people of Mecca heard of his conversion, they told him that he had lost his faith. “I have not lost my faith,” Thamama answered. “Rather I have adopted the faith of God and His Prophet.” Thamama, moreover, became a source of strength to Islam. Yamama was one of the main places from which the people of Mecca used to collect grain. Thamama told them that without the permission of the Prophet Mohammad, he would not provide them with a single grain. The case of Thamama shows that noble conduct – though it may appear worthless – is something which can win the world. High ethics mean practicing what one preaches; treating the weak with the same courtesy and deference as one shows to the strong; setting the same standards for oneself as one sets for others; never budging from one’s principles; maintaining a high moral bearing even when others stoop to the depths of degradation. From this point of view, the prophet of Islam stood at the pinnacle of human ethics, never abandoning the lofty standards that he preached. Expediency or dispute could not make him resort to unethical conduct. No evidence could be more substantial in this regard than that of his closest companions. Sa’eed Ibn Hisham belonged to the generation immediately following that of the Prophet Mohammad, may peace be upon him. He once asked Aisha, widow of the prophet, about her late husband’s character. “He was a personification of the Quran,” Aisha replied. That is to say, the Prophet moulded his own life in accordance with the ideal pattern of life which he presented to others in the form of the Quran. Anis Ibn Malik served the prophet for ten years. He says that the Prophet never even rebuked him: “When I did something, he never questioned my manner of doing it; and when I did not do something, he never questioned my failure to do it. He was the most good-natured of all men.” According to Aisha, the Prophet never beat a servant, woman or anyone else. To be sure, he fought for what was righteous. Yet, when he had to choose between two alternatives, he would take the easier course, unless of course it involved sin: no one was more careful to avoid sin than he. He never sought revenge – on his own behalf – for any wrong done to him personally. Only if God’s commandments had been broken would be meted out retribution for the sake of God. It was this conduct on the part of the Prophet which made him respected even in the eyes of his enemies. His followers stood by him through all kinds of hardship and misfortune. He was as loved in times of oppression as in times of victory and supremacy. His immediate followers found him without blemish – just as he appeared from afar. He provided mankind with an inimitable model of exemplary conduct. The principles on which the Prophet based his life were moulded by his sublime disposition. These principles never wavered. They formed a permanent part of his life, as the character which moulded them was permanent. He applied them equally to those who had harmed or aggrieved him. Even in pre-Islamic times – known as the Age of Ignorance – the office of gate-keeper of the Ka’aba had been held in high esteem. From ancient times the task had been allotted to one particular family. In the time of the Prophet Mohammad a member of this family – Uthman Ibn Talha – was gatekeeper. The keys of the House of God remained in his custody. Bukhari, the greatest compiler of traditions of the Prophet (Hadith), has related how the Prophet, before his emigration to Medina, once desired to go inside the Ka’aba for worship. He asked Uthman for the keys, so that he could open the gate. Uthman refused and insulted the Prophet. “Uthman,” the Prophet said, “perhaps you will see that one day I will have these keys in my hands. I will have the power to dispose of them as I will.” “It will be a day of disgrace and woe for the Quraish when the keys of the Ka’aba are handed over to one like you,” Uthman retorted. Then the time came when the Prophet conquered Mecca and reigned supreme there. The first thing he did on entering the holy city was to go to the House of God. Seven times he circumambulated the Ka’aba. Then he summoned Uthman Ibn Talha. According to one account, Uthman had become a Muslim during the period in between the peace of Hudaibiyya and the Conquest of Mecca. The Prophet took the keys from him, opened the gate of the Ka’aba, and went inside. He remained there for a while, demolishing the idols that remained standing within its walls. Then he came outside, holding the keys in his hands. On his lips was this verse of the Quran: “God commands you to hand back your trusts to their rightful owners.” (4:58) It was then that Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, stood up: “God bless you,” he said to the prophet, “but we Banu Hashim have always been entrusted with the task of bearing water for pilgrims. Now is the time to take over the office of gatekeeper as well.” The Prophet did not reply to Ali, and asked where Uthman Ibn Talha was. When he came forward, the Prophet handed the keys over to him. “Uthman,” he said, “here are your keys. This is a day of righteousness and fulfillment of promises. They will remain in your family from generation to generation. Only a wrong-doer can take them away from you.” This action of the Prophet illustrates that a Muslim should be meticulous in fulfilling obligations and returning trusts. Even if he has been treated acrimoniously by the one with whom he is dealing, he should still pay him his full due. However much it may hurt him, he should never deny a person his right. When worldly people gain power, the first thing they do is punish their opponents, removing them from their posts and installing their own devotees instead. Every person in power thinks in terms of supporters or opponents. Promoting supporters and demoting opponents as an essential part of their policy. But when the prophet of Islam gained power in Arabia, he did quite the opposite. He did not look at matters in terms of supporters and opponents; he considered only what was right and fair. He buried all grudges and dealt with every one as justice and compassion would demand.