The Prophet of Islam

The Prophet of Islam

1985 4 April 20-23 The Prophet of Islam (1696) Part I Chapter V

Lessons of the Prophet’s life

In the Qur’an, these words have been addressed to the faithful:

“You have a good example in God’s Apostle for anyone who looks to God and the Last Day and remembers God always” (33:21).

It is clear from this verse that there is a perfect example for every human being in the life of the Prophet Mohammad; but at the same time only one who remembers God always, who has set his hopes on God and the hereafter, will learn from this example.

The example of the Prophet’s life then, albeit complete in every respect, will not serve as an example for everyone. It will be so only for one who has discovered God in such depth that all his thoughts are concentrated on his Lord; one who has staked all his hopes and aspirations on God; one who lives in fear of the punishment of the Lord; one who cherishes the thought of eternal bliss, and yearns for it heart and soul.

Why has this been made a condition for benefiting from the good example of the Prophet’s life? The reason is that one has to be sincere in one’s search for truth if one is going to find it. If one “Looks to God and the Last Day”, then one will be sincere with regard to them. Sincerity will enable one to see the life of the Prophet in true perspective, and draw the right lessons from it.

This point can be understood from one example. The following saying of the Prophet is related in Hadith:

“One killed in defence of his property is a martyr. One killed in defence of his life is a martyr. One killed in defence of his religion is a martyr. One killed in defence of his family is a martyr.

(Tirmidhi, Nasal, Abu Daud)

As is clear from the text, this Hadith is about being “killed”, not about fighting as such. The Prophet did not mean that whenever there is a threat to one’s property, life, religion or family, one should immediately resort to arms, even if one is slain as a result. What he meant was that if, on any of these grounds, a believer is slain, then his death is one of martyrdom. The Hadith, then, is not an incitement to fight; it is a promise of martyrdom to those who are slain.

One who is not sincere in his attitude to religion, however, who is more concerned with giving his own personal whims the stamp of prophetic sanction, will take the words of the Hadith and use them to justify his selfish quarrels and nationalistic conflicts. Islam, he will say, teaches one to stand up for one’s rights like a man; it urges one to fight in defence of one’s faith, one’s life and property, one’s family and relatives. If one is victorious, then one has achieved one’s ends; and if one is defeated, then one is a martyr, and it is only a fortunate minority who attain the heights of martyrdom.

But one who fears God will look at the matter soberly. After intense mind-searching he will ask himself: if one is required to fight in defence of one’ property, life, religion and family, then why are there cases in the Prophet’s life of his not doing so? Why, in the face of manifest oppression, did the Prophet – on many occasions – adopt a passive attitude and exhort others to do the same?

The following incident, for instance, has been recorded by Ibn Hisham on the authority of Abu Uthman Al-Nahdi. When Suhaib decided to emigrate to Medina, the Quraish said to him: “You came to us in an abject and destitute state. You became rich while with us, until eventually you reached your present state of wealth. Do you think we will let you run away, and take everything with you? Well, we won’t.” Suhaib enquired, “will you let me go then?” They said that they would. So Suhaib gave them everything he had. When the Prophet heard about this he said: “Good for Suhaib! He has made a fine profit.”

If the previously mentioned Hadith means – in an absolute sense – that one should fight and give one’s life in defence of one’s property under any conditions, then the Prophet should have condemned Suhaib’s failure rather than felicitated him on his success.

In the year 6AH, the Prophet set out from Medina to visit the House of God in Mecca. At Hudaibiyya, the Quraish prevented him from proceeding further. Peace negotiations ensued. It was at this point that Abu Jandal Ibn Suhail arrived on the scene. Upon accepting Islam, he had been greatly persecuted by the Quraish. They had tied him in chains, but when he heard that the Prophet and his companies were in Hudaibiyya, he somehow managed to escape. With fetters on his feet and body stained in blood, he arrived in Hudaibiyya. His father, Suhail Ibn Amr, was at the head of the Quraish that day. When he saw his son in the Muslim camp, he demanded that he be returned. It went sorely against the grain for the Prophet and his companions to send Abu Jandal back to Mecca. But Suhail Ibn Amr said that if Abu Jandal were not given up, there would be no peace treaty between the two sides.

It was a dramatic moment indeed. There was Abu Jandal, blood-stained and in chains, pleading with the Muslims: “Are you going to send me back to the idolaters, even though I have accepted Islam? Don’t you see how much they have tortured me?” Yet still the Prophet ordered that he be returned to Mecca. “Abu Jandal,” he said, “be patient: God will grant you, and those persecuted along with you, release from your suffering.”

If the previously mentioned Hadith enjoined on one to fight and he martyred under any conditions, then the Prophet would not have urged patient resignation on Abu Jandal; rather he would have told him to seek martyrdom; he and his companions would have fought at Abu Jandal’s side.

During the same Hudaibiyya encounter, the Quraish told the Prophet that they would not let him enter Mecca that year. Accepting this, the Prophet returned to Medina, without insisting on visiting the House of God. This was an entirely religious affair; indeed, the Prophet had acted on divine inspiration in setting out for Mecca with his companions. Even so, he withdrew. If the previously mentioned Hadith had referred to fighting and being martyred in an absolute sense, then the Prophet would have insisted on visiting the House of God that year, whether he had succeeded in his purpose or had been martyred in the process.

Umar Ibn Yasir and his parents were slaves of the Bani Makhzum in Mecca when they accepted Islam. Their conversion was complete anathema to the Bani Makhzum. They would take the family out to the desert in the heat of noon and lay them down on the blazing sand, where they would savagely torture them. They even went so far as to murder Umar’s mother. Relating this incident, this is what the Prophet’s biographer, Ibn Hisham, writes:

“When the Prophet passed them by, from what I have heard, he would say to them: ‘Be patient, family of Yasir heaven is your promised land.”

If the Hadith mentioned above was meant in an absolute sense, then the Prophet’s advice to Yasir would have been tantamount to instruction in cowardice. The Prophet would have never given such advice. Rather he would have surged Yasir to fight and be martyred. He himself would have taken up this holy cause, whether the result had been Yasir’s release, or his own martyrdom.

The truth is that the example of the Prophet is open to more than one interpretation, and it may happen that the wrong – or right – interpretation is made. Only if one is sincere will one interpret the situation correctly, and this can only be achieved through the realism that comes from a fear of God.

When a sincere person considers these incidents in the Prophet’s life, then questions such as those posed here are bound to crop up in his mind. He is not just seeking a meaning which will serve his ends; rather he is seeking to ascertain the exact nature of the example imparted by the Prophet. This approach keeps him from misinterpretation. He will look at the matter objectively, and God’s grace will enable him to arrive at the heart of the matter. He will see that the secret lies in realizing one thing: that trifling losses must be endured for the sake of great gains.

The consideration that should be uppermost in a believer’s mind is what serves the interests of Islam. Not his own personal interests. His preoccupation is with preaching the message of Islam. If there is a clash between personal and preaching interests, then preaching of the faith will come first. It was in the interest of his preaching mission that the Prophet advised patience in the situations mentioned above. The Prophet endured all kinds of personal, financial and domestic losses in his life, just to ensure the continuation of his efforts to spread the faith. He knew that the Muslims’ success in this life and the next lay in their pressing on with missionary work.

When one has a purpose in life, that purpose assumes overriding importance. One will bear losses in life in order to achieve it. In the absence of such a purpose one becomes preoccupied with every trivial matter. Seeking to avoid small losses, one has to put up with even greater ones. The preacher of God’s word is the most purposeful person in the world: he endures small losses in pursuit of his greater aim. He avoids clashing with others on any issue, for this would be detrimental to his missionary work. He only acts when forced to do so in self-defence, for this does not interfere with his greater goal.

After this introduction, let us look at some incidents of great moral significance, which occurred during the life of the Prophet Mohammad.