TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

desired to become a Prophet king or a humble servant and a prophet of God Almighty. The Prophet immediately replied: I want to be a humble servant and a prophet. This Hadith shows the mission of the Prophet. Taking a clue from the timely guidance of the angel Gabriel, the Prophet Muhammad chose a life of service to God and calling people to God over political rule and leadership. This aspect seems to be the most prominent in his life. Reading his biography also shows that the mission of the Prophet was dawah (calling people to God). On another occasion, the people of Quraysh threatened the Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib of dire consequences if the Prophet did not stop his mission of calling people to God. Abu Talib called his nephew and said, “O my nephew! The people of your tribe came to me and said such and such things. Now have mercy on me and on yourself. And do not burden me in this matter beyond my means.” On hearing this, the Prophet thought that now his uncle would also desert him. He feared that his uncle would withdraw his support, and that his uncle had become too overburdened trying to support him. It was a critical moment. Despite the fear and apprehensions, the Prophet replied with full conviction, “Uncle! By God! Even if these people place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I cannot stop this mission until God makes this religion prevail, or I will perish in this way.” After that his eyes moistened, and he cried. The Prophet’s life abounds with such examples that unequivocally show what his mission was. The Prophet would go to any length in order to make people hear God’s message. After giving adequate proofs and logic for something, one can never be sure that it will be accepted as valid. Something that appears white to everyone else may appear as black to someone, and no matter what proofs you provide, one may refuse to budge from their position. It happens because in perceiving and understanding something and forming an opinion about it, our perspectives play a very important role. When we read something, we never read it as it is. Rather, we read In perceiving and understanding something and forming an opinion about it, our perspectives play a very important role. When we read something, we never read it as it is. Rather, we read it through the prism of our perspective.