Thursday 1 December 2011

Our Prophet Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.

 Our Prophet Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.

Love Allah and Love Mohammed
SallaAllahu Alai’yhi va Sallam
                A Poem by Mohammed Abdul Qaiyum
               (author of THE PRACTICING MUSLIM)

The best of men and the Pride of Allah’s Prophets,
Syedina Mohammed SallAllahu Alaihi va Sallam.
Most handsome, most magnificent, in simple clothes.
Allah chose him to receive and transform our Destiny
By His Bequest, The Holy Qur’an, our Eternal Guide,
That reforms and raises human beings to Perfection:
A Life of Peace, Progress and to Allah, Submission.

He was born to a nation that believed in Allah
Yet worshipped idols and stuck to ancient rituals.
Alone and unaided he challenged the Forces of Evil
He taught them the truth: “Worship none But Allah!”
They spread thorns on his path: they were so insane;.
They called him names. His love made them humane!

He ate frugal food, fasted for days in Allah’s Name.
He conquered hearts; his enemies wrought vengeance
And drove him and his Muslims from Makkan homes,
Launched wars against them and their Madani hosts,
In Uhud they wielded  an  axe and slashed his  face.
But in the Battle of Bad’r, Allah granted him victory.

Allah loved him and made him the Ruler of Arabia;
And in Medinah, arose the Commonwealth of Islaam:
A True Democracy of Brothers, Sisters, equal,  united:
Of righteous people devoted to Allah and Mohammed
Incomparable statesman, so perfect in word and deed,
He brought us Allah’s Blessings, Prosperity and Peace

He is the Leader who’ll plead our case with Allah.
On Judgment Day he’ll save us from the Fire of Hell
He’s the light of our eyes, the Role Model we live by:
And follow, with love, in every aspect of our lives.
Not in power: the joy is in service and dedication:
His message will save nations from annihilation.

Our ancestors gave the world its great universities:
And a millennium of miracles, science and peace.
May Allah pardon and help us to glory in science!
All Praise to Allah!  Our Creator, Our Only Help.
To Him we’re devoted, to Him we pray. Allah bless
Syedina Mohammed SallAllahu Alaihi va Sallam.

(Copyright ©2001: Mohammed Abdul Qaiyum)



Chronology of the Seerathun Nabi SAWS

570 March/Apr Birth of Prophet SAWS
576                      His mother Ameena is no more
578                       His grandpa Abdul Muththalib passes away
582                       Travels to  Syria with uncle Abu Thalib’s caravan
595                       Married to Syedathi Khadijah RAA
610                       First Revelation of the Holy Qur’an (probably in Aug)
615                              Emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia                    
617-120                Quraish Embargo-boycott of Banu Hashim his family
620                               Abu Thaalib is no more
                                     Syedathi Khadijah RAA passes away
621                               Meiraaj     
                              Pledge of Aqaba
Sept 24, 622               Hijrath:  Rabiul Awwal 12th, 1 AH (52nd birthday)
622  (1 AH)                Treaty with Jews and non-Muslims in Medina
623 April              Marriage with Syedathi Ayesha RAA solemnized
                                     (Shawwal of 1 AH)
624 January         Qiblah changed to Makkah  (Rajab  of 2 AH)
624 (March 13th) Battle of Bad’r:  Ramadan 17th:  2 AH
624 April                     Expedition to Banu Qainuqa – Shawwal of 2 AH
624 June (Marriage of Syedain Fathimah & Ali RAA  (Zulhaj of 2 AH)
625 March            Battle of Uhud (Shawwal 15th of 3 AH)
625 August           Expedition of Banu Nadir (Rabiul Awwal of 4 AH)
625 December      Expedition of Second Badr (Rajab of 4 AH)
627 Feb/March     Battle of Ahzab ( Trench) Shawwal-Zul Qaida, 5 AH
627 March-April  Expedition of Banu Quraiza (Zul Qaida of 5 AH)
628 March               Treaty of Hudaibiyah     (Zul Qaida of 6 AH)
628 (April-May)     He invites Kings of World to Islam (ZulHaj/ 6 AH)
628 May-June         Expedition to Khaiybar (Muharrum-Safar 7 AH
628 June                         Marriage with Umm Habibah RAA (Safar of 7 AH)
629 March                     Umrah to Makkah aborted (Zul Qaida of 7AH)
629 June Safr 8AH  Khalid b/Walid and Amr bin Aaas embrace Islam
Ramadan of 8AH   Makkah opened to Muslims  (Dec 629-Jan 630)
Zulhaj of 8AH        Birth of son Ibraheem (Mar 630)
Rajab of 9AH          King Negus of abyssinia passes away  (Oct 630)
                                           Expedition to Tabuk (Oct-Dec 630)
Shawwal of 9 AH   Death of son Ibraheem (Jan of 631)
Zulhaj of 9AH:        Haj Pilgrimage led by Abu Bakr RAA (March 631)
R-Awwal of 10 AH Khalid d/Waleid sent to Najran:  ( June 631)
Ramadan of 10AH  Ali RAA sent to Yemen (Dec 631)
Zulhaj of 10 AH      Last Revelation (Feb/March of 632)
                                           Farewell Pilgrimage Hajjul Widah (Feb/Mar 632)
12th Rabiul Awwal, 11AH  The Glorious Leader is no more (June 8, 632)



Our Beloved Prophet
Syedina Mohammed 
    Sallallahu Alaihi va Sallam

 The Holy Prophet Syedina Mohammed Sallallahu Alaihi va Sallam
is indeed Allah’s Magnificent Blessing to the entire Universe. 

           Allah confered a great  favor  on the  believers when He sent  them
a Messenger  from  among   themselves, revealing to them  the Signs  of Allah,  sanctifying  them and  instructing them  in the Scripture and in Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error”.
                         (The Holy Qur’an: Surah 3rd:  Aal-e- Imraan: 164-165)
The Green Dome of His Rouza (Mausoleum) is the loveliest and the most inspiring sight to Muslims as they visit Medinathul Munawwarah for the Ziarah of their Leader S.A.W.S. after peforming Haj in and around Makkthul Mukarramah in Saudi Arabia

The heart of every Muslim aspiring for a better tomorrow and a glorious hereafter, fills instantly with love for Allah and Mohammed S.A.W.S. This love is a spontaneous, overwhelming emotion that comes with our knowledge and practice of Islam. Our faith is the fusion of our love for our Creator Allah and our devotion to His Chosen Messenger Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. We love them more than any person or property most valued by us anywhere on earth.

The Holy Qur’an calls upon us to abide by them:  "Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear decline and the dwellings in which you delight, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and the striving hard and fighting in His Cause  (that Allah has commanded as duties for you),  then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (in the form of a torment). And Allah guides not the rebellious folk." (Surah 9th: Ath-Tawbah: 24)

“We have sent you, (Mohammed S.A.W.S) with the Truth (Islam), a bearer of glad tidings(for those who believe in what you brought them, that they will enter Paradise) ; and a warner for those who disbelieve in what you brought them, (they will enter the Hell fire).   And you will not be sked about the dwellers of the blazing fire.  (Surah 2nd:  Al Baqarah: 119)

The esteem and highest regard to which Our Great Leader S.A.W.S  is entitled, is exemplified in a Hadith narraated by Abdullaah ibn Hisham RAA:  “We were with the Prophet SAWS and he was holding Umar bin Khath’thaab’s hand. Umar R.A.A. said, ‘Allah’s Messenger, You are dearer to me than eveything but my own self.’  The Prophet S.A.W.S. replied, ‘No, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not have complete Faith till I am dearer to you than your own self.’  Umar was grateful to be corrected.  He assured the Prophet S.A.W.S.  ‘Now you are dearer to me than my own self.’”  (Sahih al Bokhari Vol 8 Hadith No. 628)

Our life and our worship and the religious rites we fulfill are all in accordance with Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam’s precept. It is our good fortune that we have the Hadith.  These are the meticulous and authentic record kept and handed down to us, of his life, his sayings, his achievements and his triumph over all evil by the sheer excellence of his character and his love and devotion to Allah.

This irrefutable evidence convinces us that Prophet Mohammed S.A.W.S  is, and will ever remain, the best of all human beings created. It is the sincere aspiration of every Muslim to follow his illustrious example and be an ideal citizen and a blessing unto all humanity.

Humanity had to wait till 610 C.E. to be liberated from the false values and corruption that had become rampant on earth. As prophet after prophet.passed away, almost always in distress, their common mission remained unfulfilled. 

It was a now or never situation.  Either mankind returns to the worship of Allah, the One and Only Creator of the Universe and of all its systems or Allah brings the show to an end.

In the 570th year after Syedina Eisaa Alaiyhis Salam (Jesus, may Allah bless him with peace!) was raised alive to the heavens, humanity was accorded the last and final opportunity for its survival and eventual triumph. And the prediction of Jesus came true.
The Holy Qur’an says, “And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said, ‘O, Children of Israel!  I am the Messenger of Allah  (sent) to you, confirming the Thaurah (that came) before me and giving “giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me whose name shall be Periclytos (Surah 13th: As Saff: 6).

In the Old Testament of the Bible, this is confirmed in Deut. xvii : 18. In the New Testament, in the Gospel of St. John XIV (16) XV(26) and XVI (7) the Promised Messiah is referred to by his title in Greek  as above.  It translates to  ‘Mohammed’ or  ‘Ahmed’, in Arabi.

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.  was ordained the Prophet of the Final Era by Allah and the desert land of Arabia was endowed the honor of being the venue of his birth and his trials and his ultimate victory in re-establishing Islam in the hearts and minds of trillions of human beings.

Allah had chosen Makkah as the site for His Blessed Home. Prophet Abraham A.S. was shown the location and ordered to commence construction.  With his son Ismayeel A.S., he had built the first structure in recorded history, of the Abode of God on Earth, the Holy Ka’abah.

Its architecture is basic, simple and most beautiful. The name derives from “Cube”, the shape in which it would have been built first by man. Over the millennia it was repaired and rebuilt a few times. It is now a rectangular building of stone slabs, covered entirely in embroidered black wool.

All over the world, in every country in every continent, Muslims face it as they stand up for prayer to Allah.  In case anyone  suspects we are worshipping the structure of the Holy Kaa’bah, an Urdu  poet informs the world: Hai paray sar’hade id’raak se maera mas’jood: Qiblah ko ahle nazar Qiblah-numaa kah’thay hain!

Beyond the reach of man’s imagination
Is the One, the Only One, Who is worthy of  worship.
The Qib’lah, to those who have the inner vision
Is a pointer to the The One Qib’lah: the Glory of God!

Within yards of this Glorious Destination of All Humanity, Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S was born in 571 C.E., destined to grow up and fight life’s battles all by himsef. 

The Holy Qur’an bears eloquent testimony to his ordainment.  “And remember when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets saying:  ‘Take whatever I gave you f rom the Book and Al Hikmah and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Mohammed S.A.W.S.) confirming what is with you, you must, then believe him and help him.’  Allah said, ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up my Covenant (that I conclude with you?’  They said. ‘We agree.’  He said, ‘Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses (for this)’” (Surah 3rd:  Aal-e-Imraan:  81)

His father Abdullah had died just a few months earlier and his mother did not survive for long. He had the support of an uncle Abu Thaalib and, later, of trusted friends Abu Bak’r, Umar, Usman and Ali.  But it apperas to have been Allah’s Will that the Most Victorious Man on Earth must rely on his own resources of strength, stamina and steadfast faith in Allah,  overcome all opposition and lead his followers to establish the rule of Allah on earth and its beyond.
And he brought all the right answers and the best solutions to all problems faced by all people in all lands.  And that was, for all time to come. 

Allah praises him as a “blessing unto all the worlds”, that is, to this earth and to the innumerable other systems that are yet to enter the orbit of our knowledge. The famous Farsi poet and philosopher Saadee Shirazi pays a glowing tribute to him:

Balaghul ulaa bi kamaalihee
Kashafud dujaa bi’ jamaalihee
has’nath jamee’yu khisaalihee
Salloo alaihi va Aalihee

He rose to preeminence by his inborn glory
With light from Allah He demolished disbelief
His entire being immaculate, ultimate in perfection.
May Allah bless him with Peace and Glory!
(An Oft-quoted Tribute in Farsi to the Holy Prophet by  Saadee Shirazi)


He lived up to the praise. And millions of men and women have been coming to Islam for fourteen centuries now.  They have remained devoted to this True Faith by their own free will.
In the Prophet S.A.W.S.'s words,  "When Allah wills a person good fortune, He makes him comprehend religion (Islam).

                “In fact, I am only a medium and Allah the Exalted, is the Benefactor. And this Ummah (the Commonwealth of Islam) will always follow Allah's command till the Day of Judgment and will never be harmed by its enemies.”

The Holy Qur'an commands us to obey Allah and His Chosen Prophet: "We have indeed sent (Mohammed S.A.W.S) to you (O, Humanity) as a Witness and a Herald of Glad Tidings and as a Warner that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger, that you may assist and honor Him (Allah) and celebrate His praise morning and evening.

"Those who pledge their loyalty to you (Mohammed S.A.W.S), pledge their loyalty, in truth, to Allah. The Hand of Allah is over their hands.  As such, anyone who violates his oath, inflicts (grievous) hurt on his own soul.  And anyone who fulfils his covenant with Allah, on him will Allah confer very soon a great reward". (Surath Al Fath’ha: 8 - 10)

"Mohammed S.A.W.S. is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are strong against the unbelievers (but) compassionate among themselves. You will see them bowing and prostrating  (in prayer) seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Kind Approval.

"On their faces are their marks, the traces of their prostration.  This is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospels.  “Like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong, then it becomes thick and it stands on its own stem (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight.  As a result it fills the unbelievers with rage at them.          

“Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds, forgiveness and a great reward” (Surath Al Fath’ha: 29).
We may test him and his life history by any standard of modern scientific scrutiny.  We will find him the best that ever was.  Allah Himself calls him the Rahmathul lil Alameen, the blessing not only to this but to all the worlds  (which constitute the entire universe).

He lived and died like an ordinary human being, so people may not excuse themselves from following his example. None could advance the plea that Mohammed S.A.W.S  was divine or just superhuman and that they, as ordinary mortals, would not be able to match his piety and his devotion to Allah.

Like the Prophets Moses A.S. and Jesus A.S. before him, he too was a shepherd in his early years. As he grew up, his honesty and integrity as a trader earned him appreciation everywhere.

He was a most handsome young man.  (Among the earlier Prophets of Allah, Syedina Yousuf Alaihis Salam, known as Joseph, was the most handsome). Mohammed S.A.W.S.’s personality was at once commanding and endearing to one and all.

He was an embodiment of courtesy, compassion and excellence of character.  Everyone was impressed by his inborn grandeur. People entrusted their valuables to him for safekeeping and he was venerated for his trustworthiness and his integrity.

                When Sydina Mohammed S.A.W.S was in his thirty-fifth year, the Quraysh took up a long awaited project to rebuild the Kaa’bah.  The walls were rebuilt and in the process a bitter dispute arose which could have plunged thecity and much of Arabia in bloodshed.

The Black Stone had been taken down and now it had to reinstated. This resulted in a deadlock.  Each of the tribes were proud and jealous of their standing and every one of them wanted the honor of embedding the Hajre As’wad exclusively to themselves. Dipping their hands in bowls of blood, two of the fiercest tribes vowed to fight on to the bitter end.

However, good sense prevailed and the consenus was arriaved at.  Whoever would enter the precincts first in the next morning, would be accorded the honor and everyone would abide by his decision.

The honor of being the arbiter came to Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.  In accordance with his usual custom, he was the first to enter the santum sanctorum the next morning.
Everyone was pleased by this happy turn of events. They  agreed that no one else was worthier of their trust than Mohammed, the Saadiqul Ameen.  And they would abide by his decision

He spread a large robe on the ground and placed in its center the sanctified Hajre Aswad (the name given to the Black Stone which was white when it descended from Heaven, according to Hadith, and the sins of the people had caused it to turn black in color).

The Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. asked the feuding leaders to hold the four corners and lift the sheet with the stone on it and bring it to the Ka’abah. Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. then lifted the blessed stone and placed it in its niche, where it rests to this day.

This earned him the title "Saadiqul Ameen", the true and trusted one. His sterling character and his line of descent from Abdul Muthalib, the Keeper of the Holy Ka’abah, earned him universal respect.

As the sanctum sanctorum of all Arabia, Makkah was the focus of pilgrims from prehistoric times. It also developed into a flourishing market for food grains, camels and other foms of livestock.

In the pre-Islami period termed Jahiliy’yaa in history a few unscrupulous traders took up strong arm methods to ensnare unsuspecting village folk and relieve them of their goods. They promised to pay up but never did.  The hardy but honest guys would not leave wihout getting their dues and verbal battles became the order of the day.

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. set right this wrong.He was elected leader of the civic conscious young men of Makkah who would not suffer the fair name of  their city  to be besmirched.  They formed a pact, titled Hilful-Fudul in the name of Allah, “to end acts of lawlessness and render justice and to protect the weak from the exploits and manipulations of the oppressors" within the walls of Makkah.

This Pact was a shining tribute to Arab integirity and determination to uphold righteous conduct.  The Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. reminisced about it: "I had a role in finalizing this pact in the house of Abdullah Ibn Jad'an.  If I am invited again, even now,  after the advent of Islam, I will undoubtedly participate".

A rich widow of high lineage, Syedathi Khadijah R.A.A., binth Khuwalid, employed him to lead her trading caravan to Damascus and back.  His dynamism as a leader shone in the world of commerce also.
He  was such a success and proved so eminently trustworthy that she fell in love with him and married him, though he was younger to her by  a few years. They had three sons and four daughters. All the male babies died in infancy.

Among the four daughters Syedathi Fathima (R.A.) is revered worldwide by Muslims as the "Khathoon-e-Jannath, our Lady of Heaven".  She was married to Syedina Ali (R.A.A). Their sons Syedai'yn Hasan and Hussain (R.A.A.) are Islam's most widely remembered martyrs.

A man with a mission, Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. used to ascend a steep mountain near Makkah and meditate in the Hira cave at its peak.

One day, someone came to him from nowhere and asked him to read (presumably from a parchment held in his hand).  He pleaded excuse as he was unlettered.  But the visitor insisted and said "Iqra!" (Read!) 

And the first revelation of the Holy Qur'an was conveyed to him:

Read!  In the name of your Lord and Sustainer,
Who created, creates man out of a clot of congealed blood.
Proclaim!  And your Lord is the Most Bountiful.
He Who taught (man how to use) the Pen,
Taught man that which he knew not.”
                             (Surath al Alakh: 1 to 5)

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. was transformed by the immense responsibility that now weighed on him by this Divine Message from Allahu Sub’hanahu va tha Aalaa.  It was all so sudden, uplifting, exhilarating  and yet frightening too. He walked back home, almost in a daze, shaking all over.  And his dutiful wife Khadijah R.A.A. wrapped him in a blanket and enquired after his health. He told her about the visitor and the Revelation and said he felt feverish and was afraid he might die.

The words she spoke then to comfort and sustain him, will live on in history as the best encouragement a wife could give to her husband.

She assured him he was the beloved of God as he had been kind to people and helped those in distress and had always honored his guests and had done no wrong to anyone and his deeds had always been of wisdom and magnificence and God would never abandon him.
She persuaded him that they might consult Waraqa Ibn Nawfal,  an elderly cousin who had converted to Christianity and was reputed for his knowledge of the revealed religions, their  scriptures and the history of  the earlier Prophets

When the Prophet S.A.W.S. told him what he had seen and heard, Waraqa cried out, "Verily by Him in whose hand is Waraqa's soul,  you are the Prophet  of this people. There has come to you the greatest Namus, (Archangel Jibrayeel) who had come to Prophet Moses at his time.

“A day will come when you will be called a liar, your  people will be at odds with you, ostracize you and fight against you." The sage instantly recognized the promised successor of Jesus in Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. S.A.W.S.

He told his cousin Syedathi Khadija R.A.A. that  the Last and Final Prophet whose advent had been foretold in the revealed books of the past, was there before them. He was none other than her husband Syedina  Mohammed S.A.W.S.

His words conveyed the assurance that the verses Mohammed S.A.W.S. had brought down from Hira that day were but the first chapter of the Holy Book which God would reveal to him, the way Moses A.S. was given the Torah and Jesus A.S. was endowed the Injeel (the Bible).
               
Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. could not, however, believe his premonition  about the danger to his life from the citizens of Makkah.  They  had always received him with courtesy and esteem. They addressed him as the trustworthy and honest one. He asked Waraqah, “Why will they expel me?"

Waraqa replied, “Because no man has ever brought anything like what you have been conveyed that had not earned him the enmity and rancor of his people and led to war between them. This has always been so” And he promised, “ If I live to see that day, I will stand by you." But Waraqa was denied this opportunity. He died shortly after he had met and recognized in his kinsman the Greatest Human Being in History.

                After a few dsys’ lull,  as Divine Priorities are always in order, the revelation of the Holy Qur'an resumed,  to continue over the next twenty three years. But within  a short period of this, Allah commanded His Chosen Prophet S.A.W.S. to spread the True Faith everywhere and never mind the consequence.  Every day thereafter became a miracle. A triumph over adversity, a great advance made in the conquest of human hearts.
Never before in history had a Prophet of Allah achieved such  amazing results in reclaiming humanity to the Glorious Cause of its Creator,  Allahu Sub’hanahu va tha Aalaa.
               
                The honor of being the first person to accept Islam goes to Syedathi Khadijah R.A.A. (May Allah be pleased with her). His first wife, companion and an unfailing source of help and support. She always stood
by him in unshakable trust and shielded him from the adversaries.

The next to enter Islam was his ten year old cousin whom he had taken under his care on the demise of his uncle Abu Thaalib.  Zayd ibn Harith was the next whom the Prophet S.A.W.S. had almost adopted as a son.

The most dynamic among the Quraish, was Abdu Bak’r Ibn Abi Quhafa A leding merchant and pillar of Makkan society, he was renowned for his sterling character, moderation and compassion towards all. He was the most constant of the Prophet’s friends and his service to Islam was most significant as he preached the Religion of Truch to all his customers and associates in the most convincing manner. At his invitation, the best of Quraish accepted Islam:  Uthman Ibn Affan, Zubayr Ibn Al Awwam, Abdul Rahman Ibn Auf,  S'ad Ibn Abi Waqqa and Talha Ibn 'Ubaydullah. Abu Bakr led them to the Prophet and they embraced Islam at his hands.

 As the zeal and transformation evident in the lives of the widening circle of Muslims became manifest, quite a f ew eminent citizens of Makkah dared the wrath of their tribe and swore allegiance to the new faith and its Prophet S.A.W.S. They were  Abu 'Ubayda Ibn al-Jarrah, Al-Arqam, Uthman Ibn Mazun, Ubaydah Ibn al Harith Ibn Abdul Muthali,  Sayeed Ibn Zayd, Kabbab Ibn Al Arath, AbdAllah Ibn Masus, Ammar Ibn Yasir, Suhayb Ibn Sinan.

People could no longer be held back  and they came in ever larger numbers from different tribes and high ranking families. First in Arabia and then in the neighboring countries the Light of Islam spread wide.  It has since been gaining human hearts by the million all over the world. 

The Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. had to pay dearly for this triumph.  Except for a handful, who had placed absolute faith in him and embraced Islam, the people of Makkah swore enmity to him. Fierce and ruthless, they were unmoved by his overtures. They rejected all attempts at reform. They hated him for his Cause.  He had exposed the idols worshipped by them and their ancestors as false and powerless.

He was counselling them to give up the rough and crude values, the intertribal feuds and the thirst for revenge they had lived by through centuries. They had been addicted to those bad ways.  They felt comfortable with them and wanted no new laws.
               
What rankled them most was that in the new way of life, to which Mohammed S.A.W.S was inviting humanity, women were not to be treated as slaves but honored as equal to men.

Even slaves were not to be tortured.  They were human beings and should be given sympathy. They should be granted freedom as soon as they had earned it. Otherwise Allah would hold their masters to acccount on the Day of Judgment for transgressing His Commands. 

All this was alien to their upbringing.

One of the most cruel laws the ruling tribe of Quraish had enforced for as long as anyone could remember, was that it was a shame to rear a girl child and she was to be buried alive and shown no compassion at all!

The Holy Qur’an warned them, “When the sun is overthrown, and when souls are reunited, and when the girl child that was buried alive is asked for what sin was she slain? And when the pages are opened, every soul will know what it has to account for.” (Surath al Thakweir: 1,7-10 & 14).

It was al Jaahiliy’ya, the dark age of utter ignorance, as it is termed in Arab history. They had 360 idols installed in the Holy Ka’abah as interceders and also the three idols inherited from their ancestors.

The Holy Qur’an chastised them: “Have you (ever) considered who are al Lat, al Uzza and Manat, the third ‘goddess’?  Would you then assign the females to (your) god and the males to yourselves? An abominable division of phantasies! They are nothing but mere names invented by you and your ancestors and not warranted (in any way) by a revelation from Allah. 

“People form (the wrong) notions and hold on to their wishful thinking.  But true guidance has (now) arrived from the Lord.” (Surath An Naj’m: 19-23).
               
So too, the kuffaar of Makkah lost a golden opportunity when they refused to accede to Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.'s counsel.           They would not pledge their loyalty to Allah, the True and Only Creator, to Whom (and to no one else) is due humanity’s undivided loyalty and devotion.

With malice and rancor in their hearts, they heeded not his guidance.  They spread thorns on his route and dumped trash on him from their windows. 

And once near the Holy Ka’abah itself, they heaped the offal of a dead camel on his back as he was bowing to Allah in prayer. His daughter Syedathi Fatima R.A.A. rushed in and removed it so the Prophet S.A.W.S. might rise and complete his Salaah.

The perpetrators of this vile act soon met their end in the Battle of Bad’r.  This battle was not sought by, but was thrust upon, Muslims. 

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. was subjected to such cruel persecution by the Kuffaar, the unbelievers of Makkah, that Allah Himself counselled him to migrate to Madinah, the second city of Arabia

Its people extended the most excellent hospitality to the Prophet S.A.W.S. and readily shared with his companions all that they had.  And Islam got firmly established there.

This triumph of Islam, within two years of the Hijrath (migration), was a cause for frustration and alarm to the Makkan Kuffar.

They organized a huge and heavily armed force and and rode to battle against the believers. Their leaders assured them that the small number of Muslims could be cut down in minutes and the spread of Islam rendered impossible.

Poorly armed and untrained, the Muslim migrants from Makkah and their gracious hosts of Madinah, risked their own and their families' lives, honour and possessions as they hastened to Bad’r for the battle against the enemies of Allah.

Less than three hundred was the strength of the Muslim defence. In fact, an actual list compiled at the time , of the Quresh component of the Muslim defence lineup, had only 82 names on it!  Their enemies numbered almost 1,000!

The Muslims fought to defend the religion of Allah.  Bad’r was to decide their fate and also the destiny of the divine faith they had embraced in response to the exhortations of a leader who had won their hearts.

Mohammed S.A.W.S was clearly a blessing to them and to all other nations of the time and of the future also. Whatever they risked and were preparing to sacrifice -- precious life and all the good things that embellish it --  were like nothing compared to the joy, the fulfillment, the spiritual uplift and the vision of a glorious Hereafter that he had promised them from Allah.

Allah, the Supreme Lord, would not abandon this devout band of desert dwellers who had placed their trust in Him and His Messenger S.A.W.S.. As confirmed in verses 121-126 of Surath al Imraan of the Holy Qur’an, Allah sent down three thousand angels to help them.

The morale of the Muslims was boosted.  And the verse concluded, “Victory comes only from Allah, the Almighty, the Wisest”.

The Muslim triumph sealed forever the fate of the enemies of Islam. And, from the Radiant City of Madinathul Munawwarah, the light of Islam spread worldwide.

One of the miracles Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. S.A.W.S had wrought at the insistence of incredulous challengers in Makkah, prior to his migration to Madinah, was the splitting of the moon.

He pointed his finger at it and gave the command. The moon split and was witnessed in that state far and wide. The truth behind this will soon be confirmed as we receive more photos and data from future missions of man to the planet.

Allahu Sub’hanahu va tha Aalaa has vouched for it in the opening verses of Surath Al Qamar of the Holy Qur'an:  "And the moon was cleft asunder.  But if they see a sign, they turn away and say 'This is (but) continuous magic'".

The high ranking Sahaabay'e Kiraam, the Blessed Companions of the Holy Prophet S.A.W.S., Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and Anas (R.A.A.) have confirmed thiS in Sahih Bukhari:  "The people of Makkah asked the Prophet S.A.W.S. to show them a sign (miracle).  So he showed them (the miracle) of the moon.  Allah's Apostle S.A.W.S. said, ‘Witness (this miracle!)’. “The moon was split into two parts.  One part remained over the mountain and the other part went beyond the mountain”.
Yet miracles, as such, are not central or crucial to Islam.  We have the fullest faith in Allah and His Rasool S.A.W.S.. 

Allah is the One and Only God.  Allah was, Allah is and Allah will always be. This world and all the beings that populate it, on and beneath the earth, in the oceans and in the atmosphere, organisms seen and unseen, are all the creations of Allah. 

So too are the planets, the Universe we know and are yet to know about and the creatures whom we call ET's without knowing anything about them. The dinosaurs that are extinct and the monsters like Yajooj and Maajooj (Gog and Magog) whom Allah mentions briefly in the Holy Qur'an, they were, all of them, created by Allah. 

Allah says "Kun!" and whatever He wills
– the Creation of the Universe
or  the transformation of a human heart
from being an opponent
into an ardent devotee and advocate of Islam –
occurs instantaneously.
The speed with which this happens
is immeasurable by our standards.
It is much faster than the speed of light,
the minutest miniscule split of a second!


What Allah has created, Allah can and will destroy at a moment of His Own Choosing.

The Holy Qur’an informs us in Surath Ar Rahmaan verses 26 & 27:  Every being alive on earth (the jinn as also human) will perish (on the day of judgment). Only the Immaculate Countenance (and Presence of Allah), your Lord of Absolute Power and Majesty, will endure. (The Permanence and Glory are Allah’s and Alllah’s Alone).

There is also a challenge to the vainglorious among the species who populate and lord over the earth:

                “O you, the company of jinns and humans, if you think you have the power to enter (entire) regions of the heavens and the earth, then go ahead and try (your best). You will never be able to reach them until and unless you are given the sanction from Allahu Sub’hanahu va tha Aalaa”. (Surath Al Rahmaan: 33).

And Allah has promised us another creation, the Hereafter, the Eternal Life, where the good people triumph and rejoice in Heaven and the evil ones burn and bemoan their sinful past in Hell.

“And those who place their entire trust in Allah and His messengers, they are the faithful; and the martyrs are with their Glorious Creator; theirs is the reward and the radiance; while those who disbelieve and deny Our revelations, they are the owners of hell-fire. (Surath al Hadeed: 19).

The beauty of Islam is the simplicity and ease with which it can be practised by anyone.  This is repeatedly stressed in the Holy Qur’an:
               
He (Allah) has not laid on you any hardship in religion.
So establish Salaah,
pay the Zakaah (poor due)
and hold fast to Allah.
He is Your Protector (and Your) Friend.
A Glorious Patron and a Magnificent Help.
(Surath Al Haj: 78)

 “This religion is of an easy nature”, records Imam Bukhari from the Holy Prophet S.A.W.S.’s advice to the Ummah. “Do not be hard on yourselves that it may not be made hard(er still)  for you. 

“A former nation chose to be hard (on itself) and it was made (very) hard for them”. (Hadith collection of Abu Dawood)

Allah praises His Beloved Prophet Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. in the Holy Qur’an as a “mercy to all humanity”. (Surath al Ambiya: 107)

And Allah enlightens us: “Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whose description they will find in the Torah and the Gospel that are theirs; he will enjoin on them what is right and forbid them that which is wrong.  He will render lawful unto them all things good and prohibit only that which is harmful    

And he will relieve them of their burdens and (release them from) the shackles they had clamped upon themselves.  Those who believe in him and honor him and help him and follow the light which has been revealed to him, they are the liberated (the triumphant people). (Surath al Aeraaf: 157)

In the Prophet S.A.W.S. people found personified the simplicity, the tolerance, the gentleness and the total compassion of the faith of Islam he was teaching them.  There was no conflict or contradiction between what he said and what he did. 

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. was indeed a gracious model of perfection that everyone could reach for in life, in worship and in earning one’s livelihood by trade or physical labor.

He never dipped into state funds or resources to satisfy his or his family’s needs. He met his own and his families’ living expenses from his own funds. 

As a trader who led caravans to Damascus in his youth he was indeed a person of affluence. And his beloved wife Syedathi Khadijah R.A.A. had left him great wealth.  But he gave away all those riches, his own and his wife’s, in extensive bequests in the Cause of Allah. 

A shepherd who had traversed a great distance to meet him and  embrace Islam at his hands, sought some assistance from the Prophet S.A.W.S..  The silhouttes of the hundreds of sheep that Allah’s Messenger S.A.W.S. gifted him, filled the horizon, from one hill to another, as they returned home.

When gifts were brought to him, he would ask if its was sadaqa or . The sadaqa bequests he would give away  immediately to those  in need. Even if it was food, he would not eat it or apportion any part of it to his family.

The tradition this implied was that the Prophet S.A.W.S. and his descendents would not susbsist on charity for their daily needs.
Nor should a head of government arrogate to himself or his family the charity bequests from anyone as they are intended for the people’s good..

Even when the presents classed as friendly and loving gifts, known as nazar, were brought to him, he would distribute them forthwith among the assembly. If someone brought him a basket of dates, he would take just one date and eat it and pass the entire platter or basket to others for distribution among themselves.

There were always people around him, seeking advice or just enjoying the spiritual exhilaration of his glorious presence. He was so kind and outgoing to them by nature, that he would never seek an excuse to send them away even if he had an urgent task to attend to.

The Masjide Nabavi in Medinathul Munawwara was not just a house for prayers.  It was also the seat of the Shoorah, the Parliament of Islam.
The Sahaabah maintained absolute silence  and decorum out of respect to the august presence of the Holy Prophet (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him).

Yet there was once, just once, a moment of infamy that was disgusting indeed.   A debate arose in a section of the people and they were at the point of getting unruly, exchanging heated arguments among themselves.

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S. is praised by Allah as His Own Gift of Compassion to the entire Universe.  whom He had blessed as a Gift of Com would endure without protest, Allah would not tolerate.
Forthwith came the revelation from Allah conveyed by Archangel Gibrayeel A.S. He brought in the reprimand from Allah  that if they raised their voice above the Beloved Aposle’s, Allah would erase their entire record of good deeds and they would come up for severe chastisement We can find in the Holy Qur’an exhortations to the people as to how they must behave towards the Prophet S.A.W.S..

A severe chastisement from Allah was revealed to them :

  “Believers! Do not act upstarts before Allah and His Messenger.  But fear Allah. Indeed Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

“Believers, (Allah Commands you!)! Raise not your voice above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak to him aloud the way you talk loudly (and lewdly) among yourselves.  Otherwise (your record of good) deeds will be rendered worthless while you perceive not (the result of your ungracious conduct).”(Surah 49th: al-Hujuraath :1-2)

For us, his teaching was that in our business, in our studies and in our worldly concerrns of urgent importance, we must never allow fatalism to curb our motivation and enthusiasm for progress and high achievement.

That is, we must not hold ourselves back or think of death or of the impermanence of this world and the like as we close in a deal or build a mansion or set up vast industrial empires. Those projects could provide jobs and bring prosperity to thousands of families and we are duty bound to work hard at them and raise them to high rank in world esteem.

At the same time, as the time for Salaah, charity or any urgent Islami duty draws near, we must attend to them forthwith.  We must think that the next moment could be our last and even a moment’s delay could downgrade us for dereliction of our religious duties..  We must attend to our religious duties, perform Salaah and other good deeds with promptness and in perfection and then return to our worldly concerns.
He was pained that poverty was so rampant among the people. He prayed to Allah to kindly save him and his followers from the kind of poverty and distress that could draw the weak willed away from Islam. From his own modest resources and the wealth bequeathed on him by his first wife Syedathi Khadija R.A.A., he gave away liberally to those in need. When a shepherd reverted to Islam and sought his help, he gave him hundreds of sheep. The sight was both impressing and inspiring. The line stretched all across the desert horizon as their grateful owner led them away to his own place.

The Glorious Leader of Islam preferred to depend on Allah for his next meal.  He gave away all his wealth to charity and held back nothing to himself for even the basic creature comforts of life. He wanted no part of the earth’s joys when all the opulence and highest imaginable luxuries were awaiting him and all righteous Muslims in the highest heaven, the Jannathul Firdaus. 

And Allah had promised to him and to him alone the highest echelon any mortal could reach by Allah’s Grace. This, the highest estate, throne, mansion or radiant presence, named Maqaame Mah’moodah is the Holy Qur’an, 0. just beneath Allah’s, was reserved for him.

All through life, he gave his grateful thanks to Allah for destining him to be born among the masaakeen,  meaning those who had nothing and were totally dependednt on Allah for their day to day needs.  It was his prayer to Allah to kindly keep him among the masaaakeen and raise him from among them when the hour came.

He ate whatever food was served.  And he never complained if there was none, as it happned several times a week in the mud plastered dwelling of the ruler of Islam.  He just starved until Allah provided him the next meal.

Starvation was a constant companion of the Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. and his companions.   It was with them as thery were digging the historic Trench to defend Madinathul Munawwara against the enemy hordes who were rushing towards it.  He and his companions tied large stones to their bellies to ward off the pangs of hunger. The sun was at its fierecest and the Prophet S.A.W.S. fell unconscious and revived after a while.

He took upon himself the domestic chores of washing the dishes and sweeping the floor clean. Once when the mug he used for drinking water, broke he fixed it himself with silver wire.  He mended his clothes and repaired his sandals himself.  Once when an unworthy guest asked for shelter  and left without a word before sunrise, the Prophet S.A.W.S. found the room reeeking with filth.  He declined his wife’s offer to clean it and the Ruler of Arabia wept, washed, cleaned and took out the grabage himself.

He was of medium build but would appear  taller  than others when he stood in a group.  He had a most beautiful appearance. To visualize the correct shade of his complexion: rub your palms together and watch the reddish glow that comes over them! He had a slight paunch.  His feet were large and fleshy.  Even to the last, his hair remained black with just  a streak of white. 

He wore a full beard and trimmed his mounstache so they did not dip into the water as he drank it.  He counselled us not to flaunt long white beards but to use any dye other than black.  His robe was not at all of the type worn by modern Arabs. 
He draped a wide sheet of cloth around his waist. And he wore the thobe  of those times, a knee length shirt with sleeves just short of full length. He wore an amaamaa, the turban and not the ghuthra and rope stereotyped as Biblical or Islami in Hollywood movies.

Syedina Umar R.A.A. visited him once when he was unwell and reported that the Glorious Prophet S.A.W.S., who had all Arabia under his rule, slept on a handwoven mat of palm leaves. The leather pillow he used, was rather torn and it was stuffed with the same material.  The plaited leaves left an imprint on the radiant back of the Prophet of Islam. S.A.W.S. as he rose to greet his trusted companion

He counselled his Ummah to adopt his own eating habits. No overeating! The stomach is never filled to capacity.  One third with food, one third with water and one third left empty!  No wonder there was no illness or disease in the community at the time. 

Allah confirms to Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.   “Indeed, We have have sent you with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner has passed among them.”  (Surah 35th:  The Angels:  24). 

It was now the eleventh year of the Hijra. Muhammad's mission was already fulfilled , his faith complete and triumphant .
In the month of "Safar" he was seized with fever which steadily increased . The news of his illness encouraged some imposters to set up rival cults and create confusion ,but these soon died their natural death.
On the 26th day of this month , the Prophet rallied and on hearing of some trouble on the borders of Syria and Palistaine,ordered an army to be assembled. He put Usama in command of his force,got up from his sick-bed , put the battle-standard into the hands of Usama and bid farewell to the army .
The Prophet's illness became worse.With the permission of his other wives he moved into Aisha's room .
One day when he felt a little better , he came out and addressed his followers :
"Fear Allah ,I pray you , and may Allah keep you on the right path .
I entrust you to His care.I have warned you of the everlasting bunishment and given you tidings of everlasting bliss.
O'creatures of Allah ,shun arrogance and pride. Paradise and the blessings of the hereafter are for the humble and the rightous . The resert af the proud is Hell"
On the 12th day of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal , he lifted up the curtain of his room which overlooked the compound of the mosque and saw the congregation engrossed in prayers . He smiled happily and lay back .
And then his beloved wife Aisha relates ,"I suddenly felt a great heaviness in my lap.Ilooked at him His eyes were glossed over and I heard his last words , "I desire to be with my Allah". And thus on the 12th day of the month Rabi-ul-Awwal , in the 11th year of the Hijra , when the sun was near its zenith , Muhammed , the Prophet of Islam ,passed away. May Allah’s Peace be upon him.

Syedina Mohammed S.A.W.S.'s achievements are even now a living miracle that we witness and celebrate every day of our lives.

In the tenacity and courage of every Muslim in every country, as he or she battles adversity and overcomes the problems and crises launched by hostile elements and keeps the banner of faith flying high, we see the radiance and love of Allah and His Rasool S.A.W.S. shine forth.

We are certain that Allah's Help will restore us to glory at a moment of His Choice and no one can prevent it happening!

In the words of the renowned scholar Mohammed Nasir-ud-deen Al-Albaani. ‘The hadeeth gives positive evidence that the divine law of Islam - Ash-Shari'ah - is not merely Qur'an, but Qur'an and Sunnah. Therefore, whoever holds fast to one source for reference to the  exclusion of the other, he held fast to neither of them, since both omplement each other. The Qur'an says Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah. Allah says, No, by your Lord they do not believe until they submit to your adjucation in all disputes between them, then they do not find themselves oppressed with your decisions and they completely submit (4:65).

“Again, Allah says When a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, it does not behove a believer, man or woman, to have choice in their matter. One who disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path (33:36). Furthermore, Allah says What the Messenger teaches you, take it, and  what he forbids you, avoid doing it (59:7).

The Islami scholar Ibn al-Qaiyim  informs us, from the Hadith Qudsi, of  the ten steps that strengthen the bond of mutual love between Allah and His Slaves, that we are:

 Reciting the Holy Qur'an, understanding its meaning and gaining  deeper knowledge of the truths it conveys.
 Translating the knowledge into positive action to earn the approval of Allah, as conveyed in Hadith al-Bukhari: "My slave is getting closer to Me through optional deeds of his own volition until I  love him."
 Constant remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with our tongue, our heart and our good deeds. The more devoted and perfect we are in these three aspects, the greater is our love of Allah: With our tongue we sing the praise of Allah in our Salaah, recite His Glorious Names in Zik’r and we convey His Commands to people for righteous action.
 Yielding to what Allah loves and not indulging our base desires when we are assailed by temptations
 Training the heart to be a rose garden where Allah's Names and Attributes exude the fragrance of divine knowledge.
 Observing and celebrating every manifestation, seen and unseen, of Allah's Compassion, Grace and Generosity as Allah blesses all His creation with limitless bounties.
 The joy, the euphoria and the wonderful sense of fulfillment that waft in when our heart is  soft, subdued and meek before Allah.
 Being alone and reciting the Holy Book of Allah during the last third of the night when the Lord descends to the Heaven nearest to Earth and we repent and ask for forgiveness and Our Glorious Creator inspires us to ask for and be granted rewards without limit.
 Sitting with the beloved of Allah and sincerely benefiting from their most fruitful speech and we refrain from speaking unless it advances our own and our listeners’ knowledge and wisdom.
 Not allowing anything to come between our heart and Allah.





The Tributes

From a Grateful World to its Greatest Benefactor


To me the most inspiring words are of the people who lead lives in the raw, are witness to unspeakable tragedies and yet retain their mental equilibrium and set us an example to follow.  They are the real heroes and heroines of  humanity. I salute them and bring to my readers an excerpt from a biographical note by a Muslim sister.  Her words and the exemplary Muslim life and dedication to her chosen mission of healing, are the best answer to critics who fault Muslims  for their upbringing  of women. 

She is Najah Bazzy, a second generation American,  a critical care nurse in Dearborn, Michigan. She also conducts workshops to help bridge the gap in understanding between hospital staff and their Muslim patients, many of whom are immigrants.

“I am one of those privileged people whose work permits me to listen often to the war stories of men, women and children. Over the last decade, many of my patients have immigrated from Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq. When they relate heart-wrenching stories of losing their homes, their babies, their spouses, their parents, their hope and even their minds, I listen and cry along with them, wondering at our cruelty and hoping that one day mankind will grow up. If it weren't for my faith in Islam, and my belief in a Judgment Day that will bring justice to oppressors and joy to those oppressed, I would not be able to do my work.

“It is hard to fathom the mind of a child who has watched a bomb falling on his home. It is difficult to hear elders speak of the black skies over Iraq after the air strikes, the fleece of white sheep turned black by debris, the wanton destruction of life in the years following the Gulf War. Yet with each painful story comes a surrender, an acceptance, and a proof that the human spirit has the capacity to endure somehow, some way. It is one of the aspects of my work that intrigues and attracts me and keeps me coming back.

“Certain events in the Prophet Muhammad's life affirm my own responsibility to the poor, the orphaned, the wayfarer, and even to one's enemies. I keep these stories close to me.

“According to one report, the Prophet had a neighbor, a pagan Meccan with a tribal mentality who hated him. Every night, the man would place his household trash in front of the Prophet's door to humiliate him. Each morning the Prophet would open his door to leave his home and be greeted with the man's garbage.

“ In time, however, the neighbor fell ill, and the Prophet knocked at his door and went in to visit him. When the Prophet sat by his bedside, the man was so surprised, he asked, "What would bring you here to see me? Don't you know I don't like you?" The Prophet said, "Yes I know, but I am a man of principle, and my faith tells me to take care of my neighbors and to visit the sick. You are my neighbor and you are sick."

“This story has always been dear to me. Through it, I've been taught something about humility, grace, and caring for the ill. And because the man was of Jewish descent, the story also teaches me to respect people whose faith differs from mine.

“Being a Muslim is not rooted in the rote performance of religious rituals. It is based on living your faith every moment of the day. Islam is cellular to a devout Muslim. It is a blue print for humanity, a blue print I use daily as a guide. I pay reverence to my Lord, and I reference His messengers, including Muhammed, Jesus, Moses, Noah and Abraham.

“It is, however, the life of Muhammed that has most influenced how I conduct myself and make decisions. He was the most complete of human beings, a mosaic of man and prophet, who taught us how to live a faithful life through his day-to-day example. He was, to paraphrase one of his contemporaries, the living Quran manifested in humanity. For Muslims, he is the divinely inspired messenger whose teaching completes the divine ring of dialogue between humankind and the Creator, beginning with Judaism and ending with Islam.

“I measure my daily life by my impending death, as did the Prophet Muhammad. For me, he remains a constant reminder of the sacredness of time. He did not waste time. He utilized every moment to be of service to his Creator. For Muslims, Muhammad is the exemplary manifestation of a principled life. He has taught me that each breath is a gift, as is every thought. He has taught me to be efficient.

“In Mecca and Medina, I could feel the presence of this man, this messenger, Muhammed. I could feel his spirit and his blessings in my life. In Mecca when I prayed before the Ka'ba, and again in his Mosque in Medina, I recommitted myself to being the best example of a human being that I can be. I recommitted myself to the principles laid down by this most complete human being: a man and a messenger, a father and husband, an advocate for human rights, founder of a just and fair government.

“If more people knew his story and the world in which it took place, they would understand that Muhammad liberated women and the voice of the oppressed. He exiled racism, freed slaves, married widows, and protected orphans. Moreover, his message lived after him, and soon united much of the world under the banner of monotheism. Muhammad's teaching lives on today, attracting new people, revitalizing the lives of those who learn about him. He makes me proud to be a Muslim.”

One of the best tributes to the Holy Prophet S.A.W.S. is from Lamartine:  “If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modem history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes This man moved not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then-inhabited world; and more than that he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls....

“His forbearance in victory, his ambition which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire, his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death-all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold: the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words. Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?” (Histoire de la Turquie, Pans 1854, Vol. 11, pp. 276-77).

Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay  inform us: “It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Madina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran...

“The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and Mahomet is the Apostle of God' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.” (History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p 54).

From Bosworth Smith in:  “He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.                                                                    (“Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p 92).

The Founder of Theosophy, Annie Besant says in The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p: “It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme.
“And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.

W. Montgomery Watt says in Mohammad At Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p 52: “His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.”

The Nobel Laureate in Literature, James A. Michener, writes in  "Islam: The Misunderstood Religion," Reader's Digest (Amencan edn.) May 1955, pp. 68-70:  “Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about AD. 570 into an Arabian tube that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer, recognizing his meet, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband.

“Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God's word, sensing his own inadequacy But the angel commanded Read'. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God."

“In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumors of God's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced,' An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human-being." At Muhammads own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: 'If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives for ever'.

And perhaps the most decisive evaluation of the Holy Prophet’s grandeur, comes from Michael H. Hart The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company Inc. 1978, p 33:

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.

Consider what others have said about this extraordinary man:

If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modem history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes This man moved not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then-inhabited world; and more than that he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls.... His forbearance in victory, his ambition which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire, his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death-all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold: the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words. Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he? - Lamartine Histoire de la Turquie, Pans 1854, Vol. 11, pp. 276-77. It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Madina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran... The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and Mahomet is the Apostle of God' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion. - Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p 54. He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports. - Bosworth Smith Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p 92. It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher. - Annie Besant The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p 4 His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad. - W Montgomery Watt Mohammad At Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p 52. Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about AD. 570 into an Arabian tube that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer, recognizing his meet, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband. Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God's word, sensing his own inadequacy But the angel commanded Read'. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God." In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumors of God's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced,' An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human-being." At Muhammads own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: 'If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives for ever'. James A. Michene~ "Islam: The Misunderstood Religion," Reader's Digest (Amencan ea.) May 1955, pp. 68-70. My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level. Michael H. Hart The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company Inc. 1978, p