Unity
Mohammed Khaku (Allentown, USA) is the past president of Al Ahad Islamic Centre in Allentown. He is a Social and criminal justice writer and regularly writes for several international publications
L
ady Evelyn Cobbold, a Scottish noblewoman who declared “I am a Moslem” during a private audience with the Pope, and recorded the following in her diary:
“The more I read and the more I studied, the more convinced I became that Islam was the most practical religion, and the one most calculated to solve the world's many perplexing problems, and to bring humanity peace and happiness.”
There is a list chosen by Michael H. Hart, from the book ‘100 Most Influential People in the world’, where he chose people on a ranking of who was the most influential in the world.
He ranked Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on top of the list, and Muslims feel proud of this and Islamic scholars quote or lecture very often, but neither Muslims nor our youth read or make Prophet Muhammad a role model.
Michael Hart attributes this to the fact that Muhammad was “supremely successful” in both the religious and secular realms.
Within 40 years after the proclamation of Islam by the Prophet Muhammad, there were more ethnically diverse Muslims than Arabs.
In a larger context, the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Turkish, and Persian Empires were in constant conflict and intermittently fought for over sixty years, which exhausted their respective peoples.
There was a desperate need for a message that prioritised peace over war, a message that celebrated freedoms and rights for everyone regardless of colour, race, or gender.
And, came the Prophet from Mecca, who taught the moral and social code. He was not alone in his mission, and his closest Companion was Ali ibn Abu Talib.
Islam was neither spread with military conquest nor forced conversion, as the orientalist authors write, it spread as far as China with trade, intermarriage, and migration – Islam’s emphasis on justice and unity.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books written about the life of the Holy Prophet, and many Muslim scholars have studied and written comprehensive books on the Prophet’s life.
But it is very sad that our youth do not study the Prophet Muhammad but have memorised the statistics and life history of athletes or actors.
It is clear from the non-Muslim scholars that the life of the Holy Prophet is a role model for all mankind and a mercy to humanity.
Who was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
Prophet Muhammad was both a prophet of Allah, and his leadership was very dynamic. He was the paragon of spirituality. He was a noble and compassionate reformer and the guide.
He was a family man. Indeed, he was also a political leader who unified the Arabian Peninsula during the time of ignorance – Jahiliyyah.
He established a great state whose capital was Madinah, and defeated his enemies who forced war on him. He never initiated a battle or a war, but when he was attacked, he was firm, decisive, and forgiving.
However, his real political leadership was in the realm of morality, ethics, and spirituality. He resolved conflicts and disputes to be known as trustworthy and truthful.
It is narrated that the people of Makkah were repairing the walls of the Kabbah. When the time came to place the Black Stone in its place in the southeast corner of the Kabbah, each tribe wanted to have this honour.
Different tribes ask Muhammad to decide the matter fairly. He resolved this dispute with great wisdom amicably.
He spread his own cloak on the ground and placed the Stone upon it. He then asked representatives of each tribe to lift the cloak together.
When the Black Stone reached the required height from the ground, he went forward, lifted the stone, and set it in its place.
He had extraordinary political as well as diplomatic skills. He taught world diplomacy that was built on compassion, truth, and justice. He honoured all his treaties, be it with Christians or Jews.
His enemies could not find any flaw in his truthfulness. The most beautiful example of this we find in the conversation between Heraclius, the Emperor of Byzantium, and Abu Sufyan.
Prophet Muhammad created justice, equality, freedom, and good moral values, which he implemented during his administrative rule of the Madinat period.
The holy Prophet’s life is a complete and everlasting example of mankind. He resolved all conflicts through tolerance, patience, and fairness, not through nepotism.
His benevolent behaviour and caring attitude made him popular among all tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. His concept of welfare reforms, justice system, and constitution was picked up by Western nations.
He unified the Arab tribes and made them brothers. He was a great statesman as well as Commander-in-Chief and won military expeditions. He was a true political leader who prevented wars.
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