08-Muhammad (PBUH) as Role Model for Individuals

8/16/2019 08-Muhammad (PBUH) as Role Model for Individuals

1/7

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH):AS ROLE MODEL FOR INDIVIDUALS

1 Introduction

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born on Rabiul Awwal 12 of the Hirah !alendar" His birth# on aMonday# !ame $%& years after that of the Prophet 'esus (pea!e be upon him)" The Prophet was born inthe !ity of Maah to Abdullah# the son of Abdul Muttalib# the enerable sheih of the *uraish# the rulin+!lan of Maah"

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)# !alled Al,Ameen (The Trustworthy) een by his enemies# was the last of the prophets sent by Allah" There is no other prophet on whose life so mu!h li+ht has been shed" Bornafter the a+e of myth# liin+ in the full +lare of history# his sayin+s and a!tions were do!umented as noother prophets were" Re!orded in minute detail# their authenti!ity has been -uestioned by no fair s!holar"

The Prophet.s life is a shinin+ e/ample for all to follow" He was the indest of persons 0 a sense of !ompassion that was dire!ted at Muslims and non,Muslims alie" His !are for those around him and eenfor those who !aused him harm proides shinin+ e/amples of true nobility" His loe for orphans was deep#and the indness that he e/hibited to the needy# the humble and the poor new no bounds"

t is e/tremely diffi!ult for the Muslims of today to ima+ine and mu!h less to endure the hardships that theProphet and his !ompanions underwent" n the ninth year of his mission# the Prophet 0 hain+ beenperse!uted and terroried by his people in Maah 0 headed for Taif# home to the Banu Tha-if tribe"There he went to prea!h his messa+e but was treated rudely by the tribal elders# who told him to !lear off and een sent street ur!hins after him to beat him and pelt him with stones" He bled profusely !ausin+ hisentire body to be !oered with blood and his sandals to be!ome !lo++ed to his feet" He headed away fromthe town and too respite near a ro! and made a heart,rendin+ ino!ation to Allah Almi+hty besee!hin+mer!y for the people who had perse!uted him a few moments earlier"

t is said that the heaens were moed by the Prophet.s prayer and the Ar!han+el 3abriel !ame and saidthat Allah Almi+hty is aware of what has passed and that he has deputed an an+el in !har+e of themountains" The an+el in !har+e of the mountains then !ame forward and offered to brin+ the mountains

oerlooin+ Taif to !ollide with ea!h other to destroy the inhabitants" Howeer# bein+ a mountain of mer!yhimself and the mer!y of the worlds# the Prophet refused" 4ote the !ondu!t of our noble Prophet" rritatedby a little trouble or abuse from someone# we spend years s!hemin+ and deisin+ ways to tae reen+e"How far remoed are the Muslims of today from the Prophet who they !onsider their e/emplar"

n spite of sufferin+ so mu!h at the hands of the Taif mob# the Prophet did not !urse or see reen+e# eenwhen the opportunity arose" nstead# he pleaded for mer!y"

5hen there was a stop in a Maan woman who would repeatedly throw +arba+e on him as he waled inthe streets# the Prophet 0 bein+ an i!on of !ompassion 0 ased people about her and een humblyisited her after hearin+ she had fallen ill"

6er 17 !enturies hae +one by sin!e he# the 8ast of the Messen+ers# left us# but his messa+e 0 one thatwas earmared by mer!y for the entire !reation 0 lies on" His e/amples lie on to lead us from darnessto li+ht" His life was one of mer!y# !ompassion# !are# !onsideration# indness and toleran!e for all" Hissayin+s# nown as Hadiths# bear testimony to this" 6ne parti!ular theme found in his sayin+s relate to theri+hts of women" t is without a doubt that slam afforded women an honorable and respe!ted position"Howeer# it is sad to see people# many Muslims in!luded# i+norant of this"

6n one o!!asion# he said# 9:ear Allah in respe!t of women"; He also said# 9The best of you are they whobehae best to their wies"; n another he said# 9A Muslim must not hate his wife# and if he be displeasedwith one bad -uality in her# let him be pleased with one that is +ood"; n one more Hadith# he said# 9Themore !iil and ind a Muslim is to his wife# the more perfe!t in faith he is";


2/7

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Role Model for Individuals 9

t is no wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad.s (PBUH) employer was none other than a woman#


3/7

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Role Model for Individuals 9,

f one a!!epts that slam is the final and perfe!t reli+ion# then it would be in!onsistent to not !onsider thelife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as an e/ample for the Muslim !ommunity or to not a!!ept his life assomethin+ that shapes and +uides the daily lies of Muslims" :or that reason# the life style and personalityof Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)# demonstrated durin+ his prophethood of 2D years# in!ludes erysi+nifi!ant proisions and prin!iples for the reli+ious# politi!al# so!ial and moral life of Muslim !ommunitiesas a whole" The followin+ hadith summaries the statements found in the *uranE

9The best of spee!h is un-uestionably the spee!h of Allah" That is the Boo of Allah (the *uran)" The bestof +uidan!e is the +uidan!e of Muhammad (PBUH)" 6f all matters# the most eil of thin+s are those whi!hare newly,inented (in reli+ion)# and eery innoation is a deiation# and eery deiation leads people toHell;

i! T"# Sunn&" &nd Pro%"#t Mu"&$$&d- (PBUH) St&tu & Ro# Mod#

slami! s!holars state that the terms sa!il (road)# sirat al-musta%im (strai+ht path) and uswa al-hasana(best of e/amples)# whi!h are mentioned in the Holy *uran# in the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)#and in the words of his >ompanions# are words and terms that represent the !on!ept of the sunnah" Allthese terms indi!ate the path to be followed and the model to be taen as an e/ample" The name of thisroad is the sunnah# and it is !olle!tiely followed by the >ompanions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) andthe belieers"

'ohann :K!# who mentions the +reat !ultural unity that was a!!omplished by slam# beliees that thereason for this is the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)# who seres as a role model ( al-uswatu’l-hasana) for eery MuslimJ he !on!ludesE 9


4/7

9. Advanced Handbook of Islamic Studies

with and !all people to the new reality# yet mae it !lear that he is a human bein+ whoonly lies for his own mission#

• The prin!iples related to the aspe!ts of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a human#husband# father# relatie and friend"

• The prin!iples !on!ernin+ Prophet Muhammad.s (PBUH) leadership within the stateadministration# at the battle,+round# at the maret pla!e# at s!hool or in the masid"

?a!h and eery one of these prin!iples is an indi!ation that refle!ts the !omprehensie e/tent of hise/emplary# role,model status and his ability to proide +uidan!e"

The followin+ prin!iples mi+ht be mentioned when dis!ussin+ Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as an e/ample

for adheren!e to the sunnahE• The path to delieran!e from e/!ess and instability !an be a!hieed by followin+ the

sunnah" The appli!ations stemmin+ from the differen!es in sunnah are not per!eied asareas of !onfli!t"

• 5e should ealuate the alidity and inalidity of our own opinions# thou+hts andpra!ti!es a!!ordin+ to the *uran and the


5/7


without asin+ or nowin+ the reasons" 5hat these a!tions do imply is that in slam to as -uestions andto understand the reason why somethin+ has been !ommanded is permitted# and een en!oura+ed"

There were times when the >ompanions understood the rulin+s in the *uran and the sunnah in a way thatwas not intended and pra!ti!ed them in an in!orre!t mannerJ in su!h !ases they were !orre!ted byProphet Muhammad (PBUH)" ompanions performed a!tions at their own dis!retion whi!hwere later ruled to be in!orre!t and subse-uently they were !orre!ted by the Prophet" All of these aree/amples of how stri!tly Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) trained his >ompanions# who were deemed as the9e/emplary +eneration;

Another important attitude of the >ompanions is the way in whi!h they dealt with problems when ProphetMuhammad (PBUH) was not aailable" They would see the solution to the problem firstly in the Holy*uran# se!ondly# if they !ould not find the solution there# they would turn to the sunnah# thirdly# if theyfound no answer there either# they would pra!ti!e what they thou+ht was the best a!tion" 5hen they on!ea+ain en!ountered the Prophet# they would state the matter and see his opinionJ they would !orre!t their faults if there were any" There is no instan!e that shows that the Prophet.s !ompanions displayed anattitude that was opposed to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)"

n !on!lusionE

• The importan!e of the status of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a role model is definedin the Holy *uran and in the sunnahJ this !onstitutes one of the foremost pra!ti!es for Muslims"

• There is no disa+reement amon+ Muslims as to the fa!t that Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) !onstitutes the best e/ample with his morality# a!tions# words and other features"

• t would not be !orre!t to demote the Prophet.s status as role model to a limited number of fields" This status is related to all fields of life"

• Prophet Muhammad.s (PBUH) status as role model is important not only from the

perspe!tie of the indiidual# but also from the so!ial perspe!tie" ts bindin+ featuresand determination of methods must be !onsidered from these two perspe!ties"

• Prophet Muhammad.s (PBUH) status as role model and the alidity of the sunnah arenot limited to his life or to a !ertain time period" The Holy *uran and the notions of thesunnah state this issue !learly# and the fa!t that Muslim !ommunity pra!ti!es his sunnahis proof of this issue"

• Prophet Muhammad.s (PBUH) status as role model and the !ontinuity of his sunnah arethe most important !omponents that proide a unifyin+ for!e in the Muslim world"

• t is important to study the lies of the >ompanions in order to understand and!omprehend the status of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a role model"

i! Pro%"#t Mu"&$$&d (PBUH) in t"# E*# o' Non2Mui$ 3rit#r

n a boo written by Mi!hael Hart# a >hristian# in whi!h he sele!ted one hundred people he !onsidered tobe influential in the history of the world# Muhammad (PBUH) is rated by him as the most influential manthat had eer lied"

Part of the ar+ument adan!ed by Hart is that Muhammad (PBUH) was responsible for both the theolo+yof slam and its main ethi!al and moral prin!iples" And in addition# he played the ey role in proselytiin+for the new faith# and in establishin+ the reli+ious pra!ti!es of slam"

Also# 'ules Masserman# a United hi!a+o Uniersity# statedthe -ualities that the +reatest leader of all times must possess whi!h a!!ordin+ to him are thatE

i" The leader must proide for the well,bein+ of the led"ii" The leader or would be leader must proide a so!ial or+aniation in whi!h people feel relatiely

se!ure"iii" The leader must proide his people with one set of beliefs"

5ith these standards# Masserman !on!lude thusE

9Perhaps the +reatest leader of all times was Muhammad (PBUH)# who!ombined all three fun!tions """";

3eor+e Benard hrist# he must be !alled the


6/7

95 Advanced Handbook of Islamic Studies

enumerate and dis!uss briefly some outstandin+ -ualities that earned him those remarable !omments"

(i) L#&d#r"i%: The leadership offered by the Prophet remains till today a model worthy of emulation" He led by e/ample and was always !ons!ious of the fa!t that leadership is a trustfrom Allah for whi!h one will be a!!ountable before Allah on the Cay of 'ud+ment" The Prophete/hibited all the traits of a model leader not only in the sphere of reli+ion" Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) was also a perfe!t politi!al and matrimonial leader" The prophet also handed down aprin!iple that a leader should see himself as a serant of the led" The impli!ation of this is that aleader should assume the position of leadership only to sere the people" He should not allowthe position he o!!upies to +et into his head and as su!h feels that he is superior to his sube!ts"Rather# he should see himself as their serant and must be ready to sere them at all times"

(i) Fir$n#: This is another -uality that the Prophet e/emplified" Nou will re!all that ri+ht from thetime he started prea!hin+ in Me!!a till !lose to the time he died in Medina# the enemies of slamdid not allow him breathin+ spa!e" Nou will remember the referen!e made in unit si/ about howthe Me!!ans tried to bribe him with worldly thin+s so that he mi+ht abandon his mission" Rather than su!!umb to them# he remained firm# resolute and fo!used" He neer looed ba!"

(ii) Trut6ort"in#: Truthfulness# honesty and trustworthiness are other outstandin+ -ualities of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)" ?en as a !hild# he was truthful" And as a youth in the !ity of Me!!a# he was nown to be trustworthy as a result of whi!h the people always ept their aluables with him" Nou will re!all as mentioned in unit four that this attribute of trustworthinesswas the !onsideration for his bein+ ni!named al -Amīn in the !ity of Me!!a" The Prophet neer betrayed the trust reposed in him" He neer broe any tru!e he entered into een with theunbelieers" Nou will also re!all how he and his followers ept reli+iously to the letters of thetru!e they si+ned with the Me!!ans at Hudaybiyyah whereas the Me!!ans# on the other hand#betrayed the treaty"

(iii) 7utic#: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a ust ruler and a ust leader" He forbade inusti!e

and oppression" n his dealin+s with people# he neer denied any one of his ri+hts" He wasalways ust"

n the eyes of the Prophet# the poor and the ri!h are e-ual" He would not allow the poerty of thepoor to preent him from doin+ usti!e while he would also not allow the nobility of the noble toaffe!t his ud+ment" To him# the stron+ and the wea are the same when it !omes to obtainin+

usti!e"

6n!e# a woman of repute from the tribe of Mah@m was arrai+ned before the Prophet for theft"The people there present re!o+niin+ her status tried to influen!e him so that she mi+ht be letoff" The Prophet refused their plea and remaredE 9Had she been :timah# my dau+hter thatstole# would hae !ertainly !ut off her hand;"


7/7


The points to be noted here are that non,Muslims are allowed to lie in the slami! state and thatthey hae ri+hts whi!h must not be trampled upon" Nou will re!all the !lauses in the Medina!harter dis!ussed in unit ten in whi!h the ri+hts of the >hristians liin+ in Medina are stated andwell +uaranteed"

The aboe are few of the noble !hara!ters of the Prophet (PBUH) whi!h Muslim and non,Muslimleaders and the led are e/pe!ted to emulate"

∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗

Documents

08-Muhammad (PBUH) as Role Model for Individuals