The
wisdom of Abraham, the patience of Job, the chastity of Joseph, the strength of
Moses, and the charity of Jesus were all embodied in Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him). The Seal of the Prophets, assuming no holiness,
personified ultimate human majesty. Despite losing his dear family members at a
young age, he grew up to be 'a mercy to all the worlds'. His love extended from
his family members, to believers, to non-believers, and even to animals. As a
family man, he raised his cousin `Ali, always kissed his daughter Fatimah on the
forehead, and cherished the memory of his wife Khadijah to the end of his life.
He taught that feeding an animal can take one to Heaven whereas mistreating it
could take one to Hell.
Unlike
the bomb-turbaned figure in the blasphemous Danish cartoons that sparked outrage
among Muslims recently, upon his victorious return to Mecca, Prophet Muhammad
set his enemies free. On that day when one of his Companions said, "Today
is the day of the battle. Today Allah humiliates the Quraish," the Prophet
protested, "Today is the day of mercy. Today Allah honors the Quraish."
Whenever
the Quraish attacked him he would supplicate Allah: "Please Allah, guide my
people, for they don't know." On his way back from Taif, where the
villagers stoned him until he bled, an angel appeared and offered to punish the
transgressors. The Prophet declined, because maybe one day one of his assailants
would be guided.
For
his magnanimous character, the Prophet has been praised by Muslims throughout
their history. Now, centuries after his death, believers around the world
continue to express their devotion to him through poetry and song in many
different tongues. Here we offer you a selection.
Indonesian
Qatrunada is one of the many popular nasheed groups (merging
poppy
tunes, vocal harmonies, and percussion) that were created
in
the wake of Raihan's success. They have now built a considerable international
fan base of their own.
