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Referring
to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) Allah, Most
High, says, [And
you (stand) on an exalted standard of character]
(Al-Qalam 68:4); [Ye
have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of
conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and
who engages much in the praise of Allah]
(Al-Ahzab 33:21).
A
Unique Character
The
uniqueness of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
is that he was not only a great person in his own time, but he is
great for all times, for all people of any race, color, nationality
or geographical location. His example was good for the 7th-century
Arabs and it is good also for the humanity living now at the
beginning of this 21st century. He is an excellent example for the
rich and poor, for young and old, for rulers and ruled, for the most
intelligent as well as the most common people. Allah sent him as His
Prophet for all humanity. Allah says in the Qur’an:
[Say:
O people! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom
belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god
but He: it is He that gives both life and death. So believe in Allah
and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believed in Allah and
His Words: follow him that (so) you may be guided]
(Al-A`raf 7:158).
Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) practiced what he
preached. He very carefully and meticulously followed the Qur’an,
Allah’s Word that was revealed to him. He followed and lived the
Qur’an at every moment in every detail of his life. His life was
the reflection of Allah’s Words. He became the Qur’an in person,
the embodiment of the Qur’an, or one may even say in a
metaphorical sense “the Word in flesh.” It is reported in a
hadith: Sa`d ibn Hisham said that he asked `A’ishah (may Allah be
pleased with her), “Tell me about the character of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). She said, “His character was
the Qur’an” (Ahmad).
Some
of His Attributes
The
morality of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not
restricted to just a few moral attributes, but included diverse
traits and aspects of life. He was kind, compassionate, caring,
generous and humble, but he was also strong, brave, eloquent, wise
and insightful. He was a great planner, organizer and thinker, yet
he was also a man of faith, trust and devotion to Allah. He was
involved and active with his family and community but he did not
neglect his prayers, fasting and devotion to Allah. Actually, he
prayed so much that no one prayed like him. He was exemplary as a
teacher, preacher, imam, leader, statesman, judge, commander of the
armies as well as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a businessman,
a neighbor, and a friend.
Before he received the honor of prophethood, he was known among the
people of Makkah as “As-Sadiq Al-Amin,” the most honest and
trustworthy person. He kept this character throughout his life. He
never broke a pledge or promise. Even his enemies could not accuse
him of being dishonest.
He
was a most humble person. He used to mingle with the poor and sit
with them. He stopped people standing up for him. He used to sit
wherever there was a place available in an assembly and never sought
a prominent or elevated place. The newcomers sometimes would not
know who was the Prophet among the people. When he entered the city
of Makkah as a conqueror leading a big army, he entered in a most
humble manner. In a unique demonstration of humility his forehead
was touching the saddle of his camel!
A
Mercy to Mankind
He
was the most merciful person. Allah called him [a
mercy to the worlds]
(Al-Anbiya’ 21: 107). He was merciful to his family,
followers, friends, even enemies. He was merciful to young and old,
to humans and to animals. Those who persecuted him in Makkah and
killed his relatives and his followers, when they were defeated in
the battles and brought as captives, were forgiven by him. He did
not ever take revenge or retaliated. He was the most forgiving
person.
Constancy was a very important aspect of his moral behavior. Once he
established some good way or practice he used to follow it and
adhere to it always. He used to say “The most dear deed to
Allah is the one that is performed regularly, even if it was a
little” (Al-Bukhari).
His
Names
The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has many names reflecting
his attributes and qualities. Some of the most beautiful names of
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in both the
Qur’an and Hadith are the following:
Muhammad
(the praised one), Ahmad (most praiseworthy), Hamid (the giver of
praise and thanks), Ar-Rasul (the Messenger), An-Nabi (the Prophet),
Shahid (the witness), Rashid (the righteous), Bashir (the giver of
good news), Nadhir (the warner), Da`i (the caller to Allah), Hadi
(the guide), Mahi (the remover of evil), Fatih (the conqueror),
Ra’uf (the compassionate), Rahim (the merciful), Mujtaba (the
chosen one), Mustafa (the selected one), Murtada (the well-pleasing
in the sight of Allah), As-Sadiq (the truthful), Al-Amin (the
trustworthy), Musaddiq (the confirmer of truth), Habib Allah
(Allah’s beloved one), Safi Allah (the one selected by Allah),
Naji Allah (the one protected by Allah), Shakur (the most grateful
one), Karim (the noble one), Hakim (the wise one), Sayyid (the
leader), Siraj Munir (the shining lamp), Jawwad (the generous one),
`Adil (the Just), and Khatam Ar-Rusul (the final Messenger). May
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him!
*
Excerpted, with slight modifications from, http://pakistanlink.com/religion.html |
