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The life of the prophet provides a criterion to judge a human being, a nation or a society.

I have
highlighted the basic characteristics that Muslims have to develop by studying the life of Prophet
Mohammed (pbuh). From my perspective, these are universal values for all humankind and not
confined to Muslims. Here are the milestones for this journey.

Truth and Honesty

Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was known as a truthful and honest (sadiq and amin) long before he
received divine revelation.

In his first call the prophet (pbuh) gathered the people of Mecca and asked them what they thought
about him. They unanimously told him that he has always been truthful and honest. Then he asked
them, Would you believe if I told you that there is an invading army coming from behind the hill?
They again told him that they certainly would believe him because he had never lied to them.

The criteria for being a Muslim are truth and honesty. Without arriving at this station in life, the
onward journey cannot continue.

Human Equality and Rights

This is the area where the Prophet (pbuh) received maximum opposition. He started with the
downtrodden, poor and slave people and made them equal as brothers. The early converts were the
persecuted poor people. Gradually the conversion expanded to influential people like Omar. He
started his message with human equality giving people of all colors and origins equal rights and
ended with the same message in his last sermon in Mecca. The Prophet said:

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has
any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any
superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to
every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a
Muslim, which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore,
do injustice to yourselves.

This is perhaps the most difficult thing to do even in the 21 st century. We can look at the
contemporary Muslim world and judge for ourselves how far we are from this station. Look deeply
and we find the racial, ethnic, tribal and religious sense of superiority. The affluent countries of the
Middle East do not permit even highly educated Muslims equal opportunities that they enjoy in the
USA or Europe.

This tenet of Islam was practiced by Sufi saints in South Asia. In their dargahs, they started providing
food for people on an equal basis. The people in India had never seen such a thing in their lives. In a
caste-ridden society of India of the 10 th century low caste people could not expect such equality.
Sufi saints generally avoided the company of kings or local rulers. They never treated the rich people
differently from the common people. This gesture alone converted a large number of low caste
people in India. The tradition still continues all over South Asia at the dargahs of Sufi saints.

Perseverance for Islam


Immediately after the Prophet (pbuh) started spreading the word of Islam, he was persecuted in
Mecca. After seeing the gradual progress of Islam, the people of Mecca insulted him, physically
abused him and later on offered him all the worldly things. He categorically told them that even if
they gave the sun and moon in his hands he would not stop preaching the message.

This lesson was followed by many people at different times in the history of the Muslim World. Sufi
saints declined to go to the court of the kings and always persevered in their message. Imam
Hussein gave humanity a shining example by standing up for the righteous cause of Islam.

Equal Justice

Right from the beginning, the message of Islam emphasized equal justice for all. The Prophet (pbuh)
said:

If my daughter Fatima commits a crime, she will be punished exactly in the same manner like other
people

This attitude led Omar to establish justice everywhere in the Muslim World. In fact, it was largely
responsible for the spread of Islam. As long as Muslims followed this principle, they continued to
succeed in the expansion of Muslim rule. The decline started with inequality of justice or lack of it.

Simplicity in Living

The Prophet (pbuh) lived a life of simplicity and poverty when he was the religious leader as well as
the head of state. He mended his own shoes and wore coarse garments, milked goats, swept the
hearth, kindled the fire and attended to other menial jobs of the family. The community of Medina
grew wealthy while he slept on a palm mat. His food consisted of dates and water. His family would
go hungry many nights successively because it could not get anything to eat in the evening. There
are not many examples of such austere living in the history of humankind.

Compare his life with the lifestyles of contemporary leaders of Muslim countries and we find how
far the Muslims have strayed away from the path chosen for them by the Prophet (pbuh).

His example was followed by Sufi saints like Nizum Din Aulia in India. Every day a lot of money was
donated to Sufi saints. By the end of the day, all money was given in charity to widows, and the poor
and needy people. The Aulia Karam kept money only for the food that was also used for feeding the
hungry people.

Mercy and Compassion

This is the defining characteristic of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). Throughout his life, he always
showed mercy even when people were cruel to him. He forgave his mortal enemies who fought him
in war and planned his assassination. The people who use violence in the name of Islam should
carefully study the example of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), if they profess to be Muslims.

I have not read anything in the history of mankind like the conquest of Mecca. Based on their tribal
history, the people of Mecca expected slaughter. In the modern world, every conquest or revolution
has ended with massive bloodshed and complete enslavement of the conquered people. Instead,
the Prophet declared:
"O Quraish, what do you think that I am about to do with you?" They replied, "Good. You are a
noble brother, son of a noble brother." The Prophet forgave them all saying:

"I will treat you as Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) treated his brothers. There is no reproach against you.
Go to your homes, and you are all free."

This is in fact the essence of Islam. Later on Salahud Din Ayubi also showed respect to Christians and
Jews at the end of the crusades.

Conclusion

Before anyone professes to be a Muslim he or she must look towards the destination. Not everyone
is expected to reach enlightenment at the end of this journey. However, it is imperative that we
understand the spirit behind the Islamic rituals. These rituals help us in the preparation of this
journey but they are not the ultimate goal. If the rituals do not inspire people to do good deeds
(amle saleh) then they are like a body without a soul.

Every individual, society or nation that professes to be Islamic must look at the criterion established
by Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) and the Quran. The essence of Islam is service to humanity in every
possible way.

I like to close by quoting Sufi saint Khawaja Moeenud Din Chishti who said, A person should
develop generosity like a river, kindness like a sun, and humility like earth.

Muslims all over the world celebrated the Prophets birthday during this month by remembering the
details of his life: His birth, childhood, marriages, and struggle to spread his message, kindness,
courage, wisdom, last sermon and finally death. There is emphasis on how he spoke, loved, washed,
worshiped, ate, drank etc. And premium is put on imitating him in the smallest details. But the
questions I keep asking myself are: What is his real legacy? What is the essence of his message?
Who are the true heirs of his tradition? Is there a higher, more profound meaning in his life that we
should be trying to understand?

This WRITING is mostly about questions, rather than answers. As someone who is observing a
worldwide meltdown of the current financial systems, destruction of the environment, population
explosion, exploitation of the poor and attempts of the superpowers to control the world resources,
these questions are not just relevant, but of existential nature. If we do not attempt to look for the
solution to these problems in his teachings and philosophy, then just reciting poems in his praise
and ritualistic imitation of his life is meaningless.

Muslims claim that his message is eternal. Is that a realistic expectation? How do we reconcile what
he did in the tribal life of the 7th century Arabia with the demands of the 21st century? This will be
only possible if we look beyond the superficial ritualistic aspects of his life. Travel by camels, eating
dates as a staple food, wearing the kind of clothes that he did, methods of war and peace, norms of
inter-tribal relations of his day cannot be simply imposed today. So, what is his core message that
will last for eternity? I believe timelessness of his message can only be found by going beyond the
perfunctory review of his teachings. Only then we discover his true legacy that is his revolutionary
spirit, his courage to challenge the status quo, his audacity to question the traditions, which were
unjust, inhumane and exploitative of the weak. This is the essence of his message that will live
forever, that will be applicable in all times to come and will inspire men and women to higher ideals
and move the world towards a better place for all human beings: Men and women, old and young,
weak and strong, rich and poor, white and black, yellow and brown.

He emphasized charity, but when charity erodes human dignity, makes people and nations to
become subservient to the rich, when it becomes a business for ulterior motives and, above all,
when it fails to alleviate human misery and restore balance of power among people and nations, is it
still the answer? How would he address this issue? Economic disparity and marginalization of the
poor is the predominant problem of the modern world. Promise of capitalism has failed. The
trickledown economics does not work for the majority of the people on this planet where almost
three-fourths of them live in poverty, while a few have amassed enormous wealth; where
multinational companies control the world resources. What will be his stand on feudalism, current
trade practices, unlimited private property holdings, maximization of profit for shareholders by
exploiting the workers? Will he approve of a system that allows a minority of people to hold large
amounts of land and property enabling them to subjugate the majority?

Karen Armstrong in her book, Muhammad: A biography of the Prophet, says: Western scholars tell
us that it is mistaken to see Muhammad as a socialist. They point out that he never criticised
capitalism, which had, after all, done great things for the Quraysh, and that he did not attempt to
abolish poverty altogether, which would have been an impossible task in the seventh-century
Arabia. Muhammad may not have conformed to all the recent concepts of socialism, as it has
evolved in the West, but in a deeper sense he was certainly socialist. I believe there is a certain
truth in this statement.

Islam emphasizes obedience to the ruler. What would he say about the rulers, who are corrupt and
unjust? Would he want people to follow them blindly? Or would he expect them to raise their voice
against their corrupt practices? What will he expect people to do when the poor in a country do not
have bare minimum food to sustain, while millions are spent in the kitchens of the rulers? When
average person does not have even meagre means to travel, while the rich are importing expensive
cars and establishing private trains for their luxury? Where poor children are deprived of even the
basic primary education, while the rich attend elite schools with air-conditioned rooms? Where the
workers are paid minimum wage and no benefits, while the owners of the mills and factories are
minting money? Where the average person is dying of tainted medicines, while rich are flown in
private jets to countries with the state-of-the-art medical facilities? Where rich have palaces with
swimming pools, while the poor are forced to spend lives in makeshift huts from which they can be
evicted anytime? What will he do and say to the poor and the rich in todays Pakistan?
Karen Armstrong said: At the beginning, therefore, Islam was a movement of young men and
people, who felt they were being pushed into a marginal place in the city of Makkah. Why was this
so? I think it was because his message of change, egalitarianism, economic and social justice
resonated with them. From this perspective, his message is not just for all times, but for people of
all ages, all countries, all ethnicities and all religions. The young and the poor of today have to think
hard. Do they want to mindlessly follow what the preachers are telling them or are they willing to be
the true heirs of his tradition and challenge the status quo, work for equality and justice for all,
according to the needs of this modern day.

Administration
Muhammad established a new polity under the directions of Allah

- Abrogated existing tribal practices based on tribal superiority and their economic and political
status
- Into a state where everyone was equal before Allah and a member of a brotherhood
- Revolutionary because the change was sudden and huge
- Democratic in nature which wasnt common in medieval times
- Ameer ali warring tribes and clans rapidly consolidated into a nation under the influence of
one great idea. This work done within that short period will always remain as one of the most
wonderful achievements recorded in history
- Liberalism and benevolent spirit
- Consolidated scattered arab tribes into one compact nation
- Enunciated a Charter of liberty, equality and fraternity in which rights and duties of muslims
were clearly defined
- Prophetic monarchy
- Gibbons said that prophet despised pomp of royalty
- Played the role of a preacher, chief justice, civil administrator, commander, diplomat, law giver
and head of the state
- W. Irwing, despite the power he had he maintained simplicity in his manner and his benevolent
epoch of patriarch was never marred by extravagant bureaucracy of aggressive imperialism
- Charter of madina foundation of democratic commonwealth

The sovereign

- In islam, soverignity is vested in allah. Allahs commands were binding on the prophet
- Quran a piece of written constitution
- When quran was silent, prophets authority was supreme and prophet used equality
- According to the definitions of western philosophers, the prophet can be considered to be a full
sovereign of the state
- Bodin sovereign was bound by the law of nature, moral law and the common law of nations.
- Hobbes sovereign was bound by the laws of god and those of nature. The ruler was above his
own laws but under Gods or under the law of nature
- Austins famous definition allows a sovereign to be bound by the laws of god
- The muslim concept of sovereignty varies from western concept of sovereignty
- In islam the functions of the ruler and the spiritual chief are united into one
- Prophet though supreme, consulted his chief companions on all important state matters
- Supreme leader of state, his orders were followed by the people with zeal and fervor
- Masjid nabvi was his office from where he consulted many companions, wrote letters to the
governor, also carried great deal of correspondence with tax collectors

Secretariat

- Al jashariya writes that


- Ali and usman recorded revelations
- Zubair bin awaam and juhaym bin as salt were deputed to keep record of properties collected
by zakat and sadqah
- Hudhafyah bin al yamam prepared estimates of revenue from the date palms
- Al hasan bin namir recorded transactions among arabs
- Abdullah bin arqam and al ala bin uqbal maintained records of the income
-

Spiritual guide

The message of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is indelible. Despite the lapse of many
centuries, his words, actions and examples continue to illuminate all those who want
to uplift themselves in the fields of practical ethics, knowledge, and spirituality, even
in warfare and statecraft. The Holy Prophet being the perfect man upheld his
principles all through his life.

We find many metaphors for the Prophet mentioned in the Holy Quran. In verses
33:45-46 Allah says: O Prophet! Indeed We have sent you as witness (shahid) and
the bearer of glad tidings (mubashir) and a warner (nazir); And as one who invites to
Allah by His leave (dai) and as a lamp spreading light (sirajum munirah).

All these metaphors reflect the Holy Prophets mission and contain deep meanings.
Their proper understanding can be an engine for creating a more united and cohesive
worldwide Muslim community. One such metaphor of the Holy Prophet is sirajum
munirah. As-siraj means the lamp which emits light to banish darkness. In verse 71:16
Allah says we have made the sun as-Siraj (a lamp). The Prophet is like the sun, whose
spiritual light, guidance, knowledge and examples of ethical behaviour illuminate the
believers path. They find eternal peace, happiness and success in the world and the
hereafter.

In our physical world, the sun has many distinctive features. First, it is one of the
greatest signs of Allahs creation, which emits light, energy and heat from the very
start. It never sets, though we tend to say that the sun rises in the east and sets in the
west. In actuality it never rises nor sets. It rotates around its axis and is ever-shining,
ever-glowing. The earths portion which falls in front of it becomes bright and a new
day dawns. Similarly, the Holy Prophet being the spiritual sun never sets. He is
the last and final Prophet and his light continues to guide humanity in general and
believers in particular towards eternal bliss.

Secondly, the sun does not need any proof of its existence. All can see the existence of
the sun. Similarly, the Holy Prophet does not require any evidence to prove his
spiritual merits. Only those in the Arab society who were without sight did not see
his spirituality and remained ignorant. The Holy Quran refers to them in verse 7:179,
that they have eyes wherewith they see not. They included persons like Abu Jahal,
Abu Lahab and others who were unable to free themselves from a rigid mindset.

The third feature of the physical sun is its limitlessness. No person on earth has ever
ventured to measure the suns radiance, light and its capacity in exactitude. Only
estimates have been expressed. Similarly, in the spiritual realm, no one has ever
imagined the greatness, respect and dignity of the Holy Prophet. His coming among
believers has been declared a great favour by Allah (3:164).

Another important feature of the physical sun is that it is a source of abundant energy,
which makes our planet liveable.

Many cultures know how to use sunlight to heal a number of illnesses. A moderate
amount of sun exposure spurs the human body to make Vitamin D, which strengthens
human bones and kills harmful germs and bacteria. Since many diseases are caused
directly or indirectly by the absence of sunlight, therefore, the sun has an essential role
in the elimination of diseases.

Similarly, the Holy Prophets coming to this world uplifted humanity. It banished
many spiritual diseases like ignorance and vanity that cast ominous shadows all over.
He opened new avenues of knowledge, promoted intellectual thinking and supported
selfless service.

Just as the physical sun solves so many of mankinds problems, the problems that lie
on the spiritual path that stand in the way of ethical elevation have solutions within
the teachings of the Holy Prophet.

The suns heat melts snow which fills rivers with water. This enables crops to grow.
With the energy of the sun, the earth grows fruits, flowers and grains. It helps rain to
come down to spread greenery and make the earth verdant. It increases soil fertility,
but not all soil responds positively.

Similarly, the Holy Prophets spiritual message increases the radiance of the heart of
the believer. Before the Prophets appearance in Arabian society, there were some
who were engaged in looting the trade caravans, killing their newborn daughters and
other unethical practices. But the Holy Prophet transformed their lives and made them
into exemplary individuals. In this connection, the example of his companion Hazrat
Abuzar Ghaffari can be cited.

Humanity remains indebted for the bounties of the spiritual sun the Holy Prophet.
His teachings and example must be acted upon and passed on to the new generation.

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