PROPHET MUHAMMAD: THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL

The prophet Muhammad was and is an excellent role model in his ethical behavior
and teachings for all the humans. The Holy Quran indicates this fact in Chapter 33
(al-Ahzaab) , verse 21:

‫ل ِفى َل ُكمْ َكانَْ لَّقَ ْد‬ ِْ ‫سو‬ َّ ْ‫سن َْة أُس َوة‬
ُ ‫ٱّللِْ َر‬ َ ‫وا َكانَْ ِل َمن َح‬ َّ ‫َوٱل َيو َْم‬
ْ ‫ٱّللَْ يَر ُج‬
‫اخ َْر‬ِ ‫ٱّللَ َوذَ َك َْر ٱل َء‬
َّْ ‫يرا‬ً ‫َك ِث‬
Meaning: Surely there was a good example for you in the Messenger of Allah, for all
those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.

Its meaning is presenting the Prophet’s life is no model for the person who is
forgetful of Allah, but it certainly is a model for him who remembers Allah much
and consistently. Also, to those who claims to be the believers, Muslims and
followers of the Messenger. Even those who opposed his mission during
his life time had to acknowledge his unblemished character before and after his
declaration of his mission. Therefore, whoever made a claim should take the
Prophet’s life as a model for themselves in every affair of life.
He has taught the Muslims that their character should be such that others feel secure
with him with respect to their lives and properties. He has told not to inflict any
harm to the women and children during a war, not to mutilate the bodies of those
who are killed in the battle, let alone killing innocent people. Once, a Christian
chieftain named Adi bin Hatim al-Ta'i, came for an audience with the Prophet of
Islam, who happened to be sitting on a cushion. On seeing the visitor he took the
cushion from underneath and offered it to his Christian guest, himself preferring to
sit on the ground. This admirable display of modesty by the great Prophet so deeply
affected Adi bin Hatim al-Ta'i, that the Christian chief immediately embraced Islam.
He also has declared that all are equal and their grades exist on the bases of
their fear of God. The Prophet said: “I will not give up five habits as long as I live: To
eat sitting on ground with slaves, to ride on pony without a saddle, to milch goat
with my own hands, to wear coarse woolen cloth and to greet children, so that it
may become a popular habit after me and people follow suit.” When he would sit
among the people, those who would see such a gathering for the first time would
find it difficult to point who was the prophet, as he would be without any pomp or
distinction from others.
Hence contemporary Muslims and even non Muslims can take the last Prophet
Muhammad as a model in ethics and practically create a united mankind.
A person cannot be considered to be a role model sent to guide people and at the
same time be a person who commits deeds that are against the will of Allah. For this
reason, all the prophets have been granted with a particular high-moral quality.
They never intentionally or deliberately acted against the consent of Allah. The
mistakes that they made and the faults which stemmed from forgetfulness caused
Allah to remind or warn them. These mistakes and faults are not reflected to the
people as an aspect of their status as role model. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
committed no mistakes that would harm the conveyance of the Quran and this is
proven in the Holy Quran and is agreed upon by Muslim community.

If we want to witness the practices of the Prophet, we also must look at the lives of
the Companions. There are many clear accounts that provide us with adequate
materials on this issue. One of the examples was the way in which they dealt with
problems when Prophet Muhammad was not available. They would seek the
solution to the problem firstly in the Holy Quran, secondly, if they could not find the
solution there, they would turn to the sunnah, thirdly, if they found no answer there
either, they would practice what they thought was the best action. When they once
again encountered the Prophet, they would state the matter and seek his opinion;
they would correct their faults if there were any. There is no instance that shows that
the Prophet's companions displayed an attitude that was opposed to the sunnah of
Prophet Muhammad.