"Prophet brought peace and mercy for us all"
"Prophet brought peace and mercy for us all", Abid Ishaq, 10 February 2006, Khaleej Times
"Grievous to him is what you suffer, anxious for you, compassionate is he, merciful to the believers." (Quran, 10:128)
Dear readers, the above verse of the Holy Quran points to the noblest of all humans; Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Not only does this divine verse direct us towards the compassionate and merciful attitude of the Prophet, it also expresses the depth of compassion and mercy he exercised on a daily basis.
It is related that a Bedouin once came asking for something from him. He gave the man something and said, "Have I been good to you?" The Bedouin said, "No, you have not and you have not done well." The Muslims became angry and went for him. The Prophet indicated that they should hold off. Then the Prophet got up and went into his house. Then the Prophet sent for him and added something to his gift and said, "Have I been good to you?" The Bedouin replied, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in family and tribe."
The Prophet said, "You said what you said and that angered my Companions. If you like, say what you said in my presence in their presence so as to remove what they harbour in their breasts against you." He said, "Yes." He came back later and the Prophet said, "This Bedouin said what he said and then we gave him more. He claims that he is content. Isn’t that so?" He said, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in your family and tribe."
The Prophet said, "The example of this man and me is like a man who has a she-camel who bolts from him. People chase it and they only make it shy away more. The owner calls to them to stay clear of him and his she-camel, saying, ‘I am more compassionate and better to it than you.’ He goes in front of it and takes some clods of dirt and drives it back until it comes and kneels. He saddles and mounts it. If I had given you your heads when the man said what he said, you would have killed him and he would have entered the Fire."
In another incident, when the Prophet's people rejected him, Arch Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to him and said, "Allah has heard what your people say to you and how they reject you. He has ordered the angels of the mountains to obey whatever you tell them to do." The angel of the mountains called him, greeted him and said, "Send me to do what you wish. If you wish, I will crush them between the two mountains of Makkah." The Prophet said, "Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him." (Muslim, Bukhari and the Six Books)
The Prophet's compassion and mercy are not merely historical facts. The very message of Islam and the compassionate character that the Prophet communicated applies just as much to us in rural and urban neighbourhoods today as it did to the Bedouin in the desert fourteen centuries ago. This is because Allah, the Creator, sent the Last Prophet to all humanity for all times to come and thus protecting the Prophet's character is the right of every Muslim. This protection however needs to be planned, objective-oriented and effective due to the great importance that Allah has placed on the seal of all prophets; Muhammad, peace be upon him.
When Muslims protect the noble Prophet's exemplary character by reacting violently, somewhere along the line, the teachings of the compassionate and merciful Prophet are lost. Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) anxiety and suffering for us increases when we resort to impatience and hatred and we fail miserably in justifying the Prophet’s reply to the angel of the mountains. Muslims need to educate themselves and others on the Prophet's life and teachings and not resort to means that drive others away from Islam. Allah says regarding the Prophet: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all the worlds." (Quran, 21:107)
"Grievous to him is what you suffer, anxious for you, compassionate is he, merciful to the believers." (Quran, 10:128)
Dear readers, the above verse of the Holy Quran points to the noblest of all humans; Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Not only does this divine verse direct us towards the compassionate and merciful attitude of the Prophet, it also expresses the depth of compassion and mercy he exercised on a daily basis.
It is related that a Bedouin once came asking for something from him. He gave the man something and said, "Have I been good to you?" The Bedouin said, "No, you have not and you have not done well." The Muslims became angry and went for him. The Prophet indicated that they should hold off. Then the Prophet got up and went into his house. Then the Prophet sent for him and added something to his gift and said, "Have I been good to you?" The Bedouin replied, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in family and tribe."
The Prophet said, "You said what you said and that angered my Companions. If you like, say what you said in my presence in their presence so as to remove what they harbour in their breasts against you." He said, "Yes." He came back later and the Prophet said, "This Bedouin said what he said and then we gave him more. He claims that he is content. Isn’t that so?" He said, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in your family and tribe."
The Prophet said, "The example of this man and me is like a man who has a she-camel who bolts from him. People chase it and they only make it shy away more. The owner calls to them to stay clear of him and his she-camel, saying, ‘I am more compassionate and better to it than you.’ He goes in front of it and takes some clods of dirt and drives it back until it comes and kneels. He saddles and mounts it. If I had given you your heads when the man said what he said, you would have killed him and he would have entered the Fire."
In another incident, when the Prophet's people rejected him, Arch Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to him and said, "Allah has heard what your people say to you and how they reject you. He has ordered the angels of the mountains to obey whatever you tell them to do." The angel of the mountains called him, greeted him and said, "Send me to do what you wish. If you wish, I will crush them between the two mountains of Makkah." The Prophet said, "Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him." (Muslim, Bukhari and the Six Books)
The Prophet's compassion and mercy are not merely historical facts. The very message of Islam and the compassionate character that the Prophet communicated applies just as much to us in rural and urban neighbourhoods today as it did to the Bedouin in the desert fourteen centuries ago. This is because Allah, the Creator, sent the Last Prophet to all humanity for all times to come and thus protecting the Prophet's character is the right of every Muslim. This protection however needs to be planned, objective-oriented and effective due to the great importance that Allah has placed on the seal of all prophets; Muhammad, peace be upon him.
When Muslims protect the noble Prophet's exemplary character by reacting violently, somewhere along the line, the teachings of the compassionate and merciful Prophet are lost. Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) anxiety and suffering for us increases when we resort to impatience and hatred and we fail miserably in justifying the Prophet’s reply to the angel of the mountains. Muslims need to educate themselves and others on the Prophet's life and teachings and not resort to means that drive others away from Islam. Allah says regarding the Prophet: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all the worlds." (Quran, 21:107)
posted by rolihlahla at 6:37:00 p.m.
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