Muḥammed: A Mercy to Mankind

                                    

Muhammed: A Mercy to Mankind

A prophet is not like any other person. He is a human being, yet represents God and speaks on his behalf. History has shown that there is a fine line between being divinely chosen, and being divine; many have confused the one to mean the other. It is easy for some to go to extremes and either under or overestimate the true nature of a prophet and see him as either divine (e.g. Jesus considered by many to be God incarnate), or an ordinary person with great insight. The Quran describes the Prophets as being nearest to God i.e. high in status, but yet emphasises their human nature: they are human beings chosen by God to deliver His message. Certainly, they are God’s creation and do not share divinity with the Creator (Quran, 3:59; 4:171; 5:75).

Muḥammed (Peace be upon him) is the last Prophet and closed a long line of Messengers that included Prophets such as Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus among many others. Muḥammed never claimed divinity. He was instructed to say that “I am only a human being, like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One. Anyone who fears to meet his Lord should do good deed and give no one a share in the worship due to his Lord” (Quran, 18:110). Muḥammed was an orphan, father, husband, a widower, trader, shepherd, a commander, spiritualist, ruler, grandfather, and amassed no wealth. He indeed exemplified truthfulness, justice, forgiveness, compassion, tolerance, cleanliness, modesty and the many etiquettes of beauty.

The Prophet changed the course of history and still continues to inspire over a billion lives across the globe. Not only did he call for belief in the One God, the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all, but he also brought a message so that every individual adds value to her/his life, every family be happy, every society be just, brotherhood be reinforced, nations emphasise solidarity and development, and lastly, humanity strengthens knowledge, Love and cooperation.

In the current political climate, many negative portrayals of Muḥammad have been depicted, oftentimes without full appreciation of the reality of things. Answering such claims, the British author Karen Armstrong argues that:

If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically-driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name – “Islam” – signified peace and reconciliation.  (Karen Armstrong, from Muhammad: A Prophet for our Time, pg. 214)

Muḥammad lived in the seventh century CE in Makkah, a town known as a hub for trade and pilgrimage. Although the Makkans at that time were known for having some good qualities, they were also characterized by some extremely unpleasant morals and values that had become norms within their society – in particular with regards to woman, orphans, slaves, the poor and vulnerable, and in relation to their beliefs. That period of immorality is known as the ‘Jāhiliyya’ or the ‘time of ignorance’. Coincidently, events that took place in seventh century Arabia have much to teach us about the events of our time wherein injustice, corruption, violence and terror prevail.

Muḥammed lived an ordinary life. He was widely admired for his integrity, honesty, manners and wisdom. His characteristics earned him the title of ‘al-amīn’, the ‘Truthful’ and the ‘Trustworthy’. At the age of forty, Muḥammed started receiving divine revelation and began his prophetic mission, a mission that aimed at bettering the condition of his own society.

Mohammed’s prophetic mission:

Muhammed challenged three core matters that upset the status quo in Makkah:

·        The irrational idea that material and man-made things such as idols were worthy of being worshipped

·        The social hierarchy that maintained the superiority of certain tribes and families at the expense of others

·        The injustice, corruption and harmful practices of the Makkan society

He called for better alternatives:

·        He invited people to worship the one and only God, the Creator of all things

·        He promoted the idea that no human being is superior to another because of race, gender or any physical quality. He argued that the only superiority between people is that of moral excellence

·        He called for a society built around ideals of justice and respect for others, with a strong spiritual and moral foundation

Many were convinced by his teachings, be it from amongst the elite of Makkan society, or from amongst its poor. Conversely, those in positions of power responded with anger, intense hatred and slander.

For thirteen years, Muḥammed and the early Muslim community endured violence and torture from the Makkan, their own tribe. Later on, with the formation of the Islamic state in Medina, he demonstrated his incredibly magnanimous nature, and forgave most of his former enemies, some of whom had killed members of his own family. He then carried his message to the neighbouring regions. Implementing the ruling of the Qurʾān, he forbade anyone from being forced to convert to Islam: “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] religion” (Qurʾān 2:256). The existence of the nascent Muslim community was threatened by many powerful tribes, including the Makkan. The Prophet made use of his army to end oppression, establish justice and freedom of religion.

The Prophet never engaged in a battle before exhausting all available diplomatic and peaceful means. Long before the Geneva Conventions, Muḥammed instructed and commanded his armies to respect certain rules of engagement among which are the following:

·        Be kind to your prisoners of wars

·        Do not betray

·        Do not defraud (by stealing the spoils of war)

·        Do not break treaties

·        Do not mutilate

·        Do not kill women, children, and the elderly

·        Do not uproot or burn trees

·         Do not cut down trees that bear fruits

·        Do not slaughter sheeps, cows, and camels except for eating

The Prophet prohibited punitive taxes such as income taxes, sales taxes, as well as interest bearing loans like those that have today crippled individuals, families and nations. He did not prohibit the acquisition of personal wealth, but discouraged people from pursuing it excessively. He insisted that vital commodities, water, sources of fuel, mineral wealth and so forth be shared among citizens, rather than be monopolized by a selected few.

He succeeded in building an identity that transcends race, class, tribe and skin colour. Every Muslim had to identify as part of one brotherhood and a single united nation (‘Ummah’) wherein the rights and honour of all its citizens, including Muslims and non-Muslims, are defended and respected.

Muḥammad established the Quranic ideal that Man is a deputy on earth, a vicegerent entrusted with a mighty responsibility and who is accountable for his actions on Earth. He preached that the central part of his message was not new, rather, it was the same message that had been proclaimed before by previous Prophets including Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and others. He prevented any kind of priesthood or clerical hierarchy. He instructed that after his demise, Muslims should choose their leader and remain united behind him, as long as the latter fulfilled his obligations and duties towards them.

The Prophet did not forbid his followers from asking him questions. Nor did he suppress debate or scientific inquiry. Moreover, Muḥammad enjoined leadership accountability, warning of dire consequence if leaders were not brought to account. He taught his followers to debate ideas and other religions, and not debase them.

The Islamic world that was built upon the foundation of Muḥammad’s example entered a Golden age of intellectual and scientific inquiry amidst unparalleled justice and harmony between people of different backgrounds.

 

Written By:

Nasser Said Al-Falahi
Muscat , 2016

 

 German translation please click here
 French Translation please click here
 Philipens Translation please click here
 Russina Translation Please clic Here
  


Professor Brown gives an interview on his new book "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy"

Please watch this site click this Link

Title is "Misquoting Mohammed
By Dr. Jonathan AC Brown.


You may also watch Misquoting Jesus click here  by Professor Bart D. Ehrman