Muhammad (PBUH): The Universal Prophet (FINAL EPISODE)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the supreme example of a family man. He was a loving husband, an affectionate father, and a doting grandfather. As long as the faithful Khadija was alive, he never took another wife. Even later on in life, when he had married several women, he used to cherish the loving memory of the faithful Khadija.
His marriages were not for pleasure, but were a humanitarian means to further the cause of Islam, as is evident from the women he married. In the case of Sawda, Umm Salama, and Zainab bint Khuzaima, it was to take care of poor and helpless widows well in their middle-ages, while the marriage to Juwairiyah was to grant her freedom from captivity.
Still others such as those to Umm Habiba, Safiya, A’isha, Hafsa, and Maimoona were meant for uniting some prominent Arab tribes, who were often at loggerheads with each other, and also to safeguard the internal political status of the new-found Islamic State. And the marriage to Zainab bint Jahsh was for the sake of enacting a new law because she was the divorced.
As the Holy Qur’an testifies, the Prophet married her to put an end to the then prevalent belief that adopted sons were like real sons and that wives or widows of adopted sons were like daughters-in-law. In short, the philosophy behind his marriages was entirely revolutionary and ushered in positive changes in ignorant Arabia.
He was an affectionate father and his only surviving child, daughter Fatimah (a), was dearer to him than life. His famous Hadith: “Fatimah is a part of me, and whoever annoys her (in fact) annoys me,” stands as a firm testimony to this fact. History is a witness that he used to stand up to greet his daughter. Many prominent and wealthy Arabs had approached him for Fatimah’s hand, but he politely refused them, and according to divine commandment married her to his faithful cousin, Ali (a).
Hence Fatimah and Ali were the parents of his two grandsons Hassan and Hussain; through whom the continuity of the Prophet’s noble progeny has been ensured. Hassan and Hussain were the apples of his eyes and he affectionately doted on them. They used to play with him and accompany him to the mosque. Once when the two grandsons were seated on his shoulders, a companion remarked: “What an excellent mount.” to which the Prophet retorted: “What excellent riders too.”
Thus, Prophet Muhammad’s (S) behavior with his illustrious household is a lesson for us. It was not blind love of a doting father or grandfather as some may misinterpret but was something divinely ordained as is clear from several verses of the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, it is obligatory for all Muslims to love and respect his chosen family, and adhere to their radiant path, which is the only way to save the Ummah from pitfalls.
Apart from these great life-changing rules and practices he was a great and visionary political leader. In 6 AH, the Holy Prophet of Islam dispatched several representatives to rulers and kings of different parts of the world, each with a letter in which he invited them to become Muslims and submit to God. All these letters had the same purport, that is, the invitation to monotheism and Islamic fraternity.
Since the Holy Prophet’s mission was divine, in obedience to God’s command, consistent with human nature, and meant to lead people to God’s path, it highly impressed such just, truth-seeking people as Najashi, Muquqs, and others, so they submitted to Islam. Research made on the collection of the Prophet’s letters indicates that he sent 62 letters to kings, chiefs of tribes and clans, and heads of convents. The texts of 29 of these letters are available. Let’s take a look at some of these letters.
A letter to Khusrow, The King of Iran
The holy prophet peace be upon him writes,
“In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
From Muhammad, God’s Messenger, to Khusrow, the King of Persia. Greetings to the followers of the right path, to those obedient to God and His Prophet, to those who bear witness to God’s Oneness, who worship the One God, and who bear witness to the prophecy of God’s servant, Muhammad.
Truly I call upon you to obey God’s command and convert to Islam. I am God’s Messenger to all the people so that living hearts will be awakened and illuminated and so that infidels will have no excuses. Submit to Islam so you will be safe and immune, and if you disobey me and turn down my invitation, you will be blamed for the sins of the magi.’
A Letter to Harqal, The King Of Rome
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate.
..I call upon you to submit to Islam. If you become a Muslim, you will share the Muslims’ gains and their losses, and if you do not want to become a Muslim yourself, then let your people freely convert to Islam or pay the poll tax, paid in lieu of conversion to Islam, and do not restrict them in choosing their faith.”
A letter to The Ruler Of Yamamah
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
This is a letter from God’s Messenger, Muhammad to Hawzah. Greetings to the one who follows the path of salvation and the instructions of the divine. The ruler of Yamamah, note that my faith will advance to the farthest place where a man can go, so submit to Islam to be immune.”
A letter to the Jews
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate, this is a letter from Muhammad, God’s Messenger, Musa ibn `Imran’s brother and co-missionary. God has assigned to Muhammad the same mission, he had assigned to Moses. I swear to you by God and by the sacred commands descended upon Moses on Mount Sinai that: Have you found in your Holy Book predictions of my prophetic mission to the Jewish community as well as to all other peoples? If you have found this, then fear God and convert to Islam, and if you have not found such a divine prediction, then you will be excused.’”
A letter to Bishop Najran
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate this is a letter from God’s prophet Muhammad to Bishop Najran: Truly I call on you to worship the real adored God instead of worshipping God’s creatures. Our Duty Is To Convey The Message Of Islam.
The speedy advance and promulgation of Islam were due to the sincere, indefatigable endeavors of our Holy Prophet more than anything else.
In the propagation of Islam, the Holy Prophet utilized two powerful, effective forces: one, proficient speakers who had realized the truth and righteousness of Islam and who deeply loved and admired the Holy Prophet of Islam, and, two, the amazingly impressive letters, which revealed the vivifying precepts of Islam and which, in reality, were crystal clear reflections of Islam. He sent his messengers to different parts of the world although there were many hardships in their way and the needed means and facilities were scarce or unavailable.
After winning the war, when the prisoners of the battle of Badr were brought forth, the Messenger of God divided them amongst his companions and said: ‘Treat the prisoners well. The Messenger of God took 70 prisoners on the day of Badr and ransomed them according to their wealth. Generally the people of Mecca were literate and the people of Medina were not. Whoever did not have any ransom money, sent him 10 youth from Medina so that he could teach them [to read and write instead]. Mukraz son of Hafs arrived to pay the ransom of Suheil son of Amr who had been taken prisoner by Malik son of al-Dakhsham. He was ransomed for 4000 Dirhams.
Ibn Ishaq mentions one of the companions as saying: ‘O Messenger of God, let me tear out the incisors of Suheil son Amr so that his tongue will roll out and he will not be able to make speeches against you anywhere ever again.’ The Prophet said: ‘I will not have him mutilated, for God would then mutilate me even though I am a Prophet.’
When the Messenger of God first entered Medina after migration from Makkah, he made a peace treaty with the Bani Nadeer tribe as he did with the rest of the Jewish tribes on condition that they do not fight him nor fight with him and he accepted these terms from them. When the Messenger of God fought at Badr and defeated the Polytheists they said: ‘By God, he certainly is the Prophet whom we find described in the Torah.’
After conquering Makkah without even shedding a single drop pf blood, the Apostle of God began his speech by praising and extolling God, and said: ‘There is no deity but God, no partner has He. He fulfilled His promise and aided His servant and He alone defeated the confederates.’
Then he said: ‘Every great deed, or wealth, or claim of blood, or foul deed or feud that existed in the Age of Ignorance are beneath my two feet now. As for the custodianship of the House and the task of watering of the pilgrims, they are returned to their rightful owners. Mecca is sacred by the sanctification of God. None other before me has been allowed free reign therein, and I have only been allowed free reign for a short time on one day. Mecca is sacred until the final hour comes. Trees therein are not to be cut and animals are not to be hunted . . .’
Then he said: ‘O people, let those present inform those who are absent that with Islam, God has taken away the arrogance of the illiteracy and ignorance, and the boasting about lineage and tribe. All of you are from Adam and Adam is from clay.’
Then he recited the Qur’anic verse: O people, we have created you of male and female and made of you peoples and tribes so that you might know one another. Surely the most noble amongst you in the sight of God is the most pious.
Then he said: ‘The best of the servants of God are those who fear God. Arabic is not a father and sire but is a tongue which speaks and if a person’s actions do him down, his lineage will not save him.’
Then he turned to the people of Mecca and said: ‘What foul neighbours to a Prophet you were. You belied and expelled and tortured [me and my followers]. Then you were not satisfied until you came to my lands to fight me. Now, O people of the Quraysh, what do you say? What do you think I shall do with you?
People of Makkah said: ‘We think only good and we say only good. You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother and you have defeated us.’ The Prophet said: ‘I will say to you what Joseph (peace be upon him) said to his brothers: There is no blame upon you this day, God will forgive you and He is the Most Merciful, Go for ye are at liberty.’
The people left as if they had been raised from their graves, and entered into Islam. God had put the people of Mecca under the Apostle of God’s power but because he freed them, the people of Mecca were to become known as the Tulaqa’ or “those who have been freed”. The glorious life of the holy prophet (PBUH) teaches us virtues, humanity and the righteous path.
So it is incumbent upon us to mobilize all our forces and powers to promote the cause of Islam and to spare no effort or self-sacrifice in the propagation of this holy faith, so our eastern and western brothers and sisters in Islam may be led to this vivifying fountain of truth. It will be a great achievement for us to have the honor of such an invaluable service to Islam and humanity in general.
Just as our Holy Prophet said to ‘Ali, ‘I swear by God that if God leads a person towards salvation through you, it will be more valuable and beneficial to you than the value of all the beings in the whole world upon which the sun casts its rays’.
Our society could never be perfect and peaceful unless we sincerely tread the footsteps of God’s final Messenger to mankind, heed his sayings, observe his glorious actions and attitudes, and most important of all follow them, as the faithful among his companions did. God has given you an enlightened soul and reason, so instead of listening to your political leaders and our twisted mullahs, Google his holy name and read more about him, and I swear you will find him the perfect man God has ever created, a man who sacrificed his life and his entire family for the sake of humanity and peace.