Life and Teachings of The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (saw)
by Kenneth Moakan
Arabia is a land of unparalleled charm and beauty, with its trackless
deserts of sand dunes and mirages in the dazzling rays of a tropical
sun. Its starry sky has excited the imagination of poets, travelers and
mystics. It was in this land, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad , on whom
be peace, was born in the city of Mecca, which is about fifty miles from
the Red Sea. (Culled from Life of Muhammad by Sufi Mutiur Rahman
Bengalee M.A. p.70)
It was in the latter half of the sixth century, when the world was
plunged in utter darkness that the Holy Prophet Muhammad , was born. The
then known world stood on the verge of destruction, with chaos as the
order of the day and pre-Islamic Arabia was no exception to this, rather
it was in the lowest depths of abysmal darkness; infanticide was
rampant, debauchery was looked upon as chivalrous, drunkenness was a
common sight and all forms of evil was glorified.
J.H. Denison in his Emotions as the basis of Civilization, wrote:
In the fifth and sixth centuries, the civilized world stood on the verge
of chaos .... it seemed that the great civilization which had taken four
thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration ...
Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had over-reached the
world .. stood tottering .. rotted to the core ..... It was among the
Arabs that the man was born who was to unite the whole known world of
the East and the South.
(pp. 265-269)
The religious attachment of 6th century Arabia was idolatry, though
there were a sprinkling of Atheists and worshippers of heavenly planets,
who offered sacrifices to the sun, moon and other heavenly bodies.
Christians and Jews were also to be found. The center of Christian
activity was al-Najran, while the Jews were concentrated in Khaibar and
Medina. In spite of these varied religious concepts, there was also a
group who sought to follow the religion of their forefather Abraham.
The administration of their affairs, like their religious beliefs was
also in a state of disarray. Sir William Muir had this to say:
The prospects of Arabia before the rise of Mohamet was as unfavorable to
religious reform as they were to political union or national
regeneration. (Life of Mohamet Intro. ch.2)
In spite of their religious and administrative divisions, the Arabs
possessed a remarkable memory and were an eloquent people. Their
eloquence and memory found expression in their poetry. Every year a fair
was held for poetical competitions at Ukaz.
In his book The Literary History of the Arabs, R.A.Nicholson writing
about the poetical ability of the Arabs, states:
It is related that Hammad said to Caliph Walid bin Yazid: 'I can recite
to you, for each letter of the alphabet, one hundred long poems, without
taking into account short pieces, and all of that composed exclusively
by poets before the promulgation of Islam. (p. 1 32)
It is no small wonder, therefore, that Allah chose an Arab and the
Arabic language for His final dispensation and the preservation of His
Word.
The condition of the world in general and Arabia in particular is
graphically put in the Holy Quran, when Allah says:
Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what men's hands have
wrought. (30:42)
This is the condition which is painted by all the historians, in so many
words, about the sixth century.
Before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad , an Abyssinian army was
on the verge of conquering Mecca. but were totally annihilated by
small-pox, reference of which is in the Holy Quran chapter 105. This
occurred fifty three days before the birth of our Holy Prophet, on whom
be peace.
His father's name was Abdullah who died before his birth. His mother's
name was Amina. A few days after his birth, as was the custom among the
nobility of the Arabs, he was given to the care of a Bedouin wet nurse.
whose name was Haleema. For two years, he grew up under her care. after
which. she took him back to his mother. but due to an epidemic in Mecca,
he went back with Haleema for another three years.
When he returned to his mother, she took him for a visit to Medina, but
on the return journey, she died. At the age of six, he was entrusted to
the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib who expired two years later.
At this stage he was placed under the care of his uncle Abu Talib. In
his early youth, he used to tend his uncle's flocks.
During his youth, he joined a society whose aims were, to help the poor
and the needy, safeguard the rights of the oppressed and support and
uphold the cause of justice. He was also launched into commercial
enterprises and undertook journeys with caravans to Yemen and Syria. His
honesty and integrity earned him the title of Al-Amin - The Trustworthy.
At the age of twenty-five, he was married to Khadija - a wealthy widow,
whose caravans he commanded. She offered her hand to him in marriage,
after she received very good reports about his conduct and honesty in
the discharge of his duties as the leader of her caravans.
The Divine Call came to him in his fortieth year and depicting the state
of mind of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, Thomas Carlyle in his
book Heroes and Hero worship writes:
The great mystery of existence, .. glared in upon him, with its terrors,
with its splendors; no hearsay could hide that unspeakable fact `Here am
I'. Such sincerity, as we named it has in very truth something divine.
The word of such a man is a voice from nature's own heart. Men do and
must listen to that and to nothing else - All else is wind in
comparison. From of old a thousand thoughts, in his pilgrimings and
wanderings, had been in this man: What am l? What is this unfathomable
thing I live in, which men call Universe? The grim rocks of Mount Hira,
of Mount Sinai, the stern solitudes answered not. The great heavens
rolling silently overhead, with its blue glaring stars, answered not.
There was no answer. The man's soul and what of God's inspiration
dwelled there had to answer. (pp. 63-64)
The first persons to have accepted his call, were his wife Khadija, his
cousin Ali, a freed slave Zaid and his close friend Abu Bakr. For three
years after receiving the Divine Call, the preaching was conducted
rather quietly with the number of his followers increasing rapidly.
After this rather quiet start. the Holy Prophet , on whom be peace, was
commanded to proclaim his message which he received from Allah,
publicly. Accordingly. he addressed his message about the Unity of God
and of his being the Messenger of God from every available quarter.
Since this belief was threatening their very existence. the pagan Arabs
started to mount pressure on the Holy Prophet , and his followers to
renounce their cause and take to idol-worshipping. On one occasion, they
sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet's uncle that he should restrain
the Holy Prophet , from preaching his message. They threatened Abu Talib
with their combined opposition. Finding himself in this state, he sent
for the Holy Prophet , and explained to him the situation. The Holy
Prophet , answered with these memorable words:
My dear uncle, if they should put the sun in my right hand and the moon
in my left, even then I shall not abandon the proclamation of the Unity
of God. I shall set up the true faith upon the earth or perish in the
attempt.
Impressed with his nephew's firm determination and high resolve. Abu
Talib replied:
Son of my brother, go thy way, none dare touch thee. I shall never
forsake thee.
Not being satisfied, they sent one of their chiefs to entice the Holy
Prophet , and in the following words addressed the Holy Prophet :
O Muhammad , if you want to sit on the throne of Arabia we shall elect
you our monarch; if you want money we shall give you no end to it and if
you desire the hand of a beautiful woman, we are ready to present you
the most beautiful lady in the land.
The Holy Prophet , was far above any worldly temptations and in reply he
recited some verses of the Holy Quran proclaiming the Unity of Allah and
his claim of being a true Messenger of Allah.
The Meccans were alarmed at the prospects of trying to halt the progress
of Islam, so they went to physical torment and boycott. Many influential
personalities were being converted and a great mass of following were
joining the religion of Islam. This in itself was a mortal threat to the
existence of the Meccan chiefs, since their source of livelihood
depended from the trade which came from the traffic of idol-worshippers.
Seeing that these could not be of any help. they decided to exert more
pressure to the degree. that when the sufferings of the Muslims became
unbearable, the Holy Prophet , decided to send some of his followers to
Abyssinia to take refuge. The Meccans in their quest to put an end to
the new religion, sent a deputation to the king, seeking the return of
the refugees. The king summoned the refugees and questioned them about
their beliefs. Being satisfied, that they were no threat to the state,
he refused to hand them over and was convinced that the revelations of
the Holy Prophet , and that of Jesus sprang from the same fountain.
The failure of the Abyssinian delegation, humiliated the Meccans. They
pledged to completely boycott the family who defended the Holy Prophet,
on whom be peace. Every kind of relationship was cut off, even food and
water were denied them. The family who defended the Holy Prophet, on
whom be peace, were in a desperate situation and they along with the
Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his followers had to take refuge in
the Vale of Abu Talib from where they could not escape for fear of their
lives. They suffered starvation, personal indignities and humiliation of
every kind. This siege continued for three years; in the meantime, the
Declaration of Boycott which was hung on the walls of the Kaaba had been
destroyed and the hearts of some of the enemies were appeased. These
new-found friends were bold enough to rescue the innocent sufferers from
their plight.
With the boycott ended, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and a
companion went to Taif to invite the people there to Islam, but he faced
the same fate of rejection. The chiefs of Taif sent some youths after
them. They were stoned mercilessly, to the point of fainting and the
body of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, was cut and he was bleeding
profusely. The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his companion Zaid,
took shelter in a garden belonging to two Meccans, who, after seeing
their plight, sent some grapes with a slave who was an inhabitant of
Nineveh. The message of Islam was conveyed to the slave who readily
accepted it.
Of this journey to Taif, Sir William Muir remarked:
There is something lofty and heroic on this journey of Mohamet to Taif;
a solitary man, despised and rejected by his own people, going boldly
forth in the name of God, and summoning an idolatrous city to repent and
support his mission. It sheds a strong light on the intensity of his
belief in the divine origin of his calling. (Life of Mohamet p.109)
Returning to Mecca, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his
followers, faced mounting persecution, the intensity of which exceeded
the limits bearable by any human. At this juncture, having had assurance
from some of the chiefs and people of Medina, of his and his followers'
safety, he emigrated to that city with his followers. The importance of
this memorable event of migration, marks the reckoning of the Islamic
calendar.
The Meccans did not leave the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his
followers to live peacefully in Medina. They sent numerous expeditions
against them and waged wars against the Muslims. Every advance of the
Meccans against the Muslims was crushed and they suffered humiliating
defeats in their wars with the Muslims. Having been totally humiliated
in their desire to crush Islam, they fell before the banner of Islam and
Mecca was conquered peacefully when the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace,
at the head of ten thousand of his followers entered the gates of Mecca
and demolished the idols which infested the Holy Kaaba, thus fulfilling
a prophecy mentioned in the Bible as follows:
He shined forth from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousand saints;
from his right hand went a fiery law for them. (Deut. 33:2)
The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, did not let the achievement of
victory un-nerve his equilibrium in acting in a manner which would have
justifiably been done in these so-called modern and advanced times.
Today, many a nation and party which when placed under the said
circumstances as was the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his
followers, would unleash a calculated and total annihilation of its
enemies when it gains power and victory. Unlike these modern barbaric
tendencies, when victory was the Holy Prophet's, he never sought to seek
out all those who had committed the most heinous of crimes against him
and his followers. With one stroke, he forgave them all. except those
few who had committed the most barbaric and unspeakable crimes against
humanity.
History bears testimony to the fact, that at every step, the Holy
Prophet, on whom be peace. sought to achieve peace. He even accepted a
treaty which appeared to be at a disadvantage to him and his followers,
simply with the intention that peace may prevail and that all forms of
strife may be eliminated.
His memorable words at the Fall of Mecca are worth to be inscribed in
letters of gold, studded with the most precious of gems. He said:
By God, you will have no punishment today and no reproof. (Hisham)
The teachings which were vouchsafed to him, in the form of the Holy
Quran, lay down the principles and mechanics for the attainment of peace
and the elimination of war. It says that if two parties are fighting,
then peace should be made between them and the dispute settled amicably.
If one or both of the parties, fail to yield to the award and all
efforts of persuasion have failed, then force should be administered as
a last resort, to bring the recalcitrant party or parties to submit to a
peaceful settlement.
This system has laid the foundation of a powerful League of Nations,
unlike the present U.N.O. whose resolutions are looked upon scornfully
by defaulting nations. The U.N.O. is so structured and composed, that it
is quite impotent to bring peace to the world. The two superpowers, for
obvious reasons, side with one or the other of the disputing parties. If
they can achieve their goal of pedaling their influence, then without
any justification, they would side with any of the parties. world
opinion means nothing in the present context, only might is right. The
teachings of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, are, therefore, the
only solution for the attainment of world peace and no Muslim or Muslim
state which does not strive for the achievement of peace can rightfully
claim a place in the body-politic of the Islamic nation and therefore
cannot with any justification be among his true followers.
In the year 632 A.D. after fulfilling his mission which was entrusted to
him by Allah, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, passed away.
This in a nutshell is a brief sketch of the' LIFE OF THE HOLY PROPHET
MUHAMMAD .
We will now turn our attention on the TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET
MUHAMMAD , and as time may permit, only a few salient features may be
attempted.
In dealing with his teachings it may well be summarized in the historic
answer which his wife Hazrat Ayesha gave in response to a question about
the morals and character of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace. She
said:
His morals and character are an embodiment of the Holy Quran.
Thus in dealing with the teachings of the Holy Prophet, on whom be
peace, we necessarily speak on the Teachings of the Holy Quran, since to
him was revealed the Holy Quran by God Almighty. thus his teachings are
contained in the very Word of God and not of his manufacture.
If one were to discuss the teachings contained in the Holy Quran. then
it would require hours on end and still one would not be able to exhaust
all the beautiful teachings which it holds out for humanity. It is
therefore advised, that in order to be able to understand the teachings
of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace. then one should study the Holy
Quran in order to be able to gain an insight into his teachings. We pray
that the audience may explore the Holy Quran and thus derive the benefit
of the knowledge of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and
enshrine them in their lives.
The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, received his first. divine
revelation in the year 610 C.E. and it continued up till a few days
before his death. Thus the Holy Quran was revealed piece-meal to the
Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, during those years, sometimes after the
interval of months and sometimes in great rapidity; sometimes in short
sentences and sometimes in long chapters; sometimes with a new law and
sometimes confirming an existing law; sometimes repealing an impractical
custom and sometimes giving a new direction. This is in conformity with
a prophecy in the Bible which runs as follows:
Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand
doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the
breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line
upon line; here a little and there a little: for with stammering lips,
and another tongue will he speak to his people. (Isaiah 28:9-11)
It may be noted that in this prophecy it is mentioned that the people
will be spoken to in another tongue and how true was this fulfilled with
the revelation of the Holy Quran in the Arabic language, to an Arab in
the land of Paran where the greatest manifestation of the Lord was
scheduled to occur. (Deut. 33:2 & Habakkuk 3:3). It may here be pointed
out that Ishmael, the son of Abraham, who is the forefather of our Holy
Prophet, on whom be peace, dwelt in Paran vide Gen. 21:21 and the
descendants of Ishmael lived in the Arabian Peninsula and the
neighboring territories as is evident from Gen. 25:12-18 and Isaiah 21
:1 3-1 7.
The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, was a Law-giver and he was the
object of the prophecy of Moses as mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18. The
greatest teaching which he gave forth to the world is that there is but
one God Who has no partner, Who was no begotten and Who neither begets.
A short chapter in the Holy Quran is devoted to this theme. It runs as
follows:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Say, 'He is Allah, the One: Allah, the Independent and besought of all.
He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him '
(Ch. 1 12 )
It has been erroneously stated by others that the followers of the Holy
Prophet, on whom be peace, are known as Mohamedans and their religion is
Mohamedanism. This is a totally wrong statement. We, the followers of
the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, are Muslims and the name of our
religion is Islam. These names were given by God Almighty vide the Holy
Quran 22:79 and 5:4 in conformity with Isaiah 62:2 which says in part:
And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord
shall name.
The declaration of faith of a Muslim is such, that it cannot lend itself
to associate the Holy Prophet on whom be Peace in partnership with God.
The declaration runs as follows:
There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger
The teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad , as contained in the Holy
Quran, is a treasure-house of unlimited knowledge and wisdom in every
field of endeavor. By following the teachings contained in it and by
applying them for the benefit and welfare of humanity tremendous
progress is the virtual outcome.
By virtue of the teachings contained in the Holy Quran, the Muslims
scaled the heights of scientific achievement and progress. A famous
prayer taught in the Holy Quran is:
O my Lord increase me in knowledge. (20: 115)
The seeking of knowledge was enhanced by the Holy Prophet, on whom be
peace, who enjoined his followers to seek it. even if they have to
travel to China in quest of it.
The Holy Quran has placed great emphasis on the acquisition of the
mastery of nature, through scientific knowledge. as much as on the
creation of knowledge. It says:
Allah it is Who has subjected the sea to you that ships may sail thereon
by His command, and that you seek of His bounty, and that you may be
grateful. And he has subjected to you whatsoever is in the heavens and
whatsoever is in the earth; all this is from Him, in that surely there
are signs for a people who reflect. (45:1 3-14)
In respect to technology, the example of David is set forth as
And We made iron soft for him, Saying. 'Make thou full-length coats of
mail, and make the rings of a proper measure. (34:11-12)
Precision is here emphasized and it is a fact that the Muslims have
developed many sciences with the utmost of precision.
Also emphasized in the Holy Quran are the harnessing of wind power
(34:13), modern means of transportation to the degree of going beyond
the confines of the heavens and the earth (55:34), astronomical
discoveries of great magnitude (81:12), harnessing of water-power
(55:20-21), etc. etc.
When scientists shall discover that there are worlds other than our own,
then the truth of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, shall become more
manifest. It was revealed to him by God Almighty that Allah is:
Lord of all the worlds (1:2)
The manifestation of this truth is slowly being unraveled by science and
the day seems not far off when the world will be startled with the
discovery and then mankind will fully realize the truth of the
revelation which was granted to the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace.
There are so many aspects in which one can dilate about the teachings of
the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, but time being a determining factor,
we shall look briefly into a few.
Great emphasis has been placed by him on the performance of prayers. In
this regard, he was commanded by God to institute the five daily prayers
which every good Muslim performs. Next to prayers comes a tax known as
Zakaat which is levied for the uplift of the poorer members of the
society and for community affairs. After this is Fasting for a whole
lunar month and then comes Pilgrimage to Mecca which may be performed at
least once in a lifetime by the able-bodied. These four along with the
Declaration of Faith forms the five pillars of the religion of Islam.
These apart, there are general teachings which regulate the conduct of a
Muslim's behaviour in every walk of life. A complete social order is
presented. Ways and means are entrenched for spiritual advancement.
Dietary laws are instituted. In short, every conceivable aspect of human
needs has been taken care of. Such is the comprehensiveness of the
teachings which was meant for all times to come. None of the teachings
which were given by the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, can ever be
considered to be unsuitable for any age or time.
One of the greatest ills humanity is facing, is the scourge of
consumption of intoxicants. Intoxicating liquors are responsible for
many of the tragedies which we witness daily on our streets and
highways. Many innocent lives were snuffed out due to reckless driving
under the influence of alcohol. Millions of dollars are lost due to
those accidents caused by impaired driving. Many homes have been
shattered due to excessive use of alcohol and families are torn apart
for the same reason. Only as recently as Dec. 31, 1987 there was an
interesting article in The Toronto Star about the ill-effects of the
aftermath of alcohol consumption based on a News-letter of the
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.
The study shows that the hang over is a mini-version of alcohol
withdrawal syndrome which results in raised blood pressure, headaches,
tremors, sweating, fatigue, nausea, parched mouth, blood-shot eyes,
jumpiness and difficulty in thinking clearly. It continues:
That throbbing headache occurs because blood vessels in the head are
expanded - alcohol widens blood vessels - and each heart beat sends more
blood pulsing through the brain and its covering membranes. Your eyes
object to light and your ears flinch from noise because nerves are
overactive, as they rebound from the dampening effect of alcohol. Your
eyes can't fix on a target and twitch because alcohol has affected the
muscles and nerves that control eye movements. The raging thirst is due
to a disturbance of body fluid balance. To get rid of alcohol your body
shifts some water out of the blood into the tissues and the kidneys. You
didn't sleep restfully because alcohol alters the amount of the sleep
stage called REM (rapid eye movement) during which you dream and wake up
tired and irritable.
The atricle goes on to state that brain function may be diminished for
up to a day after a drinking session and that researchers have found
high contents of methanol, histamine and sulfites in alcoholic drinks.
In the end of article gives a very sound advice. It says:
And try to remember next time that an ounce of prevention is better than
a pounding headache. (The Toronto Star Thursday December 31, 1987, page
1)
There are many more studies being done about the evils of alcohol, yet
in spite of all of these, the consumption of alcohol goes on unabated
and is encouraged. Ask yourself this question and search your conscience
for the answer - If the consumption of alcohol is right. then why is it
that if one has alcohol reading at a certain level and is caught driving
a motor vehicle a charge is laid against such a one by the police? And
why is it that when one is under the influence of alcohol one behaves in
a manner which would not ordinarily be done by that person?
The teaching of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, has with one stroke
totally prohibited intoxicants. (Holy Quran 2:220; 5:9l & 92).
As with the Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:7 & 8, Deuteronomy 14:8) so too
the Law which was granted to the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, has
prohibited the consumption of the flesh of swine (Holy Quran 2:174; 5:4;
6:146; 16:116)
The effects produced by food have a profound impact on the minds of
human beings as experience has shown. Food. therefore. plays an
important role in the formation of our character. our physical state is
closely connected to our moral and spiritual well-being. this being the
case, it is equally important that we consume such food which will
have a desirable influence in moulding our moral and spiritual
conditions and which will have no ill-effects on our physical bodies.
It is rather curious that both the Bible and the Holy Quran prohibit the
eating of the flesh of swine and this must be of very great
significance. It is alarming to note that the flesh of swine has been
responsible for the transmission of many diseases to human beings. In
spite of the advances made in the fields of dehydration and
preservation, there is evidence that suggests that a number of diseases
are directly transmitted through the flesh of swine.
Apart from the flesh of swine, Muslims are prohibited to consume blood,
any animal which dies of itself, is strangled, beaten fell or gored to
death. Also in the list of prohibition is that on which the name of any
other than Allah has been invoked and that which has been slaughtered on
an altar. (Holy Quran 2: 174; 5 :4; 16: 116,146). On the other hand a
Muslim is permitted to partake only of those legal meats on which the
name of Allah has been invoked. (6:122). A Muslim is also allowed to eat
those meats, lawful of course, which have been caught by animals and
birds that have been specially trained for that purpose, but before
eating those meats the name of Allah must be pronounced over it. (5:5)
Another teaching of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, we would like to
deal with, though in a very brief manner, is the role and status of
women in Islam. The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and Islam have been
the target of many an unfounded criticism in this respect. It was the
Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, who has raised the status of woman after
she was abased in all the previous cultures. Today, all the rights which
women in societies other than Islam enjoy, are a direct result of their
struggle which were grudgingly allowed them. On the contrary, all those
rights were granted her more than fourteen hundred years ago by Islam.
Islam places both men and women in spiritual equality (Holy Quran 3:196;
33:36; 57:13) and has granted her the right of inheritance (4:8, 12, 13
& 177). In marriage, the woman receives a dowry from the husband as her
personal property (4:5 & 25) and she cannot be forced into or kept in
marriage against her will. (4:20). A woman has the right to seek the
annulment of her marriage (2:228). A woman has been invested the right
of ownership of property by virtue of her own initiative (4: 33), thus
she can conduct any business for her welfare.
A very beautiful aspect of a Muslim woman is that she, in spite of her
wealth which she may acquire, is not expected to spend for the welfare
and well-being of her family. This responsibility is vested in her
husband (4:35), although she may condescend to help in sharing the
responsibility (4:5; & 25).
Lastly in this brief exposition we will say that according to Islam, the
relationship between a husband and wife is a bounty from Allah, through
love, tenderness and comfort (7:190; 16:73; 30:32).
We will end this discussion with one last aspect of the teachings of the
Holy Prophet, on whom be peace. This aspect is the unique tolerance
which is embedded in his message. We read in the Holy Quran:
There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely. right has become
distinct from wrong; (2:25 7)
Ironically enough, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, the Muslims and
the teachings of Islam have been systematically accused, that the spread
of the faith has been achieved through force with the sword. This
accusation is totally false and without any foundation. The history of
Islam belies such a charge. The verse quoted before from the Holy Quran
does not give any right to anyone to force any belief on any other
individual or group which may be resentful or distasteful to the other
party. This law is of general application and concerns all religions.
Every Muslim reveres every word of the Holy Quran and it is highly
impossible that they would use force to promulgate their religion.
However, I will not take up the gauntlet to argue the issue any further,
since whatever I may say, could be deemed to be partial. I will assign
this duty to a very well respected author who is not a Muslim but who is
renowned as a most penetrating historian. This author has written two
historical books of the Jewish people and himself is a Jew. The books he
has written are The indestructible Jews and Jews, God and History. His
name is Max Dimont.
In opening the fifth chapter and entitling it Mohammed , Allah, and
Jehovah of his epoch making book Jews, God and History, he states as an
introduction the following:
The improbable but true tale of a camel driver's establishment of a
world empire in the name of Allah, wherein the Jews rose to their golden
age of creativity, only to be plunged into a dark age with the eclipse
of the crescent and the ascent of the cross.
He went on to assert in the same chapter.:
The Span of the Jewish golden age in the Mohammedan civilization
corresponded to the life span of the Islamic Empire. When the latter
broke up, the Jewish golden age broke up .. We can only note in passing
with a brevity that does great injustice to its quixotic complexity.
He ended that section with the following statement:
By 1500 the world's most incredible empire - tolerant and enlightened,
luxuriant and sybaritic, full of mathematicians and poets, warriors and
sycophants - had come to an end
Before ending the chapter, he observed:
Thus the Jewish saga in the Islamic Empire ends. It was conceived by
fate, supported in splendor, nourished by intellect, and buried by fate.
By the fifteenth century, Jewish life in the East emptied into Western
Europe at a juncture of Jewish history when the roads for the Jews led
to the ghetto. But before we leave the Mohammedan stage of Jewish
history .. it is only fitting that tribute be paid the magnificent
Arabic people who wrought a dazzling and enlightened civilization out of
the desert.
Though the Mohammedan Empire is dead, the human element which shaped its
grandeur is still living. The Arabic culture was not built on the
plunder of other countries and the brains of other men. It sprang from
deep wells of creativity within the people themselves. For seven hundred
years Arab and Jew lived side by side in peace and with mutual respect.
He ended the chapter by rightly summarizing the cause of strife and
tension. He writes:
Astute statesmanship can relax the present Israeli-Arab tensions,
because they are not caused by deep-rooted racial and religious
antagonisms but by temporary political expediencies. History has shown
that Jew and Arab can live together without strife and with mutual
profit.
This is the tolerance which Islam expounds and which was practiced in
the expansion of the faith. No force was used and every citizen of the
Islamic State enjoyed the same freedom of religion, irrespective of
their religious attachment. This, therefore, in brief, is the answer to
all the false accusations which were and are still being levelled by
those whose sole intentions are to create mischief and willful
distortion of the truth. Much more could have been said about the unique
tolerance of Islam. but consideration of time stand in the way.
I will now end this discussion with this last note about the life of the
Holy Prophet, on whom be peace. Of all religious teachers and
personalities, the life of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, is
strikingly different, in that it is on record every minute details from
before his birth right up to his death about his life. His life
furnishes historians with an open book to delve upon and there are no
gaps or room for speculation and mysterious evaluations.
Whatever has been said in no way constitutes a complete and full
appreciation of the very many sided LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY
PROPHET MUHAMMAD . One can go on and on citing many beautiful episodes
in the life of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and so could it be
done in respect to his teachings, but again, time is a determining
factor. Suffice it, therefore for this presentation.
I wish to thank you all for giving me this opportunity to be of service
and pray that may Allah guide us all to His truth. Ameen.
Our last prayer is ALL PRAISE BELONGS TO ALLAH, LORD OF ALL THE WORLDS.
Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, all quotations are from the Holy
Quran. |