Exploring the Character of
Prophet Muhammad: 1
Khatam Ul Anbiyaa Wal
Mursaleen
THE SEAL OF ALL PROPHETS &
MESSENGERS
JUMAA KHUTBA
Delivered at the Islamic Center of S.
California 11/24/2006
Dr. Yahia Abdul-Rahman,
YARAHMAN@MSN.com ; 626-818-0855
www.LARIBA.com;
www.WhittierBank.com;
www.LARIBA.com.eg
www.Islam-In-USA.com
Exploring the Character of Prophet Muhammad – I
The Holy Qur’aan reveals
(33:21):
الأحزاب
لقد كان لكم فى رسول الله أسوة حسنة لمن كان يرجو الله و اليوم الآخر و ذكر الله
كثيرا
“You have good example
in God’s Apostle for anyone who look God and the Last Day and remembers God
always.”
Today, I am thankful to
Allah who has guided me to share with you over the next few khutbas some unique
aspects of the Character and Seerah - record of life of the Prophet (s). In
doing so, I sincerely pray that as many of us – including myself – will start a
process of change to acquire many of these character traits of our beloved
prophet and apply it – starting with ourselves. As we change to the better,
people – Muslims & non-Muslims alike will see the positive change & will
hopefully start to come home to Islam to La Ilaha Illa Allah – Muhammadun Rasool
Ullah.
Prophet Muhammad received the mission on approx.
February 12th, 610 AD. He was the last and the seal of all Prophet
(33:40)
ماكان محمد أبا أحد من
رجالكم و لكن رسول الله و خاتم النبيين و كان الله بكل شىء عليما”
The Prophets of God
- Prophet Muhammad
(s) provided a model of how man (m/f) should live individually and within
the society.
- The truths revealed
to and taught by Prophet Muhammad stresses that this world did not spring up
by itself, but was created by one God - Allah, who continues to watch over
it. All men (Males & Females) are His servants, and responsible to Him for
their actions. Death is not the end of man’s life, rather it is the
beginning of another permanent world, where the good ones will enjoy the
bliss of paradise and the wicked ones will be in raging hell fire.
- God – Allah
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (s) that life in this world is not the only
life. It is not but a very small fraction of a continuum into the eternal
life after we depart from this world. From that moment on, life took on a
new meaning.
- Prophet Muhammad
changed the tide of human history and captured the imagination of the world,
by the will of God - Allah. He taught the religion that is based on:
- The worship of an
immortal God,
- Reality not
superstition,
- Teaching man (m/f)
to conquer nature instead of worshipping it thus paving the way for the
scientific era.
- Giving political
power to the people and not keeping it in the hands of one hereditary
monarch or chieftains.
- Showing the people
of the world – through the example of the Prophet (s) - how to live,
cooperate and work together in justice and peace and not in cruelty and
oppression.
- Teaching that: if
man (M/F) fears displeasing and disappointing God there is nothing else
one can fear;
- And that if one
rises above negative impulses and pessimism, one can win over everyone,
even his enemies and if one sacrifices this world for the next one will
eventually have the best of both worlds.
من تفاءل بالخير وجده
- His preaching
mission extended over 23 years.
Prophet Muhammad was entrusted with propagating God’s words & message to
others. It was this role that brought him on a collision course with his
fellow country men and women. All forms of adversity – from the pain of
hunger to the trepidation of battle – were inflicted on him. Yet through the
23 years of his mission, he always remained just and circumspect in his
actions. His conduct was governed by his fear of displeasing God. During
this mission he changed the history of
Arabia & laid the foundation for a permanent
change in world history.
- Within 100 years
this revolution has caused the decline and then the vanquishing of the
Persian Sassanian and the Byzantine Empires. Islam swept through
- From Iran and Iraq
to Bukhara, Uzbekistan in the east,
- Syria, Palestine,
Egypt and then North Africa to the West.
- Contrary to the
claims we hear today, the process of Islamic transformation of world history
came with the objective of intensifying and confirming God’s revealed
religions of Islam to Abraham, his off springs Ishmael and Isaac and their
descendents Moses (Judaism), Jesus (Christianity).
- This Process of
Islamic transformation, which was started in the age of the press ensuring
the preservation of the Qur’aan at all times, opened up new unexplored
opportunities for the human race:
- It brought the age
of democracy and freedom of speech to the world,
- It helped make new
discoveries possible in the world of science enabling man to use his
most valuable gift, the mind and intellect, to seek religious truth and
explore scientific phenomena to raise the standard and quality of life
for all people.
And the big question is:
How did he (s) and his well trained believing companions and students do it? How
in a very few years with very little human losses he was able to achieve all of
this? Let us look at his character hoping that many of us – and that I will be
the first – to emulate his character.
Prophet Muhammad’s
Exemplary Conduct:
- Prophet Muhammad
had a perfectly balanced personality. He was tolerant, truthful, and
magnanimous. He presented the highest example of human nobility. He
disciplined himself to stay aloof and away from all quarrels, quibbles and
disputes. He never indulged in foul utterances and abuse. He was called the
truthful and trustworthy (Al-Sadiq – Al-Amin.)
- He had every
opportunity to live a comfortable life and even become the king of Arabia
but he refused it in order to establish the new world order of Islam in
pursuit of the truth of God.
- He once said (Ibn
Habban): a person should have some special moments:
- A moment of
communion with God - Allah,
- A moment of
self-examination,
- A moment of
reflection over the mysteries of creation, and
- A moment which he
puts aside for eating, drinking and enjoying.
- Prophet Muhammad
(s) was the example of Humility & Forbearance:
Let us
Visit Some of Stories from the Seerah:
1.
Prophet Muhammad (s) lived among others as an equal. No bitter criticism
or provocation would make him lose his composure and no praise should make him
vain.
2.
He (s) lived in such an awe of God that he was always an example of
humility and meekness. He spoke little. He walked in a way that suggested his
reverence and humbleness for God. Criticism never angered him. When he used to
put on his clothes, he would say: “I am God’s servant, and I dress as befits a
servant of God.”
- He was very
sensitive about relating and referring back all things to Allah God.
Once a companion started to say: “If it be the will of God, and the will
of the Prophet.” The Prophet showed his disappointment when he heard
this and said: “are you trying to equate me with God?” One should say:
“If God alone will.”
- Towards the end of
his life, his Egyptian wife, Mariyah Al-Qibtiyah bore him a beautiful
child Abraham around the end of the 8th year of Hijra. When
Abraham was a year and half in the 10th year of Hijra
(January 632 AD), he died. The prophet (s) wept on the death of his son.
In his deepest grief, he uttered these words: “Allah knows, Abraham, how
we sorrow at your parting. The eye weeps and the heart grieves, but we
will say nothing that may displease Allah.” The death of Abraham happens
to coincide with a solar eclipse. People from ancient times believed
that solar and lunar eclipses were caused by the death of some important
person. The people of Madinah began attributing the eclipse to the death
of his son Abraham. This caused the prophet a great displeasure. He
gathered the people and in his address to them he said: “Eclipses of the
sun and the moon are not due to the death of any human being; they are
just two of God’s signs. When you see the eclipse, you should thank God
and pray for God.”
- On one of his
journeys, the group embarked on roasting a goat. One volunteered to
slaughter the animal, another to skin it, and another to cook it. The
prophet (s) said that he would collect the wood. His companions
protested. “Messenger of God, we will do all the work.” He responded: “I
know you can do it all. But this amounts to discrimination, which I do
not approve of. God does not like His servants to assert any superiority
over their companions.”
- Abu Dharr
Al-Ghaffari, one day was sitting next to Muslim who was black. He
addressed him as “black man.” The prophet (s) was very displeased and
said to Abu Dharr: “whites are not superior to blacks.” Abu Dharr became
conscious of his error. He cast himself to the ground in remorse, and
said to the person he offended: “stand up and rub your feet on my face.”
- He once saw a rich
Muslim with a loose and flowing garment, gathering it up so he maintains
a distance from a poor person sitting next to him. He told him: “are you
afraid that his poverty might cling to you?”
- Three years after
migration to Medina, Makkan opponents mounted an assault against the
newly emerging Muslim community and the battle of Uhud took place. In
the beginning the Muslims had the upper hand till mistakes were
committed in the battle field that caused the Makkans to attack from the
rear. The Prophet was left alone, encircled by the armed forces of the
enemy and they advanced on him. The Prophet started calling his
companions. Abdullah ibn Shahab Zuhri through a stone at the Prophet and
injured his face and he started bleeding profusely and fell down. When
the companions found the Prophet he said: “how can people
who
wound their Prophet ever prosper? Even
with this light objection Gabriel was ordered by the God to descend down
with Sura 3:128 “It is no concern of yours whether He will forgive or
punish them. They are wrongdoers.”
ليس لك من
الأمر شىء أو يتوب عليهم أو يعذبهم فانهم ظالمون
The Prophet realized and he started praying, as Abdullah Ibn Masoud relates the
prayer: “Lord, forgive my people, for they know not what they do.”
اللهم اغفر
لقومى فانهم لايعلمون
Dr.
Yahia Abdul-Rahman –
Whittier,
CA
90603
YARAHMAN@MSN.com ; Tel 626-818-0855
www.LARIBA.com;
www.WhittierBank.com;
www.LARIBA.com.eg
www.Islam-In-USA.com
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