Why Muhammad Matters
Seeing prophet Muhammad, peace be with him, is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons again, I am reproducing here in full a chapter I wrote for the book Mystics, Scholars and Holy Men (Edited by Troy Southgate), first published in 2014 by Black Front Press, London.
Reforms to the UK school curriculum since the 1970s changed
the teaching of history from a focus on facts about people and events to one of
concepts relating to socio-economic processes and societal conflicts. This
deconstruction of history has sometimes been taken to an extreme where it is
claimed that historic developments could be simulated and predicted provided
all the right input variables were known or available. Reality, however, does
not match those expectations. In fact, in spite of the curriculum shift,
history itself tends to cling very closely to the inherent meaning of “his
story”, in other words, events are shaped by people, and individuals matter
well beyond the circumstances in which they were found. Looking at history
through the people who shaped it therefore remains a valid approach.
An individual’s reach or realm of influence differs both in
geographic extension and in time. Some have made more of an impact on the wider
world than others. I would argue that as religion is a key ingredient of human
identity and frequently overrides other aspects of an individual’s personality,
leaders of religion, in particular their founders, have had more of an impact
on the lives of people than their secular political leaders, although the roles
do frequently overlap. The influence of the founders of major world religions
extends over centuries and even millennia, whereas that of secular political
leaders, even the greatest military conquerors or strategists, often struggles
to leave a mark for more than a few centuries beyond their own lifetimes.
Some religions have tribal, some have regional and a few
have global appeal. A universal claim is more often found amongst monotheistic
traditions which, due to their common unification of the godhead share a
principal understanding as well as many derived features. Their leaders are
often seen as having come in succession of each other at different stages
during human historical development. Of
those traditions, prophet Muhammad is the last chronologically, but his
influence exceeds that of his predecessors. For those who follow his teachings,
his relevance needs no further elaboration, but why should followers of other
religious paths, or those who claim to be able to do without religion, be
interested in his words and actions?
The religion he brought, Islam, literally translates as
finding peace through submission, and does not claim to be a new religion as
such but a continuation of the call for exclusive devotion to the one god. What
is unique in its call is that from the outset it has been addressed to mankind
at large rather than a tribe, nation or region. This universal call meant that
the spread of Islam was not limited by any boundaries of race or territory. Of
the monotheistic traditions only Christianity has a similar universal claim,
but it was the result of political events after the lifetime of its founder,
Jesus Christ, who himself only claimed to have been sent to the Israelites. The
claim of Islam to universality was pronounced by Muhammad himself and within
the scripture he brought, and the rapid spread of the Muslim empire during and
after his life bears witness to this understanding by him and his followers
alike.
A world religion which is two billion strong and gaining
even after one and a half millennia since the death of its founder deserves
serious investigation by any historian or person wanting to have a deeper
understanding of human development. Its two key ingredients are the Qur’an and
the life example of the prophet Muhammad; thus it cannot be understood without
a study of his life. Irrespective of the religion itself, however, if the case made above holds true that people shape
history, then this individual has shaped the history of mankind for longer and
more deeply than any other to this date. In any comparison between influential
historic personalities, he will come out on top on more than one count. Thus in
Michael Hart’s 100 ranking of the most influential persons of history he tops
the list.
Hence, a study of his life is not only of benefit to religious
followers, but ought to be instrumental to anybody who wishes to understand the
ingredients and dynamics of lasting success with relevance for both the
understanding of human society and psyche as much as for, let’s say, leadership
training. After all, we study the methods of successful scientists even if we
want to apply them to a different scientific discipline than their own, or the
war strategy of successful campaign leaders even if we profoundly disagree with
their objectives or politics. There are, of course, numerous aspects to the
prophet’s success, and thus his life can usefully be studied from several
angles, be it religious devotion, temporal leadership, oratory and power of
persuasion, military strategy and so on. Hence it should not come as a surprise
that amongst the disciples of Muhammad are some of the greatest minds of our
time who confessed to having learnt from his teachings without having followed
him religiously, such as Goethe, Kant or Napoleon, to name only a few.
This short contribution is no place for an extensive
analysis of a complex biography. Nor is it intended as an exemplary list of
achievements of my chosen hero. Rather, I would like to pick specific traits of
his personality and events in his life from which I believe important lessons
or even universal truths can be derived.
Let me start with his birth. Although of good lineage,
Muhammad was born an orphan – proof that “misfortune” of birth or even the lack
of a standard stable family setup is no impediment to subsequent success and
greatness. Out of the window goes the lament of those who wish to continually
put their lack of achievement down to the social conditions of their birth.
Good upbringing, on the other hand, matters. To protect him
against disease and in order to learn a good standard of Arabic, Muhammad was
sent out of town as a baby to be nursed by a desert tribe famed for their
skills of teaching eloquent speech and good manners. And good character as well
as polite speech is what the prophet was known for throughout his life. Before
opposing him for his message calling to good morals, justice and a rejection of
all kinds of idols and corrupt practices, the inhabitants of Mecca valued his
honesty and nicknamed him the Trustworthy (al-Amin). Even when they had declared
war against him and his followers, some still entrusted their property to him
for safekeeping.
Let me list some of the character traits which made this man
a great example for humanity of all times:
First and foremost, modesty and humility. Even as the leader
of the largest army hitherto known in Arabia he did not live in pomp, did not
put any distance between himself and his people and continued to do his own
domestic chores. A stranger once came to the mosque of the prophet where he was
sitting amongst his companions and had to be directed to who he was as he could
not distinguish him from the rest by his clothing or by virtue of any special
position within the mosque.
He taught by example. Never did he issue an instruction
which he did not also comply with himself. As a result, his followers loved him
dearly and were prepared to sacrifice everything for him. He was known to spend
long periods in prayer and reflection, often praying all night, yet another
important aspect of good leadership was that he never asked of anyone more than
they could reasonably do. When he led prayer in public he often kept it short
if women or children were among the congregation. He also taught that the
sermon during congregational prayers on a Friday should be kept short and to
the point, a lesson sadly not adhered to by many preachers of our time.
Nor was he a leader who would simply give orders. When the
Muslims were digging a trench around Medina to fortify the town against attack,
he was digging with them. When decisions were to be made, he consulted them. In
battle, he was within their midst, not ordering them from behind.
Rarely did he get angry, and never without cause, nor did he
indulge in frivolous pastime and excessive laughter. He was serious at most
times, but always welcoming and offering a smile. He had a listening ear and
time for people in spite of huge responsibilities. Naturally, he did not drink,
gamble or waste time with other trivial pursuits. Most people with great
potential today are prevented from developing it because of “killing time” with
useless entertainment.
Muhammad was not interested in power or wealth. He did not
seek to advance his own family at the expense of others. He did not use the
office of state to enrich himself personally. His key concern was to build a
just society and leave a legacy of having taught his followers thoroughly in
the knowledge of the Divine and the practice of good conduct.
Justice and fair treatment were important to him. When it
came to judging disputes, he did not automatically give preference to the
adherents of his own religion over those who rejected his message. He decided
cases on merit, irrespective of whether the antagonists were Muslims, Jews,
Christians or polytheists, and with no regard to their social standing or
possessions. The bias of many a judge or jury today was alien to him.
The city state of Medina was the first in history which gave
legally protected status to minority communities through a contract between the
dominant Muslim and the remaining other belongings. Long before Magna Charta,
which was issued by a ruler under duress, Muhammad gave his new state a written
constitution voluntarily. The rights of citizens of all types were subsequently
further detailed in the ninth chapter of the Qur’an.
Islam also, for the first time in history, insisted that all
business dealings ought to be recorded in writing rather than be trusted to the
reliability of a handshake alone. And, of course, the revelations of the Qur’an
and the teachings of the prophet were also written down, leaving no room for
dispute of their authenticity, and they have since formed the basis of a
complex legal system governing all aspects of life, known as the Sharia, a term
sadly misunderstood due to the ignorance of anti-Muslim polemics.
The prophet was an exemplary family man. All his family
members were full of adoration for him, both during his life and after his
death. It is those we live with, who know us best, and their testimony speaks
of a kind and caring husband and father. Domestic violence had no place in the
prophet’s household.
He taught to respect the elders and be merciful to children.
Yet even here, he put right before status. In today’s Muslim societies,
leadership is held by people due to their age, excluding the youth. Contrary to
that, in the second battle against the Romans dispatched to Syria the prophet
put a young man, the twenty-year old Usama bin Zayd, in charge of a large army
which included some of his long-standing companions more than twice his age, purely
on account of his excellent leadership qualities. On another occasion, whilst
he was having a meal with some people, there was an elderly man sitting to his
left and a young boy to his right, and as it was customary to pass food to the
right and not wanting to offend the person senior in age, he asked the young
boy’s permission to pass the food to the older person first, and when the boy
declined the request, he observed the correct custom and passed the food to the
youth.
A lot has been said about Muhammad’s polygamous marriages.
Leaving aside that multiple marriages were nothing unusual at the time – and
nobody seems to want to chastise the old testament prophets for the same
practice –, the fact is that he was married to a single woman, senior in age to
him, for most of his life, and for the most part his marriages after her death
were for strategic reasons to make peace between certain tribes or to take care
of widows without support. His youngest wife, Aisha, was chosen to be a teacher
of the nation through her attentive observations on their domestic life, since
the teachings of Islam were not only to govern the public domain but also the
private conduct of Muslims within their homes. Notwithstanding all the outrage
uttered by orientalists and other polemicists against Islam, she was happy in
her marriage according to her own testament, something that cannot always be
said for many emancipated women of the modern age. And, of course, he gave all his women the
security of marriage, none of them being short- or medium-term or even casual
relationships as is the order today.
Much can be learned from Muhammad’s skills in nation
building, the way he formed alliances, the way he fostered unity of the state,
the way he provided his people with aspirations to do their utmost for the
common good and to focus on the future, indeed the life hereafter, rather than
on the status quo or temporary affluence and success. He did not create a
personality cult around himself, he was first amongst equals. Nor was he vindictive.
When his army conquered Mecca, from which the Muslims had been exiled for many
years and by whose inhabitants they had been fought viciously, he forgave them
wholesale once they had offered peace and support.
Another outstanding quality of the prophet’s character was
his generosity. Whatever he had, he shared. When anybody asked from him, he
gave without fear of poverty. He taught his followers that the upper hand is
better than the lower and encouraged them to give openly in charity even if
they were often needy themselves. He also taught only to give what is good, as
simply discarding unwanted goods does not count as charity.
Muhammad’s prophethood commenced when he was forty years
old. He died at the age of sixty-three, so in the short span of twenty-three
years he so completely transformed a whole nation that within another two
decades they became a dominant global force on the planet, supplanting the
long-established and mighty Persian and Byzantine empires and spreading rapidly
into the Far East, Africa and Europe. This amazing achievement was founded on
revelation and exemplary character. About the prophet, the Qur’an testifies
that “you are of an amazing character”, and he himself stated that he was sent
to perfect good conduct as well as that his mission was that of a teacher. For
anybody wanting to succeed, in this life or the next, there are valuable
lessons to be learned from him during all the varied situations life confronts
us with. There are brilliant teachers and role models in all walks of life, but
as a perfect all-rounded role model for how to become a good, successful,
beneficial and content human being with the correct balance of the mundane and
the spiritual, Muhammad, God’s final prophet stands apart like a lighthouse in
a dark, stormy sea. To see its light, which has remained undiminished through
the ages, and to follow it implies
salvation, and in that Muhammad matters not only to me, or fellow Muslims, but
to mankind at large.
2 Comments:
will not deny that we were waiting for your "report"
regarding the western insanity.
wew wonder what would be your reply. Must say "absolutely fantastic" and am glad to say that we have so many points that we have learnt from our Prophet (PBUH)
so thank you and there is room for improvement for our group.
what refreshing reading compared to those who claim that they represent 500+ Muslim groups but do not explain:
http://www.4thmedia.org/2015/01/charlie-hebdo-the-culpability-of-western-media-in-lies-death-and-destruction/
Charlie Hebdo: “The Culpability of Western MEDIA in LIES, DEATH and DESTRUCTION”
but want us to to take blame bu accepting LIES
we REFUSE POINT BLANK
we notice that you have mentioned the treatment of women
allow us to EDUCATE the gov/west/and those who are ignorant
Doctor Aafia and American senseless brutality
By Professor Zia Ur Rahman
The American Senate report on CIA torture has again unmasked the false claims of the Human Rights champion USA.
Sohrab Khan then told me that in late 2003, in one of the special cells,
we noticed a woman who we later identified as Aafia Siddiqui. He told me
that during his five years he met Aafia briefly four times and he comforted
her as much as he could. Sohrab then told me how the CIA and American agents
treated Aafia.
On hearing this, my head started constricting and my blood pressure rose
dangerously high. I am still not recovered. Though I was familiar with
investigative reports, columns, news features, and TV programs on Dr. Aafia,
what I heard from this man who had personally witnessed it all ripped me
apart. Tears swelled in my eyes and my soul was subdued. Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was
put there by no other than her own countryman who had sworn to protect
every citizen with his life. Framing and selling his Own Muslim brothers [and
sister] to American mercenaries, this dictator General Pervez Musharraf will
never be forgiven in history.
Responding to one of my questions, Sohrab Khan said in 2005 some American
soldiers came and took Aafia in a helicopter, and three days later when she
returned she was not on her feet but on a stretcher. We were told she had
been taken to an American navy base in the Arabian Sea close to the Karachi
port, where to gather information she was brutally tortured. Every night
we would hear horrifying screams that made us all cry.
Sohrab mentioned another episode he witnessed, when one day as usual we
could hear Aafia reciting Quran and an American lady soldier came and told
her to shut up, but she continued.
The furious and brutal American guard grabbed Aafia, tied her to a chair
and forced open her mouth and poured beer into her throat till she choked.
In retaliation to this shameful act all prisoners went on a hunger strike.
When a senior officer found out about this incident he announced the
transfer of that female guard and we ended the hunger strike.
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