Muhammad (saw): Man, Leader, Prophet

ISSN 1596 - 3187 Volume 52, No. 1 March 2013

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A publication of the Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Nigeria

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AL-‘IRFAN

About MKA

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ajlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (MKA), literally meaning 'Association of Servants of the True Islam' and also known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organization (AMYO), was founded in 1938 by Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) and is the youth section of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Consisting Ahmadi members between ages 15 and 40, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya (MKA) is an auxiliary organization of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Community, saddled with the task of organizing members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at between the ages of seven and forty years to present the peaceful message of Islam to the entire world.

Its aims are to train and educate its members, including Atfal-ulAhmadiyya, (male children between ages 7 and 15) in the true Islamic teachings, selfless service to Islam, country and mankind at large.

The Nigerian Branch of the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya was established in 1972 with branches across twenty States of the Federation.

Objectives One of its principal objectives is the moral and spiritual training of youth through a mixture of religious and secular activities. It is dedicated to ensuring its members develop and excel in qualities such as piety, honesty and fair dealing so that they can better contribute to the country in which they live.

The activities of MKA are not limited to the Muslim community. It serves the needs of all members of society irrespective of colour, race, religion or creed and promotes interfaith dialogue and cooperation in order to promote peace and harmony.

Service to Humanity MKA Nigeria has a longstanding reputation of working with charities and bringing succour to people affected with disasters. This work ranges from assisting the charities with fundraising to organising charity events.

Additionally, MKA Nigeria has been working with the National Blood Transfusion Service for many years and is now a regular donor provider throughout its branches in Nigeria. Blood donation sessions are now held at various mosques belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

MKA Nigeria also participates in monthly environmental sanitation exercises across many states of Nigeria.

Educational Services MKA Nigeria has been at the forefront of providing excellent educational services to both its members and non-members. It has established, in conjunction with other individual Ahmadi members, an elementary school, the Fazl-Omar Nursery and Primary School at Ojokoro Lagos State in1996 to provide qualitative education to members of the Community. It also organises free tutorial classes for students preparing for public examinations.

Health and Fitness Sports events such as football, Taekwondo, ping pong are held on a national, regional and local basis. At national events, which are rotated annually with different regions given the responsibility of organising them, regions compete against each other for the crown in that particular sport. Apart from the physical competitiveness of these events, and regional or local rivalries, members get the opportunity to meet, network and, most importantly, develop bonds of brotherhood with other members from all around Nigeria.

MKA Nigeria also promotes a biennial National Sports Festival.

Islam Awareness MKA Nigeria is actively engaged in presenting the peaceful message of Islam and removing common misconceptions and misunderstandings about the faith. It firmly believes that tolerance, engagement, interaction and debate are vital to understand the true teachings of Islam.

It is involved in a number of programmes ranging from providing Islamic literature to a wide-ranging public. It also publishes a biannual magazine Al-'Irfan to educate youth and promote the reading culture.

MKA Nigeria also runs a website (www.mka-ng.org) where information about the organization and its activities are updated.

Annual Ijtema (Convention) This is MKA Nigeria's flagship event of the year when thousands congregate for a three-day convention. Members participate in religious education and sporting competitions which add an extra element of healthy rivalry between members.

Its first Ijtema (convention) was held in 1972 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Ijtema sees the culmination of a whole year's work for the various regional and local branches of MKA with awards given to the most outstanding achievers. More importantly this event enables members to strengthen and foster new relationships in the spirit of brotherhood.

Leadership Since its establishment, Majlis Khuddam-ul Ahmadiyya Nigeria has been led by the following National Presidents (Sadr): Bro A.W.A. Aina 1972 -1978 Bro H.T.Z. Okunnu 1978-1980 Bro A.H. Oyetunji 1981-1986 Dr. M.A. Fashola 1986-1990 Bro A.O. AbdusSalam 1990-1995 Bro A.W. Matepo 1995-2000 Bro A.O. Iromini 2000-2005 Dr. Saheed Timehin 2005-2009 Bro T.A. Oladoja 2009-2010 Bro A.O. Abdul Qadir 2010-till date

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AL-‘IRFAN

Contents -

AL-‘IRFAN Editorial Board

Contributor

Layout & Design

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Holy Qur'an

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Hadith

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Holy Prophet Muhammadsa: The Grand Reformer 6-9

A publication of the Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Nigeria

Sadr Muhtamim Isha'at Editor-in-Chief Members

About MKA

AbdulQadir Abdul Rafi Murtadha Oriolowo AbdulGaniyy Adiamoh AbdurRaheem Ismail AbdulGaniyy Omopariola Hamid Bolaji Ahmad Talabi

Muhd. Qasim Oyekola

Layipo Concepts Ibadan, Oyo State info@layipo.com www.layipo.com 234-2-2911900 ISSN 1596 - 3187 Volume 52, No. 1 March 2013

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The Prophet (saw) for Mankind 10-14 Editorial

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From The Sadr’s Desk

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Guest Khuddam

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Muhammad : Man and Leader 19-24 Gallery

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Muhammadsa: The Liberator of Women 25-28 The Prophet’s Relationship with God 29-33 Holy Prophet: A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World 34-38 10 Conditions of Baiat

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A publication of the Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Nigeria

Al-'Irfan Magazine is published by the Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Nigeria, the youth organization of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Nigeria.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily representative of the official position of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or any of its affiliate bodies.

All correspondence should be forwarded to: The Editor Al-'Irfan Magazine Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria P.O. Box 418, Lagos State, Nigeria Email: sadr@mka-ng.org / ishaat@mka-ng.org Tel: 08079165432; 08026980159; 07056547478

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AL-‘IRFAN

From the Holy Qur’an

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n the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.

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he Prophet was humanity's best specimen and a perfect model in beauty and beneficence. In all the various facets of his variegated life and character he stands unrivalled and an excellent exemplar for men to copy and follow. His whole life lies before the floodlight of history. He started life as an orphaned child and ended with being an arbiter of the destinies of a whole nation. As a boy, he was sedate and dignified and at the threshold of youth he was a perfect example of moral virtue, righteousness and sobriety. In middle age he won the title of Al-Amin, i.e., the trusty and truthful, and as a business man he proved himself to be honest and scrupulous. He married ladies both much older and much younger than himself and all of them swore by his faithfulness, love and godliness. As a father, he was most affectionate, and as a friend most loyal and considerate. When entrusted with the great and difficult task of reforming a corrupt society and subjected to persecution and exile, he bore it all with dignity and decorum. He fought as a soldier, and commanded armies. He faced defeat and won victories.

He legislated and decided cases. He was a politician, a statesman, a teacher and a leader of men. Head of the state as well as the Church he was, as a great writer has described him, Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without the Pope's pretentions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar. Without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue, if

ever any man had a right to say that he ruled by a right Divine, it was Muhammad, for he had power without its instruments and without its supports. He would do his household work with his own hands, would sleep upon a leathern mat and his menu consisted of dates and water or barley-bread, and after having done a full day of multifarious duties, he would spend the hours of night in prayer and supplication till his feet got swollen. No man under so vastly changed circumstances and conditions had changed so little. To quote Rev. B. Smith [again]: “On the whole, the wonder is not how much but how little, under different circumstances, Muhammad differed from himself. In the shepherd of the desert, in the Syrian trader, in the solitary of Mount Hira, in the reformer in the minority of one, in the exile of Medina, in the acknowledged conqueror, in the equal of the Persian Chosroes and the Greek Heraclius, we can still trace substantial unity. I doubt whether any other man whose external conditions changed so much, ever himself changed less to meet them.”

Such was Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam whom the verse under comment describes as an excellent exemplar and a perfect model and as humanity's unerring guide for all time. The Holy Prophet's goodness and greatness indeed stand unrivalled and unmatched, incomparable and unapproachable.

From the Hadith

world, for all peoples and for all times. This is a special characteristic and a great distinction indeed. The result was that his God-granted mission extended to every people, to every country and to every age and he was declared the perfect and Perfected manifestation of God. In other words, it meant that as God of the entire world is One, through His appointment, there was likewise one prophet for the entire mankind.

Allah! Bless Mu?ammad and grant him and his offspring peace.

Culled from Forty Gems of Beauty

mercy for His frail creatures and His forgiveness. In this connection, the Holy Prophet (may peace of Allah and His blessings be on him) says, in another ? adith that when, on the day of Judgment, the people will be seized with extreme panic and consternation, despairing of all others, they will ultimately turn to him, and then, he will intercede for them with God, and that, his intercession will be accepted.

The fifth destination of the Holy Prophet is that whereas the former prophets were sent to particular peoples for particular periods of time, he was raised for the entire

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AL-‘IRFAN

From the Hadith

Five Distinctions Granted to the Holy Prophet Narrated by Jabir, Allah be pleased with him: The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: “I have been granted five distinctions which none of the Prophets was granted before me.

Firstly, I have been reinforced with awe extending as far as a month’s journey, secondly the entire earth has been made for me a mosque and a means of purity, thirdly, the booty of war has been made lawful for me; it was never made lawful before me; fourthly, I have been granted the honor of intercession with the Lord and fifthly, while Prophets before me were commissioned to their particular people, I have been sent to the entire Mankind.”

(Bukhari)

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n this ? adīth our Chief (may my life be dedicated to his service) has detailed five distinctions granted to him exclusively which go to show his exalted station and the abounding mercy of Allāh the Excellent on him.

His first distinction is the divine gift of awe extending to as far as a month’s journey. [The] history of Islām furnishes strong supporting evidence showing how notwithstanding his apparently slight physical frame and unostentatious living, an enemy would tremble in awe before him, surely a God-given gift. Even it so happened on many occasions that the enemy planned to attack Medina and as the Holy Prophet (peace of Allāh be on him and His blessings) sallied forth with a small group of companions, to meet him, he (the enemy) fled on the first alarm. Again when the Holy Prophet (peace of Allāh be on him and His blessings) addressed a letter to the Roman Caesar inviting him to accept Islām and the Caesar learnt further details about him he exclaimed, “If I could go and pay obeisance to this Messenger of Allāh, I would indeed consider it a great honor if he permitted me to wash his feet.”

The second distinction of the Holy Prophet is that the entire earth has been made a mosque for him. As a result of this, a Muslim can offer Prayers anywhere as and when the time for his Prayer comes and he does not require a special place for worship like followers of other faiths. This was necessary in order to facilitate the extensive campaign of the Muslims to carry the message of Islām all over the world. Similarly, the earth was made for him the means of purification. A minor aspect of this is the fact that in the

event of non-availability of water, a Muslim can perform Tayammum in place of Wu?ū. This combination of water and earth is in keeping with the creation of Adam who was created, according to Qur’ānic idiom, out of moist earth.

His third distinction is that, as against the laws of earlier religions, which required the war booty to be burnt, the Islāmic law allowed the Holy Prophet to use the booty that fell in his hands, as lawful. The wisdom underlying this was firstly to stop this needless wastage of national wealth, and secondly to teach aggressors the lesson that if they did not desist from oppressing others, their own wealth would be taken away from them and given to the oppressed; and thirdly to provide the weak among Muslims with a source of strength in the Islāmic defensive wars.

The fourth distinction of the Prophet is the grant to him of the highest office of intercession. Shafā‘at literally means ‘mate’ or ‘like,’ and according to the idiom too it does not mean common prayer. Instead it signifies the special office held by a favorite of God by virtue of his dual role, on the one hand, of close contact with God and on the other of his near association with men. He is entitled to intercede with the Lord. The gist of this intercession would run as follows: “O God, in the name of your past favors to me and my heartfelt solicitude for the good of your creatures (or some particular individual from amongst them), I beg and pray that have mercy on your poor frail creatures and grant them your forgiveness,” urging, on the one hand, the plea of his special contact with Him and on the other the heartfelt solicitude for the welfare of His creatures (or for that matter a particular person), begging thereby of Him PAGE 5 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN

From the Malfoozat sa

Holy Prophet Muhammad : The Grand Reformer which were found in the different Prophets and said with regard to him: “Thou dost possess the highest moral qualities.” [Al-Qalam, 68:5] The word 'azim in Arabic idiom is used as connoting the highest quality of a thing. For instance, when a big tree is called 'azim, it would mean that it possesses all the height and width and bulk that is possible for a tree to possess. Thus, this verse means that all the high moral qualities and excellent characteristics which a human being can possess, were all present in the fullest degree in the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. Thus, this is the highest possible praise. This is also indicated in another verse: “God has bestowed His grace upon thee in the largest measure and no Prophet can be equal in rank with thee.” Al-Nisa', 4:114 This praise is mentioned in Psalm as a prophecy concerning the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] as is said: “Therefore, God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:7).

[Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 1 pp.

605-606, sub-footnote 3]

Holy Prophetsa Brought Morals to Perfection n meekness and gentleness, Moses stood higher than all the Prophets in Israel and no other Prophet in Israel, whether Jesus or anyone else, approached the lofty station of Moses. The Torah bears witness that in meekness and gentleness and in moral qualities Moses was higher than all the Prophets in Israel. The third verse of the twelfth chapter of Numbers says that Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

God has in the Torah praised the meekness of Moses as He has not praised any other Prophet in Israel. It is true, however, that the high moral qualities of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] that are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an are thousands of times more exalted than those of Moses. God has said that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] combined in his person all the high moral qualities

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Holy ProphetSA's Superiority over All the Prophets The Holy Qur'an shows that every Prophet was a follower of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] as is said: “You shall believe in him and help him.” [Al-e-'Imran, 3:82] In this way, all Prophets became followers of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].

[Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 21, p. 300] The Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] combines the names of all the Prophets in himself inasmuch as he possessed all their diverse excellences.

So he is Moses and Jesus and Adam and Abraham and Joseph and Jacob. This is indicated in the verse: “… So follow thou their guidance” meaning that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] should combine in himself all the diverse guidance which other Prophets had brought.

This shows that the dignity of all Prophets was combined in the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]; and his name Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] also points to this, for it means greatly praised, and great praise can only be imagined when all the varied excellences and special PAGE 6 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN From the Malfoozat

Holy Prophet Muhammadsa: The Grand Reformer qualities of the different Prophets are combined in the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].

There are many verses in the Holy Qur'an which set forth clearly that the being of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] on account of its qualities and excellences, was a combination of all the Prophets. Every Prophet finding in him an appropriate relationship with himself imagined that he would come under his name.

At one place the Holy Qur'an sets forth that this Prophet has the closest relationship with Abraham [Ale-'Imran, 3:69]. In a Hadith of Bukhari, the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] says that he has a close relationship with Jesus and that his being is combined with the being of Jesus. This confirms the saying of Jesus that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] would appear under his name and so it happened that when our Messiah [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] appeared, he completed the incomplete works of the Messiah of Nazareth and bore witness to his truth and cleared him of the calumnies which the Jews and the Christians had uttered against him, and thus gave pleasure to the soul of Jesus.

[A'ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 5, p. 343] Divine revelation is a mirror in which the perfect attributes of God Almighty are seen, according to the inner cleanliness of the Prophet who is the recipient of the revelation. As the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was higher than all the other Prophets in the purity of his soul, the expansion of his mind, his chastity, modesty, sincerity, trust, fidelity and love of the Divine, God, the Glorious, anointed him with the perfume of special excellence in excess of any other Prophet. His bosom and heart which were broader and holier and more innocent and brighter and more loving than the bosom and heart of any who had passed before him, and who were to come after him, were considered worthy that such Divine revelation should descend upon him as should be stronger and more perfect, higher and more complete, than the revelation vouchsafed to all those who were before him and all those who were to come after him, and which should serve as a clear, wide and large mirror for reflecting Divine attributes. That is why the Holy Qur'an possesses such high excellences that the brightness of all previous books is cast into the shade before its fierce and brilliant rays. No mind can put forth a verity which is not already contained in it and

no reason can present any argument which is not already presented in it. No speech can affect the hearts so powerfully as the strong and full of blessings effect it produces upon millions of hearts. Undoubtedly it is a clear mirror reflecting the perfect attributes of the Divine in which all is found that is needed by a seeker to arrive at the highest grades of understanding.

[Surmah Chashm Arya, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 2, pp. 71-72, footnote] The Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was the best of the Prophets and had a higher status than all the Messengers, and God desired that as by his personal qualities he was the Chief of all the Prophets, so from the point of view of his overt services also, he might be proclaimed to the world as better and higher than all. Therefore, God Almighty extended his beneficence to the whole of mankind, so that his efforts and his endeavours might be generally manifested and should not be confined to a particular people, as was the case with Moses and Jesus, and so that enduring severe persecution from every direction and every people, he should be entitled to the great reward which will not be bestowed upon other Prophets.

[Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 1, pp. 653-654] It is my belief that if, leaving the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] aside, all the Prophets who had preceded him had combined to perform the task and to carry out the reform which the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] performed and carried out, they would not have been able to do so.

They had not the heart and the strength which had been bestowed upon the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. If anyone should say that this shows disrespect towards the other Prophets, he would be guilty of uttering a calumny against me. It is part of my faith to honour and respect the Prophets, but the Holy Prophet's superiority to all other Prophets is the principal part of my faith and my whole being is saturated with it. It is not within my power to exclude it.

Let my unfortunate opponent, who is sightless, say what he pleases, but our Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] performed a task, which all the others combined together, or separately, could not have performed.

'That is Allah's grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases.'Al-Jumu'ah, 62:5 [Malfuzat, Vol. II, p. 174] The holy books of the Jews state clearly that a savior like Moses will be sent for them. This means that he PAGE 7 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN From the Malfoozat

Holy Prophet Muhammadsa: The Grand Reformer would appear at a time when the Jews would be passing through a state of suffering and humiliation as was imposed upon them in the time of Pharaoh. Then they would be delivered from torment and disgrace by believing in him. There is no doubt that our lord and master Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was the personage for whom the Jews had been waiting throughout the ages and in whom the prophecy of the Torah was most clearly fulfilled. When the Jews believed in him many great kings were raised among them. This is clear proof that God Almighty forgave their sins because of their accepting Islam and had mercy on them as was promised in the Torah.

[Ayyam-us-Sulah, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 14, pp.

302-303] The greatness that was bestowed upon Jesus was on account of his following the Holy Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] for Jesus was informed of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and believed in him and attained salvation through his belief.

[Al-Hakam, 30 June 1901, p. 3] sa

Holy Prophet and the Holy Word of God he Holy Qur'an emphatically affirms that it is the Word of God and that our lord and master, Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] is His true Prophet and Messenger, on whom that Holy Word has descended. This claim is clearly set forth in the following verses: “Allah is He beside Whom there is none worthy of worship. All life and sustenance is from Him. He has sent down to thee this Book in accordance with truth and the requirements of truth.

(Al-e-'Imran, 3: 2 - 4) Again: “O mankind, the Messenger has indeed come to you with Truth and with the requirements of truth.[ Al-Nisa', 4:171] Again: “We have revealed this Discourse to you in accordance with the requirements of truth and with truth has it descended.” [Bani Isra'il, 17:106] Again: “O mankind, there has come to you a manifest proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear Light.” [Al-Nisa', 4:175] Again: “Proclaim to all people: I have been sent as a Messenger to you all. [Al-A'raf, 7:159] Again: “Allah will forgive their sins and improve their lot, who believe and perform good deeds and believe in this Book which has been revealed to Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him], and also

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believe that it alone is the truth.” [Muhammad, 47:3] There are hundreds of other verses in which the claim has been put forward clearly that the Holy Qur'an is the Word of God and that Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] is His true Prophet. But the verses that we have set out should suffice.

We would remind our opponents that this claim is not put forth in any other book as forcefully as it has been put forth in the Holy Qur'an. We are very eager that the Aryas should show from the Vedas that the four Vedas claimed to be the word of God and set forth clearly that they were revealed to such and such a person at such and such a time. For a book, on behalf of which it is claimed that it is from God, it is a primary necessity that it should set forth this claim clearly. It would be an impertinence to attribute to God a book which gives no indication of its being from God. A second matter which is worth mentioning is that not only has the Holy Qur'an claimed that it is from God and that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] is the Messenger of Allah, but has also established this claim with strong and powerful arguments. We shall set forth all these arguments in their order, but for the moment we present the first argument so that seekers after truth should be able to compare in this respect other books with the Holy Qur'an. We also invite every opponent that if this method of proof establishes the truth of a book and is found in their books also, they should set it forth in their papers and journals; otherwise, we would have to conclude that their books lack this proof of high degree. We affirm with full confidence that this method of proof will not be found in their religion and if we are in error, they should prove it.

Devotion to the Holy Prophetsa n our estimation, there is no greater testimony than the testimony of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. My heart trembles when I hear that any person who is confronted with a decision of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] does not accept it and turns away from it.

[Itmam-ul-Hujjah, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 8, p. 293] The Muslims are a people who are ready to lay down their lives to uphold the honour of their Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. They would prefer to die rather than endure the disgrace that they should make peace and become friends with such people who are occupied day and night with abusing the

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AL-‘IRFAN From the Malfoozat

Holy Prophet Muhammadsa: The Grand Reformer Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and mention his name with contempt in their books, journals, and announcements and use vile language with reference to him. Such persons are not the wellwishers even of their own people, for they create numberless difficulties for them. I tell you truly that it is possible for us to make peace with the serpents of the jungle and the wild beasts of the forests, but we cannot make peace with those who do not refrain from speaking ill of God's Prophets and who consider that abuse and vituperation mean victory.

True victory is that which comes from heaven.

[Chashma-e-Ma'rifat, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 23, pp. 385-386] The insults that have been offered to Islam and the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him], the attacks that have been made against Divine Law and the apostasies and heresies that have become widespread, cannot be matched in any other age. Is it not true that in a short while in India alone a hundred thousand people have become Christians, and more than sixty million books have been published in opposition to Islam, and people belonging to high families have lost their religion, and those who used to describe themselves as the descendants of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] have put on the garment of Christianity and have become his enemies, and numberless books full of vile abuse of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] have been published? My heart cries out with tears that if these people had murdered my children before my eyes, and had cut to pieces my sincere friends, and had killed me with great humiliation, and had possessed themselves of all my property, I would not have been so pained and my heart would not have been so hurt as it has been pained and hurt by the insults offered to the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].

[A'ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza'in, Vol. 5, pp. 51-52]

is who brought us to the shore; May I be a sacrifice; he alone is the guide.

He removed the screen, and showed the secret path; He joined the hearts to the Beloved, such a friend he is!

That Friend, beyond all physical limitations, that Unseen Beloved; We saw through him, so he is the true guide.

Today he is the King of faith; the Crown of the apostles; He is pure and holy, this is his eulogy.

All commandments ordained by the True God were demonstrated in practice by him; He revealed all secrets, an excellent gift is this.

His vision is far-reaching like a telescope, his heart is close to the Friend; In his hands is the light of faith; he is the fountain of light.

He revealed the weighty secrets of faith; He is the King who grants wealth.

I am a sacrifice at that light; I belong entirely to him; He is all, what worth do I possess? This is the final verdict.

That Unique Beloved is the source of all learning; All else is a mere tale, this is the truth unblemished.

We found everything through him, O Allah You are a witness; He is that manifestor of Beauty, who showed us the Truth.

We were blind of the heart, with hundreds of knots upon the hearts; The one who opened the locks is this very Mujtaba accepted one.

[Qadian ke Arya aur Hum, Ruhani Khaza'in Vol. 20, p. 456]

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Our Leader (Urdu Poem) He is our leader, who is the source of all light; sa His name is Muhammad ; he alone is my beloved.

All Prophets are holy, one better than the other; But from the Almighty, he is the best of the creation.

He is far better than those before him, he is a darling in his qualities; Every eye is focused on him, he is the full moon which dispels all darkness.

Those who came earlier, were fatigued halfway; He it PAGE 9 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN

The Sermon

The Prophet(saw) for mankind Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad

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he Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) stated: 'If one has knowledge of the life experiences of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and is fully aware what was the condition of the world at the time and upon coming what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) did, one calls out in a trancelike state 'O Allah bless Muhammad'. I say most truthfully, it is not mere thought and imagination, the Holy Qur'an and world history fully bear testimony to what the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) did. Otherwise why would it have been stated exclusively for him: 'Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.' (33:57). Such a call was not made for any other Prophet. The only man who came to this world with complete success and complete conciliation was him; who was called Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

It is evident from this verse that the pious practices of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) were such that Allah the Exalted did not specify any word to praise them or quantify his attributes. Words would have been found but they were not used. That is to say, praise of

his pious practices was immeasurable. A verse such as this has not been stated in the glory of any other Prophet. His soul was so pure and honest and his practices were liked by God to such an extent that Allah the Exalted gave the perpetual commandment that in future people should invoke blessings on him as a mark of gratefulness.'

It is a believer's task to read the teaching brought by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and to note his blessed model and when trying to put it in practice, also invoke blessings (Durud) on him in gratefulness of the tremendous favour of this benefactor of mankind. He guided us to the way that leads to God by showing us practices regarding all aspects of life. He showed us the standards of worship of God and generated the perception of service to mankind in believers. All this demands that while invoking blessings and salutations on him, we make the world aware of this teaching and this blessed model and inform them about his grace and favours.

When aspects of his blessed life are put before the outsiders, those with the slightest of fairness in them, cannot help but praise in spite of holding contrary views. Today those who raise objections about him or his teachings are either devoid of fairness or do not know about his blessed life and do not

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The Prophet(saw) for mankind try to know either. It is our task to make the world aware of the blessed life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and for this every medium/resource should be used.

There are some who are so embroiled in the world that they are more influenced by worldly people or are more influenced by their own people rather than hear about the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) from a Muslim. Therefore viewpoints of their own people, writers and scholars, regarding the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) should be taken to such people. Today I present extracts from the writings of such people who were impressed by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and wrote about him. Some of them were opponents but wrote the truth.

Stanley Lane-Poole wrote that it was thus that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) entered again his native city and forgave those who were his blood-thirsty enemies. He writes that through all the annals of conquest there is no triumphant entry comparable to this one.

H. G Wells writes in his book 'Outline of History' that those who knew the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) believed in him first and that he was not an imposter. He also wrote: 'there can be no denying that Islam possesses many fine and noble attributes' and said that Islam created a: 'society more free from widespread cruelty and social oppression than any society had ever been in the world before'.

Lieutenant Gen. Sir John Glubb wrote: 'Whatever opinion the reader may form when he reaches the end of this book, it is difficult to deny that the call of Muhammad seems to bear a striking resemblance to innumerable other accounts of similar visions, both in the Old and New Testaments, and in the experience of Christian saints, possibly also of Hindus and devotees of other religions. Such visions, moreover, have often marked the beginnings of lives of great sanctity and of heroic virtue. To attribute such phenomena to selfdelusion scarcely seems an adequate explanation, for they have been experienced by many persons divided from one another by thousands of years of time and by thousands of miles of distance, who cannot conceivably have even heard of each other. Yet the accounts which they give of their visions seem to bear an extraordinary likeness to one another. It scarcely appears reasonable to suggest that all these visionaries "imagined" such strikingly similar experiences, although they were quite ignorant of each other's existence.'

He wrote about the early Muslim migration to Abyssinia: 'The list seems to have included very nearly all the persons who had accepted Islam and the Messenger of God must have remained with a much reduced group of adherents, among the generally hostile inhabitants of Makkah, a situation which proves him to have possessed a

considerable degree of moral courage and conviction.'

John Draper wrote: 'Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia, the man who, of all men has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race Mohammed, by Europeans surnamed “the Impostor." He raised his own nation from Fetichism, the adoration of a meteoric stone, and from the basest idol worship ; he preached a monotheism which quickly scattered to the winds the empty disputes of the Arians and Catholics, and irrevocably wrenched from Christianity more than half, and that by far the best half of her possessions, since it included the Holy Land, the birthplace of our faith, and Africa, which had imparted to it its Latin form. That continent, and a very large part of Asia, after the lapse of more than a thousand years, still remain permanently attached to the Arabian doctrine. With the utmost difficulty, and as if by miracle, Europe itself escaped.

Mohammed possessed that combination of qualities which more than once has decided the fate of empires. A preaching soldier, he was eloquent in the pulpit, & valiant in the field. His theology was simple : " There is but one God." The effeminate Syrian, lost in Monothelite and Monophysite mysteries; the Athanasian and Arian, destined to disappear before his breath, might readily anticipate what he meant. Asserting that everlasting truth, he did not engage in vain metaphysics, but applied himself to improving the social condition of his people by regulations respecting personal cleanliness, sobriety, fasting, prayer. Above all other works he esteemed almsgiving and charity.'(John William Draper, A History of the Intellectual development of Europe', pp. 329 330) William Montgomery wrote in his book 'Muhammad at Medina': 'The more one reflects on the history of Muhammad and of early Islam, the more one is amazed at the vastness of his achievement. Circumstances presented him with an opportunity such as few men have had, but the man was fully matched with the hour. Had it not been for his gifts as a seer, statesman, and administrator and, behind these, his trust in God and firm belief that God had sent him, a notable chapter in the history of mankind would have remained unwritten. It is my hope that this study of his life may contribute to a fresh appraisal and appreciation of one of the greatest of the sons of Adam.'

Reverent Bosworth Smith wrote: 'Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without the Popes pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their supports.' (R. Bosworth Smith 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism'. Page 262) “Those who knew him best his wife, his eccentric slave,

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The Prophet(saw) for mankind his cousin, his earliest friend, he who, as Mohammed said, alone of his converts, “turned not back, neither was perplexed” were the first to recognize his mission… (R. Bosworth Smith 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism'. Page 106) He also wrote: 'On the whole, the wonder is not how much but how little, under different circumstances, Muhammad differed from himself. In the shepherd of the desert, in the Syrian trader, in the solitary of Mount Hira, in the reformer in the minority of one, in the exile of Madinah, in the acknowledged conqueror, in the equal of the Persian Chosroes and the Greek Heraclius, we can still trace substantial unity. I doubt whether any other man whose external conditions changed so much, ever himself changed less to meet them.' (R. Bosworth Smith 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism'. Page 141) Washington Irving wrote: 'His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vainglory, as they would have done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power, he maintained the same simplicity of manners and appearance.' (Washington Irving, The Life of Mahomet, page 272) Sir William Muir wrote: 'Thorough and complete in all his actions, he took in hand His habits no work without bringing it to a close. The same habit pervaded his manner in social intercourse. If he turned in conversation towards a friend, he turned not partially, but with his full face and his whole body. ' In shaking hands, he was not the first to withdraw his own ; nor was he the first to break off in converse with a stranger, nor to turn away his ear.'

'A patriarchal simplicity pervaded his life. His custom was to do everything for himself. If he gave an alms he would place it with his own hand in that of the petitioner. He aided his wives in their household duties…' He was to all easy of access' even as the river's bank to him that draweth water from it,…

Embassies and deputations were received with the utmost courtesy and consideration. In the issue of rescripts bearing on their representations, or in other matters of State, Mohammad displayed all the qualifications of an able and experienced ruler… And what renders this the more strange is that he was never known himself to write' 'A remarkable feature was the urbanity and consideration with which Mohammad treated even the most insignificant of his followers. Modesty and kindliness, patience, selfdenial, and generosity, pervaded his conduct, and riveted the affections of all around him. He disliked to say No. If unable to answer a petitioner in the affirmative, he preferred silence… He was not known ever to refuse an invitation to the house even of the meanest, nor to decline a proffered present however small… He possessed the rare faculty of making each individual in a company think that he was the favoured guest. If he met anyone rejoicing at success he

would seize him eagerly and cordially by the hand. With the bereaved and afflicted he sympathised tenderly. Gentle and unbending towards little children, he would not disdain to accost a group of them at play, with the salutation of peace.

He shared his food, even in times of scarcity, with others; and was sedulously solicitous for the personal comfort of every one about him. A kindly and benevolent disposition pervades all these illustrations of his character.

Mohammad was also a faithful friend. He loved Abu Bekr with the close affection of a brother; 'Ali with the fond partiality of a father. Zeid, the Christian slave of Khadija, was so strongly attached by the kindness of the Prophet, that he preferred to remain at Mecca rather than return home with his own father : ' I will not leave thee,' he said, clinging to his patron, ' for thou hast been a father and a mother to me.' The friendship of Mohammad survived the death of Zeid, and his son Osama was treated by him with distinguished favour for the father's sake. 'Othman and 'Omar were also the objects of a special attachment; and the enthusiasm with which, at Al-Hodeibiya, the Prophet entered into ' the Pledge of the Tree ' and swore that he would defend his beleaguered son-in-law even to the death, was a signal proof of faithful friendship. Numerous other instances of Mohammad's ardent and unwavering regard might be adduced. And his affections were in no instance misplaced; they were ever reciprocated by a warm and selfsacrificing love.

In the exercise of a power absolutely dictatorial, Mohammad was just and temperate. Nor was he wanting in moderation towards his enemies, when once they had cheerfully submitted to his claims. The long and obstinate struggle against his pretensions maintained by the inhabitants of Mecca might have induced its conqueror to mark his indignation in indelible traces of fire and blood.

But Mohammad, excepting a few criminals, granted a universal pardon; and, nobly casting into oblivion the memory of the past, with all its mockery, its affronts and persecution, he treated even the foremost of his opponents with a gracious and even friendly consideration. Not less marked was the forbearance shown to 'Abdallah and the Disaffected citizens of Medina, who for so many years persistently thwarted his designs and resisted his authority, nor the clemency with which he received the submissive advances of tribes that before had been the most hostile, even in the hour of victory.' (Sir William Muir, 'The Life of Muhammad' pp. 511 513) 'It is strongly corroborative of Mohammad's sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were not only of upright character, but his own bosom friends and people of his household; who, intimately acquainted with his private life, could not fail otherwise to have detected those discrepancies which ever mere or less exist between the professions of the hypocritical deceiver abroad and his actions at home.' (Sir William Muir, 'The Life of

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The Prophet(saw) for mankind Muhammad' p. 55) Thomas Carlyle wrote: 'One other circumstance we must not forget: that he had no school learning; of the thing we call school-learning none at all. The art of writing was but just introduced into Arabia; it seems to be the true opinion that Muhammad never could write! Life in the Desert, with its experiences, was all his education. What of this infinite Universe he, from his dim place, with his own eyes and thoughts, could take in, so much and no more of it was he to know. Curious, if we will reflect on it, this of having no books. Except by what he could see for himself, or hear of by uncertain rumour of speech in the obscure Arabian Desert, he could know nothing. The wisdom that had been before him or at a distance from him in the world, was in a manner as good as not there for him. Of the great brother souls, flame beacons through so many lands and times, no one directly communicates with this great soul. He is alone there, deep down in the bosom of the Wilderness; has to grow up so, -- alone with Nature and his own Thoughts.'

He also wrote: 'How he was placed with Kadijah, a rich Widow, as her steward, and travelled in her business, again to the Fairs of Syria; how he managed all, as one can well understand, with fidelity and adroitness; how her gratitude, her regard for him grew: the story of their marriage is altogether a graceful intelligible one, as told us by the Arab authors. He was twenty five; she forty, though still beautiful. He seems to have lived in a most affectionate, peaceable, wholesome way with this wedded benefactress; loving her truly, and her alone. It goes greatly against the impostor theory, the fact that he lived in this entirely unexceptionable, entirely quiet and commonplace way, till the heat of his years was done.'

Carlyle wrote: 'Our current hypothesis about Muhammad, that he was a scheming Impostor, a Falsehood incarnate, that his religion is a mere mass of quackery and fatuity, begins really to be now untenable to anyone. The lies, which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man, are disgraceful to ourselves only... It is really time to dismiss all that. The word this man spoke has been the life-guidance now of a hundred and eighty millions of men these twelve hundred years. These hundred and eighty millions were made by God as well as we. A greater number of God's creatures believe in Muhammad's word at this hour, than in any other word whatever. Are we to suppose that it was a miserable piece of spiritual legerdemain, this which so many creatures of the Almighty have lived by and died by?'

A French philosopher Lamartime writes in his book 'History of Turkey': 'If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and outstanding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, and empires only. They founded, if any at all, no more than material power which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man merged not only armies,

legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties but millions of men in one third of the inhabited world, and more than that, moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls on the basis of a Book, every letter of which has become law. He created a spiritual nationality of every tongue and of every race.'

He also wrote: 'Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may ask, is there any man greater than he?'

John Devonport wrote: 'Is it possible to conceive, we may ask, that the man who effected such great and lasting reforms in his own country by substituting the worship of the one only true God for the gross and debasing idolatry in which his countrymen had been plunged for age'[who brought about great, enduring reformations] 'to have been a mere impostor, or that his whole career was one of sheer hypocrisy? Can we imagine that his divine mission was a mere invention of his own of whose falsehood he was conscious throughout ? No, surely, nothing but a consciousness of really righteous intentions could have carried Mohammed so steadily and constantly without ever flinching or wavering, without ever betraying himself to his most intimate connections and companions, from his first revelation to… to his last…'

He also wrote: 'So much so that it may be affirmed with certain truth, that if the Western princes had been lords of Asia instead of the Saracens and Turks, they would not have tolerated Muhammadanism as Muhammadans have tolerated Christianity, since they persecuted, with the most relentless cruelty, those of their own faith whom they deemed heterodox.'

In his book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History Michael Hart wrote: 'My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers.

It is for this reason that the founders of the world's great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Muslims in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St.

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The Prophet(saw) for mankind Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament.

Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles.

In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of lslam.

Moreover, he is the author of the Muslim holy scriptures, the Quran, (however, the Muslims believe and try to prove that it is the literal word of God), a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad's lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Quran, therefore, closely represents Muhammad's ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the Quran is at least as important to Muslims as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammad through the medium of the Quran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus.'

Karen Armstrong writes in her book 'Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet': 'Muhammad had to start virtually from scratch and work his way towards the radical monotheistic spirituality of his own. When he began his mission, a dispassionate observer would not have given him a chance. The Arabs, he might have objected, were just not ready for monotheism: they were not sufficiently developed for this sophisticated vision. In fact, to attempt to introduce it on a large scale in this violent, terrifying society could be extremely dangerous and Muhammad would be lucky to escape with his life.

Indeed, Muhammad was frequently in deadly peril and his survival was a near-miracle. But he did succeed. By the end of his life he had laid an axe to the root of the chronic cycle tribal violence that afflicted the region and paganism was no longer a going concern. The Arabs were ready to embark on a new phase of their history. (Karen Armstrong, Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet page 53-54) Finally it was the West, not Islam, which forbade the open discussion of religious matters. At the time of the Crusades, Europe seemed obsessed by a craving for intellectual conformity and punished its deviants with a zeal that has been unique in the history of religion. The witch-hunts of the inquisitors and the persecution of Protestants by the Catholics and vice versa were inspired by abstruse theological opinions which in both Judaism and Islam were seen as private and optional matters. Neither Judaism nor Islam share the Christian conception of heresy, which raises

human ideas about the divine to an unacceptably high level and almost makes them a form of idolatry.' (Karen Armstrong, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, page 27).

Annie Besant writes in her book 'The Life and Teachings of Muhammad': 'It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.'

Ruth Cranston wrote: 'Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) never instigated fighting and bloodshed. Every battle he fought was in rebuttal. He fought in order to survive…and he fought with the weapons and in fashion of his time… Certainly no 'Christian' nation of 140,000,000 people who today dispatch (this is a book written in 1949) 120,000 helpless civilians with a single bomb can look askance at a leader who at his worst killed a bare five or six hundred. The slayings of the Prophet of Arabia (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in the benighted and bloodthirsty age of the seventh century look positively puerile compared with our own in this 'advanced' and enlightened twentieth. Not to mention the mass slaughter by the Christians during the Inquisition and the Crusades when, Christian warriors proudly recorded, they “waded ankle-deep in the gore of the Muslim infidels.'

May the world understand and acknowledge the station of this greatest person of the world and try and take refuge in his teaching so that it is saved from chastisement. Thus is the station of the Seal of all the Prophets which each Ahmadi has to publicise. Yesterday a Khatm e Nabuwat (Finality of Prophethood) rally took place in Rabwah in which nothing more than political matters and vulgar matters were discussed. This in a rally which they took out in the name of ardent love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)! May God give them sense. It is the task of the Ahmadis to present the reality of Khatm e Nabuwat.

I also appeal for prayer for the Muslim Ummah. May God give sense to the Muslim leaders not to play with the blood of their citizens and may God give sense to the citizens not to become a tool in the hands of wrong leaders and kill each other. May God give sense to Muslim governments not to become tools in the hands of outsiders. These days there is tension between Turkey and Syria. The anti-Islam powers make Muslim fight Muslim and take advantage of it. May God give sense to Muslim Ummah.

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Editorial

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he present world is highly polarized. Different ideologies, beliefs and cultures are in constant clash. As they clash, human lives are lost; properties are destroyed; goodwill thins out. It is saddening to note that the activities of some adherents of Islam have gotten the Peaceful Religion a central role in this clash of cultures.

And as its opponents find every way to discredit it, they bring the name of its Noble Prophet Muhammad saw into the mud. or starters, Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions which arose from the Middle East. Its prophet, Muhammad (saw) declared in the year 610 A.D. that he was a Prophet of God who had been sent with the Divine Message of bringing the world back to God. He declared that all the earlier Prophets, from Adam (as) to Jesus (as) were all given special tasks by God Almighty, whom Muslims refer to as Allah. His message did not invalidate the teachings that Allah had sent through the earlier Prophets; in fact, he was commissioned to be the Seal of all the Prophets, validating that which had been revealed before him. uhammad was a man like any other man. He was a man who walked in the shadows of God Almighty. He did not say anything of his own except what he was commanded

by God to say. The compendium of the teachings, instructions and laws that Allah handed down to humans through Muhammad is known as the Quran. Throughout his life, a full sixty-three years, Muhammad practically lived the Quran. His wife, Aisha (ra) said that the character of the Holy Prophet was the Holy Quran. he adherents of Islam believe that Muhammad was infallible.

They look up unto him for examples on how to live their lives.

His companions had ensured that every aspect of his life was recorded; what he said and what he did. Just before his death, Muhammad (saw) proclaimed that he was leaving two things for people to follow: The Quran and his practices, known as The Sunnah.

Today, many Muslim strive to be like Muhammad. owever, there are people who regard this Holy Man as a villain, a blood-lust Arab marauder. This is far from the truth.

They do not hesitate to drag the Prophet's name into any situation, without having recourse to what the Prophet actually did in his lifetime and in what context he did what. More disturbing is the fact that some Muslims could attribute anything in their whimsical mind to the Prophet. The Prophet for instance never engaged in guerilla warfare. All the wars he ever fought were defensive and utterly provoked. He gave clear and unambiguous directives on the need to protect civilians, to protect public utilities, places of worship and to commit to peace at the earliest opportunity. When a group he was entering an agreement with contested his use of 'Prophet of Allah' in describing himself, he used 'Son of Abdullah', knowing that removing that clause does not detract from his being a Prophet of Allah. Why

ISSN 1596 - 3187 Volume 52, No. 1 March 2013

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A publication of the Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, Nigeria

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would anyone act contrary to all these and say he fulfills the wishes of the Prophet? he present edition of AlIrfan seeks to present the character of the Holy Prophet of Islam. We have lifted whole articles from the book Life of Muhammad, written by Hazrat Mirza Bashirudeen Mahmud Ahmad, Second Khalifa to the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi. We enjoin our readers to make efforts to read the original book. e hope that by this attempt, a new light would be shed into the personality of the Holy Prophet. e hope that while you enjoy this edition, you may let us know your comments through email on ishaat@mka-ng.org.

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From the Sadr’s Desk

Measuring Achievements, Moving Forward

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his year, the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, the youth wing of the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at clocked 75 years. Established in 1938 under the divine guardianship of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-deen Mahmud Ahmad, Second Successor to Imam Mahdi and the Promised Messiah (as), the Majlis Khuddam has as its principal objectives the moral and spiritual training of youth. It is dedicated to ensuring its members develop and excel in qualities such as piety, honesty and fair dealing so that they can better contribute to the country in which they live.

The goal of reformation of the youth was not a far-fetched idea. The bulk of activities that either make or mar societies are engaged in by the youths. This implies that if the youths of a society are responsible, patriotic and fellow-feeling, such a society has every ingredient to become great. However, if the youths of a society are despondent, cruel and irresponsible, the foundation of such a society is very shaky, and not before long, such a society will collapse into chaos. Thus, the goal for reformation of the youth is very critical to the health and stability of the society.

In Nigeria, the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya was established in 1972. Forty-one years into the activities of the Organisation, it is important that we measure our achievements and chart the path to our glorious future. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya in Nigeria started with a group of highly committed members, who believed in the power of human agency in changing the course of history, and who acknowledged that without the support and help of Almighty Allah, human agency could achieve nothing. These brothers, led by the first Qaid (leader), Bro. A.W.A. Aina charted the path we now follow today.

From those days of modest beginning till now, the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya has waxed stronger. The Majlis Khuddam has been led by some of the best youth leaders Nigeria could produce - leaders who rely on God Almighty and who walk in His shadow in all of their decisions. These leaders have followed the footpath of the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw in the conduct of the affairs of the Majlis Khuddam. Today, the Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria proudly stands up to its motto of 'Model for World Youths'.

Over the years, the Majlis Khuddam has organized programs that seek to enrich the human capital. It has established schools where hundreds of young minds are being tutored on how to become beneficial to themselves and to the society as a whole; landowning schemes have been successfully concluded; different training programs in varying professional areas have been conducted. In all these, members of the Majlis are always mindful of their duty to the society, armed with the knowledge that while they pay their dues to the society, they pay their dues to Allah the Almighty.

What implications are in these for the development of our society?

It is important to note that no human being will realise his/her full potentials without true service to Almighty God. As Allah (swt) says in the Holy Quran: “ And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.” Foremost in the worship of Allah is recognising His Unity and Oneness and offering the prescribed Prayers, doing good to others and establishing justice in the land. As Allah says in the Holy Quran: “ It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but truly righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and spends his money for love of Him, on the kindred and the orphans and the wayfarer and those who ask for charity, and for ransoming the captives; and who observes Prayer and pays the Zakat; and those who fulfill their promise when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and afflictions and the steadfast in time of war; it is these who are the God-fearing.”

In these verses, Allah (swt) through our Prophet (saw) hands down to us a beautiful teaching on how productive lives in the service of God should be led.

For us as MKAN members, we strive to make these and other righteous acts the focus of our activities. It is on these that we measure our achievements and march forward at all times.

We recognise that this is a march of a lifetime, and we continue to trudge on.

May Allah (swt) continue to ease our tasks and count us members of the Household of the Holy Prophet on the Day of Judgment. Amin.

Abdurl Rafi’ Abdul Qadir Sadr (President)

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Guest Khaddim Muhammad Salih Akewugberu

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AL-‘IRFAN

Guest Khaddim Abdul Ghaniyy Omopariola

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Muhammad : Man and Leader [Life of Muhammad] The Prophet's (sa) Personality And Character

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e would now attempt a short sketch of the character of the Holy Prophet (sa). In this connection we have available the collective testimony of his own people which they bore to his character before he claimed to be a Prophet (sa). At that stage he was known among his people as "The Trusty" and "The True" (Hisham). There are living at all times large numbers of people against whom no charge of dishonesty is preferred. There are also large numbers who are never exposed to a severe trial or temptation and in the ordinary affairs and concerns of life they behave with honesty and integrity, yet they are not regarded as worthy of any special distinction on that account. Special distinctions are conferred only when the life of a person illustrates in a conspicuous degree some high moral quality. Every soldier that goes into battle puts his life in jeopardy but not every such British soldier has been regarded as worthy of the award of the Victoria Cross, nor every such German soldier of the Iron Cross.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in France who occupy themselves with intellectual pursuits but not every one of them is decorated with the Legion of Honour. The mere fact, therefore, that a man is trustworthy and true does not indicate that he possesses eminence in these

respects, but when a whole people combines to confer upon an individual the titles of "The Trusty" and "The True", that is evidence of the possession of exceptional qualities. Had it been the practice of the people of Mecca to confer such a distinction upon some individual in each generation, even then the recipient would have been looked upon as occupying a high position. But the history of Mecca and of Arabia furnishes no indication that it was customary for the Arabs to confer these or similar titles upon eminent individuals in each generation. On the contrary, through centuries of Arab history we find that it was only in the case of the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam that his people conferred the titles of "The Trusty" and "The True". This is proof of the fact that the Holy Prophet (sa) possessed these qualities in so eminent a degree that within the knowledge and the memory of his people no other individual could be regarded as his equal in these respects.

The Arabs were well known for their keenness of mind and what they chose to regard as rare must in truth have been rare and unique.

When the Holy Prophet (sa) was summoned by, God to assume the burden and responsibilities of prophethood, his wife, Khadija (ra), testified to his high moral qualitiesan incident which has been related in the biographical portion of this General Introduction. We shall now proceed to illustrate some of his high moral qualities so that the reader PAGE 19| MARCH 2013

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Muhammadsa: Man and Leader may be able to appreciate even those aspects of his character which are not generally well known.

render it impure (Bukhari and Muslim, Kitab al-Birr Wassila).

The Prophet’s Purity of Mind &Cleanliness of Body It is related of the Holy Prophet (sa) that his speech was always pure and that he was (unlike most of his contemporaries) not given to the use of oaths (Tirmidhi).

This was something exceptional for an Arab. We do not imply that the Arabs at the time of the Holy Prophet (sa) habitually indulged in foul language, but there is no doubt that they were in the habit of punctuating their speech with a generous measure of oaths, a habit that persists among them even to this day. The Holy Prophet (sa), however, held the name of God in such reverence that he never uttered it without full justification.

He was very particular, even punctilious, with regard to physical cleanliness. He used to brush his teeth several times a day and was so keen on the practice that he used to say that were he not afraid that the ordinance might prove onerous, he would make it obligatory upon every Muslim to brush his teeth before every one of the five daily prayers.

He always washed his hands before and after each meal and, after eating anything that had been cooked, he always rinsed his mouth and considered it desirable that every person who had eaten anything cooked should rinse his mouth before joining in any of the prayers (Bukhari).

In the polity of Islam a mosque is the only place of gathering prescribed for the Muslims. The Holy Prophet (sa), therefore, laid particular stress upon the cleanliness of mosques, especially on occasions when people were expected to collect in them. He had directed that on such occasions incense should be burnt in the mosques to purify the air (Abu Dawud). He also gave directions that nobody should go to a mosque on the occasion of a congregation or gathering after eating anything that was likely to exhale an offensive odour (Bukhari).

He insisted upon streets being kept clean and clear of twigs, stones, and all articles or matter which was likely either to obstruct or to prove offensive. Whenever he himself found any such matter or article lying in a street he would remove it, and he used to say that a person who helps to keep streets and roads clean and clear, earns spiritual merit in the sight of God. He is also reported to have enjoined that public thoroughfares should not be so used as to cause obstruction nor should any unclean or undesirable matter or article be thrown on to a public street, nor should a street be defiled in any other way, as all such acts are displeasing to God. He was very keen that all supply of water conserved for human use should be kept clean and pure. For instance, he prohibited anything being thrown into standing water which might befoul it and any reservoir of water being used in a manner which would

The Prophet’s sa Simple Life The Prophet (sa) was extremely simple in the matter of food and drink. He never expressed displeasure with illprepared or ill-cooked food. If he could eat such food he would do so to save the person who had prepared it from disappointment. If, however, a dish was uneatable, he merely refrained from partaking of it and never expressed his disapproval of it.

When he sat down to a meal he paid attention to the food placed before him and used to say that he did not like an attitude of indifference towards food as if the person eating was above paying attention to mere matters of food and drink. When any eatable was presented to him he always shared it with those present. On one occasion somebody presented him with some dates. He looked round and after making an estimate of the number of people present divided the dates equally among them, each of them receiving seven. Abu Huraira (ra) relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) never ate his fill even of barley bread (Bukhari).

On one occasion while he was passing along a road he noticed some people gathered round a roast kid ready to enjoy the feast. When they saw the Holy Prophet (sa) they invited him to join them, but he declined. This was not due to his not having a liking for roast meat but to the fact that he did not approve of people indulging in a feast in the open where they could be observed by poor people who had themselves not enough to eat. It is related of him that on other occasions he did partake of roast meat. 'A'isha (ra) has related that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not, till the day of his death, on any occasion, eat his fill on three consecutive days. He was very particular that a person should not go to a meal in another person's house uninvited. On one occasion somebody invited him to a meal and requested that he might bring four other persons with him. When he arrived at the house of his host he found that a sixth person had also joined his party. The host came to the door to receive him and his party and the Holy Prophet (sa) drew his attention to the fact that there were now six of them and that it was for the host to decide whether he would permit the sixth person to join them in the meal or whether the latter should depart. The host, of course, readily invited the sixth person also (Bukhari, Kitab al-At'ima).

Whenever the Holy Prophet (sa) sat down to a meal he always began to eat by invoking the name and blessings of Allah, and as soon as he concluded he rendered thanks in these words: "All praise is due to Allah, Who has given us to eat: Praise, abundant and sincere and ever-increasing: Praise, which does not leave an impression upon one's

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sa

Muhammad : Man and Leader mind that one has rendered enough praise but which creates in one's mind the feeling that enough has not been said and the praise which ought never to be terminated and which makes one think that every divine act is worthy of praise and should be praised. Oh Allah! do Thou fill our hearts with these sentiments." Sometimes he used these words: "All praise is due to God Who has satisfied our hunger and thirst. May our hearts ever yearn after His praise and never be ungrateful to Him." He always admonished his Companions to stop before they had eaten their fill and used to say that one man's food should always suffice for two.

Whenever any special food was prepared in his house he used to suggest that a portion of it should be sent as a present to his neighbours; and presents of food and other articles used constantly to be sent from his house to his neighbours' houses (Muslim and Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab).

He always tried to ascertain from the faces of those who were in his company whether any of them was in need of sustenance. Abu Huraira (ra) relates the following incident: On one occasion he had been without food for over three days. He stood at the entrance to the mosque and observed Abu Bakr (ra) passing near. He asked Abu Bakr (ra) the meaning of a verse of the Qur'an which enjoins the feeding of the poor. Abu Bakr (ra) explained its meaning and passed on. Abu Huraira (ra) when relating this incident used to say with indignation that he too understood the Qur'an as well as Abu Bakr (ra) did. His object in asking the latter to explain the meaning of the verse had been that Abu Bakr (ra) might guess that he was hungry and might arrange to get food for him. Shortly after, 'Umar (ra) passed by and Abu Huraira (ra) asked him also to explain

the meaning of the verse. 'Umar (ra) also explained its meaning and passed on. Abu Huraira (ra), like all Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa), was loath to make a direct request and when he perceived that his indirect attempts to draw attention to his condition had failed, he began to feel very faint. Thereupon he heard his name being called in a very soft and tender voice. Looking to the side from which the voice came he saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) was looking out from the window of his house and was smiling. He inquired of Abu Huraira (ra): "Are you hungry?" to which Abu Huraira (ra) replied: "Verily, O Messenger of Allah (sa)! I am hungry." The Holy Prophet (sa) said: "There is no food in our house either, but somebody has just sent us a cup of milk. Go to the mosque and see whether there are any other persons there who may be hungry like you." Abu Huraira (ra) goes on to relate: "I thought to myself, I am hungry enough to consume the whole of the milk in the cup, yet the Prophet (sa) has asked me to invite any other persons that may be in a similar situation, which means that I shall get very little of the milk. But I had to carry out the Prophet's (sa) orders, so I went into the mosque and found six persons sitting there whom I brought with me to the Prophet's sa door. He gave the cup of milk into the hands of one of them and asked him to drink. When he had finished and put away the cup from his mouth the Prophet (sa) insisted upon his drinking a second time and a third time till he had had his fill. In the same way he insisted upon every one of the six drinking his fill of the milk. Each time he asked anyone to drink I was afraid that little would be left for me. After all the six had drunk of the milk the Prophet (sa) gave the cup to me and I saw that there was still plenty of milk in it. In my case PAGE 21 | MARCH 2013

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FEBRUARY 2012 | AL- ‘IRFAN

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Muhammadsa: Man and Leader also he insisted that I should drink my fill and made me drink a second and a third time and at the end he drank what was left in the cup himself and rendered thanks to God and shut the door" (Bukhari, Kitabul Riqaq). The Holy Prophet's (sa) object in offering the milk to Abu Huraira (ra) last of all may have been to indicate to him that he should have continued to endure the pangs of hunger, trusting in God, and should not have drawn attention to his condition even indirectly.

He always ate and drank with his right hand and always stopped three times to take breath in the middle of a drink.

One reason for this may be that if a person who is thirsty drinks water at one stretch he is apt to drink too much and thus upset his digestion. In the matter of eating the rule that he followed was that he partook of all things that are pure and permissible but not in a manner which would savour of indulgence or would deprive other people of their due share. As has been stated, his normal food was always very simple but if anybody presented him with something specially prepared he did not decline it. He did not, however, hanker after good food, though he had a particular liking for honey and for dates. As regards dates, he used to say that there was a special relationship between a Muslim and the date tree whose leaves and bark and fruit, both ripe and unripe, and even the stones of whose fruit could all be put to some use or the other and no part of which was without its proper use. The same was the case with a true Muslim. No act of his was without its beneficence and all that he did promoted the welfare of mankind (Bukhari and Muslim).

The Holy Prophet (sa) preferred simplicity in dress. His own dress normally consisted of a shirt and an izar or a shirt and a pair of trousers. He always wore his izar or his trousers so that the garment covered his body up to a point above his ankles. He did not approve of the knee or any portion of the body above the knee being exposed without extreme necessity. He did not approve of the use, whether as part of dress or in the way of curtains, etc., of cloth which had figures embroidered or painted on it, especially if the figures were large and might be interpreted as representing gods or goddesses or other objects of worship. On one occasion he found a curtain hanging in his house bearing large figures and he directed it to be removed. He, however, saw no harm in the use of cloth bearing small figures which could not be so interpreted.

He never wore silk himself and did not consider it permissible for Muslim men to wear it. For the purpose of authenticating the letters that he wrote to certain sovereigns inviting them to accept Islam he caused to be prepared a signet-ring, but directed that it should be made of silver and not of gold, for he said that the wearing of gold had been prohibited to Muslim men (Bukhari and

Muslim). Muslim women are permitted to wear silk and gold but in their case also the Holy Prophet's (sa) direction was that excess should be avoided. On one occasion he called for subscriptions for the relief of the poor and a lady took off one of her bracelets and placed it before him as her contribution. Addressing her, he said: "Does not your other hand deserve to be saved from the Fire?" The lady thereupon removed her bracelet from the other hand also and offered it for the purpose that he had in view. None of his wives possessed ornaments of any considerable value and other Muslim women also very seldom possessed any ornaments. In accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an he deprecated the hoarding of money or bullion, as he held that this was harmful to the interests of the poorer sections of the community and resulted in upsetting the economy of a community and was thus a sin.

'Umar (ra) suggested to the Holy Prophet (sa) on one occasion that as he had to receive Embassies from great monarchs, he should have a rich cloak prepared for himself which he could wear on such ceremonial occasions. The Prophet (sa) did not approve of the suggestion and said: "It would not be pleasing to God for me to adopt ways like this. I shall meet everybody in the clothes that I normally wear." On one occasion silk garments were presented to him and of these he sent one to 'Umar (ra). Upon this 'Umar (ra) said, "How can I wear it when you have yourself disapproved of wearing silk garments." The Holy Prophet (sa) observed: "Every present is not meant for personal use." His meaning was that since the garment was of silk 'Umar (ra) should have presented it to his wife or to his daughter or should have put it to some other use (Bukhari, Kitabul Libas).

The Prophet'ssa bed was also very simple. He never used a bedstead or a couch but always slept on the ground, the bedding consisting of a piece of leather or of a piece of camelhair cloth. 'A'isha (ra) relates: "Our bedding was so small that when the Holy Prophet (sa) used to get up at night for prayers I used to lie on one side of the bedding and stretched out my legs while he was in the standing posture and folded them back when he had to prostrate himself (Muslim, Tirmidhi and Bukhari).

He adopted the same simplicity with regard to his residential arrangements. His house consisted normally of one room and a small courtyard. A rope used to be strung half way across the room so that when he had visitors a piece of cloth could be hung from the rope to convert a part of the room into an audience chamber separated from the portion occupied by his wife. His life was so simple that 'A'isha (ra) related that during the lifetime of the Prophet (sa) they often had to sustain themselves on dates and water and that on the day of his death there was no food in the house except a few dates (Bukhari).

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ISLAM: The Antithesis of Extremism, Terrorism

Muhammad the Liberator of Women [Life of Muhammad]

T

he various aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are all so sublime, that in the matter of choice, a writer on the subject soon finds himself baffled and selection becomes very nearly impossible. In consideration of present day needs, however, I wish to take up that side of the Holy Prophet's life which concerns the way in which he purged the world of that form of utter slavery which had been for all time the curse of humanity. I mean the slavery of women.

Before the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) women in all countries were in the position of slaves and chattels, and their slavery could not but have reacted adversely even on men; for sons of slaves cannot assimilate the spirit of freedom.

There is no doubt woman, either because of her beauty or because of her sterling character, has always been able, in individual cases, to dominate over men, but freedom thus obtained could not be termed true freedom, for the simple reason that it was not hers by way of right. It was only a matter of exception to the general rule, and freedom which is exceptional, can hardly lead to the culture of true aspirations.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had his advent about 1,350 years ago. Before his time, no religion or nation afforded to woman such freedom as

she could use by way of right. Of course in countries where no law prevailed, she was free from all disabilities. Yet even this kind of freedom cannot be called true freedom. It is rather described as license. True freedom is that which is reaped out of a state of civilization and conformity to law.

The sort of freedom we get when we break the bounds of the law is not freedom at all because such freedom does not generate any strength of character.

At the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and before, woman was placed in a condition in which she was not the owner of her property; her husband was regarded as the owner of her property. She did not have a share in the property of her father. Nor could she inherit the property of her husband, though in some cases she had the right of managing it during the husband's lifetime. When married, she was either assigned to her husband for good as his property, and in no circumstances could she be separated from him; or in the alternative, it was given to the husband to divorce her but not given to her to separate herself from the husband, however afflicted she might have been.

Should the husband desert her, cease to discharge his obligations towards her or run away from her, there was no law to protect her. It was obligatory on her to be resigned to her lot, and work for a living both for herself and her children. The husband was entitled, out of bad temper, to

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Muhammad the Liberator of Women beat his wife; she was not to raise a voice against it. Should the husband die, the wife, in some countries, fell into the hands of her husband's relatives, who could then marry her to whomsoever they liked, either in charity or in return of some benefits received. In some places, on the other hand, she was merely the property of her husband. Some husbands would sell their wives or lose them in gambling and betting, and when they did so, they were all considered to be within their rights.

A woman had no right over her children whether in her position of dependence as wife, or in a position of independence of her husband. In domestic affairs she had no privilege. Even in religion she had no status. Of the abiding spiritual blessings, she was to have no share. In consequence, husbands used to squander the property of their wives and abandon them without providing for their subsistence. She could not, even out of her own property, give away, in charity, or help her relatives except with the consent of her husband, and a husband who looked with greed on the property of his wife could hardly give his consent in such a matter.

Of the property of her parents, to whom children are bound by a most deep and affectionate tie, woman was deprived of all share. And yet daughters have as much claim on their parents as have the sons. Parents who out of a sense of justice, would give away during their lifetime some of their property to their daughters, prepared only for strife in their families. It would not occur to the sons that after the parent's death they (the sons) would inherit the whole of their property (and therefore should not grudge their sisters receiving occasional gifts from their parents); all they considered was that their sisters, for the time being were having more than they.

Of the property, similarly, of her husband -- with whom a wife has the relation of complete union -- woman was again, deprived altogether. Distant relatives of the husband could each claim a share, but not the wife -- one, indeed, who was the possessor of his confidence, a life-long partner of his and whose labour and care must have so largely contributed to his income. On the other hand, when she managed all her husband's property, she did not have any genuine right over any portion of it. While she could spend out of the income of that property she could not dispose any part of it. In acts of charity, therefore, she was prevented from taking part in the manner she liked.

When the husband oppressed his wife, she could not be separated from him. In communities in which separation was at all possible, it was on conditions under which selfrespecting women preferred death to separation. For instance, a condition of separation was that proof should be furnished establishing the misconduct of either party, as well as ill treatment on the part of the husband. What was still worse was that in cases in which it was impossible for a

woman to live with her husband instead of complete separation, she was only allowed to live apart, a state of living which itself is a form of torture, for in this way she was compelled to lead an empty, purposeless life.

In some cases it happened that while the husband could divorce his wife whenever he liked, the wife in no case could demand a divorce. If the husband deserted her, or abandoned the country without providing for her, she was obliged to linger through life without the right to devote herself usefully to her country or community. Married life, instead of being a life of happiness, became for her a life of misery. Her obligation it was, not only to undertake the duties of her husband and of herself but also to wait for her husband. The duty of the husband, namely to find a living for the household, became hers, as also her own duty, the care and upbringing of her children?mental discomfort on the one hand, and material responsibilities on the other.

All this, in short, was tolerated in the case of this poor, unprotected creature. Women were beaten and considered the property of their husbands. When the husbands died, widows were forcefully married to the relatives of their husbands, or else sold for money. In fact, husbands themselves sold away their wives. Indian princes like the Panawas lost their wife (there was one for many) in gambling, and against the law of the land, a noble princess like Dropadi could not raise the slightest voice.

In the education or upbringing of their children, the mothers were not consulted and they had no rights over their children. If the father and mother separated, the children were handed over to the father. Woman had nothing to do with the household. Whenever the husband liked, he could drive her out of the house, and she was condemned to wander about homelessly.

By the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) all these iniquities were wiped away, as it were, with one stroke. He declared that God had particularly entrusted to him the task of safeguarding the rights of women.

He proclaimed in the name of God that man and woman by virtue of their humanity, were the equal of each other, and when they lived together, just as man had certain rights over woman, so had woman certain rights over man.

Women could own property in the same way as men. A husband had no right to use the property of his wife, as long as the wife, of her own free will, did not let him have some of it. To seize her property by force, or in a manner which made it doubtful whether her natural shyness had not stood in the way of her refusal, was wrong. Whatever the husband of his own free will should give away to the wife, would be the property of the wife and the husband would not be able to take it back from her. She was to inherit the property of her parents just as well as her brothers. Only considering that all the family responsibilities fall on man, PAGE 26 | MARCH 2013

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Muhammad the Liberator of Women and woman's concern is her own self alone, her share was to be one half of the share of man, that is, out of the property of their (deceased) parents.

Similarly a mother was to have a share in the property of her (deceased) son as well as the father. Only according to differing circumstances and the nature of her responsibilities in particular cases, she was to have a share at times equal to, and at times less than that of the father. On the death also of her husband she was to inherit, whether or not there were any children, because she was not to be condemned to a state of dependence on others.

Her marriage (it was granted) is, without doubt, a holy alliance, which, after man and woman have cultivated mutual intimacy to the extreme, it is very detestable to break. However, it cannot be that, even after a frightful divergence of nature has been found between the parties, or in spite of a religious, physical, economic, social or mental discrepancy between them, they should be compelled, in the interest of sheer alliance, to ruin their lives and kill the purpose of their existence.

When differences of this kind appear, and man and woman agree that they cannot live together, they can (it was taught), by mutual consent, revoke the alliance. If, however, only the husband should take this view, but not the wife, and if they fail to adjust themselves to each other, their affairs should be considered by a committee of two members, one representing the husband and the other the wife. If the committee should decide that the parties should yet make an effort to live together, it would be worthwhile on their part to try to settle their differences in the way recommended by the committee. Then if the understanding along this line should prove impossible, the husband could divorce the wife, but in such a case he would have no right to the return of whatever he might have (before divorce) given away to her, including the full value of mahr (marriage settlement).

If, on the other hand, the wife should seek separation, and not the husband, she should apply to the Qazi (Judge), and if the Qazi is satisfied that there is no unfair motive behind her application, he should order her separation. Only in such a case she will make over to the husband such of his property as had been entrusted to her, as also the value of mahr (marriage settlement). Should the husband fail to fulfil his marital obligations or cease to speak to her, or should ask her to sleep apart, he should not be able to go beyond a certain limit of time. If he persists for four months in this kind of treatment, he should be compelled either to reform himself or to divorce her.

Should he stop the allowances due to the wife or go away from her and no longer take care of her, their marriage should be regarded as null and void. (Three years have been assigned as the limit of the period of abandonment by

Muslim jurists). The wife would now be free to marry again.

The husband was always to be responsible for the maintenance of his wife and children. He was to exercise only appropriate discipline, but should this discipline ever take the form of punishment, he should have proper witnesses and declare her guilt and base his judgment on evidence. Punishment should not leave any permanent ill effects behind.

A husband does not own his wife. He cannot sell her, nor reduce her to the office of domestic drudge. His wife shares with him the amenities of the household, and his treatment of her will have to correspond to the position to which he himself belongs. A treatment which is below that which should belong to the status of the husband would be wrong.

On the death of her husband, his people were to have no right over her. She would be free, and a suitable opportunity occurring, she would have the right to marry again. Nobody can stop her from doing so. Nor can a widow be compelled to live in a particular place. Only for about four months and ten days, she would live in her husband's house, so that all those conditions which can have a bearing on her rights and on those of her husband's people, should have time to manifest themselves.

For a year after the death of her husband a widow, whatever else is due to her, is to have in addition, the use of her husband's house, so that she should be able, out of what has been left to her, to make arrangements for her residence.

Should the husband find himself not on good terms with his wife, he himself is to keep out of the house, not ask his wife to go out of it, because the household is supposed to be the possession of the wife. In the upbringing of the children, woman has her part. She is to be consulted.

In the matter of children, her interest is not to be ignored in any way. Wet nursing, general caretaking, are to depend on her advice. If husband and wife, finding it impossible any more to live together, should want to separate from each other, the care of the small children should be entrusted to the mother. When they grow up, they should for purpose of education, come back to the father. As long as the children live with their mother, maintenance would be provided for by the father. The father would also pay for the time and labour the mother would have to spend on account of the children.

Woman, in short, was to have an independent status. All the spiritual rewards were to be open to her. She was to command the highest excellences of life after death and even in this life she could take part in the different departments of civil administration. In this regard she was to have the same consideration paid to her claims as that accorded to man.

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Muhammad the Liberator of Women This is the teaching which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) promulgated at a time when the standards of the world were altogether opposed to it. Through these injunctions, he reclaimed women from the slavery which had been their lot for thousands of years, to which they were forced in every land, and the yoke of which every religion had put on their neck. One man, in one time, cut asunder all these chains of serfdom! Bringing freedom to mothers, he at the same time saved their children from slavish sentiments, and provided for the germination and nourishment of great ambition and high resolve!

However, the world did not value the teachings. What was indeed a boon, it branded as tyranny. Divorce and separation it regarded as strife, inheritance as ruining the family, independence of woman as means of the disruption of domestic life. For thirteen hundred years, it went on ridiculing, in its blindness, the things which this one man who could see, had communicated to mankind for their good. It went on condemning his teachings as against human nature. Then came the time when the exquisiteness of the word of God (transmitted through the Holy Prophet) should reveal itself. The very peoples who looked upon themselves as the bearers of civilization, began to obey the civilizing injunctions of the Holy Prophet. Everyone of these peoples in turn, changed their laws in increasing conformity to the principles preached by the Holy Prophet (on whom be peace).

The English Law which required misconduct, ill treatment and beating on the part of either party as essential conditions of divorce, was changed in 1923. Misconduct by itself was accepted by the new law as a sufficient excuse for divorce.

New Zealand decided, in 1912, that a wife who has been insane for seven years, should have her marriage dissolved. In 1925, it further ruled that if either husband or wife should not discharge his or her marital obligations, they could be allowed a divorce or separation. If three years elapse without one caring for the other, divorce was in order. A good imitation of Muslim jurists, of course, but made after 1,300 years of attacks on Islam!

In the Australian State of Queensland, insanity of five years' duration was regarded as a sufficient reason for divorce. In Tasmania, a law was passed in 1919 that misconduct, desertion for four years, drunkenness, indifference for three years, imprisonment, beating, insanity, should, one and all, be sufficient conditions of divorce. In Victoria, law was passed in 1923 that should a husband fail to look after his wife for three years, be guilty of misconduct, refuse allowances, or ill-treat his wife, divorce would be possible. Further, it was granted that imprisonment, beating, misconduct on the part of the wife, insanity, unfair treatment and constant strife shall be

sufficient excuses for divorce or separation.

In Western Australia, besides the laws outlined above, the marriage of a pregnant woman has been declared to be void. (Islam, too, holds the same view).

In the island of Cuba it was decided in 1918 that forcing into misconduct, beating, using foul language, undergoing conviction, drunkenness, gambling habit, failure to discharge obligations, refusing allowances, infectious disease, or mutual agreement, shall be accepted as sufficient conditions for divorce or separation.

Italy enacted in 1919 that a woman shall have rights over her property. She can spend out of it in charity or sell it as she likes (Up to this time, in Europe, she was not recognized as the owner of her own property).

In Mexico, too, the above conditions have been accepted as being sufficient for divorce. Besides, mutual agreement has also been accepted as sufficient. This law has been passed in 1917. Portugal in 1915, Norway in 1909, Sweden in 1920, and Switzerland in 1912, have passed laws by which divorce and separation have been made permissible.

In Sweden, a father is compelled by law to provide, at least up to eighteen years, for the maintenance of every child of his.

In the United States of America although the law of the land continues to maintain the right of a father over his child, yet in practice the judges have begun to pay regard to the susceptibilities of mothers, and a father is now even compelled to pay for the children (living with their mother). There are, of course many drawbacks in their law.

Even though, the man's rights have been more strictly guarded, woman is being allowed to exercise right over the property. At the same time, in many States it has been passed that if the husband should become a permanent invalid, his wife will have to provide for him.

Women are now being granted the right to vote, and avenues are being opened by which they can come to have a voice in matters of national concern. Yet all these things are coming after full thirteen hundred years have passed since the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) promulgated his teachings. There are many things which yet await coming. In many countries a woman has still no share in the inheritance of either her parents or her husband. Similarly, in several other matters Islam continues to provide guidance to the world, though the world has not acknowledged such guidance. The time is not distant, however, when the world will accept the guidance coming from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in these matters as it has already done in others, and which the Holy Prophet initiated on behalf of the freedom of women will bring forth its fruits to the full.

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The Prophet’s Relationship with God [Life of Muhammad]

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very aspect of the Holy Prophet's sa life appears to have been governed and coloured by his love for and devotion to God. In spite of the very heavy responsibilities that had been laid upon his shoulders the greater portion of his time during the day as well as during the night was spent in the worship and praise of God. He would leave his bed at midnight and devote himself to the worship of God till it was time to go to the mosque for the morning prayers. He sometimes stood so long in prayer during the latter part of the night that his feet would get swollen, and those who saw him in that condition were always much affected. On one occasion 'A'isha ra said to him: "God has honoured you with His love and nearness.

Why then do you subject yourself to so much discomfort and inconvenience?" He replied: "If God has by His Grace and Mercy conferred His love and nearness upon me, is it not my duty in return to be always rendering thanks to Him? Gratitude should increase in proportion to the favours received" (Bukhari, Kitabul Kusuf ).

He never entered upon any undertaking without divine command or permission. It has already been related in the biographical portion that, in spite of the very severe persecution to which he was subjected by the people of Mecca, he did not leave the town till he received the divine

command to do so.

When persecution became very severe and he gave permission to his Companions to migrate to Abyssinia, some of them expressed a desire that he should accompany them. He declined to do so on the ground that he had not received divine permission to that effect. Thus, during a period of hardships and persecution when people usually like to keep their friends and relations close to themselves, he directed his Companions to seek refuge in Abyssinia and himself stayed behind in Mecca, for God had not yet directed him to leave it.

Whenever he heard the word of God being recited, he was overcome by emotion and tears would start from his eyes, especially if he was listening to verses which emphasized his own responsibilities. 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra relates that he was on one occasion asked by the Holy Prophet sa to recite some verses of the Qur'an to him.

He said: "O Messenger of Allahsa! The Qur'an has been revealed to you (i.e., you know it best of all). How then shall I recite it to you?" But the Holy Prophet sa said: "I love to hear it recited by other people also."

Thereupon 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra began to recite from Surah Al-Nisa'. When he recited the verse: "And how will it fare with them when We shall bring a witness from every people, and shall bring thee as a witness against them" (4: 42), the Holy Prophet sa exclaimed: 'Enough! Enough!"

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The Prophet’s Relationship with God 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra looked up and saw that tears were streaming from the Holy Prophet'ssa eyes (Bukhari, Kitab Fada'ilul Qur'an).

He was so particular about joining the congregational prayers that, even during severe illness when it is permissible not only to say one's prayers in one's room but even to say them lying in bed, he would go to the mosque to lead the prayers himself. On one occasion when he was unable to proceed to the mosque he directed that Abu Bakr ra should lead the prayers. Presently however, he felt some improvement in his condition and asked to be supported into the mosque. He rested his weight on the shoulders of two men but was in so feeble a condition that, according to 'A'isha ra, his feet trailed along the ground (Bukhari ).

It is a common practice to give expression to one's pleasure or to draw attention to any particular matter by the clapping of hands and the Arabs used to follow the same practice.

The Holy Prophet sa, however, so loved the remembrance of God that for these purposes also he substituted the praise and remembrance of God in place of the clapping of hands. On one occasion while he was occupied with some important matter, the time of the next service drew near and he directed that Abu Bakr ra should lead the prayers. Shortly thereafter he was able to conclude the business upon which he was engaged and proceeded at once to the mosque.

Abu Bakr ra was leading the prayers but when the congregation perceived that the Holy Prophet sa had arrived, they began to clap their hands for the purpose both of giving expression to their joy at his arrival and also to draw Abu Bakrra's attention to the fact that the Prophet sa himself had arrived. Thereupon Abu Bakr ra stepped back and made room for the Holy Prophet sa to lead the prayers.

When the prayers were over, the Prophet sa addressed Abu Bakr ra and said: "Why did you step back after I had directed you to lead the prayers?"

Abu Bakr ra replied: "O Messenger of Allah sa! How would it befit the son of Abu Quhafa ra to lead the prayers in the presence of the Messenger of Allah sa?" Then addressing the congregation the Prophet sa said: "Why did you clap your hands? It is not seemly that while you are engaged in the remembrance of God you should clap your hands. If it should so happen that during the course of prayers attention has to be drawn to some matter, instead of clapping your hands you should utter the name of God aloud. This would draw attention to whatever may have to be taken note of " (Bukhari).

The Prophet sa did not approve of prayers or worship being carried on as a penance or imposition. On one occasion he came home and observed a rope dangling between two pillars. He inquired what its purpose was, and was informed that his wife Zainab ra was in the habit of

supporting herself by means of the rope when she became tired in the course of her prayers. He directed the rope to be removed and said that prayers should be continued only so long as one felt easy and cheerful and that if a person became tired he should sit down. Prayers were not an imposition, and if carried on after the body became fatigued they failed of their purpose (Bukhari, Kitabul Kusuf ).

He abhorred every action and practice which savoured even remotely of idolatry.

When his end was approaching and he was in the grip of the death agony he turned from side to side exclaiming: "May the curse of God descend upon those Jews and Christians who have converted the graves of their Prophets into places of worship" (Bukhari ). He had in mind those Jews and Christians who prostrated themselves at the graves of their Prophets and saints and addressed their prayers to them, and he meant that if Muslims fell into similar practices they would not be deserving of his prayers but would, on the contrary, cut themselves asunder from him.

His extreme sense of jealousy for the honour of God has already been referred to in the biographical portion. The people of Mecca sought to place all sorts of temptations in his way to persuade him to give up his opposition to idolworship (Tabari). His uncle Abu Talib also tried to dissuade him and expressed his fear that if he persisted in his denunciation of idol-worship, Abu Talib would have to choose between ceasing to give him his protection and the bitter opposition of his people. The only reply that the Prophet sa made to his uncle on that occasion was: "If these people were to place the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left, I would not desist from proclaiming and preaching the Unity of God" (Zurqani ).

Again, during the Battle of Uhud when a remnant of wounded Muslims were grouped round him at the foot of a hill and their enemies were giving vent to their feeling of jubilation at having broken the Muslim ranks in shouts of victory and their leader Abu Sufyan ra called out: "May Hubal (one of the idols worshipped by the Meccans) be exalted! May Hubal be exalted!" the Holy Prophet sa, in spite of realizing that his own safety and that of the small band of Muslims who were gathered round him lay in keeping silent could restrain himself no longer and directed his Companions to shout in reply, "To Allah alone belongs victory and glory! To Allah alone belongs victory and glory!" (Bukhari ).

It was a common misconception among the followers of different religions before the advent of Islam that heavenly and terrestrial manifestations took place to mark occasions of joy and sorrow for Prophets, saints and other great men and that even the movements of the heavenly bodies could be controlled by them.

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The Prophet’s Relationship with God For instance, it is related of some of them that they caused the sun to become stationary in its course or stopped the progress of the moon or caused running water to become still. Islam taught that such notions were baseless and that references to phenomena of this kind in religious Scriptures were only by way of metaphor which, instead of being interpreted in accordance with its correct significance, had given rise to superstitions. Nevertheless, some among Muslims were prone to attribute these phenomena to events in the lives of the great Prophets as. In the closing years of the Holy Prophet's sa life his son Ibrahim died at the age of two and a half years.

An eclipse of the sun occurred on the same day. Some Muslims in Medina gave currency to the idea that the sun had been darkened on the occasion of the death of the Prophet's sa son as a mark of divine condolence. When this was mentioned to the Holy Prophet sa he expressed great displeasure and severely condemned the notion. He explained that the sun and the moon and other heavenly bodies were all governed by divine laws and that their movements and the phenomena connected with them had no relation to the life or death of any person (Bukhari).

Arabia is a very dry country and rain is always welcome and is eagerly waited for. The Arabs used to imagine that the coming of rain was controlled by the movements of stars. Whenever anybody gave expression to that idea, the Holy Prophet sa used to be very upset and admonished his people not to attribute favours bestowed upon them by Providence to other sources. He explained that rain and other natural phenomena were all governed by divine laws and that they were not controlled by the pleasure or displeasure of any god or goddess or of any other power (Muslim, Kitabul Iman).

He had perfect trust in God which no combination of adverse circumstances could shake. On one occasion an enemy of his, finding him asleep and unguarded, stood over his head with drawn sword and threatened to despatch him at once. Before doing so he asked: "Who can rescue you from this predicament?" The Holy Prophet sa calmly replied: "Allah." He uttered this word with such perfect assurance that even the heart of his disbelieving enemy was forced to acknowledge the loftiness of his faith and trust in God. The sword fell from his hand, and he, who a moment before was bent upon his destruction, stood before him like a convicted criminal awaiting sentence (Muslim, Kitabul Fada'il and Bukhari, Kitabul Jihad).

At the other end of the scale was his sense of perfect humility vis-a-vis the Divine. Abu Huraira ra relates: "One day I heard the Holy Prophet sa say that no man would attain salvation through his own good deeds. Thereupon I said: 'O Messenger of Allah sa! 'Surely you will enter

Paradise through your own good actions,' to which he replied: 'No, I too cannot enter Paradise through my own actions save only that God's Grace and Mercy should envelop me' " (Bukhari, Kitabur Riqaq).

He always exhorted people to choose and follow the right path and to be diligent in their search for means whereby they could attain nearness to God. He taught that no man should desire death for himself, for if he is good he will, by living longer, be able to achieve greater good; and if he is evil, he may, if given time, be able to repent of his evil ways and start on a good way. His love for, and devotion to, God found expression in many ways. For instance, whenever after a dry season the first rain-drops began to descend, he would put out his tongue to catch a raindrop and would exclaim: "Here is the latest favour from my Lord." He was constantly occupied in praying for God's forgiveness and beneficence, more particularly when he was sitting among people so that those who were in his company or were connected with him and Muslims generally should save themselves from divine wrath and should become deserving of divine forgiveness. The consciousness that he was always in the presence of God never deserted him. When he used to lie down to sleep, he would say: "O Allah! let me die (go to sleep) with Thy name on my lips and with Thy name on my lips let me rise." When he woke up, he would say: "All praise is due to God who has brought me to life after death (sleep) and one day we shall all be gathered unto Him" (Bukhari).

He constantly yearned for nearness to God and one of his oft-repeated prayers was "O Allah! Do Thou fill my heart with Thy light and fill my eyes with Thy light and fill my ears with Thy light and put Thy light on my right and put Thy light on my left and put Thy light above me and put Thy light below me and put Thy light in front of me and put Thy light behind me and do Thou, O Allah, convert the whole of me into light" (Bukhari).

Ibn 'Abbas ra relates: "Shortly before the Holy Prophet's sa death, Musailima (the false prophet) came to Medina and proclaimed that if Muhammad sa would appoint him his successor he would be prepared to accept him.

Musailima was accompanied by a very large retinue and the tribe with which he was connected was the largest among the tribes of Arabia. When the Holy Prophet sa was informed of his advent he went to meet him, accompanied

by Thabit bin Qais bin Shams ra.

He had in his hand a dried palm twig. When he arrived at Musailima's camp he went and stood in front of him. In the meantime some more of his Companions had come up and ranged themselves round him. Addressing Musailima he said, "It has been conveyed to me that you have said that if I were to appoint you my successor you would be ready to follow me, but I am not willing to bestow even this dried

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The Prophet’s Relationship with God palm twig upon you contrary to God's commands. Your end will be as God has appointed. If you turn your back on me God will bring you to naught. I perceive very clearly that God will deal out to you what He has revealed to me."

He then added: "I will now retire. If you have anything further to say, you may talk to Thabit bin Qais bin Shams ra, who will act as my representative." He then returned.

Abu Huraira ra was also with him. Somebody inquired of the Prophet sa what he meant by saying that God would deal out to Musailima what had been revealed to him. The Holy Prophet sa replied: "I saw in a dream two bracelets round my wrists which I disliked. While still in my dream I was directed by God to blow upon the bracelets. When I blew upon them, both of them disappeared. I interpreted this to mean that two false claimants (to prophethood) would appear after me" (Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi). This incident occurred towards the end of the Holy Prophet's sa life.

The last and the largest of the Arab tribes who had not yet accepted him was prepared to make its submission and the only condition put forward by it was that the Holy Prophet sa should appoint its chief as his successor. Had the Prophet sa been actuated even remotely by any personal motives, nothing stood in the way of his securing the unity of the whole of Arabia by promising his succession to the chief of the largest tribe of Arabia. The Holy Prophet sa had no son of his own and no dynastic ambition could have stood in the way of such an arrangement, but he never regarded even the smallest thing as belonging to him and as being at his absolute disposal.

He could, therefore, not deal with the leadership of Muslims as if it were in his gift.

He regarded it as a sacred divine trust and believed that God would bestow it upon whomsoever He thought fit. He therefore rejected Musailima's offer with contempt, and told him that, let alone the leadership of Muslims, he was not prepared to bestow upon him even a dry palm twig.

Whenever he referred to or discoursed about God, it appeared to onlookers as if his whole being was in the grip of a passion of love for and devotion to God. He always insisted upon simplicity in divine worship. The mosque, that he built in Medina and in which he always led prayers, had only a mud floor which was innocent of all covering or matting and the roof, which was made of dried palm branches and leaves, leaked whenever it rained. On such occasions the Holy Prophet sa and members of the congregation would be drenched with rain and mud but he would continue with the prayers till the end and on no occasion did he give any indication that he would postpone the service or remove to more weather-tight shelter (Bukhari, Kitabus Saum).

He was also watchful regarding his Companions.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar ra was a man of extreme piety and purity of life. Concerning him the Holy Prophet sa once said: " 'Abdullah bin 'Umar ra would be an even better man if he were to be more regular with regard to his Tahajjud prayers (a superogatory prayer observed in the night)."

When this was communicated to 'Abdullah bin 'Umar ra, he never thereafter missed these prayers. It is recorded that the Holy Prophet sa, happening to be in the house of his daughter Fatima ra, inquired of her and his son-in-law, 'Ali ra, whether they were regular with regard to their Tahajjud prayers. 'Ali ra replied: "O Messenger of Allah sa! We try to get up for Tahajjud prayers but on occasion when God so wills that we are unable to wake up in time we miss them."

He went back and, on the way, repeated several times a verse of the Qur'an which means that a man is often reluctant to admit his fault and tries to cover it up with excuses (Bukhari, Kitabul Kusuf ). The Prophet sa meant that 'Ali ra should not have attributed his default to God by saying that when God willed that they should not wake up they were unable to wake up in time, but should have admitted his own weakness in the matter.

Disapproval of Penance The Holy Prophet sa, however, strongly disapproved of formality in the matter of worship and condemned the imposition of any penance upon oneself as a form of worship. He taught that true worship consists in the beneficent use of the faculties with which God has endowed man. God having bestowed eyes upon man to see with, it would not be worship but impertinence to keep them shut or to have them removed. It is not the proper use of the faculty of sight which can be regarded as sinful, it is the improper use of the faculty that would be a sin. It would be ingratitude on the part of a man to have himself deprived of the faculty of hearing, though it would be sinful of him to use that faculty for the purpose of listening to slander and backbiting. Abstention from food (except on occasions when it is prescribed or is otherwise desirable) may amount to suicide and thus constitute an unforgivable sin, though it would also be sinful on the part of a man to devote himself entirely to food and drink or to indulge in the eating or drinking of prohibited or undesirable articles. This is a golden principle which was taught and emphasized by the Holy Prophet sa of Islam and which had not been inculcated by any previous Prophet.

The correct use of natural faculties constitutes high moral qualities; the frustration or stultification of those qualities is folly. It is their improper use that is evil or sinful. Their proper use is true virtue. This is the essence of the moral teachings inculcated by the Holy Prophet sa of Islam. And this, in brief, was also a picture of his own life

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The Prophet’s Relationship with God and actions. 'A'isha ra relates: "Whenever the Holy Prophet sa had a choice of two courses of action he always chose the easier of the two, provided it was free from all suspicion of error or sin. Where a course of action was open to such suspicion, the Holy Prophet sa of all men gave it the widest berth" (Muslim, Kitabul Fada'il ).

This is indeed the highest and the most admirable course open to man. Many men voluntarily court pain and privations, not for the purpose of winning God's pleasure, for God's pleasure is not to be won by inflicting purposeless pain and privations upon oneself, but with the object of deceiving mankind. Such people possess little inherent virtue and wish to cover up their faults and to acquire merit in the eyes of others by assuming false

virtues. The object of the Holy Prophet sa of Islam, however, was to attain to real virtue and to win the pleasure of God. He was, therefore, completely free from pretence and make-believe. That the world should regard him as bad or should appraise him as good was a matter of complete indifference to him.

All that mattered to him was how he found himself and how God would judge him. If in addition to the testimony of his conscience and the approval of God he also won the true testimony of mankind he was grateful, but if men looked upon him with jaundiced eyes he was sorry for them and attached no value to their opinion.

The Qaid and the entire members of the Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Monatan Dil’a felicitates with our Naib Sadr (Administration), Bro Muhammad Salih Akewugberu on his appointment as the National Protocol Officer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria and as Personal Assistant to the Amir, AMJN. May Allah (swt) continue to help you in your new endeavour. Amin.

Question: What is Islam?

Answer: Find out here www.alislam.org; www.askislam.org; www.ahmadiyyang.org; www.mka-ng.org PAGE 33 | MARCH 2013

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Holy Prophet : A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World Muallim Muhammad Qasim Oyekola

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he name Muhammad connotes different things to different people. To some, it signifies somebody worthy of praise. Yet to others, God forbid, it stands for bloodshed, terrorism, hatred, violence and so on. Unfortunately, the latter group has been vociferous in publishing crude and offensive publications, caricatures in books and newspapers and staging of yet more offensive films as their recourse to show what the name Muhammad (sa) means to them. Still more, and worrisome indeed, are some of the former group who claim to hold the name Muhammad (sa) in high esteem but have been greatly misrepresenting him. They have committed enormous and monstrous crimes against both God and humanity while they erroneously think they by their actions are protecting the honour of the Holy Prophet (sa) What an irony!

The present paper seeks to explain how the Holy Prophet is a Role Model in the establishment of peace in the world.

Human beings are dynamic and such dynamism cut across domestic, social, economic, political, national, international and religious spheres. The Prophet (sa) of Islam indeed and in truth launched and established peace in all these spheres of human life through the beautiful teachings of the Holy Qur'an.

The Establishment of Domestic Peace First of all, it should be established that the Prophet (sa) was a human being like all of us. Allah the Almighty

instructed him to inform all peoples that:

Say, 'I am only a man like yourselves; but I have received the revelation that your God is only One God. So let him who hopes to meet his Lord do good deeds, and let him join no one in the worship of his Lord.' [18:111] The Prophet (sa) affirmed this instruction with his own pious tongue in an hadith which reads: “Umm Salamah relates that the Holy Prophetsa said: I am but a man.”

Being human, the Prophet (sa) also had a family of his own which would be full of many challenges. Being a pious man did not however exonerate him from such domestic challenges. Many examples abound in the teachings and life of the Holy Prophet (sa) on how he handled the challenges successfully. By practically PAGE 34 | MARCH 2013

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Holy Prophetsa: A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World establishing domestic peace in his house, the Holy Prophet (sa) laid a precept for his followers and future generations.

Hadhrat Anas reports: One of the wives of the Prophet (sa) sent him a vessel in which was some thareed (a dish of sopped bread, meat and broth), when he was in the house of one of his other wives who struck the vessel and broke it.

The Prophet (sa) started to pick up the thareed and put it back into the broken vessel, saying [to the servant who brought the food], 'Eat, your mother is jealous.

[Sunan ad-Darimi, Kitab al-Buyoo', Bab man Kasara Shaey'an fa'alayhi mithluhu] In another report: The Prophet (sa) picked up the pieces and put them together, then he gathered up the food that had been in the vessel and said, 'Your mother is jealous'.

Then he asked the servant to wait and gave him a whole vessel belonging to the wife in whose house he was, and kept the broken vessel in the house of one who had broken it.

The above scenario illustrates how the Prophet (sa) managed what could have degenerated to serious crisis; which might even go beyond control. But he silently put it on hold. The report does not inform us of any comment made to the wives involved. The whole matter was laid to rest.

The Establishment of Social Peace The model of the Holy Prophet (sa) in the establishment of social peace and harmony is worthy of attention and emulation. In the eras before the advent of the Prophet (sa) of God, darkness had taken over the entire social lives, not only religious lives of the people. Respect and honour for the other person had gone into oblivion. Infanticide, especially of the girl-child was glorified. But with advent of the Prophet (sa), infanticide was halted [Chapter 81:9]; inheritance which often causes homicides now included everyone that directly benefits from the deceased [Q.4:1213]; the institution of marriage, which includes divorce and widowhood, two areas where women were denied of their civil rights were regulated. A woman now had a say in a matter that concerned her [Q. 222-243].

Let us now look at how the Prophet (sa) practically handed down his teachings on equality among humans to us and how he wants our society to be peaceful.

He declared: O men, lend me an attentive ear. For I know not whether I will stand before you again in this valley and address you as I address you now. Your lives and your possessions have been made immune by God to attacks by one another until the Day of Judgment. God has appointed for everyone a share in the inheritance. No 'will' shall now be admitted which is prejudicial to the interests of a rightful heir. A child born in any house will be regarded as the child of the

father in that house. Whoever contests the parentage of this child will be liable to punishment under the Law of Islam.

Anyone who attributes his birth to someone else's father, or falsely claims someone to be his master, God, His angels and the whole of mankind will curse him. O men, you have some rights against your wives, but your wives also have some rights against you. Your right against them is that they should live chaste lives, and not adopt ways which may bring disgrace to the husband in the sight of his people. If your wives do not live up to this, then you have the right to punish them. You can punish them after due inquiry has been made by a competent authority, and your right to punish has been established. Even so, punishment in such a case must not be very severe. But if your wives do no such thing, and their behaviour is not such as would bring disgrace to their husbands, then your duty is to provide for them food and garments and shelter, according to your own standard of living. Remember you must always treat your wives well. God has charged you with the duty of looking after them. Woman is weak and cannot protect her own rights. When you married, God appointed you the trustees of those rights. You brought your wives to your homes under the Law of God. You must not, therefore, insult the trust which God has placed in your hands‌ O men, what I say to you, you must hear and remember. All Muslims are as brethren to one another. All of you are equal. All men, whatever nation or tribe they may belong to, and whatever station in life they may hold, are equal. Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any right, any superiority to claim over another.... Even as this month [of Dhul Hijja] is sacred, this land [of Makka] inviolate, and this day [of Arafat] holy, so has God made the lives, property and honour of every man sacred. To take any man's life or his property, or attack his honour, is as unjust and wrong as to violate the sacredness of this day, this month, and this territory. What I command you today is not meant only for today. It is meant for all time. You are expected to remember it and to act upon it until you leave this world and go to the next to meet your Maker. What I have said to you, you should communicate to the ends of the earth. Maybe those who have not heard me may benefit by it more than those who have heard.

[Life of Muhammad , Mirza Bashiruddeen Mahmud Ahmad, pp 279-281] That was the last sermon of the Prophetsa at the Last Pilgrimage. It was well documented by his biographers, historians and authors of Books of Traditions. It is the last testament issued by him to all and sundry; especially the Muslim Ummah. It is a lasting declaration of human rights which requires no amendment. It is 'an eternal Charter of Peace for all mankind'.

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Holy Prophetsa: A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World Teaching of the Prophet (sa) on Economic Peace 'Peace depends on justice, and economic progress depends on peace.' This was a statement made by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Imam and Worldwide Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on 7th March 2009 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

To establish justice which is requisite for economic peace, the Prophet of God (sa) abolished usury and interest and established mutual trade and institution of Zakat.

While the usury and interest tend to increase the wealth of the already haves in the society, Zakat establishes the rights and dues of the under-privileged to be given compulsorily from the wealth of the haves. It also attracts blessings of God on the owner and the property on which zakat is paid.

Trade and commerce which also promote economic growth of both the individual and the state must also be based on mutual love, justice and kindness, the Prophet (sa) taught. From the teachings of Prophet Shuaib (as), Allah passes message of fair dealings in business transactions through the Holy Qur'an that: '‌ O my people, give full measure and full weight with equity, and defraud not people of their things and commit not iniquity in the earth, causing disorder.' [11:86] These instructions lay it emphatically that lack of kindness, justice and fair play in business transactions do and can continuously lead to economic chaos in any given society.

To call the attention of the business class to the fact and not to tickle the edges of the matter, Allah declares in the Holy Qur'an: Woe unto those who give short measure; those who, when they take by measure from other people, [they] take it full; But when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they give them less. Do not such people know that they will be raised again; unto a terrible day, the day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds? Nay! the record of the wicked is in Sijjin. And what should make thee know what Sijjin is? It is a Book written comprehensively. Woe, on that day, unto those who reject, Who deny the Day of Judgment. And none denies it save every sinful transgressor. [83:2-13] In view of the above, the Prophet of God (sa) has the following to say in the establishment of peace and harmony in business transaction: May Allah show mercy to a man who adopts a kind attitude when he sells, buys and demands for the repayment of loans [Sahih Al-Bukhari] Hadhrat Imam An-Nawawi adds in his commentary of this hadith: [A man who] adopts a kind attitude when he sells, buys, and demands for the repayment of loans" means that the buyer purchases in such a manner that the seller does not

suffer any loss, and the seller sells his goods in such a way that the buyer does not feel any irritation. This also means that he feels so liberal that if the buyer wants to return what he has purchased he should accept it. Another meaning of this is that while making a purchase the customer pays more than the due price and the seller gives more goods than are due against the price that he receives. Moreover, if one has to get his claim from someone, he should do it in a polite manner. In no case should one cross the limits of civility. [Riyadh Saliheen] From the foregoing teachings, the Prophet of Islam (sa) was able to establish peaceful dealing within the business class of all categories and as such established lasting economic peace in the world.

The Establishment of Political Peace The life of the Holy Prophet (sa) was replete with examples on how to establish political harmony. He did not subscribe to persons choosing or asserting themselves as leaders on their people without their people appointing them. A tradition records that Abu Musa Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I called on the Prophet (PBUH) with two of my cousins. One of them said to him: "O Messenger of Allah (sa), appoint me governor of some land over which Allah has given you authority."

The other also requested for something of the same nature.

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By Allah we do not appoint someone to this post who seeks it or someone who contends for it." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Every student of world politics will agree with us that if the world takes lessons and follow the teaching of the Prophet (sa) as enshrined in the hadith above, the world would definitely know political peace. It is the people that are required to appoint their own leaders. This has been part of many traditional societies. However in many modern societies, the political process is characterized by godfatherism, through which political leaders are preappointed and installed before the day of many presumed elections.

The Holy Quran directly instructs and requires people to choose people of integrity for the sake of establishment of national political peace and harmony.

It says:

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Holy Prophetsa: A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World Verily, Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice. And surely excellent is that with which Allah admonishes you! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. [4:59] After the right leaders might have been appointed by the people, the rights to be obeyed and supported by the followers are then reserved by God for such leaders. Allah continues in the next verse:

O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority among you. And if you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you are believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most commendable in the end. [4:60] Books of traditions of the Prophet (sa) have recorded the following on the subject at hand: Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sa) said, "It is obligatory upon a Muslim to listen (to the ruler) and obey whether he likes it or not, except when he is ordered to do a sinful thing; in such case, there is no obligation to listen or to obey." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "One who withdraws his hand from obedience (to the leader) will find no argument (in his defense) when he stands before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Hear and obey even if an Abyssinian slave whose head is like a raisin is placed in authority over you." [Al-Bukhari].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "It is obligatory upon you to listen and obey the orders of the ruler in prosperity and adversity, whether you are willing or unwilling, or when someone is given undue preference to you.�

The Establishment of International Peace Today, the world has become a global village. Countries and regions that were hitherto far removed and remote from each other are today as close as two fingers of the same hand. Appreciation on this however is due to the boom in the global transportation, information and telecommunication industries. Of course, this is not at all strange to Islamic scholars because it has been prophesied

by Allah the Almighty. The coming together of world countries would not be without challenges due to many factors. Paramount among these are the differences in languages, cultures and traditions of people of the different nations. Apart from the above, the tendency of one nation to lord over others is also another challenge of the global community. Hence, many regional and global crises have occurred in the world. When such situation arises, the teaching of the Holy Prophet (sa) is contained in the following verse:

And if two parties of believers fight against each other make peace between them; then if after that one of them transgresses against the other, fight the party that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. Then if it returns, make peace between them with equity, and act justly. Verily, Allah loves the just. [49:10] That is, when two or more of the countries under the United Nations are in tangle among themselves; others who are not involved in the struggle should join hands to settle the crisis amicably without fear, favour or prejudice.

This is a perfect code of conduct and guiding ethics for the United Nations of today. Following these instructions of God the Holy Prophet (sa) himself founded national political institutions that were rooted in peace and harmony.

The Establishment of Inter-Religious Harmony Within the circle of Muslims who are apparently adherents of same religion- Islam; the Prophet (sa) of God

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Holy Prophetsa: A Role Model in the Establishment of Peace in the World taught that no one has the right to assume how pious others are. He categorically said, piety lies in the heart and it is only God that can measure it. More importantly, the Prophet (sa), through the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, declares openly in the following words: And revile not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus unto every people have We caused their doing to seem fair.

Then unto their Lord is their return; and He will inform them of what they used to do. [6:109] The Holy Qur'an also says: There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking.

And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2:257] To cap the efforts of the Prophet (sa) on the establishment of peace in the world, his Charter of Freedom which he granted to St. Catherine's Monastery in Mount Sinai in 628A.D which was equivalence of 6th Hijirah comes handy here. This monumental document is unprecedented in the history of mankind. It reads: This is the document which Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, God's Prophet, Warner and Bearer of glad tidings has caused to be written so that there should remain no excuse for those coming after. I have caused this document to be written for the Christians of the East and West, for those who live near, and for those of the distant lands, for the Christians living at present and for those who will come after, for those Christians who are known to us and for those as well whom we do not know. Any Muslim violating or distorting what has been ordained will be considered to be violating God's Covenant and will be transgressing against His Promise and by doing so, will incur God's wrath, be he a monarch or an ordinary subject. I promise that any monk or wayfarer who will seek my help on the mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or places of worship, I will repel his enemies

with my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend them, because they are my covenant. And I will defend the covenanted against the persecution, injury and embarrassment of their enemies in lieu of the poll tax they have promised to pay. If they prefer to defend their properties and persons themselves, they will be allowed to do so and will not be put to any inconvenience on that account. No bishop will be expelled from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his place of worship, and no pilgrim will be detained in his pilgrimage.

None of their churches or other places of worship will be desolated or destroyed or demolished. No material of their churches will be used to build mosques or houses for the Muslims; any Muslim doing so will be regarded as recalcitrant to God and His Prophet. Monks and Bishops will be subject to no poll tax or indemnity whether they live in forests or on rivers, in the East or in the West, in the North or in the South. I give them my word of honour. They are on my promise and covenant and will enjoy perfect immunity from all sorts of inconveniences. Every help shall be given to them in the repair of their churches. They shall be absolved of wearing arms. They shall be protected by the Muslims. Let this document not be disobeyed till Judgement Day. (Signed: Muhammad, the Messenger of God. ([Letters of the Messenger]) These are how the Holy Prophet (sa) established peace in all facets of human endeavor and stages of life.

We pray Allah to allow the teachings of the Prophet to prevail over our lands and seas. We also pray Allah to enable us all to emulate his pious examples. Aameen Muallim Muhammad Qasim Oyekola delivered this piece as a lecture at the 3rd Jalsa Salana of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Republic of Cameroun on 1st March 2013

Khadim wins two awards within 72 hours

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he second week of October 2012 will remain memorable in the life of Bro. Ishaq Olamilekan Popoola who won two awards in youth development works within 72 hours! The first award was tagged Commonwealth Hall of Fame Award which was conferred by the Commonwealth Youth Programme office in Africa (Lusaka, Zambia) and the second one was tagged Overall Winner in the My Vote fit Change Naija Best Use of Video Youth Challenge conferred by the Youngstars Development Initiative (Abuja, Nigeria).

As a Commonwealth Hall of Fame Award winner, he is expected to work with seasoned youth development experts within the Commonwealth

networks and help in providing solutions to the challenges facing the young people from his wealth of experiences. With respect to My Vote fit Change Naija Best Use of Video Youth Challenge, the contest was targeted at the roles of young people in strengthening democracy and good governance in Nigeria. Popoola's project recorded the highest number of viewers, approximately four million audiences were reached. This qualified him to have won a prize tag of a brand new laptop computer. The award presentation ceremony was recently organised for him on January 25, 2013 at the Grandville Hotel in Abuja.

Bro. Ishaq Olamilekan Popoola is a veteran youth

leader and development consultant to many youthled organisations. He was once the Deputy Speaker of the Students' Union Government, representative of Osun Central Senatorial District at the Nigerian Youth Parliament and the Nigerian Delegate to the third African Youth Governance Conference (AYG) held in Accra, Ghana, among others. He is also an alumnus of African Leadership Centre, LEAP Africa, DESPLAY Republic, etc. Currently, he is the Public Relations Officer at the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Osun State Chapter and the Naib Muhtamin Tahrik-i-Jadid of the Majlis Khuddam ul Ahmadiyya of Nigeria (MKAN).

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Humanitarian Services of the Holy Prophet as an Exemplary Servant and Leader

saw

Taofeeq Ajibola Lawal Introduction “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the remembrance of Allah” (Qur'an 33:22)

T

his write-up sets out to take an excursion into some aspects of the life of a historic personality The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). Whereas, this paper is not about his entire life history from birth to death, it is needful to state here that Muhammad had started his unexampled mission of a liberator of the entire world and unequalled service to humanity even centuries before his advent. This claim is affirmed by Prophet Muhammad's declaration himself when he was reported to have said “I had been a prophet since the time Adam's creation was between clay and water, and it is no boast”.

The tradition which narrated Hadhrat Adam's prayer to Allah, beseeching Allah to forgive him of his error on the honour and position of Muhammad (saw) further confirms and affirms the claim that he had started giving effect to the verse of the Holy Qur'an which says, 'I have not sent thee but as a mercy for the entire universe' (Qur'an 21:107) ever before he was born. Another very striking fact about this man who was to become an enigma of ages was that he

knew nothing in the name of parental care and support, for his father, Abdullah, died when he was still in her mother's womb. He was also barely six years of age when he lost his mother. For somebody of this background to eventually become a personality never-to-be- forgotten attests to the fact that orphanhood is never a barrier to a willing soul.

The greatness of Prophet Muhammad (saw) transcends religious and ethno-tribal sentiments. According to Professor Ramakrishna Rao, 'Even a hostile critic like Sir William Muir, speaking about the Holy Qur'an, says that “There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text; I may also add, Prophet Muhammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minutest details preserved intact for posterity'.

Muhammad (saw): An Impeccable Character and Integrity Personified Historical records reveal that all contemporaries of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), even including his arch enemies, acknowledged the sterling qualities, the transparent honesty, the incomparable sincerity and the unequalled trustworthiness of a man of such humble beginning as earlier discussed. Even the Jews and those who rejected his message recognized his uncompromising PAGE 39 | MARCH 2013

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Humanitarian Services of the Holy Prophetsaw as an Exemplary Servant and Leader stance on equity, fairness and justice. Most of those who would have nothing to do with the religion of Islam of which he was the apostle would-at any point in time prefer him to even leaders of their own faiths in matters of dispensation of justice. This was owing to his absolute impartiality. Muhammad (saw) abhorred cheating under any guise.

Right from his childhood, he had earned himself two nicknames which had been given to no one before him AlAmeen (the trustworthy); and As-Sideeq (the truthful). His contemporaries and those who were not within the same age bracket with him did not have confidence in any other person for safe keeping of their belongings but Muhammad. As you gave your property to him, so would he return it to you, intact. Historical records tell us of the story of a man who kept some amount of money with the Holy Prophet and went away without looking back. When the Holy Prophet (saw) expected him within a reasonable period of time and the man would not come back for his money, the Prophet (saw) invested the money into the rearing of some goats and sheep. About three years after, the man suddenly appeared to ask for his money. By this time, the investment had yielded a very big flock of sheep, rams and goats. The Prophet (saw), without blinking, just told the man, “These are what your money has become; go with them”. The man was overwhelmed with astonishment as he himself did not reasonably expect the money to still be intact, let alone yielding any dividend.

Another virtuous attribute of a worthy leader is truth.

Muhammad (saw) was an embodiment of truth. Records have it that even when cracking jokes, the Holy Prophet had never for once said anything that was not true. He was so passionately committed to truth that he was quoted to have said, 'Show me that truthful person, and I will arrange for him a central place in the Paradise'. Even those who did not believe in his message were forced to say: “O Muhammad we do not call you a liar, but we deny Him who has given you a Book and inspired you with a Message”.

Such was the nobility of a man who was raised in the midst of a people who were only a little better than the beasts in the jungle. The Holy Qu'ran testifies to this in the following verse: It was he who raised His Messenger from among the ignorant ones, who recites His signs unto them, who purifies them and who teaches them the Book and wisdom, even though they were in manifest error before then. (Qur'an 62:3) The Holy Prophet's Service Under Khadijah Without going too much into history, another very interesting aspect of the servant-leader personality of Muhammad (saw) was the loyalty, sincerity and

transparency with which he served Nana Khadijah (ra) who employed Muhammad to run her trade for her. The first person to report Muhammad's rare personality to Khadijah was her slave, Maysarah, who had accompanied Muhammad to al Sham where the Holy Prophet first went as an employee and agent of Khadijah in her trade. Hykal (1976:62) reports the event in the following language: Later on, Maysarah arrived and reported to her about Muhammad, his gentle treatment of her, and his loyalty to her that confirmed what she had known of Muhammad's virtue and superiority over the other youths of Makkah.

Throughout the period of his employment with Khadijah before the latter proposed marriage to him, widely documented records confirm that Muhammad's adeptness and loyalty enabled him to make great gains (profits) for Khadijah indeed more than anyone had done before.

Hykal (1976) puts Muhammad's irresistible pleasant impression on Khadijah thus: “Shortly, despite her forty years of age and the indifference with which she rejected the offers of the noblest of Quraysh, her satisfaction with her employee was to turn into love. She desired to marry this youth whose eloquence and looks had made such a profound impression upon her.”

Muhammad's Humanitarian Exploits As a ServantLeader And it is by Allah's Mercy that you Muhammad have been kind-hearted towards them; If you had been rockhearted, verily they would have all dispersed from you.

Therefore, overlook their short-comings, and ask for forgiveness for them, and do consult with them over important matters; but if you have taken a decision, then put your trust in Allah. Verily Allah loves those who put their trust in Him. (Qur'an 3:160).

The above verse from the Glorious Qur'an epitomizes the leadership style of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which endeared him to the hearts of both his followers and the followers of other faiths. In words, in thoughts and in actions, Muhammad was a lovable and amiable leader.

Though he never exhibited a kind of permissive, leizzez faire style, he was never a despotic, autocratic ruler either.

The first democracy ever known to history was instituted by him.

This democratic culture (which sees the peasant and the king as equals before God) also manifests in the Muslims' way of worship. Rao (1985) reports Sarojini Naidu to have remarked, “It was the first religion that preached and practised democracy; for,in the mosque, when the AZAAN (the Muslim call to prayer) is sounded and the worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim, 'God alone is great'. According PAGE 40 | MARCH 2013

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Humanitarian Services of the Holy Prophetsaw as an Exemplary Servant and Leader to Rao (1985), Sarojini Naidu, who was widely accepted as the great poetess of India, also had this to say about Islam: “I have been struck over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes a man instinctively a brother.

When you meet an Egyptian, an Algerian, an Indian and a Turk in London, what matters is that Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of the other.”

As a leader, Muhammad respected the opinions of his followers a lot. He had never imposed his own opinion on them. Let us consider a few instances of this uncommon humility of a man who led at a time when domination, despotism, tyranny and oppression of the weak had enveloped virtually every space of land.

They were at a battle field one day, strategizing. The Prophet (saw) was arranging members of his army, apportioning roles and positions to them. At a time, one of his companions who was a war strategist said to him, “Oh Prophet of Allah, is this arrangement a revelation from Allah or your own idea?” The Prophet answered him: 'No, it is never a revelation from Allah but my own idea'. The companion then retorted: 'Then let us handle this aspect for it is our own field of knowledge'. At this point, the Prophet (saw) turned to the rest of his companions and said “Without doubt, expert opinion must be respected”.

At another time, the Prophet (saw) observed the way a group of farmers among his followers had been planting their seeds. To his mind, the seeds could have yielded more harvest if they adopted a style which he suggested to them.

In reverence to the Holy Prophet (saw), the group of farmers changed to the style he suggested to them, but the seeds refused to germinate. When they went and complained to the Prophet that the style he taught them had not brought any good result, he (the Prophet) simply answered them: 'I only brought up my advice on my own logical reasoning; but since it is your own area of specialization, you should have told me things would not work out that way'.

No personage, whether living or dead, matches the marvelous traits of Muhammad in patience, tolerance, forbearance, altruism, forgiveness, simplicity, endurance and painstakingness. Commenting on the forgiving personality of the Holy Prophet, Badr (2013) submits thus: The Prophet was famous for forgiving his personal enemies, even those who had openly sought to kill him in the past. He was neither hot-tempered nor volatile in face of instigation and provocations, especially by vile mischief mongers and antagonists among the disbelievers.

This same rare quality of unconditional forgiveness the Prophet (saw) was endowed with is also corroborated by Raji (2013) in the following language: “This leadership style of the Prophet is rare to be found. The people of Taif

had brutalized the Prophet years earlier. When eventually he was granted victory by Allah, instead of annihilating them as is being witnessed in the world, he forgave them all. The spirit of forgiveness converted the most stonehearted adversaries into devotees of the Prophet”.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was such a simple, humble and unassuming leader that one could hardly recognize him in the midst of his companions. Among the enviable sterling qualities that made our Prophet (saw) tower above all others were his patience, tolerance and receptive to deliberate insults and assaults. It was reported that a Jew came to the Holy Prophet one day to book for some measures of dabino fruits. The Prophet gave this Jew an appointment for seven days and the Jew went away on this agreement. But on the third day, the Jew came back, pretending not to known that their agreement was seven days, which was still far ahead. When the Holy Prophet reminded him that the appointment he gave the Jew was still about four days ahead, the Jew flared up and started raining series of unprintable words on Prophet Muhammad (saw), saying the Prophet (saw) had actually behaved in a manner typical of the Quraysh. At these vituperations, Hadhrat Umar (ra) was enraged and then he held the Jew by his clothe and shook him violently. This action of Umar's angered the Holy Prophet so much that he chided Hadhrat Umar, saying to him: “Oh ye Umar, why did you behave like this to this man? Instead, you should have advised me (the Prophet) to always keep to promise and you should have advised him too to always be patient until the day of appointment”. The Prophet arranged for the Jew's measures of dabino fruits and also gave him some extra in compensation for his being rough-handled

by Hadhrat Umar.

The Jew marveled at what he saw and then commented as follows: “As a Jew, I have learnt from our scriptures that prophets of God are always very patient and tolerant. This was the quality I came and tested in you, the Holy Prophet (saw)”. After saying this, the man declared for Islam.

Some Other Attributes of Prophet Muhammad (saw) In “The Guidance of Muhammad” by Dr. Ahmad ibn Uthman Al-Mazyad, writing under the heading “The Prophet's Guidance in Speech, Silence, Logic and Choice of Words”, Dr. Al-Mazyad has the following to say: * The Prophet (saw) was the most eloquent among people and his words were the most pleasant, most fluent and most logical. * He (saw) was silent for long periods, not speaking without necessity. He did not speak about what did not concern him and only spoke when Allah's reward was expected thereby. * He (saw) spoke with concise, meaningful words.

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Humanitarian Services of the Holy Prophetsaw as an Exemplary Servant and Leader His words were descriptive yet few, neither too rapid not to be remembered not too slow and interrupted by pauses. * He was selective in his speech and chose the best expressions for his people, and the farthest from rudeness and indecency.

As cited in Badr (2013), in affirmation of the last point about the Prophet's manner of speech by Dr. Uthman AlMazyad, it was reported that Anas ibn Malik (ra) said.

“The Prophet (saw) was not a person who insulted people or used obscene language, and he did not curse people. If he wanted to rebuke anyone, he would say, 'What is wrong with him? May his forehead be rubbed with dust' ” (AlBukhari).

Conclusion Allah has indeed bestowed the best of His benevolence and the greatest of His mercy on the Muslim Ummah with His gift of the most excellent in character, Muhammad Mustapha (saw). May the peace and blessing of Allah continue to be with His chosen Messenger.

May Allah's peace and blessing also continue to be with the household of the Holy Prophet, his companions as well as those who follow his guidance until the Day of

Reckoning. Amin.

References Al-Mazyad, A.U. (2008). The Guidance of Muhammad Concerning Worship, Dealings and Manners, 30 Examples from the Life of the Prophet, Selected from the Book “Zadul- Ma'ad” by Imam Ibnul Qayyim, Islamic Publications Bureau, Lagos, Nigeria.

Badr, M. (2013). How Best to Defend the Noble Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (saw), An-Nasir, Vol.11, No 1, pp 19 27 Haykal, M.H. (1976). The Life of Muhammad, North American Trust Publications.

Raji, A.O.(2013). Leadership Qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), An-Nasr, vol.11, No 1, pp 13 15 Rao, K.S. R. (1985). Muhammad: the Prophet of Islam, Islamic Propagation Centre International, 124 Queen Street, Durban Timehin, S.O. (2013). Muhammad (saw): Between Primordial and Extraterrestrial Realities, An-Nasr, Vol. 11 No1, pp 11 - 12

Article

The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society virtue and piety. Under an Islamic state, race and colour have no distinction. As you respect this day, this month and this land of pilgrimage, so shall you respect the life, property and honour of every human being, which, under the law, are as sacred and inviolable (Sahih Bukhari Vol. 1 page 234) 6.

The Holy Prophet was cool and calm to his oppressors. Hazrat Ayesha reported “Abu Lahab and Utba were my neighbours. I was hemmed in on all sides by their schemes and machinations. To make life difficult for me, they would deposit heaps of night soil at my door steps, I would remove this dirt when I came out and would only say: O sons of Abdul Munaf, why all this? Is this the way you discharge your neighbourly duties?”

7.

Saifur Rahman said: As Muslims were never the first to attack their enemies but rose to save their own lives, they were helped and aided by Allah and it was through His help they were able to return as victors.

Da'wa hum feeha subhaaanaka allahumma wa tahiyyatuhum feeeha salaamun, wa aakhiru da'wahum anil hamdulillahi rabbil alamin.

References 1.)

Malik Saifu-r Rahman, Minorities in an Islamic State, Raqeem Press International 2.)

100 Ahadith, Raqeem Press 3.)

Holy Quran, printed by Islam International Publications Ltd. 4.)

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship, Islam International Publications Ltd.

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The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society: The Prophetic Solution Abass Olawale Iromini

W

e probably want to know who a youth is. We are also interested in defining restiveness.

What are the characteristics of a multicultural and, or multi-religious society?

YOUTH: The period between childhood and adulthood; state or quality of being young, especially as associated with vigour, freshness or immaturity. I am not aware if there is a generally accepted definition of who a youth is. Is anyone who displays exuberance a youth? You have such words as “displaying youthful exuberance”. We also have such expressions as” youth are leaders of tomorrow.” Does it mean, if you are a leader today, you are probably no more a youth? The United Nations describes a youth as a person between the ages of 16 and 24, while others regard people between ages 16 and 19 as youth. In the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at however, a youth is an individual who is between the ages of 16 and 40. We have had many members of National Youth Council whose ages are closer to fifty and more.

RESTIVENESS: For the purpose of definition, a restive situation is where there is chaos, brigandage, uprising and attempt to forcefully change the status quo. Restiveness is uneasily impatient under restriction, opposition, criticism.

Restiveness will be defined based on which side of the

divide one is. Syria is a country that is undergoing turmoil.

One can say there is absolute breakdown of law and order.

The Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, his officials and the army are seeing the people as rebels and insurgents or as agents of foreign masterminds. The people see themselves as freedom fighters. The events popularly called “The Arab Springs” may be a classical scenario of a restive society. How will you describe the immediate situation that reigned in Libya before the death of Muammar Ghadafi? What was the position at Egypt before Hosni Mubarak relinquished power? When Prophet Musa (as) was battling with Pharaoh to release the children of Israel? What was the description of Makkah when the Holy Prophet was sent and he had few followers before they migrated to Medina? There were riots in Bangladesh at the beginning of this month. In all these situations, a group of people had risen against others, and absolute peace was being elusive.

The Concept of Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society (MCMRS) A multi-cultural and a multi-religious society is one where many cultures and many religions co-exist.

Coexistence, yes, but whether peacefully or otherwise is another issue. Nigeria is a perfect example of an MCMRS. Knowing the nature of man as a self-centered being and PAGE 43 | MARCH 2013

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The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society one wanting dominance, we want to ask, why would God create us in such a manner that we belong to different cultures and religions? Holy Quran Chapter 49:14 says: “O ye mankind, we have created you from a male and a female and We have made you into tribes and sub tribes that you may recognize one another.�

If we had allowed it to remain like this, that is, to recognize ourselves, without fighting and struggling for dominance, perhaps the world would have been a better place for all of us to live than the hotbed it has now turned.

Nigeria probably has about 250 cultures and tribes. There are as many languages as there are tribes and cultures because language is the vehicle to express and drive the culture. And we do not have one religion in Nigeria but as many as you can think: Islam, Christianity, traditionalist religions in various forms. Mostly all Nigerian people have their different cultures and religions apart from the two imported religions.

One would also want to know if Allah wanted us to belong to one and same religion. In the Holy Quran, Chapter 10 vs100, He says:

If your Lord had enforced His will, surely all who are on the earth would have believed together, will you then force men to become believers?

Multi religious society is a perfect wish by Allah.

Otherwise, this verse would not have contained what it contained.

Allah allows multi religions because he commanded the Holy Prophet (saw) to say in the Holy Quran: 100:7: Lakum deenikum waliyaddeen, that is, For you your religion and for me mine.

Would Allah have allowed multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society for the purpose of causing restiveness? Definitely, no. Due to the imperfection of human beings and wish to dominate, they manipulate culture and religion to create dissension, schism, confusion and injustice that always result in restiveness.

Jos in Plateau State was a state anyone could ever lived peacefully many years ago, but today, man's avarice had made that society a hell for the dwellers.

Restiveness Every restive situation always has a reason or cause.

Sometimes, the reason could be justified and sometimes not. As far as I know, there isn't so much sharp divide along

cultural lines because people of a culture live in their cultural domain and except for globalisation, everyone tries to live in their area and abides by the dictates of their cultures. Not so much uprisings have we seen arising from one culture trying to dominate the other culture.

I say this that restiveness may not be solely caused by multi-racial or cultural dimensions or even as a result of multi-religious demarcations. I am not too sure if the Salafist groups in Nigeria have not killed more Muslims than Christians; I don't know who or what cause they are fighting. Syrians are not fighting Christians in power but Muslims. Egyptian uprising was not against any religious group but Muslims like themselves. Arab Springs generally is all about Muslims rising against fellow Muslims.

A lot of religious practices overtime become the culture of the people. I have not seen the Yoruba trying to exert dominance or influence the Hausa or Igbo to practice the Yoruba culture or vice versa. A Yoruba man wearing Hausa cultural dress is a sign of the rich cultural dimensions of the country and none will frown at that.

Issues always arise where a religious group tries to forcefully convert the adherents of other religions, or where there is tyranny, injustice, unhealthy rivalry, oppression exhibited on account of religious differences.

We have seen this also in this country. There have been many insurgencies and riots fueled by religious fundamentalism.

Restiveness is a response to misrule or maladministration, high handedness on the part of a government, misappropriation of people's commonwealth by a few privileged individuals, insensitivity on the part of the government, favouritism, major wrong doings, wrong application of resources, creation of a wide gulf between the rich and the poor. We must not forget that a government would be dominated either by people from a particular culture or religion than the rest. The oppressed or minority would not want that to continue just as the Israelites did not want the misrule of Pharaoh to continue as he killed their males and spared their daughters.

In a few countries where restiveness had taken place recently, for example, Libya, Iraq of Saddam Hussein, Sudan and their division into Southern Sudan and Sudan, Syria, etc, there was wanton destruction of lives and properties that followed. Thousands of lives were lost.

Would that have happened if the youth had resorted to peaceful dialogue or round table conference? Why were Nigerians rushing to these countries if the situation were that bad and why have we not seen the citizens of these countries in other parts of the world seeking greener pasture as they always say. Was there so much loss of lives and property when the rulers they killed were in power compared to after the revolution?

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The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society Youths in Restive Situations In every struggle, you would have the strategists whose duty is to plan what is to be done after identifying a justifiable reason for resistance. The elders are always useful in this regard. You always have the elders' forum who would see what the youth may have seen or not. They would mastermind how to stop or check the perceived excesses of the other party and use the youth as the executors of what has been planned. The youth also desiring a change would become willing tools in the hands of the elders. Every consultative forum always has its youth wing. You have the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC). The youth have the raw energy and zeal to go on rampage.

Sometimes, they may not understand what they are fighting for.

The youth can easily be manipulated due to so many factors. Unemployment is the main reason. They see no reason why a system that has subdued them should continue since it is of no benefit to them; they clamour for a bloody change. Remember that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. Illiteracy is another. A group of uncouth and illiterate youth can easily be convinced to embark on a suicide mission. Many killings have been carried out in this country using politics of religion as a basis.

Causes of Youth Restiveness in a Multi Religious Society Except for sectarian clashes, one does not expect any restiveness in any multi-religious society because each has its own line and Islam especially has taught Muslims how best to conduct themselves in such a society. Holy Quran 16 vs 126 says:

That is, Call unto the way of thy lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in a way that is best, surely, thy lord knows best who has strayed from his way and he knows those who are rightly guided”.

In verse 127, Allah continues: And if you desire to punish the oppressors, then punish them to the extent to which you have been wronged, but if you show patience, then, surely, that is best for those who are patient.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah

and Imam Mahdi (1836-1908) said: Every advocate should state the beauties of his own religion instead of attacking the other party. Because proving that the other religion is wrong does not mean that his own religion is right. He further said: Scrupulous regard must be paid to the fact that all standards of religious controversies and discussions are conducted in decent and polite manner.

Can a Muslim force others to accept Islam?

Even though, Muslims have been granted the permission to spread Islam, are we allowed to use coercion to achieve this in a multi religious society?

Holy Quran 2:251 says: La ikraha fii deeni, meaning: There should be no compulsion in matters of religion.

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad in his book titled Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship says while commenting on the above verse writes thus: “In matters of faith, there is no compulsion, every person has complete freedom. No religion is given permission to convert anyone forcefully and no person renouncing a religion can be prevented by force. In addition, the words la ikraha fii deeni alludes to an unalterable principle of human nature, that is, even if force is used, it is ineffective in matters of religion because it cannot cause a change of heart. To try and do this by compulsion is a futile exercise which achieves nothing but oppression.”

Also in Holy Quran 88 vs 22-27, Allah says:

“Admonish, therefore, for you are an admonisher, you have no authority to compel them, but whoever turns away and disbelieves, Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment. Unto Us surely is their return, then, surely, it is for Us to call them to account.”

It is not for any human being to call them to account as it is being done now in many countries.

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad said on the verse thus: “No true religion can be held accountable for the crimes committed in its name against human conscience. Those responsible are the so called religious priesthoods who unjustly distort the divine teachings only to suit their own PAGE 45 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN Article

The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society purpose at the expense of the purpose of God. They even acquire for themselves the license to kill.”

Also, in Holy Quran, Chapter 60 vs 9, it reads:

“Allah forbids you not, respecting those who have not fought against you on account of your religion and who have not driven you forth from your homes, that you be kind to them and act equitably towards them. Surely, Allah loves those who are equitable” Under What Circumstances Are Muslims Allowed to Use Force?

Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter 22 vs 40-41:

only to the case of Muslims, it is granted to all religions whose message has ever been attempted to be suppressed by sword.

Can Other Religionists Force Muslims / Believers to Join Their Religion In the Holy Quran, Chapter 7 vs 89, it is written: “The chiefs among his people who were arrogant said: “ Assuredly, we would drive you out, O Shuayb, and the believers that are with you, from our town, or you shall have to return to our religion. He said: Even, if we be unwilling?”

Commenting, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad said: “If a tyrant ever attempted to coerce others into changing their religion, he will find them always ready to defend their fundamental human rights even at the cost of immense sacrifice.”

Pharaoh devised various torturous punishments for the people who turned away from his religion. He threatened those who accepted the religion of Prophet Musa (as) with punishment.

In Holy Quran 20:72, it is recounted of Pharaoh when he said: Do you believe him before I give you leave? He must be your chief who has taught you magic. I will therefore cut off your hands and your feet on alternative sides and will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees.

God always rises in defense of believers being forced to convert to infidelity.

Quranic Solution to a Restive Situation Where there is injustice, lawlessness, oppression, the Holy Quran has a remedy as the servants of Allah have every right to hope for justice from Allah. Holy Quran Ch. 27:63 says:

“Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made because they have been wronged, and Allah indeed has the power to help them.

“Those who have been driven out of their homes unjustly only because they say” our Lord is Allahand if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters, churches, synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is often commemorated.”

A careful study of these verses proves that the sword is only permitted in defence and never as a weapon of offence. Muslims are permitted to defend themselves with the same weapons which are used against them to suppress their rights of existence.

The wisdom authorising a defensive war does not apply

“Or, who answers the distressed person when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil and makes you successors in the earth. Is there a god besides Allah?

Little is it that you reflect.”

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad commented on the verse says thus: “Here 'distressed' means those who are fraught with misery and grief. Sometimes their unhappiness is so great that it seems as if their hearts will break. On such occasions, Allah does not stop at justice, but cares for his servants with benevolence even if they have not earned it through good deeds. The distressed person may not have PAGE 46 | MARCH 2013

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AL-‘IRFAN Article

The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society been a believer in God at all, yet, it has to be admitted that, after all, he is God's creature. As such, God responds to his call in distress with benevolence. Among the distressed are the powerless, the dispossessed and the downtrodden. The Holy Prophet says of these people: Itaqu da'wata mazlum, wa ina kaafiran fainahu laysa duunaha hijaaban That is, Beware, fear the malediction of the wronged one. Even though he may be an infidel, there is no distance between his prayer and God. It follows therefore that anyone who is oppressed by another could pray to God for intervention. All the past prophets did that.

We also have an example of such an oppressive situation in this country. Many who opposed those oppressive forces and stood out lost their lives for it. Some lost their lives and wives and their businesses were ruined. Some were permanently displaced. We can still remember Alfred Rewane, Kudirat Abiola, MKO Abiola, Ken Saro Wiwa and many others.

Prophetic Solutions This has to be looked at from two perspectives. One was when the Prophet was indeed weak, considered too feeble to fight and was an underdog compared to the Arabian might. The second aspect was when he became the ruler and had real power to deal with non-Muslims or revenge what they had done to the Muslims.

BEFORE HE HAD POWER, MIGRATION: Apart from the fact that the Holy Quran says the land of Allah is vast and we could travel from one point to the other, especially, when we are faced with oppression, the Prophet did this. He instructed his followers to migrate to Taif, Madinah and Abyssinia. He had to migrate and did not attack or tried to assert his right.

Prophet Musa (as) migrated, Prophet Isa (as) migrated, ditto for some other prophets. What did Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad do when the Government of Pakistan wanted to kill him? What happened to the Jamaatul Ahmadiyya when he got to London?

PRAYER: The Holy Prophet constantly prayed to God for intervention.

HUMILITY: He was always humble and not arrogant or forceful in asserting rights despite the fact that he was a Prophet of Allah.

AGREEMENT/COVENANT: The Prophet entered into many agreements and covenants with the opposition and he tried to abide by the terms of the covenants, for example, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. He was faithful to his trust and was not a leader who would promise one thing and do another.

AFTER BECOMING A LEADER, the Holy Prophet showed good examples that led to peaceful co-existence of all.

1.

When he conquered Makkah, he established “Dhimmis” as a solution to combat the multi-cultural and multi religious composition of the society under the rule of Muslims then. The Holy Prophet gave the same right to the Dhimmis (non-Muslims) as were given to the combatant tribes who accepted Islam. It is on the basis of this equality of the rights that Muslim jurists have defined the rights of non-Muslims citizens in a Muslim state; he said: if the nonMuslims chose to live under a Muslim state and agree to pay its taxes, they will enjoy the same rights and privileges as are enjoined by Muslims.

2.

Dhimmis signified the sacred responsibility of Muslims to protect all the rights of non-Muslims and that they would have the fullest opportunities to live in peace without the least threat or danger to their security. No distinction was made between a Muslim and non-Muslim in social and civic affairs. Soon after the conquest of Makkah, a deputation of Banu Suqaif from Taif visited the Holy Prophet (saw). They were quartered in the mosque as tents were pitched for them. Some Muslims approached the Prophet and objected to their staying in the mosque on the ground that the guests were idolaters and impure. The Holy Prophet replied that the Quran said: Innama l mushrikina najasun i.e, the idolaters are impure refers to a condition of heart and not that of their body. He said, referring to the body that all human beings are pure and have the right to free access to the holiest of holy places.

3.

At a time, some Muslims were fed up with the evil machinations of the Jews of Khaybar, they therefore misappropriated their fruits and animal (youth restiveness

by Muslims). The Prophet was furious when he heard about it and said: “Allah does not allow you to enter the houses of People of the Book without their permission.

Similarly, it is illegal to pluck their fruits from their orchards” 4.

Hazrat Safiya was the mother of the faithful and a wife of the prophet. She retained her relationships and contacts with her Jewish relatives even after becoming a Muslim. While the Holy Prophet was even alive, he used to receive her non-Muslim relatives and honoured them as visitors in the house of the Holy Prophet.

5.

The Last Sermon of the Holy Prophet was a masterpiece of human equality and brotherhood. He said “O men, your maker is one; you are the sons and daughters of one father, therefore, no attempt at dividing you into high and low is acceptable. No Arab has any superiority over the non-Arabs and vice versa. Neither the whites are superior to the blacks or vice versa. The only mark of difference is the fear of Allah and an individual's personal

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Atfal Zone The Holy Prophet Muhammad's (saw) Kindness to Children And we have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples (Chapter 21, verse 108)

T

he Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), had many extraordinary characteristics, one being Rah-mitul-ala-meen, or, merciful to the peoples. The Holy Prophet (saw) showed mercy and kindness to all people. Today I am only going to discuss his kindness towards the children, through three different perspectives: as a messenger, as a person, and as a father.

As a messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was kind to children through his teachings. For example, there was a bad practice during the time of the Holy Prophet (saw), where some people would kill their infant girls for fear of poverty or shame. The Holy Prophet (saw) stopped this sad practice. Also, people would take or steal orphans' property, because there were rarely believed important.

The Holy Prophet (saw) hated the way that they were being treated, and stopped the practice in its tracks.

As a person, the Holy Prophet (saw) was a person whom kids would love to play with. He used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He would have fun with the children who had come back from Aby-Sinia and tried to speak in Aby-Sinian with them. [Al-Bukhaari].

A companion, recalling his childhood, said: "In my childhood I used to fell dates by throwing stones at palm trees. Somebody took me to the Prophet (SAW) who advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them with stones. He then patted me and blessed me." [Abu Daawood].

As a father, the Holy Prophet (saw) loved his children and grand children dearly. While receiving his daughter, Hazrat Fatimah (RA), he used to rise from his seat, kiss her on the forehead, and make her sit in his own place.

[Tirmizi].

An Arab chief was surprised to see the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) kissing his grandsons. The chief remarked that never had he kissed any of his ten children.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) remarked back: “One who has no pity for others is himself not pitied by Allah”. He also said: "If Allah leaves your heart barren of love, I cannot help you." (Bukhari).

Besides his own affection, expression of love between the mother and her children deeply touched the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Once a poor woman with her two little daughters came to Hazrat Ayesha (RA).

Hazrat Ayesha (RA) had nothing to offer them except a date that happened to be left over. The woman divided the date into two pieces and gave one each to the children. In the meantime, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) came in. Hazrat Ayesha (RA) narrated the story of the woman to him. He said: “A person, who cherishes love for his children and does his duty to them, shall be saved from the fire of Hell.” (Bukhari).

When the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) intended to pray longer in congregation but heard a child crying, he would cut the prayer short because he was mindful of the pain the child's crying might be causing to the mother.

(Bhukari) Finally I would like to add another saying of the Prophet that proves that Muslims should be conscious to treat their sons and daughters justly: “Fear Allah and treat your children [small or grown] fairly (with equal justice).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

10 Conditions of Bai’at Condition I The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/ her death.

Condition II That he/she shall keep away from falsehood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of the eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and that he/she w ill not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however strong they might be.

Condition III That he/she shall regularly offer t he five daily Prayers in accordance with the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering the Tahajjud and invoking durud on the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask forgiveness for his/her sins, to remember the bounties of God and to praise and glorify Him. Condition IV That under the impulse of any passions, he/she shall cause no harm whatsoever to the creatures of God in general and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue, hands, nor any other means.

Condition V That he/she shall remain faithful to God in all circumstances of life, in sorrow and in happiness, in adversity and in prosperity, in felicity and in trial; and that he/she shall in all conditions remain resigned to the decree of God and keep himself/ herself ready to face all kinds of indignities and sufferings in His way and shall never turn away from Him at the onslaught of any misfortune; on the contrary, he/she shall march forward.

Condition VI That he/she shall refrain from following un- Islamic customs and lustful inclinations and shall completely submit himself/herself to the authority of t he Holy Qur'an; and that he/she shall make the Word of God and the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa his/her guiding principles in every walk of his/ her life.

Condition VII That he/she shall entirely give up pride and van it y and shall pass all his/her life in humbleness, cheerfulness, forbearance and meekness.

Condition VIII That he/she shall hold faith, the honour of faith and the cause of Islam dearer than his/her life, wealth, honour, children, and all loved ones.

Condition IX That he/she shall keep himself/ herself occupied in the service of God's creatures for His sake only and shall endeavour towards the beneficence of mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.

Condition X That he/she shall enter into a bond of brotherhood with this humble servant of God, pledging obedience to me in everything good for the sake of God, and remain faithful to it until the day of his/her death. That he/she shall exert such a high devotion in the observance of this bond as is not to be found in any other worldly relationship and connection

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