The Quran is the Last Divine Book of Allah, and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the person whose words and deeds are the first and most important commentary and explanation of the Quran. We have every detail of his blessed life (Seerah) thoroughly known to us.
The Prophet (pbuh) was a devoted husband, an affectionate father, and a sincere friend; a successful business man, a far-sighted reformer, a brave warrior; a skillful general, an efficient administrator, an impartial judge, a great statesman, and more.
“In all these magnificent roles and in all these departments of human activities he is equally a hero”, writes K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, in his ‘Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam’.
Tariq Ramadan in his ‘In The Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad’/ The Messenger, puts it as: “The Prophet [pbuh] came to humankind with a message of faith, ethics, and hope, in which the One reminds all people of His presence, His requirements, and the final Day of Return and Encounter”.
In Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World, Professor Carl W. Ernst writes: “While the Qur’an as divine revelation may be the most important resource of the Islamic tradition, we would not have it in its present form without the Prophet Muhammad [(pbuh) who has] … served as an ongoing model for ethics, law, family life, politics, and spirituality in ways that were not anticipated 1,400 years ago”.
Similarly, William E. Shepard in his Introducing Islam puts it as: “If the Qur’an is the Book of God, Muhammad [pbuh] is the person through whom that book came to humanity and his words and deeds are the first and most important commentary on it”.
The Last Prophet (pbuh) touched every aspect of human life and proved the greatest reformer the world has ever produced. He was a great savior, liberator, and protector of the ‘oppressed’ humanity.
He removed social inequality; reconciled different creeds; bestowed security of life and property to all the people; united warring and opposing tribes; gave women their due status and place; and did much more.
In the modern times, the Prophet (pbuh) is presented as a ‘reformer’ who considerably raised the social and ethical level of the Arabs of his time. William Shepard sums up the Prophet’s role as a reformer as: “Muhammad [SAAS] is also presented as a reformer who considerably raised the social and ethical level of the Arabs of his time… He
called for equality and mutual responsibility among his followers, and for the abolition of class privilege and extremes of wealth”. Similarly, Professor John L. Esposito (in the 5th edition of his Islam—The Straight Path), writes: “Like his prophetic predecessors, he [The Prophet (pbuh)] came as a religious reformer” and “brought a revolution in Arabian life, a reformation that sought to purify and redefine its way of life.”
The Prophet (pbuh) was also a great administrator. After the hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Medina in 622 CE, he presided over the Commonwealth of Islam for ten years (622-632 CE) which brought numerous transformations in the Arabs. Syed Ameer Ali, in his A Short History of the Saracens, writes: “During the ten years Mohammed [Muhammad (pbuh)] presided over the commonwealth of Islam, a great change had come over the character of the Arab people”. He further states: “The work done within that short period [of 10 years] will always remain as one of the most wonderful achievements recorded in history”.
The Prophet (pbuh) transformed the Arabs, within a short span of twenty three (23) years, into a civilized and religious nation. Justice, equality, and truth were his motto; and modesty, kindness, patience and generosity pervaded his conduct.
The Qur’an describes his character as an exemplary role model/ “Uswah-e-Hasanah”: The Qur’an says: “Verily in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone” (Q. 33:21). Professor Tamara Sonn, in her ‘Islam: A Brief History’, admits that Prophet’s life is “a model for humanity of how to live every moment, and make every choice, in accordance with God’s will.” Together with the Quran, his example (Sunnah) comprises the guidance and direction “Muslims need in their collective responsibility to establish justice”. Hadrat Ayesha (RA) was questioned about Prophet’s personality and she replied: “His character [the ethics underlying his behavior] was the Qur’an”. Truly a “Living Quran”! Prof. John L. Esposito in his The Future of Islam, writes: “Muhammad [pbuh] is one of the great figures of world history. Few have had more of a global religious and political impact…. In his lifetime, throughout Muslim history, and today, the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] is seen as the ‘living Quran’, the embodiment of God’s will in his behavior and words”.
The Prophet (pbuh) devoted all his life to the realization of his mission. A mission which every Prophet is bestowed with by Allah: To illuminate humanity’s way; to guide people to the service of Allah; to teach people Allah’s Laws; to be role models; to establish ‘Balance’; and to be Allah’s witnesses. The Prophet’s (pbuh) mission was also same: “To liberate man, to unite man, to educate man, in a word to humanize man”. Tariq Ramadan, in his The Messenger, summarizes the mission and message of the Prophet beautifully in these words: “The Prophet carried a universal message. … Loving, and learning to love: God, the Prophet, the creation, the humankind.”
The Prophet (pbuh) has been described by the Quran with many titles; some of them are: “the best of the creation” (Q. 33: 21); “a mercy to the worlds” (Q. 21: 107); “the seal of all Prophets” (Q. 33: 40); etc. Moreover, the Quran shows respect for him in these words: “Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him” (Q. 33: 56). All this brings us to the point that while God and the Quran have a higher status, it is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who, par excellence, is the “human face of Islam”. In the words of Abdul Hamid Sidiqqi (the translator of Sahih Muslim), it is in the Prophet’s (pbuh) “august personality that we can know the Will of the Lord, His love for humanity, and his view, how man should live in this world” and “it is through him that we have learnt the true concept of God, the real implication of Tauhid [monotheism], the role of man, his accountability in the Hereafter—in fact the whole of the religion”.
All those who study Prophet’s life, irrespective of their personal religious belief or ideology, can derive teachings from this. Dr. Annie Besant (in her book, ‘The Life and Teachings of Muhammad’) puts it beautifully in these words: “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”.
It is apt to conclude with this passage (extracted) from the Preface of Professor Abdur Raheem Kidwai’s Images of the Prophet Muhammad in English Literature: “In today’s globalized world…we can and should ensure a better representation of the Prophet and of ourselves. Our real, meaningful tribute to the Prophet consists in facilitating a better understanding of Islam and the Prophet by dint of our character and conduct patterned after the Prophet’s role model which is characterized by sympathy, sincerity and love for all fellow human beings. It is worth recalling that Allah had sent down the Prophet as “mercy unto all” (Q. 21:107).
The author is Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies, at GDC Sogam (Lolab), Kupwara (J&K).