Other Dimensions of His Prophethood

1. Other Dimensions of His Prophethood Prepared from the book: The Messenger of God: Muhammad by Fethullah Gulen

2. His prayers and supplications • The Messenger always prayed to God before any action. He was the foremost in love and paradoxically, in fear of God. He was perfectly conscious that everything depends on God. • His supplications have been transmitted to us. Some examples are given below; • When you go to bed , perform ablution as you do before daily prayers and pray. • God, I seek refuge in You from all knowledge that gives no benefit, from a hearth that does not fear You, from an unsatisfied soul, and from prayer that cannot be answered. • God, help me remember and mention You, thank You, and worship You most properly. • God bring all of our affairs to a good conclusion, protect us from disgrace and ignominy in the world, and from being tormented in the hereafter.

3. The Prophet of Universal Mercy All aspects of Muhammad’s life are rehearsal for after life, and every creature is engaged in action toward this end. He is like a spring of pure water in the hearth of desert, a source of light in all- enveloping darkness. The messenger preached Islam, the religion of universal mercy. However, some self-proclaimed humanists say that is a religion of the sword.”This is completely wrong” How should he deal with those who persist in unbelief and fought him destroy both him and His message ? He had to fight such people, for universal compassion encompasses every creature.

4. When Prophet Mohammad conquered Makka without bloodshed he asked the Makkan unbelievers: “How do you expect me to treat you ? “ They responded :”You are a noble one, the son of a noble one.” then He told them his decision:”You may leave, for no reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you. The Messenger was particularly compassionate toward children. Whenever he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and share the feelings. When he was hugging his beloved grandson Hasan and Husayn, Aqra ibn Habis told him:”I have 10 children and never kissed any of them.” The messenger replied him : “What can I do for you if God has removed compassion from you.”

5. Some of The messenger’s companions attacked a snake in order to kill it. However it managed to escape, watching for afar, The Messenger remarked: “It was saved from your evil.” Once The messenger saw a man sharpening his knife directly before the sheep to be slaughtered he asked :” Do you want to kill it many times?” His love and compassion for creatures differed from that of today’s self-proclaimed humanists, for he was sincere and balanced. He lived for others, and was a mercy for all the world, and manifestation of compassion.

6. His Mildness and Forbearance The Messenger’s mildness captured hearths and preserved Muslim unity. As stated in the Qur’an : ” if you had been harsh and hard-hearted, people would have dispersed from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them in the affair…” (3:159) The Messenger brought up the companions. Their greatness despite their small numbers was successfully conveying Islam to the furthest reach of Asia and Africa within a few decades.

7. His Generosity The messenger is the most polished mirror of in which God’s name and attributes are reflected to the highest degree. Those who saw him remembered God automatically. He liked to distribute whatever he had. He engaged in trade until his Prophethood, and had considerably wealth. Afterwards, he and his wealthy wife Khadija spent everything in the way of God. His share of spoils of the battle Hunayn was of 40,000 sheep,24,000 camels and 16 tons of silver though he dispersed them to the people to warm their hearth to Islam. Such generosity was enough to guide them to truth.

8. The messenger regarded him self a traveler in the world. He was sent to guide people to truth and so spent his life and possessions to this end. Once Umar saw him lying on a rough mat and wept. When the messenger asked him why he was weeping, Umar replied” O messenger of God, while kings sleep in soft feather beds you lie on a rough mat. He answered: “Don’t you agree the luxuries of the world should be theirs and that those of the Hereafter should be ours.“ The messenger never refused anyone and, as Farazdak said, only said the word “no” when reciting profession of faith while praying. It was he who said : “ The generous are near to God, Paradise and the people but distant from the fire. The miserly are distant from God, paradise, and people but near to fire.”

9. His Modesty He never regarded himself as greater than anybody. In the word of Said Nursi :”Since the Messenger is the greatest of humanity, he is the greatest in modesty. This follows the well-knowing adage:” The greater one is, the more modest one is.” Once a women saw him eating and remarked:” He eats like a slave.” The Messenger replied: ”Could there be a better slave other than me ? I am a slave of God.” While the Muslim were building their mosque in Madina, the Prophet carried two sun-dried bricks; everyone else carried one.

10. The “Garden” of Muhammad Islam is school of Prophet Muhammad, has been a “garden” rich in every kind of “flower.” God has brought forth from it such majestic people as Abu Bakr, ’Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, ’ Alp Arslan, ’ Mehmet the conqueror, Selim and Suleyman. When ‘Uqba, the conqueror of North Africa, reached the Atlantic Ocean, 2,000 miles away from Arabia he cried out: “And now, God, take my soul! If this sea didn’t stretch out before me, I would convey Your holy Name across it to other lands.!” Imam Abu Hanife, founded the Hanefi legal school, Imam Shafi’i who established the methodological principles of Islamic law, is regarded as reviver or renewer of religious sciences.

11. God created humanity on the best pattern. But people , because of their heedlessness, can fall to the lowest levels. Sufism, the inner dimension of Islam, leads people to perfection. Mawlana Jalal al-Dinal-Rumi have illuminated the way to truth and purify their selves. Being embodiments of sincerity, Divine love, and pure intention, Sufi masters became the motivating factor and the source of power behind the Islamic conquests. Islam has maintained an intimate connection between science and Islamic studies.

12. Such figures as; Al-Kindi ( the philosopher of the Araps) Ibn-al Haytham was leading Muslim mathematician and greatest physicist. Al-Biruni well-versed in mathematics, astronomy, the physical and natural sciences, geographer and historian Al-Kharizmi well versed in mathematics Ibnn Shatir in astronomy Jabir ibn Hayyan in medicine are remembered even today. Islam founded a most brilliant civilization.. This should not be considered suprising, for the Qur’an begins with the injunction: Read: In the Name of Your master Who creates (96:1)