Mohammed (PBUH), The Last Prophet of Islam

Hello Everyone,

Its a Special day, today in the lives of some 2 Billion Muslims around the world. It’s the Birthday of the Last Prophet of Islam, Prophet Mohammed (May Peace be upon him and his descendants & followers).

It is difficult to grasp the full persona, the context, the message, the life and times of the Prophet as we only become aware about events that occurred 1400 years ago through the Quran and the narratives from the companions of the companions of the Prophet.

I wish to call upon all the gifts of language and knowledge that life has offered me and the sum total of my mental faculties to sing praises of the Prophet and his way of life and borrowing from Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals wish to persuade the misguided within and outside of Islam to let the life and teachings of the Prophet act as a guide and to let reason & logic prevail. Religion should not be the reason for divide coz the purpose of religion was never to divide.

The prose and poetry I can conjure up in praise of the Prophet will be feeble as compared to the poetry prevalent at the time of the Prophet. One piece of work I came across that presents a compelling narrative on the life and work of the Prophet is by Reverend George Bush, whose book “Life of Mohammed, Founder of Islam and the Empire of the Saracens” was published in New York in 1900. 

The Political and Religious Ascendency of the Prophet was so extraordinary in such a short period of time that western and eastern religious scholars agree that such mighty achievements are only possible with the special Providence of God.

In reflection the Honourable Reverend writes that the Prophet rose from small beginnings to the pinnacle of power by giving direction to native talents of a superior order and had commenced one of the greatest revolutions known in the history of man. He laid the foundation of an empire which in just eighty years extended its sway over more kingdoms and countries than Rome has mastered in 800 hundred years.

Besides the Political ascendancy, the religious ascendency was even far more extraordinary considering the rapid growth, wider diffusion and enduring permanence of the message of the Prophet. The Reverend writes the fortunes of the Prophet were entirely disproportionate to the means employed and surpassed all reasonable calculation, compelling him to reach the conclusion that it can only be the result of the special providence of God. Coz nothing short of the Invisible Hand of God could secure such extraordinary results in such a short time.

Carl Jung states that “psychological existence is subjective in so far as an idea occurs in only one individual. But it is objective in so far as that idea is shared by a society — by a consensus gentium”. 

Islam is a way of life that compels its followers to be humble and prostrate to Allah in prayer daily, to fast so followers can experience lack and develop patience and feel for those who are unfortunate and to give Zakat so that wealth can be distributed and society achieves equality. How can a religion that has these basic tenets not be peaceful.

Setting aside the semantics and rhetoric I will share my journey of discovery about the Prophet and encourage both followers and non followers to Learn more. 

In our family, by default Mohammed is the Surname for all Males and there is always a Fatima in the family. I have a sister Jabeen Fatima. This practice is ingrained among many families around the world as a sign of respect and admiration for the Prophet and his beloved daughter and with the hope that the boys and girls grow up with the same values and ways of life as the Prophet practiced.

Religion is based on belief. However, educated people often try to rationalise religion. For 40 years I was a Muslim by default born in a Muslim Family, lived a simple life by innate design, devoid of excesses of modern society but practiced religious rituals sparingly. However at the age of 40, I had the opportunity of a life time to collaborate & do Research on the Prophet and his teachings. I had my moment of opportunity to learn more deeply and to rationalise my belief in Islam. We all are so engrossed in our mundane daily existence that we hardly get time to do the real important stuff. I consider this opportunity as a blessing by natural design.

My knowledge & understanding of Islam was/is not thorough, however, that research on “The life, message and example based teachings of Prophet Mohammed” helped me gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Life and Times of the Prophet and the context within which we can attempt to make sense of the events, the message and teachings that to this day any reasonable person irrespective of his / her beliefs can easily connect and relate to. 

The Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture & Heritage in Dubai is a treasure trove for those interested in learning more about Islamic history, the message & the way of life of the Prophet. I had access to & read some great middle eastern as well as western islamic scholarly works by Saadiqi’s Al Furqaan Fi Tafseer Al Qur’an, Al Baghdadi’s Rooh Al Ma’ani Tafseer Al Quran, Al Turki’s Tafsir Al Tabari, Numerous books by Sahih Al Bukahri, especially Book 56: Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and his Companions, and Book 73, Good Manners and form (Adab), as well as works by Sahih Muslim and Sahih Tirmidhi and many Western Scholars.

The friction between the three dominant faiths Christianity, Judaism and Islam for over a 1000 years is well known. As a result attempts have been made to derail the good message and greater focus was on creating negative narratives for ulterior Political and economic purposes. However, we are witnessing a new realisation among religious & political leaders to build bridges among people of different faiths based on commonalities and shared interests. The recent visit of the Pope to UAE, the normalisation of relations with Israel and the setting up of Hindu temples in UAE all point to a better future based on understanding, tolerance, peace and prosperity.

As you may know, the Prophet did trade with Jews and some of his teachings have highlighted that Jews are very Smart People and deploy a range of tools & techniques to further their interests. The Prophet has also said in the Quest for Knowledge go as far as its needed. If the Jewish People, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Chinese have Knowledge then lets rub shoulders, break bread and learn few things and share few things we know. Nothings Stopping us from learning, producing knowledge and being among the best of the best. Through dialogue we can resolve even the most complex issues.

Do you all know, in the Chamber of the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court there are depictions of the Greatest Law Givers in Human History.

Among Some of the Greatest Law Givers depicted are Hammurabi, Moses, Confucius, Augustus, Justinian and "Prophet Mohammed" — celebrated regardless of their differences in religion, geographic region, historical era, political philosophy, race and ethnicity. Lets celebrate Diversity and lets respect the OTHER by default.

The world learns about Islam and the Prophet through interactions with muslims. Let our behaviours set an example; The way we speak, the way we honestly deal and the way we help others in need & stand up to support the oppressed. In Islam there is no discrimination and anyone who is a follower of the Prophet should be more considerate of this.

Behaviours that we call “right” or “wrong” are not due to any real goodness or badness in a situation nor are they due to any innate knowledge of right or wrong but they are simply due to contingencies involving many kinds of positive and negative reinforcements, rewards and punishments. 

“Societies maintain some kind of order by punishing its members when they misbehave. “Good” and “Bad” become “legal” and “illegal” and the contingencies are codified in laws specifying behaviour and contingent punishments. Hence the need for Strengthening the Rule of Law or the absence of which can lead to discord & unhappiness and continuation of stereotypes.

Any true follower of the Prophet DOES NOT Initiate and engage in acts of violence, does not harm innocent people and practices patience in the face of provocations. 

The truth behind ISIS and Al-Qaeda is hidden behind their masks and the renewed talk of ISIS in Africa and rise in Islamic Terrorism seems to be calculated political designs to disturb peace and development. Its time the world ends the Global Terrorism narrative to achieve Political ends and speak of Peace and Development and address the root causes of violence anywhere in the world. Lets not brand an entire religion due to the misguided acts of violence by few followers of any religion. 

If some misguided person somewhere in the world in the name of Freedom & Free Speech attempts to Insult the Prophet, it is the responsibility of Political & Religious Leaders, to condone such efforts. We shouldn’t let Freedom of Speech be an excuse to provoke people and sow seeds of disharmony in society because among Muslims too there are few misguided people. If all well meaning people of the world let few misguided people set the narrative then we are all doomed.

I urge President Macron to condone any attempts to insult Prophet Mohammed in the name of Free Speech and to Provoke Muslims and not restart the Islamic Terrorism narrative based on isolated acts of Violence by few misguided followers of Islam.

No Good Muslim will ever Talk wrongly about Prophets of other faiths nor will engage in violence and harm innocents both as a sign of respect and due to the basic teachings of Islam, a religion of peace & humanity.

Any discussion on Islam would be incomplete unless we touch on the subject of Jihad, the widely misinterpreted Islamic concept. Jihad is simply the process of exerting the best efforts, involving some form of struggle and resistance, to achieve a particular goal. 

Contrary to common belief, the word jihad does not necessarily imply any violent effort or let alone war. Fighting back armed aggression, resisting evil drives and desires in one’s self or even donating money to the needy can be a form of jihad, 

Jihad means to “struggle or strive” in Arabic. 

David A. Kerr, a respected British Scholar of Christian Muslim relations and World Christianity more lucidly explains the true meaning and levels of jihad.

Jihad of the tongue - Speak truth & spread the good word; 

Jihad of the Hand  - Do what is right & combat injustice & what is wrong with action; 

Jihad of the heart  - Is considered the “greater jihad” of fighting evil within oneself;

Jihad of the sword - which implies defending the faith when under attack.

However, according to research by the National Geographic Jihad of the Sword has received the Lion’s share of attention through “selective distortion” as it serves larger political, economic & religious agenda of the world.

The ways of Life of the Prophet and his teachings as depicted in the Al Hadith by Sahih Bukhari one can easily access online and read it to reach your own conclusions as the message of the Prophet has a universal appeal.

Am a moderate muslim with an accommodating world view & I have friends from all major religions & even have few atheists from the Nordic region. I encourage each one of you to make friends from other faiths and cultures and try to find commonalities that connect us.

Re-sharing from a previous post few messages from the teachings of the Prophet & Quran & leave it to you all to reach your own conclusions about Islam.

“The best is one who avoids harming others with his tongue or his hands” - Al hadith - Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), 

Fight when you are persecuted & attacked and never begin hostilities (Quran)

Good moral behaviour is the basis of a successful Islamic life. 

Strive to do good deeds & vie with fellow human beings in doing good deeds (Quran)

If we stay true to the teachings of the Prophet and encourage people of other faiths to stay true to the teachings of their faiths we can end all Conflict in the World and Peace & Prosperity can prevail.