That Is Our Prophet-god-that is mohamed

(We pray for Allah to accept this work as it is only dedicated to Him and His prophet may Allah's peace, blessings be upon him)

Allah, the Almighty says in the Qur'an:" The messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and so do the believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers. We make no distinction between any of His messengers, and we say: We hear, and we obey. Grant us Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Thee art the ultimate destination."

The verse indicates that Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, is the last of messengers who, as well as his followers, believes in the Holy Qur'an, the oneness of Allah, His angels, His Holy Scriptures and messengers. True Islam and real belief in Allah imply the belief in all Allah's messengers. Thus, we should not believe in some messengers while denying the presence of others. Rather, we should believe in all of them without distinction such as Moses and Jesus may Allah's peace be upon them.

Let us see some examples that indicate equality of all divine religions. Prophet Muhammad urged his Muslim followers who were oppressed in Mecca to emigrate to Abyssinia as the Negus, king of Abyssinia, was Christian believing in the oneness of Allah. So, either he or any of his people would not cause harm to the Muslim people.

Another example is when Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, had a Jewish neighbor who used to irritate him by urinating and evacuating his bowls in front of the Prophet's house. The Jewish person fell ill one day and the Prophet had no longer find dirt beside his house. Thus, he visited his Jewish neighbor to wish him speedy recovery. Apparently, the man was very much impressed by this visit so that he embraced Islam.

These were few examples of how Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, treated people of the Book (Christians and Jewish). He set excellent examples to all of us to follow in this field.

Allah, the Almighty says in the Qur'an:" And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not."

Allah, the Almighty also says in the Qur'an:" Those who believe in that which revealed unto thee, Muhammad, and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans – whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve."

Allah, the Almighty also says in the Qur'an:" O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo! The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. And Allah is All-Knowing, Well-Acquainted."

Islam encourages Muslims to be opened to the whole world, to spread elevated Islamic principles for the benefit of all mankind and to exchange thoughts and concepts. The Islam which Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, called for does not differ from that called for by Moses, Jesus, Noah or any other prophet. All have the same content based on the oneness of Allah.

The Islam called for by Prophet Muhammad differs only in form for a very important reason; Islam is a universal, human, and eternal message. It is not confined to the Arabs, it rather extends to foreigners. It is not restricted to a certain tribe, land, time, or environment. It is a message for everyone, for all human minds wherever and whenever they may be. It is a call for reading, learning, and knowing. The first verses that Allah revealed to His prophet were the following:" Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth, Createth man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not.

Moreover, Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, urged all Muslims to seek knowledge in many sayings such as: "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.", and "The acquisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male and female."

Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, sent some messengers to many kings at that time such as Khosrau (Chosroes) of Persia, Caesar of Rome, Al-Mukaukas king of Egypt, and the heads of tribes in Yemen, Najd, and many others to call them to embrace Islam. He said to his messengers:" Always convey good news and avoid frightening others. Make everything easy and do not exaggerate in giving orders."

1- Forbearance: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, was dangerously injured in the Battle of Ohod. His face was wounded and one of his front teeth as broken. Getting angry for the Prophet, his companions asked him to invoke Allah against the disbelievers. However, he said:" I am not sent as a curser, I am rather sent as a mercy and a preacher to mankind." He, instead, invoked Allah for them saying:" Oh Allah, please guide my people as their ignorance keeps them away from truth."

2- Modesty: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, was very helpful at home. He used to milk his goat, to patch his clothes, to repair his shoes, to sweep his house, to feed his camel, to eat with his servant, to help his maid knead the dough, and to carry his goods to the market.

3- Forgiveness: This trait is best manifested in dealing with the people of Koreish on the day of Conquest of Mecca. They thought that he would get revenge from them because of the harm and oppression they caused him and his followers over a long time till getting him out of Mecca. Asking them about his potential reaction, they answered:" You are a generous brother and so was your father." He said:" Go, I forgive you."

4- Loyalty: Sometimes, Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, brought some presents and sent them to a woman who was a close friend to his late wife Lady Khadija*. He said:" This woman used to be a close friend to Khadija, and she used to love Khadija." On the day of Conquest of Mecca, a woman visited Prophet Muhammad. He extended a warm welcome to her, put his gown beside him in order for her to sit on it, and asked her thoroughly on the kind of living she was leading. When she went out, he said:" she used to visit our home when Khadija was alive. Loyalty is a part of faith."

5- Treatment of servants: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, said:" Your servants are human beings like you, who are serving you, so give them to eat of what you eat and clothe them as you clothe yourselves. Do not ask them to do any work which may be beyond their capacity, and if they are to do some difficult work, help them."

* Lady Khadija was the first wife of Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. The mentioned situations happened long after her death.

6- Treatment of Prisoners of War: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his companions to treat prisoners of war well. Thus, his companions obeyed this order and gave their prisoners of war delicious food instead of eating it themselves.

7- Preferring Peace to War: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to resort to peace in many situations. One of these situations is when he went to Mecca to perform Umra (minor Hajj) with his companions. The people of Koreish prevented them from entering the town. In response, he made them accept reconciliation instead of fighting and turning Mecca into bloodsheds. It was called Al-Hudaybeya reconciliation.

8- Democracy: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, used to consult his companions before making any decision that may affect Muslims, particularly in conquests. One of the most famous examples is when applied the Persian Salman's suggestion of digging a ditch all around the town of Medina on the day of the Battle of the Ditch as a means of defense against the enemies.

Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, said:" I have been sent to you to explain fully good dispositions." It is well known that he never hit anyone, never abused anyone, never hit a woman, never betrayed anyone, never told a lie, never broke a promise, and never took revenge for himself. Lady A'isha, the wife of the prophet, said:" His manners were as perfect as the Qur'an provides for."

The essence of noble manners in dealing with Allah and His servants is fully described in the following saying of Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him:" Honor Allah so that He never watches you doing what He prohibited you from doing." This means that you must not commit any sinful act so that Allah does not watch you in such a forbidden situation. You also must observe the orders of Allah so that He does not miss you in such a favorable situation. What makes man bashful of Allah is that he knows that Allah is the Ever-Watchful and the Witness of everything. This is indicated in the following Qur'anic verse:" Know they not that Allah knoweth both their secret and the thought that they confide, and that Allah is the Knower of Things Hidden?" (Surat Al-Tawba, verse no.78), and in the following saying of Prophet Muhammad describing charity:" To worship Allah as if you see Him. But, if you do not see Him, He is still watches you."

Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, called for many noble morals in most of his sayings. Following are few examples of them:

1- Self-evaluation: Prophet Muhammad said:" Judge yourself before being judged by Allah, and evaluate your behaviors before having them evaluated by Allah." This means that those who are negligent and who want to save themselves from all dangers should know, before starting any action or uttering any word, that they will stand before Allah and will be questioned about what they made and said. Thus, they should prepare the answer for these questions of Allah before conducting any behavior. If the answer is right and sound and accepted by Allah, then they can conduct the intended behavior as it will have good consequences in their lifetime and in the Hereafter. If the answer is wrong and resented by Allah, they should give up such behavior. This is the basis upon which all acts and utterances are evaluated in Islam.

2- Lenience in Acts and Words: Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, said:" People who will enter the Paradise are every lenient, flexible, pliable, and gentle person, and people who will enter the Abyss are every ruthless, harsh person." The companions of the Prophet asked him:" What do you mean by ruthless and harsh?" He replied:" I mean those who are tough to their families, firm to their companions, and hard to their kins."

He also said:" Say good words to people." (i.e., do not speak bad words) He also said:" A true believer is neither a slanderer, nor a curser, nor indecent, nor abusive." Allah, the Almighty, said:" Oh ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they are, nor let omen deride women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And who turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers." (Surat Al-Hujurat, verse no.11)

This indicates that ethics are the essence of religion. Allah treats man according to the way he treats others in. So, one should not deal with others in a rude insolent manner.

It was narrated in the Prophet's sayings that Allah, on the Day of Judgment will say to man:" I was hungry one day but you did not feed me, I was thirsty one day but you denied water to me, and I was ill one day but you did not visit me." Man will say:" Oh Allah! How can you get hungry while You are the Lord of Universe? How can You get thirsty while You are the Lord of Universe? How can You fall ill while You are the Lord of Universe? Responding to these questions, Allah says: "My servant so and so once got hungry, but you did not feed him. If you had done, I would have rewarded you. My servant so and so once got thirsty, but you denied water to him. If you had done, I would have requited you in return. My servant so and so once fell ill, but you did not visit him. If you had done, you would have found me there to reward you."

If man believes that Allah is watching him everywhere and witnessing all his deeds, he will be too shy to commit any sinful or evil act.

3- Filial Piety: A man came to the Prophet and enquired:" Whom should I look after?" The Prophet said: "Your mother." The man said: "Then whom?" The Prophet said: "Your mother." Then, the man enquired:" Then whom?" The Prophet said: "Your mother." The man said: "Then whom?" The Prophet said: "Then your father. Then your relatives, the closest and closer."

4- Abstention from Harming Others: Prophet Muhammad said:" A true Muslim abstains from harming others either by deeds or by words." He also said:" Anyone is not a true believer unless he likes for his brother whatever he likes for himself."

5- Respecting Privacy of others: Prophet Muhammad said:" The proof of a true Muslim is that he pays no heed to that which is not his concern." He also said:" He, ho traces defects of others, Allah traces his defects."

6- Good Treatment of Women: The Prophet said:" be good unto your womenfolk."

7- Good Neighborliness: The Prophet said:" No one is a true believer unless his neighbor is secure against his misdeeds." He also said:" Gabriel was always asking me to take care of my neighbor till I thought he will be a heir."

8- Good Conduct during Wars: The Prophet said in his orders to his army leaders in one of the Islamic battles:" I commend you to have fear of Allah and to be good unto the Muslim soldiers going with you. Do not betray, do not grudge, nor kill a child, a woman, an old man, nor a secluded worshipper of Allah in his solitude. Do not cut a tree or a palm tree, and do not ruin a building."

9- Good Treatment of Animals: The Prophet commended Muslims more than once to have mercy on animals. He said:" A woman was punished for a cat which she tied till it died from hunger. She gave the cat nothing to eat, nor did she set it free so that it might find some food."

10- Rules of Dealing with Others: The Prophet said:" Do not envy one another, nor outbid one another, nor hate each other, nor turn away from one another, nor enter into a transaction when another Muslim has already entered into it, but be brothers. A Muslim is a brother of every Muslim. One should not oppress him, fail him, lies to him, or belittle him. Piety is here (he pointed to his chest thrice). It is enough vice that one belittles his brother. All things of a Muslim are inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, property and honor."

Allah, the Almighty, says addressing His messenger:" We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples."

Such a great personality as that of Prophet Muhammad is an excellent example to be followed by all human races whatever their religions, nationalities, and countries are. Prophet Muhammad is great in all aspects of his life. Allah wanted for all details of his life in all its stages to be well known as he is the good exemple to be followed by all human beings.

Allah orders Muslims to love, respect and revere Prophet Muhammad more than anyone or anything else. Allah says: "Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will be no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk."

This verse is valid in all times and places because the Prophet still exists among us by his prespects, his mercy and his love to us. When every one of us prays for blessings upon the Prophet, Allah returns his soul in his body in order for him to exchange our greetings. Our deeds are shown to him every Thursday; for the good deeds he thanks Allah on our behalf, and for the evil ones he asks Allah to forgive us.

Of course, to insult the Prophet is to insult mankind; to insult every American, Indian, Australian, and Danish citizen as the Prophet was sent to all people. Many Western philosophers and thinkers said that he has changed the history of the world. Thus, it is logical that all of us, as human beings, should reject any insult to him whether intended or unintended.