Muhammad a Prophet for All Humanity
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Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents................................................................2 Introduction........................................................................8 NOTES...........................................................................15 1. From Adam to the Messiah.........................................16 NOTES...........................................................................23 2. The Emergence and Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad......................................................................24 NOTES...........................................................................32 3. Exemplary Conduct.....................................................33 HUMILITY AND FORBEARANCE............................45 NOTES...........................................................................59 4. Sublime Character........................................................61 ABSENCE OF ACRIMONY.........................................70 NOTES...........................................................................78 5. Lessons of the Prophet’s Life.......................................80 ~ 2 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents THE REWARDS OF RESTRAINT...............................80 NEVER YIELDING TO DESPAIR...............................88 THE PROPHET FORCED INTO EXILE.....................92 ABSOLUTE TRUST IN GOD.......................................95 REACHING A CONSENSUS......................................97 AVOIDING CONFRONTATION.............................103 NOTES.........................................................................111 6. The Path of the Prophet.............................................113 EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION..........................113 UNSWERVING OBEDIENCE...................................119 NOTES.........................................................................129 7. The Revolution of the Prophet..................................130 A COMPARISON.......................................................132 DIVINE SUCCOUR....................................................138 EXALTATION OF THE WORD OF GOD................145 A NEW NATION IS BORN.......................................149 ~ 3 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents THE BEST NATION...................................................155 AVOIDING EXTRANEOUS ISSUES........................162 FITTING IN WITH GOD’S SCHEME.......................166 NOTES.........................................................................175 8. Rising above Events...................................................177 9. The Prophetic Method...............................................183 STRENGTHENING ONESELF INWARDLY...........183 INWARD STRENGTH...............................................185 THE EXTERNAL TARGET: MISSIONARY ACTIVITY ......................................................................................198 PATIENCE AND STEADFASTNESS.......................209 TRUSTING IN GOD...................................................220 NOTES.........................................................................221 10. The Prophet in Makkah...........................................223 THE BEGINNING OF THE PROPHET’S PUBLIC MISSION......................................................................227 THE PROPHET’S CALL............................................235 ~ 4 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents THE APTITUDE OF THE ARABS............................240 THE ALL–PERVASIVENESS OF THE PROPHET’S MESSAGE....................................................................247 FACTORS WORKING IN FAVOUR OF PREACHING WORK..........................................................................253 REACTION TO THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM...........260 EXPULSION................................................................273 NOTES.........................................................................281 11. Islam comes to Madinah..........................................285 NOTE...........................................................................290 12. Emigration—From Makkah to Madinah................291 THE EMIGRANTS ARE MADE AT HOME............293 VICTORY OF ISLAM.................................................307 NOTES.........................................................................322 13. Victory and after.......................................................324 NOTES.........................................................................335 14. The Termination of Prophethood...........................337 ~ 5 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents NOTES.........................................................................349 15. The Qur’an—The Prophet’s Miracle.......................351 SOCIAL UPHEAVALS...............................................357 LITERARY ADVANCEMENT..................................369 NOTES.........................................................................382 16. The Companions of the Prophet.............................384 ISLAM WAS SOMETHING THEY LOVED.............384 RECOGNISING THE PROPHET AT THE VERY BEGINNING...............................................................386 ADHERING TO THE QUR’AN WHEN IT WAS STILL THE SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY.............389 SPENDING ONE’S WEALTH FOR THE SAKE OF A TRUTH WHICH HAS YET TO BE ESTABLISHED392 PLACING ONE’S OWN CROWN ON THE HEAD OF ANOTHER............................................................394 REALIZING ONE’S OWN LIMITATIONS..............396 TAKING RESPONSIBILITY UPON ONESELF.......398 NOT BEARING GRUDGES.......................................400 ~ 6 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Table of Contents DOING MORE THAN ONE IS LEGALLY BOUND TO.................................................................................401 AVOIDING CONTROVERSY, AND CONCENTRATING ON ONE’S BASIC GOAL......404 BEING CONTENT TO REMAIN IN OBSCURITY..406 RATIONAL DECISIONS, DURING EMOTIONAL CRISES.........................................................................407 GROWING LIKE A TREE..........................................410 NOTES.........................................................................413 17. Manifestation of Prophethood in the Present Day and Age...........................................................................414 NOTES.........................................................................439 MUHAMMAD A PROPHET FOR ALL HUMANITY440 ~ 7 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Introduction INTRODUCTION In an American publication entitled The Hundred, the author mentions the one hundred people he believes to have exerted the greatest influence on human history. The author, Dr Michael Hart, was born into a Christian family, and received a scientific education. But at the top of his roll of honour he has placed neither Christ’s name, nor Newton’s. There was one person, he believes, whose achievements excelled all others: that person was the Prophet Muhammad. No one else has had such an impact on the history of man. “He was the only man in history,” he writes, “who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.”1 Just as to the American, Michael Hart, he is the most outstanding figure of human history, to the English historian, Thomas Carlyle, he is “the hero of the Prophets.” In ancient times, when Abraham and Ishmael were building the House in Makkah, they prayed for a prophet among their descendants. 2,500 years later, ~ 8 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Introduction this “hero,” the Prophet Muhammad, arose from the People of Makkah bringing with him special divine succour. The prayer of Abraham was fulfilled, and with it the purpose of the prophets’ coming to the world was achieved. Before Muhammad, history did not carefully record the lives of the prophets. From a strictly academic and historical point of view, then, their prophethood was difficult to establish. The Prophet Jesus was the last of the ancient line of prophets and has a following of millions, yet so tenuous is his historical position that Bertrand Russell has had occasion to remark: “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all.” This is not the case with the Prophet Muhammad, the last of the prophets. His life is so well-documented and clearly laid down in history that anyone who studies his life is forced to agree with Professor Philip Hitti that, “Muhammad was born in the full light of history.”2 The factor, which makes the greatest contribution to the permanence of Muhammad’s prophethood, is the Qur’an, that enduring miracle which was revealed to ~ 9 ~ Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity Introduction him by God. If this miracle had been of the same order as those bestowed upon his prophetic predecessors, its effects would not have outlived him, and his prophethood would not have been accepted in the way that it was by subsequent generations. A miracle is a wondrous event which man, on his own, is unable to produce. This definition applies in full measure to the Qur’an: it is beyond man even to emulate it. There is no doubt that the Qur’an is a miracle wrought by the Almighty. Muhammad’s role was exceptional in that he was to be the last of the prophets. It had been so ordained by God. The final revelation of God’s will was to be conveyed to the people by him and, for posterity, the scriptures had to be preserved by him and subsequently by his devoted followers throughout the centuries. To ensure this train of events,