The Book of Allah (swt) is the most authentic and reliable book ever. It recorded the history of the nations that came before it and told us about the people in the era preceding the message of Muhammad (saw) who were living in the darkness of ignorance and following terrible traditions. They buried many of their daughters alive, ate the flesh of dead animals, worshipped idols, and severed the ties of kinship. They often fought each other in tribal disputes and often usurped each other property.

This led them to shed each other’s blood unjustly. Prior to the message of Muhammad, when there was no Messenger receiving revelation from Allah (swt), people lived a life of darkness upon darkness. However, there were some pious men who were waiting for this situation of total misery to change to a better situation. Therefore, Allah (swt) responded to their plight and sent to them His Messenger, a Messenger of peace, the best of men among all people, Muhammad (saw).

This Messenger used every effort to bring guidance to his people and to save them from going astray. He led them with knowledge from darkness to light and taught them to work and earn their money rather than steal other people’s property through their usual incursions. He exhorted them to uphold virtuous morals, so as to live a noble and worthwhile life. Allah (swt) said: “And (the Prophet is) instructing them in the Book (the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet), while before that they had been in manifest error.” (Qur’an 3: 164)

Allah (swt) also said: “Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you; for the believers (Muhammad is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.” (Qur’an 9: 128)

Many verses in the Qur’an have focused on the Messenger’s elevated status. Therefore, we, as Muslims should appreciate this status rightly by doing the following:

1. Learning about his sublime qualities and great deeds and actions

2. Obeying his teachings, following his guidance, and his commandments – particularly the ones regarding abiding by the qualities of good conduct.

We must adhere to his teachings and obey his commandments if we claim to be believers and to love him. By doing so, we prove our love to him, since there is no value for a love that isn’t reflected in action. Thereby the goal for which he was sent is achieved.

He certainly is the perfect example for mankind in terms of behavior and good conduct. At-Tirmidhi narrated in his book The Muhammadan characteristics on the authority of Al-Hasan bin Ali (ra) that Al-Husain (ra) had said that his father was asked about the way Muhammad (saw) behaved with his companions and those who sat with him, so he said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) had always been cheerful, easy-going and docile. He was never rough, harsh, or blatant and never used obscene language. He never was a faultfinder and never argued (for the sake of arguing). He never paid attention to anything that was not his concern.

He never disappointed anyone that sought his help and never dismissed anyone that wanted anything from him empty-handed. He abstained from three things: arguing, being extravagant, and anything that did not concern him. He further refrained from doing three things toward people: he never belittled anyone, never criticized anyone, and never searched for anyone’s faults.

He never spoke except when he anticipated a benefit from speaking. When he spoke, his companions listened attentively. They talked only when he finished talking, and they would not talk over him or argue in his presence. They listened to anyone speaking in his presence until they finished. He would laugh about what they laughed about, and wonder about what they wondered about. He was always patient with the strangers that approached him with roughness. Therefore, his companions would bring the strangers to his presence so as to benefit from his answers to their questions. He instructed his companions that if they ever saw a needy person, they were to bring him to the Prophet (saw)

Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was the most knowledgeable, the most pious, the most abstinent from worldly luxuries, the most tolerant, and the chestiest of all people. He never touched the hand of a woman that did not belong to his household, or who was not one of his mahram (those who are relatives that cannot be married) women. He never addressed anyone with a bad thing. Whenever he wanted to admonish or remind the Muslims regarding something wrong they did or one of them did, he would not mention anyone in specific. Instead, his address would be delivered in general terms. He had approached every one of his companions so dearly, that every one of them would think the Prophet (saw) liked him the most.

by Darussalam