Sunday, October 07, 2012

Recognition of the Prophet's Great Personality by Micheal Hart

An extract from Micheal Hart's book, "The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History", where he ranked Muhammad as the No.1 















MUHAMMAD, No. 1  The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History  by Michael H. Hart

"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians; it was from them no doubt that Muhammad first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe. When he was forty years old, Muhammad became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet's life. In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad's following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion."

 Referenced

Treaty of Hubaibiya: An Example of Deep Insight

At the time of the signing of the Treaty of Hubaibiya, Muhammad was faced with a very tough situation. The signing of the treaty apparently seemed biased in favor of the enemy and some of the very close companions of Muhammad took stands against him on this point. But Muhammad's strong faith, deep insight and conviction to his cause did not let him wander and he went ahead with the treaty, which in the end proved beneficial for the Muslim. The following article further backs this point up:

Treaty of Hudaibiya

"But before dealing with this event it would be worthwhile to assess the political situation at the time and the position of parties in the field.The Jews exiled for treason and revolt had established themselves in Khyber, Taima and Wadiul Qura and Medina was now wedge in between two hostile fronts which had marshaled a vast force against Medina in the Battle of the Ditch. Now the problem facing the Prophet(S.A.W), before settling scores with the Quraish which had become inevitable, was that if he marched towards Makkah, the Jews of Khyber and Bani Ghatfan would attack Medina, if he turned towards Khyber, the Quraish might do the same from the opposite side. Yet the latter course alone was left for the Prophet(S.A.W) to curb and contain the hostile elements and then to make a final assault on the enemy stronghold of Makkah. Besides, the time was opportune. The leadership of the Quraish was in confusion and their fighting strength was crushed in the three Battles of Badr, Uhad and the Ditch, in which they had lost most of their top warriors, while their economy was badly shattered and most of their Jewish adherents were subdues. Although they were making a show of strength they had lost their power of resistance, while around Medina were clans which were supporters of the Prophet(S.A.W) whose tactical measures had further strengthened them. The Muslims had been refuses for the last six years; they longed to return home. Simultaneously, they wanted to establish their right of reviving the mission of Abraham which they had taken upon themselves and to pray in the House of God built by him. So they restlessly looked forward to the opportunity of entering the Kabaah. Then it was revealed to the Prophet(S.A.W) in a dream to go for Hajj and he began immediate preparations to perform Umrah in the prohibited month. Fourteen hundred people voluntarily accompanied him. He appointed Nomaila ibn Abdullah Laisi as his deputy to look after the administration in Medina, leaving with him and adequate number of Muslims to guard the city. He also took with him 70 camels for sacrifices and marched towards Makkah unarmed. DILEMMA  FOR  QURAISHThe Quraish now faced a dilemma, for if they attacked the Prophet’s party they would be violating the sanctity of the prohibited month, especially when the Prophet(S.A.W) had declared his peaceful intentions and was unarmed and the presence of sacrificial animals with the party further confirmed the peaceful nature of the march. And if they made no resistance it would be said that they became afraid of the Prophet’s strength and had given him way due to this fear and at this crucial time their chief Abu Sufian was out of Makkah on tour. The Prophet’s foresight had given him assurance that the Quraish had no other alternative than to come to terms. Nevertheless, they began preparations for war and collected their allied clans together with a force of Ahabish clans and immediately peace moves were set on foot. The first to make the move was the chief of Khuza’a clan, Budail bin Warqa, who came to the Prophet with his other companions. The Prophet explained to him his objective which was not hostile while the Quraish who were militant would be themselves at a loss in case of battle. Thus there could be no harm if a temporary peace pact was concluded. On his return Budail explained to the Quraish that hasty action was not wise and the Prophet who was coming with peaceful intentions should not be resisted. The people of Makkah listened to him and sent the leader of Ahabish, Hulais bin Alqama, to negotiate with the Prophet and when Hulais saw the herd of sacrificial animals moving about he was much impressed and on his return frankly told the Quraish that it was not proper to resist those who were coming on pilgrimage and wished to withdraw his clan. He was, however, satisfied by the assurance that they had no intentions to fight but only wanted favourable terms of peace. Then the Quraish sent Urwa bin Masud Saqafi who told the Prophet that he would not gain anything if he destroyed his own community, for these homeless people whom he had collected around him would soon disperse leaving him alone. Because of this impertinence, Hazrath Abu Bakr became very angry and rebuked him. In the customary familiar manner of the Arabs, Urwa frequently carried his hand towards the Prophet’s beard and each time Hazrath Moghira bin Sh’aba turned it away with the point of his sword. The Prophet(S.A.W) again explained his viewpoint to Urwa who returned so much impressed that he told the Quraish that they could not succeed against the Prophet as the devotion and love of his people for him was such as was not found even in the courts of the greatest of monarchs. To move further the negotiations the Prophet sent Kharash bin Umayya to the Quraish but in the confused state of the leadership of the Quraish, some people killed the camel on which Kharash was mounted and Kharash himself saved his life with difficulty. Then Hazrath Usman was sent and a party of the patrolling Quraish clashed with the Muslims but they were arrested and brought before the Prophet who set them free. Hazrath Usman was detained by the Quraish and when his return was delayed a rumour spread that he had been killed. The Prophet(S.A.W) then summoned his men and accepted their pledge that they would not return without fighting the enemy. When the news reached the Quraish they immediately released Hazrath Usman, as in fact the Quraish themselves were not prepared to fight. THE PEACE PACTThen the Quraish sent Mikraz bin Hafs but the Prophet (S.A.W) did not talk to him saying that he was a treacherous man. Then the Quraish sent Suhail bin Amr and the Prophet(S.A.W) saw that they were really ready to conclude peace pact and after some negotiations on certain terms Hazrath Ali was asked to write the draft of the treaty but the situation was so tense that passions were roused at every step. The Prophet(S.A.W) ordered to begin it with “Bismillahir- Rahman-ir-Rahim” but Suhail objected that they did not know what is Rahman and Rahim and the draft should begin with the customary “Bi-ismika Allahumma”. The Prophet (S.A.W) agreed and then dictated that the agreement was concluded between Muhammad(S.A.W), the Prophet of God, and Suhail bin Amr to which Suhail again objected and said that if they had acknowledged him as the Prophet of the God, they would not have taken arms against him. The Prophet(S.A.W) conceded this too and although Hazrat Ali had already written Muhammad the Prophet of God and did not want to scrape out these words the Prophet(S.A.W) himself took the document and erased the words in place of which Muhammad bin Abdullah(S.A.W) was written. The companions of the Prophet(S.A.W) were enraged at the hostility of Suhail but out of respect for the Prophet(S.A.W) they kept silent. TERMS OF THE PACTThe following terms were settled and written in this momentous document:1)    There will be no war between the parties for two years and they will live at peace.2)    Muslims should return this year and come for pilgrimage of the Kaabah next year keeping their swords sheathed and stay for just three days in Makkah.3)    Arab tribes will be free to conclude alliances with any of the contracting parties.4)    Trade caravans of the Quraish passing through Medina will not be attacked.5)    If anyone from the Quraish goes to Medina without the consent of the party he would be returned but a Muslim coming to Makkah from Medina will not be returned.The last item was humiliating to the Muslims. It was partial towards the Quraish and this upset the Muslims so much so that when after the signing of the treaty the Prophet(S.A.W) told them to shave their heads, sacrifice the camels, no one moved. When his third call remained unresponded he became dejected and complained to Hazrat Umm-e-Salma of the indifference of his people. She explained to him that the people were dissatisfied with the terms of the treaty and so he should himself offer the sacrifice and others would follow. The Prophet(S.A.W) did and the Muslims complied in anger, irritated and perturbed. The general feelings of the Muslims were represented by Hazrat Umar who frankly asked the Prophet(S.A.W):“O Prophet of God: are you not a Prophet?’Prophet(S.A.W): “Surely, why not?”Hazrat Umar: “Are we not Muslims?”Prophet(S.A.W) : “Why not?”Hazrat Umar: “Are these people not unbelievers?”Prophet(S.A.W): “Certainly, they are.”Hazrat Umar: “Then why should we contract with them as inferiors.Prophet(S.A.W): “I am a servant of God and His Prophet(S.A.W). I cannot disobey His orders. Otherwise he will deprive me of His help.”Hazrat Umar was not quite satisfied with this conversation but he obediently put his signature as a witness on the document, thereby indicating that the Prophet’s wishes were above his personal feelings.First Crucial TestWhile the treaty was not yet signed, Abu Jandal, son of the Quraish representative Suhail, came in chains; he had been badly beaten. He appealed to the Prophet(S.A.W) and the Muslims that he should not be returned to Makkah to suffer oppression at the hands of non-Muslim. Suhail at once rose and said that he was the first man who had to be returned under the treaty. The Prophet(S.A.W) pleaded that since the treaty had not yet been signed this man might be exempted, but Suhail insisted that there would be no treaty unless Abu Jandal was returned. The Prophet appealed that for his sake he might be allowed to remain. But even this appeal had no effect and the Prophet had to concede the demand on which Abu Jandal appeald to the Muslims and said that they were handing him over to the non-Muslims. This must have greatly moved the Muslims but the Prophet conclusively said that having agreed to the treaty he could not go against it and so Abu Jandal should have patience and God would find some way out for him.Another victim to the stringent provision of the treaty was Abu Bakr Utbha bin Usaid who somehow fled from Makkah and reached Medina. The Quraish sent a deputation of two to bring him back and the Prophet(S.A.W) in compliance with the treaty sent him back advising him to be patient and wait for the help but on the way he killed one of his guards and again came to Medina. Abu Busir said to the Prophet(S.A.W), “You have complied with the terms of the treaty and handed me over to the non-Muslims, but I could not endanger my faith under the oppressions of the Quraish and so I took the action on my own and no responsibility rests on you. God has saved me”. The Prophet(S.A.W) significantly remarked “If this man gathers some men around him he will start war”. Abu Busir feared that he might be sent back again to Makkah and so he quietly left Medina and went over to Ais in the coastal area. Abu Jandal also joined him there and after that whoever fled from Makkah also took refuge there. In due course a group of 70 persons collected there and began to plunder the trade caravans of the Quraish. They were not a party to the treaty nor were they citizens of Medina, so nothing could be done to stop them and the Quraish were so harassed by the activities that this stringent clause was removed from the treaty. Later, the Prophet called these men to Medina and the path was cleared for migration of new converts from Makkah to Medina.One important issue arose when Umm-e-Kulsum, daughter of Makkan chief, migrated to Medina and her two brothers, Amara and Walid, followed to secure her return. But since the wording of the treaty was such that it did not apply specifically a woman the Prophet refused to return her and the Quraish had to comply. GREAT BENEFITS OF THE TREATYWhile the Muslims in general did not comprehend the implications of this apparently humiliating treaty, the Prophet (S.A.W) had foreseen its great benefits and the soundness of his strategy. Some of the immediate benefits which resulted from this treaty were that in the first place it opened the avenue of amicable contacts between the peoples of Makkah and Medina. Traffic was opened between the two cities and men separated for long from their family began to meet freely with one another. Matters were discussed and the misunderstandings which the people of Makkah had about the Prophet and the Muslims came forward and were cleared. Muslims answered their questions and explained the spiritual, moral, intellectual and material progress they had made while the call of truth and the Islamic ideology became a subject of conversation in every home and Islam spread to rapidly that the number of people who joined the ranks of Muslims in the two years following the Treaty of Hudaibiya was more than the number who had accepted Islam in the course of the last twenty years preceding it. It was this treaty which brought men of the caliber of Khalid and Amr ibn-ul-Aas to the fold of Islam. Secondly, relieved from the worries of wars Muslims found time to devote their energies to the constructive work of moral and intellectual reform and strengthen the administration. It also opened ways for conveying the message of Islam to other countries. Thirdly, the state being at peace with Makkah could attend to the hostile front of Khyber which was subdued very soon after the peace of Hudaibiya. Fourthly, the Arab clans were now free to enter into alliance with Medina or Makkah and this brought many new elements in support of Medina to which the Quraish could not object and just at this moment Banu Khaza’a clan entered into an alliance with the Muslim state. And lastly, only a year later Muslims could enter Makkah without any fear. Thus to conclude such a peace which brought such bitter enemies as the Quraish on the path of amity was the wisest stroke of the Prophet’s policy. Just after conclusion of this treaty, while the Prophet was on his way to Medina Sura Fatha was revealed which reviewed past events, gave its prophecy of future victories and applied solace to their tense feelings."

Referenced: 

 

The Prophet(p.b.u.h) in Medina

The next point I would share is an example of the Muhammad's statesmanship. When in Medina he was faced with the task of setting the foundations of a new society. This was an opportunity to show the world how a true Islamic state functioned. The following article outlines a charter that the Muhammad drafted on which to work the state of Medina:


Covenant of Medina 

"From economic hurdles arousing from the needs of the arriving immigrants, social and cultural gap between the Muhajirin and Anssar (Muslims from Quraysh and Yathrib), to the persisting threat of the Polytheists in Mecca, there was a heavy responsibility awaiting the noble Prophet in Medina.
Prior setting a new socio-political and economic system for the new state, the Prophet (pbuh) planted the seed for the new community, that is the mosque. He built the Medina Mosque to be the milestone of the first Muslim Community in history, installing brotherhood among Muslims and taking it as the start point for what he envisioned as a prosperous and stable state for Muslims.
Nevertheless, non-Muslims’ rights had to be observed. The new system ensured co-existence and respect for the Jews who were part of the community, fulfilling by that one big principle of social harmony; social justice and equality, that was the cornerstone of the Covenant of Media.
According to Ibn Hisham, credited for the most popular account of the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it was after a relatively short period of time following the arrival of the Prophet and his followers in Medina, that the majority of the city’s Arab inhabitants converted to the religion of Islam, and this tells a lot about the efficiency of the law established in the new state, that helped people further believe in the message brought at the hands of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
- The Covenant Pillars stipulated the following:
1. The notion of Unity and the meaning of Ummah:
- This is a document from Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), governing relations between the Believers i.e. Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib and those who followed them and worked hard with them. They are members of one nation, one Ummah.
2. All Muslims, regardless of their origin, are to retain their rights and commitments, with regards to payment- exaction of blood money, as they used to prior the immigration to Medina. Similarly they shall ransom their prisoners of war in a manner that ensures and strengthens the principles of justice and equality among the believers.
3. All believers are to provide support to anyone among them who is burdened with debts and who has many dependants with the ransom or blood money, which he is unable to pay.
4. Believers (Muslims), who fear Allah and hold fast to his commands, shall defy any attempt at breaking the principles of justice among the community, and are committed to stop anyone from committing an outrage of any sort, inflicting injustice in any way, or trying to advantage for himself/herself through wrongdoing, iniquity, aggression or any kind of corruption, even if he/she is one of their children.
5. No believer is to kill a fellow believer on behalf of an unbeliever, nor shall he/she support an unbeliever against a believer. Similarly, no Believer is to help an un-Believer against a Believer.
6. The peace of the Believers in Medina cannot be divided, this charter applies to all members of the community. Thus, if fighting takes place, fighting for the cause of Allah and His religion, no believer is allowed to conclude peace with the enemy without all other fellow believers being included on an equal, fair basis. In other words, no separate peace will be made by anyone in Medina, when Believers are fighting in the Path of Allah.
7. This charter or agreement grants justice and protection to all believers, from the least to the greatest. And likewise, believers are protectors of one another. Believers are all friends to one other.
8. It shall be unlawful for any believer who has accepted and acknowledged this pact and who believes in God and the Day of Judgment to support or protect to a criminal.
Anyone who does so will be cursed by God and shall receive his wrath on the Day of Resurrection, with nothing to alleviate his/her  guilt.
9. If Jews ever decided to go to war (on their own), they are to bear responsibility for that and thus be responsible for their own expenses.
10. Jews of Bani Awf will be treated as separate community along that of the Believers. The Jews have their religion, and the Muslims have theirs. On the other hand, those who act unjustly and involve in any criminal act or wrongdoing, only that implicated and his/her family are to be punished.
11.  Jews are responsible for their own upkeep, and the Muslims for theirs. However, they are to support one another, as members of one nation and adherents to the same pact should any outsiders wage war against the state of Medina. Thus, all parties of this covenant are bound to help each other in the event of a foreign attack. If anyone attacks any member who is an adherent to this charter the other must aid him/her against the aggressor.
12. If adherents of this pact ever faced disagreement among themselves, the consequence of which they fear would jeopardize their unity, such conflict or disagreement will be brought before Allah Almighty and His Messenger (Prophet Muhammad: peace be upon him).
13. Those who chose to live in Medina and those who chose to leave will be safe, as long as they did not commit any crime or injustice.
14. Allah is the Protector of the righteous people and those who fear Allah. And He Almighty is the source of all truth and righteousness of this pact.
If fully grasped and comprehended, the moral wisdom gained from this charter indeed can befit any age or place. The matchless justice and insightful intelligence of the Prophet (peace be upon), inspired by Allah (SWT), manifest themselves clearly at each and every article of the pact, underlying the fairness and universality of Islam.
Since his anticipated arrival along with his companions in Medina, the Prophet was faced with a set of challenges and intriguing issues he had to efficiently address before laying the foundation of the new state."

Referenced


An Event Before Revelations: Hilf-al-Fudul

The following article very beautifully explains how even before Muhammad had actually acquired prophet-hood he struggled for many humanitarian purposes trying to uplift the rights of the poor. I hope this presents the reader with a sneak-peak into what sort of character the Prophet (p.b.u.h) had:
         The Prophet as a social activist
The deeds of the Prophet, even before that time, were in accordance with his noble character and the teachings which he later received. One of the major aims of his career was social reform. Even before Islam, the rite of Haj was observed at the Kaaba, and war was forbidden in that sacred month.
 The war ended according to an agreement known as the Hilf-al-Fudul. According to M. Akhtar Muslim, in Quran aur Insani Huquq (‘The Quran and human rights’), around the year 586 CE, another trader visiting Makkah was deprived of his goods without being paid. He cried out for help. With regard to this, Dr M. Hamidullah writes in Muhammad Rasulullah (‘Muhammad the Prophet of Allah’) that Al-Zubair, the head of the Prophet’s family, convened a meeting. In this meeting, in which the Prophet took part as a young man, it was decided to bring a group into action under the revived Hilf-al-Fudul.
 According to some scholars ‘fadal’ also means ‘right’, the plural of which is ‘fudul’. Therefore, one of the meanings of this could be, ‘the agreement for the protection of rights’. The group’s activists pledged to come to the help of anyone who had been wronged in Makkah, without discrimination, to favour the weak and downtrodden against their powerful persecutors. The tribes of Taim, Zuhra, Muttalib and Hashim took the oath for this agreement.
 The important objectives and clauses of the Hilf-al-Fudul were as follows: lawlessness would be done away with; security of the travellers and newcomers would be ensured; victims of cruelty would be helped regardless of whether they were residents of Makkah or visitors; and the powerful persecutors would be stopped from being unjust to the weak. Dr M. Hamidullah in Rasul-i-Akram ki Siyasi Zindagi (‘The political life of the Prophet’) describes the oath as: “We swear by God that we will together become one (strong) hand. This hand will remain by the side of the weak and will continue to be raised against the strong and the unjust until the persecutor returns to the persecuted his right. This will remain so until the sea keeps the seashells wet and the hills of Hira and Thabir remain in their place. There will be equity in our society.”
 The last sentence can mean that even the most humble of citizens would be able to challenge and demand redress from the most powerful. Only a handful of tribes participated in the Hilf-al-Fudul, yet it was a revolutionary agreement, the fundamental principle being non-alliance. Previously, all help had been given on the basis of tribes and the pacts made with them.
 In this pact, it had been agreed that anyone and everyone who had been wronged, could ask for help. They went so far as to say that even those strangers and travellers who belonged neither to Makkah nor to any of its tribes would be eligible for help.
 Previously, travellers were an open target for persecution. Not only were they robbed, but often their wives and daughters were taken away from them forcibly.
 Another reason for its being a revolutionary agreement was that the Hilf-al-Fudul was not based on social class. Anyone who had been wronged, whether he was a free person or a slave, rich or poor, was eligible for help. Through this agreement, to a large extent Makkah became safe for the weak, the persecuted and strangers. The activists, acting with great speed, saw to it that the person who had been wronged was given back all that had been taken away from him forcibly.
 Very soon, powerful thugs, including Abu Jahal, started to fear reprisal from the activists. The Makkans can be truly proud of the fact that at the time when the whole world was steeped in darkness and injustice, these conscientious activists were able to provide free protection and justice to the weak and the helpless through their humanistic ideals. In trying to create some kind of law and order in Makkah, the activists of the Hilf-al-Fudul were really helping to formulate some laws based on the concept of modern-day human rights. Dr M. Hamidullah says that the law of Islam in its early phase was the customary law of Makkah until such time as parts of it were specifically amended or abrogated. The principles of the Hilf-al-Fudul can safely be said to be a part of the law of Islam.
 Even though many of the participants of the agreement remained non-Muslim, the Prophet kept acting on it after his declaration of Islam. He is reported to have said later: “Even if red camels were given to me in exchange for the Hilf-al-Fudul, I would not accept them.” This agreement can also be looked upon as the beginning of the attempt to codify laws and enforce a policing system with the objective of establishing peace and equity through practical social activism.
 The pact also gives Muslims a precedent for the moral responsibility of all citizens to protect the weak and to speak for them, to critique the rulers and the powerful and the concept of establishing citizens’ groups that advocate and lobby for social rights."
 Once when this ban was violated and a visiting tribe’s members were looted and their local protector killed, a war broke out.
 By Nilofar Ahmed



Referenced:

http://dawn.com/2011/08/19/the-prophet-as-a-social-activist/



The Character of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H): An Introduction


I am going to try to present a brief introduction and evaluation of the life and character of the last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (p.b.u.h) by highlighting a stream of events that took place through different intervals of his life.
Right from the very beginning Muhammad's greatest spiritual pleasure was that of beholding the beauty of the universe, and responding to its invitation to ponder and to admire. He was always in the search for truth and his life is a reflection of the struggle for that truth from beginning till end. Initially this search encompassed meditation but later was strengthened immensely when divine revelations started to come introducing the secrets of the universe to him.

The Holy Quran backs this point up in the following verse:
“And did He not find you wandering and guided you”(93:7)