A Mercy to the World

"We have sent you but as a mercy to the worlds." [Al-Qur'an 21:107]

The year is 570 CE, five years after the death of the Roman Emperor Justinian. An army of
men, horses and elephants ruthlessly march towards the city of Makkah, intending to wipe it out
of existence. This is the army of the Abysinnian warlord Abraha, who after conquering Yemen is
now advancing towards the sacred city of Makkah. One of the notables of Makkah, Abdul-
Muttalib, has ordered all the women and children to go up into the mountains and take refuge
there whilst the men go and fight. However, the men of Makkah are of no match to the deadly
Abysinnian lancers who soon crush their resistance on the borders of the city.

Victory seems imminent for Abraha. Yet when the army advances to the fringes of the city,
headed by its lead elephant, the creature stops unexpectedly and refuses to go any further
towards the direction of Makkah. No amount of budging will make this beast go towards the
direction of conquest, yet when the army turn it around, it is more than willing to go back.
Suddenly from the distant horizon, a huge flock of birds is seen. Ominously it makes its way to
the scene of the battle. In their beaks and claws, the birds carry with them stones. Like lightning
do they descend upon the confused army of Abraha and pelt them viciously with the stones.
The stones start to cut and tear away at the bodies of these aggressors and reduce them to
helpless wretches. The army of the tyrant are sent back in humiliation. It is no less than a
miracle which has saved this sacred city.

This event was to be remembered by the Arabs as the year of the elephant and was to hold
great significance in the balance of power in Arabia. But it was the event which occurred fifty
days later in the same year which was not only to be remembered, but would also change the
course of history forever. It was on the 12th day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, that in the
house of Abdul-Muttalib a child was born. It was the child of Amina, the wife of Abdullah, the son
of Abdul-Muttalib. This was the child who would change the way of life of all those around him.
This was the child who would unite all people under one way. This was the child who would
bring the great empires of the world to a standstill.

This child was Muhammad, the last and final messenger of Allah to mankind.

The name Muhammad was given to the child by his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib. The name was
one which was known amongst the Arabs at that time but was not common. The literal meaning
of Muhammad is 'the praised one', and it is reported that upon being asked why Abdul-Muttalib
had named his grandson so, he replied:

"I did so with the desire that my grandson would be praised by Allah in Heaven and by men on
earth." [The History of Islam and the Muslims, Iqbal Mohammed, vol 1 p. 138]

It seems as if the desire of Abdul-Muttalib came true, for it was the name of Muhammad, upon
whom be peace, which was to be uttered and praised more times than that of any person in
history. In fact it is not only men who praise this remarkable man, but also the Creator of the
Heavens and the earth, Allah, and the inhabitants of the heavens, the angels:

"Allah and His angels bless the Prophet. O you who believe! Bless him and salute him
with a worthy salutation." [Al-Qur'an 33:56]
The grandson of Abdul-Muttalib was destined to become the greatest man ever to live.

The early life of Muhammad, peace be upon him, before his prophethood, is unknown to most
people. His life is highlighted by his sublime character and noble manners. The world of
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a world of idolatry, a world in which women and slaves
had no rights whatsoever, a world in which men would cheat each other for a few dirhams.

However Muharnmed, upon whom be peace, was not like those around him. He was not known
to swear or talk in a vile manner, nor was he known to drink or gamble. His honesty surpassed
that of all others and he was known with the title of al-Amin (the trustworthy). In fact it was this
quality of honesty which attracted so many people to his noble message.

The nature of the Arabs at the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him, was very barbaric and
they would fight over the smallest of things, such as one tribes camel grazing on the land of
another tribe. This would often result in wars which would last for years and take thousands of
lives. In the year 605 CE the Kaabah was accidentally burnt down and a massive reconstruction
programme had to be initiated. Many people were involved in it's rebuilding. However, upon its
completion, the issue of replacing the black stone in its original place, the south east corner of
the Kaabah, arose. Each of the major tribes and clans wanted the honour of placing the black
stone in its proper place. Civil war loomed over the Arabian peninsula. It was then suggested by
Abu Ummayah al-Mughira, one of the elders of Makkah, that the way to settle this dispute was
to let the first person to come through the masjid gate the next morning, decide the fate of the
matter. Lo and behold the first man to enter the masjid the next morning was indeed
Muhammad. Upon seeing him some of the Arabs exclaimed with joy, "Here is the trustworthy
one, we shall agree to his decision - he is Muhammad". Muhammad, peace be upon him, asked
for a sheet or a robe to be brought to him and to have the black stone placed in the middle of it.
He then asked the elders of each of the major tribes to lift up the sheet from each of the corners.
The elders did as they were instructed and took the black stone over to the south east corner.
Muhammad, peace be upon him, then took the stone and placed it firmly in its resting place And
so it was Muhammad, upon him be peace, who with wisdom and honesty saved the Arabs from
self-destruction. [The History of Islam and the Muslims, Iqbal Mohammed, vol 1 pp. 163-166]

Muhammad's early life was wrought with unhappiness as he never saw his father Abdullah who
died before he was born. At the age of six his mother, Amina passed away and he was
entrusted into the care of his beloved grandfather Abdul-Muttalib. However, at the age of twelve,
Abdul-Muttalib also passed away and Abu Talib, the uncle of Muhammad, peace be upon him,
took charge of him. With such distress and heartache so early on in life, one would imagine that
this boy would grow up to be rebellious and troublesome, as is the case in so many of our
societies today. But this was obviously not to be.

It was Abu Talib who then reared and brought him up. Abu Talib was a trader and businessman
and he sometimes took his nephew along with him on his trade journeys. It was these trade
journeys which eventually formed the alliance between Muhammad and his future wife Khadija,
may Allah be pleased with her. Khadija was a wealthy widow from Makkah who was known for
her noble character and morals. Soon Muhammad, peace be upon him, was working for Khadija
as a manager for her trade caravans. It was his honesty and efficiency which led to Khadija's
proposal, and soon after Muhammad had returned from a trade journey to Syria, they were
married.
It was in the year 610 CE that the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, received the first
revelation. It was the practice of Muhammad, upon whom be peace, that he would often go up
to the cave of Hira to meditate and pray to Allah alone. One night during the month of Ramadan
while he was meditating, an angel appeared before him. This was the angel Jibril (Gabriel), the
very same angel who had brought down revelation to the earlier prophets of Allah such as
Jesus and Moses, upon whom both be peace. ln a thundering voice the angel commanded him
"Read". "I cannot read", replied Muhammad honestly. The angel grabbed hold of him and
squeezed him so hard that Muhammad thought he would die of suffocation. "Read", the angel
commanded again. Muhammad's reply was the same. So the angel squeezed him again and
again, each time harder than the previous, and Muhammad replied the same, each time thinking
that he would die of suffocation. The angel then released him and spoke the words which would
be remembered as the first words of the final revelation to mankind:

"Read! In the name of you Lord who created; Created man from a clinging clot. Read!
Your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen. Taught man what he did not
know." [Al-Qur'an 96:1-5]

This was the start of the revelation from Allah to humanity. It was the final incorruptible message
by which mankind would have to live by and worship according to. And it was Muhammad, the
son of Abdullah who was chosen to spread this good news.

HIS NOBLE CHARACTER

It is the character of the Prophet Muhammad which was one of the main reasons for the spread
of his noble message. As mentioned before, he never swore and he never spoke vilely about
anyone. But after his appointment as a prophet of Allah, he not only observed these excellent
qualities for himself, but also ordered all the Muslims to live their lives according to these noble
traits. This is why we find that lying and cheating are totally forbidden in Islam, and about lying
the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Lying leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to the fire of hell." [Recorded in Sahih Muslim]

For the Arabs to stop cheating and lying it would mean that the whole of their lives would have
to be turned upside down. Cheating and lying during business transactions was a regular
practice for the Arabs, and it was from this behaviour that the racist slogan "you cheating Arab!"
was derived. Backbiting and slandering one another were totally forbidden and the Prophet was
instructed by Allah to inform the people that backbiting another Muslim was like eating:

" ... the flesh of your dead brother." [Al-Qur'an 49:12]

Muhammad, peace be upon him, was known to laugh very little, if at all. Rather when he was
happy he would express his delight by smiling and he is reported to have said:

"Too much laughter kills the heart." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi and Ahmad]

Likewise when he was angry, he would not fly off the handle or start a tantrum, but rather the
complexion of his face would simply turn red.

The generosity of Muhammad, peace be upon him, was so great that one of his companions,
Ibn Abbas described his huge generosity as being like "the blowing wind." [Recorded in Sahih
Muslim] To give charity during those days was outdated and those who gave charity were very
rare in that troublesome society. But the trends of society were nothing to this man, who simply
wished to attain the pleasure of Allah by helping those who were less fortunate then himself. In
fact his giving of charity often meant that he had to sacrifice the pleasures of life for himself and
his family. His wife Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that "three consecutive days
would not go by without the family of Muhammad not eating their fill." [Recorded in al-Bukhari]

The relationship between Muhammad, peace be upon him, and women has been subject to
vicious attack by many western writers. He has been accused of being sexually immoral and
depraved by his enemies. Many a feminist has accused him of depriving women of their rights.
Yet the reality of this man is unknown to many of these ignorant people. When Muhammad,
upon whom be peace, left the cave of Hira, trembling and shaking like a leaf, who was the first
person that this alleged male chauvinist turned to? When spreading the message of Islam who
was the first person to respond to this so called patriarchal religion? The answer is Khadija, his
wife, a woman. It was Khadija who comforted him during these initial days of anxiety. It was
Khadija who reassured him of his role by accepting his message. And it was Khadija who
gained so much respect and admiration from this remarkable man.

Pre-Islamic Arabia was characterised by the evil crime of burying baby girls alive because they
were seen as a shame to the family. Yet it was this man Muhammad who spoke out vehemently
against this great social crime. In fact he stated the great blessing and reward of having and
rearing female children:

"Whomsoever brings up two girls upon this religion, then me and him shall be like this in
paradise [and he joined his forefinger with his middle finger]." [Recorded in Sahih Muslim]

His conduct with women was not like that of the men today, rather he treated the women as
they deserved to be treated. He did not openly parade women about like cattle (for example, in
pre-Islamic Arabia women were subjected to intolerable humiliation, and they were often
paraded naked during the festivals which were held by the pagan Arabs), as was done before
the coming of Islam nor did he seek to please them by showing off his masculinity. Rather he as
described as being "more shy than a virgin behind a veil." [Recorded in Sahih Muslim] For a
man who achieved so much in his lifetime it would be expected (by corrupt western standards!)
that Muhammad would abuse his power with regards to women. Yet we do not find a single
instance in his life in which he went out raping and destroying the honour of the women folk who
were captured. Rather it was the women of Arabia who came forward in their droves to accept
the message of this man, who came to liberate humanity from the oppression of this world.
Despite the constant barrage of distortion against Islam, it is a fact that more then 70% of those
people who become Muslim in the west, are women.

By the time of his death in the year 632 CE almost the whole of the Arabian peninsula had been
conquered. A million square miles lay at his feet. Yet such was the humble nature of this man
that he would mend his own shoes, sew his own clothes and milk his own goats. Such
behaviour has become awe inspiring for millions of people and has thus led them to the beauty
of this religion. As a leader for his people he was a great example of humility and mercy. When
his companions walked past his house they could hear him crying in his prayer, so much so that
it was like a "boiling pot." [Reported by Abu Dawud] He would continuously pray during the
nights to such an extent that his feet would swell up. Upon observing this his wife Aisha asked
him, "Why do you pray so much, when your Lord has forgiven your past sins and your future
sins?", and the reply from the Prophet, peace be upon him, was:
"Should I therefore not be a grateful servant of my Lord?" [Recorded in al-Bukhari]

The famous conquest of Makkah is an event which shall be remembered for the justice and
mercy which were shown that day. Even though he had the option to punish those who were
guilty of oppressing the Muslims, Muhammad, peace be upon him, issued a general amnesty by
which many people were forgiven. It was this behaviour which saw the amazing acceptance of
Islam by almost the whole population of Makkah literally overnight. How different is this
behaviour from that of the non-Muslim conquerors such as the crusaders, who upon the
conquest of Jerusalem; raped, looted and burnt their way to success.

With leadership and conquest comes fame but fame did not affect this man whose only aim was
to establish the religion of Allah on earth. His position as a messenger of Allah was not
exaggerated. And his desire to single out Allah alone for worship was stressed wholeheartedly.
It is for this reason that he ordered his followers not to make any pictorial representations or
statues of him. By implication this made it prohibited for the Muslims to take the grave of
Muhammad, upon whom be peace, as a place of worship. Throughout history leaders of
nations, ideologies and empires have often ended up becoming objects of worship. Yet despite
all the reminders of these people, it is still this man Muhammad, peace be upon him, who has
had the most influence upon history, despite the fact that we find no 3-D visual image of him*.
This is indeed a mercy from Allah.

The case of the Arabs was clear to everyone and they were regarded as being at the bottom of
this decaying pit. It was among this decadence that Allah sent Muhammad, peace be upon him.
He was like the light to this world of ignorance. Like a lamp did he shine in this abyss of
darkness. From the confines of Arabia it was his light that would reach the farthest regions of
the earth and release the people from their burdens:

"O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good news and a warner.
And as a summoner to Allah by His Permission, and as a lamp that gives light." [Al-
Qur'an 33:45-46]

"Be thankful for small mercies" goes the saying of old. But the mercy which we have been given
is far from small. Rather the greatness of this mercy will enable us to live and die upon a way of
success and contentment. This mercy is the way of the Prophet Muhammad and through it we,
by the will of Allah, will enjoy an everlasting life to come.

Akram Yousuf Channa

Batch: 35