Muhammad, A Guidance to follow
- From: "Islam Will Replace Collapsing Amerikan Empire" <islam_to_replace_amerikan_empire@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:46:04 -0400
Muhammad, A Guidance to follow
Muhammad as a man had already died, but as a Prophet he left behind him a
legacy in the form of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He stressed the urgent need
to hold firmly to these two sources during his Farewell speech in the valley
of Arafat. If people hold fast to them, they will never go astray.
The teachings he left for us if put into practice in their true spirit and
proper way will bring a happy life in this world and besides the indubitable
rewards that will be received by those who believed in them in the life
after death.
In this sense, Islam is a worldly religion which cares first for the worldly
affairs of humanity. The hereafter is merely a continuation of the worldly
life. It is difficult to portend that man can be saved in the hereafter
without being saved in this world. The safe way is to follow the way shown
to us by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). When his wife, 'Aishah,
was asked by a companion about the Prophet's daily conduct, 'Aishah replied
that the conduct of the Prophet is the Qur'an which is the guidance from
Allah and Muhammad was given authority by Allah to interpret it. That is why
his conduct is exemplary of human conduct. Islam as brought by the Prophet
Muhammad is very much misunderstood as a religion of rituals only like
prayers, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Thanks to the new developments
in the world, Islam is now looked upon In a wider perspective than the
narrow-minded view.
The increased interest in Islamic studies by Muslims and non-Muslims
supported by the advanced printing technology, has begun to open the eyes of
the world about the true teaching and intrinsic values of Islam.
Economy:
In the field of economic development, the goal is not material gain, but
human welfare in general. Islam exhorts that the balance between the
material and physical aspects, between the individual and societal needs, be
maintained in order to narrow the gap between two opposite sides of human
world. It is stated in the Qur'an:"Say, who is there to forbid the beauty
which Allah has brought forth for His creatures, and the good things from
among the means of sustenance. Say, they are for those who believe (in
Allah) In this worldly life, to be theirs alone in the Hereafter on the Day
of Resurrection .. Say, the only things my Lord forbids are the shameful
deeds, be they open or secret, the sin, unjustified envy, the ascribing of
divinity to aught beside Allah, and the attributing unto Allah of aught of
which you have no knowledge"
So everyone is free to conduct any business he likes outside the harmful
circle he has been warned not to indulge in. If he does not listen to this
warning, he will be in trouble. Every good quality as precondition to a
successful business is encouraged by Islam.
The Prophet himself was a businessman before he was appointed as a Prophet.
His ability to run business prudently, by his fairness and truthful conduct
in dealing with people had won him the heart of his employer, Khadijah who
later offered him m&riage. He advocated Muslims to follow the spirit of
Prophet Daud (David) of hard work, earned his living from his own labour. He
also said that faith of a Muslim is not complete If he is not good in his
profession. He said: "If you leave matters to those who are not
professional, you are waiting for the disaster".
If he works in the production line, his products must be compatible with
products of other companies or factories. In order to be marketable, it must
suit the taste of buyers and their standards of living. In this regard,
Islam teaches not to cheat in offering the product to the market. It must be
shown as it is without any publicity it does not deserve. In the life time
of the Prophet, he found many cases in market places where the merchants
tried to cheat the customers. The Prophet said to them: "Whoever cheated are
not from amongst us (Muslims)".
Islam laid many regulations in the field of economy such as trade, leasing,
business transaction, contract and others to prevent unfair dealing within
the community and in the world of business at large. What is also prevented
by Islam is a monopoly and exploitation -by one man or one group at the
expense of the others.
Cleanliness:
The first thing in the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad is the care
of cleanliness. The concept of cleanliness in Islam covers physical and
spiritual, mundane and religious domains.
Before performing any rituals, prescribed by Islam, one should cleanse his
body, and his dress, his place of worship and his environment should be
clean.
Before performing his prayers or starting for pilgrimage, one has to make
his ablution (wudu'). If he or she is in a state of unclean after having had
a lawful Intimate intercourse or post-natal period or other reasons, he or
she has to take a complete bath by pouring clean water over the whole body.
In the case of daily prayer, every Muslim has to clean his/her private
parts, face, hand, feet, mouth, nose and ears at least five times every day
for the five daily prayers. This also reminds him/her to keep his/ her soul
clean from unlawful deeds.
Cleanliness is not in the physical sense only. The body should be purified
as well from evil doings that might harm his relationship with others and
with God. He has to clean his mind from bad intentions or committing
unlawful acts. He has to clean his heart from jealousy, hypocrisy and other
evil desires. He has to embody hope, truthfulness, forgiveness, compassion,
holiness, the sense of brotherliness, neighbourliness and other noble
qualities.
He has to pay special attention to his diet against all unhealthy food
medically and religiously. He has to keep his eyes, ears, tongue from evils.
These are among the noble characteristics as exemplified by Prophet
Muhammad.
To clean the wealth, Islam instituted the zakat system (way of purifying
wealth). A person whose wealth has reached a certain point is obligated to
pay zakat (alms) which is a duty enjoined by God and undertaken by Muslims
in the interest of society as a whole.
For those able persons whose wealth does not reach the minimum rate point,
he can also give voluntary contribution to the needy. This does not mean
that the needy should always be receiving help from the able.
Prophet Muhammad said: "The upper hand (giver) is better than the lower one
(receiver of help)."
If the receiver of zakat can grasp the spirit of the Prophet's saying, he
will try his best to be the giver instead of the receiver by endeavouring to
better his life as encouraged by the teachings of Islam.
In Islam the possession of more wealth does not raise a man's dignity, nor
does poverty degrade him. It is true that wealth is necessary for man to
live on this earth, but It is only a means, not the end. The end is
happiness in life by attaining the higher values and not losing sight of in
the pursuit of wealth.
Among the great virtues of Islam is the command to do good and the
prohibition to do evil. The good should be preserved and the evil should be
discarded. In short, Islam is actually composed of a series of commands and
prohibitions. All the commands and prohibitions are for the good of
humanity. Allah the Most Knowing, the Most Merciful, did not decree any law
and regulations but for the good and benefit of his creatures.
The prohibition was decreed because of its evil implications to humanity.
The evils were created to test the human conscience and challenge their
freewill in choosing between right and wrong.
All the commands and prohibitions from Allah as transmitted through His
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was intended to purify the human soul
in order to live a pure and clean life adored by Allah and human genesis.
Orderliness:
One of the other teachings of Islam is about orderliness. Discipline,
regulation, management, planning and all other terms relating to
organisation are mostly. understood as alien to Islam. On the contrary,
Islam exhorts people to live in orderliness and to put the right thing in
the right place. The foundation of Islamic order rests on two main
principles, the crucial -faith in one God (Allah) and the oneness of
humanity. All the frame works were laid down in the Qur'an and the Prophet
Muhammad applied himself to working out the essential details of that order.
One of the great values taught by Islam in this regard is to make use of the
time left to humanity. The Qur'an and the Sunnah (Traditions) mentioned
about time, day, week, month, year and century. People are lost if they did
not spend the time available to them during this life for good things. It is
a great loss if people have to waste the valuable time they have at their
disposal for useless activities. It is true that life should be enjoyable
but not at the expense of human resources and values which are essential for
the continuation of their wellbeing.
Allah the Most Knowing had created time and space suitable for human
activities for they can attain achievements in life. There are times for
work, study, recreation, resting and even celebration. All are parts of
activities in worshipping Allah and serving His cause. The Qur'an says that
Allah had created day for earning and night for resting and enjoyment. He
created the sun, the moon and all outer-space objects co that man on the
earth can fix the time and arraflge the calendar. By having a standard time
and standard calendar and the movements of astronomical objects, people are
able to regulate their time table in choosing the right moment for them in
doing business and carrying out their activities.
Islam prescribes certain times for the daily prayers, certain month for the
obligatory fasting and certain time during life time for performing the haj
pilgrimage which indicates that the religion brought by Prophet Muhammad
places the life of Muslims in systematic order. For every move and occasion
made by Muslims there is a rule governing it, be it in the form of advice,
spiritual guidance or practical directive. If all these directives are
followed and understood properly, people will have high discipline and a
well-managed life.
Islam encourages people to think correctly before taking any action. This
means planning. There are many verses in the Qur'an admonishing against
doing things unthinkingly and jumping to conclusions.
The Prophet also showed good example in fulfilling promise and staying true
to treaty, agreement or contract made between parties.
As a man of honour he always remained true to the principles agreed in the
treaty, depicting his high discipline and inclination of doing everything in
proper order.
Friendliness:
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a warmhearted and faithful friend.
He loved his companions. He extended greetings to those he knew and to those
he did not know. He treated all people around him with kindness and
affection.
He was very courteous to all those who met him. He never contradicted
anybody who is not opposed to the teachings of Islam. He treated equally the
humble and the lofty. He claimed no distinction and lived amongst his
companions as if he was not their leader.
Neighbourliness:
He regarded the neighbours as brothers and sisters because of their
closeness and living in the same vicinity. He once smelt the aroma of the
soup cooked by his wife. He told her to give some of it to the neighbours
who also smelt it. He said it was not right for a Muslim to sleep with a
full stomach after having had a good meal but let his neighbour starve. He
laid the foundation for a friendly relation and cooperation among neighbours
exemplifying that living as a neighbour one has one's right and
responsibility.
In regard to the rights of a neighbour, the Prophet said: "Help him if he
asks your help; give him relief if he seeks your relief; show him concern if
he is distressed and when he is ill; attend his funeral if he dies;
congratulate him If he meets any good; sympathize with him if any calamity
befalls him; do not block his air by raising your building without his
permission and do not harass him."
Goodwill:
He was a good exemplar to those who subscribe to a harmonious society. Islam
exhorts people not to violate the rights of others and injure their
interest, but should positively cooperate with each other and establish a
mutual relationship and social cohesion.
To safeguard the unity and solidarity of the nation and to achieve the
welfare and wellbeing of the community, Muslims have been enjoined to avoid
mutual hostility, social dissension, backbiting one another, and hurting
others with their hand or tongue.
Islam as brought by the Prophet Muhammad exhorts Muslims to visit the sick,
to help the needy and assist the weak. Islam makes no discrimination on the
basis of race, colour or language. Its appeal Is to the entire humanity.
Women:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought changes for the betterment
of women.
Woman is recognised by Islam as a full and equal partner of man in the
procreation of humankind. He is the father, she is the mother, and both are
essential for life. Her role is no less vital than his. By this partnership
she has an equal share in every aspect; she is entitled to equal rights; she
undertakes equal responsibilities, and in her there are many qualities and
so much humanity as there are In her partner.
She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsibilities and in
receiving rewards for her deeds.
She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge.
Islam enjoined the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no
distinction between man and woman.
She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is. Her sound
opinions are taken into consideration and cannot be disregarded just because
she is a female.
Islam grants woman equal fights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and
posses independently. Her life, her property, her honour are as sacred as
those of man.
Islam has also given woman a share of inheritance. Before Islam, she was not
only deprived of that share, but was herself considered as property to be
inherited by man.
Statehood:
When Prophet Muhammad arrived at Madinah, he initiated the formation of an
Islamic state. After establishing political brotherhood and the authority of
the state of Madinah, he began negotiations with various tribes around the
dy and made treaties with them.
When the Makkan unbelievers launched a series of attacks on Madinah, Prophet
Muhammad was able to confront them, and when the Makkans were finally
defeated in the battle of the Trenches (Al-Khandaq), he was able to make
truce with them at Hudaibiyah for ten years. This treaty was a masterpiece
of practical statesmanship on the part of Prophet Muhammad.
His diplomacy in sending and receiving envoys to and from the various chiefs
of tribes and foreign rulers, his fairness In conducting judiciary, and his
general pardon at the liberation of Makkah, was another proof of his lofty
statesmanship.
The State he established in Madinah was not a matter of chance. It was the
very nature of his mission that he would establish a state to enforce the
way of Allah. People might accept a new faith but it would take time to
change their habits, custom and way of life. And even If a small group of
people succeeded In changing their way of life, there would be many others
who would not let these people practise their belief and try to stop them by
force. So the Islamic State became an urgent necessity to protect the
Islamic way of life.
The State founded by Prophet Muhammad was invested with physical force, as
every State must necessarily be, to fulfil its function of stopping
aggression and oppression.
A democratic system In Islam is expressed through the term shura (council).
The Qur'an says: "And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer and
their affairs (of government) is by council among themselves and who spend
out of what we have given them.".
http://www.studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=1038
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