The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

It is a law of Allah SWT that whenever misguidance spreads and ignorance becomes rampant; whenever the weak are oppressed and people get stuck in the mire of Kufr and Shirk, then to guide the people to the straight path and to adorn the world with justice, Allah SWT sends His Prophets. This has happened in every age. These divine personages kept delivering the message of Allah SWT to His people until the our Master, the leader of all Prophets, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) graced the world with His presence. There will not be any prophet after Him. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) declared His Prophethood at the age of 40 years of age, although has been a Prophet when Prophet Adam (Peace be upon him) was in the throes of creation, as given in this Hadith of Jame’ Tirmidhi, Vol 2, Pg No: 202:

Translation: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) entreated: O Prophet of Allah! When did Prophethood (Nubuwwah) become Wajib for you? The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) replied: I was a Prophet even when Adam (Peace be upon him) was between soul and body.”

With the declaration of Prophethood, just and honest people started gathering around Him and started attaining the honor of being His companions (Sahabah). Even those who did not embrace Islam acknowledged His honesty, upright character, excellence, superiority and all other distinguishing attributes of His. As Almighty Allah SWT created Him free of all shortcomings and defects, He SWT named Him as “Muhammad” (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and included this name in His Kalima. Every aspect of His life and character testifies to the truth of Tauheed (Oneness of Allah SWT) and is the proof of Islam. For this reason, in the Holy Quran, Allah SWT swears by life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death. Surah Hajr (15:72).

By the command of Allah SWT, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) presented His blessed life as the proof of Islam. He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Say: If Allah had so willed I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. I dwelt among you a whole lifetime before it (came to me). Have ye then no sense? Surah Younus (10:16)

Meaning of “Seerah”: From the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to His passing away into the presence of Allah SWT, all aspects of His life, His personality, His miracles, the conditions of His life, His sayings, etc. are termed as Seerah.

To understand Islam and to act upon it, it is necessary for every Muslim to be aware of the matchless character of its founder. Allah SWT has decreed His acts and deeds to be the Shariah (the Islamic code of life) because He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) decrees pure things as permissible (Halal) and impure things as prohibited (Haraam). Allah SWT has made the personality and the character of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as the most perfect model for the entire humanity and has made it a source of guidance. Allah SWT has declared the Seerah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as a beacon of guidance and that to follow the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is to follow Him.

Whoso obeyeth the messenger hath obeyed Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them. Surah Nisa (4:80)

Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much. Surah Ahzaab (21:21)

Those who follow the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), eternal blessings and never-ending ni’mah are their reward.

Before the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the world was seeped into the darkness of Kufr and Shirk. Ignorance had spread in the world, oppression, massacres and bloodshed had reached its peak. Ignorance was such that the birth of a girl was considered inauspicious and unfortunate, and girls used to be buried alive.

The whole society was plagued with usury, gambling, drinking, immodesty and adultery. People used to worship idols which they themselves created. Immodesty was such that the Tawaf of the Ka’aba was done in the nude. People used to draw swords on trivial matters and the resulting wars would themselves continue for centuries.

In short all that was bad and ugly was rampant. At this time to remove the people from the darkness of Kufr and Shirk, to raise them from the mires of dishonor to the summits of honor, to dispel the darkness of ignorance and light the fire of ‘Irfan (knowledge of Allah SWT) and to illuminate the whole world, Allah SWT sent Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) with the mantle of Prophethood to be the Guide and Master of the whole creation.

He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the last to come among all the Prophets, although His Noor (radiance) was created even before the beginning of the creation, as the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

Translation: The thing, which was first created by Allah SWT is My Noor. The universally accepted Muhaddith (Hadith-Expert) Hadhrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has declared this Hadith as Sahih (well-authenticated). (Madarij Un Nubuwwah, Vol 2, Pg No: 2)