THE TRUE FURQAN

 To understand the model of Prophet Muhammad

[A conference given at the International Convention Centre, Durban, South Afrika, 21 April, 2006]

Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz[1]

April 2006 is the 1435^th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad who is described in the Qur’an as “mercy for the whole world”. The Prophet preached to humanity the religion of God, Islam, which means both submission to God and peace. He therefore was the preacher of peace and divine mercy in an environment of chaos, ignorance, violence and hatred. It is really disturbing to see that the world again experiences such problems. Throughout world such problems as terror, violence, discrimination, hatred as well as poverty, natural disasters and the drug problems threaten human future. Especially violence and hatred between diverse cultural structures are serious problems which humanity to cope with. Various reasons of violence and hatred such as political, economical, cultural and historical could be mentioned. Whatever reason it has every violent action or feeling is mainly based on prejudice since the prejudices against different cultures and traditions have always been effective in struggles and mutual hate in diverse groups. For example, prejudice has long been influential in the approach of western Christian societies towards the Jews and Muslims. During the Middle Age, for example, a point of view based on prejudice against Islam and the Muslims was usually effective in the Church circles and the writings of the medieval Western writers. In their definition Islam was a pagan religion and Muslim was a person who favored violence and lust. Islam was described as the body of antichrist and was thought as totally far from the true beliefs, ethics and virtues of the Christian West. The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, was therefore represented in Inferno (hell) in Dante’s La Divina Commedia. 

It is sad to see that hatred and prejudice are still dominant among humanity. We, for example, experience day by day the examples of hatred and prejudice against Islam and the Muslims. Especially mass media attack on Islam gradually increases and anti Islamic feelings and attitude become so influential on public understanding of the Muslims that ordinary people, especially in the Western countries, accepts every Muslim as almost a potential guilty. Even the main reference of this religion, the Qur’an, and the Prophet of Islam are accepted as pro-violence and against the peace. I think there is no need to remark that this prejudice is in accord with the same understanding of the West in Mediaeval times. Mass media attacks against Islam, including the cartoon crisis appeared in some European countries, statements and comments of some fundamentalist preachers on Islam and Islamic characters and even negative attitudes of some political and religious bodies against the Turkey’s attempt with its %98 Muslim population to be a member of EU might be evaluated in this direction.

As is well known, violence is supported by hatred and hatred by ignorance. Ignorance of Islam and its main source, the Qur’an, which were preached by the Prophet Muhammad, could be mentioned among the main reasons of anti Islamic attitudes. Therefore it is vitally important to know the Prophet in order to get a better understanding of Islam.

Prophet Muhammad was born in an environment of which evil and malice were influential. In the period he lived, oppression and violence in every aspect were dominant. The persons who were strong saw a right for themselves to oppress the weak, and society experienced serious ethical problems. Richness and military power were the actual criterion for being rightfulness and superiority as is stated in an English proverb, mainly “money is might, might is right”. In such a period he was sent as a mercy and grace for the whole world.

Prophet Muhammad had unique superior ethical characteristics both before and during his mission of prophethood. Holy Qur’an often emphasizes his superior ethical characteristics, as such: “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character” (Qalam, 4). Integrity, trustworthiness, and being helpful were his main characteristics. With these characteristics of which the people trusted him he was an authority for solution of the problems of the community. For example during the restoration of Ka’bah there appeared a problem of reinstalling of the Black Stone, so called Hajar al-Aswad. Every leader of Meccan tribes himself wanted to carry out this important job, since that was accepted a great honor. It was inevitable that the struggle would lead violence between the tribes. Finally a solution was found, advising that the first person who entered the sacred area of Ka’bah would be a referee. They were all happy to see that it was Muhammad who came the area. Called by the Meccans “Muhammad al-amin / reliable Muhammad” because of his exalted ethical characteristics Muhammad found a solution of the problem, putting the stone on a cloth and ordering the leaders to carry that cloth together. And lastly he himself put the stone its place.

Prophet Muhammad used to support every charitable institution and do his best in order to help the poor, orphans and the people in need. That’s why he was an active member of an organization of charity, hilf al-fudul, in Mecca before his Prophethood. He was so influential in these activities that even the people who opposed him admired him because of his such characteristics.

Prophet Muhammad always tried to found the mutual respect and trust among the people. He was always tolerant for the people with the exception of those who attacked on the human rights of life, belief, freedom etc. He preferred and advised forgiveness to retaliation. He never cursed the people, but prayed for them even when they attacked him. During his Meccan period, once the Prophet traveled to Taif, a city near Mecca, in order to preach Islam to the inhabitants and to ask whether the people of Taif supply him a refuge. The leaders of Taif were unhappy to hear about Islam and the belief of Tawhid, strict monotheism of Islam, and organized the hooligans and children to stone the Prophet. Stoned and expelled by the hooligans the Prophet leaved Taif and took shelter in a garden. Even in this position the Prophet never cursed or wished evil on the people of Taif, but prayed for them, wishing the people of Taif to lead the right way. Likewise the Prophet did not curse the Meccan polytheists who did every wickedness to the Prophet and the Muslims.

The Prophet always stressed the importance of friendship, mercy and love in human life, emphasizing that “there is no divine mercy for those who do not mercy” and “you cannot enter the heaven unless you believe, you cannot truly believe unless you love each other”. He always showed his love to people, to his family members, neighbors and the others. There was no place for revenge in his life. He forgave those people who had been once the worst enemy of Islam and the Muslims when they repented.

 Prophet Muhammad tried hard to found peace and mutual understanding based upon dialogue and tolerance between the humans, and showed the best examples of them. Not only his friends and other Muslims but also all humans with different beliefs were the subject of his understanding of toleration and peace. His attention was intensified on a good relation with the non-Muslims as well as he could. After the migration to Yathrib, so-called Madinah al-Nabi, he prepared a treaty of peace and coherence between the Muslims, Jews and the polytheists of Yathrib. That text, one of the oldest legal texts ever known, evokes somehow the modern international human right constitution. The text emphasized the basic human rights of life, belief, possession etc. of the parties of treaty, and stressed that all parties were responsible to stick the regulations of coherence indicated in the text. The Prophet and the Muslims were committed to the treaty unless there was a violation of the regulations of the text. In his lifetime the Prophet always attached importance the human himself, regardless of his/her ethnical or religious identity. An account presents a striking example of his attitude. When the Prophet and his friends sat down in a certain place, a group of people carrying a funeral passed. Respecting the funeral the Prophet stood up, but some of his friends warned him that the person who died was a Jewish. The Prophet emphasized that he was a human, asking “did not he have a soul?” To respect a person not because of his/her ethnical, religious or socio-cultural identity but only because of his/her humanity is the most important understanding the humanity needs today to found peace, coherence and toleration of varieties.

The Prophet also found good relations with the non-Muslims nearby area such as the Christians of Najran and the Majus (Zoroastrians) of northeast Arabia. Even before the migration to Yathrib, he, via some Muslim emigrants to Etiopia, had already got in touch the Christian community of Etiopia who supplied a refuge for the Muslims. Also during the Medinah period, the Prophet welcomed all non-Muslim delegation who came to Yathrib for various reasons. He survived the commercial and cultural relations with non-Muslims. Unless there was malice or any act of evil connected with these groups he did his best to carry out the good relations. It is especially noteworthy his meeting the Nejran delegation. During the Medinah period a group of the Nejran Christians including some priests and the community leaders came to Yathrib to meet the Prophet and discuss some theological subjects with him. The Prophet welcomed the delegation and showed great respect and hospitality to them. The discussion lasted for days. During their visit the delegation requested a place to carry out their worship and the Prophet offered them the mosque in Yathrib, so called Mescid al-Nabi, the second holiest masjid of Islam.

While he preached Islam and the belief of tawhid, the Prophet never insulted the non-Muslims because of their beliefs. He only tried to explain the truth and invited them to think about the truth and reality. The Qur’an often warned the Prophet that his only mission to preach the truth, not to force people to accept it. The Qur’an also emphasized that even if he wanted the conversion of all people it is not his business to to this since it is only Allah to convert the hearts of humans.

Moreover the Qur’an remarked that the varieties between humanity depend on divine will and might. It stressed that, “If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (his plan is) to test you in what he hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is he that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute” (Maidah 48).

The Prophet has always been a person who loved the people and been loved by them. He tried hard to share what he ate and what he wore to the people in need. He stressed that “those who sleep fill while his neighbor is hungry is not from us”. He organized a place of hostels for the poor and those in need within the complex of his masjid and shared his meal and clothing with them

The Prophet gave great importance to family life and saw the family as a place of love and respect between husband, wife and the children. He accepted family as a school where the children were educated and grew up. Whatever reason it has he always opposed the violence in family. He especially expressed his love and mercy to the children. The Prophet always advised people to follow the moderate way even in worship. For example, when a woman came to him and complaint about her husband whom she thought neglected his family, the Prophet called the man and reminded his responsibility saying that, “I am the Messenger of God and I sometimes fast during day but sometimes do not, and I sometimes pray during night and sometimes sleep”.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a person who prayed for the peace and salvation of humanity. When he died only belongings he left as heritage for his relatives were a few peaces of house holdings. However, he left his mercy, love and teachings of salvation as a heritage to all humanity. He taught the Qur’an and advised humanity to follow the Qur’anic teachings for both earthly and otherworldly salvation.

Today, in this world of which many parts are in great trouble because of widespread hatred, prejudice, war, unfair and many other problems, humanity is urgently in need of following the model of the Prophet’s life. His messages and examples look only solution to solve the problems of humanity out.