Our Prophet's (pbuh) gentle consideration
Our Prophet (pbuh) was in constant contact with all sections of society and spoke to everyone, from those at the very pinnacle of power to prisoners of war, children and orphans. With people of all different social standings, lifestyles, natures and customs, he established positive dialogues, winning their affection and treating them all with kind patience and pleasant understanding.
As reported by those companions who were close to him, our Prophet (pbuh) was "most kind, morally above reproach, graceful, amiable and considerate." His words, "I have been sent to perfect good qualities of character" (Miskhat Shareef) are an expression of his lofty nature. Aisha, who knew him very well, described his pleasant morality in the following words: "The Prophet's (pbuh) nature was the Qur'an." (Sahih Muslim Hadith)
Anas, who was brought up in the Prophet's (pbuh) house and served him for years, describes his courtesy in these terms:
God's Messenger (pbuh), when he shook hands with anyone, he did not withdraw his hands till the other man withdrew his. Similarly, he did not turn away his face from anyone till that man turned his face to the other side. And he was never seen to put forward his knees in front of one with whom he was sitting. (Maulana Muhammad Manzoor No'mani, Ma'ariful Hadith, (Meaning and Message of the Traditions), Darul – Ishaat Publications, Karachi, Volume 4, p.334)
Whenever one spoke to him the other would keep quiet and listen till he would finish. (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi Contents, (334) Hadith Number 9)
Anas bin Malik (ra) says, 'I remained in the service of the Messenger of God (pbuh) for ten years. He never once spoke me a word of contempt. When I did something, he never asked me. "Why did you do so?" When I did not do a certain task, he never asked me why I did not do it. (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications, New Delhi, 2000, Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2000, p. 362)
Throughout his life, our Prophet (pbuh) educated thousands of people. Through his influence, people who knew nothing about religion came to be considerate, willing to make sacrifices, have a pleasing attitude and possess a superior morality. Even now, centuries after his death, our Prophet (pbuh) remains the very best guide and teacher, whose words and morality continue to inspire billions.
Our Prophet (pbuh) advised the faithful to be full of love
Our Prophet (pbuh) declared it was particularly important for the faithful to love one another with sincere affection, taking no account of personal interests, and never to harbor negative emotions like hatred, anger or jealousy.
In the Qur'an, God commands His Prophet (pbuh) to say the following:
That is the good news which God gives to His servants who believe and do right actions. Say: "I do not ask you for any wage for this–except for you to love your near of kin. If anyone does a good action, We will increase the good of it for him. God is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful." (Qur'an, 42:23)
Some hadiths regarding our Prophet's (pbuh) affection, friendship and brotherhood read:
A believer loves for others what he loves for himself. ((Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,Volume III, p.68)
God's Apostle (pbuh) used to accept gifts and used to give something in return. (Sahih Bukhari, Islamic Book Service Publications, New Delhi, 2002,Volume III, p. 597)
He who is presented with a flower of sweet basil should not reject it, because it is light in weight and pleasant in odor. (Riyad-us-Saliheen, Volume 2, Compiled by Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi, p. 1330)
Don't hate one another, don't envy one another don't sell over the sale to another, don't dispute with one another and don't back-bite one another. The servants of God are brethren to one another. (Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,Volume III, p.124)
The habits of earlier generations have attacked you–envy and hatred. Hatred is shaving. You will not enter Paradise till you believe. You will not believe till you love one another. Shall I not inform you what thing will establish you on it? Spread peace among you. (Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,Volume III, p.167)
The strong man is not the one who is strong in wrestling, but the one who controls himself in anger. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith)
Beware of envy, for envy devours good [deeds] as fire devours firewood. (Abu Dawud Hadith)
Muslims are brothers to one another. They should neither cheat, lie, nor humiliate each other. (Tirmidhi Hadith)
Our Prophet (pbuh) commanded justice
With the rules he gave to the Muslims; with his just and understanding attitude towards other religions, languages, races and tribes and in his equal treatment of everybody, rich and poor, our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a great example to all of mankind. In one verse, God tells him "But if you do judge, judge between them justly. God loves the just." (Qur'an, 5:42). The Prophet (pbuh) never made the slightest concession on that justice, not even under the most difficult conditions.
Many incidents from his life bear witness to the Prophet's (pbuh) exemplary attitude. In the land where he lived, a variety of religions, races and tribes all lived together. These communities found it very difficult to live together in peace and security, much less restrain those who wanted to sow dissent. However, our Prophet's (pbuh) justice was a source of peace and security, as much for these non-believers as it was for Muslims. During his lifetime, everyone on the Arabian Peninsula— Christian, Jew or pagan—was treated justly, with no discrimination.
Our Prophet's (pbuh) pleasing attitude, in conformity with the Qur'an, sets an example for those of different religions and shows how they should behave to one another. His justice brought about compromise between people of different races. In many of his addresses, even in his Farewell Sermon, he made it known that no one's race or class endowed him with any superiority. This lay only in godliness, as God has revealed in the Qur'an: "Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God's Sight is the one with the most piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (Qur'an, 49:13) The hadiths on this subject say:
You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people cease to boast about their ancestors. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5097)
These genealogies of yours are not a reason to revile anyone. You are all children of Adam. No one has any superiority over another, except in religion and taqwa [faithfulness]. (Ahmad, 158/4)
Our Prophet (pbuh) always favored peace
Our Prophet (pbuh) never desired war and over the years he made great efforts to spread Islam by peaceful means. He was patient in the face of severe assaults and pressure. Only when dealing with such pressure became imperative did he give permission for war, in the light of a revelation from God. He never declared war so long as there was still the slightest possibility of peace, and as long as an enemy's attacks and pressure represented no mortal danger.
During our Prophet's (pbuh) lifetime, the Mu'tah Expedition was the bloodiest and most difficult waged by the Muslims. He appointed Zayd ibn Harithah to command the army and admonished the troops:
Wage war in the name of God, on the path of God, against those who deny God. Engage in no treachery. Do not cut off ears and noses and other parts of the body. Do not kill women and children, the elderly, and men of religion in their places of worship. Do not cut down date and other trees, and do not tear down buildings. (Bukhari)
Based on the prophetic orders on war, the following principles, which may be called "The Islamic Principles of Combat", are outlined by Muslim scholars:
- War is to be waged only against those who encourage and engage in it.
- Priests in churches, children, women and the elderly must never be harmed.
- Sown fields must not be damaged.
- Treaties and agreements must not be broken.
- Animals must not be harmed.
- There must be no cruelty and torture.
- Towns must not be destroyed. (Ahmet Hamdi Akseki, Abdurrahman Azzam Pasa'nin "God'in Peygamberlerine emanet ettigi ebedi risalet", Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi Nesriyat, Ankara, 1948)
The Treaty of Medina, signed by our Prophet (pbuh) and the Jewish and polytheist communities in the city, was also an important example of justice and mutual respect between different communities. The treaty, drawn up to establish a kind of constitution between communities of different beliefs and allowing each one to observe its own principles, brought peace to those who for years had been hostile to one another.
One of its most striking features was how it enshrined freedom of belief. The article on that subject reads:
The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one nation with the Muslims; the Jews have their religion, and the Muslims have theirs… (The Constitution of Madina, http://www.islamic-study.org/jews-prophet-p.-2.htm)
Article 16 of the Treaty of Medina reads, "The Jew who follows us is surely entitled to our support and the same equal rights as any one of us. He shall not be wronged nor his enemy be assisted." The Prophet's (pbuh) successors stayed loyal to that rule he agreed to, extending it even to Berbers, Buddhists, Hindu Brahmans and those of other beliefs.
One reason why the time of the Prophet (pbuh) was blessed with peace and security was his position of justice, so in line with the morality of the Qur'an. Foreign writers, too, have been impressed by his superior character and praise our Prophet's (pbuh) morality in their works.
In his book The Genuine Islam, George Bernard Shaw described these superior traits:
"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him ... he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness..." (Sir George Bernard Shaw in 'The Genuine Islam,' 1936, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/9192 /mainquote2.html#shaw)
In our own time as well, abiding by the Qur'an's morality is the only answer to all the conflicts, fighting, and instability of the world. Like our Prophet (pbuh), never we should depart from the path of justice, and should always respect the rights of different communities and individuals, whatever their beliefs and identities may be.
Our Prophet's (Pbuh) Affectionate, Protective and Loving Attitude Toward the People of the Book
Our Prophet (pbuh) gave the Najran Christians permission to worship in the Masjid-i Nabawi
"A Christian Najran delegation came to Medina at the time of the afternoon prayer and entered the Masjid-i Nabawai. Arriving when our Prophet (pbuh) and his people were still peforming the afternoon prayer, the Christians turned to the East and prepared to worship. SOME COMPANIONS WISHED TO PREVENT THEM WORSHIPING, BUT THE PROPHET (PBUH) COMMANDED THAT THEY BE LEFT ALONE AND PERMITTED TO WORSHIP."(Tabarî, Ibn Kathir, Razî, Qurtubî; Qur'an, 3:1-61; Part of these commentaries dealt with the beginning of the Surah, and some with the 61st verse, known as the mubahala verse).(Hamidullah, The Prophet of Islam, trans.: Salih Tug, Ankara 2003, I, 920; Saricam, The Prophet Muhammad and His Universal Message, 278.)
Our Prophet (pbuh) spread out his cloak for the Najran Christians to sit on during their visit
In addition, according to some accounts, our Prophet (pbuh) attended their weddings, visited their sick, and was generous to them. THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) EVEN SPREAD OUT HIS CLOAK SO THAT THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN WHO CAME TO VISIT HIM COULD SIT ON IT.
Our Prophet (pbuh) said that the People of the Book were entrusted to Muslims
In the agreement which our Holy Prophet (pbuh) decreed the articles to Ibn Harris ibn Ka'b, who is a Christian, and other Christians: "THE RELIGION, CHURCHES, LIVES, CHASTITY AND PROPERTY OF THE ENTIRE CHRISTIANS LIVING IN THE EAST AND THE WEST ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF GOD, HIS PROPHET (PBUH) AND ALL THE BELIEVERS. None of the people embracing the religion of Christianity will be forced to accept Islam. If one of the Christians suffers murder or injustice, Muslims are obliged to help him," he narrated the verse: "Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way…" (Qur'an, 29:46) (Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad Abdu'l-Malik, (v.218/834), as-Seerat an-Nabaweeyat, Daru't-Turasi'l-Arabiyye, Beirut, 1396/1971, IV/241-242; Hamidullah, Al-Wasaiq, s.154-155, No.96-97; Doğu Batı kaynaklarında birlikte yaşama, "Living together in Eastern and Western sources, p. 95)
Our Prophet (pbuh) made the homes of the Companions available for visiting members of the People of the Book to stay in
In the time of our Prophet (pbuh) envoys and delegations visited Medina in groups. Sometimes these groups – including the People of the Book – would stay for more than 10 days, such that the houses of some people such as Abdurrahman ibn Awf, Mugire ibn Sube, Abu Ayyub al-Ansarî and Ansar were made available for them. In addition, a tent pitched near the Masjid and where the People of Suffa, who acquired knowledge around the Masjid al-Nabawi, stayed would be prepared for the visitors.Our Prophet (pbuh) would give documents of privilege (written commands and instructions setting out rights and privileges bestowed on certain groups and individuals in agreements with foreigners)and official texts notifying the lands set aside for them. He would apppoint governors from among them to some regions. Again, in sending alms officials to Muslims, the Holy Messenger would also appoint Christians as non-Muslims capitation tax officials. In fact, these official delegations that arrived were all evidence of the whole Arabian peninsula's acceptance of the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) prophethood and dominion. (Saricam, The Prophet Muhammad and His Universal Message, 356.)
On Matters That Were Not Revealed, Our Prophet (pbuh) Would Act According To The Behavior Of The People Of The Book, Not The Pagans Of Mecca
In Mecca, the Messenger of God (pbuh) opposed the Meccan pagans on subjects on which there had been no revelation, AND ACTED IN THE LIGHT OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE POEOPLE OF THE BOOK.(Bukhârî, al-Libâs 70; Muslim, al-Fadâ'il 90)
Our Prophet (pbuh) sent Companions on hejira to the Christian Najashi
The first Christian country that attracted the interest of our Prophet (pbuh) before the Hejira and that he desired Muslims to migrate to was Abyssinia. In the face of the ruthless tortures and oppression on the part of the pagans of Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) desired the Muslims of Mecca to migrate to Abyssinia and he expressed those feeling in these words: "If you wish and have the means, seek shelter in Abyssinia.BECAUSE NOBODY IS PERSECUTED IN THE LANDS OF THE KING WHO RULES THERE. THAT IS A TRUE AND SAFE PLACE. STAY THERE UNTIL GOD MAKES THINGS EASIER." (MuhammadHamîdullah, al-Wasaik al-Siyasiyya, (trans.Vecdi Akyuz), Kitabevi, Istanbul 1997,p.115; Hamîdullah, The Prophet of Islam, I,297.)
Our Prophet (pbuh) rose to his feet as the funeral procession of a Jew came past
Narrated Jabir ibn 'Abdullah: A funeral procession passed in front of us and the Prophet stood up and we too stood up. We said, "O God's Apostle! This is the funeral procession of a Jew."He said, "Whenever you see a funeral procession, you should stand up."(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 398)
Narrated 'Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila: Sahl bin Hunaif and Qais bin Sad were sitting in the city of Al-Qadisiya. A funeral procession passed in front of them and they stood up. They were told that funeral procession was of one of the inhabitants of the land i.e. of a non-believer, under the protection of Muslims. They said, "A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, "Is it not a living being (soul)?" (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 399)
Our Prophet (pbuh) commanded that Dhimmis (non-Muslims) should not be oppressed
Our Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whoever oppresses a dhimmi or burdens a weight over him more than he can carry, I will be his enemy."
Our Prophet (pbuh) used to speak with Christians when the prophethood first came to him
... God's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid ... Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the Pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as God wished him to write. ... (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3)
Our Prophet (pbuh) allowed nobody to interfere in anyone else's religion
Our Prophet (pbuh) implemented the verse La ikraha fee alddeeni"There is no compulsion in the religion," (Qur'an, 2:256) referring to frredom to choose one's faith, and in the year 630 he issued the following command to the envoys of the ruler of Himyar in order to notify them that they were Muslims:
"A Jew or a Christian are legally equal to believers if they are Muslims. WHOEVER WISHES TO REMAIN A JEW OR A CHRISTIAN, NOBODY SHALL INTERFERE WITH THEM."(Ibn Hishâm, as-Sîra, II, 586)
Our Prophet (pbuh) personally did business with Jews
One of the values on which the Messenger of God (pbuh) based his relationships with people is honesty. The fact that someone in whom he perceived thayt virtue was from another faith did not prevent him establishing business relations with them. He personally took foodstuffs and loans from the Jews of Medina.
When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) died,the assets for the repayment of a loan he had received from a Jew were in an armored chest.
The affection our Prophet (pbuh) showed the Jews during the capture of Haybar
Among the spoils following the capture of Haybar were copies of the Torah in scroll form. The Prophet (pbuh) removed these texts from the spoils and ordered that they be restored to the Jews.
Again following the capture of Haybar, Muslim troops began eating from the vineyards and date gardens belonging to the Jews. The Jews complained to our Prophet (pbuh). And our Prophet (pbuh) commanded that nobody touches the belongings, vineyards or gardens belonging to the people of the region.
Through the constitution of Medina our Prophet (pbuh) said that nobody should interfere with the Jews' religion
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) allowed the Jews to become a party to the Constitution of Madinah signed with the Aws and Khazraj clans, which permitted them to continue living as a separate religious community. The basis for Muslims' compassion and understanding of the Jews' faith and traditions was laid down in the following article: "THE JEWS OF BANU AWF [NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES] ARE A COMMUNITY ALONG WITH THE BELIEVERS. TO THE JEWS THEIR RELIGION, AND TO THE MUSLIM THEIR RELIGION."
The Compact of Medina, signed by the Muslim immigrants from Mecca, the indigenous Muslims of Medina and the Jews of Medina is another important example of justice. An article of this constitution reads:
"The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one nation with the Muslims; THE JEWS HAVE THEIR RELIGION AND THE MUSLIMS HAVE THEIRS…"
Article 16 of the treaty reads: "The Jew who follows us is surely entitled to our support and the same equal rights as any one of us. He shall not be wronged nor his enemy be assisted."
The Prophet's (pbuh) companions remained true to that article in the treaty, even after his death, and even practiced it with regard to Berbers, Buddhists, Brahmans and people of other beliefs.
The agreement our Prophet (pbuh) made with the Christians of Najran said that they were under Muslims' protection
The privileges that the Prophet (pbuh) granted the People of the Book in the settlements of Adruh, Maqna, Khaybar, Najran, and Aqaba prove that Muslims both guaranteed these non-Muslims' lives and property and recognized their freedom of belief and worship. The following articles of the agreement between our Prophet (pbuh) and the Christians of Najran need to be pointed out:
TO THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN AND THE NEIGHBORING TERRITORIES, THE SECURITY OF GOD AND PLEDGE OF HIS PROPHET ARE EXTENDED FOR THEIR LIVES, THEIR RELIGION, AND THEIR PROPERTY - TO THOSE PRESENT AS WELL AS THOSE ABSENT AND OTHERS BESIDES;
No bishop shall be removed from his bishopric, nor any monk from his monastery, nor any priest from his priesthood, and they shall continue to enjoy everything great and small as heretofore... They shall not oppress or be oppressed. If anyone demands his right from you, justice will be maintained between you.Neither you will be oppressed, nor will you be allowed to oppress others.
Our Prophet (pbuh) bestowed many agreements on the People of the Book
Various agreements made at the time of our Prophet (pbuh) granted the Jewish and Christian communities certain privileges that guaranteed their rights and existence. The privileges granted to the monks of the St. Catherine Monastery at Mt. Sinai are examples of this. These documents guaranteed the legal, religious, and social rights of those Jews and Christians who came under Muslim rule or acknowledged Islam's sovereignty. Problems were resolved by referring to these documents.For example, the history books mention that the Christians in Damascus presented the documents recording their privileges to Caliph Umar when they encountered a problem and asked him to resolve the issue accordingly.
Conversations with Adnan Oktar , en.a9.com.tr
Muslims Must Adopt the Attitudes of Our Prophet (pbuh) as Role Models
Adnan Oktar: This stems from a difference of interpretation. Someone who has fully internalized the Qur'an, who fully understands the Qur'an, who loves God and has a huge passion for God is literally drunk on love. He loves God and looks at everything with love. He will never want to destroy, bomb or tear anything apart. Islam is based on winning people over. You win the other person over, and if you do not, he is free to persist in his own beliefs. It is clear there can be no compulsion in the religion. If you force someone to convert, he will become a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who will go to the lowest level of hell, the vilest creature possible. He is someone who has turned into a machine producing the vilest entities. So one must encourage people to be honest. If he does not believe, he must honestly say he does not believe, and that person is to be respected. All people are to be respected, because that is how God has created them and that is their destiny. You tell them the truth, and if he can understand he will understand, and if not, then he will not.
A person must defend himself in the same way that our Prophet (pbuh) did, as God sets out in the Qur'an. But to go and bomb women and children and leave them covered in blood, that is the vilest thing in my view, dishonest and a violation of good conscience. It is vile, nothing else. What kind of victory is it to leave women and children covered in blood? It is nothing more than wickedness. Because war has its own rules. You declare war and the other side say they are at war with you.
States declare war and you go to war, and whomever God bestows the victory on wins. The defeat are made captive and regarded as being under the control of the other side. Apart from that, you come to an agreement with the other side to live in peace, you make an agreement as a state, but if you then suddenly say I am going back on that agreement and am going to bomb you, to bomb women and children, then that is a violation of conscience, reason, faith and the Qur'an, obviously. Did our Prophet (pbuh) do any such thing? No. (Azerbaijan Ayna, 8 August 2008)
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