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Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy 1 1

Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him), the Prophet of Mercy "" And We have not sent you except as a mercy for the or!ds"# $%o&!e 'ur()n* 21:107+ Prepared &y ,he -!o&a! Pro.ram of /ntroducin. the Prophet of Mercy 0evised &y 1sama 2mara (http*33 "is!amhouse"com) 145676811

Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy 1 1

Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy 1 1

,a&!e of 9ontents Birth of the Prophet ............................................10 The Lone Orphan ...............................................11 Al-Amin (The Trustworthy) ..............................13 The Pled e .........................................................1! "is #arria e to $hadi%ah ...................................1& 'e(uildin the $a)(ah .......................................1* +n the ,a-e of "eraa. ..........................................1/ 0,o-er #e1 ,o-er #e2 ......................................30 The 4arly ,on-erts ............................................31 The 5reat 6arner ..............................................33 'e%e7tion ............................................................3! Perse7ution ........................................................3* The 4s7ape to A(yssinia ....................................3/ 8mar and "am9a 4m(ra7e +slam ......................3: The Boy7ott ........................................................30 True Patien7e .....................................................31 The ;ourney to Ta<if ..........................................33 The #ira7ulous =i ht ;ourney...........................33 The >ele ation ..................................................3& The Prophet.s #i ration .....................................3* A =ew Be innin .............................................3/ The ?irst ,onstitution ........................................!0 The Battle of Badr ..............................................!1 The Treaty of "uday(eyah.................................!3

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Beyond Ara(ia ...................................................!3 The ,on@uest of #aAAah ...................................!/ The ?arewell Pil rima e ....................................!B The >eath of the Prophet (Blessin s and Pea7e Be 8pon "im)..........................................................&0 The Prophet<s Physi7al >es7ription and #anner .............................................................................&3 6hat Prophet #uhammad ((lessin s and pea7e (e upon him) Caid a(out the 4n-ironment.........&3 6hat the Prophet ((lessin s and pea7e (e upon him) Caid a(out the Treatment of Animals.........&& 6hat the Prophet ((lessin s and pea7e (e upon him) Caid a(out 'elationships with =on-#uslims .............................................................................&B The Prophet ((lessin s and pea7e (e upon him) and the Appre7iation of 6omen.........................*1 The Prophet ((lessin s and pea7e (e upon him) and his Lo-e for ,hildren ..................................*& 6hat =on-#uslim C7holars "a-e Caid a(out Prophet #uhammad ...........................................*B Alphonse de Lamartine in ."istoire de la Tur@uie.1 Pans 1B&!1 -ol. 111 pp. 3/*-//. ..........................*B Cir 5eor e Bernard Chaw in .The 5enuine +slam1. -ol. 11 no. B1 1:3*. ............................................./0

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#i7hael "art in .The 1001 A 'anAin of the #ost +nfluential Persons in "istory1. =ew DorA1 1:/B. ............................................................................./1 The reat +ndian leader #ahatma 5andhi saidE . /1 Thomas ,arlyle1 the 4n lish writer1 saidE ........../3 "e further writes in ."eroes and "ero 6orship and the "eroi7 in "istory1. 1B!0. ......................./3 4dward 5i((on and Cimon O7Alay write in "istory of the Cara7en 4mpire1 London 1B/01 p &!. ......................................................................./3 5i((on in .The >e7line and ?all of the 'oman 4mpire. 1B33 ....................................................../3 Annie Besant writes in FThe Life and Tea7hin s of #uhammad1F #adras 1:331 p ! ..................../! 6. #ont omery 6att writes in #ohammad at #e77a1 OGford1 1:&31 p &3 ................................/& Bosworth Cmith writes in #ohammad and #ohammadanism1 London 1B/!1 p :3. ............./& ;ames A. #i7hene H +slamE The #isunderstood 'eli ion1 'eader.s >i est (Ameri7an ed.) #ay 1:&&1 pp. *B-/0. .................................................// The 5erman Poet1 6olf an 5oethe saidE ......../B Lane-Poole in .Cpee7hes and Ta(le TalA of the Prophet #uhammad. ........................................../: 6.,. Taylor in .The "istory of #uhammadanism and its Ce7ts. ......................................................./:

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>r. 5usta- 6eil in ."istory of the +slami7 Peoples. ..............................................................B0 6ashin ton +r-in in .Life of #uhammad1. =ew DorA1 1:30. ........................................................B0 Arthur 5lyn Leonard in .+slam1 "er #oral and Cpiritual Ialues. .................................................B1 ;ules #asserman in .6ho 6ere "istory.s 5reat LeadersJ. in T+#4 #a a9ine1 ;uly 1&1 1:/! .....B1

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon Muhammad, seal of the prophets and messengers. * * * "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? "Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, estorer of ational !eliefs"""#he founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire that is Muhammad" As regards all standards !y which human greatness may !e measured, we may well as$, is there any man greater than he?" Alphonse de Lamartine in 'Histoire de la Turquie,' Paris, !"#. $People, listen to me as % e&plain to 'ou, for % do not (now whether % will e)er meet 'ou again in this place after this 'ear*, he said in a strong and clear )oice. The crowd, o)er a hundred and

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twent'+four thousand, stood in silence (nowing that whate)er was about to be said was of the utmost importance. The men were all dressed in two white garments, whilst the women were in their normal clothing. He continued tal(ing, whilst sitting up straight on his camel. $,now that 'our blood, propert' and honour are as sacred as this da', this month and this cit'*. %t was mid+da' and the sun was bright and hot. -et the weather was the last thing on the minds of these righteous men and women. Their e'es were fi&ed on their leader and the' were listening attenti)el' to his words. $-ou will certainl' meet 'our Lord and He will certainl' question 'ou about what 'ou do. Ha)e % deli)ered m' message.* He as(ed. The' all unanimousl' replied $-es*. $/ 0od, bear witness,* he said, raising his forefinger s('wards and then mo)ing it towards the people. As soon as he finished, the following )erse was re)ealed to him1

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%#his day I ha&e perfected your religion for you, completed My fa&our upon you, and ha&e chosen for you Islam as your religion"' 23ur45n1 "167 8inall', the mission was accomplished. A mo)ement, which started a little o)er twent' 'ears ago b' one man, was now a full+fledged nation with thousands of followers. 9ithin a few decades, it was to spread further and engulf three continents. %n :ust a hundred 'ears, it would become the largest empire e)er seen, stretching from the %ndus to the streets of 0ibraltar. 9ithin another hundred 'ears, it would reach the doorsteps of ;hina. The transforming power of his message was to produce a ci)ilisation which contributed to all areas of human endea)our, in algebra, engineering, astronom' and medicine. <)en toda', almost a quarter of the people of the earth ha)e responded to the message of this man. People of all colours and ethnic bac(grounds, the rich and the poor, the strong and the wea(, all ha)e been touched b' the

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light, which was torched b' this indi)idual appro&imatel' fourteen hundred 'ears ago. How can a man of such modest beginnings, a man with such feeble means, a man with so few earl' followers, and a man in such a short space of time= start a re)olution which changed the face of human histor' fore)er. 9ho is this man. He is Muhammad bin Abdullah >blessings and peace be upon him?, the last Messenger of 0od. The greatest man in histor' and here is his stor'. Birth of the Prophet The Prophet Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? was born on the ninth of the month @abi' al+Awwal, in the 'ear, "A ;.<, almost BCC 'ears after Prophet Desus, the son of Mar' >peace be upon them both?. The Prophet's full name is Muhammad son of EAbdullah, son of EAbdul+Muttaleb, son of H5shem. He was from the Fanu H5shem clan of the 3ura'sh tribe. His ancestr' went all the wa' bac( to Prophet %shmael and Prophet Abraham >peace be upon them both?.

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Prophet Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? was born in the sacred cit' of Ma((ah, in the barren land of Arabia. Ma((ah was an important and prosperous cit'. 9ithin it stood the ,aGbah, the 8irst House e)er built for humanit', to worship the one true 0od, called Allah. The original ,aGbah was built b' Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet %shmael, near the blessed spring of HamIam. /)er time, the people had abandoned the teachings of Prophet Abraham and Prophet %shmael and had introduced a )ariet' stone car)ed idols and wooden statues in the ,aGbah. At the time of the birth of the Prophet, the ,aGbah had 6BC idols in it. ,he :one 1rphan The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was an orphan. His father Abdullah passed awa' two months before he was born. 9hen the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was born, his mother, Amenah bint 9ahb, sent him to his grandfather, Abdul+ Muttaleb, who was in the ,aGbah at the time. Abdul+Muttaleb was the chief of the 3ura'sh

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tribe and was esteemed b' all. The grandfather was elated at the good news and ga)e the bab' the name $Muhammad*, meaning $the praised one.* %t was the custom in Ma((ah for mothers to send their babies into the desert to be put in the care of a desert tribe, where the' grew up in the traditional health' outdoor en)ironment. Halimah As+Ja4de''ah too( the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? home and nursed him. Ha)ing loo(ed after so man' children before, she noticed something e&traordinar' about the child. Kuring Muhammad's sta' with Halimah= she and her famil' recei)ed all (inds of blessings and fa)ours from 0od. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? returned to his mother after fi)e 'ears of desert life. 9hen he was si& 'ears old his mother, Amenah passed awa'. As a 'oung bo', he must ha)e felt )er' sad and heart+bro(en at the loss of his mother. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? then went to sta' with his grandfather, Abdul+Muttaleb, who was

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e&tremel' (ind to him and loo(ed after him with great lo)e and affection. After two more 'ears, when the Messenger of 0od was eight 'ears old, his grandfather also died. Thereafter, Abu T5leb, an uncle of the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? too( him under his care. A!7Amin (,he ,rust orthy) As the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? grew up, he surpassed e)er'one in intelligence, modest' and truthfulness. He was (nown for moderation, honest' and a serious sense of responsibilit'. %n his earl' 'outh, he was (nown to be a thoughtful bo'. He wor(ed as a shepherd and pla'ed with other children. <)en before he recei)ed his first re)elation, Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? belie)ed in /ne 0od, the 0od of %br5him >blessings and peace be upon him? and ne)er fell into the common practices of his people of worshipping idols. He belie)ed that there was onl' one 0od, and onl' He was trul' worth' of

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worship. He ne)er gambled nor did he drin( alcohol. He did not engage in gossip and bac(biting. He ga)e charit' to the poor and loo(ed after the need'. He ne)er lied, ne)er bro(e a promise and ne)er bore false witness. <)er'one respected him, and the people addressed him as $Al+Amin*, which means $the trustworth' one*. He was also (nown as $As+ Jadeq* or $The Truthful* for he ne)er told a lie. ,he P!ed.e <)en before his Prophethood, the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was concerned about his fellow men and stood up against in:ustice and inequalit'. The Messenger of 0od with some other fair minded men once met at the house of EAbdullah ibn Dud45n and made a promise that the' would unite and protect the rights of the wea( and the need'. The Arabs called this agreement $(ilf al) *udoulL. Twent' 'ears after the beginning of his Prophethood, he said1 $% was present at the house of Abdullah bin Dud45n at the time of the pledge. % am not prepared to brea( m' promise,

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e)en if % were to be gi)en a hundred red camels. %f somebod' should appeal to me toda', b' )irtue of that pledge, % would hasten to his help.L The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? felt honoured for being able to participate in an alliance that was formed on the basis of establishing :ustice. He wanted to demonstrate that oppression and in:ustice is unacceptable, whether the person wronged is a Muslim or Mon+Muslim, whether blac( or white, rich or poor. His Marria.e to ;hadi<ah 9hen the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was twent'+fi)e 'ears old, he married ,hadi:ah bint ,huwa'led, an honourable 3ura'shi woman of e&ceptional character. Jhe was a successful businesswoman with fine intellect and great wealth. 9hen ,hadi:ah was informed about the Prophet4s beha)iour, truthfulness and outstanding abilit', she e&pressed a wish to marr' him.

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Joon afterwards, ,hadi:ah married the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? and the marriage pro)ed a )er' successful one. ,hadi:ah >ma' 0od be pleased with her? was the first woman that the Messenger of 0od married, and she bore him all his children e&cept for %brahim. ,hadi:ah bore the Prophet four daughters1 Ha'nab, @uqa''ah, Nmm ,ulthum and 8atimah and two sons1 Al+3asem and EAbdullah who was also (nown as At+Ta''eb and At+T5her. 0e&ui!din. the ;a=&ah 9hen the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was thirt'+fi)e 'ears old, the 3ura'sh decided to rebuild the ,aGbah, after a sudden flood had sha(en its foundations and crac(ed its walls. 9hen the rebuilding had reached the stage where the Flac( Jtone > al) (a+ar al)Aswad? had to be put in its place, a dispute arose and the' began to argue fiercel', each clan wanting the honour of carr'ing out the noble tas( of placing the stone.

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The people were about to fight one another, when one of the elders suggested a solution1 $Ma(e the first person to enter the gate 'our :udge*, he said. The' all loo(ed, and to their immense delight, Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? entered. $%t is Al)Amin, the trustworth' one*, the' cried, L9e are content to follow his )erdict.L The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? saw what was happening and as(ed for a piece of cloth. He then too( the Flac( Jtone and placed it in the centre of the cloth. Thereafter, he told each clan leader to ta(e a corner of the cloth and lift it together. The' did this, bringing it to its position. He >blessings and peace be upon him? then put the Flac( Jtone in its place with his own hands. Thus, a blood' conflict was pre)ented and the dispute was resol)ed to e)er'one4s satisfaction. /n the 9ave of Heraa> The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? spent most of his time in contemplation and worship. He would often go to ;a)e Heraa', situated near the top of mount an+MOr,

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appro&imatel' two miles outside Ma((ah. > ? He would sta' there meditating and pra'ing until his pro)ision of food and water would finish. He would sit for length' periods pondering the m'steries of creation. 9hat is man's true purpose in life. 8rom where does man come, and where will he go after death. 9hat does 0od Almight' require from us. /n the P st of @amadan, B C ;.<., when the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was #C 'ears old, the first )erses of the 3ur45n were re)ealed to him. 9hilst he was sitting all alone in the ca)e, out of the stillness of the night, the Angel 0abriel suddenl' appeared and said to him, $@eadQ* $% cannot read*, Muhammad replied, sha(en. The angel repeated the command, pressing him on, $@eadQ*

1 ()

=owadays1 in the north eastern part of #aAAah.

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The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? once again protested, $% cannot read*. $@ead* the might' )oice commanded once more. $% cannot read*, the Prophet replied. The angel then squeeIed the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? a third time and said1

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$@ead in the name of 'our Lord, who created. ;reated man from a clinging substance. @ead, and 'our Lord is the most 0enerous. 9ho taught b' the pen. Taught man what he did not (now.* >Jurah RB1 )erses to "?

9over Me, 9over Me# The occurrence in the ca)e left the Prophet shoc(ed and confused. He >blessings and peace be upon him? trembled in fear, traumatised b' what he had seen and heard. He set off for his house immediatel'. /n reaching home, the Prophet as(ed ,hadi:ah to wrap him in blan(ets. 9hen he calmed down, he related the whole stor' to her. ,hadi:ah (new the character and integrit' of the Prophet better than an'one else, after all she was his wife. Jhe was well aware of his honest' and balanced personalit'. At once she reassured him1 $MoQ 0od would ne)er disgrace 'ouQ -ou (eep good ties with 'our relati)es, 'ou loo( after the wea(, 'ou help the poor and the

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need', 'ou entertain the guests and suffer hardships, in the path of truthfulness.* ,hadi:ah then suggested that the' go and consult her wise elderl' cousin 9araqah ibn Mawfal, who was a ;hristian. 9araqah heard the whole account and then said1 $% am sure the angel that descended on Moses, has descended on 'ou. -our people will abuse and mistreat 'ou. % wish % could be ali)e to gi)e 'ou m' support when 'our people will turn 'ou out.* $9ill the' turn me out.* The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? found this difficult to belie)e. 9araqah replied that the people ha)e alwa's turned against those who recei)ed a message from 0od. 9araqah li)ed onl' a short period after this incident and passed awa'. ,he 2ar!y 9onverts The first to belie)e in the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? and his di)ine message was ,hadi:ah, followed shortl' afterwards b' EAli bin Abi T5leb >Ma' 0od be pleased with him?. Ali was ten 'ears old at the

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time and was li)ing in the house of the Messenger of 0od. Ha'd bin Harethah, a ser)ant of the Messenger of 0od, also became a Muslim. Among the men, Abu Fa(r bin Abi 3uhafah >Ma' 0od be pleased with him?, a close companion of the Prophet and a man (nown for his intellect and uprightness, also embraced %slam. These people were the closest to the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? and dail' witnessed his truthfulness, sincerit' and good beha)iour. %t was onl' natural for them to be the first con)erts to %slam. 8or the first three 'ears, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was told to spread the message pri)atel', to e)ade an' mischief from the 3ura'sh. ,he -reat Warner The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? (ept his mission secret for three 'ears. Then 0od commanded him to proclaim the message openl'.

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According to Arab custom, people used to climb a hill when the' had to announce some important news. Jo, the Prophet one da' climbed up on a small hill called As+Jafa, located near the ,aGbah. He called out to the people, who quic(l' gathered around him. He then addressed the people thus1 $%f % told 'ou that a big arm' is hiding behind that mountain and is read' to attac( 'ou, would 'ou belie)e me.* The' all answered, $/f course, for we trust 'ou. 9e (now 'ou alwa's spea( the truth.* Then the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? said1 $0od has commanded me to warn 'ou, m' people, that 'ou should worship none but the one and onl' 0od. %f 'ou fail to do so, 'ou will in)ite 0od4s anger. And % will not be able to do an'thing to help 'ou, e)en though 'ou are m' own people.* Jadl', his message fell on deaf ears, with man' of the people lea)ing without caring to gi)e an' thought to the words of 0od's Messenger.

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0e<ection There was one primar' reason for the leaders of 3ura'sh to oppose the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him?, and pre)ent him from spreading his message. Ma((ah was a centre of pilgrimage because of the ,aGbah, which housed man' idols of the neighbouring tribes. The leaders feared that if the concept of worshiping 0od alone became accepted, the tribes would stop )isiting the idols and therefore ha)e an ad)erse affect on the econom' of the cit' and their monopol' of it. After 'ears of ac(nowledging Muhammad as the most (ind and honest among them, the 3ura'sh started insulting him, ridiculing him and e)en calling him insane. -et with all this abuse hurled upon him, he would ne)er spea( a bad word in return. The Prophet was sub:ected to e)er' (ind of brutalit' and insult. Thorns were spread in his path and he was pelted with dirt and stones. /nce, the Messenger of 0od went to pra' near the ,aGbah. Jome men from the 3ura'sh quic(l' surrounded him and attac(ed him all

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together. /ne of them too( of his cloa( and tried to strangle him. Abu Fa(r >ma' 0od be pleased with him? quic(l' came to the rescue, shouting, $9ould 'ou (ill a man :ust for sa'ing, 'M' Lord is Allah.'* 9hen persecution failed, the 3ura'sh tried other methods to stop the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? from preaching his message. /nce, ENtbah bin @abi4ah came to the Prophet with an offer which he thought was too enticing to be re:ected. He said1 $%f 'ou want mone', we will collect some of our propert' and ma(e 'ou the richest among us. %f 'ou want honour, we will ma(e 'ou our chief so that e)er' decision is 'ours. %f 'ou want (ingdom, we will ma(e 'ou our (ing.* 9hen ENtbah had finished, the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? without an' hesitation recited some )erses from Jurah 8ussilat and refused the offer. ENtbah, dumfounded, went bac( to his companions and described what he heard of the amaIing 3ur4an. He said1 $F' 0odQ % ha)e heard words the li(e of which % ha)e ne)er

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heard before. F' 0odQ %t is neither poetr' nor magic. / men of 3ura'shQ Listen to meQ Lea)e this man alone. Fe (ind towards him and don4t get in his wa'.* Jadl', e)en the words of ENtbah had no influence on the 3ura'sh who bluntl' refused to gi)e heed to his ad)ice. Persecution The Muslims were sub:ected to persecution. The' were treated with contempt and moc(ed, but when that failed, the 3ura'sh turned to ph'sical attac(s and punishment. <)er' clan targeted those who had become Muslims among them. The' began to imprison them and torture them with beatings, hunger and thirst. Filal, a blac( Ab'ssinian sla)e who had accepted %slam, was laid flat on his bac( in the midda' heat. A huge stone was then placed on his chest. He was told b' his persecutors to renounce %slam, but each time he would respond b' sa'ing, $0od is /ne, 0od is /ne.* The Fanu Ma(hIum clan too( EAmmar bin -aser, his mother and father, who were all

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Muslims, into the midda' heat. The' tortured them and then left them e&posed to the burning sun of Ma((ah. The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? would pass b' them and tell them to be patient. 8inall', after much persecution, Ammar4s mother, Juma''ah was (illed, her onl' crime being, her refusal to renounce %slam. ,he 2scape to A&yssinia The 3ura'sh made life so difficult and unbearable for the Muslims in Ma((ah that the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? finall' told some of the belie)ers to migrate to Ab'ssinia ><thiopia?. He suggested, $%f 'ou were to go to Ab'ssinia, 'ou would find there a (ing who does not wrong an'one.* At first, a total of " men and women tra)elled to Ab'ssinia. Then the number increased to !6. This safe ha)en for the Muslims made the Ma((ans all the more furious. The' sent two of their best en)o's to the ,ing of Ab'ssinia. The men presented e&pensi)e gifts to the ,ing and told him to hand o)er the rebel Muslims. The

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Megus, ,ing of Ab'ssinia, sent for the Muslims and as(ed them to e&plain themsel)es. %t was on this occasion that DaEfar, the son of Abu T5leb, ga)e his memorable and magnificent speech. He said, $/ ,ing, we were a people of ignorance who worshipped idols, committed sins, treated neighbours badl', and the strong among us abused the wea(. 9e were li(e that until 0od sent a Messenger to us. 9e (new his noble birth, his honest', trustworthiness and decenc'. He called us to proclaim the oneness of 0od and to worship Him alone. He commanded us to spea( the truth, to be faithful, to (eep good ties with our relati)es, to be good to our neighbours and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us sinning, telling lies, ta(ing propert' of orphans un:ustl' and insulting righteous women.* $8or this reason alone our people ha)e attac(ed us, tortured us and forced us from our religionS 9hen the' tortured us and came between us and our religion, we left for 'our countr',

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choosing 'ou, because we hoped we would be treated fairl', while we were with 'ou.* The Megus listened to all of this attenti)el'. Then he as(ed DaEfar to recite some of the noble 3ur4an. DaEfar recited the beginning of Jurah Mar'am >The ;hapter of Mar', the mother of Desus?. After listening to the 3ur4an, the ,ing was so touched b' it that he wept until his beard was wet. He said1 $%t seems as if these words and those which were re)ealed to Desus are ra's of light which radiated from the same source.* The Megus then turned to the two men from 3ura'sh and told them that he would ne)er hand o)er the Muslims to them. He allowed the Muslims to li)e in his countr' in peace and treated them with honour. The Megus later on embraced %slam. ?mar and Ham@a 2m&race /s!am %n the si&th 'ear of Prophethood, the Prophet4s uncle, HamIa, and Nmar bin al+,hattab >ma' 0od be pleased with them both? embraced %slam. The 3ura'sh were greatl' disturbed at

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the con)ersion of HamIa and Nmar since both of them were (nown for their strength and courage. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? had e&pressl' pra'ed to 0od, as(ing Him to guide Nmar to %slam. /nce Nmar embraced %slam, the Muslims gained confidence. Pre)iousl', the' used to pra' in secret, fearful of the disbelie)ers. Howe)er, when Nmar became a Muslim= the' began to pra' openl' in front of the ,aGbah. Abdullah bin MasEud >ma' 0od be pleased with him?, a famous companion of the Messenger of 0od used to sa'1 $The Muslims were ne)er able to pra' near the ,aGbah until Nmar embraced %slam*. %t was for this reason that the Prophet ga)e Nmar, the honourable title, $Al+8arooq*. ,he Boycott The number of Muslims was steadil' increasing da' b' da'. The 3ura'sh were so alarmed, the' decided to e&ile the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? and his followers and force them to li)e in a confined section of the

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town. Mo pro)isions were allowed to be gi)en to them, and the Muslims had to suffer long torturous periods without food and water. The 3ura'sh wrote a document stating a bo'cott of the Prophet's clans, Fanu Hashem and Fanu al+Muttaleb. The' declared that the' would not marr' the women of these clans or sell them an' goods. The' hung the parchment announcing the bo'cott on the ,aGbah. The bo'cott was so strictl' applied that the Muslims were forced to eat the lea)es of trees. The hungr' cries of small children could be heard all o)er the )alle'. The Muslims remained in this desperate state for three 'ears, until the ban was finall' lifted and the document was miraculousl' destro'ed b' ants. <)en with such se)ere trials and conditions, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? remained firm and continued calling the people to 0od night and da'. ,rue Patience Joon after the end of the bo'cott, in the tenth 'ear of Prophethood, Abu T5leb, the Prophet4s

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supporti)e uncle and the Prophet4s wife, ,hadi:ah, both died. The' had both been )aluable companions noted for their lo'alt', support and dedication. Throughout the 'ears, Abu T5leb, though not accepting %slam, was alwa's there as an e&ternal supporter, protecting the Prophet from attac(s of the 3ura'sh. At the same time, ,hadi:ah was alwa's there as personal support, comforting and encouraging the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? during all his hardships. Mow that the' had both died, the Prophet e&perienced great grief and sadness. -et, despite these losses, he ne)er ga)e up. He perse)ered on course, patientl' in)iting people to %slam, not minding the hardships he had to face for the cause of 0od. ,he Aourney to ,a(if After Abu Taleb4s death, the Messenger of 0od suffered more than before. He was now without protection and open to attac( and maltreatment. 9hen abuse at the hands of 3ura'sh became unbearable, the Messenger of 0od >blessings

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and peace be upon him? decided to go to Ta4if, a cit' about #" miles from Ma((ah, to call the people to %slam. He first went to the leaders of Ta4if, but contrar' to his e&pectation, the' were )er' discourteous to him and refused to accept his message. The' e)en incited a street mob to shout abuse at the Prophet and pelt him with stones. The pelting continued for appro&imatel' three miles ma(ing the Prophet4s bod' flow with blood. <)en after such ad)ersit', when the angels came to as( permission of the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? to crush the people of the cit', he refused out of merc', hoping that one da' their children would embrace %slam. ,he Miracu!ous %i.ht Aourney /n one )er' special night, the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was ta(en b' the angel 0abriel from al+Mas:ed al+ Haram in Ma((ah to al+Mas:ed al+Aqsa in Derusalem. 8rom there he ascended into the hea)ens. Kuring this :ourne' he saw man' great signs of 0od and met man' of His

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prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, Dohn the Faptist and Desus the Messiah >peace be upon them all?. Kuring this night, 0od first made fift' pra'ers obligator' on Muslims each da'. The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? (ept as(ing 0od to reduce the number of pra'ers until He reduced it to fi)e pra'ers dail'. /ut of His merc', 0od declared that whoe)er performs their fi)e pra'ers dail' with sincerit', would ha)e the reward of fift' pra'ers. The ne&t morning, the Prophet told the 3ura'sh what had happened. As e&pected, the' did not belie)e him and rather too( the opportunit' to ridicule him. To further con)ince and persuade them the Prophet ga)e them a detailed description of Derusalem, a cit' he had ne)er )isited before. He e)en ga)e information of a cara)an that he had seen on the wa' bac( to Ma((ah. -et none of these descriptions were sufficient proofs for the disbelie)ing 3ura'sh.

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,he Be!e.ation %n the ele)enth 'ear of Prophethood, while the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was at Aqabah, he met a group of men from Madinah >at that time (nown as -athreb? and in)ited them to %slam. The' were neighbours of the Dews and had heard mention of a Prophet, who was about to come. After some deliberation the' accepted his teachings and became Muslims. The following 'ear, twel)e people from Madinah met the Messenger of 0od and ga)e him their pledge that the' would belie)e in one 0od and worship Him alone. The' also pledged that the' would not steal or (ill their children. This underta(ing is (nown as the 8irst Pledge of Aqabah. The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? sent Mus45b bin Nma'r with them. Mus45b was a handsome 'oung man who was a proficient reciter of the 3ur45n. He accompanied them to Madinah, preached %slam to the people, and led them in pra'er.

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The ne&t 'ear, Mus45b bin Nma'r >ma' 0od be pleased with him? returned to Ma((ah with se)ent'+three men and two women from Madinah. The' all met with the Prophet, pledged their allegiance to him and promised to protect him and the other Muslims. This is (nown as the Jecond Pledge of Aqabah. ,he Prophet>s Mi.ration After the second pledge of Aqabah, the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? ordered the Muslims who were with him in Ma((ah to lea)e for Madinah. He could no longer tolerate their suffering at the hands of the 3ura'sh. The emigration from Ma((ah to Madinah was not eas'. The 3ura'sh put man' obstacles to pre)ent the Muslims from lea)ing Ma((ah. Jome were forced to lea)e their wi)es and children behind, and to tra)el alone. /thers had to lea)e all of their wealth and belongings and tra)el empt' handed. /n the PAth of Jafar in the Prophethood >Jeptember BPP #th 'ear of ;.<.?, 0od

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granted permission to the Prophet to tra)el to Madinah. Abu Fa(r, the Prophet4s close friend, accompanied him on this blessed and historical :ourne'. /n the e)e of that da', the 3ura'sh had gathered to ma(e one final attempt to assassinate the Prophet. The' agreed that each tribe would pro)ide a 'oung man and together the' would attac( the Prophet, each man stri(ing a blow. 0od informed His Messenger of this plot, and so he >blessings and peace be upon him? secretl' left the house without the men of 3ura'sh noticing him. /)er the 'ears, the Messenger of 0od had acquired such a reputation for honest' that the disbelie)ing 3ura'sh would lea)e their )aluables with him to loo( after. Fefore lea)ing, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? charged Ali with the responsibilit' of returning all the properties to their rightful owners. A %e Be.innin. The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? arri)ed in Madinah on 8rida', the

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Pth of a!i, al)Awwal A.H. >Jeptember PAth, BPP ;.<.? and too( the downstairs of Abu A''ub4s dwelling as a temporar' residence. The Muslims were o)er:o'ed at the arri)al of the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him?. %t was the best thing that had e)er happened to them. -oung children were singing beautiful songs, welcoming the Prophet to their cit'. 8rom that da' on, the town of -athreb was (nown as Madinat an)-a!i, or the ;it' of the Prophet. The Prophet's :ourne' from Ma((ah to Madinah T the (i+rah . was seen as a new beginning and a fresh opportunit' to spread the message of %slam. The importance of this date was further amplified when the earl' Muslims decided to begin their calendar from the first 'ear of the (i+rah. Joon after his arri)al, the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? helped in the building of a mosque, now (nown as al) Mas+ed an)-a!awi. The mosque was a meeting

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place for the faithful and a centre for all of their acti)ities. After the mosque was built, the Messenger of 0od chose Filal bin @abah, (nown for his beautiful )oice, to call the people to pra'er.

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,he Cirst 9onstitution %n Madinah, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? became the Head of Jtate. He established brotherhood between the emigrants >Muh/+er0n ? from Ma((ah and the Helpers >Ans/r? of Madinah. The Ans/r were so pleased to form a brotherhood that the' were willing to di)ide all their possessions and gi)e half to their Muh/+er brothers. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? also made an agreement with the Dews, confirming their freedom to practice their faith and to li)e in peace. This accord is considered the first ;onstitution and ;harter of Human @ights and Liberties. %t guaranteed freedom, securit' and :ustice to e)er' citiIen. Kuring this period the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? put great emphasis on education. Men, women and children were taught all different aspects of faith and worship. He also stressed the importance of ethics and good manners, since he realised that a great cit' is not built b' strong walls but rather b'

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outstanding people. Thus, within a few 'ears Madinah became the most honourable societ' e)er (nown in human histor'. ,he Batt!e of Badr <)en after the Muslims left Ma((ah, the 3ura'sh continued their hostilit' and waited for an' opportunit' to crush the 'oung and fragile Muslim communit'. The Muslims realised that the' could no longer allow aggression without an' resistance. %f the' did not defend themsel)es, the' would ultimatel' all be annihilated. The Prophet, who had practiced strict pacifism in Ma((ah for thirteen 'ears and disli(ed the use of coerci)e force, was now gi)en permission b' 0od to defend against an' attac(s b' his enemies. The 3ur'an declared1 L8ighting has been prescribed for 'ou and 'ou detest it, but perhaps 'ou detest something and in it is much good. And perhaps 'ou lo)e something and in it is much harm, and 0od (nows and 'ou do not (now.L 23ur'an P1P B7.

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%n the month of @amad5n, the Pnd 'ear after the (i+rah, the Muslims fought the 3ura'sh of Ma((ah in a historical battle at 1adr. The Muslims were onl' 6 6 in number, whilst the 3ura'sh arm' numbered more than a thousand and were full' equipped. 9ith the help of 0od, the Muslims were )ictorious in the battle. Kuring the battle, some of the 3ura'sh men were ta(en as prisoners and later released. 8or the first time in histor', prisoners of war were fed, loo(ed after and treated humanel'. Among the capti)es were those who had nothing with which to ransom themsel)es. The Messenger of 0od allowed them to earn their freedom b' teaching children to read and write. Kuring the following 'ears, the 3ura'sh made se)eral other failed attempts to destro' the new Muslims state, but the Muslims held strong and defended themsel)es with great courage and )alour.

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,he ,reaty of Huday&eyah %n Khul+3aEdah, the si&th 'ear after (i+rah, the Muslims left for Ma((ah with the intention of ma(ing the lesser pilgrimage > 2mrah?. The Muslims had come clad in white as pilgrims signif'ing that the' had come in peace. -et, the 3ura'sh arrogantl' refused the Muslims entr' into Ma((ah. %t was on this occasion that the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? made a truce with the 3ura'sh at a place called al) (uday!eyah, appro&imatel' A miles from Ma((ah. The treat' stated that the Muslims would not be allowed to perform 2mrah this 'ear but permission would be gi)en for the following 'ear. The two parties also agreed to abandon war and to li)e in peace for ten 'ears. <)en though the terms of the treat' were hea)il' on the side of the 3ura'sh, this was to be another triumph for %slam. Beyond Ara&ia The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? too( ad)antage of this period of peace with the 3ura'sh and sent letters to )arious rulers,

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including the emperors of the two super+powers of the time, Persia and F'Iantium, in)iting them to %slam. 9hen Heraclius, the F'Iantine emperor, recei)ed the letter, he sent his men to find out all the' could about the Prophet. Abu Juf'an, the 3ura'shi leader who was still at that time an enem' of %slam, happened to be in Palestine on a business trip and was presented to the emperor. Heraclius as(ed Abu Juf'an se)eral questions and after listening to his answers, remar(ed1 $% as(ed 'ou about his famil' and 'our repl' was that he belonged to a )er' noble famil'. %n fact, all prophets come from noble families. % questioned 'ou whether an'bod' else amongst 'ou claimed such a thing, 'our repl' was in the negati)e. %f the answer had been 'es, % would ha)e thought that this man was imitating someone before him. Then % as(ed 'ou, whether an'one of his famil' was a (ing. -our repl' was in the negati)e, and if it had been 'es, % would ha)e thought that this man wanted to ta(e bac( his famil'4s (ingdom.

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% further as(ed whether he was e)er accused of telling lies, and 'our repl' was in the negati)e. % wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could e)er tell a lie about 0od. % then as(ed 'ou whether the rich people followed him or the poor. -ou replied that it was the poor who followed him. %n fact, all the prophets ha)e been followed b' this )er' class of people. Then % as(ed 'ou whether his followers were increasing or decreasing in number. -ou replied that the' were increasing, and in fact, this is the wa' of true faith. % further as(ed 'ou whether there was an'one who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and left this religion. -our repl' was in the negati)e, and in fact, this is the sign of true faith. Then % as(ed 'ou what he ordered 'ou to do. -ou replied that he ordered 'ou to worship 0od alone and not to worship an'thing along with Him, and that he ordered 'ou to spea( the truth. %f what 'ou ha)e said is true, he will )er' soon occup' this land under m' feet. % (new from the scriptures that he was going to come, but % did

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not (now that he would be from amongst 'ou. %f % could reach him, % would go immediatel' to meet him and if % were with him, % would certainl' wash his feet.'

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,he 9onDuest of MaEEah As e&pected, the 3ura'sh )iolated the terms of the Huda'be'ah Treat' and supported enemies of the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him?. Therefore, on the morning of 8rida', the PCth of @amad5n, ! A.H. the Prophet accompanied b' an arm' of ten thousand entered Ma((ah and captured the cit' with hardl' a single drop of blood being shed. The Prophet forga)e all those who had up to then been bitter enemies of %slam and declared a general amnest'. The Prophet then went into the ,aGbah and destro'ed all the idols inside it. The ,aGbah was once again restored to the purpose for which it was built b' Prophet Abraham >peace be upon him?, as a place to worship the one true 0od. Nnli(e other leaders who arrogantl' boast of their )ictor' with heads held high, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was so humble before 0od that his chin almost touched the bac( of his camel. /ne man, trembling with awe on that da', was told b' the Prophet, $Fe

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at ease, and do not be afraid. % am not a (ing. % am onl' the son of a 3ura'shi woman who used to eat meat dried in the sun.* The )ictor' of Ma((ah had a tremendous impact on the Arabs. %t showed that %slam was indeed the religion of 0od and it pa)ed the wa' for the whole of Arabia to accept the faith. ,he Care e!! Pi!.rima.e /n the #th of Khul+Hi::ah, the tenth 'ear after (i+rah, the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? entered Ma((ah for the last time to perform (a++ >pilgrimage? accompanied b' ##,CCC Muslim men and women. The Prophet realiIed that his mission was coming to an end and that it was necessar' to bid farewell to his lo)ing companions. /n this occasion he ga)e a historic sermon in which he e&plained the principles of %slam. He said, $/ people, listen to m' words carefull', for % (now not after this 'ear whether % shall e)er meet 'ou again at this place. / peopleQ -our li)es and 'our propert' are sacred until 'ou

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meet 'our Lord, as are this place, this da' and this month. @emember, 'ou will indeed meet 'our Lord and answer for 'our deedsS-ou ha)e 'our rights o)er 'our wi)es and the' ha)e rights o)er 'ouSTreat 'our women well and be (ind to them, for the' are 'our partners and committed helpersSListen carefull', / people, and understand well. % lea)e behind me two things which if 'ou follow them, 'ou will not go astra'1 the 3ur4an and m' Junnah >e&ample?. / peopleQ Listen to m' words. ,now that e)er' Muslim is a brother to e)er' other Muslim and that Muslims comprise one brotherhood. / people, 'our Lord is /ne, and 'our father >Adam? is one. -ou must (now that no Arab has superiorit' o)er a non+Arab, and no non+Arab has superiorit' o)er an Arab, nor a red man o)er a blac( man, nor a blac( man o)er a red, e&cept in terms of what each person has of piet'.* The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? then faced the hea)ens and said1 $9itness, / 0od, that % ha)e con)e'ed -our message to -our people.*

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/n this occasion 0od re)ealed the following )erse of the 3ur45n1 %#his day I ha&e perfected your religion for you, and ha&e completed my fa&our upon you, and ha&e chosen for you as your religion al)Islam"' >Jurah al+Ma'idah "16? ,he Beath of the Prophet (B!essin.s and Peace Be ?pon Him) The Messenger of 0od had now completed his wor( on earth and fulfilled his responsibilit'. The time had come for him to return to his Lord. /n Monda' the Pth of a!i al)Awwal, at the age of B6, 0od the Almight', reclaimed the soul of his belo)ed Messenger. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? passed awa' in his home, with his famil' close b' him. He was buried under the room in which he died in the cit' of Madinah. He died on the same da' he was born, in the same house he had li)ed in for ten 'ears in Madinah, on a small bed made of leather stuffed with palm fibres, in the arms of his belo)ed wife Aishah. His d'ing words were,

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LTreat 'our ser)ants well. The pra'er, the pra'er, don4t be neglectful of the pra'er. / 0od, 2% ha)e chosen7 the e&alted companionship.L The companions were greatl' saddened, not onl' b' the loss of their belo)ed Prophet but also because the' (new there would be no further re)elation from 0od. Jome were so shoc(ed that the' denied that the Prophet had died. %t was on this occasion that Abu Fa(r, the close companion of the Prophet announced, $%f an'one worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead. Fut whoe)er worships 0od, then (now that 0od is the <)er+Li)ing, who will ne)er die.* He then recited the following )erse of the 3ur'an1 $Muhammad is not but a messenger. Man' messengers ha)e passed on before him. Jo if he was to die or be (illed would 'ou turn bac( on 'our heels 2to disbelief7.* >61 ##? 9hen the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? passed awa', the entire Arabian Peninsula had accepted %slam. He left behind a message that remains as clear and ali)e toda' as when it was first deli)ered.

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,he Prophet(s Physica! Bescription and Manner The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? was of medium height. His face was fair, attracti)e and round. He had wa)' hair, neither straight nor curl', and his hair touched his shoulders. His e'es were wide and his pupils were blac(. He had a thic( beard with soft chee(s. His chest and shoulders were wide. His teeth were bright and spar(led when he spo(e. He wal(ed in strides and in a humble manner. He would lift his feet and not drag them. 9hene)er he turned, he would turn with his entire bod'. He would offer greeting to others before the' offered it to him. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? li(ed to smile and was ne)er cruel, e)en when others were rude to him. He was e&tremel' (ind and caring. He ne)er insulted others. /ne who sat with the Prophet would feel that he was the most important and belo)ed indi)idual to him. He was li(e a (ind and caring

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father to e)er'one and all people were equal to him. He was alwa's cheerful and grateful for e)er' blessing 0od ga)e him, no matter how small it seemed. He did not criticiIe an' food he tasted. He would spend his da's ser)ing the people and spend his nights worshipping his Lord. What Prophet Muhammad (&!essin.s and peace &e upon him) Faid a&out the 2nvironment The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? recogniIed the importance of loo(ing after the en)ironment. He taught that human beings were 0od4s agents on the earth and it is their dut' to protect it. /n one occasion, he said1 %#he world is green and !eautiful, and 3od has appointed you his guardian o&er it"' >Jahih Muslim? He encouraged belie)ers to plant trees and regarded it a sin to destro' them without a )alid reason. He said1

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%#here is none amongst the !elie&ers who plants a tree or sows a seed and then a !ird, a person or an animal eats from it, e4cept that it is regarded as a charity 5for which he can e4pect 3od6s pleasure and reward7"' >Jahih al+ Fu(hari? ,eeping the earth green, producti)e and of benefit to humans and animals is a most noble concern according to %slam. 9e learn from the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? that the sowing of plants is such a righteous action in the sight of 0od that it is encouraged, e)en if it were a person4s final act on earth. The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? said1 $<)en when the Ka' of Dudgment comes >upon 'ou?, if an'one has a seed in his hand, he should plant it.* >Ahmad? The Prophet considered all of 0od4s creations to be important and he belie)ed animals, land, trees and the rest of the en)ironment and natural resources should ha)e rights and be protected.

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What the Prophet (&!essin.s and peace &e upon him) Faid a&out the ,reatment of Anima!s The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? taught that harming, abusing or beating animals was a sinful act and caused the displeasure of 0od while protecting animals, showing merc' and (indness to them were good actions, which 0od would reward. He said that a Muslim was responsible for the care of animals, so much so that an ill+treated animal will testif' against the one who abused it on the Ka' of Dudgment. The Prophet forbade people to capture birds, burn anthills or beat animals. He also forbade the ta(ing of animals as target and (illing them for mere sport. He used to praise an'one who showed merc' to animals. At the same time, he would criticiIe an'one who used to hurt animals, tire them, or ma(e them carr' a hea)' load for long periods. The Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him? once said1

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$9hilst a man was wal(ing on a road, he became )er' thirst'. He found a well, climbed down it, dran( his fill, and then came out. He then saw a dog panting hard and eating the damp earth. Jo he said1 EThis dog is thirst', li(e % was.4 Jo he again went down into the well and filled his leather soc( with water. Holding his soc( in his mouth, he came out of the well and then ga)e the water to the dog. Therefore, 0od appreciated the man and forga)e him his sins.* The ;ompanions as(ed1 E/ Messenger of 0odQ Ko we get reward for being (ind e)en to animals.4 The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? replied1 EThere is reward for showing (indness to e)er' li)ing thing.4* >Al+ Fu(hari and Muslim? /nce the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? passed b' some children who were shooting arrows at a ram, he rebu(ed them, sa'ing1 $Ko not wound the poor animal.* >Junan an+ Mas54i? He also once ordered a man who had ta(en the chic(s of a bird from their nest to return them

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from where he got them, since it would cause distress to their mother who was tr'ing to protect them. >Jahih Muslim?

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What the Prophet (&!essin.s and peace &e upon him) Faid a&out 0e!ationships ith %on7Mus!ims The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was a merc' for all humanit'. 0od described him as such in the 3ur'an, sa'ing1 LAnd 9e did not send 'ou 2/ Muhammad7 but as a merc' to the worlds.L >P 1 CA? And the Prophet himself said, L%ndeed, % was sent as a merc'.L >Muslim? His merc' was a general merc'= which included e)er'one, the non+belie)er as well as the belie)er. 9hen Tufa'l bin GAmr ad+Kausi' ga)e up hope on the guidance of his tribe he went to the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? and said, L/ Messenger of 0od, the tribe of Kaus has disobe'ed and refused, so supplicate to 0od against them.L The Prophet faced Ma((ah and raised his hands, and the people were certain that Kaus would be destro'ed. Fut the Prophet of Merc' onl' said, L/ 0od, guide Kaus and bring them 2to %slam7.L >Al+Fu(hari and Muslim?

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He supplicated for their guidance and not for their punishment or destruction because he onl' wished good for people and hoped for their success and sal)ation. 9hen the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? went to Ta'if to in)ite its people to %slam the' met him with denial and ridicule and encouraged street bo's to throw stones at him until his feet bled. <)en under such circumstances, when angels sought his permission to destro' the town, the Prophet refused. This was the merc' which enabled the Prophet to forget his bleeding wounds and bro(en heart, onl' thin(ing of how to bring good to those people and bring them out from dar(ness into the light and guide them to the straight path. And when he conquered Ma((ah, entering it with ten thousand soldiers, 0od ga)e him the decision concerning those who had abused and persecuted him, plotted his assassination, e&pelled him from his homeland, (illed his companions and tortured them because of their religion. /ne of his companions said, LToda' is

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a da' of massacre.L Fut the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? said, LMo, but toda' is a da' of merc'.L Then he went before the defeated people whose e'es were wide with fear and whose hearts were trembling, waiting to see what the )ictorious conqueror would do with them. Their own practice was that of re)enge and murder. Fut the Prophet said to them, L/ 3ura'sh, what do 'ou suppose % should do with 'ou.L The' replied, L9hat is good. -ou are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother.L The Messenger of 0od replied, L0o, for 'ou are free.L Juch an all+inclusi)e pardon was due to merc' in the Prophet's heart. %t was so great that it included those enemies who had harmed him and his companions most. How true were the words of the Prophet when he said, L% am but a bestowed merc'.L >Al+Ha(im? * * *

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,he Prophet (&!essin.s and peace &e upon him) and the Appreciation of Women 8ourteen centuries ago, the Messenger of 0od declared through di)ine re)elation that women were equal in humanit' and faith with men. 0od stated in the 3ur'an1 L%ndeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the belie)ing men and belie)ing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their pri)ate parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember 0od often and the women who do so T for them 0od has prepared forgi)eness and a great rewardL. >6616"? And the Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? said, L9omen are but sisters of men.L >Ahmad, Abu Kawud and at+Termidhi? The Messenger of 0od confronted man' cruel and un:ust practices against women during his

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time. Jome of the Arabs, considering women inferior, would bur' their daughters ali)e but the Prophet spo(e out against such e)il customs. The 3ur'an describes it thus1 And when one of them is informed of 2the birth of7 a female, his face becomes dar(, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Jhould he (eep it in humiliation or bur' it in the ground. Nnquestionabl', e)il is what the' decide. > B1"!+"R? The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? used to encourage (indness to women and girls. He said, $9hoe)er supports two daughters until the' reach the age of pubert', he will come on the Ka' of @esurrection with me 2li(e this7, and he :oined his fingers.* >Muslim? Prophet Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? emphasiIed (indness to mothers. /nce a man came to him as(ing, L/ Messenger of 0od, who is most entitled to m' good companionship.L The Prophet said, L-our

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mother.L The man said, L9ho is ne&t.L The Prophet said, L-our mother.L The man as(ed again, L9ho is ne&t.L The Prophet once again repeated, L-our mother.L The man as(ed for the fourth time, L9ho is ne&t.L The Prophet then said, L-our father.L The Messenger of 0od used to consult women, deal with them gentl', support them in all situations and gi)e them their complete rights in a wa' ne)er dreamt of before. He was also concerned with educating women. He e)en appointed a da' for them to assemble and would come to teach them from that which 0od had taught him. >Muslim? He did not ma(e women prisoners within the house, but allowed them to go out to ta(e care of their needs, )isit their relati)es and the sic(. He allowed them to bu' and sell in the mar(etplace as long as the' adhered to modest conduct and proper dress. He also allowed them to attend the mosque and forbade pre)enting them, sa'ing, LKo not pre)ent 'our women from 2coming to7 the mosques.L >Ahmad and Abu Kawud?

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He prohibited beating women and said, LKo not stri(e the female ser)ants of 0od.L >Abu Kawud? And he urged (indness toward them with the words, "1e ad&ised to !e good to women"" >Al+Fu(hari and Muslim? This means good treatment, respect for her rights, concern for her feelings and a)oidance of an' (ind of harm. And he told his companions, LThe best of 'ou is the best of 'ou to 'our wi)es.L >Ahmad and at+Termidhi? * * *

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,he Prophet (&!essin.s and peace &e upon him) and his :ove for 9hi!dren Prophet Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? is a role model for the whole of human(ind. His attitude towards children was alwa's compassionate and merciful. Feing fond of children, the Prophet was often seen pla'ing with them. Anas bin Male(, a companion of the Prophet, reported1 L% ne)er saw an'one who was more compassionate towards children than the Messenger of 0od >blessings and peace be upon him?. His son, %brahim, was in the care of a wet nurse in the hills around Madinah. He would go there, and we would go with him. He would enter the house, pic( up his son and (iss him, and then come bac(.L >Muslim? The Prophet4s lo)e for children was not restricted to his own children and grandchildren. The scope of his merc' and affection embraced all children, and he showed the same interest and gentleness to his companions' children.

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Jome people who were not able to understand the power of e&pressing lo)e to children wondered wh' 0od's Messenger pla'ed with children and too( such an interest in them. A Fedouin came to the Prophet and said, L-ou 2people7 (iss childrenQ 9e don't (iss them.L The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? said, L% cannot put merc' in 'our heart if 0od has remo)ed it.L >Al+Fu(hari? /n another occasion he responded1 LHe who does not show merc' will not recei)e merc'.L >Al+Fu(hari and Muslim? The Prophet >blessings and peace be upon him? was alwa's concerned about e)er'one4s thoughts and feelings. 8or e&ample, the 'oung brother of Anas bin Male( used to pla' with a small bird and it died. The bo' was sad, so the Prophet of Merc' went to )isit him, console him and cheer him up. >Al+Fu(hari and Muslim? And the Prophet used to frequentl' )isit the Ansar and he would greet their children and pat their heads. >An+Mas54i? He used to go to the small children and bless them and chew dates for them. >Muslim? He also used to carr' 2his

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granddaughter7 Nmamah bint Ha'nab while pra'ing. 9hen he prostrated he would put her down and when he stood up he would carr' her. Ma' the blessings and peace of 0od be upon the noble and merciful Prophet MuhammadQ * * *

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What %on7Mus!im Fcho!ars Have Faid a&out Prophet Muhammad Throughout histor', man' non+Muslim thin(ers and intellectuals were fascinated b' the personalit' of Prophet Muhammad >blessings and peace be upon him? and highl' praised his principles and achie)ements. Felow are a few of these sa'ings1 A!phonse de :amartine in >Histoire de !a ,urDuie>, Pans 1GH4, vo!" 11, pp" 6IJ7II" LMe)er has a man underta(en a wor( so far be'ond human power with so feeble means, for he >Muhammad? had, in the conception as well as in the e&ecution of such a great design, no other instrument than himself and no other aid e&cept a handful of men li)ing in a corner of the desert. 8inall', ne)er has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting re)olution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, %slam, in faith and in arms, reigned o)er the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in 0od's name, Persia ,horasan, Transo&ania, 9estern %ndia, J'ria, <g'pt, Ab'ssinia, all the

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(nown continent of Morthern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean Jea, Jpain, and part of 0aul. L%f greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare an' great man in histor' with Muhammad. The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires onl'. The' founded, if an'thing at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled awa' before their e'es. This man mo)ed not onl' armies, legislations, empires, peoples, d'nasties, but millions of men in one+ third of the then inhabited world= and more than that, he mo)ed the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.* LPhilosopher, /rator, Apostle, Legislator, ;onqueror of %deas, @estorer of @ational beliefs.... The founder of twent' terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire that is Muhammad. As regards all standards b' which human greatness ma' be measured, we ma' well as(, is there an' man greater than he.L

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Fir -eor.e Bernard Fha in >,he -enuine /s!am,> vo!" 1, no" G, 1K5J" L%f an' religion had the chance of ruling o)er <ngland, na' <urope within the ne&t hundred 'ears, it could be %slam.L $% ha)e alwa's held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful )italit'. %t is the onl' religion, which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacit' to the changing phase of e&istence, which can ma(e itself appeal to e)er' age. % ha)e studied him + the wonderful man and in m' opinion far from being an anti+;hrist, he must be called the Ja)iour of Humanit'.L L% belie)e that if a man li(e him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in sol)ing its problems in a wa' that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness1 % ha)e prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the <urope of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the <urope of toda'.*

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Michae! Hart in >,he 188, A 0anEin. of the Most /nf!uentia! Persons in History,> %e LorE, 1KIG" $M' choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world4s most influential persons ma' surprise some readers and ma' be questioned b' others, but he was the onl' man in histor' who was supremel' successful on both the secular and religious le)el. ...%t is probable that the relati)e influence of Muhammad on %slam has been larger than the combined influence of Desus ;hrist and Jt. Paul on ;hristianit'. ...%t is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence, which % feel, entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human histor'.* ,he .reat /ndian !eader Mahatma -andhi said* LAfter % finished the second part of the Fiograph' of Muhammad, % felt % needed to (now more about this great personalit'. He uncontested, won the hearts of millions of people.L

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,homas 9ar!y!e, the 2n.!ish riter, said* L% li(e Muhammad for his h'pocris'+free natureSwith clear and sound words he addresses the @oman Tsars and ,ings of Persia. He guided them to what he lo)es for them in this life and in the eternal life.L He further rites in >Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History,> 1G48" LThe lies >9estern slander? which well+meaning Ieal has heaped round this man >Muhammad? are disgraceful to oursel)es onl'.L LA silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest. He was to (indle the world, the world4s Ma(er had ordered so.L 2d ard -i&&on and Fimon 1cE!ay rite in History of the Faracen 2mpire, :ondon 1GI8, p H4" $%t is not the propagation but the permanenc' of his religion that deser)es our wonder= the same pure and perfect impression which he engra)ed at Mecca and Madina is preser)ed, after the re)olutions of twel)e centuries b' the %ndian,

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the African and the Tur(ish prosel'tes of the ,oran...The Mahometans>2? ha)e uniforml' withstood the temptation of reducing the ob:ect of their faith and de)otion to a le)el with the senses and imagination of man. % belie)e in /ne 0od and Mahomet is the Apostle of 0od' is the simple and in)ariable profession of %slam. The intellectual image of the Keit' has ne)er been degraded b' an' )isible idol= the honors of the prophet ha)e ne)er transgressed the measure of human )irtue= and his li)ing precepts ha)e restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.* -i&&on in >,he Bec!ine and Ca!! of the 0oman 2mpire> 1G65 $The good sense of Muhammad despised the pomp of ro'alt'. The Apostle of 0od submitted to the menial offices of the famil'= he (indled the fire= swept the floor= mil(ed the ewes= and mended with his own hands his shoes and
2

The term #ahometans or #uhammadanism is offensi-e to #uslims who (elie-e that Allah1 not #uhammad1 founded the reli ion.

()

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garments. Kisdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he obser)ed without effort of )anit' the abstemious diet of an Arab.* Annie Besant rites in ",he :ife and ,eachin.s of Muhammad," Madras 1K56, p 4 $%t is impossible for an'one who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who (nows how he taught and how he li)ed, to feel an'thing but re)erence for that might' Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Jupreme. And although in what % put to 'ou % shall sa' man' things which ma' be familiar to man', 'et % m'self feel whene)er % re+read them, a new wa' of admiration, a new sense of re)erence for that might' Arabian teacher.*

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W" Mont.omery Watt rites in Mohammad at Mecca, 1xford, 1KH5, p H6 $His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who belie)ed in him and loo(ed up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achie)ement all argue his fundamental integrit' To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it sol)es. Moreo)er, none of the great figures of histor' is so poorl' appreciated in the 9est as Muhammad.* Bos orth Fmith rites in Mohammad and Mohammadanism, :ondon 1GI4, p K6" $He was ;aesar and Pope in one= but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, ;aesar without the legions of ;aesar1 without a standing arm', without a bod'guard, without a palace, without fi&ed re)enue. %f e)er an' man had the right to sa' that he ruled b' the right di)ine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports. He cared not for the dressings of

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power. The simplicit' of his pri)ate life was in (eeping with his public life.L L%n Mohammadanism e)er'thing is different here. %nstead of the shadow' and the m'sterious, we ha)e histor'....9e (now of the e&ternal histor' of Muhammad....while for his internal histor' after his mission had been proclaimed, we ha)e a boo( absolutel' unique in its origin, in its preser)ation....on the Jubstantial authorit' of which no one has e)er been able to cast a serious doubt.L

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Aames A" Michene M /s!am* ,he Misunderstood 0e!i.ion, 0eader>s Bi.est (American ed") May 1KHH, pp" JG7 I8" Muhammad, the inspired man who founded %slam, was born about "AC AK. into an Arabian tribe that worshipped idols. /rphaned at birth, he was alwa's particularl' solicitous of the poor and need' the widow and the orphan, the sla)e and the downtrodden. At twent' he was alread' a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel cara)ans for a wealth' widow. 9hen he reached twent'+fi)e, his emplo'er recogniIing his meet, proposed marriage. <)en though she was fifteen 'ears older, he married her, and as long as she li)ed remained a de)oted husband. Li(e almost e)er' ma:or prophet before him, Muhammad fought sh' of ser)ing as the transmitter of 0od's word, sensing his own inadequac' but the angel commanded @ead'. Jo far as we (now, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those

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inspired words which would soon re)olutioniIe a large segment of the earth1 LThere is one 0od.L %n all things Muhammad was profoundl' practical. 9hen his belo)ed son %brahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumours of 0od's personal condolence quic(l' arose. 9hereupon Muhammad is said to ha)e announced, LAn eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. %t is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being.L At Muhammad4s own death an attempt was made to deif' him, but the man who was to become his administrati)e successor (illed the h'steria with one of the noblest speeches in religious histor'1 '%f there are an' among 'ou who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. Fut if it is 0od 'ou worshipped, He li)es fore)er.* ,he -erman Poet, Wo!f.an. -oethe said* $% loo(ed into histor' for a human paradigm and found it to be in Muhammad.*

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:ane7Poo!e in >Fpeeches and ,a&!e ,a!E of the Prophet Muhammad> $He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in con)ersation. Those who saw him were suddenl' filled with re)erence= those who came near him lo)ed him= the' who described him would sa', L% ha)e ne)er seen his li(e either before or after.L He was of great taciturnit', but when he spo(e it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said...* W"9" ,ay!or in >,he History of Muhammadanism and its Fects> $Jo great was his liberalit' to the poor that he often left his household unpro)ided, nor did he content himself with relie)ing their wants, he entered into con)ersation with them, and e&pressed a warm s'mpath' for their sufferings. He was a firm friend and a faithful all'.*

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Br" -ustav Wei! in >History of the /s!amic Peop!es> $Muhammad was a shining e&ample to his people. His character was pure and stainless. His house, his dress, his food + the' were characteriIed b' a rare simplicit'. Jo unpretentious was he that he would recei)e from his companions no special mar( of re)erence, nor would he accept an' ser)ice from his sla)e which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all and at all times. He )isited the sic( and was full of s'mpath' for all. Nnlimited was his bene)olence and generosit' as also was his an&ious care for the welfare of the communit'.* Washin.ton /rvin. in >:ife of Muhammad,> %e LorE, 1K68" $His militar' triumphs awa(ened no pride nor )ain glor' as the' would ha)e done had the' been effected b' selfish purposes. %n the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicit' of manner and appearance as in the da's of his ad)ersit'. Jo far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room,

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an' unusual testimonial of respect was shown to him.* Arthur -!yn :eonard in >/s!am, Her Mora! and Fpiritua! Na!ues> $%t was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the Arabs through the soul of %slam that e&alted them. That raised them out of the letharg' and low le)el of tribal stagnation up to the high watermar( of national unit' and empire. %t was in the sublimit' of Muhammad's deism, the simplicit', the sobriet' and purit' it inculcated the fidelit' of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true inspiration.* Au!es Masserman in >Who Were History>s -reat :eadersO> in ,/M2 Ma.a@ine, Au!y 1H, 1KI4 $Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammad, who combined all the three functions. To a lesser degree Moses did the same.* L%JT /8 9/@,J ;/MJNLT<K

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* * *

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Ahmad, Mahdi @iIqullah, A Fiograph' of the Prophet of %slam, in the light of the /riginal Jources T An Anal'tical Jtud', Karussalam, @i'adh, PCC". Al+0haIali, 8iqh+us+Jeerah >Nnderstanding the life of the Prophet Muhammad?, %nternational %slamic Publishing House, @i'adh, RRR. Al+%smail, Tahia, The Life of Muhammad, Ta Ha Publishers Ltd, London, R!!. Al+Mubara(furi, Jafi+ur+@ahman Ar+@aheeq Al+ Ma(htum >The Jealed Mectar?, Karussalam, @i'adh, PCCP. As+Jallaabee, Ali Muhammad, The Moble Life of The Prophet Peace be upon him, Karussalam, @i'adh, PCC". At+Tamimi, Muhammad ibn EAbdul 9ahhab, Abridged biograph' of Prophet Muhammad, Karussalam, @i'adh, PCC6. <meric(, -ahi'a, Muhammad Tcritical li)es, Alpha Foo(s, %ndianapolis, PCCP.

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,han, Maulana 9ahiduddin, Muhammad, A Prophet for all Humanit', 0oodword Foo(s, Mew Kelhi, PCCP. ,hanum, 8arida, Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad T its rele)ance in a global conte&t, 0oodword Foo(s, Mew Kelhi, PCCB. Lings, Martin, Muhammad1 His Life Fased on the <arliest Jources, %nner Traditions %nternational, @ochester, R!6. Murad, Mahmoud @, The abridgment of the Jirat %bn Hesham, Fiograph' of the Prophet, @esalah Publishers, Feirut, PCC . Madwi, Ja''ed Abul Hasan Ali, Muhammad the Last Prophet T a model for all time, HafiI U Jons, ,arachi, PCCC. @afi, Jalim bin Muhammad, Muhammad, the belo)ed of Allah, Karussalam, @i'adh, RRR. Jadiq, Muhammad, The wa' of the Prophet Muhammad, Karussalam, @i'adh, RRB.

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