THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AS POLITICAL AND MORAL EXEMPLAR, AS SPIRITUAL INTERMEDIARY,

AS HERO FOR MODERNS.

(5.2) Chapter 6, The Prophet Muhammad, beloved of God

and of his people.

"God and His angels bless the prophet. O believers, do you also bless him and grant him peace (or greet him with a worthy salutation)." (Qur’an 33:56)

“May God bless our master and protector Muhammad and his family and his companions and grant them peace. O God, bless Muhammad and his wives and his posterity as you blessed Ibrahim and bless and grant blessing to Muhammad and his wives and his posterity as you granted blessing to the family of Ibrahim.” (Dalā’il al-Khayrāt)

“I am a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your God is one God. Let him that hopes to meet his Lord do what is right and worship none

beside him." (Qur’an 18:111).

 "He frowned and turned his back when the blind man came towards him.

How could you tell? He might have sought to purify himself. He might have been forewarned, and might have profited from Our

warning. But to the wealthy man you were all attention: although the fault would not be yours if he remained uncleansed. Yet you gave no heed to him that came to you with zeal and awe. This is a warning; let him who will bear it in mind." (Qur’an 80:1)

"He said, 'I am a human being like you', to which Muslim sages over the ages have added, yes, but like a precious gem among stones." (Nasr 88)

O believers, obey God and His Messenger. (Qur’an 8:20)

You have had a good example in God's Messenger,for whoever puts his hope in God and the Last Day,

and thinks often of God. (Qur’an 33:21)

‘Iṣma = protection from sin and errorMa‘ṣūm = one so protected

Prophets are ma‘ṣūmfrom all sins or major sins?during their whole lives or just during their

mission?

Sunna of the Prophet: his example; what he commanded or forbade, approved of or disapproved of

By his statementsBy his actionsWhat he permitted to be done in his presence or

with his knowledge

Ḥadīth: reports of the Prophet’s words and actionsSanad (or isnād): chain of transmittersMatn: substance of the report

Bid‘a: innovation; generally has the force of “heresy”

Collection and Criticism of Ḥadīth Traditionist (muḥaddith): expert on Ḥadīth.

Evaluation of ḤadīthṢaḥīḥ (Sound) All transmitters reliable, in contact with

predecessor Mutawātir: more than one chain of sound transmitters (sanad)

Ḥasan (Good) Sanad not completely faultness Ḍa‘īf (Weak) Serious deficiencies in sanad

Ḥadīth (or akhbār, reports) going back to major Companions of the Prophet are also important.

Main Sunni collections of Ḥadīth, by

Al-Bukhari (d. 870) Muslim (d. 875)Abu Da’ud (d. 888)al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)al-Nasa’i (d. 916) Ibn Maja (d. 886)Those by al-Bukhari and Muslim are called “the two

Ṣaḥīḥs” Main Twelver Shi‘i collection of Ḥadīth, byAl-Kulayni (d. 940)

Hadith

[sanad:] Abu al-Yaman reported to us, saying that Shu‘ayb had informed him (and others) that, ‘Abu al-Zinad had reported from al-A‘raj who had it from Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) said, [matn:] “By the One in whose hand my soul is, no one of you has faith until I am more beloved to him than his father or his child.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Al-Bukhari also provides a second sanad, so that this ḥadīth is presumably mutawātir.)

He said (may God bless him and grant him peace), “Avoid seven pernicious things.” [His Companions] said, “And what are they, O Messenger of God? He answered, “Associating anything with God, sorcery, depriving anyone of life where God has forbidden that save for just cause, taking usury, devouring the property of orphans, turning the back on the day of battle, and slandering chaste believing women even though they may be acting carelessly. (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī in Jeffery 82)

The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) once kissed al-Hasan the son of ‘Ali while al-Aqra the son of Habis of Tamim was sitting there. Al-Aqra‘ said, “I have ten sons but never have I kissed any one of them.” The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) looked at him and then said, “He who does not show tenderness willl not have tenderness shown him.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī in Jeffery 85)

Abdullah reported that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) had a signet ring fashioned of gold but kept its stone on the inner side of his palm as he wore it; so the people had such rings fashioned. Then one day as he sat on the pulpit he pulled if off, saying: I wore this ring and kept its stone towards the inner side. He threw it away, and said: By God, I will never wear it. So the people threw their rings away." (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

Prophet as Intercessor

O believers, expend out of what We have provided to you, Before a day comes when there will be neither bargaining nor friendship, Nor intercession; And the unbelievers - they are the evildoers.God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with him save by His leave? (Qur’an 2.254-255 (part)) "O God, appoint our lord Muhammad as the most trusted of speakers . . .

and the first of intercessors . . . and cause him to intercede acceptably for his nation and his people, with an intercession in which the first and the last are included." (Dalā’il al-Khayrāt; Padwick 42)

From the Mevlidi Sherif

Then answered Mustafa: “ O God of mercy,Veiler of faults, most graciously forgiving, What shall become of these thy halting people,How shall they find their way in to thy presence? By night and day their deeds compass rebellion;I fear lest the Abyss should be their portion. O Majesty, this is my sole petition –My people, may they be by thee accepted. From Truth Supreme a loving cry resounded:“I grant them all to you, my friend, Muhammad!” Your people to you have I accorded;My paradise I promise for their portion. . . .” (Mevlidi Sherif p. 36-7)

Miracles

O God, grant blessings to him whom the cloud overshadowed.O God, grant blessings to him who could see behind him just as he

could see in front of him,. . . .O God, grant blessings to him for whom the palm-stock wept and

yearned as he went from it,O God, grant blessings to him to whom the fowl of the desert made

supplication,. . . .O God, grant blessings to him from whose fingers the clear water

gushed forth,. . . . O God, grant blessings to him for whom the moon was split.. . . . (Dalail al-Khayrat in Jeffery, 534-5)

Night Journey and Ascent to Heaven (Isrā‘ and Mi‘rāj)

Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque to the Further Mosque (Al-Aqsa) the precincts of which We have blessed, that We might show him some of our Signs. (Qur’an 17:1)

Indeed he saw him another timeBy the Lote-tree of the boundaryNear which is the Garden of RefugeWhen there covered the Lote-Tree what covered itHis eye swerved not, not swept astray.Indeed, he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord.(Qur’an 53:13-18)

O God, grant blessings to him who ascended (Mi‘rāj).

O God, grant blessings to him who mounts the noble steed.

O God, grant blessings to him who rides along on Buraq.

O God, grant blessings to him pierced through the seven spheres.

O God, grant blessings to him who will be intercessor for all men.

(Dalā’il al-Khayrāt)

Cosmic Level: Ḥaqīqa Muḥammadiyya (Essence/reality of

Muhammad)Insān Kāmil (Perfect Man) You are the glass that mirrors My perfection;Your name have I inscribed with mine together

(Mevlidi Sherif ) I am Ahmad without the mim; I am an ‘Arab without

the ‘ayn; whoever has seen me has seen al-Ḥaqq (the Truth/Reality)” (Ḥadīth qudsī)

Modern assessments, Muslim

[This] book is not an explanation of Islam or any of its provisions nor a defense of it nor a debate with its opponents, . . . Rather it is an evaluation of the 'genius of Muhammad' to the extent that it can be affirmed by every man and not only by the Muslim, and by virtue of the love of him diffused in the heart of every man and not of the Muslim only.

Muhammad is a great hero because his virtues and exploits are a model that any sincere person would want all men to emulate. He is great because his character is great . . . .

To give greatness its due is necessary in all times and places, but especially in this time and in our world . . . .

It is useful for the Muslim to evaluate Muhammad by the evidence and proofs that the non-Muslim can see because a Muslim who does so will love Muhammad doubly, once by virtue of his religion, which the other does not share, and once by virtue of his human qualities which all men can share. (Abbas Mahmud al-‘Aqqad, ‘Abqariyyat Muḥammad, pp 6-8)

 

Modern assessments, Muslim

Such was our Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was a prodigy of extraordinary merits, a paragon of virtue and goodness, a symbol of truth and veracity, a great apostle of God, His Messenger to the entire world. His life and thought, his truth and straightforwardness, his piety and goodness, his character and morals, his ideology and achievements - all stand as unimpeachable proofs of his prophethood. Any human being who studies his life and teachings without bias will testify that verily he was the true prophet of God and the Qur'an - the Book he gave to mankind - the true Book of God. No unbiased and serious seeker after truth can escape this conclusion. (A.A. Maududi, Towards Understanding Islam, ch.III.)

Modern assessments, Western (Beneath the surface) was a temperament which was nervous,

passionate, restless, feverish - filled with an impatient yearning which burned for the impossible. This was so intense as to lead to nervous crises of a definitely pathological kind . . . Muhammad was certainly dissatisfied. Were there more tangible reasons for an attitude of mind without which his later development cannot be understood, and if so what were they? . . . The troubles of a man mocked for his lack of male heirs, the frustration of a highly sexed man whose own moral conscience prevented him from realising his desires, the suppressed fury of a man fundamentally sure of himself but treated with contempt by practical politicans - all these things were capable of creating a personality thirsting to turn the tables in each particular, but still keeping strictly within the normal bounds of the society in which he lived. There was something in Muhammad which made him overstep those bounds. (M. Rodinson, Muhammad, p.53 f.)

Modern assessments, Western

He gained men's respect and confidence by the religious basis of his activity and by qualities such as courage, resoluteness, impartiality and firmness inclining to severity but tempered by generosity. In addition to these he had a charm of manner which won their affection and secured their devotion . . . Had it not been for his gifts as seer, statesman, and administrator and, behind these, his trust in God and firm belief that God had sent him, a notable chapter in the history of mankind would have remained unwritten . . . He was a man in whom creative imagination worked at deep levels and produced ideas relevant to the central questions of human existence, so that his religion has had a widespread appeal, not only in his own age but in succeeding centuries... (W.M. Watt, Muhammad, Prophet and Statesman, p.299 f.)