Symposium 38
Attributes of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH)
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:‘Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh!
Anwar:You promised to…
Hasan:I know! I promised you to talk about the attributes of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), and today I will fulfill my promise. My Dear Brother, other than the general attributes of the Prophets (PBUT) we mentioned earlier, there are additional attributes that distinguishes the Seal of the Prophets and the Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
He is of such a high ranking compared to people and other Prophets that the Most Exalted Allah described him with these words in the Noble Quran:
(And lo! Thou art of a tremendous nature)68;4.
(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou seest them bowing and falling prostrate in worship, seeking bounty from Allah and His acceptance)48;29.
The Prophet (PBUH) himself says:“Six features distinguish me from other Prophets: I am given comprehensive knowledge, I am given victory with dread, I am given immaculate ground for worship, I am sent to all mankind and I am the Seal of the Prophets”.
Here are some of the attributes of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), the model and example for all mankind, according to Islamic experts:
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the most forbearing, the most courageous, the most even-handed and the most virtuous of all. He never laid a hand on a woman unless he had their tenderness, married to them
or had kinship that permits it. He was the most generous so much that no penny had stayed overnight with him. He did not return home until he had satisfied the needy. He used to mend his foot-wear, patch his garments and help with house-work like chopping the meat with female members of the family (Harem).
Moreover, he was the most modest. He did not look sharply at a person. He answered the requests from both the free and the slave. He accepted any gifts even it was a drink of yogurt and he rewarded them for that. He would not accept any alms. He would only get angry for the sake of Allah and not to satisfy himself.
He attended funerals. He walked among his enemies unguarded. He was the most humble. He was the most eloquent. He was of the most beautiful nature. Nothing of earthly nature would attract him or scare him.
He used to tie a rock on his stomach out of hunger. He would eat anything he was offered and would not refuse any kind of food as far as it was Halal. He would wear any available clothing and ride any riding animal such as horses, camels, mules and donkeys, as he also used to go on foot. He would prefer to sit with the poor and
feed them. He also preferred to sit with scholars and righteous people. He always kept in touch with the relatives and friends.
He accepted any form of apologies. He used to banter with people but would not laugh loudly. He never cursed a person. He never chastised evil with evil. He would preferably forgive. He would greet first and shake hands first. He would always utter the Lord's name when sitting down or standing up.
He would mostly sit with his legs raised and put his hands around them so he would not be noticed among his followers. He would mostly sit towards the Qiblah. He used to be always generous to whoever turns to him so much that he spread his garment for a stranger and strongly offered him his sitting pillow.
He was hard to irritate but easy to please; he was very merciful and kind to everyone. He was the most eloquent yet very brief. He used to keep silent unless it was necessary to speak.
He would always prefer to eat with people around and from one same plate; He would not eat hot food and
would eat from whatever food was close to him. When eating, he used three and sometimes four of his fingers.
He used to eat barley bread. He preferred not to eat garlic, onion and leek. He never dispraised any food; he would either eat it or leave it. He used to lick the leftovers from the plate and say “the last of food has the blessing”. He would also lick his fingers so much so that they would go red. He would roll up his garment when eating.
Anwar:Thank you very much indeed. Allah rewards you well. These are, in fact, great attributes. This was a great ideological and moral lesson.
Hasan:We here speak about everything that helps to build the human personality.
Symposium 39
Elements of Building Human Personality
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:‘Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh!
Anwar:You were saying something about building the human personality.
Hasan:Yes. The human personality is built through several elements; theology is an element that is concerned with building the human intellect. We can also mention ethics that cares for refining the human soul from vice and beautifying it with virtue.
Jurisprudence (Shari’a rules) is interested in worshipping practices, that is, the relation between mankind and their Creator, the Most Exalted Allah, in addition to practical practices or the relation between people themselves.
Anwar:Great! Thank you. So far, we talked about the characteristics of a claim or a call and the characteristics of a claimer or a prophet. I think it is time now to talk about the evidence to the claim and the prophecy of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). What do you say?
Hasan:We earlier said that a person who claims to be a prophet has to come with a miracle; the miracle has to also meet certain conditions such as having supernatural nature, being associated with challenge, having no opposition as well as matching the claim.
Anwar:All right. What is the miracle of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)?
Hasan:It is the Noble Quran, which is a Divine revelation from the Most Gracious Allah.
Anwar:What are the aspects that make the Noble Quran of a miraculous nature?
Hasan:The miraculous nature of the Noble Quran is embodied in its eloquence, fluency, poetic composition and purity of language. It is the miracle of the Wise for every aspect of life: socially, individually, law making, policy making, etc.
It includes all types of knowledge and sciences with all their deep meanings. It is free from contradiction, inconsistency disparity or disagreement. It is full of challenges as the Almighty Allah put it in the Noble Quran:
(Say: Verily, though mankind and the Jinn should assemble to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof though they were helpers one of another)17;88.
(Or they say: He hath invented it. Say: Then bring ten Surahs, the like thereof, invented, and call on everyone ye can beside Allah, if ye are truthful۞And if they answer not your prayer, then know that is revealed only in the knowledge of Allah; and that there is no God save Him. Will ye then be of those who surrender?)11;13-14.