The politician continued, "The Prophet (ﷺ), with absolute certainty, believed in his message; the truth of it, the importance of it and the criticality of it for the wellbeing of all mankind. This is the extraordinary goal. In the early days of Islam in Makkah where it had no support and the Prophet (ﷺ) was preaching his message almost alone.
It was the height of summer and the middle of the day, very hot and dry. A man going from tent to tent, inviting people to the worship of Allah alone and warning them not to indulge in idolatry. Some would listen to him but turn away. Others would rebuff him. Still others would physically push him away. No one accepting his message. In the heat of the day, the man stop by a rock near his own tent to rest. His daughter came out of the tent with some water and washed her father’s face and gave him some water to drink. She was very sad to see his state and said, ‘O father, what have they done to you?" The man replied, ‘Don’t be sad my daughter. A day will come when this message will reach every temporary or permanent dwelling on the face of the earth.’ If there were no other proof of the Divine Mission of the Prophet (ﷺ), this story would be enough proof in itself. Who but a Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) could have the courage, fortitude and perseverance to continue on a mission when there was no material proof to show that it would ever succeed? Who but someone with total certainty in the worth of his mission and faith that in the end it would be successful could find the energy to continue onwards in the face of disappointment after disappointment? Who but a Nabi could have a heart big enough to take rejection after rejection, yet not falter in the least about taking his message to people who showed no sign of appreciating or wanting it? It may be surrprising for some to reflect on the nature of this goal as expressed by the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) to his daughter when he said, ‘Don’t be sad my daughter. A day will come when this message will reach every temporary or permanent dwelling on the face of the earth.’ Here was a man talking about his message reaching every temporary and permanent dwelling on earth when he couldn’t even get it to reach the dwellings which he could personally call at. Here was a man speaking about freeing the world when he couldn’t even guarantee his own freedom. Here was a man who was concerned about the eternal wellbeing of uncaring strangers. But then, it is in the very nature of the extraordinary goal to inspire extraordinary effort. People don’t rise to low expectations. They rise to high expectations. A climber standing at the base camp of Mount Everest doesn’t need a motivational lecture. The mountain motivates him. The thought of the joy that he will feel when he finally breasts the last ridge and stands on the peak motivates him while he is still standing at the base and continues to motivate him as he goes through hour after hour of grueling effort. It is the difficulty of the climb itself that is the motivation. After all, ask yourself, how motivated would you be to walk 11 km down the road from your home? To climb Everest is, no doubt, to walk on the earth but it is the incline which adds value. The satisfaction at the achievement of a goal is directly proportional to its difficulty.
What could be more difficult than to talk about revolutionary change, not simply incremental change but much more seminal and intrinsic – a change of belief. It is very important to understand the huge challenge that this poses because all action is a result of belief. People act in accordance with their beliefs, consciously or unconsciously. For example, people may act in accordance with religious beliefs, consciously and practice certain things and they act according to their belief that a particular course of action is profitable and invest in it. On the other hand, a person gets up and goes to work because of his unconscious belief that he will live that day and beyond it and that the world is not coming to an end. So beliefs form the very foundation of all our thought and action. To have that system challenged and to be told that it is completely false and that it would lead to eternal punishment was not easy. Yet the Prophet’s own belief in the truth of his message was such that nothing deterred him from taking it to the people. It is reported that he went to the house of Abu Jahl, one of his worst enemies, more than 100 times in the hope that he would accept the message of Islam. Who but a Nabi would work to save the one who did his best to cause him as much harm as possible?
Another thing about working towards an extraordinary goal is that the work itself is training. As the Arabs say, ‘If it doesn’t break your back, it only strengthens you.’ So also in working towards an extraordinary goal, one is only strengthened. This was also the case of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the early Muslims. All the opposition, torture and punishment only made them and their connection with Allah stronger, and made them more resilient. The extraordinary goal makes the effort feel worthwhile. If it is worth doing, then it is worth the effort. And what could be more worthy of effort and sacrifice than the effort to save all of mankind from the Hellfire and enter them into Jannah? The Prophet (ﷺ) and the Sahaba saw what we call sacrifice as their investment in earning the pleasure of Allah and so it was possible for them to make it without hesitation.
The politician paused, the said, "We have already mentioned two characteristics of a Leader. First, the extraordinary in Faith, and second, the extraordinary Goal. So, next is the extraordinary Commitment. It is only when people realise the return that they get from something that they are able to commit to it. For the Prohet (ﷺ), this was never a matter of the slightest doubt. But his major achievement was in building a generation which shared his commitment and proved it to the final extent by giving their lives for the cause. He was able to do this by setting a personal example which left no doubt in anyone’s mind about the extent of his own commitment to the message of Islam; living it and propagating it. Not only did the prophet (ﷺ) demonstrate this commitment but so did his Sahaba who learnt this lesson very well from him. There are many instances in the Seerah which show the level of this commitment.
During the Battle of Badr, as they were proceeding to the wells of Badr where the battle was to take place, the Sahaba were very ill equipped. They were not prepared for a full battle and were only going to take over the caravan of Abu Sufyan which was returning from Ash-Shaam with goods purchased from the confiscated wealth of the Muhajiroon. There were only 2 horses and 70 camels in the group. Three people would take turns to ride one camel. The Prophet (ﷺ) had Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ulubaba, radhiyallahu 'anhum, with him as his partners. They offered the camel to him and he said, ‘You are not stronger than I am and I need the reward as much as you do.’ His leadership was from the front and he always demonstrated an equal if not higher level of commitment that he demanded from his people.
During the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwatul Khandaq), the Prophet (ﷺ) held a Shura to brainstorm the battle strategy. Salman Al Farisi, radhiyallahu 'anhu, who was from Persia said, ‘In my land if we fear cavalry we dig a trench. So why don’t we did a trench here?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) agreed and they decided to dig the trench to the North of Madina which was vulnerable. In the east and west Madina was protected by Al Harra (a volcanic tract) and in the south were the date farms which were impenetrable. Every 10 men were given 40 feet of trench to dig. The Muslims were poor and hungry and weak. Anas ibn Maalik, radhiyallahu 'anhu, says that on one cold night Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to them and when he saw their state he made dua and said, ‘O Allah, indeed these are for the Aakhira. O Allah, forgive the Muhajiroon and the Ansaar.’ It was not lost on the Sahaba that while they were sleeping in the open and were bitterly cold, their leader was not sleeping warmly in his tent or his home, but was walking among them, checking their situation and making dua for them. People are loyal to other people, not to titles or ranks.
Al Bara’a, radhiyallahu 'anhu, says, ‘On the day of Khandaq I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) carrying earth until there was so much mud on him that I could not see his skin anymore.’ This is an example of the commitment of the Prophet (ﷺ). There was no job that he considered beneath his dignity to do. There was nothing that he ordered others to do that he didn’t do himself. Leadership after all is always from the front. People follow leaders because the leader is walking ahead of them. Sometimes we forget this.
At this time, the Prophet (ﷺ) himself was so hungry that he would tie two stones to his belly. Jaber ibn Abdalla, radhiyallahu 'anhu, saw the condition of the Prophet (ﷺ) while they were digging the trench; people had one stone tied on their bellies while the Prophet (ﷺ) had two. He went to his wife and said, ‘I have seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in an unbearable condition. Do you have any food for him?’ She said, ‘All I have is some barley and a small goat.’ So Jaber bin Abdullah slaughtered the goat and told his wife to make some dough for bread. While the meat was cooking and his wife was baking the bread, he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, ‘Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I have some food for you so please come with one or two of your companions.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him how much food he had and Jaber told him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘O that’s plenty. Tell your wife, not to move the soup from its place until I come.’
Then the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and called out, ‘O Muhajiroon, O Ansaar; Jaber has invited you to his house for a meal.’ Jaber was shocked because he expected the Prophet (ﷺ) to come with one or two companions while the Prophet (ﷺ) had now invited the whole camp. He ran back home, very embarrassed and told his wife what had happened. She asked him, ‘Did he ask you how much food we have?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ She asked, ‘Did you tell him?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ So she said, ‘Then don’t worry, Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) know best.’ He said, ‘Those words comforted me.
The Prophet (ﷺ) entered the house of Jaber and took charge of distributing the food. He would crush the bread and dish out the meat and soup and told the Sahaba to come in groups of 10. The Prophet (ﷺ) would prepare the meal and dish it out and they would eat their fill and leave and another 10 would come in and eat. In total 800 Sahaba ate. When teh Prophet (ﷺ) went back to the pot the pot was full and the bread was still baking. So he told the wife of Jaber to feed her neighbors. It is hardly a surprise that the morale of his people was so high. What else would you expect with a leader who shared all your hardship?
A boulder stood in the path of the trench diggers and would not break despite their best efforts. So they came to the Prophet (ﷺ). He went with them and took the pickaxe and struck the boulder once. Lighting flashed and he said, ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Then he struck it a second time and lightning flashed again and he said, ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Then he struck it a third time and the boulder disintegrated to dust. Salman Al Farisi asked him, ‘O Allah's Messenger, what was the lightning and why did you say Allahu Akbar?’ He replied, ‘The first time I struck it I was given the good news of the conquest of the Roman Empire and I could see the red palace of Ash-Shaam from here. The second time I was given the god news of the conquest of Persia and I could see the white palace of Al Kisra. The third time I was given the good news of the conquest of Yemen and I could see the gates of Sana’a. That is why I said, ‘Allahu Akbar.'
Speaking of the commitment of the Sahaba one story which illustrates this very well is when the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ammar bin Yasir and Abbad bin Bishr, radhiyallahu 'anhum, as guards during one expedition. Between themselves they decided that one of them would sleep half the night while the other stayed awake and then when half the night was over, he would awaken his brother. It was Abbad bin Bishr’s turn to be awake and he decided to pray while guarding the camp. One of the enemy scouts sneaked up behind Abbad and shot an arrow which hit him in the side. Abbad continued to stand and pray . The enemy soldier shot another arrow which also hit Abbad. But he remained standing and continued his prayer without interruption. The enemy shot a third arrow upon which Abbad woke up Ammar. When the enemy soldier saw that Abbad had a companion, he ran away. When Ammar bin Yasir saw him in the state where he was dying from loss of blood he said to him, ‘Subhan’Allah why didn’t you wake me up?’ Abbad said, ‘If it wasn’t for the fact that this man kept shooting arrow after arrow and I was afraid that I may die and thereby fail my responsibility to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I would not have woken you up until I finished my entire recitation.
The Sahaba were living examples of Islam. This incident shows us the level of Imaan of the Sahaba where Abbad bin Bishr could actually continue to pray and retain his Khushoo despite taking 3 arrows in his body. This also shows the importance of our responsibility to Islam. Abbad used a phrase which means, ‘Guarding my gate’ i.e. preventing the enemy from entering from the gate that I am guarding. This is the responsibility of every Muslim. The enemy is Shaytaan or anyone who wishes ill for Islam or the Muslims. It is the duty of every Muslim to use whatever means Allah has given to prevent any harm from happening to Islam or the Muslims and to help Islam and the Muslims in any way. We will not be asked, ‘What happened?’ We will be asked, ‘What did you do?’
The politician stopped, took a cup of tea at the table, drank it, put it back, then said, "Another characteristic of a Leader, is extraordinary Team. Allah created a generation of people around His Nabi who were benchmarks in themselves. As I mentioned earlier it was the Will of Allah that the Prophet (ﷺ) was to be the last of the Messengers and so it was necessary to create successors who would take the message onward. They were the Sahaba, who he called the Best Generation.
The Prophet (ﷺ) had a task very different from any Nabi and much more complex. The task of all the Anbiya before him was to get people to accept their message. So they had followers. The task of our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), who was to be the last of the Messengers of Allah and the Seal of Prophethood, was not only to convey his message but to create a generation of people who would take his message onwards across the lands and down through the centuries until the end of time. It is the Baraka of the Seal of Prophethood that the work of Da’awa was given to the Ummah.
So in short, other Anbiya created followers while our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) created leaders. The first among them was his Khalifa – Khalifatur Rasoolillah – Abu Bakr Siddique, radhiyallahu 'anhu. How well he learned the lesson of leadership from his teacher, our Prophet (ﷺ), can be seen in his first action when the Prophet (ﷺ) passed away. We need to remind ourselves about repeatedly, because it becomes clear that the Prophet (ﷺ) clearly indicated to the Sahaba who was to be his successor. He did it in terms that they understood clearly without any doubt and so they chose him. Those who like to cast doubts and aspersions today on this matter indicate either their own ignorance of the life and times of the Prophet (ﷺ) or their ulterior motives which are obviously highly questionable.
For the Prohet (ﷺ) and his Sahaba, the Salah was the meter to measure everything. Salah was the definer of their lives. Salah was what they turned to for all their needs. Salah was their quiet time, their time with their Rabb, the recharging of their energy. Salah was their way of relaxation, distressing tool and their strength. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to call to Bilal bin Rabah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, and tell him to call the Adhaan for Salah, saying, ‘Give us happiness through it, O Bilal!"
It was Salah through which the Prophet (ﷺ) gave his final message about his successor and it was the Salah of the Sahaba which made him so happy, which was the last sight that he saw of the outside world before he met his Rabb. So, it is only natural that the Prophet (ﷺ) described quality also in terms of Salah. In the famous Hadith Jibreel, the Prophet is reported to have answered the question of Jibreel, alayhissalam, with respect to Al-Ihsan.
It is narrated on the authority of Yahya bin Ya'mur that he came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, rahiyallahu anhum, while he was entering the mosque. … He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said, My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
He knelt before him, placed his palms on his thighs, and said, 'Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Al-Islam is that you testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform Hajj if you are able (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have spoken the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab, radhiyallahu 'anhu) said, 'It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth. He (the
inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), 'That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in Qadr about good and evil of it. He (the inquirer) said, 'You have told the truth.' He (the inquirer) again said, 'Inform me about Al-Ihsan. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you.' He (the inquirer) again said, 'Inform me about the hour (of the Resurrection). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) remarked, 'The one who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it).' He (the inquirer) said, 'Tell me some of its indications.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress; that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.'
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said, 'Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for a long while. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then, said to me, 'Umar, do you know who this inquirer was?' I replied: Allah and His Messenger know best.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘He was Jibreel. He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.’ [Sahih Muslim]
The highlighted lines about Al-Ihsan are in my view the best illustration about the concept of excellence in the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) which he practiced and which he left as a benchmark for us to judge ourselves by. As I mentioned, in Islam and in the teachings of the Prophet (ﷺ), all important things were mentioned in terms of religion but their implication was not restricted to prayer but was extended to every aspect of life. That is why Allah declared the entire life of His Messenger (ﷺ), not only his worship, to be an example for all of mankind to follow. In the famous Ayat of the Qur’an, Allah said,
"There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often." [QS.33:21]Islam is a complete way of life that extends from the Creed (Aqeeda) to Worship (Ibadah), to Manners (Akhlaq), Dealings (Muamalat) and Society (Mu’ashirah). So, though principles and standards may be mentioned in terms of worship, they also extend to all other aspects of life.
Excellence as expressed by the Prophet (ﷺ) in this Hadith simply means to live our entire lives with the certain knowledge of the presence of Allah in our lives. That He is watching, will help, will forgive our transgressions, will support our efforts and will be pleased with us. To live with this constant awareness in every aspect of our lives; in everything we say or do. In every transaction we make, in every conversation we have, in every relationship we enter into. Imagine what sort of society that would create where everyone was aware of and concerned about the fact that he is accountable to the One from Whom nothing can be hidden and that one day he will be called to account and will be rewarded or punished based on how he lived his life? It would be a society where people would compete with each other, not for material resources but to be good to each other, to fulfill each other’s rights and more. The Prophet (ﷺ) created such a society in his own lifetime.
It was the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) which distinguishes him from other teachers where it was a living example of what he preached. In his life there was no gap between talk and walk. He did what he told others to do and was a living, walking, talking Standard Bearer of Islam. In his life, Islam was not a theory or an ideology or a philosophy but an actual living practical methodology of action. He followed that in every aspect of his life; private, religious, temporal and collective. He lived with a sense of who he was and what he represented and his Sahaba followed suit.
Just to quote one example from the life of his student Abu Bakr, radhiyallahu 'anhu. When Khalifatur Rasoolillah, Abu Bakr Siddee, passed away he had two pieces of cloth and one mule. He gave instructions that he was to be shrouded in one of the pieces of cloth and that the other cloth and mule were to be handed over to Sayyidina Omar Ibn Al-Khattab who was to be the Khalifa after him. When this was done Sayyidina Omar wept and said, ‘Abu Bakr has set a very high standard and made it very difficult for the Khulafa who come after him.’
Another illustration: Every morning before Fajr, Abu Bakr Siddeeq, radhiyallahu 'anhu, used to go to the outskirts of Madina to a small camp. He would enter the tent and spend some time there and then would return. After he passed away Omar, radhiyallahu 'anhu, decided to find out who lived there. He went to the camp and found an old woman who was almost blind with age. He asked her about herself and she replied, ‘I am an old woman who has nobody in the world and I live alone here with my sheep. Every morning there is a man from Madina who comes here, sweeps my tent, cooks my food milks my sheep and takes care of them and leaves. Without him and his care I would have been unable to survive.’ Omar asked, ‘Do you know who that is?’ She said that she had no idea who the man was. He had never told her. Omar told her, ‘That was Khalifatur Rasoolillah Abu Bakr Siddeeq, radhiyallahu 'anhu.’
Imagine living in a society where the ruler serves the weak and destitute himself. A society where the rulers are not afraid of the people but afraid of answering to Allah about those under their rule. About Ameerul Mu’mineen Omar ibn Al-Khattab, it is reported that one day when he was the Khalifa he came to a place with some Sahaba and said, ‘All praise to Allah who is Glorious and He gives whoever he wants whatever he wants. There was a time when I used to be a shepherd for my father for his camels. I would come here with those camels. My father would exhaust me with work and if I did not work, he would beat me. And I used to wear some very harsh and rough clothes. But look at me today, where Allah has raised me up so that there is nobody between me and Allah.’
Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated that one day Omar called the people to the masjid and when they assembled, he stood on the Minbar and said, ‘I used to be a shepherd for some of my aunts and when I returned home in the evening, they would give me a handful of dates or raisins and I would have a miserable day.’ He then descended from the Minbar. Abdur Rahman ibn Awf said to him, ‘What was the point of this Khutba? All you did was to belittle yourself in front of everyone. So what is the benefit of that?’ Omar said, ‘Woe to you Ibn Awf, my Nafs was telling me, ‘You are Ameerul Mu’mineen. So who is better than you?’ I wanted to teach my Nafs who it really is.’ Omar ibn Al Khattab could not be fooled by anyone including himself.
Abdullah bin Mas’ood, radhiyallahu 'anhu, described the Sahaba and said, ‘By Allah they were the best of this Ummah. And they had the most pious hearts (most taqwa). And they had the deepest knowledge. And they were the least superficial (least formality).’ He did not say ‘most knowledge’ but ‘deepest knowledge’. This is because they learnt directly from the Prophet (ﷺ). So even though individual Sahaba did not know as many Ahadith as Imam Bukhari or Muslim, they lived those Ahadith and were witness to the circumstances of the particular Hadith. They were the only generation who actually heard the prophet (ﷺ) saying what he said and knew why he said that. They were there when the Qur’an was revealed and saw the revelation being received. They saw Jibreel, alayhissalam, and heard his voice when he came in the form of a man. The Sahaba were clean and their lives were simple and pure. They were a nation which had not been affected by the philosophy of the Greeks or the civilizations of the Persians and Romans and so when Islam came, they accepted it and practiced it in its pure and pristine form and did not add anything to it.
Even before Islam, in the period of Jahiliyya they were simple people of the desert. Their language was free from affectation and flowery speech. Their poetry was simple and descriptive, not allegorical and symbolic. They had no mythology like the Hindus or Greeks with lots of convoluted philosophy, symbolism and argument. Even when they worshipped idols, they simply bowed to the idol and sacrificed to it and that was it. There were no complicated stories and philosophical justifications. There was no mythology associated with them.
When they accepted Islam they brought this directness and simplicity to the Deen. They did not engage in philosophy and argument. They took the Qur’an and Sunnah at face value and practiced it in sincerity and with dedication in their lives. They didn’t seek hidden meanings behind Ayaat. They heard and they obeyed. Allah said about them,
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." [QS.2:285]And Allah said about those who seek hidden meanings and create convoluted philosophies,
"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding." [QS. 3:7]The Sahaba learnt the Qur’an directly from the one who it was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ). They were the only generation who were witness to the circumstances of each revelation, each Ayah. They understood not only the literal meanings of the words, but the reason for those words to be revealed. That is the reason the understanding of the Sahaba has always been considered the Gold Standard by the scholars of Islam in all matters dealing with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ). Even in matters of linguistics, it is the Sahaba’s understanding of certain words that is taken as the final argument in favor of what that word means with respect to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
That is why they are considered the best generation as mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ) in his famous Hadith where he said, ‘The best generation is my generation and then those that come after them and those that come after them.’ The scholars of Hadith state that this refers to them chronologically as well as ideologically – meaning that the best Muslims are those who are closest to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Sahaba in terms of their belief and actions.
Bida’at in Islam did not start in Makkah and Madina. All the philosophy and complex theories that are current today and on which many books have been written, came to be long after the period of the Sahaba when Islam spread and came into contact with Coptic Christianity and Hinduism. That is when philosophy entered Islam. The Sahaba were action oriented, connected to Allah and concerned about meeting Him. They had neither the time nor the inclination to indulge in conjecture and guesswork that has no value and can only lead to confusion and weakening of faith.
With the Sahaba simplicity and clarity were signs of learning. Not complexity, convoluted argument and philosophy. They were not diplomatic. They were direct. They feared the anger of Allah more than the opinion of people. They feared becoming unpopular with Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) more than becoming unpopular with people. So they said what needed to be said, no matter what anyone thought. It is essential in Islam to develop the character of the Sahaba and not simply to listen to their stories, because they are the standard by which we will be judged.
This is what the Sahaba understood by excellence; AlIhsan; and they practiced it in their lives. There are too many stories from the lives of the Sahaba which I don’t need to repeat here. It would be most interesting and instructive for anyone in today’s time to read them and try to visualize what it must have been like to live during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his generation.
It is absolutely essential for anyone interested in the wellbeing of his fellowmen to read about the life and times of the Prophet (ﷺ) and to do his best to recreate those times in today’s world. We would then have a world characterized by justice, compassion, truthfulness and concern for one another. These are the major deficiencies in modern society as a result of which we have a world characterized by cruelty, indifference and inequity. It is our choice what we want to live with."
The young wayfarer asked, "So, what is the call?" The politician said, "When Allah sent the Prophet (ﷺ) to guide the world, He ensured that the message contained the principles which would open doors for intelligent people to understand what was and what would be. The Qur’an which He sent down on the Prophet’s (ﷺ) heart is a Book from the Rabb of the worlds to all living people, to guide them to goodness and inspire them with uprightness. The Prophet (ﷺ) was not a leader of tribes, people who were good because he was good, and when he died they faded away. He was a force of goodness which played a role in the moral world similar to the role played in the material world by the discovery of steam and electricity. His appointment as Prophet (ﷺ) represented a stage in the evolution of the mankind. Before that, people under the guardianship of their keepers were like confined children. Then they grew up and became capable of bearing responsibility themselves. So Allah’s message came to them, through the agency of Prophet (ﷺ) and explained how they should live on earth and return to heaven. Thus whether Prophet (ﷺ) remained or went away, it would not take anything away from his real Message which opened eyes and ears and sharpened perceptions and minds, and it was all contained in his huge legacy of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) was not sent to collect a set of people around him but to forge a link between creation and the truth by which their existence would be meaningful; between them and the light by which they would see their goal.
The Surahs of the Qur’an which were revealed at Makkah explain the beliefs and actions which Allah charged His servants to uphold, and he commissioned the Prophet (ﷺ) to establish and nurture them. The most important are, first, Absolute Unity. Humans are not servants to any being on earth or in heaven because all in the heavens and the earth are servants to Allah, they submit to His Majesty and obey His Command. There are no partners with Him, nor intercessors, nor intermediaries. It is every person’s right to approach Allah directly without going through any other creation, whether big or small. It is every person’s duty to denounce those who establish themselves or others as intermediaries and bring them down to their rightful position, whether they happen to be human or stone or anything else. All individual and collective links ought to be built on the basis that Allah is Supreme in His Kingdom with this Perfect Oneness.
The consequences of this belief were that the stones which the Arabs worshipped became no better than the stones with which they used to build their houses or pave the roads, and that the human beings who were deified in other religions were given their rightful status. ft was made plain that they were servants to the One who created and fed them, that they would progress or regress only if they obeyed or disobeyed Him, and that they had no say in creation or the provision of sustenance.
Second, the Hereafter, the day will inevitably come when people will have to face their Rabb and be questioned on every minute detail of their previous life. Thereafter will be either eternal bliss for the good people to enjoy or dreadful punishment in which the evil-doers will remain miserable. Allah says,
"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." - [QS.99:7-8]Considering the Hereafter in every action that one performs or avoids is an established principle of behaviour in Islam. Just as passengers on a train know that they will get off at the next stop, likew ise Muslims know that time will inevitably take them back to their Creator where they shall harvest the fruits of w hat they have planted in this life.
Third, purification of the self, this is done by adhering to the prescribed acts of worship and keeping away from other actions in order to avoid their evil consequences. What the Prophet (ﷺ) brought, it was not only a full fledged of religion, but also a good moral teachings for the people. Allah says,
"Say, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason. And do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is best until he reaches maturity. And give full measure and weight in justice. We do not charge any soul except [with that within] its capacity. And when you testify, be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative. And the covenant of Allah fulfill. This has He instructed you that you may remember." - [QS.6:151-152]
Fourth, the Muslim community must be considered to be a solid unit based on brotherhood and co-operation. This demands that the wronged should be championed, the deprived should be assisted and the weak should be strengthened. In Surah Al-Muddaththir [74], which is the first Surah in which the Prophet was ordered to preach openly, we read these verses,
"Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained, except the companions of the right, [who will be] in gardens, questioning each other about the criminals, [and asking them], 'What put you into Saqar?' They will say, 'We were not of those who prayed, nor did we used to feed the poor. And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it], and we used to deny the Day of Recompense, until there came to us the certainty.' So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors." - [QS.74:38-48]
Then the politician concluded with saying, "O young man, Islam does not create follower, but Islam creates a leader. The most difficult task for the leader is not to get people to follow his commands, but to get them to dream his dream. To get them motivated to commit fully to a vision that only he can truly see. It is only when people fully commit to the vision, that they will do what it takes to make it come true. For any leader in any field, this is the most difficult task. And Allah know best."[Part 1]
"And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us." - [QS.21:73]
References :
- Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Fiqh-us-Seerah, IIFSO
- Mirza Yawar Baig, Leadership Lesson from the Life of Rasoolullah (ﷺ), Standard Bearer Academy.
