The Life of Perfection
By Dr Abidullah Ghazi
Executive Director
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation
Chicago , IL
Ata reported this Hadith Qudsi from Rasulullah (S):
O Nabi (Prophet), indeed I have sent you as a witness of Truth,
A giver of good news to believers,
A Warner of bad consequences to evil-doers,
And a refuge for the illiterate.
O Nabi,
You are my `Abd (servant) and Rasul (Messenger).
I have named you al-Mutawakil (one who relies totally on Allah).
You are neither hot-tempered nor hard-hearted.
You are not a rabble-rouser in the bazaars.
You do not return evil with evil,
But you forgive the mistakes and overlook the weaknesses of people.
O Nabi,
Allah shall not make you die until through you a misguided community comes to the straight path.
Teach knowledge to those living in ignorance,
Raise people to prominence after they have been weak and downtrodden,
Exalt people through faith after their disobedience,
Increase the number of your community from a small minority,
Make your followers affluent after scarcity and poverty,
Unite in love the disunited hearts, disparate desires, and different kinds of people,
And I shall make your Ummah the best Ummah among the people.
Salla Allahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma’in.
O Allah, send your blessings and salutations upon Muhammad (S) and on his family and companions all together.
How often have we envied the Sahabah (the companions) of Rasulullah the privilege of his nearness! To be able to greet the blessed Prophet of Allah as he passed us on the road, to gather close to him as he spoke, to stand behind him in prayer and share with him a meal... how precious such experiences would have been!
At the birth of Islam, Rasulullah’s personal magnetism was a strong attraction for those considering becoming Believers. Many people accepted Islam after meeting Rasulullah but once. It was enough to look upon his face for them to become certain of the truth of his message. When Abdullah ibn Salam, a Sahabi of Jewish origin, first saw Rasulullah saws, he said, “By Allah, this is not the face of a fake person or a liar.”
His gentle character, attractive countenance, and the flawless logic of his teachings kept those around him entranced. No one who accepted Islam and spent some time with Rasulullah ever turned away. Many Muslims gave up all they had and suffered many trials for his sake; and yet they never regretted their losses. Instead, they felt honored to have the chance to serve Rasulullah and Islam.
No religious or political leader ever inspired such total devotion and respect from his followers. There is no other example in human history of a leader so completely transforming the lives of his people, or being so deeply loved.
At the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, Arwah ibn Mas’ud al-Thaqafi, a representative of the Kuffar of Makkah, came to negotiate with Rasulullah (S). Al-Thaqafi was so impressed by the regard and admiration which Rasulullah saws commanded that he went back and told the Makkans:
“O people, I have seen the courts of emperors and kings. I have been to the courts of Caesar, Khusraw and Najashi. By God, I have not seen any courtiers and subjects loving and respecting their ruler as do the Sahabah of Muhammad.” What a blessing it was to live in those times, when the Prophet (S) was so accessible, his light illuminating all those around him. Yet today we are deprived of his physical being. How then to draw near to him?
There is no better way than through learning all we can about who he was, how he lived, and what he held most dear. By following his sunnah in every aspect of our daily lives we express our love for him and our desire to emulate his perfect example.
Indeed, the companions did just that. Overwhelmed by love for him, and energized by their zeal for Islam, they took to observing every action of Rasulullah saws minutely. Then, they would follow his example in all of their actions: eating, sitting, meeting, dressing, talking, walking, and so forth. What we know as sunnah today comes to us mainly because of its preservation by sahabah in all its detail. Our task, then, is to set about learning the sunnah, and as such coming to know our blessed Prophet saws intimately as possible.
In this series of articles we would see the Shama’il of Rasulullah saws, which gives us personal and intimate look into his private life. We hope this series would not only enhance our understanding of Rasulullah saws but it would enrich our life by his love and inspire us to follow his sunnah.
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