June 13, 2008
What Would Muhammad Do?
After personal suffering and much taddabur, or reflection, one realizes that there were several reasons that Muhammad (pbuh) was made human, rather than divine. He provides a guide, a refuge and a peace in the cacophony and chaos that life throws at us, sometimes from all directions and all at once.
“Read in the name of your Lord” (Alaq 96:1) said Gabriel and Muhammad (pbuh) terrified as to the origin of this voice, said he could not. Gabriel persisted and Muhammad’s fear worsened. And then Gabriel held him almost in a vice like grip till he did read, marking the beginning of one of the greatest influences in world history: the revelation of the Qur’an.
And from that terror he ran to the arms of affection: his wife Khadija, hearkening her to “cover me, cover me!” and illustrating that awesome Qur’anic verse that Allah has made husband and wife as a libas, or garment, one to another (Baqarah 2:187). For garments provide comfort, beauty, protection and can be a source of pride.
His sons kept dying at a young age and how he cried when burying them! His humanness contrasted with his prophet-hood and sharpened the perfection of his persona.
And yet in a patriarchal society with its importance of having a son Muhammad (pbuh) kept losing them. His lineage, it seemed, was to be kept alive by his daughters. And though he grieved the loss of his sons, he brushed off as it were and went on; for he epitomized the Qur’an in his submission to the will of Allah as well as “la taqnatu min rahmatillah” (Zumar 39:53), do not sever yourself from the mercy of Allah. He was always able to use the Qur’an as the Criterion and the compass, and one sees how it righted him, after the humanness ebbed.
He adored fragrance and despised bad smells. One day a couple of his wives capitalized on this and complained that due to eating a particular food item in one of the other wives’ homes he might have halitosis. Embarrassed and revolted, he made the eating of that item haram or forbidden to himself. This humanness is deeply touching; the strike by his wives at his Achilles’ heel and his overreaction, as it were, is so human and so endearing that it must have touched Allah too, for revelation came, advising that we must not forbid upon ourselves what Allah has not forbidden to us (Tehreem 66:1).
By the treatment of his wives he demonstrated the equity in relationships that Islam emphasizes. He helped with household chores and practiced shura or consultation in his everyday life. Guests were so well treated that they tended to wear out their welcome; not that he would ever let them sense it. So much so that a Qur’anic revelation had to come to warn people not to go at the wrong time and not to stay too long for the Prophet (pbuh) was too much of a nice guy to tell them anything directly himself (Ahzab 33:53).
Islam is not a mosque-based faith and Muslims do not have the luxury of separating business from religion. It is our challenge, actually our duty, to synthesize all our activities with the framework of Islam. At any and all junctures of daily living, be they mundane or emotional, blasé or critical we must be reflexly asking ourselves whether it is OK by Allah for us to proceed. We must always remember that all our lies, prevarication and condescending rationalizations will pass muster in the life of this transitory world, but the wheels will come to a screeching halt in the Afterlife where, when we stolidly deny, out will roll a video that will bring our lazy memories back to painful life. No pun intended. (Kahf 18:49)
In an endearing Hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said that Allah asks “why is it that my opinion is the least important to you and you think of Me last”? And how poignantly true. We dress for worldly consumption and behave for general effect, and God seems perpetually to be last on our list, definitely at least in terms of public opinion. For we don’t consider Him part of the “public” — he just seems out of sight and so, I guess, out of mind.
We also ought not to forget the angels on the right and left shoulders; and how we must give the one on the right, writer’s cramp, and the left-shoulder-angel Valium for a life-long snooze. For on Judgment Day our scrolls will be given to us, and may we all be given them in our right hands. (Inshiqaq 84:7-8)
In our lives at all times we should do a ready reference of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life. For he is really the Qur’an lived; the walking, talking Qur’an. Read a reliable account of his life, my favorite is Muhammad by Martin Lings. Reference every event in your life with his life as the backdrop. And especially in tough situations ask yourself what it is that Muhammad (pbuh) would do.
Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) last days arrive and a somber air pervades the house for he knows the time is near as does his family. Stricken by a severe headache and marked weakness he lies in Ayesha’s arms. Her tears fall on his cheek and he opens his eyes and wonders why it is that she cries. “Rafiq-ul-a’ala,” he says, “I am going to my Rafiq-ul-a’ala”. I am going to my God, the Best of Friends.
And those parting words tell us so much. “Wa idha saalaka ibadi anni fa anni qareeb ujeebu dawati daaee idha daani”, “When my servants ask you about Me, tell them I am near, I listen to the prayer of every supplicant and answer them” (Baqarah 2: 186). Allah is closer to us than our jugular veins (Qaf: 50:16); He is close to every human being, good or bad, the key question, really, is whether we feel His presence.
Our Criterion is the Qur’an and our guide for all aspects of our life should be the life of Muhammad — a ready reference, as pertinent and alive 14 centuries ago as it is today.
(Mahjabeen Islam is a physician and freelance columnist practicing in Toledo Ohio. Her email is mahjabeenislam@sbcglobal.net)
