Following the Footsteps of a Beautiful Man
It doesn’t need much thought -- by far, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be uupon him) was and is the greatest role model to all humankind. Whether in the 600s AD or the 2000s, this man served and still serves as an exquisite example of the ideal role model. Not only has this been recognized by Muslims all over the world --but by non-muslims as well. The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him “the most successful of all religious personalities of the world”.
This humble dweller of the desert spoke with wisdom that no other man or woman had ever spoken. He was the perfect example of purity and goodness; he was a symbol of truth and justice. Despite all the hardships he went through, despite all the verbal and physical torture he was inclined to, despite all his sufferings --- he kept a warm smile on his face. He [peace be upon him] restrained from anger and he respected those around him. One man, Anas (one of the prophet‘s companions), said : "I served the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) for ten years, and he never said to me 'UFF!'. If I did something. He never said, "Why did you do that?", and if I did not do something, he never said , "Why did you not do such-and-such?”. (agreed upon) Only kind and meaningful words came from the Prophet’s tongue. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never used foul language, never cursed, or swore. He (peace be upon him) was shy
[towards other people and towards Allah (SWT) ], polite, gentle, and sensitive to the feelings of others. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was humorous with his close ones. However, he used his sense of humor only when appropriate--without going to extremes. Similarly, whenever he was serious, he did not go to extremes of harshness and strictness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was greatly trusted and fulfilled his promises. He was entrusted with people’s belongings --Muslims’ and non-muslims’ alike. He {peace be upon him) was compassionate, merciful, and sincere; he always spread a greeting of peace to those around him; he was modest, generous, and wise. This man was extremely God-conscious--he was just and fair to the people and animals around him ; he treated his wives equally, his daughters equally, and his companions equally. This man had many beautiful qualities.Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) preached religion, established a state, built a nation, placed down a moral religious code, and gained millions of millions of followers throughout the entire world in less than 1400 years. However, this man was not one who seeked political power . He did things at a much smaller scale -- he helped reform the individual. He was the greatest example of how an individual should be like. He exemplified how each individual contributed to his family, to his community, and to the whole world. The political aspect of his successes only fell into place after this. Though he had so many successes, this humble man assigned absolutely no credit to himself. He once said: “I am a human being like yourselves. I have not brought anything to you of my own accord. It has all been revealed to me by God. Whatever I possess belongs to Him. This message the like of which the whole of humanity is unable to produce, is the message of God. It is not the product of my own mind. Every word of it has been sent down by Him, and glory be to Him Whose message it is. All the wonderful achievements which stand to my credit in your eyes, all the laws I have given, all the principles I have spoken of --none of them is from me. I find myself totally incompetent, incapable of producing such things. I look to Divine guidance in all matters. Whatever He wills I do, what He directs I proclaim”.