MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT MUHAMMAD
Muhammad the inspired man, who founded Islam, was born about AD 570 into an Arabic tribe those worshiped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and downtrodden. At twenty, he was already a successful businessman and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer, recognizing his merit, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and so long as she lived remained a devoted husband.
Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy or serving as a transmitter of God’s word, sensing his own inadequacy. But the Angel commanded "Read". So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God".
In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibraham died, an eclipse occurred, and rumors of God’s personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced: "An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of human being".
At Muhammad’s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one the noblest speeches in religious history: "If there are any among you that worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, he lives forever".
James A Michener, Islam: The Misunderstood Religion’ in the Reader’s Digest (American Edition) for May, 1955 pp. 68 – 70.
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religion and secular level.
Michael H Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.
New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc. 1978, p33.
UNLETTERED PROPHET.
Muhammad’s experience in the cave of Hira, later to be known as Jabal-an-Noor, The Mountain of Light, and his
response to that first Revelation is the exact fulfillment of another Biblical prophecy. In the Book of Isaiah as found in the "King James Version," Chapter 29:12 we read:-
"And the Book Is Delivered
To Him That Is Not Learned Saying,
Read This I Pray Thee: And He Saith,
I am not learned".
THE NATION OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH.
To acknowledge that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah means to know and believe sincerely that Muhammad is the prophet and messenger whom Allah had sent to all peoples of the world. It means also that Muhammad is a servant of Allah, thus, he must not be worshiped, because worshipping is due to Allah alone. As Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, he must be followed, obeyed and not denied. Whoever obeys Muhammad will abide in the Gardens and whoever disobeys him will abide in Hell-fire. Allah said in the Holy Quran:-
"And whatsoever messenger giveth you, take it, and whatsoever be forbids, abstain from it" (Al-Hashr: 7).
The Quran States also: -
"But, nay by the Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of that which thou decide and submit with full submission.
(An-Nissa: 65).
This means that, according to the Islamic faith, all acts of devotion, all rules of legislation and government, and all rules that explain what is lawful and what is forbidden, should be nothing else than that which had been conveyed to people by the noble messenger of Allah Muhammad, may peace and blessing of Allah be on him. The Muslims should not believe in any legislation different from what is transmitted by Muhammad, the messenger of Allah.
These two Quranic verses mean that Muslims should obey Muhammad, the messenger of Allah in what he commanded them to do, and desist all that he prohibited them to do because the messenger neither commanded nor prohibited according to his own desires, but he used to do this in conformity with the revelations of Allah. No one would be a believer unless he submits to the judgements of the prophet. It is also by Muslim that the prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said:-
"Whoever performs a deed that is not in conformity with principles, his deed with be rejected".
Thus, any wise man that wishes to attain happiness in this present life and in the Hereafter and gain salvation after death should testify that "There is no God save Allah, and that Mohammad is His messenger". He should also behave according to the notion if this testimony and practice the other fundamental principals of Islam which constitute the proper way to worship Allah.
Prayer: - The second Pillar of Islam.
The second pillar of Islam is performing prayer. The Muslim is enjoined to perform five obligatory prayers every day to keep himself in relation with his Lord, to invoke and implore Him, and to refrain himself from committing lewdness or indecency. These prayers not only ensure psychological rest to the Muslims in this present life, but they also pave the way to him gain eternal happiness in the hereafter.
To perform prayer, one should be pure, wearing clean clothes and perform prayer in clean place. Before prayer, the Muslim should cleanse himself by pure water, removes all traces of stool, urine, or any other dirt. In this way he purifies himself physically and morally.
Prayer is the pillar of religion. It succeeds in importance the two testimonies. Therefore, it is not only a duty on the Muslims to observe performing prayers from his maturity up to his death, but he should also order his household to perform it. He should also order his children to start practicing it from the time when they are 7 years old so that they may be accustomed to perform it promptly. Evidence from the Quran: -
"Performing prayers at fixed times has been enjoined on the believers" (An-Nisaa: 103)
Another evidence from the Quran: -
"And they are ordered naught else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure to Him with sincere devotion, and to perform worship and to pay zakat (poor-due). That is the true religion". (Al-Bayyainah: 5).
In the first of these two verses, Allah told people that the prayer is a prescribed duty on all believers and that they should fulfil this duty at its fixed time. In the second verse, Allah made it well known to mankind that He had created them in order to worship Him alone, be sincere in their devotion to Him, perform prayer and pay zakat (poor-due) to those who deserve it. The prophet, may grace of Allah be on him, said:
- "The obligation that distinguishes between the non-believers and us is prayer, therefore, whosoever desists prayer, becomes a non-believer".
Thus, prayer is a duty on Muslim in all circumstances. Even if he is sick or frightened he should perform his daily prayers, sitting, standing or lying down. If he is unable to perform them in any of these ways, he is permitted to perform it by these eye gestures, or even by his heart.
The five obligatory daily prayers are the Morning Prayer (Fajr), the noon prayer (Zuhur), the after noon prayer (Asr), the evening prayer (Maghrib) and the night prayer (Ishaa).
The time due for Morning Prayer begins at true dawn and extends until the sun rises. It should not be delayed beyond this span of time. The time for noon prayers starts from the zawal (a little after the sun has passed the meridian) and extends till one’s shadow becomes equal to his own length plus the length of its noon time shadow. The time enjoined for after noon prayer starts after the end of noon-prayer and extends until the sun turns yellow. One must hasten to perform it while the sun is still bright. The evening prayer time begins soon after sunset and lasts till the disappearance of the twilight. Its performance should not be delayed. The night prayer time begins after the disappearance of the disappearance of the twilight and lasts till midnight. If a Muslim delays one of these five prayers, he commits a grievous sin. He should turn to Allah in repentance and refrain himself from recommitting it. The Quran warns those who delay their prayers from its fixed time: -
"So Woe unto those who delay their prayers from its stated fixed time" (Al-Maoun: 4 – 5).