Islam, Peace and Tolerance, pp. 5-10
1. Prophet Muhammad’s life ---- offering friendship and peace to the world
To understand properly the treatment of the issues that this booklet addresses, it is necessary to know the main points of the life and mission of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This section aims to provide that information in brief.
The Prophet Muhammad (c. 571-632 C.E.) was born among a people of no established religion, consisting of different tribes who worshipped idols and other objects, although they believed in a supreme God above their gods. Knowledge and learning were very limited, and no system of justice, rights or law existed in the land, although there were tribal customs and codes. Might was right and moral values in all walks of life were at a low. Exploitation of the weak, slaves, and women prevailed. Arabia had largely been untouched by the great civilizations and cultures that passed to its north.
There were a few Jewish tribes and some Christians living in Arabia with claims to civilization, culture and high morals, but by the time of the Prophet Muhammad’s advent their condition had also deteriorated and they had little reforming effect upon the Arabs.
The Prophet Muhammad, born in Makka (1) in the leading Arab tribe of Quraish, had largely an uneventful life till the age of forty, going about his own business. He was, however, renowned for his honesty, integrity, trustworthiness and service to the poor. He felt more and more grieved at the fallen state of society around him. He began to retreat to a cave a few miles outside Makka for prayer, contemplation and fasting in isolation. He pondered on the meaning of life and how people could be reformed. During his exertions he suddenly received his first revelation and with that his mind was illuminated and he was given a commission from God to be His Prophet. This happened in the year 609 C.E. Great founders of religions before him, Moses, Jesus and Buddha in particular, had subjected themselves to similar rigours before receiving law or teachings or enlightenment from God.
The Holy Prophet’s revelations came to him over the next 23 years during the most varied circumstances of his life. It was revealed to him that God is One and that He has ever been sending His messengers to the various nations of the world to deliver His guidance, and now God was raising Muhammad as a messenger and prophet just like they were raised. His mission was to present the same basic teachings as they had done, but in a broad, universal sense for the whole of humanity. So God is described at the very beginning of the Qur’an as “Lord of all the worlds”, and is not the Lord exclusively of some particular nation. As Lord of all the worlds He sent His guidance to all nations, and Muslims are required to accept, as an article of faith, that the prophets and the Divine books of the earlier religions were sent by the same God. A Muslim accepts Abraham, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon and Jesus as true prophets of God and as constituting a brotherhood to which the Prophet Muhammad also belongs. Whatever may be the views of a Muslim about the modern state of Israel, still he respects and honours the man after whom Israel is named, that is, the prophet Jacob. Muslims also accept the kingdoms of David and Solomon as the kingdoms of the prophets of God.
The second way in which the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad gave universal teachings was by declaring, in these words that “mankind is a single nation” (2:213). All its races, peoples, and religions are treated fairly and justly in God’s ordinance. The Qur’an clearly states:
“O mankind. We have created you from a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may have knowledge of one another. Surely the noblest of you with Allah is the most dutiful of you” – 49:13
Excellence is not based on race, heredity, colour, language or even religious label, but on integrity and regard for duty. Salvation is also not based on belonging to a chosen nation, or holding some dogmatic belief, or applying some religious label to yourself. The Qur’an refers to the claims of Jews and of Christians that “None shall enter the Garden except he who is a Jew, or the Chrisitans”. It rejects such claims as “vain desires”. It then does not go on to say: Not you, but Muslims will enter the Garden. Instead it says:
“Nay, whoever submits himself whole-heartedly to Allah and he is the doer of good to others, he is the one who has his reward from his Lord” – 2:112
It means that to whatever extent a person can do this, he receives his salvation accordingly. In another place the Quran tells mankind that:
“… for everyone of you We appointed a law and a way. And if Allah had pleased He would have made you on religious community, but He wishes to try you in what He has given you. So vie with one another in virtuous deeds. To Allah you will all return, and He will then tell you about your differences.” – 5:48
What different religions should compete in, is in doing of virtuous deeds, not fighting each other.
His revelation taught that everything should be based on principles of right and wrong, and not on favourtism towards the people of your own religion and injustice against others. Muslims are told:
“Help one another in works of righteousness and goodness, and help not one another in sin and aggression.” – 5:2
So Muslims must join their fellow Muslims in the doing of good works, but not in committing wrongdoing and injustice out of misguided support for one’s co-religionists. This verse also upholds the noble principle of correcting the people of your nation when they are on the wrong path. Muslims are also required to side with those who are truthful and not support those who act dishonestly, regardless of their religion:
“be with the truthful.” – 9:119
“do not plead the cause of the dishonest.” – 4:105
(1) Often spelt as Mecca.
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