Born in 570 AD:

Prophet Muhammad - a mercy unto mankind

by Dr M. Haris Z Deen

From the 12th of this month - December 2015 corresponding to the first of Rabi-ul Awwal, the third month in the Ummul Qurah lunar calendar, Muslims comemmorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad culminating on the twelfth of this lunar month in a celebration.

Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD and while there are no records of the actual date, historians have deduced from events the date to be the twelfth of Rabi-ul Awwal. However, it is certain that it was a Monday, whatever the date was as intimated by the Prophet himself when asked the reason for his fasting on Mondays, he replied "that is the day of my birth" as recorded in Thirmize.

There are no records that the Prophet or his family, or the companions or those after them celebrated his birthday or the birthdays of their own. Therefore, as a birthday celebration it is an innovation. Nevertheless the Prophet himself showed us that there is nothing wrong in remembering one's day of birth as the Prophet did as indicated in the Hadheeth in Thirmizee.

Allah has provided us the command to follow the Prophet in Chapter 33; verse 22 of the Qur'an as follows:

"Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much".

Sunnah

It is a Sunnah to emulate the Prophet in all matters connected with religious practices.

As far as remembering the Prophet's birth is concerned the Qur'an instructs us in Chapter 33 verse 57 as follows:

"Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace".

To remember the Prophet day in and day out as instructed by Allah in the foregoing Quranic verse is the best manner in which birth of the 'mercy unto mankind' be celebrated.

Allah confirms in Chapter 21 verse 108 that the Prophet has been sent as a mercy unto mankind as follows:

"And We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples".

And further compares the Prophet in Chapter 9; verse 128 as being from amongst us thus:

"Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves, grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful". There are two messages contained in the above verse. One of which is that the Prophet desires that everyone, believes or non-believers should not fall into trouble, meaning that they should not stray into unbelief, and the second is that he is compassionate and merciful to the believers.

In addition Allah reiterates in Chapter 33; verse 46 "O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a Witness, and a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner" and in verse 47 it states "And as a Summoner unto Allah by his command, and as a Lamp that gives bright light".

Non-Muslims

Philosopher George Bernard Shaw wrote about Prophet Muhammad "I believe if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring much needed peace and happiness. I have studied him - the man and in my opinion is far from being an anti-Christ. He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I have prophesied about the faith of Mohammad that it would be acceptable the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today." (Source: The Genuine Islam - Vol.8 - 1936).

Napolean Bonaparte has been quoted in Christian Cherfils BONAPARTE ET ISLAM (Paris 1914) as having said "I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite the wise and educated men of all countries and establish a uniform regime based on the principles of Qur'an, which alone are true and which alone can lead men to happiness".

In the same manner Mahatma Ghandhi is reported in the 1924 version of Young India as having said: "...I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life.

It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and his own mission. These, and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every trouble."

In page 92 of the book 'Mohammed and Mohammedanism', Rev. Bosworth Smith wrote thus about Prophet Muhammad: "He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports."

In page 4 of her book 'The life and teachings of Muhammad' - Madras, 1932; Annie Besant wrote: "It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme.

'And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher."

James A Michenar writing on Islam the Misunderstood Religion in the Readers Digest - American edition - May 1955 stated "Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about A.D. 570 into an Arabian tribe that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the 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 as long as she lived, remained a devoted husband.

"Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the 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."

Practical

"In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumours 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 a 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 of the noblest speeches in religious history: 'If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever.'"

Confirmed Scottish Agnostic, Thomas Carlyle wrote in his book Heroes and Hero Worship: "How one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades?""...The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammed) are disgraceful to ourselves only...How one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades....A silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest.

He was to kindle the world; the world's Maker had ordered so."

May the peace and blessings of Allah be showered upon this most revered Prophet and the last Messenger of God Muhammad Sal Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam.

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