Prophet Mohammed, Last Messenger Of Allah

Zeeshan Ahmed

The life of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Mohammed Mustafa, whose birth anniversary falls this month, is a role model. The high accolades paid to his personality by Allah through the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah or Islamic practices reminds us of his exalted personality. Thrice in a day, the adhan or call to prayer reminds Muslims that the Holy Prophet is the Messenger of Allah. In addition, the namaz recited emphasises the unity of Allah and the messengership of the Holy Prophet in the same breath, thereby underscoring the significance of the persona of the Prophet. Islam teaches that Allah chose to introduce Himself through His words revealed to His choicest servants. For the guidance of mankind, Allah sent 124,000 prophets, the first of them being Adam and the last being Hazrat Mohammed Mustafa. It was the Holy Prophet of Islam upon whom Allah chose to end His message and complete the chain of prophethood and messengership: “This day, I have perfected the religion (Islam) for you; completed My proof upon you and am satisfied with Islam as a religion (Maidah, verse 5). Allah emphasises the finality of the prophethood and messengership of Hazrat Mohammed with the words, “Mohammed is not the father of any of the men among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets” (Ahzab, verse 40). Such is the respect accorded to the Holy Prophet that Allah chose to end his communication and message with the Holy Qur’an revealed to His last prophet and messenger. The Qur’an itself, along with the code of laws, pays rich tribute to the Prophet. At one place, while the Holy Prophet is called “Uswatul Hasanah”, the ideal model to emulate, at another place, he is called the “bearer of good news”, paradise, and a “warner” for divine chastisement and retribution. The compliments paid to the Holy Prophet by Allah are not out of place. The period before the arrival of the Holy Prophet in Arabia was one of darkness and ignorance. Wars were fought over petty matters, superstitions were rife and women were hardly respected. The social fabric of the Arabs veered more towards vice and debauchery than religion. Principles which we take for granted in our lives like justice were thrown to the winds. It was in such trying circumstances that the Holy Prophet announced his message that would change the face and social fabric of the Arabs and others forever. Within a period of 23 years, with extreme patience, with the odds of success stacked against him, the Holy Prophet attracted people towards the message of Allah. Centuries-old customs were disbanded, enmity replaced by brotherhood and superstitions replaced with firm beliefs and reliance upon Allah. Through the love showered upon his only daughter, Fatemah, the Holy Prophet reiterated his commitment to the respect and uplift of women and abolished the shameful practice of burial of female infants. This brings to the fore the primary mode adopted by the Prophet for disseminating his message: his exemplary character and morals. So whether it was dealing with his family members, his friends or his enemies, he set standards of ethics which remain unsurpassed. It is for this reason that despite the advance of 1,400 years since his demise, the Prophet lives amongst us today through his teachings and words.