Humans wonder about the answer of the following questions most:
What are you? Where are you coming from? Where are you going?
People need a prophet sent by Allah to introduce Allah to them and inform about Him. The mind knows and finds by reason that there must be a Creator of this universe; however, without the guidance of revelation it cannot know why the Creator created the universe and beings. What is human, where does he come from and where does he go? Why has this universe been created? Only the Messengers – who are the conveyors of the Divine revelation – can give satisfying, reasonable and acceptable answers to these and similar questions. Moreover, the mind and philosophy cannot ever know the secret of this continuous and amazing mobility around the universe – which can be called the secret of universe, and cannot find out “why do those who do not stop never stop” without the instruction of the revelation.
We can only learn the purpose of our creation through the Prophets, to whom revelations have been sent. For example, about our being sent to the world, there are many wisdom and goals such as knowing Allah, accepting Him as the Lord, thanking Allah, praying and serving, becoming a mirror of the Names and attributes of Allah, and improving our human talents and abilities. Without prophets, we cannot know and find these goals.
Throughout history, the majority of people could not find Allah; they worshiped the sun, moon, or idols. Thus, they fell into shirk (polytheism) or denied Allah. Some people like Ibrahim (as) have been able to find the existence of Allah with their minds, but they were only minority. On the other hand, even if a person can find the existence of Allah with his mind, he cannot know the Names and attributes of Him in detail. Only prophets can introduce Allah to us with His Names and attributes in all aspects. A prophet who has been assigned by Allah can only tell us about the issues especially like the resurrection after death, being taken into account, paradise and hell.
The universe is a book full of profound meanings
If an incomprehensible book were without a teacher, it would be only some pieces of meaningless papers.
We know that a book that is incomprehensible but full of wonderful information, if there is no teacher who explains and teaches it, is a pile of meaningless paper. Just like Allah Almighty created the universe like a book; thousands of books are stored in every page, thousands of pages are written in each paragraph, thousands of paragraphs of secrets are placed in each sentence, and thousands of sentences and words as well as truths are hidden in every word and letter. Of course, such a book would not and cannot be without a teacher, a teacher that explains and tells about it. At this point, the verse “Read in the Name of your Lord Who creates!” is the first revealed verse of the Quran; this is very meaningful, very wise. Now, it is the prophets who teach us how to read the book of universe and why we should read it.
Just as a sun without light cannot be considered, the deity also cannot be without manifestation. Our Lord wants to see and show the manifestation of His Names and attributes. Just as a skilled and talented master makes embroidery and paintings to display his art and skills. Then he looks at what he has done and sees himself. Then he opens an exhibition and shows it to others. He wishes to see his work through the eyes of them, too. Similarly, Allah Almighty has wanted to see the endless beauty and perfection of Himself, and show them to others and make them benefit. Therefore, He has created the creatures each of which is a miracle. It is a must that there is a teacher, a messenger, a conveyor who declares, instructs and informs about the existence of Allah, the proofs of His existence, the secrets of His wisdom, the Divine intentions in creation, and the meanings of the beings He creates as perfect works of art. And this is only possible by sending prophets. Moreover, teacher must be one of us, one from among us, so that we can take lessons from him, embrace him as our guide and teacher. So, since there is a cosmos, then there must be prophets.
Does Allah, Who never leaves living beings without leadership, ever leave humans without messengers?
Allah sent the prophets to ensure the order and order of the human world, as he has appointed a leader and leader who will ensure their order and order in the animals living collectively. Yes, Allah, who does not leave ants in commandments, and leave bees without bees, does not leave people who are accompanied without a leader or a prophet. Because the prophets sent by Allah and the religions revealed to them determine the fair rules and laws in the life of the society and ensure the order and peace of the society by applying sanctions to those who break the rules.
Our Lord tells us how to organize our personal, family and social life; he taught morality and the rules in human relations through prophets. What are the things that are right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, useful and harmful in our personal lives? What will be the relationship between wife and husband, mother, father and children in family life, relationships between relatives, and relations between people in social life? These issues often exceed the dimensions of the mind. People can only learn how to organize their personal, family and social relations from a prophet. Otherwise, they are exposed to personal, family and social problems. Life becomes unbearable. Today, all the troubles seen in individual, family and social life clearly show this.
On the other hand, when God sends the prophets to the world of humanity, he sends them not only to win the happiness of the hereafter, but also to win the happiness of the world life. Many prophets taught people to make some arts and equipment. For example, Adam (pbuh) farming from prophets, Noah (pbuh) taught the art of shipbuilding, Idris (pbuh) taught writing and tailoring for the first time to humanity. Allah Almighty taught David (as) to make armor.
Is it at all possible that One Who makes His creatures speak among themselves with thousands of languages does not speak Himself?
Undoubtedly, our Lord creates all things knowingly, disposes with wisdom, organizes things by seeing everywhere, and nurtures by knowing and seeing everything, and places wisdom, goals, and benefits that appear in everything by willing.
Since one who makes knows, of course, one who knows speaks. Since He would speak; He would, of course, speak to those who have reason, intelligence and consciousness, and to those who know how to speak. Since He would speak to those of reason and consciousness; of course, He would speak to the humankind, who are the most distinguished and conscious among the ones of mind and consciousness. Since He would speak to the humankind, of course, He would talk to those who are the most worthy of addressing and who are the perfect people. These are undoubtedly the blessed prophets, who have miracles that are the signs of confirmation in their hands, and who are the stars and symbols of virtue of humankind.
Since one who makes knows, of course, one who knows speaks. It is evident that One whose creation speak would of course speak; that is He would have the attribute of “kalam” (speech). As a requirement of this attribute, He has spoken by both revealing the messengers He chose and also by means of holy books and scriptures He sent to some of those messengers.
Mind cannot know or find Allah’s lofty purposes without messengers
It is not possible for the mind to know the Divine truths, the states of the hereafter and the issues of the unseen realms without accepting the guidance of revelation through the Prophets. While he cannot even know many things of the material realm, which is perceived by our mind, senses and feelings, human can only know the truths that are unknown to him by Divine revelation’s informing. For example, Allah Almighty, Who Himself is the only One worthy of being worshipped and obeyed, has taught people how to worship through the Messengers. The prophets who lived the divine commands and prohibitions themselves first, became guides and leaders for the people. The prophets instructed the deeds that Allah is pleased with by demonstrating and practicing them. The mind cannot know them without the light of revelation.
Why have the human beings been created – the most esteemed of creatures, the most honoured with blessings, and the most perfect by faculties? What are their duties? What are they expected to do? How can we earn the love and consent of our Lord? How should we obey Allah? How do we become a servant of Him? Now, it is a must that someone from among ourselves exists to give the answers of such questions, by living and practicing himself. That perfect guide is, foremost, the Prophet Muhammad (asm) and all the other prophets (peace be upon them all).
The biggest revolution of all times that has occured in 23 years
The extraordinary effort and struggle, determination and not losing heart, patience and heroism of our Prophet in order to perform his duty of prophethood and to institute the religion of Islam and to convey the truth – this is an extraordinary level that can only be seen in a person who has the support of the power and help of Allah.
Because when he started his mission, his society and tribe, even his uncle, were enemies to him; despite that, in a short time like twenty-three years, he cleaned all the dirts of the age of ignorance (jahiliyya) and he filled all the Arabian peninsula with the lights of the Qur’an; and that age really became an age of bliss. The brutal, ignorant, rude, bigoted people of that age were heartless enough to bury their own daughters in the soil; he cleared all those brutal, bad customs and morals from them, and permanently placed instead the most beautiful morals in a way that would penetrate into their veins. In a very short period of time, those people of ignorance had such an education and became an exemplary society that before a hundred years passed, they went to the interiors of France in the west, to China in the east, and they spread the lights of faith and Quran wherever they arrived and taught people the true humanity and civilization. It is not possible to find another precedent of this powerful and wonderful revolution in history.
The miraculous achievement of Muhammad (PBUH) is proof of his prophethood. It is clear how difficult it is to completely remove a small habit like smoking in a small community with great force. However, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) struggled alone against great tribes who were stubborn and highly dependent on their customs, and eliminated their deep-rooted and wild customs in a short time without resorting to any pressure or force. He placed high moral values in their place in a way that they would never return to their old customs. And it has made them masters of many civilized peoples.
Michael Hart has degrees in literature from Cornell University, law from New York Law School, master in physics from Adelphi University, and doctorate in astronology from Princeton University. He studied Law, Literature, Physics and Astronomy at four different universities. This scientist announced the first ten people in his book “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History”, which led to controversy in 1978, as follows:
1. Prophet Muhammad 2. Isaac Newton 3. Jesus Christ 4. Buddha 5. Confucius 6. St. Paul 7. Ts’ai Lun 8. Johann Gutenberg 9. Christopher Columbus 10. Albert Einstein.
Some of what he said about Prophet Muhammad (asw) is as floows:
“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 religious and secular level.
Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.
The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art and learning.
Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person.
(…) The Bedouin tribesmen of Arabia had a reputation as fierce warriors. But their number was small; and plagued by disunity and internecine warfare, they had been no match for the larger armies of the kingdoms in the settled agricultural areas to the north. However, unified by Muhammad for the first time in history, and inspired by their fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history.
To the north east of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrested from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642.
But even these enormous conquests, which were made under the leadership of Muhammad’s close friends and immediate successors, Ali, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain.
(…) Muhammad,
however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical
and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the
new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam.
The Quran therefore, closely represents
Muhammad’s ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No
such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the
Quran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the
influence of Muhammad through the medium of the Quran has been enormous. It is
probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than
the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St.Paul on Christianity.
On the purely religious level, then, it seems
likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus.
(…) Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean – the largest empire that the world had yet seen.
Everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed.
(…) The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Moslem conquests. Currently it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. (…)
He is the most perfect role model for humanity
One who is not one of us, who is not like us cannot be a guide and an example to us.
If our Lord had wanted, He could have sent an angel as a prophet to people. But since there were no human situations such as hunger, sickness, tiredness, and suffering in angels, they could not be an example to people with their deeds and behaviours. However, while the Prophet conveyed the message that was revealed to him, he lived in line with those messages and set an example for people with his verbs. With this aspect, he has the feature of being an example along with the conveying.
The Messenger of Allah was sent to people as an imam and guide. This is so that people should learn the rules in their personal and social life from him and get used to obey the laws that Allah Almighty imposed in universe and act in accordance with the laws of His wisdom. If our Prophet had always showed miracles in public life and in his personal life, then he would not be an imam and guide to people in all aspects.
Our Prophet showed miracles when needed, to validate his case and break the denial of those who disbelieved. At other times, he obeyed the laws of nature created by Allah’s wisdom and will, as well as everyone, as he obeyed Divine orders more than anyone else. For example; he would wear armour against the enemy, and he would command “Go into the trench!” He would be wounded, would suffer trouble. Thus, he showed that he obeyed and submitted to the laws of the Divine wisdom.
Our Prophet fully showed a way of behaviour that his ummah could apply in his worship. He abstained from (difficult) things that his ummah could not have performed. For example, when he would order to use miswak in every prayer, he changed his mind; because it would be difficult for his community. While he did the tarawih prayer with the congregation first, later he did not perform it with the congregation due to the concern that it could be assumed as compulsory to perfrom it with congregation.
A group of three companions came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) asking how the Prophet (ﷺ) worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, “Where are we from the Prophet (ﷺ) as his past and future sins have been forgiven.” Then one of them said, “I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever.” The other said, “I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast.” The third said, “I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to them and said, “Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The Prophet (pbuh) lived a life that all people in the society could take as an example. He was a person who obeyed all the commands of the Qur’an, who had the strongest faith, who worshiped the most, who was the most advanced in all worship and piety in his religion, and possessed the most beautiful moral values. In his private life, he was the best husband, the best father, and the best friend. He was also the most perfect reformer, the most perfect head of state, the most perfect lawmaker and the most perfect commander in social life.
He is the beloved of the hearts, the teacher of the minds, the trainer of the selves, and the sultan of the spirits!
The most prominent source of this feature of our Prophet (asw) is his fulfillment of our Lord’s orders first and most perfectly. Because he was an example to his ummah by abiding by every word he said, and by doing every behaviour he recommended. For this reason, people saw him as the teacher of their minds and gave him the position of ‘the beloved of hearts’. His commands and recommendations reformed their selves; they put the prophet at the center of their lives and made hime the sultan of the souls.
Yes, he (pbuh) was a prophet who first lived himself what he said. He was very hardworking and sensitive in fulfilling Allah’s orders and prohibitions. He would work (like everyone) to gain the consent of our Lord without giving himself a privilege. He first exemplified every behaviour he recommended and became an example to his ummah.
When the Messenger of Allah said to people to fear Allah (swt), he himself was the most afraid. While recommending good morality, he lived the best of morality himself. Our Prophet (asw) was the person who knew Allah best, worshiped and praised Him the most, and obeyed His orders and prohibitions the most. In this regard, our Lord said in the Surah As-Saf, “O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do?” (61:2)
Our Prophet was more excellent than anyone else to serve Allah. It is so much so that he would not advise anyone else without first doing what he would say. “I am the one who loves Allah the most among you. And I am most afraid of Him,” he used to say, and he lived as he said. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
He used to worship, pray and thank his Lord until his blessed feet swelled. When the Sahabas asked “Why do you constantly worship, although Allah has completely forgiven you?” our Prophet (asm) said “Shall I not be a grateful servant (of Allah)?” he replied (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Our mother Aisha (ra), the wife of the Prophet (asw), narrated: “The Messenger of Allah would speak to us, we would talk to him, but when the time of prayer came, it would be as if he did not know us, and he would turn to Allah with all his being.” (Fazail-i A‘maal)
When our beloved prophet came to Madinah, he wanted a mosque to be built to worship. He never stood during building of the masjid, and he carried stones and soil. He would work to finish a work that had to be done. When the Companions said “Ya Rasulallah! Let us carry that stone.” in order not to tire him, he said, “I need to gain the consent of Allah more than you.” (İki Cihan Güneşi Peygamberimiz, Cüneyd Suavi, Zafer Publication. p.275)
Is there anybody else who is more advanced than the Prophet (pbuh) in doing what one says first before everyone?
Our Prophet (asw) was also at the forefront in courage. At a time when everyone was panicked and dispersed at the Battle of Huneyn, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not step back. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Ali (ra) described the courage of our Prophet (asw) as follows: “There was no one approaching the enemy as much as he did in wars. Many times we took refuge in the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) when the war was heating up.”
Our Prophet also divided the trench to be done in the war of the Trench among the companions. He himself took a share and worked personally to dig the trench. In this war, the companions were starved for days. The Companions were putting stones on their bellies to suppress hunger. It was seen that the Messenger of Allah also tied three stones to his blessed belly without giving himself a privilege to suppress his hunger.
Whoever loves Allah follows the Sunnah!
“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins.’” (Qur’an: Āl-i ‘Imran, 3:31)
Allah Almighty sent our Prophet to us as a guide. In this respect, in the Quran it is said, “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (Al-Ahzab: 33:21) Therefore, believers should take the Prophet as an example in all areas of life.
Those who obey the sunnah also win the love of Allah. Because Allah loves our Prophet as well as those who act like him. Therefore, in the Qur’an it is said, “Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.”(Ali ‘Imran, 3:31) At the same time, this verse is capable of revealing whether a person really loves Allah. Because if a person loves Allah, this requires him to follow the Sunnah of our Prophet. Yes, those who believe in Allah Almighty will surely obey Him, and the most acceptable among the ways of obedience is undoubtedly the way that Habibullah (the Beloved of Allah) (asw) showed and followed.
It is always very precious to comply with the Sunnah. It is more important to follow the sunnah, especially when evil is widespread, especially when the ummah is corrupt and Islam is not lived. Our Prophet (pbuh) said, “He who holds fast to my sunnah when my ummah (Community) has become corrupt earns the reward and recompense of a hundred martyrs.” (At-targib wa’t-tarhib)
To fulfill a small manner of the Sunnah shows that one’s faith is strong and he has taqwa. Because following the sunnah reminds the Messenger of Allah. And remembering him is a means to remember Allah. And constantly remembering Allah helps one to strengthen his faith.
For example, in the minute that the sunnah is observed while eating, drinking and sleeping, that simple routine becomes a worship. Because the person thinks that he is obeying the Prophet Alayhissalatu wassalam and he remembers that it is conduct of Islam. Then, Allah comes to his mind. He gains some kind of feeling of being in the presence of Allah. Here, because of this secret, one turns his simple conducts into worship; whoever makes it a habit to obey the sunnah can make his whole life fruitful and flourishing.
Allah Almighty created everything He created in an extremely beautiful, fine art embroidered and decorated. Thus, He reflected the beauties in His Names and attributes to His works. Human is a work that is created by our Lord with the most beautiful and perfect features among the beings. In order for this work to be the most beautiful and perfect in terms of morality, it needs a guide to take as example and model. For this purpose, our Lord created our Prophet with the most beautiful morality and made him a model that must be taken as an example so that the moral beauties on him appear in all people; and so that all humanity have the moral values that our Lord wants and consents to.
Therefore, one can understand that the source of the virtues and beauties in the Companions and the Muslims who followed them is the beautiful behaviours of the Prophet Muhammad (asw). The unmatched faithfulness of Abubakr (ra), the legendary justice of Umar (ra), the unique modesty and taqwa of Uthman (ra), and the superiority of knowledge and humanity of Ali (ra) is the Sunnah.
The secret that brought Muslim personalities like Mawlana, Ghazali, and Sultan Muhammad Fatih is because they followed the exemplary behaviours of the Prophet Muhammad (asw).