We are passing through the latter days of the 3rd month of the Islamic Calendar: Rabi-al-awwal. This month is the month in which the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born and the month in which he passed away and is traditionally a month a period in which Muslims reflect on his life and teachings. Although there are differences in narrations on the exact date of his birth and death during this month, we know it was a Monday, as affirmed by the prophet himself (transmitted in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, hadith no. 1162).
There are many volumes written on the life and history of the prophet Muhammad covering all aspects of the divine message he came with, I want to draw out two elements of his character, using stories from his life. The first one in relation to his message of the equality of all people, the second in relation to his tolerance and compassion.
Each of these has a contemporaneous relevance for our modern world, although arguably, the concern expressed for these is by human historical standards a very recent one.
The equality of humankind.
In the final year before his departure from this world, the Prophet Muhammad gave what is referred to as the farewell sermon to over 10,000 of his companions at the time of the pilgrimage. This was a summation of his message for all to heed and pass on to others. He (peace be upon him) said:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action.”
In very clear and explicit terms he laid out the principle of the equality of all humans, regardless of race or colour, in the eyes of God, the only thing that matters is how close you are to him and your good actions towards each other. These were not just words, they had a profound impact on establishing a universal brotherhood. And this brotherhood had lasting effect. In 1964, when Malcom X, who was an American black civil rights leader and profoundly anti-white, sent a letter from Mecca, in which he said
“During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug – while praying to the same God – with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.”
“We were truly all the same (brothers) – because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behaviour, and the white from their attitude.”
“I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man – and cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their ‘differences’ in colour.”
Moving on the second characteristic I want to highlight; that of his tolerance, compassion and kindness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was with some of his companions in the prophets mosque in Medina, when a bedouin came in and proceeded to urinate in one corner of the mosque. The companions was outraged at such behaviour and got up to reprimand the man, when the prophet (peace be upon him) stopped them in their tracks, and said that now that he has started relieving himself, let him finish. When the man had finished he asked the companions to fetch a bucket of water and wash the urine away and gently explained to the Bedouin that the mosque is a sacred place and such actions are not appropriate. The man understood and apologised. The Bedouin said, “The Prophet neither cursed, scolded or hit me”.
The lessons from this are many, when people do not know any better, they may do things we find repugnant, our approach is to educate with understanding, compassion and kindness, the Holy Quran itself states about the prophet, “We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for all mankind and all that exists)” (21:107).
~ Zack Pandor