In the Prophet's Footsteps

By: Idris Tawfiq

If I am to be truthful, I must admit that I really understood the importance of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) only when I first performed `Umrah and then went on to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. Up until that time, like every Muslim, I had read many books about Muhammad and knew about him as a great man and a great leader. I had read many hadiths and I knew that to him was given the final revelation of Almighty Allah to mankind. I had even begun writing a book about his life to tell it in a very simple way to those who are not Muslim.
To my great surprise, one of my very first thoughts on entering the sanctuary of the Ka`bah was that Prophet Muhammad had been here before me. In running between the hills of Safa and Marwah, I could almost see Prophet Muhammad calling out to the people of Makkah and warning them that they must abandon idol worship before it was too late.
I could almost see him, after he had been assaulted by men of the Quraish, being defended by Hamzah, who became Muslim as a result.I could imagine Muhammad entering Makkah in triumph, at the head of an army of believers, offering forgiveness and amnesty to those who had fought him, after all the trials to which he had been subjected.
The real thunderbolt, though, came in Madinah. Nothing could have prepared me for the tears which seemed to come from nowhere when I found myself in the presence of the Prophet's tomb. I was there along with hundreds of others, crushing to be close to offer their prayers for the Prophet. I have never known such peace as the peace found in the Prophet's Mosque. For the first time, everyone responded "ameen" in harmony to the prayers. Even the people of Madinah seemed so kind and gentle, so proud that theirs was the city of the Messenger of Allah.
Untold numbers of books have been written about the Prophet's life. Born in relative obscurity, for Makkah was an important trading center but it was hardly the center of the world, Muhammad grew up after he was 6 years old with neither father nor mother. At first he tended sheep and then took part in trading missions with his family members. He could neither read nor write. As the world judges things, these were not the hallmarks of greatness and gave no hint that this man would be the greatest man ever to have lived. Allah, though, judges differently than men. He knew that Muhammad was both honest and religious. Allah chooses whom He wills and He chose Muhammad from all the men on earth to deliver His final message to mankind.
These books of the Prophet's life tell of his great achievements, how he was both a great statesman and a great leader, a great warrior and a great diplomat. He was wise and was looked up to because of his wisdom. None of these things, though, are what make Prophet Muhammad the greatest of men, although each one of them would be sufficient for him to be considered so. The thing which singles him out from the rest of mankind was his total submission to the will of Allah.
Islam means "submission" and it comes from an Arabic root word meaning "submission, purity, and peace." In the person of Prophet Muhammad we see someone who was able to submit totally to the will of Allah in all things and who achieved peace in his life which was greater than anyone had known before.
The Companions who were at the Prophet's side and who in their own right have become giants of Islam were not soft or weak men. They were strong and courageous, yet in the presence of Muhammad they were like little children. "Better than my father or my mother," was how they used to address him, and they would have given their lives to keep him safe.
When visitors to Madinah used to arrive in search of the Prophet, they would often be told that he could be found in the mosque. When they got inside the mosque they usually had to ask, "Which one is Muhammad?" since he sat in no special place or was not attended by servants or guards. They were astonished that the leader of the Muslim state could be so humble and so simple. Even when he died, the Prophet was not buried in some elaborate tomb, as leaders of other states are to this day, but he was simply buried in the earth beneath the place where he used to sleep.
So why then is Muhammad's life important for us to imitate? What is it that makes his life special? Why is the seerah of the Prophet the actual example for us to follow to lead a successful life as Muslims? As with all things in Islam, the answer is very simple.
As men and women, we are not perfect. We want all the time to do as Allah commands, but we are very slow to put those commands into practice. We spend hours and hours watching the television or talking for hours on the telephone or chatting on the Internet, yet when it comes time to pray, we are busy. We hear the Call to Prayer in the morning, the most beautiful of all sounds, yet we turn over and go back to sleep. We know what is required of us as Muslims, yet we fail to do it. What poor examples of Muslims we are. No wonder the world has such a poor idea about Islam!
Prophet Muhammad is the example which makes us realize that it is possible to live this Islam. It is possible to live as a good Muslim in this world because Muhammad did and Muhammad was a man. Muslims do not ascribe magical powers to their Prophet. He was neither a saint nor a magician nor a god, but a man like we are, a man married with children. By responding so promptly to what Allah wanted of him, he became the intimate friend of Allah, loved by Him and chosen by Him to speak in His name. This is what is important about Muhammad's life. He lived as a Muslim.
When those horrible cartoons of our beloved Prophet appeared in Denmark and when Pope Benedict XVI quoted bad things about him, many Muslims took to the streets in protest. Many cars could be seen to bear the sticker, "I love Prophet Muhammad." I even saw one sticker that said, "We will sacrifice ourselves for you, Prophet Muhammad." However, those same people continued to behave in the same lukewarm way towards their religion.
Instead of offering to die for the Prophet, would it not have been better to declare that we would live for him, by following his life and example? How the world would sit up and listen if we could live as good Muslims! The life and example of the Prophet, then, is the way for us to lead a successful life. What is this success? It is living as Allah wants us to live, worshiping Him alone, being prompt to prayer and the payment of zakah, fasting in Ramadan with all our heart and all our soul, and if Allah wills it to be so, going on pilgrimage to Makkah to perform the Hajj in obedience to His command. When our life is over, we will have been successful if, in imitation of our beloved Prophet, we are able to declare that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
I hope this answers your question. Please remain in touch.
Salam
Useful Links:
In the Prophet's Footsteps
The Model of the Prophet
Why Prophet Muhammad Is Mentioned in the Shahadah
The Seal of Prophets
Owing Respect to the Prophet
Status of Prophet Muhammad
Is Following Sunnah Mandatory?
Why Do We Follow the Sunnah?