Teacher of the Goodness
Praise be to the Lord of all worlds. Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his family and all of his companions.
Allah the Almighty has sent His Prophets (PBUT) to take human beings out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge and guide them to all that is good in this life and the next. He The Almighty Says (What means): "And before thee also the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message." [An-Nahl/43].
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was the seal of all Prophets and Messengers. As humanity was in a state of ignorance and manifest error, Allah sent him as a teacher and a guide to the truth and the straight path. With knowledge and faith, he (PBUH) watered the seed of goodness instilled in society and abolished the concepts and convictions that led it to ignorance and backwardness. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered an apostle from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error;" [Al-jumu`ah/2].
He (PBUH) was the best to carry the message of education and work for building a new nation guided by the light of knowledge and insight. His efforts have paid off for he (PBUH) managed to make it literate. This is reflected in the fact that first Surah that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Mecca at cave of Hira (The name of the cave located in Mecca) located at Mountain Jabal Al-Nour was Al-Alaq, which reads as follows: "Proclaim! (Or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created-Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,- He Who taught (the use of) the pen,- Taught man that which he knew not." [Al-Alaq/1-5].
It wasn`t easy for him to accomplish this difficult mission for life isn`t a bed of roses. It is difficult to raise a generation equipped with knowledge and faith particularly when ignorance is driven by personal interest and tribalism, which dominated that society. As a result, he (PBUH) was exposed to many forms of materialistic and non-materialistic resistance embodied in carrot-stick practices. His response to Quraish was decisive where he said to his uncle Abu Talib: "O my uncle! by God if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this course, until God has made me victorious, or I perish therein, I would not abandon it."
The Prophet (PBUH) has elevated the status of knowledge and the learned. He said: "The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion." [At-Tirmidhi]. This is because the learned are the corner stone for the advancement of the nation. They understand clearly the truth about the Prophet`s message and its teachings, which lead to reforming self by believing in Allah the Almighty and trusting that He will bless it with success. It also leads to building civilization and achieving progress in light of adhering to the injunctions of Allah The Almighty in everything. Allah Says (What means): "Those truly fear God, among His Servants, who have knowledge: for God is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving." [Fatir/28].
He (PBUH) was the role model in teaching goodness. He was a source of guidance and inspiration. His character was the Quran. He practiced everything that he preached. He was an embodiment of the message; all of the verses of grace, ethics, and beauty were embodied in his example. He also established the values of truth and justice. His whole life was a practical valuable lesson to humanity. He was merciful, truthful, honest, polite and kind. He passed advice with wisdom and fair exhortation. He (PBUH) said: "God did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He has sent me to teach and make things easy." [Moslim]. Moreover, Mu'awiya B. Al-Hakam said: "While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), a man in the company sneezed. I said: Allah have mercy on you! The people stared at me with disapproving looks, so I said: Woe be upon me, why is it that you stare at me? They began to strike their hands on their thighs, and when I saw them urging me to observe silence, (I became angry) but I said nothing. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had said the prayer (and I declare that neither before him nor after him have I seen a leader who gave better instruction than he for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom). I swear that he did not scold, beat or revile me but said: Talking to persons is not fitting during the prayer, for it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring his Greatness. and recitation of the Qur'an or words to that effect….." [Moslim].
He also taught us the etiquette of giving rights and claiming them. This is reflected in the story of the infuriated man who took the Prophet by the shirt and said to him: "Give me my right, O Mohammad." Omar wanted to kill him for that, but the Prophet told him: "O, Omar! You should have ordered him to collect well and ordered me to pay back well."
Finally, his message has paid off. It produced a generation that managed to elevate the Muslim nation to the vanguard of international procession. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?" [Az-Zumar/9]. Our nation used the intellect to conquer hearts and minds. Its kind treatment to people from different races, backgrounds and affiliations constitutes a valuable lesson to humanity. It didn`t celebrate oppressing others or transgressing against them. Rather, it is all about collecting well and paying back well. Moreover, the Muslim nation has the capacity to continue the message of the Prophet (PBUH), adhere to his guidance and methodology as well as preserve his legacy. We are proud to have millions of learned men who pave the way for a brighter future to our nation and children. And all praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds.
