The man-Mohammed
I came across his sayings (what people witnessed him saying), (quotes\hadiths), his way of life (sunnah), who he was, his lifestyle (Seerah), and many more. Trust me, there is so much to read about this man.
Interestingly, one of the many things that stood out about him is that he was “human”, he was not “deitified”, his lifestyle was laid bare for all to check, to read, to scrutinize, to criticize because he was a “human example”, “a goodly model” for us, a living embodiment of the divine teachings (The laws), a practical (example of ) the application of faith. This man exemplified how to “balance” our daily lives and faith.
Very often, people expect “righteous” people to look a certain way, to behave a certain way, talk a certain way, to possess some level of outward meekness (just) to fit their own modality. This man was considered a great man, one of the greatest to ever walk the earth. He wasn’t just a religious leader; he was a man who had an unparalleled influence, even in secular realms.
He wasn’t overtly religious.
This man possessed an exceptional character and a great leadership style; his remarkable influence was celebrated within, and after his short lived life, he died at 63 years. All these and more were evidence of him being a great man.
And then, I asked…
Why was he (Prophet Mohammed) considered one of the greatest men to ever walk the earth?
In the year 1935, the United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C monumentalized him among other major historical figures which includes Moses, Confucius, Hammurabi etc. as one of The 18 great lawgivers of all time, (sharia law?) symbolizing his impact, his influence in the society and not just his home country alone but the world at large, citing his moral and ethical standards.
Oh! Wait!
You heard or read a different story, right?
As expected.
It was recorded that even before he received the seal of prophethood, people often referred to him as “the trustworthy” by both his lovers and adversaries.
A role model indeed.
Why then was he demonized?
Why does the West (now) hate him so much?
Shall we take a step back and do a deep dive into history?
I believe “the west” will not stop demonizing him while persecuting Islam, and this is because, (almost) everything the “west’ stands for, Islam stands against example is modernization of Islam, the vernacular language of the religion, the “rigidity” of the religion, and many more reasons are the problem, the same reason the “people in charge of things” will not…….Hahahahahaha…..
Notice how I tried writing about my experience “meeting this man” without an Islamic view, perspective, or reference?
When I met him, it was through rigorous research, I wanted to know why he was so “hyped”, trust me, I was not disappointed, after all, every prophet\messengers of God walked the earth, I am still not disappointed, I love and have so much respect for the man, (even though, I didn’t meet him physically, in fact, you need to read the stories of his disciples, how much love, respect and honor they have for this man.)
May the peace and blessings of Allah (God) continue to be upon him and everyone who follows his teachings.
(Amen)
If you may, you may begin your research about this man here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad
Remember, for everything you read about him that may sound off or awkward, go deeper, ask more questions, filter and sieve through the debris…ask questions like…
What were the conditions and the scenarios at the time?
What were the rulings and the way of life of that epoch?
Then, only then, should you create and maintain an opinion of him.
Peace!