The Prophet’s Treatment of Others and its Resultworldconferences.net/proceedings/icssr2014/toc...The Prophet’s Treatment of Children Childhood is considered one of the most important

Proceeding of the Social Sciences Research ICSSR 2014 (e-ISBN 978-967-11768-7-0). 9-10 June 2014,

Kota Kinabalu,Sabah, MALAYSIA. Organized by http://WorldConferences.net 89

The Prophet’s Treatment of Others and its Result

Professor Abdurahman Uthman Al-Jaloud, PhD

Ministry of Education Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

King Saud University

Introduction

All praises are due to Allah, Lord of the Universe, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions and those who follow them until the Day of Accountability. To proceed: Unknown to many Muslims, and even more so to many non-Muslims, is the beautiful life of the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) and how he treated others in a noble way that is unmatched today. This lack of knowledge, about this aspect of his life, has resulted in the misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the religion of Islam and this great Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, it is the responsibility of Muslims to show, from the Prophet’s life, examples of different situations that had a positive impact on society. Especially, in the areas that has been misunderstood in the West because of their lack of knowledge about his true biography and life. For this reason, I would like to participate in the Second International Conference on Social Sciences Research with this paper entitled, “The Prophet’s Treatment of Others and its Result.” Research goals:

1- Bring out some beautiful examples from his life, and of his noble and excellent character; 2- Show some examples of his treatment of others both within the Islamic community and outside

of it; 3- Relating these examples with modern times so that it can be a guide for Muslims, and also a

means for clarification for non-Muslims; This paper consists of the following topics:

1- His treatment of children; 2- His treatment of neighbors; 3- His treatment of enemies; 4- His treatment of prisoners of war; 5- His treatment of animals.

I ask Allah to make everyone successful in everything that He loves and is pleased with. I also ask that He blesses this conference and help it attain its objectives and goals and that He rewards the organizers graciously. He is, indeed, capable of that and may the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, his family, and companions



The Prophet’s Treatment of Women It is widely misunderstood in the West that Islam belittles women in many areas such as; the inequality between men and women regarding inheritance, testimony, the concept of men and their responsibility over women. There is also a lot of focus and emphasis on these areas and attacking the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through them and not taking a look at the whole picture of the prevalent status of women during that time. Islam differentiating between men and women in certain areas of Islamic Law is not because of them being belittled or inferior to men. Rather, there are many reasons Islam takes into consideration when making a distinction between the two genders such as; the female nature, the obligation of men to provide for women, giving her the wedding dowry, etc. It is also appropriate to look at how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) treated and honored women, regardless of whether they were mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, etc. His treatment of women was very high class led by respect and dignity. For example, if the woman is a mother, he made her a priority in receiving good treatment and companionship. Abu Hurairah narrated that a man approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked, “Who is more deserving of my good treatment and companionship?” He said, “Your mother.” The man then asked, “Then who?” He said, “Your mother.” Then the man asked again, “Then who?” He said, “Your mother?” Then the man asked again, “Then who?” He said, “Then your father.”1 Another example of his good treatment of mothers, he would shorten a prayer after hearing the cries of a baby out of sympathy for the mother. Abu Qatadah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Indeed I would stand for prayer, with the intention of prolonging it, but then I would hear the cries of a baby so I would hasten it because I dislike making it difficult on the mother.”2 He also would prevent some of his companions from participating in Jihad if their parents were still alive and would order them to be at the service of their parents instead.3 If the woman is a wife, he said regarding them, “The best of you, are those who are best to their family and I am the best of you towards my family.”4 He also made the virtue and superiority of men amongst each other directly related to the kind treatment of wives and household. In this way, he encouraged them to compete with one another in excelling in their treatment of their wives. He was the first to implement this in his life and announced it to his companions (and followers) so that they may strive to emulate him in this regard.5 If she is a daughter or sister, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged their kind treatment and careful upbringing with the following words, “Whoever has three daughters or three

1 Agreed upon. Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 5971, pg. 1045, and Muslim, hadith no. 6500, pg. 1117.



4 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi: hadith no. 3895, pg. 878. He graded it “good unique authentic (hasan gharib sahih)”.

5 al-Mowsu’ah al-Musyassarah fit Ta’reef bi Nabi Ar-Rahma, pg. 208.



sisters, or even two daughters or two sisters and is mindful of Allah in their treatment and upbringing, will be rewarded with Paradise.6 His kind treatment of women did not stop there. Rather, he further raised their status by seeking their counsel, not only in matters related to women but also in those that were related to the Muslim society as a whole. An example of this can be seen in the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, when he encountered the unresponsiveness of his companions when he asked them to proceed with their umrah rites by slaughtering the sacrificial animal and shaving the hair but none stepped forward. He then went to Umm Salamah ad mentioned this to her and she said, “O Prophet of Allah. Are you pleased with that?! Return to them and do not say a word. Slaughter your sacrificial animal and then request someone to shave your hair.” He took her advice and returned to his companions and did as she advised. The companions upon seeing this, immediately stood up and followed his actions.7 He also encouraged men, upon returning from a journey, to give notice to his wife so that his she can prepare for his arrival. Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, “If you return, from a journey, in the evening then do not enter upon your wife (and surprise her). Rather, notify her, beforehand, so that she can make herself presentable.”8 The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also taught his nation that a wife is in need of kind words, a bright smile, warm touch and playful interactions that will make her feel good, relieve her stress and make life merrier. He also reminded them that a man’s kind treatment of his wife is not just protecting her from harm. Rather, it also includes sharing in her pain, being patient with her, and being forgiving during her times of anger.9

6 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 1916, pg. 446 and Abu Dawud, hadith no. 5147, pg. 723.

7 Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 2731-2732, pg. 447.





The Prophet’s Treatment of Children

Childhood is considered one of the most important stages in the development of a child’s personality. It is a stage that requires following specific methods in their upbringing. It also requires specific attributes when interacting with them at this age, such as; patience and kindness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) understood the importance of this stage in life so he took a very distinct approach in dealing with this age group. As a result, in many areas, young men became leaders. From amongst his approach, he related with children at their level, irrespective of whether they were his children or not. Abu Hurairah said, “We were praying the evening prayer (Isha) with the Prophet and when he prostrated, Hasan and Hussain would ride on his back. As he raised his head, he would gently grab them and place them on the ground. As he returned to prostration, they would return on his back and this would continue throughout the prayer. Upon completing the prayer, he would sit them both on his lap.10 Umm Khalid said, “I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with my father and had on a yellow shirt.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me and said, “Nice! Nice!” She then said, “I went to play with the ring of prophethood and my father admonished me.” The Prophet then said, “Let her be and invoked Allah to bless me with a long life.”11 Another approach of his, he played with children on the streets and was gentle with them. Ya’la ibn Murra said, “I went with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to attend a feast that he was invited to. As we passed by Hussain playing on the road, the Prophet then proceeded in front of the people and stretched out his arms making the child run away and laughing until he finally caught him. He then held his head and kissed him.12 Jabir ibn Sumrah said, “I prayed the noon prayer (Dhuhr) with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Afterwards, he left for his family and I went with him. Two children greeted him so he rubbed the cheeks of each one. He also rubbed my cheeks and his hands were cool and had a nice fragrant, as if he just pulled them out of a perfume pouch.13 He also use to play with children and show concern for things that were important to them, eventhough to him, it was of no significance. Anas said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had the best of manners. I use to have a brother named Abu Umair. Whenever the Prophet came to me, he would ask, ‘O Abu Umair! What did you pet bird do today?’”14 From amongst his beautiful treatment of children, he would warn against lying to them or playing with their emotions. Abdullah ibn Amr said, “My mother called me, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in our home, and said, ‘Come here, I will give you something.’” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then asked, “What did you want to give him?” She said, “Dates.” He then said to her, “If you don’t give it to him, you will have a lie written against you.”15

10

Recorded by Ahmad in al-Musnad, hadith no. 10659, vol. 16, pg. 386. Commentators of al-Musnad said, “Its chain is good.” 11

Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 3071, pg. 508. 12

Recorded by Ibn Majah, hadith no. 144, pg. 22, and Ahmad in al-Musnad, hadith no. 17561, vol. 29, pg. 102. Commentators of al-Musnad said, “Its chain is weak and al-Albaani didn’t mention it Da’eef Sunan ibn Majah.” 13

Recorded by Muslim, hadith no. 6052, pg. 1027. 14 Agreed upon. Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 6203, pg. 1079, and Muslim, hadith no. 5622, pg. 957.

15 Recorded by Abu Dawud, hadith no. 4991, pg. 702, and Ahmad, hadith no. 15702, vol.24, pg. 470. Commentators

of al-Musnad said, “This is a good hadith because of other supportive narrations.”



Also from his beautiful manners, whenever he saw something that needed to be corrected, he would do so calmly without scolding or yelling. Umar ibn Abi Salamah said, “One day as a child, in the care of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), my hand was all over the food spread. He then said to me, ‘O young child, say Bismillah, eat with your right hand and eat from that which is closest to you.’”16 He also taught children progressively, at a young age, the true meaning of manhood and the importance of proper etiquettes. He would also sometimes have the younger companions join him and the older companions so that they can learn from the life lessons and experience of these men.17

16

Agreed upon. Recorded by Bukhari, hadith no. 5376, pg. 960, and Muslim, hadith no. 5269, pg. 902. 17

al-Mowsu’ah al-Musyassarah fit Ta’reef bi Nabi Ar-Rahma, pg. 223.



The Prophet’s Treatment of Neighbors A person, who follows closely the situation in the West, or unfortunately even some Muslims, will see that everyone is busy and only concerned about themselves. He doesn’t know about his neighbor and, might even, cause him harm eventhough they are of the same faith. That was also the situation of the Arabs before Islam. However, if a Muslim looks at the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he will see how the Prophet cared for neighbors through his words by obligating the kind treatment of neighbors or through his actions by being good to his neighbors, even his non-Muslim neighbors. As for the command to be good to neighbors, there a lot of Prophetic traditions (Hadith) that encourages such actions. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best companion to Allah, is the one who is the best to his friend. The best neighbor to Allah is the one who is best to his neighbor.18 Also Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Jibreel kept advising me to be good to neighbors to the point that I thought he will inherit (from his neighbor).”19 Abu Dhar also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O Abu Dhar, if you make soup, make lots of it and share it with your neighbor.”20 He also warned against the mistreatment of neighbors and causing them harm. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever truly believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbors.”21 This is not exclusively towards Muslim neighbors. Rather, non-Muslim neighbors also have the same rights as Muslim neighbors. This is because all of the texts encouraging the kind treatment of neighbors are general and includes non-Muslims as well. Ibn Hajr explains, linguistically, the word neighbor includes Muslims and non-Muslims, slave and wicked, friend and enemy. Abdullah ibn Amr, one of the narrators of this Prophetic tradition, understood neighbors in the general sense. As a result of this general understanding, when a lamb was slaughtered for him, he gave some of it to his Jewish neighbor.22

18 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi: hadith no. 1944, pg. 452.


20 Recorded by Muslim, hadith no. 6688, pg. 1145.


22 Ahmad Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Baari, vol. 10, pg. 441.



The Prophet’s Treatment of His Enemies

Eventhough the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received a lot of harm and trouble from the tribe of Quraish; he forgave them and overlooked everything they did to him. He entered Mecca victorious and could have easily taken revenge on them for all that they did to him. Instead, he provided many ways for them to seek safety. He said, “Whoever seeks safety in the home of Abu Sufyaan will be safe. Whoever stays in his home will be safe. Whoever seeks safety in the mosque will be safe.”23 Then after the fighting ended, he went out to them and said, “O people of Quraish! What do you think I will do to you?” They said, “You will be good to us. You are noble and a kind brother, and a son of a noble and kind brother.” He then said, “You are free to leave as you please.”24 Also from his beautiful treatment of enemies, some of his companions once asked him to supplicate against his pagan enemies but he refused to do so. Abu Huraira narrated that it was the said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “Please supplicate against the pagans.” He replied, “I was not sent to curse but rather as a form of mercy.”25 Also when he returned from Taif, after being harmed by the people there, the angel in charge of the mountains came to him and said, “O Muhammad, Allah heard the words of your people to you. I am the angel in charge of the mountains. Your Lord sent me to you so that you can order me to do as you wish.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “I hope that Allah brings from their offspring, ones that will worship Allah alone and not associate partners with Him.”26 Another example of his character and treatment is his willingness to forgive those that harm him. This can be seen in the situation between him and his cousin, Abu Sufyaan. Abu Sufyaan use to curse him with his poetry. He did not leave a place in Mecca for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) except that he caused him harm in it. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liberated Mecca, his cousin came to him and asked for permission to approach him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He has violated my honor so I do not have a need for him.” Abu Sufyaan then said, “I swear by Allah, he either allows me to approach him or I will take my son’s hand and we will both go out to the desert and stay there until we both die of hunger and thirst.” Once that was conveyed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he softened up, allowed him to approach and accepted his apology. Abu Sufyaan then stood up and recited some lines of poetry praising him.27 Also from amongst the ones that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pardoned was Safwan ibn Umaiyah. He was an enemy to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and even tried to assassinate him. He then ran away fearful that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will kill him. Umair ibn Wahb then approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Prophet of Allah, Safwan ibn Umaiyah is a leader of his people. He fled, away from you, in order to throw himself in the sea so please guarantee his safety.” He said, “He is safe.” Umair then asked, “O Messenger of Allah, please give me something as a proof of your guarantee for his safety.” The Prophet

23

al-Mowsu’ah al-Musyassarah fit Ta’reef bi Nabi Ar-Rahma, pg. 309, and Hishaam, Abdul Malik, as-Seerah an-Nabawiyah, vol. 4, pg. 23, and Hazm, Ali, Jawaami’u as-Seerah, pg. 229. 24

Abdul Malik ibn Hishaam, as-Seerah an-Nabawiyah, vol.4, pg. 4. 25

Recorded by Muslim, hadith no. 6613, pg. 1134. 26 Agreed upon. Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 3231, pg. 539, and Muslim, hadith no. 4653, pg. 800.

27 Recorded by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, hadith no. 4359, and Abdul Malik ibn Hishaam, as-Seerah an-

Nabawiyah, vol. 4, pg. 33.



(peace and blessings be upon him) then gave him his turban that he entered Mecca with. Umair then left with it in search of Safwaan. He caught up with him as he was trying to sail the sea and said, “Safwan may my parents be sacrificed for you. This is proof of your safety granted by the Prophet.” Safwan said, “I fear him.” He replied, “He is more honorable and forgiving than that.” So Safwan returned with him until they approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Safwan then said, “He claims that you have guaranteed my safety?” He said, “He is being truthful.” Safwan the said, “Please give me two months.” He said, “You have four months.”28 After looking at these examples, it is a possibility that some will say that these pardons took place because of their social status and that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hoped for their acceptance of Islam. However, this is a notion is rejected because these pardons were done out of his personal nature and character. For that reason, he pardoned Wahshy (a person of no wealth, tribe or status) eventhough he killed his uncle, Hamza, in the Battle of Uhud.29 However, the Prophet did not only respect his enemies during their lifetime. He also respected them after their death. When the Battle of Badr ended and the pagan armies retreated, he ordered the burial of the deceased in an abandoned well. This is because, to him, every human body, dead or alive, is sacred.30

28

Abdul Malik ibn Hishaam, as-Seerah an-Nabawiyah, vol. 4, pg. 44, and Ali ibn Hazm, Jawaami’u as-Seerah, pg. 234. 29 Ali ibn Hazm, Jawaami’u as-Seerah, pg. 166.




The Prophet’s Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW)

There are international agreements today regarding the rights of prisoners of war. It has been signed by over 60 countries but yet, we still find the harsh treatment of prisoners of war. Some of these examples can be seen; in the way they are degraded, how they are made as an example for others to see, and have their rights and honor violated. These types of ill-treatment even come from those who claim to be the most civilized nation and the biggest advocators of human rights.31 It is also likely that a Muslim POW will be subjected to ill-treatment from his captors, regardless of whether his captors are non-Muslims or an unorthodox Muslim. If the likes of these people were to look at the Prophet’s treatment of POWs, they will realize they are far behind him in this regard. He introduced many code of conducts and ethics regarding the treatment of POWs. Some of these examples are that POWs are not coerced to change their religion or beliefs. Rather, they should be taught and invited to Islam with kindness and wisdom. An example of this kind treatment of POWs can be seen in the Prophet’s treatment of Thumamah ibn Athaal. He was asked by the Prophet, “What do you have to say?” He replied, “If you kill me, then you will kill one deserving of it. However, if you have favor upon me (with forgiveness) then you will do so to a grateful person.” On the third day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his release. Thumamah then went to a well nearby Medina, bathed (made ghusl), then returned and accepted Islam.32 In addition to being forgiving towards his enemies, he also encouraged his companions to give the best foods to their POWs. Abu Aziz, the brother of Mus’ab ibn Umair, became a POW in the Battle of Badr and said, “I was in the custody of a group of Ansar (Muslims from the inhabitants of Medinah) returning to Medina from Badr. When they served their lunch and dinner, they gave me the bread (a food favorite) and they ate the dates; following the instruction of the Prophet regarding us. There was never a time when one of them would receive a piece of bread except that he would share it with me. I would then be embarrassed to take it and return it to him but he would return it to me and insist that I take it.”33 The kind treatment also extended to the clothing of POWs. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would look after the proper clothing of POWs. Jabir ibn Abdullah said, “After the Battle of Badr, the POWs were brought to the Prophet and Abbas was also amongst them. He didn’t have a shirt on so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) searched for a shirt for him. He then saw that the shirt of Abdullah ibn Ubaiy was the appropriate size for Abbas so he gave it to him.”34 He also sternly prohibited the separation of a POW mother from her children. Abu Ayuub narrates that he was amongst an army that separated the POW mothers from her children and saw them crying. He

31

al-Mowsu’ah al-Musyassarah fit Ta’reef bi Nabi Ar-Rahma, pg. 223. 32 Agreed upon. Recorded by Bukhari, hadith no. 4372, pg. 742, and Muslim, hadith no. 4589, pg. 782.

33 Tareekh al-Tabari, vol. 2, pg. 39.

34 Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 3008, pg. 497.



then returned every mother to her children and told them that the Prophet said, “Whoever separates a mother from her child, Allah will separate him from his beloved ones on the Day of Resurrection.”35

35 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 1283, pg. 312, and Ahmad, hadith no. 23499, vol. 38, pg. 485. Commentators

of al-Musnad said, “This hadith is good with its many chains and supportive narrations.”



The Prophet’s Treatment of Animals

The kind treatment of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not just towards human beings. Rather it also was extended to animals as well. This is because, to every nation, animals were used as a means of transportation, land cultivation, and during war and for hunting. The mistreatment of animals was a common practice at the time among all nations, including the Arabs. However, those who study the life of the Prophet will find the kindness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) towards animals and his command to be good towards them. This is evident in the following Islamic principles;

1- The general prohibition on harming animals in any form. For example, he prohibited the mocking of animals. Abdullah ibn Umar said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who mocks animals.”36 He also prohibited the branding of an animal’s face. Jabir narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a donkey that had its face branded and said, “May Allah curse the one who branded it.”37 He also forbade taking animals as targets when learning archery. Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not take living creatures as targets.”38 He also prohibited making fire a form of punishment. He once passed by an ant colony that was burnt and asked, “Who burnt this ant colony?” We said, “We did.” He then said, “It is not permissible for one to punish with fire except the Lord of fire (Allah).”39

2- The obligation to be good towards animals with regards to their food and drink. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once passed by a man from the Ansar that had a camel with him. This man use to starve it and overwork it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, “Do you not fear Allah in your treatment of this camel that Allah has placed in your care?!”40 Sahl ibn Handhaliyah said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once passed a by a camel that became frail and weak and said, “Fear Allah in your treatment of this camel! Ride her when she is strong and eat her when she is still healthy.”41 Abu Hurairah also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “As a man was walking on a street, he became very thirsty. He then saw a well and descended to get a drink. As he ascended up the well, he saw a dog panting and eating dirt out of extreme thirst. The man then said, “This dog is as thirsty as I was.” He then went back down and filled one of his boots with water and held it with his mouth as he ascended up. He then gave it to the dog to drink. Allah rewarded him by forgiving his sins.” They asked, “We are even rewarded in our treatment of animals?” He said, “There’s a reward in (the kind treatment of) every living creature.”42 Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A woman was punished and entered the Hellfire because she restrained a cat until it died of hunger.”43

3- Taking into consideration the physical and emotional needs of an animal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his companions, while stopping for prayer during a journey,

36 Recorded by al-Bukhari, hadith no. 5515, pg. 982.



39 Recorded by Abu Dawud, hadith no. 2675, pg. 386.







to not start prayer until they have unloaded their traveling provisions from the animals. In this way the animals can take a rest during this period as well. Anas ibn Malik said, “When we stopped at a place for prayer, we would not start prayer until we have unloaded the animals of our travelling provisions.”44 Abu Hurairah also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If you travel through fertile land, then let the camels get their share of it. However, if you travel through barren land, then hurry through it.”45 Abdullah ibn Massoud also said, “We were with the Prophet on a journey, and he left to take care of a need. We then saw a small bird that had young ones with her so we took the young ones from her. The small bird then started to flap her wings. When the Prophet returned he asked, “Who tortured this small bird by taking her young ones? Return them back to her!”46

4- The commandment to be merciful towards animals at the time of slaughter. Shaddad ibn Aws said, “Two things I memorized from what the Prophet said, ‘Verily Allah has ordained excellence for everything. If you kill then make it a clean kill and if you slaughter then make it a clean slaughter. You should sharpen your blade and make it easy on the animal.’”47 He also commanded sharpening the knife away from the sight of the animals. Salim ibn Abdullah narrated from his father that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to sharpen the knife away from the animals. He also said, “If one of you wants to slaughter an animal then he should make proper preparations.”48

These are some bright aspects from the life of the Prophet that many Muslims are unaware of, especially non-Muslims. Will Muslims start to pay attention to his life and follow his examples so that they will present the true picture of this religion and its Prophet?





48 Recorded by Ibn Majah, hadith no. 3172, pg. 461, and Ahmad, hadith no. 5864, vol. 10, pg. 105. Commentators

of al-Musnad said, “This chain is weak….the authentic hadith regarding this topic is the hadith of Shaddaad.”



Conclusion and Recommendations

I praise Allah for enabling me to complete this paper and ask Him to make it beneficial to others. In the conclusion of this paper, it would be appropriate to offer the following recommendations;

1- The life of the Prophet is still in need of more in-depth study and research in order to: deduce lessons from it and bring to light the Prophetic method in every aspect of life so that it can be a guide for Muslims to follow;

2- Gifted writers whom Allah has blessed with writing talents should write about his life, keeping in mind that their writing should be appropriate for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In this way, more people can benefit from it;

3- Selecting certain aspects of the Prophet’s life that has an impact on non-Muslims and focusing on these issues. Especially the ones that have a lot of debates surrounding it or the correct Islamic viewpoint is not understood or known. Muslims should not always be on the defensive end. Rather they should also be on the forefront initiating dialogue and showing the beauty of this religion through the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him);

4- Benefiting from literatures that have been written about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a simple modern style that have been widely accepted, by the grace of Allah, and translating these works into many different languages so that the correct picture of the Prophet’s life can be conveyed to every nation.

I ask Allah to bless this conference and may the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.



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