SHAFAQNA | by Iffat Zahra: What was the main message and objective of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)?
It is narrated in the holy Quran:
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُّبِينٍ
Certainly did God confer [great] favor upon the believers when God sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them God’s verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.[1] [1]
The main purpose of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was to focus on the importance of purification and train the human being to shape themselves in the best way ever. Hence, this is why the Prophet (PBUH) was sent. The Divine Messenger helped people to self-build and reach perfection. And today we can still learn from our Holy Prophet (PBUH) how we can purify ourselves, our well- being, and nourishment of our soul. Therefore, cleansing the soul is the utmost important thing one can do for themselves.
The human beings have animalistic characteristics and in order to put that into check we have to charge our souls on a spiritual level. By the help of our beloved Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings we can learn to have perfect morals and self-control against our selfish desires. It is vital to focus on developing good morals because Almighty God sent Prophet (PBUH) for this purpose. It is narrated:
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَکَارِمَ الْأَخْلَاقِ
I was appointed for Prophethood so that I may accomplish the importance of moral perfection within human souls.[2] [2]
In another narration it says: “One day a man approached the Messenger of God (PBUH) and asked the Prophet (PBUH) “What is religion?” The Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied, “Having good moral conduct.” The man continued to ask the Prophet (PBUH) the same question on several occasions. The man appeared from right, left, and behind the messenger (PBUH). Finally the Holy Prophet (PBUH) took a very deep look at the man and said to him, “Why do you not understand? The religion is not defined as anger.”[3] [3]
The religion of Islam has placed an important role for moral ethics and values. We the human beings need to understand how important it is to treat this matter with the utmost importance and respect. In addition, the Holy Quran emphasizes the importance of purification. Therefore, self-purification helps us gain closeness to God. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his holy progeny (AS) were the personification of the same divine meanings of the holy Quran. We also need to learn from the manners of the Holy Progeny and learn when to apply in what situations to become ambassadors of Islam; we only need to give the people the same teachings as Imam Al-Ridha (A.S.) said:
الامامُ الرِّضا علیه السلام : «رَحِمَ اللّهُ عَبْدا اَحْیا أمْرَنا،»[قال الرّاوی:] فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: «فَکَیْفَ یُحْیِی أمْرَکُمْ؟» قالَ: «یَتَعَلَّمُ عُلُومَنا و یُعَلِّمُها النّاسَ، فَإِنَّ النّاسَ لَوْ عَلِمُوا مَحاسِنَ کَلامِنا لاَتَّبَعُونا[4] [4]
May Allah (SWT) bless the servant who revives our affairs, (the one who has narrated this narration said that the Imam said to him: “How can we revive your affairs?” He replied: “To learn our knowledge and teach it to the people, because if the people learned the pleasantness of our words they would have followed us “.
Therefore, to meet God we must become pure. To become pure we must gain the knowledge from the Holy Progeny and apply it to ourselves first then teach it to the people. Almighty God has described this as whoever seeks to purify himself as being successful and whoever neglects, profanes or does not try to purify it as being a failure. As the holy Quran says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا
He has succeeded who purifies it [5] [5]
[1] [6] Quran 3:164
[2] [7] Biharal Anwar, vol 69, pp. 257.
[3] [8] Al Mahajjah al Bayza of Fayd Kashani, Vol 5, pp. 89.
[4] [9] 1 ـ میزان الحکمة، ج 8، ح 13797
[5] [10] Ash-Shams 91:9