Shaqafna English | by Dr Ali Akbar Badiei- The Prophet’s (PBUH) kindness, rooted in the mercy and compassion of God is boundless. The pages of history are filled with examples of his mercy. It is for this reason that his Lord referred to him as a mercy to all the worlds.
He forgave all the soldiers in the Battle of Uhud who had abandoned their positions and turned victory into defeat. Instead of punishing or rebuking them, he lifted his blessed hands to the sky in prayer:
“O’ Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.”
He forgave Wahshi, the man who had martyred Hamza, the Leader of the Martyrs, and he waived his right to retaliation. At the Conquest of Makkah, he forgave all those who had drawn their swords against him and had expelled him from the city years earlier. He declared:
“Today is the Day of Mercy.”
And there are many more such examples.
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The full text of the reflection, as reported by Shafaqna, is as follows:
According to the testimony of the Quran, the secret behind the success of the Great Prophet (PBUH) was his “great character” and his extraordinary compassion and kindness. The Holy Quran, regarding the Prophet’s (PBUH) character, says in one place:
“And indeed, you are of a great moral character” (Surah Qalam, 68:4)
And elsewhere:
“And had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:159)
Regarding his compassion, it says:
“Perhaps you would kill yourself with grief over them because they do not believe” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara, 26:3)
Why is it, truly, that among all the noble traits of the Prophet (PBUH) such as honesty, trustworthiness, asceticism, generosity, justice; God chose to highlight these two: His kindness and compassion?
These qualities alone are sufficient for the greatness and success of any human being. But God’s emphasis on them tells us something deeper.
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The State of the Muslim Ummah
The condition of Muslims today, and the way they view and treat one another, shows that kindness and compassion have always been necessary in any Islamic society and still are. If Muslims had taken to heart the Verse/Ayah: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (SWT) you have a good example to follow” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:21).
And made the Prophet’s (PBUH) mercy and compassion their model for individual and social conduct, then without a doubt, the political, economic, and social situation of Muslims would not be what it is today.
The Prophet’s (PBUH) character a special gift from God was marked by gentleness and deep concern for others. As the Quran says:
“And by the Mercy of Allah (SWT), you were gentle with them.”
It was through this divine mercy that the Prophet (PBUH) was made gentle, because in the same verse God makes it clear that harshness and rough speech are causes of division and discord, while gentleness and kindness bring unity and success.
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The Prophet’s (PBUH) Mercy in Action
The Prophet’s (PBUH) mercy derived from God’s Mercy is limitless. History is filled with his acts of compassion. God called him the ‘Mercy’ to all the worlds.
• He forgave the soldiers of Uhud who caused the defeat.
• He forgave Wahshi, the killer of Hamza.
• He forgave his enemies in Makkah and declared:
“Today is the Day of Mercy.”
So many other examples exist.
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A Painful Reality
Even though God said:
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (SWT) is an excellent example for you”,
…unfortunately:
• Muslims have honored the Prophet’s (PBUH) name, but forgotten his way of life.
• They have respected the Quran, but not acted on its teachings.
• They have embraced harshness over gentleness, and the result is the disaster we now face.
Regretfully, this wrong path continues. Division and discord have spread across the Islamic world, while the Quranic call: “Indeed the believers are brothers” (Surah Hujurat, 49:10), has been forgotten.
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Tragedy of the Modern Muslim World
• Destructive wars plague the Muslim world.
• The blood and wealth fuelling these wars come from Muslims themselves.
• The bitter reality is that the Prophet came as a mercy, but his followers failed to follow his merciful example.
When asked to curse the leader of the hypocrites, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“I was not sent to curse people; I was sent as a mercy.”
But we, the followers of the Prophet:
• Did not follow his path.
• Replaced brotherhood and kindness with Takfir (excommunication) and killing.
• Spent billions of dollars which should have been used for scientific, healthcare, and welfare development to buy weapons from non-Muslims to kill each other.
Forgetting that: “The killing of a Muslim by another Muslim is the killing of Islam itself.” Millions of copies of the Quran were printed, but the Verses were not followed.
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Muslims and Borders
Non-Muslims have removed borders between their nations, yet we Muslims:
• Added more borders.
• Planted seeds of hatred and division.
• Reaped violence and destruction throughout the Islamic lands.
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A Personal Story
I remember back in 2014, during a visit to UC Berkeley, I met Professor Hamid Algar. After a long discussion about Islam and Muslims in America, I asked him to share some advice from his experience in spreading Islam. He paused for a moment, smiled, and said: “Go and invite Muslims to Islam!”
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Final Words
Yes — Islam is a religion that needs to be re-discovered anew.
– Ali Akbar Badii
Brussels / Rabi-al-Awwal 1396 AH