Nida Mansoor, London
Thinking about love, naturally our inclinations take us to ideals of perfection. We try to personify our expectations of love, take inspiration from, and draw towards those who reflect those traits. For me, as a Muslim, love in its perfect form is only in The Creator; striving to become one with Him so that we begin to resonate and adopt His attributes, can only be achieved with complete obedience to God and His Messenger.
‘And, We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples.’ Holy Qur’an, Chapter 21, verse 108.
God sent the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as a mercy for all of mankind, and instructed us to follow his model character in order to lead us to success in life, and after life. God says in the Holy Qur’an, chapter 33, verse 22: ‘Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.’
Imagine being God’s beloved; it would be the ultimate comfort. Yet, astonishingly, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not relish this, but remained humble, dedicating his nights in prostration to Allah, praying restlessly for mankind’s salvation from destruction. God Almighty directly addressed the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in chapter 26, verse 4 of the Holy Qur’an: ‘Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not.’ From this verse, one can only imagine the unparalleled depth of love and compassion he felt for humanity. He wanted us to know The Creator, gain His mercy and save us from His wrath. [ii]
The life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) illustrates trials and difficulties, from becoming an orphan at early age, and later when persecuted while spreading God’s message of truth – Islam. And yet, throughout it all, he maintained love as his utmost guiding principle, and by extension exemplified forgiveness, gratitude, and generosity, in such challenging situations, leaving one awestruck and inspired. His life was a demonstration of love like no other, which encompassed humanity in its entirety.
God describes the nature of this exalted Prophet in chapter 9, verse 128: ‘Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful.’
Dr Gustav Weil, a 19th century German orientalist, writes: “…Muhammad was a shining example to his people…. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all. Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious care for the welfare of the community.” [v].
The tribe of Quraish were arch enemies of Islam and, for a period of thirteen years in Mecca, they meted out hatred to the Prophet, taunted, mocked, physically and mentally abused him and his followers, subjecting them to unbearable sanctions. When the Prophet migrated to Medina, they plotted and attempted to kill him, and gathered to wage war against him. Yet, some seven years later, when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Mecca victorious with an army of 10,000, he did not seek revenge on them. One cannot help but feel a strong sense of injustice and pain for the losses endured by the one who was an orphan and was separated from his loved ones by the acts of his opponents, yet the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not seek retribution despite having the upper hand. His most beloved Uncle Hamzah was brutally killed and his daughter Zainab was seriously injured to the extent that she suffered a miscarriage, yet the Prophet magnanimously forgave his enemies. His life is indeed an epitome of chapter 41, verse 35 of the Holy Qur’an: ‘And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend.’ He overcame the evil with his kindness and forgiveness, and he freed people from the bondage of sin and crime, and also made them great friends of Islam. [v]
When seeing examples of hatred, greed, and cruelty in the world today, it becomes ever clearer to me, that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was indeed a mercy to mankind. Adopting his sublime character, reflecting forgiveness, compassion, honour, and respect for one another, we may, as a society, be able to overcome challenges and reform our hearts, in order to restore peace and propagate love, reconciliation, and tolerance.
References
[i] The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on whom be peace) (page 2-3.
[ii]The Holy Prophets Unparalleled Love and Compassion for All, His Holiness Mirza Masroor’s (may Allah be his helper) address to non-Muslims guests at the Annual Convention, Holland on 19th May 2021.
[iii] Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim
[iv] True love for the Holy Prophet by His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad
[v]Benevolence of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) http://www.alislam.org
Voice of British Muslim Women 
Leave a comment