It
was the job of the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace)
to make things smooth for people, not difficult. Even when people were
rude to him he still behaved graciously and with manners. God is gentle
and He loves gentleness in all things (Bukhari & Muslim) and Islam
teaches the absence of gentleness in a thing renders it defective
(Muslim). The Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) taught
that no one can be classed as a believer unless they wish good things
for their fellow human beings – like they wish them for themselves
(Bukhari).
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace) started
merciful social revolution in which his Companions (raa) spread a
philosophy of merciful respect for human and animal life, emancipated
tens of thousands of slaves, promoted the God given rights of women,
over came age old prejudices and sectarian divisions, promoted
functioning multiculturalism, effected practical communitarian policies
and spread the love of charity and agape benevolence, all within a few
decades of the beginning of the Last Revelation.
The
Muslims only did these things when they lived according to the holistic
merciful way of life that is the Deen of Islam and history shows that
when the Muslims existed in that state of true Islam they were a beacon
of blessed light and Baraka in the world.
Each
Muslim now makes the choice between a life of selfish play or a life
dedicated to the the well being of the sentient creatures of the planet
and to the worship of our Creator. One day a rough and rude Bedouin came
to the Prophet and asked him for a gift, which he was given, instead of
being thankful the rude man asked for more in an impolite and
aggressive way. Rather than taking offence, and quieting the Companions
(raa), he gave the man what he requested and whose demeanour instantly
changed.
When
the Companions questioned the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give
him peace) later he explained what he had done with the metaphor of a
run away camel;
Once a man had a troublesome camel which had run away.
Different people kept trying to bring it back
through beating and dragging but failed.
The keeper of the camel asked them not to interfere
and he himself gently brought it
back under control by feeding it leaves little by little,
until its temper had waned.
The
Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) informed them that
if they had responded to the man in kind, with roughness, that it would
have failed to guide him, but having left contented he was more likely
to improve his ways by coming to faith.
Abdur Raheem.
