Legacy Of The Prophet (PBUH)
By Mufti Menk | 2026-01-11T21:23:03.236625+00:00 | Topic: Seerah
Legacy Of The Prophet (PBUH) - Mufti Menk
Opening
"[Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.]"
"[In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.]"
"[All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. From Him we seek help. May blessings and peace be upon the best of all creation, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment. To proceed:]"
We always commence by praising the Almighty Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the Creator, Nourisher, Cherisher, Sustainer, Provider, Protector, Curer, the One in whose hands lies absolutely every aspect and control of every creature of His.
Indeed, all praise is due to Him. Blessings and salutations upon all those who were sent by Him to us to remove us from the darkness to the light. We ask the Almighty to bless Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) his entire household and all his companions and every single one who struggled through the years and through the generations to preserve the goodness and to convey it in a way that today it has come to us.
And may the Almighty bless every single one of us and our offspring to come up to the end of time.
Introduction
My brothers and sisters, this evening I shall be talking about the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him. In order to understand this, we need to look at the condition of the people at the time of the birth of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
Society and community was perhaps at its darkest point. Perhaps at a point where people were very, very insecure. They had no form of peace, stability, security, no guarantee of being alive.
And at the same time, women were downtrodden to the degree that they were not even considered a gift upon birth. As soon as they were born, once confirmed that this was a female child, they were buried alive. And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes mention of how bad and how prohibited this is and how each person who has engaged in this type of brutal murder shall be questioned.
And the innocent little child or infant will also be questioned, why were you buried alive?
"[And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked, For what sin was she killed]"
And this little child or the infant who was buried alive shall be questioned on that day of judgment, what was your sin? What was the sin that made you be buried or that made them bury you? And this question is there in the Quran in order to highlight to us how abhorred and how wrong and incorrect it is to treat the children wrongly. This was the condition at the time of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). A female child made them upset.
I hope and I pray that we are not from amongst those who go back to the pagan times in our action or in our feelings when we are informed of a female child. Rather, we become very happy when we are informed of a child. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness.
Condition of Women in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Over and above that, women were treated as a commodity. They were inherited, they were bought and sold, they were made to dance in front of the men as an amusement, they were paraded naked and so on. So many different things happened.
And if we think about it carefully, today we are being returned to a similar period of darkness, but in an educated fashion, where education is being used as a term to con us to going back into the nudity and the nakedness so that the men have a chance to compare the bodies of women who are not theirs and will never be theirs and perhaps interfere in the lives of those who do not belong to them and perhaps will never belong to them. So it's important for us to go back to the times of the pagans and to see the type of darkness they were in. When we read about it, we definitely look at it as oppression, and we look at it as that which is unfair.
How did they treat their women in that way? Whereas today, it seems like we're coming back to that pagan time, but in a way that we consider it our freedom to go back there and to go and do that which really was already abolished or already spoken about and dealt with. We always say we would not like to invent the wheel again. Once it's invented, make use of it.
Amazing. But when it comes sometimes to practicalities, we tend to want to go back, and we do not learn by example or by history. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness.
Injustice and Inequality
If we take a look at what else there was, the strong were always those who got away with murder. They were always those who were let off. If there was a robbery or there was someone who had stolen, what would happen is if he or she was a person from a noble home, from a home or from a lineage that was high, they got away with it.
And if there was a downtrodden person who happened to even steal a little bit, they were penalized and punished excessively. And this is what the Prophet says,
(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 3475 and Sahih Muslim Hadith 1688)
"[What destroyed the previous nations was that when the elite perpetrated crimes, they were let off, they were let free. And when the weak perpetrated crimes, they were penalized and punished excessively.]"
And this is when he made the powerful statement,
(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 3475 and Sahih Muslim Hadith 1688)
"[I swear by the Almighty, he says, if Fatima, my own daughter, the daughter of Muhammad, peace be upon him, if Fatima had to steal, I would penalize her similarly. I would engage in the penalization exactly as it would be meted out to anyone besides her. And from this, what he meant is, my children and your children are equal when it comes to fulfilling the law,]"
Look at the justice. So, at that particular time, there are so many incidents of people who had come in to Makkah al-Mukarramah and their wealth was usurped. Unless they knew someone of a high rank, their wealth was usurped.
They were treated unfairly. There was a lot of discrimination. They would take a person who was not known and they would enslave him just because he was unknown, a wayfarer perhaps, someone who had come here and there.
Nobody knew him. They enslaved and they bought and sold when Islam came. Muhammad (صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
The Unlettered Prophet's Influence
What we need to think about, and it's a question that I always ask myself, a man, really, who was in a desert. A desert. Obviously, today we have internet, we have the power of communication, we have so much technological advancement.
At that time, nobody. Nothing. A man, unlettered.
He could not read or write. Unlettered, meaning he was the most highly educated individual, but he was unlettered for reasons best known to the Almighty. No one would come and say he read this from the previous scriptures and so on.
And today, just 1400 odd years later, I'd like to think that more than 1.5 billion, if not 2 billion, or should I say 2 billion, if not 1.5 billion plus, people declare,
"[They declare that indeed, Muhammad, may peace be upon him, is the final messenger.]"
The messenger, the worshipper of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So, definitely it is something intriguing, something mind- boggling, that within a thousand odd years, just 1400 years, almost 2 billion people have followed him, accept him as a messenger, the final messenger, have studied his life, or at least emulate the pillars that he taught, and claim that faith.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us strength. I have a question. And the question is, just as well I cannot really see who I'm speaking to here, and that's quite good, I can just see a few little figures in front of me there, the question is, how many of you have read the biography of this man who was the most influential man ever to exist? Amazing.
The most influential man ever to exist. I'd like to think the bulk of us here declare him as the messenger whom we follow, through whom we would like to, obviously upon following him and the intercession that he will be given insha Allah by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, we would like to achieve jannah. Through that, and yet we are guilty of not having read his biography thoroughly.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala strengthen us. It is indeed a disservice to Islam and to Muhammad (صلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) that we claim to be the lovers of his, we claim to be those who follow his example, and yet, we have not yet even gone through his own autobiography. We have not yet gone through what he lived by, how the whole world has changed, what happened? Do you think that if he had taught that which was bad and evil, that it would have grown so much? And this is why we say, those who have a warped understanding of Islam today, definitely have not understood the legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
The Divine Gift of Unity
When he came in, yes, for justice, for purposes of abolishing injustice, he engaged in war, he definitely went to war, and this was in order to protect the freedom of the people who were under his authority.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness, and may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us. If you take a look at what Allah says regarding the peace and the stability that came after the advent of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) you would come to realize something amazing that is enshrined in the Quran.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, and this is something amazing, where the Almighty has made mention of a gift of His.
"[And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers.]"
The Almighty upon you. When you were people who were fighting one another, you were people who were enemies of one another, and the Almighty through His gift and through the boons of His has actually made you loving brethren.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us strength. You take a look at the legacy of Muhammad (صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). Allah had used him to create peace, not in order to come about with war.
In fact, if you look at the pagan Arabs, they were fighting one another completely. Little tribes, little clans, little regions fighting each other. Look at the Aus and the Khazraj in Madinatul Munawwara.
Take a look at the others around Quraysh and what used to happen. They used to fear to travel from one point to another because they were worried about the highwaymen and those who would waylay them, and those who would steal their property. And when Islam came in, when Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) came in, do you know what happened? Everything changed.
They were so peaceful. They were in peace. They lived as brethren, and he respected them.
Do you know that there were Jewish people and Christians who lived in Madinatul Munawwara at the time, and they were in utmost peace, so much so that they have even declared that we are in a moment of complete and utmost fulfillment of our rights. And they too had rights that they fulfilled towards those who looked after them. So we ask the Almighty to return to us the peace and stability that was taught by Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
He lived by it, and he promoted it, and he stood by it. This is the legacy he lived by, and something that he left behind for us. Today we find warfare, and we find instability, and we find insecurity.
It is only because we have left what he has left behind. We have discarded it. We have perhaps turned away from it.
We don't even know about it. We haven't even read about it. Many would come and say, you know what, Islam is a very bad religion.
Wow, are they basing it on what some people who call themselves Muslims are doing, or are they basing it on knowledge, that which is from Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) given by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. I'd like to think they are basing it on the weakness of ours, where we have discarded even the lifestyle of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). It is very important we go back.
The Conquest of Makkah - A Legacy of Forgiveness
Look at the compassion that he had. Look at how he treated his spouses, his family members. Look at what he did to those who were Muslim around him, those who were non-Muslim.
They were in harmony and peace. And look at how he stood up for justice against his own people. And look at how he forgave at the moment when he knew that if he wanted he could have wiped out all those who had murdered in the past his own tribesmen and familymen.
When he entered Makkah al-Mukarramah, there was a question that arose, a powerful question that arose, because he was entering the city that he was born in. And at the same time, years later, entering this beautiful city as victorious people. There were people that dwelled within Makkah at that moment, and they were from amongst those who had stolen the property of the Muslims.
And they had killed large numbers of Muslims. They had prepared armies to fight the Muslims. And yet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ as he entered this victorious city, he humbled himself.
He put his head down. Instead of entering with all pomp, no, he humbled himself. He lowered his head down, and he entered it declaring the praise of the Almighty.
And the question arose, what are you going to do with these people? What are you going to do with us who have perpetrated so many crimes against you and against those who followed you? Today you have come to us victorious. At that moment, do you know what he did? The question was, O people of Quraysh, what do you think I'm going to do to you? Ya ma'shara Quraysh, maada tadunnoona anni fa'ilun bikum? O people of Quraysh, what do you think I'm going to do to you? What's going to happen? And obviously, this question was in order for them to think what they would have done if they were in that position. That's one of the reasons.
Otherwise, he did not need to ask the question. So, with all humility, they looked down. With all humility, they said, Do we have good hope in you? You're a good man.
The son of a good man. You're a nobleman. He says,
اِذْهَبُوا فَأَنْتُمُ الطُّلَقَاءُ
The legacy he left. He says, You can go free. You are the ones.
You are free. No retribution today. I will tell you what my brother Joseph, may peace be upon him, told his brothers.
No retribution against you today. Amazing. This was the legacy of Muhammad s.a.w. He forgave when he knew that he was able to He forgave when he knew that he was able to revenge or to get back at those who had harmed him and his people.
Still he said, No. I will forgive you. Amazing.
And as a result, so many of them entered the fold of Islam. And so many of them saw the beauty and the light that he had been teaching all along. One of the most powerful points that were left behind by
Muhammad s.a.w. Although he was unlettered, the importance upon knowledge and education is something that is unmatched.
The First Revelation - The Command to Read
Islam came about. The first words of revelation,
اِقْرَأْ
Read.
Read. And he said, But I cannot read. He was honest.
Honest enough to say, I cannot read. And he was told to read again. It's amazing how important it is for us to educate ourselves.
We do know that there are so many different things we can learn from Allah s.w.t.'s divine wisdom in having that word as the first word of revelation. But one of the points is, a lot of the times we have not yet read. Yet, revelation is that which we are supposed to read.
We have a bad habit of thinking that the word recite only means, you know, sit and recite melodiously the Arabic language whether you understand it or not, is besides the point. No, that is wrong. That is wrong.
You have an equal duty to fulfill towards the Quran. One is to learn its recitation, and the other is to learn its meaning. The duty is equal.
At loss are those who have known recitation without going into its meaning. And at loss are those who have gone into its meaning without trying to recite. May Allah s.w.t. grant us both.
Ameen. My brothers and sisters, it is important for us to see that today what the world thinks Islam is all about is something that we have to make our duty to change in order to present the correct image of Islam. Yes, we believe that others are free in their own countries to adopt their laws and so on.
At the same time we believe that we are free. It is important for us to know that Muhammad s.a.w. has left behind the statement of Allah s.w.t.
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ
your faith. You believe in it.
We have ours. We believe in it. Do not trample on our feet, and we will not trample on yours.
So, we will discuss matters, we will try to understand matters, we will try to see who has evidence and proof and whose opinion is better. Because obviously that's part of education. But, you will never come and tell me that what I have, what I believe within myself is that which is totally barbaric when 2 billion people have accepted it.
May Allah s.w.t. grant us a deeper understanding of this beautiful faith. Perhaps sometimes it is the guilt of those who look at the faith as well, when they look at it with an eye of mistrust, when they look at it with an eye of misinformation, misunderstanding. But as I just said, it's our duty, inshaAllah, to try our best to change that, to try our best to be able to present the correct image of Islam.
One of the reasons is, as we just heard moments ago, many people are living a life that is full of sadness, lack of contentment, and the solution for them is definitely following the instructions that have been laid down by the Maker s.w.t. And yet, they are not even prepared to look towards Divine Revelation. May Allah s.w.t. change that. May He make us from those who understand Divine Revelation, who take our time to look into it.
The Greatest Legacy - The Quran
Because if you want to know the biggest legacy left by Muhammad s.w.t, the Quran. That powerful book, the word of Allah s.w.t, it's amazing. It is something that is not only a miracle, but it is a gift, personally for every one of us.
The human kind, the jinn kind, may Allah s.w.t. grant us the ability to understand this gift. If I were to present you with a small gift, or you were to present me with a gift, we would consider it something as being a point of honor, as being something that is really dignified. I would perhaps put it on my mantelpiece, if an important person has given it to me.
But when it comes to the Quran, it is the gift of Allah that we are not allowed to just put on the mantelpiece, we have to open it, and read it, and see how we will be leading our lives. Allahu Akbar. May Allah s.w.t. grant us peace and stability.
And this is why, the term, the very term Islam, is connected to submission and peace. Whoever submits, shall attain peace. So we ask the Almighty to help us submit to His instruction and His command.
Obviously that would be impossible, if we did not learn the instructions brought by Muhammad s.w.t. Let's take a careful look at a few of the very very interesting points, that people pick on today, not realizing that in actual fact, when Islam came, it solved the matter, rather than creating problems.
Women's Rights in Islam
Take a look at the issue of women. When Islam came, not only did it prohibit the inheritance of a woman, and the prohibition of considering her a commodity, but it made it incumbent upon the guardians of the
females to take care of their basic needs.
So your clothing, your accommodation, and your food and so on, it is the duty of the closest male relative to you, to take care of those. So what do you need in terms of wealth? You actually do not need anything. But Allah says, on top of that, we will give you a certain percentage of wealth, you have the right of ownership of wealth, and at the same time, when you marry, you have the right to ask for a certain amount, that would be, it's not actually a bride price or anything, it's just a mere gift, from the groom to the bride, acknowledging that you have the right of ownership of wealth.
Amazing. Imagine, when you're getting married, you have to give your spouse something known as a mahr. And that mahr, it would be an acknowledgement, to say, look, this is now belonging to you, I'm giving you so much, it's yours.
Which means I acknowledge, you're a human being, you also have the right to own property. And that is your personal property. On top of that, I will still take care of your basic needs.
Imagine, look at how high Islam has raised the female. Amazing. And on top of that, when a person passes away, the laws of inheritance dictate, that the females who are left behind, in terms of the heirs, the relatives, will get a certain percentage, even though, by right, one might argue they don't need it, because their needs are taken care of.
The Wisdom of Islamic Inheritance
So if you have a brother, and this is something we definitely need to look at, because a lot of people create questions, mischievously or ignorantly, in this regard. If you have a brother and a sister, and the father leaves behind, say for example, $75,000. What would happen is, the brother would take from there, $50,000, and the sister would take $25,000.
So immediately, people will cry, Foul! Hey! What has happened? You are not treating this woman fairly. But hang on, would you like to read? Would you like to be educated? Or are you just jumping on the bandwagon of those who bark? Is that what it is? So you bark with them? Everyone barks and we bark with them? No! Educate yourself. Look at that man.
That man, his responsibility with that $50,000, seeps through to his wife, his children, and the same sister of his, who collected $25,000 yet, that $25,000 is singularly hers. She owes nothing to anybody. The other day her sister told me, I'll just buy my makeup with that.
Amazing. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness. So, if you take a look at it carefully, the man got, in figures, he might have got $50,000, she might have received $25,000.
But that $25,000 is exclusively hers. For what? For that which is not a necessity, that which is excess, that which perhaps is a luxury, or she may want to invest it. Let's hope the investment is a permissible
investment.
But at the same time, the man who has now taken home $50,000, he has to provide for that sister of his, food, clothing, accommodation and so on, the basic necessities, medical expense and what have you, as well as his own little family that he may have, in terms of his spouse and his children and so on. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us an understanding. So, if we were to divide the $50,000 into the people who are going to be benefiting from it, as a duty, we would perhaps find an average of about $5,000.
And what happened to the $25,000? It remained intact. So, in essence, an educated look at it would definitely teach us that she has got more than him.
Amazing.
Yet we make a noise. Yet we don't understand the respect. Because today, what happens is, the men have become so lazy.
They would probably get married, and they would say, you know what, from today it's 50-50. You chip in, and I'll chip in. Look at the word, chip in.
Amazing. That means you're lazy. A woman who is educated as a Muslim, I would say, hang on, I have a role to play, you have a role to play.
I will fulfill mine, you fulfill yours. You are supposed to be providing X, Y and Z. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness. Look at that respect.
Look at the dignity. Look at what Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ came with. In a few years, everything changed such that the women were respected to the degree that even when they were addressed, they were not to be addressed in an irrespective manner.
You would not just look at them in the eye and start, you know, having a chat with them and so on. It would be with utmost respect. You would have to lower your gaze.
You would have to speak with beautiful words. That is some of what Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ left behind for us. Take a look at the words he used.
They were beautiful, easy, simple words to understand. He taught us how to speak. Speak so clearly.
Address people according to their level. He took the time to speak to little children. He gave them much importance because he recognized the need for building leaders from childhood and infancy.
Whereas with us, we look at a group of teenagers and we think, look at these rowdy lot. Who do they think they are? Spend a moment to go to them, greet them, respect them, talk to them, ask them their names and so on and see that interaction will make them want to respect themselves to start with. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us the blessings.
The Bedouin in the Masjid - A Lesson in Leadership
If you take a look at the legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) you will see how he interacted with his companions, with those around him, how he treated the enemy as well. A very common story that I'm sure all of us would be knowing is when Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) was faced with a man who walked into the Prophet's masjid. He walked into the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) the one we all visit here in Madinatul Munawwara.
And he was a Bedouin man who happened to walk in, you know, he was quite pressed for his need of nature. So he decided to pee in one corner of the masjid. He decided to pee in one corner of the masjid.
And as he's peeing, the companions begin to yell at him or they began to admonish him. They started telling him, Hey, what are you doing? And immediately Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) got up and said, Leave him alone. Let him finish what he's doing.
Finish what he's doing? Finish what he's doing? This is the Prophet's masjid? But this was leadership. This is part of his legacy. It was recorded for us so that we learn a lesson.
The problem is, we read the story. We say, Wow. We say, What? What a great messenger.
But we haven't sometimes implemented anything of that in our lives. That's the guilt we face sometimes. We don't implement sometimes.
So he says, Leave him. You know why? I've said this and I'm going to say it again. We're all human beings.
We know. Imagine if a person is peeing. You say, Stop.
What do they have to do? I can't imagine. I can't imagine. Really.
Imagine stopping halfway. It would need training, I think. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us all.
Really. So Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) acknowledging that there is a certain way to correct this man. And you cannot just say, Stop halfway.
He'll become sick and ill. One wonders what would happen. None of us.
It's absurd for us to actually even think about it. So here we have the messenger. He then sent his companion saying, Go and fetch some water.
And you will come and pour it on this urination that this man has made here in this masjid. Masjid meaning the place of prostration. The house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And as they had departed to do what he had instructed them to do, Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) looks at this man and says, You know what? And I'm just saying this obviously in the English language. He
says, This is the house of worship, the house of Allah. It is not befitting.
In fact, he says, It is in order to engage in dhikr, the remembrance of Allah, and the salah, the prayer, and so many good acts of worship and so on. It's not for this type of behavior, this activity. It's not for that.
So the man looks and now he's comparing in his mind what was about to happen when the companions who were rightfully upset, but the way they dealt with him, and now the way this leader, the one who was sent as a mercy to mankind, like Allah says,
"We have not sent you, O Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) except as a mercy for all the worlds, for all the nations, for all the kinds, for all the creatures, for all the different peoples to come up to the end of time. A mercy. This man looks and he considers, he starts thinking, what was about to happen and what actually happened.
And he says, O Allah, have mercy on me, and have mercy on Muhammad, and don't have mercy on anybody else. Wow. Now that was another problem, that was another issue.
Because Muhammad, may peace be upon him, has to educate this man. One is, he educated him regarding what the masjid is all about, and what should and should not happen in it. But secondly, he now needs to say to him, what you've just said is actually a statement that is inaccurate.
So he says, in a beautiful way, he says, you have made narrow something that does not become narrow, it is so broad, it encompasses everything. You know Allah says,
"My mercy has definitely encompassed absolutely everything. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says this, Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) tells the man, he says, you have tried to make narrow, or you have made narrow something that is very very great, very broad.
And immediately he understood that this means the mercy of Allah cannot just be for me and for him, but it has to be for those who did something to me, in a way that perhaps might not have been ideal, when I did something that was definitely not correct. Amazing. Now we need to pause for a moment.
Applying the Prophet's Method Today
A lot of us, when correcting our own children, do not look at the legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). We swear them, we yell at them, we become impatient, and we call ourselves muslimin, come time
for salah. We are the first to stand in front of the almighty in prayer, but you have the anger, you have the hatred, you have the temper, that you haven't even bothered to try and control, and you just say, I'm a temperamental person.
Without an effort, it's not going to come. You need to control. You need to go back and look at this issue of your character, and develop it beautifully.
The first people who should smell the sweetness of your good character, your family members, your spouse, where are we? The legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) he says (خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ). The best from amongst you are those who are best to their women, their family members. How many of us are best to our spouses and our family members? Like I said, with our own children, we are impatient.
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3895)
With our family members, we are even more impatient. And with others who are members of the general public, we become so impatient, that we feel, I couldn't even be bothered sometimes. And we say, I don't even want to know about it.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us the ability to learn, to correct people in a way that they feel like correcting themselves. Every one of us has a lot of goodness in us. But the problem is it does not come to the fore sometimes.
We do not shine our diamond enough for people to notice that it's not a stone, it's a diamond. Because of the dust on it. It's about time we blew off the dust.
And sometimes you might need to sandpaper a little bit. You might feel a little bit of pain, but there will be a lot of gain. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness.
The Prophet's Humility and Dedication
So Muhammad may peace be upon him, we all know, as we believe, the best of creation, the last of the messengers, a messenger, noble of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And he knew his status, yet he was very very humble. He was very humble and he stood up in prayer so much so, that his wife Aisha radhiallahu anha, asks him, oh messenger, you know your status, you know that there are no sins there to be forgiven, you know your rank in paradise and so on and so forth, and yet you are standing in prayer for so many hours that your feet, your legs are swelling.
And he says, oh Aisha, shouldn't I be a person who is thankful for that very status given to me by that very maker? I would like to worship him even more.
That's part of the legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). Take a look at us, and I'm going to take off the glove and press the red button.
You want to hear what I want to say? What we do, we are by the way muslimin mashallah, alhamdulillah. When we have a problem, we happen to call out to the almighty. We happen to cry, we get up for what is known as the pre-dawn prayer of tahajjud, and we will cry to the almighty, I have a problem, help me with this, help me with the financial matter, with the marital matter, with the issue of children, with the issue of this or that.
The minute that issue is resolved, we become people, and we definitely do become people who no longer feel that spiritual connection upon the same level it was when we had the problem. I hope I'm not wrong what I'm saying here, but I've worded it carefully. I'm not saying we'd abandon prayer, but I'm saying the precise level of spirituality and closeness to the almighty when we were in need and difficulty is perhaps not felt by the bulk of us when that need or calamity has now been alleviated or we no longer have the problem and the issue.
So sometimes it's the gift of the almighty to keep us in this type of an issue so that we can remain close to him. But look at the legacy of Muhammad, may peace be upon him. He had it all, it was there, he knew his status, but still he would spend hours praying, declaring the greatness of his maker.
He would spend hours in ibadah and worship, and yet we feel lazy to even fulfill the five obligatory prayers of the day. Lazy sometimes. By the way, let's rush quickly.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us. May he make us from those who are steadfast.
The Honor of Hijab
Really, when the issue of hijab is discussed, it is an honor. It is a point of dignity. It is a point of recognition of chastity. It is a point of raising a female higher than just a mere sex object.
And this is what people love today. They love a woman to expose everything she has, such that every married man becomes irritated with his spouse because there are women out there who have more to offer in terms of bodily beauty than his own wife. This is the problem.
So marriages break. The legacy of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, he says that it is divine law that you cover your beauty so your spouse will appreciate it. Why do you want the whole world to sing at how beautiful you are when your spouse will be singing at how beautiful the spouses of others are? May Allah grant us common logic.
May Allah grant us the ability to digest and understand. So the issue of covering is a legacy left behind by Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) taught by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in all the Semitic faith. If you look at Christianity, Judaism, and the other Abrahamic religions, they teach something quite similar regarding the covering of the beauty of a woman.
Today, we look at it, some people look at it, as a means of oppression. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us.
Yet, the same people who say that those who have chosen with their own free will to cover themselves are oppressed, are leading a life of greater depression than anyone else. They have greater issues and problems. They have more disasters in their own social circles than anyone else.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us all. And this is why we say, my sisters, consider it an honor that Allah has elevated your status. Remember, if you would like to be respected, you need to respect the one who made you.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant it to us. And sometimes the brothers sit and they say, yeah, tell them, tell them, give them more. Not realizing that the duty of lowering the gaze starts off with the men.
Where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says very clearly, when He starts off the verses, He says,
"Tell the believing males to lower their gaze and to protect their private parts. Protect their chastity. Tell them that they should protect themselves.
They should be modest. They should be men who are respectful, respecting themselves firstly. That is definitely more pure for them.
They will lead a life of purity. May the Almighty help us all and grant us every form of goodness. People look at it and say, well, you know what, these teachings are backward.
These teachings are backward. To be honest, they are the most advanced teachings. They have in them the solution for the problems that mankind is facing.
They were the same solutions that worked for centuries. Why then today would we think for a moment that they will not work anymore? May the Almighty grant us a deep understanding. We have the issue of peace.
We have the issue of equality and justice being misconstrued and misunderstood today. We need to go back, learn from the biography of those who are known to be the greatest promoters of peace. Those who have forgiven.
The Example of Nelson Mandela and the Prophet
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless us. You know, something important I'm going to mention here. A few days ago, the world witnessed the death of Nelson Mandela.
And what happened is, everybody said so many nice things about this man. And if you ask yourself, why? Why? Just ask yourself, why has the whole world got up and said so many good things? I read an article that told me exactly why. And I can, in a few sentences, tell you.
In fact, perhaps maybe in one sentence. If you look at the one who did what Mandela did before him, it was Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). This man was released from prison 27 years later, and he said, no retribution, everyone is forgiven, let's start a new leaf based on justice and equality, and from today we will not allow whatever oppression has happened in the past to repeat itself.
That's what he said. What did Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say 1400 odd years back? He says,
The same statement when he was returned to his home city after so many years. Barbaric wars took place.
People drove them out of their homes, stole their property, killed their companions, tried to kill him so many times. And he comes back and he says something powerful. He says, no retribution today.
We do not want a repetition of the oppression that took place up to now. From this day there will be justice. There will be so much peace that whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan shall be safe.
Whoever lowers his weapon shall be safe. We are not going to harm him. Whoever has turned around, we will not harm them and so on.
This was the statement. So today people consider this man such a great freedom fighter. A man who stood up for values.
Yet the same thing, if not even on a higher level, was done by Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who had an army of 100,000 plus heavily armed men marching on to Mecca. And yet he says, no, we are forgiving you. And it's done.
Why is it that people do not consider the same if not more when it comes to Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)? Can I tell you? It is lack of education. It is the lack of knowledge. It is looking at something with spectacles that are tinted such that you think that that particular item has the color, yet it is the color of your spectacles.
So this is why it is important for us all to look into the life of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) such that it shows in our lives. His legacy shows in our actions, our deeds. Imagine, I am always baffled by a statement I read regarding Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
His companions who sat with him, not a single one of them would feel that there is anyone else more loved by him than himself. Which means everyone felt equally loved by this man, Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). That's how much importance he gave everyone.
He looked them in the eye, he smiled, he had this beautiful look about him that they described him as someone whom we've never seen anyone as handsome before and never have we seen after. And yet he gave so much importance to all those whom he interacted with. That was definitely heavenly.
That was something that the likes of Thomas Carlyle and Mahatma Gandhi and the others have borne witness. They have spoken about, they have written about, they have even said that when we read the life of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, Mahatma Gandhi says that when I completed the two volumes, I was hoping so much that there was a third for me to read. Imagine, this was a non-Muslim.
How many of us Muslims have ever read two whole volumes as to the life of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)? I think we can do better. I really think we can do better. Today when we meet a star of the globe, a football star, a man who can perhaps kick a ball quite well and direct it at a certain point with his own feet, we would probably know his life history.
We would know his name, the way he cuts his hair. And anyone who cuts their hair just like his is actually cool. That's what we call him.
Oh, cool. Why? You look messy, man. Wow.
Cool. That's what it is. And anyone who has a tattoo just like him is cool.
And anyone who wants to study how many girlfriends the guy has had and what disasters have taken place in his life is actually a person who's a big fan. And I normally say that, you know, you have a fan, but some of them are so big that they become air conditions. But when it comes to people trying to emulate Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) they are considered backward.
They are considered people who really do not deserve to have a place or a space on face earth. No, that's not supposed to be the case. Let's change that by showing it in our character.
No matter how religious you are, no matter how strict your relation is with your maker, remember that when you come across to others, they are waiting to witness the beauty of Islam in your actions, in your deeds, in your behavior. Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) reached out and assisted the non-Muslims. He even reached out to his enemies at the time of war.
He was not barbaric or monstrous at all. But that picture and image sometimes is because of the way we behave or sometimes because of the glasses that the others wear, which inshallah, we will be able to change if we learn about Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
Conclusion
45 minutes to 50 minutes is not enough for us to discuss the legacy of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
The only thing we could do perhaps is to encourage you to go through that beautiful life. My beloved brothers and sisters, those who may not be Muslim, tonight I want to address you by telling you that if a man has lived more than 1400 years ago, and in that space of time, approximately 1.5 to 2 billion people consider him the messenger to follow on the globe, isn't it about time that you just read about his life?
Really from the sources that the Muslims have, and really from the aspect of a person who's a human being studying influential people in the history of the globe or in history in totality. The most influential I would say, my brothers and sisters, it's about time we looked into this life.
Why is it that so many people have changed with the teachings of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) when they brought these teachings into their lives? They became content. They became people who walked on the earth with so much of happiness even if they were living under a tree. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless us all.
Brothers and sisters, I appreciate the fact that we've all braved the cold. It's actually freezing. Intentionally, I removed my socks and my jacket.
I didn't wear it. To say that if I freeze, I will walk away, I'll close the topic because I don't want the rest of you to freeze. But alhamdulillah, the topic has warmed me up by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Should I continue inshallah? MashaAllah, that means inshallah, we leave it at that saying. We will be back inshallah here sometime, and we hope and pray that you can make the effort again to attend. Really, it humbles me to see such large numbers braving the weather, to come and listen to a good word.
And I hope the words that were given were really words that have pierced the heart because I swear by the will of Allah, they have come from the heart. All we intend is to spread goodness and to clear the doubts and misconceptions of people who may have them. In reality, we are promoters of peace, we stand by it.
We stand by the dignified life for one and all. And this we learned from Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) May Allah forgive us for our own shortcomings, and may He make us become people who really can emulate the beautiful life of this man who left behind a legacy that has changed the world permanently, yet he had no access to modern technology or communication.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless you all, and myself as well. Those across the globe who may be suffering, may the Almighty bless them all and grant them ease. And with that, we say,
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept this reminder about the beautiful legacy of Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and inspire us all to study his life, follow his example, and embody his noble character in our daily lives. Ameen.