Quran Is Essential To Understand Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
5 May 2023
Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Life: In the Light of the
Quran
Author: Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Edited by Abdul Kader Choughley
Publisher: K.A. Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies,
Aligarh Muslim University, in collaboration with Brown Book Publications Pvt
Ltd, India
Year of Publication: 2021
Pages: 164, Price: Rs 350
ISBN: 9789390167784
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The life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is pivotal in
understanding Islam. There can be no Islam without the personality of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). The love of the faithful for the Last Messenger of God, is
expressed by unique engagement with the precise details of his life. Numerous
Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have written the biographies of Prophet (pbuh)
in every major and even local vernacular languages, engaging with his life and
legacy. The details of his life are available in the books of Hadith as well as
the Quran. Quran time and again mentions about Prophet and he is the first
recipient of its message. Quran is the abiding wonder of God and its revelation
has to be on a personality that is flawless, impeccable and everlasting.
Numerous scholars have deliberated about the various aspects of life of the
Prophet (pbuh), his relevance, the lessons his rich life holds for us, towards
living a God oriented life.
Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi (1892-1977), was a great
scholar of Islam. He was well versed in the contemporary idiom, as well as the
tradition of Islam. He has written scores of books on variegated aspects of
Islam, Urdu literature, book reviews and being well versed in philosophy and
English language, a feat that only few scholars can be credited with, he wrote
the exegesis of Quran both in vernacular Urdu and English. This book is a
compilation of his nine lectures that he delivered in 1958 and have now been
edited by another erudite scholar of Islam, Abdul Kader Choughley. Despite the
elapse of more than half a century, these lectures still hold academic merit
and contemporary relevance that makes them worthy of reading.
Quran is very essential to understand the personality of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Any attempt at understanding the life of Prophet, without
taking a cue from Quran will certainly lead to a flawed understanding of his
message. Maulana Daryabadi, is very well aware about the fact, hence these
lectures aim at understanding the life of Prophet (pbuh) in the light of the
Holy Quran. The biblical passages that speak about Prophet are mentioned too,
along with the different names and attributes that Quran mentions. Quranic
discourse about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is very different than what we find
prevalent in our daily lives. The Prophet (pbuh) was not an angel or a supra
human being, that most mullahs, vitriolic orators want to make us believe, but
he is a role model, a sinless person, a prophet, messenger of God and is
directly guided by him. The example set out by Prophet, how he conducted his
affairs, lived in this world, are supposed to be emulated by Muslims, who have
the responsibility of obeying the messenger of God.
Numerous details about the life of Messenger of God, are
documented in these lectures now transcribed, compiled and edited as a book.
The Muslims are always instructed to obey the Messenger. His migration to
Medina, how Quran contextualizes it, battle of Badr as enshrined in the Quran
are deeply engaged. There are details about the battles, how the hypocrites and
Jews were dealt with. But Maulana Daryabadi does not write about the battle of
Mau’taa. It has been a dominant theme with most scholars, as they have mostly
engaged with the battles that Prophet undertook, instead of focusing more about
the other aspects of his life. This type of engagement and emphasis more on the
battles, has presented Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a warrior, instead as a
pacifist, because Prophet led peaceful missions more than the battles during
his life time.
The vices prevalent in Medina are described, particularly
worshipping idols and deities other than Allah, as Quran condemns it although
the non-Muslims justify the same. Hence, Monotheism is the central pillar of
Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) vehemently condemned it. The Quranic message during
the Makkan period was an invitation to polytheists to accept monotheism and
believe in Islam, while in Medina the invitation is mostly addressed to the
Jews, described as the people of book. But this invitation too was met with
obstacles, as lies were invented and allegations hurled at the personality of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Quran condemns this behavior of hypocrites and
other non-Muslims. The clergy of non-Muslims is also ridiculed for corrupting
the pristine message of the revealed scriptures, as they added to it by
borrowing from Romans like Christians and Greeks like Jews. Despite these
deviations, the Quranic message is directed at all polytheists, Jews,
Christians and hypocrites.
Time and again Maulana Daryabadi, through his loquacious prose
maintains the stance of Quran being an immortal miracle for all the times to
come. Also, the lectures delve with the personal life of Prophet (pbuh), his
immediate family, wives and how they are expected to behave and conduct
themselves. Maulana also acknowledges his gratitude to the earlier works that
helped substantiate his lectures, although they are very few. Maulana has
mostly researched for these lectures on his own. This work is a good read, and
we must acknowledge the task that K.A Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies,
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India is undertaking under the able leadership
of Prof A. R Kidwai in publishing relevant works like these. Our compliments
should be reserved for both Prof Kidwai and Dr Choughley for publishing works
like these. It is indeed a refreshing and academic read by the versatile late
Maulana Daryabadi.
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M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar,
Kashmir
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/quran-prophet-pbuh/d/129704
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