Seerat-e-Rasool, the Biography of the Prophet, And Its Relevance Today
By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
13
October 2022
The
Prophet's Seerat Is a Mirror of Human Rights
Main Points:
1.
The
Seerat of the Beloved Prophet is a tremendous resource for making human
existence modest, balanced, prosperous, pure and blessed.
2.
Each
home must have a guardian who reads an hour a day from a thorough biography of
the Prophet.
3.
It is
essential to read the Seerat of the Prophet and think about it in order to
increase excellent morals, knowledge, progress, guidance, blessings, and
happiness in this world and the next.
------
The human race has made significant
advancements in science and technology, as well as in the richness and wealth
of resources, yet moral corruption is now a serious problem. Due to this, some
people are today unable to achieve either individual or group peace and are
instead preoccupied with disseminating poisonous propaganda and ruining the
peace of the world. In this way, despite the abundance of luxurious items,
human life has been robbed of tranquilly and has been imprisoned in the mud of
ignorance and darkness where it cannot distinguish between good and evil. If
there is anything that can give us hope in this bleak circumstance, it is pure
life and Seerat of Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon
him), which is a tremendous resource for making human existence modest,
balanced, prosperous, pure, and blessed. If the world, especially the Muslim
world, wants to develop outstanding morals and social peace as well as be freed
from the muck of disappointments, they must examine the Prophet's Seerat
objectively.
Sheikh Ali Tantawi, a renowned Arab scholar,
suggests that each home have a guardian who reads an hour a day from a thorough
biography of the Prophet. It is essential to read it and think about it in
order to increase excellent morals, knowledge, progress, guidance, blessings,
and happiness in this world and the next.
(Rijaal Min Al-Tarikh, P. 21)
The significance of the Prophet's Seerat has
persisted for more than 1400 years and is still unshakeable. During this time,
many revolutions took place, a wide range of events happened, and various
civilizations continued to have an impact on human life. Religious leaders
started making an impression in their local socio-cultural context, but soon
after they passed away, their influence significantly shifted, and people
stopped remembering them. However, the Prophet's blessed Seerat continues to
have a secure and unrivalled influence. Although the Seerat could not be
altered, it did alter the internal and external circumstances of the corrupt
people.
The lesson from the Prophet's Seerat is
significant for everyone, regardless of their status as a king or a subject, as
a man or a woman, an urban or rural resident, a Syed or Sheikh Siddiqui,
a Pathan, or a member of any other race or caste. According to the
teachings mentioned in the Seerat of the Prophet, prejudice towards certain
castes, the wealthy and the poor, the black and the white, and the Arabs and
non-Arabs is a major cause of destruction, whereas love, fraternity, and peace
between all peoples are major blessings. These teachings were the driving
forces behind the end of the long-standing hostilities of the Arabs and the
establishment of a sense of togetherness based on justice, morality, and
honesty.
The beloved Prophet mentioned several
important points in the sermon of the farewell Hajj in which the eternal
teachings based on the greatness of humanity, respect, and rights are worthy of
consideration. It should be noted that this is not the only document relating
to human rights in the life of the Prophet; rather, the entire life of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a mirror of good morals and respect for
humanity.
On the occasion of his last sermon, the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke a number of profound things, some of which
are listed below:
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) promoted
equality for all people, saying:
O people, Allah says, “O mankind, indeed We
have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you
may know one another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the
most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.
Accordingly (in the light of the mentioned
verse), as all people are descended from Adam and Eve, neither an Arab nor a
non-Arab is superior to another; likewise, neither a white person nor a black
person is superior to the other, unless they are distinguished by piety and
good deed.
In his
explanation of the aforementioned verse, the author of Tafsir-e-Madarik
states: "Allah Almighty says, “O people! We made you from a male Adam
(peace be upon him) and a female Hazrat Hawwa (Eve, may Allah be pleased
with her), and even though you are all their descendants, there is no reason
for you to be proud of one another or act arrogantly toward one another because
you are all descended from the same parent. We divided you into various
nations, tribes, and families so that you would recognise one another, be able
to trace your history back to a common ancestor, and refrain from developing
mutual contempt and pride. (Tafsir-e-Madaarik, under verse 49:13, cited
in Urdu Tafsir ‘Siraat al-Jinaan’)
The
beloved Prophet discussed the value and right to human life, “O People, regard
each Muslim's life and possessions as a holy trust in the same way that you
regard this month, this day, and this city as precious.”
When
directing the fulfilment of the rights, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “Return the goods to their respective owners that were given to you.
Treat others fairly so that no one will treat you unfairly. Keep in mind that
you will meet your Lord and that He will account for your actions. God forbids
you to accept interest, so all riba obligations are now null and void.
However, your capital is yours to keep. You won't cause or experience
injustice.
Putting
an end to ethnic pride, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, ‘O People
of Quraysh! Now that God has put an end to your false arrogance, there
is no place for your arrogance and boasting about the achievements of your
forefathers.
Forbidding
the killing, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not revert to
disbelief (kufr) after me by striking (cutting) the necks of one
another”
Similar
to this, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided sound guidance on a
variety of topics, including the need to put an end to lawlessness, the need to
protect property, the rights of all members of society, the rights of servants,
the need to prevent economic exploitation, the right to inheritance, and the
rights of spouses. As a result, the period of respect for human rights, values,
and traditions around the world began quickly and has continued ever since.
The
journey of human development is still evolving, but sincerity in this respect
can only be achieved when people in the current era embrace the Seerat of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his morals in a similar
manner to how the people did when they first did so in the dark ages.
------
A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus
Siddiqi Dehlvi is a Classical Islamic scholar with a Sufi background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/seerat-rasool-biography-prophet-relevance/d/128169
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