|
AA,
This is sent to the interfaith audience. Hope, Allah will forgive me for my shortcomings. Some Muslims celebrate and some don't, but both honor our prophet's wish that it should not transform divinity away from God. No Muslim has done that, as such, celebration is a day of appreciating what he has done to the mankind - a mercy for the mankind.
Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday
Mike Mohamed Ghouse
For those, who would like to learn a little bit more about “ Prophet Muhammad – Peace be upon him” . Peace be upon him (pbuh) is a phrase Muslims traditionally add whenever they recite the name of any of the prophets mentioned in the Qur’aan, including but not limited to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Noah, Solomon, David and Jesus. On occasion of his birthday, today April 11th , short of writing a synopsis, I am recommending the book titled ‘Muhammad, the biography of the prophet by Karen Armstrong.
When the book came out some 12 years ago, a few Muslims did not like it, as it was written by a Christian, not a Muslim. That happens with every faith group. My curiosity made me read it, and my reverence for the prophet transformed from a spiritual figure into a down to the earth human being. I could relate with the man and Armstrong took me through a reading that I could envision his mission.
A few things deeply affected me about his simplicity were; When he was the leader, spiritual, military and political of the Arabian Peninsula, he was at the zenith of worldly glory. Yet he chose to live a simple life. He believed and practiced submission to the Allah which he preached. As Krishna has asked Arjuna to surrender to him or Jesus asked to follow him.
Out of reverence, his followers wanted to make a statue of him and draw his portraits, any human would have loved that, and probably the Kings would have demanded it, but not him. He felt that people should not make any mortal being other than God, the divine. That’s where the phrase no one but Allah comes from. He asked people not to worship him and not to draw his portraits. Indeed, he had asked his people to bury him in an unmarked grave so people can remember and follow the message, rather than go astray and worship the messenger.
Muhammad told his daughter Fatima, that on the day of reckoning, she will be judged on her merits alone. Because she is the daughter of the prophet, she will not get a blanket pass, she has to earn it thru her deeds. One’s salvation, he taught was through good deeds. Individual responsibility is at the core of teachings of Qur’aan.
He defined good deeds as planting a tree, knowing well that the tree is not going to bear the fruit or give the shade to you, but will give both to someone else in the future. In another instance, his associates asked him… to make the story short, he said the one who takes care of the neighbors, shares whatever he or she has with the neighbor is preferred over a person who does nothing but prayers all day. He emphasized one’s responsibility to other human beings and the environment.
Prayers, he said connects one with the divine, refreshes the soul. Those who are familiar with Yoga, the meditation that brings mind and body together and produce peace, calmness and collectedness, can understand the magic of the prayers that benefit all human souls equally.
Talking about equality, some of the rituals are designed to inculcate a sense of humility, a feeling of being on par with every one. When Muslims go to pray, they stand shoulder to shoulder, king or pauper, intellect or dumb, they all form and stand in the same line to acknowledge that God is eternal and we are all humble souls. In those beautiful moments, one strips himself the ego, hate, anger, ill-will and malice, which the prophet called Jihad, the inner struggle to bring freedom, Nirvana, Mukti, Moksha and salvation to oneself.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the founder of Islam.
Farley, the publishers had to say this “Armstrong wrote the book in response to Ayatollah Khomeini's 1989 fatwah against Salman Rushdie as well as the subsequent reaction against Islam in the West. Most of the literature at the time portrayed Muhammad as either unblemished saint or devious charlatan. Armstrong determined to fill this void. Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet is respectful while remaining true to the historical record. What emerges is a complex, extraordinarily gifted man, whose character and ideas were powerful enough to drastically alter history and attract billions of followers. But more than this, Armstrong shows Muhammad to be a true prophet: "In all great religions, seers and prophets have conceived strikingly similar visions of a transcendent and ultimate reality...The monotheistic faiths, however, call this transcendence 'God.' I believe that Muhammad had such an experience and made a distinctive and valuable contribution to the spiritual experience of humanity." It is easily argued that Armstrong herself has made a "distinctive and valuable contribution" to a much-needed ecumenical — and humane — spirituality. Farley, Powells.com
Reviews:This fresh
edition of a "sympathetic, engrossing biography" of Muhammad will have a new
preface by the author, and an updated package--all to make this wonderful book
better known to readers of her best selling books. "A meticulous quest for the
historical Muhammad...This sympathetic, engrossing biography portrays Muhammad
as a passionate, complex, fallible human being--a charismatic leader possessed
of political as well as spiritual gifts, and a prophet whose monotheistic vision
answered the deepest longings of his people." --Publishers Weekly "Respectful
without being reverential, knowledgeable without being pedantic, and, above all,
readable. It succeeds because Armstrong brings Muhammad to life as a fully
rounded human being." --The Economist The Book discusses the life of the founder of Islam, the emergence of Islam in the midst of the turbulence of seventh-century Arabia, and Western views of the prophet and his religion from a historical perspective.
About the Author
Karen Armstrong is the author of numerous books on religious
affairs, including A
History of God, Through
the Narrow Gate, Holy
War, Islam and Buddha Her work has been
translated into forty languages. She is also the author of three television
documentaries and took part in Bill Moyers's television series Genesis. Since
September 11, 2001, she has been a frequent contributor to conferences, panels,
newspapers, periodicals, and throughout the media on both sides of the Atlantic
on the subject of Islam. She lives in London.
*************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
|
- [IslamCity] Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday MIKEGHOUSE
- [IslamCity] Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday MIKEGHOUSE
