An Exalted Example of Character

           By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi


February 14, 2005

Referring to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be
upon him) Allah, Most High, says, [And you (stand) on
an exalted standard of character] (Al-Qalam 68:4); [Ye
have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful
pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in
Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the
praise of Allah] (Al-Ahzab 33:21).

A Unique Character

The uniqueness of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings b e upon him) is that he was not only a
great person in his own time, but he is great for all
times, for all people of any race, color, nationality
or geographical location. His example was good for the
7th-century Arabs and it is good also for the humanity
living now at the beginning of this 21st century. He
is an excellent example for the rich and poor, for
young and old, for rulers and ruled, for the most
intelligent as well as the most common people. Allah
sent him as His Prophet for all humanity. Allah says
in the Qur'an: [Say: O people! I am sent unto you all,
as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongs the
dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god
but He: it is He that gives both life and death. So
believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered
Prophet, who believed in Allah and His Words: follow
him that (so) you may be guided] (Al-A`raf 7:158).

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
practiced what he preached. He very carefully and
meticulously followed the Qur'an, Allah's Word that
was revealed to him. He followed and lived the Qur'an
at every moment in every detail of his life. His life
was the reflection of Allah's Words. He became the
Qur'an in person, the embodiment of the Qur'an, or one
may even say in a metaphorical sense "the Word in
flesh." It is reported in a hadith: Sa`d ibn Hisham
said that he asked `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her), "Tell me about the character of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). She said, "His
character was the Qur'an" (Ahmad).

Some of His Attributes

The morality of the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) was not restricted to just a few moral
attributes, but included diverse traits and aspects of
life. He was kind, compassionate, caring, generous and
humble, but he was also strong, brave, eloquent, wise
and insightful. He was a great planner, organizer and
thinker, yet he was also a man of faith, trust and
devotion to Allah. He was involved and active with his
family and community but he did not neglect his
prayers, fasting and devotion to Allah. Actually, he
prayed so much that no one prayed like him. He was
exemplary as a teacher, preacher, imam, leader,
statesman, judge, commander of the armies as well as a
husband, a father, a grandfather, a businessman, a
neighbor, and a friend.

Before he received the honor of prophethood, he was
known among the people of Makkah as "As-Sadiq
Al-Amin," the most honest and trustworthy person. He
kept this character throughout his life. He never
broke a pledge or promise. Even his enemies could not
accuse him of being dishonest.

He was a most humble person. He used to mingle with
the poor and sit with them. He stopped people standing
up for him. He used to sit wherever there was a place
available in an assembly and never sought a prominent
or elevated place. The newcomers sometimes would not
know who was the Prophet among the people. When he
entered the city of Makkah as a conqueror leading a
big army, he entered in a most humble manner. In a
unique demonstration of humility his forehead was
touching the saddle of his camel!

A Mercy to Mankind

He was the most merciful person. Allah called him [a
mercy to the worlds] (Al-Anbiya' 21: 107). He was
merciful to his family, followers, friends, even
enemies. He was merciful to young and old, to humans
and to animals. Those who persecuted him in Makkah and
killed his relatives and his followers, when they were
defeated in the battles and brought as captives, were
forgiven by him. He did not ever take revenge or
retaliated. He was the most forgiving person.

Constancy was a very important aspect of his moral
behavior. Once he established some good way or
practice he used to follow it and adhere to it always.
He used to say "The most dear deed to Allah is the one
that is performed regularly, even if it was a little"
(Al-Bukhari).

His Names

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has many
names reflecting his attributes and qualities. Some of
the most beautiful names of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) mentioned in both the Qur'an
and Hadith are the following:

Muhammad (the praised one), Ahmad (most praiseworthy),
Hamid (the giver of praise and thanks), Ar-Rasul (the
Messenger), An-Nabi (the Prophet), Shahid (the
witness), Rashid (the righteous), Bashir (the giver of
good news), Nadhir (the warner), Da`i (the caller to
Allah), Hadi (the guide), Mahi (the remover of evil),
Fatih (the conqueror), Ra'uf (the compassionate),
Rahim (the merciful), Mujtaba (the chosen one),
Mustafa (the selected one), Murtada (the well-pleasing
in the sight of Allah), As-Sadiq (the truthful),
Al-Amin (the trustworthy), Musaddiq (the confirmer of
truth), Habib Allah (Allah's beloved one), Safi Allah
(the one selected by Allah), Naji Allah (the one
protected by Allah), Shakur (the most grateful one),
Karim (the noble one), Hakim (the wise one), Sayyid
(the leader), Siraj Munir (the shining lamp), Jawwad
(the generous one), `Adil (the Just), and Khatam
Ar-Rusul (the final Messenger). May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him!

* Excerpted, with slight modifications from, http://pakistanlink.com/religion.html

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