prophet muhammad (pbuh) ethics, leadership and communication 10202009

Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)

Ethics, Leadership,and Communication

Ali Zohery, Ph.D.

DEDICATION

To Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My praise and thanks are due first to Allah, theMercy of the mercies, exalted in power and knowledge. Iam forever indebted to my late mother who taught meabout values in my early childhood. Her words of wisdomand prayers will forever be a source of encouragement forthe rest of my life. May Allah bless her soul and that of mylate father’s and make them stay in Paradise .

ABSTRACT

Thematic Analysis of Values in the Public Communicationof Prophet Muhammad

The focus of the research in this present study is thevalues inferred from the public communication of theProphet Muhammad after reviewing them with a closeread. During twenty-three years of delivering the messageof Islam through his talks and his actions (Sunnah), theProphet emphasized the notion of values and principles ofIslam. These extraordinary values are the subject of thepresent study and are combined with transformationalleadership values identified by business scholars whodefine the necessary traits for leaders to be successful.

This study examines the values that the Prophetaddressed in his sayings and his actions through textualanalysis to find the resonant values and how theyencourage others to behave and how they impacted theProphet’s leadership style and ability. This qualitativeanalysis of the Prophet’s sayings shed light on the primaryas well as extraordinary values with which he wascharacterized by during his life.

The primary values of a transformational leader asdescribed by Burns (1978) such as liberty, justice, equalityand collective well being can be possessed by any givenleader but the extraordinary values, identified through thistextual analysis, such as forgiveness, gentleness, kindness,

politeness and truthfulness may not be seen in all leaders.Prophet Muhammad possessed both the primary as well asthe extraordinary values that made him a unique leader inthe history of humanity.

Based on the results of this study, the Prophet calledfor the universal brotherhood of man at all times. One ofthe major functions and goals expressed by the Prophet wasto develop a sense of higher character among the peopleand to help them forget their minor and narrow differences,such as color, race and nationality, so that they could riseabove these limitations and reap the fruits of humanbrotherhood by helping each other in all that is for thecommon good of humanity.

This study also finds that there are sayings from theProphet that applied to various activities and relationshipsamong people that occurred during the daylight hours aswell as the night. Islam is a way of life. According to theProphet, the message of Islam was not intended only for theArabs of the seventh century but was applicable to allhumanity and at all future times. This statementunderscores the importance of this research that the publiccommunication of the Prophet is continuously timely andwill not fade in popularity or importance. The study findsthat the Prophet Muhammad’s unique education andleadership style led to spread of Islam.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DISSERTATION APPROVALSHEET…………………………………………………..ii

DEDICATION………………………………………….iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………….iv

ABSTRACT……………………………………………..v

CHAPTER 1.INTRODUCTION……………………………………….1

Statement of theProblem………………………………………………….6

ResearchQuestions………………………………………………..8

Significance of theStudy…………………………………………………,,,,,8

CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OFLITERATURE………………………………...………,10

CharacterValues………………………………………………….11

CommunityValues………………………………………………….15

Patterns of Communication as a World

Leader………………………………………………….19

Global Morals, Values and Principles of ProphetMuhammad…………………………………………….21

Other Leaders’ Pattern ofCommunication………………………………………...24

CHAPTER 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ANDMETHODOLOGY……………………………………..32CHAPTER 4. INTERPRETATION OFVALUES…………………………………….………….43

Liberty…………………………………………………………..43

Justice……………………………………………………47

Equality ofHumankind………………………………………………53

Collective WellBeing…………………………………………………….54

Gentleness………………………………………………..58

GoodCharacter…………………………………………………59

Humility………………………………………………….60

Modesty………………………………………………….61

Kindness………………………………………………….62

Moderation………………………………………………66

Politeness………………………………………………..68

Truthfulness……………………………………………..71

Charity……………………………………………75

Forgiveness……………………………………………...79

Hospitality………………………………………………82

Mercy……………………………………………………84

CHAPTER 5.: DISCUSSION andCONCLUSION…………………………………………87

Limitations of the Study and Recommendations forFurther Research…………..98

CHAPTER 6: Prophet Muhammad Models of PoliticalCommunication

CHAPTER 7: Prophet Muhammad Models of EducationalCommunication

CHAPTER 8: Prophet Muhammad’s Patterns of PeacefulCommunication

CHAPTER 9: Prophet Muhammad style of Communicationas a World leader

CHAPTER 10: Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon

CHAPTER 11: The prophet Muhammad Pattern ofCommunication toward Women

CHAPTER 12: Prophet Muhammad Pattern ofCommunication towards Children

Appendix A. Time line of life ofMuhammad…………………………………………...101

Appendix B. Definitions of Major Terms andConcepts………………………………………………104

Appendix C. Prophet Muhammad’sValues…………………………………………………110

REFERENCES………………………………………..111

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Public communication achieved prominence andbecame a course to be studied as result of great speeches bygreat leaders of antiquity. These leaders were entrusted thetask of influencing the course of political, economic, social,cultural and spiritual destinies of their people through thepower of their rhetoric. People all over the world tended touse these speeches as platform to pattern their behaviorsand attitudes towards one another.

A good leader is one who combines political skillswith moral skills. Through his speech it should be evidentthat he is the pillar for change. The Prophet Mohammad isone of those leaders who embodied these qualities in bothhis speeches and actions. He stood like a change agent forall humankind because he blended spirituality with politicsand governed from his heart, soul and head. The Prophet’sinfluence is still felt strongly. Hart (1978) listedMuhammad as the most influential individual in the historyof humankind because he “was the only man in history whowas supremely successful on both the religious and secularlevels” (p. 3) and “In fact, as the driving force behind theArab conquests, he may well rank as the most influentialpolitical leader of all time” (p. 9). The importance of theProphet’s communication, as he is deemed the mostinfluential person in history, makes this research especiallyvaluable as it further explains the importance of readingclosely his words and communication and interpreting themfor others to understand and learn from.

He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C.E.

(common era), and fulfilled his mission of preaching thereligion of Islam (submission to One God) from the age offorty until he departed from this world at the age of sixty-three. During this short period of 23 years of hisprophethood, he changed the complete Arabian peninsulafrom paganism and idolatry to the worship of one God,from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity andcohesion, from drunkenness and wickedness to sobriety andpiety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living,from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moralexcellence (Shaw, 1946).

Prophet Muhammad’s patterns of communicationwith his family, friends, followers and enemies enabled himto successfully deliver his message of Islam and increasethe number of his followers. Over twenty-three years ofdelivering the message from Allah, Prophet Muhammaddeveloped a communication pattern to invite people tolearn about Islam. This study is a textual analysis of valuesas reflected in the public communication of ProphetMuhammad.

Prophet Muhammad was the political leader and thechief of the first Muslim State in Arabia with Medina as thecapital. The most important quality of a military leadercoincides with those of a political leader, especially whenthe leader assumes the highest position in the state, or isestablishing a state. Military leadership requires firmnessand resoluteness and political leadership requires clemency,forbearance and wisdom. Possessing these qualities forboth kinds of leadership is rare in the same individual. Historically, Prophet Muhammad differs from otherpolitical leaders in that he neither inherited a throne norseized power. Rather, he established a state from nothing. A state rests on three pillars: people, land and politicalauthority, which manages the affairs of people. The state

can be defined as “A group of people who are livingpermanently on a specific geographical territory and whoare subjected to a specific political administration” (AbdAllah, 1996, p. 19).

Prophet Muhammad spent 13 years in Meccaadvocating peace for war, calm for violence, forgivenessfor revenge and the call of justice for tyranny. (Abd Allah,1996) During this period, he was able to build acommunity that consisted of people ready to sacrifice theirlives in the path of God and the new religion. (Abd Allah,1996) Prophet Muhammad became convinced that Qoraishwould not allow him to make Mecca a “safe and strongbase” from which he could start to establish his state. Heprepared the believers, which is the first pillar of the state.But he needed the second pillar, land. That was why heturned to another city that would be suitable to form hisbase. He first chose Taef because of its strategic locationnear Mecca and its warrior inhabitants. Then, he went toinvite its leaders to Islam but they rejected him and verballyand physically abused him. They even incited their childrento harm him. Following this, he returned to Meccadisappointed but still hopeful for God’s help and support.(Shah, 1996)

Prophet Muhammad did not give up and continuedcalling on other tribes to Islam, those that made pilgrimagesto Mecca according to ancient Arab traditions. (Salahi,1995, p. 25) He met a group of 12 men from the city ofYathreb (Madina). In the next year, seventy-threeMadinans came and met the Prophet. He felt that he couldlook forward to having his safe and solid base in Madina.(Abd Allah, 1996) When God gave His permission to theProphet to immigrate to Madina, he realized that he hadensured the second element of his state: the land. ( AbdAllah, 1996)

Prophet Muhammad still had to establish some sortof organization and political administration in order to haveall the necessary elements of the state. The first thing he didafter arriving in Madina was to declare that his followersfrom Mecca and Madina were brethren. The Prophetformulated a treaty, Al Sahifa, to govern the relationshipsbetween the various elements of the new society forMuslims and non- Muslims. The treaty embodied theprovisional constitution of the first Muslim State .

Immediately after his settlement in Madina, ProphetMuhammad established brotherhood between Muslims,particularly between the Emigrants and the Helpers. Theyloved each other and were very close to each other. Forexample:

Sa‘d ibn Rabi’ took his emigrant‘brother’ ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn‘Awf to his house and said:“Brother, you have lefteverything you have in Mecca .So, this house, with everythingin it, belongs to both of us.Besides, you do not have a wifehere, while I have two.Whichever of them you like, I’lldivorce her, so that you maymarry her.” Abd al-Rahman ibn‘Awf answered him in tears:“Brother, may God bless youwith your wife! Please show meto the city bazaar so that I maydo some business. (Bukhari,2048)

The brotherhood between the Emigrants and the

Helpers was very deep, so sincere, and so strong that theHelpers shared everything they had with their emigrantbrothers. It is an observable fact that the main missionProphet Muhammad bore for Allah was of peace in theworld. The fundamental purpose was for people to makepeace with their Creator, peace with the universe and peacewith other people. The Qur'an, in very plain words,announces the arrival of the Prophet of peace in thesewords: “ O People of the book! Our Messenger has come toyou, Light has come to you from Allah and a book whichshows the truth, and Allah leads the way of peace to thosewho seek His pleasure” (Qur’an 5:17-18). These versesstress that the Prophet was sent to guide the people to theway of peace. Peace is the most common word on thetongue of an observing Muslim's tongue. Whenever twopeople meet, they exchange the greetings taught by theProphet: "Peace be upon you," a wish of peace.

Besides stressing the importance of peace, ProphetMuhammad emphasized the importance of education,decreeing education as a must for all people, male orfemale. Compulsory education constitutes the law of theland, but is not an innovation of modernists. Muhammadhad declared it compulsory almost immediately after theestablishment of the city state of Madina. It was in the verysecond year of the establishment of the Madinistic Regimethat his law regarding compulsory education began to beimplemented with all the vigor and force necessary for anemerging state. And like a practical realist, he also warnedhis people to save themselves from the point that not allknowledge is practical and useful (Qahtani, 2000). Aslong as Muslims kept up this breadth of vision, they wereconsidered by the Prophet to be the torchbearers of learningand the standard to judge the various shades of cultures andcivilizations in the world.

Prophet Muhammad acknowledged the equality andbrotherhood of man. He was not content with justpreaching it; he practiced it. One of his closest companionswas a former negro slave, Bilaal; one of his trustedlieutenants was an Iranian called Salmaan; a third, Suhaybof Rome. These followers came from different places,spoke different languages, and were of different heritage.However, in their teacher's company, they were all thesame, equal to each other without distinction (GreatProphet, n.d.).

Although Prophet Muhammad delivered numerousspeeches concerning many extraordinary values andprinciples that were misunderstood in the West, the religionof Islam is often described as a source of violence,extremism and terrorism (Ahmad &Yousef, 1998). Thisresearch seeks to examine the values that are manifested inProphet Muhammad’s addresses during his twenty-threeyears of Prophet hood and to evaluate the Prophet’sleadership traits as evident in his public addresses.

Statement of the Problem

Every detail of Prophet Muhammad’s private lifeand public utterances have been accurately documented andfaithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of therecord so preserved is supported not only by the faithfulfollowers but also even by his critics. The publiccommunication of Prophet Muhammad is found in theQur’an, and in the many Adith, or encyclopedias of theword of the Prophet. Many researchers and historiansspend their careers ensuring the people have access to theword and will of Allah and the Prophet’s delivery of thosesayings.

Muhammad was a religious teacher, a social

reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus, afaithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband,and a loving father–all in one. (Lamartine, 1854) Hefurther explains Muhammad’s appeal thus:

Philosopher, orator, apostle,legislator, warrior, conqueror ofideas, restorer of rationaldogmas, of a cult withoutimages, the founder of twentyterrestrial empires and of onespiritual empire, that isMuhammad. As regards all thestandards by which HumanGreatness may be measured, wemay well ask, is there any mangreater than he? (pp. 276-277 )

Volumes of books and articles have been writtenabout Prophet Muhammad’s life but the values in his publiccommunication have not been extensively analyzed andexposed especially to the western world. Additionally,Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and values are usuallymisunderstood in the West.( Ahmad & Yousef, 1998) Some westerners describe the religion of Islam as a sourceof violence, extremism and terrorism.(Ahmad & Yousef,1998) This research seeks to examine the values that aremanifest in Prophet Muhammad’s public addresses duringhis twenty-three years of Prophet-hood. The importance ofexamining Prophet Muhammad’s public communicationcannot be understated. Especially in these times, hisleadership abilities, influenced by the extraordinary valueshe demonstrated and espoused, provide a glowing exampleof ethical interactions in secular and spiritual transactions. A closer adherence to the values the Prophet highlightedwill benefit humankind, centuries after their utterance.

Research Questions

The purpose of this research is to read and reviewclosely Prophet Muhammad’s public communication whileanswering the following two questions: 1) What are theprimary values in the public communication of ProphetMuhammad? 2) What are the other extraordinary values inthe public communication of Prophet Muhammad?

Significance of the Study

There are literally thousands of instances andutterances where the Prophet shared his publiccommunication. Scholars and researchers havepainstakingly combined them into a compendium of publiccommunication. Additionally, the Qur’an contains hisdivinely guided writings to the people. However, nostudies have shown how the values espoused by theProphet can influence current practices or how importantthe extraordinary values themselves were to the Prophet inpreaching his words.

Although volumes of books have been written aboutthe life of Prophet Muhammad and his teachings, to date,however, there is no extensive study about the values in thepublic communication of the Prophet. ProphetMuhammad’s stated values in his public communicationand his leadership style played a significant role in helpinghim accomplish his goal of delivering the message of Islamto the world. Researching these values in his publiccommunication will uncover an important aspect of themethods through which the religion of Islam continues tomotivate and inspire 1.2 billion Muslims around theworld. This research can also inform current secular andspiritual leaders. It will inform them about Islamic valuesinspired from the Muhammad teachings. While the theory

of transformational leadership is widely researched andrespected, the extraordinary values possessed and espousedby Prophet Muhammad can further inform business andpersonal dealings and provide a framework for ethicaldecision-making. The extraordinary values of the ProphetMuhammad’s words are only realized after conducting aclose reading of the Prophet’s public communicationthrough a textual analysis. If modern leaders take ProphetMuhammad as an example to live with, the world will be abetter place to live in.

To provide a close reading of the Prophet Muhammad'spublic communication and the values he displayed andspoke of, this research must be situated within previousresearch on the preaching of the Prophet and literature onleadership. Chapter 2 will focus on the review of relevantliterature to this research, including a history of Islamicreligious thought, a discussion of leadership ascharacterized by recent researchers, and the importance ofthe Qur'an and Ahadith which chronicle the Prophet'spreaching. Chapter 3 presents the theoretical frameworkand methodology utilized in this research, that of textualanalysis, and its justification in seeking the answers thisresearch raises. Chapter 4 discusses at length theinterpretation of values espoused in Prophet Muhammad'spublic communication, isolating each one anddemonstrating how it is seen in the text(s). Finally, Chapter5 presents the findings of this research and how the valuesare framed for wider dissemination to benefit allhumankind. Limitations on this study are raised andresolved and implications for further research aresuggested.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Prophet Muhammad preached for twenty-threeyears and consequently the writings in the Qur’an and theAdith contain thousands of accounts of his interactions andpublic communication. His public communicationcontained many references to values necessary to followcompletely Allah’s will. In his book, Muhammad in theQur’an, Raza (1982) traced the verses in the Qur’an thatdescribed Prophet Muhammad’s character values: “Andverily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard ofcharacter” (Qur’an 68:4). This was not only a claim, butProphet Muhammad had already won from his fellow-citizens of Mecca the recognition of his magnificentmorality inasmuch as he had won the title of Al-Amin, atitle rarely conceded to anybody in the pre Islamic days(Khan, 1998).

Raza (1982) quoted from the Qur’an a verse thatdeclared Prophet Muhammad to be a mercy to all thegenerations of men, a worldwide community value: "Wesent you not (O Muhammad), but as a Mercy for allcreatures" (Qur'an, 21:107). This verse contains not only areference to the merciful dealings of Prophet Muhammadwith his opponents but also signifies that the Prophet’sarrival was not only a mercy to the Arabs, but it was also amercy to the whole of humanity (p. 169). Even today, thewritings and words of the Prophet Muhammad are relevantfor all of humankind and his words will remain pertinentand appropriate for the masses indefinitely.

The Prophet’s manner of preaching is indeed

unique. By leading through example, He was able to sharethe word and will of Allah through his actions andinteractions. In the Qur’an, the Prophet’s way with thepeople was described in the following verse: "By the graceof Allah, you (O Muhammad) are gentle towards thepeople; if you had been stern and harsh-hearted, they wouldhave dispersed from round about you" (Qur'an 3:159). Andalso: “Most certainly, you (people) have in the messengerof Allah an excellent pattern (of behavior)” (Qur’an33:21). This verse points to the most significant truth and adistinguishing character of the Prophet (Raza, 1982, p.164).

Many accounts of his prophethood describe hisinteractions with the people and how they held him inesteemed remembrance. In his book, The Sealed Nectar,(1996). Al- Mubarakpuri quoted Ali ibin Abi Talibdescribing Prophet Muhammad thus:

He was the most generous ofheart, truthful of tongue, softestin disposition, and noble inrelationship. He who first seteyes upon him feared him, buthe who associated with himloved him. Those who describedhim would say: “I have neverseen before or after him anyonesimilar to him, peace be uponhim. (Al-Mubarakpuri, 1996, p.493)

Character Values

The Prophet Muhammad is continuouslyremembered for his dealings with those he shared

the word and will of Allah. His kindness to themand his interest in their well being are typicallymentioned. Michener (1955) wrote aboutMuhammad’s life and his treatment of the poor andneedy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and theoppressed thus:

Muhammad, the inspired manwho founded Islam, was bornabout A.D. 570 into an Arabiantribe that worshipped idols.Orphaned at birth, he was alwaysparticularly solicitous of the poorand needy, the widow and theorphan, the slave and thedowntrodden. At twenty, he wasa l r e a d y a s u c c e s s f u lbusinessman, and soon becamedirector of camel caravans for awealthy widow. When hereached twenty-five, hisemployer, recognizing his merit,proposed marriage. Even thoughshe was fifteen years older, hemarried her, and as long as shelived, remained a devotedhusband. (pp. 68-70)

According to Sharma (1935), "Muhammad was thesoul of kindness, and his influence was felt and neverforgotten by those around him" (p. 12).Mahatma Gandhi,well-known for his compassionate character to all people,described the character of Muhammad similarly to howothers describe him:

I wanted to know the best of onewho holds today's undisputed

sway over the hearts of millionsof humankind....I became morethan convinced that it was notthe sword that won a place forIslam in those days in thescheme of life. It was the rigidsimplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, thescrupulous regard for hispledges, his intense devotion tohis friends and followers, hisintrepidity, his fearlessness, hisabsolute trust in God and in hisown mission. These and not thesword carried everything beforethem and surmounted everyobstacle. (Young India, nd)

Carlyle, one of the greatest thinkers of the pastcentury, described Prophet Muhammad’s sincerity thus:

the great man's sincerity is of thekind he cannot speak of: nay, Isuppose, he is conscious ratherof insincerity; for what man canwalk accurately by the law oftruth for one day? No, the greatman does not boast himselfsincere, far from that; perhapsdoes not ask himself if he is so: Iwould say rather, his sinceritydoes not depend on himself: hecannot help being sincere!(1840, p. 59)

Carlyle’s glowing description of the Prophet,based on his research of the Prophet’s interactions

with others and his desire for them to do accordingto God’s will, continued describing the ProphetMuhammad as:

a silent great soul, he was one ofthose who cannot but be inearnest, whom nature herself hasappointed to be sincere. Whileothers walk in formulas andhearsays, contented enough todwell there, this man could notscreen him in formulas; he wasalone with his own soul and thereality of things. . . Suchsincerity, as we named it, has invery truth some thing of divine. The word of such a man is avoice direct from nature's ownheart. Men do and must listen tothat as to nothing else, - - - allelse is wind in comparison.(1840, p. 71)

Carlyle described Prophet Muhammad’s fidelity inthe following situation with his wife Ayesha thus:

It is a boundless favour. Henever forgot this good kadijah. Long afterwards, Ayesha hisyoung favourite wife, a womanwho indeed distinguished herselfamong the moslems, by allmanner of qualities, through herwhole long life; this youngbrilliant Ayesha was, one day,questioning him. “Now am not I

better than kadijah? She was awidow; old, and had lost herlooks: you love me better thanyou did her?” “No, by Allah!”answered Mahomet: “no, byAllah! She believed in me whennone else would believe. In thewhole world I had but onefriend, and she was that!...(1840, p.76)

It would have been easier to repel the temptation ofthe devil than to give way to the ego of a young, loving,brilliant and beautiful wife like lady Ayesha. Why not lether hear the soft soothing balm of flattery, it will not harmanyone. Even the soul of Khadija, the mother of theFaithful, would look light-heartedly at the trick. There isno shamming, no innocent "white lies" with Muhammad.Traits of this kind show us the genuine man (Deedat, 1990,p. 24).

Finally, Carlyle described Prophet Muhammad’sfaithfulness and interest in the people as:

a man of truth and fidelity; truein what he did, in what he spakeand thought. They noted that healways meant something. A manrather taciturn in speech; silentwhen there was nothing to besaid; but pertinent, wise, sincere,when he did speak; alwaysthrowing light on the matter. This is the only sort of speechworth speaking! (1840, p.69)

Community Values:

Again, it is important to remember that the publiccommunication of the Prophet was meant for those whowere able to hear it when he delivered the message, and forthose who would, for centuries later, read it or hear it fromothers. Shaw (1936) described what the modern worldwould be like under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad:

He must be called the Savior ofHumanity. I believe that if a manlike him were to assume thedictatorship of the modernworld, he would succeed insolving its problems in a waythat would bring it much neededpeace and happiness. (p. 8)

The accomplishments of one man over the space of

twenty-three years are indeed impressive. He preached areligion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moralcode, initiated numerous social and political reforms,established a powerful and dynamic society to practice andrepresent his teachings and completely revolutionized theworlds of human thought and behavior for all times tocome. Carlyle (1840) wrote, "how one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wanderingBedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in lessthan two decades" (pp. 287-288).

The Prophet is the face and voice of Islam, providinga clear and direct path to Allah and His will. ResearchersGibbon and Ockley, explaining the Prophet’s importance tothe spread and devotion of followers to Islam wrote:

I Believe in One God, andMahomet, an Apostle of God' isthe simple and invariable

profession of Islam. Theintellectual image of the Deityhas never been degraded by anyvisible idol; the honor of theProphet has never transgressedthe measure of human virtues;and his living precepts haverestrained the gratitude of hisdisciples within the bounds ofreason and religion. (1870, p. 54)

Muhammad was nothing more or less than a humanbeing. But he was a man with a noble mission, which wasto unite humanity on the worship of one and only one Godand to teach them the way to honest and upright livingbased on the commands of God. He always describedhimself as "a servant and messenger of God," and so indeedevery action of his proclaimed to be.

Speaking on the aspect of equality before God inIslam, Sarojini Naidu said:

It was the first religion thatpreached and pract iceddemocracy; for, in the mosque,when the call for prayer issounded and worshippers aregathered together, the democracyof Islam is embodied five times aday when the peasant and kingkneel side by side and proclaim:“God Alone is Great”... I havebeen struck over and over againby this indivisible unity of Islamthat makes man instinctively abrother. (1918, p. 169)

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life andteachings of Muhammad have survived without theslightest loss, alteration or interruption. They offer the sameundying hope for treating humankind's many ills, whichthey did when he was alive. This is not a claim ofMuhammad's followers but an inescapable conclusionreached by a critical and unbiased history.

Researchers Gibbon and Ocklay (1870) continuedwith their praise of the Prophet: the honors of the Prophethave never transgressed the measure of human virtue, andhis living precepts have restrained the gratitude of hisdisciples within the bounds of reason and religion. (p. 54)

Even though the Prophet could haveexploited his position as a successful secular andspiritual leader, Muhammad never chose to do so. Smith (1874) wrote about how Muhammadrestrained his power:

He was Caesar and Pope in one;but he was Pope without Pope'spretensions, Caesar without thelegions of Caesar: without astanding army, without abodyguard, without a palace,without a fixed revenue; if everany man had the right to say thathe ruled by the right divine, itwas Mohammed, for he had allthe power without i tsinstruments and without itssupports. (p. 92)

The Prophet’s ability to lead and inspire has notwaned through the years since his death. In fact, hisleadership ability continues to inspire. Besant (1932)

described how his admiration for the Prophet increasedevery time she read about Prophet Muhammad thus:

It is impossible for anyone whostudies the life and character ofthe great Prophet of Arabia, whoknows how he taught and howhe lived, to feel anything butreverence for that mightyProphet, one of the greatmessengers of the Supreme. Andalthough in what I put to you Ishall say many things which maybe familiar to many, yet I myselffeel whenever I re-read them, anew way of admiration, a newsense of reverence for thatmighty Arabian teacher. (p. 4)

Although the Prophet was widely revered andadmired, his legacy and teachings are still interpreted withdistrust and skepticism, usually by those in the West. Watt(1953) wrote about Prophet Muhammad’s leadership,integrity and being misunderstood in the West thus:

His readiness to undergopersecutions for his beliefs, thehigh moral character of the menwho believed in him and lookedup to him as leader, and thegreatness of his ultimateachievement - all argue hisfundamental integrity. Tosuppose Muhammad an impostorraises more problems than itsolves. Moreover, none of thegreat figures of history is so

poorly appreciated in the Westas Muhammad. (p. 52)

But, for each skeptic of the Prophet’s wordsand writings, there are many more who believe in hiswords and his preaching and find the teachingsimportant for their daily, practical needs. Michener(1955) wrote about the practicality of Muhammad’steachings thus:

In all things Muhammad wasprofoundly practical. When hisbeloved son Ibrahim died, aneclipse occurred, and rumors ofGod's personal condolencequickly arose. WhereuponMuhammad is said to haveannounced, "An eclipse is aphenomenon of nature. It isfoolish to attribute such things tothe death or birth of a humanbeing.” (pp. 68-70)

Prophet Muhammad’s Patterns of Communication as aWorld Leader

In his book, Muhammad Man and Prophet, Adil Salahi (2002) wrote about opening up internationalhorizons when Prophet Muhammad planned to spread themessage of Islam beyond Arabia . He decided to write toneighboring kings, including those of the superpowers,inviting them to Islam. In order to make the selection ofambassadors to the rulers, Prophet Muhammad selectedsome of the most competent of his companions asambassadors to kings and heads of states. The ambassadorswere conversant with the languages spoken as well as withthe political conditions of the countries to which they weresent. The Prophet sent ambassadors to: Heraclius, Emperor

of the Byzantines of the Eastern Roman Empire; ChosroesII, Emperor of Persian Empire; Negus, King of Abyssinia;Muqawqis, Ruler of Egypt; Harith Gassani, Governor ofSyria; Al- Mundhir bin Sawa, Ruler of Bahrain (Salahi,2002). The dominion, prestige, splendor and might of theabove kings and rulers who divided the world during theseventh century would indicate what a memorable step wastaken by the Prophet. The wording of the Prophet’s letterswere all similar; the text of the letter sent to Heraclius wasas follows:

In the name of Allah, theBeneficent, the Merciful. Thisletter is from Muhammad theslave of Allah and his Apostle toHeraclius, the ruler of theByzantines. Peace be upon himwho follows the right path.Furthermore, I invite you toIslam and if you become aMuslim you will be safe, andAllah will double your reward,and if you reject this invitationof Islam you will be committinga sin by misguiding yoursubjects. And I recite to youAllah's statement: O People ofthe Scriptures! Come to a wordcommon to you and us that weworship none but Allah and thatwe associate nothing in worshipwith Him, and that none of usshall take others as Lords besideAllah. Then if they turn away,say: Bear witness that we areMuslims (those who have

surrendered to Allah). (Qur’an:3: 64)

All the Prophet's letters were stamped with thewords: “Muhammad Rasul-ullah" (Muhammad theMessenger of Allah). Three of the Prophet’s letters havebeen preserved. (Salahi, 2002)

The reactions of the Monarchs differed. Heraclius,Negus and Muqauqis received the letter from the Prophetwith such respect that each gave a courteous reply. Negusand Muqauqis showed the highest regard to the envoys. Chosroes II was indignant and tore the letter into pieces,saying, “My slave dares to write me thus.” When his replywas conveyed to the Prophet, he said, “even so shall Godshatter his kingdom to pieces” (Salahi, 2002) Choroes IIwrote to Badhan, who was his governor in Yemen , to getthe Prophet sent to him in Ctesiphon . Badhan sentBabwayh to tell the Prophet what Choroes II had written tohim and that he had come to take him to the king. Butwhen Babwayh came to Madina, the Prophet told him thatGod has given Sherveh power and he has killed ChoroesII. The prophecy of the Prophet was the reason that theruler of Yemen became a Muslim, when the news came tohim afterwards identical to what the Prophet stated. (Salahi,2002)

Global morals, values and principals of the ProphetMuhammad

In his book, Islam Teaching and Principles, Higab(1996) stated that the message of Islam is general to allhumankind. Scholars who interpret the meaning of theQur’an state that any verse beginning with the phrase “youpeople” actually addresses humankind indefinitely. TheProphet Muhammad himself remarked: “I am a messenger,sent by God to you in particular, to humankind in general. I

am warning you…” (p. 224) The message of Islam has auniversal stamp, because its purpose is to serve all ofmankind without color or racial discrimination. In Islam,all are treated equally: there was one human race at thecreation of the universe, one form of human nature, and soit is now. God desires different nations to get to know oneanother for a purpose of getting together in friendship,which leads to peace instead of strife (pp. 223-224).

In situations when there were no instructions fromAllah to Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet used to counseland ask his followers about their opinions in the matter. For example, during one of the battles, a follower advisedthe Prophet to change the location of the Muslim troops.When the Prophet realized that the suggestion of thefollower would benefit their fighting the enemy, he askedthe troops to change their location as the follower’ssuggested (Salahi, 2002). While the Prophet could havemade decisions without input, and could have used thepower and prestige he enjoyed both secularly andspiritually to influence others for his own gains, theProphet, instead, was interested in the advice andsuggestions from those around him. Muhammad then was agreat leader and provided comfort and strength to thosewhom he counseled and led. He did as suggested byMasserman (1974), an American psychoanalyst, whodelineates the different functions that the leaders mustfulfill:

Leaders must fulfill threefunctions: 1) Provide for the wellbeing of the led, 2) Provide asocial organization in whichpeople feel relatively secure, and3) Provide them with a set ofbeliefs. People like Pasteur and

Salk are leaders in the firstsense. People like Gandhi andConfucius, on one hand, andAlexander and Caesar on theother, are leaders in the secondand perhaps the third sense Jesusand Buddha belong in the thirdcategory alone. Perhaps thegreatest leader of all time wasMuhammad, who combined allthree functions. To a lesserdegree, Moses did the same.(p.35)

The Prophet Muhammad had all the qualities aleader is supposed to have as described by Masserman(1974). He was a leader not only in one aspect of life but heled his community to success in every field. Hart (1978),in his published book on ratings of those who contributedtowards the benefit and uplifting of humankind, placedMuhammad as the number one person who influencedhumankind. He realized his choice may be controversialand responded:

My choice of Muhammad tolead the list of the world's mostinfluential persons may surprisesome readers and may bequestioned by others, but he wasthe only man in history who wassupremely successful on both thereligious and secular levels. (p.33)

Without question, the Prophet Muhammadhad many opportunities to lead and guide hisspiritual and secular followers. Instead of wielding

his power and prestige for his own gain, he insteadspent his time reinforcing his message by treatingthose around him well, and upholding the values helauded in his public communication. Scholars ofleadership have recognized the Prophet’s prowess atinspiring and leading others and have compared hisabilities to religious leaders of similar stature,suggesting his success on many levels was superiorto others.(Hart, 1978) The Prophet’s unique abilityto lead and direct, while exhibiting transformationaland extraordinary values, makes him a leader toresearch and to emulate.

CHAPTER IIITHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND

METHODOLOGYThis study utilizes leadership and communication

theory as a means of generating data from primarymaterials. Burns’(1978) theory of transformationalleadership has been the basis of more than 400 doctoraldissertations. His theory had a powerful component; whatGeorgia Sorenson (2000) calls a "values-added"dimension. Until Burns’ book, the goal of good leadershipwas seen as "effectiveness." Burns transformed our view ofleadership by insisting that great leadership had moraldimensions. "Moral" to Burns did not mean the everydayvirtues or daily ethical dimensions, but adherence to thegreat public values such as liberty, justice, and equality.Moral leadership was the purview of great leadership. Hethus made a distinction between two different but

compatible leadership behaviors–transforming andtransactional. He defined transactional leadership as"everyday brokerage" and "the process whereby one persontakes the initiative in making contact with others for thepurpose of an exchange of valued things" (1978, p. 20).

Moral Value Leadership emerges from, and alwaysreturns to, the fundamental wants and needs, aspirations,and values of the followers (Burns, 1978). ForBurns(1978), his project is to "deal with leadership asdistinct from mere power-holding and as the opposite ofbeast power" (p. 20). He maintains

M o r a l V a l u eLeade r sh ip—requ i re s arelationship not only of powerbut of mutual needs, aspirations,and higher values betweenleaders and followers; requiresthat in responding to leaders,followers have adequateknowledge of alternative leadersand programs and the capacity tochoose among those alternatives;requires leaders to takeresponsibi l i ty for theircommitments–if they promisecertain kinds of economic,social, and political change, theyassume leadership in thebringing about of that change.(Burns, 1978, p. 30)

Burns sets up a duality between amoral and moralleaders, and only the moral leaders with higher purpose canbe transactional or transformational. Thus, Burns' theory of

morality drives the duality. The hierarchy is as follows:amoral leaders are coercive with a strong will to power,transactional leaders have the moral means to lead, andtransformational leaders add to transaction what is lacking,the moral ends of leadership. The moral value leader isboth transactional and transformational but in differentways (but never amoral). Transactional Moral ValueLeaders lead with modal values (the means over ends) thatinclude: honesty, responsibility, fairness, and honoringone's commitments. Conversely, Transformational MoralValue Leaders lead with transcendent values (the ends overmeans) that include liberty, justice, equality and collectivewell-being.

The transactional and transformational choices ofleaders in Burns' typology do not include naked powerwielders. Also, the transformational ones have modal(means over ends) motives, while the transformationalleaders make means consistent with attaining higher ends. The amoral leaders also lack the intent to bring followers toa higher level of moral reasoning. Many readers miss thefact that leadership as defined by Burns (1978), be ittransactional or transformational, was about moral values;amoral power-wielders did not qualify as leaders. In thissense, the trinity and hierarchy of amoral, transactional-means, and transformational-ends are based on Burns'theory of power and psychological motives. For Burns(1978), "all leaders are actual or potential power holders,but not all power holders are leaders.”(p.18) Andpsychologically the power wielders are distinguished fromleaders, because the former "treat people as things" and real"leaders do not eliminate followers' motives" (Burns, 1978,p. 18). At the top of the leadership pyramid is thetransformational leader who "converts followers intoleaders and may convert leaders into moral agents" (Burns,1978, p. 4).

For transactional leaders, the negotiation ofresources and transactions was monitored by modal values,"that is, values of means including—honesty ,responsibility, fairness, the honoring ofcommitments–without which transactional leadershipcould not work" (Burns, 1978, p. 426). For Burns, bothtransactional and transformational leadership have moralimplications. Burns sought a moral use of power, andlooked at the transactional and transformational resourcesof power holders responding in power relationships withinsome collective. Leaders and followers were in exchangerelationships, based on power and moral values. Burns’Transformational Leader is someone who "recognizes andexploits an existing need or demand of a potentialfollower... (and) looks for potential motives in followers,seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person ofthe follower" (Boje, 2000, p. 4).

Bass, Avolio, & Goodheim (1987) cite Burns'definition of Transformational Leader. The leader whorecognizes the transactional needs in potential followerstend to go further. Transformational political leaders mayalso use their authority and power to radically reshapethrough coercive means the social and physicalenvironment, thus destroying the old way of life andmaking way for a new one" (Bass, et al., p. 18). He furtherargues that transformational leadership is universallyapplicable. He proposes that, regardless of culture,transformational leaders inspire followers to transcend theirown self-interests for the good of the group or organization,followers become motivated to expend greater effort thanwould usually be expected.

At one point, Bass et al. (1987) contends that "mostleaders do both (transformation and transaction) in differentamounts" (p. 22) or "transformational and transactional

leadership are likely to be displayed by the same individualin different amounts and intensities" (p. 26). Thetransactional leader could contribute confidence and desireby clarifying what performance was required and howneeds would be satisfied as a result. The transformationalleader induces additional effort by further sharplyincreasing subordinate confidence and by elevating thevalue of outcomes for the subordinate" (p. 22). Bass(1985) concludes that "the leadership of the great men (andgreat women) of history has usually been transformational,not transactional (p. 26).

The research of Bennis and Nanus (1985)adds to the list of leader traits. They also includelogical thinking, persistence, empowerment, andself-control as necessary traits. But, most of all, theyconfirmed transformational (leaders) as beingdifferent from transactional (managers). Thetransformation is to make followers into self-empowered leaders, and into change agents. Theleader's job is to articulate vision and values clearlyso the new self-empowered leaders know where togo. The necessary traits of a transformational leaderare described as the 4 I's: idealized influence (leaderbecomes a role model); inspirational motivation(team spirit, motivate, and provide meaning andchallenge); intellectual stimulation (creativity andinnovation); individual consideration (mentoring)(p.25). Transformational leaders know that theyneed to give their people very good reasons to comewith them on their journey to their desired futurestate. They know that their people need to bemotivated to do so and that their motivation is drivenby their beliefs. (Allan, 2003).

Barge (1994) summarizes Burns’Transformational Leadership theory and clarifiesthat leaders rely on their rhetorical skills to create acompelling vision of the future, which prompts shiftsin follower beliefs, needs, and values.Transformational leaders do not depend on theirability to manipulate formal rewards andpunishments; rather, they set an example forfollowers and use rhetorical skills to establish acommon vision (p. 52).

The role of communication intransformational leadership theory is very important.Barge (1994) argues that effective transformationalleaders must possess rhetorical and persuasive skillsto compose clear, visionary and inspiring messages. Transformational leaders need to be creative in theircommunication messages for particular individuals,at a particular place and at given times. One of thekey aspects of transformational leadership theory isits ability to create new definitions for situations andto define various contexts (p. 58). Thetransformational theory emphasizes the power ofcommunication in creating new ways of thinking andorganizing collective behavior (p. 60).

Hackman and Johnson (1996) argue thatwhether or not a leader exhibits transformationalbehavior may be directly related to the leader’scommunication skills. Hackman and Johnson statethat communication professor Ted Zorn discovered arelationship between the complexity of a leader’ssystem and the tendency to exhibit transformationalleadership behavior. Zorn (1991) found thoseleaders with the most developed cognitive andcommunication abilities were the most likely to be

perceived as transformational by their followers. They also found in their research thattransformational leaders exhibit many specificqualities, and are typically creative, interactive,visionary, empowering and passionate. They areinnovative and foresighted who are masterfulcommunicators, able to articulate and define ideasand concepts that escape others. Hackman andJohnson (1996) remind “extraordinary leadership is aproduct of extraordinary communication” and that“communicating a vision to followers may well bethe most important act of the transformationalleader” (pp. 81- 82). Nanus (1985) suggests aneffective vision has four characteristics, that it“attracts commitment and energizes people, createsmeaning for followers, establishes a standard ofexcellence, bridges the present and the future” (p.27)

Transformational leaders empower others. The exchange of ideas between leaders andfollowers does not pose a threat to thetransformational leader (Hackman & Johnson, 1996,p. 88). Transformational leaders are passionatelycommitted to their goal. They motivate andencourage others. They have a great deal of affectionfor the people around them (Hackman & Johnson,1996, p. 92)

Stereotypes Theory

(Infante at all, 1997) define Stereotypes that they aremental categories shared by group members about othergroups based on learned opinions rather than informationabout a specific individual.

Ford and Stangor (1992) tested the hypotheses that whenforming stereotypes of social groups, the attributedimensions which are most differentiated will most likelybecome stereotypical. They suggest that stereotypes may bebest viewed as the characteristics that are most stronglyassociated with a group in memory. Therefore, stereotypesof a group are the attributes that are most likely to come tomind when thinking about a particular group.(http://www.student.richmond.edu/~sjohnso2/stereotypes.html)

In the past, when so many attacks were launched againstIslam under an open and unabashed crusader flag, variouspopes used to encourage some fanatics to write bookletscontaining lies against Islam, distorting the message andreviling the religion. Many of the strongest stereotypes arefrom this era.

After the church withdrew from this activity, the number ofthese attacks was obviously reduced. Yet they did not stopaltogether. They took another form under a differentbanner, the pretext of freedom of expression. Only theapproach has changed. It is a fact that Islam receives themost hostile media coverage.Back up the claim. It is notdifficult to see that Muslim's are being stereotyped as athreat to the "New World Order". (About Al-Islam andMuslims v1.9)

METHODOLOGY

This study employed textual analysis as a method toanalyze the values that Prophet Muhammad manifested in

his public communication. According to Denzin andLincoln (2002), textual analysis is used to “describe andinterpret the characteristics of a recorded or visualmessage” (p. 225). The purpose of textual analysis is toascertain the meaning intended by the producer of a text(Hirsch, 1967). Textual analysis can be used to answer thetwo major questions posed in communication research:“What is the nature of communication?” and “How iscommunication related to other variables? This researchseeks to understand the nature of the public communicationof the Prophet Muhammad and address how theextraordinary values he espouses in his publiccommunication are related to his life and Prophet hood.

Textual Boundaries:

Where does a text begin and end? If a text has adeterminate state, then it would necessarily follow that weshould be able to localize the text. But where? Thelanguage of the text suggests that we end the text wherelanguage ends (Grigely, 1995, p. 130). However, thelanguage that the Prophet Muhammad used set unlimitedboundaries to the text as his messages continue today inwritten form. The continuous message of the Prophet isimportant as his message was not intended solely for hislocal people. His messages and parlaying of values wasmeant for all people everywhere and for all generations tocome. His words evoke emotion and devotion to theteachings of Islam even today. Therefore, the text andlanguage do not end, but instead continue to inspire andinvigorate.

Textual Event

Grigely (1995) argues that text might be prepared for aspecific event and he raises the issue of the notion of

iterability. Repeatability is a universal quality in textualstudies, where efforts are made to produce or reproduce aparticular text (p. 93). The sayings of Prophet Muhammadhave been known, repeated, produced, reproduced, printed,reprinted and will stay forever in the world since they weredelivered by the Prophet fourteen centuries ago.

The researcher chose textual analysis instead ofcontent analysis because

content analysis cannotsufficiently tease out or lay bareall the subtleties and nuances ofverbal and visual messages. It isonly by a close and criticalexamination of the verbal textthat we can deconstruct andreveal the messages that aresubtle and covert. (Roy, 1996, p.318)

He also cites Hall that:

literary critical, linguistic andstylistic methods of analysis areby contrast, more useful inpenetrating the latent meaningsof a text, and they preservesomething of the complexity oflanguage and connotation whichhas to be sacrificed in contentanalysis in order to achieve highvalidation. (Roy, 1996, p .318)

The connotative meaning of a text isthe main aim of textual analysis. The nuances

in the speeches of Prophet Muhammad canonly be analyzed and discussed in greaterdetail using the method of textual analysis.Hall (as cited in Roy , 2001) maintains“textual analysis is performed to examine thediscourse…so as to get behind the broaddistribution of manifest content to the latentimplicit patterns and emphasis” (p. 90).

The analytical discourse that a researcherusing textual analysis does on a given data isquite different from what a researcher usingcontent analysis can do with the same data.The latter is mostly concerned chiefly withunit of analysis and the coding categories. Hecannot deviate from them. He is limited to thesystemic codes rather than going beyond. Buta researcher employing textual analysis goesbeyond to examine the subtleties, nitty-grittyof both the visual as well as the non-visuals inthe text.

This researcher identified themes (values)through a close reading of the speeches of ProphetMuhammad, using Pardun and Krugman (as cited inPotter, 1996) “ line-by-line examination” (p.124).The values in the speeches of Prophet Muhammadwere then categorized on the basis of their intent andspecific message: character values and communityvalues. These two broad categories for values alsocontain several other subsets of values (categories).

Prophet Muhammad said about himself that “I amthe most eloquent among the Arab” (Faizi, 1997, p.2). Hisspeeches were short and concise, offering wisdom andsuggestions of how praise Allah. Some of these sayings

would interpret each other. The sayings were selected outof the populations of the Ahadith, a compendium of sayingsby Muhammad. The researcher used the encyclopedia ofAhadith as a primary source for Muhammad’s publiccommunication as it contains thousands of instances ofMuhammad’s public communication and is thought to be,among the Islamic community, the most comprehensiveand accurate depiction of his sayings. Many of thethousands of speeches were reviewed. During the closereview and reading of the speeches, themes arose from thetexts, those of the overarching values of character, andcommunity. More than 70 themes were identified, but onlythe two categories of extraordinary values and the valueswhich support those categories are examined in this textualanalysis. To better explain the Ahadith and its offerings,authors are listed below with brief information on theirplace within the Ahadith. Examples of the speeches foundin the Ahadith collections follow. First, Sahih Bukhari’s(2000) collection is considered by researchers as second tonone. Bukhari spent sixteen years compiling it, and endedup with 2,602 Ahadith. Secondly, Sahih Muslim (2000) reviewed over 300,000 Ahadith, and extractedapproximately 4,000 for inclusion into his collection. Thirdly, the collection of Sunan Abu-Dawud (2000)includes 4,800 Ahadith, chosen from the 50,000 hereviewed. Also, Malik's Muwatta (1985) contains 1,831Ahadith. Lastly, the Jami' is Tirmidhi's (2000) magnumopus. It contains 3,956 Ahadith. The total Ahadith of theProphet are 17,189, which were closely reviewed. Thesamples 113 of the Ahadith were selected depending on thespeeches of Prophet Muhammad related to the valuesaddressed. Also, 30 verses from the Qur’an were usedwhen they were related to the values addressed.

The importance of the textual analysis as amethodology is that is allows a researcher the opportunity

to review public communication and to provide thehighlighted materials to the audience. By reviewing somany of the Prophet’s sayings, literally thousands, thisresearch presents a robust reading of the publiccommunication and its impact upon observing Muslims.

CHAPTER IV

INTERPRETATION OF VALUES

Burns identified transcendent values of liberty,justice, equality, and collective well being thattransformational leaders must possess. This researchsuggests that Prophet Muhammad possessed each of thevalues, namely, liberty, justice, equality, and collective wellbeing. The textual analysis of Prophet Muhammad’sspeeches also revealed that he possessed more than the fourvalues of a transformational leader as identified by Burns(1978). The researcher identified eight character values andfour community values in Prophet Muhammad’s speeches,which the researcher has classified as extraordinary values. These extraordinary values that have been identified by theresearcher will be explained after the discussion of Burns’transformational leader values. In this section, ProphetMuhammad’s speeches that exemplify thesetransformational values will be highlighted. Specifically, atextual analysis of Prophet Muhammad’s public speecheswill reveal the extraordinary skills that he possessed andpracticed.

Liberty

People who are slaves are unable to enjoy freedomor taste of liberty. Upon a close examination of hisspeeches, it is clear that Prophet Muhammad abhorredslavery and proposed measures to abolish it and wouldimpart others to treat all humankind with respect, hopingthey would, too, enjoy liberty. His contemporary world wasa world of masters and slaves and there were more slavesthan masters. The entire economic structure of society wasbased on slavery. Prophet Muhammad exhorted people totreat their slaves with kindness. Any ill-treatment of theslave entitled him to seek compensation. ProphetMuhammad is reported in Bukhari to have witnessed amaster beating his slave in an inhuman manner. The masterwas severely warned and on having expressed regret hewas asked to free the slave to make up for his sin. OnceAbu Mas’ud Ansari was beating his slave when he heard avoice behind him saying:

Abu Mas’ud! Allah has morepower and control over you thanyou have over this slave.” AbuMas’ud turned and saw that itwas Allah’s Messenger. He said:“0 Allah’s Messenger! I free thisslave for the Pleasure of Allah.”The Prophet replied: “If you hadnot done so, the fire of Hellwould have touched you.(Tirmidhi, 1948)

In other cases a slave might be entitled to earn hisfreedom by paying off the master from the savings of hiswages. Masters who still wanted to keep their slaves were

allowed to retain them on the condition that they feed andclothe them as they feed and clothe themselves.

For a number of minor and major wrongs, ProphetMuhammad substituted the emancipation of slaves for finesor other forms of punishment. When the Qur'an enumeratesimportant virtues, the emancipation of slaves is oftenincluded in the list. Before Islam, the common custom wasto murder the captured enemy or to keep him as a slave. Islam gave preference to the prisoners of war beingreleased on the payment of ransom or as a matter ofcharity. The ransom demanded was not always in theshape of money. The Prophet said whoever could teach thechildren to read and write would be set free. Among theuses of voluntary charity, the emancipation of slaves wasrecommended as an act of great merit. Zakat, the fundscollected by the state from those who had surplus wealth,were to be used to ease all kinds of human distress; settingfree the slaves by paying off their masters was one of thepurposes for which Zakat funds were to be expanded.Women in particular were equally suffering from this slavepractices and so the Prophet tried to address the issue.

Prophet Muhammad saw that women had been enslavedby man and were considered to be mere pieces of propertyhaving almost the status of slaves. It was considered ashame to have a daughter, therefore many of them wereburied alive after birth, and some were similarly destroyedeven after reaching puberty. Prophet Muhammad raised hispassionate voice against this cruelty. He said, "The goodamong you are those who are good to women. Whoevermakes sacrifices in bringing up two daughters with loveand mercy shall go to paradise.” Paradise therefore, standslike the symbol of reward to these who obey the ProphetMuhammad. Thus, he believes that " Paradise is under thefeet of your mothers." (Bukhari, 2000, p.506) Bahz b.

Hakim, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfathertold him that he had asked Allah’s Messenger to whom heshould show kindness and that the Prophet had replied:“Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied:“Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied forthe third time: “Your mother.” He again asked who camenext and he replied: “Your father, then your relatives inorder of relationship” (Abu-Dawud, 5120). ProphetMuhammad helped women in all possible ways to get equalstatus with men. The Qur'an says, "They have rightssimilar to those against them"(Qur’an 2:228). The Qur'anpreaches a common morality for both the sexes in everyrespect; in most of the moral orders they are mentionedtogether. Women shared with men equality before the law.They were granted civil rights which some of the civilizedcountries refuse to grant them even today. Marriage wasmade a civil contract between man and woman in whichany lawful conditions could be inserted. She was grantedthe right of inheritance and the right to own property in herown name. Owning property was an unconditionaleconomic privilege not to be left in the hands of certainsexes or gender.

Economic liberation of man was another issue thatProphet Muhammad emphasized. Prophet Muhammadtransformed all honest work into worship. He said that theman, who is seeking livelihood for his family, is alsoworshipping God, stating "The wage-earner is a friend ofGod" (Bukhari, 2000, p. 486). He was the first greatreligious teacher who announced in clear terms that for thecommon man poverty was a great evil. He said, “povertybrings a man to the brink of loss of faith in God” (Muslim,2000, p.1064). In the revelation, God mentions as one ofthe blessings conferred on the Prophet that he wasoriginally poor and God had granted him freedom fromwant. It is a famous saying of the Prophet that poverty

blackens a man's face in both the worlds; every effort,therefore, must be made to ward it off. But this was onlyone aspect of his economic outlook. He was equally, if notmore, afraid of superfluous wealth which makes thepossessor luxurious and unjust and warned, "I am not somuch afraid of your poverty as of your wealth" (Tirmidhi,2462). A man is as much enslaved by wrongfullyaccumulated wealth as he is degraded by poverty. Themiddle path of economic sufficiency and security is thepath of all social justice.

The Prophet prohibited usury, another formof economic exploitation in Islam. Since there issuch economic monopoly and exploitation in acapitalistic system, the rich will become richer andthe poor will become poorer. At his last sermon,Prophet Muhammad stated: "All dues of interestshall stand cancelled and you will have only yourcapital back. Allah has forbidden interest, and Icancel the dues of interest payable to my uncleAbbas ibn Abdul Muttalib" (Bukhari, 4403). In theQur’an, the same point is confirmed: "You whobelieve fear God and write off anything that remainsoutstanding from lending at interest if ye are indeedbelievers" (Qur’an, 2:278). By emphasizing on theseelements, Prophet Muhammad wanted to create anequitable community void of suppression andoppression. His main aim was to institute Justice asan important notion of bringing peace to allhumankind.

Justice

By reading closely the Prophet Muhammad’sspeeches, it is apparent that he believed in justice for allhumanity. He embodied the commandment of the Qur’an:

0 you who believe! Stand outfirmly for Allah, as witnesses tofair dealing, and let not thehatred and enmity of othersmake you swerve to wrong anddepart from justice. Be just: thatis next to piety: and fear Allah.(Qur’an, 5:9).

Textual analysis of his speeches also revealed hedid not even discriminate between a near relative and astranger in these matters; if the stranger was in the right, hedecreed against his relative and in favor of the stranger.

Once a noble woman of theQuraish committed theft. Herrelatives tried to intercede on herbehalf. The Prophet called thepeople and addressed them inthese words: “What destroyedyour predecessors was just thatwhen a person of rank amongthem committed a theft (or anycrime), they left him alone, butwhen a weak one of theirnumber committed a theft (orany crime), they inflicted theprescribed punishment on him. Iswear by Allah that if Fatimah,daughter of Muhammad, shouldsteal. I would have her hand cutoff.” (Bukhari, 6787)

This strict fairness of the Prophet in matters ofdisputes and crimes was in line with the commandment ofthe Qur’an not to distinguish between a relative and a

stranger in matters of justice: “Whenever you speak, speakjustly and fairly, even if a near relative is concerned; andfulfill the Covenant of Allah. Thus, does Allah Commandyou that you may remember and heed” (Qur’an 6: 152). And again, in Surah Nisa we read:

O you who believe! Stand outfirmly for justice as witnesses toAllah, even as a g a i n s tyourselves, or your parents, oryou’re near relatives, andwhether it be against rich orpoor. For Allah can best protectboth. Follow not the lusts (ofyour hearts), lest you swerve(from doing justice), and if youdistort (justice) or decline to dojustice, surely Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.Qur’an, 4:135)

The Prophet firmly established the rule of justiceamong his people by his own example and practice. Whenhe was on his deathbed, just a few moments before hebreathed his last breath, he had it publicly announced:

Is there anyone among youwhom I have stricken? Here ismy back, let him strike me inreturn. Is there anyone whosecharacter I have defamed orinsulted? Let him now castreproach upon me. Is thereanyone from whom I have takenanything unjustly? Let him nowcome forward and bei n d e m n i f i e d . (Rahaman,

Encyclopaedia of Seerah,Vol.III, London, 1994, P.164)

Such was his consciousness and understanding ofthe rights of other people, and of the need to dispense themwith absolute fairness and justice that he did not forget iteven at the time of his last breath. This is an ever-livingreminder to the Muslims of the great importance of fairnessand justice. It is an obligation of the Muslims first to Allah,who gave them a Code of Law concerning the determiningof the rights of the people with full justice, and second tothe Prophet, who, by his strict adherence to the rule of law,firmly established this principle among them and warnedthem never to relax its enforcement.

The analysis demonstrates that he was a very fairand just man and succeeded not only in establishing a veryhigh standard of justice but also in setting a code of lawthat helped to establish and strengthen the rule of law in acountry wherein before there had been neither any rule oflaw nor any respect for law or justice. He so firmlyestablished a system of justice in the country and so firmlyand deeply engraved it in the hearts of his people that theytruly became the messengers of justice for the oppressedpeople of the world. Their quality of fairness and goodnessis mentioned by the Qur’an in these words: “You are thebest of peoples, raised for mankind, enjoining what is rightand fair, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah”(Qur’an 3:110). This goes to prove the point that theProphet did not welcome discrimination of any kind.

The standard of the Prophet’s concept of justice wasso exalted that he could not tolerate any kind ofdiscrimination between man and man on the basis of color,creed, race, nationality, language, birth or status where itcame to judging disputes between them. It was a universalcode of law that exceeded the barriers of time and space

and applied equally to all races and all nations. As timewent by people unconsciously welcomed this code of lawnot knowing that it was Prophet Muhammad who gave itbirth.

The Qur’an laid the fundamental basis of human honorand status in these words:

0 mankind! We created you froma single (pair) of a male and afemale, and made you intonations and tribes, that you mayknow each other (not that youmay despise each other). Surelythe most honored of you in theSight of Allah is (he who is) themost righteous of you. (Qur’an,49:13)

The following sayings of Prophet Muhammad showhow dedicated he was to justice: “No judge should givejudgment between two people when he is angry.” (Bukhari,6158). This means that it was practically impossible tobring about justice in a mindset where emotions overrideone’s reason.

If anyone seeks the office ofjudge among the Muslims andwhen he gets it and if his justiceprevails over his tyranny, he willgo to Paradise ; but the manwhose tyranny prevails over hisjustice will go to Hell. (AbuDawud, 3575)

This can clearly be understood as paying the rightful debtwhen one fails to allow reason to govern his/her decision.Tyrannical ruling is synonymous to emotional ruling. He

emphasized the idea of going to hell when one wrongfullydecides:

Judges are of three types, one ofwhich will go to Paradise andtwo to Hell. The type that will goto Paradise is the man whoknows what is the right (verdict)and gives judgment accordingly.But a man who knows what isthe right (verdict) but actstyrannically (i.e., unjustly) in hisjudgments, will go to Hell; andthe man who gives judgmentswhen he is Gracious Conductand Charming Manners ignorantof the facts will go to Hell. (AbuDawud, 3573)

Hell now becomes a symbol of retribution. Ifanyone wants to escape the wrath of Allah, he has to takerightful decision and not by a tyrant as Tirmidhi (2000)confirms:

“Allah is with the judge as long as he is not tyrannical, butwhen he is tyrannical, Allah departs from him and the devilattaches himself to him” (Tirmidhi, 1330).

The seriousness of the functions of a judge andwrongness of submitting false evidence is shown by thefollowing hadith of the Prophet. It is reported that two menbrought a dispute before the Prophet about inheritance, butneither of them had any proof beyond their claim. TheProphet, while giving judgment in this case, said:

If I give a judgment in favor ofone respecting what is rightly his

brother’s, I am allotting him onlya portion of Hell.” Thereupon,both the persons said:“Messenger of Allah, this rightof mine may go to my brother”but he replied: “No, rather goand divide it up, aiming at whatis right; then draw lots, and leteach of you consider the other tohave what is legitimately his. (Bukhari, 6967)

The Qur’an refers to bringing false evidence before thejudge in these words: “Do not usurp one another’s propertyby unjust means, nor offer it to the judges, so that you maydevour, knowingly and unjustly, a portion of the goods ofothers” (Qur’an, 2:188). It was by means of these severerestrictions and warnings of the Qur’an regarding falseevidence and bribery and the very clear, fair and justtreatment of the Prophet that the people came to respect thelaw of Islam. This means that Prophet Muhammad was notready to discriminate. He treated everyone as equallyimportant as any other. He was only ready to be animpartial judge in the face of disputes but this did not meanthat anyone was allowed to being false in denial before himand expected to get a good judgment. Prophet Muhammadalways decided each case on the basis of the evidence, or,in the absence of evidence, the parties were asked to takean oath. Then he gave his judgment according to theCommandment of Allah in that respect:

I am only a human being andyou bring your disputes to me,some perhaps being moreeloquent in their arguments thanothers, so that I may givejudgment on their behalf it is

what I hear from them.Therefore, Whatever I decide foranyone which by right belongsto his brother, he must not takeit, for I am granting him only aportion of hell. (Bukhari, 7181)

By doing this, Prophet Muhammad was interested instriking a balance. He did not see himself trying to favorone party as against the other. Equality of humankind wasone of his prime objectives.

Equality of Humankind

Prophet Muhammad preached the importance of theequality of humankind. In his last sermon the Prophetstated:

All mankind is from Adam andEve, an Arab has no superiorityover a non-Arab nor a non-Arabhas any superiority over anArab; also a White has nosuperiority over a Black nor aBlack has any superiority over aWhite except by piety and goodaction. Learn that every Muslimis a brother to every Muslim andthat the Muslims constitute onebrotherhood. Nothing shall belegitimate to a Muslim whichbelongs to a fellow Muslimunless it was given freely andw i l l i n g l y . (Rahman,Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.III, 1994, P. 204)

The concept of equality was therefore an importantconcept for Prophet Muhammad that of equality forhumans. People are equal in the sight of Allah and in frontof the law. They were born from Adam and Eve. Ourparents, and all of us are made of dust – no one is betterthan the other. The concept of equality is based on justice:All are equal and no one can claim that he is more pious oreven more righteous than the other except through pietyand righteousness. The Prophet stated that “no Arab hasany privilege over a non-Arab, except that based on piety”In fact, Prophet Muhammad was advocating collectivism asagainst individualism of human coexistence.

Collective Well Being

Collective well being is another value that wasemphasized several times in the public communication ofthe Prophet. In his farewell sermon, Prophet Muhammadoutlined the declaration of human rights:

O People! Just as you regardthis month, this day, this city assacred, so regard the life andproperty of every Muslim asacred trust. Return the goodsentrusted to you to their rightfulowners. Hurt no one so that noone may hurt you. Rememberthat you will indeed meet yourLord, and that he will indeedreckon your deeds. (Bukhari,4406)

The Prophet gave examples the people at the gathering

knew very well. Every one knew how sacred “this month”Zul Hijja, “this day” day of Arafa, “this city” city ofMeccah . Therefore, the life and property of people aresacred, too. Sanctity of life was being declared by Allah inthe Qur’an. People are to be protected and their lives are tobe preserved. People have to be dignified, respected andhonored. Their properties are to be protected and saved.The sanctity of life is to remain well preserved until the dayof judgment. The issue of property was linked the wholeconcept of usury, this what the Prophet said:

Allah has forbidden you to takeusury, therefore all interestobligation shall henceforth bewaived. Your capital is yours tokeep .You will neither inflict norsuffer any inequality. Allah hasjudged that there shall be nointerest and that all interest dueto Abbas Ibn 'Aal-Muttalib bewaived. (Muslim,1218)

Usury is like an economic exploitation and is totallyprohibited in Islam. Since usury is a form of economicmonopoly and exploitation in a capitalistic system, the richwill undoubtedly become richer, while the poor willautomatically become poorer. The Prophet in his final andlast sermon abolished all type of economic exploitations.Usury was declared to be prohibited and people were not todeal with it, even if they have had agreement or a contractwith someone. Nobody was above the law, even the uncleof the Prophet, Abbas Ebn Abdul Motalb, who was aroundthe same age of the Prophet and grew up with him was towave the usury. There was no difference between relativesand non-relatives.

The Qur’an states emphatically that usury is totallyunlawful. Islam abolished all types of economicexploitations. In Surah Al- Baqarah (The Cow) versenumber 275, the following is stated:

Those who devour usury will notstand except as stands one whomthe evil one by his touch hathdriven to madness. That isbecause they say: Trade is likeusury” but God hath permittedtrade and forbidden usury. Thosewho after receiving directionfrom their lord, desist, shall bepardoned for the past; their caseis for Allah (to judge) but thosewhereat (the offence) arecompanions of the fire: Theywill abide therein (forever).(Qur’an 2:275)

This is confirmed in the same Surah, verse number276, The Qur'an states: “God will deprive usury of theblessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: For heloveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked” (Qur’an,2:276). A strict judgment from God on the usury comesloud and clear in the following two verses at the samesurah:

O ye who believe! Fear God, andgive up what remains of yourdemand for usury, if ye areindeed believers. If ye do not,take notice of war from God andHis Apostle: But if ye turn back,Ye shall have your capital sums:deal not unjustly, And ye shall

not be dealt with unjustly.(Qur'an: 2 278-279)

Similarly, in his last sermon, Muhammad spoke of theimportance of treating everyone fairly, especially thewomen of the family. The best declaration for women’srights is spelled out in the farewell speech of the Prophet. He demanded that husbands should treat their wives withkindness and gentleness. Men are to know that theirwomen are their partners. Islam recognizes the duties andresponsibilities of both partners and, hence, emphasizesthat man is the head, while the woman is the heart of thefamily. Both are needed and both are complementary toone another. He gave the following guidance for theirprotection and praise:

O People it is true that you havecertain rights with regard to yourwomen but they also have rightsover you. Remember that youhave taken them as your wivesonly under Allah's trust and withHis permission. If they abide byyour right then to them belongsthe right to be fed and clothed inkindness. Do treat your womenwell and be kind to them for theyare your partners and committedhelpers. And it is your right thatthey do not make friends withany one of whom you do notapprove, as well never to beunchaste. (Muslim,1218)

The rights and duties of each spouse towards theother were declared and explained. For instance, he warnedthem against unjust behaviors: "Do not therefore doinjustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet

Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not astrayfrom the path of righteousness after I am gone". This meansthat Allah was not going to tolerate any deviant behavior ortransgressions.

In addition to the previous values that fit thevalues of the transformational leaders based onBurns’ (1978) theory of transformational leadership,Prophet Muhammad possessed unique values that heespoused in his speeches, making him a uniqueleader in the history of humankind. These values arecategorized into two major values: character, andcommunity. The major value categories also includemany subsets of values. Each of the categories wasderived after carefully reading many of ProphetMuhammad’s words and the reports of his publicspeeches.

Muhammad’s speeches that highlight eightcharacter values such as gentleness, good character,humility, kindness, moderation, modesty, politeness,and truthfulness. Each of the character values isfurther explored in the following section.

1. Gentleness

Gentleness is a fine gift of nature. It is thatcharacteristic in one’s personality that brings out his truenature. It also creates confidence and security to yourimmediate partner in communicative dialogue. The Prophetpaid more attention to this value in communication becausehe himself was the practical example of gentility. TheQur’an even refers to this quality of the Prophet in thesewords: “It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you deal gentlywith them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they wouldhave broken away from about you” (Qur’an, 3:159).

There are many sayings of the Prophet regardinggentleness. The following are just few. “Keep to gentlenessand avoid harshness and coarseness. Gentleness is notfound in anything without adorning it, and is not withdrawnfrom anything without diminishing it’’ (Abu Dawud,4790). Meaning that for you to be gentle you need tosacrifice something equally valuable because “he who isdeprived of gentleness is deprived of good” (Abu Dawud,4791). The following lines not only confirm the necessityfor gentle behavior for humans but the reprisals that cancome in the next world if one fails to manifests gentility onearth:

He who is given his share ofgentleness is given his share ofgood in this world and the next,and whoever is deprived of hisshare of gentleness is deprivedof his share of good in this worldand the next. (Bukhari, 4791)

Prophet Muhammad made it very explicit that whensomeone carries on the principle of gentleness here, he toowill have some reward in one form or another: “Shall I tellyou who is kept away from Hell and from whom Hell iskept away? From everyone who is gentle and kindly,approachable and of an easy disposition” (Tirmidhi, 2412). It is an undeniable fact of history that the Prophet wasextremely gentle and tenderhearted. It was not only thequestion of him not using unwelcome languages; it was anissue of banishing it completely in his entire vocabulary.His softness in speech communication was something towrite home about.

The aforementioned examples are proof of the factthat Prophet Muhammad typified an unquestionablecharacteristic of goodness. His speeches and personal

mannerisms show one of the most important elements ofhis public communication: The need for Goodness ineveryone’s character.

2. Good Character

Prophet Muhammad saw the need for maintaininggood character in all human beings. The issue of goodcharacter was one of prime importance since it was directlyrelated to spirituality. If you do not have a good character,it becomes quite difficult to be the servant of Allah. He saidthis about good character: “The believers whose faith ismost perfect are those who have the best character” (AbuDawud). He also believe that “Among the best of you arethose who have the best character” (Bukhari, 61). Thismeans that he was to like mainly those who have internalgoodness in them and in their speeches. Those that he willlove dearly are certainly those with best character(Bukhari). When he asked them this rather rhetoricalquestion: “Shall I inform you who are the best amongyou?” and on receiving the reply “certainly,” he said:“Those who are best among you are the ones who livelongest and have the best character” (Ahmad). Thisemphatic statement was self explicit also by that implyingthat to possess good character was also a way ofmanifesting certain degree of humility in words and deeds.

3. Humility

The Prophet showed civility, humility and modestyto all, rich or poor, old or young. He preached humblenessto his companions and demonstrated it by his actions. TheProphet is reported to have said: “Shall I tell you about theinhabitants of Paradise ? They are very meek and humble

persons. And shall I tell you about the inmates of Hell?They are very ignoble, uncivil and proud persons”(Bukhari, 2671). This two contrasting statements about helland paradise indicate the fact that the Prophet was seriousabout manifesting humility and the lack thereof: “He whohas in his heart as much faith as a grain of mustard-seedwill not enter Hell, and he who has in his heart as muchpride as a grain of mustard-seed will not enter Paradise”(Muslim, 267). Thus, every human was to ensure that hewas very clean of heart and not allow the slightest morselof evil to be in him because “Allah Most High says: Prideis My cloak and majesty My lowest garment, and I shallcause him who vies with Me regarding one of them to enterHell” (Muslim, 2620). He was in fact cautioning hisfollowers against falling prey to excessive pride. Pride ofcourse leads to a fall out humility.

The humility and gentleness of the Prophet was quitenatural and free from all pretensions. People normallyshow their pride by boasting when they gain victoriesagainst their enemies in battle or when they achievesomething really great and glorious. But the Prophetbehaved naturally in all circumstances. After he enteredMeccah victorious, instead of punishing his previousenemies he told them: “Go you are free” (Ibn Ishaq 1955,pp. 550-553). He was natural and in his usual form when hewas humiliated and beaten by the people of Ta’if and whenhe suffered a setback in the battle of Uhud. He was thesame humble man when he was entering the city of Meccah as its conqueror at the head of ten thousandvictorious soldiers of Islam. He did not show any pride inany way. Instead, he was an epitome of modesty as wouldbe portrayed in his subsequent speeches.

4. Modesty

Modesty was of equal value to the teachings ofProphet Muhammad. Modesty, according to him wascapital in getting to Paradise . To be modest with everyonewas nearness to Allah.

About his teachings on modesty the Prophet said:“Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise ? Theyare all modest persons.” “Shall I tell you about theinhabitants of Hell? They are all ignoble, rude and proudones” (Bukhari, 2671). In essence, they were to choosebetween hell and paradise when deciding to be modest ornot to be modest. This statement aforementioned was not inany way intended to threaten his followers. Rather, and,more importantly, it was softly spoken so that it can keepechoing in their minds about why he is insisting aboutbeing modest while on earth. The retribution after deathmay be very frightful if they choose not to be modest whilestill living.

To show that the Prophet was not only limiting inhis message about modesty to followers of Islam, he madethis important statement: “Every religion has a characterand the character of Islam is modesty” (Muwatta, 47.2.9).In essence, he was rallying support as well for morefollowing in Islam even though other religions equally haveimportant characters.

The Prophet always preferred to follow the middlecourse between two extremes. Since modesty and kindnessare related to each other in treating others, ProphetMuhammad also laid emphasis on kindness as an importantelement of the spirit

5. Kindness

The Prophet Muhammad taught love, kindness and

compassion to his people, and was seen to be the mostloving, kind, and compassionate of all of them. The Qur’anmentions his kind and gentle behavior in these words: “OMessenger of Allah! It is a great Mercy of Allah that youare gentle and kind towards them; for, had you been harshand hard_hearted, they would all have broken away fromyou” (Qur’an 3:159). There are many instances that showhis kindness and gentleness, especially to the weak and thepoor. Anas, his famous servant, said: “I served Allah’sMessenger for ten years and he never said to me, ‘Shame’or ‘Why did you do such-and-such a thing?’ or ‘Why didyou not do such-and-such a thing?’” (Bukhari, 2038).

Once he said to his wife: “0 ‘A’ishah! Never turnaway any needy man from your door empty-handed. 0‘A’ishah! Love the poor; bring them near to you and Allahwill bring you near to Him on the Day of Resurrection”. He also went much further on to say: “Seek me among yourweak ones, for you are given provision, or you are givenhelp only by reason of the presence of your weak ones”.(Rahman, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, VOL. VIII, p. 151) Allah Almighty is Kind, and the Prophet imitated Allah’sexample in its perfection by showing kindness to hisservants and all creatures without any regard for theirbeliefs, color or nationality. The Prophet said: “Allah iskind and likes kindness in all things” (Bukhari, 6601).

He never used any harsh words towards anyone.The worst expression he ever used in his conversation was:“What has come over him? May his forehead becomedarkened with mud”. His heart ached within him at thecorrupt state of his fellow-beings. The Holy Qur’an testifiesto it in these words: “0 Muhammad, you will, perhaps,consume yourself with grief because the people do notbelieve” (Qur’an 26:3). In Surah Kahf, we read: “Well, 0Muhammad, it may be that you will kill yourself for their

sake out of sorrow if they do not believe in this Message.”(Qur’an 18:6). And Surah Fatir says: “So let not your lifebe consumed in grief for their sake.” (Qur’an 35:8).

He took a great interest in the welfare of all peopleand had great compassion for people in trouble. TheProphet Muhammad imitated the attributes of Allah parexcellence and translated them into practice in the highestform possible for man. Kindness is an attribute of Allah,which has no limits. It is extensive and encompasses allthings and all beings without discrimination. Likewise wasthe kindness of the Prophet. He extended it to all beings,both animate and inanimate and benefited all withoutmeasure. The Qur’anic words for the Prophet’s kindness,ra’ufun rahirn (Qur’an 9:128) are very intensive andcomprehensive in meaning and convey the true nature andextent of the Prophet’s kindness to people. The Prophetsaid: “One of the finest acts of kindness is for a man to treathis fathers’ friends in a kindly way after he has departed”(Abu dawud, 5123)

The issue of treating friends well was also extendedto include relations: “He who wishes to have his provisionenlarged and his term of life prolonged should treat hisrelatives well” (Bukhari, 5985). He emphasized on thismatter because he deeply held the view that “Only kindnessprolongs life, and a person is deprived of provisions for thefaults he commits” (Ibn Majah). Bahz b. Hakim, on hisfather’s authority, said that his grandfather told him that hehad asked Allah’s Messenger to whom he should showkindness and that the Prophet had replied: “Your mother.”He asked who came next and he replied: “Your mother.”He asked who came next and he replied for the third time:“Your mother.” He again asked who came next and hereplied: “Your father, then your relatives in order ofrelationship” (Abu dawud, 5120). He dwelled on the issue

of treating orphans humanely as he stated that “The besthouse among the Muslims is one which contains an orphanwho is well treated, and the worst house among theMuslims is one which contains an orphan who is badlytreated” (Ibn Majah, 3679). This means that the Prophetcautioned his followers against general maltreatment ofanyone regardless of his status. By extending goodtreatment from friends to relatives and now to neighbors,Prophet Muhammad was intent in making all humansinterdependent as he emphasized in the following words:“All creatures are Allah’s dependants, and those dearest toAllah are the ones who treat His dependants kindly”(Rahman, VOL VIII, p. 154). He emphasized the kindtreatment of women again and again in his speeches:

Treat women kindly, since theyare your helpers; . . . you haveyour rights upon your wives andthey have their rights upon you.Your right is that they shall notallow anyone you dislike to enteryour bed or your home, and theirright is that you should treatthem well. (from the FarewellSermon of the Prophet)

Once a number of women complained to the Prophet’swives about their ill-treatment by their husbands. Onhearing of this, the Prophet said: “Such persons among youare not good persons.” (Abu Dawud, 1834). Thiscondemnation by the Prophet himself was an indication thatno one will be accepted before Allah who, while on earth,decided to be unkind to women. Another person said to theProphet: “0 Messenger of Allah! My relatives are such thatalthough I cooperate with them, they cut me off; I am kindto them but they ill treat me.” The Prophet said this inreply: “So long as you continue as you are, Allah will

always help you and He will protect you against theirmischief” (Muslim, 4640). This was not only a way ofbringing comfort to the mind of the worried person but oneof the communicative techniques of the Prophet to assurewho ever found himself in that situation to look up to Allahto be consoled and protected. So it was pointless to preachvengeance to this kind of people suffering from this similarfate. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad was nothing short of acompetent counselor.

He was always counseling people to be goodheartedregardless of their sex, age or gender. Once Asma bint AbuBakr’s mother, who was still an unbeliever, came to see herin Madinah. She told this to the Prophet and said: “Mymother has come to see me and she is expecting somethingfrom me. May I oblige her?” The Prophet said: “Yes, bekind to your mother” (Muslim, 2195). This attitude of theProphet was equally extended to Zainab as-Saqafia, thewife of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and an Ansari woman. Shewent to see the Prophet and to inquire whether it would bea charity if they spent something on their husbands and onthe orphans under their care. The Prophet said: “They willget a two-fold reward, one for kindness towards theirrelatives and the other for charity” (Bukhari, 1466).

There are many Ahadith concerning his kindness toanimals, birds and insects: “Allah prescribed kindnesstowards everything; so when you slaughter any animal,slaughter it well; when you sacrifice, make your sacrificegood. And let everyone sharpen his weapon and make iteasy for his sacrificed animal” (Muslim, 5055). He madethis kind of statement to demonstrate his love for bothhumans and animals. In essence, Prophet Muhammad wasequally showing his followers that he too is feels pain.

6. Moderation

The Prophet always avoided the extremes in life andfollowed the middle of the road. He was temperate inconduct and expression, following the Golden Meanbetween the two extremes, neither tending to this way norto that way but maintaining a moderate course of actionunder all circumstances. The Prophet taught moderation tohis people, both in deeds and words. It is reported that theProphet said: “Those people who went to extremes (inpracticing their religion) were destroyed” (Muslim). Hesaid this because he was there to promote extremefollowing. Extreme practices were only detrimental to theperson practicing it and the society where it is beingpracticed. Thus he was for moderation. Once three personscame to inquire from the household of the Prophet abouthis prayer. One of them said: “1 shall continuously fastwithout interruption.” Another said: “I shall, in future,spend the whole night in praying.” And the third one said:“I shall abstain from women and shall never marry.” Later,the Prophet came and asked them about what they had said.He then replied:

Listen, I fear Allah more than allof you do, and l am moreconscious of my duties to Himthan all of you are. I observe afast, but then I break it. I offerprayers at night, but sleep aswell, and I marry women. This ismy way of living. One who turnsaway from my practice (Sunnah)does not belong to me. (Bukhari,5063)

The Prophet also said: “Be moderate. Practice religioncommensurate with your physical strength. Offer prayers inthe morning and evening and in some parts of the eveningand in some parts of the night. Follow the middle course;

you will reach the goal” (Bukhari). It is also reported thatthe Prophet was very moderate in all his actions. Both hisprayers and sermons were of moderate duration. In fact,the whole of his life was an example of perfect moderation.The basic principle of the ‘Golden Mean’ was seen in itsperfection in the life of the Prophet, in word and deed. TheProphet stressed the great merit and importance of abalanced life on the basis of the ‘Golden Mean’ betweenthe two extreme ways of life in these words:

Do not impose austerities on yourselves sothat Allah might impose austerities on you; for people haveimposed austerities on themselves and Allah has alsoimposed austerities on them. Their survivors are to befound in cells and monasteries” (Abu Dawud). The Qur’anexplicitly states: “But monasticism, which they invented forthemselves, We did not prescribe for them” (Qur’an,57:27).

It is true that Allah certainly desires that peopleshould not indulge in idle pleasures of this world, and thatthey should follow a decent life of goodness, piety, andjustice to win the pleasure of their Lord. But He does notwant them to lead gloomy lives, nor engage in perpetualworship in isolation. He requires them to lead normal livesin a family relationship on a social level, practicinggoodness and righteousness in their affairs, private, public,national, and international. The only way for them toachieve this righteousness was for them to be moderate,modest and also be polite in their speeches. Hedemonstrated the values of politeness everywhere he went.

7. Politeness

The Prophet Muhammad always treated peoplecourteously, irrespective of their social status or religious

beliefs, and entertained everyone who came to his houseand all whom he met in the street with the same refinedmanners. In this respect, he never discriminated betweenpeople on the basis of their social status or beliefs, buttreated them all alike with courtesy and politeness. TheQur’an mentions this quality of the Prophet in these words:

It is a part of the Mercy of Allahthat you deal politely and gentlywith them. Were you severe,uncivil or harsh-hearted, theywould have broken away fromyou: so pass over their faults,and ask for Allah’s Forgivenessfor them. (Qur’an, 3:159)

It was his gentleness and politeness that endearedhim to all who came into contact with him. There are manyinstances in history which reveal the miraculous effect ofhis gentle and courteous way of dealing with theunbelievers. Some who were his deadliest enemies,determined to destroy him and his faith after having somesocial contact with him, were completely changed by hisconduct to them into beings who now loved him more thananything else in this world.

He never used any abusive language to any one inhis life, and never uttered even a harsh word to anyone. Heeven prevented others from using harsh language. If heever wanted to warn others, he would do so in a very mildand affectionate tone. The Jews addressed him maliciouslywith the words, A1-sa’mu-’alaikum (i.e., death on you)instead of As-salamu_ ‘Alaikum (i.e., peace on you). Hearing this, his wife, ‘A’ishah, could not restrain herselfand burst out spontaneously: “May Allah bring death onyou.” The Prophet reprimanded her, saying that Allah didnot like harsh words (Muslim,5656).

The Prophet, as a human being, was sometimesgreatly hurt by people’s ignorance, but he would not utter asingle word of disapproval. The Qur’an refers to this inthese words:

0 you who believe! Enter notthe Prophet’s houses -untilpermission is given to you -for ameal, (and then) not so early asto wait for its preparation: butwhen you are invited, enter; andwhen you have taken your meal,disperse, without stopping togossip. Such behavior annoysthe Prophet, but he would beashamed to dismiss you, butAllah is not ashamed to tell youthe truth. (Qur’an, 33:53)

There are many Ahadith of the Prophet which bearwitness to his most courteous and polite conduct in socialrelationships: “Anas said that a woman whose mind wasaffected once came to the Prophet and said: “Allah’sMessenger! I want something from you.” He replied:“Mother of so-and-so, take me where you live so that I mayaccomplish what you want.” He then went along with herto her home and helped her with some jobs. (Muslim)

Ali said that Allah’s Messenger owed some dinarsto a Jewish doctor, and he demanded payment from theProphet. When he told him that he had nothing to pay himwith, the Jew replied: “I will not leave you, Muhammad,until you pay me.” Allah’s Messenger said: “I shall sit withyou, then,” and did so. Allah’s Messenger offered the noon,afternoon, sunset and night prayers and the next day’smorning prayers. The companions were threatening andmenacing the Jew. Allah’s Messenger being aware of what

they were doing. Then they said: “Messenger of Allah! Isthe Jew keeping you in restraint?” to which he replied: “MyLord has prevented me from wronging one with whom acovenant has been made or anyone else.” Then, when theday was advanced, the Jew said: “I testify that there is noGod but Allah, and I testify that you are Allah’s Messenger.Then he said that half of his property would be devoted toAllah’s Way, and added: “I swear by Allah that my onlypurpose in treating you as I have done was that I mightknow the description of you given in the Torah.‘Muhammad ibn Abdullah, whose birthplace is in Meccah,whose place of emigration is in Taiba, and whose kingdomis in Syria; he is not harsh or rough or loud-voiced in thestreets, and he is not characterized by coarseness of lewdspeech’

He would never interrupt when others were talking.He would never point out the weaknesses of others byname but would express his dislike in a general way. Healways spoke politely and courteously to all people,whether low or high, rich or poor. All his actions andmovements were characterized by simplicity. Whenmounted, he would not mind seating another, even a slave,behind him. In brief, civility and good and refined manners,courtesy, mildness, pleasant speech, are the main featuresof the dealings of the Prophet Muhammad’s with thepeople. And since all these elements are closely relatedwith truth, the next values that Prophet Muhammadconsidered seriously was the need to abide by truthfulnessin their interpersonal and group communications.

8. Truthfulness

The Prophet was recognized, even by the Quraish ofMeccah, his worst enemies, who called him by the name ofas-Sadiq (the truthful) and al-Amin (the trustworthy) long

before his Prophet hood because of his honest and truthfuldealings as a trader. But the titles al-Amin and as-_Sadiq donot simply imply honesty in money matters alone; they arecomprehensive and cover righteousness in every form. Whoever happened to have any dealings with him at thisearly period never ceased to praise him all his life.

The consistency of his honest and truthful conduct isproven by the fact that he began his mission of Prophethood with the words: La ilaha illa ‘Llah (there is no deitybut Allah) and ended his Mission with the same thoughtwhen he said, on his death bed:

“Lord! Blessed Companion on High.” Having sincerely andfaithfully rendered his obligations towards Allah’screatures, he then returned to the loving bosom of Allahand His Companionship on High (Bukhari, 4463).

He loved truth intensely, adhered to truth andpreached truth all his life. He never uttered a single lie allhis life, either before or after his Prophet hood. In the battleof Hunain, when the fighting became rough and fierce andthe Muslim warriors were in disarray, and running in alldirections and when defeat seemed certain, the Prophet wasnot in the least in doubt about his mission. He declaredopenly: “I am the Messenger of Allah; there is no untruth inthis” (Bukhari, 4317). This implies that truth was deeplyingrained in the mind of the Prophet and the only thing hecould do with it was to pass it on to his listeners.

It is because of his universal reputation for honestyand integrity that the Qur’an says: “0 Muhammad! Weknow that what they say grieves you, but it is not youwhom they charge with falsehood; these wicked people are,in fact, denying the Revelations of Allah”(Qur’an, 6:33).

The Prophet went further to say a true action leadsto the path of virtue, and virtue paves the way of a personto paradise, and this person continues to speak the truthuntil, in the Sight of Allah, he is named as-S’iddiq (theTruthful). Lying, on the other hand, leads to vice, and viceleads to indecent acts and a person goes on lying until, inthe Sight of Allah, he is called a liar (Bukhari, 116).

This shows that truth brings peace of mind, butfalsehood disturbs the mind. When the mind is disturbed asa result of vice, there is no way an individual can achievepeaceful coexistence with another brethren. This is alsorelated to interpersonal transactions:

A sale agreement is revocableuntil the buyer and seller partcompany. If they tell the truthand disclose everything relevantto the transaction, it becomes fullof blessings for both of them; butif they speak falsely and concealthat which should be disclosed,the blessing of the transaction iswiped out. (Bukhari, 2079)

Once a man asked the Prophet about who the best kind ofperson can be and his reply was very clear on this matter:

Four characteristics belong to abeliever: when he speaks, hespeaks the truth: when he istrusted, he fulfils his trust; whenhe makes a promise, he abidesby his promise; and when he isin dispute with anyone, he doesnot use obscene words (butsticks to the truth). (Bukhari)

These sayings clearly show that, according to theProphet, a truthful and righteous person is one who istruthful in words, in intentions, in motives and in actions. The Prophet was an embodiment of truth, honesty andrighteousness. He did not speak anything but truth all hislife, did not preach anything but truth and did not practiceanything but truth. He presented the word of truth from hisLord to mankind and stuck to it under all circumstances; invictory and defeat; in weakness and strength; and inpoverty and richness. He never felt doubtful, weak ordisappointed, for he had full trust in his Lord that truthmust prevail over falsehood in the final analysis: “Nay, Wehurl the truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain,and behold, falsehood perishes! Ah! Woe be to you for the(false) things you ascribe (to Us)” (Qur’an, 21:18).

It is an undeniable fact that truthfulness is anindispensable quality of a Prophet. And this quality wasfound in absolute perfection in the person of the Prophet.The Prophet loved truth and righteousness and never spokea lie throughout his life. And even his opponentsrecognized this great quality of the Prophet .When theProphet gathered together all his relatives near Mount Safato convey his Message to them, he asked them whetherthey had ever heard him tell a lie. They all replied that theynever had.

Once a group of the chiefs of the Quraish went to theProphet and repeated the offer previously made by Utbah.The Prophet replied in these words:

My object is quite differentfrom what you have said. I havenot come to you with my call forthe purpose of amassing wealth,or to secure leadership of the

clan or to become your king. Infact God has sent me to you asHis Messenger and has revealedto me the Law and has orderedme to warn you and to give gladtidings. So I have conveyed toyou the injunctions of God andhave done my responsibility foryour welfare. Now if you acceptwhat I have conveyed to you itwill be good for you here andHereafter. But if you reject it, Iwill patiently wait for the Divinedispensation when God shalldecide between you and me.(Rahman, Encyclopaedia ofSeerah, Vol. VIII, p. 161).

This reply of the Prophet showed his determinationto fight for the truth, which he held to be dearer than life.His prayer after returning from Ta’if, where he was abused,ridiculed, stoned and left bleeding from wounds, showedthe depth and height of his love for truth and his sincerity inbeing willing to suffer anything for it. Weary and wounded,he prayed to his Lord in these most passionate and honestwords:

0 Lord! To You alone I makecomplaint of my helplessness,the paucity of resources and myinsignificance beforehumankind. You are the mostMerciful of the mercifuls. Youare the Lord of the helpless and

the weak, 0 Lord of Mine! Intowhose hands would Youabandon me, into the hands of anunsympathetic foe who wouldsullenly frown at me, or theenemy who has been givencontrol over my affairs? But ifYour Wrath does not fall uponme, there is nothing for me toworry about. . . I seek protectionin the light of YourCountenance, which illuminatesthe heavens and dispels everydarkness, and which controls allaffairs in this world as well as inthe hereafter. May it never bethat I should incur Your Wrath,or that You should be wrathful tome. And there is no power norresource, but Yours alone.

There is no doubt that this prayer confirms hisextreme love for the truth and belief in the Majesty andGrandeur of Allah. This prayer also affords an insight intothe working of the Prophet’s mind and reflects the loftinessof his thinking, the purity of his spirit and the nobility ofhis feelings. It was a spontaneous expression of his deeplove for God, his implicit faith in His Mercy and Help.

Prophet Muhammad defined a truthful andrighteous man in these words: “He who is truthful in words,in motives, in intentions, in determination, in obedience, inactions and in religious duties” (Rahman, Encyclopaedia ofSeerah, Vol. VIII, p. 162).

In addition to the eight character values that havebeen explained, Prophet Muhammad espoused four

community values: 1. charity, 2. forgiveness, 3. hospitality,and 4. mercy in his public communication. Each of thevalues will be further explored in the following section.

1. Charity

The Prophet Muhammad did not like anyone to goaway empty-handed; whoever came to him asking for foodwas given it to his full satisfaction. He would give to theneedy and the destitute whatever he had in his house, sothat occasionally the Prophet was left with nothing forhimself and his family to eat. Sometimes, he and hisfamily did not get any food for several successive days. Itis said that his charity reached its climax during the monthof Ramadan, when it became like an overflowing stream. The Prophet said that he only maintained and distributedthings; it was Allah who provided everything. Manysayings of the Prophet are recorded asserting the excellenceof charity even though it may be insignificant in quantity orvalue.

If anyone gives as charity theequivalent of a date fromsomething lawfully earned, forAllah accepts only what islawful, Allah will accept it withHis Right Hand, then foster it forthe one who gave it as one ofyou fosters his colt, until itbecomes like a mountain.(Bukhari, 1410)

Allah certainly believes in rewarding cheerful givers. Themore you give the more you shall receive. For instance,when he uttered this statement that “Any Muslim whogives a garment to a Muslim to wear will be in Allah’ssafe-keeping as long as a shred of it remains on him.”

(Tirmidhi, 2484). This was an indication to the fact thatthere will be no room in paradise for those who are stingyor who only wait to receive and not give and whensomeone is in direct need of help, there should be room inyour heart to give something to that needy person since “the most excellent charity consists in your satisfying ahungry stomach” (Baihaqi in Shuab al-Iman).

Islam has greatly widened the scope and dimensionsof charity, in Islam, for every act of kindness andgenerosity is considered to be charity. And everything orevery word that benefits human beings, animals orvegetation, is an act of charity. Once the Prophet said thatevery Muslim must give charity. He was asked how thisapplied to one who had nothing. He replied that he shouldwork with his hands, gaining benefit for himself therebyand enough to give charity. He was then asked what wouldhappen if he were unable to do this or did not do it. Hereplied that he should help one who was in need anddestitute. He was then asked what should he do if he didnot do that. He replied that he should enjoin what is goodand right. Then he was asked what he should do if he didnot do that. He replied that he should refrain from evil, forthat would be charity for him. (Bukhari, 1445)

These and other such saying of the Prophet show the realdimensions of charity in Islam. It is related:

Forgiveness was granted to anunchaste woman who, comingupon a dog panting and almostdead with thirst at the mouth of awell, took off her shoe, tied itwith her head_ covering, anddrew some water for it. On thataccount she was forgiven.

(Rahman, the Encyclopaedia ofSeerah, Vol. VIII, p.186)

The Prophet was asked whether people received areward for what they did to animals, and he replied, “Areward is given for doing good to every creature” (Bukhari,2009). It is also related that: “A woman was punished onaccount of a cat which she kept shut up and it died ofhunger. She did not feed it or let it out so that it might eatthings creeping on the earth”(Muslim, 6675). The questionof reward was such that if anyone followed closely theProphet messages and practiced them, he was going to beadmitted unconditionally in Paradise as was the case with “a man who came upon a branch of a tree overhanging aroad and decided to remove it from the way of Muslims tokeep it from annoying them, was sent to Paradise”(Muslim, 6670). This statement was also corroborated inthe following speech of Prophet Muhammad: “A manasked the Prophet to teach him something from which hewould receive benefit. He told him to remove from theway things which caused discomfort and harm to theMuslim” (Muslim, 6674).This is just to confirm thestatements of the Prophet. “If you people greet all whomyou meet, provide food, care for the well _being of yourkindred, you will enter paradise in peace” (Tirmidhi, 1854).This was further supported by the following statementsthat pin pointed the issue of helping each other:

When you smile in yourbrother’s face, or enjoin what isright and good, or forbid what iswrong and evil, or directsomeone who has lost his way,or help a person who has hadeyesight, or remove a stone,thorns or bones from the way, orpour water from your bucket into

your brother’s bucket, it countsto you as charity. (Tirmidhi,1956)

This notion of charity was again discussed at length in hissubsequent speeches to his followers.

Charity Spent On Relatives

The Prophet greatly praised the giving of charity tonear relatives and the members of one’s family. He was infact restating the fact that charity starts at home. Muslim,states clearly how this charity could be beneficial:

Of the dinars you spend as acontribution in Allah’s Way, orto set free a bondman, or ascharity given to a poor man, orin support of your family, theone spent in support of yourfamily produces the greatestreward. (Muslim, 2311)

In fact , Prophet Muhammad was very concern aboutfamily growth. This is why he laid more emphasis onfamily charity values as a condition for peace and love. Forexample, a man asked him what kind of charity was mostexcellent and he replied: “What a man with little propertycan afford to give; and he begins with those for whom he isresponsible” (Abu Dawud, 1676). “Charity given to a poorman is just charity, but when given to a relative it serves adouble purpose, being both charity and a connecting link(sila rahmi)” (Tirmidhi, 658). These Ahadith clearly pointout the great excellence of any charity spent on the needs ofthe members of one’s family and other relatives. And ofcourse when you are charitable with your family, friendsand other relatives, then you can easily forgive one another.

2. Forgiveness

Prophet Muhammad never took revenge for anypersonal injury to himself. He did not take revenge even onhis deadly enemies and when they were all standing beforehim defeated and at his mercy after the victory of Meccah,he asked them: “What do you think I am going to do withyou?” They said “a generous brother and a son of agenerous brother” he forgave them all “Go you are allfree”. He was a true reflection of the Qur’anic verse as heexemplified the teachings that were all therein stated. It issaid that the Prophet’s mercy was seen in its most gloriousand most magnanimous form in his forgiveness of hisenemies at the height of his power and glory, when he hadthe power to take full revenge on them and would havebeen fully justified in doing so. But he forgave all hisenemies and did not take revenge on any of them. His mostadmirable and praiseworthy act, and it is without parallel inhuman history, is that he never took revenge on anyone forpersonal injuries to himself. It was reported by ‘A’ishahthat the Prophet that he never took revenge on anyone, onhis own behalf, for anything (Muslim, 2327).

It is easy to teach high morals and lofty principlesof love and mercy but quite another thing to practice them.The most distinctive quality of the Prophet was that he notonly taught high principles to his people but also practicedthem at a time when, as mentioned above, he was at theheight of his power, something no man had ever donebefore him.

He forgave those who had injured him, beaten him,abused him and done everything to destroy him and hisfaith. He even forgave the man who had injured hisdaughter, Zainab when she was leaving Meccah, an injuryfrom which she later died. All his deadly enemies,

including Abu Sufyan, lkramah (son of Abu Jahl) and manyother chiefs of Meccah, were among those who benefitedfrom his forgiveness.

Prophet Muhammad extended his pardon to hisbitterest enemies, who tried to expel him and hiscompanions not only from his native land, but also from hislast resort, Madinah. This ability of the Prophet to pardonis vividly illustrated in his precepts and principles. He said:‘Moses, son of Imran, once asked: “0 my Lord! Who is themost honorable of your servants to You?” He said: ‘Hewho pardons when he becomes powerful’” (Rahman, theencyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p178).

Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings and Practice onForgiveness

The Prophet practiced in his ordinary daily life whathe taught to his people. According to ‘A’ishah, the Prophetnever returned evil for evil, but would forgive and pardon(Tirmidhi, 2016). Regarding the words of Allah MostHigh: “Repel evil with what is better” (Qur’an, 4 1:34). Ibn Abbas said that they meant showing patience whenangry and forgiveness when badly treated, for when peopleacted in this way Allah protected them and their enemybecame as submissive to them as though he were a closefriend . Ibn Mas’ud said: “I heard the Prophet narrating theaccount of one of the Prophets of Allah who was assaultedand wounded by his people; while wiping the blood fromthe face, he prayed: ‘0 Allah! Forgive my people becausethey do not know what they are doing’. This was furtherexplained in the following words:

He who, in spite of having thecapacity to avenge (a wrong),controls his anger (and forgives),

will be singled out and called byAllah, the Holy, the Exalted,over and above the multitude, onthe day of judgment, and given abeautiful reward. (Abu Dawud,4777)

In the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet was wounded andhis face was covered with blood, but he was saying, “0Allah! Guide my people, for they are ignorant” (Bukhari).Once an unbelieving Arab Bedouin found the Prophetsleeping alone under a tree. He was holding a sword andsaying to the Prophet: “Who will now save you?” TheProphet replied smilingly: “Allah, the All-Powerful.”Suddenly, the sword fell from the Arab’s hand and theProphet, taking it in his hand, said to him: “Who will saveyou from my hand?” The Bedouin then pleaded for his lifeand the Prophet showed his usual magnanimity and forgavehim. Once the Meccans sent a spy to kill the Prophet. Hewas caught and brought to the Prophet. He was veryfrightened, but the Prophet told him not to fear saying:“Even if you want to kill me, you will not be able to.” Thenhe was pardoned by the Prophet and set free.

In the highest kind of nobility in the hour of hisgreatest victory over his life enemies, and in his gracefulforgiveness of his staunch opponents at the height of hispower is an eternal tribute to the overflowing andunmatched benevolence and kindness of the ProphetMuhammad. In this unparalleled and unique example offorgiveness is also a lesson for the dominant nations of theWestern World. It does not reduce their power, nor lowertheir status in the eyes of the world, nor does it minimizetheir greatness or undermine their authority; on thecontrary, it adds tremendous moral strength to their actionand greatly increases their stature among the nations of theworld.

Learn some lessons from the example and practiceof the Prophet, and see for ourselves that it pays in the longrun. Justice must be administered equally and fairlybetween all, friend or foe. Benevolent and kind conductwill win over for you many friends who were your enemiesbefore, and you will succeed in your efforts inpeace—making in the world but the primary condition isbenevolence and forgiveness to enemies and sincere adviceto friends to stop their aggressiveness and cruelty. And if asuper-power fails to learn lessons from history andcontinues to back aggressive iniquitous nations, it mustknow that the law of Nature does not distinguish betweencolors or races, or between East and West. But fallsmercilessly on alike.

3. Hospitality

Hospitality was another key value in thespeeches of Muhammad. Being hospitable to your neighborwas another way of showing love and kindness. He statedclearly that:

He who believes in Allah and theLast Day should honor hisguests. Provisions for the roadare whatever will serve for a dayand a night; hospitality extendsfor three days; what goes beyondthat is charity; and it is notallowable that a guest shouldstay until he makes himself aburden. (Bukhari, 6019)

Hospitality then was not to be abused by the personreceiving it. If the person receiving hospitality becomes aburden then it goes beyond his ideals. It was to be mutuallycompromising by the two parties. As corroborated by the

following quotes: “If you come to people who order for youwhat is fitting for a guest, accept it; but if they do not, takefrom them what is fitting for them to give to a guest”(Bukhari). A companion asked the Prophet, “messenger ofAllah, tell me: if I come to a man who does not entertainme or show hospitality and he afterwards comes to me,should I entertain him or treat him as he treated me?” TheProphet said: “Entertain him”. (Tirmidhi, 2006)

He also emphasized the idea of sharing with oneanother. People should eat together because there is moreblessing in eating together than trying to eat separately (lbnMajah). He then stated that “Good comes more quickly tothe house in which food is provided (to the guests) than theknife comes to the camels’ hump’’ (Ibn Majah). “When oneof you is invited to a meal, he must accept it. If he wishes,he may eat, but if he wishes he may leave the food alone”(Muslim). “If anyone rejects an invitation, he has disobeyedAllah and His Messenger” (Bukhari). The Prophet forbadepeople to accept the food of those who invite people forself—glory and ostentation (Abu Dawud). “When one ofyou visits his brother Muslim, he should eat his foodwithout asking questions. Eating the food of your brother isa sign of love and sincerity in your dealings with him.

Examples from the Prophet’s Practice

A man prepared some food especially for theProphet and also invited four other persons with him. Butan extra person who had not been invited also joined them.On arriving at the door of the host’s house, the Prophet saidto the host: “This man has accompanied us. If you like, hewill join us, otherwise he will go back.” The host replied:“O Messenger of Allah. I invite him.’’ (Bukhari). “He whoserves drinks should himself be the last person to drink’’.(Tirmidhi) This was a kind gesture that is closely link with

mercy that forms the next part of our analysis.

4. Mercy

Muhammad was a symbol of love and mercy. TheQur’an says: “we sent you not but as a mercy for allcreatures’’ (Qur’an, 21:107). The most important featureof his mercy was that it was universal and not confined tothe Muslims or to the Arabs. His mercy covered allmembers of humanity. Once he was asked to invoke acurse upon the non-believers. But he replied, in anger: “Iwas not sent on the earth to curse; I was sent only as amercy.” He also said: “1 am just a mercy which has beenbestowed.’’ (Baihaqi in Shuab al-Iman) The ProphetMuhammad was extremely merciful to all, including hisenemies and the unbelievers. Many sayings about incidentsof his mercy towards men, women, children and animalsare recorded in the pages of history. He said: “Allah willnot show mercy to him who does not show mercy toothers” (Bukhari, 5997). A nomadic Arab came to theProphet and asked him: “Do you kiss children? We do notkiss them.” The Prophet replied: “I cannot help you, sinceAllah has withdrawn mercy from your heart”. (Bukhari,5998) Showing mercy to children was as important asprayer. He would not respect those who fail to show mercyto children: “He does not belong to us who does not showmercy to our young ones or respect our old ones, and whodoes not recommend what is right and reputable andprohibit what is wrong and disreputable”. (Tirmidhi, 1921)To crown his statement about showing mercy to everycreature regardless of his condition he made the followingstatements:

If anyone strokes an orphan’shead, doing so only for Allah’ssake, he will have blessings for

every hair over which his handpasses; and if anyone treats wellan orphan girl or boy under hiscare, he and I will be like this inparadise. Putting two of hisfingers together. (Tirmidhi,1918)

The abounding mercy of the Prophet won him verymany friends and supporters of the Faith among the Arabsand brought them very close to him. The Qur’an mentionshis kindness and mercy in these words: “He is most kindand merciful to the believers” (Qur’an, 9:128). And SurahAnbiya’ refers to this great and noble quality of the Prophetin these words: “We have not sent you but as a mercy forall creatures” (Qur’an, 21:107). The Arabic word rahmahhas a very wide and comprehensive meaning and becamewell established in the lifetime of the Prophet. It meansmercy, compassion, kindness, sympathy, etc.

There are many Ahadith of the Prophet which showthe divine aspects of mercy in Islam: “The believers arelike a single man; if his eye is affected, he is all affected,and if his head is affected, he is all affected” (Muslim,6589). He (the Prophet) then interlaced his fingers as ademonstration. This can also be demonstrated “He whostrives on behalf of a widow and a poor person is like onewho strives in Allah’s Way” (Bukhari, 6006).

Prophet Muhammad’s public communicationreveals several values that he espoused and practiced in hisinteractions with all he came in contact. The values hesuggests are important to remember and to practice in orderto become a successful leader, able to inspire and directthose around you.

CHAPTER V

DISCUSSION and CONCLUSION

Prophet Muhammad’s unique communication andleadership style led to the spread of Islam, not only withinArabia but also outside to the north, south, east, west andsouthwest of Arabia . His communication with hisfollowers surprised his enemy who came to negotiate apeace treaty with him. As a leader during wartime or as aleader during peacetime, Prophet Muhammad proved tomaster skillful techniques with which he accomplished hisgoals in delivering the message of Islam. His methods,techniques and style of communication were somewhatsimilar to those of Jesus Christ, Buddha, Gandhi butdifferent from those of Moses and Confucius and a vastnumber of present day leaders.

Prophet Muhammad communicative values ofliberty, justice, modesty, and politeness were matched withpractical deeds. The people saw this action of his andidentified with. Like Christ, Gandhi and Buddha hepreached from the deeper most part of his heart and governfrom genuine cognitive sensitivity. He was different fromMoses who on the other hand was a coercive military andpolitical leader. He was also different from Jesus in thesense that while he had the knack for political wisdom andcourage to influence the destinies of his people, Christ hadno political role as a leader. Thus, Prophet Muhammad bycombining the two skills as manifested in his speechesdemonstrated to the eyes of all humankind that he wasindeed a great leader worthy of note.

The messages of the Prophet as viewed and

analyzed in this study have a multipurpose implicationsboth for the Moslem world and the Western world. Hisskillful use of rhetoric demonstrated his commitment formeaningful competent communication for humankind ingeneral. His speeches demonstrated that he sought to see allhumankind from the lens of kindness, modesty,moderation, justice, liberty, gentility, generosity and love.

Regardless of religion and political affiliation,Prophet Muhammad use Islam as a channel to preachkindness. This study has shown through his manifoldcommunicative talents that he tried to influence thoughts byadvocating kindness in our dealings with one another. Byindicating to his wife Aisha sometime when she intended tosend a needy man away that she should love the poor, itwas an indirect way to teach all humankind to share loveand kindness regardless of a person’s economicbackground. This same implication in the speeches of theProphet can be discerned in his notion of modesty.

The world today is far from modest. Politicalfactions and all sorts of social and economic discriminationhave segmented the human race. People now think more interms of class. Modesty is exclusive to ‘members of theclub’. If you do not belong you can neither be heard norseen. Prophet Muhammad speeches on the need for modestbehavior and his exemplary behavior seen throughout thisstudy have a significant meaning to our lives. When he saidthat every religion must have some kind of meaningfulcharacter, he laid emphasis on the fact that Islam was amodest religion. .

The prophet was calling on all Islamic believers toquestion their conscience whether by following the beliefsystem of Islam, they were practicing its basic tenets ofmodesty. He who is not has to examine his conscience and

choose the rightful path and not be a hypocrite. This is howsignificant Mohammad’s message is to the world of today.This is what he intended to achieve in his message. Sincemodesty is akin to moderation, the Prophet’scommunication themes also laid emphasis on it.

His speech about abstaining from extremism in thepractice of Islam has a greater significance to our world oftoday. His intended his message about religious extremismto be upheld through out the lifespan of humankind. Hewas so emphatic about this issue because he believed thatby practicing extreme Islamic rituals or ideals, the personor persons doing so would be following something elsethan Islam and that kind of attitude could send a differentsignal to his enemies. And the only way to show topotential followers of Islam that by practicing extremeIslam, they were not true followers of Allah, he said: “Those people who went to extremes( in practicing theirreligion) were destroyed.” This therefore, shows in noambiguous terms that Prophet Muhammad condonesextreme religious practices.

The findings on the Prophets values of moderationrevealed that he placed a lot of weight on mannerism.Humankind has to match words with deeds. Believers werenot to say one thing and do the other. When told by some ofhis followers that they will abstain from women and devotetheir entire energy to prayer, he responded by stating thathe was married. This was like an indirect way to inform thespeaker that there was no room for pretense. By choosingto abstain you open yourself to irresistible temptation.Getting married would therefore serve as the means to shunsin and other forms of temptation. This is certainly thelandmark of difference between Muhammad and otherspiritual and secular leaders of his time and today. To beginwith, some other spiritual leaders remained unmarried and

by deciding to do so created a pattern for their followers tofollow suit. But experience has shown that most of thesefollowers could not faithfully follow their religion withoutfalling into the temptation of bodily pleasures. This couldhave been unwelcome by Muhammad. He foresaw thiskind of contradiction and so taught by examples. It was likedoing justice to natures calling. The Prophet was in essenceadvocating justice between sexes.

Muhammad suggested Justice for all humankind.Without justice to the weak, the poor, and the women, therecould not be peace in the entire world. “….Whether it beagainst rich or poor…follow not the lust of your hearts, lestyou swerve from doing justice.” (Qur’an, 4:135) Thispowerful statement has become apocalyptic. Humankindtoday have all prone to worshipping themselves andyielding to mundane pleasures of money and women and assuch have resorted to indulging in all forms of corruption atthe detriment of justice. The poor and the weak remainpoorer and weaker while the powerful -those with influenceand affluence have hijacked the world and set wrongfulprecedence of monetary and political gains. This study hasfound out that what Muhammad said echoes in our world oftoday and no one seem to heed his advice. Hence, thisstudy is like a mirror or an awakening to those in spiritualand moral slumber to reconsider their thoughts and dojustice because Allah tolerates only justice in his kingdom.He intended this message for all and not only to Arabs.

General human condition, the world over was themain preoccupation in the speeches of Prophet Muhammad.When he spoke lengthily about truthfulness, he wasindirectly sending the strong message of truth as the pillarof strong faith in any religious person. The society that welive today is constantly turning its back on truth andreplacing it with untruth or multiple truths to justify

falsehoods. Humankind has sort of fashion a way to goaround truth and honesty by resorting legitimizingfalsehood intended to achieve political, social, economic,cultural and spiritual gains. The Prophet’s message abouttruth analyzed in this study serves as a waking call to ourconsciences about hell and Paradise . We may be havingtemporary pleasures on earth by resorting to falsestatements, teachings, lectures and counseling but we are ineffect preparing ourselves for hell and not Paradise becauseAllah has no place for liars in his kingdom. We shouldtherefore refrain from such wrong practices and be modelsof truth while still on earth.

The Prophet’s message of Islam was intended for theArabs during the seventh century and to all humankind atall times thereafter. He took advantage of the peace treatybetween himself and the Quraish tribe, his main enemy,and sent ambassadors to the world leaders of his time. Heinformed them about the message of Islam. Most of theseleaders responded positively. He used Islam as an exampleto convince and influence other leaders of his time.

The Prophet Muhammad was supremely successfulon both the religious and secular level. As a private person,he was a husband, father, friend and businessman; as apublic figure, he was a leader, legislator, judge, statesmanand general; as a Messenger of God, he was a law-giver,preacher, theologian, saint and mystic. Such a combinationis unique in history. There are sayings from the Prophetrelated to every activity that a person might encounterduring the day or during the night. Islam is a way of life.By exemplifying these qualities that he preached to hispeople, the Prophet was in essence warning against allother rulers who were saying what they do not practice. Healso laid the foundation stone for responsible leadership. Aleader was not to be protected by the army and fierce dogs

but by the loyalty given by his people. By shaking handsand taking children under his arms, the Prophet madehimself human and approachable. This was a lesson that hewanted to teach to all other leaders in the world.

The farewell speech of the Prophet Muhammad wasdirected to all humankind at all times and for allgenerations. He laid down the foundation of morality,justice, equality, brotherhood, and accountability. Heabolished economic exploitation and human enslavement.In his speeches on liberty, he preached against theinstitution of slavery. When he witnessed the slave beatingepisode, The Prophet demonstrated one of the rare instanceof humane leadership by letting Abu Mas’ud Ansari, theaccused in this instance that only Allah has ‘power andcontrol over human beings’. This served as a powerfullesson to him awakening his conscience to the realizationthat indeed, he was doing something very wrong. The factthat he let go of the slave by referring to Muhammad thathe let the slave go because of his intervention is to show thepower of communicative skills of the Prophet. He did notspeak harshly or threateningly, rather he used speech insuch a subtle way as to prick the conscience of people. Thisis what most leaders do not do today. This study then serveas the panacea for future leaders who want to rulespiritually or secularly. Communicative tactics should bethe first consideration for any leader. It is with it that youeither make or mar. He has set the tone for interpersonalcommunicative interaction especially in the case of conflictresolution. Liberty , according to Muhammad did not meancarrying a large army to invade your enemy. Rather, it wasthe management of speech delivery.

He demanded that the congregating Muslims deliverhis message to all humankind. Accordingly, they diddeliver the message. For this reason, the message of Islam

has spread through the centuries to every corner of theworld. The global population of Muslims is now more thanone billion. He has used Islam as the vehicle to transportothers into his flock. The values espoused in his speecheshave generated untold number of response exemplified bythe geometric increase in the number of his followers. Thisis prove of the fact that people all over the world arerecognizing the power behind his messages and are slowlybecoming aware of themselves. He demonstrated howpolitical leadership can be fruitful.

In his political leadership communication, theProphet’s demonstration of extreme self-control made hisfollowers to love him and his enemies either to give up andjoin his religion or to fear him and stay away. There was nohuman being who had his life more scrutinized anddocumented than the Prophet Muhammad. His behaviortoward his companions was perfect and towards his foeswas fair. In essence, he was kind of educating them aboutgovernance.

In his educational communication, the Prophet useddifferent approaches in dealing with differentcircumstances. Education and training are not merely thematter of correcting mistakes; they also involve teachingand showing the basic principles of the rules and theregulations and using various methods to establish theseconcepts firmly in peoples minds and hearts, by example,by exhorting them, by telling stories or by discussingincidents.

The study finds that the narrative methods that theProphet used to deliver his message through his sayingsmade his ideas clear and convincing. His narrative fidelityand truthfulness raised no questioned from his followers orenemies. Even before his Prophet hood, he was known by

“the trusted and the honest one”. The textual analysis ofhis speeches clarified his message to be correctlyunderstood. By talking of values that are necessary toinfluence and inspire others, he provided a basis forunderstanding how he was able to accomplish so muchduring his brief Prophet-hood. Hundreds of books havebeen written for that purpose in most languages of theworld. The Prophet taught exactly what the ancientProphets had been teaching. The high and noble aim ofpreaching such a universal religion is to unite the nations ofthe world, establish peace, and eradicate all causes ofconflict. Today the world is out of joint. People all over theworld are searching for peace. The light of scientificknowledge is spreading. But it has signally failed to dispelclouds of hatred and hostility which spread darkness. Everynow and then, plans for world peace are put forward. Butthey prove all to be superficial. The most effective panaceafor world peace was proclaimed by the ProphetMuhammad. He forcefully exhorted the people that theyshould cherish reverence for the Prophets of all nations, andlive up to their revealed teachings. This style of speechcommunication was tried with unparalleled success inArabia , where the warring tribes were cemented intobrotherhood. It can even be tried today. It will surely laythe foundations of real and enduring union and peace.Belief in the unity of God alone can bring about unityamong nations. As this teaching is universal in character,the Prophet who gave it to the world, was rightly entitled"mercy for all people”. Just as one universal religion is aneffective means of uniting the nations, it is also a guaranteefor establishing international peace and justice. TheProphet laid the foundation and the guidelines forestablishing peace and justice among the nations. If anyteachings can put an end to conflicts and strengthen thebonds of human brotherhood in these times of crisis, it isthe Prophet's teachings.

The Prophet Muhammad’s life and teaching centeron the values he espoused in his public communication. His teachings focus on values identified by Burns (1978)who defines a transformational leader and in addition focuson extraordinary values which are gleaned from a textualanalysis of his public communication. Bass (1985)explained that transformational leaders “inspire followersto transcend their own self-interests for the good of thegroup or organization” and that “followers becomemotivated to expend great effort than would normally beexpected” (p. 18) when they are adequately inspired. Muhammad did inspire, and continues today to inspirefollowers to follow his teachings and publiccommunication and his directives.

Textual analysis was utilized in this research toreview the writings of Muhammad in the Qur’an and theAhadith, or writings about the Prophet, as it allows theresearcher to describe and interpret the characteristics ofthe messages and to ascertain the meaning of the texts. This research is important as it cites the values oftransformational leaders as cited by Burns (1978) with thefindings here that extraordinary values the Prophetexemplified and espoused include character, andcommunity. Muhammad demonstrated character values ofgentleness, good character, humility, kindness, modesty,moderation, politeness, and truthfulness. He suggestedcommunity values of charity, forgiveness, hospitality, andmercy. The values he suggested are an excellentcomplement to the transformational leadership values ofliberty, justice, equality, and collective well-being.

Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad had very differentstyles of presenting their messages or leading followers. Moses is described as pro-active, forceful military, politicaland religious leader. Conversely, Jesus who taught from

his heart and had a core of believers and followers. Hisimpact became more apparent after his death in thecontinuation of his “mission” by the disciples and the manyfollowers of his reach today. Muhammad’s interactionswith all people, both in spiritual and secular dealings,impressed upon them the importance of his character andvalues. Because of his strong values, he was believable andtrustworthy, encouraging all to follow the will of Allah.

The Prophet was successful in his leadership becausehe suggested and lived the values important to leadership. His public communication was successful because heprovided a living example of his suggestions within hisown interactions with family, believers, and non-believers. His daily interactions as husband, father, friend,businessman, public figure, and messenger of God allreinforced his leadership ability and values orientation. The importance of Muhammad’s public communicationthrough history is unquestioned (Hart, 1992). Muhammad’s extraordinary leadership values, identified inthis research, complement the transformational leadershipvalues found and further researched by countlessresearchers. These additional values can inform currentand future leaders who want to be truly inspiring andtransformational in theory and practice, at home and inorganizational settings. This textual analysis found morethan 70 values in the public communication of Muhammadand they were condensed into the broader categories offamily, character, and community values. There are manyfuture research opportunities using the publiccommunication of the Prophet Muhammad.

This study concludes that the life of the ProphetMuhammad was like an open book, especially when hestarted to deliver the message of Islam. ProphetMuhammad practiced what he preached. The Prophet’s

wife Aisha was asked about his moral character. Sheresponded that his morals were based on the Qur’an. It isclear that his extraordinary values, which allowed him toaccomplish so much, too were based on the teachings of theQur’an and the words and will of God.

Prophet Muhammad was a farsighted visionaryleader. The Hudaybia treaty showed the Prophet’s wisdomin accepting some terms in the treaty that a companion ofthe Prophet like Omar ibn al Khatab refused. It was provenlater on that these terms that the Prophet accepted andOmar refused were for the benefit of Islam.

This study concludes that Prophet Muhammadintended for his message of Islam to be global. As soon ashe signed the Hudaybia with Quraish, he sent ambassadorsto invite kings and states around the Arabia to Islam. TheProphet said “each Prophet used to be sent to his people inparticular, while I was sent to all humankind, and Allah,glory to him, the exalted said in the noble Qur’an: “say:humankind! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah to you all,(the messenger) of Him to whom belongs the dominion ofthe heavens and the earth” (Qur’an, 7:158).

The results and discussion of analyses showed thatthe Prophet Muhammad possessed not onlytransformational leadership values but that he alsopossessed extraordinary values which made him a uniqueleader in the history of humankind. The transformationalleadership values Prophet Muhammad exemplified areliberty, justice, equality, and collective well being. Hispublic communication also demonstrated the values heespoused. He preached of family values that includeaffection and kindness for children, children honoring theirparents, the importance of educating the children, financialsecurity for wives after the husband’s death, husbands

treating their wives with kindness and gentleness,respecting even foster parents, brothers, and sisters, and theimportance of loving and honoring relatives. The ProphetMuhammad’s speeches focused also on character valuesthat include gentleness, humility, kindness, moderation,modesty, politeness, and truthfulness. His publiccommunication included the admonition of communityvalues that included charity, forgiveness, hospitality, andmercy.

Limitations of the Study and Recommendations forFurther Research

In such a limited time of this research, it would beimpossible to have covered every value that the Prophetaddressed during his twenty-three years of Prophet hoodand in the thousands of writings about him in the Ahadith.Because of the fecundity of writing about the life of theProphet, the time would not allow to explore all the valuesthe Prophet addressed.

Another limitation of the study is that the researcheris an observing Muslim and therefore the textual analysiscan be subjective. On the other side of the coin, being aMuslim, the researcher would be an insider to address thevalues of Prophet Muhammad. The researcher’s whole lifeis to learn, understand and practice the values that ProphetMuhammad delivered through his public communication.

To address the issue of values in the publiccommunication of the Prophet Muhammad in details, theresearcher recommends that specialists in the science ofAhadith and Communication specialists should worktogether and study in depth the values exhorted in thepublic communication of the Prophet. A study to clarifythe ethics and values in Islam is needed, especially in the

West where the religion of Islam is misunderstood amongmany westerners.

The researcher recommends a comparative studybetween the values in the public communication of ProphetMuhammad and the values in the public communication inthe West. That study could shed the light on thesimilarities and differences between the Islamic culturesvalues and the western cultures values.

The researcher recommends a focus group studybetween two groups. The first group should be composedof a variety of people representing different Islamiccultures and find out how much of the values that theProphet Muhammad addressed have been applied in theirdaily life activities. The second group should be composedof variety of people from the western world. The focusgroup participants could identify and agree on specificvalues in public communication representing ideologies ofthe western world and find out how much these values areapplied by this group in their daily life activities. Acomparison between the two groups (Moslems andWesterners) and the application of their values in dailypractice would yield very interesting results.

The research on this topic has made the researcheraware of the need for a type of encyclopedic treatment ofthe values that the Prophet addressed. The profound impactthat the Prophet’s teachings have had on all humankind ledthe researcher for an exploration in particular the valuesthat he set forth, specifically the values involving characterof the individual and the values of the community at large.

The findings in this research suggest there are manyadditional opportunities to study the public communicationof Prophet Muhammad and the values he espoused while

demonstrating transformational leadership. Recommendations for future research include seeking theProphet’s words in all written texts and their application inmodern times to the time of writing and delivery byMuhammad. The writings on each value are plentifulenough to suggest that each value the Prophet addressedcould be a topic of research by itself.

Finally, this research suggests that a comparison ofapplying the values of the Prophet’s speeches betweenfemales and males is worthy of consideration, and acomparison of non-Moslems applying the values suggestedby Muhammad and the adoption of Western values byobserving Moslems would be beneficial to understandingbetter the impact of Muhammad’s leadership and speecheson the global community.

CHAPTER 6

Prophet Muhammad Models of Political Communication

Introduction

It is difficult to discuss separately the political andthe military characteristics of the prophet’s leadership. Hewas the political leader and the chief of the first MuslimState in Arabia of which Madina was the capital. Thischapter examines the prophet’s political communication.

Politics can be defined as the “art of ruling human

societies”(Abd Allah, Political Systems, p. 9) (in Arabic).Or as the “Science of government and the art ofrelationships of government, and is used to describe thegroup of affairs which concern the state or the mannerfollowed by rulers (Kayyali & Zohairi, Encyclopaedia ofPolitics, p.327) (in Arabic).

The most important qualities of a military leadercoincide with those required in the political leader,especially when the leader assumes the highest position inthe state, or is establishing a state. Military leadershiprequires firmness and resolution while political leadershiprequires clemency, forbearance and wisdom. Havingqualities for both kinds of leadership can rarely be found inpeople.

The prophet Muhammad differs from other politicalleaders in that he neither inherited a throne nor seizedpower. Rather, he established a state from nothing that iswhy to better understand his political communicative skills,three research questions were posed for this study:

RQ 1: How did the prophet communicate onestablishing of the state?

RQ 2: How did the prophet communicate on homeaffairs?

RQ 3: How did the prophet communicate on theexternal affairs?

Methodology

Qualitative Content analysis is the method of data

collection for this research: “ Prophet Muhammad style ofPolitical Communication as a world leader.” Thismethodology is an approach to qualitative and research thatis used to identify specific characteristics in textualmessages (Morris R., 1994). The textual messages in thisresearch are the speeches and conversations that theprophet had with his companions and followers. Inaddition, his orations or sermons that he delivered toaddress the mankind in general.

During the twenty-three years of the prophet-hoodof Muhammad, there were many of the speeches, orationsor sermons that Prophet Muhammad communicated topeople. The message of Islam was not only for the peopleof the Arabia , but also was intended to be universal.

Contents analysis looks at the characteristics ofcommunication messages, their contents and the producersof these messages ( Rubin, R.B., Rubin, A.M. & Piele, L.J.1996). The study is analyzing some of the speeches andevents through which the prophet communicated themessage of Islam to the people.

The unit of analysis of this study is the ProphetMuhammad’s individual speeches to his followers. Codessuch as dates, events, locations and circumstances (peace orwar). Using the content analysis, as a method to collect thedata requires defining the categories involved in theresearch study. The definition of the categories will help toclarify the coding scheme and that will lead to thereliability of the research. (Hamza, M. J., May 1997)

The researcher is investigating the effects that thespeeches of the prophet had on his followers. This will shedthe light on the communication techniques and strategiesthat the prophet used to deliver his message to the world.

The Prophet Muhammad’s techniques in his politicalcommunication and his leadership style played a significantrole in accomplishing his goal in delivering the message ofIslam to the world. Researching these techniques and styleuncovered an important phase of the methods throughwhich the religion of Islam is reaching 1.2 billion Muslimson the planet of Earth.

The prophet’s strategy in his leadership politicalcommunication was unique compared to other leaders. Oneof the primary duties of a political leader is to be aware ofhis surroundings and circumstances. This would give himthe ability to look for solutions to improve it. The prophetdid not seek to build a kingdom. He worked towardsestablishing a state, which embraced new principles, whichwent against the previous traditions.

A state rests on three pillars: people, land andpolitical authority, which manages the affairs of people.The state can be defined as “A group of people who areliving permanently on a specific geographical territory andwho are subjected to a specific political administration.”(Abd Allah, Al Nodhom, p. 19)

The Prophet Muhammad spent 13 years in Makkafacing war with peace, violence with calm, revenge withforgiveness and tyranny with the call of justice. During thisperiod, he was able to build a community, which consistedof people ready to sacrifice their lives in the path of Godand the new religion. The Prophet Muhammad becameconvinced that Qoraish would not allow him to make ofMakka a “safe and strong basis” from which he can start toestablish his state. He prepared the believers, the first pillarof the state. But he needed the land, the second pillar. Thatwas why he turned to another city, which would be suitableto form his basis. He, firstly, chose Taef because it was the

nearest town to Makka. Taef enjoyed a strategic locationand its inhabitants were firm warriors. Thus he went toinvite its leaders to Islam but they rejected him and harmedhim. They even incited their children to harm him.Following this, he returned to Makka disappointed but stillhopeful in God’s help and support.

The prophet did not give up and kept on calling toIslam other tribes, which used to make pilgrimage toMakka according to ancient Arab traditions. He met agroup of 12 men from the city of Yathreb (Madina). In thenext year, seventy-three Madinans came, met the prophet.He felt that he could look forward to having his safe andsolid basis in Madina. When God revealed His permissionto the prophet to immigrate to Madina, he realized that hehad ensured the second element of his state: the land.

He still had to establish some sort of organizationand political administration in order to have all thenecessary elements of the state. The first thing he did aftercoming to Madina was to declare that his followers fromMakka and Madina were brethren to each other. Theprophet formulated a treaty to govern the relationshipsbetween the various elements of the new society, Muslimsas well as non- Muslims. The treaty was called Al Sahifa(“document, treaty, covenant”). The treaty embodied theprovisional constitution of the first Muslim State .

This chapter will discuss one of the prophet’scharacteristics: forbearance. In the opinion of Aristotle,forbearance is the middle way between swift anger andpassivity. Anger is not blameworthy when it is subject tothe intellect. The blameworthy form of anger is when it isexpressed towards things, which do not deserve anger, orfor improper reasons, or when it lasts for a longer time thanis proper.

According to al-Ghazzali, forbearance consists incurbing the power of anger and subjugating it to theintellect. In his opinion, the first stage is to imitateforbearance or restraint of anger. When he becomesaccustomed to that for a time, then forbearance became hischaracter. Natural forbearance is an indication of perfectionof the intellect and its control over anger. Some studiesdefine forbearance as self-control.

The prophet Muhammad was the highest example offorbearance because Allah taught him and taught well.Allah says:

“Make allowances for people, command what isright, and turn away from the ignorant. If an evil impulsefrom Shaytan pricks you, seek refuge in Allah. He is allhearing, All-Seeing. As for those who are godfearing, whenthey are disturbed by visitations from Shaytan, theyremember and immediately see clearly.”

The command is to be steadfast and seek forgivenessfrom Allah when you are angry and moved to revenge.

The manifestation of forbearance in the life of theProphet

There were several manifestations of forbearance inthe life of the prophet. They include:The manifestations offorbearance in the life of the Prophet, were very numerous,the followings are examples:

1. After the Prophet defeated the Banu’l-Mustaliq, someof the Ansar and Muhajirun quarreled and ‘Abdullah ibnUbayayy al-Khazraji said “The Muhajirum haveconstricted us and crowded us in our own land. ByAllah, when we return to Madina, the stronger willexpel the baser from it!”

The Prophet heard those words. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was with him and said: “Command ‘Ubbad ibnBishr to kill him!” The Prophet said “Umar, how will itbe when people say that Muhammad kills hiscompanion? No, announce that we are leaving.”

That was at a time when the Prophet did notnormally travel. The people set out and while they weretravelling, Usayd ibn Hudayr asked him, “Prophet ofAllah, by Allah, you are returning at an early hour whenyou do not normally travel.” The Messenger said tohim, “ Have you heard what your companion said?” Hesaid, ‘ Which companion?” He said, ‘”Abdullah ibnUbayy.” He asked, “And what did he say?” He replied“He stated that when he returns to Madina the strongerwill expel the baser from it.” Usayd said,” So you,Messenger of Allah, be kind to him. By Allah, whenAllah brought you to us his people were preparing tocrown him. He thinks that you have wrested a kingdomfrom him.”

Then the Prophet traveled with the people untilevening, then through the night until morning, and thenthrough the beginning of the day until the sun was toohot for them. Then he camped with them and as soon asthey touched the ground, they fell asleep. He did that todistract them from what had happened the previous day.

Then the son of ‘ Abdullah ibn Ubayy presented

himself to the Prophet and said that if his father must bekilled, then his son should be the one to kill him. TheProphet said, “ No, we will be kind to him and be agood companion to him as long as he remains with us.”

Here the Messenger was in a situation where aperson would normally be very angry; he was also in aposition to punish ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy for the seditionwhich he was inciting. But he showed forbearance tohim and refused to allow him to be killed, refused tothreaten him with expulsion from Madina, refused toallow his son to kill him and, on top of all this, promisedto be kind to him and be a good companion to him. Thisis a great example of forbearance.

2. Wahshi, the client of Jubayr ibn Mut’im killed Hamzaibn ‘Abdu’l-Muttalib in the Battle of Uhud. When theProphet conquered Makka, Wahshi fled to Ta’if. Whenthe delegation of Ta’if went to the Prophet to submit, allavenues were closed to him.

Wahshi said, “ I said, ‘ I will go to Syria , Yemen orsome other land.’ By Allah, I was in that state of anxietywhen a man said to me, ‘ Woe to you! By Allah, hedoes not kill anyone who enters his religion and bearswitness.’ When he told me that, I went out to theMessenger of Allah without fear of him until I wasstanding face to face with him and then gave thetestimony of truth. When he saw me, he said, ‘ Is itWahshi?’ I said, ‘ Yes, Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Sit down and tell me how you killed Hamza.’ When Ifinished telling him, he said,’ Bother you! Remove yourface from me. I do not want to see you.’ So I used toavoid the Messenger of Allah wherever he was so thathe would not see me, until Allah Almighty took him.”

What unique restraint of rage! What immenseforbearance the Messenger of Allah showed. He met thekiller of his noble uncle, his friend comrade in jihad,and his brother by suckling! He was angry with hiskiller and able to take revenge on him, even if he hadbeen strong and free, let alone a slave who had beenfreed by his master after killing Hamza and so withouthelper or protector.

3. A Bedouin came to the Messenger to ask him forsomething. He gave him something and then asked him,“ Have I been generous to you?” The Bedouin said, “No, and you have not behaved well.” The Muslimsbecame angry and made for him, but he, indicated tothem to hold back.

Then he went inside his house, sent for the Bedouin,and gave him more. Then he asked the man, “ Have Ibeen good to you?” “Yes, may Allah repay you wellfrom your family and tribe,” he replied. Then theProphet said to him, “ you said what you said and thathad an effect on my Companions. If you like, you cansay what you have just said in front of them so that itwill remove what they feel in their hearts against you.”The Bedouin agreed.

Next morning or evening he came and the Prophetsaid, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “This is the Bedouin who said what he said. We gavehim more and now he states that he is pleased. Is thatthe case?” The Bedouin said, “ Yes, may Allah repayyou well from your family and tribe.”

The Messenger “ I and this Bedouin are like a man

who has a she-camel which bolts from him. Peoplepursue it, but they only make it in shy away more. Thenthe owner of the camel cries out to them, ‘Leave mewith my camel! I am kinder to it and know it better.’ Sohe goes to it from in front and takes some sweepingsfrom the earth and slowly drives it back, until it comesand kneels and he puts his saddle on it and gets up onit.”

Can you see how the Messenger of Allah, bless himand grant him peace, was forbearing to this man hegave to in spite of the fact he was ungrateful for whathe had already been given? Do you see how he gave tohim a second time and then heard his pleasure andsupplication? Do you see how he removed the anger ofhis companions towards this Bedouin so that none ofthem would punish him for his incivility andingratitude?

4. A young man came to the Prophet, and said, “Prophet of Allah, will you give me permission tocommit fornication?” The people shouted at him and theProphet said, “ Bring him near. Approach.” He came upand sat in front of him. The Prophet said to him, “Would like your mother to do it?” The young mansaid,” No, may Allah make me your ransom!” TheProphet said, “ So people do not like it for theirmothers. Would you like it for your daughter?” Theyoung man said,” No, may Allah make me yourransom!” The Prophet said,” So people do not like it fortheir daughters. Would you like it for your sister?” andhe went on to mention his aunts. Every time the mansaid,” No, may Allah make me you ransom!” and theProphet would say, “ So people do not like it.”

Then the Prophet put his hand on the breast of the

young man and said, “ O Allah, purify his heart andforgive his sin and protect his private parts. Makenothing more hateful to him than fornication.”

Here the wisdom of the great teacher is very clear.He did not rebuke the young man or confront him withhis foolishness but was kind to him and began toprovide make examples for him so that he would see theugliness and atrocity of what he proposed. Then headded to that the kindness of a loving father and prayedfor the young man to be healed of his disease fromwhich he had thought there was no release or cure.

5. At the Battle of Uhud, his Companions asked him tocurse the idolaters who had wounded his face andbroken his tooth so that the blood flowed down his face.He said, “ I was not sent as a curser. I was sent as asummoner and a mercy. O Allah, forgive my people.They do not know.”

That day was critical: the Muslims were notvictorious and many of their great men were killed andwounded. Even the Prophet himself did not gounscathed from the injury. But even so, he would notcall on Allah to destroy his people, since he wassteadfast and forbearing. He continued to have greathope that their senses would return to them and theywould be guided to the religion of Allah.

6. Anas narrated: “ One day I was walking with theMessenger of Allah, when a badouin caught up withhim and pulled him violently. The Prophet was wearinga Najrani cloak with a thick border and I saw that theneck of the Messenger of Allah had a mark from theedge of the cloak owing to the strength of the man’stugging.

“ The Bedouin said, “ Muhammad! Load up these twocamels of mine with some of the property of Allahwhich is in your possession. You will not let me load upfrom your property nor your father’s property.’ TheProphet Allah bless him and grant him peace, was silentand then said, ‘ The property is the property of Allahand I am His slave.’ Then he said, ‘ Shall retaliation betaken from you, Bedouin, for what you did to me?’ TheBedouin said, ‘ No.’ the Messenger said, ‘ Why not?’The Bedouin said, ‘ Because you never repay evil withevil.’ The Messenger of Allah, laughed and thencommanded that the Bedouin have one camel loadedwith barley and another with dates.”

The Prophet was forgave the Bedouin who was rudeto him, spoke insolently to him, and used unbefittingcoarseness. Then he gave him what he wanted andprobably more than he wanted.

7. Before he was a Muslim, Zayd ibn Sa’na came todemand that the Prophet repay a loan to him. He pulledhis garment from his shoulder, seized hold of him andbehaved coarsely towards him. ‘ Umar chased him offand spoke harshly to him while the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, merely smiled. He said,“ I expect something other than this from you, ‘ Umar.You should command me to repay the man well andcommand him to ask for his debt correctly.” Then hesaid, “ Three days are left till it is due.” He told ‘Umarto repay him what was owed and to add twenty sa’sbecause he had alarmed him. This was the causethrough which Zayd became Muslim.

8. The Messenger of Allah made a division of goods andone of the Muslim Bedouins said: “ This is a division bywhich the Face of Allah is not intended.”

When the Prophet, Messenger of Allah was told that,his cheeks became red and he said, “ May Allah havemercy on Musa! He suffered more abuse than this andremained patient.”

The prophet became angry as is proper, because hisanger, as Ali ibn Abi Talib said, was not for this world’ssake. He was angry for the sake of the truth and nothingcould withstand his anger until the Truth had beenvindicated. It is like Aisha (a wife of the prophet) whosaid: the Prophet never took revenge for himself unlessthe honor of Allah was violated. Then he took revengefor the sake of Allah.” Even the anger of the Messengernever transgressed the limits of fairness in any instance.

These are some of the examples to show how theprophet manifested forbearance in his teachings andrelationships with the people.

In his political leadership communication, theProphet demonstrated extreme self-control. This made hisfollowers to love him and his enemies either to give up andjoin his religion or to fear him and stay away. There was nohuman being that had his life more scrutinized anddocumented than the Prophet Muhammad. His behaviorwas perfect with companions and fair with his foes. Thenext chapter will further demonstrate his personality traitswith respect to educational communication.

CHAPTER 7

Prophet Muhammad Models of EducationalCommunication

Introduction

Prophet Muhammad pattern of educationalcommunication with his family, friends, followers andenemies enabled him to increase his support and strengthen his position to deliver his message of Islam.Over twenty-three years of delivering the call of Allah(God in Arabic), Prophet Muhammad developededucational communication patterns to help people learnabout Islam.

The purpose of this chapter will be to demonstrate ProphetMohammad’s patterns of communication with individualsand the masses..

The Prophet Muhammad emphasised the importance ofEducation. In the annals of human history, we hardly getanother man who laid that emphasis on Education as did

Muhammad. As the Supreme Head of the first IslamicState, he decreed Education as

Important for all people, male or female. Talk ofcompulsory education is not innovation of our modernists.Muhammad had declared it compulsory almostimmediately after

the establishment of the City State of Madeenah. It was inthe very second year of the establishment of theMadeenistic Regime that his Law regarding CompulsoryEducation began to be implemented with vigor and forcepossible for a nascent

state. Like a practical realist he also warned his people tosave themselves from ‘knowledge which is of no use’. Inother words, he asked you to separate the kernel from thehusk and to distinguish the substance from the shadow.And pray, also look at the breath of the vision of this greatRevolutionary. He orders to take the good from everywhereone gets it and further counsels that knowledge is the lostof wealth of a believer and commands to acquire itwhatever its source. So long as the Muslims kept up thisbreadth of vision they were the torchbearers of light andlearning and were considered the norm to judge the variousgrades of cultures and civilizations of the world.

The Prophet Muhammad declared equality and brotherhoodof man. He was not content with just preaching it, butpracticed it. One of his closest companions was a former

Negro slave, Bilaal; one of his trusted lieutenants was anIranian called Salmaan; to name a third Suhayb of Rome.Each coming from different directions, of differentlanguages, and of different heritage. But in their Teacher'scompany they were all companions, equal to each other

without distinction. Color and country did not stand in theway of

Muhammad's revolutionary and all embracingbrotherhood.(The Great Revolutionary Prophet,http://www.islam.

How the knowledge was preserved In Quran Allah says:We have, without doubt, sent down the message: and wewill assuredly guard it (from corruption). (Qur'an 15:9) The promise made by Allah (SWT) in Qur'an 15:9 isobviously fulfilled in the undisputed purity of the Qur'anictext throughout the fourteen centuries since its revelation.However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is thatthe divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnahof the Prophet (PBUH), because the Sunnah is the practicalexample of the implementation of the

Qur'anic guidance, the wisdom taught to the Prophet(PBUH) along with the scripture, and neither the Qur'annor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without theother.

Allah (SWT) preserved the Sunnah by enabling thecompanions and those after them to memorize, write downand pass on the statements of the Prophet (PBUH), and thedescriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessingsof practicing the Sunnah.

Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah becamethreatened, Allah (SWT) caused the Muslim Ummah toproduce individuals with exceptional memory skills andanalytical expertise, who traveled tirelessly to collectthousands of narrations and

distinguish the true words of prophetic wisdom from those

corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries byunscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the largenumber of Ulama (scholars), the companions and thosewho followed their way. All of this was

achieved through precise attention to the words narrated,and detailed familiarity with the biographies of thethousands of reporters of hadith.

The prophet Muhammad reported that seeking knowledgehas its principles and its stages; so whoever fails to acquireor seek knowledge based on these principles and on thisgradation of seeking knowledge such will fail to acquire it.And this is an issue was emphasized hoping to drive thisinto the hearts of the

students of knowledge and those who have knowledge,and that is to acquire knowledge piecemeal, over thepassage of time. As was said by the famous scholar IbnShihab Az-Zuhri, "Whoever aims to acquire knowledge allat once, it will leave him all at once. Rather knowledgeshould be acquired over the passage of days and nights"

Just as when a child is taught the basics of writing and thebasics of speaking and enunciating, s/he has to be taughtthis gradually, bit by bit, so if s/he continues to do this, s/heimproves till s/he is eventually able to write and speak well.

Malik, an Islamic scholar, when it was said to him that thisis from the simple part of knowledge replied: There isnothing easy in the knowledge. Allaah has said: "Verily weshall send down to you a weighty word."

So one who considers knowledge to be weighty anddifficult will obtain it. But as for one who takes issues upsaying: this is clear, and this is straightforward..., such a

person will just pass over it rapidly and in doing so willlose out on a lot. Therefore, it is imperative to take thingsstep by step in the acquisition of knowledge

with the idea that nothing in it is simple - rather that all ofit is weighty, with regards to its understanding, withregards to consolidating what is known, and with regards topersevering in acquiring knowledge; for it is weighty and itrequires continuance and following up - for knowledge isforgotten if it is left, but if a knowledge seeker perseveresin it and continues, it will remain. ( Shaikh Saleh ibnAbdul-Azeez Aal-Sheikh, Seeking Knowledge and One'sIntentions, http://salafipublications.com)

The beneficial knowledge has certain ways and means bywhich it is obtained and certain paths that are taken in itsacquisition and memorisation. Allah says in Quraan: “Andsay: O Lord, increase me in knowledge [Taa Haa 21:114]

And the Prophet Muhammad used to say: "O Allaah,benefit me with what you have taught me and teach me thatwhich will benefit me and increase me in knowledge."

And for this reason one of the wise people, upon beingquestioned, "What is the way by which knowledge isobtained?", answered: "With eagerness is it followed, withlove is it listened to, with sole concern is it gathered, [teachyour knowledge to the one who is ignorant, and learn fromthe one who teaches, for if you do that, you will come toknow what you were ignorant of and you will memorizethat which you (yourself)

have learnt." And for this reason, Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee anIslamic scholar said: My brother! You will not acquireknowledge except by six matters: Intelligence, zeal,striving, competence/proficiency, the companionship of a

teacher, and a long time! Acting upon the knowledge, theProphet Muhammad said: "A servants two feet will notmove on the Day of Judgement until he is questioned aboutfour (things): His youth, how he spent it, his knowledge,how he acted upon it, his wealth, how he earned it and howhe spent it and his body, how he used/wasted it." ( Saeedbin Wahf al-Qahtani, Guidelines For AcquiringKnowledge, http://salafipublications.com)

Islam is a religion based upon knowledge. The text of theQuran is replete with verses inviting man to use hisintellect, to ponder, to think and to know, for the goal ofhuman life is to discover the Truth which is none other thanworshipping God in His Oneness. The Hadith literature isalso full of references to the importance of knowledge.Such sayings of the Prophet as "Seek knowledge from thecradle to the grave", (Hadith)

and "Verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of theprophets", (Hadith)

have echoed throughout the history of Islam and incitedMuslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be found.During most of its history, Islamic civilization has beenwitness to a veritable celebration of knowledge. That iswhy every traditional Islamic city possessed public andprivate libraries and some cities like Cordoba and Baghdadboasted of libraries with over 400,000 books. Such citiesalso had bookstores, some of which sold a large number oftitles. That is also why the scholar has always been held inthe highest esteem in Islamic society. (Islam, Knowledge,and Science, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA)

The Prophet used to teach the Sunnah to his companions inword and deed, and urged them to follow it, as he said inhis hadeeth: “Adhere to my Sunnah” and “Whoever

neglects my Sunnah does not belong to me.” ‘Abd-Allaahibn Mas’ood narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said:“There is no Prophet whom Allaah sent to any nationbefore me, but he had disciples from among his nation, andcompanions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed hiscommands.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 71).( Adhering tothe Sunnah of the Prophet, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA)

The Prophet Muhammad lived according to the Qur'an, hewas the true spirit of the Qur'an. This was so that otherswould follow his example and because it is the way Allahhas commanded man to behave. The goal was to make thecompanions of the Prophet and Believers adopt a way oflife that was of a True Muslim.

Jafar son of Abbu Talib acting as the Muslim spokesman tothe king of neighboring Abyssinia summarized theteachings of Muhammad to explain their situation thus:

O King! We were living in ignorance, idolatory andimmorality. We honoured no relative and assisted noneighbour. The strong among us exploited the weak.Then God sent us a prophet, one of our own peoplewhose descent, conduct and good faith and moralitywe are all well acquainted. He called us to the unityof God, and taught us not to associate any otherbeing with him. He forbade us the worship of idolswhich we and our fathers used to worship. Hecommanded us always to speak the truth, to remaintrue to our trust, to love the relatives and to be goodneighbours. He forbade us to slander the virtuouswomen or consume the property of the orphans. Heordered us to fly from vices and to abstain from theevil, to offer prayers, to give alms and to keep thefast. We believed in him; we followed him. Ourpeople, however, persecuted us and sought to bring

us back to idolatory and their other abominations. Asthey made life intolerable for us in Mecca , we choseyour country and came here to live under yourprotection in peace.”

The king refused to deliver up the refugees and the Quraishreturned to Mecca discomforted. (Zahur-ul-Haque,Muhammad the Greatest Leader, pp. 51-53)

The art of writing and penmanship has a glorious record inthe history of Islamic education. The word ‘pen’ has astrange fascination for the historian and beautiful legendsare related about its origin and the priority of its creation.According to a Tradition, the pen was one of the earliest ofcreation. In the Quran, there occurs a verse which runs asfollows: “Read in the name of the lord who created Manfrom a drop of congealed blood. Read and thy Lord ishighly Benevolent; verily He is thy Lord who taught theewith the pen and taught man what he did not know.”Implying the sanction and approval of the art of the writingby the Divine power and commending its use for Men.

The prophet did not like to lose any opportunity for thepropagation of this art of writing and when seventyMeccans were made captives in the battle of Battle ofBadar. They were asked to teach the skill to ten children oradults as a compensation for their ransom money whichwas forty Awqiyah for each captive. Those who had noransom money to pay readily agreed to thearrangement.(Abdul Ghafur Chaudhri, Muhammad theEducator of Mankind, pp. 290-292)[

CHAPTER 8

Prophet Muhammad’s Patterns of PeacefulCommunication

Background

The Prophet Muhammad was assigned the missionof peace in the world by Allah. His fundamentalpurpose was to attain peace with the lord, peace withthe universe and peace with the people. The Quran,in very plain words, announces the arrival of theprophet of peace in these words: “ O People of thebook! Our Messenger has come to you, Light hascome to you from Allah and a book which guides tothe truth, whereby Allah leads to ways of peacethose who seek His pleasure.” ( 5:17-18) These versestress that the Prophet was sent to guide the peopleto the way of peace. The west misunderstood Islamand stereotyping it with violence and terrorism.

What does it mean to be a Muslim? Islam literally meanssubmission, and, in Arabic, the root word for Islam (SLM)is peace. To be Muslim, then, is the struggle to peacefullysubmit to reality, and this implies a perfectly balancedsense of self. Self that is founded on the knowledge of its

place in creation, and that exists in perfect empathy withthe rest of Creation.)from an article in Islam online: TheConquering Force of Islam,By Ramzi Kysia, 11/12/2001)Peace is the most common word on a Muslim'stongue. Whenever two people meet, they exchangegreetings, wishing each other peace: "Peace be uponyou." But peace cannot prevail where there is justice.Since the concept of justice may differ from one manto another, or from one society to another, Muslimsbelieve that real justice is that which is specified byAllah (God).

Where does a text begin and end? If a text has adeterminate state, then it would necessarily follow that weshould be able to localize the text. But where? Thelanguage of the text suggest that we end the text wherelanguage ends. ( Grigely, P. 130) The language that theprophet used set unlimited boundaries to the text. Themessage of the prophet was not intended for his localpeople. It was for all people every where and for allgenerations to come.

Joseph Grigely argues that text might be prepared for aspecific event and he raises the issue of the notion ofiterability (iterare, to repeat; iterum, again). Repeatability isa universal quality in textual studies, where efforts aremade to produce or reproduce a particular text. (JosephGrigely, Textualterity, Art, Theory, and Textual Criticism,P. 93)

Significance of the Study

The religion of Islam is misunderstood in the westernworld. The Muslims images in the west are stereotypedwith violent, terrorism and backwardness. Understandingthe Religion of Islam would correct the wrong ideas andintroduce the religion of Islam with its valuable values andprinciples to the non-Muslims. The values of Islam, ifapplied, would be a public and private policy. A way oflife, every one would enjoy and live in peace with eachothers regardless their different backgrounds, colors orethnicity’

The Narrative Techniques of Prophet Mohammad

We are a species of storytellers. And it should be nosurprise—humans have been on Earth far longer thanwritten language. Long before recorded history, the onlymeans our ancestors had to preserve their history is throughstories told and retold through countless generations. Todaywe call these folk tales, old wives tales, fairy tales.Although the Bible is a book of stories, its really a book ofrules and human values cleverly disguised to be infinitelyapplicable.

Donald Foster’s favorite Bible story is Mel Brooks playingMoses. He proclaims, "I bring you the Word of God! Ibring you these stone tablets containing the Fifteen....[sound of falling, smashing, crumbling rock] "...containingthe Ten Commandments!" A story, even in jest, is amarvelous way to convey a message and have it stick.

The prophet Muhammad used the narrative methods tohighlight a specific value or to give an example of what hewas talking about. Al- Bara bin Azib narrated that whenProphet Muhammad concluded a peace treaty with thepeople of Hudaibiya, Ali bin Abu Talib wrote the documentand he mentioned in it, “Muhammad, Allah’s Apostle.”

The pagans said, “Don’t write: ‘Muhammad, Allah’sApostle’ for if you were an apostle we would not fight withyou.” Allah’s Apostle asked Ali to rub it out, but Ali said,“I will not be the person to rub it out.” Allah’s Apostlerubbed it out and made peace with them on the conditionthat the prophet and his companions would enter Meccaand stay there for three days, and that they would enter withtheir weapons in cases.

Authors West & Turner, citing Walter Fisher and theNarrative Paradigm, assert that a narrative method is abetter rhetorical tool than a rational approach. In addition toFisher's list describing the narrative paradigm, DonaldFoster adds:

Humans imagine themselves in the story.

A story creates images, which as we know, are compelling.

People are more likely to trust a story as a factual recounting of an event.

On the other hand, an appeal to logic (the prime tool ina rational paradigm) engages the listener's mind inanalytical thinking. By its very nature, analyticalthinking demands a contrary hypothesis—even ifunconscious—so begins with a negative perspective.

An important aspect is that the listener must find a meaningin the narrative—I believe, the listener must feel part of thestory. He must identify with the players, with the message,or with the circumstances. During any communication, ofany type, the narration must "pull in" the listener.

Another key feature is narrative rationality—in essence, the"believability" of the message. It must be factual, truthful,and correspond to elements of knowledge and belief the

listener already holds as truth. Anything else generatescognitive dissonance. The Muslim audiences believe theprophet in all his narrations of any story. The narrationmethod is a means to deliver a specific rule or instruction.When the prophet tells a story related to his instruction thatwill make it easy to remember and to apply when it isneeded. For the non-Muslim audiences,

Coherence in a narrative is the property of "feeling right".The story matches and fits with the listener's expectations,values, and experiences. The narrative must fit the listener's"mental model". Another characteristic, fidelity, is "ringingtrue".

Some of Fisher's properties of narrative sound like theprocess in a court of law. Are the statements true andfactual? Has any important data been omitted or distorted?What is the reasoning? How is the data relevant? Does thenarrative address the important and significant issues?(Donald Foster, The Narrative Paradigm Theory)

The Prophet on Good and Evil Prophet on Good and Evil Prophet on Good and Evil

Allah in the Quran commands people to return the evil thatis done to them by others to not only with good, but withbest!.

Verse 13:22 "Those who patiently persevere, seeking thecountenance of their Lord; establish regular prayers; spendout of (the gifts) We have bestowed for their sustenance,secretly and openly; and turn off evil with good: for suchthere is the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home."

Verse 23:96 "Repel evil with that which is best: We areWell-acquainted with the things they say."

Verse 41:34 "Nor can goodness and evil be equal. Repel(evil) with that is better: Then will he between whom andthee was hatred become as it were thy friend andintimate!."

Verse 28:54 "Twice will they be given their reward, for thatthey have persevered, that they avert evil with good, andthat they spend (in charity) out of what We have giventhem."

Verse 42:40 "The recompense for an injury is an injuryequal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives andmakes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for(Allah) Loveth not those who do wrong."

Whether people speak evil of you, in your presence orbehind your back, or they do evil to you in either of thoseways, all is known to Allah Almighty. It is not for you topunish. Your best course is not to do evil in your turn, butto do what will best repel the evil. Two evils do not make agood.

You do not return good for evil, for there is no equality orcomparison between the two. You repel or destroy evilwith something which is far better, just as an antidote isbetter than poison. You foil hatred with love. You repelignorance with knowledge, folly and wickedness with thefriendly message of Revelation. The man who was inbondage of sin, you not only liberate from sin, but makehim your greatest friend and helper in the cause of AllahAlmighty!. Your credit for returning evil with good andpaying for charity is double. Also if you forgive and returnthe evil with good, then Allah Almighty will love you and

reward you.

"It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gentlywith them. Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they wouldhave broken away from about thee: so pass over (theirfaults), and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; andconsult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hasttaken a decision, put thy trust in Allah. For Allah lovesthose who put their trust (in Him). (The Quran,3:159)"_"Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity,or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;for Allah loves those who do good. (The Quran,3:134)"_"Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; butturn away from the ignorant. (The Quran, 7:199)"_"Allahloveth not that evil should be noised a broad in publicspeech, except where injustice hath been done; for Allah isHe Who heareth and knoweth all things. (The Quran,4:148)"_"Say to My servants that they should (only) saythose things that are best: for Satan doth sow dissensionsamong them: for Satan is to man an avowed enemy. (TheQuran, 17:53)"_"Who avoid vain talk; (The Quran,23:3)"_"And when they hear vain talk, they turn awaytherefrom and say: 'To us our deeds, and to you yours;peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant.' (The Quran,28:55)"

"...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or forspreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slewthe whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be asif he saved the life of the whole people...(The Quran,5:32)" In this Noble Verse we clearly see that Allah honorsall the innocent souls that He created. Killing any innocentsoul is abhorred by Allah Almighty that He considers it as acrime against all of Mankind.

"Those who invoke not, with God, any other god, nor slay

such life as God has made sacred except for just cause, norcommit fornication; - and any that does this (not only)meets punishment. (The Quran, 25:68)" In this NobleVerse we clearly see that Allah Almighty considers theinnocent soul "sacred". He will punish those who kill theinnocent souls (by throwing them in hell).

Negative impressions of Islam are most often based on alack of accurate and objective information. As God states inthe Quran, Islam's revealed text: 'O mankind! We createdyou from a male and a female and made you into nationsand tribes that you may know and honor each other (notthat you should despise one another). Indeed the mosthonorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous.'(49:13)"The Quran also states: 'Invite (all) to the way of thyLord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue withthem in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lordknoweth best who have strayed from His Path and whoreceive guidance.' (16:125)

5:16 “Wherewith Allah guideth all who seek His goodpleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leadeth them outof darkness, by His will, unto the light,- guideth them to apath that is straight”

8:61 “But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou(also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah. for He isOne that heareth and knoweth (all things).”

25:63 “And the servants of ((Allah)) Most Gracious arethose who walk on the earth in humility, and when theignorant address them, they say, "Peace!";

28:55 “And when they hear vain talk, they turn awaytherefrom and say: "To us our deeds, and to you yours;peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant."

49:9 “If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel,make ye peace between them: but if one of themtransgresses beyond bounds against the other then fight ye(all) against the one that transgresses until it complies withthe command of Allah; but if it complies then make peacebetween them with justice and be fair: for Allah loves thosewho are fair (and just).” ( The above Quran Verses weretranslated by Yousef Ali. The Internet search engines wereused to gather verses related the peace keyword)

In the last farewell, the Prophet made it clear that:

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has nosuperiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has anysuperiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiorityover a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a Whiteexcept by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslimis a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslimsconstitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to aMuslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it wasgiven freely and willingly."

The message of the Prophet that he delivered included avery important concept, i.e., equality of mankind. Peopleare equal in the sight of Allah and in front of the law. Theywere born from Adam and Eve. Both of these parents, andall of us are made of dust – no one is better than the other.

The concept of equality is based on justice: All are equaland no one can claim that he is more pious or even morerighteous than the other except through piety andrighteousness. (Sakr,1998, p. 19)

Um Kulthum heard Prophet Muhammad saying, “He whomakes peace between the people by inventing goodinformation or saying good things, is not a liar.”

George Bernard Shaw said about The Prophet Muhammad:"He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that ifa man like him (Prophet Muhammad) were to assume thedictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed insolving its problems in a way that would bring it muchneeded peace and happiness."_(The Genuine Islam,Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)

A man came to the Prophet one day and said, "I want toperform Jihad [struggle]." Mohammad asked, "are yourparents alive?," and when the man said they were, he toldhim, "perform Jihad by taking care of them" (al-Bukhari)._In the West, there is a misconception that Islamwas forced on people and spread by war. In fact, Islam wasspread largely through trade, and its converts were oftenfrom among the poor, and those who suffered from unjustoppression within their societies. Like Jesus, Mohammadtaught that the poor would enter heaven before the rich, andthat all people are equal before God, except in piety. TheProphet Mohammad did fight when the family of Islam wasthreatened, and popular tradition holds that inscribed on hissword were the words, "Forgive him who wrongs you; joinhim who cuts you off; do good to him who does evil toyou; and speak the truth even if it be against yourself."_Theword for war in Arabic is harb. To fight is unhf, and to killis qateel. Jihad means none of these. Jihad is to struggle, tostrive, and to overcome. In Islam, there are two forms ofJihad: greater and lesser. Greater Jihad is the strugglewithin ourselves to destroy our egos, to become less selfishand submit our wills to the greater Will of God. LesserJihad is the struggle against worldly oppression, and itmust be understood in this context. It is our failure to livein submission to God that leads to our personal pains andfailures in life, and it is through those shortcomings that wecan come to commit injustice against others. As people offaith, it is our duty to help both the oppressed and the

oppressors. We help the oppressed by lifting theiroppression, and we help the oppressors by preventing themfrom doing harm to their brothers and sisters in theworld. _There is no such thing as the concept of a holy or ajust war in Islam. All wars result either in or from injustice- or both. Muslims are permitted to fight only againstinjustice and in self-defense. When Muslims fight, they areseverely restricted in how they can fight. The ends do notjustify the means. Two of the most repeated phrases in theQur'an are that God loves those who act equitably, justlyand mercifully, and that God does not love those whoexceed limits. In war, Muslims must not kill non-combatants, children, the elderly, or the infirm. Nor areMuslims allowed to use torture, or to destroy crops,animals, or people's homes in war. And if in the course ofwar the enemy honestly sues for peace, then, regardless ofwho has advantage, peace must be granted. Indeed, theProphet Mohammad taught that a perfect Muslim is onefrom whose tongue and hands mankind is at all times safe(al-Bukhari and Muslim). .)from an article in Islam online:The Conquering Force of Islam,By Ramzi Kysia,11/12/2001)Qaradawi stated that "Islam, the religion of tolerance, holdsthe human soul in high esteem, and considers the attackagainst innocent human beings a grave sin, this is backedby the Qur'anic verse which reads:_” Who so ever kills ahuman being for other than manslaughter or corruption inthe earth, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, andwho so ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he hadsaved the life of all mankind," (Al-Ma'dah:32)._"TheProphet is reported to have said, 'A believer remains withinthe scope of his religion as long as he doesn't kill anotherperson illegally',"._Haphazard killing where the rough istaken with the smooth and where innocents are killed alongwith wrongdoers is totally forbidden in Islam. No one, asfar as Islam is concerned, is held responsible for another's

actions. Upon seeing a woman killed in the battlefield, theProphet, peace and blessings be upon him, denied the actand said: "That woman shouldn't have been killedanyway!"._Even in times of war, Muslims are not allowedto kill anybody save the one who is indulged in face-to-faceconfrontation with them. They are not allowed to killwomen, old persons, children, or even a monk in hisreligious seclusion._Qaradawi then asserted that is whykilling hundreds of helpless civilians who have nothing todo with the decision-making process and are striving hardto earn their daily bread, such as the victims of the latestexplosions in America , is a heinous crime in Islam. TheProphet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported tohave stated that a woman was qualified to enter Hellbecause of the cat she locked up to death._"If such is theruling applied in protecting animals, no doubt, aggressionagainst human beings, a fortiori, deserves greaterprotection, for human beings are honored by AllahAlmighty and are His vicegerents on earth," he added._"Icategorically go against a committed Muslim's embarkingon such attacks. Islam never allows a Muslim to kill theinnocent and the helpless. (Yusuf al-Qaradawi -IslamOnline- News Section – Nov. 05, 2001)The two main sources of the religion of Islam: The Quranand the traditions (Sayings and deeds of the ProphetMuhammad) clearly are against killing innocent people.A man asked the prophet: “which act in Islam is the best?” The prophet replied, “to give food, and to salute everyone,whether you know them or not.” In another tradition, theprophet said: “You will not enter paradise until you believe,you will by no means believe until you love one another.Shall I inform you of something which, if you do, you willlove one another? Give currency to salutation amongstyou”_ Conclusion

The narrative methods that the prophet used to deliver hismessage through his sayings made his ideas clear andconvincing. His narrative fidelity and truthfulness was notquestioned from his followers or enemies. Even before hisprophethood, he was known by “the trusted and the honestone”. Textual analysis of his sayings would clarify hismessage to be correctly understood. Hundreds of books arewritten for that purpose in most languages of the world.

The Prophet taught exactly what the ancient Prophets hadbeen teaching. The high and noble aim of preaching such auniversal religion is to unite the nations of the world,establish peace, and eradicate all causes of conflict. Todaythe world is out of joint. People all over the world aresearching for peace.

The light of scientific knowledge is spreading. But it hassignally failed to dispel clouds of hatred and hostility whichhave spread darkness. Every now and then, plans for worldpeace are put forward. But they prove all too superficial.

The most effective panacea for world peace wasproclaimed by the Prophet Muhammad. He forcefullyexhorted the people that they should cherish reverence forthe Prophets of all nations, and live up to their revealedteachings.

This panacea was tried with unparalleled success in Arabia, where the warring tribes were cemented into brotherhood.This panacea can be tried even today. It will surely lay thefoundations of real and enduring union and peace.

Belief in the Unity of God alone can bring about unityamong nations. As this teaching is universal in character,the Prophet who gave it to the world, was rightly entitled"Mercy for all people.”

Just as one universal religion is an effective means ofuniting the nations, it is also a guarantee for establishinginternational peace and justice.

The Prophet laid the foundation and the guidelines forestablishing peace and justice among the nations. If anyteachings can put an end to conflicts and strengthen thebonds of human brotherhood in these times of crisis, it isthe Prophet's teachings. (www.islamia.com The ProphetMuhammad on International Peace and Justice by MaulanaSadr-ud-Din Sahib)

CHAPTER: 9

Prophet Muhammad style of Communication as a Worldleader

Introduction

Hudaibiya treaty between Prophet Muhammad and Qoraishwas a beginning of a new phase in the prophet’s journey toaccomplish his mission and preach his sermon of divinefaith to all nations. The prophet planned to spread themessage of Islam beyond Arabia . He decided to write toneighboring kings, including those of the superpowers,inviting them to Islam. In order to make the selection ofambassadors to the rulers, he asked his companions to

assemble in the Mosque. After performing the obligatoryprayer, he addressed them: “ O people! Allah has sent meas the one who is compassionate to mankind and theprophet to the world. Therefore, preach (the message ofIslam) on my behalf, Allah will have Mercy upon you. Theprophet then selected some of his very competentcompanions as ambassadors to kings and heads of States.The ambassadors were conversant with the languagesspoken as well as with the political conditions of thecountries to which they were sent.

This chapter will attempt to answer the followingquestions:

1) How did Prophet Muhammad communicate withthe other world leaders in his time in particular and themankind in all the times in general?

2) What values and communication strategies areevident from the letters to the world leaders and the lastsermon of the prophet to all mankind?

The Prophet Muhammad’s techniques incommunication and his leadership style played a significantrole in accomplishing his goal in delivering the message ofIslam to the world. Researching these techniques and stylewill uncover an important phase of the methods throughwhich the religion of Islam is reaching 1.2 billion Muslimson the planet of Earth.

The prophet sent ambassadors to:

1. Heraclius, Emperor of Bayzantines ( Eastern RomanEmpire )

2. Chosroes II ( Emperor of Persian Empire )

3. Negus, King of Abyssinia

4. Muqawqis, Ruler of Egypt

5. Harith Gassani, Governor of Syria

6. Al- Mundhir bin Sawa, Ruler of Bahrain

The dominion, prestige, splendour and might of the abovekings and rulers who devided the world among themselvesduring the seventh century, would indicate what amemorable step was taken by the prophet.

The wording of the Prophet’s letters was similar. The textof the letter sent to Heraclius was as follows:

“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Thisletter is from Muhammad the slave of Allah and hisApostle to Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantines. Peace beupon him who follows the right path. Furthermore, I inviteyou to Islam and if you become a Muslim you will be safe,and Allah will double your reward, and if you reject thisinvitation of Islam you will be committing a sin bymisguiding your subjects. And I recite to you Allah'sstatement:

“O People of the Scriptures! Come to a word common toyou and us that we worship none but Allah and that weassociate nothing in worship with Him, and that none of usshall take others as Lords beside Allah. Then if they turn

away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims (those whohave surrendered to Allah). (Qur’an: Surah 3, Ayah 64).”

All the Prophet's letters were stamped with the words:“Muhammad Rasul-ullah" (Muhammad the Messenger ofAllah). Three of the Prophet’s letters have been preserved.

The reactions of the Monarchs were different.Heraclius, Negus and Muqauqis received the letter from theProphet with all due respect that each gave a courteousreply. Negus and Muqauqis showed the highest regard tothe envoys. Chosroes II was indignant, he tore the letterinto pieces, saying, “My slave dares to write me thus” whenhis reply was conveyed to the prophet, he said, “ even soshall God shatter his kingdom to pieces.” Choroes II wroteto Badhan, who was his governor in Yemen , to get theprophet sent to him in Ctesiphon . Badhan deputedBabwayh to tell the prophet what Choroes II had written tohim and that he had come to take him to the king. But whenBabwayh came to Medina , the prophet told him. “ God hasgiven Sherveh power his father and he has killed ChoroesII.” The prophecy of the prophet was the reason that theruler of Yemen became a Muslim, when the news came tohim afterwards identical to what the prophet stated.

Global morals, values and principals of the prophetMuhammad

The material life that the people of this world are livingmake some people to kill themselves because of the lack ofthe spiritual side of their life. Religions are the primarysource of a balanced life. In this research, I will addresswhat the religion of Islam would offer the world a balancedreligious and secular life.

Michael H. Hart in his book The 100: A Ranking ofthe Most Influential Persons in History stated:

“ My choice of Muhammad (The Prophet of Islam)to lead the list of the world’s most influentialpersons may surprise some readers and may bequestioned by others, but he was the only man inhistory who was supremely successful on both thereligious and secular level.”

In his book, “Islam Teaching and Principles”Mohamed Higab stated that the message of Islam is generalto all mankind. Scholars who interpret the meaning of theQuran state that any verse beginning with the phrase: “ YouPeople” actually addresses mankind. The prophetMuhammad himself remarked: “ I am a messenger, sent byGod to you in particular, to mankind in general. I amwarning you,..” The message of Islam has a universalstamp, because its purpose is to serve all of mankindwithout color or racial discrimination. In Islam, all aretreated equally: there was one human race at the creation ofthe universe, one form of human nature, and so it is now.God desires different nations to get to know one another fora purpose: A) getting together in friendship leads to peaceinstead of strife. B) It helps man to make better use of thewealth of the earth through co-operation and exchange,rather than remain limited to the production of one religion.The surplus in anyone kind of goods may be exchanged foranother, which that region needs and does not possess. Thisis an example of how the prophet Muhammad addressedreligious and secular issues in his message to mankind.

CHAPTER 10

Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon

After praising and thanking Allah the Prophet said:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know notwhether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again.Therefore, listen to what I am saying very carefully andtake these words to those who could not be present heretoday.

O People, just as you respect this month, this day,this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of everyMuslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to youto their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one mayhurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord,and that he will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah hasforbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interestobligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital isyours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer anyinequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interestand that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib[the Prophet's uncle] be waived. Every right arising out ofhomicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the

first such right that I waive is that arising from the murderof Rabiah ibn al Harithibn.

O People, the unbelievers indulge in tampering withthe calender in order to make permissible that which Allahforbade, and to forbid that which Allah has madepermissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number.Four of them are holy, three of these are successive and oneoccurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lostall hope of that he will be able to lead you astray in bigthings, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights withregard to your women but they also have rights over you.Remember that you have taken them as your wives onlyunder Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abideby your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed andclothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kindto them for they are your partners and committed helpers.And it is your right that they do not make friends withanyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to beunchaste. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah,say your five daily prayers, fast during the month ofRamadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj ifyou can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has nosuperiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has anysuperiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiorityover a black and a black has no superiority over a white -except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslimis a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslimsconstitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to aMuslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was

given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice toyourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah andanswer your deeds. So beware: do not stray from the pathof righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me,and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, OPeople, and understand my words which I convey to you.

I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my Sunnahand if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words toothers and those to others again; and may the last onesunderstand my words better than those who listen to medirectly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyedYour message to Your people."

In international communication and Globalization,Oliver Boyd- Barrett stated that cultural studies has a greatdeal to offer in the study of how global texts work at a locallevel…The prophet Muhammad directed his last speech toall mankind. He was addressing his speech to the lovingand the sincere Muslims who were with him at that thattime, but he was speaking to all mankind. He was speakingto all mankind through those Muslims. For this reason Hesaid to them: O people or O mankind. He used thisterminology eight times in the same speech. He never usedthe terminology of: O Muslim! Or even O Believers! Hismessage was and is still to every person everywhere in theworld irrespective of his religious or political affiliation.

The universal values of the last sermon of the prophetMuhammad are:

· Equality of Mankind

The message that the prophet delivered, included a veryimportant concept, i.e., equality of mankind. People areequal in the presence of ALLAH and in front of the law.The prophet stated that “ no Arab has any privilege over anon-Arab, except that based on piety.”

· Declaration of Human Rights

The charter of the UN on Human Rights was written in the40’s, but the human rights in Islam were recognized,declared and executed for over 1400 years. Every place onereads in the farewell Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad,will find clearly the declaration of human rights. Thisdeclaration is summarized as follows:

1. Freedom to all

2. Sanctity of life, wealth and property

3. Equality of all races

4. Justice in front of the law and in front of ALLAH

5. Women’s rights and obligations. They were to betreated as partners but not as subjects.

6. No exploitation or monopoly. The rich is not to bericher while the poor is to be poorer.

7. Rights of others are to be preserved and to bedelivered.

8. People are to take this declaration seriously, they areto preach it and to practice it too, every where they goor move.

· Sanctity of Life and Property

The sanctity of life and property was pronounced clearly bythe prophet in his farewell speech. People are to beprotected, their lives are to be preserved and theirproperties are to be saved.

· Abolition of Usury

The concept of economic exploitation is totally prohibitedin Islam. Usury is a form of economic exploitation;therefore, Islam prohibited this type of business. Because ofsuch economic monopoly and exploitation in a capitalisticsystem, the rich will become richer and the poor willbecome poorer.

· Rights and Duties of Women

In his farewell speech, the prophet Muhammad spelled outthe best declaration for women’s rights. He demanded thatthe husbands should treat the wives with kindness andgentleness. Men are to know that their women are theirpartners. The prophet recognized the duties and theresponsibilities of both partners and emphasized that theman is the HEAD, while the women is the HEART of thefamily.

In their book, “Leadership A Communicationperspective”, M. Z. Hackman and C. E. Johnson describedthe democratic leader’ communication style that the leaderencourages the followers participation and involvement indetermination of the goals and procedures. The democraticleader realizes that the followers are capable of makinginformed decisions. Democratic leader does not getintimidated by the suggestions provided by the followersbut believes that the contributions of others would improve

the overall quality of the decision making.

In situations that there were no instructions fromALLAH to Prophet Muhammad, the prophet used to ask hisfollowers about their opinions in the matter. For example,during one of the battles, a follower advised the prophet tochange the location of the Muslim troops. When theprophet realized that the suggestion of the follower wouldbenefit them while fighting he asked the troops to changetheir location to the follower’s suggested one.

Conclusion

The prophet message of Islam was intended to theArabs at the seventh century but to all mankind at all times.He took advantage of the peace treaty between him andQuraish tribe, his main enemy, and sent ambassadors to theworld leaders at his time. He informed them about themessage of Islam. Most of these leaders respondedpositively except one.

The prophet Muhammad was supremely successfulon both the religious and secular level. There are sayingsfrom the prophet related to every activities that the personmight encounter during the day or the night. Islam is a wayof life.

The farewell speech of the prophet Muhammad wasdirected to all mankind at all times and for all generations.He laid down the foundation of morality, justice, equality,brotherhood, and accountability. He abolished economicexploitation, human enslavement.

He demanded that the congregating Muslims shoulddeliver his message to all mankind. Accordingly, they diddeliver the message. For this reason, the message of Islam

has spread through the centuries to every corner in theworld. The number of the Muslims has exceeded onebillion people.

The Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad

Background

Pilgrimage in Islam was prescribed during the 9th year ofthe Islamic Hijra or 623 C.E. The prophet of Islam deputedAbu Baker to lead the pilgrims to perform the Haj. Duringthe 10th year of Hijra, the Prophet left Medina on the 26 ofZul Qi’dah with an average of 90,000 Muslims who joinedhim to perform Haj. On the 9th of Zul Hijjah the Prophet leftMakkah to Arafat with a group of Muslims who exceeded115,000. At the Mount of Mercy (Al Rahmah), the prophetmounted his camel, and addressed the Muslims whileRabi’ah Ibn Umaiyah Ibn Khalaf was repeating after theProphet sentence by sentence. This khotba was the last onethat the Prophet delivered. The haj performance to Makkahand Arafat was the only one and the last one that theProphet did. For this reason, the speech that he gave wascalled Khutbatul Wida’: The farewell Speech, the FarewellKhutba, The farewell Sermon, or the Farewell Address.(Sakr, The farewell Khutbah of the Prophet, p.13). Thisresearch is to analyze the text of the Farewell address of theProphet Muhammad from semiotics and discourse analysisapproaches.

.

In his address, the Prophet addressed several issues:

· Freedom to all

· Sanctity of life, wealth and property

· Equality of all races

· Justice in front of the law and in front of Allah

· Women’s rights and obligations

· Exploitation and Monopoly

· Rights of others

Research Question

The study seeks to investigate the following specificresearch questions:

After about fourteen centuries from delivering the LastSermon of the prophet, are the issues at the statement of theproblem still relevant to the human society in the moderntimes? Or were they just related the Prophet time and placeonly?

Methodology:

Textual analysis is a method used by researchers to“describe and interpret the characteristics of a recorded orvisual message” (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, p.225). Textualanalysis describes the content, structure, and functions ofmessages contained in texts. The purpose is to ascertain themeaning intended by the producer of a text (Hirsch, 1967);other scholars focus on how consumers perceive andinterpret text, regardless of the meaning intended by the

producer.

Textual analysis can be used to answer the two majorquestions posed in communication research: “What is thenature of communication?” And “How is communicationrelated to other variables?

Within textual analysis is embodied rhetorical criticism thatowes its working definition to Aristotle’s work on “theavailable means of persuasion” Rhetorical criticism itself isdefined as “a systematic method for describing, analyzing,interpreting, and evaluating the persuasive force ofmessages embedded within texts” (Denzin & Lincoln,1994, p.229)

In the farewell address, the language that the prophetused set unlimited boundaries to the text. The message ofthe prophet was not intended for his local people. It was forall people every where and for all generations to come. Theprophet used the terminology “O People” He did not use“O Muslims” or “O Believers”. He asked the attendedpeople to deliver His words to others and the others toothers.

Joseph Grigely argues that text might be prepared for aspecific event and he raises the issue of the notion ofiterability (iterare, to repeat; iterum, again). Repeatability isa universal quality in textual studies, where efforts aremade to produce or reproduce a particular text. ( Grigely, P. 93) The last sermon of The Prophet Muhammad hasbeen known, repeated, produced, reproduced, printed,reprinted and will stay forever in the world since it wasdelivered by the Prophet fourteen centuries ago.

At lest, two million Muslims from around the world everyyear, they stand at the same mountain of Arafat in Makkah

and they remember the Prophet’s last sermon and itsuniversal values that brought to the world.

The Prophet’s Message on Human Kindness

Jafar son of Abbu Talib acting as the Muslim spokesman tothe king of neighboring Abyssinia summarized theteachings of Muhammad to explain their situation thus:

“O King! We were living in ignorance, idolatry andimmorality. We honored no relative and assisted noneighbor. The strong among us exploited the weak. ThenGod sent us a prophet, one of our own people whosedescent, conduct and good faith and morality we are allwell acquainted. He called us to the unity of God, andtaught us not to associate any other being with him. Heforbade us the worship of idols, which we and our fathersused to worship. He commanded us always to speak thetruth, to remain true to our trust, to love the relatives and tobe good neighbors. He forbade us to slander the virtuouswomen or consume the property of the orphans. He orderedus to run away from vices and to abstain from the evil, tooffer prayers, to give alms and to keep the fast. Webelieved in him; we followed him. Our people, however,persecuted us and sought to bring us back to idolatry andtheir other abominations. As they made life intolerable forus in Mecca , we chose your country and came here to liveunder your protection in peace.”

The king refused to deliver up the refugees and the Quraishreturned to Mecca discomforted (Zahur-ul-Haque,Muhammad the Greatest Leader, pp. 51-53).

The above statement from Jafar shows what kind ofsensemaking that the Prophet made to his people when hestarted communicating his message. At the last sermon

address, the prophet was not addressing his local peopleonly but the humankind at large. The Prophet messagemade sense at his time and changed the life of the peoplefrom the condition that Jafar described above to Islamicnations, their populations exceeds 1.2 billion Muslims. TheProphet last sermon contains universal values andprinciples if they are applied; there would be justice,fairness and equality between people regardless their races,colors or ethnicity’s.

The religion of Islam is misunderstood in the westernworld. The Muslims images in the west are stereotypedwith terrorism and backwardness. Interpreting, analyzingand understanding the last sermon of the ProphetMuhammad would correct the misunderstanding andintroduce the religion of Islam with its valuable values andprinciples to the non Muslims. The values mentioned in thelast sermon of the Prophet, if applied, would be a publicand private policy. A way of life, every one would enjoyand live in peace with each others regardless their differentbackgrounds, colors or ethnicity

Universality of the Speech

The Prophet directed his Speech to all humankind. He usedthe term “O People” seven times. He used the terminology “O Men” once. In the farewell address, the Prophet did notuse the terminology “O Muslims” or “O Believer). Theprophet intention was to address all people regardless theirreligions, colors or times (his time or any time after himuntil the day of Judgement). The Prophet’s message wasand still is to every person every where in the world

In Surah Saba ’ in the Qur’an Allah Says:

“We have not sent you but as a universal (Messenger) tomankind, giving them glad tidings, and warning them(against sin), but most understand not.” (34:28)

After praising and thanking Allah the Prophet began withthe words:

"O People! Lend me an attentive ear, for I know notwhether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again.Therefore, listen carefully to what I am saying and takethese words to those who could not be present here today."

At the beginning of the address, the prophet asked thepeople to pay close attention to what he was about to say.He demanded that his message to be delivered to allmankind, to be transformed and transported from place toplace and from generation to generation. The task of doingthat was laid upon the shoulder of those who were listeningto him to deliver his message to all mankind.(Sakr, 1998, p.35) Did they deliver his message as he requested? Thenumber of Muslims around the globe would answer thisquestion. There are over 1.2 billions Muslims.

One of the main businesses of the people at the time of theprophet was commerce and trade. The Muslims Merchantsas they traveled from land to land, they delivered themessage of Islam as they were dealing with people everywhere they been to.

"O People! Just as you regard this month, this day, this cityas sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslima sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to theirrightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that hewill indeed reckon your deeds."

The prophet gave examples with matters that the people atthe gathering knew very well. Every one knew how sacred“this month” Zul Hijja, “this day” day of Arafa, “this city”city of Makkah . Therefore, the life and property of peopleare sacred too.

Sanctity of life has been declared by Allah in the Quran.People are to be protected and their lives are to bepreserved. People have to be dignified, respected andhonored. Their properties are to be protected and saved.The sanctity of life is to remain well preserved until the dayof judgement. (Sakr, 1998, p.22)

"Allah has forbidden you to take usury, therefore allinterest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capitalis yours to keep .You will neither inflict nor suffer anyinequality. Allah has judged that there shall be no interestand that all interest due to Abbas Ibn 'Aal-Muttalib bewaived."

The concept of economic exploitation is totally prohibitedin Islam. Since Usury is a form of economic monopoly andexploitation in a capitalistic system, the rich willundoubtedly become richer, while the poor willautomatically become poorer. The Prophet in his final andlast sermon abolished all type of economic exploitations.Usury was declared to be prohibited and people are not todeal with, even if they have had agreement or a contractwith someone. (Sakr,1998, p. 23) Nobody above the law,the uncle of the prophet “Abbas Ebn Abdul Motalb” whowas around the same age of the prophet and both grew uptogether was to wave the usury that he was to receive likeanybody else. There was no difference between relativesand non-relatives.

The Qur’an states emphatically that usury is totally

unlawful. Islam abolished all types of economicexploitations. In Surah Al- Baqarah (The Cow) versenumber 275, the following is stated: Those who devourusury will not stand except as stands one whom the evil oneby his touch hath driven to madness. That is because theysay: “Trade is like usury” but God hath permitted tradeand forbidden usury. Those who after receiving directionfrom their lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; theircase is for Allah (to judge) but those whereat (the offence)are companions of the fire: They will abide therein(forever).

At the same Surah, verse number 276, The Qura’n stated:God will deprive usury of the blessing, but will giveincrease for deeds of charity: For he loveth not creaturesungrateful and wicked.

A strict judgement from God on the usury issue came loudand clear in the following two verses at the same surah:

278. O ye who believe! Fear God, and give up whatremains of your demand for usury, if ye are indeedbelievers.

279. If ye do not, take notice of war from God and HisApostle: But if ye turn back, Ye shall have your capitalsums: deal not unjustly, And ye shall not be delt withunjustly. (Sakr,1998, p. 24, 25)

"Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days ishenceforth waived and the first such right that I waive isthat arising from the murder of Rabiah ibni al-Harithiah."

At the above statement, the Prophet declared theTermination of Pagan Society. The laws ruled by the Pagansociety were over; and they were terminated, abolished and

replaced by the divine rules of Allah. Again, there was noexception, even when it comes to one of his relative.

"O men! the unbelievers indulge in tampering with thecalendar in order to make permissible that which Allahforbade, and to prohibit what Allah has made permissible.With Allah, the months are twelve in number. Four of themare holy, there are successive and one occurs singlybetween the months of Jumada and Shaban."

The number of the months in the book of Allah is twelvesince He created the universe. These months are solar orlunar. Both of which are of great importance to humanbeings: to calculate the number of years, to make use ofarithmetic and many more are the benefits of the calendars.

In surah Al-Tawbah (Repentance), Allah says:

“The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in ayear)- So ordained by Him the day He created the heavensand the earth…” (9:35)

Allah decided that there are four months in the year that aresacred. These months are Zul Qidah, Zul hijjah, Muharramand Rajab. Muslims are to observe their sacredness; no onehas the right to change them or to temper with the calendar.(Sakr,1998, pp. 30-31)

"Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He haslost all hope that he will be able to lead you astray in bigthings so beware of following him in small things."

The prophet instructed the humankind to worship Allah, toobey Him and to follow His Rules and regulations. Heinformed them that Satan lost hope in making people toworship him, but he did not lose hope in diverting them

from practicing the teachings of Islam. He will createanimosity among people, and he will be able to divert theirattention from the straight path. The Prophet warnedhumankind from falling into the path of Satan. (Sakr,1998,p. 26)

"O People it is true that you have certain rights withregard to your women but they also have rights over you.Remember that you have taken them as your wives onlyunder Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abideby your right then to them belongs the right to be fed andclothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kindto them for they are your partners and committed helpers.And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well never to beunchaste."

The best declaration for women’s rights is spelled out in thefarewell speech of the prophet. He demanded that husbandsshould treat their wives with kindness and gentleness. Menare to know that their women are their partners. Islamrecognizes the duties and responsibilities of both partnersand, hence, emphasizes that man is the HEAD, while thewoman is the HEART of the family. Both are needed andboth are complementary to one another. The rights andduties of each spouse toward the other were declared andexplained. (Sakr,1998, p. 26)

"O People! listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say yourfive daily prayers, fast during month of Ramadan, and giveyour wealth in Zakat. Perform Haj if you can afford it."

The prophet asking the people to listen to him in a veryserious mental state about the five pillars of Islam:

1. Witnessing that there is no God except Allah (the

Arabic word for The God)

Witnessing that Muhammad is God’s Messenger

2. Performing the five prayers a day

3. Fasting the month of Ramadan

4. Giving ZAKAT (giving percentage of one’s wealth tothe poor)

5. Performing Haj to Makkah, once in a lifetime if it canbe afforded.

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has nosuperiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has anysuperiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiorityover a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a Whiteexcept by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim isa brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constituteone brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslimwhich belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freelyand willingly."

The message of the Prophet that he delivered included avery important concept, i.e., equality of mankind. Peopleare equal in the sight of Allah and in front of the law. Theywere born from Adam and Eve. Both of these parents, andall of us are made of dust – no one is better than the other.

The concept of equality is based on justice: All are equaland no one can claim that he is more pious or even morerighteous than the other except through piety andrighteousness. (Sakr,1998, p. 19)

"Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember oneday you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware,

do not astray from the path of righteousness after I amgone."

Islam prohibited transgressions at all levels. Justice is thename of the game. Whoever commits injustice andtransgresses his limits, the penalty will fall upon him. Allahdoes not like those who commit injustice, and those whoare transgressors. The prophet asked people to stick to theright path at all times. (Sakr,1998, p. 23)

"O People! No Prophet or apostle will come after me andno new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore O People!and understand words that I convey to you. I leave behindme two things, the Quran and the Sunnah and if you followthese you will never go astray."

The prophet declared that neither new religion nor aprophet would come after him. Muslims are to be unitedonly if they take the Qur’an of Allah and the sunnah of theProphet (the Prophet’s Sayings, Deeds and Actions) as theirstandards for their life activities. They will be guided byAllah; they will stay on the straight path. Allah demandedfrom the Muslims to obey him and to obey His Prophet. Insurah Al-Imran (The family of Imran) Allah says: “Andobey Allah and the Apostle; that you may obtain mercy.”While in Surah Al- Nisa (The Women), the Qura’n statesthe following: “He who obeys the Apostle, obeys Allah…”

"All those who listen to me shall pass on my words toothers and those to others again; and may the last onesunderstand my words better than those who listen to medirectly."

The prophet made the attended people responsible abouttransforming his words to others where they are (place toplace), and whenever they will be (generation to

generation). The Prophet acknowledge that whoever wouldreceive his words in a later time, might be moreknowledgeable and understanding of the meaning of hiswards more than who listen to him directly.

"O Allah, be my witness, that I have conveyed yourmessage to your people."

As part of this sermon, the prophet recited to them arevelation from Allah, which he had just received, andwhich completed the Quran, for it was the last passage tobe revealed:

“This day the disbeliever's despair of prevailing againstyour religion, so fear them not, but fear Me (Allah)! Thisday have I perfected for you, your religion and fulfilled Myfavor unto you, and it hath been My good pleasure tochoose Islam for you as your religion.” (Surah 5, Ayah 3)

The sermon was repeated sentence by sentence by Safwan'sbrother Rabiah (RA), who had powerful voice, at therequest of the Prophet and he faithfully, proclaimed to overten thousand gathered on the occasion. Towards the end ofhis sermon, the Prophet asked

"O people, have I faithfully delivered unto you mymessage?" A powerful murmur of assents "O Allah! yes!"arose from thousands of pilgrims and the vibrant words"Allahumma Na'm," rolled like thunder throughout thevalley. The Prophet raised his forefinger and said: "O Allahbear witness that I have conveyed your message to yourpeople."

Conclusion

The farewell address of Prophet Muhammad was indeed

addressed to all humankind at all times and for allgenerations. It encompasses many aspects of life (generaland specific). He laid down the foundation of morality,chastity, modesty, justice, equality, brotherhood, andaccountability. He abolished economic exploitation, humanenenslavement, paganism, transgression and all systemsthat contradict with the system of Allah.

He demanded that the congregating Muslims should deliverhis message to all humankind. Accordingly, they diddeliver the message. The final Address of the Prophetshould be taught in schools and its universal values andprinciples are to be followed by all segments of the society.These values and principles made sense when they werefirst delivered. They are making sense now. All people arein need to them every where. They will make sense foreveruntil the day of judgement, because the original source ofthese values and principles came from GOD theCREATOR of the universe

CHAPTER 11

The prophet Muhammad Pattern of Communication towardWomen

Introduction:

The condition of women before Islam:_Islam came at atime when women all over the world were being oppressedand exploited.

The most any society would accord the woman was toadmit that she was part of the human race. They never gaveher dignity or rights and responsibilities equal to those ofmen. The Greeks considered her to be an object of pleasureand amusement. This view was articulated in the text ofDeemo Stayn:_He said: “We take prostitutes for pleasure,lovers to care for our daily health, and wives to give uslegitimate children.”_The Romans gave the father andhusband the right to sell her to whomever theypleased._The Arabs gave the son the right to inherit thewife of his father (not his own mother) just like he wouldinherit his father’s wealth and his steed! That is if she werelucky enough not to have been buried alive at birth._Thiswas the case with the rest of the world’s societies, like thePersians and the Hindus._Women remained in this horriblestate without protesting or rebelling against it. No one elsewas to do so either. Nor were there any social or economicdevelopments that would require a betterment of herstatus.__Then Prophet Muhammad came, proclaiming herrights and her equality with men. He established for her allof her rights to bring her out of the miserable state that shewas in and elevated her to the noble status that shedeserved.

In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men andwomen as far as their relationship to God is concerned, asboth are promised the same reward for good conduct andthe same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur'an says:

And for women are rights over men similar to those of menover women. (2:226)

The Qur'an, in addressing the believers, often uses theexpression,'believing men and women' to emphasize theequality of men and women with regard to their respectiveduties, rights, virtues and merits. It says:

For Muslim men and women, for believing men andwomen, for devout men and women, for true men andwomen, for men and women who are patient and constant,for men and women who humble themselves, for men andwomen who give in charity, for men and women who fast,for men and women who guard their chastity, and for menand women who engage much in God's praise, for them hasGod prepared forgiveness and great reward. (33:35)

This clearly contradicts the assertion of some the ChristianFathers that women do not possess souls and that they willexist as sexless beings in the next life. The Qur'an says thatwomen have souls in exactly the same way as men and willenter Paradise if they do good :

Enter intoParadise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70) Who does thatwhich is right, and believes, whether male

or female, him or her will quicken to happy life. (16:97)(Abdur Rahman,Women in the Qur'an and the Sunnah -

Ahmadu Bello University,Zaire

.)

The religion of Islam is misunderstood in the westernworld. The Muslim Women’s image in the west arestereotyped with backwardness and being oppressed bymen. Understanding the Religion of Islam would correctthe wrong ideas and introduce the religion of Islam with its

valuable values and principles to the non-Muslims. Thevalues of Islam, if applied, would be a public, privatepolicy and a way of life. The western media show theMuslim women in a negative image. This study is tointroduce the real status of the Muslim women from thetwo main sources of Islam: The Quran and the tradition ofthe prophet Muhammad.

Prophet Mohammad and his message about Women andIslam

During the time of the Prophet, Islam diminished theexcessive practices of Jahiliyyah by imposing new lawsusing the principle of gradualism. Islam granted womentheir dignity and allowed them to claim equal rights withmen in all spheres of life. The Qur'an teaches Muslims thatGod created both men and women from the same soul:

“O mankind! reverence Your Guardian-Lord,Who created you From a single Person,Created, of like nature, His mate, and fromthem twain Scattered (like seeds) Countlessmen and women.”

In the period of nascent Islam, women played prominentroles in all realms of life: religious, political, educational,legal, moral, economic, and military. A few examples willshow what Islam accomplished in raising the educationallevel of women and will highlight Muslim women'scontributions to the growth of knowledge in Islamicsociety.

The Prophet gradually but persistently allowed women toassume important positions in society. He designated hiswife A'isha as a religious authority by stating "take half ofyour religion from this ruddy-complexioned woman." Through the Prophet's encouragement, A'isha played avisible and active role in the political, legal, and scholasticactivities of the Muslim community. The Prophet choseher as one of the people who would pass on knowledge ofthe Qur'an and his practices to later generations ofMuslims. A'isha herself taught famous scholars about theQur'an and Hadith. In addition, she narrated 2,210 Hadithof the Prophet, and scholars have noted that one-fourth ofthe norms of Shari'ah law were also narrated by her. 70 Inalmost every respect, A'isha appears to have been not onlyone of the Companions of the Prophet, but also anexceptional person.

Other women played prominent roles in the growth andenrichment of Islamic civilization. Imam Nawawi statedthat Umm al-Mu'minin Hafsa "was one of the intellectualand intelligent persons." He also spoke about the mother ofAnas, Umm Sulaim, as one of the learned andknowledgeable Companions of the Prophet. Imam Nawawiexpressed a similar opinion about Umm Atiyah, saying"[s]he is reckoned among those of the Companions whowon excellence and honor and participated in jihad with theProphet." Imam Bukhari stated that "Umm Darda' sat inTashahud [as a witness] as a man sits and was a jurist(therefore her actions are authoritative)."

Islam did not prevent women from participating in armedrevolutionary resistance or legal decision-making. Zaynab,Ali's daughter, was a revolutionary, and Umm Atiyah,Hafsa, Asma' bint Abi Bakr, and Sahla bint Suhail were alljurists. Women also participated in the bay'ah and, thus,were an integral part of the political process. In fact,

through the bay'ah, they contributed later on to the electionof the third khalifah. In short, women were equalparticipants in the growth of the early Islamic state.

The well-known saying of Omar Ibn al-Khattab, the secondRightly-Guided khalifah, demonstrated the change in thestatus of women which had occurred with the advent ofIslam: "By God, we did not pay attention to women injahiliyyah until God said about them in the Qur'an what issaid, and gave them their share in matters." (Leila P. SayehAnd Adriaen M. Morse Jr, An Incomplete UnderstandingOf Gradualism Islam And The Treatment Of Women, 30Texas International Law Journal 311)

when prophet Muhammad died after twenty threeyears Islam only spread in Arabia . This religion ofIslam was basically spread by four or fiveindividuals who had the most in teaching. One ofthem was the prophet's wife `Aa’isha. She is amongthe most to have narrated his statements and likewiseshe is amongst the three, four, five who have mostlygiven religious pronouncements, who have givenreligious verdicts, explained what these verses in theQuraan meant or what the words of the prophetmeant.

Women play limited roles in almost all religion in theworld. Look at the philosophers Plato, Aristotle and others- all were men. The early church fathers writings werebasically men and until today the idea of womenscholarship is limited in some areas of the church. TheFrench writers at the French revolution and Voltaire andthe Russians were men. The founding fathers of the UnitedStates were men, and also other civilizations are basicallybased upon men. Islam is the only civilization which isknown by humanity where a leading input in terms of its

transmission and establishment was based upon the effortsof women. (Ali Al-Timimi, Elevation of Women's Status)

_ Equality Between Men and Women in Islam:

_Islam establishes the principle of equality between menand women in all aspects of life that they are equal in,because both of them are equally human. It distinguishesbetween them in some areas, taking into consideration thenatural differences between them and the special qualitiesthat each of them has._The areas of equality are asfollows:_1. Equality in their human origins:_Islamconclusively establishes that all human beings have acommon origin. This fact is mentioned in many verses ofthe Qur’ân:

“O Mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a singlesoul and created from it its mate and brought forth from thetwo of them many men and women.”

“O Mankind, verily we created you from a male and afemale and made you into nations and tribes so you mayknow one another. Verily the most honorable of you withAllah are the most righteous.”

2. Equality in their destiny:_Islam also establishes that allof mankind is going to return to Allah who created them,and everyone – male and female – is going to berecompensed for his or her worldly deeds. They willreceive well if they did good and they will be requited withevil if they did evil. Allah says:

“And every one of you will come to Him alone on the Dayof Resurrection.”

Allah says:

“A human being will have nothing except for what he does.And his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensedfully.”

Allah says:

“So their Lord accepted of them their supplication andanswered them: ‘I will never allow the work of any of youto be lost, male or female. You are from each other.”

Allah says:

“Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether maleor female, we will truly give a good life and We shall paythem a reward in proportion to the best of what they used todo.”

According to the Qur'an, men and women are equal beforeGod; women are not blamed for violating the "forbiddentree," nor is their suffering in pregnancy and childbirth apunishment for that act. Islam sees a woman,[HAC1]

whether single or married, as an individual in her ownright, with the right to own and dispose of her property andearnings. A marital gift is given by the groom to the bridefor her own personal use, and she may keep her own familyname rather than adopting her husband's.

Roles of men and women are complementary andcollaborative. Rights and responsibilities of both sexes areequitable and balanced in their totality.

In his Farewell sermon, the Prophet Muhammad declared:"O People it is true that you have certain rights with regardto your women but they also have rights over you.

Remember that you have taken them as your wives only

under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abideby your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and

clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kindto them for they are your partners and committed helpers.And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well never to beunchaste."

The best declaration for women’s rights is spelled out in thefarewell speech of the prophet. He demanded that husbandsshould treat their wives with kindness and gentleness. Menare to know that their women are their partners. Islamrecognizes the duties

and responsibilities of both partners and, hence, emphasizesthat man is the HEAD, while the woman is the HEART ofthe family. Both are needed and both are complementary toone

another. The rights and duties of each spouse toward theother were declared and explained. (Sakr,1998, p. 26)

Woman enjoys certain privileges of which man is deprived.

She is exempt from some religious duties, i.e., prayers andfasting, in her regular periods and at times of confinement.She is

exempt from all financial liabilities. As a mother, sheenjoys more recognition and higher

honor in the sight of God (31:14-15;46:15). The Prophetacknowledged this honor when he declared that

Paradise is under the feet of the mothers.

She is entitled to three-fourths of the son's love andkindness with one-fourth left for

their father. As a wife she is entitled to demand of herprospective husband a suitable dowry that will be her own.She is entitled to

complete provision and total maintenance by the husband.She does not have to work or share with her husband thefamily

expenses. She is free to retain, after marriage, whatever shepossessed before it, and the husband has no rightwhatsoever to any of her

belongings. As a daughter or sister she is entitled tosecurity and provision by the

father and brother respectively. That is her privilege. If shewishes to work or be self-supporting and

articipate in handling the family responsibilities, she isquite free to do so,

provided her integrity and honor are safeguarded.(Hammuda Abdul-Ati, The Status of Woman in Islam from"Islam in focus")

Why are so many Women converting to Islam ?

At a time when Islam is faced with hostile media coverage

particularly where the status of women in Islam isconcerned, it may be quite surprising to learn that themajority of converts to Islam are WOMEN

According to "The Almanac Book of Facts", the populationincreased 137% within the past decade, Christianityincreased 46%, while Islam increased 235%. In a recentpoll in the ( US ), 100,000 people

per year in America alone, are converting to Islam. Forevery 1 male convert to Islam, 4 females convert to Islam,Why?

1. The Bible Convicts Women as the originalSinners,(ie. Eve picking from the forbidden tree){Genesis2:4-3:24}. The Koran Clarifies it was Adam Not Eve{Qur'an 7:19-25}

2. The Bible says "The Birth of a Daughter is a loss"{Ecclesiasticus 22:3}. The Qur'an says both are anEqual Blessing { Qur'an 42:49}

3. The Bible Forbids Women from Speaking in church {ICorinthians 14:34-35}. The Qur'an says Women Can arguewith the Prophet {58:1}

4. In the Bible, divorced Women are Labeled as anAdulteress, while men are not {Matthew 5:31-32}. TheKoran does Not have Biblical double standards_{ Qur'an30:21}

5. In The Bible, Widows and Sisters do Not Inherit AnyProperty or Wealth, Only men do{Numbers 27:1-11}TheKoran Abolished this male greediness { Qur'an 4:22} andGod Protects All.

6. The Bible Allows Multiple Wives{I Kings 11:3} In TheKoran, God limits the number to 4 only under certainsituations (with the Wife's_permission)and Prefers youMarry Only One Wife{ Qur'an 4:3} The Koran gives theWoman the Right to Choose who to Marry.

7. "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged tobe married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shallpay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marrythe girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her aslong as he lives" {Deuteronomy 22:28-30} One must ask asimple question here, who is really punished, the man whoraped the woman or the woman who was raped? Accordingto the Bible, you have to spend the Rest of Your Life withthe man who Raped You. The Prophet Muhammad Says{Volume 9, Book 86, Number 101} Narrated by Aisha:" Itis essential to have the consent of a virgin (for themarriage)".

9. Women were given rights to Vote less than a 100 yearsago in the ( US ), while the Quran (42:38) gave WomenVoting rights almost 1,500 years ago.

10. Islam has unconfined Women and has given them thehuman right to reach for the sky. There have been MuslimWomen Presidents through out the centuries, The Muslimcountries have voted for and elected Female Presidents.(Mohamed Ghounem & Abdur Rahman, Why are so manyWomen converting to Islam ?)

Conclusion

Islam has immensely improved the status of womencompared to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. The Quran hasoffered women dignity, justice, and protection which ,forlong, have remained out of their reach. That's why it is no

surprise to find that most converts to Islam, today, in acountry like Britain are women. In the U.S. womenconverts to Islam outnumber men converts 4 to 1. Theproblem is that the majority of the population in the Westdo not know these facts. They easily believe the media'sdistorted image of Islam. What the Quran has given towomen is unparalleled in the history of religion. ( SherifMuhammad, February 10, 1995, Women in Islam VersusWomen in The Judaeo-Christian Tradition:The Myth &The RealityFriday khutbah). Today people think thatwomen are liberated in the West and that the Women’sliberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, thewomen’s liberation movement was not begun by womenbut was revealed by God to The Prophet Muhammad in theseventh century. The Qur’an and the Traditions of theProphet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources from whichevery Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.( MaryAli & Anjum Ali, Women's Liberation Through Islam)

CHAPTER 12

Prophet Muhammad Pattern of Communication towardsChildren

Introduction:

According to a companion of the prophet, he had never

come across a person who was more affectionate towardschildren than the prophet. Collections of Traditions containchapters on his affection for children. They reveal hisamazing sympathy with the child’s mind and method fortheir informal training in daily life, which persuaded thechildren to cooperate enthusiastically for their training andeducation.

This book addresses “the theory of learning throughinteraction with the environment that involves reciprocalcausation of behavior, personal factors, and environmentalevents.” The focus is on the children as they were treatedby the prophet Muhammad.

Prophet Mohammad and Children

According to the prophet’s guidance, listed below are someof the ways of instilling strength and honor in children’scharacter:_ Taking them to gatherings and letting them sitwith grown-ups (row models)._This will increase theirunderstanding and wisdom, and make them try to imitateadults. The followers of the prophet used to bring theirchildren with them when they went and sat with theProphet. One of the stories that describe this was narratedby Mu’aawiyah ibn Qurrah from his father, who said: "TheProphet used to sit with a group of his Companions. Oneman had his little son with him; the prophet would bringthe child from behind and make him sit in front ofhim…"_ Teaching them good manners_Among themanners that should be taught are those described in thehadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet: "Theyoung should greet the old, the passerby should greet onewho is sitting, and the small group should greet the largergroup." (Al-Bukhaari, 5736)._Giving them the praise andrespect they deserve in front of others_This is made clearby the following hadeeth: Sahl ibn Sa’d said that the

Prophet brought a cup and he drank from it. There was aboy, the youngest of all the people, on his right and someelders on his left. He said, "O young boy, will you allowme to give this to these elders?" The boy said, "I will notgive away my share of your blessings to anyone, OMessenger of Allaah," so he gave the cup to him. (Reportedby al-Bukhaari, 2180)_Teaching them sports_Avoidinghumiliating them, especially in front of others_Neverbelittling their ideas, and encouraging them to takepart_Consulting them and asking for their opinions_Givingthem responsibilities in accordance totheir age andabilities_Teaching them to be brave as appropriate –including how to speak in public_Making sure their clothesare modest and protecting them from inappropriateclothing, hairstyles, movements and ways ofwalking_Avoiding extravagance, luxury, laziness andidleness_‘Umar said: "Get used to a rough life, for luxurydoes not last forever."_Avoiding wastes of time, becausethese go against strength, honor and seriousness_These aresome of the ways and means which will increase strengthand honor, and protect children.

Teach them the Qur’aan and the correct sayings of theprophet, and the good manners of Islam, such as honoringone’s parents, upholding ties of kinship, honesty,trustworthiness, etc. Make sure that they regularly pray in agroup. Also teach them the Islamic etiquette of eating,drinking, speaking, etc. If they grow up with these goodmanners, they will be guided and will remain steadfast, bythe permission of Allaah, and they will grow up in a goodway that will benefit them and their nation. (From Fataawaal-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 12/261-262)

Allaah has enjoined the children to honor and respect theirparents. He has made the parents’ rights very great and hasconnected duties towards to parents to duties towards Him

and the obligation to worship Him alone. Allaah says(interpretation of the meaning): “Worship Allaah and joinnone with Him (in worship); and do good to parents…” [al-Nisaa’ 4:36] And Allaah has given the children rights overtheir parents, such as education and a good upbringing,spending on their needs, and treating them fairly.

One of the bad social phenomena that are to be found insome families is the lack of fair treatment towards thechildren. Some fathers and mothers deliberately give giftsto some of their children and not others. According to thecorrect view, this is unjust action, unless there is somejustification for it, such as one child having a need that theothers do not have, e.g., sickness; debt; a reward formemorizing the Qur’aan; not being able to find work;having a large family; full-time studies, etc. The parentshould have the intention – when giving something to oneof his children for a legitimate reason – that he will do thesame of any of his other children should the need arise. Thegeneral evidence for this is the verse from Quran(interpretation of the meaning):

“Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allaah.” [al-Maa’idah 5:8].

The specific evidence is the saying of the prophet narratedfrom al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer, who said that his fatherbrought him to the Messenger of Allaah and said: “I havegiven this son of mine a slave that I had.” The Messengerof Allaah said: “Have you given something similar to all ofyour children?” He said, “No.” So the Messenger of Allaah said: “Then take (the slave) back.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari; see al-Fath, 5/211). According to another report,the Messenger of Allaah said: “Fear Allaah and be fair toyour children.” He said: so he came back and took his giftback. (al-Fath, 5/211). According to another report, “Do not

ask me to bear witness to this, for I will not bear witness toinjustice.” (Saheeh Muslim, 3/1243).

Undoubtedly some children are better than others; this iswell known. But the father has no right to show favoritismbecause of that. On the contrary, he has to treat them allfairly because the Prophet said: “Fear Allaah and treat yourchildren equally.” So it is not permissible for him to preferone child over another because he is better or honors hisparents more. He has to treat them all equally and besincere towards all of them, so that they will all be steadfastin honoring their parents and in obeying Allaah and HisMessenger. He should not favor some over others in gift-giving, or bequeath wealth to some of them and not others.All of them should be equal in inheritance and in gift-giving, according to what is prescribed in the Islamic lawconcerning inheritance and gift-giving. If they are wise andtolerant, and they say, Give our brother such-and-such, andthey clearly do not mind, and they say, We don’t mind ifyou give him a car or whatever… and this is clearly donefreely and not because they are too shy or are afraid of him,then that is OK.

The point is that they must be treated fairly. But if they arewise, whether they are male or female, if they have noobjection to one of them being given something for specialreasons, then that is OK and they have the right to do that.

(Majmoo’ Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah liSamaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, vol. 9, p. 234)

Examples of children brought up around the Prophet:

1. Fatima ( the daughter of the prophet)

Aishah. (the wife of the Prophet) said when the Prophet useto see his daughter (Fatima) approaching, he wouldwelcome her, stand up and kiss her, take her by the handand sit her down in the place where he was sitting." Shewould do the same when the Prophet came to her. Shewould stand up and welcome him with joy and kiss him.

Fatimah's fine manners and gentle speech were part of herlovely and endearing personality. She was especially kindto poor and indigent folk and would often give all the foodshe had to those in need even if she herself remainedhungry. She inherited from her father a persuasiveeloquence that was rooted in wisdom. When she spoke,people would often be moved to tears. She had the abilityand the sincerity to stir the emotions, move people to tearsand fill their hearts with praise and gratitude to God for Hisgrace. (Internet, Alim on line)

2. Jafar ibn Abi Talib

Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib, bothwere cousins of the prophet. Because of the mistreatmentthat the Muslims received from Quraish, Jafar asked theprophet if he and some other Muslims could emigrate toAbasynia. Its king was famous for being fair and just.Under the leadership of young Jafar the Muslims grouparrived to Abasynia and the king granted them hisprotection. Quraysh did not let them stay without attempt tobring them back to Makka. Both groups, Quraishrepresentatives and the Muslims were in front of the king todecide about the final status of the Muslims. Jafar advanced and made a speech that was moving and eloquentand which is still one of the most compelling descriptionsof Islam. The appeal of the noble Prophet and the conditionof Makkan society at the time. He said: "O King, we were apeople in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping

idols and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing allsorts of abomination and shameful deeds, breaking the tiesof kinship, treating guests badly and the strong among usexploited the weak. "We remained in this state until Allahsent us a Prophet, one of our own people whose lineage,truthfulness, trustworthiness and integrity were well-knownto us. "He called us to worship Allah alone and to renouncethe stones and the idols which we and our ancestors used toworship besides Allah.

"He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor ourpromises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to ourneighbors, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain frombloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, not toappropriate an orphan's property nor slander chaste women."He ordered us to worship Allah alone and not to associateanything with him, to uphold prayer (Salat), to give (help topoor) Zakat and fast in the month of Ramadan. "Webelieved in him and what he brought to us from Allah andwe follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keepaway from what he forbade us from doing.

"Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited theseverest punishment on us to make us renounce our religionand take us back to the old immorality and the worship ofidols. "They oppressed us, made life intolerable for us andobstructed us from observing our religion. So we left foryour country, choosing you before anyone else, desiringyour protection and hoping to live in Justice and in peaceamong your midst."

The Negus was impressed and was eager to hear more. Heasked Jafar: "Do you have with you something of whatyour Prophet brought concerning God?" "Yes," repliedJafar.

"Then read it to me," requested the Negus. Jafar, in his rich,melodious voice recited for him the first portion of SurahMaryam which deals with the story of Jesus and his motherMary. On hearing the words of the Quran, the Negus wasmoved to tears. To the Muslims, he said: "The message ofyour Prophet and that of Jesus came from the samesource..." To Amr and his companion, he said:" Go. For, byGod, I will never surrender them to you." (internet, thecompanions of the prophet)

3. Abdullah ibn Abbas

Abdullah was the son of Abbas, an uncle of the nobleProphet. He was born just three years before the Hijrah.When the Prophet died, Abdullah was thus only thirteenyears old.

When he was born, his mother took him to the blessedProphet who put some of his saliva on the babe's tongueeven before he began to suckle. This was the beginning ofthe close and intimate tie between Abdullah ibn Abbas andthe Prophet that was to be part of a life-long love anddevotion. When Abdullah reached the age of discretion, heattached himself to the service of the Prophet. He wouldrun to fetch water for him when he wanted to makeablution (wudu). During prayer (Salat), he would standbehind the Prophet in prayer and when the Prophet went onjourneys or expeditions, he would follow next in line tohim. Abdullah thus became like the shadow of the Prophet,constantly in his company.

In all these situations he was attentive and alert to whateverthe Prophet did and said. His heart was enthusiastic and hisyoung mind was pure and uncluttered, committing theProphet's words to memory with the capacity and accuracyof a recording instrument. In this way and through his

constant researches later, as we shall see, Abdullah becameone of the most learned companions of the Prophet,preserving on behalf of later generations of Muslims, thepriceless words of the Messenger of God. It is said that hecommitted to memory about one thousand, six hundred andsixty sayings of the Prophet which are recorded andauthenticated in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The Prophet would often draw Abdullah as a child close tohim, pat him on the shoulder and pray: "O Lord, make himacquire a deep understanding of the religion of Islam andinstruct him in the meaning and interpretation of things."

There were many occasions thereafter when the blessedProphet would repeat this dua or prayer for his cousin andbefore long Abdullah ibn Abbas realized that his life was tobe devoted to the pursuit of learning and knowledge.

The Prophet moreover prayed that he be granted not justknowledge and understanding but wisdom. Abdullahrelated the following incident about himself: "Once theProphet, peace be upon him, was on the point ofperforming ablution (wudu). I hurried to get water ready forhim. He was pleased with what I was doing. As he wasabout to begin prayer (Salat), he indicated that I shouldstand at his side. However, I stood behind him. When theprayer (Salat) was finished, he turned to me and said: 'Whatprevented you from being at my side, O Abdullah?' 'Youare too illustrious and too great in my eyes for me to standside by side with you,' I replied. Raising his hands to theheavens, the Prophet then prayed: 'O Lord, grant himwisdom." The Prophet's prayer undoubtedly was grantedfor the young Abdullah was to prove time and again that hepossessed wisdom beyond his years. But it was a wisdomthat came only with devotion and the dogged pursuit ofknowledge both during the Prophet's lifetime and after his

death.

During the lifetime of the Prophet, Abdullah would notmiss any of his assemblies and he would commit tomemory whatever he said. After the Prophet passed away,he would take care to go to as many companions aspossible especially those who knew the Prophet longer andlearn from them what the Prophet had taught them.Whenever he heard that someone knew a hadith of theProphet which he did not know he would go quickly to himand record it. He would subject whatever he heard to closescrutiny and check it against other reports. He would go toas many as thirty companions to verify a single matter.

Abdullah described what he once did on hearing that acompanion of the Prophet knew a hadith unknown to him:"I went to him during the time of the afternoon siesta andspread my cloak in front of his door. The wind blew duston me (as I sat waiting for him). If I wished I could havesought his permission to enter and he would certainly havegiven me permission. But I preferred to wait on him so thathe could be completely refreshed. Coming out of his houseand seeing me in that condition he said: 'O cousin of theProphet! What's the matter with you? If you had sent forme I would have come to you.' 'I am the one who shouldcome to you, for knowledge is sought, it does not justcome,' I said. I asked him about the saying of the prophet(hadith) and learnt from him."

In this way, the dedicated Abdullah would ask, and ask,and go on asking. And he would sift and scrutinize theinformation he had collected with his keen and meticulousmind.

It was not only in the collection of hadith that Abdullahspecialized. He devoted himself to acquiring knowledge in

a wide variety of fields. He had a special admiration forpersons like Zayd ibn Thabit, the recorder of the revelation,the leading judge and jurist consult in Madinah, an expertin the laws of inheritance and in reading the Quran. WhenZayd intended to go on a trip, the young Abdullah wouldstand humbly at his side and taking hold of the reins of hismount would adopt the attitude of a humble servant in thepresence of his master. Zayd would say to him: "Don't, Ocousin of the Prophet."

"Thus we were commanded to treat the learned ones amongus," Abdullah would say. "And Zayd would say to him inturn: "Let me see your hand." Abdullah would stretch outhis hand. Zayd, taking it, would kiss it and say: "Thus wewere commanded to treat the family (ahl al-bayt) membersof the household of the Prophet."

As Abdullah's knowledge grew, he grew in stature. Masruqibn al Ajda said of him: "Whenever I saw Ibn Abbas, Iwould say: He is the most handsome of men. When hespoke, I would say: He is the most eloquent of men. Andwhen he held a conversation, I would say: He is the mostknowledgeable of men." ( internet, Compoinians of theProphet)

4. Abdullah ibn Umar:

From an early age, Abdullah ibn Umar thus demonstratedhis keenness to be associated with the Prophet in all hisundertakings. He had accepted Islam before he was tenyears old and had made the Hijrah with his father and hissister, Hafsah, who was later to become a wife of theProphet. Before Uhud he was also turned away from theBattle of Badr and it was not until the Battle of the Ditch

the he and Usamah, both now fifteen years old and othersof their age were allowed to join the ranks of the men notonly for the digging of the trench but for the battle when itcame.

From the time of his hijrah till the time of his death morethan seventy years later, Abdullah ibn Umar distinguishedhimself in the service of Islam and was regarded amongMuslims as "the Good One, son of the Good One",according to Abu Musa al-Ashari. He was known for hisknowledge, his humility, his generosity, his piety, histruthfulness, his incorruptibility and his constancy in acts ofworshiping Allah (ibadah).

From his great and illustrious father, Umar, he learnt agreat deal and both he and his father had the benefit oflearning from the greatest teacher of all, Muhammad theMessenger of God. Abdullah would observe and scrutinizeclosely every saying and act ion of the Prophet in varioussituations and he would practice what he observed closelyand with devotion. For example, if Abdullah saw theProphet performing Salat in a particular place, he wouldlater pray in the same place. If he saw the Prophet making asupplication while standing, he would also make asupplication (dua) while standing. If he saw him making adua while sitting, he would do the same. On a journey if hesaw the Prophet descend from his camel at a particularplace and pray two rakats, and he had

occasion to pass on the same route, he would stop at thesame place and pray two rakats. In a particular place inMakkah, he once observed the Prophet's camel making twocomplete turns before he dismounted and prayed tworakats. It might be that the camel did that involuntarily butAbdullah ibn Umar when he happened to be in the sameplace at another time, made his camel complete two turns

before making it kneel and dismounting. He then prayedtwo rakats in precisely the same manner as he had seen theProphet do.

Aishah, (the wife of the Prophet) noticed this devotion ofAbdullah to the Prophet and remarked: "There was no onewho followed the footsteps of the Prophet, in the placeswhere he alighted as did Ibn Umar." (internet, Compinionsof the Prophet)

How Do Children Learn?

In Islam there are several kinds of methods to educatechildren, some of which are: Observational learning(modeling and imitation); learning from advice; learning byway of orientation, which includes knowledge acquiredfrom recreational and leisurely activities and parables;learning by doing and repetition; and learning throughreward and punishment. ((Khouj, Education in Islam, 1987)

A. Bandura and Observational Learning

Some psychological theories emphasize that humans learnby observing and imitating others. Theorists such asBandura, Twain, and skinner have discussed observationallearning in their works. Bandura (1961) theorized thatchildren learn morality from imitating and observing thebehavior of others. In general, role models can be eithergood or bad examples of human behavior, depending on theparticular orientation of the role model. In this way, rolemodels in Islam must exhibit good behavior, which comesfrom an integrated and balanced personality. (Khouj, 1987)

Observational learning, also called social learning theory,

occurs when an observer's behavior changes after viewingthe behavior of a model. In this study, the two elements ofthe theory are Prophet Muhammad as the model and thefollowers of the prophet as the observers. An observer'sbehavior can be affected by the positive or negativeconsequences--called vicarious reinforcement or vicariouspunishment-- of a model's behavior. In this case, onlypositive consequences were the results of the observationprocess between the followers and the Prophet. The sociallearning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance ofobserving and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, andemotional reactions of others. Bandura (1977) states:"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mentionhazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects oftheir own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately,most human behavior is learned observationally throughmodeling: from observing others one forms an idea of hownew behaviors are performed, and on later occasions thiscoded information serves as a guide for action." Sociallearning theory explains human behavior in terms ofcontinuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive,behavioral, an environmental influences. The componentprocesses underlying observational learning are: (1)Attention, including modeled events and observercharacteristics, (2) Retention, including symbolic coding,cognitive organization, symbolic rehearsal, motorrehearsal), (3) Motor Reproduction, including physicalcapabilities, self-observation of reproduction, accuracy offeedback, and (4) Motivation, including external, vicariousand self reinforcement.

Because it encompasses attention, memory and motivation,social learning theory spans both cognitive and behavioralframeworks. Bandura's theory improves upon the strictlybehavioral interpretation of modeling provided by Miller &Dollard (1941).

Social learning theory has been applied extensively to theunderstanding of aggression (Bandura, 1973) andpsychological disorders, particularly in the context ofbehavior modification (Bandura, 1969). It is also thetheoretical foundation for the technique of behaviormodeling, which is widely used, in training programs. Inrecent years, Bandura has focused his work on the conceptof self-efficacy in a variety of contexts (e.g., Bandura,1993).

Principles:

1. The highest level of observational learning is achievedby first organizing and rehearsing the modeled behaviorsymbolically and then enacting it overtly. Coding modeledbehavior into words (statements of the ProphetMuhammad) labels or images results in better retentionthan simply observing.

2. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behaviorif it results in outcomes they value.

3. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behaviorif the model is similar to the observer and has admiredstatus and the behavior has functional value.

There are several guiding principles behind observationallearning, or social learning theory:

1. The observer will imitate the model's behavior ifthe model possesses characteristics-- things such astalent, intelligence, power, good looks, or popularity--that the observer finds attractive or desirable. Thatwas the case between the children and the ProphetMuhammad.

2. The observer will react to the way the model istreated and mimic the model's behavior. When themodel's behavior is rewarded, the observer is morelikely to reproduce the rewarded behavior. When themodel is punished, an example of vicariouspunishment, the observer is less likely to reproducethe same behavior.

3. A distinction exists between an observer's"acquiring" a behavior and "performing" a behavior.Through observation, the observer can acquire thebehavior without performing it. The observer maythen later, in situations where there is an incentive todo so, display the behavior. The Muslims childrenwere trying to imitate the prophet in his behaviors.

4. Learning by observation involves four separateprocesses: attention, retention, production andmotivation.

· Attention: Observers cannot learn unlessthey pay attention to what's happening aroundthem. This process is influenced bycharacteristics of the model, such as howmuch one likes or identifies with the model,and by characteristics of the observer, such asthe observer's expectations or level ofemotional arousal. Every word or action of theProphet was recorded because of the extremeattention of the followers.

· Retention: Observers must not onlyrecognize the observed behavior but alsoremember it at some later time. This processdepends on the observer's ability to code orstructure the information in an easily

remembered form or to mentally or physicallyrehearse the model's actions. The Holy Qur’anand the statements of the prophet wereretained and remembered. There are now 1.2billion Muslims on the earth.

· Production: Observers must be physicallyand/intellectually capable of producing theact. In many cases, the observer possesses thenecessary responses. However, sometimes,reproducing the model's actions may involveskills the observer has not yet acquired.Because of the effort of the followers of theprophet, the message of Islam spread aroundthe world.

· Motivation: In general, observers willperform the act only if they have somemotivation or reason to do so. The presence ofreinforcement or punishment, either to themodel or directly to the observer, becomesmost important in this process.

5. Attention and retention account for acquisition orlearning of a model's behavior; production andmotivation control the performance.

6. Human development reflects the complexinteraction of the person, the person's behavior, andthe environment. The relationship between theseelements is called reciprocal determinism.(www.funderstanding.com)

B. Vygotsky and Social Cognition

The social cognition learning model asserts that culture isthe prime determinant of individual development. Humansare the only species to have created culture, and everyhuman child develops in the context of a culture. Therefore,a child's learning development is affected in ways large andsmall by the culture--including the culture of familyenvironment--in which he or she is enmeshed.

1. Culture makes two sorts of contributions to achild's intellectual development. First, throughculture children acquire much of the content of theirthinking, that is, their knowledge. Second, thesurrounding culture provides a child with theprocesses or means of their thinking, whatVygotskians call the tools of intellectual adaptation.In short, according to the social cognition learningmodel, culture teaches children both what to thinkand how to think.

2. Cognitive development results from a dialecticalprocess whereby a child learns through problem-solving experiences shared with someone else,usually a parent or teacher but sometimes a siblingor peer.

3. Initially, the person interacting with child assumesmost of the responsibility for guiding the problemsolving, but gradually this responsibility transfers tothe child.

4. Language is a primary form of interaction throughwhich adults transmit to the child the rich body ofknowledge that exists in the culture.

5. As learning progresses, the child's own languagecomes to serve as her/his primary tool of intellectual

adaptation. Eventually, children can use internallanguage to direct their own behavior.

6. Internalization refers to the process of learning--and thereby internalizing--a rich body of knowledgeand tools of thought that first exist outside the child.This happens primarily through language.

7. A difference exists between what child can do onher/his own and what the child can do with help.Vygotskians call this difference the zone of proximaldevelopment.

8. Since much of what a child learns come from theculture around him/her and much of the child'sproblem solving is mediated through an adult's help,it is wrong to focus on a child in isolation. Suchfocus does not reveal the processes by whichchildren acquire new skills.

9. Interactions with surrounding culture and socialagents, such as parents and more competent peers,contribute significantly to a child's intellectualdevelopment.

How Vygotsky Impacts Learning:_Curriculum--Sincechildren learn much through interaction, curricula shouldbe designed to emphasize interaction between learners andlearning tasks.

Instruction--With appropriate adult help, children can oftenperform tasks that they are incapable of completing on theirown. With this in mind, scaffolding--where the adultcontinually adjusts the level of his or her help in responseto the child's level of performance--is an effective form ofteaching. Scaffolding not only produces immediate results,

but also instills the skills necessary for independentproblem solving in the future.

Assessment--Assessment methods must take into accountthe zone of proximal development. What children can doon their own is their level of actual development and whatthey can do with help is their level of potentialdevelopment. Two children might have the same level ofactual development, but given the appropriate help from anadult, one might be able to solve many more problems thanthe other. Assessment methods must target both the level ofactual development and the level of potential development.(see references related to Vygotsky Theory of Learning)

Summary

Prophet Muhammad communication style towardchildren during his time produced educated andknowledgeable Muslims who spread the religion of Islam,not only within the Arabia but also outside to the north,south, east, west and southwest of the Arabia . His patternof communication toward the children made them to lovehim, to learn his teachings and later to be great teachersthemselves. They spread the teachings of the prophet to thefollowing generations to come.

APPENDIX A

Time line of life of Muhammad

570 Muhammad's Birth and Infancy _Muhammad wasborn in the year 570 in the town of Mecca , a mountain

town in the high desert plateau of western Arabia . Hisname derives from the Arabic verb hamada, meaning "topraise, to glorify." He was the first and only son of AbdAllah bin Al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. Abd Allahdied before Muhammad's birth and Muhammad was raisedby his mother Amina, who in keeping with Meccantradition entrusted her son at an early age to a wet nursenamed Halima from the nomadic tribe of the Sa'd ibnBakr. He grew up in the hill country, learning pure Arabic.

575 Muhammad Becomes an Orphan _When Muhammadwas five or six his mother took him to Yathrib, an oasistown a few hundred miles north of Mecca , to stay withrelatives and visit his father's grave there. On the returnjourney, Amina took ill and died. She was buried in thevillage of Abwa on the Mecca-Medina Road . Halima, hisnurse, returned to Mecca with the orphaned boy and placedhim in the protection of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Al-Muttalib. In this man's care, Muhammad learned therudiments of statecraft. Mecca was Arabia 's mostimportant pilgrimage center and Abdul Al-Muttalib itsmost respected leader. He controlled important pilgrimageconcessions and frequently presided over Mecca 's Councilof Elders.

578 Muhammad in Mecca in Care of an Uncle _Upon hisgrandfather's death in 578, Muhammad, aged about eight,passed into the care of a paternal uncle, Abu Talib.Muhammad grew up in the older man's home and remainedunder Abu Talib's protection for many years. Chroniclershave underscored Muhammad's disrupted childhood. Sodoes the Qur'an: "Did God not find you an orphan and giveyou shelter and care? And He found you wandering, andgave you guidance. And he found you in need, and madeyou independent" (93:6-8).

580-594 Muhammad's Teens_When young boy,Muhammad worked as a shepherd to help pay his keep (hisuncle was of modest means). In his teens he sometimestraveled with Abu Talib, who was a merchant,accompanying caravans to trade centers. On at least oneoccasion, he is said to have traveled as far north as Syria .Older merchants recognized his character and nicknamedhim El–Amin, the one you can trust.

594 Muhammad Acts as Caravan Agent for WealthyTradeswoman, Khadija _In his early twenties, Muhammadentered the service of a wealthy Meccan merchant, a widownamed Khadija bint Khawalayd. The two were distantcousins. Muhammad carried her goods to the north andreturned with a profit.

595-609 Muhammad's Marriage and Family Life_Impressed by Muhammad's honesty and character,Khadija eventually proposed marriage. They were wed inabout 595. He was twenty-five. She was nearly forty.Muhammad continued to manage Khadija's businessaffairs, and their next years were pleasant and prosperous. Six children were born to them, two sons who both died ininfancy, and four daughters. Mecca prospered too,becoming a well–off trading center in the hands of an elitegroup of clan leaders who were mostly successful traders

610 Muhammad Receives First Revelation

Mecca 's new materialism and its traditional idolatrydisturbed Muhammad. He began making long retreats to amountain cave outside town. There, he fasted andmeditated. On one occasion, after a number of indistinctvisionary experiences, Muhammad was visited by anoverpowering presence and instructed to recite words ofsuch beauty and force that he and others gradually

attributed them to God. This experience shook Muhammadto the core. It was several years before he dared to talkabout it outside his family.

613 Muhammad takes his Message Public

After several similar experiences, Muhammad finallybegan to reveal the messages he was receiving to his tribe.These were gathered verse by verse and later wouldbecome the Qur'an, Islam's sacred scripture. In the nextdecade, Muhammad and his followers were first belittledand ridiculed, then persecuted and physically attacked fordeparting from traditional Mecca 's tribal ways. Muhammad's message was resolutely monotheistic. Forseveral years, the Quraysh, Mecca 's dominant tribe, levieda ban on trade with Muhammad's people, subjecting themto near famine conditions. Toward the end of the decade,Muhammad's wife and uncle both died. Finally, the leadersof Mecca attempted to assassinate Muhammad.

622 Muhammad and the Muslims Emigrate to Medina

In 622, Muhammad and his few hundred followers leftMecca and traveled to Yathrib, the oasis town where hisfather was buried. The leaders there were suffering througha vicious civil war, and they had invited this man wellknown for his wisdom to act as their mediator. Yathribsoon became known as Medina , the City of the Prophet.Muhammad remained here for the next six years, buildingthe first Muslim community and gradually gathering moreand more people to his side.

625-628 The Military Period

The Meccans did not take Muhammad's new successlightly. Early skirmishes led to three major battles in the

next three years. Of these the Muslims won the first (theBattle of Badr, March, 624), lost the second (the Battle ofUhud, March, 625), and outlasted the third, (The Battle ofthe Trench and the Siege of Medina, April, 627). In March,628, a treaty was signed between the two sides, whichrecognized the Muslims as a new force in Arabia and gavethem freedom to move unmolested throughout Arabia .Meccan allies breached the treaty a year later.

630 The Conquest of Mecca _By now, the balance ofpower had shifted radically away from once-powerfulMecca , toward Muhammad and the Muslims. In January,630, they marched on Mecca and were joined by tribe aftertribe along the way. They entered Mecca withoutbloodshed and the Meccans, seeing the tide had turned,joined them.

630-632 Muhammad's Final Years_Muhammad returned tolive in Medina . In the next three years, he consolidatedmost of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. In March, 632,he returned to Mecca one last time to perform a pilgrimage,and tens of thousands of Muslims joined him._After thepilgrimage, he returned to Medina . Three months later onJune 8, 632 he died there, after a brief illness. He is buriedin the mosque in Medina . Within a hundred yearsMuhammad's teaching and way of life had spread from theremote corners of Arabia as far east as Indo-China and asfar west as Morocco, France and Spain

Timeline source:(http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/timeline_html.shtml)

APPENDIX B

Definitions of Major Terms and Concepts

Allah

Other Commonly Used Spellings: ALLA, ALAH

The true name for the creator of the Universe is Allah. Heis the Merciful, the Beneficent, the Knowledgeable, theProtector, the Mighty, the God, the Provider, the Exalted,the Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Magnificent, the Wise, the Loving, the First, theLast, and the Eternal. The Qur'an mentions around 100beautiful names for Allah through which Muslims mayunderstand and recognize Him, and His responsibilities forthe whole Universe.

Ahzab

means parties. Ahzab is used to describe the different tribesthat fought the Muslims in the Battle of the Ditch in 627C.E., 5 A.H..

Ansar

Other Commonly Used Spellings: ANSAAR

means helpers. These were the people of Madinah whoresponded to the Prophet's call to Islam and offered Islam acity-state power.

Aqabah

a place just outside of Mecca , in Mina where the firstMuslims from Yathrib Madinah pledged allegiance to theProphet in the year 621 C.E.. A similar meeting took placethe next year when more Muslims from Yathrib pledgedtheir allegiance to the Prophet.

Arafat

a plain north of Mecca . It is on this plain that humanitywill be raised on the Day of Judgment for questioning andjudgment. During the Hajj on the ninth day of the month ofZhu-l-Hijjah, Muslim pilgrims gather on this plain for oneday.

Assalamu alaikum

Other Commonly Used Spellings: ASSALAMO ALAIKUM,ASALAMO ALAIKUM

This is an expression Muslims say whenever they meet one

another. It is a statement of greeting with peace. Themeaning of it is: "Peace be upon you."

Muslims try to establish peace on earth even through thefriendly relation of greeting and meeting one another. Theother forms are: "Assalamu 'Alalikum Wa Rahmatullah,"which means:” May the peace and the Mercy of Allah beupon you," and "Assalamu Alalikum Wa Rahmatullahi WaBarakatuh," which means :"May the peace, the mercy, andthe blessings of Allah be upon you."

Dirham

a silver coin.

Hadith

Other Commonly Used Spellings: HADIS, HADEETH

Reports on the sayings and the traditions of ProphetMuhammad (s.a.w.) or what he witnessed and approved arecalled Hadith. These are the real explanation, interpretation,and the living example of the Prophet (s.a.w.) for teachingsof the Qur'an. His sayings are found in books called theHadith books. Some famous collectors of Hadith are ImamAl-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam An-Nasa'i, Imam AbuDawood, Imam At-Tirmizi, and Imam Majah. There aremany others.

Hadith qudsi

the Hadith Qudsi are hadith's in which the Prophet says thatAllah says so and so. The meaning of the these hadith wasrevealed to the Prophet but he put them in his own words,unlike the Qur’an which is the word of Almighty Allah andthe Prophet conveyed it exactly as it was revealed to him.

Hajj

Other Commonly Used Spellings: HAJ

Hajj is an Arabic word which means the performance ofpilgrimage to Meccah in Arabia . It is one of the five pillarsof Islam. A Muslim is to perform Hajj at least once inhis/her life, if means and health allow. There are rules andregulations and specific dress to be followed. It is to takeplace during the last month of the lunar calendar called themonth of Zul-Hijjah.

Halal

something that is lawful and permitted in Islam.

Hijrah

means migration. The Hijrah refers to the Prophet'smigration from Mecca to Madinah. This journey took placein the twelfth year of his mission (622 C.E.). This is thebeginning of the Muslim calendar. The word hijrah meansto leave a place to seek sanctuary or freedom frompersecution or freedom of religion or any other purpose.

Hijrah can also mean to leave a bad way of life for a goodor more righteous way.

Imam

Other Commonly Used Spellings: IMAAM, EMAAM,EMAM

Imam is a religious leader. Any person who leads acongregational prayer is called an Imam. A religious leaderwho also leads his community in the political affairs maybe called an Imam, an Amir, or a Caliph. However, anImam is not infallible. He is responsible for his mistakes toall the members of the community and above all he isresponsible to Almighty Allah.

Iman

Other Commonly Used Spellings: IMAAN, EMAAN

Islam

Islam is an Arabic word the root of which is Silm andSalam. It means among others: peace, greeting, salutation,obedience, loyalty, allegiance, and submission to the will ofthe Creator of the Universe. Islam is the last and finalreligion to all mankind and to all generations irrespective ofcolor, race, nationality, ethnic background, language, orsocial position. The religion of Islam is not to be confusedwith Mohammedanism. The latter is misnomer to Islam.

Muslims do not accept this name as it gives wronginformation about Islam and Muslims.

Jannah

means paradise

Jahannam

means hell

Ka'bah

Other Commonly Used Spellings: KABAH

the first house of worship built for mankind. It wasoriginally built by Adam and later on reconstructed byAbraham and Isma'il. It is a cubed shaped structure basedin the city of Mecca to which all Muslims turn to in theirfive daily prayers.

Khutbah

a speech or sermon. It is sometimes used to refer to thesermon given during the Friday congregational prayer.

La ilaha illallah

Other Commonly Used Spellings: LAA ILAHA ILLALLAH

This expression is the most important one in Islam. It is thecreed that every person has to say to be considered aMuslim. It is part of the first pillar of Islam. The meaningof which is: " There is no lord worthy of worship exceptAllah." The second part of this first pillar is to say:"Muhammadun Rasul Allah," which means:"Muhammad isthe messenger of Allah."

Madinah

the first city-state that came under the banner of Islam. It iswhere the Prophet's masjid and grave are situated.

P.B.U.H.

These letters are abbreviations for the words Peace BeUpon Him which are the meaning of the Arabic expression" 'Alaihis Salam", which is an expression that is said whenthe name of a Prophet is mentioned. This expression iswidely used by English speaking Muslims. It is to benoticed here that this expression does not give the fullmeaning of "Salla Allahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam". Therefore itis recommended that people do not use (p.b.u.h.) after thename of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.); they should use"Salla Allahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam" instead, or they may usethe abbreviated form of (s.a..w) in writing.

Quraysh

Other Commonly Used Spellings: KURAYSH

the most powerful and prominent tribe in all of Arabia inthe Prophet's era. The Quraysh were the keepers of theKa'bah and therefore one of the wealthiest and mostpowerful tribes. The Prophet was from among the Quraysh.When he started to preach the True religion of Allah, theQuraysh violently persecuted him and his followers. Theywere badly defeated at the battle of Badr by the Muslimsand their days of Jahiliyyah were finally ended when theMuslims liberated Mecca and destroyed all the idols in theKa'bah in the year 630 C.E.

Qur'an

Other Commonly Used Spellings: KUR'AN

The holy book of Qur'an is called the Qur'an. It wasrevealed unto Muhammad (s.a.w) from Allah through angelGabriel (Jibril) for a period of 23 years. There is only oneQur'an in the whole world and it is in Arabic language. TheQur'an has one text, one language, and one dialect. It hasbeen memorized by millions of Muslims in different partsof the world. The Qur'an is composed of 114 Surah(chapters). It is to be read and recited with rules andregulations. When the Qur’an is to be touched and to berecited, a Muslim is to be in a state of cleanliness andpurity. The authenticity and the totality of the Qur'an havebeen documented and recognized. The Qur'an can not betranslated at all as the Qur'an is the exact words of Allah.Any translation is considered to be the explanation to themeaning of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is so rich andcomprehensive in matter that it can easily guide men andwomen in all works of their life. It is the ultimate source of

guidance for people in all aspects of their spiritual andmaterial lives. The names and attributes that are given tothe Qur'an in the Qur'an speak for themselves. The Qur'anis also described to be bounteous, glorious, mighty,honored, exalted, purified, wonderful, blessed, andconfirming the truth of previous revelations. The Qur'anhas practically proved the truth and effectiveness of all ofits names and epithets in the life of all true believers, whopracticed its teachings sincerely and devoutly. The Qur'anhas a Universal appeal, regardless of people's color, creed,nationality, and geographical divisions of the world. Thegoal of life, as addressed in the Qur'an, is to live accordingto what Allah has created us for, which is to worship Allah,and to obey his commandments in this life, which are ofcourse, in the interest of people, and to gain going toHeaven and escape going to Hell in the hereafter. The realsuccess is going to Heaven and the real failure is going toHell, as the Qur'an states. Those who are entirely lost intheir material gains and luxury, without cultivating theirspiritual and moral qualities, are declared by Allah (s..w.t.)to be like animals, rather worse than them. The ones whodo not believe in Allah or follow His commandments arealso described in many places of the Qur'an to be dead,deaf, mute, and blind. The real living, hearing, speakingand seeing are caused by the true belief in the heart. So ourneed for learning, studying, and following the Qur'anshould come before our need for breathing, drinking andeating to survive, because life without such guidance is amiserable life that leads to eternal punishment.

Ramadan

Other Commonly Used Spellings: RAMAZAN

the holy month of prescribed fasting for the Muslims. Itwas during this month that the Qur’anic revelations began.

Shahadah

declaration of faith. A person must recite the shahadah toconvert to Islam. The shahadah in Islam is:: "I testify thatthere is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad isthe Messenger of Allah."

Sirah

Other Commonly Used Spellings: SEERAH

The writings of the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.)about him, his personality, his life story. and his ways ofhandling different situations is called Sirah. The famouscollections of the Sirah are At-Tabari, Ibn Ishaq, and IbnHisham. The Sirah is a source of reference that Muslimsrely on in their daily life situations and problems.

Sunnah

In general, the word Sunnah means habit, practice,customary procedure, or action, norm and usage sanctionedby tradition. In specific, any time the word Sunnah ismentioned, it is to refer to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).Here it means his sayings, practices, and living habits. TheHadith are reports on the Sunnah. The two major legalsources of jurisprudence in Islam are the Qur’an and the

Sunnah. The Sunnah may confirm what is mentioned inQur'an, interpret and explain it, specify what is meant bysome general verses, limit and restrict the meaning of someverse in it, or may explain something that has been revealedin Qur'an. The Sunnah has a high authority in Islam; andAllah in many places in the Qur'an orders the Muslims tofollow the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.).

Surah

The Qur'an is composed of 114 chapters, each of which iscalled a Surah. The plural of Surah is called Suwar, whichmeans chapters.

S.W.T.

These letters are abbreviations for the words of "SubhanahuWa Ta'ala". When the name of Almighty Allah ispronounced, a Muslim is to show his respect to Him. Themeaning of this statement is that Allah is purified of havingpartners or a son.

Ummah

an ummah is a community or a people. It is used inreference to the community of Believers or Muslims.

Umm al-mu'mineen

Other Commonly Used Spellings: UM AL-MU'MINEEN

means 'Mother of the Believers'. This was the title of theProphet's wives; (Surah 33 Ayah 6 stipulated that theycould not marry after the Prophet's death because all of thebelievers were their spiritual children.

Umrah

this is the lesser pilgrimage which is optional and can beperformed at any time.

Yathrib

the area where the city of Madinah is situated.

Zakah

Other Commonly Used Spellings: ZAKAAT

One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakah, which meanspurification and increment of one's wealth. A Muslim whohas money beyond a certain quantity is to pay the Zakah. Itis also called the alms due or poor due. It is to be used ineight categories for welfare of the society that arementioned in the Qur'an, namely: the poor, the needy, thesympathizers, the captives, the debtors, the cause of Allah,the wayfarers, and for those who are to collect it. Theamount to be collected is 2.5%, 5%, or 10%, depending onthe assets and the method used to produce it. For example,

it is 2.5% of the assets that have been owned over a year,5% of the wheat when irrigated by the farmer, and 10% ofthe wheat that is irrigated by the rain.

Source:http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/glossary.html

APPENDIX C

Prophet Muhammad’s Values

Burns (1978) Zohery (2004)

Transformational Leader Extraordinary Values

. Liberty . Character Values: Gentleness,Humility, Kindness, Moderation,Modesty, Politeness, Truthfulness

. Justice . Community Values: Charity,Forgiveness, Hospitality, Mercy

. Equality

. Collective Well Being

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