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Justice of The
Prophet(pbuh)
Dr. Muhammad Ratib AnNabulsi
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was an intelligent individual who
responded positively to those around him while encouraging them to
respect God and follow His ways. He exchanged correspondence with
kings and emperors of the world, and with God’s guidance and
direction, urged them to leave their arrogance behind and rule their
people with justice. Yet, despite mingling with the mighty leaders of
his time, he was also a modest man, who, it is said, responded
graciously to the request of a barefoot bedouin who once spoke to
him with disrespect, "Muhammad be just and give me money. It’s not
your money, nor your father’s." In response, the Prophet smiled at the
bedouin’s face and ordered to be given the amount of money he
requested.
He was a devout and religious man, whose happiest moments were
experienced while praying and communicating with God. It is said
that once, while praying at length
with his companions, he heard a baby
crying. The baby’s mother was
praying behind the Prophet. In
response to the baby’s cry, the
Prophet mercifully ended the prayer
instantly, enabling the mother to
respond to the child’s needs.
We see a man who recognized the
power of forgiveness. We see this
when he entered the town of Makkah
with his huge army without a fight. The Quraysh people had
previously tortured him and his companions, exiled him and brutally
killed his dearest relatives. As he entered, the Quraysh people stood
before him expecting him to take his revenge, instead, he told them
they were all forgiven and free from any grudge or revenge. We see in
him a caring and humble individual. He once gathere d wood to light a
fire and prepared food for his companions.
He refused to watch others work while he did nothing and he told
them God does not favor those who try to look distinguished among
their companions. We see in him a kind and tender man with a
merciful heart, who trembled with sorrow when witnessing a horse or
a camel struggling with a heavy load on its back. It is said that he
encouraged his followers to show mercy to all of God’s creatures and
he told them that God says those who are merciful to God’s creatures
shall receive God’s mercy:
... the Prophet told them that God is more merciful
with people than this mother with her baby
As for his mercy, to support those in need, who
borrowed money, he told the lenders that if they
extended the settlement time, or cancelled the dues of
the debtor, he would ask that they be pardoned by
God on Judgment Day.
Once, to help his companions understand the depth of
God’s mercy, he pointed to a mother tenderly kissing
and holding her baby tightly. He asked his
companions whether they thought the mother could
ever throw her baby into the fire. They confirmed,
she could never do such a thing and the Prophet told
them that God is more merciful with people than this
mother with her baby
The Prophet’s superiority qualified him to be above
those around him, but he preferred to live among
them, adopting a simple life among ordinary people,
sharing everything with them. He was also a just
man. He once said that the destruction of the entire
universe would be
easier on God than
bloodshed without
a right. He also
said that the
destruction of
previous nations
and civilizations
was caused by an
unjust system that
freed thieves who
were among the nobility and focused on capturing
and punishing the weak thieves of the lower classes.
The Prophet told his followers: "I swear by God that
if my own daughter Fatima stole anything I would cut
her hand myself." (AlBukhari)
He was a humble man, who admitted that he was not
infallible, and was subject to some faults of humanity
all men share. He explained that he was human and
though he was asked to judge among his people, he
could make errors. He knew that it was possible some
were more clever in presenting their case than others
and he could make a mistake by giving one the rights
of another. He urged that those who were in the
wrong not take anything that was not their just right,
even if he had mistakenly made judgment in their
favor. He believed in the power of love. He urged
people to love each other and said that love must
prevail among all people. He once said
"I swear by God that
you shall not enter
paradise until you
believe. And you shall
not believe until you
love each other"
"Have mercy on those who are on the planet earth and you shall
have the mercy of He who is in heaven." (AtTirmidhi)
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continued on pg 7......
A MUNA Youth Publication