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The Characteristics and Merits

The Characteristics and Merits
of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.)

  There is no position among social positions more valuable and yet more complex than that of leadership. One cannot qualify for a leader as long as he is in default of a series of perfect qualities, human values and moral virtues. In other words, a leader should enjoy a group of conflicting virtues, thus benefiting from them one at a time. For instance, he is to combine decisiveness with far-sightedness, roughness with mildness, awe with modesty, and optimism with caution. Realizing psychological factors and recognizing temporal requirements thoroughly, he would be able to apply the appropriate means on every occasion.


Not only is it necessary for the leader to be rich in certain good qualities, but it is also necessary for him to be free from a series of evil ones. For example, the leadership of one who is intolerable to criticisms or opposite views, impatient when facing problems, ambitious in appropriating positions, and expecting slavish imitation of other people, would be harmful and troublesome. It is advisable for such a man to reform himself before thinking about leadership.
The scarcity of reconciliation between these two series of qualities has finally turned the issue of leadership into something like a lighted match and brought about numerous problems.
It is the very complexity that has forced the modern man to hold national, international congresses, seminars, councils, and conferences in his attempt to solve the problems concerning leadership and seek a way out of them.
The issue of leadership has attracted the attention of the west today. However, the great Muslim Imams and leaders had staggering discussions long ago on this issue, as is the case with Imam ‘Ali’s (p.b.u.h.)  instructions to Malik al-Ashtar, his last will to his elder son, Imam
al-Hasan (p.b.u.h.), and his concise message to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.
If we face a Gordian Knot when dealing with the issue of social leadership, and the more we endeavor, the fewer we find the one qualified for this position, the issue of divine leadership which is manifested in such men as Prophets and Apostles undertaking the guidance of people in all their material and spiritual phases would prove to be more and more difficult. The reason is that undertaking this heavy divine responsibility requires so high virtues and extraordinary distinctions that the qualified ones in terms of might would prove to be like exotic phoenix. Thus, sometimes only one in a whole community may be qualified for that position. Although we witness numerous Apostles in the history of Prophethood, the apostles possessing scriptures, and more importantly those possessing Divine Laws (Shariah) have been very few, and the Seal of them is exclusively one.

The Qualities of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in the Holy Qur’an
The leadership of the Holy Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) involved numerous difficulties because of the universality and finality of his message. The people whose guidance he had undertaken did not possess the same level in terms of culture and civilization, awareness and insight as well as morality and discipline.
This very diversity created a flood of problems in the way of his leadership. Allah created the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) bestowing on him so high talent that represented a collection of human virtues and perfections. He brought him up and trained him forty years under the greatest archangel,  thus selecting him for leadership.
In the light of his wise thoughts, high interest in reaching the goal, and deep affection for the community, he was able to solve the problems and found a civilization surpassing all other civilizations. Allah refers to his spiritual perfection and factors of his prosperity at the scene of leadership in an impressive language. Now we had better get familiar with the outstanding qualities of this divine character.

1. High Interest in the Goal
Interest in the goal is a principal factor which induces the director of a small or big society to strive and overcome the problems while removing every sign of weariness from his heart. If a director does not feel interest in his job from within, his management would be disastrous.
The Holy Qur’an expresses the great interest of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in guiding people as follows:


فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا 


“Yet perhaps, if they believe not in this statement, you will consume yourself, following after them, of grief.”
This verse reflects the extreme interest of a social psychiatrist who makes the best of attempts in treating his patients such that he may expose himself to death and loss of life. Thus the Holy Qur’an says:


فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ 


“So let not your soul be wasted in regrets for them; verily, Allah has knowledge of the things they work.”

2. The Symbol of Great Character
Violence, quick temper, and lack of the spirit of flexibility and forgiveness would subject a leader to numerous problems and finally defeat. Thus, people who have not had a taste of good training and discipline would be scattered from around him and would leave him helpless. As the Holy Qur’an states, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was at the peak of leniency and flexibility wherever a leader was expected to show forgiveness and softness. The divine revelation (the Qur’an) counts the Hoy Prophet’s (p.b.u.h.) affection and kindness (p.b.u.h.) toward people as one of the factors of his prosperity, thus saying:


فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنفَضُّواْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ


“It was by some mercy of Allah that you were gentle to them. Had you been harsh and hard of heart, they would have scattered from about you. So pardon them, and pray forgiveness for them, and take counsel with them in the affair.” In one of its Meccan surahs the Holy Qur’an refer to the way of influencing people and performing the duties of leadership as follows:


وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ * وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ


“Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and you there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend. Yet, none shall receive it except the steadfast. None shall receive it except a man of mighty fortune.”
The reason behind the influence of this moral behaviour is that the wrongdoers expect revenge and punishment. Then, if they unexpectedly face a good in return for an evil, their self – accusing conscience (reproaching soul) will be awakened and will put them under a surge of criticism and reproof from within. It is on this occasion that love, affection, and sincerity would replace enmity and hatred. The Holy Qur’an describes the behavioural manner of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) towards the unbelievers in a worthy way calling it mighty, by which word just few Qur’anic subjects are described. Thus the Qur’an says:

 

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ * فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ * بِأَييِّكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ


“Surely you shall have a wage unfailing; surely you possess a great character. So you shall see, and they will, which of you is the demented.” The high level of the affection and kindness of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would be manifested clearly during the Conquest of Mecca. When the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) dominated over the people of Mecca who had persecuted him for many years and waged bloody wars against him; he faced them saying:


ماذا تقولون؟ و ماذا تظنون


“What is your idea? What are you thinking about me?”
The people! captivated and astonished, suddenly remembered his chivalry, nobility, and mighty morality. So they all acclaimed:


لا نظنّ الا خيراً، اخ كريم و ابن اخ كريم


“We do not think but well of you and regard you as a noble brother and the son of a noble brother.” At that moment, a tide of mercy embraced the whole people of Mecca. The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) turned his face to all the audience saying:  


لا تثريب عليكم اليوم يغفرالله لكم و هو ارحم الراحمين


“No reproach this day shall be on you; Allah will forgive you; He is the most merciful of the merciful.” Then he added: “Although you denied my mission and expelled me from my own house, I am going to remove the fetters of slavery from your necks, and declare that:


اذهبوا و انتم الطلقاء


“Go! You are all the released ones.”
The good temper and humanitarian sympathy of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) have been described as exemplary by the people all over the world for centuries. Muslim people who have written panegyrics on the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) have often emphasized this particular moral behaviour in his character. Abu Abd Allah Sharaf al-Din Busayri (d. 694 A.H.), a prominent poet and man of letters in the seventh century A.H. has written a famous panegyric in praise of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) known as “Burdah panegyric” in which he refers to this moral character: 

 

فاق النبيين في خلق و في خلق‏      ولم يدانوه في علم و لا كـرم

اكـرم بخـلـق نبي وانـّه خــلق‏         بالحسن مشتمل بالبشر متسم

 


“He excelled over all other Prophets in the creation and temperament. None of them shall catch up with him in terms of knowledge and generosity. What a nice creation, and what fine morality associated with beauty and smile.”
With his fine and praise-worthy morality, he has employed the Qur’anic injunction commanding him:


وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ * فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

 
“Lower your wing to those who follow you, being believers. Then, if they (unbelievers) disobey you, say, I am absolved of that you do.”

3. Patience and Forbearance
The Holy Prophet’s patience (p.b.u.h.) with hardships and sufferings was that of a forbearing and far-sighted man who knows that good end and success in any action does not come about unless there is persistent and continuous patience.
That is why whenever he would face problems or feel confused in doing a piece of work, he would not become worried, upset, or complaining. Rather, he would resume it with care and patience, undergoing forbearance and tolerance. He would seek to find a solution while exercising prudence and calmness and he would say:


من صبر على المصيبة حتّى يردّها بحسن عزائها كتب اللّه له ثلاثَمائة درجةٍ ما بين الدّرجة إلى الدّرجة كما بين السّماء و الأرض


“Whoever is patient with misfortunes and disasters exercising forbearance and tolerance, Allah will prescribe for him three hundred ranks, the difference between every two of which would be like that of the heavens and earth.”
At the beginning of his mission, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was informed by Allah about the heavy responsibility he had undertaken. Thus Allah said:


إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلاً ثَقِيلاً

 
“Behold, We shall cast upon you a weighty word.” This weighty word was his universal mission whose accomplishment by him and whose practice by his followers was to be burdensome.
The fulfillment of such a great mission is not possible without a mighty spirit. This is why Allah calls the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to exercise patience and forbearance in numerous Qur’anic verses. Two examples of these verses are as follows:
At the beginning of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an in Surah al-Muddaththir (74), Allah addresses him thus:


وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ


“Be patient unto your Lord” in communicating his message.
Another verse reminds the determined Prophet (p.b.u.h.) of exercising patience and steadfastness thus:


فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُوْلُوا الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَلا تَسْتَعْجِل لَّهُمْ 


“So be patient as the messengers possessed of constancy were also patient. Seek not to hasten it for them.”

4. Midnight Invocations
The spirit of humbleness and invocation in man is a symbol of his consciousness and a sign of his awareness of the presence of an omnipotent and omniscient one at the scene of existence, just as it expresses one’s relation to that mighty essence. The feeling of dependence on the Superior Being invites man to express his humility toward Him, and finally it is manifested in the acts of worship. However, invokers (worshippers) are not a single group, or rather, they are varied groups.
One group may respond positively to this feeling in order to meet their own needs, attract their interests, or avoid fearful chastisement. Another group, as they enjoy higher knowledge or gnosis of Allah, worship Him out of their understanding of the Absolute Perfection and out of their love for Allah.
It is noteworthy that the differences in motives do not influence the principle of the sanctity of devotional practices. Rather, all the worshippers in the light of the principle of:

 

وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوا وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَهُمْ لا يُظْلَمُونَ


“All have degrees according to what they have done. Your Lord is not heedless of the things they do.” are rewarded by Allah and offered mighty wage.
Imam al-Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) classifies the worshippers into three groups in the following interesting hadith:


انّ العباد ثلاثة: قوم عبدوا الله عزوجل خوفاً فتلك عبادة العبيد، و قوم عبدوا اللّه تبارك و تعالى طلب الثواب فتلك عبادة الاُجراء، و قوم عبدوا اللّه  عزوجل حباً له فتلك عبادة الاحرار و هي افضل العبادة


“The servants of Allah are three groups: A group worships Allah Almighty and Glorious – out of fear; this is the worship of slaves. Another group worships Allah – the Blessed and Exalted – out of desire for reward; this is the worship of wage earners. Still another group worships Allah – Almighty and Glorious – out of love for Him; this is the worship of free men, and it is the best worship.”
The expression “out of love for Him” is a symbol of deep consciousness and profound awareness of the grandeur of the Lord and Supreme Perfection.
This consciousness creates in man a great interest in and love for the source of perfection. As a result, he would trun to worshipping Allah out of sincerity and love, without expectation of any reward or fear of any punishment. Thus, he would find pleasure in his humbleness and humility toward Allah, a pleasure which makes other pleasures fall into oblivion.

The Holy Qur’an and the Apostle’s (p.b.u.h.) Invocations
The midnight worship of the saints of Allah accompanied by tears of enthusiasm and aspirations of heart to Him, is effected by their great gnosis of Allah. It is the result of their zeal and love for inherent perfection in their hearts. Therefore, the acts of worship aiming at the pleasure of the intuition of the object of worship (Allah) would taste sweet for them. Then they would abandon sound sleep, comfortable pillows, and warm beds for the sake of invoking Him for a part of the night.
Based on this, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) would sometimes spend two thirds of the night worshipping Him. Then we had better get familiar with his invocations:
1. Allah commands the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) in Surah al-Isra’(17) to tahajjud by which the midnight worship is meant. The verse reads:


وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا


“And as for the night, keep vigil a part of it, as a work of supererogation for you; it may be that your Lord will raise you up to a laudable station.”
2. In Surah al-Muzzammil(73), Allah states the quantity and quality of worship in the middle of the night. He designates night as the time of worship, and specifies its period varying from two-thirds to one-third of the night. He also refers to the philosophy behind the Apostle,s keeping vigil and invoking Him during the night as a fact which is quite influential in promoting his goals. We mention here this group of verses altogether to clarify thoroughly the logical relations among the verses:


أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ * قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلا قَلِيلاً * نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلاً * أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلا * إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلا ثَقِيلاً * إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلاً * إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلاً * وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلاً


“O you enwrapped in your robes, keep vigil the night, except a little, a half of it, or diminish a little, or add a little, and chant the Qur’an very distinctly. Behold,we shall cast upon you a weighty word; surely the first part of the night is heavier in tread, more upright in speech, surely in the day you have long business. And remember the Name of your Lord and devote yourself unto Him very devoutly.”
At the beginning of the mission of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and the beginning of the Qur’anic revelation – as the occasion of the revelation of foregoing verses suggest - , Allah commands His Apostle to worship in the middle of the night. As to the quantity of worship Him, three choices are put before him – two  thirds, half, or one – third of the night – so that he may worship Him in one of the three ways according to the conditions and circumstances.
This idea is conveyed in the following verse:


قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلا قَلِيلاً * نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلاً * أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ


“keep vigil the night, except a little: half of it, or diminish a little, or add a little.”
Keeping vigil in the middle of the night should not be confined to performing prayers, but it should be accompanied by reciting the Holy Qur’an in the form of Tartil (to recite the Qur’an in a measured tone) which requires thorough attention to the words and meanings. If a servant of Allah speaks to and communicates with Him through performing prayers, Allah also speaks to and communicates with His servant through the Holy Qur’an. This idea is expressed in the Qur’anic phrase


وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلاً


“And chant the Holy Qur’an very distinctly.”
The following verse refers to the mystery of this obligation (midnight worship). The mystery is that in a near future, a heavy task and a burdensome responsibility, i.e. carrying and communicating the mission, would be cast upon you (the Apostle). Thus you should start self – purification and keep a constant relation with the origin of power in order to perform this responsibility. To this effect, the Qur’anic verse says:


إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلاً ثَقِيلاً


“Behold, we shall cast upon you a weighty word.” The following verse states the reason for designating the night as the time of “tahajjud”. The secret is that the extent of the influence of worship depends on the calm of the surroundings and concentration of the heart. This is why midnight worship is more profound in terms of influence, and more upright in terms of speech. Under such circumstances, the speech would arise from the heart conforming with it.
However, the day is not free from noise, attempts, and associations. This business does not let you have free time, nor concentration of the heart. Thus the Qur’anic verse: 


إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلاً * إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلاً


“Surely the first part of the night is heavier in tread, more upright in speech. Surely in the day you have long business.”
As the perfect man is anyhow a contingent being and limited in terms of spiritual power and vigor, he will face shortage of vigor and depression when performing his responsibility, especially when confronting with ignorant people. If this depression increases, it would lead to discouragement in fulfilling one's duties. Worship is the best means of connection with the source of power and center of perfection, a means that eliminates spiritual stains of any kind, and inspires more energy and vigour in one's spirit.

5. Wide Knowledge and Awareness
The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) is the most knowledgeable and the best – informed man under the sun. The Holy Qur’an describes his knowledge and awareness as follows:


وَأَنزَلَ اللّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا


“Allah has sent down on you the Book and the wisdom, and He has taught you that you did not know. Allah's bounty to you is ever great.”
When we ponder over the three sentences of the above verse, we will understand how they indicate the breadth and depth of his knowledge.

 

وَأَنزَلَ اللّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ


“Allah has sent down on you the Book and the wisdom.” The Qur’an is meant here by “the Book”, and the firm branches of knowledge are meant by “the wisdom”. These branches of knowledge bring prosperity to man at every stage of life, examples of which are mentioned in the maxims of Luqman, the sage. However. The wisdom is not limited to those injunctions and embraces much wider knowledge.

وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ 


“And He has taught you that which you did not know.” According to the principle of the necessity of difference between the items conjoined grammatically, knowledge and awareness in this sentence must be different from the Book and the Wisdom mentioned in the preceding part of the verse. This last item of the Prophet’s (p.b.u.h) knowledge is so great that the verse describes it as follows:


وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا 


“Allah's bounty a branch of which being your knowledge and awareness is ever great.” No bounty is greater than knowledge, and describing “bounty” as “great” somehow suggests and implies the grandeur of his knowledge. Nobody can digest the magnificence of knowledge which is described as “great” by Allah. Adam (p.b.u.h) is the first Apostle of Allah who according to the verse:


وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الأَسْمَاء كُلَّهَا 


“And He taught Adam the names, all of them.” became aware of the secrets of existence. He acquired a sort of knowledge of which the angels were deprived. This is why Adam gained superiority over them and became the object of their prostration. The last Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h) is superior to all others and the head of them according to the hadiths of Shiite and Sunni schools alike, and based on the consensus of the Muslim community. Therefore, he must be superior to all apostles including Adam in terms of spiritual perfection and criteria of virtue and superiority.
Burayd, one of the disciples of Imam al-Baqir (p.b.u.h) and Imam al-Sadiq (p.b.u.h), is reported to have said: “One of the two holy Imams reasoned for the width of the Apostle,s knowledge and awareness with the following verse:


وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ


“And none knows its (the whole Qur’an or its ambiguous verses) esoteric interpretation save only Allah, and those firmly rooted in knowledge.”
Then the Imam (p.b.u.h) said:


و رسول الله افضل الراسخين في العلم، قد علمه الله عزوجل جميع ما انزل عليه من التنزيل و التأويل، و ما كان الله لينزل عليه شيئاً لم يعلمه تأويله


“The Apostle of Allah is the most prominent among the firmly rooted in knowledge. Allah taught him the exoteric and esoteric interpretation of the Holy Qur’an. It is not worthy of Allah to send something to him without revealing its reality.”

6. A Guarantee for the Immunity of People from Punishment
The evil deeds of man have an outcome in this world and a consequence in the next. One of the consequences of committing sins in society is the infliction of divine punishment which is clearly stated in the Qur’anic verses and hadiths. It is possible for one to study the verses relevant to the destruction of rebellious peoples. However, one of the blessings of the presence of an Apostle of Allah in the community is that, as long as he is present in the community, Allah will not inflict punishment on them. The following verse refers to this very point:


وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ


“Allah would never chastise them, with you among them; Allah would never chastise them as they begged forgiveness.”
The first man who derived this fact from the Holy Qur’an is the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (p.b.u.h). In one of his short maxims he remarks:

كان في الارض امانان من عذاب الله، و قد رفع احدهما، فدونكم الـآخر فتمسكوا به، اما الامان الذي رُفِعَ فهو رسول الله، و اما الامان الباقي فالاستغفار، قال الله تعالى: وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِم  

“There were two sources of deliverance from the Divine punishment. One of them has gone, while the other is before you. Therefore, adhere to it. As to the source of deliverance which has gone, he is the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h), and the source of deliverance that remains is seeking Allah,s forgiveness. Allah – the Glorified – has said, "And Allah is not to chastise them while you are among them.”

7. The Intercessor on the Day of Requital
Everybody is familiar with the term ‘shafa‘ah’ i.e intercession. When there is mention of a crime, offence, and condemnation of a man, one may go between in order to mediate and save him from death, execution, imprisonment or seizure. Thus, we say such and such a man interceded for him.
The term ‘shafa‘ah’ is derived from ‘shaf‘’ in the sense of "pair" in contrast to ‘witr’ in the sense of "single" or "odd". The reason why the intercession of a person for delivering a sinner from punishment is called ‘shafa‘ah’ is that, the high position of the intercessor and the force of his influence are coupled with salvation factors (although very few) present in the character of the object of intercession. This couple helping each other would save the sinful man.
‘Shafa‘ah’ or intercession of the saints of Allah apparently means that these favorites of Allah due to their proximity and close position to Him are entitled to intercede for wrongdoers and sinners calling Him to forgive them for their faults and sins. However, intercession and its approval depend on a series of conditions some of which are relevant to the sinful man, and others to the special object of intercession (the sin).
In other words, intercession is the aid of the saints of Allah with His leave to the sinful men who – despite their sinning nature – have not cut their bond of faith with Allah, nor have they severed their spiritual relations with the saints of Allah.
In a sense, intercession may also be defined as the process of an inferior being – capable of advancement and perfection – who seeks help from a superior being  through legal means. However, the seeker of help should not have decayed to the extent to have lost the potential of advancement and perfection, thus impossibility of his changing into a pure and perfect man.
Believing in intercession is so prevalent among Muslims that wherever you go and whoever you ask, they will count it as a part of their Islamic creed, and they will not have any doubt in considering it as a principal doctrine of Islam. We all witness the Muslims including the sinful ones at the time of invocation, and by the tombs of the great leaders of Islam directing their hearts and thoughts to the intercessors of the Divine threshold asking them to appeal to Almighty Allah for exposing them to His pardon and mercy.
Such a firm belief cannot be fabricated or inauthentic. Definitely, concentration of the Muslim community on this belief is the effect of its presence in the Holy Qur’an and Islamic Hadith. It is nonsense to believe that a population of one milliard men, particularly their scholars, may follow a doctrine which is totally absent in their revealed book and religious sources. What this piece of writing requires is stating the Qur’anic proofs for the position of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h) as an intercessor. I will confine myself here to mentioning two Qur’anic verses:

 

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا 


“And as for the night, keep vigil a part of it, as a supererogatory prayer for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you up to a laudable station.”
Now we should see what is meant by "a laudable station"; a station due to which the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h) is made the object of admiration by all.
Al-Tabrisi says: “Muslim commentators of the Qur’an unanimously agree on the point that this laudable station is the very position of intercession. They also say that the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h) on the Day of Judgment would hold the standard of praise while all other apostles gather under it. He is the first intercessor whose intercession will be approved.
Al-Zamakhshari writes: “What station is higher than that of intercession which motivates the praise of all who are present on the Day of Judgment?”
Islamic Hadith (traditions) unanimously refer to the point that intercession is meant by “a laudable station.”
In al-Durr al-Manthur, al-Suyuti referred to the traditions interpreting "a laudable station" as intercession.

وَلَلآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الاُولَى * وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى


“And the Hereafter shall be better for you than the world. Your Lord shall give you, and you shall be satisfied.” Since the first verse speaks about the Day of Judgment, it is clear that the occasion of this pleasing gift is the same day.
As the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) is “a mercy unto all beings” he cannot be irresponsible for his community on that day. The only thing that will make him satisfied is the salvation of those groups of the community have firmly established a bond of faith with Allah and have not cut off their relations with the Apostle (p.b.u.h.) in terms of revelation. This would happen in light of intercession.
Islamic hadiths (traditions) have also interpreted the above verse as referring to the intercession of the Apostle (p.b.u.h.). Ibn ‘Abbas is reported to have said:


رضاه ان تدخل امته الجنة


“His satisfaction is to let his community to enter Paradise.”

8. Merciful and Clement
“Dear Ibrahim! We cannot do anything for you, nor does the divine predestination can return. Your father’s eyes are full of tears, and his heart full of grief out of your death. However, my tongue will never utter a word to arouse Allah’s indignation. If it were not that we would follow your destiny, I would cry and feel deep sorrow out of your parting.”
The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) made the above statements when he was mourning his dear son, Ibrahim. He was passing away in the lovely arms of his father while the clement father would put his affectionate lips on the rosy face of his son. Then he said farewell to his son with a sad face, a spirit full of emotions and passions, and yet satisfied with the divine predetermination.
Showing love and affection for children is one of the highest and purest manifestations of human spirit and is a sign of the health and transparency of spirit. The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would often say:


اكرموا اولادكم


“Respect your children.” Love your children and express your emotions toward them. Thus affection and love toward children counts as one of the praise -worthy qualities of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.).
 The anguish and grief of the Apostle (p.b.u.h.) while mourning his son was a sign of his humanitarian feeling which also continued after his death. Expressing sad emotions and sorrows was indicative of the understanding spirit of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) which manifested itself unconsciously. That the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) would not utter anything against His pleasure was a sign of his  deep faith and his satisfaction with the inevitable divine predetermination.
Another feature of the Apostle (p.b.u.h.) was his interest in and kindness toward the faithful community. In this regard the Holy Qur’an says:


لَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ * فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ 

 
“Now there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is your suffering; anxious is he over you; gentle to the believers, compassionate. So if they turn their backs, say: Allah is enough for me. There is no Allah but He. In Him I have put my trust. He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

9. The Master of Abundant Good
The two male children of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) named al-Qasim and Abd Allah passed away. His enemies such as al-‘As ibn Wail and others would call him infertile and childless. Concerning this event, the Holy Qur'an addressed him in a Meccan Surah thus:


بِسْمِ ‌اللهِ الرَّحمنِ الرَّحيمِ * إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ *فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ * إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الأبْتَرُ 


“Surely We have given you abundance; so pray unto your Lord and sacrifice. Surely he that hates you is the one cut off.”
The commentators of the Holy Qur’an have differed greatly over the meaning of kawthar; however, irrespective of the difference, a “huge generation” is likely to be one of the instances of kawthar. The intention of the above verses counts as one of the prophecies of the Holy Qur’an which is tangible and sensible to all, even though the descendants of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) have been individually or collectively martyred by Umayyad and Abbasid cruel rulers over ages.
Nevertheless, today the Muslim world can clearly see the truth of the prophecy of the huge generation of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) and witness his ever-increasing generation.
When discussing the concept of kawthar, Fakhr al-Razi in his Commentary writes: “The meaning of kawthar is that Allah would make the descendants of the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) survive for any time to come. Then he adds:


فانظر كم قتل من أهل البيت ثم العالم ممتلي منهم و لم يبق من بني أمية في الدنيا احد يعبأ به ثم انظر كم فيهم في الأكابر من العلماء كالباقر والصادق و الكاظم و الرضا  والنفس الزكية و امثالهم


“Look! How many people from the Household of the Prophet have been killed and yet the world is full of them while not a single Umayyad man worth mentioning has survived. Then look! How great scholars you find from the Household of the Prophet such as Imam al-Baqir, Imam al-Sadiq, Imam al-Kazim, Imam al-Rida (p.b.u.t.), al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah, and the like.”
He has made these statements in the sixth century (A.H.). We now live in the early fifteenth century and see the world of Islam, form Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt,  to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Iran, etc witnessing the brilliant generation of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.). Now we should unanimously say:


صدق الله العلي العظيم: إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ


“Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty, has truly communicated the truth when He remarked, ‘Verily We have given you abundance’.”

10. Witness to the Deeds of the Community
The last feature of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) worthy of mentioning here is his being witness to the deeds of the community. This position is referred to in the following verses:


يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا * وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا 


“O Prophet, we have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of good tidings, and a warner, calling unto Allah by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp.”
This verse describes the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) with five qualities each of which deserves a detailed discussion.
1. a witness, 2. a bearer of good tidings, 3. a warner, 4. calling unto Allah, 5. a light – giving lamp
The description of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) as a witness can also be found in other verses which are sometimes identical in terms or expressions.  Sometimes, however, there is some variety of expression such as:

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَـؤُلاء شَهِيداً 


“How then shall it be, when we bring forward from every nation a witness, and bring you to witness against those?”
In this verse, the Apostle of Allah (p.b.u.h.) is considered to be a witness to the earlier Apostles whereas in the preceding verses, and the following verse he is a witness to the deeds of his own community.


وَقُلِ اعْمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ


“Say: Work; and Allah will surely see your work, and His Messenger, and the believers, and you will be returned to Him who knows the unseen and the visible, and He will tell you what you were doing.”
In this verse the believers, like the Apostle himself (p.b.u.h.), are considered to have a knowledge of the acts of the hypocrites. Of course, the term "believers" here does not refer to all believing men, but to a certain group who are called as “the Infallible.”
The question that how can the Apostle be aware of the deeds of his community lies beyond the scope of this article. However, their deeds will definitely be presented to him.
At the end, it is noteworthy that many other qualities have been attributed to the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in various forms in the Holy Qur’an. This article confines itself to these ten qualities, referring the discussion of the others to later occasions.

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