Holy Prophet: The Perfect Role Model

                                                                                            

'Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.' (Al-Ahzab, 33: 22).

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca, Arabia, nearly six hundred years after Hazrat Isa (as) [Jesus]. At that time, his people were deeply involved in idolatry, and their society was marked by corruption and decay. The Jews in Arabia had formed tribes and settlements but did not spread the message of the Unicity of Allah beyond their community. Christianity was divided into many feuding sects, and its stronghold, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), was in decline.

Muhammad: 'Khatam-an-Nabiyyin'

 

The Advent of the Seal of all Prophets, Muhammad (pbuh)

 

'O our Lord, send among them a Messenger from among themselves, who will recite to them Your Verses [revelations], teach them Your Book and Wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.'  (Al-Baqara 2: 130)

  

Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Isma’il (as) made a profound supplication, which Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran, to endure until the Day of Judgement, and which gives the good news of the advent of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as an answer to their prayer.

Life of Hazrat Musa (as)

 

The Messengers of Allah

'The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

 

Today, by the grace of Allah, I continue my series of sermons on the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. Last week, I spoke about how the Bani Isra’il found themselves in Egypt and how, over time, they became slaves under the tyrannical rule of the Pharaohs.

 

It was during that period that Allah planned to send Hazrat Musa (as) to warn Pharaoh so that he might reform. Allah narrates the life of Hazrat Musa (as) and his teachings in 22 Surahs of the Quran, with the most detailed accounts of his life and mission as a prophet found in 5 Surahs, namely: Surah Al-Araf, Surah Taha, Surah Ash-Shu’ara, Surah Al-Qasas, and Surah Ghafir (Al-Muminun).

'Karma' and 'Kifarah'

  

‘Are you rewarded for anything except what you have done?’ [27:92]

 

‘Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.’ (28:85)

 

‘He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust: He doubles any good deed and gives a tremendous reward of His own.’ (4:41)

  

In Hinduism and Buddhism, ‘Karma’ is the ‘sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.’ Many people believe in ‘Karma’ leading to multiple reincarnations in different states of existence before the human soul finds ultimate salvation. However, ‘Karma’, in general, is about good luck or bad fate; viewed as resulting from one’s actions.

 

From an Islamic perspective, we humans live only once in this world, and when we die, we leave forever from this world, only to give an account of our deeds on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement: man’s eventual fate is essentially linked to his own actions. On the Day of Judgement, man’s soul will testify on all deeds- good, or bad- to receive the true and enduring reward of Paradise, or the Fire of Hell as a consequence of one’s record of deeds.