The Prophet Muhammad (sas) is the central figure of Islam. Described variously in the Holy Qur’an as a mercy for mankind, the best example and the Seal of the Prophets, the facts of his life have been seared into the conscience of all Muslims who for centuries have drawn inspiration from them.
In the Islamic perspective, he represents the very best of humanity, prophethood and revelation. Every aspect of his being ascends to the highest level of excellence. Without him, faith and existence remain incomplete.
In this short series of essays, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad (ra) contemplates the life of the Holy Prophet (sas) through his humanity, his role as a prophet, as a recipient of revelation and through the eyes of his enemies.
This is not a conventional biographical study. Instead, the reader is asked to reflect on the deeper meanings and resonances of the Prophet’s (sas) life. He was in every sense a regular man, rooted in and subject to the natural laws of this world. As Huzoor explains, this does not diminish his status, rather his station is enhanced by his humanity, for it was on the foundations of his shared ties with other people that his prophecy and revelation rested. He is a guide and example only because his model of conduct can be easily followed and imitated.
Once chosen by God, the Holy Prophet (sas) came to occupy the most eminent position among the historical line of prophets. He was raised not for a particular community or people, but the entire world and his revelation reverberated with the power and scope of this mission, touching on the universal social, spiritual, ethical, domestic, political and communal concerns of all communities and peoples.
In our current times, where there is widespread misunderstanding about Islam and its founder is maligned in newspapers, movies and cartoons, the present collection of writings represent an important account of who the Holy Prophet (sas) was and how he should be understood.