Prophet Muhammad was a Prophet for all humanity. His role was exceptional in that he was to be the last of the prophets. It had been so ordained by God. The final revelation of God’s will was to be conveyed to the people by him and, for posterity, the scriptures had to be preserved by him and subsequently by his devoted followers throughout the centuries. To ensure this train of events, the Prophet had to bring about a great revolution that would give him a following the world over.
“Muhammad is the father of no man among you. He is the Prophet of God and the last of the prophets. God has knowledge of all things.” (The Quran, 33:40)
The Prophet was chosen by God to give the kind of guidance to people, which they needed if they were to lead upright, virtuous lives. If people seemingly have complete control over what they do, it is because, in this world, they are on trial. If the illusion of free will causes them to act as they choose, it is because they are being tested. The Prophets, in spite of their divine mission, cannot force people to change their ways. All they can do is communicate the message with which God has entrusted them:
“Yet what should Messengers do but give plain warning?” (The Quran, 16:35)
God has done the maximum to ensure that we should not go astray in our journey through life. He has given us a conscience, enabling us to differentiate between what is right and wrong, and has placed us in a world based on justice. But - whenever man has failed to listen to his conscience, or was deaf to the silent message emanating from every object of God’s creation, God sent His prophets to bring him the truth, and so that these God-sent messages should not be incomprehensible to the people of many different lands, they were communicated to them in their own languages.
In pre-Islamic times religious institutions had become debased by the veneration of mere mortals; whereas the prophet Muhammad admitted of no other form of religion but that based on the worship of the immortal God. Religious beliefs had very frequently been founded on superstition; but by him they were established on the foundation of reality. It was he who taught people to conquer nature instead of worshipping it, thus paving the way for the scientific era. And where political power had been in the hands of one hereditary monarch, he showed the way to government by the people. While learning had been based on conjecture and assumption, he taught people to learn from observation of reality. In cases where human society had been vitiated by cruelty and oppression, he showed people how to live together in justice and peace. These are all achievements of the Prophet Muhammad. He changed the tide of human history.
From whatever angle one looks at history, ever-broadening reverberations of his impact will be manifest. All that is best in human values, all the important advances of human civilization, are direct or indirect results of the revolution he brought about.
His own personal life was a perfect example for mankind. Because he himself was made to experience all kinds of special conditions, he was able to provide a model for living both at the individual and social levels. He showed us the life that God would like us to live on earth, for in all matters each and every one of his actions was in accordance with the will of God. Not only did he establish the perfect pattern for the worship of God, but he also showed how God helps those who truly devote their lives to His service. We can see from his life how, if one fears God, there is nothing else that one need fear. If one remains patient in the face of provocation, He will pour oil on troubled waters. If one rises above negative impulses, one can win over everyone, even enemies. If one sacrifices this world for the next, one will eventually have the best of both worlds.
Just as the farmer who cultivates his land by divinely inspired methods reaps the best crop, so, at any time, can the followers of the Prophet prevail over others. God has provided all of the conditions necessary for and conducive to the dominance of His, the divine religion. By understanding and utilizing them, adherents of this religion can bring Islamic thought into pre-eminence.
Between the time of the Prophet Abraham and the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, two thousand five hundred years elapsed. Throughout this period the stage was being set for the coming of the Prophet. The Prophet, acting at God’s behest, played the role for which he was cast. That was why his mission was supremely successful.
In making the Prophet Muhammad the greatest figure, and consequently one of the most resplendent landmarks in human history, God has bestowed his greatest favour on mankind. Whoever seeks a guide for himself cannot fail to see him, for he stands out like a tower, a mountain on the horizon, radiating light like a beacon, beckoning all to the true path. It is inevitable that a seeker of truth will be drawn up to the magnificent pinnacle on which he stands.
During the fourteen hundred years that have passed since the times of the Prophet Muhammad, the historical changes that have occurred, the massive advances in human knowledge that have taken place, have all combined in support of Islam. The religion that the Prophet taught can still take pride of place over other religions. But, for this to be achieved, divinely-inspired methods have to be adopted. This rule, which applied to the Prophet, equally applies to his followers.
