MERCY TO THE WORLDS: THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)
Honorable Muslims!
It was the 571st year of the Gregorian calendar. Humanity was lost in the darkness of the age of jahiliyyah. At the extremes were injustice, oppression, despair, and insecurity. The emotions of mercy were fading away, and virtue and wisdom were nowhere to be found. Every day, people used to wake up to a world where the strong preyed on the weak. The helpless souls thirsted for right, truth, justice, and mercy, and the cries of the oppressed reached the skies. Having lost their path, humanity was in dire need of the Divine grace. It was at a time like this when Allah the Almighty (swt) did not leave His servants in despair. As the manifestation of His vast compassion and mercy, He (swt) graced all people to ever live until the Last Day with His Beloved Muhammad Mustafa (saw), who would remind them of their duties and responsibilities. And He (swt) stated, “O Muhammad! We have sent you as a mercy for the whole world.”1
Dear Believers!
The greatest revolution and transformation of humanity’s intellectual and mental world took place with the Prophet (saw). He (saw) came, and darkness was replaced by light. The Age of Jahiliyyah (Ignorance) became the Age of Bliss (‘Asr al-Sa’adah). He (saw) came, and oppression was replaced by justice. Every person was granted their due right. The weak and the vulnerable regained the dignity of being human. A smile was put on the faces of the orphan and the abandoned. Girls who used to be buried alive came to life. He (saw) came, and peace and security filled the homes, streets, and cities. Knowledge and wisdom, compassion and mercy, justice and fairness reached all corners of the world.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Our Lord Almighty (swt) states in the Holy Qur’an as follows, “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.”2
Then, what falls upon us believers is to get to know and understand our Prophet (saw) properly. We should walk in his (saw) footsteps straightforwardly, and embrace his sunnah tightly. We should comprehend why he (saw) was sent, and pass on future generations his exemplary life and honorable struggle.
[1] Anbiya, 21/107.
[2] Ahzab, 33/21.