You can refer to my answer in What was the character of Muhammad (PBUH)
really like?
The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ibn
Abdullah, was born in Arabia on 22 April A.D. 570, and died on 8 June A.D. 632.
He grew up orphaned and his childhood gave indications of the sublime and
dynamic personality that was to emerge. As he grew up, the nobility of his
personality, soft-spoken and genial disposition made him a benevolent member of
the society. A perfectly balanced personality—tolerant, truthful, perspicacious
and magnanimous—he presented the highest example of human nobility. According
to Daud ibn Husayn, he became known as the most chivalrous among his people,
tolerant and forebearing, truthful and trustworthy, always an epitome of good
behaviour. He would stay aloof from all quarrels and quibbles and never
indulged in foul utterances, abuse or invective. People even left their
valuables in his custody, for they knew that he would never betray them. His
unimpeachable trustworthiness won for him the title of “al-Amin,” an unfailing
trustee and of “al-Sadiq”, the truthful.
As a Prophet, he was an embodiment of
virtues a true believer must imbibe and uphold. A Prophet is a well-wisher for
mankind and the entire life of Prophet Muhammad is a testament to this fact. He
never discriminated among people on the basis of their colour, creed or social
status; in the heydays of slavery, he advocated freedom of slaves; in an
environment full of resentment and staunch opposition, he always adopted a
forgiving approach, never avenging any wrong done to him.
His experience at Taif is an example where
the leaders of the Taif tribe had refused to extend their support to his
mission and their street urchins pelted stones at the Prophet till the cover of
night made him invisible. Despite being humiliated, injured and wearied, the
Prophet did not resort to cursing the tribe of Taif; rather he prayed for their
guidance (Sahih Al Bukhari, 3231).
He would not hurt those who had hurt him
His wife Aisha said about the Prophet
Muhammad, “He would not follow an evil with an evil, rather he would pardon
and forgive” (Narrated Ahmad 6/174) (Sahih)
He preached that “A Muslims does not
want for others that he does not want for himself.”
He once was asked by the people to curse an
aggressor and he replied “I have not been sent as the invoker of curse, but
I have been sent as mercy.” (Sahih Muslim 2599).
Prophet Muhammad taught the believers to
become conscientious members of society.
He advised that, “A Muslim is the one
from whose tongue and hand the people are safe.” (Sunan An-Nasa’I
4998)
He propagated caring and supporting the sick,
feeding the hungry and being kind, being no-problem persons for the neighbours,
refraining offensive names and caring for the animals. He encouraged
responsible living and judicious utilization of natural resources like water
even if we have limitless access.
Once the Prophet passed by a companion when
he was performing ablution and said to him, “What is this extravagance?”
The companion asked, “Can there be extravagance in ablution?” Prophet
replied, “Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river!” (Sunan
ibn Majah, 460)
Prophet Muhammad exemplified peace and
tolerance throughout his life. Once, on being asked for a master advice, he
replied ‘Do not get angry’. He said that the strongest among us is the one who
can control his anger. He propagated the pursuit of the easier choice of peace
and tolerance as against following intolerance or violence.
During the course of his lifetime, there
were certain defensive skirmishes that took place. Even during these, Prophet
Muhammad strictly prohibited ill treatment of non-combatants and the prisoners
of war. For example, Prophet did not approve of any ill treatment of the
prisoners of war that were taken after the Battle of Badr.
He instructed Muslims to share equal food
with the prisoners (Majma ul Zawaid, 10007); declared that any prisoner
who could teach ten children in Medina to read and write shall be set
free (Musnad Ahmad, 2216).
It is also worth noting that in future
battles, no prisoners of war were taken in by the Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad taught believers to be
virtuous and compassionate towards fellow human beings. He preached selfless
service and development of piety and modesty amongst individuals. He said that
“A Muslim is soft, simple and lenient”.
He cautioned Muslims from falling into
extremism, “Those who go to extremes are doomed” (Muslim 2670).
In an American publication entitled ‘The
100’, the author mentions the one hundred people he believes to have exerted
the greatest influence on human history. The author, Dr. Michael Hart, was born
into a Christian family, and received a scientific education. But at the top of
his roll of honour he has placed Prophet Muhammad. There was one person, he
believes, whose achievements excelled all others: that person was the Prophet
Muhammad. No one else has had such an impact on the history of man.
“He was the only man in history,” he
writes, “who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular
levels.”
Just as to the American, Michael Hart, he
is the most outstanding figure of human history, to the English historian,
Thomas Carlyle, he is
“the hero of the Prophets.”
In order to understand the character sketch
of Prophet Muhammad in greater detail, the reader may also refer to any of the
following books:
Muhammad: A Prophet for all
Humanity
The Prophet Muhammad: A Simple
Guide to His Life
I should stop at this, if I go a bit longer
I may be shot down by all keyboard warriors in waiting.—am already on the hate
list…You decide yourself, okay!
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