Muhammad () was of a height a little above the average. He was of sturdy build with long muscular limbs and tapering fingers. The hair of his head was long and thick with some waves in them. His forehead was large and prominent, his eyelashes were long and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was somewhat large and his teeth were well set. His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant smile. His eyes were large and black with a touch of brown. His beard was thick and at the time of his death, he had seventeen gray hairs in it. He had a thin line of fine hair over his neck and chest. He was fair of complexion and altogether was so handsome that Abu Bakr composed this couplet on him:
"as there is no darkness in the moonlit night so is Mustafa, the well-wisher, bright."
His gait was firm and he walked so fast that others found it difficult to keep pace with him. His face was genial but at times, when he was deep in thought, there were long periods of silence, yet he always kept himself busy with something. He did not speak unnecessarily and what he said was always to the point and without any padding. At times he would make his meaning clear by slowly repeating what he had said. His laugh was mostly a smile. He kept his feelings under firm control - when annoyed, he would turn aside or keep silent, when pleased he would lower his eyes (Shamail Tirmizi).
Dress
His dress generally consisted of a shirt, tamad (trousers), a sheet thrown round the shoulders and a turban. On rare occasions, he would put on costly robes presented to him by foreign emissaries in the later part of his life (Ahmed, Musnad, Hafiz Bin Qaiyyam).
His blanket had several patches (Tirmizi). He had very few spare clothes, but he kept them spotlessly clean (Bukhari). He wanted others also to put on simple but clean clothes. Once he saw a person putting on dirty clothes and remarked,
"Why can't this man wash them?" (Abu Dawud, Chapter "Dress").
On another occasion he enquired of a person in dirty clothes whether he had any income. Upon getting a reply in the affirmative, he observed, "When Allah has blessed you with His bounty, your appearance should reflect it." (Abu Dawud)
He used to observe: "Cleanliness is piety".
Mode of Living & Manners of Our prophet SAW
His house was but a hut with walls of unbaked clay and a thatched roof of palm leaves covered by camel skin. He had separate apartments for his wives, a small room for each made of similar materials. His own apartment contained a rope cot, a pillow stuffed with palm leaves, the skin of some animal spread on the floor and a water bag of leather and some weapons. These were all his earthly belongings, besides a camel, a horse, and an ass and some land which he had acquired in the later part of his life (Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud). Once a few of his disciples, noticing the imprint of his mattress on his body, wished to give him a softer bed but he politely declined the offer saying,
"What have I to do with worldly things? My connection with the world is like that of a traveller resting for a while underneath the shade of a tree and then moving on."
Amr Ibn Al-Harith, a brother in law of the prophet (pbuh), says that when the prophet died, he did not leave a cent, a slave man or woman, or any property except his white mule, his weapons and a piece of land which he had dedicated for the good of the community (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari).
He advised the people to live simple lives and himself practised great austerities. Even when he had become the virtual king of Arabia, he lived an austere life bordering on privation. His wife Aiysha (ra) says that there was hardly a day in his life when he had two square meals (Muslim, Sahih Muslim, Vol.2, pg 198). When he died there was nothing in his house except a few seeds of barley left from a mound of the grain obtained from a Jew by pawning his armour (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, and Chapter "Aljihad").
He had declared unlawful for himself and his family anything given by the people by way of zakat or sadaqa (types of charity). He was so particular about this that he would not appoint any member of his family as a zakat collector (Sahah-Kitab Sadaqat).
His manners and disposition
"By the grace of Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and ill-tempered, they would have dispersed from round about you" (translation of Qur'an 3:159)
About himself the prophet (pbuh) said "Allah has sent me as an apostle so that I may demonstrate perfection of character, refinement of manners and loftiness of deportment." (Malik, Mawatta; Ahmed, Musnad; Mishkat)
By nature he was gentle and kind hearted, always inclined to be gracious and to overlook the faults of others. Politeness and courtesy, compassion and tenderness, simplicity and humility, sympathy and sincerity were some of the keynotes of his character. In the cause of right and justice he could be resolute and severe but more often than not, his severity was tempered with generosity. He had charming manners which won him the affection of his followers and secured their devotion. Though virtual king of Arabia and an apostle of Allah, he never assumed an air of superiority. Not that he had to conceal any such vein by practice and artifice: with fear of Allah, sincere humility was ingrained in his heart. He used to say,
"I am a Prophet of Allah but I do not know what will be my end." (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, Chapter "Al-Janaiz")
In one of his sermons calculated to instil the fear of Allah and the day of reckoning in the hearts of men, he said,
"O people of Quraish be prepared for the hereafter, I cannot save you from the punishment of Allah; O Bani Abd Manaf, I cannot save you from Allah; O Abbas, son of Abdul Mutalib, I cannot protect you either; O Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, even you I cannot save." (Sahahin)
He used to pray, "O Allah! I am but a man. If I hurt any one in any manner, then forgive me and do not punish me." (Ahmed, Musnad, Vol. 6 pg. 103)
He always received people with courtesy and showed respect to older people and stated: "To honour an old man is to show respect to Allah."
He would not deny courtesy even to wicked persons. It is stated that a person came to his house and asked permission for admission. The prophet (pbuh) remarked that he was not a good person but might be admitted. When he came in and while he remained in the house, he was shown full courtesy. When he left Aiysha (ra) said,
"You did not think well of this man, but you treated him so well."
The prophet (pbuh) replied, "He is a bad person in the sight of Allah who does not behave courteously and people shun his company because of his bad manners." (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari)
He was always the first to greet another and would not withdraw his hand from a handshake till the other man withdrew his. If one wanted to say something in his ears, he would not turn away till one had finished (Abu Dawud, Tirmizi). He did not like people to get up for him and used to say,
"Let him who likes people to stand up in his honour, he should seek a place in hell." (Abu Dawud, Kitabul Adab, Muhammadi Press, Delhi).
He would himself, however, stand up when any dignitary came to him. He had stood up to receive the wet nurse who had reared him in infancy and had spread his own sheet for her. His foster brother was given similar treatment. He avoided sitting at a prominent place in a gathering, so much so that people coming in had difficulty in spotting him and had to ask who the Prophet (pbuh) was. Quite frequently uncouth bedouins accosted him in their own gruff and impolite manner but he never took offence. (Abu Dawud Kitabul Atama).
He used to visit the poorest of ailing persons and exhorted all Muslims to do likewise (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, Chapter "Attendance on ailing persons"). He would sit with the humblest of persons saying that righteousness alone was the criterion of one's superiority over another. He invariably invited people be they slaves, servants or the poorest believers, to partake with him of his scanty meals (Tirmizi, Sunan Tirmizi).
Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then take his permission to enter the house. He advised the people to follow this etiquette and not to get annoyed if anyone declined to give permission, for it was quite likely the person concerned was busy otherwise and did not mean any disrespect (Ibid).
There was no type of household work too low or too undignified for him. Aiysha (ra) has stated,
"He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping." (Qazi Iyaz: Shifa; Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, Chapter: Kitabul Adab)
He would not hesitate to do the menial work of others, particularly of orphans and widows (Nasi, Darmi). Once when there was no male member in the house of the companion Kabab Bin Arat who had gone to the battlefield, he used to go to his house daily and milk his cattle for the inhabitants (Ibn Saad Vol. 6, p 213).
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2. The Islamic Concept of God
Contributed By Sister Ayeshah Starkey & Sister Janine Cadd, Western Australia.
The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God – the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus (AS). Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings and thus fulfils the natural inclination of the soul. As such, Islam’s concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to understand. Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God’s revelations to man are not clouded by self-contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas. As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him. According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him – neither in worship nor in belief. Hence, Muslims are required to maintain a direct relationship with God, and all intermediaries are absolutely forbidden. From the Islamic standpoint, believing in the Oneness of God means to realise that all prayer and worship should be exclusively for God and that He alone deserves such titles as ‘Lord’ and ‘Saviour’.
In the Qur’an – God’s revelation to the world-, Allah describes Himself thus:
Say: ‘He is Allah, One.’
‘Allah As- Samad*.’
‘He begets not, nor was He begotten.’
‘And there is none comparable to Him.’
Surat Al Ikhlās 112: 1-4
*The word Samad is difficult to translate directly into English but can mean, Eternal, Absolute, the One on whom everything depends.
In Surah Baqarah, 2: 255 Allah describes Himself as:
Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He
Al Hayyul- Al Qayyum*
Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth
Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission?
He know what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter
And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills
His Kursi** extends over the heavens and the earth
And he feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them
And He is the Most High, the Most Great
*Al Hayyul-Qayyum testifies that Allah is the Ever Living, Who never dies, Who sustains everyone and everything. All creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him, while He is the Most Rich, Who stands in need of nothing created.
** Kursi is the footstool to Allah’s throne which has been described as; “If the seven heavens and the seven earths were flattened and laid side by side, they would add up to the size of a ring in a desert, compared to the Kursi.”
As is evident to all, this description could only be of God, no-one else could possibly have these characteristics (the Creator and Sustainer of everything, never needing sleep, Perfect Knowledge of the past, present and future to name but a few. This is the essence of Islam and is called Tawheed in Arabic, it is the Oneness of Allah and derives from the word for ‘one’. Tawheed is the foundation of the declaration of faith in Islam which consists of two simple statements: ‘La ilaha illallah’ which means’’ there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah’ and Muhammad un Rasoolullah’ which means ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’
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3. The Month of Ramadan
Contributed By Wassim Danawi , New South Wales
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an act of obedience and submission to Allah's commands through the highest degree of commitment, sincerity and faithfulness to seek Allah's mercy, to atone for sins, errors, and mistakes and to avoid condemnation to Hell.
It is done out of deep love for God, with a genuine virtue of devotion, honest dedication and closeness to Allah, for Fasting is for Allah and Him alone.
"O you who believe! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you may learn self-restraint."(2:183)
The fasting during Ramadan is obligatory on every adult, sane, and able Muslim. Denial of the obligatory nature of fasting in the month of Ramadan amounts to disbelief. One who avoids fasting without genuine reasons is a sinner and transgressor according to Islamic Shariah (Law).
Time: When to fast
Because Ramadan is a lunar month, it begins about eleven days earlier each year.
Fasting in Islam involves abstinence from three primal physical needs of human beings- food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn (approximately one and a half hours before sunrise) to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan.
Who is exempted from fasting
1. Children under the age of puberty and discretion;
2. The insane people who are unaccountable for their deeds. People of these two categories are exempted from the duty of fasting and no compensation or any other substitute is enjoined on them;
3. Men and women who are too old and feeble to undertake the obligation of fasting and bear its hardships. Such people are exempted from this duty, but they must offer at least one needy poor Muslim an average full meal or its value per person day.
4. Sick people whose health is likely to be severely affected by fasting. They may postpone the fast, as long as they are sick, to a later date and makeup for it, a day for a day;
5. People expecting hardship. Such people may break the fast temporarily during their travel only and make up for it in later days, a day for a day. But it is better for them, the Qur’an says, to keep the fast if they can without causing extraordinary hardships;
6. Expectant women and women nursing their children may also break the fast, if its observance is likely to endanger their own health or that of their infants. But they must make up for the fast at a delayed time, a day for a day;
7. Women in periods of menstruation. They must postpone the fast till recovery and then make up for it, a day for day.
Niyyah or Intention of Fast
To observe the fast, the intention of fasting is essential (Wajib). The intention should be made daily, before dawn of each day of fasting (in Ramadan).
Provision is made if someone has forgotten to make his intention before dawn. In such a case one is allowed to make intention of fasting before noon to avoid the invalidation of the fast.
Suhoor
Suhoor is a light, predawn meal, recommended before actually fasting. It is a blessing and hence recommended but not essential.
Any consumption of food or drink should cease from the entry of Fajr (The first crack of dawn on the horizon).
Iftar
Iftar is an Arabic term meaning breaking the fast immediately after the sunset. Iftar is a light snack consisting of dates or desserts, along with liquids, such as water, juice or milk.
This is eaten after making the following Dua (supplication) for breaking the fast:
"Oh Allah! I fasted for your sake and I am breaking my fast from the sustenance You blessed me with, accept it from me."
What breaks the fast
1. Intentional consumption of food, drink, medicine, or smoking during the fasting.
2. Any injection which has some nutritional value.
3. Beginning of menstruation or post natal birth bleeding (even in the last moment of sunset).
The conditions mentioned above invalidate fasting and require "Qada" (making up only the missed day or days). However, intentional intercourse during the hours of fasting invalidates fasting and not only requires "Qada" but also additional penalty (Kaffara-see the explanation of this below).
What does not break the fast
1. Eating or drinking by mistake, unmindful of the fast.
2. Unintentional vomiting.
3. Swallowing things which are not possible to avoid, such as one's own saliva, street dust, smoke, etc.
4. Brushing the teeth.
5. Bathing: if water is swallowed unintentionally, it does not invalidate the fast. However, while fasting gargling should be avoided.
6. Injection or I/V (Intravenous) which is solely medicinal and not nutritional.
7. In some special circumstances if the food or drink is just tasted and immediately removed out of the mouth without allowing it to enter into the throat.
Kaffara
During the fasting period, if one deliberately breaks his or her fast, s/he must free one slave, or fast for sixty continuous days, or feed sixty needy persons, or spend in charity an amount equal to feeding sixty persons.
If one chooses to fast sixty days and the continuity is interrupted for any reason, except menstruation, one has to start the sixty day cycle all over again.
Breaking of the fast under exceptional conditions
Muslims are permitted to break their fast of Ramadan when there is a danger to their health.
In this situation a Muslim should make up his/her fast later. The missed fast(s) can be made up at any other time of the year, either continuously or intermittently, except on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr and the day of Eid-ul-Adha
Tarawih
These are special Sunnah prayers in the month of Ramadan. They follow the Isha prayers. A minimum of eight and a maximum of twenty Rakat are offered in pairs of two.
Lailat al-Qadr
Amongst the nights of Ramadan, there is one special night of Power (Qadr) which is highlighted in Surah al-Qadr (Surah 97 in the Quran).
It has the significance of being better than a thousand months (Quran 97:3).
This was the night when Quran was revealed to mankind. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) recommended Muslims search for this night of Power (Qadr) in the odd nights of the last ten nights in Ramadan.
Muslims spend the night in Ibadah (worship), asking forgiveness of their sins and reciting the Quran.
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4. Islam, My Choice
Contributed by Sister Razia Aly-Wade, Victoria
Dr Razia Aly was called Rebecca Wade when she was born. The daughter of a Uniting Church minister, her family lived in the eastern suburbs while she was growing up. As a teen and in the early years of a medical degree at Melbourne University she frequented many parties, nightclubs and drank alcohol.
It was also at this time that Dr Aly moved through the process that would lead her to embrace the Islamic religion. Now 25 and living in the northern suburbs, she is a working doctor and a Muslim. "The process of change took about five years before adopting Islam - it wasn't some sudden flash of enlightenment," Dr Aly said.
"It came from my own search for truth and a meaningful understanding of Christianity."
The Imam, or minister for religion at the Preston Mosque, Sheikh Fahmi El-Imam, estimates that about 2000 Melbournians, mostly of Christian background, have converted to Islam in the past 10 years. "Usually after meeting Muslims, visiting Islamic countries or reading about Islam," he said.
Dr Aly said her parents never forced Christianity upon their children. They continued to support her after her conversion, although they found some difficulties.
"Spirituality and religion are very important in my family and three years later they still find it hurtful," she said. As a minister's daughter, Dr Aly, struggled to reconcile her discomfort with aspects of Christianity and explored different denominations and religious cults that she came into contact with at university.
"I had two main problems with Christianity -The Trinity and what I saw as the lack of certain guidance about how to live everyday life." Dr Aly said.
"My understanding of God was that He was All-Knowing and the Ultimate Being. I felt to attach divinity to a human was detracting from God".'
Dr Aly met Muslims at university and talked to them about their religion. "Those sisters are now my best friends," she said.
Dr Aly said she previously had many negative impressions of Islam, but aspects she once thought would be a burden had become the guidance she needed.
"I used to think to pray five times a day would be a hassle but in a busy life, I find it a constant reorientation - five minutes taken to remember a bigger and more important aspect to life than day-to-day tasks. I look forward to it," she said.
"Wearing the scarf, covering from wrist to foot has been the biggest thing for me. People can perceive it as a barrier. It's taken a couple of years to get used to, but Islam provides guidelines and advice on nearly everything, and it's important to me that everything I do - the way I eat, talk, relate to people - brings me closer to Allah (swt)."
Dr Aly states that practices such as female circumcision and a ban on women driving cars are cultural customs, and un-Islamic.
"Islam values women greatly and sees them as intellectually equal to men. I still feel like a liberated woman," she said.
(Dr Razila.Aly's interview appeared in The Sentinel Newspaper on June 27, 1994).
This true story has been extracted from the book titled 'ISLAM Our Choice', published by MCSGA in 1995.
