THE GLOBAL MESSENGER

THE GLOBAL MESSENGER
"And We have not sent you except as a mercy for the worlds."
(Qur'an - 21:107)
Compiled by Umm Muhammad
2
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
3
Contents:
Foreword 4
Part One
General Introduction 8
Allah 8
Islam 9
Prophethood 10
Qur’an 13
Muhammad and the Qur’an 16
Hadith 20
Biography 21
Transparent Personality 23
Summary of Events 30
Before Prophethood 30
The Makkan Period 35
The Madinan Period 53
Part Two
Aspects of the Prophet’s Sunnah 75
In the Realm of Belief 77
Regarding Manners and Character 90
Regarding Deeds and Worship 100
The Prophet’s Supplication 111
Conclusion 121
References 127
4
FOREWORD
Advocates of secularism frequently blame religion for the unfortunate condition of our contemporary world1 with the claim that it breeds fanaticism. Undoubtedly, violent acts committed by aggressive and irresponsible members of all major religions have increased substantially in recent years. Some of them are sanctioned internationally regardless of the issues at stake because misplaced sympathies and worldly interests so demand.

Our statement that Islam is a religion of peace and civilization might well be met with skepticism because this religion in particular has been the victim of its adherents as well as its enemies. Muslims long deprived of justice under the present world order are committing large scale criminal acts, erroneously assuming that the prolonged suffering of their peoples has earned them the right to take matters into their own hands. But in so doing they not only alienate public opinion but violate the most basic principles of their religion.2
----------------------------------------
1 Disregarding how many have been killed by communists, nationalists and western nations who ignited two world wars within half a century, affecting half the population of the earth  not to speak of their current barbarism in various parts of the world.
2 No matter how sorely oppressed, Muslims are prohibited from allowing emotion to govern their behavior, excusing it with naïve interpretations of their religious texts. As part of their commitment to God they are under strict obligation to take their guidance from qualified scholars of Islamic jurisprudence
5
Another cause for bleak impressions of Islam is an increasingly biased media portrayal that targets the religion rather than its errant followers.3 In addition to the promotion of sensational
misinformation, Islam’s opponents have now perfected the art of provocation, aware that there is no shortage of Muslims whose frustration and anger will lead them to forget religious ethics and react impulsively.

All that remains after that is for the media to capitalize on the regrettable errors committed. More recently, provocation has taken the form of deliberate slander and hostile attacks on the Prophet of Islam, enraging Muslims throughout the world to a degree that is difficult for an outsider to comprehend.

The positive side, however, is that Muslims have been belatedly prompted to correct the negative impressions and to share their noble Prophet with the world, something they should have been doing all along in view of the fact that he was sent with a global message for all mankind.

The solution to ignorance and misunderstanding is education. Now, more than ever, Muslims need to answer to such questions as: "Who was Muhammad?" "Why is he loved so much by some and hated so much by others?" "Was he really a prophet of God?" "What regarding the interpretation of those texts and their application to critical contemporary situations.
-----------------------------------
3 In addition, the legitimate defense of land, homes and citizens is inevitably labeled as terrorism when carried out by Muslims, while the state terrorism practiced by powerful nations against defenseless opponents is readily excused or even commended.
6
did he teach?" "Did he live up to his claims?" "Did he encourage war and terrorism?" "What is the truth about this man?"

Non-Muslims, on the other hand, need to ask themselves honestly, "Does the religion itself encourage violence?" "Was this the teaching of Muhammad?" "Is everything we have been hearing lately the truth?" Then, they must seek answers with an open mind - from knowledgeable Muslims rather than biased western sources.

Religious conflicts are indeed a part of human history, but can strife be attributed to religion or to Islam in particular? Every prophet of God taught peaceful solutions through dialogue, appeal to reason and opposition even to the worst tyranny with the least bloodshed possible.

Enemies of those prophets, fearing loss of power and influence, perpetrated violence against them and their followers because they had no logical argument with which to save face and silence the opposition. And they, too, accused the advocates of religion of sedition and treason.

The purpose of this small book is not to answer ignorant or hostile critics, nor is it to recount praises of our Prophet as countless Muslim authors have done so eloquently over the centuries. Rather, it is to present facts that are based on historically verified sources and then leave the reader to make his own decision, or if he desires, to investigate the matter further.
7
The book is divided mainly into two sections, although the topics covered in both are interrelated and complimentary. The first acquaints the reader with information about the life of Prophet Muhammad and his global mission, while the second is concerned more with his teachings and way of life.

All statements have been taken from the authentic Arabic sources which are widely available for reference and study. But serious scholarship cannot rely on translations or compilations, such as this one, in languages other than the original. A work of this sort can be no more than an outline, and is meant merely as an introduction to the Messenger of God and the message he was ordered to convey.
8