The Wisdom of the Prophet

Anger Management

The hostile members of the tribe of Quraysh had given the Prophet the nomenclature of Mudhammam (the condemned one), although his name was Muhammad, meaning “the praised one”. By addressing the Prophet with this derogatory name, the Quraysh used to heap abuses on him. The Prophet said to his

God has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and has taught you what you did not know. God’s favour to you has been great indeed.

The Quran, 4:113

companions, “Don’t you wonder how God has saved me from the abuses of the Quraysh? They abuse and condemn a person named Mudhammam, while I am Muhammad.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 3533) We tend to become sensitive when our ego is hurt and respond with similar rebuttals. But what did the Prophet do? He managed the issue of being ridiculed with wisdom. Often, we make a certain issue an instance of our dignity being offended and thus respond with hypersensitivity. However, the Prophet taught us that there is also greater dignity in avoiding and dismissing such situations with ease. Cultivating the attitude exemplified by the Prophet can help us deal with such situations better.

Positive Thinking: Ignore the Problem, Avail the Opportunity

The Prophet would carry out his mission of spreading the message of monotheism in Makkah. The pattern that can be observed repeatedly from the method he followed was that he avoided people’s unpleasant behaviour and would steadfastly continue to work to disseminate the teachings of Islam. The Quran is filled with injunctions to the Prophet to avoid the opponents with  enduring patience and focus on his duty. We can say that the Prophet followed the formula: ignore the problem, avail the opportunity. Even in trying situations, he looked for opportunities to spread his message instead of becoming enmeshed in disputes and reactionary behaviour.

We observe such exceptional positivity exhibited by the Prophet even in a very hostile environment. The Prophet would ask his companions to adhere to patience and forbearance. In today’s terms, we could say that the Prophet maintained his unwavering positivity and uplifted the spirits of his companions. Why such emphasis on positive bent of mind? We can readily observe in our own experiences that our minds benefit from what is known as the “positivity advantage.” When we cultivate a positive mindset, our brains perform significantly better than in negative states. In this uplifting state, our intelligence, creativity, and energy levels all increase markedly. The Prophet, therefore, did not only perform a religious duty but gave us a very significant lesson in how to train our minds to function.

Seeing Stress as a Challenge, not a Threat

One particular aspect of the life of the Prophet Muhammad comes before us in chapter 94 of the Quran: “Surely, with every hardship there is ease.” (94:5-6) The context of this verse is that Prophet’s opponents would try to dissuade every person or tribe from paying attention to him. They would accuse him of being a heretic. This false propaganda became the means of spreading his message far and wide. People from outside Makkah would come enquiring about the person who claimed to receive revelations. So what started as a campaign to smear the image of the Prophet ended up granting him, as the Quran says, “high renown”. (94:4)

This gives us a principle of turning disadvantageous situations to our advantage and continuing our activities with hope, as the Prophet did, even in times of great frustration. He saw stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.

The Prophet of Peace 

Throughout his life as a Prophet, what did the Prophet do? He recited non-war-related Quranic verses to the people, such as: “Read in the name of your Lord who created.” (96:1) He kept asking them to discover God, the Creator and Sustainer. He taught them how to worship and make supplications to God. He taught them about morality and humaneness. He told them that when others troubled them, even then, they must behave with patience and avoid conflict. He gave people the teachings of the Quran as a book for reforming themselves and for sharing divine wisdom with others. He taught them that true success lies in entering Paradise, not in gaining worldly power. By his own practical example, he showed people how to carry on the mission of Islam through peaceful means and without resorting to confrontation. He demonstrated how it is possible for people to save themselves from falling prey to hatred of others in even the most turbulent situations and how, at such times, one can remain peaceful and carry on working for the true welfare of others.

All these non-violent activities of the Prophet are undoubtedly exalted Islamic actions. In fact, these are the very essence of the mission of prophethood. As far as war is concerned, it is only an exceptional necessity.

War always aims at removing external obstacles, not at producing an inner state of higher consciousness within individuals. For the latter purpose, the appropriate methods is advice, exhortation and guidance. It has nothing to do with war.

The lesson that we learn from the life of the Prophet is to avoid confrontation at all costs and avail opportunities. No constructive work can be accomplished in the absence of a peaceful environment. Whether it is economic progress, social welfare, spiritual development, or even worship, all can only thrive in peaceful conditions. This is why Islam stresses the avoidance of war and confrontation. It commands its followers to establish peace at all costs. This is expressed in a verse of the Quran which states, “Reconciliation is best.” (4:128)

Peace is thus inextricably linked to Islam. The goal Islam gives to its followers cannot be achieved in the absence of peaceful conditions or in a situation of war and violence. In Islam, the spiritual goal of a believer is the discovery of God through study, contemplation and reflection on nature, the universe and life. This kind of spiritual and intellectual work cannot happen when people are continually engaged in war or are living in a society where violence is perpetrated as a norm. For this reason, Islam places the utmost significance on the establishment of peace at any cost, for without peaceful conditions, the very goal or objective of Islam is jeopardised and remains unachieved.

Summary

The Prophet Muhammad followed these teachings of the Quran throughout his missionary life. The Quran describes the Prophet as “a mercy to all mankind.” (21:107) The Prophet’s mission was to bring about a spiritual awakening in a human being. His mission can be summed up in these words of the Quran: Kunu rabbaniyin (3:79), that is, to become God-oriented in one’s speech, actions, and thoughts.  Such a mission requires an intellectual revolution and not a political revolution. The Prophet’s concern was to bring personal transformation in an individual and help him deal with life’s various challenges. With the help of the Quran the Prophet worked to guide individuals in search of meaning and purpose in life beyond material gratification.