Good Character - Professor Yahya Mahmood

Opening — The Khutbah of Need

All praise is to Allah, and peace be upon Muhammad, his Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"I was sent to perfect good character."
(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 8952; also narrated in al-Bayhaqi's Shu'ab al-Iman)

Islam — A Religion of Peace in the Broadest Sense

There are so many religions in the world, but if we study the history of all the religions, the only religion which came and brought peace with it — peace in the broadest meaning — it is Islam. Islam means everyone has to live in peace: in peace with himself, in peace with his family, in peace with his society, in peace with all human beings.

But it is very unfortunate at the same time that we have been painted by other people in such a way that now we are faced with allegations like that of extremism and terrorism. This is very unfortunate.

The Suffering of the Early Muslims in Makkah

Look at the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam — he and his followers were brutalized in Makkah for thirteen long years. All types of punishment, only because they said that they believe in one Allah and they believe that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the Prophet of Allah. Only because of that they were punished in such a way that history does not bring any other example like that.

Look at Bilal — how was he treated? Look at the Prophet himself, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam — what happened with him in Ta'if? And what happened with him when he was forced to go to Shi'b Abi Talib for more than three years without food and without anything? The young ones of the Banu Hashim were crying in such a way that the people who had some conscience were moved, but nobody could do anything. For three years that economic punishment was there.

They were forced to go out. First of all they had to go to Abyssinia — and that was a Christian country. The second group also went to the same place. And you know that throughout the history of mankind, Muslims went and fought with so many nations who attacked them, but there was never a fight between the Muslims and the people of Abyssinia — never, till this day. No army was ever sent there.

Two times they were forced to go out of Makkah; two times they went to Abyssinia. And the third and final hijra was to Madinah.

The Prophet's Arrival in Madinah — The First Written Constitution

When the Prophet reached Madinah, what did he do? He brought all the sections of society together. The Aws were fighting with the Khazraj, both of them were fighting with the Jews, and the other tribes were also fighting with each other. The Prophet, when he reached there, brought all of them together and put them to write: that we will co-exist, we will respect each other, we will be well-wishers of each other. This is the first written constitution of all humankind — the first of its kind.

At that time, look at the Romans. The Romans were the masters and all others living there were slaves to them — they had no rights. Even Roman women did not have rights. Study the Justinian law, which is contemporary to the Prophet — it was just thirty years before the Prophet. The Justinian law is considered to be a very, very good law of that time. Even now people praise it. But in it you will find that women did not even have the right to own anything. Everything which any woman would receive would belong to either her husband or her father. She could not do business; if she did and earned something, it was not hers. This was the environment at that time.

The Prophet came, the Muslims came, and fixed that — the rights of every section of society were defined, and it was written down.

The Battles — A Prophet Who Planned to Minimize Casualties

They were in Madinah. The Makkans went on doing everything in their power against Muslims. They sent Abu Sufyan to do business and bring back the profit so that they could buy arms to eliminate the Muslims from Madinah. They came to Uhud. The Rasulullah had a very small contingent of two or three hundred people. The message was clear: "We are on our readiness, we will be able to defend ourselves."

When they were about to leave Makkah, they were told that Abu Sufyan's trade caravan had come back safe and sound and nobody had attacked them — but still Abu Jahl said: "No, we will go." They came near Madinah, to Badr, which is nearer to Madinah and away from Makkah, and that was the Battle of Badr.

What were the instructions of the Prophet to the Muslim soldiers at that time? He said: "You just keep still, do not attack them. If they attack you, then you attack in reply, in your defense." It was clear instructions to the whole army.

Then, after Uhud, all the tribes of the Arab peninsula — Mudar and Quraysh, everybody — came together and came to attack on Madinah. The Prophet had never gone to attack them before. If he went, he went to perform Umrah, not to fight them. And they didn't let him in — they didn't allow him to perform Umrah.

Is there any other example in the history of any ruler or commander-in-chief planning like Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam planned? He planned that we will dig a trench around Madinah — it was a suggestion from Salman, and the Prophet accepted it. This was a way of defending. His plan in all the battles — if you study them deeply — was that he was the only commander who planned for there to be fewer and fewer casualties on both sides. The Khandaq saved the lives of not only the people of Madinah and the Muslims — it saved the lives of those who attacked as well. It was planned like that.

And when he had to go to Makkah after the Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah was torn away and people were killed despite that agreement — the people siding with Muslims were killed inside the Haram — he planned his march towards Makkah in such a way that there should be no bloodshed. The Prophet is the only commander whose plan was to save the lives of people on both sides. This is Islam.

The Conquest of Makkah — Generosity Toward Former Enemies

Everyone who was funding the battles and wars against Muslims — among them was the family of Umayyah ibn Khalaf. He was killed in Badr. His son Safwan ibn Umayyah was the richest person of Makkah, funding all those activities against Islam. But when Makkah was conquered and Safwan fled, his cousin Umayr ibn Wahb came to the Prophet and said:

"Ya Rasulullah, I went to Badr — I actually wanted to attack you — but your treatment was such that I accepted Islam. I came back and I promised you that I will go back to Makkah and save the people from hellfire. Now my cousin Safwan — who is, no doubt, the worst enemy of Muslims — his wife has accepted Islam and he is a runaway. If he crosses the Red Sea and goes to Africa then he is doomed forever. He will never come near to Islam, because Islam is the only way to save people from hellfire. Will you allow me to go and save Safwan from hellfire?"

The Prophet said: "Yes, by all means." He asked: "Can you give me something to show the people that you have agreed and have asked me to bring him back to Makkah and that nobody will attack Safwan?" The Prophet gave his own turban — the one he was wearing when he entered Makkah as a conqueror — so that everyone who saw it would know. Go and bring him back.

Safwan was brought back. His manners were like those of an enemy; his talks were like that. Whenever he came to the Prophet, he spoke in a manner which was not good. But the Prophet went on trying so that he should be saved.

The Prophet had borrowed some armaments from Safwan for the Battle of Hunayn. After Makkah, when the battle of Hunayn started, Safwan also went to see what would happen. After the conquest there was so much booty — so much that when the Prophet went to inspect it, he saw flocks and flocks of animals covering the mountains. Abu Sufyan was looking at them in astonishment.

The Prophet noted them looking, and said: one fifth of all that was on his disposal — it was for him to spend as he wished. He said: "Give one hundred camels to Abu Sufyan." Abu Sufyan was the worst enemy. He was the opponent. He was the leader of the Makkans. But the Prophet treated him in such a beautiful way because he had accepted Islam and the Prophet wanted him to be strong in Islam, and for his family to also come to Islam.

When he was given one hundred camels — a great amount of wealth — Abu Sufyan said: "Ya Rasulullah, you gave me one hundred camels — what about my son Muawiyah?" The Prophet said: "Give one hundred to Muawiyah." He spoke again: "What about my son Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan?" The Prophet said: "Yes, give one hundred for Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan." Three hundred camels went to one family — and one hundred camels was the price of a man's life in those days.

Then there was Safwan ibn Umayyah — the son of the worst enemy who was funding all the enemies of the Prophet. The Prophet said: "Give one hundred camels to Safwan ibn Umayyah." He was astonished. The Prophet noted his expression and said: "Give him one hundred more." He was unable to speak or express himself. His lips were moving but he could not utter anything. The Prophet said again: "Give one hundred more." That is three hundred to Safwan ibn Umayyah alone.

After that happened what should have happened — Safwan said: "Such a pure heart can only be the heart of a Prophet, not an ordinary man."

This was his mission. This was his treatment. This was his way. This was his actual mission — that everybody should be saved from hellfire. This is the Prophet of the mission. And if we are Muslims, we have to share the same mission. It should be our mission as well. This was the way the Prophet spread Islam, and this is the only way which can give a positive image of Muslims to others.

Our Mission Today — Especially in Britain

Now the time is not too much, but I have a suggestion — you may call it a message.

Since we all share the mission of the Prophet — of saving humanity, of bringing them to peace: eternal peace, peace in this world and peace hereafter — if we want to bring them all, and it is our responsibility, what should we do? Here, especially in England?

We don't own the finances of the world. We don't own the media — media is depicting us as extremists or terrorists. We don't own that. I once heard some people in Pakistan talking to each other and saying: "SubhanAllah, look at our fortune — the wealth is for others, the power is for others, but the children — the numbers — they are for us." They were just joking. But I had the idea that Allah has given us human resources in plenty, and every nation in the world is afraid that the Muslims will grow in number and outnumber them. Yes, it is a fact — we have plenty of our children, plenty of young people, and our labor force and human resources are too many. We can use them.

My suggestion is: we are in this country, we are living in an atmosphere where the courts are working, justice is being delivered, our people are getting benefits, we are allowed to run our masjids, you have prayed Eid in fields — I don't think this exists in so many other countries. Here it is possible. All these rights are given to Muslims.

The Way Forward: Education and Teaching

Note the education system of Britain — they badly need teachers. If all the young people, and all the parents as well, come to this conclusion and encourage their children to be educated and to become teachers in the schools — they need it. Teaching is becoming unpopular; people are running away from it because of the hardships. But when we have the mission of saving others, when we have the mission of giving the true picture of Islam to everyone and to society — in that case hardships do not have any importance, especially when we have the model of the Holy Prophet before us.

If we follow that model — how he was kind to others, how he preferred others' benefit over his own, how he kept himself hungry and fed others, how he distributed wealth among others while living the life of the poorest of the Ummah — Aisha said a very interesting thing. She said: "There were months we had nothing except water and dates — and the dates were of very low quality. And when the times changed and we were able to get better quality dates — that was the time when the Prophet left this world and went to Allah." He didn't even have good quality dates to live on. This was his character.

So if we take him as our example and follow him, there is no difficulty. What I suggest is that it is our duty — as citizens here, as Muslims — to do good to the society. The best way of doing good, as we don't have so much finances, we are not very rich, we don't own the media — is to give them the proper message. And the best way is to teach.

If you follow the example of the Prophet — how he taught, how his students and pupils looked at him, how they loved him, how he commanded their respect — if we follow that example and you have the chance of interaction with young ones in schools, colleges and universities for one whole year, you can inspire them. You can give them the real picture of Islam. This is very much in your control. You can do it.

If our young men and women decide to opt for teaching jobs, it will be a good thing for society and it will be a good thing for Muslims as well — because the real image of Islam will reach others. There is no other way, as far as I can think.

The Prophet — Sent as a Teacher

Did not the Prophet say: "I was sent as a teacher"? So to become a teacher is the best way of living. And did not Allah say — when He sent His Rasool, His Prophet, from among the people themselves — He sent a teacher? A Rasool who recites the ayat of the Quran before them — is that not a part of teaching?

"Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting unto them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom — although they had been before in manifest error."

There are three things which are the basic elements of the mission of the Prophet:

First — teaching: he recites the ayat before them. Second — tazkiyah: training them, purifying them, putting them away from bad things and bad habits. Third — he teaches them Al-Kitab: the message of Allah, which is a certainty that whoever understands and follows it is successful forever — here and hereafter. And then al-Hikmah — the wise way of life, wisdom. What does it mean? The wisest way of living in this world. Any human being cannot claim there is any way wiser than the way of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He was successful in everything — as a ruler, as a teacher, as a co-existing member of society. He was successful even with his enemies — he was saving their lives as well. Such success! Who else has this wisdom?

When wealth comes — how to spend it? Not only for your own benefit. For others first. To save them, to give to the worst enemies. This is the example. If we take the Prophet as our example — the Prophet is the teacher — teaching, teaching, and teaching. This is the way. So we can spread our message of peace by becoming teachers, just as the Prophet himself sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was, at his core, a teacher. And education is the way.

The Example of Malaysia and Indonesia

Let me only quote one example before the time is over — how the people in Malaysia and Indonesia accepted Islam. There was no argument, no special preachers were sent to them. Only businessmen went there, did their business, remained for months, interacted with society, and presented that image of Islam — and on their own, those hundreds of millions of people in Indonesia and Malaysia became Muslims. On their own.

So this is how your interaction with other people matters. And teachers have the best time, the best occasion, and the best opportunity to interact with others. If you love the young people, if you give them benefit, if you are a good teacher, if you guide them to the proper things — then they will respect you, love you, and will at least respect your religion as well, insha'Allah.

This is the message. I think we can perform our mission in such a way, and it will change the game. Let us pray that Allah makes us do what He likes us to do.

Closing Du'a

We praise Allah and we ask for His help, and we ask for His forgiveness, and we believe in Him, and we rely on Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our actions. Whoever Allah guides will not be misguided, and whoever He misguides will not be guided. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. The best word is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Jazakumullah khayr. Alhamdulillah.