With the help of enormous observatories, astronomers reached  the conclusion that this universe has no limits and that no one can grasp it properly.  Everyday there are new galaxies and farther stars. There are hundreds of thousands of galaxies; and each one has thousands of millions of stars and planets.  There is a new discovery of a star which is about three hundred thousand million light-years far from the Earth, given that light travells 300,000 km in a second. Allah says: “So I swear by the setting of the stars. And verily that is indeed a great oath if you but know. [LVI; 75,76]

 

It is verily a great oath to swear by the setting of the stars, for none but scientists and people possessed of knowledge know what that means. Such knowledge, however, breeds veneration and humbleness to the Lord All Mighty. Allah says: “Those truly fear Allah among his Servants who have knowledge” [XXXV; 28] He also says:”We created Not the heavens, the earth and all between them but for the Truth.” [XV ; 85]

 

Truth was the reason for the creation of the Heavens and the Earth; but what does the word "Truth" mean? What a wonderful Book the Holy Qumran is! And how wonderfully its verses interpret each other! Allah says:”Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all that is  between them” [IIXC; 27]

 

The Truth, therefore,  is the opposite of Vanity. Allah says:”Not for (idle) sport did we create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them” [XXI; 16]

So the Truth is contradictory with sport. It is neither Vanity nor Sport. If Vanity is the impermanent and perishable thing, then the Truth is the permanent eternal thing; and if Sport has no purpose or aim, then the Truth is something which has a great goal. So the truth is the stability which has a noble purpose, or it is the permanent wisdom. But what is the purpose and wisdom underlying the creation of the heavens and the earth? Some of the scholars interpreted this verse saying:

 

Allah created the heavens and the earth as a manifestation of His Most Beautiful Names and Attributes; and He All Mighty created us to recognize Him through the creation of the heavens and the earth. So if we recognize Him, we worship Him; and if we worship Him properly, we will be happy with His worship in this life and the Hereafter. Whoever recognizes Allah and worships him properly becomes happy being closer to him; such a man realy fulfills the purpose of his own creation as well as the creation of heavens and the earth.

 

In a Divine Hadith Allah says, “O son of Adam! Seek me, and you will find me. If you find Me, then you find everything; and if you lose me you lose everything; and I am more beloved to you than everything.”[1]

 

Knowing Allah is a vital thing in man's life. Whoever fails to know his Lord or is not guided by His Guidance his mind will be mislead and his soul will be miserable; he will regret for what he has lost and will be afraid of what is to come; and he will be impatient, irritable and discontented. Allah says: “Whoever follows My Guidance will not lose his way nor fall into misery”[XX; 123], “Whoever follows My Guidance on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve” [II ; 38] and:” Truly man was created impatient, Fretful when evil touches him, and niggardly when good touches him. Not so are those devoted to Prayer”[CXX; 29-22]

 

How can people be convinced of this Divine Guidance? How can they be convinced to follow it?  why did lots of people become Muslims in the Prophet's life? Why did so many people convert from Islam through some later periods? Why was one single Companion of the Holy Prophet’s like one thousand men, and, then, later Muslims lose their power, respect and dignity? Why did the Prophets succeed in purifying their followers’ souls and provide them with spiritual enhancement, while so many modern preachers and reformers who claim to be religious failed?

 

One of the thinkers says: To set one good example is more beneficial for people than ten volumes, because living people do not believe but live examples. Therefore the Prophet who was only one person with his good manners and sincere strife for the sake of Allah was a better guidance for people than thousands of writers who filled their books with values and morals. Most people can speak about high morals or ideals, but they can never practice them; that is why the lives of the holy Prophets was miracles of their own; and the outcomes of their Call were also unique miracles. But those who call to Allah insincerely are met with disdain and mockery.

 

Islam cannot be revived except through high ideals, good exemplars, straight behavior, self-discipline, abstinence from personal interests and unlawful things, righteous work, self-sacrifice and altruism. In this context, the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), says, “True Faith is not a mere desire or adornment, but rather something that is deeply rooted in man’s heart and manifested by righteous work.” He (PBUH) also says, “ Two Rak’as (of Prayer performed) by a pious person are far better than a thousand Rak’as by someone who mingles (good deeds with evil ones).” It has also been rightly said, “If someone is not deterred by one’s piety from the things that Allah considers as unlawful, Allah cares not for anything (righteous) that he does.”

 

Ibn Omar, may Allah be pleased with them both, one day saw a shepherd with some sheep. He said to him: “I’d like to buy this sheep.” The shepherd said, “It is not  mine.” Desiring to test the shepherd’s sincerity, Ibn Omar said, “Tell your master that it died or was eaten by a wolf and take its price for yourself.”  The shepherd repeated, “It is not mine.” Ibn Omar said, Here! Take its price!” The shepherd angrily said, “I swear by Allah that I am in a terrible need of the money; and if I said to my master that it died or was eaten by a wolf, he would believe me, because he trusts me. But where is Allah?!”

 

The shepherd touched the very core of Islam when he said that, although his share of religious knowledge was so little. Verily, it suffices man of knowledge to fear Allah; and it suffices him of ignorance to disobey Him.

 

If someone is tempted to take something that does not belong to him while no one is watching, but says to himself, as the shepherd did, “But where is Allah?!”, this means that he knows his Lord, the Almighty, and he is a true worshipper. But if he forgets such a fatal question and takes what does not belong to him, all his religious knowledge, no matter how big it might be, avails him nothing, and his worship and deeds of righteousness will by no means be accepted by the Lord All High.

 

Sahl Altustori[2] once said: “By Allah! To abandon an unlawful Durham(of money) is better than to perform the Hajj eighty times after the official Hajj”. It has also been rightly said, “A Wali (Allah’s beloved friend)is not someone who can do miraculous deeds, but someone who follows Allah’s Commands sincerely, specially under difficult circumstances”  

 

Omar, the second Muslim Caliph, may Allah be pleased with him, once addressed the righteous man Owais Al-Qorani, “O Owais! Admonish me.” Owais said, “Hope for Allah’s Mercy when you obey Him, and fear of His Wrath when you disobey Him; and do not lose hope between the two cases.”

 

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In the Holy Quran there are delicate references to the attributes that every caller to Allah must be endowed with:

 

- He must disdain this temporal life and not make his knowledge of Religion a means to fulfill his personal interests and aspirations. Allah says: “A man said “O my people! Obey the Messengers; obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves) and who have themselves received guidance”[XXXVI; 20-21]

 

-He must have good deeds, because they are the evidence of his truthfulness, and that can help him to succeed in his mission. Allah says: ”Who is better in speech that who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says, ‘I am of those who submit themselves to Allah as Muslims”? [IXC; 33]

 

-He must remain steadfast in his worship, abstain from disobedience and show enough patience with whom he invites to Allah’s Religion, for this is a good evidence of his truthfulness in seeking Allah’s Paradise and determination to make Allah pleased with him. Allah says: “And We appointed, from among them, leaders giving guidance under our command so long as they preserved with patience”[XXXII; 23]

 

- He must be completely guided by Allah’s Commands at weal or woe, and whether he knows the wisdom behind such Commands or not. This is because content with destiny, only because it is from Allah, is the highest degree of belief. Allah says: ”And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain Commands, which he fulfilled. Allah addressed him, ‘I will make you an Imam (leader) to mankind” [II; 124]

 

-He must fear no one but Allah Alone. Allah says, “(It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear none but Allah”[XXXII; 39]

 

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The Prophet (PBUH) was the ideal example for his pious Companions and the righteous believers. His Call was distinguished by its wide range and  deep effect. The reason is that he practiced what he preached. The Prophet (PBUH) was on an excellent standard of character; his manners were completely derived from the Holy Quran.  His venerable Companions loved and obeyed him to an incredible extent. Before he embraced Islam, Abu Sofian said, “I have never seen anybody who loves another as the Companions of Muhammad love him “.

 

The secret behind the deep and great effect that the Prophet (PBUH) had on his Companions was that he was the ideal and the best example to be followed.

 

After having met the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the King of Oman said, “I swear by Allah that the thing which guided me to the truthfulness of this illiterate Prophet was that he never enjoined or invited to a good thing unless he had been the first one to do it; and he never forbade anything unless he had been the first one to abandon it. If he won, he was never ungrateful; and if he was defeated he was never impatient. And he fulfils his pledges and keeps his promises.

 

The perfect example that the Prophet (PBUH) gave in his life and his good character and manners made his Companions of the follow him and adopt his Tradition and adhere to his religion. Omar ibn Al-Khattab, for example, used to follow the character of the Prophet (PBUH) and adopt his manners and stances. Whenever he wanted to do anything, he gathered his people and relatives and addressed them, “I have bidden people to do so and so, and forbidden them to do so and so; and people are like birds; if they see you committing bad things they will do the same. I swear by Allah! If any one of you comes to me committing anything I have forbidden people to do, I shall double his punishment for him, because of the kinship that links him with me!” Hence kinship with Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, turned out a heavy burden and a great responsibility.

 

By his noble behavior and character, this rightly guided Caliph, may Allah be pleased with him, substantiated the values of Truth and Goodness most beautifully. He embodied such great values by his attitudes and judgments. Therefore he was really a principled hero who strived to achieve his noble principles at all costs.

 

When Omar ibn Al-Khattab was Caliph, Jabala Ibn Al-Ayham[3], the last King of Al-Ghasasena, came to him to announce his conversion to Islam. Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, welcomed him warmly. But later on, while he was going round the Ka’bah in the Hajj (pilgrimage), a Bedouin from Fazarah stepped on Jabala’s wrapper, and the King got angry. He turned to the Bedouin and hit him on the face breaking his nose. The Bedouin complained to Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, who sent for the King to come to his Assembly. A dialogue took place between them as follows:

 

Omar said, “O Ibn Al-Ayham! This morning, I saw a bitter view. a Bedouin from Fazara came to me complaining with a broken nose and a bleeding face! When we asked him, he put the blame on you. Was it true?” Jabala said, “I am not of those who deny or conceal matters; I punished this guy and took my right with my hands.” Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Which right are you talking about? With others than me the poor and weak might be wronged or treated unjustly. With others than me an innocent face may be hit in vanity. Desires of ignorance and insolent arrogance have no place to dwell with us after we have established a new civilization of human equality and justice. Salves are now equal to free men; the poor are equal to the rich. No way! The guy’s right has to be redeemed! Your nail is still stained with his blood! Or else he will break your nose as you did to him.” Jabala said: “How come, O Commander of Believers?! He is an ordinary man, and I am a king! How can you be pleased to see a star falling down?! It was a mere illusion when  I  thought that I would be with you stronger and more honorable! I will apostatize if you force me!” Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The neck of an apostate is to be chopped off by sword. It is a new world that we are now building – a world wherein wrong things are set right and differences between slaves and free men are eliminated!”

 

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Another example of Omar’s excellent biography is the following:

Once the envoy of Omar’s governor in Azerbaijan  arrived at Medina late at night. He did not want to go straight to the Caliph’s house at that late hour, so he headed to the Holy Prophet’s mosque, where he heard a groaning voice of a man standing up the night in prayer to Allah:                                        

“O my Lord! I am standing at your door, holding to your rope! Have you accepted my repentance so that I congratulate myself, or rejected it so that I console it?                                                                                                        

The convoy said: “Who are you, may Allah have mercy on you?” The man replied, “I am Omar ibn Al-Khattab.” The convoy said, “O Commander of Believers! Do you not sleep at night?!” Omar said, “If I sleep the whole night I shall lose myself before my Lord; and if I sleep during the day, I shall lose my subjects!”                                                                                       

Then they stayed in the mosque till the dawn prayer. And after prayer, Omar invited the envoy to his house to breakfast. Omar bade his wife, Um Kulthum , may Allah be pleased with her, to prepare breakfast, asking, “What have you got for us to eat?” “Nothing but a little bread and salt!” was her reply.                                                                                   

Having had a rough breakfast, Omar asked the envoy, “Why did you come?” He said, “Your governor there sent me with this present, a box of sweets made only there.” Omar said, “Do all Muslims there eat such food?”  “No, it is specially made for the high class.” Was the man’s reply. Omar said, “Did you give all poor people of Medina the same thing that you gave to me?!” “No, it is specially for you.” Was the man’s reply. Omar said, “Tell  my governor there to eat from what common Muslims eat there, and never to do what he did again!” Then he bade the envoy to go to the mosque and to distribute all the sweets among the poor, saying, “Unlawful is it for Omar’s stomach to eat sweets that poor Muslims do not eat!”

 

No wonder, for Omar had addressed his stomach after a long time of abstention from meat, during the year of famine, saying, “O my stomach! It  matters not if you rumble or not! I swear by Allah that you will not taste of meat before Muslim children’s stomachs  have been filled up with it!”

 

How great the venerable Companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were! What could it be said about them?! Were they human beings?! Yes, indeed they were, but not like other human beings! Were they angles?! Yes, but in terms of purity, chastity and nobility.  

 

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Eminent scholars of the righteous ancestors realized the great impact of good exemplars in purifying man’s soul, providing him with spiritual enhancement and inciting him to perform paramount deeds and noble actions. Therefore, they admonished themselves before they admonished others. That is why their influence on the public was great, and their prestige  with the rulers was high.

 

Imam Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Preaching is like the Zakat (alms) on ones wealth. Zakat is not due unless one owns the Nisab (the required amount of money to pay Zakat); Similarly a man who is not properly admonished should not preach.” The Holy Prophet (PBUH) also says, “I have left you with two Admonishers, namely the Holy Quran and death; one is sleaking and the other is silent. The Speaking Admonisher is the Holy Quran; and the Silent Admonisher is Death.” Both Admonishers are sufficient to those who want to be admonished. I thought to myself, “Do you not believe that the Quran is the Speaking Admonisher, because Allah says, ‘Those who desire the life of the present world and its glitter, to them We shall pay (the price of) their deeds therein without diminution. Such are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but the fire; vain are the designs they frame therein and of no effect are the deeds that they do’ [XI; 15-16] Allah promised you with the fire if you love this life. And everything that does not accompany you after death is from this life. If a physician warns you of becoming ill if you eat delicious food, you will avoid such food. Do you believe the physician more than you believe Allah? If it be so, what a disbelieve you are! And if the illness is harder on you than Hell Fire, how ignorant you are!  Then I admonished myself with the Silent Admonisher, Death. I said, “The Speaking Admonisher, on behalf of the Silent Admonisher, says, ‘Did you see?! If we do let them enjoy (this life) for a few years and, then, there comes to them at length the (punishment) which they were promised. It will profit them not that they enjoyed (this life)’. [XXVI; 205-207] ”

 

Thus we notice how good exemplars affect people’s souls like magic, for people learn not by their ears, but rather by their eyes. And the language of action is much more effective than the language of tongue. Therefore, you cannot convince others of anything unless you are completely convinced of it. And you cannot ask people to do anything unless you precede them by doing it. Only then you will be a good example.

 

A good example is a fact with its own evidence. How can the shadow be straight while the origin is twisted? And you, dear Muslim brother, are protecting one of the guard-holes of the castle of Islam, so let not Islam be attacked from the guard-hole that you protect. And, furthermore, this Ummah (nation) will not be reformed except by what it was reformed at the beginning. In a Divine Hadith, Allah, the Almighty, says, “Verily, I have accepted this Religion (of Islam to be the religion of mankind) towards Me. Nothing can set right this religion except generosity and good manners; so, honor it by them as much as you can.”