By Hannaan Fuad
Edited by Syafiqah Suhaimi
Around 14 centuries ago, the birth of one child in the southwestern part of Asia marked the beginning of a significant change in the history of the world. The child grew up to be one of the most influential figures in the history of the world, and his life was riddled with challenges and difficulties, a testament to the man’s toughness and bravery. Despite growing up in a rough environment, this man didn’t harbour any ill feelings towards the world. He remained pure, optimistic, and trustworthy, proving that he was wiser than any other man in the world today.
When most people of this age started to think of retirement at 40, this man, however, was given a bigger responsibility than anyone could think of. The world at the time was plagued with injustice and corruption, people were taking advantage of one another, the weak were left to fend for themselves, and the strong cared only about themselves. In short, it was a dark time, and this man, who had a strong sense of justice and righteousness, was tasked to do his best to save these people from the dark into the light. His story was long yet well-documented, and today, we’re going to look only briefly at the positive change that this man brought.
As mentioned earlier, during those times, the people were mainly morally corrupt. Lying, backstabbing and countless other horrible traits were running rampant and were considered the norm. This man, however, was well-known as honest and well-mannered. After his influence started to spread more, his advocacy for good behaviour caught on and people started to see the beauty in acting righteously. One famous instance of his kind-hearted nature was when he publicly forgave thousands of people who had declared themselves to be his enemies. He did so after managing to win back his homeland after being banished from it. He could have taken his revenge for the years of suffering that he experienced at their hands, but instead, he showed mercy and, as a result, thousands of people admitted that his message was true and willingly submitted to his leadership.
Consequently, people changed their behaviour and started to display a good attitude, resulting in a harmonious society.
Another legacy of his, is his absolute emphasis on the importance of seeking knowledge. The message that he carried stressed the significant value of using your head to think and ponder on substantial things. Before his time, the people filled their leisure time mostly by composing poems and reciting them to each other. Through poetry, they use it to achieve their vain agendas, such as using it to slander others and taint reputations, or on the other hand, they use it to excessively brag about and praise an individual. They even used it to fantasize about women. Things, however, started to change after this man’s power started to spread and his message about seeking knowledge started to gain wings across the continent. Poetry is still popular, but it is used now for greater purposes such as to ponder on the meaning of life, God’s universe and what happens after death.
This legacy of his continued on even after his passing, opening doors for a revival of intellectual discourse. After his time, scholars who studied under his companions, and generations below, started to translate foreign materials into their native tongue. Some of the foreign materials that they translate include books from the Greek civilization, which, as we know, birthed many of the most well-known philosophers of all time. Not only did they translate those materials, but they studied them, held discussions, and one even wrote a critique of Aristotelian philosophy. This intellectual movement kickstarted a whole new era of intellectual enlightenment and was deemed the Golden Age throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southern Europe.
His legacy was immensely huge, and if we were to talk about his whole life and influence here, it would be a 30-minute read instead, or even longer. His name is still mentioned today on a daily basis, and his presence is still felt; when we walk to class every morning to seek knowledge, when we discuss the meaning of life, and when we carry out his teachings in every other aspect of our life. We pray for our Lord’s peace and blessings upon him and pray that we will be able to meet him in the Hereafter. He is our beloved prophet Muhammad; may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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