Introduction
The Prophet Muhammad ( ) was undoubtedly the greatest man to have walked on this earth. He was the last messenger of Allah and a mercy to mankind. He brought with him laws that if we ruled by them, justice will prevail amongst our societies. He exuded the best of character that if we applied to our own selves, we will be highly respected and looked up to. He led the people with such leadership that if we were to have leaders with the same qualities, we will be the most successful nation. And finally, he brought with him Islam, the perfect religion, that if we follow as he described it, we will never be astray.
All through his lifetime, the Prophet Muhammad ( ) was referred to by Allah with different names and titles, all of which describe his unique role and the message that he conveyed. I chose this topic because when we were discussing in class about the importance of studying Seerah, we talked about how cultivating one’s love for the Prophet Muhammad ( ) necessitates our knowledge of as much aspect of his life as we can acquire. Furthermore, by knowing his names and titles, it will also give us an idea of the roles that he played, and the honor and respect that was given to him by our Creator.
In this paper, I have approached this topic by defining Seerah, citing the importance of studying it, the names and titles of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) and their significance, and the lessons I have learned throughout this research.
Definition of Seerah
Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his lifetime. It also means conduct, comportment, demeanor, behavior, way of life, attitude, position, reaction, way of acting, and biography. Seerah can be a biography of any person, not just the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, we have used it with him so much, that we automatically refer it to his life.
Importance of Studying Seerah
1. The life of Prophet Muhammad is the history of Islam - we are studying a concise history of Islam by studying Seerah. We will find situations and incidences during his life that would help us in everything that we would need to know in our way of Da’wah. So his life is really the history of our religion. Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas said: “Our father would teach us the battles of the Prophet (saw), he would teach us the seerah and he would tell us that these are the traditions of our fathers, so study them.” They used to refer to Seerah as Maghaazi, which means battles since the later part of the Prophet’s life was spent in Maghaazi. Ali bin Hussain bin Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “We were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught before it, and hijrah erases everything before it, and hajj erases everything before it.”
And so I became Muslim. At that stage, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) became the most beloved person to me in the whole world. I loved him so much and I respected him so much that I couldn’t even catch a full glimpse of his face. If I had died in that stage, I would’ve hoped to be in Jannah. Sohail Ibn Amr, a well-known negotiator, was sent to the Prophet (saw) and came back saying: “I visited the Roman emperor, Persian, Najashi, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad (saw). I saw amazing things, such as when the Prophet (saw) would be making wudhu and the sahabah would be rushing to grab the water dripping form the body. So do whatever you want but these people will never give up their leader.” Until now, he remains the most beloved figure in the whole of history.
The name Muhammad means the ‘Praised One’, and it really fulfilled the meaning. “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” (9:24)
2. To follow the way of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Hazm says: “Whoever seeks the preeminence of the Hereafter, the 1. wisdom of this life, the just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad, the prophet of Allah.”
3. Understanding Qur’an. Seerah gives explanation for some ayaat in the Qur’an.
4. His life documents the methodological steps of the Islamic Movement. He went through stages, starting with the secret da’wah, and then public, and then later on, Jihad. These stages are important for Islamic movements to learn and study. Qur’an and Sunnah are verbal teaching and we see them applied in Seerah. Hadeeth about the black string and white string.
5. It is ‘Ibaadah. There is reward in studying Seerah, wherein each gathering is a circle of Dhikr that angels attend.
6. Developing a Muslim identity. Global culture is forced on us, protected and promoted. Thomas Friedman says that “the hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist.” McDonald’s will never flourish without McDonald Douglas, the designer of F15’s. This means that the global culture that is being promoted is a culture wherein there is no choice but to follow. You either accept McDonald’s or McDonald Douglas will send their F15’s. It is a very intolerant culture that cannot exist with anything else. Alexander Szoltsen, famous historian writer, says that “to destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. The way we can counter this and develop a Muslim identity is 1.) Study Seerah which is made up of the lives of the Prophets, the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, and the great figures of our history. 2.) Not to override our local identity to our Islamic identity. What happens in other muslim countries should concern us like it’s happening to us.
7. The Life of Muhammad is a testimony of his Prophethood. We get to know the miracles (the Qur’an), and how he became the political leader, military, religious, lawmaker, teacher, imam, head of a large family, and all he used to do within only 23, which is impossible for any other. This shows that we are studying the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Michael H. Hart author, wrote a book about 100 most influential people that ever lived in history and chose the Prophet Muhammad. He states that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the only one who was supremely successful in both religious and Secular level. Al-Mustafa, a name of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which means “The Chosen One”.
