Compassion - a missing legacy of our Prophet (PBUH) - Part I

By - Shafaat Shahbandari (Bhatkallys.com) [caption id="attachment_104827" align="alignleft" width="150"] Shafaat Shahbandari,[/caption] The primary mission of prophets and messengers of Allah was to lift the humanity from the throes of darkness to the glow of ultimate Light - to unite the slaves with the real Master. A key ingredient required to carry out this mission is a feeling of compassion towards fellow beings and that the Last Prophet, Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), had in abundance. One of the shining features of Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) mission was his great care for the neglected and oppressed sections of the society. Much before he embarked on his prophetic mission he endeared the masses through his selfless devotion towards the marginalised segment of the Makkan society. He was the guardian of orphans, a pillar of support for the widows and a source of comfort for the sick. He was a healer of the hearts and a deliverer of justice. He was the spring of kindness for the oppressed and suppressed. His first wife and mother of the believers, Khadijah’s famous words are a testimony to his selfless service to humanity. Comforting him after he was visibly shaken following his first encounter with mighty Jibrail, she had said: “Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress.” Those words were beautifully set into Urdu verse by Moulana Altaf Hussain Hali:

وہ نبیوں میں رحمت لقب پانے والا مرادیں غریبوں کی بر لانے والا

مصیبت میں غیروں کے کام آنے والا وہ اپنے پرائے کا غم کھانے والا

فقیروں کا ملجا ضعیفوں کا ماویٰ یتیموں کا والی غلاموں کا مولیٰ

Which can be loosely translated as: Kindest among the Prophets all, An answer to the poor's call, Comfort for all in distress and pain, Liberator of souls from grief’s chain, A messiah for the oppressed and weak, For orphans and slaves he did speak! His warmth and affection was so widespread that when he set out on his mission for the greater good of humanity, his message resonated well with the weaker section of the society resulting in them being one of the first to accept the protection of Islam. Unfortunately, today most of his followers have forgotten this greatest Sunnah (practice). Himself an orphan, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) ensured the rights of orphans were duly recognised by the society. He personally dedicated himself to taking care of orphans and announced great rewards in supporting them. He was quoted as saying that those who take care of the orphans will be as close to him on the day of judgement as the index and middle fingers. What bigger honour can we ask for? Forget about adopting an orphan, how many orphans are we supporting? Much before slavery was abolished he not only encouraged freeing of slaves, but set up a practical example by adopting his slave Zayed Bin Haritha as his son. He discouraged slavery and announced great rewards in having them freed, which resulted in his illustrious companions competing to pay the ransom to free the slaves. Though, with the slavery abolished, we don't have the opportunity to emulate him in this noble gesture. A closest alternative to freeing the slaves would be to free people from the chains of debt and bail out prisoners trapped in false cases. Among his biggest contributions to humanity is the elevation of women. Before the advent of Islam, women were treated as nothing more than a commodity, inherited by the son from his father. A girl child was a matter of shame for the parents and there are hundreds of heartbreaking stories of fathers burying their daughters alive, to get rid of the 'burden.' Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) promised paradise for parents who took care of girls with love and devotion. What better encouragement and reward one can ask for? It is painful to see that despite all the progress, girls still have to face tragic fates in many cultures, not dissimilar to those that existed 1,400 years back. He elevated the status of women to mothers, wives and daughters, all of whom could be reasons for men to enter paradise. But, unfortunately today some of our households treat women not more than a domestic maid, who, far from being appreciated for their tireless work, are tortured and taunted for a minor mistake. How can we claim to be the true followers of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), when we are deliberately selective in following his Sunnah, adopting only those practices that is appealing to us, while ignoring others. Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) compassion for his family is well known. Despite the enormity of his mission, he carried out household chores like sweeping the floor, milking his sheep, mending his shoes, patching up his shirts and helped his wives in many other ways in their daily tasks. How many of us emulate this practice of our Beloved Prophet (PBUH)? Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was the saviour of the poor. He would give away everything he had for the poor. Unlike us, who don't tire enough calculating the minimum amount mandated for charity, he spent everything he had on others. Unfortunately, many of us even shirk from giving the bare minimum. If on occasions, he didn't have anything to give, he gave the seeker an idea or means to earn the livelihood, which goes to show that one doesn't need to be rich to make a difference. The system of zakat and endowments instituted by Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) became so successful that within a couple decades of his passing away, there was none in Madina and its vicinity who sought charity. There can't be any doubt that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was the first truly global and greatest humanitarian ever. But, there are very few among us who are carrying forward this legacy. People like Abdul Sattar Edhi, one of the greatest philanthropists over the last 100 years, who passed away recently after touching the hearts of millions, are the real torchbearers of the Prophet's (PBUH) glowing legacy. How many Edhis do we have around? There is no doubt that there are individuals who are quietly making meaningful contributions, but are there any who have made service of humanity a mission of their life? In order to bring a change in the society, devotion and dedication is more important than donations. How many of us are ready to devote our selves in the service of humanity? A recent launch of an ambulance service by ABM trust in Bhatkal is a step in the right direction. Hope it will be a stepping-stone towards bigger projects. To be continued..... (Shafaat Shahbandari is a Dubai based journalist) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. Bhatkallys.com is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Bhatkallys.com and Bhatkallys.com does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.