Presenter: Ust. Dr. Samsul Basri
Rasulullah became uswatun hasanah (good role model) because Allah intervened directly to educate him. Therefore, every action of the Prophet became an example for his people, starting from everyday life, doing religious activities, and educating the family.
In QS Al-Ahzab verse 21, Allah says: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.”
Allah’s actions in educating the Prophet were reflected in and became the cause of the revelation (asbabun nuzul) of Abasa’s letter. At that time, the Apostle was preaching to the Quraish officials, hoping they would be interested in Islamic teachings. In this way, people are expected to convert to Islam following their leaders.
Amid this, a blind man named Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum wanted to ask about Islam. The Messenger of Allah showed his displeasure and felt disturbed. Then, Allah revealed the first verse of the letter ‘Abasa as a warning to remind the Prophet that in Islam, everyone has the same position and must be respected, regardless of physical perfection and social status.
The Prophet is a role model in many aspects of life, including:
1. Aqidah
Aqidah is a belief firmly embedded in a Muslim’s heart about the truth of Islamic teachings, especially related to faith in Allah, angels, books, apostles, the last day, and qadha and qadar (destiny). The Prophet was very sure of the power of Allah, including the coming of Allah’s help when in a difficult situation.
2. Worship
The Prophet was also a role model in worship. Worship, what is done without knowledge or foundation, can end in vain and not be accepted by Allah SWT. Types of worship can be divided into the following:
- Mahdhah worship (direct devotion of the servant to his Lord) As a leader of the people, head of the family, and businessman, the Messenger of Allah still had time “together” with Allah, such as during the night prayer. We can imitate the many sunnahs carried out by the Messenger of Allah to seek Allah’s pleasure.
- Worship ghoiru mahdhah (when interacting with other humans/muamalah).
The Messenger of Allah was known as an honest trader and even had the title of Al-Amin (the trustworthy) long before he was appointed a prophet. This shows that the Prophet had good morals when dealing with other people or interacting with them.
3. Good morals/manners.
The Prophet Muhammad was very gentle, loving, and respected everyone, even his companions felt they had a special relationship with him. One of the famous stories is the story of Amr bin Al-Ash, a companion who once felt very loved by the Prophet Muhammad.
Amr bin Al-Ash radhiyallahu ‘anhu said that one day, he came to the Prophet and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who is the person you love the most?” The Prophet replied, “Aisha.”
Amr bin Al-Ash then asked again, “What about from among the men?” The Prophet replied, “Aisha’s father (namely Abu Bakr).” Amr then asked again, “Then who else after him?” The Prophet replied, “Umar.”
Amr continued his question, “Then who else?” The Prophet replied, “Then Uthman.”
Feeling that his name had not been mentioned, Amr bin Al-Ash stopped asking. He realized that the Prophet’s love for his companions was not limited to one or two people but extended to many. Even so, he felt appreciated because the Prophet treated him with kindness and attention, making Amr feel very loved.
The Prophet’s method in educating the people, if referring to Q.S. Al-Jumu’ah verse 2, is to read His verses (tilawah), purify the soul (tazkiyah), and teach the Qur’an and sunnah (ta’lim).
These three things can be applied to the family as a form of responsibility of the head of the family in educating his family. Each family should have a specific time to read His verses together, purify the soul together (one way is by regularly praying in congregation), and learn and teach the verses of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
As a form of our love for the Prophet Muhammad and being happy with his birth, we must follow the manners of the Prophet, including being an honest trader, being a trustworthy official, and always working well because we realize that Allah is always watching us.
In addition, the people need to recognize the Prophet by studying the daily manners of the Prophet. For example, manners as a parent and husband to his wife. This can be seen in the hadith narrated by at-Tirmidhi and ad-Darimi, which means “The best of you are the best (in character) towards your families. And I am the best among you towards my family.”
Daily manners include waking up, having hadath, eating, and others. This can be seen in the many sunnahs exemplified by the Prophet for daily activities, such as the order of cutting nails, the recommendation to beat the mattress before sleeping, the direction when having hadath, and others.
Other manners that should also be followed are manners as a leader, neighbour, and other dimensions in our lives. By following the manners of the Prophet, God willing, blessings will cover every step of our daily lives. (DIL)
