Muhammad (PBUH)

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Muhammad (PBUH)

By: Sazea Afrin Begum

The prophet Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah. He was the prophet that Allah sent the holy Quran to. He is an example of how we should lead our lives to go to paradise. His whole life is based upon the Quran. If we lead our lives like the prophet (pbuh) then we are guaranteed to go to paradise. This is the prophets daily life and his life in his household.

   He used to brush his teeth five times a day, before each of the daily prayers. He was not very precise to where he slept. Sometimes he slept on his cot, sometimes on a skin or an ordinary mattress, and sometimes on the ground.

   On Friday he used to give sermons after the weekly Jumuah prayers. He was not annoyed if anyone interrupted him during the sermons for anything. It is stated that once, while he was delivering his sermon, a traveler approached him and said, 10 messenger of Allah! I am a traveler and am ignorant of my religion The prophet (pbuh) got down from the platform, explained the significant features of Islam to him and then resumed the sermon.

   The prophet (pbuh) had twelve wives: Khadijah, Sawdah, Aisha, Hafsah, Zainab (Umm AI Masakeen), Umm Salamah, Zainab, Juwairiyah, Umm Habibah, Sophia, Maimunah, and Mariam were his wives. He loved all of his wives dearly but he loved Bibi Aisha the most. She was the only virgin wife that he had.

   Bibi Khadijah was his first wife. He was 25 and she was 40 when they were married. She was the only wife he had till she died. He had sons and daughters with her but the sons did not live. Their daughters were Zainab, Ruqaiya, Umm Kulsum and Fatimah. Zainab was married to her cousin, Ruqaiya and Umm Kulsum were both married to Uthman. He married one after the other died. Fatimah was married to AIL The children they had were AI-Hasan, AI-Hossain, Zainab and Umm Kulsum.

   The prophet (pbuh) married Bibi Sawdah after a few days of Khadijah's death. He married Bibi Aisha a year after he married Bibi Sawdah. She was six years old when he married her. However he did not consummate her until she was nine years old. He then married Bibi Hafsah. Bibi Hafsah was husband less.

   He also married Zainab. She was nicknamed Umm Al Masakeen because of her kindness. She died two to three months after her marriage to the prophet. He married Umm Salmah. She used to be the wife of Jumada AI-Akhir. But when he died the prophet married her the same year. He also married another Zainab. She was the prophets cousin. She was married to Zaid Bin Haritha who was then considered to be the prophets son. But he divorced her. Allah sent these Quranic verses after her:'So when Zaid had accom plished his desire from her (Le., Divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage.' [Surah 33: Line 37]

   He also married Bibi Juwairiyah. She was a prisoner of war and she in his share. He married her later on. He married Umm Habibah. When her husband turned Christian she refused to change her religion and chose to stay Muslim. ...!\,. The prophet sent a messenger to I Urnrn Habibah for her hand in marriage after her husband left her. He also married Bibi Maimunah. Her also married Bibi Mariah. She was a gift and her married her later on. He also had one son with her Ibrahim. Ibrahim died while he was a little child, he died in Madina. These were the women that he consummated in marriage.

   Muhammad (pbuh) was of a height a little above the average. He was of sturdy build with long muscular limbs and tapering fingers. The hair of his head was long and thick with some waves in them. His forehead was large and high up, his eyelashes were long and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was somewhat large and his teeth were well set. His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant smile. His eyes were large and black with a touch of brown. His beard was thick and at the time of his death, he had seventeen gray heirs in it. He had a thin line of fine hair over his neck and chest.

   His dress generally consisted of a shirt, trouser, a sheet thrown round the shoulders and a turban. On rare occasions, he would put on costly robes presented to him by foreign emissaries in the later part of his life. His blanket had several patches. He had very few spare clothes, but he kept them spotlessly clean. He wanted others also to put on simple but clean clothes. The prophets used to like cleanness.

   The prophets house was a hut with walls of unbaked clay and a thatched roof of palm leaves covered by camel skin. He had separate apartments for his wives, a small room for each made of similar materials. His own apartment contained a rope, bed, a pillow stuffed with palm leaves, the skin of some animal spread on the floor and a water bag of leather and some weapons.

   The prophet was gentle and kind hearted, always inclined to be gracious and to overlook the faults of others. Politeness and courtesy, compassion and tenderness, simplicity and humility, sympathy and sincerity were some of the keynotes of his character. In the cause of right and justice he could be resolute and severe but more often than not, his severity was tempered with generosity. He had charming manners, which won him the affection of his followers and secured their devotion. Though king of Arabia and a messenger of Allah, he never assumed an air of superiority. He used to pray and showed respect to older people.

   Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then take his permission to enter the house. He advised the people to follow this etiquette and not to get annoyed if anyone declined to give permission, for it was quite likely the person concerned was busy otherwise and did not mean any disrespect. The prophet used to do housework. He was not ashamed of it. Aisha said: 'He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping.'

   He was especially fond of children and used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. The prophet would pick up children in his arms, play with them, and kiss them.

   The prophet was a great man. He is an example of how we should live our lives. He lived his life according to the Quran. We should all live or lives like him or at least try to. We should never envy anyone or hate anyone since the prophet did not hate nor envy anyone. He loved all people whether they were evil or good. His love is what gained him his followers. He was a messenger of Allah and he bought the Quran to us. To become truly Muslim we have to have Iman. And to bring Iman to ourselves we have to believe in Allah and that the prophet (pbuh) bought the Quran to us. We also have to believe in the earlier prophets that came before our prophet (pbuh).