Birth of the Greatest Benefactor to Humanity
| Khatib : | Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: | 100 |
| Khutbah Date: | 04/30/04 |
[Qur'an 94:4]
The Prophet is Born
At a chaotic period in history when the murky clouds of impropriety covered the firmament of the world; when injustice, tumult and turmoil was rampant; when human dignity was at its lowest ebb, when young girls were entombed alive for being female, when the crevice between the exploiter and exploited was incessantly mounting; when corruption, lascivious modes of behavior, moral degeneration were increasing; when superstition, racial discrimination and oppression was the order of the day … at that time, a Prophet was born; descending from the dynasty of Abraham the idol-breaker, Moses the pharaoh-fighter, and Jesus the benevolent.
"Four years after the death of (Roman emperor) Justinian, in 569 A.D., was born at Makkah in Arabia, the man who of all men, who exercised the greatest influence upon the human race, Muhammad"
[Anglo-American historian and philosopher, Dr John William Draper, A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe; volume 1 page 329]
When we consider our situation today; over fourteen hundred years after the exemplary mission of the Final Messenger, and 1478 years (today) after his birth, we realize that we are more than ever in need of such inspiration and motivation; more in need of such a role model who represents the best legacy of our human heritage and whose life message was an embodiment of the universal values that we all can share.
Model of Excellence
A study of the Prophet’s illustrious life reveals immense suffering, principled dedication, unwavering faith and exemplary character. From the early Makkan period he championed the cause of the oppressed and the needy. A humble shepherd in his youth who gained fame as as-saadiq (truthful) and al-amin (trustworthy) eventually had to discharge duties in Madinah as supreme-court judge, commander of the armed forces and head of state of a volatile heterogeneous society; and he executed all this with exemplary style and prophetic excellence.
“Head of the State as well as of the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legion of Caesar. Without a standing army, without a body-guard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue, if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad.”
[Reverend Bosworth Smith -Mohammad and Mohammadanism]
The birth of the Prophet(pbuh) is indeed worthy of rejoicing. If any occasion that is significant is worth remembering; it would be more so on the occasion of the commemoration of the arrival of the best of creation, the ideal exemplar, the noblest of character ... the Final Messenger (peace be upon him). Allah commands us in the Qur’an [10:58] to rejoice in the favor and mercy of Allah and He re-affirms that Prophet Muhammad [Q 21:107] was sent as a manifestation of that mercy unto all the worlds.
So, on the occasion of the commemoration of the noble birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), we rejoice (as we ought to throughout the year) in the acknowledgement of the selflessness, piety, wisdom and compassion of this Last Prophet; whose mission to humanity was the teaching of submission to the Supreme, of globally applicable values, of adherence to the Straight Path; the combating of immorality, impropriety, injustice, ignorance and oppression; and who conveyed the divinely revealed Final Testament as a universally relevant text, a testimony to his abiding mission. In commemorating the birth of the Prophet, we celebrate his life, appreciate his sacrifices, and consider his impact; while we commit ourselves to implement and manifest his noble life example in our times.