The Messenger of God: Muhammad

by Gülen, M. Fethullah

• ISBN13: 9781597841375
• ISBN10: 1597841374
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: Tughra Books

Summary

The message the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, brought in the seventh century did not only change a small community in the Arabian Peninsula. Over one-fifth of the world population today testifies to him as the final Messenger of God. His voice is still heard in the modern age as powerfully and influentially as it was fourteen centuries ago when he emerged as one single man to convey the will of God to humanity. In this book, Guuml;len delves deep into the reasons as to how a single man -- with no means of power -- was able to leave such indelible marks on millions of minds and souls. Rather than listing events in a chronological biography, Guuml;len follows an analytical framework of the Prophet's mission and character, providing numerous accounts from his lifetime. Guuml;len presents the Prophet in the different roles he assumed within his community as a father, husband, statesman, chief of staff, and an individual with utmost compassion, wisdom, grace, humility, and trustworthiness. One of the most celebrated teachers of Islam in Turkey, Guuml;len is outstanding with his double-winged intellectual background that is embedded in traditional Islamic scholarship on the one hand and his progressive vision on the other. "Muhammad: The Messenger of God" is regarded as Guuml;len's masterpiece and has been published in 12 languages.

Author Biography

M. Fethullah Gülen is a writer, a poet, and a public speaker on issues related to Islam. He is the author of Essentials of the Islamic Faith and Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance.

Table of Contents

About the Author	p. xi
A General Introduction	p. xvii
The Prophet Sent as a Mercy	p. 1
The dark period of ignorance	p. 3
The Prophet's life before his Prophethood	p. 5
The awaited Prophet	p. 9
The Torah and the Psalms	p. 9
The Gospels	p. 12
Many others awaited the Prophet	p. 14
Why Prophets Are Sent	p. 21
To illuminate humanity's way	p. 23
To guide people to the service of God	p. 25
To teach people God's laws	p. 26
To be examples	p. 28
To establish balance	p. 30
To be God's witnesses	p. 31
Characteristics of Prophets	p. 33
Total dependence on Revelation and submission to God	p. 35
Trustworthiness and asking no wage	p. 36
Complete sincerity	p. 38
Calling people wisely and with kindness	p. 39
Calling humanity to God's Unity	p. 40
The Essentials of Prophethood	p. 41
Truthfulness	p. 43
Some of his predictions	p. 47
Trustworthiness	p. 66
The Trustworthiness of God's Messenger	p. 67
Specific events	p. 68
His relations with others	p. 69
Communication	p. 75
A comprehensive invitation to God	p. 76
The method	p. 77
Consistent effort	p. 79
Further remarks	p. 83
Other important points	p. 86
Intellect	p. 91
Examples of his intellectual capacity	p. 92
Concise speech	p. 96
Infallibility	p. 120
Removing doubts	p. 126
Individual examples	p. 128
Prophet Adam	p. 129
Prophet Noah	p. 131
Prophet Abraham	p. 133
Prophet Joseph	p. 140
Prophet Muhammad	p. 142
No bodily or mental defects	p. 154
Job's afflictions	p. 154
Moses' speech impediment	p. 155
Prophet Muhammad as Husband and Father	p. 157
The Prophet and his wives	p. 159
The Prophet's consultation with his wives	p. 161
The choice God's Messenger gave to his wives	p. 163
God's Messenger and children	p. 165
"You are with those whom you love"	p. 170
Why he had more than one wife	p. 171
Prophet Muhammad as Educator	p. 181
The educational atmosphere	p. 183
Islam addresses all human faculties	p. 184
Educating by example	p. 187
Essentials of a good education	p. 188
Further remarks	p. 193
The Military Dimension	p. 199
Jihad	p. 202
The greater and lesser jihad	p. 203
Jihad's stages and main principles	p. 207
Some rules	p. 211
Military expeditions	p. 216
Expeditions	p. 219
A general evaluation	p. 221
The Battles	p. 222
The Battle of Badr	p. 223
The Battle of Uhud	p. 228
The Battle of the Trench	p. 239
Toward the conquest of Makka	p. 244
The conquest of Makka and its aftermath	p. 246
The Battle of Hunayn	p. 247
The Expedition to Tabuk	p. 249
A general evaluation of his military achievements	p. 250
A Universal Leader	p. 257
His appointment of competent people	p. 259
He knew his people	p. 260
His wisdom	p. 261
Merging two different communities	p. 262
Consultation	p. 265
A manifest victory: The Treaty of Hudaybiya	p. 267
Ending racism	p. 272
The last word	p. 273
Other Dimensions of His Prophethood	p. 277
His prayers and supplications	p. 279
The Prophet of universal mercy	p. 283
His mildness and forbearance	p. 289
His generosity	p. 294
His modesty	p. 297
The ethos generated by the Messenger	p. 300
The "Garden" of Muhammad	p. 301
The Sunna and Its Place in Islamic Legislation	p. 313
The Sunna and its role	p. 315
Categories of the Sunna	p. 316
The Verbal Sunna	p. 316
The Practical Sunna	p. 317
The Sunna Based on Approval	p. 317
The Sunna in the Qur'an	p. 318
The Sunna in the Traditions	p. 320
The Sunna's functions	p. 320
Establishing the Sunna	p. 325
The Sunna had to be established	p. 327
Other motives	p. 329
The Companions and the Sunna	p. 333
Further remarks on the Sunna's importance	p. 336
Relating the Traditions	p. 337
The Messenger's warning and the Companions' self-control	p. 337
Literal narration	p. 339
Verification	p. 340
Ensuring authenticity	p. 345
Examples	p. 348
The number of authentic Traditions	p. 357
Recording the Traditions	p. 361
The Companions and the Tabi'un	p. 367
The Companions	p. 369
Factors in their greatness	p. 371
Relation to Messengership	p. 371
The benefits of company	p. 371
Truthfulness	p. 372
The atmosphere created by Revelation	p. 372
The difficulty of the circumstances	p. 373
The Companions in the Qur'an	p. 375
The Companions in Hadith	p. 376
The Companions who excelled in narrating Traditions	p. 379
The Tabi'un	p. 389
Notes	p. 399
The Life of the Prophet in Chronological Order	p. 423
Index	p. 427
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