THE PURPOSE BEHIND SENDING PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SA)

PREVALENCE  OF ALLAH'S  CHOSEN  FAITH  (ISLAM): 
THE      PURPOSE      BEHIND      SENDING       PROPHET MUHAMMAD   (SAW)

Exactly the same  point  and subject  specifically  with  regard to   the    purpose   for   which    Muhammad    (SAW),   the Messenger   of  Allah  (SWT), was  sent,  has  been  stated   at three  different  places in the Holy Quran,  in Suran At-Tauba, Surah Al Fat'h and  Surah Al-Saff:

1.   It is He Who  has  sent His Messenger   with  Guidance and  the  Religion  of Truth,  to proclaim   it over  all religion, even  though  the pagans  may detest  (it). 

(9 :  33)

2.  It is He Who has sent His Messenger  with  Guidance and  the  Religion  of Truth,  to proclaim   it over  all religion, and  enough  is Allah for a Witness.   

(48: 28)

3.   It is He  Who  has  sent  His  Messenger   with  Guidance   and the Religion  of Truth,  to proclaim  it over  all religion,  even though  the idolaters  be averse.   

(61 :  9)

(Here  we  have  Rasool in  the  singular   form  of  the  word Rusul   whereas   in  Surah Al-Hadeed it was  Rusulana  in  the plural  form Rusul. What was it that he was sent with?  The first  thing  that  Prophet   Muhammad    (SAW) was  sent  with was   Al-Huda   (The   Guidance)    i.e,   The   Qur'an    -   "The Message  of Wisdom",   "The Eternal  Book of Guidance".

Last Message  for the Mankind  delivered

By the "Blessed  One for all the Worlds".

Perhaps  you might  recall a television  programme   that  was aired  more  than  two decades  back,  for which  I had  myself suggested    the  name  Al-Huda,  and  it was  from  this  very Ayah.  But  Al-Huda  was  not   the  only   thing   with   which Prophet Muhammad    (SAW) was sent,  rather  there  was  an additional thing  that  he was  given:  "the True  Faith  or the Right  Faith".    This is the Order  or System  that  is founded on  justice   ---  Allah's   final  and   complete   Shariah for  all mankind!    

Why was Allah's  Messenger  Muhammad   (SAW) sent?  
For what  purpose   was  he given  the  True  Faith?   

The explanation    of this  preeminent    purpose  is precisely   what this  Ayah  purports  to  explain.  Just  imagine   that  Prophet Muhammad        (SAW)     called     people      to     the     faith, disseminated    its message,  imparted   training/ guidance   (of the body  and  the soul)  and  practiced  abstinence   from  evil. He  did  this  all.  But what  was  the  objective  of this  entire struggle?   

That goal was: that  the True Faith and Just Order are  made   to  prevail   over  all  systems.    

No  sphere   of  life should   be  left  unaffected   (by  its  ideology)   whether  it be Sociological,  Economic,  Political  governance,   Law (Civil or Criminal),   religious   rites, war  or peace.  Everything should conform   to the  teachings   of and  attain   its  direction   from the True  Faith.  This is exactly  the purpose for which  Allah (SWT) sent  His  final  Messenger Muhammad,  may  Allah's blessings  be upon  him.

You can see now  that  establishing  a system  of justice,  and putting     an   end    to   injustice,    cruelty,    oppression   and exploitation  were  the  reasons   for  which   all  the  prophets were   sent.   And   towards   this  end  of  establishing  a Just Order,   which   Allah  (SWT) revealed   to mankind    through His   Prophets    (AS),  those   believing    in   Allah   and   His Prophets     should     strive    to   their    utmost.    Muhammad (SAW), the Messenger of Allah  (SWT), was sent for exactly the  same   purpose,   which   is  mentioned    at  not  less  than three  (3) different  places  in the Holy Quran  as cited above.

Now  that  the  purpose  behind   the sending   of the  Prophet Muhammad   (SAW)  has   been   made   clear,   there   follow certain   consequences  for  and   demands  from   those   who claim  to believe  in Allah  (SWT) and  His Final  Prophet  and Messenger   Muhammad   (SAW),  and   those   claiming    to possess   love  for  the  Prophet   Muhammad   (SAW).   I will now  spell  out these one by one before  you.

The  first  thing   that  love  for  Prophet   Muhammad   (SAW) and his true  following  should  result  in, is that our  objective in  life  should   be  similar   to  the  purpose  for  which   the Prophet   Muhammad   (SAW)  was   sent.   Everything   else should   be subordinated  to this  objective.  If this is not  our desired   goal  then   our  journey's    road  map   would   be  an entirely   different   one  from  that  of the  Prophet's.   We may be  following   the  Prophet (SAW) in some  of life's  aspects, for   example    the   Prophet's     way    of   dressing     up,   his appearance,  his  daily  routine,  which  is in itself  a blessing. Whatever   we  chose  to  follow  which   the  Prophet  (SAW) did   is  a  blessing   but   if  we   do  not   adopt    the   overall direction   (in main  objective)  towards   which  his  efforts  in life  were   directed,    true   following    in   matters    that   are relatively   minor   in  significant   will  not  bear  fruit  on  the Day  of Judgment.    Verse  148 of  Surah Al-Baqara  states  a very fundamental  truth in these words: "to each is a goal towards which he turns".

You  must   be  familiar  with   the  Darwinian   theory  of 'Struggle  for  Existence'. Since you  are  medical  students you  must   have   read  Darwin's  theory  and  would   be familiar with  his viewpoint  of 'Survival of the Fittest'. In this struggle of life every individual is exerting, striving to get ahead  and  each of them has  an aim of one kind  or another.  So the first thing  that emerges before us as the demand placed by Love for Prophet Muhammad  (SAW) is that our  'Hadf' (aim or objective) should  be the same as that  of Prophet  Muhammad  (SAW). Just  now  the word 'Hadf' has taken my thoughts to a line from the poetry of the Late Allama Iqbal:

Alas! The dart unsped and lame

That takes no flight and hits no aim.

An  archer  first  selects  a  target  for  himself.  Then  his strength is put into action. The force with which the arrow travels  towards   its  target  will  depend   on  how  much strength he puts in pulling  the bowstring. The Allama has brought  together two elements in a single verse. There are two factors involved in an archer's (aspirant's) effort going to waste and resulting in failure. The first factor is that a target has not been set. The second is that the bowstring has  been  pulled  half-heartedly without  applying maximum  force. Full strength  has not been applied. The obvious outcome will be that he will miss his target each time and his effort will be wasted. It will be necessary both to select a clear target and to attempt to hit the same with the arrow using his full strength. If any one of these factors is absent the arrow (or the effort)will be wasted.

Anyway I stated that the first demand that is made by love for the  Messenger   Muhammad (SAW) is true  following  of the   Messenger.    What   will   be   the   first   step   towards achieving   such   true   following?   It  is  that  every   Muslim make  a conscious  decision  that his goal and his objective  in life and  the  desired   end  towards which  he  is striving will be the  same  as that  of Muhammad  (SAW), the Messenger of Allah  (SWT). And  that  is to make  Allah's  chosen  faith prevail   over  all other  systems  of the world.  This has  been rendered  plainly   into  couplet  by  the  Late Malik Nasrullah Aziz as follows:

The  sole  aim  of  my  life  is  the  dominance    of  your Deen.

I am Muslim  for this only and  offer prayer  to achieve this goal.

I offer prayer  so that I remain  mindful of my duty  to Allah (SWT).  
I  fast  so  that   I  may   keep   a  tight   rein   on  the powerful desires  of the inner  self. 
I pay zakat  (poor due)  so that  love of wealth  does not take firm root in my heart.   
But what   is  the  ultimate  and  overarching   purpose  that  runs through all of these  individual deeds  that makes  them  into a  coherent  whole?   That   sole  purpose  is  to  help   make Allah's  chosen  faith  prevail   and  holding high  the  flag  of His  Cause.  If a person   has  not  chosen  to proceed on  the track  that  leads  to this goal it implies  that he is bound  for a separate journey.  Now  even  if he uses  the light  of Prophet Muhammad's   Sunnah in  certain   of  life's   aspects   he   is destined   to   reach   a  destination  deviant    from   that   of Prophet  Muhammad  (SAW) because   his  choice  of  track sealed  his  fate. On the  contrary,   taking  the  right  direction in  respect   of  ultimate  objective   will   make   even   minor details  of Sunnah luminous and radiate  with  sublimity.

Source:LOVE FOR THE MESSENGER (SA)

To Be Continued....