Unparalleled Humility and Compassion

Editor

How did you decide to embrace Islam? any "one" incident you can specify?

I had a very intense, transformative spiritual experience of light when I was 16.  I spent the next few years searching, studying different religions in an effort to understand that experience.  Ultimately, this led me to Islam.

How can you compare the notion of prophethood in Christianity and in Islam?

In the Bible, many prophets engage in behavior repugnant to God-conscious people.  As Muslims, we believe that the prophets were chosen due to their stellar character; the stories in the Bible which portray various prophets as incestuous, adulterous, and sinful are, for Muslims, one example out of many of inaccuracies that occurred over time.  Our notion of prophethood excludes the possibility that God would choose as a prophet someone who blatantly behaved in such a way that they rejected His guidance.  To Muslims, prophets were examples and a guidance to mankind both through their speech and their behavior.

What did you find most appealing in our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?

The Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh) was the ultimate model to mankind for how humans should approach their short time on this earth.  His humility and compassion are unparalleled.  In spite of the honor bestowed on him, he never became arrogant nor lazy.  He strove to the end of his days to bring the message of Allah to mankind both by his deeds and his speech.  This involved great sacrifice on his part, which he gladly made.  There are so many hadith from which we, as Muslims, and non-Muslims also could benefit in these hard times of trial.  For example, the Prophet Muhammad always treated those who excoriated him with honor, compassion, and the best of morals.  So many people accepted Islam due to his living example.  If we could behave as he did, how much easier it would be to spread the true word of Islam!

How is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) perceived and received in the part of the world that you come from?

There is, above all, an ignorance of his true character. Also, many people who are filled with hate are constantly, intentionally, spreading falsehoods about him.  Added to that is the fact that many Muslims are not fully cognizant of the Prophet Muhammad's character.  It pains me to see so much misunderstanding of this great man who, though human, never forgot for one moment that we belong to God and to Him we return. If we Muslims behaved with more of his humility and morals, how much easier it would be to correct the erroneous impression so many people have of him.