Here are some of the Prophet’s notable contributions: ^He taught that there is one God for all mankind . ^He taught Muslims to believe in all of the prophets and all divinely revealed scriptures, especially Biblical ones. ^As the Prophet established a peace sanctuary called Madinah after his migration from Makkah, he negotiated treaties with the Jews and the pagans of Madinah. Muslims consider these treaties to be the first written surviving constitution in the world. The constitution guaranteed freedom of religion, self- governance, and legal autonomy in all matters. It called for the common defense of Madinah, and declared the Jews, pagans, and Muslims of that treaty to be one nation, or “one Ummah .” He prohibited hunting and the cutting of trees in the peace sanctuary of Madinah. He declared killing non-combatants to be illegal, placed severe restrictions on how warfare could be conducted, and even paid compensation for the killing of some dogs by one of his commanders. ^The Prophet’s teachings and the Quran are the two major sources of Sharia. Some of his precepts include the following: Moral behavior: personal cleanliness; emphasis on preservation and nourishment of all life forms, including plants and animals; rituals and spirituality of prayers; fasting and charity; righteous conduct and good deeds; and rights of parents, children, spouses, and neighbors. Interpersonal relations: teaching to enhance human relations and to avoid breaking relationships; encouraging mutual consultation in all affairs; prohibiting bigotry and racism; and emphasizing kindness and hospitality toward others, especially the weak and the poor. Financial guidelines: encouraging charity, rights of the poor, respect for workers, and rejection of exploitation; and circulation of wealth among all classes. Personal rules and laws regarding privacy, gender relations, marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Criminal laws implementing the many of the Ten Commandments. (The only one of the Ten Commandments not having a parallel statement in the Quran is the one having to do with keeping the Sabbath.) Less than two percent of Quranic verses deal with the criminal law of Islam, which is a part of the Sharia but not the totality of it. ^The Prophet asked his judges to make things easy for people, not difficult. ^He declared all sins forgivable as long as a person asks God’s forgiveness and that of the one who has been wronged. ^The Prophet gave special emphasis to honoring treaties, standing up for justice, and opposing oppression.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 06:56:28 +0000
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