Allah's Messenger (PBUH) is the practical image of Islam

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) is the practical image of Islam.
There is no way that one can get to know Islam without knowing Allah's
Messenger (PBUH); his guidance, work, instructions and prohibitions.



Allah's
Messenger (PBUH) made peace and war, settled and traveled, sold and
bought, took and gave. He never lived alone, neither did he travel
alone.

Muslims had
weakened only because they failed to follow his pattern and guidance for
the Almighty Allah said" Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a
good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah
and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much."



Some Muslims
went to the extent that they only read his biography (PBUH) during
celebrations and forums without following his guidance. Some others read
it either for obtaining blessings or for getting familiar with its
events; wars, days…..etc.



This happens
due to one of two reasons: first: their ignorance of the principal of
following his pattern & guidance (PBUH) and not knowing that this is
a necessity for achieving his love.

Second: their
failure in perceiving the positions of guidance in his biography due to
a weakness in their sense of conclusion or due to their lack of
knowledge and readings.



Here
lies the importance of deriving the lessons and benefits from his
biography (PBUH).



The biography
of the Prophet (PBUH) is not meant to be taught for the pleasure of
reading nor for the knowledge of a certain historic period and not for
the love of studying the biographies of the grand and heroes. Such kind
of superficial study is performed by none Muslims. A Muslim should have
various aims from studying his biography, among which are;



First: Allah's Messenger (PBUH) is the one to be followed
for he is the example for all Muslims. He is the legislator whom we are
instructed to follow, for Allah says" Indeed in the Messenger of Allah
you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting
with) Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much." (Al-Ahzab:21).
Allah (the Almighty) says" If you obey him, you shall be on the right
guidance" (Al-Noor:54). Allah also says" He who obeys the Messenger, has
indeed obeyed Allah" (Al-Nissa:80). And Allah
also says" Say if you really love Allah then follow me, Allah will love
you and forgive you your sins" (Al-Imran:31).



He is the practical image and incarnation of Islam without
whom we can not possibly know how to obey the Almighty Allah or worship
Him.



From his
biography the scholars derive the techniques of the Call and its phases.
They also get to know the tremendous effort exerted by Allah's
Messenger (PBUH) for the sake of raising the word of Allah and how he
reacted in facing the hardships and obstacles that faced him.

• 
  From his biography, teachers can derive the methods &
  techniques of education.
  
• 
  From his biography, rulers can derive systems and
  methodology of leadership.
  
• 
  From his biography, the ascetics can derive the meaning
  and essence beyond being an ascetic.
  
• 
  From his biography, traders can derive the aims, systems
  and methods of trading.
  
• 
  From it, those who are suffering can learn the highest
  degrees of patience and persistence, thus their determination can grow
  stronger and their trust in Allah increases knowing that the result will
  be finally in their favor.
  
• 
  From it, the scholars derive knowledge which enables them
  to better understand the Book of Allah (Al-Quran) and the various
  sciences of Islam, among which are the abrogating and abrogated verses,
  the reasons behind the revelation of verses and many other knowledge.
  
• 
  From it, the whole nation derives the morals, manners and
  merits.
  

Ibn Katheer
said " a special care and attention must be paid to such type of study
(the biography of Allah's Messenger (PBUH)) as it was narrated by Omar
Al-Wakedi that Abdullah ibn omar ibn ali said that his father heard Ali
ibn Al-Hussain saying: "we used to know the conquests of Allah's
Messenger (PBUH) as we know the verses of the holy Quran".

Al-wakedi
said, I heard Mohamed ibn Abdullah saying that he heard his uncle
Al-Zuhri saying "in the science of conquests, lies both the science of
life and that of the hereafter."



Ismail ibn
Mohammed ibn Saad ibn abi Wakkas said " my father used to teach us the
conquests of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and repeated them to us saying:
"these are the glorious deeds of your fathers so waste them not".



History had
witnessed many kings, leaders, poets and philosophers but none of them
had left behind such a biography and such pattern to be followed as it
is with the Prophet's. History had wiped off all their credit and the
only thing left is some of their names.



Biographies
of many grand people had turned out to be mere jokes throughout history.
Where is Namroud who said to Ibrahim (PBUH) "I give life and cause
death" ?

Where is
Pharaoh who said "I am your lord, most high." (Al-nazia'at:24), and what
was his destiny" he who also said " I know not that you have an ilâh
(a god) other than me." (AL-Qassas:38).



Those grand
people of their ages are now being mocked by everyone; the young and the
old, the knowledgeable and the ignorant, for if they had succeeded in
deceiving their people at their time, their deception has been revealed
and they became a mockery throughout time.



The biography
of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) had provided the means for getting the
people out of the darkness of polytheism and the corruption of worship
to the light of monotheism and belief in Allah (the Almighty) who said "
O Prophet ! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad
tidings, and a warner And as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and
as a lamp spreading light." (Al-Ahzab:45-46).



Second: we study Allah's Messenger (PBUH) biography so
that our belief in his honesty may increase. Knowledge of his miracles
and the signs of his prophecy are sure means to increase faith and trust
in his honesty (PBUH). The study of his glorious biography and his
great attitudes only prove his perfection, loftiness and honesty.



Third: we study his biography in order to have his love
deeply entrenched in our hearts, for what his biography holds as regards
his virtuous manners, his generous treatment, his great concern for
guiding people to the right path and their welfare, his sacrifice with
self and money for the sake of getting people out of the darkness and
into the light and from distress to happiness and his great concern in
warding off any hardships that may befall his nation