One of the ways to learn from and benefit from great figures is to study their methods and conduct. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is among those whose behavior should be examined, because he is the practical role model for Muslims and all free-minded people in every era and time:
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have an excellent example.” (Qur’an, Al-Ahzab: 21)
Studying the Prophet’s manner of conduct is important because it creates the necessary inner motivation for action. Many human learnings and behaviors occur through observing others and being influenced by them.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him), who spent the longest period of his life with the Prophet and was the one most deeply influenced by him, introduced the Prophet as the model for all humanity:
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, there is sufficient example for you to follow.”
Imam Ali, who himself possessed the greatest human abilities, fundamental knowledge of humanity and the universe, and the highest levels of perfection, presented the Prophet Muhammad as the role model for himself and all human beings throughout history. He considered the Prophet a source of growth and flourishing for his own noble spirit:
“The most beloved servant of Allah is the one who follows His Prophet and follows in his footsteps.”
Lessons
1. Human behavior is influenced by the role models present in society.
2. Having a righteous role model leads a person toward spiritual closeness and perfection.
The method used by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in confronting the culture of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) can also serve as a model for us. To learn from this approach, it is necessary to consider the specific circumstances of his prophetic mission, the dominance of a particular culture in the Arabian Peninsula and the world at that time, and the way he confronted that declining culture.
“Human beings have a period in which they experience their own age of ignorance, and another period in which they undergo transformation.” The Prophet Muhammad was sent to bring an end to humanity’s age of ignorance and begin an era of spiritual transformation and elevation, guiding humanity toward its desired perfection.
To better understand the condition and dimensions of the era of ignorance, we can refer to several verses of the Qur’an.
1. Correcting False Perceptions About God Through Wisdom
People of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance did not pay attention to God’s promises and warnings:
“They thought about Allah with an unjust thought, the thought of ignorance.” (Qur’an, Aal-e-Imran: 154)
The Prophet of God was aware of the spiritual and psychological condition of the people of his time. Most people who encountered his message were initially free from previous understanding and received the message without strong opposition. The Prophet, who was described as a physician of the human soul appointed by God, used wisdom as one of the most important tools for combating ignorance and correcting false assumptions.
In reality, this approach provided knowledge based on various dimensions of understanding, including scientific, philosophical, intuitive, and ethical awareness, enabling human beings to reach the highest level of humanity.
To help people move away from the state of ignorance and cure the illness of Jahiliyyah, a guide and physician are needed. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was both a guide and a physician:
“Allah chose His Prophet from among the lamps of darkness and the sources of wisdom. He was a physician who traveled among people with his medicine, had perfected his remedies, and prepared his instruments for treatment.”
Based on this, God instructed the Prophet:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction…” (Qur’an, An-Nahl: 125)
In another verse, teaching the Book and wisdom is also mentioned as one of the responsibilities of the prophets.
Therefore, all of the Prophet’s efforts were directed toward preparing people to gain the ability to correctly understand scientific, rational, and ethical truths and to act upon them. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) refers to this point and says:
“Allah sent His Prophet while people were misguided and wandering in confusion. The Prophet made great efforts in advising and guiding them, remained steadfast, and invited people through wisdom and good counsel.”
The Prophet’s wise invitation was in reality intended to draw attention to God’s promises and warnings, so that incorrect assumptions could be corrected and the foundation for scientific and practical understanding could be established.
For this reason, the Prophet introduced wisdom as the fear of God and knowledge of God, explaining that Allah revives dead hearts through the light of wisdom, just as He revives dead earth through rain.
Minds, like mountains, have become drowned
In the seas of illusion and the whirlpools of imagination.Neither imagination nor intellect can be recognized
Without being tested by a true measure.Quickly bring both toward the standard of truth.
Wisdom means paying attention to the promises and warnings of the All-Wise God.
O brother, bring your intellect back to yourself for a moment;
Within you, every moment is both autumn and spring.
Lessons
1. Wisdom is knowledge gained through various dimensions of understanding.
2. The mission of the Prophet of God was to correct people’s perspectives by drawing their attention to divine promises and warnings.
2. Replacing Human Desires With Divine Guidance
The foundation of laws during the era of ignorance was based on personal desires and passions. The mission of the Prophet of God was to change the basis of judgment from human desires to “what Allah has revealed.”
God commanded His Messenger:
“Judge between them according to what Allah has revealed and do not follow their desires… Do they seek the judgment of ignorance?”
(Qur’an, Al-Ma’idah: 50)
The Prophet first wisely corrected people’s false beliefs, and then attempted to control their selfish desires. Through good counsel—which means using human emotions to invite people toward truth—he prevented them from following incorrect wishes and called them toward divine revelation.
The Prophet’s good advice was free from any form of violence, arrogance, humiliation of others, or provoking stubbornness. Therefore, it awakened positive human emotions and encouraged people to abandon selfish desires and become willing to perform their true human responsibilities.
Through his wise advice, the Prophet warned the unaware and negligent that inappropriate actions would bring painful consequences. He also sought to make his message convincing by relying on the beliefs and principles already accepted by the people.
The Qur’an describes the Prophet as a reminder (Mudhakkir) and defines his duty as reminding people:
“And remind, for indeed the reminder benefits the believers.”
(Qur’an, Adh-Dhariyat: 55)
This reminder is the same good counsel that creates positive transformation within human beings.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) possessed the necessary qualities for advising and guiding people, including faith, piety, and spiritual growth, and he made the best use of these qualities.
Only one who is overwhelmed by this awareness can understand it;
The guardian of truth has no customer except the attentive ear.
If the Prophet had not possessed such qualities, he would not have been able to reform people’s beliefs and selfish desires. He was a preacher who practiced what he preached, and his words were effective because they came from sincerity and a purified heart:
“A word that comes from the heart inevitably settles in the heart.”
The Prophet of God first built and purified himself, and then, in the second stage, guided people away from their passions and uncontrolled desires.
When you restrain the desires of the soul from its cravings,
That desire will rise toward noble intellect.Like a branch that is cut from a tree,
Its strength emerges from a more fortunate branch.
Lessons
1. To fight against selfish desires, one should use sincere advice and guidance.
2. The one who advises others must be a believer, pious, and spiritually developed person.
3. Confronting Ignorant Pride and Blind Fanaticism
The most prominent characteristic of the age of ignorance was pride, arrogance, and fanatic attachment to limited knowledge and baseless desires. The Holy Qur’an considers such fanaticism a characteristic of disbelievers:
“When those who disbelieved placed in their hearts the pride—the pride of ignorance…”
(Qur’an, Al-Fath: 26)
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) also describes examples of this ignorant pride:
1. The sleep and negligence of nations had become prolonged.
2. Conflicts and trials had created disorder and chaos.
3. The lamps of guidance had been extinguished.
4. Signs and indications of destruction had appeared.
The Prophet of God, in confronting this form of ignorance, used the appropriate method: “discussion and argument in the best manner.”
It is known that people do not react equally when receiving a message. Some are open-minded and without previous assumptions; some are doubtful and uncertain; and some remain in a state of denial.
Those who deny the truth are not prepared to hear a message or accept realities, and sometimes this lack of readiness reaches the level of resistance and stubbornness.
A pride of ignorance existed within their minds,
Like an ominous crow announcing misfortune upon their land.
The Prophet never became tired because of people’s resistance toward his message. He continued striving to lead them toward acceptance of undeniable truths. His approach was based on presenting evidence through principles and truths already accepted by the opposing side.
The deniers could not reject their own accepted principles, and therefore they were forced to take a step back. This created a new perspective within them. This new perspective stimulated their intellect, opened new horizons of understanding, and prepared them to accept divine truths.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) describes this effort of the Prophet:
“Allah sent him as one who called people toward truth and as a witness over creation. He delivered the messages of his Lord without weakness or negligence…”
People possess two types of awareness:
1. Insight (understanding and worldview)
2. Perspective (attitude and outlook)
If people hold a specific ignorant prejudice, it is because of their way of viewing existence and the system of life. Since their worldview is incorrect, they resist the messages of the Prophet. By correcting their insight, a new perspective and consequently a new pattern of behavior can emerge.
In the Prophet’s warning and guidance of those who were heedless, there was a reminder for those whose entire actions and agreements had become a source of regret.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was commanded to carry out God’s command, and therefore he remained steadfast even in the face of the strongest reactions and opposition:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in the best manner. Indeed, your Lord knows best who has strayed from His way and He knows best those who are rightly guided.”
(Qur’an, An-Nahl: 125)
The Prophet’s approach was not based on force, anger, or confrontation, but rather on wisdom, compassion, and rational dialogue. Through these methods, he sought to transform people’s understanding, reform their perspectives, and guide them toward truth.
It is hoped that we too may use these methods appropriately in confronting the forms of ignorance present in our own time, God willing.
Lessons
1. The stubbornness of those who rejected the Prophet’s message was rooted in their incorrect understanding and worldview.
2. The mission of the Prophet was to reform the insight and perspective of those who resisted the truth.
References
[1] Qur’an, Al-Ahzab: 21.
[2] Islamic Ethics, Masoud Azarbayjani.
[3] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 160.
[4] Translation and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balagha, Muhammad Taqi Ja’fari, Vol. 2, p. 253.
[5] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 160.
[6] Divan-e Shams.
[7] Tamthilat (Parables), Mohy al-Din Haeri Shirazi, Vol. 1, p. 29.
[8] Qur’an, Aal-e-Imran: 154.
[9] Tamthilat (Parables), Mohy al-Din Haeri Shirazi, Vol. 1, p. 24.
[10] Translation and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 17, p. 87.
[11] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 108.
[12] Qur’an, An-Nahl: 125.
[13] Qur’an, Al-Jumu’ah: 2.
[14] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 95.
[15] Nahj al-Fasahah, Hadiths 1299, 1301, and 1302.
[16] Masnavi معنavi, Rumi, Book Four.
[17] Masnavi معنavi, Rumi, Book One.
[18] Qur’an, Al-Ma’idah: 50.
[19] Islamic Ethics, p. 187.
[20] Tafsir-e Nemuneh, Naser Makarem Shirazi, Vol. 11, p. 456.
[21] Qur’an, Adh-Dhariyat: 55.
[22] Translation and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 15, p. 88.
[23] Same source, Book One.
[24] Same source, Book Six.
[25] Qur’an, Al-Fath: 26.
[26] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 89.
[27] Translation and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 15, p. 89.
[28] Masnavi of Rumi, Book Three, Verse 395.
[29] Translation and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 15, p. 89.
[30] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 116.
[31] Islamic Ethics, p. 197.
[32] Masnavi of Rumi, Book Four.
[33] Qur’an, An-Nahl: 125.
