Reaction to Innocence of Muslims: "Know this man"

Here is a documentary film on the life and teachings of the Prophet of Islam. It has been uploaded a year before. But for those who are eager to acquaint themselves with the noble personality of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) it would be as refreshing as rain in a lazy Sunday afternoon.
 

Here

Pluralism is not an alien concept in Islam

The constitution of Madinah formulated by the Prophet reveals the identity of pluralism in Islam. The following features can be noted in the constitution:

1. The central authority was with the Prophet. He had all the judicial, political and military authority over all the citizens of Madinah.
2. Full religious freedom to all citizens was guaranteed.
3. Those who constituted the body politic of Madinah were granted social, cultural, judicial and legal freedom.

With this one example we can come to the conclusion that neither the Qur’ān nor the historical traditions of Muslims have ever been against religio-cultural diversity, plural co-existence and mutual co-operation. The society under Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) in Madinah and the constitution framed for that society is a perfect indicator of this fact. 

The main obligation of the Muslim community is to strive to change the minds of the people so that they are made aware of Allah and restructure their lives according to His will. The path to bring change is not by conflicts or totally ignoring or withdrawing from the affairs of the society. But a pluralistic approach is the key to initiate this change. The examples of our prophet’s life and his companions are before us to lead us to this goal and we have nothing to do but to follow their footsteps.

Mahboob Thaha's article in Radiance. More Here.

mahboob2in@gmail.com

The Prophet's method of Education!

In bringing up his Companions, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) adopted various educational methods. Following are some of them:

1. Using illustrative parables:

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, 'Behold! Can anything of his dirt remain on the body of any one of you if there were a river at his door in which he washes himself five times daily?' They said, 'Nothing of his dirt will remain (on his body).' He said, 'That is like the Five Prayers by which Allah obliterates sins.'" (Reported by Muslim)

2. Drawing the addressee's attention by means of taking oaths:

Abu Shurayh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!" It was said, "Who is that person, O Allah's Messenger?" He said, "That person is he whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil." (Reported by al-Bukhari)

3. Being joyful in advice so that his Companions would not get bored:

In this context, we recall the incident when a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give me a mount." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "We shall give you a she-camel's child to ride on." He said, "What shall I do with a she-camel's child?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Do any others than she-camels give birth to camels?" (Reported by Abu Dawud)

4. Considering the state of the addressee:

Abu Wa'il reported that `Abd ar-Rahman used to give a religious talk to the people on every Thursday. Once a man said, "O Abu `Abd ar-Rahman! (By Allah) I wish if you could preach us daily." He replied, "The only thing which prevents me from doing so, is that I hate to bore you. No doubt, I consider your state in preaching by selecting a suitable time just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do with us, for fear of making us bored." (Reported by al-Bukhari)

5. Narrating stories:

An-Nu`man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing slave-servant than that of a person who set out on a journey with a provision of food and drink on the back of his camel. He went on until he came to a waterless desert and he felt like sleeping. So he got down under the shade of a tree and was overcome by sleep, and his camel ran away. As he got up he tried to see it (the camel) standing upon a mound, but did not find it. He then got upon the other mound, but could not see anything. He then climbed upon the third mound, but did not see anything until he came back to the place where he had been sleeping previously. And as he was sitting (in utter disappointment) there came to him his camel, till that (camel) placed its nose string in his hand. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave-servant than the person who found (his lost camel) in this very state." (Reported by Muslim)

From Islam online website, Ask the scholar column

Read more:The Prophet's Methods of Education 
Read : Muhammad, Role Moder par excellence a blog of Muqeet Mujtaba Ali