“An Excellent Exemplar …”
We need to understand the meaning of these two words very well and reflect their dimension related to our daily lives and to our personalities, because these are the words which are employed by our Lord to characterize His Messenger (pbuh) in His Holy Book.
Allah the Most Glorious states the phrase, “an excellent example,” in his Book. We can find our Lord in this phrase; we can find His Messenger (pbuh) in this phrase; we can even find ourselves, the entire human kind, in this phrase.
Our Creator presents the most perfect example in front of us, at which we should try to reach, try to resemble and unite ourselves with.
This is stated in the following verse:
“Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.” (Ahzab 33; 21)٭
If we think about in every moment of our lives that we are going to meet our Lord; if we are aware that belief in Judgment Day and the Hereafter is one of the basic principles of faith; and if the perception of togetherness with Allah the Almighty has permeated in every one of our cells, then we need to hold the hands of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh); because this journey can only be achieved with his help.
To learn, understand, and teach the life of our beloved Prophet have always been our object as the members of Altinoluk family. If our Lord characterizes our Prophet as “an excellent exemplar”, then we need to try to understand him as being an exemplar. Our lives should gain their meaning through him; through carrying his life into ours, into our hearts, and into every limb of our body. This will illuminate our lives.
Two young researchers from the “Center for Scholarly Research – ILAM”, Dr. Mustafa Öztürk and Murat Kaya, together with Prof. Ömer Çelik from Marmara University, Department of Theology, rolled up their sleeves and began to write the book that you have in your hands. They meticulously searched the corpus of hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet) and the collections of Islamic history. They looked into the books and collected everything they could find about the exemplary life of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Then they organized their findings into meaningful chapters and prepared this invaluable two-volume book.
Covering every single aspect of Prophet Muhammad’s life was certainly a very difficult job and it was inevitable to have some deficiencies in such a hard job. We also realized how hard it was going to be to collect the life of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in such a small book. However, we did not give up. Because we were happy to present humanity every beauty we could find in his exemplary life.
We can certainly say these three young scholars have done a great job and put a bouquet of beauties in front of us. They, too, know that there is a sea of beauties they left behind. Even though they have done their best, they are aware there is still much to do ahead.
In this book, you will find outstanding examples about the religious and moral life of the Prophet (pbuh) and his interactions with other people. Other areas of Prophet’s exemplary life require further studies.
First we thank Allah for making us part of such beautiful projects. Then we appreciate the efforts of the three young writers.
Before we leave you with this wonderful book, we conclude this section with a prayer that May Allah make us neighbors to our beloved Prophet (pbuh) in the eternal afterlife.
Amin …
٭ For English translation of the verses, I have benefited from Shakir, M.H. (Trans.), The QurʾAn = [Al-QurʾĀn Al-ḥakīm], Elmhurst, N.Y.: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 1997; Pickthall, Marmaduke William, The Meaning Of The Glorious Koran; An Explanatory Translation, New York: Dorset Press, [1988?]; And Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, The Glorious Qur’an Text, Translation And Commentary, Mcgregor & Werner, 1946 (Translator)