Following
The Example Of
The Holy Prophet
A Writing By Mustafa Talib
I
follow the sunnah of the Prophet, the pure, the chaste, may Allah bless
him and his descendants. In him is the example for the follower,
and the consolation for the seeker of consolation. The most beloved
person before Allah is he who follows His Prophet, and who treads in his
footsteps. He took the least share from this world amd did not take
a full glance at it. Of all the people of the world he was the least
satiated and the most empty of stomach. The world was offered to
him but he refused to accept it. When he knew that Allah, the Glorified,
hated a thing, he too hated it, that Allah held a thing low, he too held
it low, that Allah held a thing small, he too held it small. If we
love what Allah and His Prophet hate and hold great what Allah and His
Prophet hold small that would be enough isolation from Allah and transgressions
of his commands. The Prophet used to eat on the ground and sat like
a slave! He repaired his shoes with his hands, and patched his clothes
with his hands. He would ride an unsaddled ass and would seat someone
behind him. If there was a curtain on his door with pictures on it
he would say to one of his wives, O so and so take it away out of my sight
because if I look at it I recall the world and its allurements. Thus he
removed his heart from this world and destroyed its remembrance from his
mind. He loved that its allurements should remain hidden from his
eyes so that he should not secure Good dress from it, should not regard
it as a place of stay and should not hope to live in it. Consequently he
removed it from his mind, let it go away from his heart and kept it hidden
from his eyes. In the same way he who hates a thing should hate to
look at it or to hear about it. Certainly there was in the prophet
of Allah all that would apprise you of the evils of this world and its
defects, namely that he remained hungry along with his chief companions,
and despite his great nearness the allurement of the world remained remote
from him. Now, one should see with ones intelligence whether Allah
honored Muhammed-the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his descendants-as
a result of this or disgraced him. If he says that Allah disgraced
him certainly lies and perpetuates a great untruth. If he says Allah
honoured him, he should know that Allah dishonoured the others when he
extended the benefits of the world for him but held them away from him
who was the nearest to him of all men. Therefore one should follow
prophet Muhammed, tread in his footsteps and enter through his entrance.
Otherwise he will not be safe from ruin. Muhammad a guider to paradise
and a leader of excellence.
Andrew Lancaster (AKA Mustafa Talib)
H96861,
2AC1 San Quentin Prison,
San Quentin, California, 94974
