The Divine nurture and cultivation with which Almighty God had schooled all His prophets blessed Muhammad from the start with a virtuous and righteous character. This is in fact what won him the praise of Almighty God Himself. In the venerable ‘Quran, the Lord says: “Indeed, you (Muhammad) are of an exalted ethical character.” Al-‘Kalam: 4.
And what was the nature of that exalted character that set Muhammad apart? What made him so special and different from other great human figures that he merited the praise of his God, asked Father Stephano?
Oh, this is such a broad topic indeed, I said. To tell you about it in detail would be to tell you about the whole bulk of Islamic ethics, codes of behaviour and forms of worship. I can sum it all up however in one brief sentence reported by the closest person to the Prophet, his wife ‘A’isha, who knew him perhaps more intimately than any other person. ‘A’isha was asked once what was Muhammad’s ethical character like? She succinctly said: “His ethics were the ‘Quran itself” Sahih Muslim, What the ‘Quran contains, I added, is well known and accessible to people. Whoever reads it and thoughtfully reflects on its meanings and implications can reach that exalted ethical character that distinguished Muhammad and set him apart from others, before as well as after the Divine Call. For Muhammad (pbuh) was the ‘Quran incarnate.
What did you say, Father Stephano hastened to ask?
I said Muhammad was the ‘Quran incarnate.
The turn of the phrase makes me eager to see this Man-‘Quran walking on earth!
Would you like to see him?
I do, indeed. Do you have a picture of him?
Impossible, I said, but there is something as good as the picture.
What, he asked?
His Complexion
Ref: Was Muhammad peace be upon him Merciful? by: Muhammad Husseam Al-Khateeb P.54,55
www.mercyprophet.org
