Every day we remember our prophet and we ask God to bless him, his family and his companions during our daily prayers. As I use this evening to reflect deeper on our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the beloved of our Almighty God, I think of all his virtues, characteristics and mannerisms. I am in awe of his unconditional faithfulness to God, his love of people, animals, and the Earth. I am in awe of his patience, his courage. I am in awe of the dignity and respect he showed his wives, his elders, even the youngest of children. I am in awe of his kindness to strangers, his fairness towards workers, his attention for the sick, the poor, the orphans and the widows. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) was a selfless man, he put all before himself, the happiness and contentment of others was more important to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an immigrant rights activist, a racial justice and human rights activist, a feminist, a man who stood with and for the oppressed. That is my Prophet (peace be upon him). I reflect on the state of affairs of the Muslims now, all the ills of the world and how we contribute towards them. I imagine what if we all strived harder to emulate the most beautiful virtues and characteristics of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him); this world, our world would be a better place. We would be a united, strong, dignified community that can overcome any and all adversity. We can never claim that we have seen anywhere near the obstacles and challenges that our Prophet experienced as he introduced our beloved religion to people and societies. I ask God to continue to guide us all on the right path; the path of peace, justice, love, equality and the path that leads us to Him. May we struggle hard every day to live in the shadows of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) who was brought here as a mercy to this world. May we remember the Prophet in all that we do and ask ourselves often, what would he do? I am grateful for a faith that teaches me that this life is temporary, that I must live a life of good deeds towards others and worship God. I am grateful to God for our Prophet (peace be upon him) who was brought to us as an example of living a full, content life in worship of God. When we are broken, when we are sad, when we are empty, when we are struggling - sit still, reflect and remember God and his beloved Prophet and the richness of Islam. Reading Quran and learning more about the life of our Prophet (peace be upon him) will refill and heal our broken hearts, bring us contentment and remind us to be grateful to God for all that He has bestowed upon each of us. Linda Sarsour is a working woman, racial justice and civil rights activist, speaker against Islamophobia in America, and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Linda is the Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York.
