PROPHET MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him) was an ideal human being in the full sense of the word. In every single situation or event, he sets an example not only for Muslims to follow, but for all those human beings who are seeking perfection. As a human being, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led a simple life void of extravagance, pomp, arrogance or harshness. This is why, the great Indian leader, M.K. Gandhi, said that what is so striking about the character of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is that he led a simple life although he could be the king of the world. The Noble Prophet's easygoing nature made his enemies get attracted and won them over to him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was never seen frowning or dealing harshly with anybody, even if the person in question was not a Muslim. He (peace be upon him) was always polite and courteous with everybody including children and this is why the children in Al-Madinah were fond of him and used to hug him whenever they saw him walking in one of the streets of Al-Madinah. As a husband, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was an ideal one respecting his wives' points of view and helping them in the household chores whenever he had a chance to do so. When asked about his manners, his wife, ‘Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “His manners were the Qur'an.” Scholars give different interpretations of this very subtle statement. Some of them say that she meant that he (peace be upon him) did perfectly all that the Qur'an said perfectly while others suggest that she meant that the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a human being was as perfect as the Qur'an as a Holy Book. In a nutshell, he was the embodiment and personification of the Qur'an in flesh and blood. Even as a military leader, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) dealt with his enemies in a very humane way. During wars, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) used to order his Companions not to fight or kill a woman, an old man, a hermit, or a child, burn a house or cut a tree. These are the real manners of a real chivalrous commander. Whenever Muslims got a prisoner of war, the Prophet, (peace be upon him) ordered his companions to deal with him humanely. These values are what the modern world is proud of and calls them human rights enshrined in the Geneva Convention. At the end, I would like to say that Prophet Muhammad' s manners are the beacon to all human beings to find their way in life. Allah, praise be to Him, praised the Prophet's manners in the Holy Qur'an, “And verily, you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) are on an exalted (standard of) character.” (Qur'an, 68:4) __
