Beautiful Pattern of Conduct

“Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (Conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah”(Sura Ahzah:33/21).

This Ayat of the Quran has been so badly mis-interpreted that it has thrown the whole Ummah offcourse and today the Ummah finds itself at a loss without any base and foundation. The fault lies not with the Ayat, but the way we have interpreted it.

Normally, we take it to mean that the beautiful pattern of conduct is to be had from the writings of Messrs Bukhari and others who wrote their thesis on the life of the Prophet in the 3^rd century of the Hijra, commonly known as: “the traditions” or a collection of  “Hadith”.

In actual fact this is not so. It is unthinkable that the creator of the Heavens and Earth would give a Revelation to His Beloved and Last and Chosen Prophet and then leave the Ummah dangling in the air for three centuries until some gentlemen come along and record  “The Traditions” which would become an “article of faith” for the Ummah. It just does not appeal to a sane mind.

You may ask: “then how are we to know what is the beautiful pattern of conduct?”. A very good question and a logical one for an enquiring mind. For this reason the Holy Quran has repeatedly told us to ponder, think, deliberate, enquire, investigate and search in the Holy Book.

First of all the Holy Book says: “This day have I perfected your religion for you” ( 5 /3 Maida). If an Ayat says so, then we, as Muslims, must have blind faith and believe in the Ayat, otherwise, Allah forbid, we are worse than an infidel (or a Kaafir)! Or, in other words, a Munkar-e-Quran.! ! !

Acknowledging that the Deen of Islam is completed and the Holy Book is Revealed and no further revelations are to come, we are still searching for the ”Beautiful Pattern of Conduct”.

We proceed and keep searching. The word used for “Beautiful Pattern of Conduct”(or “excellent example”) we find that is “USWA-E-HASANAH”. This word has been used only THREE (3) TIMES in the Quran. Besides the one stated above. This word is used in Sura Mumtahinna (No:60) in Ayaats 4 and 6, which is reproduced here: “there is for you an excellent example ( to follow) in Ibrahim and those with him------ there was indeed in them an excellent example for you to follow -----” , (Ayaats4 & 6).

The Quran was Revealed to our beloved Prophet for his guidance and thru him it was for our guidance transmitted to us .So, in effect, the Quran is telling us to follow the excellent example or the beautiful pattern of conduct of Prophet Ibrahim(PBUH).

Whereas, the name of prophet Muhammad(PBUH) has been mentioned in the Quran ONLY 4 TIMES,  the name of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) has been mentioned 69 times. And his dealings with his father, wives, sons, people, angels are fully recorded in the minutest detail and we are supposed to follow it. This is the reason that Islam has rightly been called ”DEEN-E-IBRAHIM”. Rasool Allah did not bring any new religion but just re-introduced or re- inforced the religion of Hazrat Ibrahim (PBUH) and purged it of the idols which had entered the House of Allah ( Baitullah or the Kaaba) which was built by Hazarat Ibrahim (PBUH) along with  his son Ismail (PBUH).

So, my dear brothers and sisters, become an Ibrahimi.  Follow blindly the beautiful pattern of conduct of the real Imam that is Hazrat Ibrahim(PBUH), and by following the same you will be honouring  the Beloved, Last and Chosen Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) as Allah chose him to pass on the Message to us for our salvation in this world and the next. In passing I would like to quote Ayaats 120 & 123 form Sura Nahl (No:16). “120: Ibrahim was indeed a model devoutly obedient to Allah (and) true in faith and he joined not gods with Allah.

123: “ we have taught thee the inspired (message): follow the ways of Ibrahim the true in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah”.

May Allah be with you kindly pass on this message to all the real Muslims who are interested in the real Uswa-e-Hasanah.

Thanks & regards

Ibrahim Suttar

September, 2002
Rajab, 1423

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