Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
9. The Prophetic Method
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struggle under one heading, this would surely be
the one. He did not concentrate on political,
economic and social issues, as leaders usually do;
rather he devoted his entire time and energy to
preaching the word of God. At first it may have
seemed that his single-mindedness was unjustified.
But from the outcome of his efforts, it became
apparent that if we set our sights on the next
world—as the Prophet did —then worldly goals are
automatically achieved.
PATIENCE AND STEADFASTNESS
The third part of the Prophet’s mission, mentioned
at the beginning of this chapter, was a steadfast
forbearance in face of the difficulties encountered
on the divine path. The Arabic word for patience is
sabr.
One of the words derived from the same root
is
sabbarah,
meaning hard, unfertile ground, which
does not accept any seed. Likewise a patient person,
one endowed with
sabr
is one who does not let
events affect him, who never loses heart but
pursues his goal with unflagging resolution.
Courageous people are also called
sabar,
for they do
not bend to pressure; they stand firm and
