The Prophet Muhammad A simple Guide to his Life
The Prophet as a Model
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know your worldly matters better.’
(Sahih Muslim bi
sharah an Nawawi 15/
118). That is to say that in areas
such as horticulture, people are free to follow the
method they find useful in terms of their research
and experience.
Now let us look at this matter from another aspect.
The above-mentioned verse of the Qur’an means
that we must adopt whatever example we find in
the life of the Prophet and follow that in our own
lives. But on closer inspection, we find that it is not
a simple matter.
The life of Muhammad as a Prophet was 23 years in
duration. During this period, we find many diverse,
rather opposite examples in his life. For instance,
when he was in Makkah, he said his prayers
secretly, but thirteen years after he reached
Madinah, he began praying publicly. In the Makkan
period, for a span of 13 years the Prophet remained
aware of the idols placed in Kabah, but he never
attempted to destroy them. It was only after the
conquest of Makkah, (after being away in Madinah
for 10 years) that he ordered the removal of all the
idols. In the Makkan period, he used to recite to the
