SEPTEMBER 12 — In a few days’ time, Muslims will celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him — pbuh) on the 12th day of Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar, which falls on the 16th day of September 2024.

For Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is uswatun hasanah, as he is so described in the Quran in Surah Al-Ahzab (Chapter 33) verse 21:

"Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an uswatun hasanah for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.”

In simple words, uswatun hasanah means "good role model”, "excellent example” or "best example of conduct”.

In "Be as forgiving as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)” I shared how the Prophet (pbuh) was the best example of forgiveness and kindness. I cited Surah Al-Fussilat (Chapter 41) verse 34, where the Quran says: "(Muhammad) Good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with what is better. Then, the one you are in a feud with will be like a close friend.”

The Prophet (pbuh) always repelled evil with the good of forgiveness and kind behaviour. He is also the best example of conduct on how to treat and call others, whoever they are.

For a period of 13 years while he was in Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) was taunted, mocked, beaten and abused, both physically and mentally. Plots and attempts to kill were done more than once. Wars were waged against him and his followers after they migrated to Madinah.

Yet, when he entered the city of Makkah — his birthplace — victorious, the Prophet (pbuh) did not take revenge on anyone. He did not demean the "cityzens”. He did not call them names. He did not call them "the disbelievers” or "the non-believers”. He called them by their noblest name — "people of Quraish”.

In one of the many sessions the Prophet (pbuh) had with the cityzens, a veiled woman spoke to him. When he recognised the voice behind the veil, he asked: "Are you Hind binti Utbah?”

Hind binti Utbah was a proud Quraish woman and the wife of Abu Sufyan — one of the deadliest enemies of the Prophet (pbuh) and Islam and who led so many battles against Islam. Hind mutilated Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle. During the Battle of Uhud, after the killing of Hamzah by Wahshi bin Harb, Hind cut open Hamzah’s abdomen, took his liver out and tried to chew it.

The killing of Hamzah devastated the Prophet (pbuh) so much that a great companion, Ibn Mas‘ud (ra) was reported to have said: "Never did we see the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) weep as intensely as he wept for Hamzah.”

Yet, the Prophet did not demean Hind by name calling her, like "old woman” or "the woman who mutilated the dead body of Hamzah”. He called Hind by her name.

When the Prophet (pbuh) was in Madinah, he had to deal with the treacherous Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul — dubbed the chief of hypocrites.

In one narration by Usamah bin Zayd, it was reported that the Prophet (pbuh) once arrived at a gathering riding a donkey. The gathering included Abdullah bin Ubayy before he had become a Muslim. When dust raised by the donkey covered the gathering, Abdullah covered his nose with his upper garment and said, "Do not trouble us with dust.”

The Prophet (pbuh) greeted the gathering, stopped and dismounted. He recited to them some verses of the Qur’an. On that, Abdullah said, "Do not bother us in our gathering, but return to your house, and if somebody comes to you, teach him there.”

The Prophet (pbuh) subsequently mounted his donkey and went to Sa’d ibn Ubada. He said to Sa’d: "Did you not hear what Abu Hubab said?”

Despite the rudeness, the Prophet (pbuh) did not call Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul by name or names. He called him in a respectful and honourable way: "the father of Hubab”.

The Prophet (pbuh) did not once resort to name calling. If he is uswatun hasanah for Muslims, let no Muslim resort to name calling.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.