Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 602 [Read full issue]
The Quest
The Prophet's (peace be upon him) first words on arriving at Quba (on his emigration from the city of Makkah to Madinah) informed the Muslims of their basic responsibilities: "Spread peace [salam], feed the hungry, honour kinship ties, pray while people sleep, you shall enter paradise in peace [bisalam]." [Ibn Hisham]
The two references to peace, at the beginning and at the end of his address, point to how the Prophet wished his Companions to understand their settlement in their new city. Caring for the poor and honouring the kinship ties appear as reminders of the ethical basis of the Muslim presence, which each believer must pledge to permanently respect. Night prayer - "while people sleep" - provides the heart with the strength and serenity in faith that make it possible to fulfill the requirements of respecting ethics and of spreading peace. This quest for inner peace (alone, but in the warm light of one's family's love) is the path the believer must follow to be able to spread peace in the world and serve the poorest people.
Compiled From:
"In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 87, 88