"Indeed Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who have faith! Invoke blessings on him and invoke Peace upon him in a worthy manner." Quran (33:56)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was the last messenger sent by Allah to guide human beings toward a more prosperous and meaningful life. His life was full of challenges and difficulties. However, he never gave up on his holy mission and strived to save as many souls as he could. His characteristics were unique and exemplary, which made him the best choice for prophethood, the beloved of Allah (Habibullah).   

Family background 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was the son of Abdullah and Amina, the grandchild of Abd al-Muṭṭalib and from the Banu Hashim clan. He was born in Mecca about the year 570 A.C, in the month of Rabi’ al-awwal [1]. Being taken care of by his paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muṭṭalib, and then by his uncle Abu-Talib, father of Ali (AS), who loved him a lot and regarded him dearer than his own children [2], he learned a little about the merchandise. He was well-known and called Al-Amin, meaning the trustee, due to his honesty and faithfulness [3]. This reputation attracted Khadijah, and she proposed him for marriage. He married this 40-year-old woman at the age of 25 [4]. This was a happy marriage, by all means. They lived a happy life, and they had many children, of which all the male ones passed away, and their most famous daughter is Fatimah (AS). Little is known about his youth before becoming a prophet. One fact is certain; he was absolutely against the discriminating behaviors and beliefs of the people of his era.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP)'s Social, Political and Personal Life 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was a kind and generous man. He was known for his modesty, honesty, and trustworthiness. He never disrespected anyone and cared a lot about his appearance in society; although his clothes were mostly ragged, they were neat and clean. His hygiene was another important fact in his life. Family, as the smallest unit of society, was the most important thing for him. He had a deep respect for his wife and her daughters, especially Fatimah [5].

His political life started with inviting the members of his family and clan to Islam, and then, publically announcing Islam as the true faith sent by Allah for human beings. Soon after the public announcement, many of the heads of clans began to rise against him, and he migrated to Medina, and there, he formed the first Islamic government. His strategy was friendship and peace, and the Quba mosque was the center of his government [6]. He never forced anyone to convert to Islam. Instead, he brought logical words and verses of the Quran and spoke gently with the people he wanted to invite. Even when he tried to ask people of the other religion to convert to Islam, he used their own words and verses from their holy books. All in all, he followed the steps Allah had taught him to guide human beings to the right path: 

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and proper instruction, and argue with them in the best way. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided." (16:125)

Harra Cave: Islam Comes to Life

It was a tradition among some Hashemi Arabs, Called Hunafa, to go to the Harra cave during the month of Ramadan and then come back after the end of the month. Actually, it was Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) grandfather who made it up. Muhammad(PBUH&HP) was not an exception.

On the contrary, he was one of the fans of staying alone in that cave and worshiping Allah, his only God and the God of his fathers, up to prophet Abraham [7]. On one of those nights of Ramadan, Gabriel descended to him and asked him to read. Muhammad (PBUH&HP) said: “I can’t.” Gabriel repeated, and he again denied. Then Gabriel recited the first verses of the Quran sent by Allah: 

Recite in the name of your Lord who created -
Created man from a clinging substance. 
Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous –
Who taught by the pen -
Taught man that which he knew not.  (96:1-5)

Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) great mission had started. He found out that it was not a typical experience. He came back home and then returned to the cave. All of The Holy Quran descent to him in one of those holy nights: 
"Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree." (97:1)

The Quran; not His only Miracle

That Quran was descended to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) in one night and that he became able to read in a few minutes is not the only miracle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP).  He had other miracles like dividing the moon into two, reviving the dead, the testify of stones in the palm of his hand, etc. we are going to discuss these miracles in our next articles broadly [8]. 

The fact is that the events of that night of Ramadan made Muhammad (PBUH&HP) a prophet. Later on, people interacted with him, saw, felt, and understood his truthfulness, and stepped on the path of Islam. His lifestyle, social, political, and even family interactions carried badges of acceptance and appreciation that were imitated by the truth-seeking people. He was not the prophet belonging to centuries ago, but of all guided human beings. 

References:

1. "Early Years". Al-Islam.org. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
2. Baqdadi, Ibn-Sad Tabaqat Al-Kubra Vol. 1, P 96
3. Shirazi, Huhammad Sadiq The Prpphet Muhammad, a Mercy to the World at: <https://www.al-islam.org
4. Ibid 2, P. 105
5. A survey on Prophet Muhammad’s Behaviours, Hossun, Vol. 9 at:< https://hawzah.net
6. Azizi, Musa Political Life of Prophet Muhammad Noghte PArgar Magazinem Pp 84-96 at: <http://hablolmatin.dmsonnat.ir
7. Video Lecture of Yasir Qadhi at: < http://lifeofprophet.com/a-few-good-men-the-hunafa/>
8. Abu Ibraheem. "Miracles of Prophet Muhammad". Why Islam. ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America). Retrieved 29 April 2019.

Mankind is kept in a constant state of trying to understand and achieve happiness.  Friends, love, family, success, recognition, material escapes, and sensual pleasures are among the avenues that humanity has explored in its quest to attain this elusive phenomenon.  But what exactly is happiness, and how can we even, achieve it, if at all?  

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle coined the term 'eudaimonia' to define 'happiness'. According to Aristotle, eudaimonia involves not only reason but also the practical application of reason to achieve excellence or 'arete'. He famously stated, “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

In the 97th verse of Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), Allah tells us:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

To whoever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions. (16: 97)

So, it appears straightforward: all we have to do is to believe, do good, and Allah will reward with a fulfilling based on our deeds. However, a dilemma arises: why does it feel that this concept seem to elude us, even when we believe we are doing right? Why do many experience persistent unhappiness?

This quandary is due to our adversary, Satan, also known as Shaitan. He perpetually attempts to misguide us and disrupt our equilibrium -the righteous path that messengers were sent to guide us along.

In Surah An-Nisa, verse 120, Allah exposes Shaitan’s tactics: 

يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا؛
Satan only makes them ˹false˺ promises and deludes them with ˹empty˺ hopes. Truly Satan promises them nothing but delusion. (4:120)

Thus, as soon as we attain a sense of contentment through achievements- be it material gains, intellectual accomplishments, or life or overcoming hardships- Shaitan sets to work, aiming to deceive us, disrupt our equilibrium, and draw us away from our state of balance and inner goodness (fitra) through deceit and temptations. Instead of turning back to Allah (the straightway) and expressing gratitude, recognizing that He has granted us the opportunity (tawfiq) to do good and enjoy His blessings, which would lead to happiness, this gratitude transforms into greed, ego, pride, and any other negative trait associated with accomplishment. These are the false deities, the “ungods,” warned about by Allah, to which we might turn to in moments of vulnerability and deception.

But when He granted their descendants good offspring, they associated false gods in what He has given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate ˹with Him˺! (7:190)

Consequently, humankind remains perpetually ensnared in a dichotomy between what their fitra (inner voice), guiding them in feelings, thoughts, and actions, and the voices incited by the enemy of truth and goodness. This results in being misaligned, unbalanced, and distancing oneself from the sole true source of goodness- Allah . How then can we resolve this dichotomy, fated to be face with Shaitan’s ever-present attempt to divert us from our equilibrium, the straight path?

We redirect to pleasing Allah whenever these deceptions infiltrate our minds. What actions, though, pleases Allah?

"Indeed Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves" The Quran 2:222

Purification takes on many forms, paralleling the various strategies of Shaitain's deceptions: seeking refuge from accursed Shaitan, affirming and witnessing the sole existence of the One True God (Allah), avoiding actions that would taint our body, mind, and heart by maintaining a state of ritual and spiritual purity (wudhu), acknowledging our mistakes, rectifying them, and continuing with righteous deeds. Allah assures that good deeds erase misdeeds and replace them with goodness.

The convergence of Islam and Aristotle’s teachings on happiness becomes evident-they both emphasize that it’s not the mere act itself that is excellent or brings happiness, but the habit and the continual process of being aware of ones thoughts, acknowledging imperfections, redirecting one’s thoughts towards Allah, abstaining from evil, and returning to the straight path.

Allah further instructs, 

“O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient.” (2:153)

This implies recognizing our inherent imperfection and inevitable deviations, but with Allah's assistance, patience, and prayer, we can always find our way back. Allah, in His compassion, has endowed us with tools to structure our lives in a way that fosters excellence through habitual practices.

These practices stand as the pillars of Islam- the five daily prayers, at a minimum, cleanse our hearts from the corrosive influences of Shaitan's schemes; charity helps us express gratitude for our acquired material wealth; jihad maintains vigilance and pushes us Allah; fasting combines physical discipline with the purification of actions, mind, and heart; and Hajj serves as a reminder (if the means are available) that our final goal is Allah.

However, even if we flawlessly perform our rituals, they can become lifeless motions. Thus, the Holy Quran, the teachings of the Holy prophet (pbuhh), and the guidance of his Holy Household (as) function as nourishment for our minds and hearts, replenishing them when our equilibrium of happiness is disturbed.  

Reciting the Quran nurtures our hearts, aligning them with truth. As Imam Zaynul Abideen (as) noted, “Hearing is the gateway through which various concepts reach the heart.” (A divine perspective of rights, Imam Zaynul Abideen (as) Page 90). Reading the Quran replenishes our minds with reminders of Allah’s oneness, the importance of following the Prophet (pbuhh), reflecting on mortality, and staying true to the righteous path. It also presents instances of the consequences faced by those who succumbed to Shaitan’s temptations, alongside examples of those who prevailed- Prophets (as) and virtuous individuals like Lady Maryam, the mother of Prophet Isa (as), Asiya, the wife of Firoun and Yusuf (as). Despite confronting numerous external obstacles, Yusuf (as) exemplified patience and chastity, ultimately emerging as a true victor.

The Holy Prophet (pbuhh) teaches us morality through the laws of all actions in our lives, ensuring our hearts remain untainted while interacting with society, facilitating a state of utmost happiness. The Ahle Bayt (as) carry on this ethical legacy, guiding us to navigate society’s challenges while keeping our hearts pure, until the reappearance of the living Imam (atfs), when he will elevate the entire world to a heightened state.

In conclusion, aligning with the moderate and true path, persistently striving to achieve Allah's pleasure with all our faculties, allows us to rediscover happiness, even in the face of Shaitan's snares.