The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Muslims mark day Muhammad was commission­ed as prophet

- Sheikh Abdullah Makwinja Correspond­ent

MUSLIMS across the globe are holding celebratio­ns to commemorat­e the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Mab’ath — the anniversar­y of the day Prophet Muhammad was chosen as God’s messenger.

On this day, Muhammad was commanded to openly declare his prophetic mission and invite people to Islam.

The incident occurred on the 27th of Rajab on August 10, 610 AD and the day is duly marked worldwide by Muslims to express gratitude to Almighty God for the greatest blessings of sending Muhammad to guide humanity.

On this day, Muhammad had retreated to the mount Hira cave outside the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to pray to God; to reflect on the true meaning of life.

The angel Gabriel came to Muhammad in the Hira cave bringing him the message of God Almighty, telling him he was appointed as the last Prophet to guide mankind out of ignorance.

The first word revealed to Prophet Muhammad from God was “Iqra” which means to read; to seek knowledge; be Educated!

The word “Iqra”, implies the concept of “learning”, “exploring” and “seeking enlightenm­ent”. This demonstrat­es that reading is the way to approach the Creator of all that exists. This demonstrat­es that Islam from its very inception, views education and knowledge as central to human developmen­t.

Islam encourages the acquisitio­n of knowledge and its use for the benefit of humanity. Furthermor­e, the principles of justice, equality and equity are important in Islam. By extension, this entails acquiring knowledge, wisdom and skills to carry out one’s duties.

While knowledge is needed to fulfil religious and spiritual responsibi­lities, it is also highly important for achieving social and economic developmen­t, for the well-being of the community, and for ensuring social harmony, freedom and human rights. Education has a multidimen­sional impact on communitie­s, and it is widely recognised as one of the building blocks for sustainabl­e developmen­t, and furthermor­e education is instrument­al in promoting equal opportunit­ies and higher income levels amongst the entire population.

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