The Prophet’s Life Was an Open Book The Sunday Guardian | February 27, 2011 | Page 15
According to the Quran, the Prophet of Islam lived an exemplary life. Different aspects of the Prophetic character are described in the Quran, one of which is alluded to in the chapter entitled Yunus (Jonah). The translation of the relevant verse is as follows: Say, "If God had so wished, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have brought it to your knowledge. Indeed, I have spent a whole lifetime among you before it came to me. How can you not use your reason?" (10:16)
According to this Quranic verse, the Prophet's life was an open book. His character was known to everyone in minute detail. No chapter of his life's book was hidden from his contemporaries. There was no contradiction between his private life and his public life. This was not simply a personal matter. It had great social value. Leading a blameless life and having sterling qualities made one predictable and encouraged others to accept one as a trustworthy person. Thanks to having such a character, the Prophet projected such a noble image in Mecca that people gave him the very exceptional title of Al-sadiq Al-amin, that is, truthful and trustworthy.
It was because of this flawless character of the Prophet that when he proclaimed that God had appointed him as a Prophet, no one was able to deny his claim. This miracle of his acceptance was wrought purely by the sublimity of his character. The Prophet is a role model for everyone who believes in his prophethood. A character of this calibre establishes one's identity in the eyes of both God and the people. But such a character is not the sole privilege of a Prophet. Every single believer can have such a character and is certainly expected to emulate the character of the Prophet.