Sayings

You know, Muhammad was over 40 years old

when God decided to give him the words he needed to recite

for humankind to hear.

But once that had happened

those who believed in what he had to say began listening carefully,

and trying to remember the words that they thought were important

and then using his words to shape their lives.

And some things were more important than others,

and they knew that the Message itself,

the Words of God,

were the most important of all.

But then there were all the other things that the Messenger talked about,

and they also knew that those things were important to remember

and pass on to those who never met him.

And most of the time, the Messenger's words were not about himself,

but were talking about the best way for humans to behave.

But there's one event in which he was involved which he does describe,

and that was perhaps the most important event ever,

the opening of a direct line of communication between God and humankind,

the One [Hu] made us speaking to us through the Words of the Qur'an

Now people tell each other stories of great people and great events,

and so it has been with what happened in the cave at Hira.

Other people have told the tale.

But how much better it is to read the story of how the Message began

from the lips of the one who was there,

Muhammad the Messenger.

And we can do that

because of those who remembered the words that he had to say.

Now although Muhammad may have become the Messenger,

he was still the person who had lived

amongst his friends and neighbours all his previous years.

He was still honest,

al-Amin, the trustworthy,

still gentle, kind, courteous,

still loving and good-humoured.

Only now the Message made clear

how this way of life was an example,

an ideal for humankind to follow,

a life lived according to God's Will

And the Messenger explained God's Will to those around him

in the language and understanding of his people in that time and place.

So people remembered things that the Messenger said

that related to the way he was before and after Hira.

They could see God's Will in the man they lived with.

They were not just his followers, they were his friends and neighbours.

And the Message he passed on was not closed and inward looking,

but says that humankind should think about the world

and try to understand it,

because by looking at the world

we can see the Face of Allah.

And if we are humbled by what we see,

we understand that the more we learn

the more we find out how little we know

and how much more there is for us to learn.

We are no more than the tiniest of drops in the ocean of God's creation,

yet we can see and hear and imagine and understand.

We may never reach the stars,

but we can see them,

and they are there

to guide us in our lives.

What happened in the cave at Hira?

How should we treat our neighbours?

What about learning and understanding?