1. The Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him)

The Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Order are known as the Golden Chain because of their connection to the highest, most perfect human being, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Prophet Muhammad is a hero for all mankind. If we look at just his worldly achievements, he is one of the greatest men to have walked this earth. When he was born in Mecca, Arabia in 570 A.D., this area of the world was in a state of chaos, without effective social or moral guidelines. During his lifetime, the Prophet transformed Arabia and united it for the first time. A generation after his death he would be acknowledged as the founder of a world empire and a new civilization. He established the legal and moral systems for this new civilization, enacting its implementation from the beginning, from when he had only a few followers. With this, he brought a new literary language – the classical Arabic of the Qur’an. He was also a military leader, after God gave him permission to defend his fledgling community.

During the rise of his empire, the Prophet displayed a perfection of character that endeared him to everyone that he met. He was a devoted and much loved husband and father, participating fully in family life. He was always courteous, humble, patient, quietly spoken, whilst being decisive, reliable and courageous. His everyday behavior was extensively recorded by his followers and continues to provide a template for the best of behavior.

When we add the spiritual dimension of the Prophet to his worldly acumen, he is the most complete person in the history of mankind. After being made a Prophet at the age of 40 and being able to relate the direct message of God, he brought a new religion, Islam, to the everyday lives of his community. This community has now grown to over 1.5 billion people around the world and continues to grow.

The Prophet Muhammad passed away in 632 A.D. in Medina, where he is buried and is the fountainhead of spirituality and knowledge for each of the Shaykhs of the Golden Chain.

Some sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:-

“The meaning of faith is self-restraint and gentleness.”

“God’s kindness towards His Creatures is more than a mother’s towards her baby.”

A Bedouin once urinated in the Prophet’s Mosque and people got up to punish him. The Prophet said, “Leave him alone, and throw a bucket of water over his urine. You are here to make things easy, not to make things difficult.”

“Women are the twin-halves of men.”

“No father has given his child anything better than good manners.”

For more of the guidance and sayings of the Last of the Prophets, the Messenger of God, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), related directly to him by the Archangel Gabriel, refer to the ‘Features’ section > ‘Prophet’s Tradition’.