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In an age marked by division, inequality, and environmental crisis, the Prophet’s ﷺ example calls us to a higher moral vision, one rooted in compassion, fairness, and care for all creation.
From the heart of Cape Town to the world, the 1500 Prophetic Legacy Project commemorates fifteen centuries since the advent of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a life whose guidance remains as urgent and illuminating today as it was in 7th-century Arabia.
Here, Muslim Views reflects on three timeless pillars of his legacy: mercy, social justice, and environmental stewardship. Through the voices of scholars, community leaders, and thinkers, we are reminded that these values are not abstract ideals but living principles that must shape our personal conduct, our institutions, and our societies.
In an age marked by division, inequality, and environmental crisis, the Prophet’s ﷺ example calls us to a higher moral vision, one rooted in compassion, fairness, and care for all creation. These contributions aim to inspire a renewal of conscience and a recommitment to action, wherever we find ourselves.
As we honour 1500 years of his enduring light, may we carry this legacy forward, living it, teaching it, and making it a source of hope for generations to come.
As the Prophet ﷺ said: خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ ‘The best amongst you are those who are most beneficial to humankind.’
The spiritual and moral legacy of the Prophet ﷺ
Professor Emeritus SULEMAN DANGOR
The Qur’an (33:21) describes the Prophet ﷺ as uswatun hasanatun, meaning the perfect model or exemplar par excellence. When his beloved wife, Aishah (ra), was asked to describe his character she replied, ‘His character is the Qur’an. (Sahih Muslim) He is reported to have told the Sahabah, ‘I have been sent to perfect character. (Musnad Ahmad). These texts indicate that spiritual renewal and moral regeneration were the hallmarks of the Prophet’s mission to humanity.
Sufis refer to the Prophet (saw) as insan kamil, the ideal human being who has achieved spiritual enlightenment and moral perfection. Throughout his life, the Prophet manifested (in their perfection) the attributes of generosity, mercy, justice, forgiveness, patience, forbearance, gentleness, honesty, leniency, humility, kindness, etc. Since the advent of the Prophet ﷺ, Muslims have striven to adhere to the Sunnah as directed by him; that is, to follow his instructions and advices as well as to emulate him in respect of his conduct.
In a world which is rapidly sliding into anarchy, where humanity has lost its moral compass, where the distinction between good and evil has become blurred, where selfishness has become common, where material gratification is the highest goal, where greed has become conventional and where corruption has become the norm, ethical leadership is indispensable if the world is to avoid a major catastrophe. Who other than the beloved Prophet ﷺ can serve as the ideal role model for the moral and spiritual transformation of humanity?
Suleman Essop Dangor is Professor Emeritus in the School of Religion and Theology, University of KwaZulu Natal.
Re-centring women’s agency as integral to the Prophet’s ﷺ legacy
Professor NURAAN DAVIDS
The centrality afforded to Muslim women in Islam resides in an intersectional paradigm between a preservation of values and fundamental reforms; reforms made necessary by a deeply patriarchal 7th century Arabia.
The Qur’an set into motion a series of political, social, and economic reform measures, including a woman’s right to contract marriage, inherit, control her dower and property, and receive provision and protection in widowhood. Special emphasis is placed on safeguarding the rights of orphans, specifically the girl orphan (An-Nisa, 4:2–7). Muslim women are assigned full autonomy over their own personal and individual activities; they are considered as autonomous beings – intellectually and spiritually – ultimately accountable for their own actions (Al-Ahzab, 33:35).
The theological significance of Muslim women is abundantly evident in the stories of Hajar, Mariam, and the wives (Ummahāt al-Muʾminīn) of Nabi Muhammad ﷺ. Their lives influenced the spiritual, intellectual, social, and political formation of the early Muslim community. The elevation of women is as prevalent in the Qur’an, as it is in the Sunnah, with the Nabi ﷺ stressing gender justice in his farewell sermon.
However, despite their centrality in scripture and Prophetic example, contemporary realities often tell a different story. On the one hand, male-interpretive privilege has relegated women to roles of passivity, domesticity and subjugation. On the other hand, Muslim women contribute to their own marginalisation by neglecting to actively engage with the substance of Islam. The call to re-centre Muslim women in Islam is neither progressive nor radical. It is a mere reiteration of, and a return to, the Qur’anic and Prophetic legacy, which have foregrounded the status and dignity of women. To re-centre is not merely to preserve this legacy, but also to honour it by actively embodying its message through dignity, justice and agency.
Professor Nuraan Davids is Head of Department: Education Policy Studies, Stellenbosch University.
The Prophet ﷺ as an environmentalist
By TAAHIRAH GHOOR
Nabi Muhammad ﷺ was the greatest environmentalist, and he embodied deep reverence for Allah’s creation in every aspect of his life.
The Prophet taught us that the Earth is a sacred trust from Allah, saying: “The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily Allah has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves” (Sahih Muslim).
As Allah’s khalifahs (trustees), we carry an amaana (sacred responsibility) to protect the earth’s resources, uphold adl (justice) by preventing harm, and preserve the mizan (balance) of the natural order.
Nabi Muhammad ﷺ personified mercy through his constant concern for conveying good and upholding good, which he extended to all of creation. He is narrated as saying: ‘People who show mercy to others will be shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, and He who is in the heaven will be merciful to you’ (Sunan Abu Dawud). This Prophetic concern calls us to be mindful and conservative in what we use, how we use it, and where it comes from. It urges us to be more conscientious in how we interact with every aspect of creation, people, animals, plants, water, and material goods, recognising that our choices inevitably affect both other people and the surrounding environment.
Taahirah Ghoor is an industrial engineer specialising in the circular economy. She graduated from the University of Pretoria, has an MPhil from the University of Cambridge (UK), Arabic studies certificate from Mizan Institute, and a diploma in Islamic Studies from the Islamic Peace College of South Africa.
Green sunnah: Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ environmental teachings
Dr TAAHIRA GOGA
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As a population that makes up just under a quarter globally, Muslims have a significant part to play in preserving the environment.
By way of a holistic model, the Prophetic paradigm provides exemplary guidance for sustainable and conscious living via principles including environmental stewardship (khilafah), education and knowledge (ilm), and justice (adl) and welfare. Community initiatives at grassroots level such as urban farming, greywater harvesting, and waste recycling are indeed the foundation for larger and long-term strategies and provide tangible economic benefits while protecting the environment. Furthermore, citizen science fosters public engagement in science-related activities, enhancing data collection and analysis.
An example of a successful sustainability project on the continent is the Green Belt Movement, an initiative that has successfully planted 30 000 trees in Kenya to ensure the survival of forests as well as the dissemination of environmental education across generations. Closer to home, projects such as the Green Masjid program aspire to encourage South African Muslims to recycle ablution water via reuse in watering gardens. At the core of every sustainable venture is a fundamental message – each of us can make a difference and together accomplish what may initially seem impossible. By adopting core sustainability principles found in the Qur’an and Prophetic Sunnah, we can undeniably empower our local communities while engaging in a powerful form of individual and communal worship.
Taahira Goga is a researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and a visiting researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).
Be the Change: Living the Prophetic Model /
Yiba lutshintsho: Ukuphila ngekhondo lobuProfeti
Shaykh ISHMAEL GQAMANE
We live in a world plagued by drug addiction, teenage pregnancies, fatherless homes, and soaring divorce rates. Racism is normalised, materialism dominates, and moral decay is widespread. In such a time, religious leaders, community elders, and educators must provide exemplary guidance grounded in unconditional love, justice, and compassion.
The 1500-year commemoration of the Prophetic legacy offers a powerful platform for awakening to the universal values of love, compassion, and justice. For some, this awakening may require reaffirming the two Shahaadahs as a commitment to living by their ideals.
Muslims have an integral role in shaping a society rooted in respect and humanity. This will only be achieved when we become selfless, love unconditionally, and resist judgmentalism. Imagine a world where Muslims are known as the best to work with and for, where mercy and human dignity are reflected in paying a living wage, and where luxuries are sacrificed so others can afford life’s necessities.
The Prophet ﷺ appointed Bilal (RA) to call the Adhan to dismantle tribal arrogance and racial superiority. True justice is treating every human being with dignity simply because they are human.
The world is waiting, for Islam, for peace, for justice. These values already exist in the Prophetic legacy. The 1500 Year Legacy Project can inspire us to realign our lives to the best model for humankind.
Let us join the caravan to reignite the Prophetic light, becoming the change we wish to see.
Ihlabathi lilindele iIslam, uxolo nobulungisa. Ezi mfundiso ziyaphila kwimbali yoMprofeti. Le nkqubo yesikhumbuzo seminyaka e-1500 yelifa loMprofeti, ingasiphembelela ekungqamaniseni ubomi bethu bubenjengowona mzekelo wakha wamhle woluntu.
Masizibandakanye nalenqwelo, sivuselele ukhanyo lobuProfeti kuthi, sibe lutshintsho esinqwenela ukulubona eluntwini.
Shaykh Ishmael Gqamane is Imam at Masjid Murtaza & Gugulethu Islamic Centre.
Truth-telling in the shadow of power: A Prophetic mandate
Dr QURAYSHA ISMAIL SOOLIMAN
In the Prophetic tradition, truth-telling is an act of devotion, a shield for the weak, and a sword against tyranny. The Qur’an commands: ‘Stand firmly for justice, even if it be against yourselves’ (An-Nisa, 4:135). This is the lifeblood of a just society. Without truth, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no dignity. Without dignity, there is no humanity.
The genocide in Gaza has laid bare a world where media narratives kill memory. Headlines sanitise massacres. This is not journalism; it is the architecture of complicity. Behind it stand oligarchs. Owners of empires not built on ink and paper, but on pipelines, weapons, and political influence. They dictate what we see, what we hear, and what we are allowed to know. Their reach extends into parliaments and presidential offices, ensuring that truth serves profit, not people.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ confronted similar dynamics. He faced a ruling elite that spun lies to maintain their grip on power, vilifying those who challenged the order. He countered them by his commitment to truth-telling, which has manifested in practical guidance for communication ethics. He warned against spreading unverified information: ‘It is enough falsehood for a person to relate everything they hear’ (Sahih Muslim). He prohibited deceptive framing: ‘Deceiving others is not of us’ (Sahih Muslim). And he demonstrated that silence in the face of injustice constitutes complicity: ‘Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it’ (Sahih Muslim). He defended the dignity of the enslaved, the poor, the orphan, those whom society had rendered voiceless.
Today, racism and the dehumanisation of the global South are broadcast in high definition. A child’s life in Gaza, Sudan, or the Congo is measured not in its humanity, but in its political utility. This is moral Apartheid, its lines drawn not only by armies, but by newsrooms. In our age of misinformation and manufactured consent, the Prophetic tradition calls us to a higher standard – communication that honours human dignity, challenges oppression, and serves truth rather than power. For silence is not neutrality – it is surrender. And when the press becomes the propaganda wing of power, our duty is not to consume its lies, but to expose them.
Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman is a post-doctoral researcher at the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)
Primacy of mercy
Shaykh SA’DULLAH KHAN
Islam has as its primary source of guidance the Qur’an. Its Revealer, al-Rahman (the Most Merciful); its message, hudan wa rahmah (guidance and mercy) and its recipient is rahmatan lil ‘aalimin (a mercy unto the universe). The entire philosophy of Islam is thus engulfed by the notion of mercy.
The expounder of that Qur’an is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and we catch but a dimension of Prophetic mercy through the instances of compassion he extended to others; when he played with the poor orphaned boy when other children refused to play with him; when the prolonged his prostration out of consideration that his change in posture may cause hurt to his darling grandson who had climbed on his back; when he commanded the Muslim army away from the anthill in order not to disrupt the activities of the ants; when he blessed with paradise the sinful person for saving the life of an animal by making the water of the well accessible to that animal; when he intervened and prevented a man from belittling his wife by teaching him that the best of men are those who treat their wives the best; when he joked with the kids and carried the baggage of the elderly; when he hosted the Christians of Najran in his mosque and stood up to honour the bier of a Jew – these are reflections of Prophetic compassion.
The attitude of the Prophet ﷺ was such that he promoted mahabbah (love) not hatred, he promoted rifq (kindness) not harshness, he promoted i’itimaan (trust) not suspicion, and he promoted amal (hope) not pessimism.
We look at the destabilised world we live in today, and we see a world with an inverted sense of morality, apparent loss of a sense of decency and absence of the appreciation of our common humanity. We need leading voices of reason, compassionate exemplars championing the cause of humanity. There is indeed a need for leadership in the style of the Prophet ﷺ, just as there is for communities to live by principles and values that reflect goodness, justice and compassion.
Shaykh Sa’dullah Khan is CEO at Islamia College, Cape Town.
On human dignity and fairness
Professor Emeritus YUSEF WAGHID
The Qur’an is unequivocal in affirming the inherent dignity of human beings, as exemplified in Surah Al-Isra, 17:70:
وَلَقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَرَزَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَـٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ ڪَثِيرٍ۬ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَا تَفۡضِيلاً۬
‘Verily, We have honoured the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, have provided them with good things, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.’
Classical exegetes underscore the comprehensive nature of this divine honour. Al-Ṭabarī (d. 923 CE) interprets karamnā (We have honoured) as encompassing physical, moral, and intellectual endowments granted by Allah, including upright form, articulate speech, and the capacity for reason (al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān). Ibn Kathīr (d. 1373 CE) expands this by noting that human dignity is also manifested in the lawful provision of wholesome sustenance (al-ṭayyibāt) and the ability to traverse both land and sea – privileges not universally granted to other creatures (Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ʿAẓīm). As the Messenger of Allah and the living embodiment of the Qur’anic message, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasised the sanctity of human dignity (karāmah) and the imperative of fairness (ʿadl) as universal principles (Kamali, 2002). These are intrinsic rights, and their denial results in systemic injustice, oppression, and exclusion (Sachedina, 2009).
This Qur’anic notion of karāmah parallels the foundational statement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which proclaims in Article 1: ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ (United Nations, 1948). While the UDHR frames dignity in secular, universalist terms, the Qur’anic view roots it in divine creation and moral accountability. Both, however, converge in recognising dignity as inherent, inalienable, and non-negotiable.
In the South African context, this vision resonates with Ubuntu, which, as Tutu (1999: 31) describes, affirms our shared humanity and interdependence – umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (a person is a person through other persons). By integrating karāmah, ʿadl, and Ubuntu, educational institutions can foster environments grounded in mutual respect, equity, and justice. Such a commitment must be more than rhetorical. It should manifest in policy, pedagogy, and leadership practice so that dignity and fairness become lived realities – fulfilling both the Qur’anic vision of humanity ennobled by Allah Almighty and the global human rights commitment to universal dignity.
Yusef Waghid is Professor Emeritus, distinguished Philosopher of Education, University of Stellenbosch.
- Muslim Views thanks Adnaan Adams for liaising with the writers and compiling their contributions.
