PESHAWAR, Sep 03 (APP): In the turbulent and often unforgiving landscape of 7th-century Arabia, a land where power dictated morality and the weak were cast aside, emerged powerful figure whose empathy, wisdom, and vision had altered the course of human history.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), revered by over billions followers worldwide as Rehmatul Lilalameen, was not only the final messenger of Allah Almighty but also a tireless advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable including women, widows, slaves and orphans.
His message rooted in compassion, justice and equality still echoes across centuries, offering profound relevance in a world where many still grapple with inequality, gender-based violence, and child neglect.
“In pre-Islamic Arabia, the birth of a daughter was often met with grief and shame. Women were denied autonomy, inheritance, and basic respect. Female infanticide—an unthinkable atrocity today—was a grim reality. It was a society where women were voiceless, their existence dismissed,” explains Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Chief Khateeb KP, in an interview with APP.
“The Holy Prophet (PBUH) didn’t just reject this negative mindset but he revolutionized it.”
He taught that daughters are a source of blessing, not burden. “Whoever has three daughters and treats them kindly will be with me in Paradise,” the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) declared. These were not just words. He lived by them. He stood every time his daughter Hazrat Fatima Zohra (RA) entered the room, kissed her forehead, and made her sit in his place—an act of love, reverence, and example.
In his own household, he broke the chains of patriarchy. His first wife, Hazrat Khadijah (RA), was not only older but a highly successful businesswoman. Their marriage was one of mutual respect and deep affection. She was his confidante, his first believer, and proof that Islam honored women as equal spiritual and intellectual partners.
The Prophet (PBUH) gave women the right to inherit, to own property, to seek divorce, and most importantly, the right to learn.
“Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim, male and female,” he taught, centuries before women’s education became a global cause.
Born in the city of holy Makkah widely believed on 12th Rabiul to be celebrated on Saturday across Pakistan, holy Muhammad (PBUH) was orphaned by age six. The pain of growing up without a father, and then a mother, left deep imprints on his heart. But instead of hardening him, it made him profoundly empathetic.
“He knew what it meant to be alone, to be vulnerable,” says Maulana Tayyab. “That’s why he constantly reminded his followers to protect, uplift, and love orphans.”
The holy Qur’an repeatedly mentions orphans, and the Prophet (PBUH) emphasized their rights not just in sermons, but in action. “I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” he once said, holding two fingers together to show closeness.
He instructed that orphans should be given not just shelter and food, but emotional security. They were not to be pitied but they were to be embraced. His teachings laid the foundation for what modern society calls child welfare.
In his Farewell Sermon (Hijjatul Wida) delivered during his final pilgrimage, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) issued the first universal declaration of human rights. It was a moment of divine clarity, where he addressed over 100,000 followers under the scorching Arabian sun in the holy day of Hajj.
“No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, and no non-Arab to an Arab. A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black over a white, except by piety and good deeds.”
“Your lives and your properties are sacred to one another. Treat your women well. You have taken them as a trust from Allah.”
Dr. Hifazat Ullah Khan, Chairman of the Islamiyat Department at Islamia College Peshawar, said the sermon was a masterclass in compassion and human dignity. “It encapsulated everything the Prophet stood for such as peace, justice, equality, and respect for all.”
Today, the Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings are not relics of history but they are vital reform. Across the Muslim world and beyond, countless women’s shelters, orphanages, and humanitarian organizations find inspiration in his life.
From a widowed mother in Pakistan who names her daughter Bibi Fatima with pride, to a young orphan boy in Syria learning the Prophet’s Hadith about love and resilience, his impact is eternal.
In a time where celebrity fades and fame is fleeting, holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) remains a timeless role model not because of political power or worldly riches, but because he stood for those who had no one to stand for them.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not only the last Messenger of Allah but the guardian of orphans, the liberator of women, and the voice of the voiceless.
His teachings were not confined to the masjid or the battlefield but they were lived in homes, in marketplaces, in the hearts of children, and in the tears of the oppressed.
In today’s fractured world, filled with inequality and moral ambiguity, his life remains a shining example of how true greatness lies not in dominance, but in kindness, empathy, and justice.
As long as humanity seeks dignity for women, protection for children, and equity for all, the legacy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) will continue to guide, comfort, and inspire mankind of all ages.