Muhammad The Great Exemplar — Page 17
17 The body and soul are so deeply entwined that a fault in one perforce impacts the other. In this too, the Holy Prophet sa has established an excellent example. He did not consider exercise or a healthy body detrimental to piety or righteousness. A glance over his life shows how he would often travel outside the confines of the city and sit in orchards; ride horses; and when he saw his companions take part in games, he would encourage them rather than show displeasure. Once he came across his followers participating in an archery contest and expressed his own desire to take part. Over and above this, the Holy Prophet sa also encouraged women to undertake physical activities. On many occasions he raced against his wives and in this way drew the attention of both men and women to the importance of physical exercise. Again, as a precaution, he would always teach that one ought not to give preference to physical pursuits and that exercise ought to be seen as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. A PERFECT MODEL OF CONDUCT FOR THE WORLD Thus in all walks of life, the Holy Prophet sa provided the most excellent and unparalleled example and showed that his life was an uswa-e-hasanah (excellent model of conduct) for the world to follow. If the purpose of his advent was simply to worship God and spread