Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 461
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 461 articles procurable in the town which might be of use to him or which he might be in need of. The Holy Prophet was wont to say, ‘Zahir is our country, and we are his town. ’ On one occasion, during the noonday heat, the Holy Prophet happened to pass near Za hir’s stall where he was hawking his produce. He was exposed to the fierce heat of the sun, his torso glistening with perspiration. The Holy Prophet approached him quietly from behind and, putting out his arms on both sides of his face, covered his eyes wi th his hands as children sometimes do in sport. Zahir put up his hands to his eyes and from the softness of the hands covering them concluded that this intimate and affectionate gesture could come only from the Holy Prophet. Taking advantage of the situati on, he extended his own arms backwards and, encircling the Holy Prophet between them, he pulled him close to himself and began to rub his sweating body against the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet began to laugh and removed his hands from Zahir’s eyes. This was his way of administering comfort to one who might have considered himself lonely and friendless, and might have been weary of his task. It was his simple and unaffected humanity that earned for the Holy Prophet God’s affirmation that he possessed the highest moral excellences (68:5), and that God’s grace had been bestowed upon him in abundance (17:88). The highest yearning of the human soul is to win the love of God through its own devotion to, and love of, Him. The Holy Quran succinctly points the way for the satisfaction of that yearning. The Holy Prophet was commanded to say, ‘If you love God, follow me; then will God love you and forgive you your