The Messenger, our Teacher

This book provides a focused overview of the role of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a teacher and mentor. It provides a framework for modern readers to draw lessons from his ﷺ approach to educating the early Muslim community.

The text begins with an introductory discussion and overview of the subject. It then examines different elements of the Prophet’s instructional methods, beginning with general themes, then focusing on more specific aspects of the teaching and mentoring process. Over 130 different hadith narrations are included to illustrate and illuminate the principles by which the Prophet’s ﷺ conveyed guidance perfectly and instruction to those who were blessed to believe in him and follow him.

The text includes:

1. Descriptions in the Qur’an, Sunnah, and historical documentation of the Messenger ﷺ as a teacher
2. A brief acquainting with the perfection of the Prophet ﷺ in his teaching and his outstanding character
3. Some special qualities, virtues, honourable manners, and traits of the Messenger-Teacher ﷺ which illuminate aspects of his overall character
4. His ﷺ teaching methods
5. His ﷺ teaching of the Divine Law in stages
6. Teaching through intellectual discussion and negotiation
7. Asking his Companions questions as a means of unveiling their intelligence and knowledge
8. Teaching through analogies and examples, similes and metaphors, speech and gesture, playfulness and jest, through stories and tales of the past, and through his own noble persona ﷺ
9. Offering beneficial wisdom to his Companions without being asked
10. Responding to questions when he ﷺ was asked
11. Testing someone who already knows something in order to praise them for their knowledge
12. Teaching by remaining silent and authorizing something taking place in his ﷺ presence
13. Seizing opportune moments to teach
14. How he ﷺ would address sensitive issues
15. Authorizing writing as a means of conveying his ﷺ teachings

And more.