Christian woman (after some silence): Our Lord is the model for spiritual life. What concern he has with physical life?Isabella: Quite right, Jesus Christ canbe a model in spiritual life and not in physical life. So for physical life another guide should be found. In this aspect your Lord is wanting. But the being who can be a model both for spiritual and physical life is only one. Man is neither only physical that he needs just a worldly guide. Just as man is a combination of spirit and body, he needs a guide who can rightly guide him in both thespheres of life and whose life can be a model in the whole life of man. There is no doubt that Prophet Moses’ life was of Dignity, while the life of Jesus Christ was of Grace, but the life of the Last Prophet, Muhammad, was of Perfection. Just as his life was a model for the prayerful, pious and for sufi, so also for a man of the world, a merchant and even for a king, The Prophet Muhammad grazed goats in early life, then retired to the seclusion of the cave of Hira for meditation.He traded in Syria, then married Khadijah and, taking to household life, preached from the top of mount Faran and in the lanes of Mecca, went to preach in Taif and among thetribes of Hejaz and suffered at the hands of enemies and opponents, served the starving people, looked after orphans and widows of the community, migrated from Mecca to Medina, made pacts with Jews of Medina, built mosques, settled disputes between parties, led prayers, delivered speeches at different places, trained armies in thebattles of Badr and Uhud and led them as a commander, exhibited the highest military skill, and then prayed at night and for so long a time that his feet swelled and cracked. So, in fact, all the ways and means and models of life’s requirements are found in the sacred,perfect life of our Holy Prophet Muhammad. Just as for one who grazes goats as well as for a great trader his life is a model, so also for apreacher and for a traveller and an emigrant his sacred life is worth following, so also for a retired devotee he is a good guide and his teaching a model for worldly men of homely life.And his teaching provides perfect regulations, for international life as also for the need of the dweller of forests. Just as his plan of work is a guide in the battlefield, so also he is agood model for people in the days of peace and security. In short, in household life, preaching, trading, leadership, sermonising and leadingprayers, retired life, tending cattle, formulating laws, ruling as king, andin happiness and mourning, marriage and divorce, life and death, teaching and training children and whatever tasks come in man’s civilised life there is nothing for which there is not a model in the perfect life of the Prophet. Thus perfection of life and all embarrassing needs of life are found neither in the life of Prophet Moses, nor in Prophet Jesus. So in justice and honesty we are bound to say thatthe Last Prophet Muhammad embodies in him all spiritual and physical codes of human life and of glory as well as grace. Any man of the world who is in search of a correct plan of actions for this world or the next for him in all honesty there is no other course but to take cover under the vast and merciful shade of the Last of the Prophets, Muhammad, and his sacred and complete life, his code of conduct.The entire assembly was struck dumb after this speech of Isabella and even the Christian woman with all her claim of performing miracles was entranced. When Isabella found the Christian woman sunk in humility and remorse, she apologised to all guests and said good-bye to them.It is reported by Abu Hafs that the effect of this speech was that many ofthe Christian women present at the meeting accepted Islam and after some years even that Christian woman also accepted Islam at the truthful hands of Isabella. But it did not happen all at once ; it took a few years for the amenable souls to comeunder the shade of Divine Grace and Mercy.So long as Isabella lived she continued to render magnificent services to Islam. On the one hand she silenced Christians and on the other hand poured an ocean of learning in traditions and interpretation of the Holy Quran, and thousands of Muslim divines were benefited by her learning. She lived up to the age of eighty. All Spain mourned her death and millions offered her funeral prayer.THE END
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