Honorable Mention - Yusuf Umar

Responding to the essay in story format: If asked by your friend, “Tell me more about Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon him,” what great things will you share? ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ My friend and I were sitting at the park exchanging Pokémon cards. In the past he had asked me questions about being a Muslim. When he asked me about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) I was excited to tell him about the prophet.

I shall tell you a story about a profound man to ever walked this earth. Many people have said bad things, but they forget that he was a man of great strength, character, wisdom, and piety. We should all strive to be like him to earn the pleasure of Allah, let me tell you why.

When he was 6 years old, he was sadly orphaned. He lived with his uncle Abu Taleb who loved and protected him. When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was 12 years old, he traveled to Mecca where he met a monk named Bahera. Bahera said to protect this boy because he seen something special about him. Mecca became the place where millions of Muslims go to perform a sacred pilgrimage, one of the pillars, which is called Hajj.

When he was 25 years old, he started to preach about Islam but something miraculous happened for him to be the one. One night when the prophet was in the cave, an angel appeared and begin to squeeze him and commanded him to read. The prophet did not know how to read and kept telling the angel that he could not read. This marked the beginning of his prophethood. Afterwards, he ran home to his wife Khadijah where she comforted him. Khadijah was a businesswoman that liked Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) character very much. She believed in his message along with 30 other loyal followers as Islam started to unfold. Unfortunately, not all the people liked Islam and wanted to harm the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The followers had to be careful in their worship or they would be beat and tortured. This teaches us that it is okay to disagree with people, stand up for what you believe in, but it is not okay to hurt people.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would frequently go up to the cave in the mountains. One night, a group of men were looking to harm him and came across his cave. However, a spider had made its web across the entrance to make it appear as though no one had entered for a long time. He was saved by the mercy of Allah!

Today, we follow his sunnah by practicing fasting, praying, and learning to copy the traditions and mannerisms of the prophet. People knew him as being fair, righteous, patient, honest, devoted, humble, respectful, generous, and led people with pure intentions for the pleasure of Allah (our Creator). He cared deeply about his ummah (community). We should remember Allah’s blessings and mercy by making dua and praising the only god, Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last messenger and my intention is to follow him instead of following famous people as role models.