PHOTO // PIXABAY
A
s tragic as death is, I have always been someone to value the heartwarming stories people share about their departed loved ones. I smile as those stories shift from the focus of the loss, transitioning into remembering their efforts in goodness. I perceive the definition of legacies to begin with memory and progress to the potential impact of these stories as ultimately, that is what they are remembered for. The multitudes may vary but each output is a positive reminder. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word “legacy” is defined as: “the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.” By that understanding, as a Muslim, my mind instantly led me to remember a beloved person in our Islamic past, and specifically, his long-lasting impact that continues today. Let us begin by recalling the main purpose of the believers in Islam: to remember and please Allah SWT through the progression of our words and actions, living completely for His sake. Who is an example of such a righteous Muslim, beloved by Allah SWT, and a continuous example for us today? “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” (Quran 33: 21) A person’s legacy is remembered as something achieved through their efforts in the past. Such a narrative applies to the Prophet SAW, but I wonder if people frequently reflect on the impact such legacies have on our current lives and how their efforts shape our legacies. I believe the Prophet SAW, as a religious leader, exemplifies a person who left a legacy with a growing influence that continues to shape his Ummah’s legacies as well. His legacy is like a tree from which the seeds fall and bloom into more trees— our legacies—and grow into a huge, beautiful forest—the Muslim Ummah. His role as the leader of our Ummah means we are exposed to the ways in which he SAW lived, actions we call Sunnah, exemplifying how we should act today.
6 | THE MUSLIM VOICE | NOVEMBER 2023
