Not just another day

It's my birthday today, so wish me, wish me, wish me!

Oh well... just thought I'd scream my head out for once. :) No, we never celebrate our birthdays according to the Hijriah calendar so there's no reason to do so this year, is there?

It's Maulidurrasul, the birthday of our dearest prophet (pbuh) - 12 Rabi'ul Awal. I was born on this day many, many moons ago; hence the choice of name given. If I were a boy, surely I would have been named Muhammad or Ahmad.

Though not modern or utterly fashionable, I have always loved my name for the fact that it belonged to a woman who had a very strong character. How I long and hope to have a personality like hers, a woman dearly loved by the prophet (pbuh) - my idol!

If we look at the life the prophet had, he started with quite a deprived childhood. Yet, with Allah's guidance and mercy, he grew up into a man with outstanding values. He never met his father, Abdullah. His mother, Aminah, made a huge sacrifice by sending Muhammad to be nursed by a Bedouin named Halimatussa'adiah - a practice believed to toughen the child. Little did she know that she was going to leave Muhammad fully orphaned a few years later.

Still, Muhammad did not wallow in self-pity. In fact, he gained a lot by living with different guardians. After the demise of his mother, he then lived with his grandfather, who died two years later. It was his uncle, Abu Talib, who brought him up and taught him the traits of commercialism.

Muhammad was the chosen one, thus he had the perfect character ever since he was a child (long before he became a prophet). Even though we are not prophets and are full of flaws, we should always make him our role model and only by reading about him can we learn about this noble and respectful man.