When I was a child, I looked towards my father for acceptance, I looked to him for approval, he was my hero, and everything I did was to be like him. As I grew older I turned to him for advice and council, as his opinion was the most important for me, he was my role model in life, I copied him and tried to be just like him.

My father always taught me to be upright, just, kind and honest. My father taught me a host of things, but my father wasn't the only person who inspired me. At school I looked towards a special teacher and further along in my life I met people who I can truly say became brothers to me.

Their habits, mannerisms, the way they interacted with people and carried themselves was nothing but exemplary. But whereas I met people with great character, I also met people of the opposite. It made me realize if these people in my life were indeed necessary.

What I can say is that indeed they were, how else can a person know what is right and wrong. Yes there are general ideas, and official doctrines, but the manifestation of such has to be perceived in the manner of a person. More often than not we need to see in the guise of a person how it must be to be good or bad.

I saw my father, then my teacher, then some brothers I met. And so that made me think, who are their role models. Often I got the same answer, the answer that I had just given, it was either a parent, companion, friend or teacher. But also was a name which kept springing up. The Prophet Muhammad (saw). A role model of role models.

And so I decided to read up more on The Prophet (saw) and ask myself how is it that such a man became the most revered and most influential person in history, how is it that such a person came to be a role model for so many. His companions watched, heard and attempted to re-enact every action he (saw) undertook. Along with the words of Allah (swt) in the form of the Qura'an, The Prophet's (saw) message, in the form of the Sunnah, was also sent down from generation to generation. Yes my father was a role model, but it was because he, my father, enacted the sayings and the actions of The Prophet (saw). Yes my friends were people I looked up to, but it was once again because they looked up to The Messenger of Allah (swt).

Where when one picks up a magazine, the people of inspiration at the same time have their dirty laundry plastered all over the tabloids

During the time of The Prophet (saw), the Quraysh mocked The Prophet (saw) for not having a bloodline that would carry his name, The Prophet's (saw) son had died young. Little did they understand the plan of Allah, as they plan and Allah plans, and verily Allah is the best of all planners. What's interesting about The Prophet (saw) is the non-Muslims constantly tried to mock, slander and lie about him. Not once did he, The Messenger of Allah (saw) respond, a trait that has to be admired in itself. Instead The Messenger of Allah let a higher power deal with the insults. And so to my previous point, the non-Muslims of the tribes of the Quraysh mocked  The Prophet (saw) for having no son, but Allah (swt) answered in Surah Al-Kawther:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ ﴿١﴾ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ ﴿٣﴾

"Indeed Muhammad We have granted you (Al Kawther). So pray to your Lord and sacrifice to Him alone. Indeed, your enemy is the one who is cut off." 

And what do we take from this, well this simpleton understands that although The Prophet had no son, Muhammad is now one of the most popular and respected names in the world, the messenger of Allah (saw) is my role model, a role model to billions not only in this generation but since his (saw) death. And as Allah said, the Quraysh mocked The Prophet (saw) but it is The Messenger of Allah (saw) who history remembers.

But not only that, Allah also reminded The Prophet (saw) of Prophets before, almost in a way to inspire, as if the previous Prophets were designated to be role models for the peoples of their time and later. It then makes me understand that truly there can not be a better role model than the one(s) chosen by Allah.

It then draws my attention to now, where in a world people have taken their roles models to be footballers, pop stars, actors, etc. Where when one picks up a magazine, the people of inspiration at the same time have their dirty laundry plastered all over the tabloids. Where a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll is what the youth of today should aspire to be. What this indicates to me is that even in the non-Muslim bubble, the need for roles models is accepted.

However, their yardstick for a role model is based on nothing more than the weakness of humanity. Ideals such as justice, uprightness, submission, humility, are replaced by fame, sexual exploitation, materialism, consumerism and greed. And yet, for some strange reason, just like the Quraysh people attempt to attack the character of The Messenger of Allah (saw).

The need for role models is more necessary now than anytime in history. The need for positive role models in the lives of people is a fact that is not disputed nor rejected. Instead the type of role models is where we have a problem. And so I turn to our times, I couldn't see The Prophet (saw) nor meet him. But I saw his personality manifested in the people I looked up to. The Muslim world is the same, in need for heroes, they turn to the likes of Omar Mukhtar, Abdul Hamid II, Salah-Uddin Ayoubi,  Abu Hanifah, the Companions of The Prophet (saw), and all lead to the same person.

What the Muslim world yearns for now is the need for new role models, based on the ideals of whom Allah sent to this earth to save humanity. We all are searching for this or these role models, but the question I ask is why can't we be these role models for this generation and the generations of the future, and just like our heroes gone past, surely Allah will elevate our status.