Imam Taufique Aziz
“Muhammad Prophet of Mercy”
Lecture/ Q& A
University at Buffalo
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to mankind” (Qur’an Al-Anbiyah 21:107)
Driving all the way from Maryland, Imam Taufique Aziz cane to the University of Buffalo this past Wednesday to speak about the character of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The University’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) created the event in response to the disrespectful and ill-factual movie and trailer that was released on the web this past month in regards to the beloved Islamic prophet.
Over 70 Muslims and non-Muslims alike attended the gathering to hear about the kindness of the Prophet and his history of mercy. The Imam spoke of the kindness and compassion the Prophet demonstrated throughout his life. He spoke of how the Prophet would go out of his way to greet children before they had the chance to approach him, how he would help his wife around the house and how he would treat animals with humanity. The Imam would state an example of such kindness and compassion before citing the correlating Quran passage or hadith (recorded sayings, actions, and traditions of the Prophet) the information came from. He mentioned incidences throughout Muhammad’s (PBUH) prophethood in which he was faced with ignorance and hurtful injustices, and yet responded only with intelligence, tolerance, and the utmost class.
One of the strongest points of the evening came from questions surrounding the chaos and violence that erupted overseas immediately after the release of the aforementioned defamatory trailer. The Imam made it clear, that people who reacted violently and destructively to these types of offenses were ignorant. He advised that the best way to respond to hateful and derogatory injustices was to follow in the ways of Muhammad (PBUH), for he was the best of all men, and his is the example to follow.
Imam Taufique Aziz has been doing Dawah work for ten years now; he is currently working on getting his Masters Degree in Islamic Studies from the Saudi Arabia based Knowledge International University. He currently resides in Maryland with his wife.
To learn more about Imam Taufique Aziz, visit him on facebook.