有人在人类历史上曾被如此深深地爱戴过吗？那位先知穆罕默德ﷺ所获得的敬重与效法，已延续了第二个千年。许多人低估了这一点，或许是不了解。另一些人即便意识到了，也会匆忙断定人类历史上必然有其他人同样赢得了同样可观的爱戴。但更加审慎的考察却讲述了另一番故事。

Has anyone in human history ever been as deeply loved as the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم? Many underestimate, or perhaps are unfamiliar with, the esteem and emulation he has garnered for a second millennium now. Others may realize it, then hastily assume that just-as-impressive shares of adoration must have been achieved by somebody else in human history. But a more critical examination tells another story.

在先知ﷺ在世时，他的同伴们渴望舍弃生命与肢体来保卫他ﷺ。例如，在乌ḥud战役中，先知ﷺ被击昏倒地，他的同伴们冲上前去救援，展现出非凡的英勇。

During his life, the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Companions longed to sacrifice life and limb to defend him. When he صلى الله عليه وسلم was struck unconscious during the Battle of Uḥud, for instance, his Companions displayed extraordinary heroism as they rushed to his rescue.

Abū Dujānah 在箭雨落在他背上时仍然挡在先知身前,毫不退缩。Anas ibn al-Naḍr 冲入人群,直到他殉道的身躯上被发现有九十多处伤口。Abū Talḥah 在找不到其他东西时,便以赤裸的胸膛为先知ﷺ挡住伤害,并恳求他说:“真主的使者啊,不要看!愿我的颈项承受,而不是您的!”Talḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillāh 把先知ﷺ抬上一块大石头,然后回身击退攻势,接着又再次返回,把先知ﷺ带到更安全的地方。Nusaybah bint Ka‘b 是一位无所畏惧的女子,她在乌侯德之战中从男人手中夺过刀剑,冲向许多身体比她强壮的战士,直到她的锁骨被一记军刀击中而倒下。那是她所承受的许多英勇伤痕中的第一道,最终她以殉道者的身份离世。 当尘埃终于落定时,他们对先知ﷺ无私的爱已被永久铭记。回到麦地那城后,一位来自Banū Dinār部落的女子得知她的丈夫、父亲和兄弟都在乌侯德战死。她回答说:“但真主的使者ﷺ怎么样了?”人们回答:“他平安无事,正如你所希望的那样。”她说:“让我看看他,我必须亲眼确认。”当她终于见到ﷺ时,她说:“真主的使者啊,除了失去您,其他所有的灾难都微不足道。”这一天的事件,并未在此全部记载,只是一个缩影,反映出围绕真主最后的先知ﷺ在其二十三年传道期间的那种爱与敬重的精神。

Abū Dujānah  welcomed volleys of arrows landing in his back as he hovered over the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Anas ibn al-Naḍr  dove into the crowds until over ninety wounds were found on his martyred body. Abū Talḥah  shielded the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from injury with his bare chest when he found nothing else, and pleaded with him, “Do not look, O Messenger of Allah! Let it be my neck [struck] rather than yours!” Talḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillāh  lifted the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم onto a boulder, then returned to drive back the onslaught, then returned yet again to bring the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to even safer ground. Nusaybah bint Ka‘b  was a fearless woman who snatched swords away from men and charged at many physically stronger warriors at Uḥud, until she fell to a saber-strike on her collarbone which was the first of many scars of valor she sustained before eventually dying a martyr. By the time the dust had finally cleared, their selfless displays of love for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were immortalized. Upon returning to the city of Madinah, a woman from the Banū Dinār tribe was told that her husband, father, and brother were all killed at Uḥud. She responded, “But what happened to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم?” They replied, “He is safe and well, just as you wish him to be.” She said, “Show him to me; I must see for myself.” When she finally saw him صلى الله عليه وسلم, she said, “Every tragedy besides losing you is insignificant, O Messenger of Allah.”126 This single day’s events, not all captured here, are but a microcosm reflecting the ethos of love and endearment that surrounded the final prophet of God صلى الله عليه وسلم for the duration of his twenty-three-year ministry.

几年后,在乌侯德之役之后,“乌尔瓦·伊本·麦斯欧德”作为当时敌对部落古莱氏的使者前来,希望与穆罕默德ﷺ谈判签订和约。他在穆斯林中间停留了三天之后,返回麦加,并向古莱氏汇报了以下观察所得。

A few years after Uḥud, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ūd came as an envoy of the then enemy tribe of Quraysh, seeking to negotiate a treaty with Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. After spending three days among the Muslims, he returned to Mecca and briefed Quraysh with these observations:

啊，古莱什人的议会！我曾去过霍斯洛的王国，去过凯撒的王国，也去过尼扎希的王国。但以真主起誓，我从未见过哪位君王，在他的人民中像穆罕默德那样受到敬重。他洗身时，他们都争相接住从他身上滴落的水珠；他的一根头发掉落，他们也会争着拿去。他一开口说话，他们立刻压低自己的声音；出于对他的敬重，没有人敢直视他。他已向你们提出了良好的条件，你们就接受吧，因为我看不出他们会离弃他。现在，请你们做出决定。127

O council of Quraysh, I have visited Chosroes in his kingdom, and Caesar in his kingdom, and the Negus in his kingdom. But by God, I have never seen a king so revered among a people like Muhammad. He does not wash himself except that they rush to catch the droplets of water [falling from his body], nor does one of his hairs fall except that they take it. Whenever he speaks, they immediately lower their voices, and none stares at him directly out of reverence for him. He has offered you good terms, so accept them, for I do not see them ever deserting him. Now make your decision.127

即使在先知death之后数十年，我们仍看到像‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ这样的圣门弟子躺在自己的临终床上，回忆自己皈依伊斯兰之前的生活，回想自己如何从先知的激烈敌人转变为他最伟大的追随者之一。在他的回忆中，他说：“那时，没有人比安拉的使者ﷺ更让我珍爱，也没有人在我眼中比他更尊贵。我甚至因为敬畏他而不敢直视他，因此如果有人让我描述他的external相貌，我将无法描述，因为我从未完整地注视过他。”128

Even decades after the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death, we find a Companion like ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ  laying on his own deathbed reminiscing about his life prior to Islam, recalling how he transformed from being a militant adversary of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to one of his greatest followers. Amidst his recollections, he says, Then, no one was dearer to me than the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and none was more exalted in my eyes than him. I could not even stare at him directly out of reverence for him, and thus if I am asked to describe his features, I would not be able to describe them, for I have never eyed him fully.128

那些在先知之后仍然在世的同伴，同样怀着炽热的情感与思念；他们整整一代人，每当听到先知的名字，心便为之颤抖，眼中盈满泪水，期盼在后世与他重逢。比拉勒·本·赖巴赫是一位获释的埃塞俄比亚奴隶，他是最早一批在先知ﷺ手中接受伊斯兰的人之一，因拒绝主人的命令、归信穆罕默德的宗教而忍受了难以想象的酷刑。

The Companions who outlived the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم burned with similar passion and longing; an entire generation who remained incapable of hearing his name without their hearts trembling, their eyes overflowing with tears, anticipating reuniting with him in the hereafter. Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ  was a freed Ethiopian slave who was among the first handful to accept Islam at the hands of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, tolerating unthinkable torture for defying his masters and embracing the religion of Muhammad.

他将活下来，成为伊斯兰历史上第一位穆安津（召唤人们礼拜的人）。对穆罕默德ﷺ的爱在毕拉勒的血脉中流淌，而他在穆罕默德ﷺ之后独自活着，让他悲伤不已，唯有重逢才能抚平这份悲伤。九年后，毕拉勒躺在大马士革自己的病榻上，听到妻子说：“我的悲痛啊！我的毕拉勒啊！”他反驳道：“我的喜悦啊！明天我就要见到我所爱的人：穆罕默德ﷺ和他的圣门弟子！”129

He would survive to become the very first mu’adhin (caller to prayer) in Muslim history. Loving Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم flowed in Bilāl’s veins and surviving him brought him sorrow that only a reunion could heal. Nine years later, as Bilāl  lay on his own deathbed in Damascus, he heard his wife say, “O my grief! O my Bilāl!” To that, he retorted, “O my joy! Tomorrow I meet my loved ones: Muhammad and his Companions!”129

无数人此后继承了对最后的先知穆罕默德ﷺ的这份爱,并在此过程中成为世界历史上真理、正义与贡献的典范。其中有些先驱对神圣真理有着深刻的洞察,创造了实在与智识上的奇迹,并沿着他们所挚爱的、不识字的先知穆罕默德ﷺ的足迹,达到了罕见的高度。无数虔诚的智者、严谨的学者、文学天才、无私的利他主义者、杰出的政治家和德高望重的将领都认为,效法穆罕默德ﷺ是在各项事业中通往卓越的门径,也是成为人类火炬手不可或缺的条件。即便在今天,这个星球上近三分之一的人口仍在不同程度上以体现其对穆罕默德ﷺ敬仰的方式安排自己的生活。穆斯林当然不崇拜穆罕默德ﷺ,只崇拜真主,但他们视其人格为信仰在人间的枢轴,视其榜样为美德的典范,并以此作为通向真主喜悦的桥梁。乔治城大学的乔纳森·布朗博士写道:在整个穆斯林世界,提到先知时习惯上会说"愿真主的平安与祝福降临于他"。因此,在周五的聚礼中,只要讲经人在讲道时提到先知的名字,会众便会齐声低诵为穆罕默德祈祷的声音。在这样的场合,先知本人自然成为穆斯林共同的礼仪关注焦点。

Countless thousands have since inherited this love of the Final Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم en route to becoming icons of truth, justice, and contribution in world history. Among these were vanguards who developed profound insight into sacred truths, performed tangible and intellectual wonders, and ascended to rare heights in the footsteps of their beloved, the unlettered Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Innumerable pious sages, meticulous scholars, literary geniuses, selfless altruists, accomplished statesmen, and virtuous generals believed emulating Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was the gateway to true excellence in all endeavors and indispensable for being a torchbearer for humanity. Even today, nearly a third of this planet continues to govern their lives—in one respect or another—in ways that reflect their veneration of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Muslims certainly do not worship Muhammad, only God, but see his persona as their earthly pivot of faith, and his example as the paragon of virtue and thereby their conduit to God’s pleasure. Dr. Jonathan Brown of Georgetown University writes, Throughout the Muslim world, it is customary to say “May the peace and blessings of God be upon him” after mentioning the Prophet. As a result, during the Friday communal prayer any mention of the Prophet’s name by the preacher during the sermon will elicit a collective murmur of prayers for Muhammad from the congregation. In such settings, the person of the Prophet becomes the common focus of Muslims’ ritual attention.

纪念穆罕默德ﷺ并遵行他的圣行，犹如一个尘世的焦点，使人的注意力由此转向上方的真主。130

Remembering Muhammad and honouring his Sunnah act as the earthly focal point from which attention is directed upward to God.130

今天，穆斯林对那位将他们与造物主联系起来的人的崇敬，使“穆罕默德”成为2019年伦敦及英国其他地区最受欢迎的男婴名字——而穆斯林在英国人口中至今仅占少数。131 如果把这个名字的所有拼写变体合并计算，“穆罕默德”很可能是全世界最流行的名字。132 一代又一代，他的虔诚追随者不断钻研他的每一句话，严格追寻一切可溯源至他的事物，并模仿他的生活方式，甚至模仿他祈祷时手指的每一个动作。在人类历史上，有哪一位人物能在长达十五个世纪且仍在延续的时间里，赢得如此的崇敬，并且这种崇敬转化为了实际行动？

Today, Muslims’ adulation of the man who connected them with their Creator has made Muhammad the most popular baby name in London and other regions of the U.K. in 2019, where Muslims to date only account for a small minority of the population.131 If one combines all the variant spellings of the name, Muhammad is likely the most popular name in the entire world.132 Generation after generation, his devout followers continue exploring his every word, rigorously pursuing everything traceable to him, and mimicking his lifestyle down to the motions of his fingers during prayer. How many figures in human history have won such adoration, an adoration that translated into actions, for fifteen centuries and counting?

大卫·乔治·霍加斯（卒于1927年），英国学者和考古学家，曾说：无论是严肃的还是琐碎的，他的日常行为确立了一套准则，今天仍有数百万人有意识地模仿遵行。人类中任何一个群体视为完人的人物，从未被如此细致入微地效仿过。

David George Hogarth (d. 1927), a British scholar and archeologist, said, Serious or trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which millions observe this day with conscious mimicry. No one regarded by any section of the human race as Perfect Man has ever been imitated so minutely.

基督教创立者的行为并未主导其追随者的日常生活。此外,没有哪位宗教创立者像穆斯林的使徒那样,被置于如此孤高独立的地位。133

The conduct of the founder of Christianity has not governed the ordinary life of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion has been left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim Apostle.133

很有意思的是，穆罕默德的名字早在这一现象出现之前，就已预示了它。"穆罕默德"一词的字面意思是"屡受赞颂者"，而没有哪个人比他获得过更多的赞美与认可。即便没有社交媒体的曝光机会，没有推特、脸书、照片墙或WhatsApp账号，穆罕默德ﷺ也已积累了……8

It is fascinating that Muhammad’s name foretold this phenomenon before its occurrence. Muhammad literally means ‘the oft-praised one,’ and no human being has ever received greater praise and recognition. Even without the exposure opportunities of social media, without an account on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or Whatsapp, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has amassed 1.8

……亿追随者的今天，这难道不令人惊叹吗？在他离世1400年后，世界上没有一秒钟不在某处赞颂他。每时每刻，全世界都在进行穆斯林的宣礼（adhān），随后是礼拜（ṣalāh）本身，为穆罕默德祈祷、并见证他的先知身份，昼夜不绝地回响着。人们对穆罕默德依然怀有如此深厚的情感，当他受到轻慢时，他们仍以最热烈的方式捍卫他，这一点难道不令人惊叹吗？ﷺ

billion followers in today’s world. Does it not stir amazement to consider how, 1,400 years after he passed away, there is no second that passes except that he is praised all around the world? In the Muslim adhān (call to prayer) which takes place every second around the world, followed by the ṣalāh (ritual prayer) itself, supplicating for Muhammad and testifying to his prophethood is echoed day and night. One should marvel at just how emotionally attached people remain to Muhammad, and how they continue to express the most passionate defense of him when he is slighted?

事实上,真主亲自预言了这一点,祂说:“我已为你提高了你的声誉。”134 这节经文启示于麦加早期,那时穆斯林只是少数弱小的人群,伊斯兰的前途尚未可知。如今穆罕默德ﷺ被全世界数以亿计的人提及和纪念,这一经文的应验就显得更加令人惊叹。即便是非穆斯林的伊斯兰学者,例如德国东方学家泰奥多尔·诺尔德克,也承认《古兰经》这一章的成文年代较早。他认为该章在全部114章中排第十二,而埃及通行的《古兰经》章次则将其列为第十一。135

In fact, God Himself foretold this by saying, “And We have raised for you your repute.”134 This verse was revealed during the early Meccan years, at a time when the Muslims were a mere handful of weak people and it was unsure what would happen to Islam, making it even more incredible to think how the verse is fulfilled now, when Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is mentioned and remembered by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. Even non-Muslim scholars of Islam, such as the German orientalist Theodore Noldeke, acknowledge the early date of this chapter from the Qur’an. He considered it to be the twelth of its 114 chapters, and the standard Egyptian chronology of the Qur’an lists it as the eleventh.135