'No greater man in history': Imran urges nation on Eid-i-Miladun Nabi to follow Holy Prophet's example

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday urged the nation to follow the example of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), saying that "there is no greater man in history".

Addressing a ceremony arranged to observe Eid-i-Miladun Nabi, the premier said that no man in history had achieved as much as Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and urged the nation to learn from his life.

"His (Holy Prophet) achievements are part of history and the more you read, you'll realise how great he was and what we can learn from him," the prime minister said.

He also addressed the display of blasphemous cartoons in France and the rising Islamophobia in Western countries, saying that Muslim leadership should "take a position" or Muslims living in the West will suffer the impact.

"When I became prime minister and attended the OIC meeting, I said there that this Islamophobia, which is rising in the West, will continue to increase if Muslim heads of states don't take a position on it. This would have the worst impact on Muslims living in the West and in other countries where they are a minority," he told the crowd. He added that Muslims states should explain to the world that "we believe in freedom of speech but there is a limit, you can't hurt sentiments under its banner".

The prime minister further said that "a small group" is running a campaign to malign Islam by provoking Muslim sentiments. "When you make cartoons, it is not freedom of speech, it is deliberately hurting the sentiments of 1.3 billion Muslims."

He said that the world could not raise questions or make fun of the Holocaust — during which at least six million Jews were killed by the Nazis in the 1940s — because the Jewish community was "organised".

The premier also highlighted the dangers of climate change and the reason behind it by quoting a hadees of the Holy Prophet.

"[The Holy Prophet] said 'live for the next world as if you'll die tomorrow and live for this world as if you'll live for a thousand years'.

"You can go in depth of this [hadees] and you will realise that the world's problems today are because we didn't think of the future, we didn't care about the world we'll leave for our coming generations. This climate change, why is this happening? Because humans are not living here in a way where they think of the world they'll leave for coming generations."

The country observed Eid-i-Miladun Nabi across the country with leaders highlighting the importance of spreading Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) teachings among people.

Prime Minister Imran said the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) must be disseminated to promote peace, tranquility and interfaith harmony across the world, Radio Pakistan reported.

"Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) established the state of Madina with justice, fraternity and equality [and it] remains a role model for the entire world," he said.

According to Radio Pakistan, celebrations kicked off with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in all the provincial capitals.

After Fajr prayers, special prayers for the unity of the Muslim Ummah as well as for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan were offered at various mosques. Special conferences, events and milads are also being arranged to pay respect to the Prophet (PBUH), the report added.

In his message, President Dr Arif Alvi urged leaders of the Muslim world to put forth a unanimous demand before international organisations to ensure the sanctity of Holy Prophet (PBUH) and desist from blasphemy and desecration.

Read: Imran urges Muslim leaders to unite against Islamophobia

The president said that condemnable incidents of blasphemy in the West have invited the wrath of Muslims across the globe. "Such incidents create disintegration and violate the spirit of interfaith harmony and dialogue," he said.

It is essential to spread the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and the true message of Holy Quran in order to tackle Islamophobia and highlight the real spirit of Islam, he said.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the nation to draw from the Prophet's (PBUH) legacy of humanity, humility and strength. "Let us spread love and light wherever we go," he said.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz also congratulated the nation and the Muslim community on the occasion. "Imran Khan has committed to making the country a welfare state by following in the footsteps of the state of Madina. A state where justice prevails and there is equality for all," he said.

Meanwhile, a national Rehmatul-il-Alameen Conference is also being organised in Islamabad by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The opening session is being chaired by President Dr Arif Alvi while the prime minister will preside over the concluding session.

Prominent religious scholars and foreign delegates will participate in the conference and highlight various aspects of the Prophet's (PBUH) and his teachings.