The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 251
The Holy Prophetsa 251 Moses [peace be on him] was compounded of glory and wrath; so in accord with it the Torah was revealed in the framework of a majestic law. Jesus had a temperament which was meek and gentle and so the Gospel teaches meekness and gentleness. The Holy Prophet was by tem- perament extremely firm and steadfast. He disliked to be unduly lenient, nor did he like to be wrathful on every occasion. Instead his was a sagacious temperament that paid due regard to the demands of the occasion. There- fore, the Holy Qur'an was also revealed in an appropriate and moderate mould which combines severity and kind- ness, awe and compassion, and hardness and softness. In this verse, God Almighty has disclosed that the lamp of the revelation of the Qur'an has been lit from the oil of a blessed tree which is neither of the east nor of the west, but is in accord with the moderate temperament of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] which has neither the severity of the temperament of Moses, nor the softness of the temperament of Jesus but is a compound of hardness and softness and of wrath and compassion and displays perfect moderation and is a combination of majesty and beauty. The high moral qualities of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] are referred to in another place in the Holy Qur'an in the words: إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ 151 (Part Number: 29) (O Prophet!) You have been created blessed with high moral qualities. This means that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was created with such perfection of 151 al-Qalam, 68:5 [Publisher]