Salam,
(33:21) Indeed, in the messenger of God a good example has been set for you FOR he who seeks God and the Last Day and remembers constantly about God.
The word "example"/us'watun is frequently interpreted, and evoked in this sense in our collective imagination, as an order to imitate the messenger in his gestures, his facts and even in his way to get dressed (?).
We will treat this question from 3 angles by sticking to this verse as a reference :
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(1) Linguistics: the difference between "ASW/uswatun" and "QDW"
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ASW :
- The word AS invokes the notion of power as in mathematics 'X²'
- The word Youwassi = he encourages (he gives him the power to resist the disease)
#
QDW
- The word QD means tailor-made and the wa the association
- so Quoudwa = a model to follow
=> So Ouswa in (33:21) means A source of encouragement (a source of energy), a source of inspiration etc.
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(2) Fine, Muhammad is a source of encouragement, inspiration. But in what task of my life?
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The quran says (33:21) ... FOR he who seeks God and the Last Day and remembers constantly about God .
=> The quran brings us back to God (quoted twice here) as if to remind us that only him is worthy of being followed.
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(3) Muhammed as "messenger of GOD"
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- The passive participle or ism al-mf'ūl, schema on which is built this word, designates the one who undergoes the action. (PASSIVE - It is not his own words!).
- Then, the word "Rasûl" comes from the verbal root rasala: to bring a message, a letter, etc., so it is simple and correct to translate rasûl by messenger or messenger.
- Indeed, the Quran explains its role, as a Messenger, by reducing it to the mere fact of transmitting from GOD: "is a transmission/balâgh of God and His messages/risâlâti-hi…». (72:23).
Peace.
