If we compare the life of Muhammad
(pease be upon him) before his mission as a Prophet and his life after he began
his mission as a Prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think
that Muhammad (pbuh) was a false Prophet, who claimed Prophethood to attain
material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
Before his mission as a Prophet, Muhammad
(pbuh) had no financial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad
(pbuh) drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as a
Prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. To clarify this
more, let us browse the following sayings on his life:
- Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) ,
Muhammad's wife, said, "o my nephew, we would sight three new moons in two
months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet's
houses." her nephew asked, "o aunt, what sustained you?" she
said, "the two black things, dates and water. And the Prophet (pbuh)
had some Ansar neighbors (from the supporters) who had a
"milk-giving" she-camel and they used to send the Prophet some of its
milk." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
- Sahl Ibn Sa'ad, one of Muhammad's
companions, said, "the Prophet (pbuh) did not see bread made from fine
flour from the time Allah sent him (as a Prophet) until he died."
(Al-Bukhari and Al-Tirmithi).
- Aa'isha said, "the mattress of the
Prophet (pbuh), on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with the fiber
of the date-palm tree." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad's
companions, said that when the Prophet (pbuh) died, he left neither money nor
anything else except his white riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land which
he left to charity.( Al-Bukhari and Mosnad Ahmad).
Muhammad (pbuh) lived this hard life till he
died although the Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the
arabian peninsula wasMuslim before he died, and the Muslims were victorious
after eighteen years of his Mission.
Is it possible that Muhammad (pbuh) might
have claimed Prophethood in order to attain status, greatness, and power? the desire
to enjoy status and power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing,
monumental palaces, colorful guards, and indisputable authority. Do any of
these indicators apply to Muhammad? a few glimpses of his life that may help
answer this question follow.
Despite his responsibilities as a Prophet, a
teacher, a statesman, and a judge, Muhammad (pbuh) used to milk his goat, mend
his clothes, repair his shoes, help with the household work, and visit the poor
and the sick people. He also helped his companions in digging a trench by
moving sand with them. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and
humbleness.
Muhammad's followers loved him, respected
him, and trusted him to an amazing extent. Yet he continued to emphasize that
deification should be directed to Allah and not to him personally. Anas, one of
Muhammad's companions, said that there was no person whom they loved more than
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), yet he did not allow them to stand up
for him as other people do with great personalities.
Long before there wasn't any prospect of
success for Islam (in the eyes of the polytheists) and at the outset of a
long and painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad (pbuh)
and his followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan
leaders, Otba, came to him saying, "...if you want money, we will collect
enough money for you so that you will be the richest one of us. if you want
leadership, we will take you as our leader and never decide on any matter
without your approval. if you want a kingdom, we will crown you king over
us..."
Only one concession was required from
Muhammad (pbuh) in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam and
worshipping Allah alone without any partner. Wouldn't this offer be tempting to
one pursuing worldly benefit? was Muhammad (pbuh) hesitant when the offer was
made? did he turn it down as a bargaining strategy leaving the door open for a
better offer? the following was his answer: {In the name of God, the most
gracious, the most merciful} and he recited to Otba the verses of the Quran
41:1-38. the following are some of these verses:
"A revelation from (Allah), the most
gracious, the most merciful; a book whereof the verses are explained in detail;
a Quran in Arabic, for people who know, giving good news and warning, yet most
of them turn away, so they do not listen." (quran, 41:2-4)
On another occasion and in response to his
uncle's plea to stop calling people to Islam, Muhammad's answer was as decisive
and sincere: "I swear by the name of Allah, o uncle!, that if they place
the sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up
this matter (calling people to Islam), i will never desist until either the
almighty Allah makes it triumph or i perish defending it."
Muhammad (pbuh) and his few followers did not
only suffer from persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried
to kill Muhammad (pbuh) several times. On one occasion they attempted to kill
him by dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted, on his head.
Another time they tried to kill him by
poisoning his food.
What could justify such a life of
suffering and sacrifice even after he was fully triumphant over his
adversaries? what could explain the humbleness and nobility which he
demonstrated in his most glorious moments when he insisted that success is due
only to god's help and not to his own genius?
Are these the characteristics of a
power-hungry or a self-centered man?
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