Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttalib born 570 c.e. (christian era); died 633 c.e.
The following is based on books, manuscripts, texts and actual
eyewitness accounts, too numerous to mention herein, preserved in
original form throughout the centuries by both Muslims and Non-Muslims.
Many people today are discussing Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah
exalt his mention. who was he exactly? what did he teach? why was he
loved so much by some and hated so much by others? did he live up to his
claims? was he a holy man? was he a Prophet of God? what is the truth
about this man? you be the judge.
Here are the facts as narrated by thousands of people, many of whom knew him personally.
- He was born to a noble tribe to the lineage of the leaders of Makkah.
- His name comes from the Arabic root "Hamd " and literally means
"praised one." People at his time and until this very moment, praise him
many times per day, may Allah exalt his mention.
- He never fell into the common practice of his tribesmen to worship statues, idols or man-made "Gods."
- He believed that God was truly one God, and as such, he was to be worshipped alone, without any other "Gods" beside him.
- He held the name of God in the highest of reverence and never took God's name in vain or for any vain glorious purpose.
- He despised false worship and all of the complexities and degradation to which it leads.
-He adhered to the commandments of almighty God, just as Prophets of old had done in the past.
-He never committed adultery, and he forbade others from doing it.
- He forbade usury and interest on money lending, as jesus, may Allah exalt his mention, had done centuries before him.
- He never gambled and did not allow it.
-He never drank alcohol or strong drink; even though it was a very normal thing for people of his time and place.
-He did not engage in gossip and used to turn away from hearing anything related to it.
- He fasted for days at a time to be closer to almighty God and away from the narrowness of worldly attractions.
-He
taught that jesus, may Allah exalt his mention, was the immaculate
conception and miracle birth of Mary, and that she was among the best
creation of almighty God.
-
He insisted even to the jews of Medina, that jesus, may Allah exalt his
mention, was the Messiah, the Christ, the one predicted to come in
their Torah (old testament).
-
He said jesus, may Allah exalt his mention, did many miracles by the
permission of almighty God, curing the lepers, restoring sight to the
blind and even bringing a dead man back to life.
-He stated clearly that jesus, may Allah exalt his mention, was not dead, rather almighty God had raised him up.
- He foretold that jesus, may Allah exalt his mention, is going to
return again in the last days to lead the true believers in a victory
over the evil and unrighteous people, and he will destroy the
anti-christ.
- He commanded the payment of charity to the poor and he was the defender and protector of widows, orphans and the wayfarers.
-
He ordered people to unite with their families and honor the ties of
kinship and he restored relationships between family members.
-He
required his followers to engage only in lawful marriage relationships
with women, and forbade sex outside of almighty God's ordinance.
- He insisted on giving women their proper rights, dowries, inheritance and property.
-His patience and humble attitude were exemplary and all who knew him had to admit to these virtues.
a. He never lied, never broke a trust never bore false witness, and he
was famous with all the tribes in Makkah and was known as: "The
truthful" (Al-Ameen).
b. He never once engaged in sex outside of marriage, nor did he ever approve of it, even though it was very common at the time.
c. His only relationships with women were in legitimate, contractual marriages with proper witnesses according to law.
d. His relationship to Ayesha was only that of marriage. Their
relationship is described in every detail by Ayesha herself in the most
loving and respectful manner as a match truly made in heaven. Ayesha is
considered as one of the highest scholars of Islam and lived out her
entire life only having been married to Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt
his mention. she never desired any other man, nor did she ever utter a
single negative statement against Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his
mention.
e. He forbade any killing until the orders came from Allah. even then
the limits were clearly spelled out and only those engaged in active
combat against the Muslims or Islam were to be fought in combat. And
even then, only according to very strict rules from Allah.
f.Killing any innocent life was forbidden.
g. There was no genocide of jews. He offered mutual protection and
forgiveness to the jews even after they broke their covenants with him
many times.They were not attacked until it was clearly proven they were
traitors during time of war and tried to bring down the Prophet, may
Allah exalt his mention, and the Muslims at any cost. Retaliation was
only to those jews who had turned traitor and not others.
h. Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was
Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from
Allah for those who did so. Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, gave
the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his
followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was
actually considered like a son to him) Zaid Ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the
slave who was bought by Abu Bakr only for the purpose of freeing him.
i. While there were many attempts of assassination made on
Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, (most famous was the night
that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakr escaped to
Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who
had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered
Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers
not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of
the most famous of his acts of forgiveness and humbleness.
j. Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of
Prophethood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to
fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds
amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper
method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Quran, with proper
rights and limitations according his commandments, that any retaliation
or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be
attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place.
k. Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when
it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to
his commands.
I. cursing and invoking evil actually came to the Prophet, may Allah
exalt his mention, from his enemies, while he would be praying for their
guidance. Classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the
leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal
courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street
against him, throwing rocks and stones at him until his body was
bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by
the angel gabriel, if he would give the command, Allah would cause the
surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all.
Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for
them to be guided to worship their lord alone, without any partners.
m. Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, claimed every
person who is born in a state of Islam (submission to God), as a Muslim
(Mu-Islam means; "one who does Islam" i.e.; submits to God's will and
obeys his commandments). then as they grow older they begin to distort
their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and
their own prejudices.
n. Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, taught his followers to
believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, jacob, Moses, David, Solomon
and Jesus, peace be upon them all, and to believe in them as true
Prophets, Messengers and slaves of almighty Allah. He insisted on
ranking all the Prophets up at the highest level without any distinction
between them.
o. He also taught the Torah (old testament), Zaboor (psalms) and Injeel
(gospel or new testament) were originally from the very same source as
the Quran, from Allah.
p. He prophesied and foretold of events to come and they happened as he
had said. He even predicted something from the past that would come
true in the future, and it has.
Q. the quran states Pharaoh was drowned in the red sea while chasing
after moses and Allah said he would preserve pharaoh as a sign for the
future. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book, "Bible, Quran and science "
makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been
discovered in egypt and is now on display for all to see.
r. This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad(Pbuh), may
Allah exalt his mention, and it came true in the last few decades, many
centuries after his death.
There has been more written about the Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah
exalt his mention, than any other person on earth. He has been praised
very high even by famous Non-Muslims for centuries. One of the first
examples we quote from is from the encyclopedia britannica , as it
confirms (regarding Muhammad(Pbuh)” ". . . A mass of detail in the
early sources shows that he was an honest and upright man who had gained
the respect and loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright
men." (vol. 12).
Another impressive tribute to Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his
mention is in the very well written work of Michael H. Hart, "the 100: a
ranking of the most influential persons in history." He states that the
most influential person in all history was Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah
exalt his mention, with jesus in the third place. examine his actual
words: "my choice of Muhammad(Pbuh) to lead the list of the world's most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by
others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful
on both the religious and secular level." Michael H. Hart , the 100: a
ranking of the most influential persons in history, new york: hart
publishing company, inc., 1978, page. 33.
While we are reviewing statements from famous Non-Muslims about Prophet
Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, consider this:
"philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of ideas,
restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of
twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is
Muhammad(Pbuh). As regards all standards by which human greatness may be
measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he? "
lamartine , histoire de la turquie, paris, 1854, vol. ii, pp. 276-277.
George Bernard Shaw, a famous writer and Non-Muslim says: "He must be
called the savior of humanity. i believe that if a man like him were to
assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving
its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and
happiness." (the genuine Islam, singapore, vol. 1, no. 8, 1936) .
k. S. Ramakrishna Rao, an indian (hindu) professor of philosophy, in
his booklet "Muhammad(Pbuh) the Prophet of Islam" calls him the "perfect
model for human life." professor ramakrishna rao explains his point by
saying: "the personality of Muhammad(Pbuh), it is most difficult to get
into the whole truth of it. only a glimpse of it i can catch. what a
dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. there is Muhammad(Pbuh) the
Prophet. there is Muhammad(Pbuh) the warrior; Muhammad(Pbuh) the
businessman; Muhammad(Pbuh) the statesman; Muhammad(Pbuh) the orator;
Muhammad(Pbuh) the reformer; Muhammad(Pbuh) the refuge of orphans;
Muhammad(Pbuh) the protector of slaves; Muhammad(Pbuh) the emancipator
of women; Muhammad(Pbuh) the judge; Muhammad(Pbuh) the saint. all in all
these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities,
he is alike a hero."
Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah
exalt his mention, says in 'young india' : "i wanted to know the best of
one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of
mankind... i became more than convinced that it was not the sword that
won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. it was the
rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the
scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends
and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in
God and in his own mission. these and not the sword carried everything
before them and surmounted every obstacle. when i closed the 2nd volume
(of the Prophet's biography), i was sorry there was not more for me to
read of the great life."
Thomas Carlyle in his 'heroes and hero worship' , was simply amazed as to:
"how one man single handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering
bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two
decades."
Diwan Chand Sharma wrote in "the Prophets of the east ":
"Muhammad(Pbuh) was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and
never forgotten by those around him" . (d.c. sharma, the Prophets of
the east, calcutta, 1935, pp. 12).
Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, was nothing more or less
than a human being, but he was a man with a noble mission, which was to
unite humanity on the worship of one and only one God and to teach them
the way to honest and upright living based on the commands of God. he
always described himself as, a slave and Messenger of God' and so indeed
every action of his proclaimed to be.
Speaking on the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous
poetess of India, Sarojini naidu says: "it was the first religion that
preached and practiced democracy; for, in the Mosque, when the call for
prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy
of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel
side by side and proclaim: 'God alone is great'... I have been struck
over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man
instinctively a brother."
(S. Naidu, ideals of Islam, vide speeches & writings , madras, 1918, p. 169).
In the words of professor hurgronje: "the league of nations founded by
the Prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human
brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other
nations." He continues, "the fact is that no nation of the world can
show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the
idea of the league of nations."
Edward Gibbon and simon ockley, on the profession of Islam, writes in
"history of the saracen empires" : "I believe in one God, and mahomed,
an apostle of God' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The
intellectual image of the deity has never been degraded by any visible
idol; the honor of the Prophet have never transgressed the measure of
human virtues; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of
his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion." (history of the
saracen empires , london, 1870, p. 54) .
Wolfgang Goethe, perhaps the greatest european poet ever, wrote about
Prophet Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention. he said:
"He is a Prophet and not a poet and therefore his koran is to be seen
as divine law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or
entertainment." (noten und abhandlungen zum weststlichen dvan, wa i, 7,
32).
People do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'Gods' out of
other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend.
Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of
what Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, accomplished. and all
his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting mankind for the
worship of one God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad(Pbuh), may
Allah exalt his mention, or his followers never at any time claimed
that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity –
but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger
chosen by God.
Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of
Muhammad(Pbuh), may Allah exalt his mention, have survived without the
slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. they offer the same undying
hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was
alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad(Pbuh)’s, may Allah exalt his
mention, followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a
critical and unbiased history.
now it is up to you.
you are a rational thinking, concerned human being. as such, you should already be asking yourself:
"Could these extraordinary, revolutionary and amazing statements, all about this one man, really be true?
What if this is all true?
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[1] Mmichael h. hart , the 100: a ranking of the most influential
persons in history, new york: hart publishing company, inc., 1978, page.
33.
[2] Lamartine , histoire de la turquie, paris, 1854, vol. ii, pp. 276-277.
[3] George bernard shaw , the genuine Islam, singapore, vol. 1, no. 8, 1936
[4] D.c. sharma , the Prophets of the east, calcutta, 1935, pp. 12
[5] S. naidu , ideals of Islam, vide speeches & writings, madras, 1918, p. 169
[6] Eedward gibbon and simon ockley , history of the saracen empires, london, 1870, p. 54
[7] Noten und abhandlungen zum weststlichen dvan, wa i, 7, 32
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