IF we compare the life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) before and after his mission as a Prophet, we will conclude that it is unreasonable to think that Muhammad was a false prophet who claimed Prophethood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power. Before his mission as Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) had no financial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, he earned a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as a Prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. To clarify this, let us look at the following sayings on his life: Muhammad's wife Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) once said to her nephew, ‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubayr, “O my nephew, we would sight three new moons in two months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet's house hold.” Her nephew asked, “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) had some neighbors from among the Ansar (helpers) who had milk camels and they used to send the Prophet some of the milk.” Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), a Companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not eat at a table till he died, and he did not eat a thin nicely baked wheat bread till he died.” Prophet Muhammad's wife Ayesha said, “The Prophet's (peace be upon him) mattress on which he slept was made of leather stuffed with the fiber of the date-palm tree.” Amr Ibn Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him), one of Prophet Muhammad's Companions, said that when the Prophet died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land that he left to charity. Muhammad lived this hard life till he died although the Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had entered into the fold of Islam before he died, and the Muslims were victorious after 18 years of his mission. Is it possible that Muhammad 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, colourful 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 used to milk his goat, mend his clothes, repair his shoes, help with the household work, and visit poor people when they got sick. He also helped his Companions to dig a defensive trench by removing 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 degree. Yet he continued to emphasize that he should not be deified; only Allah was to be worshiped. His Companion Anas reported that there was no person whom they loved more than the Prophet Muhammad, yet when he came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their standing up for him as other people do with their great men. Long before there was any prospect of success for Islam and at the outset of a long and painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad and his followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Utbah, came to him saying, “If you want money, we will collect enough money for you so that you will be the richest one among 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 to rule over us…” Only one concession was required from Muhammad 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 benefits? Was Muhammad (peace be upon him) hesitant when the offer was made? Did he turn it down as a bargaining chip leaving the door open for a better offer? He answered with some verses of the Qur'an: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the most Merciful. Ha. Mim. A revelation from (Allah), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail, a Qur'an in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings of paradise to the one who believes in the Oneness of Allah much and fears Allah much, but most of them turn away, so they hear not.” (Qur'an, 41:1-4) And he recited until verse 38. On another occasion and in response to his uncle's plea to stop calling people to Islam, Muhammad's answer was a decisive and sincere no: “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 of giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either Allah makes it triumph or I perish defending it.” Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his few followers not only suffered from persecution for 13 years in Makkah, but the unbelievers even tried to kill him several times. On one occasion they attempted to kill him by dropping a large boulder on his head. Another time they poisoned 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 that he demonstrated? Were they not by virtue of Allah's help and not his own genius? Are these the characteristics of a power-hungry or self-centered man? – The Muslim World League Journal, Makkah __
