If we compare the life of Muhammad 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
was a false prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material
gains, greatness, glory, or power.
Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad had no financial
worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad
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, 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, but the Prophet had some
Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they
used to send the Prophet some of its milk.”1
Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s companions, said:
“The Prophet of God did not see bread made from fine flour
from the time God sent him (as a prophet) until he died.”2
Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said: “The mattress of the
Prophet , on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with
the fiber of the date-palm tree.”3
Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of 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 which he left to charity.4
Muhammad lived this hard life till he died although the
Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian
Peninsula was Muslim before he died, and the Muslims were
victorious after eighteen 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, 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 used to milk his goat,1 mend his
clothes, repair his shoes,2 help with the household work,3 and visit
poor people when they got sick.4 He also helped his companions
in digging a trench by moving sand with them.5 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 God and not to him personally.
Anas, one of Muhammad’s companions, said that there was
no person whom they loved more than Muhammad , yet when he
came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their
standing up for him,6 as other people do with their great people.
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, 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 in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam
and worshipping God alone without any partner. Wouldn’t this
offer be tempting to one pursuing worldly benefit? Was Muhammad
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 Qur’an 41:1-38.1 The Following are some of these verses:
A revelation from (God), 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 good
news and warning, yet most of them turn
away, so they do not listen. (Qur’an, 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 God,OUncle!, 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 God makes it triumph or I perish
defending it. }2
Muhammad and his few followers did not only suffer from
persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill
Muhammad several times. On one occasion they attempted to
kill him by dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted,
on his head.3 Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his
food.4 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?
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
was a false prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material
gains, greatness, glory, or power.
Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad had no financial
worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad
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, 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, but the Prophet had some
Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they
used to send the Prophet some of its milk.”1
Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s companions, said:
“The Prophet of God did not see bread made from fine flour
from the time God sent him (as a prophet) until he died.”2
Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said: “The mattress of the
Prophet , on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with
the fiber of the date-palm tree.”3
Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of 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 which he left to charity.4
Muhammad lived this hard life till he died although the
Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian
Peninsula was Muslim before he died, and the Muslims were
victorious after eighteen 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, 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 used to milk his goat,1 mend his
clothes, repair his shoes,2 help with the household work,3 and visit
poor people when they got sick.4 He also helped his companions
in digging a trench by moving sand with them.5 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 God and not to him personally.
Anas, one of Muhammad’s companions, said that there was
no person whom they loved more than Muhammad , yet when he
came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their
standing up for him,6 as other people do with their great people.
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, 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 in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam
and worshipping God alone without any partner. Wouldn’t this
offer be tempting to one pursuing worldly benefit? Was Muhammad
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 Qur’an 41:1-38.1 The Following are some of these verses:
A revelation from (God), 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 good
news and warning, yet most of them turn
away, so they do not listen. (Qur’an, 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 God,OUncle!, 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 God makes it triumph or I perish
defending it. }2
Muhammad and his few followers did not only suffer from
persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill
Muhammad several times. On one occasion they attempted to
kill him by dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted,
on his head.3 Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his
food.4 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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