Could you give information about Muhammad's character and high morality
as evidence of his Prophethood?
Muhammad was the humblest at the zenith of his achievements
- If a man’s world-admired accomplishments or the wealth and fame he has
gained do not change him, if he can remain as humble as he was at the
beginning of his career, this shows that person’s strength of character,
morality and virtue. Despite his unparalleled achievements, which force
even his enemies to place him at the top of the greatest men of human
history, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was poorer
and more humble when he entered Makka victoriously than he was at the
beginning of his mission.
Those who saw the Messenger would say: ‘One with such a face
cannot lie.’
- One’s face reveals one’s inner world and character. Those who saw the
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, could not help but
admire his appearance and, if they were unprejudiced, acknowledge his
truthfulness. For example, ‘Adbullah ibn Salam, the most renowned Jewish
scholar of the time, believed in him at his first sight of him, saying:
‘One with such a face cannot lie.’
- If a fire-fly claimed that it is the sun, its lie could last only
until the sun rises. Turkish people say that a liar’s candle only burns
till bedtime, meaning that a lie has only a very short life. So, a
deceitful one pretending Prophethood will soon be discovered and no one
will accept him as a true Prophet.
Muhammad’s utmost conviction of his cause, together with his
sincerity and solemnity prove his Prophethood
- Even an insignificant man of small standing, in a small group in a
disputed matter of little importance, cannot tell a small but shameful lie
openly and comfortably without displaying such anxiety and uneasiness as
will make his enemies aware of his deception. Since the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings, challenged everybody to come until the
Last Day and uttered many important speeches in a large community
concerning a great cause, with great ease and freedom, without hesitation
or anxiety, with pure sincerity and great solemnity, and in an intense and
elevated manner that provoked his enemies, it means that he was certainly
a Prophet speaking whatever God revealed to him.
Despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be
peace and blessings, spoke on every issue and has not been contradicted ever
since.
- It is impossible for an unlettered one to speak on a matter requiring
expert knowledge, especially before those with specialized knowledge of
that matter. However, despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue from theology and
metaphysics to medicine, history, physics and biology and has not been
contradicted ever since. Besides, when he was raised up as a Prophet, the
arts of literature, eloquence and oratory were at their peak and the
Qur’an he received from God challenged all of its opponents to bring the
like of a single chapter of its but no one has ever been able to do that.
This, again, clearly shows that Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings,
is a Prophet of God.
Muhammad had to confront all kinds of hardships and
persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had.
- For the sake of a deception no one risks his life, wealth and
reputation and bears great hard-ships and persecutions unless he has great
aspirations to more wealth and great worldly positions. Before claiming
Prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was
well off and had a respected place among his community. However, he had to
con-front all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and
spent for his cause what-ever he had. His enemies slandered him, mocked
him, beat him, expelled him from his homeland and waged war on him. He
bore all such cruel treatments and hostilities without complaint and asked
God Almighty for the forgiveness of even his enemies. The only cause he
pursued was to see everybody believing in and worshipping the One God
exclusively and thereby prosperous in both worlds and saved from the
torments of Hell.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced
with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others.
- History has witnessed many leading persons who, since they themselves
did not practice what they preached or propagated, did not have a large
devoted following. Their ideas did not have an enduring effect on people
and the systems they established did not last long. However, the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity
and honesty what he communicated to others and was always the first and
foremost in obedience to the religion he brought, in worship to the
Creator and in avoidance of the religious prohibitions. This shows his
full conviction of his cause and that he is a Messenger of God, Who sent
him to humanity to guide them to the True Path.
For what reason other than conveying God’s Message to people must he have
endured all kinds of hardships and persecutions, such as sleeping on
earth, suffering hunger for several consecutive days, spending a
considerable part of his life on battlefields and military campaigns,
being expelled from his homeland, becoming subject to mockeries and
insults, etc?
- Man acquires an established character until he is thirty and
especially after thirty a man’s character does not change. Particularly,
it is very difficult for one to change his temper and disposition after he
is forty. If—God forbid such a thought!— there had been any imperfection
and blemish in the character of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings,
it would certainly have appeared before his Prophethood. Therefore, no one
with a bit of intelligence and fairness, unless he is prejudiced, can
accept that one who was never heard tell a lie and witnessed deceive until
one was forty, would appear as the worst, meanest trickster of human
history after forty.
A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated
following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among
the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as
devoted as Muhammad’s Companions.
- A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who
are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five
greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as
Muhammad’s Companions. The followers of Moses, upon him be peace, betrayed
him when he left them for forty days to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai,
and began to worship a golden calf which Samiri made for them. Even after
so many years of intellectual and spiritual training in the desert, except
for two God-fearing men, they did not obey his order to fight against the
Amalekites, the people of Goliath. As for Jesus, upon him be peace, one
of his most devoted twelve followers betrayed him and at-tempted to submit
him to his enemies. But the followers of Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, known as the Companions, were so devoted to him that they
sacrificed for him their lives and properties and their families and
tribes. Although brought up among a primitive people and in a climate of
ignorance, devoid of any positive notions of social life and
administration, without a Scripture and immersed in the darkness of the
uncivilized era after the Prophets, in a very short period, they became in
the footsteps of their exalted leader, the Prophet Muhammad, the masters,
guides and just rulers of the most civilized and socially and politically
advanced peoples and states, and ruled the world from east to west in a
world-admired fashion.
Also, innumerable exacting and profound scholars and world-famous
scientists and pure, spiritual masters were brought up among the
succeeding generations following the Companions. The civilization they
established was the most magnificent one history has ever known. Is it
conceivable, then, that all those most shining stars of human history
followed a lying, deceitful one? God forbid such a thought!
The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was
the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue.
- The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most
famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue. He appeared in the
heart of a desert which was almost the most uncivilized part of the then
inhabited world and where people were immersed in the worst kinds of
immorality. Then, who do you think brought him up as the most virtuous one
with the highest morality and best conduct? He had lost his father while
he was yet in the womb of his mother. When his mother died, he was only
six years old. It was impossible for his grandfather and uncle to bring
him up as the most virtuous of all times, as they themselves did not have
all of the good moral qualities Muhammad had and in the same degree as he
had. His teacher was God, as he himself said: My Lord educated me and
taught me good manners, and how well he educated me and how beautifully He
taught me good manners!
No one in human history has ever been able to combine in
himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.
- Human history has seen many virtuous persons. However, no one has ever
been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as
perfectly as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. There
have been many generous people but they have not been able to show enough
courage when and where necessary. Likewise, there have been many
courageous people, who have not been able to be lenient and generous at
the same degree. But the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, combined in his person all the virtues and laudable qualities
at the highest level.
Virtue and good morality also require balance. For example, if generosity
exceeds its limits, it changes into extravagance. Similarly, if thrift
cannot be kept within moderate limits, it changes into miserliness.
Courage is usually confused with rashness and dialectics or demagogy is
sometimes taken for being intelligent. In addition, virtue also requires
knowing how to act in certain conditions. For instance, the self-respect
which a weak man should wear before a powerful one becomes, if the
powerful one assumes it, self-conceit. The humility which a powerful man
should wear before a weak one becomes, if assumed by a weak man,
self-abasement. Forbearance and sacrifice (of one’s rights) on one’s own
account is good and a virtue; but when done on behalf of others, it is bad
and a treason. An individual may bear patiently with whatever is done to
him personally; but it is impermissible for him to, on behalf of the
nation, bear patiently what is being done to the nation. Whereas pride and
indignation on behalf of the nation are commendable, on one’s own behalf
they are not.
The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues
and good moral qualities.
- The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good
moral qualities. He was perfectly courageous where to show courage was
necessary, while he was perfectly mild, forgiving and humble among people.
He was perfectly dignified but also very gracious. There was no one more
generous than him but he was also thrifty and condemned ex-travagance. In
short, all virtues and good qualities existed in him in a well-balanced
combination.
Prophet Muhammad had all of the essential attributes
pertaining to Prophets
· According to theologians, there are six essentials of Prophethood
common to all of the Prophets. They are truthfulness, trustworthiness,
communication of God’s commands, intelligence, infallibility and being free
from all kinds of bodily and mental defects. History is a witness that the
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had all of these six
essential attributes in a most perfect fashion.
Muhammad’s achievements are unparalleled in history
- A man encounters in his life many situations where he must make
decisions with no delay and hesitation. Many decisions made in such
situations may cause him great difficulties. The Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, made so great achievements in so short a time
as 23 years that they are unparalleled in human history. He never faltered
and all of his decisions proved to be true.
More than that, whatever he did and whatever he said did not concern only
his own time but he addressed all times and places and all peoples and
levels throughout the world to come until the Last Day. As none of his
sayings have not been contradicted so far, no one has ever been able to
criticize him for any of his actions, sayings and decisions. Is it
possible for one who is not a Prophet taught by God, the All-Knowing, to
have such intelligence, foresight, sagacity, insight, sound reasoning and
prudence?
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