Muhammad (peace be upon him)

MUHAMMED

___ In the previous section, we mentioned that Islam revolves around the belief in the statement:

"There is no other than One and Only One God (Allah), and Muhammed is His Prophet and Messenger."

and the first part about the belief in One God was discussed. The second part of the statement declares that "Muhammed is the Prophet and Messenger of God."

A Testimony by Non Muslims

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA confirms:

"....a mass of detail in the early sources show that he (Muhammed) was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were like-wise honest and upright men." (Vol. 12).

MICHAEL H. HART in his recently published book on ratings of men who contributed towards the benefit and uplift of mankind writes:
"My choice of Muhammed 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 levels." -- M.H. Hart (THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York, 1978, p. 33).

(For more testimonials on Muhammed and his character written by non Muslims, follow this link.)

So, Who was Muhammed ?

His Lineage

___ Muhammed was a descendant of the Prophet Ishamael, son of the Prophet Abraham, and the final of the Prophet as prophesied by many divine scriptures ( Muhammed in the Bible, Muhammed in the Hindu Scripture, Muhammed in the Persian Scipture). As a little boy, he was orphaned and was brought up by his own uncle. As a young man, he was a successful businessman, known for his excellent character, truthfulness, and kindness to the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden.

His Background

___ Muhammed was born into the society of Mecca called Quraish, that was strictly adherent to the worship of idols and held many skewed values. However, he was never involved in the idolatry worship . During his life time he was renowned for his excellence, and merited for his truthfulness, and exemplified for his character to the point were he was nicknamed "As-sadiqul Ameen", meaning "the most truthful and most trustworthy person". Up to the age of forty, Muhammed was not known as a statesman, nor a preacher and he was never an orator. He was never seen discussing the principles of metaphysics, ethics, law, politics, economics or sociology. No doubt he possessed an excellent character, charming manners and was highly cultured. Yet there was nothing so deeply striking and so radically extraordinary in him that would make men expect something great and revolutionary from him in the future. He used to devote some of his time to the soul worship of God away from his people in a cave called Hira'. However, this all changed when, at the age of forty he received his first of the revelations sent to him by God.

Muhammed the Prophet (peace be upon him)

___ After receiving revelation, Muhammed underwent persecutions for his beliefs, and was severely abused along with his followers. Despite that, Muhammed remained patient until the whole of Arabia believed in the message of faith "La Ilaha Il-lal-lah, Muhammadun Rasoolul-lah" ( "There none other than One and only One God (Allah), Muhammed is the Prophet and Messenger of God.")

His Life After Prophecy

___ So how did this Prophet / statesman / preacher / orator who captured the love, respect, and devotion of the people around him, live his life after and during the spread if Islam ? Did he live in a palace guarded and protected by hundreds, sitting on a golden throne ? Absolutely not ! This magnificent man, that all Arabia and the rest of the world looked up to and admired, and still do, lived less than a simple life, in less than a simple home, eating less than the simple man, unguarded by walls and unprotected by men and swords. He was so far from the material world that on his death bed he remembered that he had 7 coins in his possession and ordered that they be distributed to the poor at once. He then passed out because of his fever and woke up again to ask about what happened to the coins. His family who were busy attending to his illness forgot to distribute the coins to the needy and he ordered them one more time to spend the coins in charity before his death.

From The Teachings of Muhammed (peace be upon him)

___ The words and actions of Muhammed were preserved and are found in books called books of Sunnah or Islamic Traditions. The teachings span various subjects and are many. Below are a selected few translated quotations: