5. THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD ( S.A.W)
The life history of the
Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, has been dealt with in many books. The early Muslims
recorded the outer life of the Prophet in great detail hoping that by imitating
this they could also attain an equivalent inner spiritual state. But not a
great amount is known about the motives behind every action. Therefore, when histories
of his life came to be written we find great variations in the account by
different people because they insist on interpreting his actions according to
their various inclinations and attributing motives from their own imagination.
We have highly admiring accounts as well as very hostile, denigrating and
cynical ones. Some thought that he was no more than a bandit raiding caravans with
an eye for young girls while others thought he was a master of strategy. Some
thought that he should be judged by the mores and culture which were current in
Arabia in his times and others saw him as
introducing revolutionary social and psychological changes from a system based
on personalities and tribal loyalties to one based on ideas and loyalties to an
ideology. He had to deal with indeterminate transitional times where the old
system was being destroyed and the new system had to be constructed. The whole
direction of history had to be changed. Others see things at a still more
fundamental level - his task was to introduce a completely new attitude and
consciousness, from a subjective to an objective way of living, a revolution
which is not yet complete. From an Islamic point of view, the existence of the
Quran which is in itself a masterpiece of literature and which contains a
sophisticated teaching, new heights, widths and depths of which come to light
from time to time, and the great successes against great odds which the Prophet
achieved show that he was no ordinary man. This being the case it is
unjustifiable presumption to judged the Prophet by the
standards which apply to ordinary mortals. Therefore, all judgements,
particular when they go against the moral code contained in the Quran, are
rejected - he was himself an exemplar of the Quran. Indeed, the Quran itself
indicates in 18:61-83 how a person led by Allah differs from others.
Here we will confine
ourselves to only certain aspects of his life which are relevant to the
understanding of Islam. The following points are noteworthy:-
1.
Muhammad, unlike most people, was not fixed, embedded or restricted to his
environment, but rose above it. The people among whom he was born and bred were
polytheists, idol worshippers and animists. They were a superstitious and
morally degenerate people. They indulged in drunkenness, gambling, inter-tribal
feuds, intrigues, and infanticide. Muhammad indulged in none of these. He was
known as upright and truthful long before his mission began.
2. Though
he certainly had some knowledge of Hebrewism, Christianity, and other
religions, the religion he taught can not be said to be derived from these.
There are marked differences between the teachings of Islam and the kind of
doctrines which these religions advanced in his day, and in the way the
religion is formulated and presented. It is perfectly possible, also, to take
the same facts and stories which are already familiar to people but to
interpret them differently. If something is true, it will be true for everyone,
and can be picked up directly. Those who can see the moon do not have to hear
about it from others in order to know it. On the other hand, for the purpose of
communication, a person has to use the language, its current words, idioms and
similes. The uniqueness lies in what ideas were selected or rejected in order
to produce a self-consistent system, and how they are presented. There is no
resemblance between the way Muhammad presents religion and any other presentation
of religion. Apart from this the Prophet did not claim to bring a new religion,
but that his religion came to confirm and rectify what had been misunderstood
or corrupted in past religions. The resemblance between Islam and other
religions, in their nature and origination, are sufficiently striking to lead
to the conclusion that the acceptance of Islam can be justified on the same
grounds as any of the others.
3. The
success of the Prophet in obtaining a following and in uniting mutually hostile
tribes can be attributed to the visible evidence they had of the genuineness of
revelations. When he received these experiences he would become silent, bowing
his head, sometimes groaning, stiffening as if seized, becoming cold and yet
perspiring profusely. The verses received were inimitable, and despite a
challenge to imitate them, this has not been accomplished. (2:23-24, 10:38-39, 11:13,
17:88, 52:33-34)
4. The
Prophet was most distressed and frightened when he first received the religious
experiences. He did not want them, and there was for him no personal advantage
in them. Indeed, he even contemplated suicide. It is only after a long period
of self doubt and inner struggle that he accepted the mission. The first
convert was not he but his wife, Khadija.
5. The
Prophet aroused hostility among the rich and the powerful, as the number of
converts grew, and particularly as he required the rich to distribute their
wealth among the poor. They regarded him as a threat to their position of
power, prestige and wealth. But they also found the conflict between his
teachings and their practices uncomfortable for their consciences. They offered
him wealth and power to abandon his mission, but he rejected these temptations.
They, therefore, began to persecute him, just as Jesus, before him underwent
the same kind of persecution for the same reasons. The difference between the
two prophets lies in this that the mission of Jesus ended at this point and
remained incomplete, but that of Muhammad continued. Thus the Christians look
forward to the return of Jesus to complete the next phase of his mission, to
establish a righteous society. (Daniel 9: 25-27 is taken by Christians as
referring to Jesus. See also Luke 24, John 20 and 21) The
crucifixion, and disappearance of Jesus thereafter, has the same significance
as the migration of Muhammad to Medina.
He disappeared from Mecca, and reappeared in Medina. He and his
religion, appeared to die in Mecca, but was resurrected in Medina
where the second phase of his mission was carried out. This phase can be
considered as being equivalent to the Christian Second Coming, particularly as
the Messengers, in so far as they are all messengers of Allah, are one. He then
set about creating the Righteous Society.
6. The coming mission of the Prophet
Muhammad can be said to have been forecast in the Old and New Testaments.
In the New
Testament, we are told:-
“I (Jesus) have
yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he
will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of
mine, and show it unto you.” John 16: 12-14
“But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you.” John 14:26
“And I will
pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide
with you for ever.” John 14:16
“Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go. For if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto
you.” John 16:7
The Quran
itself refers to the verse above as follows:-
“ And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O children of Israel! Lo! I
am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was revealed before
me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who will come after
me, whose name is The Praised One. Yet when he has come unto them with clear
proofs, they say: this is mere magic.” 61:6
It is not
difficult to discover that all these conditions apply to the Prophet Muhammad.
Though the Spirit of Truth refers to the Holy Spirit, its descent on a person
is what creates a Prophet. The equivalence of Spirit with Prophet is given in 1
John 4:2. Jesus was likewise made into a prophet (Matthew 3:16). The Quran,
too, describes Jesus as a spirit from God. The verses clearly refer to the
coming of a person, since the word “he” is used, the all pervading
Spirit of God did not need to wait until after the death of Jesus, and the
verse refers to “another” like him. The Spirit of God is one and
cannot have another. On the other hand the Holy Ghost had already been
introduced into the disciples (John 20:21-22) before Jesus made the above
statement, and they were still unable to understand (Matt 8:26, 14:31, 15:16,
16:8 etc). Nor can it be said that Christians achieved all truth after his death.
No new insights were added to Christianity until the impact of Islam. He abides
with us forever through his teachings, particularly when these are faithfully
recorded.
The
prediction by Jesus cannot possibly refer to the experience the disciples had of
speaking in other tongues on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21), as some
Christians claim. The Apostle Peter tells us that “this is that which was
spoken of by the Prophet Joel.” (Acts 2:16), not what Jesus prophesied.
The “speaking in tongues” does not constitute being led into all
truth. The word “Comforter” is translated from the Greek word
“Paracletos” which means “advocate,
helper, councillor, or one who guides.” However, the word might be
“Paraclytos”, meaning “the Praised
one” which is the same as the Arabic word “Ahmad”, another
name for the Prophet Muhammad. The phrase “Spirit of Truth “,
though it refers to what has also been called the Holy Ghost, is particularly
appropriate to the Prophet Muhammad who was well known in his community for his
honesty and truthfulness. He was known by his countrymen as “As-Saadiq” (The Truthful one) and “Al-Amin” (the honest or trustworthy one). But as Jesus
did not speak Greek this word, too, can only be considered an approximation to
what Jesus actually meant. It is evident from the words of Jesus that his
followers were constantly misunderstanding and disappointing him (Matt 8:26,
14:3, 15:16, 16:8. etc). The completion of his task, therefore, had to be left
to a successor.
In the Old
Testament we read:-
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh
come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Genesis 49:10
In other words the
spiritual rule of Judah
which includes Judaism and Christianity comes to an end with the coming of Shiloh, the new Messenger. This can be seen as referring
to Muhammad and Islam.
“I will raise
them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto you (Moses), and will
put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall
command him.” Deuteronomy 18:18 also see Acts 3:22
Note : . Abraham had to two sons, the elder being Ishmael and the
younger Isaac. Both were promised that they would found great nations. (Genesis chapters 21 to 25). The Jews are descended from Isaac
and the Arabs from Ishmael. The brethren of the Israelites or Jews are the Ishmaelites
or Arabs. Note also the similarity between the prediction of Moses and Jesus
that the Prophet to come would speak according to what he heard, and not
according to his own preferences. This clearly applies to Muhammad. The Quran
is a record of what he heard.
Compare:-
“And the book
is delivered to him that is not learned, saying : Read
this. And he says: I am not learned.” Isaiah 29: 11 with
“Read: In the
name of thy Lord who created, created man from a clot.
read: And thy Lord is most bountiful, Who teaches by
the pen, teaches man what he knew not.” Quran 96:1-5”
This was
the first revelation to Muhammad and distressed him greatly and he protested
that he was illiterate. See also Isaiah 29:11 - 14 where it is explained that
Prophet with words inspired by God have to be sent to mankind owing to the fact
that man has lost the capacity for direct consciousness of reality.
However,
such prediction is based on a general rule that the Prophet will return
whenever there are times of spiritual darkness and mankind needs guidance. It,
therefore, applies to all those who are recognised as Prophets. The verse in
Deuteronomy is also taken to apply to Jesus, but he is not named. The verse
does not necessarily refer to a particular person but rather to a Prophet, that
is, to one who is inspired by the Spirit of God. Jesus himself tells us that
the real and the false prophet can be distinguished “by their
fruits” (Matthew 7:15- 21 and John 10:37-38) Since
this applies to the Prophet Muhammad also, it may be taken to refer to him,
too. The moral teachings of the Prophet Muhammad can not be denied by the
adherents of any religion. The controversy is only about doctrines and
techniques which ought not to produce conflicts, and do so only in those who
develop prejudices and habits.
The
Prophet Muhammad was more like Moses than Jesus for the following reasons:- Jesus was born miraculously by the word of God, whereas
both Moses and Muhammad were born normally. If he was born fatherless he cannot
be regarded as a descendant of Isaac or a Jew. Both Moses and Muhammad married
and had children, Jesus did not. They both died a natural death while Jesus did
not. Both founded a new Religion, Jesus, according to his own words, came to
fulfil the Hebrew Law. Both Moses and Muhammad founded a separate nation
regulated by laws, Jesus did not. According to him, his kingdom was only in
heaven, not on earth. Christians believe that Jesus is God and the Son of God,
that he died for the sins of man, that he was crucified, died, was resurrected
and taken up to heaven. None of these things are true of Moses.
We read
also:-
"And he said: The Lord came from
Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; He shineth forth from Mount Paran,
and he came with ten thousand saints; from his right hand went a fiery Law for
them." Deuteronomy 33:2
Here Sinai
refers to Moses, Seir to Jesus and Paran to Muhammad.
There are
similar forecasts about the coming of Prophets in the Hindu and Buddhist
Scriptures.
----------<O>----------
“Muhammad was
the greatest man who ever lived.”
It is
hardly surprising that this statement would be accepted by all Muslims. It has
also been accepted by many others, including Thomas Carlisle, Bernard Shaw,
Professor Ramakrishna Rao, William Draper etc. But it can also be shown to be
true for more objective reasons.
A book
entitled “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History” , published in the U.S.A was written by Michael H
Hart, a historian. Muhammad appears as number one in his list and he justifies
this on the strength of much research. Jules Masserman, a psychoanalyst in the
University of Chicago writing in the magazine “Time” July 15, 1974,
also agrees with this judgement on the basis of three criteria, namely (a) that
the leader must provide for the welfare of the led, (b) that he should provide
a social organisation in which people are relatively safe, and (c) that he
should provide a set of beliefs. Lamartine in his “History of the Turks”
came to the same conclusion on the basis of three other criteria - (a) the
greatness of purpose, (b) the smallness of means and (c) astounding results.
(Quotations from the above can be found in Volume One of a book
“Choice” by Ahmed Deedat)
Bernard
Shaw wrote,
“He,
Muhammad, must be called the Saviour 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 Vol1. No 8)
Mahatama
Gandhi tells us 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 second volume of the Prophets
Biography, I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great
life.”
The well
known Indian Philosopher, Ramakrishna Rao wrote,
“What a dramatic succession of
picturesque scenes? There is Muhammad the Prophet; There is Muhammad the
Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Statesman; Muhammad, the
Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the
Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge;
Muhammad, the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these
departments of human activity, he is alike a hero.” (“The Perfect
Model for Human Life”)
There have
been other religious leaders who were followed by millions of people over many
generations, like Buddha and Jesus, and in this respect he may be considered
equal to them. There have also been Political leaders and social Reformers like
Marx, Lenin and Mao Tse Tung
who have a following of millions. They have, however, had no influence on the
spiritual or psychological development of people. There have been great
Military Leaders such as Alexander, Chenghis Khan and Caesar, and Great
Dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, but they displayed psychopathic tendencies
and their effect has been destructive. There have been great men of literature
such as Goethe and Shakespeare, great men of Science such as Newton and Einstein; great Philosophers,
Artists and Builders; and there have been great Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs. But all these men were great in some particular limited field.
None of them display the balanced development of all the qualities that go to
make a whole human being. The combination of qualities and functions which are
found in Muhammad is unique.
He was at
once a Spiritual leader, a Statesman, a Military Leader, a Politician and
Diplomat, a Social Reformer, an Author, Administrator, Lawgiver, and a
Director. Though he is not known for his achievements in the fields of
philosophy, science, art and architecture nevertheless he has had profound
effects on all these and other aspects of culture. He taught civilisation
directly by creating certain conventions, rules of etiquette and manners. He
transformed the way people thought, felt and behaved. He united warring tribes.
But his greatest function, not attempted by any one else, was the drawing
together of all aspects of life into a comprehensive, consistent, unified way
of life.
Despite creating a disciplined Society he
did not do this at the cost of restricting the people, through tyrannical
control or mental conditioning. On the contrary he freed them from superstition
and released their creativity, initiative and sense of responsibility. And he
coordinated and gave direction to these energies. The result was that, speaking
in historical terms, the spark lit by Muhammad created a cultural explosion
which reverberated throughout the world. Suddenly, as it were, there was a new
civilisation and new empire. The old Empires and decaying civilisations
crumbled. If history is seen as a continuity of cause and effect, then there
was nothing in the times or the place by which it could have been predicted
that great changes were about to occur. This single individual transformed the
world. His influence still continues to shape events.
According
to the well established laws of thermodynamics all physical systems degenerate.
Disorder or entropy increases. The same is the case with human societies. And
yet evolution does take place. New civilisations are created and rise to higher
levels than those which have declined, by absorbing the experiences and
achievements of the past. This needs an explanation. It seems obvious that an impulse
must enter into them from outside the society. Changes in quality and direction
of development can only occur in societies due to
(a) Impact of one culture on another,
(b) A new discovery or invention e.g. fire, the wheel,
metal, writing, printing etc.
(c) Social changes owing to a random combination,
concentration or accumulation of events, such as those producing Alexander, Chenghis
Khan or Hitler etc.
(d) Discovery of new territories into which expansion can
take place .
(e) Great climatic or geo-physical changes.
(f) New mutations bringing about mass genetic changes owing
to some cosmic event.
(g) The introduction of a new psychological impulse which
transforms consciousness and the way people see, think and feel.
The first six of these factors do not
appear to have been present. It can hardly be asserted that the Prophet created
himself. But he must have been sufficiently sensitive and receptive to absorb,
concentrate, assimilate, process, interpret and then transmit and apply the
impulses he experienced.
Some
aspects of his mission are of paramount importance.
He drew
attention to the Message rather than to himself. He did this in several ways:-
1. Unlike Jesus, Muhammad was not deified.
He made sure of that. Both the Quran and the Hadith insist on pointing out that
he was a man. The Quran even criticises and rebukes the Prophet, thereby
recording his fallibility.
"Say: I am only
a mortal like you. My Lord inspires in me that your God is only One God."
18:110
The worship of the teacher is a
distraction from the message. Not only does this cause the message to be
neglected, thereby destroying the very reason for the existence of the teacher,
but, at best, it wastes the efforts of the worshippers and, at worst, creates
the kind of fixation which leads to superstition, fanaticism, intolerance and
bigotry. Nor is it possible to follow the example of a divine being.
2. In
order to focalise the message he avoided miracles and
prophesies, though some are attributed to him. The message is not about working
wonders. Miracles, too, create superstition, excitement and fantasies. People
want miracles and seek the power to do them for reasons of prestige, power or
wealth. A miracle is not a good argument to establish the validity of a
religious truth. Nor are prophecies, though there are prophecies in the Quran
which came true. For instance, the promise that after the expulsion of Muslims
from Mecca they
would return (28:85), that the Roman would be defeated (30:2-4), and that it
would be impossible to produce a work like the Quran (2:23-24, 10:37-38, 17:88).
These, however, do not distract from the message and do not dampen efforts. On
the contrary they emphasise it. It was necessary that the religion he brought
should be accepted by understanding the teaching itself so that appropriate
efforts and application could be made. The Quran, like Nature, is itself a
sufficient miracle.
3. The
third action he took to prevent the obscuration of the message was to ensure
that a distinction was made between (a) the objective or impersonal message as
contained in the Quran, (b) his own interpretations and applications of it as
contained in the Hadith and (c) his pronouncements on matters other than
religion which were not required to be accepted.
4. Though
a spiritual succession of the righteous was recognised, there was no formal or
organisational succession. There was no church or priesthood to misappropriate,
misinterpret and manage the message for its own purposes.
His
teachings were given in three forms:-
(a)
The exoteric and verbal teaching.
(b)
By example. His life was said to be the Quran in action.
(c)
Esoteric teaching transmitted only through specially initiated companions.
Abu
Huraira is reported to have said:-
“I have kept in
my memory two large quantities of learning from Allah’s messenger, one of
which I have disclosed among you; but were I to disclose the other, this food
tract would be cut.”
Accordingly,
it is said that the Shariat (the Religious Law) is what the Prophet said: the
Tariqat (The Method, also sometimes called the Way) is what the Prophet did:
the Haqiqat (the Truth) is what the Prophet is.
Though
this establishes three routes, it is not possible to enter the higher without
adequate preparation by following the lower. However, as Islam recognises the
validity of other religions when properly practised, the Shariat of other
religions may also provide adequate preparation. The Sufis do accept others. No
distinction between religions exists at this level. At the highest level where
the goal is achieved, religion, in so far as it is an outer formal code,
becomes superfluous altogether. Life is religion and vice versa.
The
Prophet Muhammad represents all Prophets. In so far as he had the Prophethood,
he is identical with all prophets. In so far as he is man, who existed in a
certain place and time with respect to which he had a function, he is obviously
distinct from others.
“When Allah
made His covenant with the Prophets He said: Behold that which I have given you
of the Book and the Wisdom. And afterwards there will come unto you a
messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye
shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up this Burden which I
lay on you? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a
witness with you. Then whosoever after this shall turn away, they shall be
miscreants. Seek they something other than the
religion of Allah? - when unto Him submits whosoever
is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him will ye
be returned. Say : we believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and
that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ismael and
Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and
Jesus and the other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between
any of them, and unto Him have we surrendered. ” 3:84
Hence:-
“Lo, those who
disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between
Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others,
and seek to choose a way in between: such are disbelievers in truth; and for
disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom.” 4:150-151
However, 3:84 does not
state that the final Messenger to come is Muhammad. It could refer to Jesus when
he returns.
The
following verses from the Quran establish the position of Muhammad in Islam:-
“We inspired
thee (Muhammad) as We inspired Noah and the prophets
after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, and Jacob and the
tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as we imparted
unto David the Psalms. And messengers We have
mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and
Allah spoke directly unto Moses.” 4:163-164
“Say (O
Muhammad): O mankind! lo, I am the messenger of Allah
to you all - the messenger of Him unto whom belongs the Sovereignty of the
heavens and the earth.” 7:158
“O People of
the Scripture (i.e Jews and Christians), now has Or messenger come unto you to make things plain after an
interval of cessation of the messengers, lest you should say: there came not
unto us a messenger of cheer nor any Warner.” 5:19
“And the Jews
will not be pleased with you, nor will the Christians, till you follow their
creed. Say unto them: Lo, the guidance of Allah Himself is sufficient guidance.
“ 2:120
“Muhammad is
not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger (Rasul) of Allah
and the Seal of the Prophets (Nabi).” 33:40
Note: He is the Seal of
the Prophets not the last of the Messengers. The word "Seal" refers
to completion of something - e.g. the religion, Islam - and to official
confirmation - e.g prophethood in general (3:81). The
word is Khatim not Khatam
(end) and is used in the sense of the highest or most perfect, not the last of
a line but the last word in prophethood. The fact that this verse also tells us
that Muhammad was not the father of any man could be interpreted as meaning
that no prophets would descend from him. Prophethood itself refers to the the activation of the spirit within man - the possibility
that he can receive inspiration which the Quran affirms (16:2, 40:15, 42:52).
There is no indication in the Quran that inspiration or revelation has come to
an end. We must, however, distinguish between a number
of degrees of inspiration. The word "Prophet" should not be used for
all and sundry as has become a habit in some quarters, but only for those who
also have a major function in the guidance of mankind. The assertion that this
verse means that Muhammad was the last of the Prophets comes from a Hadith
which reports the Prophet Muhammad as saying that there would be no further
prophets after him, and yet he forecast the return of Jesus. His statement was
either misunderstood or it simply means that there are to be no prophets
between himself and Jesus. The Hadith contain collected reports by other
people, not direct revelations as in the Quran and are not, therefore, wholly
reliable. Since the prophet also pointed out that he was a man who could be
mistaken, this statement even if genuine cannot have the same weight as the
Quran.
“Say: I am no new thing among the
messengers of Allah, nor know I what will be done with me or you. I do but
follow that which is inspired in me.” 46:9
“Say: I am only
a mortal like you. My Lord inspires in me that your God is only One God, and
whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and
make none sharer of he worship due unto his Lord.” 18:111
“Lo, We have sent thee (O Muhammad) as a witness and a bearer of
good tidings, and a Warner. Say: I ask for no reward for this, save that whoso will may choose a way unto his Lord.” 25:56-57 and
48:8
Note: The
word ‘Gospel’ as applied to the Christian scriptures also has the
meaning ‘good tidings’.
“Say (O
Muhammad to mankind): If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and
forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
3:31
“Those who
follow the messenger, the Prophet who cannot read or write, whom they will find
described in the Torah and the Gospels which are with them. He will enjoin on
them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make
lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he
will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then
those who believe him, and honour him, and help him,
and follow the light which is sent down with him, they are the successful. Say (O
Muhammad): O mankind! Lo, I am the messenger of Allah to you all - the
messenger of Him unto whom belongs the sovereignty of
the heavens and the earth. There is no god save Him. He quickens and He gives
death. So believe in Allah and His messenger, the Prophet who can neither read
nor write, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that haply you
may be led right.” 7: 157-158
“Muhammad is but a
messenger, messengers the like of which have passed away before him. Will it be
that when he dies or is slain, you will turn back on your heels? He who turns
back does no hurt to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful.” 3:144
“By the star
when it sets, your comrade (Muhammad) errs not, nor is deceived; nor does he
speak of his own desire. It is naught save inspiration that is inspired, which
one of mighty power has taught him, one vigorous; and he grew clear to view when
he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he drew nigh and came down till he was
distant two bows length or even nearer, and He revealed unto his slave that
which He revealed. The heart lied not in what it saw. Will you then dispute
with him concerning what he sees?” 53: 1-12
“And thus have We inspired in you (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our Command. You
knew not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We
have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our servants. And lo, you
truly guide unto the right path.” 42:52
“Say (O
Muhammad): It is not for me to change it (the revelation) on my own accord. I
only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo, if I disobey my Lord I fear the
retribution of an awful day. Say: If Allah had so willed I should not have
recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. I dwelt among you a
whole life time before it came to me. Have you then no sense.” 10:16-17
“It was by the
mercy of Allah that you were lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if you had
been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from around you. So
pardon them and ask forgiveness of them, and consult with them upon the conduct
of affairs. And when you are resolved, put your trust in Allah. Lo, Allah loves
those who put their trust in Him.” 3:159
Note: This
verse is important in showing that the Prophet himself was no dictator and that
humility and consultation are integral to Islam.
“Allah has
truly shown grace to the believers by sending them a messenger of their own who
recites to them His revelations and causes them to grow, and teaches them the
Scripture and the Wisdom, although before this they were in flagrant
error.” 3:164
Note: The
purpose of the messenger is three fold:- (a) to teach
the scriptures, i.e. deliver the teaching. (b) to
inculcate wisdom. (c) to facilitate growth and
development.
“O you who
believe, say not unto the Prophet: ‘Listen to us’. But say:
‘Look upon us’ and be you the listeners.” 2:104
“We have not
sent you as a warder over them. Your duty is only to convey the message.”
42:48
“There are some
who say: Lo, Allah hath charged us that we believe not any messenger until he
brings us an offering which fire from heaven shall devour. Say unto them O
Muhammad: Messengers came unto you before me with miracles, and with the very
miracle you describe. Why then did you slay them? Answer that if you are
truthful.” 3:183
“And the
messenger said: O my Lord, lo, my own people make this Quran of no account.
Even so We have appointed unto every Prophet an
opponent from among the guilty; but Allah suffices as a Guide and
Helper.” 25:31
“The guiding of
them is not thy duty (O Muhammad), but Allah guides whom He will.” 2:272
“The Prophet is
closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.
“ 33:6
“Verily in the
messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the
Last Day, and remembers Allah much.” 33:21
“Lo, those who
swear allegiance unto you (Muhammad), swear allegiance unto Allah. The Hand of
Allah is above their hands. So whoever breaks his oath breaks it only to his soul’s hurt, while whoever keeps his covenant with
Allah, on him will He bestow an immense reward.” 48:10
“He (Muhammad)
frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him. What could inform
you but that he (the blind man) might grow in grace or take heed and so the
reminder (the Quran) might avail him. As for him who
thought himself independent, unto him you paid regard. Yet it is not your
concern if he grow not in grace. But as for him who
came unto you with earnest purpose and had fear, for him you were distracted.
Nay, but verily, it is an admonishment, so let whosoever will pay heed to
it.” 80:1-12
The Prophet, too, was
corrected by Allah and had to learn from the Quran, as everyone else. However,
though the word "He" in the beginning of this verse is thought by
some commentators to refer to Muhammad, the verse does not say so. As the rest
of the verse is addressed to "you" and this is Muhammad, then other
commentators may be right when they think that "he" refers to someone
else, probably Uthman.
The following Hadith
also indicate how the Prophet is to be regarded:-
“The way in
which I may be compared with the other prophets is by a castle which was
beautifully constructed, but in which the place of one brick was left
incomplete. Sightseers went round admiring the beauty of its construction with
the exception of that missing brick. Now I have filled the place. In me the
building is completed and in me the message is complete.”
“I have been
given superiority over the other Prophets in six respects: I have been given
words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by
terror in the hearts of enemies; spoils have been made lawful to me; the earth
has been made for me a place of worship and ceremonially pure; I have been sent
to all mankind; and the line of prophets is closed with me.”
“I am the
nearest in kin to Jesus, son of Mary, in this world and the next. The Prophets
are brothers, sons of one father by co-wives. Their mothers are different, but
their religion is one.”
Note that
the “Father” in Islam does not refer to Allah as it does in
Christianity, but to the Universal Religion. In one of the parables of Jesus,
the father after sending numerous messengers, all of whom were persecuted,
sends his son. But the people slay him. Eventually, the father comes down
himself. (Matthew 21:33-42). This cannot be interpreted as the descent of God
himself, though the son was certainly Jesus.
----------<O>----------
Three aspects of
Islam should be noted:-
1, Islam is
presented to us by three forces working in unison, namely (i)
Allah, (ii) the Spirit or Archangel Gabriel and (iii) the Prophet Muhammad.
Allah is the source, Gabriel the communicator and the Prophet is the recipient.
2, The influence of
the Prophet on Islam is three fold ;-
(i)
The Quran was revealed to him through the Gabriel from Allah, as to value,
meaning and wording.
(ii) The Sacred
Traditions or Hadith Qudsi. These are also revelations from Allah, not
necessarily through Gabriel and in their value and meaning. The wording is that
of the Prophet.
(iii) The Prophetic
Traditions. These are the sayings and doings of Muhammad in his capacity as a
Prophet. They are also inspired as to their value. Their meaning and wording
are those of the Prophet. Other religions are usually founded on this third
category, the traditions of their Prophets.
3, Islam depends on:- (i) the awareness and
acceptance of Allah, (ii) the Prophets who surrendered to Allah and founded a
community based on this (iii) The personal efforts and mutual assistance and
reinforcement of the people in that community.
Thus the Prophet
himself occurs in three roles, as part of the source, as an interpreter and as
the leader of the community.
A divine Messenger
if he is truly one must have introduced a new spirit or impulse into the world.
Christ, for instance, is recognized for having introduced the notion of love,
compassion and service into the world, features which were lacking before.
These manifest themselves in the charities, public services and institutions
such as hospitals.
The great
achievements of the Prophet Muhammad are as follows:-
(a) He established a
demythologized religion, purifying it of the malpractices, superstitions and
distortions of the past, thereby making it available to all.
(b) He created a
global view of religion and life. He introduced a new political system, a
self-governing Democratic State based on the supremacy of a constitution and
law with justice and equality for all, including the emancipation of women and
slaves. He introduced a new spirit of nationhood which transcended family,
tribal and racial loyalties. But patriotism in Islam does not refer to a
territory and does not allow exploitation of others. He also established
religious tolerance and international and inter-communal laws, treaties and
agreements. He encouraged trade and commerce, having himself been a merchant.
(c) He encouraged
the search for knowledge and learning, and the arts and crafts. He added the
concept of objective truth and the use of the mind.
(d) His greatest
achievement was the combination of these three into a single self-consistent
system.
The troubles facing
the world today can be traced to the fact that the Christian religion had
become the property of an organized Priest class which guarded its authority,
power, prestige and wealth jealously. In order to do this it allied itself with
commercial and political powers and distorted or invented doctrines and
practices of its own. It abandoned the people and all considerations of truth
or morality. It became thoroughly corrupt as historical research shows. It
opposed all learning and independent enquiry. It was not possible to make
political progress or even economic or scientific progress until the Church was
either put under the control of the State as in England or disestablished
altogether. A compromise had to be reached whereby all spiritual matters were
left to the Church while worldly concerns (social, material and intellectual
were left to the State, Commerce and Science. The result was a disintegration
of life into these three parts between which there is no coordination. The
dichotomy between the spiritual and the material has tended to lead religion
into the realms of fantasy and to its decline while at the same time causing the
present day rise of materialism. Facts have been emphasized at the expense of
values, the letter rather than the spirit, and the physical instead of the
psychological.
However, influences
from the Muslim world were introduced into Europe
which led to a regeneration of Christianity through the Reformation and the
arising of the Protestant Churches, and later to a Counter-reformation in the
Catholic Church. Religion, being only one department of life which became
relatively less important as progress in the other three departments began to
dominate life, also declined, and life is now dominated by the trinity of gods,
Science, Industry and Political organization. Unfortunately, the decline of
Islam and the domination of Western civilization has
increasingly introduced the same attitudes into the Islamic nations.
----------<O>----------