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,2help with the household work,3and 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 therewas 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 Chapter 1 Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam (6) The Simple Life of Muhammad A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam 38 (1) Narrated inMosnad Ahmad, #25662. (2) Narrated inSaheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, andMosnad Ahmad, #25517. (3) Narrated inSaheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, andMosnad Ahmad, #23706. (4) Narrated inMowatta’ Malek, #531. (5) Narrated inSaheeh Al-Bukhari, #3034, andSaheeh Muslim, #1803, andMosnad Ahmad, #18017. (6) Narrated inMosnad Ahmad, #12117, andAl-Tirmizi, #2754.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjQ1