The
Simple Life of Muhammad
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:
n
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
n
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
n
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
n
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,5 mend his clothes,
repair his shoes,6 help with the household work,7 and visit
poor people when they got sick.8 He also helped his companions
in digging a trench by moving sand with them.9 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 the Prophet Muhammad , yet when he came to them, they did
not stand up for him because he hated their standing up for
him,10 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 Quran 41:1-38.11 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 Quran in Arabic, for people who know, giving good news and
warning, yet most of them turn away, so they do not listen''.
(Quran, 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,
O Uncle!, 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.}12
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.13 Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his
food.14 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?
_____________________________
Footnotes:
(1)
Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2972, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2567.
(2)
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5413, and Al-Tirmizi, #2364.
(3)
Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2082, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6456.
(4)
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2739, and Mosnad Ahmad, #17990.
(5)
Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #25662.
(6)
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #25517.
(7)
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #23706.
(8)
Narrated in Mowatta’ Malek, #531.
(9)
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3034, and Saheeh Muslim, #1803,
and Mosnad Ahmad, #18017.
(10)
Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #12117, and Al-Tirmizi, #2754.
(11)
Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 293-294.
(12)
Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 265-266.
(13)
Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 298-299.
(14)
Narrated in Al-Daremey, #68, and Abu-Dawood, #4510.
