In what ways especially do Muhammad's achievements draw attention to his
prophethood?
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was
peerless in educating people.
- A man, whoever he is and whatever he does, may regard his own
occupation as more important, more necessary, more beneficial to social
life and more difficult than others. However, although every occupation
has some difficulty of its own and is of some degree of use for social
life, educating people must be much more difficult than others and more
necessary for a healthy social life.
To bring up distinguished persons require distinguished educators. Only an
educator who has established his aim in educating people and practices
what he will teach and advise to his students, only one who knows the
character, potentialities, desires, and ambitions of his students with the
shortcomings and strong and weak spots and the level of learning and
understanding of each, can be successful in educating people. Of course,
this is not all that a good, successful educator must have. Furthermore,
he must know how to treat his students in all circumstances, how to
approach their problems and how to purify them of bad qualities and morals
and, in place of them, inculcate laudable and good ones.
A man may have strong belief in what he must believe but he may not be
practicing his belief in his daily life. He may have some good moral
qualities but they might have not been an ingrained part of his character.
Moreover, he may have certain weak spots such as taking bribery and
insensitivity to making use of common property or hoarding up wealth.
Therefore, if an educator can change his students completely and,
purifying them of all bad habits and morals and all bad qualities which
have long been ingrained in them and, in their place, establishing
laudable ones, can form a community which will be a good example for
future generations in all fields of life and good moral qualities, if an
educator can transform the �rock, copper, iron and coal� in his hand into
�silver, gold, brilliant and diamond�, without doubt, you will conclude
that that educator is an extraordinary one. What the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in educating people within so
short a time as 23 years is much more than what that educator does.
Prophet Muhammad was matchless in knowing people each with
his character.
- It is another important dimension of a good education is not to resort
to force. Penal sanctions, coercion and military and police forces can
have some effect on directing people but only to a slight degree and for a
short time only. Therefore, convincing people of the truth of what we
teach to them and making it approved by them wholeheartedly is of vital
importance in a good education.
No one in world history has so far been able to know man with all the
dimensions of his character as well as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be
peace and blessings, and there has never appeared a second one next to him
who has made pitiless, crude, warmongering, ignorant and unyielding
individuals into a community which sets a perfect example for all the
future generations in all aspects of life and good moral qualities.
Prophet Muhammad guided people in every aspect of life.
- No one can guide people in every field of life. It is very difficult
for one, however able and clever, to be both an able statesman and
commander and a brilliant scientist and successful educator at the same
time. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was
the most perfect spiritual and intellectual master, the most able
statesman and commander, the most efficient educator, and the greatest
scholar history has ever seen.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the
foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion
and the most God-fearing of people.
- The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost
in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the
most God-fearing of people. He observed the duties of worship with the
utmost care and attention down to their minutest details even in most
perilous circumstances of his life which passed in constant struggle and
activity. He never imitated anyone in his worship and combined in a
perfect fashion the beginning and the end of spiritual evolution.
He is also unparalleled in prayer and gnosis, for in his supplications and
prayers he describes his Lord with such a degree of gnosis that all the
saints since his time have never been able, although those coming after
have made use of the heritage of the preceding ones, to attain a similar
degree of gnosis and description of God.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was
absolutely convinced of the truth of his message.
- He had in his faith so extraordinary a strength, so wonderful a
certainty, and such elevated and
world-enlightening conviction that none of the prevailing ideas and
beliefs of that time, and none of the philosophies of the sages and
teachings of the spiritual leaders, although they were all opposed and
even hostile to him, was ever able to cause in him any doubt, hesitation
or anxiety concerning his certainty, conviction, and assurance. Moreover,
all saintly men of all times, his Companions primarily included, have all
benefited from his faith which they admit to be of the highest degree.
This fact proves that his faith too is matchless.
All the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that
indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon
them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the utmost degree.
- Just as the consensus of the Prophets is a very strong proof of the
existence and Oneness of God, so, too, it is a firm testimony to the
truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings. For history confirms that all the sacred attributes, miracles
and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the
Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the
utmost degree. The Prophets verbally predicted his coming, that is, they
gave the good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and
other Scriptures which are called �Pages� in the Qur�an; likewise through
their missions and miracles they affirmed and �sealed� the mission of
Muhammad, who is the foremost and most perfect in Prophethood.
Thousands of saints unanimously bear witness to the
truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad.
Also, having attained the truth and perfection, and the rank of working
wonders, and gained insight into the reality of things, and spiritual
discovery through following the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, in all his deeds and principles, thousands of saints unanimously
bear witness not only to the Oneness of God but also to the truthfulness and
Messengership of that being, upon him be peace and blessings. It is as
bright a proof as the sun for the truthfulness of Muhammad, upon him be
peace and blessings, that, those saints believe in and affirm all of the
truths that being proclaimed through the light of faith to the degree of
either certainty coming from knowledge or certainty by sight, or of
certainty by experience.
Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous
scholars of truthfulness and believing sages have reached the highest
station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths
brought by the Prophet Muhammad
Again, thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of
truthfulness and believing sages, who have reached the highest station of
learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by the
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, despite his being
unlettered, the sublime sciences to which he gave birth, and the Divine
knowledge he discovered, not only prove unanimously with their strongest
proofs and affirm the Oneness of God, the foundation of his mission, but
also bear unanimous witness to the truthfulness of that greatest teacher and
supreme master, and to the veracity of his words.
First and foremost of all, the family and the Companions of the Prophet,
upon him be peace and blessings, who with their insight, wisdom and
spiritual accomplishments, are the most renowned, the most respected, the
most celebrated, the most pious, the most keen sighted of mankind after the
Prophets, after having examined and scrutinized all the thoughts and states
of that being, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention and
exactitude, unanimously concluded that he was the most truthful, the most
elevated, and the most honest being in the world.
In his preaching of the message and calling people to the
truth, Muhammad displayed extraordinary steadfastness, firmness and courage.
- In his preaching of the message and in his calling people to the
truth, he displayed such steadfastness, firmness and courage that, in
spite of the antagonism of big powers and great religions, and of his own
people and tribe, even of his uncle, he never showed even the slightest
trace of hesitation, anxiety or fear, and he successfully challenged the
world, and, as a result, made Islam superior to all other religions and
systems. This proves that there is not and cannot be anyone like him also
in his preaching of and calling to the message of Truth.
Muhammad solved social, political and economic problems so
easily and established such perfect rules in all these fields that they left
permanent and inerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the
world.
- Let us go to the Arabian peninsula in the Time of Happiness. That
unlettered man who had not attended any military academy, nor a school for
civil servants or a school of law, nor a school of sciences, presented
such a religion and law that they contain all the principles to secure
happiness in both worlds. His speech is so effective and penetrating that
human beings in all times listen to him and his voice is echoed in every
century. He solves all social, political and economic problems so easily
and establishes such perfect rules in all these fields that they leave
permanent and inerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of
the world. He spends a considerable part of his life on battlefields and
proves to be the most able commander of all times. He also shows himself
as the best of husbands, the most eminent, yet most compassionate of
fathers and the most amiable and loyal of friends. He does all this in so
short a time as 23 years.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also
beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their
characters in the crucible of his message.
- A leader must know his people very well in order to educate them and
urge them to the realization of a cause. Alexis Carrel, a great French
scientist and philosopher of this century, still describes man as unknown.
Man is the most complex and intricate of creatures. However, the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in
knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the
crucible of his message. He knew everyone to whom he would convey his
message with all the details of his character, with his abilities,
shortcomings, feelings, disposition and level of understanding. Besides,
he also knew very well how to act in certain conditions and was able to
give the best decision in all crises. To every position he appointed the
one most qualified for and deserving of it and did not have to change the
appointment later. He succeeded in bringing the most refined,
well-mannered and civilized society out of an extremely backward,
uncivilized and rough people.
Muhammad equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and
unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the
praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters,
especially, to the civilized nations.
- Consider how, eradicating their evil and savage customs and immoral
qualities to which they were so fanatically attached, he equipped and
adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century
Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them
teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized
nations. His was not an outward domination; rather, he conquered their
minds, spirits, hearts, and souls. He became the beloved of hearts, the
teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed
numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little
effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and
inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in
their being.
- You know that despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern
communities are unable to remove permanently so small a vice as cigarette
smoking. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings,
removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a
little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted
and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in
their being. To those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of
the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we present as a challenge any
part of today�s civilized world. Let them go there with hundreds of
philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and pedagogues and educators, and
strive for a hundred years, I wonder whether they will be able to achieve in
that period a hundredth part of what the Prophet Muhammad achieved in a
year.
When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe
opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips.
- When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe
opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips.
Once, the leaders of the Quraysh warned Abu Talib, the Prophet�s uncle, to
persuade his nephew to abandon preaching his mission. The Prophet answered:
O uncle! Should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my
left, so as to make me renounce this mission, I shall not do so. I will
never give it up; either it will please God to make it triumph or I shall
perish it the attempt.
The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which Prophet Muhammad
carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme
truth of his cause.
On another occasion, a deputation of the leading Quraysh called on him
and offered him all the worldly glory they could imagine in return for his
abandoning his mission. They said:
� If you want to possess wealth, we will amass for you as much as you
wish; if you aspire to win honor and power, we are prepared to swear
allegiance to you as our overlord and king; if you have a fancy for beauty,
you shall have the hand of the most beautiful maiden of your own choice.
The terms were extremely tempting for any ordinary mortal, but they had
no significance in the eyes of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings.
He responded:
� I want neither wealth nor power. God has commissioned me as a
warner to
humanity. I deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have
felicity in this life and eternal bliss in the life Hereafter. Should you
reject the Word of God, surely God will decide between you and me.
The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which he carried his mission
to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause.
Had there been the slightest doubt or uncertainty in his heart, he would
never have been able to brave the storm that continued in all its fury for
twenty-one long years.
None of the world leaders have been able to bring about among the members
of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that
which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among
the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia.
- Great leaders have appeared on the horizon of humanity. They have
changed the course of history through either the states or empires they have
established or the revolutions they have made. Nevertheless, almost none of
them have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so
strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of
the seventh-century Arabia. Although Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, had never given any indication of political interest or activity
for full forty years until Prophethood, he appeared all of a sudden on the
stage of the world as such a great political reformer and statesman that,
without the aid of press or of any modern telecommunication means, he
brought together the scattered inhabitants of a desert of twelve hundred
thousand square miles�a people who were warlike, ignorant, unruly,
uncultured, and plunged in tribal war-fare�under one banner, one law, one
religion, one culture, one civilization and one form of government.
Prophet Muhammad conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers
nothing other than God�s approval and Paradise.
- A leader must know men very well in order to urge them to the
realization of a cause. In order to gain a following, most leaders make
alluring promises to people, like power, wealth, position or a bright
future. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made
no such promises to his followers. Nor did he resort to any force to realize
his aim. He conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers only God�s
good pleasure and Paradise. His followers sacrificed themselves in his way
willingly and preferred to live a poor life in return for gaining God�s good
pleasure and Paradise. Especially his own family lived as the poorest of his
community. He always sought to prepare them, as well as his Companions, for
the eternal peace and permanent bliss while himself setting for them a good
example of that peace and bliss. His daughter Fatima, the most beloved to
him among his family, once came to him with a necklace around her neck or a
bracelet around her wrist. The Prophet said to her:
� Do you want people�inhabitants of the earth and the inhabitants of
heavens�to say that the daughter of the Prophet is wearing a chain from
Hell?
These words were enough for Fatima, for they were coming from the mouth
of one whose throne was established in people�s hearts and who had conquered
their minds. Fatima narrates the rest of the story as follows:
� I immediately sold the necklace, bought a slave and emancipated him,
and then went to the Messenger of God. When I told him what I had done, he
rejoiced. He opened his hands and thanked God, saying:
All thanks to God,
Who protected (my daughter) Fatima from Hell.
Despite all the most pitiless cruelties, Prophet Muhammad used to pray:
�O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know�.
Through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, he made
extremely cruel, warmongering people into the best community in human
history.
- Supposing you are a teacher at a school or a director in an
institution. In order to bring up your students or the people under your
command according to the ideal you pursue, you are determined to bear all
hardships that may appear before you. Now, if they spit in your face when
they are passing by you, if they put an animal abdomen over your head while
you are in prostration before God, if they sometimes slap you in face, if
they sometimes throw stones at you and scatter thorny plants along the roads
you pass, if they ambush you in corners with daggers in their hands, if they
mock you in front of others, if they slander your wife, if they kill your
relatives and cut their bodies into pieces, if they attack you many times
and injure you, and if they expel you from your native land, still can you
bear all such cruelties and continue your way without the least hesitation?
More than that, can you forgive them, pity them and pray to God for them,
saying: O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know.
If you are taken to a Paradise-like place and left free to choose between
living there and going back to serve your cause amid hardships, do you
choose to go back among the people to continue your mission?
Is it not the worst form of �blindness� and ignorance to reject the
Prophethood of that pride of humanity who, through his limitless love,
compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, made extremely cruel, warmongering
people into the best community in human history?
In human history there has been no one as much loved as his followers
from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings.
- The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sent a group of envoys to
the Adal and al-Qarah tribes to teach them Islam. However, a group from the
Hudhayl tribe attacked the envoys half-way and, killing some of them,
submitted the remaining three to the Quraysh. Zayd ibn Dasina was among the
envoys. Before the Qurayshi polytheists executed Zayd, Abu Sufyan, who had
not yet embraced Islam, said to him:
� I adjure you by God, Zayd, don�t you wish that Muhammad was with us now
in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your
family?
� �By God�, said Zayd, �let alone wishing that Muhammad were here in my
place so that I were with my family, I do not wish that even a thorn should
hurt his feet in Madina.�
Abu Sufyan had to remark: �I swear by God that I have never seen a man
who was so loved as Muhammad�s Companions loved him.�
In human history there has been no one as much loved, as his followers
from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings.
Prophet Muhammad answered all of the questions asked without
faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since.
- The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had to answer
innumerable questions put to him by both the desert men of Arabia and the
Jews and Christians of his time, concerning not only religion but also many
other subjects such as history, metaphysics, astronomy, medicine and so on.
He answered all of them without faltering and he has not been contradicted
ever since.
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history
such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a
message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or
could exist.
- The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into
history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of
prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor
will or could exist. For the law brought by that unlettered being is
matchless in that it has administered one fifth of mankind for fourteen
centuries, in a just and precise manner through its rules and injunctions.
The religion of Islam, which originated in the Qur�an he received from God
and his own sayings, precepts and example, is also peerless, for in each
century it has been for hundreds of millions of people a guide and a
competent authority or source for whatever matter is referred to it. It has
also trained their minds, illumined and purified their hearts, trained and
refined their souls, and perfected their spirits.
After the Companions, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified,
meticulous scholars, thousands of scientists, and hundreds of thousands of
literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen have been brought up in the
footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad.
- After the Companions, who gave the lead to all mankind in all fields of
life including the scientific, political, social, administrative and
economic, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars
such as Abu Hanifa, Shafi�i, Bayazid al-Bistami, �Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani,
Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and many others, and
thousands of scientists like al-Biruni, al-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn
Haytham and others, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses,
commanders and statesmen, and other stars of mankind, have all followed in
the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.
Besides those persons, many intellectuals and statesmen of the West such as
Lamartine, William Muir, Edward Gibbon, John Davenport, L. A. Sedillot,
Goethe, P. Bayle, Stanley Lane-Poole, A. J. Arberry, Thomas Carlyle,
Rosenthal, Elisee Reclus, Andrew Miller, Bismarck, Leopold Weis, Marmaduke
Pickthall, Martin Lings and Roger Garaudy have had to confess his greatness,
even that he is the greatest of mankind, and some of them have embraced
Islam. This is another proof of his Prophethood.
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