The Simple Life of Muhammad....

[Guest guest]

What you are about to read might sound unusual but it could be very

enlightened

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:

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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 prophet hood 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, mend his clothes, repair his shoes,

help with the household work, and visit poor people when they got sick. He

also helped his companions in digging a trench by moving sand with them.

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, 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. 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}

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.

Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food. 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?

For more information about Islam

http://www.geocities.com/mu7ammad1/1.html

[Guest guest]

What you are about to read might sound unusual but it could be very

enlightened

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:

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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 prophet hood 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, mend his clothes, repair his shoes,

help with the household work, and visit poor people when they got sick. He

also helped his companions in digging a trench by moving sand with them.

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, 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. 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}

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.

Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food. 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?

For more information about Islam

http://www.geocities.com/mu7ammad1/1.html