Conscious Fabrication?

            Deliberate fabrication, like other patterns of human behavior is likely to have a goal: the satisfaction of certain human needs. Arrogation of prophethood may thus be motivated either by some material benefit or by the aspiration to status, glory, and power. We may as well look into these two possibilities.

Fabrication for Material Gains?

            It is reasonable to assert that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might have claimed prophethood in order to attain some material gains? This question may be answered by looking into his financial status before and after prophethood. Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had no financial worries. His loving and rich wife, Khadija, has had made available to him all what he needed. As a successful and reputed merchant. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. It is ironic that the same man, after his mission as a prophet and because of it, became worse off materially.

            Describing their life, his wife, Aa'Isha narrated that a month or two might have elapsed before fire was lit in the prophet's house (to cook a meal), while the household subsisted on milk and dates[3]. After eighteen years of his mission, when Muslims were the victorious, we still find a kind of revolt in Muhammad's household in protest of the difficult life characterized by a considerable self-imposed material deprivation. This incident took place at the time when the Muslim treasury was under his disposal[4]. Asked about Muhammad's bedding, Hafsah answered, "It comprised of a piece of canvas which I spread double folded under him. Once I did it fourfold in an effort to make it more comfortable. The next morning he asked me: 'What did you spread under me last night'. I replied: 'the same canvas, but I had four folded it instead of the customary double fold'. He said: 'keep it as it was before. The additional softness stands in the way of Tahajjud (night prayer)'"[5]. “ When Omar Ibn-Khattab went to see Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) he noticed that: the contents of his room comprised of only three pieces of tanned skin and a handful of barley lying in a corner. I looked about but I failed to find anything else. I began to weep. He said: Why are you weeping? I replied: O Prophet of Allah why should I not weep? I can see the mat's pattern imprinted on your body and I am also beholding all that you have got in this room. O prophet of Allah! Pray that Allah may grant ample provisions for us. The Persians and the Romans who have no true faith and who worship not Allah but their kings - the Kaisers and the Caesars - should live in gardens with streams running in their midst but the chosen Prophet and the accepted slave of Allah should live in such a dire poverty! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was resting against his pillow, but when he heard me talk like this, he sat against his pillow and said: O, Omar! Are you still in doubt about this matter? Ease and comfort in the hereafter are much better than ease and comfort in this world”[6]. In a long narrative by Bilal about what Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did with the gifts and provisions he received, Bilal reported that the Prophet never kept back anything for future use, that he spent what he had on the poor and needy, and that on one occasion Muhammad received a gift of four loaded camels, yet he took nothing for himself and he further insisted that he would not go home until the whole lot is given away to the needy[7]. At the time of his death, and in spite of all his victories and achievements, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in debt, and his shield was in the hands of a Jewish citizen of Madina as a collateral for that debt![8].

            One may inquire: Are there any indications of materialistic motives behind Muhammad's claim of prophethood?

Fabrication for Worldly Glory and Power?

            Is it possible that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might have claimed prophethood in order to attain status, worldly greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces, colorful guards, and the indisputable authority.

            Do any of these indicators apply of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? Following are a few glimpses of his life that may help answer this question.

            Despite of his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and a Judge, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to milk his goat, mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and help with the household work. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness[9]. He sat on the floor, went to the market to shop with no guards or procession; he talked and listen patiently and politely to anyone who stopped him, and he accepted invitation to dine with the poor and ate graciously whatever is served to him. Once he was traveling with some of his companions who began to prepare to cook some food by dividing the work among themselves. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) suggested to be in charge of collecting some wood. His companions told him that they could do it for him. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered back:“ I know you could do it for me but I hate to have any privilege over you” [10]. A stranger once came to him almost trembling out of respect. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked the man to come closer to him and with a compassionate pat on the man's shoulder, he told him:“ Relax brother, I am only the son of a woman who used to eat dried bread” [11].

            Muhammad 's use of authority is quite revealing. His followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an amazing extent. Yet, he continued to emphasize that obedience and devotion should be directed to God and not to him personally. As a matter of fact, he made a clear distinction between the specific revelations he received from God and other areas left to human discretion. In the latter category, evidence of Muhammad's consultative attitudes is ample. In planning for the defense of Madinah (before the battle of the Trench), Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked for the advise of his companions and decided in favor of Salman's proposal to dig a trench around Madinah. Furthermore, he started working with his hands like any other man in his company. A similar behavior was demonstrated in the battle of Badr[12].

            In addition to the simple, humble, and altruistic life of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) one may also ask: Was there any indication in his early life that demonstrates his aspiration for leadership and fame? Critics of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fail to provide evidence that he planned or aspired to leadership and fame. Even a writer who goes into a great length to support his guess that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) probably had some "secret desires" to be famous cannot help but admit that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not guilty of planning for his role as a prophet[13]. Not only was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) an ordinary and a quiet, person but he even trembled and rushed home in terror when he received the first revelation as a prophet of God. If he were planning or aspiring for fame, he would have come down happy and jubilant that his "secret desires" are finally coming true[14]. Andrae's theory of "secret desires" and similar theories are perhaps modern versions of the pagan Arab's initial interpretation of Muhammad's motives. Long before there was any prospect of success of the new faith and at the outset of a long painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Okba, 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 your want kingship we will crown your king over us. And if you can't resist the visions that come to you we will spend all that is needed to seek a cure for you …"[15]. Only one concession was required from Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in return for that, to stop "dividing the people" and to give up this new claim that there is not god but the One Universal God of All. This was not a high price if Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were pursuing his own benefit. Was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Ha-Meem. A revelation from (God), Most Gracious, Most Merciful; A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail; A Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand. Giving good news and admonition: Yet most of them turn away and so they hear not” [16].

            In another occasion and in response to his uncle's plea for compromise, 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 (Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I would perish defending it” [17].

            History tells us that not only did Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his few followers suffer all kinds of torture and sacrifice for thirteen years, but that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was about to physically perish several times because of his steadfastness.

            Are these the characteristics of a power-hungry or a self-centered man? 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?

Previous

Table of Contents

Next

[3] Cited in M. Al-Nawawi Riyadh al-Saliheen Min Kalam Sayyidil-Mursaleen, Hadeeth #492 (several Printings of this source were published. The printing cited above is published by Shirkat-al-Shimirley, Cairo, Egypt, no date.).

[4] This incident is referred to in the Qur'an (33:28-29). It is also documented in Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

[5] Idara Ishaat-E-Diniyat, The Teachings of Islam, New Delhi, no date, P.50.

[6] Ibid., pp.49-50. A similar narrative is also cited in AL-Tirmithi and reproduced in Riyadh al-Saliheen, op.cit., Hadeeth #486.

[7] The Teachings of Islam, op.cit., P.P. 55-57, see also Riyadh al-Saliheen, op.cit, Hadeeths No. 465 and 466.

[8] Riyadh al-Saliheen, op.cit., Hadeeth No. 504. The Study of the history of Islam shows that Muhammad's example of sacrifice was followed by many of his companions and their successors until this day.

For further documentation on Muhammad's self-imposed deprivation, one may refer to a large number of narratives reported by his contemporaries. All these narratives show consistently his sacrificial life and the extent of hunger which he chose to undergo from the beginning of his mission until his death. See for example Riyadh Al-Saliheen, Ibid., Ahadeeth Nos. 474, 491 and 507 (narrated by his wife A'isha), No. 475 (narrated by his brother-in-law, Amr Ibn-al-Harith), No. 473 (narrated by Omar), Nos. 493, 497 (narrated by Abu Hurairah), Nos. 494 and 421 (narrated by Anas), No. 495 (narrated by No'man Ibn-Basheer), No. 496 (narrated by Sahl Ibn-Sa'ad), No. 500 (narrated by Sa'ad ibn-Abi-Waqqas), No. 520 (narrated by Gaber), and No. 499 (narrated by Abu-Musa Al-Asha'ari). Further narratives may be found in standard books of Hadeeth.

[9] A large number of Ahadeeth (sayings of Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) call for simplicity and humbleness and warn against excess indulgence in worldly pleasures. It was Muhammad's Practice of what he Preached that provided a living examples for his followers and commanded their trust. See for example Ibid., Nos. 457, 458, 459, 461, 463, 464, 467, 468, 471, 472, 477, 481, and 516.

[10] Khalid, khalid m., insanniyat muhammad, maktabat wahbah, cairo, egypt, 2nd printing, 1963, p.67.

[11] Ibid., p.65.

[12] Joma'a, muhammad l., Thawrat-ul-Islam Wabatalul-Anbi'a, Maktabat-ul-Nahdhah, Cairo, Egypt, 1959, P.P. 302 and 401. In the Battle of Badr, it was the proposal of Al-Habbab Ibn Al-Manthir that substituted Muhammad's own proposal, see Sirat Ibn-Hisham, under Ghazwat Badr al-Kobra (available in several printings, one of which is Tahtheeb Sirat Ibn. Hisham, compiled by Abdussalam Harun, Dar Al-Fikr, 1954, vol.1, p.146.

[13] Andrae, Tor, Mohammed: The Man and His Faith (Translated by Theophil Menzel, Harper and Row, N.Y.: U.S.A., 1995 ( Revised ed.,) p.94.

[14] See Joma'a, op. cit., p.557.

[15] Tahtheeb Sirat Ibn Hisham, op. cit., p. 65.

[16] Ibid., p.65. Muhammad's answer was the recitation of Qur'an 41:1-38, of which the translation of the first four verses, is cited above.

[17] Ibid., p.59.