A great deal has been said about the prophet of Islam by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. What has been said, however, has been largely colored by the writer's preconditioning; whether he is a believer in or a critic of Islam.
For Muslims, the question of Muhammad's true prophethood is indisputable. They firmly believe that he is a true prophet and Messenger of God, through whom God's divine revelations throughout history were culminated and perfected, thus forming the universal divine message to mankind. For critics of Islam, generally, it is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), rather than God, who is the founder of Islam, the author of its teachings, and the composer of its holy book, the Qur'an. How could a sincere and "neutral" researcher examine both claims and arrive at his own conclusions?
It is suggested that the search for an answer to this question is observed. The researcher should try to rid himself of the predominance of emotions, prejudices and preconceptions. This is a demanding requirement of the believer, the critic, and the neutral researcher as well. It is demanding because no man can free himself completely of emotions, prejudices, and preconceptions. Yet, an honest researcher could still try his best before any objective and fair assessment of any issue can be reached.
This paper is a humble attempt in this direction. It brings into focus some of the main issues which relate to the question of Muhammad's Prophethood, analyze them, and explore the conclusions to which such analysis may lead. The approach which is followed throughout the paper is hopefully, a rational one; one that does not start off with either an unquestioned acceptance of Muhammad's Prophethood, or with a prejudicial rejection of the same.
Since it was the critics of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who took the lead in raising questions and doubts about his prophethood, a brief word about the changing nature of their critique may be enlightening.
