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Description Of the Beloved Prophet’s Blessed Physic

It is impossible to turn a blind eye to the fact that Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Praise and Peace be upon Him) is by far the most worthy and the greatest of all mankind, and that he is the most perfect of all, adorned with the most excellent virtues and qualities.

وأحسن منك لم تر قط عيني
I haven’t seen the lovely personality like yours
وأجمل منك لم تلد النساء
And no mother has given birth to such a wonderful personality
خُلِقْتَ مبرءاً من كل عيب
You are created free from every fault
كأنك قد خُلِقْتَ كما تشاء
You were created, as you wanted to be

His physical description and character have been reported by many of his Companions, and we are told that he was the most handsome man ever created, surpassing Prophet Yousuf Alaihis Salam, for whom the women of the city cut their hands.

And when she heard of their secret talk, she sent for them and prepared cushioned mattresses for them and gave a knife to each one of them and said to Yusuf, “Come out before them!” When the women saw him, they praised him and cut their hands, and said, “Purity is to Allah – this is no human being; this is not but an honorable angel!” [Surah al-Yousuf, Verse 31]

A Green Turban Shaped around a Kullah, A Stick, and A cotton Mantle or Cloak, attributed to Sayyiduna wa Mawlana Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam

History Of Hajj

HAJJ literally means ‘to set out for a place’. Islamically, however, it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Haj and its rites were first ordained by Allah in the time of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (peace be upon him) and he was the one who was entrusted by Allah to build the Ka’ba – the House of Allah – along with his son Ismai’el (Ishmael) at Makkah. Allah described the Ka’ba and its building as follows:

“And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the (Sacred) House (saying): Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it (i.e. perform Tawaf), and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow down and make prostration (in prayer etc.).” (Qur’an, 22:26)

After building the Ka’ba, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) performed Haj himself, and after his death, his son continued this practice.

However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal of the Haj rites were changed. Idolatry spread throughout Arabia, the Ka’ba lost its purity, and idols were placed inside it. Its walls became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his mother Maryam, and eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the Ka’ba.

During the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of the Ka’ba was like a circus. Men and women would go round the Ka’ba naked, arguing that they should present themselves before Allah in the same condition in which they were born. Their prayer became devoid of all sincere remembrance of Allah and was instead reduced to a series of hand clapping, whistling, and the blowing of horns. Even the Talbiyah was distorted by them.

In the Talbiyah – ‘Here I am O Allah, (in response to Your call), here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily, all praise, grace, and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.’ – they added the following: ‘No one is your partner except one who is permitted by you. You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses.’

Sacrifices were also made in the name of God. However, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Ka’ba, and the flesh was hung from pillars around the Ka’ba, in the belief that Allah demanded the flesh and blood of these animals.

Singing, drinking, adultery, and other acts of immorality were rife amongst the pilgrims, and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part of the whole hajj event.

In these competitions, poets would praise the bravery and stature of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes. Competitions in generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become well–known for their extreme generosity.

Thus, the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and leader Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The House that he had made pure for the worship of Allah alone had been totally desecrated by the pagans, and the rites which he had established were completely distorted by them.

This sad state of affairs continued for a long period, after which the time came for the supplication of Ibrahim to be answered:

“Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur’an) and the Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood, etc.) and sanctify them. Verily you are the All–Mighty, the All–Wise.” (Qur’an, 2:129)

Sure enough, a man by the name of Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullah (peace be upon him) was born in the very city where Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had made this supplication centuries earlier. For 23 years, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) spread the message of Tawhid (true monotheism) – the same message that Ibrahim and all other Prophets came with – and established the law of Allah upon the land.

He expended every effort into making the word of Allah supreme, and the victory of the Truth over falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Ka’ba, which once again became the universal center for the worshipers of the one True God.

Not only did the Prophet rid the Ka’ba of all its impurities, but he also reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by Allah’s Permission, in the time of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Specific injunctions in the Qur’an were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had corrupted Hajj in the pre–Islamic period. All indecent and shameful acts were strictly banned with Allah’s statement:

“… So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj…” (Qur’an, 2:197)

Competitions among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their tribesmen’s achievements were all stopped. Instead, Allah told them:

“And when you have completed your Manasik (rites of Hajj) then remember Allah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance” (Qur’an, 2:200)

Competitions in generosity were also prohibited. Of course, the feeding of the poor pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done in the past, but Allah commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done for this purpose should be done for seeking the good pleasure of Allah rather than to earn fame and the praise of the people. He said:

“So mention the Name of Allah over them when they are drawn up in lines (for sacrifice). Then, when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat thereof, and feed the beggar who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men).” (Qur’an, 22:36)

As for the deplorable practice of spattering the blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Ka’ba and hanging their flesh on altars, Allah clearly informed them that:

“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him” (Qur’an, 22:37)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also put a stop to the practice of circling the Ka’ba in a state of nudity, and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in Allah’s question:

“Say: Who has forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for his slaves…” (Qur’an, 7:32)

Another custom that was prohibited through the Qur’an was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey. In the pre–Islamic period, some people who claimed to be mutawakkiloon (those having complete trust in Allah) would travel to perform Hajj begging for food during the whole journey.

They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in Allah. However, Allah told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for performing Hajj. He said:

“And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At–Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.).” (Qur’an, 2:197)

In this way, all the pre–Islamic practices, which were based on ignorance, were abolished, and Hajj was once again made a model of piety, fear of Allah, purity, simplicity, and austerity. Now, when the pilgrims reached the Ka’ba, they no longer found the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before.

Now, there was the remembrance of Allah at every step, and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone. It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise”(Bukhari)

I Am Pleased With Allah As Lord, Islam As Religion, Muhammad As Prophet

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 5054 Narrated by A man
Abu Sallam said that he was in the mosque of Hims. A man passed him and the people said about him that he served the Prophet (peace be upon him). He (Abu Sallam) went to him and said: Tell me any tradition which you heard from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) and there was no man between him and you. He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: If anyone says in the morning and in the evening: “I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, with Muhammad as Prophet,” Allah will certainly please him.

pleased with their striving,- (Chapter #88, Verse #9)

Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased. (Chapter #93, Verse #3)

And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased. (Chapter #93, Verse #5)

If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your Return, when He will tell you the truth of all that ye did (in this life). for He knoweth well all that is in (men’s) hearts. (Chapter #39, Verse #7)

The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well-pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity. (Chapter #9, Verse #100)

Their reward is with Allah. Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein forever; Allah well pleased with them, and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher. (Chapter #98, Verse #8)

Misconception: Muhammad (PBUH) Wrote The Quran

In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to note that no other religious scripture claims the direct word of Almighty in toto as clearly and as often as the Holy Qur’an. As the Qur’an clearly says: “If had been written by man, you would have found many discrepancies therein”. At the time the Qur’an was revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Qur’an was unique and that it was distinctly different from the language normally used by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Arabs of that time, by the way, were known for their beautiful poetry and Muhammad was known to be an illiterate man! The Qur’an clearly says that Muhammad was unable to read and write, so if this wasn’t true, certainly his contemporaries would have protested and rejected him. However, there are no reports of this. Certainly, there were people who rejected Muhammad’s message, just like other prophets were rejected, but none for this reason. On the contrary, Muhammad, peace be upon him, had thousands of loyal followers and the results of their efforts spread Islam from Spain to China in just over a century! It is also interesting to note that even though the Qur’an is not poetry, the Arabs more or less gave up writing poetry after it was revealed. It could be said that the Qur’an is the piece of Arabic literature par excellence – and Muhammad’s contemporaries realized that they couldn’t outdo it. Additionally, it is easy to prove that Muhammad did not possess a great deal of the knowledge that is expounded in the Qur’an: such as knowledge of historical events, previous prophets, and natural phenomena. The Qur’an says in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know these things – so, again, if this wasn’t true, certainly his contemporaries would have rejected his claims. Suffice it to say that not only is the Qur’an the most memorized and well-preserved scripture on earth, but it is also unequaled in eloquence, spiritual impact, clarity of message, and the purity of its truth.

How Islam Tackles Old Age Concerns

A typical impression about old age, the last and the seventh stage of the eventful biography of man in general, according to Jaques of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, has been conjured up in these words:

The last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion. Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

The final phase of human existence is marked by a return to infantile weaknesses, a loss of the undercurrent that preserves a sense of identity against a background of turbulent and radical changes, and a tragic depletion of non-renewable resources that energize connectivity with nature. This phenomenon of the reversal of creation (Qur’an, 36:68) or of the obliteration of what was intellectually acquired (16:70) that is collateral to old age has figured in the Prophet’s teachings.

Old Age: Phase I
Old age has two phases. The phase in which the physical and mental powers have not suffered much decline is a highly respected phase. Prophet Abraham, his wife, Sarah, Moses’ father-in-law, and Zachariah (may all of them be peace) reached this stage. Zachariah describes the characteristics of this phase, ‘My bones have grown feeble and the hair of my head glistens with grey.’ (19:3). Reaching this phase after years of dedication to God is a Divine blessing. Such a person is blessed with insight, experience, and wisdom and he is looked up to with reverence for guidance and counseling. This age becomes an asset and a qualification for leading congregational prayers. It entitles the person to a certain advantage over men of youth, as he would have earned more merit through a higher volume of service and dedication to God. The social culture of Muslims is characterized by esteem for the aged and affection for the youngsters.

The esteem, reserved for old age, will be seriously compromised if it is tainted with errant behavior. Any major sin in this age sounds like the death knell of such esteem. Having lived up to this age, one must spare time and thought to examine if life had been lived properly. One must make an earnest effort first to seek Divine guidance and then to live by it. If the long life given by God is not utilized to secure God’s pleasure, one exposes one’s self to God’s anger.

Sometimes esteem for old age tends to get exaggerated. People begin to conform blindly to the traditions of yore on the ground that the wisdom of the elders is behind them and this unexamined conformity obliges one to turn a deaf ear to the plea of the revealed scripture to prefer Divine wisdom to the elders’ wisdom.

Old Age: Phase II
Old age has another phase in which amnesia and other weaknesses emerge with a devastating force. An old man then becomes a poem of pity and an embodiment of utter helplessness. His children are inclined to look upon him as an undesirable liability. The Qur’an advises them (children) to suppress their annoyance and to reinforce their kindness and devotion towards their old parents.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) wanted to avoid this phase of old age. His prayer was: ‘O Allah I seek refuge in You from idleness and old age.’

Caliph Umar said, ‘The Prophet sought refuge from five things: cowardice, miserliness, old age, narrow-mindedness, and punishment in the grave.’

Anecdotes from the Prophet’s life
There are several anecdotes in the Prophet’s life that bring out the enlightened nature and perennial value of his teachings. One of the daughters of his closest friend, Abu Bakr was Asma. Her mother visited Madina to see her.

Asma sought the Prophet’s advice with regard to the type of welcome that she must extend to her non-Muslim mother. The Prophet’s advice was, ‘Treat your mother with all the courtesy due to her.’

In Musannaf Abdur Razzaq, it is reported that a person complained to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that his father was demanding money from him. The Prophet urged him to oblige his father. The son represented again that his father made demands over everything that he had. The Prophet’s advice to him was not to disobey his old parents even if they demanded a whole lot from him.

Another anecdote is more graphic. A son complained to Prophet (peace be upon him) that his father was taking away his money as and when he pleased The father was sent for. He came leaning on his walking stick. He was very old and weak. He explained to the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah! There was a time when my son was weak and dependent. At that time I was strong and rich. My son was penniless; I never denied him anything that he wanted. Today I am penniless and he is affluent. But he is keeping his money beyond my reach.’ On hearing this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was moved to tears and he informed the son, ‘You and your money belong to your father.’

The Prophet practiced what he preached. Abu Talib, his non-Muslim paternal uncle, stood by him through thick and thin, and thus he had a very deep attachment to him. On account of this attachment, he devoutly wished that Abu Talib should die as a Muslim. But it was not to be.

Abu Tufail narrates, ‘I watched the Prophet (peace be upon him) distributing flesh at J’araana. Meanwhile, a woman appeared and approached him. The Prophet spread his shawl for her and she sat upon it. On inquiry, I learned she was Halima who had the privilege of suckling him.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent back many of his followers who came to pledge themselves for migration and for Jihad and asked them to serve their old parents and to keep them cheerful and said that they would get the reward from God for their intention to migrate and to take part in Jihad.

A distinguished companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) complained that in one day’s Fajr Prayer, there was a lack of concentration. In the discussion that followed it came to the light mat he had overtaken an old Jew while proceeding toward the mosque. This was considered an inadvertent act of disrespect to old age.

The Prophet did not consider it infra dig to minister to the needs of the aged. An old lady was struggling to carry a heavy burden. The Prophet (peace be upon him) volunteered to carry the burden for her and to accompany her. On the way, the old lady told him she was leaving the place to escape from the influence of a man, called Muhammad, who was preaching a new religion in which idolatry and polytheism were not permitted.

The lady was very impressed by the Prophet’s courtesy and helping attitude. She advised him to shun the new preacher. The Prophet (peace be upon him) disclosed to her that he was the person from whom she was trying to escape. The old lady realized her folly and declared her allegiance to Islam.

Once an old lady sought an audience with the Prophet and on securing it she requested him to pray to Allah to admit her to Paradise. He remarked humorously that old ladies were barred from Heaven.

Failing to comprehend the humor in his statement, she was emotionally perturbed and started to retrace her steps. Then it was brought home to her that old person would be transformed into young people before they gained entry into Heaven. She must have been relieved beyond measure after the initial shock to learn that she would not only be admitted to Heaven but also regain her heavenly youth.

Even in parables, the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed the concerns of old age. In a parable of three travelers that he narrated, the first one was a dutiful son. Along with two other travelers he took shelter in a cave to escape from inclement weather but all of a sudden a rock rolled down and sealed the mouth of the cave. It was a situation that desperately demanded Divine intervention. So each traveler sought God’s help by invoking a good deed done exclusively to secure God’s pleasure.

The first traveler’s story is as follows: O Allah! My parents were too old and my children were too small. I eked my livelihood by tending sheep. One day I returned home late. My parents had gone to sleep. As it was my wont, I secured milk from the sheep.

Carrying it in a bowl, I went to my parent’s bed. It was not proper on my part to wake them up; it was also not proper on my part to give milk to my children without serving it to my parents. Clinging to my legs, my children cried for milk. I steeled my heart and turned a deaf ear to their cries. Tired of crying my children went to sleep. I stood there with the bowl of milk in my hands until the rose-fingered dawn peeped through the window. O, Allah! I waited on my old parents in order to secure your pleasure only. Through the blessing of this act of mine, I request that the rock be moved a little so that the sky could be seen through the gap. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that in reply to this prayer, God moved the rock a little and the sky was seen.

The sunset of life
Old age is the sunset of life when the orb of flame loses its heat and illuminating power and slowly sinks into the liquid bosom of oblivion and conceals its shame of privation. The frightening prospect of surging darkness urgently requires the reassurance of Divine help. The following invocation meets that requirement: ‘O Lord! Make your provisions large and abundant for me, when my age is advanced and when my end draws near.’

The attitude that the Prophet (peace be upon him) so painstakingly inculcated among his followers towards old age is reflected in the conduct of his revered companions.

His Caliphs issued instructions to the effect that during the state of war, old men should be spared along with priests, women, and children. Caliph Umar introduced an old age pension for both Muslim and non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic State. Abu Hurairah advised a young man as follows:

‘Do not address your father by his name; do not walk ahead of him; and do not take your seat before he is seated.’

In fact, the mercy that the Prophet (peace be upon him) symbolized encompassed the concerns of the old people with exemplary and loving care.

Be Humble: It’s A Sunnah

The Prophet knew that Allah created us with weakness and that driving those who sin out of Islam would leave the Ummah empty. The essence of being Muslim is being humble.

The word “Muslim” itself means to submit oneself in ultimate humbleness to Allah.

But it is a great irony of the human soul that when we become more humble and submissive to Allah, we fall into a grave trap. We tend to grow in arrogance because we feel our level of submission is better than that of others.

It was this same trap that Satan fell into. Once upon a time, Iblis (Satan) was so pious that he was allowed to worship with the angels. In one twist of events, Iblis was cast out and became accursed.

He refused to bow to Allah’s creation of man because he thought himself to be better than man.

{(Remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Truly I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him…

(Allah) said: ‘O Iblis! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with my own hands? Are you too proud (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the high exalted?’

(Iblis) said “I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.} (Quran 38: 71-76)

It is true that we, mankind, and Iblis and his kind, were created differently. And it was this difference that caused Iblis to be proud, to hate mankind, and become cursed by Allah. We can see this same arrogance and haughtiness playing out every day in the hearts of mankind.

Whether we perceive ourselves to be more pious, more intelligent, better at making money, or just from a better race of people, we too often get caught in the trap of thinking we are better. And we end up hating those who are different from us out of arrogance.

Allah says: {And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster.} (Quran31:18)

Allah has created all of us differently with an array of strengths and weaknesses.

So, how can we avoid becoming arrogant toward others as Satan is toward us?

How can we truly be humble?

The best example is that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). After all he was indeed the best of creation and the most humble.

Prophet Muhammad knew that no one is more important than another…  “A woman who was afflicted with partial derangement in her mind said: “O Messenger of Allah, I want something from you. He said: ‘see on which side of the road you would like (to stand and talk) so that I may help you.’ He then stood aside with her on the roadside until she got what she needed.” (Muslim, 2326)

In this short hadith, we will find many examples of the humility of the Prophet. If he wanted to, the Prophet could have stood in the road and spoken to the woman. And he would have been praised for it. But he did not think himself so important to block the road even while doing a good deed.

In addition, Prophet Muhammad does not admonish this woman for approaching him in such a coarse way. Nor does he turn his nose up at her because she is disturbed. He instead treats her with kindness and provides her with what she needs.

Prophet Muhammad knew that no one was more important than another. He also knew that if Allah had willed him, he would be in the same mental state as the woman.

The Prophet’s Humility at Home
When Aishah was asked about what the Prophet would do in his house, she said: “He would serve his family and when the time for prayer came he would go out and pray.” (Al-Bukhari, 676)

As a husband and father, Prophet Muhammad was kind, helpful, and humble. The Prophet didn’t expect to be waited on. He did not shout orders at those in his care. Never did he say that his work was outside the home. Wherever there was work, he would pitch in.

Prophet Muhammad understood that the higher your rank the more of a servant you become. And if Allah had willed, Allah would have made him a slave to man.

The Prophet’s Humility with the Poor
in this hadith, we see the stellar manners and humility of the Prophet shine. “Once, I was walking with the Messenger of God while he was wearing a Yemeni cloak with a collar with rough edges. A Bedouin grabbed him strongly… I looked at the side of his neck and saw that the edge of the cloak left a mark on his neck. The Bedouin said: “O Muhammad! Give me [some] of the wealth of God that you have.” The Messenger of God turned to the Bedouin, smiled, and ordered that he be given [some money].” (Al-Bukhari, 6088)

Again in this hadith, we see the stellar manners and humility of the Prophet shine.

In the face of rudeness, we find that the Prophet doesn’t allow his ego to be wounded. He does not feel the need to exert dominance or even return to the harsh treatment. He is not insulted in the least. He laughs at the situation, relieving the tension.

Then even after being treated rudely, The Prophet doesn’t send the Bedouin away or abuse him because of his lower economic status. The Prophet treats the poor Bedouin with mercy and sees that the man gets what he needs.

The Prophet Muhammad knew that whatever wealth we have comes from Allah. If Allah had willed, he would have been in the Bedouin’s situation.

The Prophet’s Humility with the Less Pious
The Prophet was not too proud to associate with this man who committed a major sin.  A companion of the Prophet named Nu’ayman was addicted to alcohol and continued to drink it despite knowing the ruling against intoxicants. Nu’ayman struggled with his addiction and was flogged twice for being drunk.

Upon the second flogging, Umar who was angered by Nu’ayman’s behavior quipped: “May God’s curse be on him.”

The Prophet, upon hearing this, was quick to intervene: “No, no, don’t do (such a thing). Indeed he loves God and His Apostle. The major sin (as this) does not put one outside the community and the mercy of God is close to the believers.” (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet was not too proud to associate with this man who committed a major sin. He did not isolate this man because of his faults. Nor was he too proud to defend Nu’ayman from Umar’s insult.

The Prophet knew that Allah created us with weakness and that driving those who sin out of Islam would leave the Ummah empty.

We need to protect ourselves from thinking we are better than others, as Iblis believed he was better than us. We must understand that the foundation of humility is knowing that if we are elevated in status it is only because of Allah. We can be brought to the level of those we look down on if Allah wills.

Prophet Muhammad asked Allah for humility by saying: “O Allah, make me live humbly and make me die humbly, and gather me among the humble on the day of resurrection.” (At-Tirmidi, 2352)

It is this tradition that we need to cling to so that we can also be gathered on the day of resurrection with the humble, with the Prophet, peace be upon him.

By Theresa Corbin

What Makes Muslims Believe That The Quran Is Not Written By Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?

What makes Muslims believe that the Quran is not written by Prophet Muhammad? Does the Quran claim that it is from God? Could the Prophet have copied some portions of the Bible? Are there scientific facts in the Quran?

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is not the author of the Quran. God is its Author. The following points bear the fact:

*First of all, the Quran itself, in a number of places and in different ways, says that it is from God. One of the claims runs thus: “This is indeed a Quran most honorable, a Book well-guarded…a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.” (Quran 56:77-80)

(Here, one ought to know the features of the Quran to understand the claim better. For instance, if the Quran consisted of a number of books, and each book was made up of a number of chapters, then each of the books had to claim that it was from God in order to render the WHOLE volume as coming from God. But, this is fortunately not so with the Quran. The Quran is just ONE Book made up of 114 chapters. So, if the Quran claims, in any of its chapters, that the Book is from God, then the WHOLE Quran is from God. Yet, the Quran does not make the divine claim only once, but several times in different phrases and in different chapters.)

*If the Prophet had written the Quran – a Book par excellence – surely he would have claimed credit for it, but he did not. He could not claim what was not his. Indeed God says: “This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God.” (10:37)

*The Prophet was unlettered. However, even if he was educated and had written the Quran, how could he be bold enough to make this statement: “Do they not consider (ponder over) the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found therein discrepancies”. (4:82)

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, commenting on this verse (verse 4:82) in his English translation of the Quran, says: “From a mere human point of view, we should have expected many discrepancies, because (1) Prophet Muhammad who promulgated it was not a learned man or philosopher, (2) it was promulgated at various times and in various circumstances, and (3) it is addressed to all grades of mankind. Yet, when properly understood, its various pieces fit together better than a jigsaw puzzle even when arranged without any regard for chronological order. There was just the One Inspirer and one inspired.”

*The Quran took 23 years to complete. Had the verses of the Quran been written by the Prophet, he would have needed a number of drafts and the work would have needed editing, updating, etc. But this did not happen, yet the information is consistent throughout the Quran. The verses were taken down as dictated by the Prophet only once and no redrafting, editing, or updating took place after that.

*At a number of stages during the 23-year period, challenges to reproduce, even a chapter of the Quran was made. If the Prophet had written the Quran, he would not have made the challenges, for fear that the learned

Arabs and eminent poets of his time would have taken up his challenges and shamed him. One of the challenges goes thus: “And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed (from time to time) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a chapter like thereunto…” (2:23)

*The Quran says that the Prophet was not learned.

So, if the Prophet was educated in some institution but mentioned in the Quran that he wasn’t, he would have been accused of being a liar and his mission would have fallen through.

*Even if the Prophet was learned, how could he have written such an inimitable Book of Information and Wisdom without resorting to consultation with prominent scholars and the best books from the best libraries in the world?! If he did this, it would surely have been known, since every move he made was known to people. The Prophet was a historical figure, not a mythological figure.

*The Prophet was the busiest and most active person in history. So, how could he have found the time to write (even if he were educated) such a comprehensive and extensive Book of Guidance which would have needed years of seclusion and concentration to complete?

*In the Quran, in Chapter 111, it is mentioned that Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet’s uncles who was always against Islam, would never accept Islam. This Revelation came some ten years before the death of Abu Lahab. How could the Prophet have dared to write this chapter because all he (Abu Lahab) needed to do to prove that the Quran was not the Words of God, was to accept Islam dishonestly?

*The Prophet was mentioned by name in the Quran only five times whereas Jesus Christ’s name was (honorably) mentioned 25 times. Could the Prophet go to such an extent of honoring someone more than himself if he had written the Quran?

*There is a chapter in the Quran entitled and dedicated to “Mary”, the mother of Jesus Christ, while there is no chapter called, or dedicated to, the Prophet’s own mother, Aminah, or daughter, Fatimah, nor were their names mentioned in the Quran. Could this have happened if the Prophet was the author of the Quran?

*Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is glorified in the Quran as a “woman of all nations”. Why would the Prophet glorify a woman he had never seen and one from another race, saying that she was chosen (by God) above all women unless the formulation of the verses had nothing to do with the Prophet’s own authorship but that he only repeated what was inspired to him by God?

*In the Quran, God is called “Allah” (in Arabic). He is also referred to by His Attributes, like the Cherisher, the Merciful, the Almighty. There are 99 such Attributes but none of these is “Abba” (Father) by which the Arab Christians of the Prophet’s time (and even today) refer to God. If the Prophet was the writer of the Quran, he would surely have used “Abba” as one of the names for God because of its familiarity and also because it was easier to say “Abba” than many of the Attributes.

*Although the Quran’s objective is basically religious, it does touch on certain principles and laws governing the universe. A French scientist, Maurice Bucaille, in his book, “The Bible, the Quran and Science”, says: “What initially strikes the reader confronted for the first time with a text of this kind (the Quran) is the sheer abundance of subjects discussed: the Creation, astronomy, the explanation of certain matters concerning the earth, and the animal and vegetable kingdoms, human reproduction …I could not find a single error in the Quran. I had to stop and ask myself: if a man was the author of the Quran, how could he have written facts in the 7th Century AD that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge?”

*The Quran mentions a number of scientific facts which were unknown to the world then. Some of them are:

-The moon has no light of its own and that what we see is the reflected light of the sun. (91:1-2),

-Every living thing began in water. (continuation of 21:30),

-Stages of reproduction of life in the womb. (22:5),

-Every living thing, including vegetable matter, is created in pairs (male and female). (36:36),

-All celestial body (namely, the moon and planets) have their own course of orbit. (7:54 and 21:33),

-Space travel is possible. (55:33), and

-There is also life (in whatever form) in other parts of the universe. (42:29).

-All these scientific facts were discovered only in the last couple of centuries whereas the Quran mentioned them 14 centuries ago. How could the Prophet, even if he were educated, have known these facts centuries ahead of recent times?

*Learned Arabs and other experts in the Arabic language acknowledge that the style, diction, and rendering in the Quran far excel those in the Hadith. Those in the Quran are inimitable, proving that the Quran is authored by God.

*Umar, later to become Caliph, had wanted to kill the Prophet because of his (Islamic) teachings. One day, Umar heard his sister reading something – the sound, diction, and meaning of which made him halt to listen. His sister, who had secretly converted to Islam, was reading (part of) the Quran. Umar realized that the Words he was listening to could not be the words of man. He submitted to Islam soon after.

*The Quran says: “If the whole of mankind and jinns (spirits) were to come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof even if backed up by each other with help and support.” (17:88) This is a bold statement indeed. If the Prophet had written the Quran, would he as a human being, dare make such an explosive statement? Would this statement go unchallenged by the learned Arabs of his time?

Prophet Muhammad, being an unlettered person, could not have written the Quran, a book full of wisdom and one dealing with varied subject matters. The Quran categorically states: “This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God. (It is a Book) from the Lord of the Worlds.” (10:37)