The Prophet's Life (2/2)

A few examples of some aspects of his asceticism will explain matters.

A.  He did not  keep for  himself   any  of  the  money that  poured  upon  him from  the spoils,  tributes,   alms  taxes and  gifts.    On  the  contrary,  out  of  all that   wealth  he  retained   only  the  fifth,   which  he  spent   for  the  causes   of Islam  and  to  help  those  in  need.  He  said:  “It  does  not give me  pleasure   to  possess   a  mountain  of  gold  unless  I assign  every  dinar  of  it for  my  religion.”   He fulfilled his promise, but he gave six dinars to some of his wives.  He could  not  sleep  until   he  got  them   back  and  distributed them,  and  said:   “Now I  am  satisfied”.  His clothes   and dwelling were confined to bare necessity; expenditure was the bare minimum renouncing any excess.   When  he died, he left  neither   a dinar  nor  a dirham,   nor  a slave,  nothing except  his  white  mule,  his  arms,  and a  piece of land  that he made  public property.

B.  His meals never exceeded one course.    Thus  if he  had  meat,  he  ate  nothing   besides  it;  if  dates,   he  had nothing   else,  if bread,   it  would  suffice   him,  and   if  he found  milk  without   bread  he  would  be satisfied.

He used  to eat  what  was  available and  never  refused what  he  was  offered,   while  eating   he  never  reclined.

AI Sayeda Aisha said:  “The Prophet (may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him) never ate to satiation.  He never asked his folk for food, nor did he long for it. If  they  gave  him food  he would  eat,  and  whatever they  gave  him  as  food  or  drink  he  would  accept  it.”

C. He was also simple in his clothes, his bed and his utensils.   He used  to  wear  whatever   he  could  get  hold of  clothes,   sometimes  he  wore   wool,  some other   times cotton   or  flax.  He wore Yemini cloaks,   gowns,   shirts, trousers,   wrappers, mantles,   boots and sandals.  He never wore silk, and he forbade drinking or eating in gold or silver utensils.    He also forbade   wearing silk or sitting   on it.    Sometimes he slept on a mattress,    some other   times on leather or on a mat.   Sometimes he slept on the ground and some other times on the bed.   His mattress   was  stuffed  with  palm  fibres  and  so was  his  cushion,  yet  he  was ideally  clean.

D.  He  was  not   the   only  ascetic   one  among   his people,  but  he  induced  his  nearest   folk  to  do  the  same. He  imposed  the  same  asceticism  upon  his  wives  and  his daughter  Al Sayeda   Fatima,   for   the   Muslim  women  to follow   their   example.     Had   he   wished   to  be  generous and  extravagant   with  them   he  could  have  been;   it  was easy  for  him  to  allot  more   than   his  folks   and  his  dire needs  (out of the  spoils and  tributes).    The Muslims would accept  his  decision;  believing  it  to be sanctioned by  Allah the  Almighty but  he did nothing  of the  sort.  Thus  he proved  with  his  contentment  and  asceticism to  be the  perfect man,  the  great   ruler,  and  the  owner  who disposed  willingly  of  his  possessions  disregarding  the  pleasures   of  this world. He, (may Allah’s prayers   and peace be on him) uttered many   traditions   inducing   chastity,    asceticism and modesty.

He  married   Al  Sayeda  Khadija   who  was  elder  than him;   he  was  twenty-five  years   old  and   she  was  forty years   old.    She died after   twenty five years   of a happy and faithful   marriage.     He  never  contemplated  having   a second  wife  while  she  was  alive,  as  many   of  his  people used  to  do.   Marrying   more  than  one  at  that  time  was  a common procedure   and  an  acknowledged convention, with no limit to the  number  of wives permissible. The  limitation  of  the  number  of  wives  to four,  was  sanctioned   in the  eighth   year  of  The  Hijra   (immigration)   by  The  Almighty's   injunction.

Allah says what means:

“Marry   of  the  women,  who  seem  good  to  you,   two or  three  or  four,  and  if you fear  that  you cannot do justice (to  so many) then  one  (only) or  (the  captives)  that  your right  hand  possess.”   [Surah An-Nisa’, 4: 3]

The  happy  life he spent  with  AI Sayeda  Khadija,   his loyalty to her  memory  and  his  care  for  her  relations   and friends,   would  make   us  believe  that   had   she  lived,  he would  have  never  married   another   woman.

He had a strong will which   protected    him   before and after the message.    His wife Aisha testified   that   he was unequalled in mastering   his emotions and controlling his desires.  In this   respect    she  uttered    the   following comprehensive diction:  “He  (may Allah’s prayers   and peace be on him) was  the  most   capable   of controlling his  passions   and  desires,  the  best  in using  his wisdom  and  handling   his  religions.”

She  also  said:  “Allah's   Messenger   (may  Allah's prayers   and  peace  be  on  him)   used   to  fast   until   we thought   he would  not  break  the  fast,  and  he  used  to  eat as  usual   until   we  thought    he  would   not   fast.     I  have never  seen  him  complete  a  month's   fast   except  in Ramadan,  and  I have  never  seen  him  fast   more  days  than  he did in Sha'ban”.  And she said: “His work was continuous. Whoever amongst you could bear what   Allah's   Messenger   (may   Allah's   prayers    and   peace   be on him) could bear?”

Nobody   can  deny  that   the  heavy   responsibilities  of the  Message consumed the  efforts   of  the  Prophet (may Allah’s prayers   and peace be on him),  occupied his  time  and  possessed his  heart,   his  brain,  and  demanded  all his strength.  He used  to receive  Allah's  Scripture,  memorise it  and  dictate  it, and  when  readers   differed  they  would  refer   to  him.  He  had  to  legislate   for  The Muslims, act  as  a ruler  and  judge  for  them.  He  also  had to lead  them  in  the  five  daily  prayers   and  listen  to  their problems.   He  was  devoted   to  Allah   often   fasting  and watching  at  length   during   the   night,   avoiding  sleep  so indulged in  his  prayers   to  the  extent   that   his  feet  used to swell.   His  prostration  during  prayers   was  so lengthy, that   he  who  saw  him  would  think   he  was  no more.

He indulged in continuous wars against the polytheists and the jews. As  soon  as  one  war  was  over,  he  prepared  for  another,  in defence of his religion  and  his country.  He (may Allah's  prayers   and  peace be on him) was  the  bearer  of a heavenly message, the head  of a growing  and  new State, and  the  leader   of  a  people  who  were  ready   to  sacrifice their  lives  for  his  sake.

Could he  then  spare  the  time  and  have  the  peace  of mind  and  soul  to  marry   several   wives  as  a  lustful   man would  do?  Why  did  he  not  do  that   before  The  Message, when  he  did not  carry  the  burden  and  the  responsibilities of  Al-Jihad; when  he  was  not  involved in  the  problems of  thousands of  followers whom  he  considered his  loyal sons,  and  who  found   in  him  a  good  father?

The Prophet (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) was not superhuman. On the contrary he was human.  Like all other prophets; he ate, drank, slept, enjoyed   good health   and   suffered from   illness,   was subject   to pleasure and   anger. The  Almighty  said   what means: “And  We  sent   not   (as   our  messengers)  before you  other   than   men  whom  We  inspired.   Ask   the   followers of the Reminder (Ahl Al Zikr)   if you know not. We gave them not bodies that could not eat food, nor were they immortals.”   [Surah Al-Anbiya’, 21: 7, 8]

And:  “Say,  I  am  no  Messenger of  innovated doctrines;  neither   know   I  what   will  become of  me  or   you. Only what   is  revealed to  me  do I  follow,  and  I  am  only charged to  warn  openly.”    [Surah Al-Ahqaf, 46: 9]   Thus he married and had children like his predecessors.   Prophets  before him  married;  his  two  grandfathers   Ibrahim  and  Ismail, Noah,  Isaac,  David  and  Solomon had  several   wives,  and nobody  commented upon  their   action   or  criticised them. The  Almighty said   what   means:  “Apostles  truly   have We  already   sent   before   you,  and  We  have   given  them wives  and  offspring.”   [Surah Ar-Ra’d, 13: 38]