The Prophet's Life (1/2)

The  Prophet   (may  Allah's   prayers   and  peace  be  on him)  lived  in  Macca,   among   his  people,  for  forty   years before   the  Mission.    This  was  the  period   of  youth   and manhood  but  he was  ideal  in everything,  conduct,   chastity,  purity,   honour   and  good  manners.

After   the   declaration of his mission,   there   was   a conflict between   him and the polytheists of Macca.  He reviled their gods and attacked   their beliefs.  They told lies about  him  and  propagated  seditious   rumours   to  prevent the  people  from   supporting  him  and   shake   their   belief in him, but  none  of them  dared  accuse  him  of  any  violation  of  honour   and  chastity.

It   is  worth    mentioning  that    the   polytheists after they  had  been  overwhelmed by  The   Qur’an  they   accused him  of  being  a  poet.    In this  respect   the  Almighty  says what  means:    “Nay,  say  they,  it  is the  medley  of dreams; nay,  he has  forged  it:  nay,  he  is a  poet;  let  him  come to us   with   a  sign,   as   (the   prophets) of   old   were   sent.” [Surah Al-Anbiya, 21: 5].

They also accused him of being a sorcerer.  Here the Almighty  says   what   means   “And  they   marvel   that   a warner  from  among  themselves has  come to them;  and the   infidels   say,  this  is  a' sorcerer, a  liar.”    [Surah Suad, 38:  4].

They   claimed he  was  a  priest;    the   Almighty  says what   means:  “It  needs  not  that   I  swear   by  what   you see,  and  by  that   which  you  see  not,   that   this is  verily the  sword  of a messenger worthy  of all honour; and  that it is  not  the  word  of a  poet. .. how  little  do  you  believe; Neither is  it  the  word   of  a  soothsayer ... how  little do you remember.  It is a missive from Allah of the worlds.” [Surah Al-Haqqah, 69: 38-42].

They   said   he was mad.    The   Almighty  says   what means   : “Almost  would  the  infidels  strike   you  down  with their   very   looks  when   they   hear   the   warning  (of   the Qur’an);   and   they   say:  He  is  certainly  possessed.” [Surah Al-Qalam, 68: 51].

They accused him of asking to have accessory to the writings of the ancients. The Almighty says  what  means: “And  they  say, Legends  of  the  ancients that   he  has put in writing, and  they  were  dictated to him morning  and  evening.” [Surah Al-Furqan, 25: 5].

But  they  could  not  propagate  a single  word that   touches  his  chastity  and   purity.     Had   they   found a means  to do so, they  would have  done it, without hesitation  or  fear;   they  would  have  exaggerated,  and  propagated   rumours.   He  never   tried   to   commit a  foul   deed; his  hand  never  touched a  woman's hand,  unless  she  was his  wife  or  a  near  relative   or  a  slave  of his  youth  he said   : “I have  never  done  a  thing   of  what  the  people  of AI-Jahilia    (period   of  ignorance)  used   to  do  except   on two occasions, and  Allah  protected me;  then  He honoured me  with  His  Message.”.

One  evening I  asked   a  boy  from   Quraysh  used  to graze  with  me  on  the  highlands  of  Macca:  “Would you look after  my  cattle   until  I  go  to  Macca  and  have  some fun,  as  young  men  do?”   The boy answered:  “I will”. I went  with  this  intention,   and  when  I  reached   the first   house  in  Macca  I heard   the  sound   of  tambourines and flutes  I asked: “what  is this?”  They answered: “Somebody is getting   married.”   Then  I  sat  and  watched   but Allah  made  me  deaf  and  I slept  and  did not  wake  up  till sunrise. When I returned to my friend   he asked: “What have you done?”

I answered: “Nothing” and I told him what had happened. On another evening   I asked   my  friend   to  do me  the   same  favour  and he  agreed. I set out and  when I reached  Macca I heard  the  same music  but  Allah  made  me  deaf  again. By  Allah,  I  slept  till  sunrise,   then  I  returned   to  my friend  and  told  him  the  whole  story.

Henceforth I have   never done evil until   Allah   the Almighty   honoured   me with His Message.

A  study   of  the  Prophet's    biography    and   character shows   clearly  that    Allah's    Messenger  (may   Allah's prayers   and  peace  be on him)  was  quite  indifferent    to the  luxuries   of  this   world.    Many men brought up by him renounced   worldly pleasure as he did.  Abu Bakr, Omar and Ali lead a pious ascetic   life.

Al Sayeda (lady)  Hafsa  once said to her  father   Omar Ibn  AI Khattab,   after   the  conquests   had  been  achieved “You should  wear  the  softest   of clothes  when  you receive delegates   from  far  countries,  and  you  should  order   special  food  for  us  for  our  guests”.

Omar said:  “You  should   know  better”. She answered: “I do.”

He  said: “For  Allah's   sake,  don't  you  remember that Allah's  Messenger spent  many  years  after the  revelation when neither he nor  any  member  of his family  felt  full  at the  end  of  a  meal;   but  they  were  always   ready   for  the next  one?  Don’t  you  remember that   the  Prophet  (may Allah's  prayers   and  peace be on him) spent  many  years when  neither   he  nor  any  member  of  his  family  were  satisfied  with  what  they  had  of dates  until  they  conquered Khaibar?   Don't  you remember that  you once set  the  Prophets'   food  on  a  high  table,  and  he  felt  so  embarrassed that  his face  changed  colour,  then  he ordered  the  table  to be removed  and  the  food  laid  on  a  lower  level  or  on  the ground!    Don't  you  know  that  Allah's   Messenger used  to sleep on a folded  mantle;   one night  the  mantle  was folded four  times  for  him  and  when  he woke  up  he  said:   “You have prevented me from  waking  up  part   of  the  night  by folding  the  mantle,  in this  way. Fold it twice only as you used to do.” Omar  kept   reminding  her   of  these   stories until  she  cried  and  he  cried  and  sobbed.

This  asceticism was not  due, as some people thought, to  lack  of  means   or  extreme   poverty,   but  it  was  a  kind of  renunciation  with   a  view  to  purify   the  soul,  and  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  others.

But  if renunciation  is  the  result   of  financial  incapacity  and  lack  of  means   it  is  then  a  compulsion and  one has  no  choice.

 (Continued)