(al-An‘ām 6:50)
They ask you concerning the Hour – when it is to come. Say: “Its knowledge is with my Lord alone. None can disclose its time but He” … Say: “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would have amassed all good and no evil should have ever touched me. I am only a warner and bring glad tidings to the people who believe.”
(al-A‘rāf 7:187-188)
The Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) devoted himself heart and soul to the mission of Islam and achieved great success notwithstanding stiff opposition, in transforming the polytheistic Arabs into champions of monotheism. He drew upon every conceivable means for articulating the truth of Islam. His concern was so deep felt that he cried over the prospect of the inevitable divine punishment for those Arab unbelievers who refused to embrace Islam. The Qur’ān, however, directed him not to grieve so much about the miserable fate of such unbelievers:
Perhaps you will kill yourself with grief because they do not become believers.
(al-Shu‘arā’ 26:3)
The Makkan unbelievers asked him to produce a miracle which they could see with their own eyes. They were told to look around them in that Allah’s distinct signs are scattered everywhere. He was, nonetheless, granted the miracle which we know as the Qur’ān. For it embodies the light of Allah’s guidance and mercy.
The Qur’ān recounts the prophecies about the Prophet Muḥammad’s advent which featured in the earlier Scriptures, especially the Torah and the Gospels. Take this as illustrative:
And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah sent to you, confirming the Torah, which came before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me. His name shall be Aḥmad.”
(al-Ṣaff 61:6)
Even in the face of such clear pronouncements in their own holy Books about the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Jews and Christians of the day rejected and opposed him. They did so for their own selfish ends. For the radical message of Islam was set to destroy their vested interests, their degenerate way of life and their clergy that abused religion for pecuniary gain. However, Allah promised and sent His help to the Prophet. For example, when the unbelieving Makkans mocked him for being without a son, Allah consoled and comforted him:
To you We have granted al-Kawthar. Turn to your Lord in prayer and sacrifice. For he who hates you will be cut off [from future hope].
(al-Kawthar 108:1-4)
Allah blessed him with an overwhelming victory over the unbelievers, the Jews and Christians. Millions accepted Islam and country after country was won over to the Caliphs, who succeeded the Prophet, to lead the community of believers. As for the Prophet himself, he devoted more and more of his time to glorifying Allah and seeking Allah’s forgiveness. As to the exalted rank which he enjoys in Allah’s sight, the following Qur’ānic passage is instructive:
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O Believers! Send your blessings upon him and salute him with all respect.
(al-Aḥzāb 33:56)
Allah also conferred another distinction on the Prophet – that of his Ascent and Night Journey to the heavens, which is recorded thus in the Qur’ān:
Glory be to Allah Who took His servant (Muḥammad) for the night journey from the sacred mosque to the farthest mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed in order that We might show him some of Our signs.
(al-Isrā’ 17:1)
More importantly, on that occasion, he was granted the following charter of social justice, which also spells out the role and features of believers:
The believers are constant in their Prayer. And in their wealth there is a recognised right for the beggar and the poor… They respect their trusts and covenants. They stand firm in their testimony.
(al-Ma‘ārij 70:23-25 and 32-33)
The same note of social justice permeates the Prophet’s sermon at ‘Arafāt which he delivered on the occasion of his farewell pilgrimage. It captures the essence of the mission which he professed and practised throughout his illustrious life:
No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and any non-Arab does not have superiority over an Arab. Piety alone confers honour on man. All men are from Adam and Adam was made of clay.
O people! Your lives, blood and property are sacred for one another … All of you will certainly appear before Allah and He will take you to account. Thus do I warn you. Whoever among you is entrusted with someone’s property shall return the trust to the rightful owner.
O people! Allah has laid down rights for everyone. No one should therefore, leave a will in favour of any of his heirs. Debt is to be repaid. Borrowed things are to be returned. It is not lawful to deprive anyone of what is due to him. Your wives have rights. They owe you obligations. Treat them well. For they are dependent upon you. If you follow the Book of Allah and my practice (Sunnah), which I leave behind with you, you will never go astray.
This sermon stands out as his strong exhortation for cordial human relationships and a tension-free society. His assertions about shunning violence and bloodshed, not usurping others’ belongings and refraining from betraying the trust reposed in one re-echo the following Qur’ānic verses: al-Baqarah 2:283, Āl ‘Imrān 3:161 and al-Nisā’ 4:93. He is also seen reminding everyone of the need to discharge their obligations, especially those which they owe to fellow human beings in general and to their family members, friends and neighbours in particular. Man is asked to keep the trust placed with him as a responsible member of the society and as a good citizen.
Even in the face of his life-giving message and his spotless character and conduct, to which the Arabs had been a witness since his birth, many in and around Makkah took to opposing the Prophet. The pretexts they employed for rejecting his mission bordered on absurdity. For some of them took exception to his humanness, thinking that a fellow human being with whom they were familiar, could not be appointed to such an august office as that of messengership. They suffered from the delusion that only an angel or superhuman creature could shoulder this responsibility. In raising this objection they disregarded the point altogether that such a messenger could not relate to men and women for being radically different from them. Nor could he serve as a role model for them. Some were so overawed by his persuasive charms and magnetic personality that they dismissed him as a magician. No magician is, however, on record in history as striving for human welfare. Some alleged that he had borrowed material from others. They did not, however, identify his source or sources. Others regarded him as the author of the Qur’ān. Once again they remained blind to common knowledge that he was an unlettered person who could not draw upon earlier Scriptures. The ignorant Arabs could be forgiven in view of the general ignorance of articles of faith among them. However, even the Jews and Christians disregarded their own Scriptures which contain prophecies about his advent. Some sought to discredit him by branding him as a poet and the Qur’ān as the product of his mind. It was a silly charge. For no poet before or since has composed such a perfect book of guidance as is the Qur’ān. To those who demanded that some palpable miracle be given to the Prophet, which would convince them of the truth of his messengership, the Qur’ān told them that if they persisted in their unbelief, it would incur devastating punishment for them. The Qur’ān refutes the objections raised against his claim to messengership and asserts his exalted position. Muslims are directed to treat the Prophet with great respect and love:
O Believers! Do not put yourselves forward before Allah and His Messenger. But fear Allah. For Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
O Believers! Do not raise your voice above the voice of the Prophet. Do not speak aloud to him in talk, as you may speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds go to waste