The orientalists, The seerah and the qur’an-3

The orientalists initially alleged that Muhammad (pbuh) was the author of the Qur’an, and that he ascribed it to a divine source, motivated by either economic gain, pursuit of power, moral reformation or political liberation of his people. Every one of these theories presents numerous difficulties on their own justification as discussed below.

B.1 MATERIAL GAIN

The historical evidence is at variance with this hypothesis. Muhammad (pbuh) was financially better off before the Prophethood than after it. He married when he was 25 years old and lived comfortably for 15 years until the call to Prophethood. After Prophethood, his financial position and standard was unenviable.

The life of Muhammad (pbuh) after Prophethood was so steeped in poverty that Aisha, one of the wives narrated that a month or two would go without fire being lit in their house because there was nothing to cook. They survived on dates and water and sometimes this diet was supplemented with goat milk from the people of Madinah.

Martin Ling in his book, ‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ says:

‘The Prophet (pbuh) and his family had lived a life of utmost frugality. Aisha said that before (the conquest of) Khaiber she had not known what it was to eat her fill of dates. Such was the poverty of their ever-increasing dependants that the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives had only asked him for what they need, and not always that.’

This was not just a temporary sacrifice but a way of life. This was at a time when Muhammad (pbuh) could have lived as a king if he so wished. In fact there was a sort of protest by his wives as to why they should go on living in poor conditions when they could wallow in luxury. The Prophet (pbuh) was disturbed by this discontent. A revelation came, commanding him to tell his wives to choose, either God and His Messenger or the fleeting glitter of this world.

“O Prophet! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). But if you desire Allah and his Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter, then verily Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsinat (good-doers) amongst you an enormous reward.” Ch 33: Verse 28,29.

Describing the room of the Prophet (pbuh) Umar ibn al Khattab says,

I noticed that the contents of his room comprised of only three pieces of tanned skin and a handful of barley lying in a corner. I looked about but failed to find anything else. I began to weep, and he asked, ‘Why are you weeping?’ I replied ‘O Prophet of Allah! Why should I not weep? I can see the mat’s pattern imprinted on your body and I also behold all that you have got in this room. O Prophet of Allah! Pray that Allah may grant ample provisions for us. The Persians and Romans who have no true faith and who worship not Allah but their kings – the Kaiser and the Cosroes could live in gardens with streams running in their midst, but the chosen Prophet and accepted slave of Allah should live in such dire poverty!’ The Prophet was resting against his pillow, but when he heard me talk like this, he sat up and said, ‘O Omar! Are you still in doubt about this matter? Ease and comfort in the Hereafter are much better than ease and comfort in this world. The unbelievers are enjoying their share of the good things in this world whereas we have all such things in store for us in the next’. I implored him, ‘O Prophet of Allah! Ask forgiveness for me. It was really an error.’

The bedding of the Prophet (pbuh) according to Aisha (ra), ‘comprised of leather filled with the bark of date-palm’.

The deprivation was self-imposed because whenever the Prophet (pbuh) received a gift – on one occasion he received a gift of four loaded camels from the chief of Fidak – he distributed the whole lot to the poor and declined to take anything for himself. At the time of his death, Muhammad (pbuh) was penniless. He had seven dinars in his possession but had them distributed to the poor a few days before his death, being afraid that they might be left behind. It is reported that in spite of all his victories and achievements of having a large part of Arabia under his rule, Muhammad (pbuh) lived a consistently frugal life from the beginning of his Prophethood.

Prof. Ramakrishna Rao in his book ‘Muhammad – the Prophet of Islam’, vividly describes the frugal life of the Prophet (pbuh) when he writes about the death of the Prophet of Allah as follows.

‘The house from which the light spread to the whole world was in darkness that day, because - there was no oil in the lamp.’

The idea that Muhammad (pbuh) was after material gain is inconsistent with hard historical evidence. On the basis of these facts, the New Catholic Encyclopedia observes, ‘A case has been made that mere economic gain was the inspiration for Muhammad’s religious revolution. That case does not suit the facts, as they are known.’

What more do you expect as a proper reply to the orientalists?

B.2 DESIRE FOR POWER AND GLORY

The suggestion that Muhammad (pbuh) was actuated by a desire for power and glory is equally difficult to sustain. To begin with, Muhammad (pbuh) has universally been acknowledged as one of the most successful leaders in human history. A man with his qualities could claim leadership and assume power even without claiming Prophethood. In fact, it would have been easier that way, because his people offered to make him their undisputed leader if he only agree to give up his claim of Prophethood. Secondly, the Qur’an states very clearly that no one including Muhammad (pbuh) himself can produce anything similar to the Qur’an. If he were after power and glory he would have claimed authorship of the Qur’an whose beauty and sublimity dwarfed all other books.

Moreover, his character suggests that he was neither power hungry nor a glory-seeker. The desire for glory normally finds expression in magnificent palaces, fancy clothes, beautiful cars, addiction to inordinate praises, pleasant falsehood, and so on. But we find that Muhammad (pbuh) was an amazing example of humility. Despite his social standing as the Prophet and his heavy responsibilities as a statesman, Muhammad (pbuh) used to help with domestic chores. He mended his garments, repaired his shoes and milked the goats. He talked and listened patiently to anyone who approached him; so much so that his detractors complained that ‘he listens to everybody’.

Muslims used to stand up when they wanted to greet him as a mark of respect and he prohibited them saying, ‘Do not stand up as the Persians do, some people honoring the others’.

History tells us that, ‘Once he was traveling with some of his companions who began to prepare to cook some food by dividing the work among themselves. Muhammad (pbuh) wanted to be in charge of collecting some wood. His companions told him that they could do it for him. Muhammad (pbuh) answered back, “I know you could do it for me, but I hate to have any privilege over you.”

A stranger once came to him almost trembling out of respect. Muhammad (pbuh) asked the man to come closer to him and with a compassionate pat on the man’s shoulder, told him “Relax brother, I am only the son of a woman who used to eat dried bread.”

He was consistent in his advice, that “I am Muhammad, a slave of Allah and His messenger. I do not like your raising my status above the status which Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, has given me.”

The amazing extent of his humility can be seen in the manner in which he exercised his authority. His followers were always prepared to obey him, but he kept on insisting that obedience should be directed to Allah alone and not to him personally. He categorically warned the Muslims not to over praise him. “Do not glorify in the same manner as the Christians glorify Jesus, son of Mary, but say, He is a slave of Allah and His Messenger.”

In addition, there are several other reasons, which further complicate the allegation that Muhammad (pbuh) authored the Qur’an in order to satisfy his ambition for power and self-aggrandizement. First, Mohammad (pbuh) would have naturally omitted from the Qur’an those verses, which censured him or were likely to hamper his ambitions, but he did not do it. Why should he author a book which commanded him to declare to the people that he was powerless and had no knowledge of the unseen and that had he any such power, he would have multiplied all good and no evil should have touched him? Why should he author a book which commanded him to say that he had come with no new doctrine, nor did he even expect that such a Book would be revealed to him, and announce to the people that he is a mere human being like any one else? It is very difficult to account for the existence of such verses in the Qur’an if the desire for power motivated Muhammad (pbuh) to claim that the revelation is from Allah.

Look at the reaction of Muhammad (pbuh) when he received the first revelation. If he had even cherished an intense desire for Prophethood, his first experience of revelation would have filled his heart with joy for getting what he always wanted. The Qur’an very clearly announces that, “And you were not expecting that the Book (this Qur’an) would be sent to you, but it is a Mercy from your Lord.” Ch. 28: V 86

Muhammad (pbuh) received revelations in the presence of his companions, and they noticed the marked changes in his countenance on these occasions. If he were a power-seeker who merely used the Qur’an to boost his ego he would have tried to appear composed and in full control of all his faculties. To show tension in public is normally regarded as a weakness and political leaders take much pain to appear calm or project an image of calmness at critical moments.

Utbah ibn Rabiah was the chosen person to confront Muhammad (pbuh) and offer him the best, and even the leadership of Quraish in order to stop him from claiming One Universal God. It is interesting to note that the Quraish had speculated on every possible motive, which the modern day orientalists are imputing to Muhammad (pbuh).

The problem is, if Muhammad (pbuh) had composed the Qur’an as a means of getting riches, or power or any worldly gain there could not have been a better offer.

Why did he reject it?