Almost everyone on the earth today is discussing Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. People want to know, "Who was
he exactly?" "What did he teach?" "Why was he loved so much
by some and hated so much by others?" "Did he live up to his claims?"
"Was he a holy man?" "Was he a prophet of God?" "What
is the truth about this man - Muhammad?"
If Muhammad ﷺ is a false prophet, Did he need to preach a truthful religion? Did he need to preach against his community? Did he need to prohibit making his pictures and statues to prevent worshiping him instead of Allah? He never said to bow down against himself but Allah, why? Why did he migrate from mecca to medina like a poor man when he is from the house of Quraysh leader (tribe that inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca)? Why did he reject offers (they offered leadership and women) from Quraysh people?, if he stop preaching Islam. Why he died as a poor (in wealth) when he has many followers? How can he make a Scripture without contradictions, not changed and not replicable while he was an illiterate? How did many scriptures before him mentioned his coming and even his name? and there are many questions remaining.
We will begin with the very simple historical evidences,
facts as narrated by thousands of people, many of whom knew him personally. The
following is based on books, manuscripts, texts and actual eyewitness accounts,
too numerous list herein, yet all have been preserved in original form
throughout the centuries by both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Muhammad ibn (son of) Abdullah ibn (son of) Abdul Mutalib, was born in the year 570 C.E. (Christian Era) in Makkah, Felix Arabia (today: Saudi Arabia) and he died in 633 C.E. in Yathrib (today: Madinah, Saudi Arabia).
The Quran is the real evidence that Muhammad ﷺ is a true prophet, if you read and understand it with open heart. There are many other points that indicate he is a prophet. Some are mentioned below:
1. His names:
When he was born, his grandfather, Abdul Mutalib, gave him the name Muhammad. And it means "praised one" or "praising one." He was later called "As-Saddiq" (the Truthful) by all of those who knew of his truthful and honest nature. He always said only the truth. He was also called "Al-Amin" (the Trustworthy) due to his integrity and always upholding any trust given to him. When the tribes were battling against each other, both sides would entrust him with their possessions during the fighting, even if it might be against some of his own tribesmen, because they knew he would always uphold any trust given to him. All of his names indicated the very nature of a man who was praised for his honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. He was also well known for advocating the reconciliation of kinship and relationships. He ordered his followers to always honor the "ties of the wombs" (siblings and other close relatives).
This fits right in with the prophecy mentioned in the Bible
in the Book of John in chapters 14 and 16, as the coming of a prophet known as
the "Spirit of Truth" or "Comforter" or
"Advocate."
2. Born as a descendent of Abraham:
Born as a descendent of Abraham, peace and blessings be upon
him, through his first born son, Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), peace and
blessings be upon him, to the noble tribe of the Quraish who were the leaders
of Makkah in those days. Muhammad's blood line traces directly back to Abraham,
peace and blessings be upon him.
This could certainly point to fulfillment of Old Testament
(Torah) prophecies in Deuteronomy (chapter 18:15) of a prophet, like unto Moses
from "their brethren."
3. He kept the Commandments of Almighty God:
Iust as his great
grandfathers and prophets of old had done in the past (peace be upon them).
Here is a statement from Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, while the
Quran was being revealed to him by the angel Gabriel;
"Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your PARENTS; do not kill your children because of poverty - (Allah) provide sustenance for you and for them; do not come near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand." (Holy Quran 6:151)
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, lived in total commitment to his Belief in One God, and as such, he worshipped God alone, without any other "gods" beside Him. This is the very first commandment in the Old Testament (Exodus chapter 20 and Deuteronomy, chapter 5) and in the New Testament as well (Mark, chapter 12, verse 29).
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his
followers to obey Allah Almighty. He ordered following the Commandments as were
revealed to him by the angel Gabriel from Almighty Allah. Read below, one of
many similar statements from the Quran:
Surely, Allah Commands absolute justice and steadfast commitment to performing your duties to Almighty Allah, in total sincerity and giving help to relatives: and He forbids evil, and disobedience and all that is prohibited by Allah (such as; illegal sexual acts, disobedience of PARENTS, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and (He Forbids) any evil (i.e. all that is prohibited by God's Law, such as: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds, etc.), and all kinds of oppression, He admonishes you, that you may take heed. (Holy Quran 16:90)
He did not know how to read or write. He lived among a people
who were unlettered as well. Therefore one cannot claim that the Qur’an was
authored by Muhammad (pbuh)! God, the Exalted, says:
"And you did not recite any Book before it, nor did you write one with your right hand; in that case the liars would have doubted." (Quran 29:48)
5. The Arabs were challenged to bring forth something
similar to the Qur’an, and they were unable to do so!
The beauty, structure and deep meanings of the Qur’an amazed
the Arabs. The Qur’an is the everlasting miracle of Muhammad (pbuh). The
Messenger of God (pbuh) said:
"The miracles of the Prophets (before Muhammad pbuh) were confined to their times. The miracle I have been given is the Qur’an, which is everlasting; therefore, I hope to have the most followers." (Bukhari 4598)
Even though his people were eloquent and well known for their awesome poetry, God challenged them to produce similar to the Qur’an, but they couldn’t. God then challenged them to produce a chapter similar to it, and they couldn’t. God says:
"And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down to Our slave, then produce a chapter like it, and call upon your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful." (Quran 2:23)
God challenges mankind at large to bring forth similar to
the Qur’an. God says:
"Say, ‘if mankind and the Jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even though they should help one another." (Quran 17:88)
6. The Prophet pbuh continued preaching and calling people
to Islam, even though he faced many hardships and was confronted by his people,
who were plotting to kill him.
Yet the Prophet pbuh continued preaching, and was patient.
If he was an imposter - he would stop preaching and would have feared for his
life.
W. Montgomery Watt (Scottish historian) said:
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems that it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.... Thus, not merely must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty and integrity of purpose, if we are to understand him at all; if we are to correct the errors we have inherited from the past, we must not forget the conclusive proof is a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility, and in a matter such as this only to be attained with difficulty.
7. Every person loves the ornaments and beauties of this
life, and would be swayed by these things.
God, the Exalted, says:
"Beautified for men is the love of desired things –women and children, and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and pastured horses and cattle and crops. That is the provision of the present life; but it is God with Whom is an excellent abode." (3:14)
Man, by his nature, is keen in acquiring ornaments and beauties of this world. People differ in the method they use to acquire these things. Some would resort to using lawful means to gain these things, while others would resort to using unlawful means to acquire these things.
If this is known (you should know that) Quraish tried to
persuade the Prophet (pbuh) to stop calling people to Islam. They told him that
they would make him the master of Quraish, marry him to the most beautiful
women, and make him the most affluent man amongst them. He responded to these
tempting offers, saying:
"By God, if they place the sun in my right hand, and the moon in my left hand to leave this matter, I would not leave it, until God makes it apparent, or I am killed calling people to it." (Ibn Hisham)
Were the Prophet (pbuh) an impostor he would have accepted
this offer without hesitation.
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian), said:
"They called him a prophet, you say? Why, he stood there face to face with them, here, not enshrined in any mystery, visibly clouting his own cloak, cobbling his own shoes, fighting, counseling ordering in the midst of them. They must have seen what kind of a man he was, let him be called what ye like. No emperor with his tiaras was obeyed as this man in a cloak of his own clouting. During three and twenty ears of rough, actual trial, I find something of a veritable hero necessary for that of itself."
8. It is well known that subjects and wealth of a kingdom are subjected to the will of the king, and his service.
As for Muhammad (pbuh) he knew that this life was a
transitory stage. Ibraheem b. Alqamah said that Abdullah said: ‘The Prophet
(pbuh) lay down on a straw mat which had marked his side, so I said: ‘O
Messenger of God! I ransom you with my mother and father! Allow us to put
bedding on this mat that you lay on, so your side would not be affected and
marked.’ The Prophet (pbuh) said:
"My example in this life is like a rider who took rest under the shade of a tree then continued on his journey." (Ibn Majah #4109)
An-Nu’man b. Basheer said:
"I saw your Prophet (pbuh) (during a time) when he was not able to even find low quality dates to fill his stomach." (Muslim #2977)
Even though the Arabian Peninsula was under his control, and he was the source of goodness for its people, the Prophet (pbuh) would at some times not find food to suffice him. His wife, A’ishah said that the Prophet (pbuh) bought some food from a Jew (and agreed to pay him at a later time) and he gave him his armor as collateral.’ (Bukhari #2088)
This does not mean that he could not obtain what he wanted;
for the moneys and wealth would be placed in front of him in his Masjid, and he
would not move from his spot, until he distributed it amongst the poor and
needy. Among his Companions were those who were wealthy and affluent - they
would rush to serve him and would give up the most valuable of things for him.
The reason the Prophet (pbuh) renounced the riches of this world, was because
he knew the reality of this life. He said:
"The likeness of this world to the Hereafter, is like a person who dipped his finger in the ocean - let him see what would return." (Muslim #2858)
Reginald Bosworth Smith said:
If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.
9. The Prophet (pbuh) did not ask people to adulate him.
On the contrary, the Prophet (pbuh) would not be pleased if
a person adulated him in any way. Anas said:
"There was no individual more beloved to the Companions than the Messenger of God.’ He said: ‘If they saw him, they would not stand up for him, because they knew he disliked that.’ " (Tirmidthi #2754)
Washington Irving (American historian), said:
"His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory as they would have done had they been effected by selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manner and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect was shown to him."
The words of God, the Exalted:
"O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which God has allowed to you, seeking to please your wives? And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Quran 66:1)
The Prophet (pbuh) abstained from eating honey, due to the behavior of some of his wives. God then admonished him because he forbade upon himself what God deemed lawful.
God, the Exalted, says:
"May God forgive you (O Muhammad). Why did you grant them leave (for remaining behind; you should have persisted as regards your order to them to proceed on Jihad) until those who told the truth were seen by you in a clear light, and you had known the liars?" (Quran 9:43)
God admonished the Prophet (pbuh) because he quickly
accepted the false excuses of the hypocrites who lagged behind in the Battle of
Tabook. He forgave them and accepted their excuses, without verifying them.
God, the Exalted, says:
"It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world, but God desires for you the Hereafter. And God is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (Quran 8:67)
God, the Exalted, says:
"Not for you (O Muhammad, but for God) is the decision; whether He turns in mercy, to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrong-doers." (Quran 3:128)
God, the Exalted, says:
"The Prophet frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man. And how can you know that he might become pure from sins? Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?" (Quran 80:1-4)
Abdullah b. Umm Maktoom, who was blind, came to the Prophet
(pbuh) while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraish leaders, and the
Prophet (pbuh) frowned and turned away - and God admonished him on account of
that.
Therefore, were the Prophet (pbuh) an imposter, these verses would not be found in the Qur’an.
Marmaduke Pickthall said:
One day when the Prophet was in conversation with one of the great men of Qureysh, seeking to persuade him of the truth of Al-Islam, a blind man came and asked him a question concerning the faith. The Prophet was annoyed at the interruption, frowned and turned away from the blind man. In this Surah he is told that a man’s importance is not to be judged from his appearance or worldly station.
11. One of the sure signs of his Prophethood is found in the Chapter of Lahab (chapter 111) in the Qur’an.
In it God, the Exalted, condemned Abu Lahab (the Prophet’s
uncle) to the torment of Hell. This chapter was revealed during the early
stages of his Da’wah (call to Islam). Were the Prophet (pbuh) an imposter he
would not issue a ruling like this; since his uncle might accept Islam
afterwards!
Dr. Gary Miller (Abdul-Ahad Omar) says:
For example, the Prophet (pbuh) had an uncle by the name of Abu Lahab. This man hated Islam to such an extent that he used to follow the Prophet around in order to discredit him. If Abu Lahab saw the Prophet (pbuh) speaking to a stranger, he would wait until they parted and then would go back to the stranger and ask him, ‘What did he tell you? Did he say black? Well, it’s white. Did he say ‘Morning?’ Well, it’s night.’ He faithfully said the exact opposite of whatever he heard Muhammad (pbuh) say. However, about ten years before Abu Lahab died a little chapter in the Qur’an was revealed to him. It distinctly stated that he would go to the Fire (i.e. Hell). In other words, it affirmed that he would never become a Muslim and would therefore be condemned forever. For ten years all Abu Lahab had to do was say, ‘I heard that it has been revealed to Muhammad that I will never change – that I will never become a Muslim and will enter the Hellfire. Well I want to become a Muslim now. How do you like that? What do you think of your divine revelation now?’ But he never did that. And yet, that is exactly the kind of behavior one would have expected from him since he always sought to contradict Islam. In essence, Muhammad (pbuh) said: ‘You hate me and you want to finish me? Here, say these words, and I am finished. Come on, say them!’ But Abu Lahab never said them. Ten years! And in all that time he never accepted Islam or even became sympathetic to the Islamic cause. How could Muhammad possibly have known for sure that Abu Lahab would fulfill the Qur’anic revelation if he (i.e. Muhammad) was not truly the Messenger of Allah? How could he possibly have been so confident as to give someone ten years to discredit his claim of Prophethood? The only answer is that he was Allah’s Messenger; for in order to put forth such a risky challenge, one has to be entirely convinced that he has a divine revelation.
12. The Prophet (pbuh) is called: ‘Ahmed’ in a verse of the Qur’an instead of ‘Muhammad’.
God, the Exalted, says:
"And remember when Eesa, son of Maryam said: ‘O Chil-dren of Israel! I am the Messenger of God unto you, con-firming the Torah which came before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed. But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: ‘This is plain magic.’ " (Quran 61:6)
Were he an imposter, the name ‘Ahmed’ would not have been mentioned in the Qur’an, since he was known as ‘Muhammad’ amongst his people.
13. The religion of Islam still exists today and is spreading all over the Globe. Thousands of people embrace Islam and prefer it over all other religions.
This happens even though the callers to Islam are not
financially backed as expected; and in spite of the efforts of the enemies of
Islam to halt the spread of Islam. God, the Exalted, says:
"Verily, We sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Qur’an) and surely, We will guard it from corruption." (15:9)
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian) said:
A false man found a religion? Why, a false man cannot build a brick house! If he does not know and follow truly the proper-ties of mortar, burnt clay and what else he works in, it is no house that he makes, but a rubbish-heap. It will not stand for twelve centuries, to lodge a hundred and eighty millions; it will fall straightway. A man must conform himself to Na-ture’s laws, _be_ verily in communion with Nature and the truth of things, or Nature will answer him, No, not at all! Spe-ciosities are specious--ah me!--a Cagliostro, many Cagliostros, prominent world-leaders, do prosper by their quackery, for a day. It is like a forged bank-note; they get it passed out of _their_ worthless hands: others, not they, have to smart for it. Nature bursts up in fire-flames; French Revolutions and such like, proclaiming with terrible veracity that forged notes are forged. But of a Great Man especially, of him I will venture to assert that it is incredible he should have been other than true. It seems to me the primary foundation of him, and of all that can lie in him, this.
The Prophet pbuh preserved the Qur’an, after God had preserved it in the Books, chests of men generation after generation. In-deed memorizing and reciting it, learning and teaching it are among the things Muslims are very keen on doing, for the Prophet pbuh said:
"The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it." (Bukhari #4639)
Many have tried to add and omit verses from the Qur’an, but
they have never been successful; for these mistakes are discovered almost
immediately.
As for the Sunnah of the Messenger of God (pbuh) which is the second source of legislation in Islam, it has been preserved by trustworthy pious men. They spent their lives gathering these traditions, and scrutinizing them to separate the weak from the authentic; they even clarified which narrations were fabricated. Whoever looks at the books written in the science of Hadeeth will realize this, and that the narrations that are authentic are in fact authentic.
Michael H. Hart (American astrophysicist, author of the best-selling book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History) says:
Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.
14. Veracity and truthfulness of his principles and that
they are good and suitable for every time and place.
The results of the application of Islam are clear and well known, which in turn testify that it is indeed a revelation from God. Further-more, is it not possible for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be a Prophet, as many Prophets and Messengers were sent before him? If the answer to this query is that there is nothing that prevents this - we then ask, ‘why do you reject his Prophet hood, and confirm the Prophet hood of the Prophets before him?’
15. Man cannot bring about laws similar to the laws of Islam
which deal with every aspect of life, such as transactions, marriage, social
conduct, politics, acts of worship and the like.
So, how can an unlettered man bring something like this?
Isn’t this a clear proof and sign of his Prophethood?
16. The Prophet (pbuh) did not start calling people to Islam
until he turned forty years old.
His youth had passed and the age in which he should have
rest and spend his time leisurely, was the age in which he was commissioned as
a Prophet and charged with the dissemination of Islam.
Thomas Carlyle, said:
It goes greatly against the impostor theory, the fact that he lived in this entirely unexceptionable, entirely quiet and commonplace way, till the heat of his years was done. He was forty before he talked of any mission from Heaven. All his irregularities, real and supposed, date from after his fiftieth year, when the good Kadijah died. All his "ambition," seemingly, had been, hitherto, to live an honest life; his "fame," the mere good opinion of neighbors that knew him, had been sufficient hitherto. Not till he was already getting old, the prurient heat of his life all burnt out, and peace growing to be the chief thing this world could give him, did he start on the "career of ambition;" and, belying all his past character and existence, set up as a wretched empty charlatan to acquire what he could now no longer enjoy! For my share, I have no faith whatever in that.
17. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the defender of the orphans and even the newborn children.
He ordered the care of orphans and feeding of the poor as
the means to enter Paradise and if anyone held back the rights of those who
were destitute, they could forget about ever seeing Paradise. He also forbade
the killing of new born girls, as was a custom of ignorance according to
primitive Arab traditions. This is referred to in the Quran; when, on the Day
of Judgment those who practiced the evil deed of terminating the life of their
own infant daughters, will have it exposed, the Quran says:
"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) is going to be asked; about what sin could she (as an infant) have possibly committed." (Quran 81:8)
Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's Cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, they shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.(Quran 2:274)
18. Muhammad (pbuh) ordered men not to "inherit women against their will," and not to marry them accept by mutual consent and never to touch their wealth or inheritance in order to improve their own financial conditions.
O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good. (Quran 4:19)
We also notice from this verse, He forbid the common
practice of wife-beating and abuse, (his own wife said he never once hit her).
He never once engaged in sex outside of marriage, nor did he ever approve of it, even though it was very common at the time. His only relationships with women were in legitimate, contractual marriages with proper witnesses according to law. His relationship to Ayesha was only that of marriage. He did not marry her the first time her father offered her hand to him in marriage. He married her only after she reached the age of puberty and could decide for herself. Their relationship is described in every detail by Ayesha herself in the most loving and respectful manner as a match truly made in heaven. Ayesha is considered as one of the highest scholars of Islam and lived out her entire life only having been married to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. She never desired any other man, nor did she ever utter a single negative statement against Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
19. Jesus and other prophets are mentioned more times by name
Returning once again to the theme of cults and
megalomaniacs, a common pattern among them is that they are authoritarian in
their power structure and totalitarian in their control of the behaviour of
their members. Again for the sake of argument, were Muhammad ﷺ the author of
the Qur’an, with Islam representing nothing more than a false desert cult, then
one would expect the Qur’an to focus primarily on him. Yet again what we find
in the Qur’an is the complete opposite, as it mentions other leaders (such as
Abraham, Moses and Jesus) by name more times than Muhammad ﷺ. The Qur’an
commands Muslims to hold all of them in high regard:
Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma`il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya`qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya`qub), and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and `Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam). (Quran 2:136)
Moreover unlike the case with Muhammad ﷺ, the shortcomings of these other leaders are never highlighted. To take things a step further, the Qur’an actually raises the status of these other leaders to a higher position than they have in their own Scriptures, because it denies the bad characteristics and evil sins attributed to them in the Bible! Why would an upstart cult leader not only mention other leaders more times than himself, but also praise them unequivocally and confirm their lofty statuses as Prophets?
The tribal society at the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave
little care or regard to those who were in positions of weakness in society,
particularly women. The doctrine laid out in the Qur’an considerably improved
the status of women in 7th century Arabia. For example it was the custom to
bury alive unwanted female infants, a practice prohibited in the Qur’an:
“And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.” (Quran 16:58-59)
In those days before Islam, women were treated like slaves
or property. Their personal consent concerning anything related to their
well-being was considered unimportant, to such a degree that they were never
even treated as a party to a marriage contract. Women had been treated as
possessions of their husbands. Again the Qur’an served to put an end to this:
“O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion…” (Quran 4:19)
Women were often used for one purpose, sexual gratification, and then discarded. The Pagan Arabs had no limit to the number of wives that they could marry. In fact Islam is the only Abrahamic religion whose Scripture explicitly limits the maximum number of wives (to four), on the condition that they are treated fairly and justly:
“And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one…” (Quran 4:3)
Before Islam, women had no independence, could own no
property and were not allowed to inherit. Again the Qur’an guaranteed women a
fair share of property:
“For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much – an obligatory share.” (Quran 4:7)
It must be noted that by comparison the Biblical rules of
inheritance afford women no such rights. The laws of inheritance are outlined
in Numbers 27:8-11 in the Bible. Accordingly to these laws a daughter can
inherit only if no male heirs exist. Even in comparison to the Secular West,
Islam was way ahead of its time. From the point of view of economic rights, we
have to remember that in Europe until the 19th century, women did not have the
right to own their own property. When they were married, either it would
transfer to the husband or she would not be able to dispense of it without
permission of her husband. In Britain, perhaps the first country to give women
some property rights, laws were passed in the year 1860 known as “Married Women
Property Act.” More than 1,400 years earlier, that right was clearly
established in Islamic law.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had absolutely nothing to gain by uplifting the status and rights of women in tribal Arabia. Quite the opposite in fact, as the stance of the Qur’an only served to alienate those who were in positions of power and had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
21. REVEALS KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNSEEN
Advances in our understanding of ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs have shown that the Qur’anic use of the Egyptian term ‘Pharaoh’ is
historically accurate. This is in spite of the fact that all knowledge of the
ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs was unknown at the time of the Qur’anic
Revelation.
Knowledge of the old Egyptian hieroglyphs had been totally
forgotten until they were finally deciphered in the 19th century CE with the
discovery of the Rosetta Stone. The only source of knowledge of the religious
past were the Bible-based stories in circulation, but Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
couldn’t have copied from the Bible because the Bible gets it wrong with
regards to its use of the Egyptian term ‘Pharaoh’.
Muhammad ﷺ couldn’t have been the author of the Qur’an
because its author consistently demonstrates knowledge of the unseen, which is
not a trait of human beings.
22. PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE
History has not always dealt kindly with Scriptures. The
original Gospel of Jesus was lost in its infancy and replaced by the later
works of anonymous writers. In fact prior to the Qur’an, every other revealed
Scripture has either been lost or tampered with. It is in this backdrop that
the author of the Qur’an makes a bold prediction about its preservation:
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (Quran 15:9)
One of the means by which the Qur’an has been perfectly
preserved to this very day is through the language of the Qur’an itself:
“And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?” (Quran 54:17)
It is estimated that there are at least 10 million Muslims
alive today who have memorized the entire Qur’an in its original Arabic
language. In fact if every written copy of religious Scriptures in existence
today were to be somehow destroyed then it is only the Qur’an that could be
recreated perfectly, thanks to its mass memorization.
If Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were the author of the Qur’an then he
could not have guaranteed that the Qur’an would be perfectly preserved to this
very day. This is because the track record of all other revealed Scriptures
throughout history only serves to prove that the exact opposite is the case,
that their loss and tampering is the norm.
23. REJECTION OF THE SUPERSTITIONS AND MYTHS OF THE ARABS
Arab society had many groundless superstitious beliefs at
the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This is only natural given that they lacked the
technology to examine the world around them and had high rates of illiteracy.
It is estimated that the number of literate persons in the centre of the region
of the Hijaz did not exceed seventeen. History has recorded a large number of
myths and superstitions pertaining to the Arabs and the Iraqi Islamic scholar
Sayyid Mahmud Alusi has collected many of them. For example, the Arabs took
their cows and the oxen to the bank of a stream for grazing. At times it so
happened that the oxen drank water but the cows did not. Thereupon they thought
that this was due to the evil spirits which had accommodated themselves between
the horns of the oxen and were preventing the cows from drinking. In order
therefore to drive away the bad spirits affecting the cows they hit the faces
of the oxen.
It was against this backdrop of ignorance that the Qur’an
was revealed, utterly rejecting such superstition. The example that I will
cover is the sun and moon, which were worshipped as gods by the Arabs. Rather
than upholding these pagan beliefs, the Qur’an rejects them:
“And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah , who created them, if it should be Him that you worship.” (Quran 41:37)
Moreover the Qur’an talks about the universe, particularly astronomy, using descriptions and terminology that is not out of place in modern times:
“It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.” (Quran 36:40)
“Do you not consider how Allah has created seven heavens in layers and made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?” (Quran 71:15-16)
There is also a notable incident recorded by the companions
of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that on the same
day his son Ibrahim died there was a solar eclipse and so the people linked the
two events together. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ personally denounced such beliefs, saying:
“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone…”
There is absolutely no reason why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would go against the superstitions of his people, especially when he came from a tribal culture that blindly followed the traditions of their forefathers.
Here I have mentioned few things, but there are more and more things you can understand if you read the Quran.
May the Almighty recompense you with goodness.
References:
messengerofgod.info
ilmfeed.com
