The Simple Life of Muhammad
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If we compare the life of Muhammad before his mission as a
prophet and his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will
conclude that it is beyond reason to think that Muhammad was a false
prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material gains, greatness,
glory, or power.
Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad had no financial worries. As
a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad drew a satisfactory and
comfortable income. After his mission as a prophet and because of it,
he became worse off materially. To clarify this more, let us browse
the following sayings on his life:
Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said, “O my nephew, we would sight three
new moons in two months without lighting a fire (to **** a meal) in
the Prophet’s houses.” Her nephew asked, “O Aunt, what sustained you?”
She said, “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet had
some Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they used to
send the Prophet some of its milk.”
Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s companions, said, “The Prophet of
God did not see bread made from fine flour from the time God sent him
(as a prophet) until he died.”
Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said, “The mattress of the Prophet , on
which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with the fiber of the date-
palm tree.”
Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad’s companions, said that when the
Prophet died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white
riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land which he left to charity.
Muhammad lived this hard life till he died although the Muslim
treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian
Peninsula was Muslim before he died, and the Muslims were victorious
after eighteen years of his mission.
Is it possible that Muhammad might have claimed prophet hood in order
to attain status, greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and
power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental
palaces, colorful guards, and indisputable authority. Do any of these
indicators apply to Muhammad ? A few glimpses of his life that may
help answer this question follow.
Despite his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and
a judge, Muhammad used to milk his goat, mend his clothes, repair his
shoes, help with the household work, and visit poor people when they
got sick. He also helped his companions in digging a trench by moving
sand with them. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and
humbleness.
Muhammad’s followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an
amazing extent. Yet he continued to emphasize that deification should
be directed to God and not to him personally. Anas, one of Muhammad’s
companions, said that there was no person whom they loved more than
the Prophet Muhammad , yet when he came to them, they did not stand up
for him because he hated their standing up for him, as other people do
with their great people.
Long before there was any prospect of success for Islam and at the
outset of a long and painful era of torture, suffering, and
persecution of Muhammad and his followers, he received an interesting
offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Otba, came to him saying, “...If
you want money, we will collect enough money for you so that you will
be the richest one of us. If you want leadership, we will take you as
our leader and never decide on any matter without your approval. If
you want a kingdom, we will crown you king over us...” Only one
concession was required from Muhammad in return for that, to give up
calling people to Islam and worshipping God alone without any partner.
Wouldn’t this offer be tempting to one pursuing worldly benefit? Was
Muhammad hesitant when the offer was made? Did he turn it down as a
bargaining strategy leaving the door open for a better offer? The
following was his answer: {In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful} And he recited to Otba the verses of the Quran 41:1-38.
The Following are some of these verses:
A revelation from (God), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; a Book
whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Quran in Arabic, for
people who know, giving good news and warning, yet most of them turn
away, so they do not listen. (Quran, 41:2-4)
On another occasion and in response to his uncle’s plea to stop
calling people to Islam, Muhammad’s answer was as decisive and
sincere: {I swear by the name of God, O Uncle!, that if they place the
sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving
up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until
either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it}
Muhammad and his few followers did not only suffer from
persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill
Muhammad several times. On one occasion they attempted to kill him by
dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted, on his head.
Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food. What could
justify such a life of suffering and sacrifice even after he was fully
triumphant over his adversaries? What could explain the humbleness and
nobility which he demonstrated in his most glorious moments when he
insisted that success is due only to God’s help and not to his own
genius? Are these the characteristics of a power-hungry or a self-
centered man?