Message for Muslims

What did Muhammad look like?

Muhammad was a native of Arabia, a Semite by race. Tradition says that he was of medium height, his head was strong, his beard thick, his feet and his hands were rough; his bony frame indicated vigour, his face was ruddy. He is also said to have had black eyes, straight hair and smooth cheeks. He dyed himself with henna.

Who were Muhammad’s parents?

Muhammad belonged to one of the Qurraish families, that of Banu Hashim. His grandfather was Abd-al-Muttalib, his father was Abdu’llah, and his mother was Amina, daughter of Wahib.

What is the significance of the name Muhammad?

Muhammad means ‘the Praised One’ and is spoken of by Muslims with great respect and piety because the name is believed to contain much blessing. Many children are called by this name or a derivative of it.

Does Muhammad have other names

Apart from the name Muhammad the common alternative is Ahmed, which is found in the Quran, it comes from the same source as Muhammad and means ‘one who is praise worthy.’ It became fashionable to give Muhammad ninety-nine names al-asma ash-sharifa which parallel the ninety-nine names of Allah.  A number of his names come from the Quran, some from the Hadith and some from Muslims who claim they have found his name from another source. Many modern printed copies of the Quran enumerate the ninety-nine Divine Names at the beginning and list the ninety-nine names of the Prophet on the final two pages. The following hadith is given to provide an example.

> Abu Musa Ash’ari reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) mentioned many names of his and said: I am Muhammad, Ahmad. Muqaffi (the last in succession), Hashir, the Prophet of Repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy. (Muslim Book 030, Number 5813)

 

Do Muslims worship Muhammad?

Not at all; Muslims would regard this suggestion as blasphemous, and Muhammad himself insisted that no one must worship him, only God must be worshipped. However, later Muslim piety has gone very far in its reverence for Muhammad, regarding him as an infallible teacher, a perfect example, a sinless man whose intercession can bring us to Paradise. This degree of reverence is sometimes hard to reconcile with the teaching of the Quran, where Muhammad is instructed to say:

>“I am only a man like yourselves” (Al-Kahf 18:110)

> Say: “I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear.” (Al-Ahqaf 46:9)

 

How do Muslims regard Muhammad?

In the earliest biographies of Muhammad he is portrayed by his faithful followers and admirers as thoroughly human, liable to error but they believed he had brought Allah‘s final revelation. Later tradition has changed him into a miracle worker and sinless person with almost divine like status.God favoured him above all creatures; he dwells in the highest heaven and is several degrees above Jesus in honour and position. He holds the key of heaven and hell; no one can be saved except through Muhammad.

Do Muslims show heart affection to him?

Muslims are jealous to guard his honour. He is called Habib Muhammad ‘my beloved Muhammad’ thought to be taken from the two unknown words Ha-Mim which appear at the beginning of Sura 40Al-Ghafir and Sura 46 Al-Ahqaf.

Do Muslims consider Muhammad’s life to be an example to follow?

Muslims seek to follow the Sunna of Muhammad, that is his way of life and example. They do so because of the following text from the Quran: > “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day (Al-Ahzab 33:21).” Therefore many Muslims imitate Muhammad according to the traditions by showing kindness and humility, wearing a beard and wearing certain clothes.

Do Muslims pray to Muhammad?

No Muslim prays to Muhammad but every Muslim prays for him.

What is the light of Muhammad (Nur Muhammad)?

The expression the light of Muhammad is generally thought of as the method in which Allah conveyed the light of religious truth through the prophets and in particular Muhammad. The idea may also be developed from the following verse: > “O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and warner, And as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light” (Al-Ahzab 33:45,46).

Among certain Muslims the term ‘light of Muhammad’ has been developed and turned into an amazing myth based on a saying attributed to Muhammad: One day Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet asked, “Oh Muhammad, both my parents shall be my ransom, pray tell me what the Lord Almighty created before all other beings of creation?” This was his blissful reply: Verily, before your Lord made any other thing, He created from His own light the light of your Prophet.

The statement seems to be insisting on the priority of Muhammad. The myth has been developed in many ways which are all designed to lift the prestige of Muhammad. From the varying myths the picture emerges that Allah created light from the eternal darkness and that from this he created the Nur Muhammad. Then, from this he created sweet water and set a blessing in it and divided it into ten parts. From the first part He created the great throne of heaven which sat upon the waters, then He created the pen and commanded it to circumambulate the throne for a thousand years. The pen saw the name of Muhammad inscribed on the throne. The other parts of creation only came into existence after Muhammad had praised Allah for seventy thousand years. The concept of almost deifying Muhammad goes against Islam’s own notion of the transcendence of God and the humanity of the prophets. In the Quran Allah commands that ‘we do not make any special distinction among His prophets‘.

Do Muslims claim to have visions of Muhammad?

One of the greatest blessings a Muslim can hope for is to experience a vision of their prophet, it is known as ru’yatu an-nabi. The vision may come in a dream when the prophet appears before him or it may appear as he is waking after sleep or he may have a vision of the heart which gives the sense of his essential being. The best way of obtaining this vision is by calling down blessings on Muhammad.

Will Muhammad be an intercessor on the day of Judgement?

One of Muhammad’s ninety-nine names is Shafi which means ‘he who intercedes.’ Yet there is a dilema about this subject amongst Muslims for some verses in the Quran state there no-one is able to intercede between Allah and man for example >”ye have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you)” (As-Sajda 32:4). Other verses suggest that it might be admissible > “And those whom they invoke besides Allah have no power of intercession; only he who bears witness to the Truth, and they know (him).” (Az-Zukhruf 43:86) Most Muslims believe that he will be the only intercessor on that day and he will only intercede for the Muslim, but the Wahhabi doctrine is that the intercession of their prophet will only be by the permission of Allah at the last day and that there is no intercession for sins until the Day of judgement. For those faithful Muslims who seek to ensure themselves of Muhammad’s intercession it is essential that they implore the blessings of Allah upon Muhammad. The Quran states that Allah and his angels send their blessings upon him. Muslims will never mention his name without some salutation of peace.

Do Muslims believe in other prophets before Muhammad?

Tradition says that God had sent many prophets (nabi) and messengers (rasul) to the world before Muhammad; they are said to number at least 8,000. Among those mentioned in the Quran are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Job, Moses, Aaron, Zechariah and his son John the Baptist, Jesus, Ishmael, Elijah, Elisha, Lot and Jonah. But apart from the last named, there is no mention of the great prophets whose books are in the Bible – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea and etc.

Where was Muhammad buried?

Muhammad was buried where he had been living in Medina. Up until today many pilgrims, after their visit to Mecca, go and see the tomb of the Prophet at Medina.

Why do Muslims believe that Muhammad is a prophet?

Muslims believe that Muhammad is the final messenger in the long row of 124,000 prophets, who were sent before; he was given the final revelation. The former revelations were said to be either lost or corrupted. This revelation (The Quran) is said to have came down to him through the agency of the Angel Jibril (Gabriel). Muslims therefore claim that he was not only a prophet but the greatest and last prophet.

What do the traditions say in support of his claims?

Incredible stories were later attributed to Muhammad in order to try and substantiate his high office of being a prophet. For example when he was three years old they record that two angels came and took out his heart from his chest, cleaned it with water, and then put it back in preparation for his ministry.

Again, when he was twelve years old he was taken by his uncle Abu Talib on a mercantile journey to Syria. When the travellers were near Busra, Bahira, a Nestorian monk who lived there in his cell was amazed to see that one of the group was accompanied by a cloud which provided shade, and he also noticed that when they sat down a tree lowered its branches to give additional shade. After further enquiry Bahira found out that these marvellous things happened because Muhammad was in their midst. In response to a question from Abu Talib, Bahira is said to have said “When you appeared from the direction of ‘Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never do except for a Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of Prophet-hood which is below his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this from our books.”

Later of course, Tradition records the extraordinary events that occurred on Mount Hira when the fearful Muhammad was pressed to the limits of exhaustion as he was compelled to recite the first words of the Quran.

How can an illiterate man compose a book like the Quran?

M uslims say a person who could not read write or write could not compose the Quran, surely this is a miracle and entitles him to receive the status of a prophet? The question is was Muhammad really unable to read? Generally speaking, the Sunnis deny his ability to read and write, while the Shia’ affirm it. Tradition is likewise contradictory as to whether he could read and write after his assumption to the prophetical office. The general Islamic denial of their Prophet’s ability to read or write is based on one word, ummi, which occurs six times in the Quran, here are two examples:

> “”Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered (ummi) Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures), in the law and the Gospel (Al Araf 7:157)

> It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom (Al Juma 62:2).

Rather than interpreting these verses to mean that Muhammad was illiterate it is better to read them that he was an Arab to whom no previous revelation had been given and that he was sent to his own people, the Arabs, who had likewise no previous book of revelation from Allah. There is no reason why Muslims should emphasize the illiteracy of the Prophet except to bolster up their theory of the Quran as a miracle. If Muhammad had been able to read and write there would have been a suspicion that he had examined earlier books and copied his revelations from them. The legend that Muhammad was illiterate grew with the centuries. Al-Ghazali, for example says: “The prophet was ummi; he did not read, nor write, and was brought up in an ignorant country in the wild desert, in poverty while herding sheep; he was an orphan without father or mother; but God Himself taught him all the virtues of character and all the knowledge of the ancient and the modern world.”  There were many traditions which showed that writing was known in Mecca in the early years of Muhammad. The Meccans, in fact held a fondness for writing and used all possible materials. The chief materials were leather, palm-leaf, and the broad shoulder-blades of the camel, potsherds, flat white stones, wooden tablets, parchment and papyrus. Muhammad himself had more than seventeen secretaries in Medina and he ordered letters to be written to foreign rulers. It is highly likely that Muhammad himself could read and write. He was a most intelligent man, and had acted for a long time as a mercantile agent for Khadijah. When we remember what this involves in wholesale caravan traffic with distant Syria, it is not unnatural to suppose that he may have had opportunity to learn to read and write. There is no doubt that writing on parchment was an ordinary custom for poets, merchants, etc

There are normally two traditions brought forward to show that Muhammad could write. The first is advanced by the Shia’ who refer to the incident at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiya. This account states that “The apostle of God took the writing and though he did not write well, wrote what he had ordered (‘Ali), viz. ‘Muhammed son of Abdullah.’” The second tradition which is normally advanced occurred on Muhammad’s death bed when he called for writing materials: ‘About this time, recognising Omar, and some other chief men in the room, he called out : ’Fetch me hither ink and paper, that I may record for you a writing which shall hinder you from going astray for ever.’ Omar said: ’He wandereth in his mind is not the Quran sufficient for us?’ But the women wished that the writing materials should be brought; and a discussion ensued. They did not know whether he had asked for the writing materials while in a state of delirium or not. So they asked him what were his wishes regarding the writing materials only to be told: ’Leave me thus alone for my present state is better than that ye call me to.’

How can a man who prophecies the future not be a prophet?

Muhammad’s prophecies relate to warfare, the first concerns the Roman and Persian Empires while the second, not discussed here, concerns his personal vi ctories. Muslims regard Sura Ar Rum 30:1- 5 as a wonderful prophecy and a proof that Muhammad was a prophet. The passage states that there was a great victory of the Persians over the Romans:

> “The Roman Empire has been defeated in a land close by; but they, after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious. Within a few years. With Allah is the decision, in the past and in the future: on that day shall the believers rejoice” (v.2-5)

When this news of the success of these pagan idolaters came to Mecca the Meccans were elated and began to ridicule Muhammad for as a believer in the divine scriptures he naturally wanted the Christians to defeat the idolatrous Persians and he was concerned that this might be seen as a sign that the Meccan idolaters would also defeat him and his religion. Then Muhammad prophesied that the Romans would defeat the Persians. The statement ‘The Roman Empire has been defeated,’ is generally thought to refer to the incident which occurred in the year 615 A.D., when Khosrou Parviz of Persia conquered Syria from the Romans. The Persians then continued their expansion with the capture of Palestine and Jerusalem and then laid siege to Constantinople in A.D. 625. It was on this occasion that the Romans gained a victory over them and the comment ‘in a few years,’ could then allude to this defeat of the Persians by Heraclius.The text does not mention who defeated the Romans or where they were defeated. Rather than viewing the matter as a prophecy from a prophet we look at it as a prediction from a military man who knew the strengths and weaknesses of both the Romans and the Persians.

How can a man who performed miracles not be a prophet?

The Quran denies Muhammad performed miracles and asserts that he was only a “warner”, a guide and bearer of glad tidings.

> “Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner” (Al Baqara 2:119)

> “And the unbelievers say: “Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?” But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide” (Al-Rad 13:7)

As there is no evidence that Muhammad performed miracles in the Quran Muslims have to turn to the ahadith tradition which was composed some 250-300 years after the Hijrah, here he is depicted not so much as a warner but as a worker of miracles.

Was Muhammad a universal prophet?

The Quran depicts Muhammad as an Arab sent by Allah to the Arab people to confirm that the previous scripture revelations were true but tell them also to believe the Arabic Quran which was designed particularly for their benefit.

> ““And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy: And this Book confirms (it) in the Arabic tongue” (Al Ahqaf 46:12)

In time this position changes and he becomes a universal messenger:

> “We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not”(Saba 34:28)

He only becomes the universal messenger after success in the battle-field and the handy law of abrogation was able to make him into a universal messenger.

Compiled from different authorities including “Questions Christians most commonly ask about Islam” by Abd-ul-Masih