A Logical Analysis of His Claim
As discussed earlier, Muhammad made the claim, ‘I am God’s
Messenger.’ Either he was true in his claim or he was not. We will
begin by the assuming the latter and investigate all possibilities raised by
skeptics of past and present, discussing some of their misconceptions.
Only if all other possibilities are exhausted can one reasonably claim that the
only possibility left is that he was true in what he claimed. We will
also look at what the Quran has to say on the matter.
Was He a Liar?
Is it possible for a liar to claim for a period of 23 years
with unwavering certitude that he is a prophet like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus,
that there will be no more prophets after him, and that the scripture he has
been sent with will remain his lasting miracle till the end of time?
A liar will falter sometimes, perhaps with a friend, maybe
with his family members, somewhere he will make a mistake. His message,
delivered over two decades, will contradict itself sometimes. But what we
see in reality is that the scripture he brought declares freedom from internal
inconsistencies, his message remained consistent throughout his mission, and
even in the midst of a battle, he proclaimed his prophethood![1]
His life story is preserved book open for everyone to
read. Before Islam, he was well-known to his own people to be trustworthy
and reliable, an honest man, a person of integrity, who did not lie.[2] It
was due to this reason they named him “Al-Ameen”, or “The Trustworthy” He was
strongly opposed to lying and warned against it. Is it possible for him
to tell a consistent lie for 23 years, a lie so monstrous that it would make
him a social outcast, when he was never known to have lied even once about
anything? It’s simply against the psychology of liars.
If one was to ask why a person would make claim to
prophethood and lie, their answer might be one of two:
1) Fame, Glory, wealth and
status.
2) Moral progress.
If we were to say that the Muhammad claimed prophethood for
fame glory and status, we would see that what actually occurred was the exact
opposite. Muhammad, before his claim to Prophethood, enjoyed a high
status in all aspects” He was of the most noble of tribes, of the most noble of
families, and was known for his truthfulness. After his claim, he became
a social outcast. For 13 years in Makkah, he and his followers faced
excruciating torture, which led to the death of some of his followers,
ridicule, sanctioning, and excommunication from society.
There were many other ways which a person could gain fame in
the society of that time, mainly from valor, and poetry. If Muhammad had
made the claim that he himself authored the Quran, as will be explained later,
that would have been enough for his name and poetry to be engraved in gold and
hung inside the Ka’bah for eternity, people from all over the world hallowing
him. Rather, he proclaimed that he was not the author of his revelationa,
and that it was from the One high above, causing him to be ridiculed in his
time until ours.
The Prophet was the husband of a wealthy tradeswoman, and he
enjoyed the comforts of life available t him at his time. But after his
claim of prophethood, he became of the poorest of people. Days passed
without stove fire being lit in his house, and at one time, hunger drove him to
the mosque in hope of some provision. The leaders of Makkah in his time
offered him the riches of the world in order for him to leave his message.
As a response to their offer, he recited the verses of the Quran
41:1-38.11. The Following are some of these verses:
“(As for) those who say: ‘Our Lord is God,’ and, further,
stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not,
nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were
promised. We are your guardians in this world's life and in the
hereafter, and you shall have therein what your souls desire and you shall have
therein what you ask for. A hospitable gift from one Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful!’ And who is better in speech than one who calls to God, works
righteousness, and says, ‘I am of those who has submitted in Islam?’ Nor
can goodness and evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better: Then
will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and
intimate. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who
exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good
fortune.” (Quran 41:30-35)
If one were to say that Muhammad lied and claimed
prophethood in order to bring moral and religious reform to a society ridden
with ills, this argument is futile in itself, for how can one bring moral
reform through a lie. If Muhammad was so keen to uphold and preach upright
morals and worship of One God, then could he have lied himself in doing so?
If we say that this is not possible, the only answer is that he was
speaking the truth. The only other possibility is that he was insane.
Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[2] ‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the
Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 34.
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