The Quran says of the Prophet of Islam:

Surely you have a sublime character. (THE QURAN 68: 4)

BY far the best commentary on this verse has been provided by Aisha, the Prophet's wife. Her words have been recorded in different books of Hadith. Replying to a question on the character of the Prophet, Aisha, referring to this verse of the Quran, said: "His character was the Quran."

This shows that the truest picture of the Prophet of Islam is that which has been expressed in the holy scriptures. There is no doubt that the books of Hadith and Seerah (biographical accounts of the Prophet)too are an authentic source of information about the life of the Prophet. But the Quran remains the primary source. The picture of the Prophet which tallies with the relevant statements made in the Quran must be regarded as correct.

A Seeker of Truth

Addressing the Prophet, the Quran says:

By the light of day, and by the night when it falls, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He abhor you. The life to come holds a richer prize for you than this present life. Surely your Lord will give you what will please you. Did he not find you an orphan and give you shelter? Did He not find you wandering and guide you? Did He not find you poor and enrich you? Therefore, neither oppress the orphan, nor drive away the beggar. But proclaim the bounty of your Lord. (THE QURAN 93:1-11)

The Prophet Muhammad received prophethood at the age of forty. His life prior to this has been thus alluded to in the Quran: "Did He not find you wandering?" The explanation of this verse by Islamic scholars has been recorded in the books of tafsir (commentary of the Quran). According to the Tafsir Al- Qurtubi, this has been explained variously, such as: We found you a seeker. We found you a wanderer. We found you a lover of guidance. (Tafsir Al Qurtubi, 20-97).

This state, in brief, may be called that of seeking the Truth. That is to say, before his being commissioned as a Messenger of God, he was a seeker of Truth, wandering hither and thither in search of it. In those days he used to withdraw to hills and deserts, and stay — engrossed in contemplation in the solitude of the cave of Hira. All this was a manifestation of this search for Truth welling up in his heart. This phase has been recorded in detail in the books of Hadith and Seerah. From this we learn that, as a preliminary to the discovery of Truth, the proper course for an individual would be to go in search of it. As we learn from the Quran, one who sincerely seeks the Truth will definitely receive guidance, just as the Prophet Muhammad did. The difference between the Prophet and the common man is that the former received guidance with prophethood, while the latter will receive only guidance.

The Prophet as a Human Being

The Quran describes the Prophet of Islam as a human being like any other. What distinguished him from others was not his being something other than human, but, rather, his being a prophet, in addition to being a human being. This is illustrated by the following verses of the Quran:

Am I anything but a human apostle? (THE QURAN 17: 93)

I am but a mortal like yourselves. It is revealed to me that your God is one God. (THE QURAN 18: 110)

Their apostles said to them: We are nothing but mortals like you. (THE QURAN 14: 11)

This gives credence to the practical example set by the Prophet for the benefit of all human beings. It is quite clear that his ability to convince people rested on his being a human like other people; on his having feelings of the same nature as other human beings; and on his being made of the same flesh and blood as others. If the Prophet had not shared all these things with other human beings, the commandment to follow the example of the Prophet would have been impracticable.

The greatness of the Prophet of Islam lay in adopting a superior code of ethics as a human being, so that he should come up to the highest standard of conduct in all matters. Had he been cast in some superhuman mould, his exemplary character could not have served as a model for human beings to emulate.

The Prophet — A Test for People

The Quran refers to objections raised by opponents of the Prophet:

Thy ask ‘Why has no angel been sent down to him?' If We had sent down an angel, their fate would have been sealed and they would have never been reprieved. If We had made him an angel, We would have given him the semblance of a man and would have thus added to their confusion. (THE QURAN 6: 8-9)

In chapter 25 the Quran records a similar objection raised by doubters: They say, How is it that this Apostle eats and walks about the market-place? Why has no angel been sent down with him to warn us? or (why) has no treasure been given him, no garden to provide his sustenance? (THE QURAN 25: 7-8)

At another place, the Quran says:

Nothing prevents men from having faith when guidance is revealed to them but the excuse: 'Could God have sent a human being as an apostle?' (THE QURAN 17: 94)

According to an Arabic saying 'Things can be understood properly only by their opposites.' In the light of this principle, two pictures of the Prophet, very different from each other, appear before us. One picture, according to the above verses, is that which was before his contemporaries. The other, the one we have today, has grown tremendously in stature over the fifteen centuries that have elapsed since his coming to the world. In the former picture, the Prophet appears as a common man, standing all alone. In vivid contrast, the picture of him that has emerged after 1500 years has become so sublime that modern attempts to describe him, if they are to do him justice, have to include such expressions as 'the pride of all existence', 'the emperor of both the worlds', 'the leader of the Universe', 'the crown king of Arabia', and so on.

What is the reason for these two starkly different pictures of one and the same personality? It is that in his lifetime, a prophet appears to his contemporaries as a common man. But over the centuries, he acquires the status of an established personality and thus attains historical grandeur.

In the first picture, the Prophet has yet to receive acclaim, while in the second, the Prophet is at the zenith of historical grandeur. The Quran tells us that only that faith is acceptable to God which conforms to the example set by the Companions:

If they believe as you have done, they shall be rightly guided; if they do not, they shall surely be in schism. Against them, God is your all- sufficient defender. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (THE QURAN 2: 137)

The Companions are those believers who were the Prophet's contemporaries. They saw the initial picture of the Prophet when he had not yet acquired an aura of historical grandeur, and yet they recognized the greatness in him. At that time the Prophet appeared to be a common man like any other, and not at all like the extraordinary person that he is described as in today's superfluous terms. The first picture of the Prophet is the real one. The rest has been added to by history. The credit for believing in the Prophet can be given, in the real sense of the word, only to a person who eliminates the additions of history and recognizes him as he actually was.

The Knowledge of the Unseen

We learn from the Quran that God alone has knowledge of the Unseen. As the Quran states:

He alone has knowledge of what is hidden: His secrets He reveals to none. (THE QURAN 72: 26)

The Quran has repeatedly made it clear that the Prophet of Islam was not given full knowledge of the unseen world. On certain occasions God revealed something of the unseen world in advance to the Prophet through the Angel Gabriel, for instance, the result of the Hudaybiya treaty in the form of a 'clear victory' (THE QURAN 48: 1). But the Prophet was not given the power to acquire knowledge of the unseen on his own. This is demonstrated by the following verses from the Quran:

Had I possessed knowledge of what is hidden, I would have availed myself of much that is good. (THE QURAN 7: 188)

I do not say to you that I possess God's treasures and I do not know what is hidden. (THE QURAN 11: 31)

Tell them, ‘God alone has knowledge of the unseen. So wait; I too will wait with you.’ (THE QURAN 10: 20)

"These are announcements of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them." (THE QURAN 11: 49)

These and other verses of this nature prove clearly that the Prophet of Islam had not been given knowledge of the unseen. God gave the Prophet only those things that were essential to the discharging of his responsibilities as a prophet. As this task did not relate to the metaphysical, he required no knowledge of the unseen.

It was not the Prophet's duty to perform miraculous feats for the sake of establishing his superiority. Rather, his duty was to guide people by means of dawah and counselling. This was the real task of the Prophet, and for this there was no need to possess any supernatural powers. That is why no prophet was endowed with such a faculty.

Ease in Difficulty

In chapter 94 of the Quran the Prophet is addressed thus:

Have We not lifted up and expanded your heart and relieved you of the burden which weighed down your back? Have We not given you high renown? So, surely with every hardship there is ease; surely, with every hardship there is ease. When you have finished, resume your toil, and seek your Lord with all fervour. (THE QURAN 94: 1-8)

One particular aspect of the life of the Prophet of Islam emerges before us in these verses. That is, the ability to see ease in difficulty which was bestowed on him by God's grace and guidance. He was able, by dint of his courage and determination, to turn disadvantageous situations to his advantage, and could continue with his activities with hope, even in times of great difficulty.

The Prophet underwent great hardship. His experiences broadened his vision, making him more confident. Ironically, his opponents' false propaganda became the means of spreading his message far and wide. The followers of the Prophet of Islam should also inculcate this same mentality among themselves. They should develop within themselves the capacity to turn minuses into pluses and to convert hardship into ease.

The Sustenance of God

Addressing the Prophet of Islam, the Quran states:

Do not strain your eyes towards the worldly benefits We have bestowed on some of them, for with these we seek only to try them. Your Lord's provision is better and more lasting. Enjoin prayer on your people and be diligent in its observance. We demand nothing of you: We shall Ourself provide for you. Blessed shall be the end of the devout. (THE QURAN 20: 131-132)

The Prophet led a human life just like everyone else. However, where common men set their sights on accumulating worldly goods, the Prophet did not make this world his goal. He did not desire material benefits; rather, the world for him was a means of spiritual provision. In this world, those who adopt a life of faith and engage in the task of conveying the message of God suffer considerable hardship. On the other hand, those who do not devote themselves to discharging such responsibilities wallow in material comfort and pleasure. By highlighting this difference between a life of comfort and a life of hardship, and by creating the impression that a worldly life is far better than the godly life, Satan tries to tempt and mislead the believers.

But a deeper examination shows that beyond this apparent difference there is another dimension, which is far worthier of consideration. It is that worldly possessions are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test, and as such, are of a temporary nature. Those who are preoccupied with material things have nothing in store for their eternal life, while a believer receives by his association with God something more precious than all the things of the world. Remembrance of God, thought of the life hereafter, worship, a life of piety, devotion to God, and concern that the servants of God may be saved from His chastisement — all these are forms of provision, and of a far higher quality than material things, and will translate for the believer into endless bliss in the life Hereafter.

Basic Task

Addressing the Prophet, God says:

You who are wrapped up in your vestment, arise and give warning. Magnify your Lord, cleanse your garment and keep away from all pollution. Bestow no favours expecting gain. Be patient for your Lord's sake. (THE QURAN 74: 1-7)

From these we learn that the actual task of the Prophet was warning people of the serious consequences in the life to come, of their actions in this world. This duty could be performed only by one whose heart was filled with the greatness of God; who possessed a high moral character; who kept away from all evil; who did good without any hope of return, and who suffered patiently all the hardships inflicted by others.

Four Responsibilities

The Prophet of Islam is said to be the answer to Abraham's prayer. When Abraham settled his son Ismael and his wife Hajira in the deserts of the Hijaz, according to the Quran he prayed thus:

Send forth to them a messenger of their own people who shall declare to them Your revelations and instruct them in the book and in wisdom and purify them. You are the Mighty, the Wise One. (THE QURAN 2: 129)

The first task of the Prophet was to receive God's revelations and communicate them to people, i.e. he had to recite the verses of the Quran and explain them to his hearers. Innumerable signs, within human nature and in the outside world, have been placed, by God so that Man may realize Him through them. The second task of the Prophet was to reveal these signs and give people the insight to enable them to develop faith in their Lord.

Insight implies wisdom, so that when Man has developed the insight to see God's signs, when he has moulded his mind in such a way as to be able to understand the teachings of the Quran, a kind of intellectual light begins to shine within him. His cerebral level is raised to a point from where he is able to experience higher realities. In all matters he is able to arrive at the right conclusions as desired by God.

Finally, the Prophet strove to prepare people whose souls would be free from all preoccupations except devotion to God, who would also be free from psychological complexities so that they might be capable of finding the spiritual sustenance placed by God in the universe for His devoted servants.

The task of conveying the message, instructing the people in the Quran and wisdom and guiding them towards purifying their souls were the four basic parts of the mission of the Prophet of Islam. All his activities were directed solely to achieving these objectives. After the Prophet, those who rise to the task of reforming people have to work along the lines followed by the Prophet on the basis of divine guidance. Any addition to these tasks can only be considered as an innovation.