[Music]
he do you know what Islam says it says
that life the
greatest greetings and peace this is Dr
Lawrence brown with another episode we
left off last time discussing the
Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallah alai wasam we first discussed
the Miracles that occurred around him as
evidence of his Divine appointment to
prophethood we then discussed the
Miracles that occurred through him by
the will of Allah and we left off
discussing the fact that he received
Revelation that at times proved
prophetic one very interesting point
about this he never received a prophecy
and Revelation but that it came true one
thing that we know about those who
prophesy is that some things may come
true but there is a great deal that does
not what should we say about somebody
who presents himself as a prophet as a
messenger to Mankind and every single
thing that is ever revealed to him as
Revelation comes true this is a very
strong evidence to the sincerity the
honesty of the man and the divine nature
of his appointment m prophethood one
example of one of these prophetic
Revelations was when Muhammad Sall alai
wasam was visited by some Messengers
from Persia he informed them upon their
arrival that the Emperor of Persia their
Emperor had died during their absence in
fact he had been murdered they returned
to gmen where they were met with a
letter informing them of the fact that
indeed the Emperor of Persia had been
murdered the governor of Yemen and his
followers accepted Islam on this
evidence alone for there was no possible
way that Muhammad Sall wasam in Mecca in
the Arabian Desert could possibly have
known that the Emperor of Persia had
been murdered except through the path of
Revelation similarly a false prophet Al
Aswad Al Ani was killed in Yemen one day
before Muhammad sallallah alai wasam
died nonetheless Muhammad sallallah alai
wasam was visited by Al asad's delegates
at that time and he informed them of
al-asad's demise the fact that
al-aswad had been killed in
Yemen and again there was no possible
way this information could have reached
him remember that at this time
information was transmitted by trading
Caravans it took weeks or months to
travel from one place to another and yet
alaswad was killed one day before
Muhammad Sall alai wasam died he
informed al-asad's delegates and when
they returned they found out that the
information was true the most impressive
to many people was the miracle of the
splitting of the moon when the Kesh
asked Muhammad sallallah alai wasam for
a sign of his prophethood he pointed to
the Moon they looked up and the moon
split in
two well it's a powerful story of course
it's a relatively undeniable sign as the
Red Sea as Allah could divide the Red
Sea for Moses the tradition is that he
divided the Moon from Muhammad sallallah
wasam so these are a few of the many
many
miracles which occurred around the
prophet sallallah alai wasam or were
conducted by him by the will of Allah
now let's move on to another category by
which we can provide evidence for the
prophethood of Muhammad sallallah Al
wasam and that is an analysis of his
character if we close our eyes and think
about Abraham ishmail
Isaiah what do you
see probably not very much we do not
have much in Biblical scripture to
inform us about these
prophets and yet we know them for what
they were but we do not know a great
deal about them when we hear stories
about certain of the prophets many of
these stories do not jive with our
expectations the story of Noah getting
drunk and stripping himself naked and
falling down unconscious naked from his
drunkenness the story of lot committing
incest with his daughters albeit drunk
at the time the story of Jesus cursing
the Fig Tree degrading the Gentiles and
rebuking his mother the story of Judah
committing fornication the story of
David committing murder out of his lust
for bath Sheba arranging for her husband
to be sent to his death these stories do
not jive with our
expectations of what a prophet would be
like so when we ask ourselves questions
like well what was Abraham like it is a
little
disconcerting that we cannot form a
strong opinion because we do not have
enough information to know what they
looked like how they acted what they did
what they even taught in many
cases and yet we find in the example of
Muhammad s.
wasam traditions and historical
descriptors that make him clear in all
of these aspects in particular his piety
is well
described by both his followers and his
enemies let me read a description from
the new international
encyclopedia quote the essential
sincerity of his referring to Muhammad
of his nature cannot be
questioned and a historical criticism
that blinks no fact yields nothing to
credulity
weighs every testimony has no partisan
interest and seeks only the truth must
acknowledge his claim to belong to that
order of prophets who whatever the
nature of their physical experience may
have been in diverse times and in
diverse manners have admonished taught
uttered austere and Sublime thoughts
laid down principles of conduct nobler
than those they found and devoted
themselves fearlessly to their higher
calling being irresistably impelled to
their Ministry by a power within we find
that Muhammad sallallah alai wasam was
devoted to the message he claimed as
Revelation he was a simple man he lived
in single room mud brick Apartments
slept on a rough leather mat stuffed
with palm fiber he ate whatever was
available through times of hardship and
partook of unrefined Foods only in
moderation during times of Plenty there
were many occasions when he had nothing
to eat but dates and water sometimes for
months he prayed 2third of the night
fasted in all seasons and gave away any
gifts or profit to the poor or in the
name of the religion generos it was
legendary his manners exemplary his
comportment inspiring he died as he
lived a popper he was known to have
milked his own goat he mended his own
clothes cobbled his own shoes served his
family in their home attended to the
poor and ailing when manual labor was
called for he carried two stones where
everybody else carried one when the
mased Kuba was constructed he was the
first to lay stone
at the Battle of the trench when the
companions were unable to Prevail over a
boulder in digging the trench he took up
the digging tools and by invoking the
name of Allah demolished the boulder at
the Battle of oood he was challenged to
so battle his companions offered to
fight in his stead he refused faed the
Challenger alone and was
Victorious and you know what these
stories go
on and they go
on and they go on far longer than we
have time for
unfortunately once
again I would like to quote from a book
from which you would not expect to find
such a positive quote the new Catholic
encyclopedia for once again if we find
the truth among those who would be most
likely to oppos Muhammad sallallah alai
wasam we must respect it quote his
adversaries among whom were many Jews
and Christians watched eagerly for
indications of
Fraud and Muhammad was able successfully
to assume a remarkable self-assured
attitude toward any accusations of that
sort read between the lines what is the
new Catholic encyclopedia telling us
that the Jews and the Christians watched
eagerly for indications of Fraud and
Muhammad s. wasam quote was able
successfully to assume a remarkable
self- assured attitude toward any
accusations of that sort in other words
they looked for fraud they never found
it we're going to take a break please
stay with us we'll be right back
is
the welcome back this is Dr Lawrence
Brown continuing this episode we are
discussing the evidences for the
prophethood of Muhammad sallallah alai
wasam and I'm going to continue by
moving on to the evidence of his
persistence and
steadfastness in particular It is Well
documented that Muhammad Sall alai wasam
was persistent against all levels of
adversity his Believers were ostracized
they were assaulted they were tortured
and at times they were murdered in the
case of Muhammad himself peace be upon
him he was threatened humiliated beaten
stoned driven out of his home and his
City his beloved wife Khadijah died
while they were in forced
Exile and yet despite all of this and
despite the frequent attempts upon his
life Muhammad sallallah Al wasam stood
in prayer at night until his body
rebelled on one
occasion in the Holy Quran Surah 58 ayat
2 Allah revealed that he forgave
Muhammad sallallah alai wasam for his
sins past present and future and yet
what did he do what would anybody do
what would anybody who has been told by
Allah by our creator of the promise of
Jenna the promise of paradise Who has
been informed that their sins have been
forgiven past present and future what
would that person
do well I think we all know the majority
of mankind would throw a party of dare I
say biblical proportions but the point
is that Muhammad sallallah alai wasam
did not do this he did not lower his
level of worship in fact he continued
his level of worship as it was to the
point where one of his wives asked him
hasn't God forgiven you that which is
before you and that which is behind you
Muhammad sallallah alai wasam replied
should I not be a thankful servant
should these not be the words of a
prophet in fact are these not the words
of nothing but a prophet who else
bearing the Forgiveness of their sins
past present and future would continue
their worship unaltered simply out of
love of their creator simply out of love
of their creator and thankfulness for
the blessings he has bestowed upon them
the example of a man no men hearing this
message would even if they did not want
to they would not be able to help it
they would lower their level of worship
they would relax because they would have
a feeling that they made it they
succeeded they have the promise of Jenna
they have the promise of paradise but
this is not the example that that we
find with the prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him on one occasion someone called
The Prophet sallallah alai wasam oh best
of mankind how would a charlatan respond
somebody who is trying to fool his
followers when told oh best of mankind
oh yes well thank you no that's not what
he said he said that was
Ibrahim peace be upon him he diverted
praise from himself to others on one
occasion a man said quote God and you oh
Muhammad have willed this in reference
to a certain matter and Muhammad Sall
wasam rebuked him because he saw this
man as setting him up as partners with
God in fact he said have you made me
equal with
God now we find other quotations
Muhammad sallallah alai wasam stressed
the distinction between God and His
prophets by teaching quote do not
overpraise me as the Christians
overpraised Jesus the son of Mary for I
am only his meaning God's servant so say
Allah's servant and messenger we have a
very striking story in the story of
Muhammad's son Ibrahim
Ibrahim died as an infant and on the day
of his death there was a solar eclipse
there was an eclipse of the sun and the
people began to say oh the sun has
eclipsed for the death of
Ibrahim now again I ask you to put
yourself in the situation Muhammad s.
wasam was preaching the message of
Revelation hoping to gather a following
when the people started to say that the
sun has eclipsed for the death of
Ibrahim Muhammad's son sallallah alai
wasallam his son does it not make sense
that a charlatan would say oh yes well
absolutely yes that's that is certainly
what makes sense uh I mean God himself
Mourns the death of my son and while
we're talking about it please what
everybody care to donate that's what a
man would do that's what a charlatan
would do that is not what Muhammad did
peace be upon him no Muhammad declared
verily the sun and the moon are two
signs of the signs of Allah they do not
eclipse for the death of anyone nor for
his birth so if you see that an eclipse
then supplicate to God reverence his
name pray and give
charity again he could have used this
event to build up his following to
deceive them he could have used as a
ploy but he didn't he recognized it for
what it was demoted his significance in
the eyes of the people in the way that
he demoted his significance in the eyes
of the people throughout his life only
recognizing himself as Allah's servant
and
messenger in fact even when he Lay Dying
he instructed his followers not to take
his grave as as a sight of worship
so another quotation that illustrates
his humility quote say I tell you not
with me are the treasures of Allah nor
do I know what is hidden nor do I tell
you I am an angel I but follow what is
revealed to me that is from the Holy
Quran
650 in 3144 we read quote Muhammad is no
no more than a messenger would Muhammad
Sall wasam have revealed verses that
stress his Humanity stress the fact that
he is no more than a messenger would he
have revealed that if he were a
charlatan remember that this was a time
when people worshiped
Stones this was a time when people
embraced false
prophets this was a time 600 years years
after the time when the Christians had
deified Jesus would they have accepted
Muhammad
S as a God if he had set himself up as a
god absolutely but he did not and he was
very careful as you would expect of a
true Messenger of a true prophet of God
he was very careful to save this
distinction of definity for God and for
God alone and to clarify clarify the
fact that he was nothing more than a man
and a
messenger now in the case of Mecca when
the Muslims returned to Mecca Victorious
taking back Mecca the city where they
had been beaten the city where they had
been persecuted the city where they had
been separated from their wives and
their homes cast out in
humiliation the city that had killed
their loved ones the city that had taken
from them their very
honor the city that had killed Muhammad
Sall alai wasam favored Uncle Hamza and
on the battlefield the Kesh one of them
had actually opened his body cut his
body open and cut his liver and chewed
his liver when they returned after 20
years of persecution to have victory
over this city what did they do what did
Muhammad Sall alai wasallam direct them
to do imagine being in this position
where you have been humiliated beaten
tortured your followers have been killed
you yourself have suffered every
disgrace possible at these people's
hands and now you have the upper hand
what would you do and yet what did he do
Muhammad Sall wasam did not take the
Viewpoint we would expect it was a time
time when the conquerors would sever the
heads of the men stack them in the
marketplace as a trophy rape and enslave
the women and enslave the children as
well we saw none of that in his example
Muhammad s. wasam asked the people what
they expected they asked for mercy and
he gave it in a bloodless takeover
Muhammad sallallah alaihi wasallam
forgave the population of Mecca despite
all the horrors that they had committed
in the past for 20 years 20 years of
suffering and he forgave it there were a
handful of evil men whose evil was so
great that they needed either to be
exiled but only out of these 10 four
were executed for their crimes and in
the times in which this occurred heard
that was such a merciful act the people
almost could not believe it but they
were so impressed that they accepted
Islam on
mass even though it was not forced upon
them there is no compulsion in
religion and the people accepted Islam
not out of compulsion but having seen
the beauty of this man's Mercy in a
situation where they understood
themselves as I'm sure you understand
considering how you would act in a same
situation they understood that this was
not a level of Mercy that could be
expected of any man but level of Mercy
that could only have come from a prophet
that concludes this section we will
return next time to discuss this exact
point the evidences of Muhammad's
prophethood sallallahu alaihi was Salam
and I am Lawrence Brown bidding you
peace until next time
peace I feel the