Islam and Peace
The Spiritual Goal of Islam
~ 66 ~
‘Muzammam,’
on the pattern of
‘Muhammad,’
Muzammam
meaning condemned. They used to
heap abuses on him calling him by this epithet of
Muzammam.
But the Prophet was never enraged at
this distorted version of his name. All he said in
return was: “Aren’t you surprised that God has
turned away the abuses of the Quraysh from me.
They abuse a person by the name of
Muzammam.
Whereas I am
Muhammad.”
(Ibn Hisham, 1/379)
This meant that abuses were being heaped on a
person whose name was Muzammam. Since the
Prophet’s name was Muhammad, not Muzammam,
their abuses did not apply to him. Such a reaction
can come only from a person whose intellectual
level is very high; who can rise above praise and
criticism.
One day the Prophet was sitting with his
companions in Madinah when a funeral procession
passed by. The Prophet stood up. His Companions
pointed out that it was the funeral of a Jew, that is, a
non-Muslim. The Prophet replied: ‘Was he not a
human being?’
(Fathul Bari, 3/214).
