Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
16. The Companions of the Prophet
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notably Bernard Shaw—mention what a fine leader
of the western world a person like Muhammad
would make. To make an offer like this in the 6th
century, however, was a very different matter, for at
that time the unique qualities of leadership that the
Prophet possessed had not become engraved on the
pages of history.
REALIZING ONE’S OWN LIMITATIONS
The Prophet Muhammad used to confer with his
Companions over every matter that arose. He
would call them together and, after explaining the
situation, ask them for their opinion. Though he
appeared to be consulting with everyone, what
actually used to happen was that there would be
silence for a while, then Abu Bakr would get up and
briefly offer his opinion. ‘Umar would do the same,
and a handful others followed suit, before finally a
unanimous decision was reached. Consultations
followed the same pattern during Abu Bakr’s term
as Caliph. ‘Umar would be the first to speak, then a
few others would give their opinion. The final
decision would have everyone’s agreement. It was
only during ‘Umar’s caliphate when the number of
