The Prophet Muhammad A simple Guide to his Life
The Prophet in the Qur’an
~ 32 ~
‘‘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.” (93:1-11).
The Prophet Muhammad received prophethood at
the age of 40. His life prior to prophethood has been
thus alluded to in the Qur’an: “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 Qur’an). Some of these
comments, recorded in
Tafsir Al-Qurtabi
are as
follows: We found you a seeker. We found you a
wanderer, we found you a lover of guidance.
(Tafsir
Al Qurtabi,
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,
