T h e V i s i o n o f I s l a m
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their permission to migrate, he said: Suhaib’s trading has profited!
Suhaib’s trading has profited!”
The entire life of the Prophet was nothing but a human event,
that is why it serves as an example to us. According to Bukhari, he
was hurt like anyone else. Indeed, the reason that his congregation
refused to believe that he was the receiver of divine revelation was
the very fact that, to all appearances, the Prophet appeared just
like any normal human being:
“You do transactions in the town. You seek a livelihood just as
we do.”
(Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah)
The truth is that the greatness of the Prophet’s life lies in its
being a human event rather than a far-fetched tale of inimitable
miraculous actions. The Prophet was God’s humble and very
human servant, and, having been chosen by God to spread His
message, he was supported by Him at every critical hour. In this
sense his success was miraculous, but the Prophet himself was in
no way endowed with superhuman powers.
T
he
B
eginning of
D
awah
When, at the age of forty, the Prophet of Islam received his
first revelation, he reacted as any normal human being would in
such a situation. He was staying in the Cave of Hira at the time.
Apprehensive, he returned home to his wife Khadija. Being
an impartial judge, she was in a position to view the situation
objectively.
“It cannot be,” she said. “God will surely never humiliate you.
You are kind to your relatives; you always give the weak a helping
hand; you help those who are out of work to stand on their own
feet again; you honour guests.When people are in trouble you give
them assistance.”
(Bukhari
and
Muslim)
This is how the historian Ibn Kathir describes an incident that
occurred at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission:
“Ali, son of Abi Talib and cousin of the Prophet, came into the
