Argument and quibbling (3)

The Qur’an, Prophethood, inspiration – all are part of Allah’s Mercy, and He alone decides how it should be distributed: “Allah knows best who should receive His Message.” (6: 124).

Unable to question Allah’s right to bless whomever He wished with Prophethood, the polytheists now developed a different argument to discredit Muhammad . Kings, they pointed out, are surrounded by splendour and vast wealth, and only the most honourable dignitaries are allowed in their presence. Such kings are aided by the wisest advisors, and have hundreds of servants, bodyguards, and wives. How was it, they asked, that Muhammad , the emissary of Allah, was forced to wander about in the market place in order to earn his bread?

“They say: ‘…Why doesn’t an angel descend from the heavens to accompany him while he admonishes us? Or, ‘Why hasn’t a great treasure been bestowed upon him, or a garden that he can eat from?’ The unjust among them say, ‘You follow none but a man who is possessed!” (25: 7-8).

The polytheists argued that Muhammad , if he were indeed a prophet sent by Allah, should resemble a royal dignitary. Where were his palaces? His wealth? His royal entourage? He did not have even the companionship of a single angel to help him with his preaching!

The Prophet however, saw his mission in quite different terms. He was sent to deliver Allah’s message to all people – rich and poor, strong and weak, free and enslaved. If he put on the airs of a king, he would not be able to reach the majority of his audience. The objectives of his mission required him to live as an ordinary human being, to show people that Islam was compatible with everyday life, and that it was not merely a tool to entertain kings, theologians and philosophers. The Qur’an refuted the expectations of the polytheists by using one word to describe his status that Muhammad was a Messenger.