Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood: Was He a Liar?
Muhammad’s Claim to
Prophethood: Was He a Liar?
A Logical Analysis of His
Claim
As discussed earlier,
Muhammad made the claim, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’ Either he was
true in his claim or he was not. We will begin by the assuming the latter
and investigate all possibilities raised by skeptics of past and present,
discussing some of their misconceptions. Only if all other possibilities
are exhausted can one reasonably claim that the only possibility left is that
he was true in what he claimed. We will also look at what the Quran has
to say on the matter.
Was He a Liar?
Is it possible for a liar
to claim for a period of 23 years with unwavering certitude that he is a
prophet like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, that there will be no more prophets
after him, and that the scripture he has been sent with will remain his lasting
miracle till the end of time?
A liar will falter
sometimes, perhaps with a friend, maybe with his family members, somewhere he
will make a mistake. His message, delivered over two decades, will
contradict itself sometimes. But what we see in reality is that the
scripture he brought declares freedom from internal inconsistencies, his
message remained consistent throughout his mission, and even in the midst of a
battle, he proclaimed his prophethood![1]
His life story is
preserved book open for everyone to read. Before Islam, he was well-known
to his own people to be trustworthy and reliable, an honest man, a person of
integrity, who did not lie.[2] It was due to this reason they
named him “Al-Ameen”, or “The Trustworthy” He was strongly opposed to lying and
warned against it. Is it possible for him to tell a consistent lie for 23
years, a lie so monstrous that it would make him a social outcast, when he was
never known to have lied even once about anything? It’s simply against
the psychology of liars.
If one was to ask why a
person would make claim to prophethood and lie, their answer might be one of
two:
1)
Fame, Glory, wealth and status.
2)
Moral progress.
If we were to say that the
Muhammad claimed prophethood for fame glory and status, we would see that what
actually occurred was the exact opposite. Muhammad, before his claim to
Prophethood, enjoyed a high status in all aspects” He was of the most noble of
tribes, of the most noble of families, and was known for his truthfulness.
After his claim, he became a social outcast. For 13 years in
Makkah, he and his followers faced excruciating torture, which led to the death
of some of his followers, ridicule, sanctioning, and excommunication from
society.
There were many other ways
which a person could gain fame in the society of that time, mainly from valor,
and poetry. If Muhammad had made the claim that he himself authored the Quran,
as will be explained later, that would have been enough for his name and poetry
to be engraved in gold and hung inside the Ka’bah for eternity, people from all
over the world hallowing him. Rather, he proclaimed that he was not the
author of his revelationa, and that it was from the One
high above, causing him to be ridiculed in his time until ours.
The Prophet was the
husband of a wealthy tradeswoman, and he enjoyed the comforts of life available
t him at his time. But after his claim of prophethood, he became of the
poorest of people. Days passed without stove fire being lit in his house,
and at one time, hunger drove him to the mosque in hope of some provision.
The leaders of Makkah in his time offered him the riches of the world in
order for him to leave his message. As a response to their offer, he
recited the verses of the Quran 41:1-38.11. The Following are some of
these verses:
“(As for) those who say:
‘Our Lord is God,’ and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels
descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of
the garden which you were promised. We are your guardians in this world's
life and in the hereafter, and you shall have therein what your souls desire and you shall have therein what you ask
for. A hospitable gift from one Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful!’ And who is better in speech than one who calls to God,
works righteousness, and says, ‘I am of those who has
submitted in Islam?’ Nor can goodness and evil be equal. Repel
(evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred
become as it were thy friend and intimate. And no one will be granted
such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.” (Quran, 41:30-35)
If one were to say that
Muhammad lied and claimed prophethood in order to bring moral and religious
reform to a society ridden with ills, this argument is futile in itself, for
how can one bring moral reform through a lie. If Muhammad was so keen to
uphold and preach upright morals and worship of One God, then could he have
lied himself in doing so? If we say that this is not possible, the only
answer is that he was speaking the truth. The only other possibility is
that he was insane.