Arguments for Messengership – Part 24

The Reasonings (Page 129)

The First Way

In order to know the sublime character or personality of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we should consider the following four points:

The First Point: As we expressed in the famous Arabic adage, “Having eyes dark from birth as if darkened with kohl is not the same as having eyes darkened with kohl”, anything superficial or artificial cannot substitute for something genuine and original.  Therefore, affectation cannot be lasting and persuasive, and one’s nature or character reveals it in a very short time.

Recap: After realizing the necessary existence of the institution of Messengership, we investigate the necessary existence of the “messengership of Muhammad”.  Since Muhammad was known to be consistent with practicing the message he received throughout his 23 years, this “consistent characteristic” is in consensus with all the narrators, which in turn serves as a proof of following Muhammad’s Messengership.

We should investigate the belief aspect of any practical side and see how that practice can be applied to our own conditions by looking into its belief aspect.

If one is interested in the practical side of the Prophetic life, then they need to investigate the Medinan narrations.  About the Meccan part of the life of the Messenger are not to be found in the narrations abundantly because mainly the 13 years were an era of human struggle in the Prophetic life where he was trying to introduce his message to people who were totally ignorant of what he was talking about because the message was mainly about the meaning and the purpose of human existence.  Similarly, we need to be struggling with our existential questions first.  When we have genuine questions, answers come then.  In the culture, we are usually presented with bundled answers without us having the questions.

• We must struggle on our way to belief and to make belief certain for us.

It is known that a foreigner came to Medina when he heard about a person sharing insights into existence.  He quickly met with the Prophet and asked him if he can join in on his quest.  The Prophet told him that since he is a foreigner, it will be a struggle for him and the Prophet as the Prophet himself was struggling to establish the belief foundations in the minds of the people around him who were strongly opposing and persecuting him.  He told the man to come back when the Prophet is successful because the Prophet knew that he would be successful.  13 years later, the man came to Medina where the Prophet was indeed successful in every way, i.e. the practice side of his belief and he was given by the people themselves an administrative position in the society.

The character traits reflect in one’s being, and the traits were well noticed in the Prophets lives.

For example, if you have a need to get married, that is good, it is the time for preparation.  However, do not go into looks when looking for a prospective spouse such as if I marry this one since s/he seems religious now, then that would set me on the path to religion as well or this one would be good for me.  Lo and behold after 6 months the true colors and character traits come in.

Comment:  Isn’t the universe enough guidance for us?  Do we need Prophetic guidance as well?

Yes and no.  It depends on where you are in terms of making sense of your existence.  Is what the universe conveys in conformity with your human qualities?  If your answer to this question is in the positive, then you understand that what the Prophet teaches serves as extra guidance to what is already encoded in my humanity to help me discover what those encoded qualities refer to. As always the case with human progression, we need to be taught by an “Instructor” to uncover what is already within our potentialities. The prophets are the instructors to the people who seek answers to their existential questions and the consequence of these answers. We human beings need to reflect these answers in our practical life. In order to do this, we need to see the exemplary practice of these practices, similar to learning the theories in the class and then going to the laboratories to practice them. In this practical example we see that the teachings of the Qur’an are like learning in the class under the Teacher and then going to the laboratory to practice what we learn under the instruction of the Instructor. The “Teacher” is the One Who Teaches in His Revelation, God, and the “Instructors” are the Messengers.