It has already been mentioned that prior to his advent, the Prophetsa was renowned by the title of Al-Amīn among the Quraish. This is conclusive evidence of his trustworthiness, honesty and high morals. Such was the level of his honesty in speech as even a bitter enemy the likes of Abū Jahl, once during the time of prophethood, addressed the Holy Prophetsa saying:
اِنَّا لَا نُكَذِّبُكَ وَلٰكِنْ نُكَذِّبُ بِمَا جِئْتَ بِهٖ
“O Muḥammadsa! We do not consider you to be a liar but we consider that which you have brought to be a lie.”1
Abū Sufyān was presented before Heraclius, King of Rome. Heraclius questioned him about the Holy Prophetsa:
ھَلْ كُنْتُمْ تَتَّھِمُوْنَهٗ بِالْكَذِبِ قَبْلَ اَنْ یَقُوْلَ مَا قَالَ؟
“Prior to his claim have you ever seen this man lie?”
At that time, Abū Sufyān was at war with the Holy Prophetsa, but upon this question, he was unable to give any answer other than لا, meaning “No”.2 Umaiyyah bin Khalaf was a vehement enemy of the Holy Prophetsa, but when Sa‘d bin Mu‘ādh informed him of the prophecy of his death made by the Holy Prophetsa, he lost all senses, and in anxiety mentioned this to his wife, saying:
وَاللّٰهِ مَا یَكْذِبُ مُحَمَّدٌ اِذَا حَدَثَ
“By God, when Muḥammad speaks, he does not lie.”3
Then, An-Naḍr bin Al-Ḥārith was among the fervent enemies of Islām, but when he heard someone say that (God-forbid) “Muhammadsa is a liar”, he said at once:
قَدْ كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ فِیْكُمْ غُلَامًا حَدَثًا اَرْضَاكُمْ فِیْكُمْ وَ اَصْدَقُكُمْ حَدِیْثًا وَ اَعْظَمُكُمْ اَمَانَةً حَتّٰی اِذَا رَئَیْتُمْ فِیْ صُدْغَیْهِ الْشَّیْبَ وَ جَاءَكُمْ بِمَا جَاءَكُمْ بِهٖ قُلْتُمْ سَاحِرٌ لَا وَاللّٰهِ مَا ھُوَ بِسَاحِرٍ۔
“Muhammad was a child among you and he was the most virtuous of all. He was the most honest in speech and the most trustworthy – and this remained your view of him until you observed his hair turning grey and he reached his old age, and he brought to you that which he brought. Then you began to say that he is a magician and a liar. By God, he is not a liar nor is he a magician.”4
By this statement An-Naḍr bin Al-Ḥārith meant the same as Abū Jahl, that is to say “We do not consider Muḥammadsa to be a liar, but consider the religion he has brought to be a lie.”
When the Holy Prophetsa began the propagation of Islām and gathered the Quraish upon a hillock and said to them, “If I tell you that a large army is gathered behind this hillock ready to launch an assault against you, will you believe me?” Even though this apparently seemed impossible, everyone responded:
نَعَمْ مَا جَرَّبْنَا عَلَیْكَ اِلَّا صِدْقًا
“Yes, we shall believe you, for we have always found you truthful.”5
The Holy Prophetsa responded:
“Then I tell you this - the chastisement of God approaches, from which you should save yourselves.”
All of these testimonies are of the most vehement of enemies. No testimony is required from the believers because their acceptance is in itself a powerful testimony. However, at this instance, I cannot rest without including the testimony of the wife of the Holy Prophetsa, Ḥadrat Khadījahra. When the angel of God first came to the Prophetsa with revelation and the Holy Prophetsa apprehensively said to Khadījahra, “I fear for myself”, Khadījahra, who was intimately aware of his life, naturally said the following words:
كَلَّا وَاللّٰهِ مَا یُخْزِیْكَ اللّٰهُ اَبَدًا اِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرِّحْمَ وَتَصْدِقُ الْحَدِیْثَ وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُوْمَ وَ تَقْرِی الضَّیْفَ وَتُعِیْنُ عَلٰی نَوَائِبِ الْحَقَّ۔
“Nay! Nay! By God, Allāh shall never dishonour you. You treat your kith and kin with love, and are truthful, and mitigate the burdens of others. You have brought together lost virtues within yourself, and you are hospitable, and you assist others in the way of truth.”6
This testimony is of that venerable lady who day and night, while sitting and standing, eating and drinking, while sleeping and awake, observed the Holy Prophetsa.
اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ بَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ ۔7
1 Sunan At-Tirmidhī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Bābu wa minal-An‘āmi, Ḥadīth No. 3064
2 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Bāb No. 6, Ḥadīth No. 7
3 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābul-Manāqib, Bābu ‘Alāmātin-Nubuwwati fil-Islām, Ḥadīth No. 3632
4 * Ash-Shifā’, By Al-Qāḍī Abul-Faḍl ‘Ayāḍ bin Mūsā, Part 1, p. 90, Bābuth-Thānī fī Takmīlillāhi Ta‘ālā lahul-Maḥāsina Khalqan wa Khuluqan Faṣlun wa ammā ‘Adluhūsa, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, (2002)
* As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, p. 224, Bābu Mā Dāra Baina Rasūlillāhisa wa Baina Ru’usā’i Quraishin wa Tafsiril-Kahf, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
5 * Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Bābu Wa minash-Shu‘arā’i, Ḥadīth No. 4770
* Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān, Bābun Wandhir ‘Ashīratakal-Aqrabīn, Ḥadīth No. 508
6 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Bad’il-Waḥī, Bāb No. 3, Ḥadīth No. 3
7 O Allāh, bless Muḥammadsa and grant him peace and prosperity’ (Publishers)