By ( siraj-islam )
The Mercy of Muhammad, which is wholly ethical manner, in nature entails other great and lofty qualities- the highest and most accentuated one is sincerity and honesty. Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, was the most perfect man in his sincerity and honesty, even in his very personal life, as his joking with his companions, beloved. And some historians, being unbiased researchers and scholars such as Arnold J. Toynbee and Karen Armstrong had marked Muhammad amongst all whoever own this trait.
I noticed at first that Arab were tribes known that they abhorred lying, and a man could be degraded in their eyes if he had being dishonest or insincere. They owned a sense of chivalry and nobility; they were honest and true to their words. This is best illustrated in the dialogue between Heraclius, the great emperor of Romans, and Abu Sufyan Al-Arabi Al-Qurashi. When Muhammad, PBUH, fame was extended all over the ancient Arabian Peninsula and the next territories, Heraclius questioned the matter and asked his men to brought him some Arabs from Levant. Abu Sufyan was one of them, and at that time he was an enemy of Muhammad, May Allah peace and blessings be upon him. Despite his antagonism, he would never lie about Muhammad, PBUH, when he got asked, so that Arab would say “Abu Sufyan lied”; then he would have lost his prestige and being degraded among Arab.
Heraclius said to Abu Sufyan: “Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?”. Abu Sufyan replied: “No, So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah.” Thus, Abu Sufyan admitted that Muhammad, PBUH, was sincere and honest. He who is sincere and honest with people must be sincere and honest with Allah, Almighty. This truthfulness and sincerity of the greatest Prophet Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, was not out of any benefit or gain for himself, but rather for the benefit of all people generally, except himself (PBUH). Abu Sufyan, during his talk with Heraclius, has told him that Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, had been telling people: “Worship Allah Alone and do not associate a thing with Him; and give up all that your ancestors said”; he further continued and said: “He also commands us to perform Salat (prayers), to speak the truth, to observe modesty, and to maintain the ties of kinship”.
Before Muhammad started calling people for Islam, and for all what Abu Sufyan had mentioned to Heraclius as worshipping Allah alone, do charity (paying zakat) and prayers, observe modesty, and maintain good ties to people in general and relatives in particular, he was called amongst his tribe as being “honest and trustworthy”; they said, “We have never heard you telling a lie.”. Therefore, Arabs were held in trust all their belongings with Muhammad while being sure that their belongings would be completely safe, and well preserved.
It is very remarkable that this sincerity known about Muhammad had been acknowledged by an enemy, not even Muhammad’s beloved. Not only Arabs had called him sincere and trustworthy, but also men from other religious doctrines had acknowledged the same too. For instance, the Jewish rabbi, Abd Allah ibn Salam said his words that never faded until today, ““…his face was not the face of a liar” upon witnessing the Prophet Muhammad entering Yathrib (which will become Medina). This is great and deep words which are as deep and great as the knowledge of this Jewish rabbi who had converted to Islam later and became one of the best companions of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him. The liar must have a contradictory history, and life-history that refute his claims and allegations. History is merciless, and the region, at that time, had witnessed false claimants of prophethood such as Muslimah and others. And Arabs conveyed to us their lies, forgery, and falsity.
Meanwhile, we do not now have a single testimony that says that Muhammad was a liar throughout his entire life. And the Jewish rabbi which latter had become Abd Allah ibn Salam, May Allah be pleased with him, had praised the sincerity reflected on Muhammad face. Anyone who studies psychology, ancient and modern, can introspect about depth of this observation that is revealing sincerity of a person; it is something that was known by wise men from various civilizations, that is “Nothing can be beheld inside, without being mirrored by the tongue and face”. And the same had been emphasized by Freud, Jung and other leaders of psychoanalysis.
This kind of sincerity admitted by an enemy- not companions and beloved- is very heart melting.
Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, was truthful and honest with his companions in Mecca before the Hijra when he said that Allah would grant them victory, and the same did happen. Muhammad was sincere and honest with companions when he told them that the time would come when Muslim women would travel with nothing to fear but Allah, and the same did happen. He was truthful and honest when he said Khosrow kingship would be vanished; and he would enter Mecca to perform Umrah; and when he exonerated his companions of hypocrisy; and when he said that Umar ibn al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan were both martyrs who would be murdered; also Muhammad was honest and true to his word in the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, and all of that was true; all of that did happen. Muhammad had been truthful, sincere and honest in everything.
The greatness of Muhammad’s truthfulness was ever present at the true moments of weakness. All his words, PBUH, had given a glad tiding to the Muslim nation and heralded a promising prosperous reality at that time he tied a stone to his honorable stomach due to the severity of hunger. Who could ever have believed those words in the amidst of those difficult and oppressive conditions? This is the truthfulness with Allah, the Lord of All Creation.
Moments of weakness were passing always accompanied by Mohammed’s truthfulness and divine victory, and these wondrous scenes must be viewed with great veneration and reverence, and acknowledgment of prophecy. Such as the scene of Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, and his companion Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq when they were leaving out as migrants to flee Quraysh, while they had nothing, heading to the vest empty desert. At that time Suraqa ibn Malik was following them in order to grab and bring them back to Quraysh, but his horse could not even approach them. So, Suraqa ibn Malik decided to return back empty-handed, but he still asked Muhammad for a sign proofing that he had met him (PBUH). Muhammad had informed him of event far in time and space, promising Suraqa to would wear the bracelet of Khosrow (i.e. known also as Kisra). And this promise was still lingering in Suraqa’s heart until the time of caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab; as when Umar conquered Persia, he put the bracelet of Khosrow on Suraqa ibn Malik hand.
So what truthfulness, sincerity, honesty could we think of compared to this. This is beyond all forms as it rises and flows from the source of all truth- that is truthfulness by Lord of All Creation and with Him. O Allah, bestow Your favor on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have bestowed Your favor on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.
O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.