Through out the realm of the history we come across great personalities working on the expanse of their kingdom, having the material well-being of theirs and their subjects in their mind. But none in the history could ever match the Prophet (peace be upon him) who had multiple roles to perform in the human history of establishing the Universal
Spiritual Truth to the precision.
It took a thousand years for the Moguls and the British to build a vast land into a country called India; eight hundred years by the Moguls and two hundred years by the British.
To build an empire of the land extent equal to that of India, Prophet, the Man Supreme took just ten years. Unlike any other ruler on earth, the Prophet struck the perfect harmonious balance between the social and physical needs and the spiritual needs of man.
Besides shouldering the responsibility of a ruler, he had another significant role to perform. He was destined to be the actual spiritual head of the True Religion of Islam that God perfected and introduced to the entire mankind. In a way, the spiritual leadership is mightier than sovereignty on earth.
When people obey to political leadership they do it due to the fear of the rulers worldly power. Anyway, their obedience is not whole-hearted and full-fledged. But when the people abide by the spiritual leadership they do it in all devotion and piety.
We witness these days that scholars and rulers are down on their knees in adoration before the spiritual head. Even potentates fall prostrated to these spiritual heads in total submission. If this is the respect paid to one among the thousands of spiritual leaders of the religions founded by unknown men, it will be needless to say or guess what a great deal of respect people must be paying to the true spiritual leader of the Religion of God.
The Prophet has had such great followers that they adapt his gait, gesture and attire without even the slightest touch of modification. Although he possessed the unchallenged spiritual leadership and unshakeable political power, we wonder at the way he conducted himself in all aspects. He did not behave in the way the brass heads and the others, ambitious for power and positions conducted themselves.
Did the Prophet in possession of such great influence and power ever make use of this privilege to accumulate wealth and acquire properties?
Did he bother to make a better living condition for him?
Did he get involved in the mirth, play and pleasantries of a royal palace?
People who have attained leadership in politics and spirituality made full use of their power and their positions to their advantage. Suppose the Head of a nation has lost his power within a few months after he was sworn in. Would this former ruler as well as his family members still own exactly the same amount of property and wealth that they all owned just before this man became the ruler? No. Surely he would have gained a great deal of money, wealth, and properties thousand times what he owned before swearing in as the Head of the state. At the wake of the present sophisticated political structure, it is not even necessary to be the Head of a State to make such fast money. Less powerful regents live the life of a king, and they make money, wealth and property in their name and in their family name. This is a common scene these days.
There are occasions where parliamentarians and legislators, commissioners and councillors, chieftains and officials less powerful than the ministers or senators, misuse their power to make fast money and acquire enormous amount of wealth. The magnitude of the wealth thus swindled is in multiplication of thousands of times what they possessed before taking on charge.
We need not have deep knowledge on history or authenticity to realize this fact. Some of the contemporary leaders living right before our eyes serve the best witness to us.
No leader directly says, I am not corrupt, to counter any corruption charges against him. He is rather ironical and counters, Tell me if you have never been corrupt? Who is not corrupt these days? This is the case when we have courts and legislative bodies to punish the corrupt leaders and rulers in power, powerful media to expose them and opponent parties to challenge them. Now, just imagine how liberally the rulers of the past would have conducted their life in the absence of all these instruments in their time.
History is full of evidences. The lavish palaces, sybaritic citadels and posh apartments for fun and pleasantries, and also their grandeur and extravaganza stand witness to this day.
Rulers who made their thrones out of gold and raised opulent marble tombs for their darling lovers are inscribed as prominent ones in history!
Prophet Muhammad, the Man Supreme ruled in an era when such follies were the order of the day. Around his nation ruled great kings like Hiracleus of Roman Empire and Quisra of Persia. No one could have raised a finger against the Prophet even if he had conducted his reign just like these kings or even better than that.
Did he live the life of a king?
Did he enjoy the splendours and grandeur of a palace?
Did he accumulate wealth and luxurious articles?
Did he build lofty towers and gorgeous buildings and acquire towns to add to his property list?
Did he leave a huge amount of wealth behind him to his inheritors?
One can say one has not done any of the above feats during ones reign, only when he has not made wealth by exploiting his power and position.
Any length of deep search in history only says a sweet No to all the above questions as far as the Prophet is concerned.
Mans first need is food. Man earns more and more to have delicacy in his plate. This Epicurean attitude eventually makes the man live to eat rather than just eat to live. Let us see what the Prophet ate for his sustenance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to eat the humblest food while he was enjoying the highest positions of both a ruler and a spiritual head.
He never even cared to look at the rich delicacies that the great rulers used to enjoy. He was not even used to eating the food of an average man. History provides sufficient citation to this fact:
Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) said to me, O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent, and then the crescent; in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Gods Apostle. I said, O my aunt! Then what used to sustain you? Aisha said, The two black things: dates and water, our neighbours from Ansar (Muslims of Madinah) used to present Gods Apostle some of their milk and he used to make us drink.
Narrated by Urva (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 3.741
I asked Sahl bin Sad (May God be pleased with his deeds) , Did Gods Apostle ever eat white flour? Sahl said, Gods Apostle never saw white flour since God sent him as an Apostle till He took him unto Him. I asked, Did the people have sieves during the lifetime of Gods Apostle? Sahl said, Gods Apostle never saw a sieve since God sent him as an Apostle until He took him unto Him, I said, How could you eat barley unsifted? he said, We used to grind it and then blow off its husk, and after the husk flew away, we used to prepare the dough (bake) and eat it. Narrated by Abu Hasim (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.324
The family of Muhammad did not eat their fill for three successive days till he died. Narrated by Abu Hurraira (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.287A
The family of Muhammad had never eaten their fill of wheat bread for three successive days since they had migrated to Madinah till the death of the Prophet.
Narrated by Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) – Buhari 8.461
I asked Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) Did the Prophet forbid eating the meat of sacrifices offered on Id-ul-Adha for more than three days She said, The Prophet did not do this except in the year when the people were hungry, so he wanted the rich to feed the poor. But later we used to store even a trotter of a sheep to eat it fifteen days later. She was asked, What compelled you to do so? She smiled and said, The family of Muhammad did not eat to their satisfaction white bread with meat soup for three successive days till he met God. Narrated by Abis (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.334
We used to go to Anas bin Malik (May God be pleased with his deeds) and see his baker standing (preparing the bread). Anas said, Eat. I have not known that the Prophet ever saw a thin well-baked loaf of bread till he died, and he never saw a roasted sheep with his eyes.
Narrated by Qatada (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 8.464
Anas went to the Prophet with barley bread having some dissolved fat on it. The Prophet had mortgaged his armour to a Jew in Madinah and took from him some barley for his family. Anas heard him saying, The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Sa of wheat or food grains for the evening meal, although he has nine wives to look after.
Narrated by Qatada (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 3.283
The Prophets servant Anas reported that he saw the Prophet lying on empty stomach in the mosque. He reported this to his mother Umm Sulaim. She said that she had just had one bread and a few date fruits. If he would come alone, he could have his fill. If he would come with someone else then he would not be satisfying his hunger. – Muslim
Abu Hurraira (May God be pleased with his deeds) reported that he passed by a group of people in front of whom there was a roasted sheep. They invited him but he refused to eat and said, Gods Apostle left this world without satisfying his hunger even with barley bread. – Buhari 7.325
Gods Messenger (peace be upon him) asked his family for condiment. They (the members of his household) said:We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said; Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.
Narrated by Jabir Ibn Abdullah (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Muslim 5093
I was standing under the sunshade in my house. The Prophet then was walking past me. As I saw them I went close to him and followed him. When he called me to come close I went yet closer. He held my hand and walked on. As soon as he reached his house he inquired whether there was any breakfast. The people at home replied affirmatively and brought three breads. The Prophet asked if there was any condiment. They said there is nothing but a little vinegar. The Prophet ordered them to bring it. They brought it and kept one bread each. The third bread was sliced into two and they placed one half to me and the other was preserved for them.
Reported by Jabir – Muslim
There was an Ansari (a native Muslim of Madhina) nicknamed, Abu Shuaib (May God be pleased with his deeds) who had a slave, a butcher. He came to the Prophet while he was sitting with his companions and noticed the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet. So he went to his butcher slave and said, Prepare for me a meal sufficient for five persons so that I may invite the Prophet along with four other men. He had the meal prepared for him and invited him. A (sixth) man followed them. The Prophet said, O Abu Shuaib! Another man has followed us. If you wish, you may invite him; and if you wish, you may refuse him.Abu Shuaib said, No, I will admit him. Narrated by Abu Masud Al Ansari (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.371
Gods Messenger (peace be upon him) went out (of his house) one day or one night, and there he found Abu Bakr and Umar also. He said: What has brought you out of your houses at this hour? They said: Gods Messenger, it is hunger. Thereupon he said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, what has brought you out has brought me out too Narrated by Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi (May God be pleased with his deeds)Muslim, Almuwatta 49.28
We should examine these evidences at various angles. It is no surprise for a man steeped in poverty to eat humble food.
Spiritual Truth to the precision.
It took a thousand years for the Moguls and the British to build a vast land into a country called India; eight hundred years by the Moguls and two hundred years by the British.
To build an empire of the land extent equal to that of India, Prophet, the Man Supreme took just ten years. Unlike any other ruler on earth, the Prophet struck the perfect harmonious balance between the social and physical needs and the spiritual needs of man.
Besides shouldering the responsibility of a ruler, he had another significant role to perform. He was destined to be the actual spiritual head of the True Religion of Islam that God perfected and introduced to the entire mankind. In a way, the spiritual leadership is mightier than sovereignty on earth.
When people obey to political leadership they do it due to the fear of the rulers worldly power. Anyway, their obedience is not whole-hearted and full-fledged. But when the people abide by the spiritual leadership they do it in all devotion and piety.
We witness these days that scholars and rulers are down on their knees in adoration before the spiritual head. Even potentates fall prostrated to these spiritual heads in total submission. If this is the respect paid to one among the thousands of spiritual leaders of the religions founded by unknown men, it will be needless to say or guess what a great deal of respect people must be paying to the true spiritual leader of the Religion of God.
The Prophet has had such great followers that they adapt his gait, gesture and attire without even the slightest touch of modification. Although he possessed the unchallenged spiritual leadership and unshakeable political power, we wonder at the way he conducted himself in all aspects. He did not behave in the way the brass heads and the others, ambitious for power and positions conducted themselves.
Did the Prophet in possession of such great influence and power ever make use of this privilege to accumulate wealth and acquire properties?
Did he bother to make a better living condition for him?
Did he get involved in the mirth, play and pleasantries of a royal palace?
People who have attained leadership in politics and spirituality made full use of their power and their positions to their advantage. Suppose the Head of a nation has lost his power within a few months after he was sworn in. Would this former ruler as well as his family members still own exactly the same amount of property and wealth that they all owned just before this man became the ruler? No. Surely he would have gained a great deal of money, wealth, and properties thousand times what he owned before swearing in as the Head of the state. At the wake of the present sophisticated political structure, it is not even necessary to be the Head of a State to make such fast money. Less powerful regents live the life of a king, and they make money, wealth and property in their name and in their family name. This is a common scene these days.
There are occasions where parliamentarians and legislators, commissioners and councillors, chieftains and officials less powerful than the ministers or senators, misuse their power to make fast money and acquire enormous amount of wealth. The magnitude of the wealth thus swindled is in multiplication of thousands of times what they possessed before taking on charge.
We need not have deep knowledge on history or authenticity to realize this fact. Some of the contemporary leaders living right before our eyes serve the best witness to us.
No leader directly says, I am not corrupt, to counter any corruption charges against him. He is rather ironical and counters, Tell me if you have never been corrupt? Who is not corrupt these days? This is the case when we have courts and legislative bodies to punish the corrupt leaders and rulers in power, powerful media to expose them and opponent parties to challenge them. Now, just imagine how liberally the rulers of the past would have conducted their life in the absence of all these instruments in their time.
History is full of evidences. The lavish palaces, sybaritic citadels and posh apartments for fun and pleasantries, and also their grandeur and extravaganza stand witness to this day.
Rulers who made their thrones out of gold and raised opulent marble tombs for their darling lovers are inscribed as prominent ones in history!
Prophet Muhammad, the Man Supreme ruled in an era when such follies were the order of the day. Around his nation ruled great kings like Hiracleus of Roman Empire and Quisra of Persia. No one could have raised a finger against the Prophet even if he had conducted his reign just like these kings or even better than that.
Did he live the life of a king?
Did he enjoy the splendours and grandeur of a palace?
Did he accumulate wealth and luxurious articles?
Did he build lofty towers and gorgeous buildings and acquire towns to add to his property list?
Did he leave a huge amount of wealth behind him to his inheritors?
One can say one has not done any of the above feats during ones reign, only when he has not made wealth by exploiting his power and position.
Any length of deep search in history only says a sweet No to all the above questions as far as the Prophet is concerned.
Mans first need is food. Man earns more and more to have delicacy in his plate. This Epicurean attitude eventually makes the man live to eat rather than just eat to live. Let us see what the Prophet ate for his sustenance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to eat the humblest food while he was enjoying the highest positions of both a ruler and a spiritual head.
He never even cared to look at the rich delicacies that the great rulers used to enjoy. He was not even used to eating the food of an average man. History provides sufficient citation to this fact:
Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) said to me, O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent, and then the crescent; in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Gods Apostle. I said, O my aunt! Then what used to sustain you? Aisha said, The two black things: dates and water, our neighbours from Ansar (Muslims of Madinah) used to present Gods Apostle some of their milk and he used to make us drink.
Narrated by Urva (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 3.741
I asked Sahl bin Sad (May God be pleased with his deeds) , Did Gods Apostle ever eat white flour? Sahl said, Gods Apostle never saw white flour since God sent him as an Apostle till He took him unto Him. I asked, Did the people have sieves during the lifetime of Gods Apostle? Sahl said, Gods Apostle never saw a sieve since God sent him as an Apostle until He took him unto Him, I said, How could you eat barley unsifted? he said, We used to grind it and then blow off its husk, and after the husk flew away, we used to prepare the dough (bake) and eat it. Narrated by Abu Hasim (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.324
The family of Muhammad did not eat their fill for three successive days till he died. Narrated by Abu Hurraira (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.287A
The family of Muhammad had never eaten their fill of wheat bread for three successive days since they had migrated to Madinah till the death of the Prophet.
Narrated by Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) – Buhari 8.461
I asked Aisha (May God be pleased with her deeds) Did the Prophet forbid eating the meat of sacrifices offered on Id-ul-Adha for more than three days She said, The Prophet did not do this except in the year when the people were hungry, so he wanted the rich to feed the poor. But later we used to store even a trotter of a sheep to eat it fifteen days later. She was asked, What compelled you to do so? She smiled and said, The family of Muhammad did not eat to their satisfaction white bread with meat soup for three successive days till he met God. Narrated by Abis (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.334
We used to go to Anas bin Malik (May God be pleased with his deeds) and see his baker standing (preparing the bread). Anas said, Eat. I have not known that the Prophet ever saw a thin well-baked loaf of bread till he died, and he never saw a roasted sheep with his eyes.
Narrated by Qatada (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 8.464
Anas went to the Prophet with barley bread having some dissolved fat on it. The Prophet had mortgaged his armour to a Jew in Madinah and took from him some barley for his family. Anas heard him saying, The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Sa of wheat or food grains for the evening meal, although he has nine wives to look after.
Narrated by Qatada (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 3.283
The Prophets servant Anas reported that he saw the Prophet lying on empty stomach in the mosque. He reported this to his mother Umm Sulaim. She said that she had just had one bread and a few date fruits. If he would come alone, he could have his fill. If he would come with someone else then he would not be satisfying his hunger. – Muslim
Abu Hurraira (May God be pleased with his deeds) reported that he passed by a group of people in front of whom there was a roasted sheep. They invited him but he refused to eat and said, Gods Apostle left this world without satisfying his hunger even with barley bread. – Buhari 7.325
Gods Messenger (peace be upon him) asked his family for condiment. They (the members of his household) said:We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said; Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.
Narrated by Jabir Ibn Abdullah (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Muslim 5093
I was standing under the sunshade in my house. The Prophet then was walking past me. As I saw them I went close to him and followed him. When he called me to come close I went yet closer. He held my hand and walked on. As soon as he reached his house he inquired whether there was any breakfast. The people at home replied affirmatively and brought three breads. The Prophet asked if there was any condiment. They said there is nothing but a little vinegar. The Prophet ordered them to bring it. They brought it and kept one bread each. The third bread was sliced into two and they placed one half to me and the other was preserved for them.
Reported by Jabir – Muslim
There was an Ansari (a native Muslim of Madhina) nicknamed, Abu Shuaib (May God be pleased with his deeds) who had a slave, a butcher. He came to the Prophet while he was sitting with his companions and noticed the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet. So he went to his butcher slave and said, Prepare for me a meal sufficient for five persons so that I may invite the Prophet along with four other men. He had the meal prepared for him and invited him. A (sixth) man followed them. The Prophet said, O Abu Shuaib! Another man has followed us. If you wish, you may invite him; and if you wish, you may refuse him.Abu Shuaib said, No, I will admit him. Narrated by Abu Masud Al Ansari (May God be pleased with his deeds) – Buhari 7.371
Gods Messenger (peace be upon him) went out (of his house) one day or one night, and there he found Abu Bakr and Umar also. He said: What has brought you out of your houses at this hour? They said: Gods Messenger, it is hunger. Thereupon he said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, what has brought you out has brought me out too Narrated by Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi (May God be pleased with his deeds)Muslim, Almuwatta 49.28
We should examine these evidences at various angles. It is no surprise for a man steeped in poverty to eat humble food.