The Image of the Prophet of Islam in Muslim and Bahá'í Writings
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #60
Bosch Bahá'í School: Santa Cruz, California, USA
May 26–29, 2005
(see list of papers from #60)
The Prophet Muhammad, the Founder of Islam, was born in 570 A.D. in Mecca amongst one of the least cultured and developed societies of His age and died in 632 A.D. in Medina.
The image of this great Manifestation of God reaches us from three sources: His life-stories (Siras of the Prophet, e.g. Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasulullah) compiled a century or so later; the traditions (Hadiths, e.g. Sahih al-Bukhari) attributed to Him and His appointees, compiled within a few centuries from His time; and lastly the Qur'án, the Holy Book of Islam.
The first source (Siras) mostly reflect the thoughts and perceptions of the people of His age and the prevalent primitive and barbarian culture of the Arabian tribes, referred to by the Muslim Arabs themselves as Ayyamu'l-Jáhiliah (The days of ignorance).
The second source (Hadiths - Traditions) suffers from the uncertainties introduced from a few centuries of fabrications by His friends and enemies alike, reflecting the changes in the religious, political and cultural scenes of the then Muslim Empire. These misrepresentations are alleged statement of the Prophet, orally maintained for a few generations before being committed to paper. Lastly, remain the references to His Holiness Muhammad in the Qur'án. Given the literary style, brevity, and in some cases the ambiguity of such passages in the Qur'án, one finds oneself in need of the elucidations given by the Prophet and His trusted ones about those passages. The summary portrays a mixed image of this Manifestation of God that could not do justice to Him.
In this presentation we will learn that a great deal of the non-Muslim and occasionally Muslim criticisms that have been unjustly leveled against Muhammad are directly related to those Islamic sources. We will additionally see how these very sources supported by the subsequent re-interpretations and consolidations in the form of the Islamic religious laws (Shari'a) and their most recent enactment is now portraying the Islamic communities as radical, fundamentalist, intolerant, violent and regressive societies that tarnish the image of Islam and its Prophet-Founder.
In this paper we will review different aspects of the image of the Prophet Muhammad that emerge from the sources referred to above and contrast them with references from the Bahá'í Writings. We will conclude that His image as seen from the Islamic sources needs to be looked at anew and revised in many aspects based on the Bahá'í Writings. Finally, an image of the Prophet-Founder of Islam as seen in the Bahá'í sacred scriptures is offered.
in addition to the inaccuracies introduced inadvertently through the complex process of relating what each believer understood from an alleged statement of the Prophet, orally maintained for a few generations before being committed to paper. Lastly, remain the references to His Holiness Muhammad in the Qur'án. Given the literary style, brevity, and in some cases the ambiguity of such passages in the Qur'án, one finds oneself in need of the elucidations given by the Prophet and His trusted ones about those passages. The summary portrays a mixed image of this Manifestation of God that could not do justice to Him.
In this presentation we will learn that a great deal of the non-Muslim and occasionally Muslim criticisms that have been unjustly leveled against Muhammad are directly related to those Islamic sources. We will additionally see how these very sources supported by the subsequent re-interpretations and consolidations in the form of the Islamic religious laws (Shari'a) and their most recent enactment is now portraying the Islamic communities as radical, fundamentalist, intolerant, violent and regressive societies that tarnish the image of Islam and its Prophet-Founder.
In this paper we will review different aspects of the image of the Prophet Muhammad that emerge from the sources referred to above and contrast them with references from the Bahá'í Writings. We will conclude that His image as seen from the Islamic sources needs to be looked at anew and revised in many aspects based on the Bahá'í Writings. Finally, an image of the Prophet-Founder of Islam as seen in the Bahá'í sacred scriptures is offered.
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