Annabi ﷺ mutum ne wanda gaskiyarsa ta shahara ga mutanen da ke kewaye da shi. Ma'aikatansa sun ma ba shi laƙabin al-Amīn (Amintacce) a hukumance.51 Ko da yake sun tsananta masa, suka ƙi saƙonsa, har yanzu sun amince da shi da mafi daraja daga cikin dukiyoyinsu. ‘Āishah ta ce: "Ya ﷺ umarci ‘Alī da ya zauna a baya a Makka, don ya mayar da duk dukiyar da Manzon Allah ﷺ ya riƙe a matsayin amana ga mutane. Babu wani a Makka (har maƙiyansa ma) da yake da kayan daraja da yake tsoron rasa su, sai dai ya ajiye su wurin Manzon Allah ﷺ, saboda gaskiya da amincin da aka sani [ga kowa] game da shi. ‘Alī ya zauna a baya kwana uku da dare uku don ya mayar da duk abin da mutane suka amince da Manzon Allah ﷺ da shi, sannan ya riski Annabi ﷺ bayan ya kammala wannan aiki."52

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was a person whose honesty was common knowledge to those around him. In fact, his clansmen had officially titled him al-Amīn (the Trustworthy).51 Even when they persecuted him and rejected his message, they still trusted him with their most precious possessions. ‘Āishah  said, “He صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed ‘Alī  to stay behind in Mecca, to return all the property the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had held in trust for people. There was nobody in Mecca (even his enemies) who had valuables that he feared for except that he kept them with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, due to the honesty and trustworthiness that was known [to all] about him. ‘Alī  stayed back for three days and three nights to deliver everything entrusted by the people to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and then caught up with him صلى الله عليه وسلم after completing that task.”52

Gaskiyarsa ta bayyana sosai har ta kai ga mutane daga zamani daban-daban, asali daban-daban da addinai daban-daban suna gane ta. Lallai yana da wuya a yi tunanin mutum mai adalci yana karanta rayuwarsa sannan ya isa ga wata matsaya daban. Ko da yake masanin falsafa kuma masanin tarihi dan kasar Scotland, Thomas Carlyle (d. 1881), yana da shakku game da Musulunci, sha'awarsa ga gaskiyar Annabi na ƙarshe ﷺ wani lokaci kamar yana tsakanin shakka da wani yakini a fili.

His honesty was so evident that even people from different eras, backgrounds, and religions recognize it. It is indeed difficult to imagine a fair person reading his life and arriving at a different conclusion. Although the Scottish philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle (d. 1881) had his reservations about Islam, his fascination with the Final Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم sincerity at times seemed to veer between skepticism and apparent conviction.

Ga yadda yake sabawa sosai da ra'ayin cewa shi maƙaryaci ne, gaskiyar cewa ya rayu cikin wannan hanya marar aibu, mai natsuwa da ta yau da kullum, har zafin shekarunsa ya ƙare. Yana da shekara arba'in kafin ya yi magana game da wani aiki daga Sama. Duk abin da ake zargi ko aka ɗauka cewa ya yi, ya faru ne bayan shekararsa ta hamsin, lokacin da nagartacciyar Khadija ta rasu. Dukan burinsa, a bayyane, har zuwa lokacin, shi ne ya rayu rayuwa ta gaskiya; suna da shahararsa, wato kyakkyawan ra'ayin maƙwabta da suka san shi, ya isa har zuwa lokacin. Sai bayan ya fara tsufa… kwanciyar hankali kuma tana zama abu mafi muhimmanci da duniya za ta iya ba shi, ne ya fara "tafarkin buri," kuma, yana ƙaryata duk halayensa da rayuwarsa ta baya, aka kafa shi [ta hannun wasu] a matsayin wani matsoraci marar amfani da ya nemi abin da ba zai ƙara morewa ba! Dangane da ni, ban da wani imani kwata-kwata ga wannan [ra'ayin maƙaryaci].53

For instance, It goes greatly against the impostor-theory, the fact that he lived in this entirely unexceptionable, entirely quiet and commonplace way, till the heat of his years was done. He was forty before he talked of any mission from Heaven. All his irregularities, real and supposed, date from after his fiftieth year, when the good Kadijah died. All his ‘ambition,’ seemingly, had been, hitherto, to live an honest life; his ‘fame,’ the mere good-opinion of neighbours that knew him, had been sufficient hitherto. Not till he was already getting old… and peace growing to be the chief thing this world could give him, did he start on the ‘career of ambition;’ and, belying all his past character and existence, set up [by others] as a wretched empty charlatan to acquire what he could now no longer enjoy! For my share, I have no faith whatever in that [impostor-theory].53

A cikin wannan littafi ɗaya, Carlyle ya ce, "Ƙarairayi (zargin Yammacin Duniya)

In the same book, Carlyle says, “The lies (Western slander)

wane irin kishin da ke da niyya mai kyau ya tara a kewayen wannan mutum (Muhammad) ﷺ

which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad)

"…abin kunya ne ga kanmu kawai."54

are disgraceful to ourselves only.”54

Masana tarihi waɗanda suka yi watsi da ra'ayin cewa shi maƙaryaci ne, suka kuma ɗauki hakan a matsayin ƙarya mai tsananin ɓata suna, sun riga sun wanzu tun kafin Carlyle. Lokacin da Annabi Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ya fara rubuta wa Heraclius (ya rasu a shekara ta 641), sarkin Byzantium, yana kiransa zuwa ga Musulunci, Heraclius nan take ya aika da wata runduna don neman duk wanda zai tabbatar da ikirarin wannan mutum na annabci. Babban abokin gabar Muhammad a lokacin, Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb, na cikin waɗanda aka kama aka yi musu tambayoyi a gaban manyan jami'an Byzantium. Heraclius, wani kwamandan soja da ya kware a Littattafan Yahudawa da Kiristoci, ya yi wa Abū Sufyān jerin tambayoyi masu muhimmanci, sannan ya tabbatar da amsoshinsa ta wurin tambayar 'yan kabilarsa. Bayan kammala binciken, ga wasu daga cikin abin da Heraclius ya ce wa Abū Sufyān: "Na tambaye ka ko ka taɓa zarginsa da ƙarya kafin ya faɗi abin da ya faɗa [game da annabci]. Ka amsa da cewa a'a, kuma na sani cewa ba zai hana yin ƙarya kan mutane ba, sannan ya yi ƙarya a kan Allah… Na kuma tambaye ka ko ya taɓa yin cin amana [ga kowa]. Ka amsa da cewa a'a, kuma haka manzanni ba sa cin amana… Idan abin da kake faɗa gaskiya ne, zai mallaki wurin nan da ƙafafuna biyu suke. Kuma na sani [daga littattafai] cewa zai bayyana nan ba da jimawa ba, amma ban taɓa zaton zai fito daga cikinku ba. Da na sani zan iya isa gare shi lafiya, da na yi ƙoƙarin haduwa da shi. Kuma idan ina a gabansa, da kaina zan wanke masa ƙafafu."55

Historical figures who dismissed the imposter theory as preposterous slander existed well before Carlyle. When Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم first corresponded with Heraclius (d. 641), the Byzantine emperor, calling him to embrace Islam, Heraclius immediately dispatched a brigade to find anyone who could verify this man’s claims to prophethood. The leading adversary of Muhammad at that time, Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb, was among those apprehended and interrogated in the presence of the Byzantine dignitaries. Heraclius—a military commander versed in Judeo-Christian scriptures—asked Abū Sufyān a series of key questions, and then cross-checked his answers with his fellow clansmen. Upon completing his investigation, the following is some of what Heraclius said to Abū Sufyān, I asked you whether you ever accused him of lying before he stated what he stated [about prophethood]. You replied in the negative, and I know that he would not refrain from lying about others and then lie about God… And I asked you whether he ever betrayed [anyone]. You replied in the negative, and likewise the messengers never betray… If what you are saying is true, he will conquer the place of these two feet of mine. And I knew [from scripture] that he would soon emerge, but I never assumed that he would be from among you. And if I knew that I could reach him [safely], I would have been bent on meeting him. And if I were in his presence, I would personally wash his feet.55

Throughout human history, many impostors have claimed prophethood, but it was always only a matter of time before they were revealed to be either psychologically disturbed individuals or unscrupulous opportunists. The first category has never had any influence on the world stage, let alone produced a complete system of beliefs and laws that would earn the respect of thousands of scholars, historians, philosophers, and other wise men and women. The second category is eventually exposed with the passage of time as sinister and manipulative, with the notorious Joseph Smith (d. 1844) being an iconic example of this in recent history. These are inherent qualities that run through this second category, and it is to be expected, because just as lying about your friends is worse than lying about a stranger, and just as lying about your parents is worse than lying about your friends, there is nothing more vile than a person lying about God. So, when a man who had the unique impact on the world that Muhammad ﷺ had (see Chapter 3) was also known for his impeccable honesty, despite his public and private life being documented in granular detail, then his claim of being God's prophet should not be dismissed.

In the history of humanity, many imposters have claimed prophethood, but it was always a matter of time before they were discovered to either be psychologically disturbed individuals or unethical opportunists. The first category has never had any influence on the world stage, let alone produced a complete system of beliefs and laws that would earn the respect of thousands of sages, historians, philosophers, and other men and women of wisdom. The second category is eventually exposed with the passage of time as sinister and manipulative, with the notorious Joseph Smith (d. 1844) being an iconic example of this in recent history. These are endemic qualities that permeate this second category, and should be expected to, because just as lying about your friends is worse than lying about a random person, and just as lying about your parents is worse than lying about your friends, there is nothing uglier than a person lying about God. So, when a man who had the unique impact on the world that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم did (see Chapter 3) was also known for his impeccable honesty, despite his public and private life being documented with granular detail, then his claim of being God’s prophet should not be disregarded.

Wani tabbaci mai ƙarfi kuma na amincinsa shi ne tsayuwarsa kan ƙin barin kowa ya ɗaukaka shi fiye da kima. Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh ya ruwaito cewa a ranar da Ibrāhīm, ɗan Manzon Allah ﷺ, ya rasu, an yi kusufin rana. Sa’ad da mutane suka fara cewa kusufin yana da alaƙa da mutuwar wannan yaron, sai Manzon Allah ﷺ ya tashi nan take ya ce: “Rana da wata ba sa kusufi saboda mutuwar wani ko haihuwar wani. Sai dai su alamu ne guda biyu daga cikin alamun Allah, da Yake tsoratar da bayinsa da su. Idan kun ga kusufi, ku yi salla kuma ku roƙi Allah.”56 Da ace Annabi ﷺ mayaudari ne mai son kai, da wannan ya zama dama mafi dacewa da zai yi amfani da ita wajen ƙara darajarsa. Waɗannan abubuwa da suka faru a lokaci guda sun zama wata dama babba ga duk wani buri na kansa, amma Annabi ﷺ bai bari wasu su fassara wannan da cewa sama tana baƙin ciki saboda Ibrāhīm ba. Ko da yake zuciyarsa ta yi zafi saboda babban rashin da ya same shi, ya hau mimbari, ya musanta wannan fassarar ƙarya, kuma ya tabbatar da cewa kusufi ba ya bin komai sai tsarin sararin samaniya da Allah ya kafa a cikin halitta.

Another powerful testament to his integrity was his adamant refusal to allow anyone to aggrandize him. Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh  narrates that there was a solar eclipse on the day that Ibrāhīm, the son of Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, had died. When the people began to say that the eclipse was due to the death of this young child, Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم rose at once and said, “The sun and the moon are not eclipsed because of the death or birth of anyone. Rather, they are two of God’s signs, by which He instills fear in His slaves. When you see an eclipse, pray and invoke God.”56 Had the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم been a narcissistic imposter, this would have been the perfect opportunity to capitalize on such a convenient credibility booster. These coinciding events represented an immense opportunity for any personal agenda, and yet the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would not allow others to interpret this as the skies being saddened for Ibrāhīm. Though hurting from the tragic loss, he صلى الله عليه وسلم still ascended the pulpit, dismissed the false interpretation, and established that eclipses follow nothing but the cosmic order set by God in the created universe.

A wani lokacin, Ḥudhayfah b. al-Yamān ya zo wurin Annabi ﷺ kafin Yakin Badr da wata matsala ta ɗabi'a.

On another occasion, Ḥudhayfah b. al-Yamān  came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prior to the Battle of Badr with an ethical dilemma.

Mushrikan Quraishawa sun saki Huzaifah da mahaifinsa ne bisa sharadin cewa ba zai shiga cikin sahun Muhammadﷺ ba, ya yaƙi Quraishawa tare da shi. Duk da cewa rundunar Musulmi tana cikin rauni kuma tana shirin fuskantar sojojin abokan gaba da suka ninka ta sau uku, Annabiﷺ ya ce, "To ku ci gaba [zuwa Madina]. Za mu cika alkawarinmu a gare su, kuma za mu nemi taimakon Allah a kansu."57 Ɗabi'unsa na annabta ba su yarda ba, koda yana cikin matsayi mai matuƙar rauni, ya sulhunta kan ƙa'idodin gaskiya da adalci.

The pagans of Quraysh had just released Ḥudhayfah and his father on the condition that he would not join Muhammad’s ranks and fight Quraysh alongside him. Despite the Muslim army being disadvantaged and about to face a military force three times its size, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم still said, “Then proceed on [to Madinah]. We will keep our promise to them, and we will seek aid from Allah against them.”57 His prophetic morals did not allow him صلى الله عليه وسلم, even in an extremely vulnerable position, to compromise the principles of honesty and uprightness.