Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya nuna haƙuri da daidaito mai ban mamaki a tsawon rayuwarsa. Ka yi tunani a kan wani mutum da bai taba sanin mahaifinsa ba, ya rasa mahaifiyarsa tun yana karami, sannan ya rasa kakansa, daga bisani kuma ya rasa kawunsa da matarsa a lokaci guda. Ka yi tunani a kan wani mutum da ya rayu har ya shaida mutuwar biyar daga cikin 'ya'yansa shida, kuma aka dauke shi a matsayin barazana da wanda ake nema ruwa a jallo bayan shekaru da dama yana gina kyakkyawan suna a tsakanin mutanensa. Ka yi tunani a kan wani mutum da ya sha cin zarafin jiki har ya kan suma, mutanensa suka tilasta masa yunwa shekaru da dama, kuma ya fuskanci yakin kashe mutunci marar adadi. Ka yi tunani a kan wani mutum da aka kore shi daga gidansa, aka tilasta masa gudu zuwa Madina neman mafaka, sai ya tarar da munafukai a can suna jiran kowane dama don cin amanarsa. Ka yi tunani a kan wani mutum da yake kallon yunkurin kashe rayuwarsa yana faruwa akai-akai, da kuma kisan gilla da cin mutuncin 'yan uwansa da sahabbansa, sannan zargin bata sunan matarsa mai daraja ‘Aisha, 'yar abokinsa mafi aminci. Duk da haka, Annabi ﷺ ya ci gaba da jure wa da bege, kuma ya dage a kan kyawawan dabi'u marasa misaltuwa. Annabi ﷺ ya tashi daga wannan rami na mummunan yanayi, ba kawai ya tsira ba, sai dai ya zama tushen rahama da tausayi ga mutane, dabbobi da tsirrai baki daya.

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم showed exemplary endurance and consistency throughout his life. Consider a man who never knew his father, lost his mother at a young age, then lost his grandfather, and then his uncle and wife simultaneously. Consider a man who lived to witness five of his six children die, and who was treated like a menace and fugitive after decades of building a flawless reputation among his people. Consider a man who experienced physical abuse until he would faint, was starved for years by his own people, and faced countless campaigns of character assassination. Consider a man who was driven out of his home, sent fleeing to Madinah for shelter, only to find hypocrites there awaiting every opportunity to betray him. Consider a man watching assassination attempts against his life unfold regularly, as well as the murder and mutilation of his relatives and Companions, and then the slander of his cherished wife ‘Āishah , the daughter of his most loyal comrade. Somehow, he صلى الله عليه وسلم still persevered with hope and persisted in matchless ethics. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم rose from that abyss of negativity and not only survived but became a fountain of mercy and empathy for people, animals, and plants alike.

Ba ya kamata mu ɗauki wannan a matsayin mu'ujiza ba? Ba ya nuna cewa lallai an ba shi taimako na musamman daga sama ba ne?

Should we not consider this miraculous? Does it not suggest that he صلى الله عليه وسلم must have been granted unique aid from the heavens?

Allah kaɗai ne yake fitar da matattu daga cikin masu rai, yake kuma fitar da ruwa daga dutse, yake kuma renon fure a cikin hamada. Allah kaɗai ne zai iya sa shi yana murmushi a kowane lokaci, yana wasa da jikokinsa, yana riƙe da ƙa'idodinsa, yana kuma ɗaga ruhin waɗanda suka sha wahala ƙasa da shi sosai. Allah kaɗai ne zai iya ba shi ƙarfi ﷺ ya nuna tausayi ga marasa zuciya, gafara ga maƙiyansa, da kulawa ga masu girman kai. Allah kaɗai ne zai iya sa zuciyarsa ta kasance mai godiya a lokacin da wasu ba za su iya ma yin haƙuri ba, da zuciyarsa mai jin ƙai a lokacin da wasu ba za su iya ma yin adalci ba.

Only God brings the dead out of the living, and produces a spring from a rock, and nourishes a rose in the desert. Only God could have kept him smiling throughout, playing with his grandchildren, maintaining his principles, and lifting the spirits of those who had suffered so much less than him. Only God could have empowered him صلى الله عليه وسلم to have compassion for the heartless, forgiveness for his enemies, and concern for the arrogant. Only God could have kept his heart grateful at times when others could not even be patient, and his heart merciful at times when others could not even be just.

Duk da cewa misalan jurewarsa ba su ƙarewa ba, ya isa mutum mai gaskiya ya fahimci kansa da labarin ƙauracewar da aka yi a kwarin Abū Ṭālib. Tsawon shekara uku masu tsananin azaba, Annabi ﷺ ya kasance yana kallon yadda leɓunan sahabbansa suke juyewa kore saboda cin ganye da tauna fatun dabbobi, saboda matsananciyar yunwa da neman duk wani abinci. Ma'ana, ya kasance yana kallon yadda iyalansa mafi ƙaunata suke rauni a gaban idonsa a hankali. Khadījah da Abū Ṭālib sun raunana sosai saboda takunkumin har ba su taɓa murmurewa daga gare shi ba; dukansu sun mutu jim kaɗan bayan haka. Kuma bayan rasuwar kariyar Abū Ṭālib, Annabi ﷺ ya sha mafi wulakantacciyar mu'amala a rayuwarsa a cikin wannan shekarar.

Though the incidents reflecting his perseverance are innumerable, it suffices the honest person to simply familiarize himself with the boycott in the ravine of Abū Ṭālib. For an utterly brutal three years, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم watched the lips of his Companions turn green from eating leaves and gnawing at animal hides, out of desperation for any nourishment. In fact, he صلى الله عليه وسلم watched his dearest family members slowly deteriorate in front of his eyes. Khadījah  and Abū Ṭālib were so debilitated by the embargo that they never recovered from it; they both died soon thereafter. And with the protection of Abū Ṭālib gone, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم received in that year the most humiliating treatment of his life.

‘A'isha ta ruwaito cewa wata rana ta tambayi Annabi ﷺ, "Shin ka taba fuskantar wata rana mafi wahala fiye da ranar Yaƙin Uhudu?" Annabi ﷺ ya ce, "Kabilarku (Kuraishawa) sun sha wahala mai yawa a gare ni, amma babu abin da ya fi tsanani kamar ranar Aƙaba, lokacin da na gabatar da kaina ga (shugaban Ɗaif) Abdu Yalail ɗan Abdu Kulal, sai bai amsa mini yadda nake fata ba. Na tafi cikin baƙin ciki mai yawa, ban farfaɗo ba sai da na iske kaina a wata bishiya, inda na ɗaga kaina zuwa sama na ga wani gajimare yana inuwantar da ni. Na duba sama sai na ga Jibrilu." Ya kira ni yana cewa, "Allah ya ji maganganun da mutanenka suka faɗa maka da yadda suka amsa maka, kuma Allah ya aiko Mala'ikan Duwatsu domin ka umarce shi da duk abin da kake so ya yi wa waɗannan mutane." Mala'ikan Duwatsu ya gaishe ni ya ce, "Ya Muhammadu, ka umarta da abin da kake so, idan kana so, zan sa duwatsun nan biyu su faɗa musu." Na ce, "A'a, sai dai ina fatan Allah zai fitar daga zuriyarsu mutanen da za su bauta wa Allah shi kaɗai ba tare da sanya masa abokan tarayya ba."111

‘Āishah  reported that she once asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, “Have you ever encountered a more difficult day than the Battle of Uḥud?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, Your tribe (Quraysh) has troubled me a great deal, but nothing was worse than the day of ‘Aqabah when I presented myself to [the chief of Taif] ‘Abd Yālayl ibn ‘Abd Kulāl, and he did not respond as I had hoped. I eventually departed, overwhelmed with grief, and did not return to my senses until I found myself at a tree where I lifted my head towards the sky to see a cloud shading me. I looked up and saw Gabriel. He called out to me, saying, “Allah has heard your people’s statements to you and how they have replied, and Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.” The Angel of the Mountains greeted me and said, “O Muhammad, order what you wish, and if you like, I will let the two mountains fall upon them.” I said, “No, rather I hope that Allah will bring from their descendants people who will worship Allah alone without associating partners with Him.”111

A cikin wasu riwayoyi, ya ﷺ ya zauna a Ta'if na kwana goma bayan ya yi magana da shugabannin garin kuma ya kira mutanenta zuwa Musulunci, kafin taron mutane su taru don korarsa. Sai suka kafa layuka biyu suka tilasta shi ya bi ta tsakaninsu, suna ta jifan sa da zagi da duwatsu, har jini ya zubo daga kafafunsa masu albarka. Haka nan kan Zaid ɗan Haritha, ɗansa da ya riƙe, ya ji rauni a wannan harin yayin da yake ƙoƙarin kare shi ﷺ 112. Duk da haka, ko a cikin wannan lokaci mafi duhu, dukkan wannan azaba da baƙin ciki ba su karya juriyar Annabi ﷺ ba.

In other reports, he صلى الله عليه وسلم spent ten days in Taif after speaking to its leadership and calling its people to Islam, before the mobs gathered to drive him out. They then made two rows and forced him to walk through them, while they hurled obscenities and pelted stones until blood ran down his blessed legs. The head of Zayd ibn Ḥārithah , his adopted son, was also gashed in that assault as he attempted to shield him 112 .صلى الله عليه وسلم But even in that darkest hour, all this compounded anguish still did not break the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم perseverance.

Abin mamaki daidai yake: Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ bai taɓa rasa bege ga goyon bayan Allah da nasararsa ba, komai yawan yanayin da al'amarinsa zai iya bayyana kamar babu fata.113 Wannan kyakkyawan fata yana nuna zuciya cike da imani mai girma. Lokacin da Annabi ﷺ da Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq suka bar Makka don hijira, an bi sawunsu zuwa wani kogo. Ƴan haya sun tsaya a bakin kogon, kuma sai sun ɗan lanƙwasa don duba cikinsa, babu abin da zai hana su ganin Annabi ﷺ da kama shi. A wannan lokaci mai firgitarwa, lokacin da fid da zuciya zai shiga ko da zukatan da suka fi ƙarfi, Annabi ﷺ ya ce wa Sahabinsa cikin natsuwa, "Ya Abū Bakr, me kake tunani game da mutum biyu idan Allah yana na uku a cikinsu?"114 Daga baya Alƙur'ani ya ambaci wannan lamari yana cewa: {In ba ku taimaka wa Annabi ba, to lalle Allah ya riga ya taimake shi a lokacin da waɗanda suka kafirta suka fitar da shi [daga Makka] a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin biyu, a lokacin da suke cikin kogo, ya ce wa abokinsa: "Kada ka yi baƙin ciki; lalle Allah yana tare da mu." Sai Allah ya saukar da natsuwarsa a kansa, ya taimake shi da mala'iku waɗanda ba ku gani ba, ya sanya kalmar waɗanda suka kafirta ta zama ƙasa, kuma kalmar Allah ita ce mafi ɗaukaka. Allah Mai ƙarfi ne, Mai hikima.}115

It is equally remarkable how the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم never lost hope in the support and victory of Allah, regardless of how hopeless his situation would sometimes appear.113 This optimism tells of a heart filled with supreme faith. Upon leaving Mecca for the migration, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq  were tracked to a cave. Mercenaries stood at the mouth of the cave, and simply had to bend over to look inside, and nothing would have prevented them from noticing and capturing the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. In that unnerving moment, when despair would penetrate even the firmest of souls, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم calmly said to his Companion, “O Abū Bakr, what do you think of two when Allah is their third?”114 The Qur’an later referenced this incident by saying, If you do not aid the Prophet, Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Mecca] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his Companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’ And Allah sent down His tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.115

Wata mai shakka na iya tambaya ta yaya muka sani cewa Muhammad ﷺ bai ƙirƙira wannan aya ba bayan faruwar lamarin, don ya nuna hoto na ƙarya game da yadda yake da ƙudurin imani ga Allah. Irin wannan zato ba wai kawai yana yin watsi da amincin da aka tabbatar wa Muhammad ﷺ ba, har ma yana mantawa cewa Abū Bakr da kansa ya shaida yadda Manzon Allah ﷺ ya kasance cikin nutsuwa da kwanciyar hankali a waɗancan lokuta masu firgitarwa, kuma ya ci gaba da shaida haka tsawon shekaru bayan haka.

A skeptic may wonder how we know that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم did not fabricate this verse after the event, to portray a false image of his unwavering conviction in God? Such a suspicion not only ignores the established trustworthiness of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, but also overlooks that Abū Bakr  personally witnessed how calm and collected the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was in those terrifying moments and attested to it for years thereafter.

Haka dai imani da Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ke da shi ga addininsa ya kasance, wanda ta haka alkawarin Allah da zuciyarsa ta gani ya rinjayi rashin bege da idanunsa suke gani. Wannan yana kama da abin da ya faru da Musa a bakin teku: "Kuma a lokacin da ƙungiyoyin biyu (Isra'ilawa da rundunonin Fir'auna) suka ga juna, sahabban Musa suka ce: 'Lallai, za a kama mu!' Ya ce: 'A'a! Lallai, tare da ni akwai Ubangijina; zai shiryar da ni.'"116

Thus was the conviction the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم had in his faith, whereby the promise of Allah that his heart saw overrode the hopelessness his eyes saw. This is identical to what occurred to Moses  at the shore: “And when the two companies (the Israelites and Pharaoh’s legions) saw one another, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed, we are to be overtaken!’ He (Moses) said, ‘No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’”116

Wannan matakin tabbaci ya kasance na musamman ga Annabawa da Manzanni; ko da duniya ta rasa bege, ba za su taɓa karyewa ba.

This degree of certitude was unique to the Prophets and Messengers; even if the world lost hope, they would never unravel.

Wannan ya ba mu wani ɗan kallo na halin ban mamaki na Annabi Muhammad ﷺ. Kyakkyawan ɗabi'arsa ta gaskiya ta bayyana ga mutanen da suke nesa da zamaninsa shekaru aru-aru da tekuna.

The preceding provides a glimpse of the incredible personality of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. His truly great moral character was evident to those centuries and seas apart from his lifetime.

A cikin kalmomin Stanley Lane-Pool (d. 1931), wani masanin ilimin Gabas dan Birtaniya, ya ce: "Shi ne mafi aminci mai kare waɗanda yake karewa, kuma mafi daɗin magana da kyautatawa a hira. Waɗanda suka gan shi nan take sun cika da girmamawa; waɗanda suka kusance shi sun ƙaunace shi; waɗanda suka kwatanta shi kan ce, 'Ban taɓa ganin irinsa ba, kafin shi ko bayansa.' Ya kasance mai yawan yin shiru, amma idan ya yi magana sai ya yi da ƙarfi da tsayuwa, kuma babu wanda zai manta abin da ya faɗa."117

In the words of Stanley Lane-Pool (d. 1931), a British Orientalist, He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who described him would say, ‘I have never seen his like either before or after.’ He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said.117

Duk da cewa Annabi Muhammadu صلى الله عليه وسلم shi ne mutumin da aka fi bi a tarihin ɗan Adam (duba Babi na 3), sahabbansa su ne manyan masu bin sa, kuma wannan ne ya bambanta shaidarsu game da halayensa da gaskiyar saƙonsa. Idan ana auna amincin halin Muhammadu, dole ne a lura sosai yadda sahabbansa suka ƙaunace shi kuma suka koyi koyi da shi, har ma a cikin mafi ɓoye da ƙananan al'amuran yanayinsa. William Montgomery Watt (d. 2006), masanin tarihi ɗan Scotland kuma Farfesa Emeritus a fannin Nazarin Larabci da Musulunci, ya rubuta cewa: "Shirinsa na jure zalunci saboda imaninsa, da kyakkyawar ɗabi'ar mutanen da suka yi imani da shi suka kuma dube shi a matsayin shugaba, da girman babbar nasarar da ya samu, duk suna nuna amincinsa na asali. Zaton cewa Muhammadu mayaudari ne yana haifar da matsaloli fiye da waɗanda yake warwarewa. Haka kuma, babu wani babban mutum a tarihi da ake ƙima da shi kaɗan a Yamma kamar Muhammadu... Don haka, ba kawai dole ne mu yarda da gaskiyarsa da amincin manufarsa ba idan muna son fahimtarsa sosai; idan kuma muna son gyara kuskuren da muka gada daga baya, dole ne mu riƙe imani da gaskiyarsa a kowane lamari har sai an tabbatar da akasin haka a fili; kuma kada mu manta cewa tabbataccen shaida ta fi tsauri a buƙata fiye da kawai bayyanar gaskiya, kuma a al'amari irin wannan ana samun hakan da wahala."118

While the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the single most followed individual in human history (see Chapter 3), his greatest followers were undoubtedly his Companions, and this is what distinguishes their testimony for his character and the truth of his message. When evaluating the integrity of Muhammad’s character, one must not overlook how profoundly admired and emulated he was by his Companions, even in the most private and nuanced particularities of his demeanor. William Montgomery Watt (d. 2006), a Scottish historian and Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies, wrote, His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement—all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an imposter raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad… Thus, not merely must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty and integrity of purpose, if we are to understand him at all; if we are to correct the errors we have inherited from the past, we must in every particular case hold firmly to the belief in his sincerity until the opposite is conclusively proved; and we must not forget that conclusive proof is a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility, and in a matter such as this only to be attained with difficulty.118

Waɗannan Sahabbai sun yi gasa a tsakaninsu wajen koyi da murmushinsa, da sadaukarwarsa, da tsayuwarsa kan gaskiya, da hidimarsa ga ɗan Adam. Sun kasance cikin sha'awar sa har tsawon rayuwarsu saboda amincinsa, da kaifin tunaninsa, da daidaitattun ra'ayoyinsa, da taushin zuciyarsa wajen koyarwa, da ƙudurinsa, da kalamansa masu jan hankali. A cikin ɗaya daga cikin dubban labarai masu ban sha'awa da aka ruwaito daga farkon mabiyansa, ‘Alī ibn ‘Abī Ṭālib ya ce: "Idan ya kalli wani, sai ya kalli idanunsa. Shi ne mafi karimcin zuciya daga cikin mutane, mafi gaskiya a magana daga cikinsu, mafi laushin hali daga cikinsu, kuma mafi daraja a asali daga cikinsu. Duk wanda zai siffanta shi zai ce: Ban taɓa ganin wani kamarsa ba kafin shi ko bayansa."ﷺ119

These Companions outdid one another in emulating his smile, his selflessness, his standing for truth, and his service of humanity. They were captivated for a lifetime by his loyalty, his, his clarity of thought, his balanced opinions, his gentleness in teaching, his determination, and his charismatic speech. In one of dozens of riveting narrations that have been reported from his first wave of followers, ‘Alī ibn ‘Abī Ṭālib  says, When he looked at someone, he looked them in the eyes. He was the most generous-hearted of men, the most truthful of them in speech, the mildest-tempered of them and the noblest of them in lineage. Anyone who would describe him would say I never saw before or after him the like of him.119

Waɗannan Sahabbai ba kawai mutane ne nagari da suke yin salla da dare, suka sadaukar da rayuwarsu ga Allah ba. Misali, basirar Adalci Umar ɗan Khaɗɓabi ta samu karɓuwa daga masana tarihi da yawa. Ma'ana, littafin Columbia History of the World ya tabbatar da cewa Umar ya kafa wata hukuma mafi inganci fiye da ta daular Roma mai ƙarfi wadda ta gabaci mulkin Musulunci. Idan wani Balarabe daga cikin kabila zai iya gina gwamnatin tarayya mai ikon tsakiya, tare da sassaucin da zai sa yankunan kewaye da wannan ƙungiya su dore, kuma ta haka ya canza tafarkin tarihi, to dole ne a yarda cewa wannan ya kasance hazaƙa ta musamman. Kuma wannan mutum ɗaya ne kawai wanda ya yi imani da annabcin Muhammadﷺ, kuma ya yi koyi da shi cikin ƙauna mai zurfi.

These Companions were not merely good people who prayed at night and devoted their lives to God. The genius of just ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭ āb , for instance, has been recognized by many historians. In fact, the Columbia History of the World asserts how ‘Umar effected a superior bureaucracy than that of the juggernaut Roman Empire that preceded Muslim rule.120 When a tribal Arab can construct a federal government with centralized power, but also the flexibility to make the peripheries of this union sustainable—and through that change the course of history—one should concede that this was at least an exceptional mind. This is but one person who believed in the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, one who mimicked him with an deep admiration.

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq yana bayar da rabin dukiyarsa saboda Musulunci, Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ ya ki janye imaninsa duk da azaba da ba za a iya tunanin ta ba, da kuma Sumayyah bint Khayyāṭ aka kashe ta saboda ta ki yin kamar ba ta yarda da Muhammad ﷺ ba, ba abubuwa ne marasa muhimmanci ba. Waɗanda suka tsira kuma suka ɗauki babban aikin sanya ruhinsa da saƙonsa a cikin rayuwarsu, sun cancanci yabon Allah a cikin Alƙur'ani sosai: "Kun kasance mafi alherin al'umma da aka fito da ita ga mutane. Kuna umurni da abin da yake daidai, kuna hana abin da ba daidai ba, kuna kuma yin imani da Allah." Kasancewar irin waɗannan mutane, waɗanda suka san shi ﷺ kafin annabci da bayansa, suka ga halayensa na yau da kullum tsawon shekaru da dama, suna bin sa da irin wannan ƙwazo, alama ce bayyananniya ta yadda suka tabbata da shi ﷺ da manufarsa.

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq  giving half his wealth for the sake of Islam, Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ  refusing to recant his beliefs despite unthinkable torture, and Sumayyah bint Khayyāṭ  being executed for refusing to pretend she did not believe in Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, are not trivial events. As for those who survived, they undertook the momentous task of incorporating his spirit and message into their lives, making them fully deserving of God’s praise in the Qur’an: “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.”121 Being followed so ardently by this caliber of people, who experienced him before and after prophethood, and witnessed his daily behavior for decades, is a clear gauge as to how certain they were in him صلى الله عليه وسلم and his mission.