Payg'ambar Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم namunali sabr-toqat va qat'iyatni namoyon etdi. Bir odamni tasavvur qiling: u otasini ko'rmagan, yosh chog'ida onasidan ayrilgan, so'ngra bobosidan mahrum bo'lgan, keyin esa amakisi va xotinidan bir vaqtning o'zida ajralgan. Yana bir odamni tasavvur qiling: u besh farzandining vafotini ko'rgan, o'n yillar davomida qavmi orasida nuqsonsiz obro'ga ega bo'lgach, unga fitnachi va qochoq sifatida munosabat bildirilgan. Yana bir odamni tasavvur qiling: u jismoniy zulmga shu darajada duch kelganki, hushini yo'qotguncha urilgan, yillar davomida o'z qavmi tomonidan och qoldirilgan va sonsiz obro'sizlantirish hujumlariga uchragan. Yana bir odamni tasavvur qiling: u uyidan haydalib, panoh topish uchun Madinaga qochishga majbur bo'lgan, ammo u yerda ham uni xiyonat qilishni kutib turgan munofiqlarni topgan. Yana bir odamni tasavvur qiling: u hayotiga qarshi muntazam suiqasd urinishlarini, qarindoshlari va sahobalarining o'ldirilishi va buzib tashlanishini, so'ngra eng sevimli xotini, eng sadoqatli sahobasining qizi ‘Oishaning tuhmatga uchrashini ko'rgan. Shunga qaramay, u صلى الله عليه وسلم umid bilan sabr qildi va o'zigagina xos benuqson axloqini davom ettirdi. Payg'ambar صلى الله عليه وسلم o'sha salbiylik jarligidan ko'tarilib, nafaqat omon qoldi, balki odamlarga, hayvonlarga va o'simliklarga rahmat va mehr manbaiga aylandi.

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.

Shouldn't we consider this miraculous? Doesn't it suggest that he ﷺ must have been granted unique aid from the heavens?

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?

Faqat Alloh tirik ichidan o‘likni chiqaradi, toshdan buloq chiqaradi va cho‘lda atirgulni oziqlantiradi. Faqat Alloh uni butun umri davomida tabassum qildirishi, nevaralari bilan o‘ynashi, o‘z tamoyillarini saqlashi va u bilan solishtirganda ancha kam azob chekkanlarning ruhini ko‘tarishi mumkin edi. Faqat Alloh unga yuraksizlarga rahm-shafqat, dushmanlariga kechirim va takabburlarga g‘amxo‘rlik qilish qudratini bergan bo‘lishi mumkin edi ﷺ. Faqat Alloh uning qalbini boshqalar sabr qila olmagan paytlarda shukronali, boshqalar adolatli bo‘la olmagan paytlarda esa mehribon qilib saqlashi mumkin edi.

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.

Garchi sabr-bardoshligini ko'rsatadigan voqealar sanoqsiz bo'lsa-da, halol insonga Abū Ṭālib shi'besidagi boykotni bilib olishning o'zi kifoya. Uch yil davomida dahshatli darajada og'ir sharoitda Payg'ambar ﷺ sahobalarining, ozgina oziq topish umidida barglarni va hayvon terilarini chaynaganidan lablari yashil tusga kirganini ko'rdi. Ha, u ﷺ o'z eng yaqin oila a'zolarining ko'z o'ngida asta-sekin holdan toyganini ham kuzatdi. Xadija va Abū Ṭālib bu qamal tufayli shunchalik darmonsiz bo'lib qoldiki, undan boshqa hech qachon to'liq tuzala olmadilar va ikkalasi ham ko'p o'tmay vafot etdi. Abū Ṭālibning himoyasi yo'qolgach, Payg'ambar ﷺ o'sha yili hayotidagi eng xo'rlovchi muomalaga duch keldi.

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.

Oishaʼ rivoyat qilishicha, u bir kuni Payg‘ambar ﷺdan so‘radi: “Uhud jangidan ham qiyin kuningiz bo‘lganmi?” Payg‘ambar ﷺ aytdilar: “Qavmingiz (Quraysh) menga juda ko‘p azob berdi, ammo eng og‘ir kun ‘Aqabah kuni bo‘ldi. O‘shanda men o‘zimni Ta’if (boshlig‘i) ‘Abd Yolayl ibn ‘Abd Kulol oldiga taqdim etdim, u men umid qilganimdek javob bermadi. Oxir-oqibat qayg‘u bilan qaytib ketdim va o‘zimga kelganimda, Qarn as-Solibga yetgan edim. Boshimni osmonga ko‘tarib qarasam, meni soyalab turgan bir bulut ko‘rdim. Qarasam, unda Jabroil bor edi. U menga nido qilib dedi: “Albatta, Alloh taolo qavmingizning sizga aytgan so‘zlarini va ularning sizga qanday javob berganini eshitdi. Alloh tog‘lar farishtasini yubordi, shunda siz unga bu odamlarga istaganingizni qilishni buyurishingiz mumkin.” Tog‘lar farishtasi menga salom berib dedi: “Ey Muhammad! Istaganingizni buyuring. Agar xohlasangiz, ikki tog‘ni ularning ustiga qulataman.” Men dedim: “Yo‘q, aksincha, umid qilamanki, Alloh ulardan shunday avlodlar chiqarsinki, ular Allohga hech narsani sherik qilmay, faqat Uning O‘ziga ibodat qiladilar.”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

Boshqa rivoyatlarda, u zot ﷺ Ta'if aholisining rahbarlari bilan suhbatlashib, ularni Islomga da'vat qilganlaridan so'ng, o'n kun Ta'ifda qolgan, so'ngra uni haydab chiqarish uchun olomon yig'ilgan. Keyin ular ikki qator bo'lib turib, uni o'rtalaridan o'tishga majbur qilganlar, shu paytda esa so'kinishlar yog'dirib, toshbo'ron qilganlar, natijada muborak oyoqlaridan qon oqqan. Bu hujum paytida uning o'g'li o'rnida bo'lgan Zayd ibn Horisa ham uni himoya qilmoqchi bo'lganida boshidan yaralangan. Lekin o'sha eng qora kunda ham bu ketma-ket keladigan og'ir azob-uqubatlar Payg'ambarning ﷺ sabr-toqatini sindira olmadi.

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.

Payg'ambar Muhammad ﷺ ning vaziyati qanchalik umidsiz ko'rinmasin, Allohning yordami va g'alabasiga hech qachon umid uzmagani ham shunchalik ajoyib edi. Bu optimizm yuksak iymon bilan to'lgan qalbdan darak beradi. Makkadan hijratga chiqqanlarida Payg'ambar ﷺ va Abu Bakr as-Siddiq g'or tomon izlab topildi. Yollangan kishilar g'orning og'zida turishar edi; ular faqat egilib ichkariga qarashlari kifoya edi, va hech narsa ularni Payg'ambar ﷺ ni payqashdan va asirga olishdan to'sa olmasdi. O'sha xavotirli daqiqada, hatto eng mustahkam qalblarni ham nomidlik kirib boradigan paytda, Payg'ambar ﷺ o'z sahobiysiga xotirjamlik bilan dedi: "Ey Abu Bakr, Alloh uchinchisi bo'lgan ikki kishi haqida nima deb o'ylaysan?" Qur'oni karim keyinchalik bu voqeaga ishora qilib shunday deydi: {Agar siz Payg'ambarga yordam bermasangiz, kofirlar uni ikki kishidan biri sifatida (Makkadan) chiqarib yuborganlarida, ular g'orda bo'lganlarida, u o'z sahobiysiga: "G'amgin bo'lma, albatta Alloh biz bilan birgadir", degan paytda Alloh unga yordam bergan edi. Alloh unga xotirjamligini nozil qildi va siz ko'rmagan farishtalar bilan uni quvvatladi, kofirlarning so'zini esa eng past qildi. Allohning so'zi esa eng oliydir. Alloh qudratli va hikmat egasidir.}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

Shubhali odam, bu oyatni Muhammad ﷺ voqeadan keyin o‘zi to‘qib, o‘zining Allohga bo‘lgan qat’iy e’tiqodini ko‘rsatish uchun uydirgan bo‘lishi mumkin, degan savolni berishi mumkin. Bunday gumon nafaqat Muhammad ﷺ ning tan olingan ishonchliligini e’tibordan chetda qoldiradi, balki Abu Bakr ning o‘sha dahshatli daqiqalarda Allohning Elchisi ﷺ ning qanchalik xotirjam va o‘zini bosib turganini bevosita ko‘rganini va buni yillar davomida tasdiqlab kelganini ham nazardan chetda qoldiradi.

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.

Shunday qilib, Payg'ambar Muhammad ﷺ imonida shunday ishonch bor edi: uning ko'zi ko'rgan umidsizlikdan ko'ra, yuragi ko'rgan Allohning va'dasi ustun keldi. Bu Muso (alayhissalom)ning dengiz qirg'oqida boshidan kechirgani bilan aynan bir xildir: "Ikki to'da bir-birini ko'rganda, Muso (alayhissalom)ning yo'ldoshlari dedilar: "Albatta, bizni yetib olishadi!" U (Muso) dedi: "Yo'q! Albatta, men bilan birga Robbim bor, U meni yo'lga boshlaydi."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

Bu darajadagi ishonch faqat Payg'ambarlar va Elchilarga xos edi; dunyo umidni yo'qotgan taqdirda ham ular hech qachon ishonchlarini yo'qotmas edilar.

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

Yuqoridagilar Payg'ambar Muhammad ﷺning ajoyib shaxsiyatidan bir lavha beradi. Uning haqiqatan ham buyuk axloqiy fazilatlari, uning hayot davridan asrlar va dengizlar narida yashagan kishilarga ham ravshan namoyon bo'ldi.

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.

Stanley Lane-Pool (vafoti 1931), ingliz sharqshunosi so'zlariga ko'ra, u o'zi himoya qilganlarning eng sadoqatli himoyachisi, suhbatda eng shirin va eng yoqimli inson edi. Uni ko'rganlar birdan hurmat-ehtiromga to'lardi; unga yaqin kelganlar uni sevib qolardi; uni ta'riflaganlar shunday deyishardi: "Men uning o'xshashini na undan oldin, na undan keyin ko'rganman." U juda kam gapirardi, lekin gapirganda so'zlarini ta'kidlab va o'ylab aytardi, va uning so'zlarini hech kim unutmasdi.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

Payg'ambar Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم butun insoniyat tarixida eng ko'p ergashilgan shaxs bo'lsa-da (3-bobga qarang), uning eng sadoqatli izdoshlari, shubhasiz, sahobalar edi va aynan shu narsa ularning uning xarakteri va xabarining haqiqatiga oid guvohligini alohida qiladi. Muhammadning xulq-atvori yaxlitligini baholashda, sahobalari uni qanchalik chuqur hurmat qilgani va hatto uning xulq-atvoridagi eng xususiy va nozik jihatlarida ham unga qanday taqlid qilgani e'tibordan chetda qolmasligi kerak. Shotlandiyalik tarixchi va Arab tili hamda Islomshunoslik bo'yicha professor emeriti Uilyam Montgomeri Vott (vaf. 2006) shunday yozgan: "Uning e'tiqodi uchun ta'qibga chidashga tayyorligi, unga ishongan va uni yetakchi sifatida e'zozlagan odamlarning yuksak axloqiy fazilati hamda uning yakuniy yutug'ining buyukligi — bularning barchasi uning asosiy halolligidan dalolat beradi. Muhammadni firibgar deb faraz qilish hal qilgandan ko'ra ko'proq muammolar tug'diradi. Bundan tashqari, tarixning buyuk arboblarining hech biri G'arbda Muhammadchalik kam qadrlanmagan... Shunday ekan, biz Muhammadga asosiy halollik va niyatning samimiyligini albatta tan olishimiz kerak, agar uni umuman tushunmoqchi bo'lsak; o'tmishdan meros qilib olgan xatolarni tuzatmoqchi bo'lsak, har bir alohida holatda uning samimiyligiga, uning teskarisi aniq isbotlanmaguncha, qat'iy ishonishimiz kerak; va shuni unutmasligimiz kerakki, aniq isbot ishonchli ko'rinishdan ancha qat'iyroq talabdir va bunday masalada uni faqat qiyinchilik bilan erishish mumkin."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

Bu sahobalar uning tabassumini, fidokorligini, haqiqat uchun turishini va insoniyatga xizmat qilishini taqlid qilishda bir-birlaridan o‘zib ketishga harakat qilardilar. Ular uning sadoqatiga, fikrining ravshanligiga, muvozanatli fikrlariga, o‘rgatishdagi muloyimligiga, qat’iyatiga va ta’sirchan nutqiga umrbod mahliyo bo‘lib qolgan edilar. Uning birinchi izdoshlaridan rivoyat qilingan o‘nlab qiziqarli hadislarning birida ‘Alī ibn ‘Abī Ṭālib shunday deydi: “U biror kishiga qaraganida, uning ko‘zlariga qararди. U odamlarning eng saxiysi, so‘zda ulardan eng rostgo‘yi, xulqi eng yumshog‘i va nasabi eng sharaflisi edi. Uni tasvirlamoqchi bo‘lgan har bir kishi aytardi: ‘Men undan oldin ham, keyin ham uning kabisini ko‘rmaganman’.”119

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

Bu sahobalar shunchaki tunda namoz o‘qiydigan va umrini Allohga bag‘ishlagan yaxshi odamlar emas edi. Masalan, adolatli ‘Umar ibn al-Xattob ﷺning dahosi ko‘plab tarixchilar tomonidan e’tirof etilgan. Darhaqiqat, “Columbia History of the World” asarida ‘Umar musulmonlar hukmronligidan oldin mavjud bo‘lgan qudratli Rim imperiyasinikidan ustunroq bir bошqaruv tizimini yaratgani ta’kidlanadi. Qabilaviy arab kishisi markazlashgan hokimiyatga ega federal davlat tuzibgina qolmay, shu ittifoqning chekka hududlarini ham barqaror qila oladigan moslashuvchanlikka ega bo‘lsa va shu orqali tarix yo‘nalishini o‘zgartirsa, bu kishining istisno darajadagi aql egasi bo‘lganini tan olish kerak. Bu esa Muhammad ﷺning payg‘ambarligiga ishongan, uni chuqur hurmat bilan taqlid qilgan bir kishining misolidir.

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.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq ning Islom uchun boyligining yarmini berishi, Bilol ibn Raboh ning tasavvur qilib bo‘lmas azoblarga qaramay e’tiqodidan voz kechishni rad etishi va Sumayya bint Xayyot ning Muhammad ﷺ ga ishonmayman deb yolg‘on gapirishdan bosh tortgani uchun qatl etilishi oddiy voqealar emas. Omon qolganlar esa uning ruhi va xabarini o‘z hayotlariga singdirish ulkan vazifasini o‘z zimmalariga oldilar, shu sababli ular Qur’onda Allohning maqtoviga to‘la loyiq bo‘ldilar: “Siz insonlar uchun chiqarilgan eng yaxshi ummatsiz. Siz yaxshilikka buyurasiz, yomonlikdan qaytarasiz va Allohga iymon keltirasiz.”121 Nubuvatdan oldin va keyin uni kuzatgan, o‘nlab yillar davomida uning kundalik xulq-atvorini ko‘rgan bunday darajadagi odamlarning uni ﷺ va uning da’vatini shunchalik ixlos bilan izlashi, ularning unga va uning da’vatiga qanchalik ishonch bilan ergashganini aniq ko‘rsatadi.

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.