Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 254
254 account of your brother and it behoves you therefore to make provision for him and leave him free to serve the Faith. " 324 During the course of a journey, when the Prophet’s party arrived at their camping place, his Companions immediately occupied themselves with their respective tasks in setting up camp for the night. The Holy Prophet said: "You have allotted no task to me. I shall go and collect fuel for cooking. " His Companions protested and said: "O Messenger of Allah! why should you occupy yourself in that way when all of us are here to do whatever may be necessary?" He said: "No, No. It is my duty to do my share of whatever may have to be done," and he collected fire-wood from the jungle for cooking the food. 325 Truthfulness As has been related the Holy Prophet was himself so rigid in his standards of truthfulness that he was known among his people as "The Trusty" and "The True". He was equally anxious that Muslims should adopt the same standards of truth as were observed by himself. He regarded truth as the basis of all virtue, goodness and right conduct. He taught that a truthful person is one who is so confirmed in truth that he is counted truthful by God. On one occasion a prisoner was brought to the Holy Prophet who had been guilty of the murder of many Muslims. ‘Umar, who was also present, believed that the man richly deserved the imposition of the death penalty and he looked repeatedly at the Prophet expecting that the Prophet would at any moment indicate that the man should be put to death. After the Holy Prophet had dismissed the man ‘Umar submitted that he should have been put to death as that was the only appropriate penalty. The Prophet replied: "If that is so, why did you not kill him?" ‘Umar replied: "O Messenger of Allah! if you had but given me an indication even by a flicker of your eyelids, I would have done so. " To this the Prophet rejoined: "A Prophet does not act equivocally. How could I have employed my eye to indicate the imposition of a death penalty upon the man while my tongue was employed in talking amicably to him?" 326 A man once came to the Holy Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I suffer from three evils: falsehood, indulgence in strong drinks and fornication. I have tried my utmost to get rid of them but have not succeeded. Will you tell me what to do?" The Prophet replied: "If you make a firm promise to me to give up one of them I guarantee that you will be rid of the other two. " The man promised and asked the Prophet to tell him which of the three he should give up. The Prophet said: "Give up falsehood. " Some time later the man came back and told the Holy Prophet that, having followed his advice, he was now free from all three vices. The Prophet asked him for the details of his struggle and the man said: "One day I wanted to indulge in liquor and was about to do so when I bethought myself of my promise to you and realised that if any of my friends asked me whether I had taken liquor, I would have to admit it as I could no longer utter a falsehood. This would mean that I would