The Excellent Exemplar - Muhammad — Page 73
73 The Excellent Exemplar MUHAMMAD WAS A LAWBEARING PROPHET. THE Quran says that h e was not a Messenger who brought newfangled doctrines (46:10). There had been law bearing prophets before him, for instance Moses, through whom God had proclaimed the advent of a law bearing Prophet “like unto him” (Deut. 18: 18). This means that Muhammad had been selected by God as a fit and appropriate channel for conveying the Divine law and guidance to mankind. His claim that he had been so selected implied that his personality had been m olded to that end and that he illustrated conformity to that law and guidance in his own conduct. It is necessary, therefore, briefly to study his personality and character in order to see whether that implication was justified. What type of man was he? Ho w did he deal with his fellow beings? How did he discharge his duty to God? Though Muhammad lived in a region which had slight contacts with the rest of the world and at a time when the art of history was still in its infancy, his was a truly historical personality. He lived his life in the full light of day. Enough is known of hi s early life to enable us to form a fair idea of his qualities and character. After he received the Divine Call his every word, act, and gesture were observed, and a complete record of them has been preserved. It was necessary that that should be so, for