Life of Muhammad — Page 242
sa 242 idleness. The Holy Prophet sa said: "God provides for you also on account of your brother and it behoves you therefore to make provision for him and leave him free to serve the Faith" ( Tirmidh i ). During the course of a journey, when the Prophet's sa 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 sa 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 sa ! 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 ( Zurq a n i , Vol. 4, p. 306). TRUTHFULNESS As has been related the Holy Prophet sa 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 sa who had been guilty of the murder of many Muslims. ‘ Umar ra , who was also present, believed that the man richly deserved the imposition of the death penalty and he looked repeatedly at the Prophet sa expecting that the Prophet sa would at any moment indicate that the man should be put to death. After the Holy Prophet sa had dismissed the man ‘ Umar ra submitted that he should have been put to death as that was the only appropriate penalty. The Prophet sa replied: "If that is so, why did you not kill him?" ‘ Umar ra replied: