Muhammad the kindred to Humanity — Page 4
One of Ourselves. The second great quality which the verse has pointed out is contained in the words "from among yourselves". On a superficial view to be "from among yourselves" may seem a minor attribute, but on reflection it turns out to be an attribute which serves to distinguish the Holy Prophet from the other teachers of the world. The purpose which all teachers have proclaimed of their advent, is that they should lead their people to righteousness and serve them as exemplars of moral conduct. It is obvious that an exemplar to be a real exemplar, must experience, the urges and the constraints which all men have to experience, and confront the conditions which they have to confront. Without these, he will be ill-fitted to be an exemplar to others. It was because of this that. Christians were led to believe that though Jesus was the son of God, and was, therefore, in a way, himself God, yet he came to the Israelites in human form. For without even the externals of humanity about him, he could hardly have served as an exemplar to human beings. Similarly, the. Hindus have been led to believe that the Avtars or incarnations of God come to us in human form or in the form of other creatures, so that they should become exemplars to ordinary creatures. It seems, therefore, that all religions are agreed that one who is to be an exemplar to any class must be one of that class, though as a member of that class there would be a world of difference between his powers and the average powers of the class. Here then is the point of this great attribute of the Holy Prophet pointed out in the words from among yourselves'. In another place in the Quran,. God enjoins on Muhammad to say, "I am. but a man, like any of you. " This means that the conditions which confront ordmary human beings individually, have been in their entirety reproduced in the life of Muhammad whose career therefore is a pattern for all human beings. . A Many-sided Life. It is in this respect that our Holy Prophet has risen above all other Prophets. There can be no denying,