Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 83
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 83 differences between sections of the people. You have condemned their ancestral religion, have reproved the leaders of the people, have described them as bereft of understanding, and have reviled their honoured gods. Thus, you have greatly humiliated and in sulted the people. We are at a loss to decide how to deal with you. We do not know what you are seeking through all this propaganda. If your purpose is to gather wealth, we are willing to bestow upon you so much that you may be the wealthiest of us all. If you are seeking honour and status, we are willing to make you our chief. If you hanker after ruling power, we are even prepared to acknowledge you as our king. If all your agitation is due to some disease or disorder, we are prepared to provide for your p roper treatment at our expense. If you can be made happy by marriage with a young woman, we can provide you with the best maiden among the Arabs. ’ The Holy Prophet, peace be on him, listened patiently to their discourse, and when they had finished, said to them: ‘Chiefs of Quraish, I desire none of these things and suffer from no disease or disorder. I am a messenger of God and have brought you His m essage. My heart is full of sympathy for you. If you listen to me and follow what I say, it will be entirely to your benefit, both here and hereafter. If you reject my message, I shall await the judgment of God with patience and steadfastness. ’ The chiefs of Quraish then started a new line and said: ‘If you insist upon our accepting you as a divine messenger, then let us come to some understanding about that. You know that our country is mostly desert and all that one observes in it are dry rocks and interminable sand dunes. If you are truly a messenger