Page 31 - World Religions I - Islam

o Muhammad continued to be affected from the poison for the next three years. If Muhammad has eaten
seven 'Ajwa dates each morning as he prescribed, perhaps he would not have been affected by the
poison.140
• "Narrated by Anas bin Malik: A Jewish brought poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it.
She was brought to the Prophet and he was asked, 'Shall we kill her?' He said, 'No.' I continued to see the
effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah's Apostle."77
• "The apostle of Allah lived after this three-year till in consequence of his pain he passed away. During the
illness he used to say, 'I did not cease to find the effect of the (poisoned) morsel I took at Khaibar and I
suffered several times (from its effect), but now I feel the hour has come of the cutting of my jugular
vein."78
• "The apostle had said in his illness of which he was to die when Umm Bishr d. al-Bara came to visit him, 'O
Umm Bishr, this is the time in which I feel a deadly pain from what I ate with your brother at Khaybar.'"79
• According to Aisha: "The Prophet in his ailment in which he died, use to say, 'O Aisha! I still feel the
pain caused by the food I ate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that
poison."80
o With Muhammad's death, the Qur'an automatically became complete.
o He was buried in Medina in his house, which adjoined the mosque. There was disagreement as to
where Muhammad should be buried until Abu Bakr said, "I heard the apostle say, 'No prophet dies but
he is buried where he died." So, they took up the bed on which Muhammad died and buried him
beneath it.141
The Prophethood of Muhammad

• The Qur'an confirms his prophethood.
o "Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And
we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and
to David We gave the book [of Psalms]." - An- Nisa' (The Women) 4:163 (trans. Sahih)
• Muhammad claimed to bring nothing new that hadn't already been presented in the prior books and revelations.
o "Say: 'I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be
done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a
Warner open and clear.'" - Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes) 46:9 (trans. Yusuf Ali)
• The Qur'an outlines Muhammad's purpose.
o "O Prophet! Lo! We have sent thee as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And as a
summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light." - Al-Ahzab (The Confederates)
33:45-46 (trans. Pickthall)
• The Qur'an claims that prophecies concerning Muhammad can be found throughout the prior scriptures (the
Torah and the Gospel). Was Muhammad really prophesied in the Bible? Read more in Appendix B.
• "Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own
(scriptures) - in the law and the Gospel - for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is
evil...it is they who will prosper." - Al-Araf (The Heights) 7:157 (trans. Yusuf Ali) "The unlettered Prophet"
is a reference to Muhammad. It is widely believed that he could neither read nor write.
• Muhammad is referenced in the Qur'an as "The Unlettered Prophet" and is considered by Muslims to have been
functionally illiterate.
• This belief is based on a single Qur'anic text (7:157-158) which speaks twice of Muhammad as "al-
ummi".
o The word al-ummi is often translated as "the unlettered one" and is popularly understood by
Muslims to indicate that Muhammad was unable to read and write. The Arabic word al-
ummi also means "unlearned" in a general sense, and is used to refer to a person without
extensive education.

30