The simplicity of Prophet Muhammad

The Prophet’s life is full of examples that show his simplicity before and after he was called for Prophethood.Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and a judge. He used to milk his goat, mend his shoes, and visit poor people when they got sick. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness.

Elaborating more on this, we cite for you the following: If we compare the life of Muhammad before his mission as a prophet and his life after his mission, we will notice that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) can never be a person who falsely claimed prophethood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.

Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad had no financial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as a prophet, there is a sharp decline as regards his financial status.

To clarify this more, let us reflect on the following saying of his wife `A’ishah, describing their simple life. She addressed her nephew `Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) saying:
“O my nephew, we would sight three new moons in two months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet’s houses.” Her nephew asked, “O Aunt, what was your foodstuff then?” She said, “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet had some Ansar neighbours who had she-camels and they used to send the Prophet some milk.”

Amr ibn Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Prophet died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white riding mule, his shield, and a piece of land, which he left to charity.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led this hard life till he died despite the fact that the Muslim public treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had entered into the fold of Islam before his death.

Is it possible that Muhammad might have claimed prophethood in order to attain status, greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces, colourful guards, and indisputable authority. Do any of these indicators apply to Muhammad? A few glimpses of his life that may help answer this question follow.

Despite his responsibilities as a prophet, he also helped his Companions in digging a trench by moving sand with them. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness.

Muhammad’s followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an amazing extent.

(culled from www.islam-guide.com)