The Personality of the Prophet of Islam

According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam said, “Every verse of the Quran has a deeper level as well as a surface level.” What is called the deeper level of the Quran in this Hadith refers to the wisdom enshrined in the verses of the Quran. The wording of a verse or Hadith tells us only the apparent or superficial meaning. The deeper meanings are hidden behind the words, not in the words. These hidden meanings can be learnt only by deep reflection upon the verses. One task of the Prophet, therefore, was to initiate proper intellectual training, so that they might not only learn the apparent meaning of religious teachings but also understand the wisdom behind them. The ability to exercise ijtihad on religious matters is also the result of this instruction in wisdom. Those who are endowed with this deep insight are able to lead their lives on a high level of faith on the one hand, and on the other, they are able to discharge the responsibilities of the leadership of the ummah. Their mental faculties are so developed that they are able to make a proper interpretation of religion in the changing sets of circumstances. In the above-mentioned verses we have been told that there are four aspects of the prophetic mission. Apparently, this does not include certain parts of his life, such as hijrah, war, victory, the implementation of commands, etc. What is the reason for this? Why are these elements not included in the verses quoted above? The reason is that the mission of the Prophet and the history of the Prophet are not identical. All those things which are not included in these verses form part of the history of the Prophet rather than of his actual mission. His mission was only one and the Prophet had always to fulfill it at all costs. No prophet could ever leave the world without fulfilling his mission. So far as the history of any prophet is concerned, this keeps, changing according to circumstances. Various factors are responsible for changes in circumstances. That is why the history of each prophet is differently shaped despite all of them having had one and the same mission. The actual status of the Prophet of Islam was that of a dayee. The Quran repeatedly presents him in this capacity: ‘O Prophet, We have sent forth you as a witness, as a bearer of good news and a warner. As one who calls people to God by His leave, and guides them like a shining light.’ (The Quran, 33:45-46) These verses go to prove that the mission of the Prophet of Islam, far from being the establishment of political rule, was essentially dawah. It is true no doubt that in his life there were components other than dawah, but only that explanation of these other parts would be correct which did not affect his status as a dayee. Therefore, it would be right and proper to say that the Prophet of Islam was in actual fact a dayee. Other constituents of his life were not direct goals, but rather became integral to his life due to extraneous factors.