The Vision of Islam

their permission to migrate, he said: Suhaib’s trading has profited! Suhaib’s trading has profited!” The entire life of the Prophet was nothing but a human event, that is why it serves as an example to us. According to Bukhari, he was hurt like anyone else. Indeed, the reason that his congregation refused to believe that he was the receiver of divine revelation was the very fact that, to all appearances, the Prophet appeared just like any normal human being: “You do transactions in the town. You seek a livelihood just as we do.” (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah) The truth is that the greatness of the Prophet’s life lies in its being a human event rather than a far-fetched tale of inimitable miraculous actions. The Prophet was God’s humble and very human servant, and, having been chosen by God to spread His message, he was supported by Him at every critical hour. In this sense his success was miraculous, but the Prophet himself was in no way endowed with superhuman powers. The Beginning of Dawah When, at the age of forty, the Prophet of Islam received his first revelation, he reacted as any normal human being would in such a situation. He was staying in the Cave of Hira at the time. Apprehensive, he returned home to his wife Khadija. Being an impartial judge, she was in a position to view the situation objectively. “It cannot be,” she said. “God will surely never humiliate you. You are kind to your relatives; you always give the weak a helping hand; you help those who are out of work to stand on their own feet again; you honour guests. When people are in trouble you give them assistance.” (Bukhari and Muslim) This is how the historian Ibn Kathir describes an incident that occurred at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission: “Ali, son of Abi Talib and cousin of the Prophet, came into the