(Q) Non-Muslim: Why believe in the Prophet of Islam Muhammad, or what is the criterion on which believing in the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him) is based?
(A) The Muslim: Firstly, before applying the criterion of believing in Allah's prophets and messengers, it is necessary to purify Almighty God from any whims or fanaticism and follow the truth wherever it is. Likewise, a person must be honest with himself because he will be held accountable by Him for not taking the reasons for reaching the truth and not following it.
Secondly, to believe in any of His prophets and messengers, it is necessary to identify three points or pillars and study them carefully.
(1) The first point or pillar: the testified moral qualities and nobility of those who say they are His prophets should clearly show that Allah chose them by prophecy and message. These qualities can be identified through the correct and confirmed biography narrated by trustworthy people known for their honesty, justice, and trust.
Since his beginning and before his mission, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was the best of people, nicknamed among his people as honest and faithful, in addition to the beauty of his friendship. The situations that testify to this statement are numerous. Whoever does not lie to people for honesty and trustworthiness will never claim prophecy and message from God.
Why choose Islam as a religion?
(2) The second point or pillar: Identifying the call of who claims prophethood without the slightest distortion of it, and then thinking about it rationally and impartially and knowing the extent to which it agrees with the pure instinct and the right mind that Almighty God has granted us to think about and then find the truth through it.
The first thing that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called for was:
- Believing in the Creator God's existence, the oneness of His divinity, excellent qualities, and limitless of His power, and exalting Him from having a peer, partner, child, vice qualities, shortcomings and defects and from whatever that does not befit Him.
- Purifying Him from racism, and that He is not the God of individuals and groups without others, or for a nation without other nations or a people without other peoples.
- Purifying Him from needing a child, girlfriend, or wife to have a baby. He is the Creator God who was not born by anyone, and there was nothing before him. He does not need to give birth to anyone, which does not befit him. He says: (He neither begets nor is born) [Surah Al-Ikhlas: 3] He is the Creator of everything from nothing.
- Calling for glorifying the attributes of the Almighty Creator God and believing in their goodness and perfection, and calling for not to underestimate Him by describing or depicting Him in the form of stones or statues. Does depicting unseen God in different forms and pictures make sense?
The Creator God is more significant than any form in which one of His creatures can portray Him.
Why choose Islam as a religion?
(3) The third point or pillar: Identifying the miracles and supernatural performed by Him at the hands of those who claim prophethood, and which only those who were prophets sent by God can do.
Almighty Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with miracles and supernatural things that can only be done by the Prophets of Allah (SWT) and His Messengers to bear witness to the sincerity of his call and the credibility of his message (peace be upon him).
The sensory miracles of the Prophet Muhammad are abundant and varied. For instance:
- The splitting of the moon is a Prophet Muhammad's miracle (peace be upon him). Science has recently discovered the so-called cracks of the moon (Rimae or Lunar Rilles), which are long and enormous. The pictures of the moon have been taken showing one of these long cracks in the middle of the moon (approximately), which confirms the occurrence of this great miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- The spring of water from his fingers: This miracle was essential in saving the believers many times from perishing from thirst.
- Blessing little food until it becomes sufficient for a lot of people: This miracle has been repeated in many separate situations.
He (peace be upon him) also has many other sensory miracles besides those above.
Why choose Islam as a religion?
Among his miracles is his saying about past, present, and future prescience that has accurately become true as he spoke. For example:
- He said that his daughter Fatima would be the first person to die after his death, and it happened so.
- He prophesized the expansion of the Muslims' kingdom and their winning of the treasures of Khosrau.
- He talked about the conquest of Egypt and Constantinople, and they occurred so. There are other prophecies that he mentioned before they happened precisely.
Among his miracles are many metaphysical, scientific facts that no one has known for more than one thousand and four hundred years. Then, modern science discovered the truth and accuracy of his statement, so it will be a witness that he is an inspired prophet of Almighty God, the knower of the unseen.
For instance, he said, "When forty-two nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones." (Narrated by Muslim, 2645)
Modern science has discovered that with the beginning of the seventh week, specifically starting from the 43rd day of the date of fertilization – that is, after forty-two nights, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said (if the sperm passes forty-two nights)- the spread of the skeleton of the fetus begins the human form. How accurate are the words of
Why choose Islam as a religion?
the Prophet's statement, the number he mentioned, and what does this indicate?
One of his miracles is that Allah answered his supplications as an endorsement from Him (SWT). An example of this is his supplication in the Battle of Al-Ahzab against the polytheists with defeat and earthquake, his supplication for the rain to fall, and much more miracles to be evidence of the sincerity of his prophethood and message (peace be upon him).
One of his miracles is Allah's protection for him until he delivers his call and spreads his message, despite the many attempts of the enemies of Islam to kill and harm him. This is evidence of Almighty God's support for him.
Another one is Allah's protection for his biography before and after the mission, to be an open book for everyone. This is a witness to being chosen by God, evidence of his credibility, and the sincerity of his call and message.
The Holy Quran is another miracle. It is a great miracle with which God supported his Prophet Muhammad. It combined the miracle and the divine approach to facilitate and reform people's lives simultaneously.
Among its miracles that testify to its credibility and that it is a revelation from Almighty God:
1. The Holy Qur'an came in a new excellent style and beautiful, eloquent systems that Arabs did not know before. The first Qur'an challenge to Arabs is to bring a book like it with the same systems, eloquence, accuracy of words, comprehensiveness, splendor, and the transcendence of
Why choose Islam as a religion?
its goals and objectives. None of the Arabs could do so, and they could not come up with even one of the smallest chapters, such as the smallest chapter in the Qur'an. Eventually, their rhetoric and eloquent people praised its goodness and greatness and said that no book could surpass it.
2. The Holy Qur'an states past, present, and future prescience, which no one can know except who is connected to God's revelation, the knower of the unseen.
For example, Allah says: (Alif, Lām, Meem. The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearest land. But after their defeat, they will overcome within three to nine years. To Allah belong the command [i.e., decree] before and after, and the believers will rejoice that day.) (Surah Ar-Rum, 1-4)
The verse says that after the Persians defeated the Romans (and it was a tremendous force at the time), the ball would return to the Romans, and they would overcome the Persians. It is not only that, but the verse shows the period during which the victory of the Romans over the Persians will be through the word (a few), which refers to the number from 3 to 9 years [in Arabic]. It happened as said by the Holy Qur'an. The Romans triumphed after their defeat over the Persians during the stated period.
3. The Holy Qur'an has mentioned many metaphysical, scientific facts that no one knew about for more than one thousand four hundred years. Then, modern science discovers the truth and accuracy of its statement.
For instance, Allah says: (And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.) (Al-Dhariyat, 47)
This Holy Qur'anic verse talks about God's great power in creating heaven and that He has made it wide; not only that, but He will continuously increase its breadth and expansion.
Why choose Islam as a religion?
Modern science has discovered the Qur'an's truth, as modern technologies have proven that stars and even galaxies – which include vast numbers of stars – diverge from each other at tremendous and enormous speeds, sometimes reaching close to the speed of light (300,000) km / s, as scientists realized that the spectrum of the star is biased to the red color. Also, scientists have proven that one of the characteristics of the universe is that it is constantly expanding, which is what the Qur'anic verse indicates.
What do these Holy Qur'an impressive scientific facts refer to since more than 1400 years ago, when no one had the slightest knowledge of them, which was only discovered after the technological progress in this modern era?
- Please refer to the book: Islam and the Discoveries of Modern Science as One the Evidence of the Prophethood and Message of Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Translated into English and other languages).
Since the different types of miracles in the Holy Qur'an are numerous, every seeker of guidance has believed in the Holy Qur'an, sincerely devoting his intentions to God, free from his whims and fanaticism.
After clarifying, it is clear that all points or pillars in the criterion of belief in God's prophets and messengers can be applied to the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Therefore, the credibility of his message is clear, and it is necessary to follow his call as the last Prophet and messenger.
Why choose Islam as a religion?
This criterion we have referred to is the standard that all minds at all levels understand and is accepted by pure instinct and rational reasons. Therefore, everyone must apply it.
Note: If people of the previous sects were asked why they believed in the prophecy of a prophet without seeing his miracles?, the logical answer would be: our parents told us about those miracles.
The question is: Where did you know their sincerity in what they told you?
The logical answer will be it is because of the frequency and testimonies of the narrators.
Therefore, logically and rationally, you must believe in the prophethood of the Messenger of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), because the narrators of his miracles, signs, and the proofs of his prophethood are many times greater than yours, and because God combined moral and sensory benefits for him.
Please refer to the following:
- The Concise Introduction of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), His Call, Luminous Parts of His Bright Life, and Evidence from the Proofs of His Prophethood and Message."
- The Concise Methodology of Proving the Existence of the Creator God, His Oneness, His Great Attributes, His Omnipotence, the Sincerity of the Prophet of Islam, and Muhammad's Call. (Translated into English) - Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Truly the Prophet of Allah. (Translated into English and other languages)